many aeons ago, there was a thread on here about making bread .... it died, perhaps because man shall not live by bread alone ..... anyway, there seem to be a fair number of people on this site who enjoy cooking, so i thought to start a thread for recipes and associated topics.

i'm assuredly no expert, but i reckon i cook tolerably well, and i know that any recipe i paste here, genuinely works - even for those who can only shop from supermarkets!

a starter recipe follows ......

HEARTY FISH STEW
In truth, this is really a Cioppino which is a US/Italian concoction found primarily in San Francisco.
It is something of a cross between a soup and a stew and is very easy and quick to make, as you will shortly find out.

Ingredients in the order required – Serves 4
1 Medium onion – fairly finely chopped
3 Cloves of garlic – big juicy ones! Chopped very finely
2 Medium carrots – finely grated
25 gm Butter
2 tbsp Olive oil

1 kg Fresh tomatoes (preferably plum) – skinned and coarsely chopped
1 glass White wine
1 Small red chilli (optional) – finely chopped
1½ tsp Dried thyme
1 tbsp Tomato purée

250 gm Haddock fillet – skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks
250 gm Monkfish – off the bone and cut into bite-sized chunks
500 gm Mussels – fresh ones!
16 Tiger Prawns - shell-off but uncooked

1 Large bunch flat-leaf parsley – leaves chopped coarsely; stalks chopped
very fine


Preparation
Put the mussels in a large bowl of cold water.
Leave for half an hour or so to allow the mussels to disgorge any sand or grit.
Pull off the beards - this really takes surprisingly little time.
Discard any mussels with broken shells or which remain open when tapped sharply.

Cooking
You will need a saucepan of at least 3 litres capacity – it has to hold everything
Melt the butter, add the olive oil and soften the onion for 5-10 minutes
Add the garlic and carrot
Cook for a further 10 minutes, until the onions are cooked but not browned
Turn the heat up as high as possible.

Add the tomatoes and white wine
When that has turned liquidy, add the chilli, thyme, tomato purée and finely chopped parsley stalks
Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes

Add all the fish, including the mussels and cook for a further 5 minutes or so
Throw in all the parsley – mix together gently, season to taste and dish up.
Very important - discard any mussels that haven’t opened

Serve with French bread and a fairly bitter salad – e.g. a mix of rocket and lamb’s lettuce.
A light red like a Fleurie works well with this.

If there is any left over, it will also reheat very well.

and a meat one for you ....

depending on how greedy you are, this amount will stretch to 4 given side dishes of carbs and greens.

BEEF CHEEKS – braised very slowly
We’re quite strange in this country about things that are “socially” acceptable to eat – rack of lamb or ribs of beef – yet we are squeamish about other even non-offal offerings – like goat or (heaven forfend!) horse.
Anyway, assuming you enjoy eating braised beef or oxtail, then I heartily comment this delicious winter-warmer. However, I fear you’ll need a “proper” butcher to get this ever-so-cheap and lean cut of meat, as I cannot imagine your local supermarket stocking it (please prove me wrong).

If you look up recipes for beef cheeks (ox cheeks if you will), then you are likely to come across strings of ingredients, and more than likely, a requirement to marinate the beef overnight.
That’s nonsense; all you need is to cook it very slowly for several hours – just as you would oxtail.

The only really important utensil, apart from a decent-sized cast-iron casserole is a sharp knife.

I could rattle on for ages about the importance of having 3 or 4 really good quality (I happen to like Global) knives which are kept sharp – do not use one of those awful free-standing, pull-through, crossed-steel things as it will just wreck your knife. If you can’t sharpen on a butcher’s steel, then buy a good quality electric sharpener (e.g. Knife Wizard KE-198), or use a combination of the two (the better bet)

Never forget, blunt knives are dangerous as in failing to cut properly, they are quite likely to slip and slide and slice you instead!

Ingredients in the order required – Serves 2-4 depending on greed factor!
2 Medium onion – chopped
2 Large carrots – diced
1 Large leek – cut in medium rings; use a little of the “dark green” too
2 tbsp Olive oil – vegetable oil will be fine
400 gm Bacon or smoked streaky bacon – cut into pieces

2 Beef cheeks
500 ml Porter – e.g Mackeson
If you use Guiness, you may need to add a little sugar or treacle at the end
250 ml Water
3 Bay leaves – I happen to use fresh from the bush in the garden
1 Small bunch of fresh thyme
4 slices Fresh ginger root
1 piece Star anise
Seasoning – only add salt after the cooking has finished, as you may not need any
A good glug of Worcestershire Sauce will give the gravy a gentle kick, and also balance out the overall richness

Preparation and cooking
Turn on the oven to 145 degC.
Heat the oil in the casserole and add the vegetables and cover.
Allow them to cook gently while you prepare the beef cheeks (really not difficult or time-consuming at all).
After about 10 minutes, add the bacon pieces and stir them in.

Beef cheeks look a little “odd”, but with a sharp knife you can easily trim away the fatty bits, though you may need to “fillet” them off rather as one does when skinning a piece of fish.
As far as possible, keep the cheeks in a piece as they’ll cook and present much better.

By now, you will probably have used up about 20 minutes, and the vegetables should be well softened.

Tuck all the spices and ginger into the vegetable mix and lay the beef cheeks on top.
Pour over the water and the porter which will cover everything nicely.

Bring to the boil on the hob, then to give a really good seal, cover the casserole with a double layer of foil or greaseproof and then put on the lid.

Pop it into the oven for about 4 hours.
After an hour or so, you may want to turn the meat over and press it down into the juices.
Keep a very occasional eye on progress, just in case it is getting a bit dry – it shouldn’t, but if so, add a bit more water.

Once cooked, the meat will be almost falling apart.
It’s better to let it cool and kept overnight, for it will allow the flavours to mellow and blend.
There’s no need to strain off the juice, as there’ll be almost no fat to skim off, but check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Once cold, the gravy may well have turned to jelly, so when reheating, do so gently, perhaps adding a splosh of water to help it.
Check the seasoning while reheating, adjusting as necessary - you may well find that an extra dose of Worcestershire Sauce is required to add a bit more punch


Serving
Plain boiled potatoes or good mash will be fine, but you may want to ring the changes with say mashed swede (with lots of pepper and butter) or celeriac and apple purée.

Savoy cabbage with its metallic overtones would make a good green vegetable, but a rocket and watercress salad would also be good and save on more cooking.

This is a good winter dish that cries out for a chunky red wine.
South African red wines don’t do anything for me, so I would opt for something from south-west France like a Collioure or Madiran or a decent Rhone – talk to your wine merchant (or supermarket manager even!), and try to get away from the usual with perhaps a Gigondas, St Joseph or Cornas.

Well done cynic - interesting thread. I am sure we will exchange recepies.

happy to keep adding ..... i have plenty of fish recipes (about 2 dozen) already done for my fishmonger, so easy to post here as and when you want ..... promise they all work!

additional comment re Hearty Fish Stew .....
while tinned tomatoes can be used in lieu of fresh (i also freeze surplus from the greenhouse), it is not as good and will assuredly need some help from sun-dried tomato paste or similar

Have you any recipies for salmon cynic - I usually just poach mine in either lemon, tarragon or sometimes white wine but would like something totally different.

hmm! .... nothing on immediate record, but i know from many many years ago there was a sort-of elizabethan recipe whereby you sandwiched 2 fillets with currants and some other things ..... i'll scratch the bald pate to see where i might look

From a BBC website -

Thai steamed salmon



A must for all recipe binders - this quick and easy, healthy steamed fish recipe is bursting with fresh flavour.

Ingredients
1 bunch coriander, washed

12 mint leaves

1 tsp chopped fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp salt

1 large red chilli, finely chopped

juice of 2 limes

1 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)

2 x 175g/6oz salmon fillets

4 bok choi, cut in half lengthways

To serve
basmati rice, washed in cold water until the water runs clear

1 chilli, finely sliced

1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped

pinch salt

1 lime, cut into wedges

Preparation method
1.In a food processor blend together the coriander leaves and stalks, the mint leaves, ginger, garlic, salt, chilli, lime juice and fish sauce and process until smooth.

2.Place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish and pour over half of the sauce. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes.

3.Pour the rice into a pan of boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.

4.Turn on the steamer and place the bok choi on the bottom layer. Place the marinated salmon fillets in the top half of the steamer and cook for 6- 8 minutes until the fish is just cooked and the bok choi is tender.

5.Drain the rice and stir through the sliced chilli and roughly chopped coriander. Season with salt and divide between serving plates.

6.Remove the salmon and bok choi from the steamer and arrange on top of the rice. Pour the reserved sauce over the salmon and serve immediately with a wedge of lime.

SALMON FILLET EN CROUTE WITH CURRANTS AND GINGER
i couldn't find the recipe from many years back, but herebelow is a version from Rick Stein which is assuredly similar.
For my taste, I reckon it needs more currants and ginger.

Serves 6
Ingredients
2 x 550g skinned salmon fillet
100g unsalted butter, softened
4 pieces stem ginger in syrup, well drained and finely diced
25g currants
½ tsp ground mace
750g chilled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method
Season the salmon fillet well with salt.
Mix the softened butter with the stem ginger, currants, mace, ½ tsp of salt and black pepper.
Spread the inner face of one salmon fillet evenly with the butter mixture and then lay the second fillet on top.

Cut the pastry in half and roll one piece on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 4cm bigger than the salmon all the way around - approximately 18 x 33cm.
Roll the second piece out into a rectangle 5cm larger than the first one all the way round.

Lay the smaller rectangle of pastry on a well-floured baking sheet and place the salmon in the centre.
Brush a wide band of beaten egg around the salmon and lay the second piece of pastry on top, taking care not to stretch it.
Press the pastry tightly around the outside of the salmon, trying to ensure that you have not trapped in too much air, and then press the edges together well.
Trim the edges of the pastry neatly to leave a 2.5cm band all the way around.

Brush this once more with egg.
Mark the edge with a fork and decorate the top with a fish scale effect by pressing an upturned teaspoon gently into the pastry, working in rows down the length of the parcel.

Chill for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 200C and put a large baking sheet in it to heat up.

