Lahori Chicken Karahi is a classic Pakistani dish renowned for its rich and robust flavours. This aromatic and spicy chicken preparation is traditionally cooked in a wok-like utensil known as a “karahi,” which adds a distinctive taste to the dish. I first encountered this in Food Street in Lahore in 2012.The origin of Lahori Chicken Karahi lies in the culinary traditions of Lahore, a vibrant and culturally rich city in the Punjab region of Pakistan. Lahore is renowned for its diverse and flavorful cuisine, which the historical and cultural interactions have influenced in the region.The dish itself is a […]
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While visiting friends in Normandy in the 80s, I was served a local dish made with veal kidneys, cream and Calvados that was deliciously creamy, tasty and memorable. Many people are not keen on kidneys, but this dish could make even the most fainthearted change their minds.Here’s my version of a recipe for Rognons de veau au Calvados based on that meal.
A traditional tagine is a North African dish named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. It’s a slow-cooked stew that typically includes a combination of meat, vegetables, dried fruits, and a mix of aromatic spices. I first ate this in Paris when I was a student. The accompanying sauce was the spiciest I had eaten at that point in my life.Since then, I have been to North Africa, with trips to Egypt, Somaliland, Tunisia and Morocco. It was in Morocco where I had my best tagines, which is why this recipe has a Morrocan flavour. We […]
Beef Bourguignon, also known as Boeuf Bourguignon, is a classic French stew that originated in the Burgundy region of France. It is a hearty and flavorful dish known for its tender pieces of beef slow-cooked in red wine with vegetables and aromatic herbs. The first time I tasted the rich, smoky flavour of this dish in France, I realised that the stews I had eaten in England had been missing something important. This is a perfect winter dish.Beef Bourguignon originated in the Burgundy region of France, which is also known as Bourgogne in French. The dish has its roots […]
In South American cuisine, aji is the name for both a variety of chilli peppers and fresh salsa made with these peppers. This Colombian recipe is known as salsa de aji picante, and it features two jalapeno peppers, making it pretty spicy. Eight months before my son was born, I was working on a project in Colombia. One evening, my local host took me and the team to a Parrillada in the hills overlooking Bogata. The meat was awesome, but the salsas that accompanied the meat were mind-blowing. This is one of those salas.
Grilled Portuguese sardines make a classic dish, often celebrated for their simplicity and delicious flavours. Mrs F and I visited Portugal many years ago and found a small market not far from Lisbon. One of the staff was cooking sardines served on fresh, crispy bread. There is something particularly good about eating grilled fresh fish in the open air.
Having hired a 4-wheel drive vehicle, we were driving around Namibia. One night, we stayed in a remote lodge that only had Kudu meat on the menu. This was a problem as the only meat my five-year-old son would eat was chicken. The greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is found throughout central & northern Namibia and is the second tallest antelope on the African continent. Kudu bulls bear long, spiral horns which reach record lengths of up to 1.8m. Horns grow to their full length at the age of six years.As we had been travelling all day, he needed to eat […]
In 1998, I visited Riyadh to run a project for a bank. The funniest part of the trip was taking our Ethiopian housekeeper to the supermarket to buy supplies. We lost track of her as she wore a burka, and we could not remember what her shoes looked like. We had to hang around the checkout until she found us. Lesson learned: we always noted her shoes on subsequent shopping trips.The most memorable meal was one that she cooked for us, as it included Injera.While I was there, Operation Desert Fox started. It was a major four-day bombing campaign on […]
Goan fish curry is a popular and flavorful dish from the coastal state of Goa in India. It is known for its rich and aromatic blend of spices that create a tantalising curry. My first experience of Goan fish curry was in Oman. I had been working in a location where we usually ate in a fine-dining restaurant located on the compound. At first, I went for rich dishes like Lobster Thermidor, but after a few weeks, I hankered for something else. Then I saw one of the Goan waiters tucking into a curry, which was not on the […]