No. 47 - Cote d'Ivoire - Kedjenou - Kedjenou pronounce it?

Tempting as it is, I will not make pun of the poor chicken in this recipe. Surely in this day and age, chickens should feel free to cross roads without having their motives questioned. They will not bear the brunt of any bad jokes today.

Only the brunt of my father and a sharp knife.

Kedjenou

A stew by any other name, Kedjenou is Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast’s national dish. It’s the quintessential example of many countries traditional fare, the sort of cooking that has become a bit of a recurring theme. Take local easily sourced ingredients, bung it all into a pot and apply heat. The result is succulent falling-of-the-bone chicken and a delicious broth with a slight kick of chili.

Kedjenou (pronunciation unknown) is by no means ‘impressive’ or ‘ground-breaking’ but it makes damned good dinner.

1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces

1 aubergine, peeled and cubed

3 tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 onions, sliced

2 chili’s, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon of thyme

2 bay leafs

salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 160°C. After you have tackled dissecting your chicken into drumstick, thigh, wings and breast, throw all of the above ingredients into an oven-proof dish with a tight fitting lid.  Seal with a few extra layers of tinfoil just to make sure. Bung everything in the oven for 2 hours and serve with couscous or rice. Easy as.

No. 46 - Costa Rica - Let's tico taco bout it!

I’m sorry, but Jamie Oliver I just whooped. your. ass. at tacos. 

That is all.

Seriously though, I’m sure there is something else I can think to say about these tacos. 

No,  I can’t think of anything.  Except I want some. That and it's ridiculously fun to say tico taco (with a Mexican accent).

Ticos Tacos

For the Shredded beef:

1 kg beef chuck

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp chili powder

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

salt and pepper

1 stock cube (for good measure)

Tacos:

White cabbage, shredded

Tomato, chopped

Tortilla wraps

Coriander

Grated cheddar

Tabasco

Taco Sauce (Big 4 sauce last time I checked):

4 tbsp tomato ketchup

4 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp mustard

juice of ½ lemon

dash of Worchester sauce

In a large ovenproof pot with a tight fitting lid, sear the beef on all sides in oil until brown. Throw in the rest of the ‘shredded beef’ ingredients along with enough water to almost cover the beef. Bring to a simmer and pop in the oven (130) for 2 – 3 hours, until meltingly tender and falling apart. Remove the beef and reduce the remaining juice until it’s nice and thick. You should probably skim the fat of at this point but I won’t tell anybody if you don’t. Shred the beef, return to the juices and give it a good toss.

Lay out your tortilla wraps and spoon on some of the shredded beef, ensuring that there is not too much excess liquid (you don’t want your tortillas going soggy before you taco them). Fold the tortilla over so you have a crescent shape. Heat a dry pan on a medium heat and lay your tortilla in carefully. When it has browned nicely and crisped up turn it over and do exactly the same with the other side.

Top with shredded cabbage (not to be underestimated), tomato, tico taco sauce (just mix all the tico taco sauce ingredients together), coriander and tabasco if you are that way inclined.

No. 45 - Not So Cook Islands - Raw Ika Mata!

Parsley throwing frenzies, scraps of stripy fabric from Ikea and lemons. Food blogging 101.

This was an exercise into how to photograph your food, so that it doesn't end up looking like those laminated menus you find on holidays that have a lethargic photo of every single dish on the menu. It's amazing what a nasty strip light and the worlds slowest smart phone can do. A unique look behind the scene of the glamourous world of food blogging...

Beauty.

Ika Mata                                                                                                                       7/10

                                                                                                                

Ika Mata is like ceviche with coconut milk. Ceviche is raw fish cooked in lemon or lime juice. Because it's raw, get the freshest fish you can. I've done it here with tuna (because I love myself) but it will work with any type of firm fish. Perfect as a 'Late Late' snack.

250g fresh tuna, cut into chunks

Juice of 2 lemons

1 red pepper, finely diced

1 red onion, finely diced

handful of parsley, finely chopped

handful of mint, finely chopped

splash of tabasco, to taste

1/2 can of coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

Add the tuna to the lemon juice and leave to marinate in the fridge for up to an hour. The smaller the chunks the less time it will take. The lemon juice actually cooks the fish so keep an eye on it. When the edges become to a whitish opaque colour (how it looks when cooked with heat) it's done.

Drain the tuna and mix with the remaining ingredients gently. Serve on toast, drink with wine and Tom Cruise. 