Remove the salmon en croute from the fridge and brush it all over with beaten egg. Take the hot baking sheet out of the oven and carefully slide the salmon parcel onto it.
Return it to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Leave it to rest for 5 minutes.

Transfer the salmon to a warmed serving plate and take it to the table whole.
Cut it across into slices to serve.

Cooking lessons in school
it is one of those occasions when one would like to turn the clock back to when there were no ready-made meals and food was cooked at home and eaten round the table.

however, we now have a society where both parents are likely to work (leave unemployment out of the equation for now) and the whole ethos of family life is centred around ease and speed and convenience.

for all that, it is still very easy to eat well and cheaply, though assuredly made no simpler by supermarkets who do not stock cheaper cuts of meat (they'll say with some justification that they wouldn't sell).

but at the core, society is overwhelmed by parents/children who have been brought up to become "fussy eaters" on steaks, chops and roasts, with very limited if any cookery skills, and no understanding of how to stretch limited budgets.

A comment was made the other day by a politician who questioned why we eat ready meals instead of continuing to buy a sunday joint and making it stretch through the week, but of course people want convenience now rather than time preparing food.
I had a french MA student staying with me last year & she couldn't cook at all, so it's not just the english who lack cullinary skills!

there's certainly no o'night remedy, and indeed it has to take a least a generation to change ingrained attitudes and ignorance .....

however, it should not be forgotten that all supermarkets now stock tinned and very acceptable pulses and even "instant" rice and "fresh" pasta that takes only 3-5 minutes to cook ..... 20/40 years ago, pulses had to be soaked o'night and rice was considered "difficult" to cook well

thus, a number of important, basic building blocks are already in place ..... i wonder how difficult it would be for schools to teach children how to use these to make very simple but nourishing meals, rather than just concentrating on baking cakes and other "treats" with relatively little nutritional value

It used to take me ages to make a decent stock from the bones of whatever I had cooked. I hardly ever bother now except for the Christmas turkey; the stock in those little plastic pots is acceptable, though I wish they would let the consumers put their own salt in!

personally, i find turkey stock far too strong, but if you have a local butcher, i'm sure he'ld give you plenty of chicken bones (and wing tips etc) for free .... to make a batch of good strong chicken stock is easy-peasy, and it's something i always have in my tiddly freezer above the fridge

interesting that you'll happily buy supermarket stock at say £1.50 a small tub, whereas making your own, costs nothing apart from some gas ..... rather makes the point of earlier

It's called being lazy cynic!!

the days of learning to cook in school are long gone, health & S, won't allow children to use the ovens, not enough time to prepare and cook plus boy's aren't invited to do it at my local secondary school.,.

kim - that was self-apparent :-) but where families are tight for cash, they'll still be unnecessarily profligate, albeit through ignorance

bb - WsM - oh alright, north bristol - obviously doesn't get the news about cookery courses becoming mandatory once more in secondary schools

I'd ban BOGOF deals if I could!

Why not just make the product on offer cheaper? Drives me mad!

it's a ploy to encourage people to buy more than they need and thus keep hungry dustbins from begging!

supermarkets need BOGOF as they can force buying prices lower through bulk buying.

they would only buy more if they feel they can con the customer into buying more (unnecessarily)

braised beef cheeks recipe
it was my first effort at this, and i've now given the recipe a little tweak and it is now very much better

LAMB BREASTS
LAMB BREAST – à la Ste. Ménéhould

I have no idea who Sainte Ménéhould was, and even Google has drawn a blank. However, there is small, nondescript town in Marne of that name, so perhaps the idea of mustard and breadcrumbs was thought up there, though it is more usually associated with pigs’ trotters rather than breast of lamb.

Anyway, lamb breasts are ridiculously cheap and should cost you no more than £1.50 each and may even be free if you’re a good customer of your local butcher – don’t expect to find them in an English supermarket!

Yes, they are rather fatty, but that makes the meat all the more juicy, as lovers of lamb shoulder rather than far more expensive leg will already know. Nevertheless, with some gentle and very easy cooking, you’ll be amazed at how much meat is yielded and how many can be fed.

From 4 breasts, there was enough to make for 4 people:
A la Sainte Ménéhould - Very rich, so good as a starter or a light supper
Shepherd’s Pie
Stock - An excellent base for real Scotch Broth

In addition, there were enough bits and pieces to add texture and flavour to a Subzi Dalcha (ginger, split pea and vegetable curry).

The ingredient quantities will be the same for 2 breasts as for 4, though for 4 you will need a large casserole.

Ingredients in the order required
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Medium onion – chopped
2 Large carrots – diced
2 Bulbs of garlic – cut in half horizontally
1 Small bunch fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
3 Bay leaves
2-4 Lamb breasts
1 litre Cheap white wine
4 tbsp English mustard – ready-made is fine; I think Dijon lacks sufficient bite for this
100gm Breadcrumbs – homemade of course!


Preparation and initial cooking
Turn on the oven to 140 degC.
Heat the oil in the casserole, add the onions and carrots and cover.
Allow them to cook gently for 10/15 minutes, ensuring that they do not stick or colour.

Meanwhile, cut the lamb breasts into pieces that will just fit into your casserole.
Though there is some bone along one side, if you cut down between the ribs to that, you can then almost break it in two with your hands. Of course, you could always get the butcher to do it for you.

Once the onions and carrots are soft, add the halved garlic bulbs and herbs and a little salt and lay the lamb on top.
Pour over the wine.
Turn up the heat just to bring it all to the boil.

Make a good, tight seal to the casserole with two sheets of foil and then put the lid on top.
Put it into the oven and let it cook gently for perhaps 3 hours.
Check about half way through to ensure the liquid is not evaporating too much.
It shouldn’t do, but if necessary, add a bit of water.

Once cooked, the meat will be almost falling apart.
Lift the meat gently from the casserole and put on a serving dish to cool.

Once it is cool enough to handle, you’ll be able to pull out the bones and the cartilage bits easily enough – don’t let it get cold, or it’ll be impossible – but do it gently and carefully as you want the meat to be in as large pieces as possible.

While you’re about it, pull off and discard the bits of fat remaining.
Re-stack the meat on the serving dish in even piles.
It’s not strictly necessary, but the dish ultimately works even better if you place another plate on top and compress it with some weights.

Allow to cool and then put in the fridge (covered with clingfilm please!) and allow to chill for at least a few hours, though it’s actually be fine for a day or two.


Next Bit
By now, the meat should have set firmly.
Turn on the oven to 200 degC.
Lightly oil (merely to stop sticking) a shallow baking tray – you’ll want to be able to get the finished meat out without it falling apart.

Depending on how hungry you are – but do remember this is rich – sort out some nice large and thick (about 1cm) pieces.
Lay on a chopping board and give a good spread of mustard over the top.
Press the breadcrumbs in as you want to finish with a nice crispy crust.
With a sharp knife, cut the meat carefully into 2cm fingers and lay them on the baking tray.

They’ll probably take 15/20 minutes to heat through and for the top to turn crispy.


Serving
Plain boiled new potatoes will be fine, and certainly mash will be too rich, but you may prefer just good French bread.

A rocket and watercress salad with a sharp dressing will be just the thing to cut through the richness of the lamb.

Personally, I would drink a decent Chianti with several years bottle-age, but a Cotes du Rhone or even a Rioja will match well enough.

A slow cook to get the meat nice and tender. Lamb sounds better than the pigs trotter. I read a piece , from what you say above - the cook left the oven on by mistake over night with the pigs trotter in and it came out (I'm not a cook) is the word I'm looking for ''tender'' and soft.

Shepherd's Pie
This was a great success, made from pulled rather than chopped or minced meat remainders from the above lamb breasts + stock also therefrom

apart from being very flavoursome, the texture is good too, there being something to chew on rather than just "patients' mince"

HAM HOCK – Jambon Persillé (parsleyed ham hock)

Although this takes quite a long time to cook, it’s actually very easy and makes a great “party piece” especially if you are doing a buffet for quite a lot of you – e.g. part of that summer (hahaha!) barbecue gathering.

In my recipe, I have used trotters to make the gelatine, but if you can’t get them (Mike nearly always have them for free or near enough) then you could of course use leaf gelatine.

I have also used unsmoked ham hocks. If you can only get the smoked ones, they’re fine, but you really should soak them for at least 4 hours to get rid of some/most of the saltiness – obviously you then need to change the water for cooking - as you will need the stock for your gelatine base.

You could do this with a single ham hock, but in that case, you’ll need only a single large trotter, or you’ll end up with a rubber ball of a jelly, or far too much of it!


Ingredients
The largest saucepan you have, preferably about 6 litres!
A container (moud) - preferably plastic for ease of decanting - to hold about 2 litres.

2 ham hocks Unsmoked – they’ll weigh perhaps 2kg together
2 trotters (large) If small, use 3 – split (Mike will do this for you)
2/3 carrots
2 onions
2 leeks
6 cloves
12 peppercorns
2/3 bayleaves
Bottle white wine Something cheap and cheerful is fine – stock or water if you prefer

3 shallots Finely chopped – use onion if no shallots around
2 cloves garlic Finely chopped
Parsley Large bunch fairly finely chopped – put the stalks in with the hocks


Method
Put all the ingredients bar the last 3 listed in the saucepan – quite a tight fit is fine.
Pour over the wine or stock and top up until the ingredients are nicely covered.

Bring to the boil, but ensure you skim off any scum as it rises to the surface.
Apart from anything else, if you don’t, it’ll all boil over and make a nasty mess!

Once to the boil, partially cover and leave to simmer very gently for about 2½ hours, or until the hock (and trotters) are really tender.

Remove the hocks to a dish and then strain but keep the cooking stock.
Give the saucepan a quick clean, and then pour back in the stock and the trotters.
Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid rapidly to 1 litre.
Strain through a sieve and set to one side to cool.

By this time, the ham hocks should be cool enough to handle – don’t let them get totally cold, or you’ll never be able to get the skin and fat off.
Remove all the skin and fat and bones and discard.

Chop up the meat into decent (but sensible) chunks and put in your mold, along with the chopped shallots, garlic and parsley.
Mix well – hands are easiest.
Cover and put in the fridge.

After a while, the stock should have cooled, allowing the fat to come to the surface.
Spoon this off and discard.

