Extreme Cuisine: What is a secret vegetarian and what would be on the menu for Christmas? Haydn Shaughnessy reveals all
One of my children recently told me he is a secret vegetarian. So, what is a secret vegetarian, I asked?
"I eat meat so people won't know I'm a vegetarian," he answered.
Fair enough. I think this captures social attitudes towards food perfectly, and our embarrassment and reluctance at leaving the mainstream. Even a young child knows there are dangers in being unorthodox.
One of my children came home hungry for a few days because he was too embarrassed to open a lunch box that contained pitta bread and hummus. And people I know often react with surprising aggression to my own views about food. Here is more grist for the mill.
The idea of the secret vegetarian encapsulates an important culinary philosophy. I am a vegetarian because I believe, in general, our diets are oversupplied with proteins but I will eat meat for specific health objectives.
During the winter months when a cold or sore throat lingers, I routinely cook up a stew. The protein boost seems to me a rational response to the body's need for support. If the weather gets too depressing, I'll eat some meat just for a general immune boost.
A heavy diet of proteins creates, among other things, a high level of acidity in the body that seems to deplete the body's store of minerals which in turn causes cellular decay.
So what does the secret vegetarian eat at Christmas? The long rows of turkeys have no strong appeal. Likewise the hams and other traditional festive food.
Game, on the other hand, and speciality meats from reliable butchers, bring the right balance to a diet by virtue of their price and taste. I sat down to work out a comparative cost with my local butcher Martin Carey.
At this time of year he sells meat from just about every animal imaginable - including rattlesnake and Kangaroo. A good free-range goose works out about four times the price of a turkey all things considered. But you might be inclined to eat a lot less of it. Similarly his pheasant, partridge, widgeon, and teal are not cheap. But why eat to excess when you can eat in style?
The very obvious option for people wishing to eat healthily over Christmas is to eat better rather than more. But Christmas's rich foods also need to be balanced out.
With these two considerations in mind my own Christmas will involve some meat but plenty of meals where meat is either absent or insignificant. I am also looking for some cheap meals to help with the spend.
I put together a couple of recipes for people who want to balance out rich food and keep costs within reason (see panel). Two of these dishes require a strong digestion because of the levels of roughage.
For starters though I rely on James McGeough of Auchterard in Galway and Martin Carey, my local butcher in Bandon, two men with a creative appetite for their trade. James's smoked lamb, shaved into thin spirals, and Martin's spiced beef, served sparingly, are interesting ways to start a meal and preserved foods are an important part of a winter diet.
Martin's staff treat the beef each day for three weeks producing a meat that tastes slightly of fruit. James also does a heather and pork salami. These foods are too pleasing and rich to be eaten to excess.
The variety of fish is often overlooked at Christmas. The big spend goes on smoked salmon but smoked mackerel can make a reasonably priced and healthy dish.
Few people think of using bargain basement ingredients like chickpeas but they go very well in stews.
And finally raw food saves time and keeps the digestion alert.
Stuff the turkey this year: try something different
Sour fish casserole: This is the simplest dish in the world.
Slice a pound and a half of potatoes and place one layer in the bottom of a casserole dish. Flake two packs of smoked mackerel and create one layer on top of the potatoes. Take a handful of sauerkraut and layer in with the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Create another layer of potatoes and then one of smoked mackerel and sauerkraut. Season again. Add in two bay leaves and a final layer of potatoes. Mix a half pint of cream with as much milk as it takes to cover the fish and potatoes. Cook for 30-40 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 150-160 degrees.
Cork Bel Phoori: Bel Phoori is an Indian snack. The Indians among you will hate what I am about to do to it but this for me is a refreshing, antacid meal, but westernised. Overnight soak a couple of square inches of tamarind (available from health food shops or ethnic cuisine shops). Strain, dispose of the kernels, and put aside the juice. Boil two potatoes but don't overcook. Dice them into small cubes. Take a large onion and dice until the pieces are as small as you can possibly make them. Crush several hard biscuits - I use The Baking Emporium's Spelt Crackers. Finely dice one green or red chilli (seeds removed). Chop two packs of coriander finely. Combine these ingredients in a large bowl with, in addition, two or three cups of puffed brown rice and two handfuls of garlic sticks broken into pieces. Before eating spoon over the yoghurt and tamarind.
Chickpea, tamarind and leak sausage stew: Soak the tamarind overnight and soak 250g of chickpeas for a good 24 hours. Once soaked, simmer the chick peas for two hours in plenty of water. With a mortar and pestle grind a handful of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, 20 black peppercorns, six cloves and six cardamom pods (remove the husks). Thinly slice a large onion. Crush and dice a half dozen cloves of garlic. These two go in the pot first where the hot butter awaits. Cook until well they begin to caramelise. If you fancy heat, add a diced chilli (seeds out). Add the spices along with a one inch stick of cinnamon, a half teaspoon of astefida and a tablespoon of paprika. Cook for a further couple of minutes and then add a can of tomatoes, a bunch of spring onions (cleaned and chopped in half). Now drain the chickpeas and add them in. Add as much water as it takes to cover and salt to taste.These ingredients need to simmer for another hour. At that point you have a number of choices. If I want meat, I fry two of Martin Carey's leak sausages, chop and add to the pot for the last 20 minutes.If you have left over meat, add that.In any event add two heaped tablespoons of garam masala about 10 minutes before the end.Finally to the tamarind. Add what it takes to get a balance between the sweet taste of caramelised onion and paprika on the one hand and the sour tamarind on the other.
All these dishes have a sourness. I checked the index lists of several leading chefs and found only one placed any emphasis on sourness in main course cooking. Sour is not only healthy it is necessary.