A Trip Around the World During Lockdown III

Welcome to the third leg of the Trip Around the World During Lockdown tour! The first part of the tour comprised drinks and snacks, after which we went back to South Africa for a small break. Be sure to read my previous blog posts on the first and second legs of our trip around the world (Part I, Part II), if you missed it.  

This leg of the tour was hosted by Monsieur Repas Principal (aka Mister Main Meal). I particularly looked forward to leg three. I tried to keep all the dishes small so we could enjoy all of them without feeling too full. Perhaps we should've waited a bit longer between leg two and three, but I will keep it in mind for next time.

Before we boarded the plane for the mains leg, we enjoyed a traditional favourite South African meal - hoenderpastei (chicken pie). I made each of us a mini pie to enjoy - and it was a delicious start to the mains tour! This simple dish consisted of chicken, onions, carrots and celery cooked in chicken stock. Once the mixture thickened, I divided the mixture into three ramekins, with puff pastry on top, which I glazed with egg wash. It was cooked in the oven until the pastry was deliciously golden brown. Quick and easy, and a definite winner. My only regret is that I only made enough filling for the three pies.

As chicken pie is of British origin, it was fitting to stop in Britain next and enjoy the dish England is famous for - fish and chips. I'm proud to say that the battered fish was 100% homemade. I used hake instead of traditional cod, and the batter was a quickly googled recipe. The recipe called for dark beer and sparkling water, but I used leftover Belgium beer (Stella Artois), and it worked brilliantly! This dish was the perfect combination of oily and homey, but who eats fish and chips without tartar sauce...?

Hence the stop in France - the home of tartar sauce. This really rounded the fish and chips dish and broke the oiliness just enough that we could not stop eating. This again was a store-bought item to save time.

After the oily, yet delicious, fish and chips, we hopped over to Italy for some plain and simple Cacio e Pepe, which translates to 'cheese and pepper.' I wanted to use authentic ingredients, so Pecorino Romano cheese and my cute Italian guy grater felt appropriate.  This basically served as a palate cleanser and it is really quick and easy to make - spaghetti, pepper and cheese.

Next stop - Thailand. I particularly looked forward to this dish. My sister went to Thailand a few years ago and she discovered Thai Cashew Chicken, which she absolutely loves. I wanted to treat her with this delicious meal. In my inexperience with chilis, I added way too many chilis (including the seeds), which made the dish completely unbearable for me. My sister and husband can handle a bit more spiciness than me and they ate the dish as far as they could. If it weren't for the overwhelming spiciness, this would've been the hit of the evening. I will have to make this dish again to redeem my reputation, hopefully my sister is willing to be the guinea pig yet again!

Last stop - the great city of Mexico! Mexican is one of my favourite cuisines, especially tacos with pulled pork. And this is exactly what I served. Delicious hard-shell tacos, pulled pork, coleslaw, black beans and guacamole with a hint of lime. We skipped the jalapenos as everyone's mouths were still on fire after the Thai Cashew chicken mishap.

This concludes the mains leg of the tour - we now await our plane to embark on the last part of the tour - desserts, hosted by Madam Nagerecht! Not to be missed!