Once the stock has “thought about” beginning to start setting, pour it into the mold with all the rest of the goodies, and mix thoroughly.
Cover and refrigerate at least overnight.

After an hour or two, take a look and check that the ingredients have remained well mixed.
If they haven’t – and the jelly won’t have really set yet – then give another mix.

==================

When you’re ready to serve, hold a plate firmly over the mold and jiggle about or do whatever is needed to get it to disgorge.

You can cut the end result into slices with a sharp carving or cook’s knife.

It’s very rich, so serve it with cornichons and/or a rocket or other bitter salad, dressed with a sharp mustardy vinaigrette.

Sounds delightful, as I don't have a Mike I shall have to ask my butcher can he get the trotters, I have never seen them in his shop but I am sure he would oblige. Which cheap wine would you use?

any proper butcher will have trotters as they're an integral part of the carcass; normally the butchers just chuck them away.

as for the wine, i just went into my local wine merchant and paid £5/6 for a south african chardonnay - at least that has a bit of body, rather than pinot grigio or some cheap sauvignon ...... i guess you could chuck in some white vermouth instead if you have an old bottle knocking aroung

PORK LOIN – stuffed with prunes and walnuts

I really enjoyed playing around with this recipe – and eating the end result too!
It owes its provenance to Raymond Blanc (Cooking for Friends) but it is varied a little from that, not least that, to me, roast pork just isn’t the real deal if there’s no scrummy crackling.
Though I say it myself, I felt that adding the walnuts to the sauce improved it hugely, not least because of the variance in texture.

Though some forethought is required, for the prunes ideally need soaking overnight, it’s really not difficult and that includes the trussing …… Not my forte I am afraid, and Mike told me off as it did not pass his professional butcher’s standard …… However, he had to admit that it worked, and that was the important bit!

By the way, Mike’s pork is locally produced and for flavour and texture and quality, it knocks the socks off the stuff you’ll buy in the supermarket.

Remember that pork is at its best when served with a very faint blush, and not overcooked in the “traditional” way which results in meat that is dried out or even stringy.



Ingredients – for 4 “greedies”
3-4 Skewers to secure the meat while you truss
Trussing string – ask nicely and Mike will give you some

24 Prunes d’Agen (preferably), but ready-to-eat ones in any case
2 tbsp Cooking brandy

1.5kg Boned-out pork loin with skin well slashed – you also need the bones
1 pkt Walnut halves (Waitrose)
6/10 Sage leaves (fresh)
1 BIG tomato or a couple of smaller ones
4 Cloves garlic – unpeeled
2/3 Sprigs fresh thyme – used dried if you really have to
200ml Marsala or similar – can be omitted, but it would be a shame
300ml Water


Method
Overnight
Put the prunes in a small bowl with the brandy and set aside.
Shake about occasionally to ensure all the prunes get a decent “drink”.

Next day
Heat the oven to 220 degC.

Brown the bones on the hob in the roasting tin for 5 minutes or so with a little oil.

Ensure the skin is completely dry by patting with some kitchen towel.
Open out the loin onto a chopping board, skin side down.
Carefully (it’s easy) cut between the filet and the layer of fat to create a deep pocket.
In the pocket, put a layer of prunes followed by walnut halves and finally 6/10 sage leaves.
Go steady on the sage as if too much, the taste will be overpowering and rather unpleasant.

Gently roll up the pork and secure it with the skewers.
Truss with 3-5 “circles of string” and then take out the skewers.
Rub some salt into the skin.

Put the garlic and thyme among the bones and then place the loin on top.
Prick the tomato(es) and put them in the roasting tin.

After about 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 200 degC and roast for a further 50 minutes.
Check occasionally to ensure the crackling isn’t burning – cover loosely with foil if necessary.
1h20 should be sufficient cooking time, but check the meat temperature, remembering that it will continue to cook while resting.
Remove the meat to a warmed dish and allow to rest for 15 minutes or so in the usual manner.

Making the sauce
Remove the bones and squish the tomato and garlic.
I like my sauces with a bit of body, so I add perhaps a tablespoon of flour at this stage.
Add the marsala and scrape away the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan.
Let it all bubble away until reduced by about two-thirds.
Add the water and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Strain the liquid through a sieve and return it to the pan adding the remaining prunes and a handful of coarsely chopped walnuts and allow to warm through for a few minutes.
Adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Carving
Hardly rocket science!
Remove the beautifully crispy crackling before slicing the meat, as it makes it all very much easier.

=================

Serve with mashed potato (perhaps with spring onion or parsley stirred through for a change) and some green vegetable with a metallic hint – e.g. broccoli or savoy cabbage.

An Alsace Gewürztraminer or Riesling goes very well, but failing that, a good Cru Beaujolais is a perfectly adequate alternative.

Interestingly, almost the same recipe in the Larousse cookery book (Roti de Porc farci aux pruneaux), recommends a light fruity red wine to accompany this dish, presumably to complement the prunes. Cotes de Frontonnais, Bergerac & Cotes de Duras are the suggested bottles.

have you tried any of my recipes?

I haven't yet Cynic as there has only been me to feed recently, - had a guest the other week and did a leg of lamb etc. I will try the pork the next time I have friends round.

The point I was trying to make was that the 'old rule' of having white wine with white meat has drifted into history. The new TV chefs (both english & french) are promoting all sorts of different variations, though if I were a cynic, I would suspect that the wine producers might have had a hand in that!
I haven't put any of your recipes to the test yet. My last organised meal was for nine and involved a large range of Tapas dishes. Can be very laborious to prepare, but very quick to cook. My next will be a japanese meal for eight, prepared by a japanese visitor I have staying here atm. Should be interesting! Not Sushi I am informed as the Japanese don't actually regularly eat that. Am now hunting around for suitable wine, though may not be japanese as seems pretty tricky to get hold of!

if you go to a specialist merchant, you will find there are all sorts of varieties of sake, ranging from dry like sauvignon blanc through to sweet tasting of lychees .... however, Umu - a top japanese restaurant in London with a stunning range of sake - would I am sure you give you good guidance if you gave them a ring and asked to speak to the sommelier

if you don't fancy that but want to be a bit different, try a mosel riesling kabinett - that is a "properly" made one, and not one of those nasty modern-style trockens - or perhaps alsace pinot gris for a change

by the way, a fish like halibut is more than capable of standing up to and working well with even a medium-bodied red, obviously depending on how it is cooked ...... red mullet and a light red should also work well

lol :-))

sorry, but the likes of rotmos med fläsk and kroppkakor and kåldolmar don't inspire me much :-)

Lol , sorry just my bad humour. :-))

Thanks Mr C. Will let you know what I find.

Just a matter of interest Mr C, do you ever drink Merlot? Much less tannin & pretty good with pasta. Apparently often used to blend other wines. Certainly one of my favourite grape varieties and both french & chilean are very good. Not tried the californian variety.

of course .... that's why i like pomerol which has a higher % of merlot than say st emilion or pauillac (i think) ...... chilean wines can indeed be good, though i never buy them .... unfortunately chile found a successful grape, made good wine, and then grossly over-planted with an overall fall in quality

also, after a while, i find straight merlot a bit "dull", perhaps because it tends to lack balancing acidity


i'm sure someone who really knows his wines, will now shoot me down in flames!

Don't suppose you have come across any good regional variants of Vinaigrette in your travels Mr C? It seems it can be made a little more interesting than just oil, vinegar & mustard. Sometimes local produce is added to recipes just because it is there (cream in Normandy) but salad dressing seems to have missed out.

for myself, i just keep it simple, merely varying the mustard - then add vinegar first as that way it will all emulsify - and the the vinegar and the oil

if the garlic is really good and juicy, as it is down here at this time of the year, then i may crush a little and add ..... a bit of finey chopped fresh chili can also be interesting

Thanks. I think you can also vary the type of oil & the vinegar, but it seems the french rarely do. I have seen chives, chilli, garlic, parsley, black pepper and capers added, but none of them change the basic taste much.

why would you want to? ...... if the salad ingredients are good, then I want to taste those, any dressing just being an enhancement

sometimes i use part walnut or hazelnut oil, but steady on those or they'll overpower and taste disgusting

olive oils can vary a lot in flavour too, from quite neutral to really quite strong and fruity, or grassy or even peppery

for vinegar, i sometimes use balsamic or sherry or even fresh lemon juice as a change from the norm

"why would you want to? ...... "....because occasionally what comes out of the fridge isn't always either the most interesting or youthful of salad components, so a good vinaigrette can perk it up a little! Lemon juice might be an idea which I haven't thought of, so will give that a try. I agree that any nut oil is advised against as it taints the flavour.
Perhaps a topic of conversation at the table in Provence tonight to pick up some ideas to pass on? !!!

salad stuff here is really good so they don't spoil it with overpowering dressing ..... just a little vinegar and a splash of really good olive oil (local)

Try adding a small amount of sugar or honey if you are making a Tomato salad of various types.

Bring out the taste of the toms.

But I use this mix for general salads.

Try crushing the small amount of garlic, adding it for a short period to the oil, lemon juice or cider vinegar, (a good one, some are bitter), honey, minimal salt, black pepper, Dijon mustard, shake together in a closed bottle and then filter after about 15mins.

.

Another dressing to consider for some mixed salads especially lentil and bean is that of adding very finely chopped small green or red chili pepper.

(Make the lentil salad with chopped up pickled cornichons and finely chopped chives or scallions and fresh coriander.)

Try a small amount and vary amounts to own taste.


---------

Oil = Olive, but I use 50% Rape seed with 50% Olive oil.

Also use this mixture for frying and general cooking.

Higher burning point than olive oil.

unless i am making a dressing based on soy sauce - forgot about that one, but it's excellent with quinoa salad or similar - i really don't like sugar or even honey in a salad dressing (signs of sugar addiction!) mais chacun a son gout

My currant bushes are now about ready for harvest & the birds are forming an orderly queue for when I take off the netting! I usually put them (currants, not the birds) into a summer pudding, but it's either too dry or far too soggy. It's about as easy as cooking gets, but.........somehow it doesn't turn out quite right each time. Any tips welcome.

i'm afraid i'm not a pud person, but it sounds as though you either add too much liquid (so soggy) or not enough (so dry) or do not allow long enough for the liquid to soak through.

