Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)

I consider Butter Chicken comfort food because it reminds me of my days in London.  I always had this with Basmati rice or a very good piece of naan bread.  Complex and bold but quite easy to prepare.  It's one of those dishes that require you to just plop everything in a bowl or in a pan.  So here's how...

Always start with a very good spice paste.  I always allow my spices to sweat in a pan before I add it into the yogurt for my marinade.  You basically just have to combine your own combination of ginger, garam masala, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, cloves, and fenugreek.  Marinate your bite-sized chicken pieces in an air-tight glass bowl.  

Then, in a hot pan with butter (do not add oil), saute a large piece of onion.  

Add about the same amount of tomato paste and marinade and cook this for a minute or two.  Add cream (or yogurt for a healthier option) and some water.  Place the marinated chicken pieces, bring to a boil, and simmer gently until the pieces are tender.  Season with salt, pepper, and just a little bit of sugar (a little goes a long way).

Here's my spice paste mixed with yogurt.

Add a dollop of cream or yogurt right before serving.

Fish and Chips

  My personal experience with Fish and Chips dates back all the way 2000, when I lived in London.  To my surprise, I found the best-tasting ones in my neighborhood.  I lived on the high street and the Golden Hind was just a stone's throw away, on Marylebone Lane.  It's a small shop that's not easy to miss because it's always packed.


What makes a good one you might ask?  In my opinion, the fish must be moist while the batter is crisp and, the potatoes should be fluffy inside.  But find room for your better judgement as this discussion can take hours or days at length in a local pub with almost every single person being an expert, having his/her own recipe to share.

Traditionally, Plaice, Cod, or Haddock are used along with Maris Piper potatoes in England.  But, living on a different continent, I had to settle with Cream Dory.   I don't use frozen fish but found myself making an exception because I wanted to try this interesting local pack.

Try this simple Pate a Frire (frying batter) recipe, which you may also use with oysters, prawns, and scallops:

150 grams of Corn Flour or Cornstarch

150 grams of Flour

15 grams of Baking Powder

150 ml of Milk

150ml of Beer (I used San Mig Light)

Nutmeg, Salt, and Pepper, to taste

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and form a well.  Pour the wet ingredients (milk and beer) and whisk.  Add seasoning.  You know you've arrived at the right consistency when it resembles double cream.  Let it rest for a few minutes covered with a cling film.  Then drop your fillets and allow to coat. 

Pre-heat your vegetable oil in a deep fat fryer at 180-190 degrees C.  I've had this Franke one for more than a decade and I'm giving it a really good review!  Deep-fry your fish until golden brown.  And allow it to dry off in  lined paper towels.

Deep-fry your chips using the same temperature and season with salt afterwards.  If you're a purist, you'd want to use another batch of oil so that the flavors are not influenced.

Like most of England (others like curry sauce, gravy, etc.), I love to eat mine with malt vinegar.  The Young Tongue's current obsession, on the other hand, is organic ketchup!  

I caught her candidly as she inspected, smelled, and gave her food the seal of approval!  Someday, I'll bring you to London, so we can eat our Fish and Chips wrapped in newspaper, which they say adds flavor to the dish!

Spianata Romana and Cucumber Sandwich

The Young Tongue and I prepared our snacks together yesterday.  Colorful, hearty, and bite-sized, she was tasked to cut the bread using a cookie or pastry cutter, while I did the rest of the dirty work!

Spread some Dijon mustard on a bread (you can also use whole wheat) and poppy seed dressing on the other.  I personally don't like serving mayonnaise to my Young Tongue just yet (since Mayonnaise in the Philippines has to have more than 65% oil content -- yes, that's right!).  Then place some cut slices of Spianata Romana (or you can also use salami, ham, or even smoked salmon) and slices of cucumber.   

I enjoyed eating mine with a cup of Earl Grey tea (with milk and sugar, always!) while The Young Tongue paired hers with a warm cup of milk.