Pineapple fish curry

Oriental Cookery, Master Chef Jean Conil, Principal of the Academy of Gastronomy, edited by Daphne MacCarthy 1978

 

“One of the most important pieces of advice I have ever been given came from my grandmother when I was a child. She was a great cook, growing much of her own produce. One day, in the garden of her French home, she pointed to her vegetables and herbs, her chickens and ducks and said: ‘Jean, here is our food and food is something that should never be wasted’

All my life I have been concerned with food in all its aspects. I come from a French family who made its living from preparing, processing and selling delicious meals and I was trained as a chef in some of the leading restaurants in the world, under internationally famous master chefs. I have worked with an interest in cooking, creating dishes and learning, always learning.” Jean Conil.

Pakistan:

 

Shelford Fish: Fish curried with pineapple served with risotto

480g fish fillets (any white fish – cod, haddock, hake, sole etc); 150g chopped or sliced onions; chopped clove of garlic; 90ml oil (use half the oil for the onions and the rest for the fish); 30g curry powder; 30g flour; 30g desiccated coconut; pinch ground ginger; salt and ground black pepper; stock made with 300ml water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes; 90g tomato pulp; 150g chopped canned pineapple; 2 tblsn pineapple juice

Cut the fillets in strips 4cm long by ½ cm thick. Sauté the onions and garlic in oil until lightly browned. Add curry powder and flour and cook 3 minutes. Add coconut, ginger and seasoning, stir a little. Blend in the stock and bring mixture to the boil Add tomato pulp, pineapple and the juice Heat remaining oil and quickly sauté the fish fillets for 5 minutes. Season. Drain fish and add to sauce. Reheat 2 minutes. Serve with risotto

Risotto

 

60ml oil; 30g grated onion; 360g patna rice or long grain rice; stock made with 900ml water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes; pinch each salt, pepper and ground ginger; 150g pineapple cubes; 60g chopped nuts; 60g chopped red and green peppers

Shallow fry the onion in oil without colouring too much, add rice and gently cook for 2 minutes. Add stock and cook rice for 20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and ginger. Blend n the pineapple cubes, nuts and peppers. Reheat for 5 minutes in oven at 200°C to dry the rice a little.