I wonder if brioche or even panettone would be a better "outside" than supermarket "squodge" bread?

Manuel,

Has the Master Chef any experience of Salting (curing) chicken?

How bad is it?

What are your periods for salting and for which recipes.

never tried, but interesting to investigate.
given the intrinsic dryness of chicken and the effect salt has on drawing out juices, i'm surprised to hear it is a worthwhile procedure

I have seen recipes in the past, and done it years ago.

I thought it would accentuate the taste.

But I think I made a mistake when I tried it recently and salted for too long a period.

It didn't seem to draw out as much "juice" as I would expect with "pork", however it did rather firm up the flesh, but even though I soak and washed it, as I would do for a ham, it was still salty which spoilt its taste.

(I paid the price for not preserving the half chicken in the freezer out of "interest".)

I have a guess it would be wiser only to pre-salt for a couple of hours before using,

-------------

Larousse Gastronomique.

First bought a copy in the sixties and subsequently gave copies to male friends, to be given to their future wives when they were getting married, as useful instructions and future expectations.

------------

I am now going into hiding.

,

Decided against turkey this year and have now ordered a goose. Cooking the goose seems pretty easy ( no pun intended) but any recommendations re vegetables very welcome. For some reason I can't bring myself to put sprouts and goose together. (Delia recommends red cabbage....hmmm, not sure about that!)

a goose will serve no more than 6 or 8 if you're miserly, so be aware of that ..... cook as you would a duck - i.e. prick the skin all over and roast initially breast side down and on a trivet so the fat can drain into your roasting dish
assuredly you need something quite acidic to counter the fattiness and richness of the goose, and hence the suggestion of red cabbage

savoy cabbage or cavalo nero would counter-balance well too

on the other hand, stick with sprouts, but puree them with a little cream, and add crispy bacon lardons and chestnuts (buy whole and vacuum packed by merchant gourmet from your supermarket or deli)

I can do a nice mince and mash dish , i keep the ingredients as close to my chest as Col Saunders.

Cheers Mr C. I quite like roast (baked) fennel, but not many others do, so maybe cabbage is the answer. Apparently spuds roasted in goose fat are the best, so that should appease any doubters!

Thanks jb, but if I served up mince & mash at Christmas I probably wouldn't make it into the New Year! ;o)

hadn't thought of fennel
it's quite sweet, so would still recommend something acidic as well

If you have ever fancied some jam and haven't got any, you can make it in a few minutes in a microwave.

Use 2 cups (crushed down) of fruit, 1 1/2 cups of ordinary sugar.
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice for strawberries (reduce for sharp fruit)
1/2 teaspoon of butter (not sure why)

put the ingredients in a large bowl and microwave full power (850w) for around 15 minutes boiling. Test a small amount on a cold saucer to test if set. If not then boil for another 2 mins and test again.

You can put in a couple of strips of the lemon peel to encourage setting and then remove.

The jam keeps pretty well and can be frozen.

I often make very small quantities with left over fruit or sometimes I might just buy one punnet of strawbs or raspberries etc. I just make an estimate of the smaller amount of suger. It has always worked so far.

Fred1new - 20 Feb 2014 23:05 - 36965 of 36965

GF,

Bye the way he Manuel did start what could have been an interesting thread for some on food.

If he had refrained from being obnoxious it is possible that many may have contributed to it.

My skin is thicker than the most and Manuel is often amusing!.................ends


absolutely agree Fred this thread like his FTSE 250 thread is lacking input and is becoming very boring.

More and more posters turned off because of his obnoxious attitude and lazy communication skills.

Personally If I were management Id close both of his threads down.

please feel free to add recipes or anything else to do with culinary arts or skills

it's probably beyond you, but perhaps you could construct or just post some simple, cheap recipes so the impoverished of your parish can learn to eat well and healthily on say £5 a day rather than eating ready-meals, crisps and biscuits

==================

on a more general note, i'ld be interested to hear how many of you still have genuine fishmongers in your towns ... or even a regular van that offers fresh fish

it's a sad fact that all sorts of factors ranging from the pernicious supermarket chains, to high street rents to a general lack of support for our local businesses have destroyed most of this once stalwart purveyor

there also seems to be a wide-held belief that fish should be cheap ..... it was indeed perhaps 50 years, but certainly no more and for good reason

A lot of people cant afford £5 per day on food never mind spending money on ready-meals crisps and biscuits.

Do you not think you are a wee out of touch cynic.

Denis Skinner ‏@BolsoverBeast 3m
There are a lot of people in the UK not eating 2 days a week.
Unlike Osborne, they're not doing it voluntarily.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/george-osborne-52-diet-chancellor-3166066

We have a fishmonger who has a permanent post on the land of a home reared cattle farm who have opened a huge farm shop, 2 miles away. I bought a cod loin from him for £6.50 which I suppose could have fed 2 (not a chance with me) and a small but chunky piece of hake which was very tasty for £2.50 as it was the last one. The hake was absolutely delicious. We also have a fish man calls around the village once a week.

Very lucky to have all those resources 3m unfortunately although we have a farmers market on a saturday we have no fish outlets other than fish holes.

Terrible dried up fish and chips, cant use animal fat anymore Im told, as to be veg oil.

Wonder if this is an EEC thing.

Quite a few in Norfolk and Suffolk Mr C. Most of them are only offering the catch of the day landed at Lowestoft, but still, it's all fresh and 'reasonably' priced, though it's the usual "we charge this price to cover the cost of diesel" argument. Plenty of dabs, cod, whiting, crabs and mussels at the moment.

I don't think fish was ever cheap. It was a once a week thing and not just for religious reasons.

Absolutely Hays therefore my out of touch comment re-Cynic above.

Wasnt it Fridays??

If you want to feed a family with a cheap meal

1 PKT everyday value spaghetti 500g Teco 20p
2 packets 500g everyday value passata 2 x 43p or even just one

total of £1.06 for 5 people, 21p a head

Carrot and potatoes soup


carrots 89p for 1.5kg
potatoes £1.18 for 2.5kg
onions 63p for 1kg

That will feed people for about 20p each.

I take it you live of this crap everyday of the week Hays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where do you get your veg form Haystack ,do you go scrumping ?

Fish,

If there doesn't seem decent fishmongers around you, have a look for Makro near you.

Generally, thought of a Electrical goods and "commercial" level food wholesalers, but I often purchase a wide variety of fish in small quantities.

The Fresh fish is stock 2 to 3 times weekly.

Haze,

The Cumin will cost more than the carrots.

Add brown lentils to bump up proteins, fibre, taste and farts.

(Student days.)


But Vegetables at ALDI and Lidl are reasonable quality and price.

Being a tight fisted B I also get all my dry lentils (Puy) and dry Pulses etc at Asian stores.

====

I like wandering through food stores, but buy little prepared food.

Cooking can be fun!

I probably eat the pasta dish at least several times a week. The soup every few weeks. The pasta dish is a staple in southern Italy. They don't add garlic or onions. The sauce is pretty much just passata. You can vary the type of pasta with penned, fusili which are almost as cheap. You can brown some mince before adding the passata and it becomes spag bol. I have Italian friends who eat pasta like that every day for one meal.

There are a large number of soups that can be made very cheaply. There are plenty of veg dishes are that are economical. I am not a vegetarian, but only eat meat about once or twice a week and then it is usually chicken.

I often cook chicken passata (a dish I came up with). Chop up chicken into small pieces, fry till slightly browned with some onion. Add passata, dried origano, chicken stock and cook further. Put in a dish, top with mashed potatoes and brown under grill. It will feed for about 50p per head or less if you use cheaper chicken cuts.

Since booker took over makro, the walk in cold store for meat and fish is excellent here at bristol..,.

Hays well lets start you on £57 per week like a benefit claimant and not for just one week for a full year or more. Remember IDS said he could do it but then when challenged went very quiet. In fact wasnt seen for a month.

Im sure your going to manage all the other outgoings aswel as food.

This a cooking thread, not a political one.

There are many ways to eat cheaply and healthily. Intelligent use of a freezer can help make use of seasonal produce or bargain prices.

Post 71 Hays, you can fool some but not me.

Cynics post 63 aswel.

You wouldnt be able to get your local plonk for £57 per week never mind cider.

In 2 days my fish intake has cost me £9.00 and that is without veg. etc., breakfast or lunch. Tonight it is salmon, spinach and whatever else. I agree that one can eat cheaply if one wants to but to eat fish is not a cheap meal. Celery, leek and potato soup is also nice and inexpensive. Butternut squash, red peppers, onion and garlic is also a nice inexpensive soup but it is up to individual tastes I personally am not a lover of pasta unless with meat bolognaise sauce or lasagne, just a different variation - good job we are all different.

Macaroni cheese 3m? When the fridge is empty it's a good back up meal! Cheap as chips! ;o)

GF got it about him today...... must be a change in the weather or his diet...... lol
As for butternut squash...... you can keep it. You cant beat a good stew, cheap veg, cheap meat and i make and freeze about 9 portions, having one tonight witha gurt dumpling..... oooohhh arhhh.,.

Stew and dumps with HP sauce........................ACE.

your probably right but i prefer worcestester sauce to give it a bit of bite.

Worcestester sauce, hmmm never tried it with stew and dumps but will do cheers.

More like a meal than these bean peas lentils Hays and co cook. Bet they are never away from the bog.

Ham and Bean Soup or Stew.

Gives you character and Fs.

Just goes to show doesnt it a thread in the right hands just like the TALK thread can work.

Just needs a captain to steer it in the right direction.

Cyners are you listening.

GF>

Manuel is either sulking or has had a stroke on the golf course.

Or perhaps he has found a basic wage paid job commensurate with his talents!

I absolutely adore suet dumplings, suet crust and suet puddings but the old heart attack has had to make me think, no! to a lot of things although I am naughty sometimes. I shall be thinking about all you lucky dumpling eaters tonight, (scrumptious).

Some sort of Friday afternoon Euphemism?

Just what i was thinking , if i was the Captain of the TALK thread i would make Fred walk the plank [ one plank on another ] , or set him adrift with just a copy of Das Kapital

And as per usual Fred and his bitch GF can't help themselves, just have to jump in and attempt to destroy yet another thread with their mundane polititical crap. A packet of 20 fags average price is £9, you can buy food daily for £9 many prefer to buy fags.

