All That I'm Eating

Recipe ideas for budget meals, everyday cooking and a little indulgence. Travel inspiration and restaurant reviews too.

Smoked Trout and Potato Salad

By 12 Comments

Local smoked trout
I have been doing many things recently that I have not done before. I recently de-boned a chicken, which I was pretty apprehensive about because it was new to me, but I am pleased to confirm it couldn’t have gone better. This recipe is another example of trying to do something I was thoroughly convinced was complicated and time consuming.  I had never previously bought a whole fish and so I bought two strikingly golden smoked trout from the farmers’ market. I wanted something light and filling and so I made a potato salad where the dressing (I suppose you’d call it) was more trout orientated. 

Ingredients

You will need (for one large bowl of salad):
  • 2 smoked trout
  • 500g potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 250g crème fraîche
  • Wholegrain mustard
  • Fresh tarragon, dill and parsley
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Method

I got home and I unwrapped the trout. I looked at it somewhat diffidently and with remarkable concentration. I lopped the heads off and was relieved that it was at least half complete. How do I take the skin off? By now there was a faint glisten of moisture about my brow. Due to its being gutted my life was made awfully easy. I took the bottom fin and gave it a pull. It was like peeling an orange.

I can’t tell you how simple it was. What I thought would be a right kerfuffle turned out to be one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done. Once the skin was off, the meat just fell off the bone and I was left with a pile of meat and a complete pile of bones. There were a few strays that I found amidst the pile but I got the blighters. 

During my adventures with the trout, a pan full of potatoes had been merrily bubbling away in the background. Once cooked they were drained and left to cool while the dressing was made.  read more

Aubergine Curry

By 10 Comments

Spice mix for curry
Every time I have attempted to make a curry I have always been disappointed. I had almost given up when I got a craving for aubergines and a desire for spice. This turned out to be a subtle and fragrant aubergine curry rather than a powerful and punchy dish. At the market there is a kind man who sells all the spices you could ever need. I purchased what I knew; coriander, cardamom, cumin, mustard and turmeric. I have since been back and purchased an awful lot more. I’m a bit of an onion fiend. If I had my way and the smell was tolerable for everyone else I’d happily munch through one like an apple. However as this might be considered unusual I try to cram as many onions into my food as possible. Some recipes call for a can of tomatoes but I wanted more texture and decided to use both fresh and tinned. Sometimes tomato seeds can add a nice bit of acidity to a meal but some meals are better without them. I used to read recipes that said to remove the seeds from the tomatoes and it filled me with dread. I persevered and having now mastered tomato seed removal I have to say it can be done in no time at all. Don’t get all caught up in appearance is my advice and forget any equipment, your hands are the best tools for the job.

Ingredients

You will need (for five to six large portions):

  • 1/2 a teaspoon each of cardamom, mustard seeds, cumin and turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds 
  • salt and pepper 
  • 2 large aubergines, in roughly chopped
  • 4 onions, sliced
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • Oil for frying
  • 4 tomatoes, seeds removed and quartered
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • 2 chillies, sliced (add more or less depending on how hot you like it)
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • 300ml vegetable stock
  • Large handful coriander, roughly chopped

Method

Add all the spices and salt and pepper to a pestle and mortar and grind them up. The smell is so fresh.

I have a real aversion to soggy, slimy, sloppy aubergines and so to prevent my distress I always cook them separately first. In this case I griddled them to give them a characteristic smoky flavour. Don’t add oil to the aubergine, I find the oil soaks in too much. I have found that for some recipes soaking the aubergines in salt is absolutely necessary but in this recipe, not so much. 

Sweat the onion and garlic in a little oil until they look fairly sumptuous and then add the spices. Stir until your nostrils are dancing. read more

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