jmacnaughtan

That sounds great. How does the texture compare to a torchon or mi-cuit?

How do you do the salt-cooked foie gras? I've got a whole one kicking around the freezer, and I've been wondering what to do with it.

Why not use gelatin? It should still be pourable when it's below 20°C.

Gizzards are fantastic (although I haven't tried pigeon). If they are anything like larger poultry, confiting in duck fat gives fantastic results.

Looks good; just a shame you took the breasts off the crown. A roasted pigeon crown is a thing of beauty. How did you confit the breasts? I've heard of confiting the legs, but I would have thought it would way overcook the meat. I may have to try it if I can get hold of some. Anyway, I hope your diners like it

I'm not sure you need to take them out straight away- it depends whether the innards have been damaged by shot. I always thought that when you hang game birds, it's with the guts in. At least, when I pick up pigeons from the market during the game season, they're always whole: feathers, heads, guts and all. They dress them in front of you, and I doubt they are hunted that morning.

Jameson's and ice. Not sure you need much else for a warm St Patrick's day.

Thanks. I'll have to try that the next time I get hold of some ribs.

Those look good. How do you prepare the breast for stuffing? Do you butterfly it out then tie it back up?

btbyrd is right; it sounds like you want to cook it like a crème anglaise. The recipe says to add the yolk and reheat- I'd temper the yolk in and cook it no higher than 84°C. ETA: If you're scared of overheating and curdling it, you can always add a touch of starch.

Interesting method, but if you've got your technique down you don't need to do the circle/strip thing. It sounds like a lot of effort. Just make sure you tamp the dough down properly into the corners. You can pick the ring up to make sure- when it's flush with the corners, docked and properly rested you should have no problems with slippage.

Do you use a microplane for the zest? That makes a difference. Also, it's good to zest your lemon directly into the sugar- it seems to capture the flavour better. But you know, the white chocolate is probably masking some of the lemon. You could try reducing the quantity. ETA: Just reread the original post and saw that you chop the zest. Try microplaning

That doesn't really seem any easier than making it the traditional way.

Probably because it's more viscous- the first bubbles formed will be bigger, and they'll be more stable as they get to the surface. The boiling point will generally be higher, because there's so much stuff mixed with the water.

As the stocks were made in a pressure cooker, I'd say that the first two options are out. Unless you want to clarify the stocks, that is.

Use a few of those packets for a really tasty pot au feu. Failing that, Michael Ruhlman talked about making veal stock salt (although the site seems to be down).

Very nice, Richard. Hat's off. But where's the third layer of pastry?

Interesting point. You may however get a better result by just baking cake batter inside a pie crust. Crispy crust, moist warm cake- sounds a lot more appetizing than the "traditional" piecaken.

Unfortunately, there is such a fine line between perfect and inedible...

A good tip I learned is to pass your cocoa butter/chocolate/velvet spray through a (clean) disposable hairnet first. Gets rid of any pesky tiny lumps that love to clog the cornet and make a mess of whatever you're doing.

Haha, you should come to one of my dinner parties Lots and lots of gratuitous excess.

I agree with you. I was actually going for humour, rather than to disparage any particular style of cuisine. To be honest, I prefer this style of dessert to those that mix in so many savoury elements you can't tell what course it is.

I see your point. However, if you're going to do decadence, then you should do it properly. I'd suggest: Mixing chocolates into marshmallows. Baking the marshmallows into cookies. Baking the cookies into pies. Baking the pies into cakes. Baking the cakes in puff pastry. Battering and deep-frying the mega-cake. Wrapping the fried mega-cake in marzipan. Covering the marzipan with fondant. Piping whipped cream on the fondant. Drizzle syrup on the cream. Bake the whole thing in another pie. Serve hot.

I agree. However, they looked fairly soggy before they were re-baked. Also, what the hell is going on with the size of that cake? It looks like it's got elephantitis.

It'd been a while since I made a properly old-fashioned Viennese-style cake. So I made a Sachertorte.