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What you eatin' there then?


chrisp65

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Here's one that you can easily use for vegans, meat-eaters, or both at once.  Based on Ottolenghi's recipe for Black Pepper Tofu.  I usually replace half or all the tofu with pork.  It would be little extra work to do it for vegans and others at the same time.

Szechuan pork and/or tofu with stir-fried noodles

If using pork, something like belly works well.  Cut off the rind and any big lumps of fat, and cut into cubes of maybe 1cm or a little more.  Brown the meat in oil, in batches, and set aside in a dish.

If using tofu, use the firm kind not the silky, cube it, dust in cornflour (one wet hand for placing in the bowl of cornflour, one dry hand for turning the cubes over to coat), and place on a plate.  When all the cubes are dusted, fry in batches in oil in a wok.  Not shallow fry, but the oil doesn't need to be deep enough to cover them, you will be turning them with a slotted spoon.  Make sure the oil is hot enough to brown them slightly without burning, so moderate heat or higher on a small ring - test fry one cube first.  When lightly browned, remove to a bowl lined with kitchen roll to drain the oil off them.

Chop garlic and ginger.  I use about 2 cloves of garlic per person and a similar volume of ginger, but follow your taste.  Soften them in the pan you cooked the pork in, or if accommodating vegans, use a different pan as well, to keep the pork and tofu separate.

Make a spice mixture.  For four people, I use about 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp szechuan pepper, 1 tbsp cumin, half tbsp coriander, maybe 2 finger-lenght dried chillis or 4 of the dried birds eye ones.  Add to the softened garlic and ginger and mix in.  That will give you a seriously fiery sauce.  Tone it down if you like.

Add a splash of vinegar, maybe 1 tbsp, Chinese if you have it, but red or white wine vinegar is fine.  Add about an eggcupfull each of light and dark soy sauce, and of ketjap manis.  Don't add salt, the sauces are salty already.  Cook this gently for a few minutes.  You don't want a lot of sauce, but don't let it dry out, have a boiled kettle on standby to add a little water to let it down.  If using pork, put the browned meat in the sauce to cook through.  If using tofu (whether as a separate dish or mixed with the pork), don't add it until just before serving, to warm through - you're not trying to cook it, just warm it.  You're aiming for one or two tablespoons of sauce per person, not swimming in sauce.

Cook some noodles as instructed on the pack, or if no instructions just boil until soft, tasting as you go to check when they are done.  I use plain egg noodles from the local Thai shop, but whatever you prefer.  Drain the noodles and drop in a big bowl of cold water for later.

Prep the veg you are using.  I'm doing carrots and courgettes, both sliced about the thickness of a £ coin, chopped spring onions, sliced pepper.  Try to mix the colours.  Broccoli is good if you divide the florets small. 

In a wok, soften the veg a little, not much, you want some bite for texture.  Drain the cooked noodles, mix all together and turn up the heat.  Add the tofu to the pan with the sauce, to heat through.  Finish the noodles with lime or lemon juice and chopped fresh coriander.   Serve in big bowls, the noodles and veg underneath, the spicy pork/ tofu on top.  Have maybe sweet chilli sauce or Sriracha on the table.

If you ever have to cook for vegans and others at the same time, this may be one of the easier ways to do it.  As long as they like spicy...

 

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Went to Morrisons with the intention of picking up some decent burgers for tea, spotted a piece of monkfish, £13.50 reduced to £2...

eaten it a couple of times never cooked it before, didn't really know what to do with it, ended up still buying all the burger stuff and making masala monkfish cheese burgers with a onion and carrot Indian relish

not bad at all

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2 hours ago, villa4europe said:

Went to Morrisons with the intention of picking up some decent burgers for tea, spotted a piece of monkfish, £13.50 reduced to £2...

eaten it a couple of times never cooked it before, didn't really know what to do with it, ended up still buying all the burger stuff and making masala monkfish cheese burgers with a onion and carrot Indian relish

not bad at all

Wow.  Amazing bargain.  Well done.  One of the best ever fish to cook and eat.