Chris

Good point , and when you add alcohol , lotto tickets and in same cases drugs

in my youth, fish was most assuredly cheap, though i'm sure one didn't oten see the likes of halibut or turbot or monkfish and other species that we now consider fairly commonplace

fish on a lb/lb basis is now every bit as expensive as meat, though there is often far less waste - and nutritionally, almost certainly the more healthy option

fish prices have rocketed, partly because it is an awfully tough way of earning a living, but more because of over-fishing and the lily-livered approach that has been taken by the whole EU (and UK) to controlling this, linked to backdoor skulduggery of licences being traded to non-resident vessels and fishing conglomerates

iceland (the country!) has categorically proved that with proper controls, fish (cod) populations can be restored to former levels in a relatively short time - about a decade i think

===============

can't cook f+c in animal fat?
what absolute codswallop to make a rather bad pun
beef dripping remains the cooking medium of choice of many top quality fryers

dried up f+c?
shows what that local community will tolerate, as there is no excuse for it - merely lack of care

i'ld be interested to hear how many of you still have genuine fishmongers in your towns ... or even a regular van that offers fresh fish


Yes , i have one because i live on the south coast

a small dressed crab £3.50 , a large whole crab £7.50 all local catch

our little town had a fishmonger in the high street for about 150 years, as well as a quality butcher and a greengrocer and a proper hardware store

it now has none of these, or at least not in the high street
these excellent local shops were forced out of business, primarily through soaring rentals and also because the local populace did not support them properly, preferring the lazy and fractionally cheaper option of going to the supermarket
of course, once these shops closed, everyone wrung their hands in distress and sorrow, but conveniently forgot that the demise was much of their own doing

in fact, the top quality fishmonger, who is also a better than average butcher, has moved about a mile out of town where he shares a site with the local farm shop
to my surprise, he probably does more business now than he used to - and if the farm shop was better run, that would do far better than it already does

the hardware shop has moved a few hundred yards away, and struggles along, primarily i think, because the boss, his wife and son all work there

we have no delicatessen at all, and i'm afraid the baker in quality terms, is a shadow of what it was 20 years ago

Golfing this afternoon cynic, or nodded off under the paper???

halibut or turbot or monkfish

In 50 and early 60s frequently ate Halibut, Turbot, Hake,and more upmarket Soles, Dover Sole.

These fish were plentiful but more expensive than Plaice, Cod, Herrings, Sprats Kippers and Monkfish, the latter in the UK often being used as fish bait or thrown back, until some bright spark started selling it as "Scampi" in the Basket, or similar and the price started to rocket.

But the over and indiscriminate fishing, the use of fish, as fertilizer and chicken and animal feeds along with the overseas consumption because of easier transportation etc. ruin the fish base population and breeding grounds.

A pity, but there has been some revival and Fish farms a blessing with problems.

But how many families could afford salmon at the weekend in the 50s unless they poached it.

======
But still enjoy buying fish in France at the port markets at Etaples or Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme.

If you like fish get there before 10am.

a very enjoyable game of golf this morning (1/4-final tomorrow); came back to the office and tidied up some bits and pieces, and then wasted some time and effort on here :-)

PS

Butter for cooking fish. Olive oil for the chips.

(Cheat by adding a little rape seed oil to the butter, and drop in finely chopped Fennel Fronds.)

in the "old days", salmon was a massive luxury, though in victorian times and earlier it was so plentiful, that if memory serves me right, apprentices had it written into the indentures that they only had to have it twice a week or somesuch (i think!)

victorian times and later, but not now, also saw plentiful whitebait and of course bleak, which was almost the freshwater equivalent, and also pike (far too bony and muddy!), eels and several other freshwater species

fish farms are something of a mixed blessing
forget what they do in F/E, but even here, unless they are properly managed, all sorts of environmental problems can and do arise .... nevertheless, it is not just farmed salmon nowadays but also trout, halibut and sea bass and no doubt some other species as well

==============

surely olive oil burns at far too low a temperature to be good for frying, except sauteeing fairly gently

I think without looking slightly higher than butter and mixing both raises the burning point. Like a pinch of sugar with salt lifts the taste of tomatoes when they are cooked.

Ps. Used pure olive oil for chips from the 50s on, but try to avoid them as I like them too much. But, for an excuse, will introduce my grandson to them, when he escorts me down to the Dordogne in the summer.

gee or clarified butter certainly has a high burn point, for it is the salt and other miscellaneous solids that burn

ask a proper chef (excludes me!) and i think you'll find he concurs

Next time you cook some fish, or a steak, slightly caramelize it towards the end with a knob of butter. (Slight)

true - caramelising = burning of course :-)

btw, i marinated some cod fillet for an hour in teriyaki sauce, a little water, dry sherry and crushed garlic

remove the fish from the marinate and dry in kitchen paper
heat some neutral (high burn!) oil in a pan, and when it just starts to smoke, add the fish skin side down (as always)
cook over a moderate heat for perhaps 5 minutes (depends on the thickness of the cod), by which time, the skin should be crispy.
turn the fish over and cook for a couple of minutes
cover the pan and turn off the heat
after a further 2/3/4 minutes, the fish will be perfectly cooked through - still just pearlescent - and caramelised on the outside

bingo! :-)

Turbot has been common in UK for many years. You only have to look in old kitchens to see the diamond shaped turbotiers (turbot shaped fish kettles). They were very popular in Edwardian times, Victorian and even in Hampton Court. Always an expensive fish though.

I will try the cod fillet in teriyaki sauce next week - which oil (high burn) do you use Cynic as I only use olive oil? By the way Haystack I have a huge copper fish kettle, how the hell kitchen staff were supposed to hump it around when full I haven't got a clue as it is heavy enough empty.

my preference is grapeseed oil, but sunflower is fine and probably rapeseed, though i think this last one has a flavour of its own

Thank you, will put it on my shopping list and hope I enjoy.

Rapeseed oil is probably the best for temp, but has a very strong colour and a fairly strong flavour. I tend to use it for most things. Olive oil for salads and cooking Italian food.

I have rapeseed oil in my cupboard, only used some once and was not too keen on the flavour. May give it another whirl before I ruin my cod dish next week. I must admit I have never tried grapeseed oil.

grapeseed oil very high in Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acid. In other words not good. The highest percentage of any cooking oil. You would not believe oil could be pressed from a grape seed.

Rapeseed oil colour varies.

It deteriorates (goes rancid) on keeping especially if exposed to sunlight.

Some varieties can be a little bitter.

Very attractive crop visually when it is ripe for harvesting.

Taste before cooking with it.
-

Use Pomace its is cheaper and dry the fish first with blotting paper (Kitchen towel) Smear the fish piece before dropping on a dry hot pan to seal. Reduce the heat and turn twice.

If you want more fun after "oiling" the fish, lightly crust with fine maize flower (Not corn) and drop on pan.

Best of luck.

I think I will cook the old dog to-night!


8-)

Rice bran oil has almost the highest smoking point. It is mild in taste and relieves hot flushes in menopausal women.

thanks DC ..... never knew or had even heard that about grapeseed oil, not that we use that much oil in cooking anyway

rapeseed oil seems to be the new "trendy" but i've never knowingly used it

Coconut oil has a high smoking point , and its a MCT oil which is healthy for you , its about 97% saturated fat but the body treats as a carbohydrate. Good for your hair and skin as well if you use organic cold pressed virgin oil.

My Malaysian lodger uses peanut oil in much of her cooking. High smoke point, though not good for those who have a peanut allergy.

I gather that the part that causes the allergy is removed during refining,

Is that possible ?

Wiki

Most highly refined peanut oils remove the peanut allergens and have been shown to be safe for "the vast majority of peanut-allergic individuals".[9] Cold-pressed peanut oils may not remove the allergens and thus could be highly dangerous to people with peanut allergy.

Good to see a thread without arguments, shows it can be done. :-)) Question - how many grape seeds to make a ltr of oil, send your answers to -------- lol.

or a sensitive smoke detector, hays.,.

How many kilograms (or lbs.) of grape seeds does it take a liter of grapeseed oil?



One ltr of grapseed oil has approximately 34 ounces in it. It takes three dozen grapes to make one pound, and one pound makes about 1 ounce of grapeseed oil. Therefore you would need about three times 34, and this is 102 pounds of grapes.

excuse me, but does that take us back to sunflower oil being the best high smoke point and neutral oil?

Smoke point chart and write up -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point

Very interesting chart , safflower come's top then. Canola oil is very unhealthy, in America and Canada its all GMO as well

Agreed, a very interesting chart.

i'm amazed that even extra virgin olive oil has such a high smoke point ..... however, i fear that once it reaches that point it is likely to or even will take on an acrid taste

TOMATO RISOTTO WITH MONKFISH AND SCALLOPS

Here you have two recipes for the price of one – both are delicious in their own right.

Recipe for 4
1 kg Monkfish, cut in good sized chunks and rolled in flour
8-12 Scallops – trim as usual and cut in half to give thinnish discs.


50 gm Butter
6 tbsp Olive oil
1 Medium onion, finely chopped
1 Large clove garlic, finely chopped
1.5 kg Fresh plum tomatoes – peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 bunch Flatleaf parsley – chopped, stalk end finely and leaves coarsely
1 tbsp Tomato and olive tapenade
6 Sundried tomatoes in oil – chopped quite finely
1 tspn Saffron strands (very large pinch will do!)

160 gm Risotto rice - e.g. arborio or carnaroli
300 ml Vegetable stock
Water
60 gm Parmesan - grated
Salt and pepper – to taste

Method
Melt the butter in a frying pan, and when it has stopped foaming, add the monkfish (only)
Cook briskly for a few minutes, turning it regularly, until the outside outside is golden and the fish not quite cooked.
Scrape up the crunchy bits stuck to the bottom of the bottom of the pan and remove these and the fish to a bowl or dish.
Be aware that a fair amount of liquid will seep out while the fish is resting.

