Christmas starter with a difference - Inamo's Salmon and Avocado Ceviche

Inamo reached their 5th Anniversary this year and were able to celebrate well deserved success. Now operating at two sites, in Wardour Street and Lower Regent Street, they are bringing their fresh approach to oriental fusion food to the people of London. Of course, part of the appeal is their funky and colourful interactive tables, allowing you to preview what your food will look like on a plate, or watch food being prepared via the kitchen cam, you can check train times or simply change the background of your dining area. It's a fun and original approach to the restaurant experience.

I have written about the Sushi and sake masterclass I attended at Inamo earlier this year here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/sushi-sake-masterclass-inamo-st-james.html And to coincide with their 5th anniversary, Inamo held their innovative "Inamostagram" photography competition, which I wrote about here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/inamostagram-competition-prizegiving.html

Those nice people at Inamo have been kind enough to share one of their recipes with you and I, dear readers. This is a recipe for a Salmon and Avocado Ceviche by Sean Marshall that I think will make an excellent and original starter for Christmas day, instead of the "been there, done that" old staple of smoked salmon.

Sean Marshall is Inamo's executive chef. He joined Inamo in Summer 2012. A noted chef for more than 25 years, he has worked at Mint Leaf, McQueen, Kettners, Absolut Below Zero, Hilton Hotels, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Liberty. He has also been personal chef to famous boxer Nigel Benn. 

Sean Marshall, Executive Chef, Inamo

Sean loves using the freshest ingredients, particularly the zingiest and spiciest he can find. He likes to let them do the talking, and strives to keep his food simple, clean and honest.  Since his arrival, he has introduced dishes such as tuna tartar, sea bass  and green mango sashimi, salmon sashimi roll, black cod tartar, rojak chicken and Chinese style pork and scallop broth. 

I am delighted to bring you Sean's Salmon and Avocado Ceviche. Some of the ingredients are unusual, but should not be too difficult to obtain if you live in a decent size town or city. None of the preparation techniques are difficult.


Notes: 

It is only the dressing which is left overnight. This is to allow the flavours to intensify. The salmon is dressed with the sauce just before serving. If you were to marinate the fish overnight, the dressing would overcook it, spoiling your ceviche.

The red shiso leaf (also known as perilla) can be found at some of the larger oriental supermarkets. Wing Yip certainly sells shiso. You may also be able to find it in Vietnamese shops as it is used in Vietnamese cooking.

Yuzu is an east Asian citrus fruit which looks like a small grapefruit. It is very sour with slight flavour of mandarin oranges. You can buy the juice ready squeezed. The Japan Centre sells bottles in 100ml size.  

The recipe is designed for 4 people, but the ceviche sauce is enough for 10 portions. It would be impractical to try to reduce the quantities for 4. I don't think this is a problem, since frequently at Christmas you find that you have unexpected guests. So all you have to do is ensure you have some spare salmon and avocado and you can serve everyone. Obviously, the ceviche ingredients could easily be doubled to serve 8.

SALMON AND AVOCADO CEVICHE

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

For the ceviche sauce (to be prepared 1 day in advance):

This will prepare 100ml of ceviche sauce (enough for 10 portions of ceviche). The sauce will keep in the fridge for 3 – 5 days. 

It would not freeze well due to the herbs within it, they will spoil.                                         

 

½ Bunch fresh soft Thyme

½ Bunch fresh Coriander

½ Bunch fresh Parsley

25g x Fresh Garlic

25ml x Yuzu juice (alternatively use a good quality lime or lemon juice)

20ml x Rice Vinegar

2.5g x Red Chilli

2.5g x Green Chilli

For 4 portions of ceviche:

200g x Avocado                                                                       

280g x Fresh Salmon                                                                       

4 x Red Shiso Leaf                                                                                     

4g x Shiso Cress                                                                                  

2 x Fresh limes                                                                                       

40ml x Ceviche sauce (see above)                                                                                     

8g x Julienne Red Chilli

8g x Finely Diced Shallots

8g x Chopped Coriander                                                                      

Method

The ceviche sauce has to be made first, a day in advance. 