Riley's Fish Shack does a great dish of spiced monkfish cubes, served with homemade flatbread, garlic potatoes and salad, from a container dropped onto a Tynemouth beach and kitted out with a pizza oven for cooking, and some real ale.  Magnificent and worth a long journey just to sample.

If your post had said flatbread instead of cheese burgers, that would be in the same ball park.

Monkfish is one of the firmest fishes, so you can for example barbecue it (with care)  which would be hard with most fish unless you enclose it in one of those special fish-shaped barbecue tools, and who's going to be arsed to do that?

But to get the best out of monkfish, try this.

Step one: make your own fish stock.  Go to a local fishmonger, buy some fish, and ask for bones.  White fish bones, you don't want oily fish like herring or mackerel or salmon,  but rhey should know that anyway.  Heads are good, but wash the blood from the gills.  Blood is good in meat stock, not fish stock.  Soften some onion, celeriac, celery, leeks in oil or butter in tne biggest pan you have,  wash the fish bones, add them to the pot.  If you have it, add some white wine.  Maybe add a bay leaf or some parsley stalks. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, simmer gently for 20 minutes only.  Make lots, strain through a fine sieve, freeze in plastic bags in quantities of maybe half a pint or 200ml.  Should do you for many meals.

Step two: whenever you have great fish, do this. 

Set the oven to hot, like 200.

Finely chop a shallot,  place in a pan with a glassfull of white wine,  bring to the boil, simmer to reduce.  Add a pack of fish stock prepared earlier.  Reduce again. season, add whatever you want to be the main flavour of the sauce - chives, chervil, mustard, tarragon, paprika - whatever.  When you are readxy to serve,  add some butter and reduce again.

While that is going on, cook some potatoes.  If you want to serve them mashed, peel them, otherwise just clean them.  I would suggest boiling for 20 mins, quartering, then sauteeing in a little oil and butter and lemon juice.  Slightly brown and crusty is how you want them.

Do some veg - maybe green beans boiled for 3-4 mins, drained, dumped in a bowl of cold water, then drained and stir-fried in butter and garlic and salt, or else courgettes sliced lengthways twice at right angles to make long strips, then cut to make half cm cubes, the quickly stir fried with lime and chilli.

Season the fish with some decent salt and fresh ground pepper,  fry quickly in a hot pan for 1 min each side, transfer to a dish and finish in the oven for 5 mins depending on thickness of the fish.  Use that time to taste the sauce and adjust, and plate up.

 

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Not as fancy for me...

New Soho Tavern last night again for a big feed with the mixed grill crew: 2x large mixed grills (chicken wings, chicken tikka, sheesh kebabs, tandoori prawns, lamb chops), fish pakoras, chilli fish, veggie kebabs, chicken jalfrezi, lamb rara, chilli paneer, 2x chilli chips, 1x regular chips and 6x nan breads. Between 8 of us. 

Meat sweats were aplenty! Washed down with a few pints. 

May not look like much but a great place. In the Hockley/Winson Green area. Definitely one of the best desi pubs @mottaloo

4398482_8f2fec22.jpg

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42 minutes ago, Xela said:

Not as fancy for me...

New Soho Tavern last night again for a big feed with the mixed grill crew: 2x large mixed grills (chicken wings, chicken tikka, sheesh kebabs, tandoori prawns, lamb chops), fish pakoras, chilli fish, veggie kebabs, chicken jalfrezi, lamb rara, chilli paneer, 2x chilli chips, 1x regular chips and 6x nan breads. Between 8 of us. 

Meat sweats were aplenty! Washed down with a few pints. 

May not look like much but a great place. In the Hockley/Winson Green area. Definitely one of the best desi pubs @mottaloo

4398482_8f2fec22.jpg

Oh yes, great effort there laddie ! I was there in Feb with my 2 sikh mates and we had pretty much what you ordered but much less in portions obviously and the veggie kebabs/rara. I even tried the danny grill too ! Lively !

Best part of the whole afternoon was when we were finishing up, my next door neighbours walked in to order a takeaway so i got a free lift home AND invited in to help them finish off their own grill ! 

Bad part was watching villa lose away at forest on the big screens at the pub.