Heat the olive oil over a moderate heat in a heavy large frying pan.
Add the onion and soften for 5-10 minutes without letting it burn.
Add the garlic and ⅔ of the chopped parsley and continue cooking until the onion is a pale gold.
Add the rice, turn up the heat a little and stir so the rice is coated with oil.
Cook for a further minute or two.
Add a bare 2 teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of fresh pepper.
Turn the heat down to the low side of moderate.
Add the stock, ½ the chopped fresh tomatoes, the sundried tomatoes, the tomato and olive tapenade and the saffron.
Stir the rice regularly to make sure it does not stick, adding quite small amounts of water as necessary as the liquid evaporates.
After about 15 minutes add the remaining chopped parsley and tomatoes and mix in gently.
When the rice is tender after perhaps a further 10 minutes - it should still have a slight bite to it - turn off the heat and add the parmesan.
Check and adjust the seasoning.
Cover with a lid (or tin foil) and leave to rest for 5 minutes.


Scallops
I haven’t forgotten!
Ideally - and I should have written this bit earlier, but I rote this recipe a couple of years back and have now found this better .....
Prep the scallops (please used diver-caught; they should be almost beige in colour)
Put in a single layer in a dish with kitchen paper and some more kitchen paper on top
Put in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, to allow the moisture to be drawn off
Heat a ribbed cast-iron pan (failing that, an ordinary frying pan will do)
When it is seriously hot and everything is ready to serve, add a tiny bit of oil, or even none at all and pop the scallops in the pan for a bare ½ minute on each side.
They should now have a caramelised exterior while retaining a wonderful sweet and juicy middle.

Dish up the risotto adding the the scallops on top.

Serve with a salad of lamb’s lettuce and rocket, dressed simply with olive oil and vinegar.
For this, I like the very fruity Bertolli Robusto olive oil and sherry vinegar.

As to wine, I would recommend either a light Chardonnay or better still, an Australian Semillon.

Very nice, :-))

over the last few years, i have written up about 30 of these for our local fishmonger/butcher
all are pretty basic, and even the fish pie (a stunner), i can do in about an hour from start to finish, though m-in-l reckons it takes her 1/2 a day!

==============

btw, beef cheeks are also really tasty and cheap and take minimal effort to prep
effectively you cook them VERY slowly, as for oxtail, as otherwise they will be tough rather than unctious

Fish pie is a really quick dish. I tend to use smoked haddock, cod or unsmoked haddock and lots of prawns, some large and small. It is pretty much a bechamel sauce and lots of mash.

Talking of mash, how do people like it? I hate the cheffy mash that pervades these days. It is far too much pureed and runny.

I like Edwards or Marris Piper. I use a potato ricer or a metal masher. Add a small amount of milk (whole milk). A generous knob of butter, grated nutmeg and grated parmesan, plenty of salt and pepper. The object being to get a fluffy mash that is not sloppy at all.

Sometimes I add a little fresh cream at the end of mashing with milk and butter and sometimes a laughing cow cheese triangle or two depending on how much I do and what I am having it with. Must admit I always go for King Edwards wonderful roasted as well as chipped. I am apparently renowned for my roasties, so pleased I have a talent somewhere, ha!

It would be interesting to know people's secrets for roast potatoes and of course Yorkshire pudding.

I won't tell anyone my secret for roast potatoes and well Yorkshire pudding is a different matter - I always make the batter the day before and then wiz it before putting it into hot fat in of course the oven. A little lard is, I find the one and don't open oven door until cooked. Just hope the oven light is working so one can see what is happening, tough on those with an AGA although I have made perfect AGA ones in the top oven on timing guess work. Everything I love is fattening or bad for the ticker. I do know of people who use cold oil, the luck of the draw I suppose.

I have done some experiments and it is clear that the biggest mistake with Yorkshires is to use semi-skimmed milk. They only work properly with whole milk.

Correct, I forgot to add that. Toad in the hole is a reasonable family meal for the people who can be bothered - too much convenience crap around these days as we have previously discussed. I remember making my first toad in the hole as a youngster and didn't know one had to cook/part cook the sausages first - what a disaster, a good learning curb though.

3M

I won't tell anyone my secret for roast potatoes = Mcains oven ready, lol

Is it the fat you use ?

Mcains - who the hell is Mcains no I do not use oven ready. I just use virgin olive oil, it is the way I hold my mouth - ha!ha!

yorkshire pud
it depends on the texture you like
i like it quite soggy and eggy, and make it it a fairly large tin, rather than individuals
if you prefer a lighter crispier texture, then you can add a bit of water to the mix - similar to making or changing the texture of pancakes
personally, i don't like using whole milk for yorkshire pud, as i find it makes the mix too heavy

i'm also not sure what difference it makes to the finished texture leaving the mix overnight .... certainly the flour will release more gluten(?), and i think that is why it will then probably need thinning a bit
sorry, i'm not a chemist

Leaving it over night works for me and worked for my late Mother and no it does not need thinning one little bit. Hey ho back to the Rugby.

Fred mentioned using olive oil pomace. I am not happy with using that. The left over pulp that had the oil crushed out of it is then treated with various things to release more oil. Heat treatment is sometimes used, but is not very effective. The main method is to use solvents to release the oil. Spain has found high levels of cancer producing chemicals in pomace oil. They did temporarily ban its sale. They now control the levels of the chemical. You can buy refined pomace oil which is marked that way or pomace olive oil, which is a mixture of pomace and normal pressed oil. I wouldn't touch either of them.

Haze.

Compare it with lard and recent measures for refining.

"Olive pomace oil is refined pomace olive oil often blended with some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but may not be described simply as olive oil. It has a more neutral aflavor than pure or virgin olive oil, making it unfashionable among connoisseurs; however, it has the same fat composition as regular olive oil, giving it the same health benefits. It also has a high smoke point, and thus is widely used in restaurants as well as home cooking in some countries."


If you are drinking a pint of it a day I might agree with you.

Unless, you are allergic to "olive oil" (which there are rare individuals) then the chances of harm are minimal.


But the same applies to a hell of a lot of food.

I like fig brandy, but seeing it prepared for and distill reduced my consumption and tremor.

Roasters.... par boil and cook with meat and it's juices and lard, turning up gas for yorks when meat out to crisp up. Yorkshires, meat juice lard heated on gas 7- 8 before putting mixture in and cooking for 20min. I use skimmed milk no probs, and a drop of water.

interesting the different ways we all have in successfully cooking both yorkshire pud ansd roast taters

roast taters
the key here is surely the type of potato used
first choice is assuredly king edwards - any dissenters?
we also cook ours in a separate tray, as we find that if cooked round the meat, they do not get crispy .... too much "shadow" i guess, and also the amount of fat is likely to be too great and also insufficiently hot to give that crisp exterior with fluffy interior

Each to their own, so long as we like and others like the way we do it then it isn't a problem - still interesting to read different peoples variations and how many men cook these days, it is good.

i wish recipes, even simple ones, did not take so long (hard work!) to write up so they are accurate and actually work

i actually have a very simple recipe for monkfish medallions in a slightly spicy tomato sauce, which i really ought to add to my fishmonger's repertoire.

meanwhile, now that cod's roe is back in season and, if you're very lucky, you should be able to buy proper smoked smoked cod's roe, i attach below my recipe for taramosalata.
i reckon this has >40% roe content, unlike the supermarket rubbish which ranges between about 10% and 25% .... mine no silly colorant either!


TARAMOSALATA
Home-made taramosalata knocks the socks off any supermarket version. Provided you have a food-processor, it really is such a doddle (5-10 minutes) that it is hard to believe that more people (especially restaurants!) don't make this minimal effort.

The only very, very minor caveat is that there is no exact science nor precise measurements.
It all depends on the saltiness and amount of smoking that the cod's roe has undergone.

Also, go steady on the percentage of olive oil. Too much, and the result will be very sickly.

Taramosalata - the recipe
Serves 4 greedies!

135 gm Smoked cod's roe
1 Small clove garlic (optional)
1 Thick slice of slightly stale white bread, soaked in water and gently squeezed out
1 Lemon or lime - just the juice
150 ml Neutral oil - e.g. grape-seed
50 ml Good olive oil


Peel off as much as possible (all!) of the thin membrane covering the cod's roe.
I usually use a teaspoon to scrape it out.
Put the roe in the blender with the garlic, the juice of half the lime or lemon and the bread.

Whizz quickly until blended together and then add the oil in a steady trickle, rather like making mayonnaise.

Check for flavour as you go along. If it is too strong or perhaps a little bitter, keep adding oil gently until it is right.
You may also need to add some more lemon juice, but don't over-do it - rely on your tastebuds

It will almost certainly go too thick. That being so, just add a little water, probably no more than a tablespoon, until the correct consistency is restored.

Chill until required - and that is all there is to it.

Making risotto this evening.

I use Vialone Nano rice if I can get it. If not then I use Carneroli rice. I try and avoid Arborio rice.

I cook some finely chopped onions and garlic slowly in olive oil without burning. I crush the garlic and work it with the blade of a large cooking knife with salt to help mash it into a pulp. When the onion is soft I add the rice (about 8 to 10 oz for 4). Heat the rice for a couple of minutes to release the gluten, turning the rice slowly. I use a large heavy pan.

Add hot chicken stock bit by bit stirring regularly letting the rice get sticky each time but not sticking to pan.

I cook some bacon, celery, mushroom, dried porcini with water added, small pieces of chicken. I use the water used to reconstitute the porcini to add to the rice being careful not to use the sediment left as it can be gritty.

Test the rice for texture and when al dente and creamy, take off the heat. Stir in some butter and freshly grated parmesan (I use grana which is cheaper and more traditional). Add the separately cooked chicken mixture, stir and serve.

It must be time I started cooking it.

As an addition to the yorkies, i add a small quantity of mixed herbs just to give them a bit of added flavour. Roast beef today, i put it in a hot oven at 9am and turned down to gas2.5 for an hour then gradually turned up the heat with a final half hour on 7. that was finished at 12.30 and left to rest in the warm, left the roasters in reduced fat at gas7 for half hour which gave them some crunch, then in with yorks. for 25 min. beef was juicy and tender with very bad but delicious crispy layer of fat on the outside.,.

What cut of beef was it bb? If you don't mind me asking.

I believe it to be fillet of beef, The reason for not being sure is this Angus was walking in one of my farmers orchard a couple of months ago and I bought an 1/8th when it was butchered. This = 44lb of a range of meats including mince. But the label had fallen off this piece in my freezer.
Edit: needless to say the steaks were scrumptious and have all gone. infact the last was xmas eve.

