What you eatin' there then?

[villa4europe]

I've tried many times to make rostis / hash brown recipes and never had success, don't think I have the patience to dry it out enough after grating, same as you doesn't bond properly 

[peterms]

6 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

I've tried many times to make rostis / hash brown recipes and never had success, don't think I have the patience to dry it out enough after grating, same as you doesn't bond properly 

Yes, mine felt all damp and floppy.  I think I should have given it a good squeeze before getting started.  It would have been much firmer then.

(From the Carry On Cookbook).

[villa4europe]

wrap then in a cloth / good kitchen roll and squeeze it all out, too much hassle for me

[maqroll]

I've been meat free for a few months until I broke down tonight. I ate a half rack of St. Louis style BBQ pork ribs slathered in house sauce and house Habanero sauce. Can of India pale ale, and pig power coursing through my veins right now. The rush is only noticeable when you go meatless for a while. It's an instant injection of vigor. Strange. Awesome ribs. They're not the kind that slip off the bone when you hold one up. They're firm and require you to rip and shred as you eat them, adding to the experience. 

[AVFCDAN]

8 hours ago, maqroll said:

I've been meat free for a few months until I broke down tonight. I ate a half rack of St. Louis style BBQ pork ribs slathered in house sauce and house Habanero sauce. Can of India pale ale, and pig power coursing through my veins right now. The rush is only noticeable when you go meatless for a while. It's an instant injection of vigor. Strange. Awesome ribs. They're not the kind that slip off the bone when you hold one up. They're firm and require you to rip and shred as you eat them, adding to the experience. 

If you are going to break you might as well do it in style!

[wazzap24]

First visit to ‘Digbeth Dining Club’ yesterday. 

Its cracking. Food was brilliant, friendly atmosphere and a real good mix of people. 

Will definitely be going back soon. 

[peterms]

Made a big mezze spread for a family gathering today, nine dishes plus breads and sauces.

One that's worth mentioning is fish fingers.  Son took away the recipe to try at home.

Cut haddock fillets into strips, marinade briefly (less than an hour) in coconut cream and lime juice and a touch of salt.  I had a solid block of creamed coconut, so had to blitz it with lime and olive oil to get it liquid enough for a marinade.

Mix up some panko breadcrumbs, chilli flakes, salt and coconut.  It's possible to use dessicated, but I tried it with fresh coconut, which was a bit of a palaver - bash it all over with the blunt edge of a cleaver until you get a crack that can be prised open, open it over the sink and catch the juice in a bowl if you want to strain it and use it (I just let it go), put the two halves in an oven for 20 mins to make it easier to get the meat off ths shell, jemmy the coconut meat off the shell with a sharp knife, cut off the brown lining layer, then blitz it to reduce it to shreds.  I think I'll try dessicated next time.

Recipe says dip the fingers in melted butter then roll in the breadcrumb mixture.  My marinade was liquid enough and gooey enough that I didn't use butter, and it worked fine.  Coat the strips in the breadcrumb mixture, lay on something that can go under the grill (I used a baking tray lined with foil), grill for 5 mins each side, not too close to the grill or they will burn, and be careful when you turn them.

And that's it.  Will make again.  From Ottolenghi, "Simple".  Up yours, Cap'n Birdseye.

[theboyangel]

Just taught the 12yr old boy how to cook paella. 

[peterms]

17 minutes ago, theboyangel said:

Just taught the 12yr old boy how to cook paella. 

Very good.

Taught our lad to make risotto, one of his favourite dishes, last night he was making it for himself and one flatmate after another came in to the communal kitchen and compared what he was doing with what they were going to make for themselves, and asked if he could do some for them as well.  Ended up feeding seven.  They kept telling him to put the heat up to get it ready quicker, and he was explaining to them that risotto really doesn't work like that. 

We've suggested he offer a service, maybe make one meal a week for a few people and charge for it,  probably a good deal for all concerned.