Typical Villa, spoiling a great day :(

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1 hour ago, magnkarl said:

A friend of mine has just dropped off about 2 kilos of blue mussels at our house. I'm thinking white wine/garlic/parsley steamed and skinny fries like the Belgians do it. Need a recipe.

Wash thoroughly, scrape off the beards, discard any with broken shells or that don't close shortly after being handled.

Get a very big pot with a lid that fits properly.  Slowly soften some finely chopped shallot and garlic in butter, and have chopped parsley ready.

Put all the mussels in the pot, add 1-2 glasses white wine, put the lid on and turn the heat up to max.  Do not open the lid.

When steam forces its way out of the closed lid, they should be done.  Turn off the heat, add the chopped parsley and serve.  If any haven't opened, discard them.  You will have more liquid than the amount of wine you added.

As cooking the mussels only takes a couple of minutes, you need to have everything else ready before starting to cook them.  But take a little time to soften the shallots gently and slowly.

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9 minutes ago, peterms said:

Wash thoroughly, scrape off the beards, discard any with broken shells or that don't close shortly after being handled.

Get a very big pot with a lid that fits properly.  Slowly soften some finely chopped shallot and garlic in butter, and have chopped parsley ready.

Put all the mussels in the pot, add 1-2 glasses white wine, put the lid on and turn the heat up to max.  Do not open the lid.

When steam forces its way out of the closed lid, they should be done.  Turn off the heat, add the chopped parsley and serve.  If any haven't opened, discard them.  You will have more liquid than the amount of wine you added.

As cooking the mussels only takes a couple of minutes, you need to have everything else ready before starting to cook them.  But take a little time to soften the shallots gently and slowly.

Thanks Peter!

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1 hour ago, Xela said:

The chilli fish was sublime. I think they use panga as the fish. Chilli chips were great as well. 

Not a great fish eater but I'll deffo try that, cheers again for the tip !

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23 hours ago, peterms said:

Wash thoroughly, scrape off the beards, discard any with broken shells or that don't close shortly after being handled.

Get a very big pot with a lid that fits properly.  Slowly soften some finely chopped shallot and garlic in butter, and have breadcrumbs and green pesto ready.

Put all the mussels in the pot, add 1-2 glasses white wine, put the lid on and turn the heat up to max.  Do not open the lid.

When steam forces its way out of the closed lid, they should be done.  Turn off the heat, remove the meatless half of the shell, top the other half with breadcrumbs, s spoon of pesto, whack it under the grill until the breadcrumbs start to brown.

As cooking the mussels only takes a couple of minutes, you need to have everything else ready before starting to cook them.  But take a little time to soften the shallots gently and slowly.

A possible alternative. 

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On 8/19/2017 at 13:44, peterms said:

Wash thoroughly, scrape off the beards, discard any with broken shells or that don't close shortly after being handled.

Get a very big pot with a lid that fits properly.  Slowly soften some finely chopped shallot and garlic in butter, and have chopped parsley ready.

Put all the mussels in the pot, add 1-2 glasses white wine, put the lid on and turn the heat up to max.  Do not open the lid.

When steam forces its way out of the closed lid, they should be done.  Turn off the heat, add the chopped parsley and serve.  If any haven't opened, discard them.  You will have more liquid than the amount of wine you added.

As cooking the mussels only takes a couple of minutes, you need to have everything else ready before starting to cook them.  But take a little time to soften the shallots gently and slowly.

Just as a follow up - the food was sublime. Thanks for the recipe. We enjoyed it with a Camel Valley Bacchus dry white from Cornwall. The wine is surprisingly good to be from England. I can recommend it for any seafood dish.

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On 8/19/2017 at 12:53, mottaloo said:

Oh yes, great effort there laddie ! I was there in Feb with my 2 sikh mates and we had pretty much what you ordered but much less in portions obviously and the veggie kebabs/rara. I even tried the danny grill too ! Lively !

Best part of the whole afternoon was when we were finishing up, my next door neighbours walked in to order a takeaway so i got a free lift home AND invited in to help them finish off their own grill ! 

