SE CUKUP RASA

I was having early lunch with some friends before heading to the office on New Year’s Day (yeah, you read it right there … I was in the office on Jan 1!) when our conversation turned to the dinner I hosted just before Christmas last month.

They read my blog (tapi tak pernah nak post comment!) and wanted to know how I went about hosting it. I told them it was exactly how I wrote it.

“You cooked lamb tagine that you never tried to cook or even eaten before. How did you know that it was supposed to taste like that?” one asked.

“I followed the recipe,” I told her. I even “invested” in the expensive saffron for the dish! “Kalau tak sedap, tentu two of my guests tak tambah nasi sampai tiga kali,” I said, laughing out loud.

That recipe could go horribly wrong but I was confident enough to try it.

I must tell you that I have been very lucky that the recipes that I tried for dinners that I hosted turned out well (the roasted chicken parts at the recent dinner turned out a little dry because I left it in the oven for a tad too long but guests finished it anyway!)

I like collecting recipes and trying them out. I don’t have a problem with those from Nigella, Jamie Oliver or Anna Olson. Their dishes and desserts are pretty easy and delicious too.

It’s the Malay dishes that I have a problem with. And Mak, my elder half-sister and my aunties are not exactly the best of teachers especially in their own kitchens.

Their method is really old school; simply throwing in the herbs and spices into the pot instead of measuring it!

Whenever I asked Mak how much of spices to put into the pot for a particular dish, she’ll give you this standard answer of “se cukup rasa”. At times, I think she fronts for Maggi with that reply although I hardly see her using any of Maggi products with the exception of the chicken stock cubes!

Now, what is deemed ‘se cukup rasa”? My “secukup rasa” may not be to her liking and vice versa. “Dah bubuh garam?” she’ll asked when tasting a dish I cook. Although it would be salty already to my palate, it will not be to hers. And whenever I tell her to add some more salt to the dish she’ll asked me to taste, she’ll retort “kan dah masin tu.”

They’re like Michelin chefs who do not like to be criticized of their cooking. Those chefs would frown if you asked the kitchen for extra seasoning to the dish they’ve cooked for you.

As for me, the Michelin chef wannabe, I’ll provide you with the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce (Tabasco kan dah diharamkan!), ketchup and Chilli Sauce to add more flavour to the dish on your plate.

But I noticed that the bottles remained unopened. Does that mean I got the exact flavour to match your palate? *me giving myself a pat on the back*

For those three whom I dedicate this post to and Oldstock , here is the recipe for the Lamb Tagine

LAMB TAGINE

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1kg (2 1/4 lb) diced lamb

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch saffron

3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

2 medium onions, halved then cut into wedges

5 carrots - quartered, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated root ginger

1 lemon, zested

400ml (14 oz) chicken stock (I replace the stock with water and two Maggi chicken cubes)

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon cornflour (optional)

1 tablespoon water (optional)

Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron and coriander; mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add 1/3 of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and root ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.

Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken stock, tomato puree and honey. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.

Serve it piping hot with rice or bread.