Cod and Couscous En Papillote

Since there was no school on Sundays, my sister and I decided that meant we could sleep in. Our mother did not agree, and we woke every Sunday to the sound of her insistent knocking on the door of our bedroom, as she hurried us to awake and get ready for church.

We would sleepily nudge each other to get up and get bathed first so that the other would have a few more cozy minutes, buried under the covers. Usually this meant we were almost always late, arriving at church bleary eyed and grumpy as we went through the motions, waiting for the service to end so we could get to our Sunday feast and favorite TV shows.

How things have changed! Today, going to Sunday Mass with my little family is one of the highlights of my week and I am always, like my mom, the first one to be dressed and ready, urging T and the  toddler to hurry so we won't miss a bit of the service. Mostly because today as an adult, I understand the significance of the symbols, the meanings behind the motions. Over the years, life's many ups and downs, God has drawn me closer to Him and I hope, He draws me closer still. 

The Golden Gate Bridge- from the beautiful Marin Headlands

In our busy, sometimes unrelentingly demanding week, the peaceful church is a serene, soothing retreat. Joyous hymns raise my spirits and strengthen me ( this one and this are two favorites) I smile when the toddler loudly joins in- the fact that he doesn't know too much of the words doesn't deter him in the least. He usually just makes up his own! The sermon fills my heart and inspires me to be a better person and rise above my flaws, feelings of in-adequacy and petty anxieties. I am reminded of God's enduring, unconditional love for me and my fellow human beings. I leave feeling rejuvenated with a song on my lips and a feeling of contentment in my heart. After mass, the world is more beautiful. 

Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of a solemn time when we count down to Easter and the death and Resurrection of Jesus. It is a time of prayer, reflection, and many fast and abstain from things they usually enjoy, during this forty day period before the celebration of Easter. 

Like last year, I plan to give up or at least reduce my consumption of my biggest weakness-sweets.
Unfortunately, since it also happens to be Valentine's day tomorrow, I am surrounded by decadent chocolate cakes and tempting sweets in pink and red hues. Seeing these and the many adorable heart shaped cookies and cakes on Facebook and all my favorite blogs, I almost broke down and baked today, using a V-day themed blog post as an excuse to give in. Then I reminded myself that this is an austere time, a time to grow spiritually, a time for self-discipline, so I resisted.

Instead I decided to post this fish en papillote that the hubs and I made together last Sunday  A simple, healthy and romantic meal and a special day spent together.

After last Sunday's mass, we were thinking about where to head for lunch when the hubs suggested that instead of going to a restaurant how about going to the nearest Whole Foods to pick up some fish and attempt en papillote ( in parchment) cooking. "I don't know how!" I exclaimed. It sounded complicated, and the only similar thing I had seen my mother make was Meen Pollichathu where fish is cooked with spicy masala inside a banana leaf."We'll learn together." said he.

So we did. With guidance from Alton Brown, I was sous chef to the hubs for the afternoon as we sipped wine and cooked together, packaging the fish with herbs, vegetables and couscous in  a sheet of parchment paper. It turned out to be very easy, didn't take much time at all, and was a lot of fun!  There was much drama, excitement and anticipation at the escaping steam when the hubs cut open the package in the end. 

One of the most delightful Sundays ever, and a fresh and delicious meal that although we devoured completely, we didn't feel stuffed, but rather left us feeling energized and light.

A tasty mess! 

The couscous and the carrots absorbed all the juices and flavors and the lemon and onions almost tasted like they were pickled and I found myself eating slice after slice.

I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow, filled with love. The three of us are a little under the weather, and will most likely be staying in, but we plan to cook something special, maybe try something new, because this was so much fun!

