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

The weekend started off on Friday night with the Midnight Circus: the art, theatre, music and photography exhibition of frippery, finery and grotesque enchantments.

For me, the whole night was like being in a Fellini film and everything was a feast for the eyes. This included absolutely stunning art, up-beat swing gypsy music, awesome photography and women – one in particular who appeared like some ethereal magic beauty then vanished.

On Saturday I was at the Tauranga extreme disc golf tournament at McLaren Falls. A few people who saw the disc golf being played by the 30 players that day commented on what an unusual sport it was. Then when I arrived home to find the landlord had cut the hedge back a lot, exposing my micro greenhouse to the raging stormy elements. Then, oddly a chicken was found dead with its head missing. Had Ozzie Osborne been around? Or was Gareth Morgan right about cats?
What does all that have to do with this week's recipe? Well Mother Nature herself throws us some of the weirdest stuff and this week I am using up some horned melon that been an unusual feature of my fruit bowl for a month. I am almost sure this vegetable has been used as a prop in early Star Trek episodes. Its spikes and vivid colour and the green seeds inside make it look like alien food.

Horned Melon Riata and Blackened Spiced Chicken

Serves Four

For the Blackened Chicken
800g skinless boneless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp fennel seeds
2 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp black pepper corns
1 tsp chilli powder
2-3 lime leaves
1Tbsp dried rosemary
Zest of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp garlic salt

For the Riata
2 horned melons
½ finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped coriander
¼ cup chopped mint
1 cup thick Greek yoghurt
2 tsp lime juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method
Toast coriander and fennel seeds in a hot pan before crushing well in a mortar and pestle, add lime leaves, black peppercorns and dried rosemary, and smash everything to a reasonably fine powder. Add the garlic salt, lemon zest, smoked paprika and chilli powder.
Cut chicken thighs into even portions and lay out on a plastic bag. Sprinkle half of spice mixture over the chicken. Place another plastic bag over the chicken and smash firmly with a rolling pin to force spices into the meat – but not too firmly as to tear the chicken. Turn meat over and repeat using up the remaining spices and place in the fridge for an hour. Meanwhile, scoop out the melons, keeping the pulp and add in the lime juice – also reserve the skins for containers. Put the yoghurt, coriander, mint and red onion into a blender and blitz.
Now stir in the reserved pulp and lime juice mix and chill.
Sear off chicken in a hot pan then place in a moderate oven (160-170 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes or so until chicken is ready.
Serve with the riata in the melon shell and a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil shaken well and mixed with seasoning. Outer worldly and weird – but quite tasty.