I have to admit that this is the first edition of IMBB that I thought I might not participate in since I started my blog in May 2004. I have just had too much on lately, what with submitting my first entry for SHF and hosting WBW#6 within days of each other. And then there was the theme. We have had rice, terrines, fish, booze and BBQs - all of which were great fun and relatively easy to find inspiration for. But this month, Carlo from My Latest Supper decided to throw the cat among the pigeons, the bacon sandwich among the vegetarians and the foie gras terrine among the animal rights activists with his theme for IMBB#12 - Is My Blog Taboo?. The basic premise was that participants living abroad should make something that they considered normal but that people in their adopted country would find abhorrent or taboo. Failing that, you could make something that you don't like (in other words, your own personal taboo) to see if you could make yourself like it. Hmmm.
Gave the whole thing some thought. I think taboo was possibly a misnomer in that my perception (and probably others' perception too) of taboo generally means you don't eat something because of your beliefs. But if you were willing to eat it for something as frivolous as a food blog event, then clearly your beliefs weren't that strong to start with!! Besides, I've never been one for interfering with what others believe. So making roast pork and bacon butties for the Muslim neighbours was out of the question. If you take a slightly less restrictive view of taboo and include things that people may find distasteful, that opened up some new possibilities. As I have mentioned, one of a South African's favourite culinary treats is biltong. When you tell the average Englishman that you are about to feed him some raw beef, rubbed with salt and spices and hung out to dry for a week, most of them will run screaming to the hills rather than have a nibble. So I guess I could have fed a whole bunch of biltong to my English friends, but somehow that didn't really involve any cooking (as I certainly wasn't drying the meat myself in my suburban semi-detached house!!). Something else that is very popular in SA (and especially in my house!) but which seems to have become taboo of late is Aromat - a seasoning made by Knorr, the ingredients of which read "salt, MSG, lactose, etc etc etc". Great - two taboo items in the first line!! But again, feeding people my Aromat popcorn didn't really seem like cooking, so I quickly abandoned that idea.
I also thought about cooking stuff that I personally might find taboo. The problem is that a lot of stuff that I would have found taboo ten years ago, I now eat - oysters, foie gras, chilli, tomatoes, rabbit, snails (at a push!)... hell, I even had crocodile on our trip to South Africa in December (and yes, it does taste like chicken!!). So the taboo list is shrinking. The things that remain on my "inedible" list are things like bananas, guavas, pawpaw (and, given the general trend of my not liking squishy tropical fruit, I imagine, durian ;-)) and beetroot - bleeeech. I have tried them all (except the durian) more than once and no, I really do not like them. So I didn't really see the point of going to a lot of time and trouble cooking something containing these and (surprise!) hating it. I'm not 5 years old, I'm not suddenly going to "discover" banana (although I must say I've always loved banana bread and muffins - go figure).
I was beginning to despair. And then it hit me. Something they eat in the UK that, to my mind, would just be taboo on so many fronts. Something that I have never eaten and would never make myself, except for the purely scientific purposes of IMBB. OK, let's recap - I don't deep-fry stuff. I think I get that from my mom - she also didn't do deep-frying. We have never owned a deep-fat fryer and we only ever made oven-chips as far back as I remember. In fact, the only thing I remember her deep-frying was vetkoek - literally "fat cakes". Since I learned my culinary skills from my mom, I have never deep-fried anything in my life. Honest. It just does not happen. So I guess you could say anything deep-fried is taboo in my kitchen - not only because deep-frying is not great from a health point of view, but also because I am a little nervous about working with great pots of hot oil that can burst into flames if overheated!! But simply deep-frying something was not enough - it had to be something repugnant, something that I would never ordinarily make. Something that went against the culinary grain.
