Prawncrackers

Thanks Shelby, this Osso Bucco along with all the others i get from my butchers is veal shin. It's a relatively cheap yet delicious cut, my butcher buys in a whole frozen shin and saws it into four gi-normous steaks for me. He used to saw it into eight but i complained that the steaks were too thin and fiddly to cook. Now i think they're just right, 2.5 - 3 inch thick.

I second that, plus the sweetcorn looks sooo nice. I'm definitely going through another Italian phase, tonight a ma-hu-sive Osso Bucco. This was about 5 hours ago and i still feel quite stuffed

A very quick and simple yet hugely satisfying Spaghetti with Prawns :

Murgh Makhani is a truly wonderful dish. I tried to make it once, the sauce i got just right - rich and flavourful. Finished with Methi leaves i think gives the dish it's distinctive aroma. However, the tandoori chicken itself i just could not get right. Again, i think i got the spice blend for the marinade spot on but i couldn't get my grill (broiler) hot enough. I really wanted that tandoori char effect and it's really difficult at home with a tandoor oven!! Ah well, it's not a problem since i live in Birmingham, which as all civilised people know is the curry capital of the Western world

Ktepi, you should've taken a photo of the outside of the fruit and it's beautiful dragon's scales. I think the flavour is reminiscent of mild kiwi fruit, less tart though.

Crab & Chorizo Croquettes wth some pan-fried Patatas and a little melted Jarlsberg cheese:

Egg overload, thanks Percyn. You can contact the Scotch Egg folks on info@handmadescotcheggs.co.uk, i doubt if they've ever had an inquiry from so far afield though. No harm in asking i suppose. They're not so difficult to cook at home if you like to experiment. Though as Ktepi has suggested the best results are from deep-frying.

Breakfast in two parts this morning. Before i went to the market i had Kippers and Eggs (of course): After a quick trip to the market, boiled a fresh crab and devoured the sweet back fat and roe whilst it was still hot, yum!! Will do some Crab & Chorizo Croquettas with the white meat later.

Aww, i didn't mean you should stop, yours look delicious!!! I just wanted to "big up" what Penny & Neil are doing that's all Maybe it'll give a little inspiration when you next do a batch. In fact i've said to Penny that i should make her a Chinese inspired one for her to sample. I have a feeling that a Har Gau type scotch egg would be really good eating. Maybe i should start a thread on this!!!

Ohh stop it with the Scotch Eggs Brenda, if you want Scotch Eggs check this out: Hand Made Scotch Egg Company These people are geniuses, real innovators, i love Penny and Neil who run this small company. My favourite is the Casablanca (made with Harissa paste), my wife's fav is the Black Watch (made with Black Pudding). They've turned what is such a simple traditional idea into a gourmet experience. EGG!!! btw...

Gosh Brenda, can't believe you broke the EGG run Though if you're going to break it, tripe'll do it - i love tripe. You are forgiven What kind of tripe is it? I can't see it properly, is it the honey-comb cow tripe or the smooth pig sort?

EGG!! I'm starting an egg counting service on the Breakfast thread, that's 5 in a row. (Nice action shot Brenda) At your service

I've just seen Heston Blumethal on his tv show sprinkle vanilla salt on a treacle tart. He used it to finish the dish and cut the rich sweetness of it. Looked scrumptious.

You can see what a burst colostomy looks like on the hilarious Dinner II thread (at the bottom of the page obviously). The smoked eel was from my parents-in-law, they live by the sea in Norfolk and have a great fishmonger who smokes and sells his own eels at a very reasonable price. It's usually quite an expensive delicacy and not something i would buy for myself here at the market, the eel in that dish alone would cost around £10!! I think they paid £3-4 for it, they know i like eating it a lot so treat me to it every so often when they visit I know what you mean by the frozen eel from China, everyone's been saying to avoid it. It's definitely contaminated with all sorts.