1.            Pick and wash the herbs, then allow to dry on a clean cloth.

2.            De-seed and roughly chop the chilli.

3.            Add all the ingredients together with the vinegar and yuzu juice, put into a blender and blitz to a very fine puree.

4.            Chill in the fridge overnight.

To make the ceviche on the day:

1.            Dice the salmon into 1.5 cm pieces.

2.            Dice the avocado into 1.5 cm pieces and coat with the juice from 1 lime.

3.            In a large salad bowl, mix the avocado, coriander, shallot and chilli with the salmon and ceviche sauce.

4.            Check for seasoning and arrange salad in a bowl.

                                                                                                                               

Assembly/Presentation of the ceviche

Present in a bowl. 

Here is how the ceviche is presented at Inamo: 

Garnish with shiso leaf, shiso cress, and a ¼ wedge of lime.

Elish Maanch Dupiaza - Bengali Fish Curry: A Guest Post by Rupa Aminuzzaman

You, dear reader, may already be aware that I am a Senior Lecturer and Barrister at City Law School. You may also know that I teach on the Bar Professional Training Course, helping Wannabe Barristers realise their dreams by training them in the essential skills and knowledge they will need for practice. 

Well, many of my students come from Commonwealth nations, whose legal systems are founded on the basic principles of the law of England and Wales. It means that their young lawyers are able to qualify here, and creates a rich cultural exchange. I am often surprised how often that exchange relates to food. It appears that our common need to fill our bellies and our common desire to experience tasty food is one of the great barrier breakers. It helps us all sit across the same table from each other in an honest and genuine way.

I meet, through my work a whole host of amazing young people. Rupa Aminuzzaman is one of my lovely former students. Originating from Bangladesh, Rupa completed the course last academic year, through her steely determination, good humour and work ethic.

Elish Maanch is a quintessentially Bengali fish, much beloved in Bangladesh and in the East of India. My family originate from the region, but were displaced in the partition of 1947. They, like many other Hindu Bengalis, moved to West Bengal post Partition. There were many atrocities both during and after the Partition, on all sides of the 2 borders. It is a sad set of episodes in the history of the subcontinent.

However, Bengalis, whether living in Bangladesh or West Bengal in India love their Elish (or Ilish) Maanch (or Maach, meaning "fish"). It is a key element of the culinary heritage of their people. Fish is plentiful, cheap and nutritious. 

Bengalis have a reputation of being intellectuals. Nobel prize winning poet and author Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali (incidentally, he gave a certain M.K. Gandhi the title 'Mahatma' meaning great soul). It is thought across the rest of India that this is due to the high consumption of fish. There is an Indian saying mothers tell their children: 'Eat your fish and become brainy like the Bengalis'. When they say it, they are thinking about bright buttons like Rupa. They are not thinking of me.

Looking into Elish Maanch, it appears that it is high in Omega 3 oils, which assist good brain function. Apparently, they provide "insulation" to the nerve cells of the brain. This improves their efficient communication and it is thought that those whose diet is low Omega 3 oils are more susceptible to bipolar disorder, eating disorders, ADHD, depression and schizophrenia. Who would have thought what sounded like an 'old wives tale' turned out to have some truth to it?

Elish Maanch is available in some Indian and Bangladeshi shops in the UK. I am sure you can substitute with other fish. If you want to know more about Elish Maanch, have a read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilish

I'm really proud to host this recipe which is part of my cultural heritage, even though I have never lived in India or Bangladesh and do not speak the language. It is still part of my life experience, having had my mother, aunties and granny make this for me, which I ate with relish. 

Now it is over to Rupa who wanted to say a few words before launching into her recipe:

Eating or cooking Elish maach always reminds me of home, sitting around the dinner table with my mum, dad and my little brother. It was the one fish that we all agreed upon. My father is an avid fish eater, my mother loves her veggies, my little brother was a hardcore carnivore and usually only ate red meat, while I was a lover of all things poultry. So in a way elish maach unified us. 

My mother could cook elish maach safe in the knowledge that we would all eat it, and moreover eat with relish and without complaint. It is because of this that I will always have a soft spot for elish maach. It makes me nostalgic and reminds me of my family especially as now we are all scattered across the globe. 