The English love their fried food. Think of fish & chips - a perfectly good hunk of fish encased in a mound of batter and then deep-fried so that the ratio of fish to batter is approximately 1:10. Then add a mound of deep-fried potatoes and voila - you have a national institution! I mean, where else do you find fast food outlets affectionately referred to as "chippies" where you get pretty much exclusively deep-fried food?? Grilling and skinny fries are for sissies - try a chippy for some real fast food!! Now as you move further north, particularly into Scotland, chippies start getting more and more creative in terms of what can be deep-fried. I was horrified when, on a trip to Edinburgh, NIck ordered a deep-fried sausage. Since most pork sausages are pretty high on fat anyway, why on earth would you want to add more?? But there it was - a pork sausage encased in crispy, deep-fried batter, with the obligatory newspaper cone of chips. But this turned out to be merely the tip of the iceberg. Apparently you also get (Carlo, Albert and all right-thinking Italians, close your eyes)... deep-fried pizza!! But what Scotland is far more famous for, in terms of cutting-edge cuisine, is the deep-fried Mars Bar. In fact, there's even been an article about them in the British medical journal The Lancet (it's the first article on this page - free registration required to read the full text). Given the fact that a) I don't do deep-frying; b) I don't have a sweet tooth; c) the generally repugnant-sounding nature of this confection and d) its notoriety, I realised that I was going to have to fry me up a Mars Bar. Apparently, the DFMB originated about 15 years ago in Stonehaven Scotland - finding recipes proved no problem at all - see here, here and here. (Hysterically, the last recipe suggests using sunflower oil for frying "'coz it's healthier" hahahahahahaha.) My recipe turned out to be a composite of all these and something of an experiment. Here goes:
1 cup sifted self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
a pinch of bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
1 cup milk (I would have used beer if we had any in the house. Maybe next time some Lambrusco for added lightness and postmodern witty irony ;-))
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
sunflower oil for frying
4 Mars Bars (I only made 2 & have lots of batter left over...)
Chill the Mars Bars in the fridge I left mine overnight. Mix the dry ingredients together. Gradually add the milk, egg and oil (I mixed them together first), mixing well until the batter is the consistency of thick pancake batter. If you have time, chill the batter for a while as well. When you are ready to fry, get the Mars Bars from the fridge & on the stove, start heating the oil for frying. If you want to be classy, cut the Mars Bars into bite-sized chunks (for serving on cocktail sticks later...). Coat the Mars Bars well with the batter - I just popped mine into the bowl of batter & left them there. Watch the oil carefully - test its temperature by dropping a bread cube in after about 5 minutes - if it turns brown and crisp after about 20-30 seconds, the oil is ready. Take your coated chocolates and dunk them carefully into the oil. Fry until golden and puffy - mine took about 30 seconds, then I turned them and left them for another 30 or so. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on some paper towels and serve immediately - nothing worse than cold, soggy fried batter!!
OK - how did they look? Like big, clumsily-fried fishfingers coated in batter instead of crumbs (this could also be my frying technique or lack thereof...). How did they taste? Erm, well, not too bad actually. The nougat (my least favourite part of the Mars Bar) holds things together while the chocolate and caramel melt rather fetchingly, and the batter was reasonably light and crisp. Nick wolfed his down but declined to help me finish mine - a telling comment. But I must admit that about 15 minutes later I felt a bit queasy from a sugar 'n grease overload.
Have I overcome my taboo? Erm, no. But I am less terrified of deep-frying ;-) And I can tick off my "to do before I die" list the item relating to "deep-fry and eat a Mars Bar".
I still have to try this; we have a built in deep fryer at home, which makes things safer (and healthier, as the temperature is so high that hardly any oil soaks into the food)
I saw an episode of Nigella where she deep fried Bounty bars...now that sounds good too! And what about deep fried Twinkies?!...there's a whole pantry of suagry foods waiting for you!
Posted by: Niki | February 23, 2005 at 11:42 PM
Ha! I'm inspired, when is the new deadline for IMBB#12?