I've always wondered how much money these places make. They seem to be a goldmine. Our group spent £160 in a hour and a half or so. The Soho Tavern is constantly busy and does takeaway as well. 

A few of us in the crew have jokingly thought about starting one up. You can buy leaseholds of pubs in the black country for £30k - £50k and then convert it into a desi pub. If 5 of us put £20k in each that should pay for the leasehold and full refurb and relaunch. 

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Good point @Xela. I wonder if they make more on the beer or the food ? Cheaper inner city or moodier areas offers cheaper premises.  I doubt a desi pub could offer such value for money if it was in mere green, paying more in council tax etc. 

The good thing is that with so many places that do these types of bbq food, the competition is high, whereas 25 yrs ago i can only think of the sportsman in west brom or the vine and they could serve up average food cos where else you gonna go......but not now.

If you take the plunge then let me know and i can be your TripAdvisor correspondent/chief food taster !

Edited by mottaloo
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Will be doing this at the weekend, as a going away thingy for son's gf, who has never had mussels.  Did it for a Portuguese guy once, who said it was the best food he'd had in Scotland.  That may be a low bar.

It's not quick, and it's not cheap, but it's a great celebration dish.  It's based on a Livebait recipe.

Fish stew (Boullabaisse sounds so much better).  But only do it if you have a good fishmonger.  A good French bread shop is a bonus.

First, the shopping.  Monkfish,  some whole squid, clams, mussels, shell-on prawns, maybe some haddock or cod.  No oily fish.  Shellfish are for variety and contrast,  other fish for volume and substance.  Looking for 100-150gm per person of white fish, and also of shellfish.  Ask for bones, a very big bag of white fish bones.

If you can, also buy some very good French baguettes, or preferably Parisiens (thicker). 1 baguette for 2 people, 1 parisien for 3..  Get some fennel, 1 head for 2 people, and some waxy potatoes like Charlottes.

Second, the stock.  Wash the bones, discard any bloody bits, wash the gills especially.  Soften onions, white leeks, celeriac in butter in a very big pot.  Add bones, some white wine, water to cover,  no salt, bring to the boil slowly, skim, simmer for 20  minutes.  Remove the bones, strain, reduce.  You will have more than you need for this dish, so freeze the rest.  Reducing first savss space in the freezer.

Third, garlic bread.  Crush lots of garlic with sea salt with the back of a big knife, about half a head minimum per baguette, mix with lots of soft butter, about 80 gm per baguette.   Slice bread horizontally,  not in tiny poncy slices,  one baguette should do three portions, two if youre hungry, slather with garlic butter, place slices back together and wrap in foil.

Fourth, prep the fish.  Separate the squid heads from  the bodies, remove the quills, remove any remaining internal organs and ink sac, wash thoroughly, esoecially inside) ths body.  Cut off the head, remove any bits you don't want to eat, separate all the tentacles, cut the squid body into rings.  Clean rhe mussels and clams and prawns.  Steam the mussels and clams in a closed pot with a tiny amount of water,  set aside.  Boil the prawns until they turn pink, drain.  Cut the white fish into bite sized chunks.  Turn the oven on.

Fifth, the stew.  Chop about a head of garic (for 4 people, adjust as required), soften gently in a big, wide saute pan.  Add salt, pepper, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, some chilli flakes to taste.  Make a bouquet garni by taking a few inches of string (not nylon) and tying together  some bay leaves, parsley, mint, celery leaves, fennel tops.  Add to the pan.  Add tomatoes, either a tin of chopped or a few fresh ones chopped.  Add white wine, fish stock,  the juide of an orange.  Season, simmer, reduce.  Add potatoes (quartered horizontally so they are bigger fhan mouthsize - prompt people ro crush them into ths juices).  Add fennel, also quartered, with the solid central core removed.  Simmer until they are cooked,  20-30 mins.

Sixth, finishing.  Put the garlic bread  parcels in a hot oven,  maybe 200, for 3-4 mins.  Test the potatoes.   If cooked, add the prepped fish to the pan.  Add the shellfish.  Serve into deep, warmed plates.   Maybe add a rouille.

 

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