Prawncrackers

I've tried all those methods too. I love the thin crispy crackling that you only seem to get from the shops. The number of times i've tried to do it at home but to fail miserably! However the last couple of times i think i've nailed it: The key is direct heat on the skin using a grill (broiler in the US) almost to the point of charring, then scraping to give that even light crispy finish. Works a treat for me.

You're in luck, i've added this recipe to the Recipe Gullet click!

The ruby redness of the Borscht looks brilliant! Makes me want to try it for myself for the first time. It's never appealed to me before, does it taste as good as it looks? There's an autumnal feeling in the air today. So instead of the Italian style Osso Bucco dish i usually cook i did a more unctuous braised veal shins in red wine. It was very much like a beouf bourginon, very satisfying and suited the weather nicely! I also couldn't resist taking a snap of the bone marrow on toast - a little fleur de sel and arbequina olive oil, i was in heaven!

Just posted a duck breast dish on the Chinese Eats at Home thread. If you like the sound of it, PT me and i'll dig out the recipe for you.

Ah that is a meal after my own heart Liuzhou! Tonight, we had Tea smoked duck breast with a crispy garnish of shallot, garlic, chilli, salt & sugar, with egg fried rice of course. I've posted this dish before but the garnish this time has really added an extra dimenson. Yum!!

Tea-smoked duck breast with crispy bits and fried rice:

All this talk of Gravlax, i usually make a big batch for xmas but i just couldn't resist making a smaller one now! I'm surprised about the short curing times that some of you guys have. This one has been curing for 4 days but sometimes for whole sides of 2-2.5lb salmon i usually cure them for a week. This one turned out really nice, velvety and melt in the mouth: Organic farmed salmon i'm afraid, would be a waste to use wild salmon even if it was readily available here.

Shelby, yum, not had Lieberwurst in years! Can't really get it in the UK, last time was in Germany - delicious. But what the heck is pimento cheese? To compliment your venison burger here is my ostrich burger tonight:

Brenda, it was the combination of salmon sashimi and grilled cheese sandwich that was perplexing to me! For breakfast i like to ease myself in, heck at what time of the day when would this combo be acceptable? Okay, scratch that, it would probably work well after few pints down the pub!

Most schizophrenic breakfast ever! Bought a whole salmon yesterday and broke it down for the freezer. So i couldn't resist some salmon sashimi, however the wife wanted a grilled cheese - so as always we ended up eating each others anyway. It was so wrong

Dinner at my mum's place again tonight. Clockwise from top - Poached Chicken, Steamed dover sole, lobster thermidor (my contribution because they've never tried it before), choi sum, Roast Duck & Char Sui and Prawns & Scallops in tomato sauce. Massive meal because it's my bro's birthday!

Gosh Insomniac, it looks like Henry dV has a glut of venison there. He should send some down our way don't you think? The Novelli recipe sounds like pig heaven which gets me to thinking as you are using all venison whether anyone has tried making or even eating black pudding made from venison blood? What do you think Henry dV, could be worth experimenting with your next kill...

This programme cracks me up, the show is just another excuse for fantasy escapism for 99.99% of it's viewers. The other 0.01% are the ones who will actually be inspired to go out and shoot their own hares. The two presenters, Guy Grieve and Tomasina Miers, are amiable enough and i have nothing against them personally. The Guy is obviously meant to be outdoorsman eye-candy, edited no doubt so that the ladeez will get a glimpse of beefy torso every week. Why this week we had a gratuitous sequence of him lathering himself in the glinting sunset! Paaa-lease. Whilst watching the credits roll after the first show i turned to my wife and predicted that the production team would be all female. Lo and behold; editors, directors and producers. I'm sorry, if a male production team included titillating sequences of a sexy female presenter IN A FOODIE SHOW, would it be acceptable? Grow up girlies, i will take your show more seriously if you didn't employ such base production values. On the other hand Jamie Oliver's show immediately before this one is immensely enjoyable. A topic each week, this week peppers, and useable recipes and ideas. Just one thing, does he not own a chopping board? Seriously, he's giving me kittens chopping everything directly on his countertops!!!