Toni won't let me have a deep fryer or a drum kit. : (
Posted by: anthony | February 24, 2005 at 01:38 AM
Hi Niki - aaarrrgh, noooo, noooo! No more deep-fried chocolate bars for me!! Maybe just a square of bittersweet chocolate in a small amount of batter... Kind of like a deep-fried pain aux chocolat. (Well, I have to use up that batter *somehow*...) Aparently deep-fried Maltesers are also good, if you are in the mood for experimantation...
Hi Anthony - Awwww, mean mean Toni. Well, you managed to deep-fry red wine just fine without a fryer so we have complete confidence in you.
(PS - Toni: Don't tell Anthony but I'm with you on the drum kit thing!!)
Posted by: Jeanne | February 24, 2005 at 10:32 AM
Hah! When I first started dating my English husband, friends of mine offered me a deep fat fryer as a birthday present. I used it once (to fry fish, as they intended) and then it sat in a cupboard for the next six years. The last time we moved, I intentionally left it behind! You are certainly braver than me...don't think I could face the greasy sugar overdose of a fried Mars bar!
Posted by: Meg | February 24, 2005 at 10:40 AM
I'm getting the kit so I can audition for "Jeanne Horak and the Sugar 'n Grease Overload"
Posted by: anthony | February 25, 2005 at 12:33 AM
Hi Meg
I must admit, I wouldn't have done this except for purely scientific purposes!! The sugar & grease were a bit overwhelming... As for the deef-fat fryer, I think if I had one it might also languish in the cupboard...
Anthony - do I get to sing live on-stage with nubile, topless dancing boys as backing singers???
Posted by: Jeanne | February 26, 2005 at 08:10 PM
Hi Jeanne,
How interesting. I've never had a deep fried Mars bar, but I can only imagine. I don't have a problem with either deep fried or sweet, but had I known about this IMBB, I might have done something, but then again, I might not. Have you ever seen this?
http://www.manalang.com/philippines/images/lrg_philippines_0026.JPG
It's called balut, and it's either a chicken's egg or a duck's egg that's been fertilized. As far as I know, they eat this in both the Philippines and in Vietnam. I'm not so sure if it's eaten elsewhere. Care to join me?
Posted by: Reid | February 27, 2005 at 03:17 PM
Hi Reid
OMG, noooo, I'm pretty sure I couldn't eat that!! Unless it were served in a darkened room and even then I have my doubts... I think the problem is that there are very human overtones - a fertilised egg, a curled-up embryo... etc etc. Yes, I'm probably being hypocritical but so be it!!
The Mars bars were taboo more from at aesthetic & health point of view - for sheer "eeeeeew!" factor I toyed with the idea of buying & eating jellied eels which is an old English speciality (bizarrely sold in pie and mash shops) but in the end I couldn't find any on the day I wanted them so maybe another time...!
Look forward to seeing your EoMEoTE contribution - I'm already dreaming up ideas for mine!
Posted by: Jeanne | February 27, 2005 at 07:29 PM
I have had a DFMB and it was delicious. I had it at the State Fair last year. I really did enjoy it but I do like DF things in general, altho' as I get older I can't deal with them as well as I did when a child. I have also had a Deep Fried Oreo! That was incredible too. I've also had a Deep Fried Twinkie! I have to try them when something is new at the State Fair. Just me.
I have a Deep Fat Fryer, bought at a flea market, boxed and all, for $20. I've used it for quite a few treats including my potato latkes, fried ravioli, and beignets. Maybe I've used it 6 times in the last 1-1/2 years that I've had it.
I do enjoy a good deep fried treat, here-and-there. I have to admit that the DFMB was VERY sweet.
You are braver than I, doing it at home. I let others DF these kinds of sweet things. I won't do that in the house. The smell from deep frying gets into the whole house and the whole place smells of it for at least a week after.
