Thursday, 30 August 2007
Where is the seychelles?
So many people have asked where is the seychelles so here goes a brief geography lesson.
The Seychelles are right in the heart of the Indian Ocean between the African East Coast and India. They are a bit closer to Africa geographically speaking but culturally and geologically speaking it is maybe closer to the Indian subcontinent. The Seychelles are the only granitic islands in the world (all the others are volcanic or biological in origin) which accounts for it's unusual rock formations. The islands were "left behind" as the Indian sub-continent moved northward on its way to collide with Asia. The seychelles consist of 115 islands, all of the type "tropical paradise used in Bounty commercial". Mahe is the biggest island. It is dominated by a mountain range that forms the backbone of the island. The highest peak, Morne Seychellois, reaches a height of 905metres and provides a perfect backdrop to the capital city Victoria. Nearby is the beautiful Ste Anne Marine National Park Praslin is the second biggest island. One century ago, General Gordon (of Khartoum) visited this island and became convinced that it was the location of the original earthly paradise, the Garden of Eden. But La Digue is probably the most beautiful island. An aura of charm and tranquillity surrounds La Digue. For years the way of life on La Digue has remained unchanged, transport is mainly by ox-cart or bicycle. On La Digue, time seems to stand still.
The Seychelles are right in the heart of the Indian Ocean between the African East Coast and India. They are a bit closer to Africa geographically speaking but culturally and geologically speaking it is maybe closer to the Indian subcontinent. The Seychelles are the only granitic islands in the world (all the others are volcanic or biological in origin) which accounts for it's unusual rock formations. The islands were "left behind" as the Indian sub-continent moved northward on its way to collide with Asia. The seychelles consist of 115 islands, all of the type "tropical paradise used in Bounty commercial". Mahe is the biggest island. It is dominated by a mountain range that forms the backbone of the island. The highest peak, Morne Seychellois, reaches a height of 905metres and provides a perfect backdrop to the capital city Victoria. Nearby is the beautiful Ste Anne Marine National Park Praslin is the second biggest island. One century ago, General Gordon (of Khartoum) visited this island and became convinced that it was the location of the original earthly paradise, the Garden of Eden. But La Digue is probably the most beautiful island. An aura of charm and tranquillity surrounds La Digue. For years the way of life on La Digue has remained unchanged, transport is mainly by ox-cart or bicycle. On La Digue, time seems to stand still.
Cuisine Creole
Many meals are meat-based dishes (lamb, chicken and pork), but the meat is not locally bred (apart from some of the chicken. However the best of their dishes revolve around fish and shellfish Seafood can be served grilled - with or without a butter-based sauce - or it can be served in spicy cari preparations (green or red curry). The curry sauce often involves lait de coco (coconut milk) and the ubiquitous citronnelle (lemongrass). Crab and octopus - and a host of different types of fish : the moistest tuna, shark, rabbit fish (cordonnier), parrot fish (poisson perroquet), mullet (rouget), ballan wrasse (vieille)...
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Besides fish a great local specialty : bat meat! They have big bats called "roussettes" that you can spot, flying from tree to tree, when night falls. Some restaurants have it permanently on the menu, but some require you to order it in advance, as they have to get someone to hunt them for you! It can be served "en civet" (stewed with vegetables) and as a cari (curry) I have never had this but my parents have. The meat is full of little bones, a bit like frog legs,,. It is tightly knit like duck meat, and has a gamy yet subtle flavor . I never tried out once whilst I was on holiday a bat was caught and cooked I loved batman so much I could not bear the thought i eating anything associated with him.
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Dishes are accompanied with long grain white rice, plain or spiced or saffron flavored, "Chatini", is a condiment served cold, made with thinly sliced marinated vegetables or fruit, cooked or raw : eggplant, cucumber, cabbage, papaya, mango or giraumon, a local type of pumpkin. The name brings chutney to mind, but chatini is not as sweet as Indian chutney, and is more vinegary too.
Citronnelle (lemongrass) is used in food, but also to make infusions a tea, I really do love this a I have a supply from my mum.
On the sweet front, a variety of fruit for breakfast or dessert. My favorite were the very cute mini-bananas, half the size of a regular banana, but the same diameter We also have mango, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, paw-paw (papaya) and carambole (starfruit).
The most fantastic jams are made with the bananas, the papaya and the starfruit. ner Seychelles jam recipes have you cook the sugar till almost scorched before you add the fruit in, which accounts for their delicious caramelized taste.
