Heat for a cold day

Sitting here on a frigid, gorgeous winter day, it's ten degrees, sun like daggers shooting off the brilliant snow. I'm waiting for a client to send the rest of the package that I need to edit, and I've already read the entire internet. Cleaned the house, did the laundry. I could go work on the sculpture, but the studio is unheated.

I realized I hadn't run down my blog list in the sidebar, where I came on a post on The Cookbook Junkie asking "do you have balsamic vinegar in your cupboard?" Not only balsamic, but also white (for cleaning), apple cider vinegar, tarragon vinegar, and wine vinegar. I also have a couple of nice pieces of catfish and no ideas.

Eureka!

Fish vindaloo with fennel-apple slaw
(Since I made it with catfish, Bill called it "Cat Valoo.")

fish fillets, cut into chunks
salt
6 dried red chilies (I leave these out-- vindaloo can be VERY VERY hot, use chilis with caution)
2-6 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger root, grated
2 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 large onions, chopped
1 cup wine vinegar
3 tbsp ghee (or butter)
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garam masala
6 green chilies (again, adjust for your heat tolerance. This dish will be hotter than the sum of the ingredients)

Slaw:
1 small bulb fennel
1/2 onion
1 large apple

Sprinkle the fish with salt and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Rinse then pat dry. Grind the red chilies, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and onions to a fine paste with a little of the wine vinegar. Heat the ghee (butter) and fry the ground spices for a few minutes. Add the cinnamon and fish, sprinkle with salt, and fry over a high heat for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer until the fish is tender. Add the wine vinegar, sugar, garam masala and chilies and simmer until the sauce thickens.

Slice vegetables, saute in oil until soft, add to vindaloo pot to simmer. Serve over balsamic rice.