Wish I could find an Angus!! Sounds good to me.

3.5 hours to cook a piece of beef!
must have been a whole side :-)
clearly you like your beef very very well done :-(

=============

breed of beef
i am told that dexter makes some of the finest eating, but you'ld prob need to track that down on the net
certainly uk grass fed beef has, to my mind, far the better flavour than the (dreaded) grain fed stuff so be-loved by the amis
grass fed = more marbling = better flavour and texture


==============

freezer
we must be in the very small minority who don't even own one, other than small space on top of our fridge

I like to cook long and slow on very low gas, doesn't dry or over cook the meat but allows the fat to ouse down through and over it as it cooks rather than crisp it up in an hour. Meats always tender to eat and falls off the bone. (if there is one).
edit: afraid I'm not into the french way of eating meat thats raw in the middle......

it would do .... so does oxtail or even beef cheeks!

I personally prefer my beef rare and only buy rib off the bone these days to save paying for the bone, sirloin or rib eye rolled and depending on the size probably cook on high for just over an hour or so, I always ask for an extra piece of fat to put on the top whilst cooking - brisket which I love is obviously different and slow cook that. I have never been able to cook silverside/topside successfully. I cannot seem to get it rare and tender so I gave up wasting money on those cuts. It is a good thing that we all differ.

Freezer...."we must be in the very small minority who don't even own one"......
I'm really surprised at that as even making stock, the only way to store it is to freeze it in cube size. Where the hell to do store your chips and peas then? ;o)

i reckon topside, let alone silverside and the like are too lacking in fat to be cooked rare .... the intrinsic meat grain is all wrong too

btw, you're kidding yourself if you think you aren't paying for the bone when buying it boned out

if you like long slow cooked beef, then it's certainly worth trying short ribs
as with oxtail and similar, these need very long and slow cooking, and as with oxtail, the meat will pretty much fall off the bone when cooked

if you can be bothered, you can then add a further layer of texture and flavour via bbq or grill with some sort of glaze

TOMATOES
in uk, it is only during the summer that you are likely to be able to buy - better to grow - tomatoes that have any flavour at all
i happen to grow some of my own, about 3/4 varieties, and inevitably more are produced than can be used at the time

therefore, at the back end of the season, or even when looking a bit over-ripe on the vine, pick them and freeze them whole
by doing that, they become very easy indeed to peel, purely by dumping them in some warm or hot water

when you have a stack, probably 1-2 kg, chop them up and it matters not if they are still frozen, and cook them down into a pretty thick thick paste
pour this paste into mould(s), ideally no more than say 2cm thick, so that chunks can be broken of fairly easily

i find this an invaluable and well-flavoured staple for any number of recipes

Not sure who wrote:

"you are frightfully full of self-importance for no good reason

i have indeed started the occasional thread, but unlike you, especially on the NOWT thread,i feel no need to commandeer them once they are up and running"

whoever it was, it certainly wasn't posted on this thread, so can't have anything to do with the subject matter here

Manuel.


I thought you were the subject of the thread.

You must be the object.

8-)

I went shopping this afternoon. One item I bought was Marsala. I like it in sauces. I considered Madeira, but it is generally a bit too heavy. I had a look on Google for a sauce. I found this

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/pork-medallions-mushroom-marsala-sauce.aspx

The second ingredient was Kosher salt. Pork medallions with Kosher salt?

cynic
Talking of Madeira, have you ever tried Sercial? It is a very dry form of Madeira and quite drinkable as you would sherry. Another interesting one is white Port, also dry and a bit like Fino sherry.

i am very fond of old madeira, but it's not that easy to come by ..... sherry is also much under-rated ..... in my 20s, i used to drink it several times a week, but i have not bought any for quite a while as i'm not sure how long it will stay fresh once opened

along similar lines, i still have some 1927 banyuls, which is extraordinary, and somewhat like a really good tawny port

Sherry keeps for a very long time because it is a fortified wine. The Marsala was 18%.

You can buy very old Madeira at reasonable prices. There are sellers with bottles going back to the 1800s. I bought someone a bottle from somewhere in the Fulham Rd as old as that.

Has anybody out there grown new potatoes in their greenhouse and if so can I put them in large planters, I have read that a 1ft wide and 1ft deep container would do but I am not too sure. Obviously space is needed down at the bottom for the crop. I must be mental but I feel like having a go.

i grow potatoes in "potato growbags" .... the system works pretty well, but you have to keep the potatoes well-watered and fed if you want a decent crop

Thank you cynic.

if you need any more advice or tips on this system of growing spuds, just post here

Well as a matter of fact and seeing how you have kindly offered - what kind of compost do you use, I have bought some vegetable compost, or do you use soil? I have bought chicken manure pellets. They told me at the garden centre to use 3 sprouted spuds per vegetable bag, £6 per bag - but the bag instructions says 5!!!! Do you put holes for drainage in your potato grow bags for drainage or are they already there? Hope you have time to answer what may sound like stupid questions but this will be the 1st for me - they may be ready in time for my 66th Birthday end of June or before. Many thanks.

i use my own home-made compost, but leaven that with some standard multi-purpose stuff
chicken pellets, i am absolutely sure, are just very high nitrogen, which is NOT what is required.
something like growmore is fine, as is blood and bone and stuff like that
your garden centre will sell specialised (o'priced!) potato feed, but check out the feed balance in that - high potassium? - and then buy something sensibly priced

very important to keep the potatoes well-watered without waterlogging them
specialised potato bags should already have plenty of drainage holes in them

once they get going, i reckon to add feed perhaps once a month, but then i'm starting with very good quality compost anyway, so you may need to do every couple of weeks

don't expect too high a yield, but they're certainly fun to grow, and the taste of course, leaves supermarket spuds for dead

i like to grow things like pink fir apple and salad potatoes
there's also a strange one that is delicious, but very silly money unless you can find it on a late special offer deal - La Bonotte

bet they arent as good as sainsburys salad potatoes which are superb.

for pretty obvious reasons, there's nothing to beat home-grown veg picked straight from the garden and into the pot

my local siansbury's is interesting
about 3 years ago, they "stole" a really good site from waitrose, but stocked only relative rubbish and anyone who wanted quality, still went to the small local waitrose or to a large one about 15 miles away

however, the sainsbury's manager had a brain and registered what people were doing
accordingly, the quality of fruit and veg is now nearly always very good indeed, and it's brought in a lot of customers
that said, apart from beer on occasion, the rest of the stuff i really wouldn't want to touch - quality just isn't good enough for me

Thanks again cynic will have a go, 1st time for everything and never too old to learn. Probably use one compost bin which is broken at the bottom for some outside. Will grow the rest in the greenhouse me thinks. I have the blood and bone stuff as well - Oh! I am quite excited, doesn't take much to please me. ha! ha!

a greenhouse will be far too hot and if your old compost bin is plastic, then that may also cause probs in the summer as it can't breathe

Back to the drawing board and find some potato grow bags cheaper than the two I have just bought for £6 each, admittedly they came with the compost so I suppose it is not too bad. Not ready to plant them yet so I have plenty of time. Cheers.

i don't know which bags you bought, but the ones i have should last several years

May I ask where did you get them from?

The two I bought are Miracle Grow Sacks - if that means anything to you. Have to feed apparently after 6 weeks.

from my local wyvale last year or the year before
certainly you should feed after 6 weeks, and as i am sure is instructed, regularly thereafter.

don't expect the massive crops that their pretty pix portray, but certainly if you do not water thoroughly and regularly, there will be a tendency to scab - unsightly but nothing much else - and also smaller yileds

Thanks again.

Just ordered some bags on line £2.99 each one is supposed to be able to use them again, we shall see. I looked at your garden centre and found them cheaper so how many spuds do you put in yours cynic - these hold 40 litres of compost. Sorry to be a pain in the butt - I really want to make a success of these.

5
i guess they're the same capacity
don't forget that the spuds are effectively being badly o'crowded so will be both greedy and thirsty

Okay I will take heed on that and feed and water them regularly. Roll on new spud time, I believe they have to be planted no later than Good Friday.

you certainly need to be chitting them now, but each variety technically has a slightly different planting time

They are sitting nicely on a window ledge upstairs getting plenty of light. These need to go in by Good Friday so they told me when I bought them.

anywhere you can put them outside where it's dry, but cooler and frost-free?
on the windowsill, you may find the shoots get very leggy and weak .... Good Friday in 18th April this year

That's some good advice from Percy Thrower. :-))

Fact sheet, may help 3m. Grown some lovely potatoes on the patio before. Also there is a sense of achievement. I think you will enjoy growing them 3m. What next an allotment? :-))

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg9.php

The SPUDS have now been removed from the windowsill - thanks for letting me know Good Friday is 18th April this year, I honestly had not got a clue, hopefully they will go in by the end of March.

dc - an allotment is not what I need, I have nearly 1 acre but it is not designed for a vegetable plot as such, funnily enough I was only thinking about destroying one of the small lawns and growing veg. as I can't bend down too well to ground level with arthritis etc., I thought again. I am better doing things the way I find easiest but still enjoy the fresh air and fun. Carrots are going in next. Everyone thinks I am nuts - maybe they are correct, I get satisfaction out of growing and watching things grow, more challenging and more satisfying than dam house work. Cheers, not had a drink for 3 weeks so having a glass of wine.

Good for you 3m. Very rewarding and you sound to be a good/knowledgeable cook, that can turn your produce into something nice. All round 3m's for tea. That's when the spuds have grown. lol.

3m - perhaps also think about raised beds if you have trouble bending down .... there should be a lot info about these on line ......

don't have too rich soil for carrots as that tends to deform them ..... seed packets always tell you to thin them, but i reckon that's too much fag, so i thin as i eat

swiss chard may appeal as it's very ornamental as well as being a very tasty vegetable and easy to grow ..... it's also often perennial if the winter isn't too harsh

lettuces are also a no-brainer, as there are all sorts of colours, shapes and textures ..... if you plant 3/4 seeds in little pots, you can then weed out all but the one strongest, grow it on, and then plant it out pronto, being careful not to disturb the root system

You are all very welcome anytime, not all at once though!! Food shopping, Cooking and messing around outside suits me fine - I used to read cookery books where others would read novels - so you see I know I am nuts. I am not very good at growing tomatoes, so turning my hand to the new venture - spuds. Every cloud has a silver lining. Nite all and thank you once again.

