A Scottish Chef

I use a chinese one for this. Typically far thinner and lighter than a karahi, (mostly made of heavy cast iron) they are easier to move confidantly with the oil and they tend to heat a little quicker. Similarly, they do not retain their heat so well and the oil cools after use quicker. Either one will do the job provided the sides are deep enough.

An easy way to make the popadoms at home. You'll need; A Wok. 2l of oil with a high smoke point, perhaps sunflower or peanut oil. A pair of tongs. A carving fork. A basket lined with absorbant kitchen paper Focused attention on the task in hand - do not mess around with oils at this temperature! It's a useful idea to turn the handle of the wok to one side, away from your stomach, so as not to accidentally knock it. Heat the oil in the wok until it just begins to smoke. Break one popadum and drop a piece into the oil - if it expands almost instantly the oil is hot enough. Pick up a popdom with the tongs ( in your favoured hand), have the carving fork ready in the other hand. Place the popadom into the centre of the oil, release and start spinning and easing it into a circular shape with your tong and fork. Clasp the popadom and turn it in the oil and finish the shaping by dragging it out of the oil, up the side of the wok. You'll have about two seconds of reasonable flexibility still in the popadom to get the ideal result. This is why I find a wok so useful, the curved sides are perfect for the last moment forming of the popadom. Place the finished popadom in a basket lined with the absorbant paper to cool ready for eating. They will keep well in an airtight container for a few days, too. Be quick (the whole process takes less than ten seconds), but focus on safety until you are comfortable and confident with this technique. A mis-shaped popadom tastes every bit as good as a perfectly formed one provided you don't burn them. But, a burnt popadom is always better than a burnt you. They cost pennies so don't fret about perfecting your technique via experimentation. I just love popadoms. I can't get enough of the airy, light, nutty flavours they offer. Don't discard the oil - it now has an interesting additional flavour. While it is cooling, add a large peeled garlic clove, an eqaul sized piece of peeled ginger and a teaspoon of mixed peppercorns - removing the garlic and ginger when they starts to brown. Strain the oil to remove the peppercorns and bottle is when fuly cooled. Instant seasoned oil that's ideal for stir fry's or for use in marinades.

I can't make sense of this. Didn't someone say they would work tirelessly to ensure this very important forum was kept as vibrant as could be in Suvir's absence? It's really strange with him not around. I wanted to ask Suvir how he deals with passing on Indian cuisine recipes and methods to interested people when the only communicaton available is voice and speech. No paper to write out ingredients or amounts or methods. No PC and printer and definately no eGullet to hand. I tried my very best to do this today for a Chef asking how to make Bhuna. In between me being unsure of English names for a few ingredients, babbling into intricate detail causing lengthy digressions, the Chefs enthusiam for clarity, what always seems clear in my mind when executing became a complete, silly mess of information. It was funny/daft, but I felt sure they must have been a better way to get this information over. For example, when outlining even the simplest step like melting the ghee, I found myself bleathering off about, "Oh...and...remember to season the ghee. I should have mentioned this before. You need to season it with garlic and ginger. Oh, and mixed peppercorns. You should buy some of those, you know...red ones, white ones, black, green....blah blah blah..." This on top of the obvious questions to me like, "What is Haldi? (turmeric) what is Kasuri Methi (fenugreek) what are Zeera seeds (I still can't remember)." Seeing as how Suvir is away for a wee while on more important matters, I still felt it a question worth asking. I thought it best asked here as it sprang from a conversation about Indian cuisine, but I'd still imagine relates to most Chefs when trying to get ideas and information over to their colleagues, peers and students. How do you get clear, usable information about cooking over verbally?

As succinct a portrait of England as I've ever read in a single sentence.

Have you tried the BBC?

Here's hoping the book is as good as it's made out to be. eGullet and reading Amazon reccomendations are killing both my wallet and what was left of my free time.

