Dinner and a Movie

A beautiful weekend in London coming to an end. First weekend back from India and we were greeted with lovely sunshine, albeit cold temperatures, whilst Delhi remains shrouded in a cold fog. Spent saturday morning at a local farmer's market where farmer's and fisherman from neighbouring villages sell their fresh produce. Incredibly fresh sea-bass from the Dorset coast grilled for dinner. Despite having the choice to buy fresh fruits and vegetables from a host of supermarkets nearby I always tend to be drawn to the local farmer's market. Something about knowing when the fish was caught (4am on the same day) and buying it directly from the man who caught it makes it worth the extra few pounds.
Recipe for a simple grilled fish:
- Soak some cut garlic and chilli flakes in olive for 3 hours
- Stir-fry some fennel (or onion) in olive oil with some garlic till the fennel has turned soft
- Take a whole raw fish and rub the olive oil marinade all over. Add salt/pepper and a few twigs of thyme
- Lay on the bed of stir-fried fennel and grill for 30-45 min
- Pop in a few potatoes and tomatoes in the baking dish as well. Can rub them with olive oil and rosemary for some extra flavor
Saw "No One Killed Jessica" prior to dinner last night. Having closely followed the murder case back in 1999, was something that I was really looking forward to. And it stood up to my expectations. Whilst the story of the Jessica Lall murder case was portrayed very well so was the character of Delhi and it's many residents. Captured best in the one line "In Delhi everyone is someone big or related to someone big!". Know the feeling given the few times have witnessed a road fight or any such fight have heard the usual "You don't know who are speaking to..." mentioned! I wonder if this case has created a bit of a fear in the minds of people, such as the politician's son, who otherwise would not think twice before exploiting the law.
Switching back to culinary experiences over the coming weeks - hope to try to cook a full live crab next weekend (recipe to follow). My favorite fisherman convinced me this weekend that it is actually not that complicated and well worth the effort.
A German colleague suggested the wife and I go out for a curry with him and his girlfriend. The choice of curry house ofcourse fell on me. After careful thought have decided the Bombay Brasserie weekend buffet is the best bet. Far removed from the usual curry/"balti" restaurants of London that mix tomato puree with some garam masala and honey and add everything from chicken to lamb to veggies in a sauce. It remains my favorite not just for the food but the beautiful art-work and layout of the restaurant. Last weekend of January. Review to come.