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 ......

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.

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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.


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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,

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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.

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I am now going into hiding.

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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