Join the festivities from 4th-10th October!
It was reported last year that curry overtook the traditional Sunday roast and spaghetti bolognese as Britain’s favourite home cooked dish, so, naturally, there is a whole week in place to celebrate it!
Anything’s possible during National Curry Week; not excluding record-breaking poppadum towers and dresses made out of poppadums – yes, you read that right – as seen in its 23 year history. Edible dresses aside, the week is dedicated to appreciating curries of all kinds, supporting local Indian restaurants, or cooking up a curry of your own creation.
Of course the humble curry, with its rich flavours and sensational spices, pairs perfectly with our locally-caught Cornish seafood. Here are five fish and shellfish curry recipes to choose from, by local Cornish chefs, foodies, or fishmongers.
For the full list of ingredients and methods from the creators, click on the title links!
CREDIT: The Cornish Seaweed Company
This recipe comes directly from Cornwall’s very own, Cornish Seaweed Company. Using their own Cornish Kombu seaweed, combined with fresh Cornish fish and, of course, Cornish Sea Salt, it would be hard to find a curry more Cornwall-inspired.
The Cornish Seaweed Company has been harvesting seaweed locally since 2012, providing us with a sustainably sourced superfood while taking the fear and uncertainty out of eating our wriggly Cornish algae.
Adding a sprinkle of kombu, also known as organic kelp, to your Goan fish curry helps to accentuate the flavour, and gives “wonderful bursts of umami whenever they hit your tongue”, according to our local seaweed suppliers.
CREDIT: The Happy Foodie
Famous fish chef Rick Stein watched this fragrant curry dish being made on the Southeast coast of India in Pondicherry. The cuisine of Pondicherry has grown through its colonial history, and is a fusion of Indian, Portuguese, British and French influences.
Stein thought this Pondicherry Curry would work perfectly with cod from the Cornish waters a little closer to home. However, Cornish pollock or hake would also make brilliant alternatives as more meaty white fleshed fish.
CREDIT: Jam and Clotted Cream
Keralan curry originates from – you guessed it – the Kerala region of South India. Located on India’s tropical Malabar coast, the abundance of coconuts that grow in the region, paired with the long coastline and numerous river networks, have inspired many sea-and-river-food based curry dishes, like the Keralan curry.
Local Cornish foodie Beth, at the Jam and Clotted Cream blog, put together this ‘Nigella-inspired curry’ recipe that can be cooked with any firm white fish. Why not try it with monkfish as a refreshing alternative to haddock or cod? Monkfish has a low fish-y flavour and tight meaty texture. This makes it a brilliant staple for a curry, as it really holds its own!
CREDIT: The Cornish Fishmonger
The Cornish Fishmonger have put together what they describe as the ‘ultimate fish curry’ recipe using Cornish coley. Coley is abundant around the Cornish coast, with The Cornish Fishmonger sourcing theirs from local trawlers in Newlyn. It is also a more cost-effective option than cod or haddock, but still has the popular mild and flaky characteristics of its beloved white fish cousins.
CREDIT: Christie Laming, Newquay Voice
We couldn’t let a recipe guide get away without a mention of our favourite Cornish crustacean; the spider crab (or Cornish king crab as it’s locally known)!
Chef Sanjay Kumar teamed up with our friends over at the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide to showcase his mother’s recipe; a Bengali Spider Crab Curry. When Sanjay’s parents visited Cornwall, his mother prepared this dish after being fascinated by the variety of fresh fish and shellfish available.
He told the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide: “Kolkata, like Falmouth, has the best of both freshwater and sea fish markets. Fish is an essential part of a Bengali diet and soft shell crab often finds its way into a happy Bengali man’s stomach!”
This curry may be fiddly to prepare, but the way the sweet meat compliments the curry flavours is worth the extra effort!
If you try any of these recipes – either in Curry Week or just any old week – let us know how it goes! We love to see your Cornish seafood creations; DM us a picture @seafoodcornwall on Instagram!
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