Hmm I’ve been quite quiet for a while I know, but what with my massive following I’m sure it’s fine. Apparently no comments can be posted either, which is a bit weird so sorry if you’ve tried to take me down a peg or two, or dispute my love of secondary cuts. I’ll get back on that.
I have done a few delicious things in the last few weeks; there was the 3 course meal entirely from the pantry/fridge/freezer (no shopping allowed) when my family left me on my own one Saturday night... that consisted of a caramelised onion tarte tartin (sensational) I didn’t have any pastry in the freezer so used a lacha paratha that was in there instead. As this is an Indian version of puff pastry it worked a treat. Main was a chicken schnitzel I found in the freezer, broccoli gratin and champ. This went not quite as well, somehow I managed to over salt the champ and the sauce I cooked was a bit weird – I should have stuck to the pepper sauce Gravox mix... I fear though I was a bit fussy because I was still quite full from the starter.
Dessert was a bit of a triumph, I made a boozy prune and chocolate tart. I bashed up some chocolate ripple bikkies, added melted butter and put that in a tart case. I soaked the prunes in port, mixed with melted chocolate and cream, added an egg yolk and then baked for a while. It was delicious but I was so full I only had a bit; which was good because it improved over the next few days anyway...
So that was that.
I did end up getting a whole lamb from the lovely people at Feather and Bone, all chopped up and ready for the chest freezer, I’ll leave what I did with all of that for another post or this one will be way too long; instead, I’ll focus on a pet peeve of mine, beef brisket being sold as ‘roasting beef’. Why? It’s tough when cooked medium/medium rare and dry when well done... So I had one and decided to do a Guinness pot roast with it instead. Success! It was gorgeous and the gravy sensational. We had it with a bit of Hot English Mustard on the side which made it sing. The recipe was an old one from a ‘One Pot Meals’ cookbook I had. Essentially, brown veg, pour over Guinness and beef stock, plonk in browned meat and cook for an age. Yum. So don’t roast your brisket! Pot roast instead.
3 comments:
Dear FBJ,
Again, an entertaining, informative and amusing post, thank you very much. You really are the poster child for turning a sows ear into a silk purse, it's very inspiring. Of course, you can do it and clearly with such grace, but lesser mortals like me would be overwhelmed by the 3 Courses From The Pantry Challenge. It's sort of like Survivor in the kitchen! Still, I reckon it's one we should all attempt - would make a great little collection of stories and recipes, I reckon. An idea??? I am besotted with your Boozy Prune and Chocolate Tart - not only does it sound delicious but that's also an excellent name (I'm seeing smeared lipstick, ill-fitting purple frock, bad dance moves and far too much flesh). Can I also second your comments on brisket? We experience a bit of push back on brisket as folks are concerned it's a bit fatty but, to me, that's what makes it work so well as a braising cut - all those delicate seams of beautiful yellow, grass-fed fat melting through the meat and softening it over hours of cooking and turning into a gorgeous sauce. Yum, I say, and perfect for something like a pot roast or a pie filling. Actually, we trialled a Guinness pie recently using brisket and it was a knock out.
Love it FBJ! It's far too early to be salivating over slow cooked beef. Mmmmmmm.
If I attempted the 3 course pantry challenge:
Entree - a gooey-yolk boiled egg with buttery toast soldiers
Main - a reduction of Campbells Vegetable Soup with a Kraft parmesan dusting
Dessert - a nougat log coated in fine coconutty chocolate (honey nougat bar)
Who says you can't turn shit into strawberry pie?