Sunday, January 31, 2016

Roast Belly Pork, Crackling, Five Spice & Aniseed

One of my trusty roasting methods that produces yummy, tender meat and plenty of gravy.

First I stabbed the meat a few times (not skin side) and inserted garlic slices. I then rubbed the meat and skin all over with Chinese five spice. The skin then got a little oil, some aniseeds and a load of salt. I placed the meat on a layer of stock veg (celery, carrots, onions, shallots, spring onions and garlic) and topped up with water and red wine until the veg was covered. Then into the lowish oven (140˚C) for a few hours. 

Half an hour or so before serving, put the pork on a plate while you sieve the liquid into a pan. Discard the stock veg, whack up the oven to max and put the pork back in. Add a load of soy sauce to the soon-to-be gravy and thicken with a little cornflour in milk. Add more wine or soy sauce or seasoning to your taste.

Let the gravy simmer away to reduce it down, while the crackling magic happens in the oven. 

Served with roast potatoes, brussels sprouts and broccoli. I also baked some halved shallots, chunks of butternut squash, and carrots in olive oil and salt to go with it.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Fish, Chips & Mushy Peas

My friend Biddy from France came to stay for the night. We went for drinks and nibbles at Toast ED/ Toaste.d. (Toast, East Dulwich - confusing and variable branding) which specialises in natural wine. Tried an amazing savoury Spanish white that had been left on the skins - intensely smoky with heavy petrol. The salted almonds were great. But we didn't fancy any of the food so we refilled bottles of their white wine sold from tanks and got fish and chips on the way home. The fantastic fish 'n chips place round the corner (Semas) was already closed at 10:30pm, so we took a special trip to the Flying Fish in Camberwell. I've been meaning to try it for years as it claims to serve the "The best fish & chips in South London". It doesn't. The chips were nice but the batter on the fish was horrible - there was a huge stodge of raw batter stuck to the fish that needed to be scraped off to make the fish edible. Shame.

Had left over Caribbean style chicken soup for lunch.

Friday, January 29, 2016

Harissa Chicken

OMG this is just sooooo delicious, my mouth is watering in anticipation of just describing it. I make it quite often, usually with a whole chicken and the marinade stuffed into cuts in the meat. Today was just legs and wings. I put a big dollop of very good, spicy harissa (bought by my brother at the market in Tunisia) into my pestle & mortar. I add a couple of cloves of roughly chopped garlic, a couple of roughly chopped spring onions, vegetable oil, lemon juice and Maldon salt, and pound and grind it to a rough paste. I often marinade the meat in the paste for a few hours, but also often don't get organised in time. Today I just smothered it on the chicken pieces and immediately roasted at 180˚C. With about half and hour left to go I pour in some red wine. Trust me, this reeeeaaaally works! You get crispy, very tasty, spicy chicken plus a most wonderful sauce. Had it with roast potatoes, leftover coleslaw, mixed leaves, cherry toms, and avocado with lime and salt. Far too much wine this evening.

This harissa mix works really well with lamb too.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Duck Fesanjān

Went to my parents' for the night as my mum was discharged from hospital after a nine month stay. My dad had made one of his regular dishes, duck fesanjān, a Persian dish. During dinner he wondered where he could buy coot, as that's what he'd had in fesanjān in Iran. I said I didn't think that was necessary and there are not as many coot here as in the wetlands of Iran. Anyway, it is slow-cooked and the basis of the sauce is walnuts and pomegranate molasses - delicious. We had it with pak choi and gnocchi - it all went very well together!

In the morning before leaving London, I had made the chicken soup with the de-breasted, de-limbed carcass, which my BF had for dinner.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Grilled Chicken Breast

I bought a chicken and some Jamaican yam, specifically to make Caribbean style chicken soup for my recovering-from-food-poisoning BF chicken soup. Another of his faves, very nutritious and comforting. But he didn't want chicken soup tonight. So I griddled the breasts and we had them with salad, avocado (with lime and salt), coleslaw and smoked paprika-coated potato wedges. No booze for me.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Spiced Cottage Pie

Caribbean style spiced cottage pie with cauliflower and broccoli. The Caribbean bit comes from adding allspice and Trinny chilli sauce to the filling. Other things in the filling: Minced beef (fried until brown), onions, celery, carrot, garlic, lots of red wine, a little numeric, soya sauce, Lea 'n Perrins, thyme, bayleaves, mixed dried herbs, tomato purée, thickened with cornflour. Makes a really rich and super tasty sauce.

Bit bored of this one, as it's one of BF's faves. He always asks for it. However, he's recovering from several days of food poisoning (wasn't me!) and requested this as it's comfort food for him.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Breaded Haddock

On my own: shop-bought breaded haddock with roasted cherry toms, homemade garlic and lemon mayo, and salad of mixed leaves and grated carrot with lemon dressing. Sticky toffee pudding and custard - v out of character, but I always have a sweeter tooth if I'm not drinking wine. No booze again today.

(Last of the cold curry and spinach for breakfast; homemade vegetable soup with toasted and buttered homemade wholemeal bread for lunch.)

