Mrs Bailey’s Shrimp with Spiced Rice

Honestly, the title tells it all

Photo by Megan Bucknall on Unsplash

English cooking has a legendary reputation for being bland, but this is a calumny that would find short shrift in Mrs Bailey’s kitchen. (It is, I believe, a consequence of rationing during and after WW2; our food in the ’50s was not of the best our nation has to offer.) The wealthy have always valued — and paid for — spice in their meals, since the Middle Ages; the Empire of course made it available to many more. Old India hands, old Chinese hands, empire-builders and soldiers from all across the globe retired to Mars and brought their beloved local dishes with them; if there is a Martian cuisine, it is informed by variety and strong, particular flavour. As here, in a dish that Mrs B is equally happy to serve small-scale to her friend or to a staff dinner party, or else to the entire school at once. (This is the version for two; scale up as needed.)

For the shrimp:

a pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined

a teaspoon of garam masala

a large pinch of turmeric

crushed garlic to taste

a splash of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

For the rice: