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Dave Hatfield

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Posts posted by Dave Hatfield

  1. It sounds as if what you're looking for is either a gélatine or a dodine de canard.

    I can't recommend any specific restaurants, but either dish as a starter (entrée) shouldn't be that difficult to find.

    Also, you should be able to buy some at most charcuiteries.

    Or, They're not that difficult to make yourself.

  2. Dave, re the thought bubbles. You had a picture of a picnic or some sort of celebration where the locals were sitting around tables and there was an older woman in a black dress with a sour look on her face. I can't remember what the thought bubble said, but it was a scream. Very judgmental and very old Gallic.

    Ah! Now I remember. She was at a village repas raising money for a church restoration. Now's not the season for such things, but I'll see what I can do or find.

    Really looking forward to it Dave. Will there be lots of cheese (crosses fingers)?

    I wouldn't dare to not include some cheese. Any particular varieties you'd like to see? I'll probably throw in some other charcuiterie items as well.

  3. I had an aged gouda that was fabulous the other day. A little parm-like in texture, crystalline and firm but much smoother. Lots of complexity. Really great cheese. Regular and smoked gouda leave me cold, but this was way different.

    100% agree. Aged gouda is a whole different taste to the other types.

    Gruyère is much the same. The aged stuff is great, the young stuff lacks taste & character.

    • Like 1
  4. Here's how I make ours:

    eggs

    lardons

    potatoes

    bell pepper (colour to choice)

    yellow onion

    herbs de province.

    1) gently sauté the lardons.

    2) add the potatoes which you have chopped into small cubes. Stir.

    3) add the bell pepper which you have chopped into bite sized chunks.

    4) now add the onions which been chopped fine.

    5) cook & stir until the potatoes & onions have softened.

    6) add salt & pepper & Herbs de Province to taste.

    7) beat the eggs lightly & pour over the mix. Tilt the pan to spread evenly.

    8) cook just until the eggs just start to come away from the pan edges.

    9) Place the pan into the oven with the grill on & cook until the top of the eggs are cooked. (It is at this point where you can add cheese, tomatoes of whatever you like.)

    10) remove & let rest.

    For a vegetarian version simply omit the lardons.

    This is good hot, cold or at room temperature. Keeps at least 2 day if stored in the fridge.

  5. Guess I'm a traditionalist, but I prefer the old way. Of course having said that I have admit to not having made my own for years.

    I either buy one cuisse (thigh with leg still attached) at a time from the deli counter of my local supermarket. Or I buy cans from Aldi at 5.60 Euros per can of 4 cuisses. The canned stuff is great & I get to save the extra duck fat.

    Can't say that I've had sous vide comfit, but I can sat that the canned stuff is better than my efforts.

    Now, goose comfit is a whole different ball game.

  6. Sad.

    I once had the privilege of eating a meal cooked by Marcella herself.It was superb.

    It was many years ago at the Beringer winery in Napa valley where Marcella was their celebrity chef at the time. I don't remember the individual courses, but I do remember that it was a superb meal.

    I have her books and still use them.

    Its a pity that we're slowly losing some of my food heroes.

  7. I'm not sure where you're located so don't know how easy or difficult finding wines from the Gaillac region of France may be.

    Most of the reds from this region are mostly malbec. Some nearly 100% others with some other varieties blended in, but usually in small quantities.

    The other region with Malbec as a predominant grape is Cahors. These may be easier to find outside of France than the Gaillac.

    Good luck!

  8. I think this story should be read with a large grain of salt.

    I don't know about kale specifically, but there are certainly lots of leafy vegetables to choose from in the French markets. I'll have look for kale next time I shop. On the average market stall one can normally find 5-7 varieties of lettuce (salad), fresh spinach and a variety or two of large leafed stuff whose names I can't remember.

    I do remember that quite a few years ago the French didn't seem to know anything about parsnips. You never saw them at market. Eventually they started to appear, first on one stall, then others. (I think some English person had encouraged their French friend to grow them.) Now parsnips are readily available. French market stall holders are like merchants anywhere; if they see a market for something they'll try to get into it.

    Maybe we're in for a kale glut?

  9. As I said in my post yesterday I've been using Bittman's recipe.

    Reading through this thread, however, I'm now a bit confused about how long to wait before sealing the pickles. Here's a picture of the type of jar I use.

    IMG_20130922_113746-001.jpg

    I've been closing it, but leaving room for air circulation before clamping down the lid.

    I usually wait about 12 hours before sealing & putting in the fridge.

    So, I am I doing this at least roughly right? Is this type of jar really suitable for pickles. (Mason type jars are hard to find in France, but I suppose I could use empty cornichon jars as they seal.)

    Any & all help appreciated.

  10. weinoo You're right. They do need to be left unsealed for XX hours depending up how 'pickled' you want the to be.

    I made three jars about two weeks ago using Mark Bittmans recipe. I added dill,mustard seeds, little hot chillies and garlic.

    No pictures possible as they're all gone. I ate two jars & the ones I gave to friends got polished off in one sitting.

    I just wish I could get the right kind of cucumbers more often.

    • Like 1
  11. liuzhou Your rabbit look good and I'm sure tastes good. But I have to ask is the flavour much different from the of a 'cuisse' of chicken or better yet duck?

    Here the rabbit is relatively expensive compared to free range chicken. I find it relatively tasteless (unless really sauced up). Perhaps the stringiness comes from eating the wrong part of the rabbit.

    Also, maybe I'm over reacting to being served some really really bad rabbit just the other day. With honey no less.

  12. I'm dense, I guess. I don't quite understand what you are making. Is this a latte type of drink nor a dessert coffee?

    Annabelle

    I think I sort of hijacked the original question that started this thread. Sorry about that.

    I'm having difficulty getting cream to whip at all.

    • Like 1
  13. Lots of very good advice above from Smithy & djyee100. Don't know that I can add a lot.</p>

    I would recommend that as you're in the UK you check out Marks & Spencer's wine selections. <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/Wine-Food-Wine/b/44092030">http://www.marksandspencer.com/Wine-Food-Wine/b/44092030</a>. Good range at good prices and free delivery
    Don't forget to have a look at South American wines, Argentina & Chile especially make some great wines at great prices. I agree with Smithy that South African wines are really coming on strong. We had some super wines (and food) on our last visit. And, again, the prices are good.

    Since I live in France I can hardly not recommend their wines. Currently some of best price/quality ratio French wines are coming from the South West. I'm not sure if M&S are still stocking it, but the red Gaillian from Domaine de la Chadade is a very very nice wine indeed. Have a look. I have this wine in my 'cellar' (read; up in the garage). I checked and they do still have it. Just under£ 10 per bottle)

    I also agree that not trying white wines would leave huge hole in your wine education. his suggestions are on the mark.


    Above all have fun with it. Trying out wines that you don't know is part of the learning process. The only problem being that you sometimes have to drink your mistakes.

  14. I hate to be a naysayer, but I think domestic rabbit isn't worth bothering with. Stringy, little flavour and relatively expensive.

    Give me a nice free range chicken any day.

    Any recipe that one can do with rabbit can be done equally well if not better with chicken. I suppose the opposite is also true, but why bother.

    Wild rabbit & hare is a different story. Those have some taste to them without having be gussied up with every herb & spice in the pantry.

    Sorry guys, but I'll take chicken.

  15. I finally bought a French press ($5 at the thrift!) and love the coffee. It really does make a difference over my old drip method.

    But how do you all dispose of the used grounds? Just down the drain? I used to compost the grounds but getting them dry enough now to go in my pail seems like an annoying extra step.

    We just pour them down the drain. So far it hasn't clogged either our drain pipes or our septic tank.

  16. I do most of the cooking and most of the food shopping. I must say that I enjoy it whether it be a Supermarket or an out door market and I mostly do it alone.

    What I find very interesting to do is to take our friend Jean shopping. Jean is severely sight impaired (She doesn't like the B word) & has been for over 30 years. Yet, she is an excellent cook.

    We go up & down each aisle with me telling her what's on the shelves. She never misses a thing & asks if they have ??? or XXX. Many of the items which I've never noticed before. She does a lot of feeling & sniffing of things and her instincts are never wrong. We have a great time shopping together.

  17. Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to try some of suggestions & will report any success.

    My cream is normally at refrigerator temperature when I start whipping. Many time the cream has been in the fridge for several days & our kitchen is reasonably cool. I'm going to try putting the cream in our other fridge as maybe it's cooler.I'll try putting the bowl & beater blades in the fridge for 1/2 hour before starting to see if that help.

    Does anybody think using a

    I use a hand held mixer & mix for quite a while without result. I mix at its highest speed.

    I shall persevere as there are just too many things that I like to cook that require whipped cream.

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