spork me

Tasmanian Curried Scallop Pie

This should be a no-brainer, but don’t buy frozen scallops from Chinatown. Any Chinatown. Maybe if you know what you’re doing (if so, please share!), but which fresh scallops this take on a Tasmania Scallop Pie would be a winner. These were quite a bit spicier and not as creamy as the ones I had when I was down there, but aside from the scallop situation, I liked them better.

The true test will be whether the ones I froze hold up, those I just assembled and popped in the freezer. Hopefully they’re a better version of a frozen meat pie, but I’ll report back on that.

Ingredients (serves 8):

2 cups of fresh scallops
1 cup of frozen, thawed peas
1 large potato, boiled and chopped
2 tbsp of Roasted Curry Powder
2 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 cup of coconut milk
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 chili, diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed
3 sheets of frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed

Saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the scallops and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chili and spices, and cook for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 20 minutes, until the curry is thick, and then let cool completely.

Line the bottom of 8 pie dishes with shortcrust, fill with the curry, then top with puff pastry, sealing with a bit of water and then joining the 2 by pressing around the edges with a fork. Cook immediately, or freeze. To reheat the frozen ones, just put directly in the oven.

Oorroomas (Pork) Curry

Well, not really, because I made this with chicken. I’m still a bit weird about curry, I don’t usually love it, but after having a Sri Lankan curry a couple weeks ago that blew me away, I found this recipe from the Spicie Foodie and gave it a try, replacing the pork with chicken. I googled some recipes on how to make your own Sri Lankan curry powder, and while I have very little idea of what I did, it was worth roasting and smashing up some seeds in order to get a really nice flavor. I’m going to make more of this mystery powder to have on standby so I can try this with pork next time. 10 points.

Curried Chicken Salad with Grapes, Almonds, Cilantro and Red Pepper

I’ve been making a fair amount of chicken salad for lunches, but rarely do I photograph it since I’ll make it at night and throw it in a tupperware. One time I even made enough for 2 days to leave at work overnight, thinking I was really clever for planning ahead. That was a huge mistake. Going into the kitchen for Day 2 Lunch to see someone had been munching on it as a midnight snack was fairly infuriating. Who does that?

I digress. I had to try a bit of this so I managed to take a picture, and it’s one of my favorites so far. The rolls I made with leftover pizza dough that was in my fridge for 24 hours, mixed with some flax-seeds. Really nice, and not just because they were warm. The 24 hours in the fridge helped.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 cup grapes, sliced in half
1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Olive oil and salt

Rub the chicken with a little oil, then sprinkle with the curry and chili powder. Bake for about 30 minutes at 220C / 375F or until just cooked through. Let cool.

In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients. Chop or shred the chicken once it’s cool enough to handle, and mix in. Season with salt.