No. 43 - Congo (again) - Killing Two Congo's with Two Quail (Twice)

You can tell that Sesame Street were responsible for my alphabet skills.  I still need to learn which letter comes after which without, at the age of twenty four, having to sing my ABC's. Next time won't you sing with me, for real. 

                               

This must be why (and I know I'm only on C) I've gone and (spatch)cocked it up and cooked Congo twice! I suppose that means I've subsequently cheated twice by combining the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo to make less work for myself.  Now I'm unsure if I've half cooked four countries (the two Congo's twice) or just cooked two countries adequately (the two Congo's once). 

I am willing to conveniently accept the latter - in this case two wrongs do make a right. Either way, I need to get a move on... 

Congo Spatchcocked Quail with Fried Potato, Chickpeas and Spinach                         8/10                                                     

(The Quail represents the Democratic Republic of and the potato dish the Republic of Congo)

I'm glad I didn't google what quails look like, not like chickens, like little birdies...

Before four ended up dead, plucked, with their insides still inside them and consequently their blood on my hands (and everywhere else) ...

Despite the gore, I had never tasted quail before so I was really looking forward to it. They're really good, like giant chicken wings but much better (you absolutely have to pick them up). The potato dish was also really good, better than I thought and much better than just a 'side' dish. I'll definitely cook it again. It was like a Spanish tapas dish.

For the Quail

4 quail
3 cloves of garlic
2 chillies
knob of ginger
1 tablespoon of oil
1/2 a red onion

Spatchcock your quail by putting it breast side down on your chopping board and cutting out its backbone with a scissors. I shouldn't be too difficult at all. If there are any internal organs pull (like me) or cut them out too. Rinse under a cold tap and carefully dab dry.

In a pestle and mortar, combine the garlic, chili, ginger, onion and oil. Toss the quail in the marinade the leave for an hour or as long as possible.

Grill or barbecue on a medium hot heat until cooked through. I put mine on for nearly half an hour but my grill is temperamental and likes to set off the fire alarm. Let them rest for a few minutes before serving.

For the potato dish

4 large potatoes, cooked and cooled.
1 red and green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 tin of chickpeas, drained

a couple of big handfuls of spinach

oil for frying

Peel and cube your potatoes, fry in hot oil until crispy and golden. Soften the onion and pepper in a pan, add the chickpeas and spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted. Stir in the crispy fried potatoes and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Serve with your hot birds.

No. 44 - Comoros – Cracking Lobster in Vanilla Butter!

I struggled more with squeemishness (there was after all, a live animal in my kitchen, restrained by nothing more than a mere plastic bag and a couple of  elastic bands*) rather than guilt. In fact, it turns out I have negligable moral quams when it comes to simmering crustaceans. Out of the bag and on the ‘chopping block’, he assumed his defence position, pinchers outstretched and ready. Poor thing made himself as big as possible, as though if he succeeded, he’d make himself too big for the pot. 

And then, it was over.

I felt a tinge of guilt. A tinge. But not enough not take a hammer to his body, dunk chunks of his sweet flesh into vanilla buttery goodness, suck and devour.  Not even close.

* The bands are in place not to prevent them from nipping us, but eating each other.

Cracking Lobster in Vanilla Butter

Against my will (and the wind) we scoured every fish mongers in Howth to find not just any live lobster, but the livliest live lobster. I’m talking the Michael Flatley of the lobster world - we (himself) would be satisfied with nothing short of a jig.  Not a realistic expectation from a crustation perhaps, but at least make sure it is not nearly dead.  It should curl up it’s tail when  taken out of the tank and be very much alive and kicking. Won’t be for long.

Serves 1-2                                                                               10/10  Unbleepingbelievable.

1 lobster

6 tablespoons of butter,

½ red onion,

½ glass white wine

½ vanilla pod

(1 glass of wine for dutch courage, optional)

Fill your largest pan with salted water and bring to a rolling boil (he’s not having a bath).

Take a sup of wine, get over it and but him in, lid on for 15 – 20 minutes depending on size or ask your fish monger. When he’s done take him out and let him rest.  Probably best to stop calling your lobster ‘he’ now.

Saute your onion in a tablespoon of butter. Add the wine and allow it to reduce to almost nothing. Whisk in the remaining butter a tablespoon at a time. Add the seeds of your ½ vanilla pod.

Pour the butter into a little bowl and get cracking on that lobster!