Acclaimed Irish Chef Richard Corrigan, three times winner of the Great British Menu competition, writes in his latest cookbook ‘The Clatter of Forks and Spoons’: “Growing up on a farm teaches you respect for the cycles and seasonality of food…... and with each movement of the calendar, nature has something else to give us. I think there’s an appreciation about food and flavour that’s formed in your childhood…..and knowing the time and work that goes into producing good food, makes you hate to waste any of it."
Well I can say the same about growing up in Seychelles.
I've always known I loved food but the day it came back into my life seriously was the day my son Julio was released for a few days from hospital in Singapore after a bout of serious chemotherapy for his Cancer. It was shortly before his fourth Christmas, and the Turkey was defrosting in the fridge. The doctor warned us that he would be very greedy and very moody. Forewarned is forearmed. And true enough, after breakfast the first question was "what time is Lunch?", followed by "Anything to snack on?" and so on.
My childhood food memories suddenly rolled through my mind like a film reel in slow motion - steamed rice with fried carangue (trevally); curried salted turtle meat - in those days an acceptable dish - with fresh coconut milk and turmeric; chatini (chutney) of young shark with bilimbis, each of which brought water to my mouth.
I've always known I loved food but the day it came back into my life seriously was the day my son Julio was released for a few days from hospital in Singapore after a bout of serious chemotherapy for his Cancer. It was shortly before his fourth Christmas, and the Turkey was defrosting in the fridge. The doctor warned us that he would be very greedy and very moody. Forewarned is forearmed. And true enough, after breakfast the first question was "what time is Lunch?", followed by "Anything to snack on?" and so on.
My childhood food memories suddenly rolled through my mind like a film reel in slow motion - steamed rice with fried carangue (trevally); curried salted turtle meat - in those days an acceptable dish - with fresh coconut milk and turmeric; chatini (chutney) of young shark with bilimbis, each of which brought water to my mouth.
As I continue my journey through food, I discover that the food that I enjoy cooking the most is what is local and seasonal and comes from within a short radius of where I live - 10km, if that, for the shark, and a staggering 1.5 metres for the bilimbis!!
The recipe is easy: boil shark with a little salt and pepper, remove skin, press out all water, pound in pestle. Chop onions, twist a few curry leaves, stir-fry in hot oil in a wok, adding garlic and ginger, then the shark meat, some pounded bilimbis, with a pinch of cumin powder at the end. Add some chillies if preferred. Unquestionably, best eaten with steamed rice or boiled breadfruit, using only your fingers!!
The recipe is easy: boil shark with a little salt and pepper, remove skin, press out all water, pound in pestle. Chop onions, twist a few curry leaves, stir-fry in hot oil in a wok, adding garlic and ginger, then the shark meat, some pounded bilimbis, with a pinch of cumin powder at the end. Add some chillies if preferred. Unquestionably, best eaten with steamed rice or boiled breadfruit, using only your fingers!!
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