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Chicken Curry - The Return

Curry (originally cooked on 13/01/16 then I froze the leftovers), with spinach, a dollop of Greek yogurt and a blob of a friend's homemade tomato & chilli jam. Alcohol-free beer from the bottle with a lime wedge. Rose tea and turkish delight for dessert.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Roast Pork & Crackling

Roast pork 'n crackling at the White Horse in Sutton with dad. Deeeelish! Excellent garlicky gratin spuds and lovely crabapple jelly. Home for cheese and more of that wine by the fire. Loads of tempting things on the menu but if crackling's on offer I have to have it. Dad had boudin noir and poached egg on brioche with truffle pesto. Keep meaning to have that but always attracted away by bigger dishes.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Salmon Steaks, Mussels & Treacle

Back at parents'. Dad cooked crispy-skinned salmon steaks (marinated in soy, treacle etc that then became yummy sauce) topped with mussels and dill, served with spinach and crème fraîche, asparagus and nice soda bread from Sainos. Then cheese with a lovely Cali wine that was twice the price my dad thought he was paying when he ordered it (received a selection of six when he we expecting 12). Had 1 scallop each grilled with butter, parmesan and cream followed by gezier salad for lunch, what I made.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Jacket Potatoes

On my own, London. Jacket spuds grilled with cheese and onion, served with salad and chilli sauce, and accompanied by cup of tea. No wine again.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Rabbit Stew

Dad's for one night. He made: Delicious rabbit stew with cauliflower cheese, green beans and potato wedges roasted in duck fat.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Leftover Lamb; Rib Eye Steak

Left over lamb cut into slices and griddled, supplemented by a rib eye steak divided between the two of us. I had roast sweet potatoes; he had left over reheated roasties and tagliatelle. All with gravy, cauliflower, and something else I can't recall (24/01/16).

Monday, January 18, 2016

Roast Lamb

Slow-roasted lamb we were supposed to have last night. With roast spuds, loads of lovely red wine lamb gravy, 'flower sprouts' and carrots.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Takeaway Wood-Cooked Pizza

Had The Godfather's wood-fired pizzas delivered due to hangover rendering me uable to face cooking the roast lamb I had bought. Homemade salad with it though.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Seared Tuna Steaks

Griddled seared tuna steaks, homemade guacamole, coleslaw, homemade oven chips.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Thai Takeaway

Had takeaway Thai food at my friends' house; single glass of gewürztraminer (I was driving).

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Caribbean Incl. Curry Goat

BF's Caribbean auntie's stewed beef, curry goat, rice 'n peas, plantain. I also added some salad and coleslaw to my massive portion of brown.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Chicken Curry

Chicken curry! Fiercely hot and fragrant. Left over gravy, spices (incl lots cinnamon and cardamom), loads of chilli, garlic and chopped onion, tinned toms. Cold roast chicken meat added near the end. Quite simple but possibly the tastiest I've ever made. Just had it with salad. One mistake: thought I was adding lentils to thicken the sauce but they were split peas, requiring hours more cooking. Lucky I was cooking in advance, and although I had wanted a quick, fresh-tasting curry, the flavours didn't need adding to at all during the long cook. Phew!

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

African Peanut Chicken

Leg from leftover roast chicken slathered in African peanut sauce paste, re-roasted on high temp with cherry toms. Served with homemade coleslaw and lettuce in e.v.o.o. and salt. No booze - decaf tea.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Cold Roast Chicken

Cold roast chicken with a chopped salad of: chickpeas, parsley, mint, cherry toms, toasted crushed almonds, spring onions, garlic, lemon juice, e.v.o.o, salt and pepper. Also for brunch had notably delish sandwich of chicken, creamy avocado, mayo, garlic & chilli sauce, lemon juice and salt & pepper.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Roast Chicken

Roast chicken, roast spuds, rich homemade gravy, cauliflower, carrots, shredded cabbage.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Salmon & Dill Baked Potatoes

A store cupboard meal - baked spuds stuffed with: potato, butter, greek yogurt, loads of dill, tinned salmon, lemon juice, spring onion and plenty of seasoning. Topped with cheddar that was allowed to brown slightly. Served with mixed salad.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Exclusive Wine, Squid, Lamb & Cocktails

Met brother and friend for 2 glasses of lovely wine each at the exclusive 67 Pall Mall wine club. Then went to Quo Vadis as friend had 50% off food offer due to membership. Squid & bergamot salad with Kalza cocktail (pisco, lemon, sugar, rosemary, pineapple, bitters), then obscenely tender lamb with fennel salad & pistachios. Finished upstairs with an old fashioned.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Azerbaijani Lamb Stew & Homemade Bread

Azerbaijani stew of lamb, chickpeas, potato, sour plums, onion and saffron. Served with homemade tendir bread topped with aniseeds, and a salad of griddled courgette, parsley, dill, mint, toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds, salt and pomegranate molasses.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Turkish Squid Meal

Griddled cuttlefish with moutabel, roast spuds, and chopped salad of cherry toms, cucumber, Turkish green peppers, parsley, mint, dill, lemon juice, e.v.o.o, tomato&chili jam.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Monday, January 4, 2016

Roast Ham/ Gammon

Dad's roast smoked ham with oven chips, green beans, grilled tomatoes, grilled mushrooms (lunch), before driving back to London.

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Saturday, January 2, 2016

??

Relatives, help me out on this? Only the second day but I started this on about the 9th Jan and the dinner on the 2nd is a blank.

Friday, January 1, 2016