Karachi Again

                                              

          After I finished my studies in Neuchatel I flew back to Karachi, where my father was working.  It was lovely seeing my parents again, meeting old friends and making new ones.  I soon found an interesting job with the Belgian Embassy.

          Although it was almost five years since the Partition, Karachi’s population from  about 500.000 residents, still continued bulging into millions. Unfortunately, the homeless refugees were still sleeping in parks, playfields, in front of large hotels, clubs, all over the place .   It was heartbreaking and the government’s greatest problem.  A first master plan for Karachi was presented by a Swedish firm, which sought to accommodate the refugees in ten-storeyed  buildings in the outskirts of the city. Fortunately the plan was never accomplished.

          The foreigners living in Pakistan, trying to give a  helping hand, held bazaars, concerts, plays and balls in aid of the refugees.   One such charity ball was the “Dance of the Nations”, organized by the United Nations, with great success and large donations.

          Also the city was growing monstrously.  An orgy of construction was taking place in order to house the refugees, but also to accommodate new business, educational institutions, hospitals, barracks, embassies and government facilities. Fortunately the beautiful old public buildings and parks still adorned Karachi.

          However, the life and habits of the European community remained unchanged.  We still dressed for dinner.   As Karachi was a young, new capital, social life was very intense. Receptions for national days, cocktail and dinner parties were every day events.  We played tennis, and cricket, and golf and rowed and sailed.  We swam at Sandspit, Hawke’s Bay and Belaji, lovely sandy beaches on the Arabian Sea, very near Karachi. We were all members of clubs.   Most young people, including me, preferred the Boat Club and the Gymkhana, but the Sind Club offered traditional elegance and the most delicious gourmet dishes!  

Zeibunnissa Hamidulla, journalist and writer, sitting far right with friends

Elphinstone Street was re-named after her

 Red Cross Bazaar.   Mrs L.A Khan wife of the 1st prime Minister of Pakistan,

buying one of our plates

Dining at "Le  Gourmet"

A reception

CRABS COOKED IN THEIR SHELLS

          This is a recipe for a lovely first dish my Mother used to make, with the help of her cook, Hussein, when we lived in Karachi.   Two tips, be sure that the crabs are equal in size, and, as it is time consuming to clean and shape the shells into dishes, start a day earlier.

6 crabs of equal size

Wine Court Bouillon:

3 celery stalks with their leaves, cut in pieces

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 2 sprig thyme + 4 sprig parsley)

1 tsp salt

1½ litres (6 cups) water

½ litre (2 cups) white wine

1 tsp peppercorns

Sauce:

120 g (4 oz) butter

75 g (2½ oz) cornflour

1 bay leaf

500 ml (2 cups) hot cooking liquid or more, if necessary

3 medium-sized eggs, whites whipped with a pinch of salt, to the soft peak stage

125 ml (½ cup) cream

Salt and white pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

4 tbsp Gruyere or graviera from Crete or Parmesan, finely grated

          First prepare the court bouillon.    Place the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and boil, over low heat for 15 minutes.   Add the wine and the peppercorns and simmer for 15 minutes more and strain into a large heavy saucepan.

          Simmer the crabs in the wine court bouillon for about 15-20 minutes or until their shells turn red.  Fish out the crabs with a slotted spoon.  Reserve the cooking liquid, and when cold, refrigerate.   

          When the crabs are cool, remove the legs and claws, crack them open, remove the flesh and place on a dish.  To open the body of the crab, twist off the apron flap.  Use a knife to loosen the main shell from the softer section and detach, discarding the soft part, where the legs were attached.   Also discard the gravel sac and the gills.   With a spoon, remove the dark and white flesh and place, separately, on the dish with the claw and leg flesh, cover with cling film and refrigerate.   Wash the shells thoroughly, dry and refrigerate them.

          Next day remove the crab flesh, the shells and the cooking liquid from the fridge.   First heat the court bouillon, then start making the sauce.  Melt the butter over low heat, add the bay leaf, sift in the cornflour and stir for a minute or two.  Pour in the hot cooking liquid, in portions, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and  thickens, and remove from the heat.   Mix the egg yolks with the cream and stir in 2 tbsp hot sauce.  Add 2 tbsp more of the sauce and whisk the egg and cream mixture back into the rest of the sauce in the pan and bring it to a very gently simmer, and remove from the heat.   Discard the bay leaf.

           Place all the crab flesh (white, dark, claw and leg) together, in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Then pour in about 2 thirds of the sauce and gently combine.   Taste and add freshly grated nutmeg and white pepper and a little salt, if necessary.