A rare weekday breakfast for me... Smoked Eel and Fried Egg on Toast, this was very delicious but made me smell fishy for the rest of the day. Looking at the picture now it makes me wonder whether it's possible for me to have breakfast without the presence of egg?

Hi Percyn, the Lobster was done Cantonese style (natch)! The gist of it goes something like this: The lobsters were poked (see the Lobster Newbie thread for morbid details), chopped into pieces (saving the black tomale), the pieces coated in a little cornflour & plainflour then deep fried for a moment in a wok. Drain and set the undercooked pieces aside, tip away the oil from the wok and using fresh oil gently fry some sliced ginger (1/2 inch), garlic (4 cloves) & shallot (4 small ones). Then on the highest heat possible add the pieces of lobster back into the wok along with some light soy, a shot of brandy, green onion and a slug of ketchup (yup?!?). Mash the saved tomale up and add that in along with some water (or chick stock preferably). The sauce should thicken automatically due to the coating on the lobster and when the tomale has turned bright red it’s time to dish up and get your fingers messy.

Thanks for the compliment Percyn. I like my in-laws a lot and always take the time to put on a good spread for them, especially if they keep bringing the live lobsters!

As an antidote to Biggies 12min prep; Crab Fritters, Roast Duck, Stir Fried Lobster & Veggies. Total prep time 6hrs-ish...

The in-laws made it round today and brought with them four lobsters!! So today we ate well... Stir-fried lobster, Roast Duck, Crab Fritters and some mixed veg:

Hot diggity dawg, i second that! Love the action shot Chufi Just polished off a posh Fish and Chip supper... sea bass, fries and braised fennel. Bit of a strange combo, i was just going to do the fish & fennel but that big red potato was crying out to be used.

There maybe something to this old wives tale..... An old wife (my mum) taught me that the best way to purge a live lobster of all it's crap is to push a thin chopstick as far up it's jacksy as it will go. Hold it tight over your sink or bucket as the critter squirms for a while before it goes stiff and releases all the excrement. You can then do whatever you normally do with it. I still do this to every lobster i cook at home - though it does take some getting used to as it's not the most pleasant task. Every Cantonese cook i know does this.

Do you mean Charentais melons from France? They are very nice. Those, Galia and Watermelons are my faves. As long as they're ripe... but not as nice as mangoes at any rate.....

Bruce and David, i have a surfeit of prawns at the moment so thanks for the ideas. Today however, a practise Cantonese Roast Duck (more detail on the Chinese eats at home thread)

My parents in law were supposed to visit today. Now i know they love Cantonese Style Roast Duck. This was the very first thing that i cooked for them almost 5 years ago and is probably one of the reasons i was allowed to marry their daughter!!! Put it this way, i know how to cook this dish well However i haven't prepared this dish for a couple of years now and i'd forgotten how involved it was. I took a Pekin duck out of the freezer on Thursday night and spent what felt like most of yesterday prepping it. After i'd prepped it last night and hung it out to dry, my MIL called to say they weren't coming round today!! We've had some flooding in central England and they thought it best not to make the 3 hr drive and that they'll come next Sunday. So... today has been a practise roast duck run. Results were good, slightly underseasoned to my taste but cooked to the absolutely right 'cuisson' - you know were the center of the thigh bone is just cooked. Next week it should be perfect for them. I know, i know, if there is one thing i really need to improve on - it's my erratic chopping skills!! Enjoy the pics anyway....

Hi Brenda, i love oxtail! It has a wonderful toothy gelatinous texture and deep flavour. Last cooked in a few months ago as it's definately a winter dish for me. The only way i know how to cook it is to slow braise as you would say a beouf bourguignon. It's quite messy to eat on the bone and it's probably better to strip the meat off after it's cooked. Here's a pic of the last time i cooked it. I think i was attempting an alternative 'surf n turf' meal - Sea Bass, Oxtail & Kale: I quite liked it, but the wife thought it was a bit of a weird combo...