Cod and Couscous En Papillote
Recipe adapted from: Alton Brown here

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous ( I would recommend that you don't skip this) 
• 2-pounds cod fillets or whole red snapper, cleaned, head on
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus a sprinkling for the couscous
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small bunch fresh oregano ( we used 1 tsp dried) 
• 1 small bunch fresh parsley
• 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1 cup drained and quartered artichoke hearts ( we didn't use this) 
• A few carrots sliced in half lenghtwise (optional but recommended)
• 1/2 cup white wine 
• 1 tablespoon butter

Special Equipment:

A Baking sheet 

Parchment Paper or aluminium foil ( do not use wax paper) 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Rinse and soak the couscous in cold water for about 10 mins, then strain and lay out on a plate, after sprinkling some salt.
• Cut parchment paper into a 15 by 48-inch sheet, large enough in width to cover your baking sheet twice. 
• Fold in half and lay on baking/cookie sheet so that it resembles a greeting card. 
• Open the "card" and lay the fish on the inside layer of parchment so that you can cover it woth the outer flap of parchment.(As though placing the fish inside a greeting card.)
• Generously sprinkle salt and pepper on the fish, on both sides of the fillets or if using a whole fish, inside and out. 
• Place herbs in between the fillets or inside cavity of fish along with half of the sliced lemons, and half of the sliced red onion. 
• Arrange couscous next to fish on all sides. 
• Place minced garlic, and remaining lemon and red onion on fish and lay tomatoes, carrots and artichoke hearts around outside of couscous, creating what Alton describes as somewhat of a wall. 
• Cut up the butter into small chunks and place them over the fish. 
• Pour wine over fish and cover with the outer flap of parchment
• Fold along the edges of parchment paper, to create a package and staples the edges if necessary, so that it won't leak. 
• Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Carefully cut open, keeping away from the escaping steam.

Make sure to serve enough couscous which absorbs all the juices. Along with the carrots it was perhaps my favorite part about this dish.

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Kerala Coconut Crab - Njandu Peera Pattichathu

This Coconut Crab dish is one of my mom's specialties, It is mildly spiced and tangy from the Kokum- a kind of tamarind. It is mouthwateringly good and a childhood favourite. This recipe is common among Kerala households and is often made with prawns or the flaked white flesh of other fish like tuna or seer fish.

My mom always made this whenever she chanced upon fresh crab from our neighborhood fishmonger who would drive up with an icebox perched precariously behind his moped. Crab and Kari-meen (Pearl spot fish) were in high demand, and so we were always aware of the extra-special-ness of a lunch with either of these on the table! 

She would usually make it the same way each time. Poaching the crab in a little warm water in which sour Kokum was soaked to infuse it with it's tangy flavour. The water was evaporated to ensure that every bit of the tanginess was absorbed by the crab, usually in a wide, shallow clay pot ( mann chatti) reserved for cooking seafood, that also imparted it's rustic earthiness.

Kokum- used like tamarind to impart sourness usually in seafood dishes

This process of cooking is termed Pattichathu, where delicate seafood is cooked in a little amount of flavorful liquid until all the liquid is absorbed and evaporated.  She then stirred the tender meat gently, along with coconut, tempered spices and curry leaves over a low flame so that the flavours danced together harmoniously. 

When I saw crabs at my neighborhood grocery store I was suddenly filled with all the memories surrounding my mom's crab dish and a deep craving for it, so I immediately decided to make it. Halfway through wheedling the flesh out of one crab and my hands were scraped red. I decided I didn't have to do everything exactly like my mom did, and left the rest of the flesh intact  to crack open at the dinner table, which was actually kind of fun! The rest of the process is quite simple and you can make this with any kind of fish by flaking the meat, and is especially delicious with tiny shrimp. It is also one of the most magical things you can do to a can of tuna, along with this, although of-course it is most excellent with crab. 

We ate it with mounds of rice and a little spiced buttermilk and the tantalizing play of contrasting flavours - the sweet crab meat and coconut, tang from the Kokum, the zing of freshly grated ginger, heat of the green chillies with the crunchy toasted mustard seeds is something you will never forget.

