I thrive on the mouth-tingling jolt of chile peppers, curry powder, and other vivid spices. As a result, our customers know they can count on at least one spicy soup on our menu each day. Some people automatically order whatever it is. This soup starts out mildly enough with fish stock and tomatoes. Then it gets a dose of scorching Scotch bonnet chile peppers, one of the hottest in the chile pepper family. As the soup simmers, its fragrance makes me feel like I am already taking a sip. My face gets very pink, my chest opens up, and I start to giggle as if someone is tickling me. All this before I’ve even lifted the spoon to my mouth!
If you’re tempted to walk up to a seafood counter and pick out one thing from each display, try this stew. A take-off on French bouillabaisse, it combines six kinds of seafood in a tomato and saffron-enhanced broth. There’s not any racy story behind its name. I was just trying to emphasize its robustness.
This stock comes together in about an hour. If you let it simmer too long, it can get bitter. Fish
bones can be requested from a fishmonger. Ask for mild flavored fish such as haddock or cod;
salmon might add too strong a flavor.
bones can be requested from a fishmonger. Ask for mild flavored fish such as haddock or cod;
salmon might add too strong a flavor.
Biting into crabmeat and prawn at the same time produces a rich and luxurious feeling. These crisp and juicy crab claws are as good to look at as they are to eat, so they are bound to be a successful starter for a dinner party. You can prepare in advance up to the end of step 6, and then simply refry the claws just before serving.
This dish derives its name from the Chinese emblem of beauty, the phoenix. Prawns are likened to its long and graceful tail.
Spring rolls, also known as egg rolls, are a tasty filling wrapped in a thin dough and deep-fried until crispy. Here, for the filling and pork marinade, use medium-dry sherry if Shaohsing wine is not available.
Texture is the essence of this dish. The quickly cooked shrimp should be crisp yet tender, and the longer they are marinated in the refrigerator—up to 3 days—the better their texture becomes. The delicate colour of the shrimp needs no garnish.
Appetizers long have been a part of the culinary tradition in Europe, but they're relatively new to America. One of the first to appear in American cookbooks, at the turn of the century, was shrimp cocktails.