Sammy went to the market this week.

I’m not sure if she went to a big hands market, of if they have a separate market just for Gelflings* where she comes from? One of those markets where she can buy shoes for really small feet, earmuffs for pointy ears and Fleetwood Mac tickets. There’s gotta be Fleetwood Mac tickets.

But alas no, there were no speciality stores for Gelflings and other minority groups.

The market is a good place to hang out. It’s good to go in with not much of a concept of what you might want to buy or steal, or just cook for dinner. As my good friend Paul would confirm, it opens up that part of your brain that we like to call ‘the cheffy cortex’. Just be aware that opening this will automatically over-ride the part of your brain that looks after sensible ideas, and manages the mindless repetition that happens in your day…

Sammy came home with rock ling (a fish just in case you’re wondering), red chilli, mint (you are actually crazy if you don’t have this growing in your backyard by now. Seriously. This is part of the test they give you to prove you are a little gone in the head space), snow peas and red quinoa.

It would be very easy to cook the fish and make a salad out of everything else, dress it with some olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. And by all means do that if you want. But I decided to try crumbing the fish in quinoa instead. We’ll see how that goes.

Ling in quinoa crumb, snow pea, baby spinach and mint salad, chilli caramel dressing

Firstly we’ll make the chilli caramel so it can cool a little

• In a pot, combine ¾ cup castor sugar, ½ cup white wine vinegar and 2 long red chillis, sliced nice and fine
• Cook this out over a med heat until syrupy**… 20 minutes-ish
• Set aside to cool

Next, crumb the ling

• Flour, then eggwash, then quinoa. You know that by now, eh. You’re virtually a pro chef. Well, at least qualified to take out the title on Australia’s next Master Chef
• Pan fry in oil, med heat for 4-5 minutes either side. Make sure the oil is hot before you put them in the pan. If not the crumb is gonna suck it all up and be soggy and disgusting (I will not make a reference to your poor performance in the bedroom last night right here. I promise)

While the ling is cooking, or maybe before you cook it. Yeah, actually, let’s make this step 2. Making the salad.

• What could be simpler. Wash your snowpeas then slice them on the diagonal. Slice ¼ red onion a fine as you possibly can. Pick a big handful of mint. Combine everything with a handful of baby spinach and a few toasted nuts if you have some lying around (cashews, almonds, macas, peanuts, what evs)

Plate it up however you want, I really don’t care. Eat it. Love it. Drink wine. And put out for a complete stranger.

*if you don’t know about the Gelfling and her people never fear, I am currently working on a Gelfling expose including little known facts, and how they helped shape the world we live in today.

**this will cool thicker then it is warm, as will all caramel type concoctions (yeah. Sick terminology, eh), so test by putting a tablespoon of dressing on a plate in the fridge. After a couple of minutes it will be cool and you can check consistancy or viscosity or something