Oh yes, the Buddha had a "hand" in this one. Buddha's Hand is a Japanese citrus fruit that randomly found its way to my local grocery store. Obviously, I had to buy this mysterious yellow squid-like thing. Nobody in the produce department could tell me what it was or what I was supposed to do with it. Makes me think of the Tom Robbins novel Skinny Legs and All which, if you haven't read, you absolutely should grab a copy. Be prepared for weirdness of the best kind: inanimate objects like a conch shell drive the plot just as much as the belly dancer and Arab and Jewish families around whom the story centers. Inspired by Closet Cooking's Swordfish Steak over Curried Lentils, my friend Dave and I decided to do a fresh mango salsa over the fish in place of Kevin's mango chutney, and to translate the tex-mex flavors of the salsa into the lentils. I had never cooked lentils before and was a little nervous about this, but as it turned out I needn't have worried - lentils are are seriously awesome. We simmered them for about 40 minutes in sauteed garlic and onion, cumin, a dash of cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and chicken stock. They were a fabulous base for a baked-to-perfection swordfish steak (which, by the way, I can't take credit for. Dave has a sixth sense when it comes to seafood done-ness) and a side of spinach sauteed in olive oil, roasted garlic, and lemon juice.
We saved Buddha's Hand for the very end of the cooking process at which point we grated about 2 teaspoons of zest into the pan of lentils. Adding citrus zest at the end will ensure that the oils don't break down and all of the flavor infuses properly into your dish (I also learned this from Dave) to create bright, lemony notes. Which it did, like a charm.
Many thanks to Dave for sharing his awesome cooking skills and this fabulous meal with me!
