BOF Posted August 2, 2011 Moderator Share Posted August 2, 2011 If you grate a tomato you pretty much end up with a puddle of pulp Lombardo. You then throw the skin away. So if you're blending them I'd peel them first. Not sure if the resulting texture would be identical either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted August 2, 2011 Moderator Share Posted August 2, 2011 This is what I like about that Madhur Jaffrey book, only a handfull of different ground spices are used throughout the book, which makes the dishes a bit more affordable. Cayenne pepper tends to appear in a lot of her recipes. The main issue i'd level at "Camellia Panjabi's 50 Greatest curries" is the sheer number of ingredients required for a lot of the curries. By no means criticising the authenticity or quality of the meals, but building a large collection of ground spices can be quite expensive, and the idea of forking out £3 on mace, is probably a bridge too far. True. Thanks to her I do now have a heroic selection of spices. They're nothing like £3 (or €4) to buy though. Go to a proper spice shop and you get them for £1. Plus it takes years for them to go off. And having the selection that I have makes it easy to go experimenting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardo Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 This is what I like about that Madhur Jaffrey book, only a handfull of different ground spices are used throughout the book, which makes the dishes a bit more affordable. Cayenne pepper tends to appear in a lot of her recipes. The main issue i'd level at "Camellia Panjabi's 50 Greatest curries" is the sheer number of ingredients required for a lot of the curries. By no means criticising the authenticity or quality of the meals, but building a large collection of ground spices can be quite expensive, and the idea of forking out £3 on mace, is probably a bridge too far. True. Thanks to her I do now have a heroic selection of spices. They're nothing like £3 (or €4) to buy though. Go to a proper spice shop and you get them for £1. Plus it takes years for them to go off. And having the selection that I have makes it easy to go experimenting Which Spice shop do you use Brian out of interest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Unfortunately, South Wales doesnt tolerate such things as Spice Shops (I kid... to some extent). Fortunately, I do have a brother-in-Law of Indian descent who picks things up for me from his local 'Indian shop'. Should probably send him there with a more expansive shopping list next time. But you are quite right, supermarkets absolutely pull your pants down when it comes to buying things like spices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted August 2, 2011 Moderator Share Posted August 2, 2011 Which Spice shop do you use Brian out of interest?There's a new shop in Navan called 'Spices of India' (just up from the Newbridge hotel). Though I got most of mine before they opened. I got them in a shop in the Coolmine Ind. Estate beside Power City and also a spice shop in Navan up on Brews Hill that is pretty decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 And having the selection that I have makes it easy to go experimenting Is it wrong that I want to see a picture of your spice-rack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted August 2, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 2, 2011 I cant believe this thread has escaped my attention, I have only read back 5 pages and am drooling like a dog! Its basically the madras type curry I've posted before, but with half a jar of garlic pickle added. Works a treat! Rob could you PM me this recipe as I cant see it. Always good to try different ways of killing myself with spice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted August 2, 2011 Moderator Share Posted August 2, 2011 Is it wrong that I want to see a picture of your spice-rack? Racks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Good job I searched for this thread before starting another. I'd have been lynched! Anyways, I'm not a great cook but I can get by. I'm great at recipes I've done before but I'm crap at following a recipe that is new to me. I tend to over think it and mess it up somehow. Usually by getting times and stuff wrong. I tend to keep things simple. Chicken/Turkey, mince meet, pastas, the occasional roast etc.. Well I thought I'd really try and do something special for the missus so tomorrow night I shall be attempting... Starter: Hazelnut butter grilled scallops with salad Main Course: Grilled lamb with fondant potatoes and slow-roasted tomatoes Desert: Eton Mess Going shopping tonight to get the massive list of ingredients I need. I reckon once I've prepped all the stuff reading for cooking I should be good to go. Just gotta take my time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted May 22, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 22, 2012 Starter sounds interesting/brave. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Starter sounds interesting/brave. Good luck! Hazelnut Butter Grilled Scallops w/ Salad Scallops. - 1tsp olive oil - 1 shallot, peeled, finely sliced - 75g butter, softened - 1/2 lemon, zest only - 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chervil - 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives - 45g hazelnuts, finely chopped - salt and fresh ground pepper - 6 scallops, cleaned Salad. - 1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard - 1/2 tbsp good quality white wine vinegar - 1 1/2 tbsp good quality rapeseed oil - 1 little gem lettuce, leaves separated - 1 punnet pea shoots Preparation. - For the scallops heat a frying pan until warm. Add the olive oil and shallot and fry gently until softened but not coloured - Place the butter into a bowl and add the cooked shallot, along with all the remaining scallop ingredients, except the scallops. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper and mix well - Preheat the grill to high - Place the scallops onto a grill tray and top each one with a spoonful of the hazelnut butter. Place under the grill for 3-4 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove from the grill and set aside to rest for 1 minute. - For the salad, whisk the mustard, vinegar and oil together in a bowl. Place the lettuce leaves and pea shoots into a bowl, drizzle over the dressing and stir to coat. - To serve, place 3 scallops onto each of 2 serving plates and serve with a pile of salad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 22, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 22, 2012 Careful not to under or overcook the scallops, they are a bugger to get right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 How does one know when they are cooked properly? I've never cooked them before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 22, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 22, 2012 you've eaten them though surely? Nothing wrong with sticking an extra one or two in... just to test you understand Chefs are rarely thin ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 you've eaten them though surely? Nothing wrong with sticking an extra one or two in... just to test you understand Chefs are rarely thin ;-) Only the ones from the chippy for 20p 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeVilla82 Posted May 22, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted May 22, 2012 If your scallops are fresh, cook for about 1 minute max on each side in a hot pan. You want them to be golden brown, but still have give when you touch them, so that they squish down a little when you press them lightly rather than bouncy. Also, if they come with the roe (the orange bit) attached, probably best to remove that as it's got quite a strong flavour and isn't everyone's cup of tea. Good luck, it will all be fine if you use your instinct. Don't religiously follow the recipe if something doesn't look or taste quite right. And fondant potatoes ALWAYS take longer to cook than you think. Make sure you check they're cooked by testing with a knife in the middle before serving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 22, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 22, 2012 you've eaten them though surely? Nothing wrong with sticking an extra one or two in... just to test you understand Chefs are rarely thin ;-) Only the ones from the chippy for 20p 8) See you'd have to be from the Midlands to even understand that, I'm actually thinking of writing a book about the regional variations in chip shop products, its quite fascinating. Scallops are definitely a midlands thing But pizza supper special is possibly the most fascinating thing I've ever witnessed in a chip shop, a Sunderland speciality I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Made a Salmon en Croute last night. Sounds complicated, but is actually really simple. Tescos were selling off a side of salmon really cheaply, so I thought it would be worth a go, and it was. Recipe: Sauce Make a roux (flour and butter) Slowly dilute it down with milk Add Parsley, Lemon, Lemon Zest & Capers Skin the salmon Wrap it in spinach Place on one of the sheets of pre made pastry Cover with sauce Put on top layer of pastry, fork the 2 sheets together and discard any waste Egg glaze the top layer of pastry In the Oven at 200C for 30/35 minutes and hey presto. Really simple, but quite impressive at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meath_Villan Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I hate cooking !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 This thread probably isn't the one for you then Meath! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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