Other desserts include bananas or papaya in caramel and cream sauce, bread pudding with custard, coconut or banana tarts, delicious coconut sorbet, and a mean coconut nougat.
freshly squeezed fruit juice. The local coconut liquor, called "Coco d'amour". The bottle is shaped like a coco-fesse, a coconut shaped exactly like a pair of buttocks that's unique to the Seychelles and is said to have aphrodisiacal virtues...
!
Besides fish a great local specialty : bat meat! They have big bats called "roussettes" that you can spot, flying from tree to tree, when night falls. Some restaurants have it permanently on the menu, but some require you to order it in advance, as they have to get someone to hunt them for you! It can be served "en civet" (stewed with vegetables) and as a cari (curry) I have never had this but my parents have. The meat is full of little bones, a bit like frog legs,,. It is tightly knit like duck meat, and has a gamy yet subtle flavor . I never tried out once whilst I was on holiday a bat was caught and cooked I loved batman so much I could not bear the thought i eating anything associated with him.
.
Dishes are accompanied with long grain white rice, plain or spiced or saffron flavored, "Chatini", is a condiment served cold, made with thinly sliced marinated vegetables or fruit, cooked or raw : eggplant, cucumber, cabbage, papaya, mango or giraumon, a local type of pumpkin. The name brings chutney to mind, but chatini is not as sweet as Indian chutney, and is more vinegary too.
Citronnelle (lemongrass) is used in food, but also to make infusions a tea, I really do love this a I have a supply from my mum.
On the sweet front, a variety of fruit for breakfast or dessert. My favorite were the very cute mini-bananas, half the size of a regular banana, but the same diameter We also have mango, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, paw-paw (papaya) and carambole (starfruit).
The most fantastic jams are made with the bananas, the papaya and the starfruit. ner Seychelles jam recipes have you cook the sugar till almost scorched before you add the fruit in, which accounts for their delicious caramelized taste.
Other desserts include bananas or papaya in caramel and cream sauce, bread pudding with custard, coconut or banana tarts, delicious coconut sorbet, and a mean coconut nougat.
freshly squeezed fruit juice. The local coconut liquor, called "Coco d'amour". The bottle is shaped like a coco-fesse, a coconut shaped exactly like a pair of buttocks that's unique to the Seychelles and is said to have aphrodisiacal virtues...
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
These are the trinity of seychelles cuisine . Most dishes will have these three within.My larder will always contain garlic, ginger,onions amd cumin seeds. There are of course much more and I will go through all these as and when each recipe calls for it. My first recipe is for an omelette seychelles style
RECIPE; Onion omelette.
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp of sunflower/veg oil
- 1 onion thinly
- 1tbsp chopped flat leaved parsley
- 1 small green chilli
- salt , pepper to taste
Optional ingredients use one or a few of: lardons, tomatoes, green peppers.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl.With a fork break the yolks and mix until it is amalgmated
- Add the onions, chilli and parsley
- Add salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Method:
- Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan, add the cumin seeds they will start to smell very aromatic and will start to pop add the eggs at this stage .Swirl around the pan and let it set on one side. When golden brown flip the omelette on the other side.
- Cook this side lightly or to your preference , any time this dish was made for me the omelette was well cooked it really has the colour of a spanish omelette and should not be like the french which is lightly set.
serve with some good bread I love it toasted with butter and a dollop of ketchup.This is a simple and very satisfying breakfast, light lunch dish.
Monday, 20 August 2007
Cuisine Creole
As we all have so many vivid memories of food I thought it might be interesting to record the food that I ate in my childhood.One of my passions is food, I have hundreds of cookbooks. On rare occasions I have been know to walk away from bookshops. I am always interested in others childhood memories of food, Nigel slaters ;toast,Mary continis:Dear Francesa ,springs to mind. I have often disregarded my parents cuisine purely because I become so involved with sampling the delights of everyone else's food.However, the food of my childhood was always eaten and often the foods I turn to when I don't know what else to cook, which makes them second nature. As we all know some of the best foods are the ones that are instinctive. No recipes but often the imagined voices of a parent or a grandparent guiding you through it.Friends have often asked my about the food and' whats it like 'It set me thinking that perhaps others would be interested on food from the seychelles and what it was like growing up in london with parents who cooked nothing but creole food.By the way creole food is what the seychellois (seychelle folk) call their food,nothing to do with americas louisana style of cooking.So welcome !!!!
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