Posted by: RisaG | February 27, 2005 at 08:59 PM
It does sound scary and it looks kind of gross, nevertheless it is just so "out of this world" that one day I have to try it. But I am certainly not going to make it myself. I don't have a deep-fry-whatever and I am kind of thrown back by the fact that I would have to buy a large amount of oil and then throw it out afterwards, and there is the smell-factor. The whole flat will reek of it. You are really brave to have tried this!
I will actually go and buy me a Snickers bar tomorrow (the only chocolate-bar I find edible), only because after reading your post now I think I have a taste for it ;-)
Posted by: Joolez | February 27, 2005 at 11:21 PM
ergh, i can't eat a mars bar, deep-fried or not. what is that in the middle, it's like whipped lard with cocoa solids. anthony. get namco's taiko drum master game instead; reid, balut's okay if you ignore the feathers (i love saying that) and don't eat deep-fried ones because it means they are old.
Posted by: santos | February 28, 2005 at 05:09 AM
Santos,
I heard you get the crunchiness from the bones, and can feel the eyeballs slipping down your throat. Is that true?
Posted by: Reid | February 28, 2005 at 10:15 AM
Hi Risa
Glad you had a good DFMB experience - and I must admit that deep-fried Oreos do sound strangely alluring... But as a general non-fan of deep-fried stuff I don't think I'll be indulging in much more creative deep-frying! The frying smell issue is a biggie - especialyl because our stingy landlord never installed an extrator fan, so when I fry anything, all the upstairs doors get closed & all coats hanging in the hall are put away to spare them the smell!! But the DFMB went so quickly and actually don't have a stong smell (like, say, onions), so it wasn't much of a problem in this case. Maybe if I did more at once... but that's never going to happen!!
Hi Joolez
Yes, they do have that mythical quality about them, don't they... One of those things to try before you die. I also resented the fact that I had to chuck out this big pot of oil afterwards - what a waste! So unlikely to be repeated in my house! See my comments above re. smell - it was actualyl a lot less smelly than stir-frying onions and garlic.
Reid and Santos
OK, stop it!!! Eeew, eeeew, triple eeeeew!!!! I think you're being a tad dramatic with the eyeballs - I mean, the entire embryo still fits in an egg - those eyes would have to pretty damn HUGE for you to feel them anywhere in your mouth or throat!! And yes, I'm sure the crunchy bits (bones, feathers, beak, WHATEVER) would be the most disturbing. Topic closed - this is a family blog! And you're grossing out the hostess ;-)
Posted by: Jeanne | February 28, 2005 at 11:41 AM
final comment and then we'll move it to my blog or something--reid, don't believe everything you hear! just some of it :-D
Posted by: santos | February 28, 2005 at 12:52 PM
Hi Jeanne,
My apologies.
Posted by: Reid | March 01, 2005 at 11:07 AM
Hey Reid - no apologies required!! I was being a drama queen ;-) But that picture you sent was really, really... interesting. Even Nick, who ususally eats anything, balked at that!!
Posted by: Jeanne | March 01, 2005 at 11:22 AM
hi Jeanne, I live here in UK but that's the first time I've heard of deep fried pizza! Hahaha! I wonder how that tastes? As for the DFMB, congratulations for trying it at least I know now not to have it ever! Hehehe! cheers.
Posted by: celiaK | March 01, 2005 at 02:25 PM
Hi Celia!
I imagine deep-fried pizza would taste... terrifying! Can you imagine all the grease from the cheese plus all the grease from the deep-frying, all forming a big greasy lump in your intestines, and then in your arteries.... bleeeeurrrgh! Re. the DFMB, aaah, I like to suffer for my art ;-)
Posted by: Jeanne | March 01, 2005 at 02:28 PM
I am amazed! I didn't see your entry for the IMBB 12 until today. It is so funny that you would pick a deep fried candy bar as your taboo item. I was going to enter this same thing in the IMBB but just completely ran out of time. To me eating something this decadent just has to be classified as taboo! Great entry!
Posted by: chronicler | March 30, 2005 at 10:57 PM