[Rugeley Villa]

Chicken Madras, Pakoras, mushroom rice, naan  bread, poppadoms. 

[peterms]

Pancake day tomorrow, as I was pointedly reminded this morning.  But I don't like sweet things, so it needs to be savoury.

Masala dosa, sambal, coconut chutney.

The dosa takes 36 hours...have done the soaking and blending, and left it to ferment.

If it all works, I'll post a recipe.  If it doesn't, we shall never speak of this again.

[villa4europe]

my usual is cherry pie filler and vanilla ice cream but this year i think im going with a cinnamon apple fruit filling

[peterms]

23 hours ago, peterms said:

Pancake day tomorrow, as I was pointedly reminded this morning.  But I don't like sweet things, so it needs to be savoury.

Masala dosa, sambal, coconut chutney.

The dosa takes 36 hours...have done the soaking and blending, and left it to ferment.

If it all works, I'll post a recipe.  If it doesn't, we shall never speak of this again.

It works, will give a recipe.  Son invited himself to dinner and confiscated leftovers. Missus has lodged a demand for a repeat.

[AVFCDAN]

10 hours ago, peterms said:

It works, will give a recipe.  Son invited himself to dinner and confiscated leftovers. Missus has lodged a demand for a repeat.

Sounds nice mate, looking forward to it.

[peterms]

Masala Dosa with Sambar and Coconut Chutney (all vegan, as it happens)

Everything involves mustard seeds, curry leaves (I used fresh, I guess dried would work), and tempering (gently frying spices before adding to dishes, or before adding other ingredients).  Quantities are vague.

It takes 36 hours from start to finish because the rice and dal have to soak and ferment, so start the morning of the day before you want to make it.

For dosas:

1 measure (skinless) urad dal (I used chana dal instead, it was fine). 

2 measures rice.  The measures were imprecise, about a fistful of dal and two of rice for 2 people.

Wash and rinse well in separate bowls, add some fenugreek seeds, add water, soak 8 hours

Drain dal and rice, blend with some water, adding a little at a time until you get a liquid mixture, don't add salt at this stage, leave overnight, preferably 24 hours.  It should start to ferment, with a few air bubbles appearing on top.

Add salt when ready to cook, lightly oil a non-stick pan over low-medium heat, put a ladle of batter in the middle of the pan and use the back of the ladle to stir outwards from the centre in a circular motion

Let it cook gently, don't turn it, drizzle a little oil over holes that appear.  My batter was a similar consistency to pancake batter, it worked ok but next time I'll add a bit more water to thin it down so the dosas are thinner and crisper, and easier to spread in the pan.

For filling:

Cook and mash potatoes, maybe 2 average sized per person

In a wide pan, temper a spoonful of raw dal, some mustard seeds, dried chilli (I used long red Thai chillis, not very hot), some peanuts if you want but I left them out

Add chopped or sliced onions, maybe one onion for 2 people, soften, add turmeric, salt, chopped green chillies, coriander, chilli powder, fresh coriander.

Add the mashed potato, mix well, add a bit of water to loosen the mixture

Put a line of the mixture down the centre of the dosa when it's ready, and fold each side over onto the mixture.  I suppose you can keep them warm and serve at the same time, but I just cooked each one and served them as they were ready, they only take a couple of minutes cooking time.

Sambar:

This word seems to be used for lots of different dishes.  The South Indian ones mainly seem to be vegetables simmered in spices and tamarind water, then mixed with separately cooked dal.

Cook some plain dal in water until soft.  Toor dal is used in most recipes I found.

Separately, in a saucepan temper in a little oil some mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried chilli , then add sliced onion, turmeric, salt and jaggery (I used brown sugar), add the veg you are using (I used a couple of small aubergines, a courgette, some okra, a carrot), a couple of chopped tomatoes, tamarind water made from soaking some tamarind from a block in a little boiling water and whizzing with a stick blender, sambar masala (either bought or see below to make it if you have a spice grinder), enough water to cover, and simmer until the veg are cooked.  Cut the veg so they take the same time to cook - I cut the carrot thinner than the courgette, for example.

