Trios, Threesomes And The Number Three

Trio de Crevettes ::  the charterbot at work
from left to right:  sautéed prawn perched on a bloody mary salsa shot; homemade jerk-marinated grilled prawn skewered with fresh pineapple; classic prawn ceviche with fine dice of avocado, spring onion, jalapeño and tomato seasoned with lime, coconut milk and cilantro


All good things come in threes, they say. They also say that the tripod is the most stable structure in nature. Either of those platitudes might do as a reply if a guest asks me why I plate out so many dishes in groups of three. The truth of the matter is simply that I happen to like the number three: I like its pleasing double curve in print, so easy on the eye; I like the satisfying finality of counting one, two, three! *


My Rule of Three magically turns two of my faults (indecisiveness, and a fickle heart) into charter-chef virtues: I don't need to decide on just one thing since I can do... all three instead; and I can indulge in one of my favourite pastimes: taking one ingredient and dressing it up in various ways. The reward: smiles on the faces of our guests when they find, unexpectedly, three different bites and flavours on the plate instead of just the one. 

Alas, the problem is trying to decide which three... had I but world enough and time, four and five and six are lovely numbers too...



* Here, the chanson Un, Deux, Trois by talented singer/songwriter Jessica Fichot