Who can make the best pancake ie tart it up a bit with a bit of garnish on etc etc. Photos appreciated.

From the argue thread........

Now lads your forgetting what day it is today...........shrove tuesday or pancake day.

I propose we move over to cyners thread on cooking and I will personaly offer a virtual pint of stella to the best recipe on how to make a pancake.

I know Fred and Hays like cooking aswel.

And a few others.

So ready steady cook.

basic pancake mix is simple .....
4oz flour + 2 eggs + 1/2 pint of milk
adding the milk gradually, beat together with a wooden spoon until smooth and lump free

the next bit depends on how you like your pancakes.
if you want them very thin, then add perhaps 3 fl.oz to 7 fl.oz of milk
if you want to make them in advance, add a tbsp of oil to the mix - it'll help keep them supple

the important bit is to have a good heavy frying pan - pref black iron, well-seasoned, as that will stop the pancakes sticking.
to cook the pancakes, the pan must be really hot (how hot is that?), and then you smear a smidge (a well known quantity!) of melted butter, round the pan.
add just enough mix so that when swirling the pan, it just covers the base.
cook for perhaps 30/45 seconds - it depends on the consistency of your mix - and then turn the pancake over for perhaps another 30 seconds
the first one or two pancakes may stick and need binning, but thereafter, it should be a breeze

you can put all sorts of things in pancakes, but a fave of mine is
full fat cream cheese mixed up with some finely chopped stem syrup and its syrup
it's at its best the following day, but a little in advance will help the flavours blend.
put a dollop of that in the pancake, then some raspberries, then a little caster sugar
a little different from the norm and very yummy!


free "wifebeater" nor required :-)

Ahhhhh but you havent had a toss.

Points deducted for that Cyners you should always toss a pancake.

i prefer to keep mine in the pan rather than pick the damn thing off the floor .... and i defy you to toss and toss at the same time!

I'm a tosser cynic...... not stuck it to ceiling yet! Same mix as cyners with the addition of sultanas for that fruity taste.,.

I like mine with sugar and lemon juice but as I am trying to shed a few pounds I will do without this year - yes sad, very sad. No comments on tossing!!!!!!

BB - sounds more like a thicker drop scone or scotch pancake

Wouldn't fancy tossing yours........... and far too heavy for the likes of pancake day, should be light and fluffy, crispy around the edges. Light sprinkling of sugar, then rolled up and cut into strips and enjoy.,.

Hope you all enjoyed your pancakes - I refrained from the scrumptious delicacy and had a boring god dam yogurt. Sweet dreams.

Every recipe in the Socialist cookbook starts with "First you steal two chickens"

Kosher salt, Can you buy a Bible cook book ?

if you grow your own tomatoes, it is likely that you will have had a glut of this juicy red fruit
don't let them rot away, but make your own tomato puree and freeze it in blocks to use as a really useful base for all manner of sauces during the winter months

though manzano is one of the best for this - few pips to flesh - any tomatoes work just as well, though it takes a little longer to boil off the water content

The best wine to go with Moules Marinière? (Brancaster mussels).
Am being recommended an Alsace Riesling, but not tried it before, bearing in mind that you should cook the mussels in the same wine as accompanies it. Any thoughts? (Bearing in mind that I generally use any old french white plonk!)

alsace riesling
is delicious and perhaps a little different from what you might expect
it's worth spend an extra few shillings to get something from a really good grower - hugel or zind humbrecht and the like -and ideally with some good bottle age ..... 2007 was certainly excellent and also from memory 2009

in fact, alsace wines, like mosels are excellent value as the general pleb (chuckle) is confused by them so will avoid them

if you find you like the alsace riesling, then try others like pinot gris ..... you should find your local majestic warehouse staff very knowledgeable as i believe they get some decent training through the wine and spirit trust (an excellent organisation), unlike your supermarket staff who will know bugger all

Thanks. Only three being offered on the MJW website, but might try one of them. As the mussels here are cheap and plentiful atm (though less so this year due to last years storms affecting the mussel beds) it won't be too expensive a mistake.

you'll need about 800 gm mussels pp, unless you're greedy like me in which case you'll guzzle close on a kilo

try your mussels with ginger, chilli, garlic and onions and a splash of wine and a handful of chopped parsley or coriander at the end

==========

what's your choice of alsace riesling at mjw?
any decent indy wine shops near you?

I have an account at MJW, so that is the easiest option for me.
Choice is: Clos St-Jacques Riesling 2011, Riesling 'Les Princes Abbés' 2011 Domaines Schlumberger, Kuhlmann-Platz Riesling 2013 Cave de Hunawihr.
Apparently the Prince Abbes bottle is 'Very Dry' (like sucking on a lemon!) so might avoid that one.
The problem is that they all have distinctive bouquet and flavour, which might overpower the mussels, but no harm in trying!
Indy Wine shops????? Not heard of it , so probably not in Norfolk.

indy = independent!

of the 3 from mjw, i think i'ld plump for the clos st jacques ..... it should work fine with the mussels

how much would you (normally) be prepared to spend on a bottle of wine?

I tend to make one or two trips a year to France and stock up on french wines, so setting a price is tricky. Auchan has a very good selection and as the € is weak, if you buy enough it makes the trip worthwhile.
In the UK, my max price is probably £15 at MJW, but have been known to pay a little more than that in a restaurant (usually for rubbish!).
I'm not a great lover of the Beaune or Rhone wines which are a bit heavy for me, so that keeps me away from the expensive end of the market.

Duck this year. Couldn't face ploughing through an enormous Norfolk turkey.

goose also makes a change though it will only ever serve 6 or 8 at a pinch
at least with duck you can just cut it with poultry shears into 4 sections - easy peasy

Canada Goose is quite cheap this year, so the car wash guys told me.

I thought those guys were eating swan most of the time now?!!!

PANCAKES

ExecLine
Today is 'Pancake Day'.

This is how Raymond Blanc makes them:

Best ever pancakes from Raymond Blanc on HD Vimeo .... https://vimeo.com/119536302


cynic
pancake filling
instead of boring old sugar and lemon try this ......
philadelphia cheese or similar
stem ginger in syrup
fresh raspberries

chop up some stem ginger
whip it into the philly adding some of the syrup

put a dollop inside your pancake and add some fresh raspberries

it's stunning, and better still if you can make the philly + ginger mix the day before

MaxK
Or try a galette, stuff whatever you like into them.

http://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/recipes/galettes-de-sarrasin/

===============

cynic
ah yes .... galettes are excellent and very versatile, but better with savoury than sweet
my recollection is that there is still a good proportion of white flour, though that's no good if you're gluten intolerant

mozarella, tuna, anchovies and tomato
chicken in a good white sauce with sweet corn
loads and loads of possibilities

they're best if made on the big 30cm+ round steel plates
then fill, form into a flat parcel with the filling in the middle and griddle with some butter until moderately crispy

Mr C........just as a matter of interest, I am due to eat here in a few few weeks (just a convenient meeting place for french contact) and have come across their wine list.
I confess most of it is way beyond my sphere of knowledge, without referral to an internet search engine, but do any of the names spring out at you? Fortunately the bill will be shared, so cost isn't too important. I expect I will be eating steak of some kind......some of the nouvelle cuisine on the website isn't quite my cup of tea.

Sorry, above link gone a bit awry!

http://s409322080.siteweb-initial.fr/les-cartes/carte-des-vins/

Having trouble inserting as a hyperlink.

Château de Fosse Sèche
i know this ...... they make a very good Saumur Champigny which, with some bottle age, is quite smokey ..... it's quite chunky and may well better served just chilled

So you are stumped on the rest?!! That's a bit worrying! ;o
I have a feeling asking for the 'House Red' might be frowned upon!

not worrying; it's just that they're producers i do not know
i happen to like that saumur champigny and it's a bit out of the norm, bog standard house claret or blend or whatever

if unsure, never be afraid to ask the sommelier .... i often do, especially for italian wines which i do not know ..... if you tell him what you're eating, he should guide you properly and sensibly; just make sure he doesn't try to to sting you for something more expensive than you want to pay

if they have a generic burgundy (pinot noir) from a really good grower, that can prove to be excellent value ..... named burgundies are definitely not!

hi harry, i hope you found i guided you well ......

meanwhile, does anyone have any experience with cooking with pressure cookers?

as we use quite a lot of chicken stock during the year, and it steams and stinks the kitchen out every time i make a batch, a commercial-size pressure cooker will overcome that prob

however, there have to be more everyday tasks for which these gadgets are really useful - and do a really good job too ....... dried pulses are an obvious

I'm not sure it will cure the problem. I had a Malaysian (chinese) student staying with me and she regularly used the pressure cooker to cook whole chickens (they don't roast them as we do) and as there is still some steam which escapes from the pressure valve, the house regularly suffered.....and of course you have to go outside when opening it, which most people don't. They are widely used all across Asia, but seems that they have fallen out of fashion in Europe. My father used to cook whole ox tongues in one, but somehow it just sits gathering dust now.

it's also a time issue
what i don't know is whether or not if you cook say an oxtail casserole, will the flavour be as good as when cooked for 4/5 hours in a low over

how was your "wine experience"?

The wine experience started with a sharp intake of breath when we saw the price of the wines, though many of the wines didn't match the list on the website. The house wine was Chateau La Croix de Perron Lalande de Pomerol AOC, I think as I wasn't doing the ordering, which seems to be a mix of a number of grapes, but was decent enough to satisfy all. €24 a bottle. Most others started at €40 per bottle. It seems the markup on wines in Paris restaurants is the same as everywhere else, unless you order the house wine by the carafe.

of course it's a mix .... pomerol has a preponderance of merlot but with some cab franc and a little cab sauv .... the wines are generally soft and approachable

if the restaurant was reputable, you'ld probably have found that the house carafe wine was more than fit for purpose ..... did you notice if many tables were opting for that, for that is always a good clue?

I think it was the kind of restaurant where the clientel are happy to have a decent Chateau bottle on the table. I agree that in many less expensive restaurants the house carafe is very drinkable......it's a social statement to have a bottle on the table!