Day 134: holidaying through food
Golden, sun-soaked sandy shores. Crystal-clear, peacock-blue and turquoise waters. Crisp and untainted blue skies. Balmy, oven-like ambient temperatures. At least that’s how I imagine Mauritius. I’ve never actually been. And, given the current circs, I don’t imagine I’m any closer to getting a taste of it in person either. When we can’t visit a place in the physical sense, the next-best way of connecting with it and imagining oneself there is - surely? - to partake in the eating of its cuisine. Immerse oneself in a culinary voyage across land and sea to wherever it is we want to visit: travelling vicariously through food. Or, in this case, holidaying through food.
I can honestly say that I don’t think I’ve ever given any thought to Mauritian food and what it might be like. This isn’t intentional ignorance. It’s just a curiosity that never crossed my mind. The human mind can only process so much and, in my defence, the majority of my CPU power is taken up trying to make sense of racing thoughts and anxieties on top of the essential day-to-day living.
However, after coming across this curry in Nigella Summer, Mauritius became very much on my mind; further influenced by everyone’s enthusiasm and high-praising of the recipe on Twitter. As I’ve never eaten this before, I can’t drone on and bore you with childhood memories or flashbacks to a holiday on the sandy beaches of Mauritius, but I can - and do, with great excitement - include Nigella’s Mauritian Prawn Curry as today’s cookalong entry.
Nigella’s Mauritian Prawn Curry
When I started sourcing my ‘ocean-needs’ from the fishmonger, I was a little alarmed at the cost of some things, particularly the prawns, but when you think about the size of them - compared to the supermarket versions which are barely bigger than (what we Brits would call) a shrimp - then I think you’re getting a pretty good deal. Plus you’re supporting sustainable sourcing and a local business. The fishmongers’ are the plumpest and juiciest round here, and I happily pay extra.
I have a lot of practising ahead of me to perfect my rice-cooking skills, for, what I served with this curry, some might mistake for rice pudding - sticky rice, at a push. To be fair, I did leave the rice long past its cooking time in the cast-iron casserole that it probably continued to cook for a good five minutes longer than it should have. Of course, I could just be clutching at straws here, and really do have much to learn.
Flavour musings
The tomatoes and lemon make this an all-around uplifting and sprightly meal; with the warmth of nutmeg and cinnamon providing a comforting hug of reassurance at the same time. Just to lick the skin of the green finger chillies nearly melted my face off, but I played ball and included a couple for the photo op. I didn’t just use them for the show and then throw them: I’ve kept them, and they’re in the freezer to flavour/heat my next chilli or curry.
This is probably the closest I’m going to get to a taste of that emerald and topaz paradise in the Indian Ocean (any time soon)! Holidaying through food with Nigella’s Mauritian Prawn Curry on Day 134; it made for a fabulous little 20-minute getaway. It’s sprightly and uplifting, yet warming and soothing at the same time. Delish!