So bon appetit everyone!

 

Elish Maanch (Fish) Dupiaza cooked in Mustard Oil

To serve: 3 to 4 people as a main with plain long grain or basmati rice

Ingredients:

6 or 7 fillets of Elish fish

2 medium to large onions, roughly sliced

2 whole green chillies, slit down the middle

Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder

Half a teaspoon of coriander powder

Quarter teaspoon of cumin powder

Quarter teaspoon of bay leaf powder

2 tablespoons of mustard oil

Half a lemon

Half a cup of water

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Put the fish fillets in a non-metallic bowl or large plate and squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the fish.

2. Add the sliced onions to the bowl with the fish fillets.

3. In a separate bowl add the spices: turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and bay leaf powder. Add a tablespoon of water until the mixture forms in to a paste.

4. Add the spice paste to the fish fillets and onion. Mix in the spice paste until the fish fillets and onion are completely marinated with the spice paste.

5. Add the mustard oil to a frying pan over medium heat.

6. Add the fish fillets, onion and spice mixture to the frying pan. After about 5 minutes check to see that fish fillets are adequately cooked and browned on one side and then carefully turn each of the fish fillets over.

7. Once the fish fillets are adequately cooked and browned on both sides add half a cup of water to the frying pan. Simmer for 5 mins on low heat.

8. Add the green chillies and salt to taste.

9. Serve the fish with steamed/boiled long grain rice or basmati rice.

A Taste of Africa: Cooking class organised by Rainbow Tours, Open Kitchen

 

I am pretty international about my tastes, but must confess that other than a small amount of experience with mainly north African food, I am pretty ignorant about African food, ingredients and cooking techniques. I'm not proud of it, I am admitting it since I always do my best to be honest.

I was invited a few days ago to a cooking class which explored Madagascan and Tanzanian food. It was organised by Rainbow Tours, who decided to run this session for food bloggers to celebrate winning the title of  ‘Tour Operator of the Year 2012’ by the readers of Food and Travel Magazine.

The evening began with wine, sociability and canapes. The drink flowed freely. Our nibbles, all with an African flavour, included slices of roasted sweet potato and plantain topped with a spiced peanut puree, fish croquettes, and plaintain chunks with salsa. 

The staff from Rainbow Tours circulated and were hugely knowledgeable and fired up with enthusiasm about pan-African and ethical travel. They were the first company to really pioneer responsible travel in post-Apartheid South Africa, as a direct result of (then) President Mandela inviting travellers from around the world to visit and share in the momentous changes in that nation. Diane from Rainbow Tours was great fun and I had a super time chatting to her about how easy it is to travel in Africa and how good the food can be. Here she is, just after her introduction to the session:

Our instructor and tutor for the evening was Chef Attoma Mandji, and the event was at Hoxton's Open Kitchen. Chef Mandji has worked in well-known restaurants such as Chez Gerard, Harvey Nichols, Conran group restaurants with Chef John Torode and People’s Palace with Chef Gary Rhodes.  More recently, Chef Mandji has turned his attention to teaching, and he teaches cooking skills at Hackney Community College, educating the new generation of chefs and catering professionals.

Chef Mandji demonstrated two dishes, which he then assisted us in making for ourselves. We made Romazava Vary (Malagasy Beef with Greens); a dish from Madagascar, and Samaki wa Kakuango (Steamed fish with fried onion salsa); a Tanzanian dish.

Here are the recipes:

Madagascar was formerly known as the Malagasy Republic, and its people still often refer to their culture and society as 'Malagasy'. There are many ethnic groups inhabiting this unique and vibrant island nation. They recognise themselves primarily as either 'Highlanders' or 'Coastal dwellers'. There are 3 main 'Highland' ethnic groups; the Merina, Sihanaka and Betsileo. The Coastal peoples show greater ethnic and cultural variation, with 17 recognised main cultural groups. Being such an ethnically and culturally diverse nation means that Malagasy food reflects these traditions. Their cuisine draws together these varied influences to make a culinary portfolio which is tasty, flavoursome, but not highly spiced.