Doh, Hells Kitchen USA has just started here yesterday. I've done well avoiding the other threads on it so far but your sub-title kinda gave the game away

Gosh, it's must be like some kinda Chinese-genetic-memory-DNA-meme-thingy. My mum always chops poultry ON THE FLOOR too! Says that she doesn't want to loosen the counter top Me? I can't squat for jack!

Eeeesh Ah Leung, and I thought that I sucked at chopping poultry!!!! Seriously though i hope you've improved since this picture was taken. My family would scold me if i'd chopped this no matter how tasty it was. I consider myself only a competent chopper so at big family gatherings it would be my mum or my aunt who'd be called on first to "Jaam Gai" or "Jaam Ap"!! It takes a lot of skill and experience to neatly portion each piece without destroying the skin. Also to go through the leg bones without splintering them. They make it look so fast & easy, a quick flick of the wrist - but there's years of timing in there! Of course, I always offer first to do it but they look at me as if i'm joking. "But how can i improve my technique?" i say, "not this time, practise in your own home" they reply!! They're right of course, it's easy to ruin the final dish with poor chopping. As easy to chip teeth on loose bone splinters. What gets me is that my mum chops poultry better using a cheap veggie slicer on a wonky board than me with my waterstone sharpened heavy cleaver on my lovely end-grain chopping block!!! Definitely an ongoing and ever developing skill to master

Sunday dinner today was an economical yet tasty bacon hock with veggies:

It does depend on the situation. If i was in your position last night then i would have bought something else. Even though i can relate exactly to your 'no wasting food' up-bringing. I was the same but have learnt to erase that part of the programming! From my own perspective being a human trashcan is not a virtue. If food is bad then you have the choice not to eat it. It's just that 'bad' is such a subjective term. The guilt that follows is you own construction, you have the power to not feel it. It is not a sin.

This morning; big chunks of greasy, fishy, chewy, melt in the mouth, smoked eel!! I couldn't resist posting this dish again as this is one the tastiest breakfasts i've ever had. And for Jensen, here's some egg porn I only ever gently pan fry smoked eel, next time maybe a smoked eel pate or potted eel, mmmmm!

Fish at last Benda, i know you've been hankering for seafood for some time! Looks good to me but how fresh did it taste. On-line fish sounds a little strange to me, though if needs must then in the same position i would undoubtedly do the same as you. So how was the on-line fish experience, would you buy again?

thanks, you're too kind! A bit of a departure tonight - we had pudding! First off was a flash-fried lamb leg steak (cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, sichuan/white/black pepper spice rub) finished with a little honey and chilli, crushed spuds and peas: and for pudding, baked NY cheesecake with a dollop of chantilly cream and a bramble: My wife is never leaving me now!!

No pictures of final Teal dish Shelby!? I don't think i've ever seen it sold or on a menu here in the UK. I'm intrigued, what is the taste comparable to, like wild duck? Tonight, a Sichuan style Beef with Cumin, Salt & Pepper Prawns and Choi Sum:

Lovely looking meatballs monavano, what spices did you use? I definitely fancy making these for myself. The brown crabs at the moment are so fat with roe i just can't resist them! You know i love my fresh crab and I know you all like my Crab linguine, so enjoy :

Bought some super fresh Sea Bass this morning and whilst gutting them for the freezer i decided to keep the livers and some milt that i'd found. Delicious quickly pan fried on toast with the kipper i was going to eat this morning anyway: NO EGGS!!

And there i was thinking you might be some knife demi-god! Just got off the phone from my mum and here is her recipe for 10 strips of belly pork. I've not put it on the RecipeGullet as by her own admission all quantities are approximate: Marinate for 2 days in 5 spice - 2tsp Brandy - 1tsp Hoisin - 1-2tsp Brown sugar - 7-8tsp Salt - pinch Light soy - 2 Chinese soup spoons Rinse off the marinade with boiling water as this helps the meat to dry better apparently. Hang until it hardens and it starts to sheen with it's own fat. There, told you it was simple. Might give it a go myself after all!