A new friend, the very lovely Jean from Lemon and Anchovies had been cooking with crab too, and I couldn't wait to see what she would make with it, especially since she mentioned homemade pasta and fried Meyer Lemons! To see what Jean made with her crabs go to her beautiful blog here. Isn't it great how one ingredient can be cooked in so many delightfully different ways? Never ceases to amaze!

Update: I thought this recipe deserves an illustration! ( Click to enlarge) 

Njandu Peera Pattichathu ( Crab Shredded and Poached) 

Ingredients

• Crab meat -1 pound or 500 gms of meat 
• Kokum ( Kodampuli) – 3 pieces ( A kind of tamarind, available in Indian stores, else substitute with a marble sized ball of regular tamarind, if you can't find either, just squeeze some lemon before serving for some tang) 
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Red chili powder – 1/2  tablespoon
• Grated coconut – 1 cup ( If using frozen shredded coconut like I do, thaw for about a minute in the microwave) 
• Fresh ginger, peeled and grated – About an inch (Do not use store bought ginger paste instead, omit it if you have to) 
• Thai green chillies slit in half – 6-10 
• Warm water for poaching the crab and soaking Kokum- 1 cup for fresh crab (1/4 cup if using cooked crab) 

*Note: I used one and half of a Dungeness crab, which is atleast twice the size of the the smaller crabs my mom cooked in India. I cracked the small legs and kept the flesh intact but extracted the flesh out of almost all the other parts of the shell to make it easier on the diner- aka myself and the hubs!
Also if you are not used to spicy food, please reduce amount of red chilli powder and green chillies to suit your tastes

For the tempering:

• Coconut oil – 1-2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp 
• Garlic pods, each sliced in half – 8
• Small Pearl onions or Shallots– 3-4 (sliced thin or use half of a red onion instead chopped fine) 
• Dried Red chillies – 3 ( or 1 tsp red chilli flakes) 
• Curry leaves- 8 ( Optional, avaliable in Indian grocery stores. Do not substitute with curry powder) 
• Sprinkle salt to taste

Method

If you are using uncooked crab meat, soak the Kokum in about a cup of warm water in a pot or saucepan ( but preferably an earthernware mann chatti). 

If you are using already cooked crab use less water, only about 1/4 cup, just enough to cover the Kokum pieces in a small cup.

Soak the Kokum until it softens and the water turns a brown colour- about 15 mins

Now add all the ingredients including crab meat with the kokum water and stir gently together- just to flake up the flesh a little. 

Turn on the heat to a medium and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.

Cook, stirring very occasionally till all the water has evaporated

In a separate pan or skillet, heat the coconut oil and just before it begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds and wait for all of them to finish popping. 

Cover with a lid to prevent the seeds from popping all over your kitchen!

Once it begins to slow down to just a few pops, add the cumin and stir until it turns brown and no longer smells raw. Careful not to burn or blacken them.

Add the garlic and lightly brown it, then the onions and golden brown them too. 

Add the chilli powder and curry leaves together and switch off the heat just as curry leaves begin to stiffen up. 

Now add the crab mixture to the tempering in the pan, salt to taste, and stir gently on low heat until the dish is completely dry and flavours are well combined. 

Enjoy with rice and spiced buttermilk ( recipe follows) 

Tastes best the day it's made. 

For the spiced buttermilk

1 cup yogurt

1 cup water

3-4 fresh thai green chillies chopped

salt to taste.

Stir in a little water at a time into the yogurt whisking with a spoon constantly to make buttermilk ( or just use store bought buttermilk- which is usually a little more hard to find than yogurt) 

Stir in the green chillies and enough salt to taste 

Serve chilled or at room temperature, pouring over rice or drinking as is. 

Although traditionally served with rice, I think this crab dish also tastes great with salad and a soft boiled egg.  Even though this dish may sound complicated, the part that will take the longest is the shelling of the crab, and you can just use crab meat instead or even most white, flaky fish as mentioned above. Everything else is quite easy. 

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