gsquared

If you have the time, add 0.5% by weight powdered gelatine to the warm liquid, leave for 15 mins, stir, freeze it, place the frozen chunk in the fridge in a sieve over a beaker. After 12 hours or so, the liquid will contain all the flavourants, but will be perfectly clear:- compliments of a process called synereses.

Get one of those plastic sheet chocolate moulds - the disc-shaped ones. Put a sliver of basil in the bottom of each hollow. Fill with verjuice and freeze. Offer as a palate cleanser between courses, with a small pair of tongs to place it on the tongue.

Oxtail freezes well. Make double the quantity required and then freeze portions in the red wine sauce. 'Tis a thing of joy to discover the frozen oxtail a few weeks later when you wonder what to cook.

Nope - a croque monsieur is a ham and cheese sandwich. In France, it becomes a croque madame by the addition of a fried egg on top.

I make a croque madame at the guest house for breakfast: Cut a round out of a slice of toast and spread lightly with minced garlic. Cut two rounds of ham with the same cutter. Fry an egg to sunny side up using the cutter as a mould. Make a creamy cheese and herb sauce: bring cream to the simmer, add grated cheese - you want one that is not too strong, cheddar will do fine- add dried oreganum, simmer until thick and the cheese melted. Assemble by placing the ham in the middle of the plate (if you start with the toast the assembly tends to slide around on the plate), then the toast, then the egg. Cover with the sauce - it should cover the assembly entirely and spread out on the plate. Sprinkle chopped fresh oreganum over.

A short update. There has been a temporary hiatus in my odyssey. My daughter has been visiting for 10 days, to introduce the new boyfriend. He is gluten intolerant and it would have been insensitive to continue with the baking experiments. This week will, however, see me once more into the fray. I will report back later in the week.

Green tea smoked chicken breast. Green tea, covered with a layer of brown sugar, smoke for 15 minutes only:- the tea smoke taste can get a bit overpowering. The chicken will not be cooked fully. Chill and then later slice thickly and sautee briefly in butter.

Thanks, Anna. Relief, I think, describes it. Such a small and imperfect result. Such a big move forward.

Devlin, I owe you a special word of thanks. You post still haunts me. I am generally coldly analytical and logical. I am still pondering what you wrote. There is no doubt that it will have some impact. Not sure what it is. I'll let you know.

And if I become an addict, Jack, you will be held responsible. And have to live with that awful burden for the rest of your life.

For the nonce, K, I will desist boring you with a daily report. Thanks for your encouragement.

The Artist is impressed. She wolfed down a goodly portion with butter and declared that she would like a repeat. Daily. Shows you in what dire straits even modest success can place you!

I also have a feeling that it may be underproved. From here on, at least I am in a position to experiment meaningfully. Thanks Jack:- this has moved me a quantum leap forward. I am of good cheer and will continue to work at it. Maybe, just maybe, I will in the next few weeks produce a loaf that I will be truly proud of. This is all due to your prodding, advice, and the encouragement of the eG community. When next I post on my bread, it will be to report perfection. I have returned the Brillecart to its brethren in the wine cooler. The result today is cause for only a minor celebration. Hence a Pol Roget seemed more appropriate. Opened conventionally. Again, thanks to all. The seagulls are circling disconsolately....

I have been loathe to invest time and effort at getting sorted with a decent peel. Bent loaves is the penalty you pay for makeshift equipment. Not much handling - 5 mins in the stand mixer, rest for 15 mins, fold for 30 secs, rest for 15, shape. I have munched a few more pieces. The texture leaves a lot be desired, but, note this down somebody, this is the first bread I have ever produced that is eminently edible.

The result: sort of ok. It is too dense, and I did not get as much oven spring as expected. I am not sure whether this is due to under- or overproving. Jack? The taste is fine. The loaf got bent a bit going onto the baking plate.