I've been known to intentionally answer a message that comes around
again (for whatever reason), especially if additional response(s) come
to mind.... new directions can come from that... ;)
Sure: if I'd not wanted to answer the message again,
chances are good I'd not have done so. I might have
taken a coin toss and gone one way or the other to
adhere to one of my guidelines, which are: try to
answer every substantive post and five a day
(occasionally ten). Some of yours and Ruth's are tough
because you post more free-formly, and a very short
message might not call out for a reply, so that might
be bundled into another message; or rarely (most often
with southern Ruth) a post might be long enough to
require two posts in return.
My lack of phone is well known, as was my serious
reluctance to use it when I had one.
Part of it is in fact that I don't like the
things in general; part is the sacrifice of both
privacy and self-sufficiency. As we've found
with computers, relying on an overplus of
technology opens vast cans of worms.
I find phones in general, including cell phones, a mostly useful tool
that can be convenient and a passible substitute for actual presence... Richard views phones as a necessary evil, and refuses to have a cell
phone of his own... he'll answer the landline if I'm not here... ;)
I never was a phone person, and the evolution of
cellphones into a universal guide-monitor-policeman
seems fishy to me. Real life talking is fine, but
talking without being in your interlocutor's actual
presence is somehow unsatisfying and odd.
Cinnamon Fish Cutlets
categories: Sri Lankan, main, odd
servings: 12
1 1/2 lb potato
1 cn (15 oz) mackerel
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Ceylon cinnamon stick
1 Tb garlic puree
1/2 ts turmeric
1/2 ts black pepper
15 curry leaves finely chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
2 ts salt, more as needed
2 Tb lime juice (about 1 lime)
4 eggs
3 c bread crumbs
Vegetable oil
Mini deep fryer
Boil the potatoes until done, about 30 min.
Let cool partially and slip the skins off.
Cut the top of the mackeral can most of the way
but leave 5% of the top still attached. This
allows you to leave the fish in the can and
drain the fish oil water to saute the onions
and spices.
Set the pan on medium heat and add the fish oil
water from the can and heat for 2 min.
Add the chopped onion, cinnamon stick, garlic,
turmeric, black pepper, curry leaves and green
chili and saute for about 3 min.
Add the fish pieces from the can and cook for
3 min. Now mash the fish using a flat spoon.
You want a nice fine smooth mash.
Add 2 ts salt. Not to worry, this is not too
much. We prefer to add 3 ts, but you can add
more salt later, after you put in the lime.
But for now 2 ts is perfect.
Reduce temperature to medium low and add the
boiled potato and mash it into the fish. Cook
until the the paste mix is firm enough to make
into balls, about 10 to 15 min.
Let the fish potato mixture cool down about \
30 min. If it is too hot it's hard to make the
cutlets balls. Don't forget to take out the
cinnamon stick.
Now add 2 Tb lime and mix well. Check if you
need more salt at this stage. The potatoes
absorb the salt so it might need more salt.
Beat 4 eggs with a whisk.
Scoop up a little bit of the fish and potato
mixture and using both palms of your hands make
it into a ball. Best is to wear gloves since you
don't want any food going under your fingernails.
The cutlet should not be larger than 1 1/4" wide.
This size makes it easier to roll into balls and
tastes better because the proportion of the outer
bread crumbs to inside filling is just right.
Dip the fish balls in the egg mixture. Best is to
dip and wiggle it around the bowl by hand. All
you need is a light even coating of egg.
Put the bread crumbs into a deep pan.
1ST BREADCRUMB COATING - Add 4 or 5 egg soaked fish
balls into the bread crumb bowl and shake from side
for about 10 sec. That will give it a nice even
coating. Make sure the breadcrumbs coat every inch
of the cutlet. You can reshape the cutlets at this
stage to make them more round.
Now dip the cutlets again into the batter again. We
are going to add a second coat of bread crumbs so
the outer shell is stronger and not too fragile.
Double bread crumbing makes it easier to fry too.
2ND BREADCRUMB COATING - Make sure the breadcrumbs
nicely coat the entire surface of the cutlet.
Preheat the oil to 390F. Do not use olive oil which
does not heat or fry well.
Load the cutlets into your fryer pan. Do not place
the cutlets on top of each other, otherwise they
will stick together. There should be space around
the cutlets so all sides get fried evenly. Fry the
cutlets for no more than 60 sec at 390F. If your
fryer does not get up to that temperature you can
put it in for slightly longer.
Lift up and hold the drain basket over the oil for
10 sec so any excess oil drains before you remove
the cutlets.
Cutlets are very tasty especially when hot, so
it's best you fry them about 15 min before serving.
By the way frying them on a frying pan just won't
work. We tried and it became one big mess.
Best is to dip it in hot chili chutney. The
sweetness and hotness of the chutney blends well
with the fish cutlets. Or you can try some Sri
Lankan MD brand Ketchup which is fabulous. Some
people have cutlets parties where a group of
friends gather to make cutlets as a joint effort.
All you need is some good wine or some Ceylon
Cinnamon Tea. Then each person takes their share home.
The hotness of the cutlets dipped in hot and sweet
chutney sauce is offset by some authentic Sweet Ceylon
Cinnamon Tea. Like wine and cheese but better.
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