Breaking the cookery mould

In the early 90s, I went back to Algeria for the first time in 15 years. There was a massive void left by my mother who had passed away in 1989. 
My sisters ensured that I enjoyed all the dishes that my mother used to cook for me. One of the dishes my mother cooked for me whenever I went home from boarding school or university was a tagine. It was similar to the lamb tagine I served at Krimo’s for many years and which Noel has been offering Portofino’s customers since the former closed in 2014. 
My mother’s recipe included deep-fried battered meatballs that were added to the sauce at the last minute to keep them crisp. Another dish was a version of the boureks that are served at Portofino. When I first introduced them at Krimo’s, I did not have the exact recipe, so I tested a few herbs and spices until I felt that I had got the taste that I had grown up with. A few years later, I made them for my sister while I was on holiday back in Algeria, expecting her and her kids to compliment me on my culinary skills. Instead of compliments, my youngest niece, Maya, who was around 14 at the time, was nearly in tears when she said: “Uncle Krimo, boureks shouldn’t have cumin in them.” 
I laughed and confessed that I had been serving them flavoured with that spice ever since I added them to the menu. When I came back to Seaton, I made sure that I did not change my recipe as boureks are still a very popular starter, but I giggle every time I remember Maya’s face when she tried them. 

That episode just goes to show that there are a few dishes in every corner of the world, that one must never tamper with. I remember an Algerian customer who once visited Krimo’s with her family. Although I warned her that the tagine had been adjusted to accommodate Western tastes, she insisted on ordering it. I was not at all surprised when she told me, at the end of the meal, which had hardly been touched, that she was very disappointed that my lamb tagine had been spoilt with the addition of chickpeas. In her eyes, I had committed sacrilege, and I knew that it would be the last time I would ever see her or her family.

Personally, I have always been open to experimenting with established dishes. My Normand cousin from Dieppe would cringe if she knew that I sometimes add chilli flakes or ginger to the recipe for Moules Marinières which she shared with me back in 1979. 

I must confess that all of my cooking experiments are successful. A few have been truly awful, but as long as I can tweak a few of the ingredients the next time I prepare the same dish, then there is always a chance that I discover a tasty new twist on an old favourite.

Yes, of course, there are a few ingredients that should never be seen on the same plate, but there is no harm in trying a bit of fusion cuisine, mixing and matching things and coming up with tasty combinations.