I learnt that rice is the main "staple" ingredient of Madagascan food, and is the main energy source for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Zebu cattle are the traditional source of meat, although beef is a popular choice for traditional stews cooked over an open fire. Which is just as well, as I don't think sourcing Zebu for our own cooking efforts was going to be easy!

The first dish we made, Romazava Vary, like so many important dishes around the world, can vary from house to house and family to family. However, the dish is usually made in a single cooking receptacle and is made with beef (or Zebu) with some form of greens. Savoy cabbage, spring greens or spinach are all acceptable, provided the leaves are chiffonaded (finely sliced). The name reflects the way in which the dish is cooked; Ro (soup) Mazava (clear) and Vary (rice). It is meant to be a saucy, stew style dish. A one-pot meal which is designed as comfort food; sustaining, hot and filling. This is Chef Mandji’s bubbling away:

We received the demonstration of this dish and started cooking it first, since it is quite time consuming. My kitchen partner was none other than the lovely Amy from http://londonfoodadventures.tumblr.com/. I don't know how I came across to her, but I liked her straight away. No-nonsense, warm, fun and full of energy, I knew I had fallen on my feet. The relationship between chef and sous-chef is an important one, and thankfully she was happy to be a benign and kind chef! And I did my best to be a competent sous. 

Whether I managed this or not, you'll have to find out from Amy!

We were lucky that with the Romazava Vary, none of the cooking techniques were in themselves very difficult, but enough time needs to be left for the beef to cook slowly in the stock base. Later, when the rice is added, it needs sufficient time to become tender and cooked.

This was our effort at Romazava Vary , still simmering, whilst the rice was cooking.

And this was our finished dish:

Our second dish, Samaki wa Kakuango, as I have said above, is from Tanzania. Tanzania in East Africa, has a coast on the Indian Ocean. Needless to say, this vast length of coastline along with the extensive freshwater coast of Lake Victoria, means that fish dishes are a fundamental aspect of Tanzanian cuisine. Interestingly, meat is more of a rarity. I learnt that cattle are reared primarily for dairy products. As such, meat is a 'treat', eaten on high days and holidays. 

Samaki wa Kakuango is a dish commonplace across East Africa, despite being a traditional Tanzanian recipe. It is interesting that steamed fish does not appear to be popular in European cooking, yet is found across China, the Far East and Africa. The fish is usually steamed whole to keep it moist and soft, with aromatics such as chilli and garlic. A salsa style topping is made from fried onions and tomatoes to add moisture, flavour and provide a variation of texture. The fish and topping is served rice and greens. We first had to make the chilli garlic rub, which we liberally spread over the fish:

Owing to time constraints, we had to cook our fish in the oven, although we did see Chef Mandji’s results cooked in a large bamboo steamer.

Here is the finished dish:

Both of our dishes were very enjoyable. The beef was tender and juicy, and cooking the rice in the same pot lent it all the flavour of the beef, aromatics, tomato and stock. The fish (we used sea bass) was cooked perfectly, and I am sold on the idea of serving it with a salsa style topping.  It was a pleasure to learn something about a food heritage I had no knowledge about. Chef Mandji is a patient and kind tutor, and his assistant was full of useful advice.

In the interests of fairness, there were a couple of glitches; we were never provided with the green peppercorns for the beef dish and some of the ingredients were provided to us late. However, the Open Kitchen is a small charity, whose function is to train local people, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, the skills required for work in the catering industry. So it is difficult to be too hard on them, and none of our food suffered for these issues.

I love travelling and when I am travelling a major highlight is sampling the local cuisine. I must say that my curiosity about exploring Africa in all her cultural variety has been given a nudge in the right direction. The Rainbow Tours brochure has so many amazing destinations and itineraries, I feel most inspired.

The next Taste of Africa cooking class covering the food of Madagascar and Tanzania will be at the Open Kitchen on Friday 21st November. If you want further details, their website is: http://www.openkitchen.biz/

Rainbow Tours: http://www.rainbowtours.co.uk/

Rainbow Tours arranged the cooking class for myself and a number of bloggers. I am very grateful for their kindness. They have hosted information about the event they organised for us here: http://www.rainbowtours.co.uk/taste-of-africa/