Add the cooked dal to the veg, add more water if you want it thinner (I made it as a curry consistency, the online recipes show more of a soup consistency), again temper some mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chilli, add and mix, garnish with fresh coriander.

Sambar masala: grind together some coriander seed (about 3 times the quantity of anything else used), red chilli, cumin, fenugreek, black pepper, and some chana dal and urad dal.  Dry roast them first gently in a pan and allow to cool before grinding.

Coconut chutney:

Dry roast some peanuts and chana dal, blend with about 3 times as much fresh or dessicated coconut (I used both together), salt, sugar, tamarind paste, curry leaves, chopped ginger, and enough water to make it blend (add it a bit at a time).

Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chilli, a spoonful of chana dal, add to chutney and mix.

There's lots of videos on youtube, almost all of which include the same pressure cooker (you don't need a pressure cooker), and some of which are people speaking mostly in Tamil or whatever, with a few English words thrown in ("...yummy yummy...teaspoonful...very tasty..."), and many of whom are crediting their gran with the recipe.

 

 

 

 

[Xann]

Why do your pancakes taste better than mine?

Because I use butter to cook them.

I don't like butter, could you use oil?

Sure. *Gets oil from cupboard, but continues to use butter to cook pancakes*

Why do your pancakes taste better than mine?

[V01]

 

Large mixed grill at the New Talbot in Black Lake. We had one each and it was a mistake, ended up bringing half of it home. 

 

Chicken tikka, methi tikka, chicken wings, lamb chops, sheesh kebabs and fish pakora. Also had 2 cheese and garlic naan and shared some Masala chips and poppadoms. £35.50. Very impressed. 

Edited March 31, 2019 by V01
Forgot the pakora

[theboyangel]

Did a whole roasted tandoori chicken and masala chips for mother’s day dinner. 

It was lovely!

Looking forward to having the left overs in pittas, filled with lettuce, red onion and raita. 

[peterms]

Roast rib of beef.  But no Yorkshire pud, as I'm not from Yorkshire and don't especially like batter.

I got a reduced price rib of beef, single rib, 1.5kg. 

Salt both sides, place beef on its edge in metal roasting pan so the fat is on the bottom, heat on stove so the fat renders, then fry briefly on each side in the released fat.

Peel some potatoes, cut into whatever size you want your roast potatoes to be, boil in salted water for 10 mins (less if you cut them very small), drain.  Melt some fat in an oven dish (I had some goose fat, rendered down from a xmas eve bargain goose the missus brought home last thing xmas eve), toss the parboiled potatoes in the hot fat, return to oven to roast.  An option for the potatoes, which I didn't do as there was enough going on already, is to add chopped garlic and rosemary 15 mins before the end, and stir in well, turning it all over once or twice during the cooking time.

Place beef in preheated oven at 240 for 20 mins, then reduce to 160 and cook for 12 mins per 500gm of weight.  Bigger joints will need different cooking times than this, this is for under 2.5kg joints.   Add some thinly sliced onions to the pan before placing in oven to give colour and flavour to the gravy.

When time is up, transfer to a warm plate, cover with foil, keep in a warm place to rest for 20 mins.

Sort out the other veg.  I did a baked sweet potato for the others, just wash and place in the oven for the whole cooking time of the beef; roast parsnips - peel, cut into roughly equal size shapes, cook in fat in the oven (that goose fat again), add salt and perhaps a little maple syrup.  Green beans, just plain steamed for 8 mins .  Glazed carrots - cut peeled carrots into equal size pieces, cook in some butter, salt, lemon juice, a little sugar and just enough water to cover.  Cook until the water has evaporated, keep stirring, the butter and sugar will start to caramelise the carrots.   Once they are slightly brown, turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan to keep them warm.

