Salted, boiled and grilled mutton bird tossed in a tomato salad and eaten with plain boiled rice, accompanied with fresh chilli sauce made with belenbi is an acquired taste and was a delicacy among the Seychellois. ‘Un plat interdit!
- 4 salted mutton birds
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil for grilling
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
- 1 tbsp vinegar preferably toddy vinegar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for salad
- Cracked pepper (and salt if required)
- juice of one lemon or lime- for grilling
-
Take your mutton birds and pluck off any down feathers that may be left.
-
Soak the mutton bird in cold water for about one hour and then wash thoroughly in running water in order to remove the maximum salt as possible.
-
Transfer them in a big pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about one hour. This is best done outside.
-
Once that hour has been reached, drain off the water. The boiling process assists in removing most of the salt as well as rendering some of the fat.
-
Fill the pot again with fresh water enough to cover the bird and bring to boil again and simmer for about another 15 minutes. Remove from the water and cool. Pat dry and keep.
-
Wear an apron and place the bird, skin side up on a cutting board and trim off the feet. Then cut in half along the backbone and then cut each half in three portions. The meat is now ready to be prepared as required.
-
Mixed lemon juice with cracked pepper and baste over mutton bird
-
Prepare hot charcoal and slow grill the mutton bird. This will further render some more of the fat. Squeeze some more lemon juice if required.
-
Once grilled, place in a bowl and allow to cool.
-
Prepare the vinaigrette, in a medium size bowl, by mixing the vegetable oil, vinegar and pepper.
-
Mix in the onion and sliced tomatoes, and then add to the grilled mutton bird and toss all together.
-
Serve on plain boiled rice and freshly made chilli sauce.
Instead of grilling you may also choose to pan-fry the meat on low heat in a frying pan. The low heat will further render some more of the fat. Avoid high heat as the fat will burn.