Chicken Pakoras Traditional Scottish Dishes - Chicken Pakora! A slight variation on the recipe given to me by Babu the Pakistani chef who taught me. It is really simple, but tastes quite fantastic and is commonly eaten here as a snack on it's own or as a starter. 1 kilogram chicken filet sliced into 2-3 inch pieces 300-400g besan (gram) flour 2 T (heaped) Patak's tandoori paste 1-1/2 tsp salt 1 T (level) sugar (castor is best) 1 tsp (heaped) chili powder 1 tsp (heaped) garam masala 1 T (heaped) curry powder (see note) 1 T (level) deep red colour poweder (orange if you prefer, but red is a delight to contrast with the coriander leaves when serving) 5-600 ml water 2 T lemon juice Enough cooking oil to fill a pan 4-5 inches deep SIMPLE PAKORA DIPPNG SAUCE 250 ml good tomato ketchup 250 ml water 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp mint sauce 1 T lemon juice 1. Mix the chilli, garam masala, salt, sugar, food colour, curry powder, lemon juice and tandoori paste together until you have a thick, deep purple paste. 2. Add the water a little at a time and mix thoroughly until you have a thinnish liquid. 3. Add the Besan flour stirring consistently until you have a thick batter like consistency. This needs to be stirred a lot to avoid unblended lumps of besan. 4. Add the chicken strips and mix them until you have them completely coated and leave this to marinate for at least 4 hours. Overnight in the fridge is best of all. 5. Heat the oil to 300F. 6. Drop the coated strips of chicken into the fat one at a time (no more than 6 or seven in a batch) and fry for three minutes. This will result in a firm coating and the chicken will be very moist. You can cook it longer if you prefer a crunchier pakora. SIMPLE PAKORA DIPPING SAUCE. Mix sauce ingredients well and serve in a small bowl. Easy! The finished pakora can be served with a raita, a simple dipping pakora sauce (recipe above) and garnished with coriander leaves and lemon slices. It also works brilliantly served in hot, fresh pitta with salad and a light chilli sauce. It's a great sliced for pizza topping and can even be used as a main course when served with a milder curry sauce and pilau rice. Keywords: Indian, Appetizer, Easy, Chicken, Deep Fryer ( RG115 )

On a hot summers day in a small Highland Hotel, I was making my way from the cooking range to the sink with a 6 gallon pot filled with rice to be refreshed. I slipped, fell backwards and poured the scalding contents all over myself, the largest amount of the rice settling over my groin. Screaming, I leapt up and tore my apron and trousers off and headed for the sink. Seconds later the boss's wife walked into the kitchen to find me half naked, surrounded by rice and splashing cold water onto my privates. It looked, well, it didn't look good. The moral of the story is that an apron can save your, um, life!

Up to about going into secondary school at twelve I used to guddle salmon from the wee burn behind my home. Fresh, wild scottish salmon for free. I wouldn't eat it under any circumstances. I think it was watching it thrash itself to death on the bank that put me off. That and it's eyes. To this day I have difficulty enjoying fish. Everything else I ate. Except tea, which I detest.

Indeed. The biggest allowance we ask for is recognition that Angerland is stuck on our arse. Mars Bar Tikka Masala? I wonder....

Mr Mad of Ramsay has just risen considerably in my esteem. It's a Rangers thing

There is a debate about the origin of the dish. Some restaurant in Birmingham claim to have made it for a Swedish King and there is a restaurant in Glasgow who claim they were first. I know nothing about the fitba player

It turned out a treat, Simon. I used a dozen inner fillets from chicken breasts instead, charring them on a ribbed griddle pan before I baked them. I also blended the sauce prior to serving and thought the smooth finish suited the creaminess of the sauce very well indeed. Layering 5 of the fillets centre plate, sauce drizzled around and finished with cracked black peppercorn and finely diced coriander stem also helped the dish look the part into the bargain. I took a pic and I'll see if I can find way to get it on here. Incidentally, my fiancee is vegetarian so I used the same marinade for Quorn for her and served it with the sauce. Her verdict? Perfect! High praise indeed from the very fussiest of fussy ghetts to please as she is. Finally, I'm not convinced about your claim that this isn't authentic (what is?) the sauce tasted and looked (once blended) incredibly similar to the Tikka Masala served in the New Annand Indian restaurant in Glasgow. For anyone thinking about having a go at Indian, Simon's dish is as simple, and effective, as can be hoped for. Well done Simon

The sauce is very simple. Tsp. Chopped Coriander stem. Tsp. Chopped Coriander leaf. Tsp. Grated Garlic. Tsp. Lemon Zest. Tblsp. Lemon Juice 6 Tblsp. Single Cream 1 Tsp. Ghee Melt the ghee, and very gently fry the garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice until the lemon juice is completely reduced. Add the cream and stir through until hot and add the coriander stem and leaf immediately prior to serving. I tried plenty of the Bhel without the sauce and I'll be returning to this cracker of a wee dish time and again now The sauce added a simple, creamy contrast to the crunchiness of the Bhel and I thought it blended well with the moistness of the chutney already present. The hint of lemon flavour worked very well, too.

Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh No, I don't feel stupid at all....

Suvir, what is this and is there a UK equivalent?

Looks great, Simon. Completly different to how I do the dish, but I am going to have a try at this and serve it up to my family tomorrow night. I'll let you know how I found the dish and how it went down with my mob. Thanks.

Thank you Jaz. Your post really helped. I look forward to being able to read your work and I'd be delighted if you would take the trouble to post some successful, and less so, menu's. They why component is the key to understanding for me, so I'd be very grateful if you would add your commentary. Thanks again.

I have a recipe for Chicken Pakora I use that's very popular with my cusomters. I'll put it up here if you would like. Or would it be better in a different thread? I'm a bit lost at the minute as to whats ok to posts hither and thither

I don't know what else to call it, it's called the best end. Trans-atlantic divide? It's the bit behind the shoulder but before the loin. Did that help? I'm saying nothing about **** of any kind anymore. Just in case I upset someone. Or in case I inspire someone else to upset someone else. Or in case someone else inspires someone else to upset someone else. I've only been here a few weeks and was completely delighted to stumble across cooky types talking about every aspect of food. I was even delighteder to see the various personalities clashing and debating with such vigour. Then the OTC was chopped. Now the thread about nasty customers has been closed and I'm not sure why. I'm a new guy around here and I'm still trying to find my way and understand the dynamics of what is and is not allowable. It seems to vary, but again I don't know why. Perhaps I'll never know

All of that, Suvir. I'm amazed at how easy this dish is to make. I made a simple lemon and coriander sauce to serve it with and the crackers came in the box. I have no idea what they are, but they are very crunchy and sort of nutty. I took a picture of the finished item but I can't get it to display. I'm fair scunnered with this now as it's taken hours just to get the image uploaded. Now I have....eGullet wont/can't display it.

Think Monica, think cigars.

Adam, in the Hotel I mentioned above they have a quite astonishing setting. The hotel sits high on a hillside with unparralleled views down the Firth of Clyde. They have a restaurent built in an old glass house to the right of the Hotel and it is an almost perfect place to sit and eat a meal. The view is breathtaking in daylight and at night you could sit and watch the ships sail up between the dancing lights of Wemyss Bay and Dunoon. Yes, you guessed it, they don't bother to use it... Interesting settings are not amongst our problems.

We do demand it, Tony. We don't get it, however. Well, certainly not nearly often enough. I am pleased to report that many of these places I mention are dying on there feet and change hands regularly. The eternal hope is that some of the new owners realise the opportunity before them. One day, I'll own one of these places. There is one Hotel here that has hired a chef of good repute and it is this place I have asked to work in free of charge to learn and extend my skills. Glasgow is getting better all the time, and I'm sure Adam could tell you more about what is happening on the east coast.

Talk about envy? The nearest two 'restaurants' to me are one laughably calling itself a bistro and the other run down, clapped out hotel. The bistro specialises in Brake Brothers cuisine and they do a very fine job indeed of cooking even that badly. Presentation? Perhaps someone would kindly offer the Chef a dictionary so he can begin to understand what it could mean. A meal for two there cost me £25 and it was perhaps the worst value I've ever had. My Fiancee had dinner at the Hotel just prior to Christmas and ordered stuffed mushroom to start. Marvellous stuff - four upside down button mushrooms stuffed with lowest grade cheddar cheese, melted under the grill and served with an iceberg leaf and some raw red cabbage. Brilliantly, the mushrooms were entirely raw other than the bit immediately surrounding the cheese. Ohhhh...the thought that must have gone into that particular culinary disaster... It's twenty miles to the nearest sizeable town and amongst a dozen places to eat (Brake Brothers can count on at least six of these places to deliver on their behalf) not one is worthy of a penny of my hard earned.