Finish the gravy.  Cook over a flame if the onions havent yet cooked enough to be turning brown.  Slowly tilt the pan so the fat rises to the surface and drain into a container you have ready, lower than the pan, without letting the darker cooking juices escape.  You don't have to remove all the fat, its a great flavour carrier and not as deadly as the medics have claimed.  Place the roasting pan over a low/medium flame, add extra flavourings (I used redcurrant jelly, date syrup, fresh thyme, pepper, mild chilli flakes, red wine), cook through until the flavourings have mixed properly, adding boiling water in small amounts as needed to keep it liquid.

Slice the meat, save the fatty bits for rendering down for cooking fat and the bones for making stock later, pour the newly released juices into the gravy pan, dish up, finish off the gravy and put in a warmed serving jug, and receive compliments.  Demand someone else does the washing up.

Since you only need a small amount of red wine for the gravy, there will be lots left over.  Drink it, because food waste is a bad thing, and also you deserve it.

[lapal_fan]

12 hours ago, peterms said:

Roast rib of beef.  But no Yorkshire pud, as I'm not from Yorkshire and don't especially like batter.

I got a reduced price rib of beef, single rib, 1.5kg. 

Salt both sides, place beef on its edge in metal roasting pan so the fat is on the bottom, heat on stove so the fat renders, then fry briefly on each side in the released fat.

Peel some potatoes, cut into whatever size you want your roast potatoes to be, boil in salted water for 10 mins (less if you cut them very small), drain.  Melt some fat in an oven dish (I had some goose fat, rendered down from a xmas eve bargain goose the missus brought home last thing xmas eve), toss the parboiled potatoes in the hot fat, return to oven to roast.  An option for the potatoes, which I didn't do as there was enough going on already, is to add chopped garlic and rosemary 15 mins before the end, and stir in well, turning it all over once or twice during the cooking time.

Place beef in preheated oven at 240 for 20 mins, then reduce to 160 and cook for 12 mins per 500gm of weight.  Bigger joints will need different cooking times than this, this is for under 2.5kg joints.   Add some thinly sliced onions to the pan before placing in oven to give colour and flavour to the gravy.

When time is up, transfer to a warm plate, cover with foil, keep in a warm place to rest for 20 mins.

Sort out the other veg.  I did a baked sweet potato for the others, just wash and place in the oven for the whole cooking time of the beef; roast parsnips - peel, cut into roughly equal size shapes, cook in fat in the oven (that goose fat again), add salt and perhaps a little maple syrup.  Green beans, just plain steamed for 8 mins .  Glazed carrots - cut peeled carrots into equal size pieces, cook in some butter, salt, lemon juice, a little sugar and just enough water to cover.  Cook until the water has evaporated, keep stirring, the butter and sugar will start to caramelise the carrots.   Once they are slightly brown, turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan to keep them warm.

Finish the gravy.  Cook over a flame if the onions havent yet cooked enough to be turning brown.  Slowly tilt the pan so the fat rises to the surface and drain into a container you have ready, lower than the pan, without letting the darker cooking juices escape.  You don't have to remove all the fat, its a great flavour carrier and not as deadly as the medics have claimed.  Place the roasting pan over a low/medium flame, add extra flavourings (I used redcurrant jelly, date syrup, fresh thyme, pepper, mild chilli flakes, red wine), cook through until the flavourings have mixed properly, adding boiling water in small amounts as needed to keep it liquid.

Slice the meat, save the fatty bits for rendering down for cooking fat and the bones for making stock later, pour the newly released juices into the gravy pan, dish up, finish off the gravy and put in a warmed serving jug, and receive compliments.  Demand someone else does the washing up.

Since you only need a small amount of red wine for the gravy, there will be lots left over.  Drink it, because food waste is a bad thing, and also you deserve it.

tldr;

listen mate, did you cook the **** beef, or not?