         Butter the shells and divide the crab mixture equally between them, levelling the surface with a spatula.   Fold the whipped egg-whites into the remaining sauce and mask the stuffing of each crab shell, evenly.  Sprinkle with cheese, and bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F)  for 25-30 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Serve at once.

                             FILLET SERVED WITH BANANAS AND PINEAPPLE

       

          Needless to say, that however hard I try, this dish, whose recipe is given below, will never be quite as delicious as the one we enjoyed at the Sind Club, so many years ago!

10 slices beef fillet 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick, marinated for 2 hours in:

4 tbsp garlic-scented olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

2 sprigs of marjoram or any other herb of your choice

125 ml (½ cup) or more sweet red wine

A tiny knob of butter

Herbed butter:

5 tbsp soft butter

1 spring onion, very finely chopped

1 tbsp parsley, very finely chopped

½ tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper

           First prepare the herbed butter.  Combine all the ingredients together and, with the help of a piece of greaseproof paper, form a small cylinder the size of the circumference of a 2 euro coin.  Cover and freeze. Two hours before needed, place in the fridge.

           Heat a heavy frying pan and reserve the marjoram sprigs for later.   Sear the steaks, in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side.   Then lower the heat and cook for 2 minutes or more on each side in order to reach the meat’s preferred doneness. Sprinkle with salt and arrange on a heated dish, cover and keep hot.

          Just be fore serving prepare the gravy.   Deglaze the pan with wine, a little salt, if necessary, and the reserved marjoram sprigs.   Add the butter and swirl.   Place a slice of herbed butter over each steak, drizzle with gravy and serve with candied bananas and pineapple pieces.

 CANDIED BANANAS

This and the following recipe make lovely trimmings for beef and ham dishes.

Syrup:

375 ml (1½ cup) water

55 g (¼ cup) brown sugar

A pinch of cinnamon

A pinch of salt

5 ripe but firm bananas, thickly sliced

            Prepare the syrup by boiling all the ingredients together for 2-3 minutes until the sugar melts.   Add the bananas and simmer until soft, but not falling apart. Remove from the syrup and serve with meat or cheese.

CANDIED PINEAPPLE

             You can use as much sugar as you like.  This recipe is intended for tinned pineapple without added sugar.

One 560 g (1 lb 2 oz) tin sliced pineapple in its juice

 Syrup:

The pineapple juice from the tin

110 g (½ cup) brown sugar or less

A pinch of salt

A knob of butter

A pin of Cayenne pepper (optional)

The pineapple slices strained

        Simmer the ingredients for the syrup (+ the Cayenne, if using) in a large frying pan until thick and bubbly    Add the pineapple slices and cook until soft.  Remove and serve as indicated above.

ICED PINEAPPLE DESSERT

          This was one of our favourite desserts when we were young.  It was served on a thick sheet of ice, with mint leaves and lemon slices trapped within.   On the top it was beautifully garnished with a cloud of wisps of golden caramel. A real work of art!    Below is my latest effort, without the ice and the caramel wisps, and as I have mentioned before, I never quite manage to copy the delicious savour of my memories.   But I’ll keep on trying!

500 g (1 lb) thick cream, whipped to the soft peak stage

One 560g (1 lb 2oz) tin pineapple pieces (350g/ample 11½ oz fruit – 210g /7oz

                                                                                         natural juice)

2 tbsp or more sugar

A good pinch of salt                       

    

7 sheets gelatine soaked in iced water

One 395 g (13oz +) tin sweet condensed milk

2 tbsp lemon juice or more

The grated rind of 1 lemon

250 g (½ lb) thick Greek yogurt, whipped until smooth

         

          Simmer the contents of the pineapple tin with the sugar and salt for 10 minutes. Strain and cool a little.  Squeeze the gelatine sheets and dissolve them thoroughly in the hot juice.

          Meanwhile combine the sweet condensed milk with lemon juice and grated lemon rind, add it to the gelatine mixture and stir well.   Add the yogurt and allow the mixture to cool completely.

          Finally, fold in the whipped cream, in portions, and mix until well combined.   Line a loaf tin with cling film and garnish the base attractively, with a few pineapple pieces.   Add 2-3 ladlefuls of the cream mixture over.  Scatter more pineapple evenly on top.   Mask with the remaining cream and push in the rest of the fruit.   Cover completely with the overhanging cling film and freeze for 4 hours at least.

          Place the dessert in the fridge one hour before serving.  Reverse on a serving dish and garnish attractively with pineapple bits, mint leaves or a flower.

 Tip:  If you use a tin of pineapple in syrup don’t add the sugar.