Daz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

My organic supplier told me the other day that Thai red rice would be eight weeks away. It was on a slow boat from Thailand which hadn't even left yet. Okay then, what about some quinoa? No there's trouble over in quinoa land and don't ask for cous cous from Bolivia, there's some sort of military coup.

It never used to be so hard to track down some decent ingredients for that special dish that relies on a unique kind of flavour.

Well luckily after a phone call to Bel Mondo, I found pink pepper corns for this week's dish using chicken breast, almonds, yoghurt and the intriguing pink peppercorns. I first used pink peppercorns they were hard to obtain as there was a war on in Madagascar, or was it Libya?

They are in fact not peppercorns, but the berry from a Brazilian pepper tree.

As an invasive species its habitat has spread and is now found in Australia and parts of New Zealand.

Now wouldn't that save the ‘food miles' finding one of these Brazilian peppertrees growing in your backyard? But then again, MAF would probably make you rip it out.

Chicken almondine
With pink peppercorn and yoghurt sauce

Gluten free dish for four
Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts
200g flaked almonds
2 tbsp pink peppercorns
50g maize cornflower for dusting
2 eggs
200ml cream
300ml natural plain yoghurt
amereto liquor if available, or shot of vodka /optional
butter /optional

Method
Cut the chicken breast lengthways and open out so two breasts become four portions.
Flatten gently between plastic bags with a bash from a rolling pin.
After separating the two eggs, whisk up egg white till semi fluffy. Dust flattened breasts with seasoned corn flour then into egg white then carefully onto a plate full of flaked almonds coat well place on a baking sheet and chill for about 20 minutes to set almond crust.
Heat a non stick pan to a moderate heat. Brown one side of the chicken breast, turn carefully, add a knob of butter and after about three minutes each side throw in the shot or three of amereto. All the pink peppercorns will set alight then add the cream and reduce. Wisk the remaining egg yoke with the natural yoghurt, remove the chicken breasts and place on serving plate then quickly whisk yoghurt mixture into creamy pink peppercorn sauce over a low heat to bring it into a smooth sauce without boiling. Pour onto plates near chicken and try this with a salad or green leafy vegetables.
Dairy products coat the tongue and are hard to match wine with, but the flavour of a good sauvignon blanc goes well with the piquant flavours of the peppercorns and would also compliment a healthy salad from
www.anothergreenworld.co.nz