Review of the Week - Tapas and a Curry!

OK - So what has been happening during that past week that foodie wise, I might have forgotten to tell you about? Well, on Monday, I had to go into Edinburgh for the dentist and I was also going to hear Jonathan Agnew (the cricket commentator) at the Book Festival in the afternoon. As I'm still recuperating and have to make sure I don't overdo things, I had to stop for lunch - of course. Time was short, so tapas from La Tasca seemed a good idea. Tapas always seems a good idea and on this occasion, it was ok. But why are each of the individual dishes always so expensive? And why do they always have an odd number of pieces of fish, meat, croquette etc. on each? And why do they recommend you get 4-6 dishes EACH? Even at lunchtime! And why is it always the Patatas Bravas that are unlimited? (Probably because they're rubbish). I'm not really compaining but the report card for UK Tapas bars always reads 'Could do Better'.

In Andalucia 2 years ago, we stayed in a mountain village called Gaucin. There was a very basic, pavement cafe there that sold tapas dishes - nothing fancy but good quality. Top of the pops was very thinly sliced aubergine, deep fried in batter. Very crispy and tasty and very simple and cheap. Perfect. After I came home, I discovered this article from The Times - The Best Tapas in Spain - which features this cafe. Now I don't know if it merited such high praise,  but it was very good and shows what can be done with the right, simple ingredients.

On Thursday, following my most recent preservation success with my Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar, I set in motion my next project. I collected the first of the early season brambles. It was easy pickings as the damp summer seems to have suited the humble blackberry and the East Lothian hedgerows are bursting with them, so another outing and I should have enough for a batch of bramble jelly. Something else to keep you posted with.

Following that outing, I tried another new recipe from the wee Olive magazine giveaway - Prawn Massaman Curry. Except I couldn't get the Massaman Curry Paste so my version was Prawn Thai Yellow Curry. Here's the recipe, it was very good.

Prawn Massaman Curry:

1-2 tbsp massaman curry paste (Bart's do it in wee jars but I used Yellow Curry Paste)

1 x 400g Coconut milk

150g small, new potatoes

1 Cinnamon stick

2 Cardamom pods, squashed

200g raw, king prawns - frozen were fine - make sure you de-vein them

1 tsp Brown sugar

2 Limes - 1 juiced, 1 quartered to serve

1 tbsp Fish Sauce

1 Red Chilli & Basil - shredded to serve

 - you can also add 1 tbsp toasted and chopped peanuts if you want.

Method:

• Cook the curry paste and some coconut milk for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant, then add the rest of the coconut milk.
• Add the potatoes, cinnamon, cardamom and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
• Add the prawns, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes until the prawns are just cooked and pink
• Serve the curry with lime wedges and sprinkled with chilli, basil and peanuts
• DELICIOUS!