Watch The Cook and the Chef online: Episode 8 Darwin Market + Sea Cucumber

Expect to see creepy-crawlies in the kitchen this week as Maggie shares some great tips on how to prepare succulent octopus and Simon tackles another exotic ingredient from the far North, sea cucumber. Inspired by his visit to Darwin’s Rapid Creek markets Simon also tackles a snake gourd curry, while Maggie passes on a country cook’s recipe for a delicious Dutch-style ginger biscuit cake. Simon’s a huge fan of Adelaide’s Central Markets, but he had to admit that Darwin’s Rapid Creek markets were equally impressive, chock full of exotic ingredients and great characters. Simon was lucky enough to be given a guided tour by local Chef Jimmy Shu, and he was thrilled to see snake gourds on sale. Simon used to love cooking a Sri Lankan snake gourd curry, so his market experience prompts him to dust off the old recipe. If you think snake gourds are an exotic northern ingredient, wait ‘til you see Simon’s next feature ingredient: sea cucumbers! These bizarre creatures of the sea – also known as trepang - were actually Australia’s first export industry, highly valued by Macassan traders from Indonesia who travelled all the way to Northern Australia in search of this slug-like delicacy. Simon loves their consistency but thinks they need a little help with flavour so he uses them in a stirfry. Not wanting to be left with a ‘conservative’ ingredient, Maggie decides to tackle a creepy crawly too and cooks some succulent octopus, an ingredient she claims to like even more than lobster! Maggie reveals that octopus is an ingredient which needs a lot of preparation and care so she shares a great tip for tenderising the meat. As you might expect, it involves yet another exotic ingredient, and this time it’s kiwifruit! Recipes: - Snake Gourd Curry - Sea Cucumber Stir Fry - Dutch Ginger Cake - Grilled Octopus (in herb paste)

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