Dinner 2020

[shain]

10 minutes ago, Nicolai said:

 

Is that halawiyat il jiben? Looks tasty.

[shain]

Yam som-o - pomelo and green papaya salad, with the classic Thai dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, raw sugar, chilies. Also lime zest, spring onions, peanuts and toasted coconut flakes.

 Spicy panang curry with coconut milk, peanut paste, makrut lime leaves, coriander seeds, lime, marinated tofu, peas. Rice.

 

 

[Duvel]

Laziness from yesterday continues ...

 

Weisswurst, Brezel & süßer Senf (sweet mustard), plus an alcohol-free beer - still yummy !
 

[Nicolai]

1 hour ago, shain said:

 

Is that halawiyat il jiben? Looks tasty.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes it is. It is very tasty and as usual........

 

No meal is complete without  a Dessert chaser.

 

No beaching is complete without a Shisha and a Habanos chaser.

 

No clubbing is complete without Champagne and Vodka chasers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Nicolai (log)

[Dejah]

Posted this supper in Ninja Foodi, but thought I'd share it on here as well:

 

Used a beer batter - 1/3 cup beer, 1/4 cup flour, 1 egg white. Dipped the fish in the batter then coated with Panko. Will drizzle oil  next time instead of Pam. I did after I flipped the fish and that side was more "golden". |
Getting better with the chips!

 

                                                                            

[Margaret Pilgrim]

2 hours ago, Duvel said:

Weisswurst

 

Thank you for these!     I LOVE bockwurst, and these look like bockwurst that went to finishing school, more more fragile, elegant.    You are so lucky!

Edited February 22, 2020 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[gfweb]

18 hours ago, heidih said:

 

Good looking food. No tortuga on the menu I hope

We eat tortuga up here.

[gfweb]

Charcuterie and small plates.  Braised chorizo and butter poached shrimp with pimenton and sherry vinegar

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

By request, carrot sticks

 

Veg soup, this time white asparagus, lettuce, celery, onion, splat of cooked potato and finished with small knob of butter.    Garnish of creme fraiche, bacon, mushrooms, rosemary flowers.

 

[CantCookStillTry]

Found the energy to make a "Scaled Back" Roast. Or as my husband calls Roast Night - Trash the Kitchen Day. 

 

Growing up a Roast wasn't a Roast without at least 6 vegetable sides along with the Pots, Meat & Yorkies. Not happening. 

 

10 hour slow cooked leg of lamb with unpictured Gravy from the juices (diluted). I don't often picture my pan gravys because while they taste great - they look anemic - any ideas? 

(I have to use flour to thicken to get to an Australian standard of Gravy Paste). 

 

 

 

[Duvel]

57 minutes ago, CantCookStillTry said:

10 hour slow cooked leg of lamb with unpictured Gravy from the juices (diluted). I don't often picture my pan gravys because while they taste great - they look anemic - any ideas?

If it tastes great - no worries 😉. For the look, my thought would be:

 

Not sufficient caramelization: either at the (a) roasting stage of the meat, (b) during the roasting of the veggies for the gravy or (c) while making the roux.

 

Options would be to do a harder sear/roast (a,b), using some promoters, e.g. icing sugar (b) liquid aminos, soy (a) or cook longer (c) to promote browning.

 

Other than that, you can always prepare a quick caramelized reduction (toasting icing sugar, red wine, oyster sauce) to amp up your gravy ... 

[CantCookStillTry]

44 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Not sufficient caramelization:  (c) while making the roux.

 

 

So I can cook the roux to brownish? (These are Noob questions I know). I'm scared of burning so leave it quite pale 3/4 mins before adding the juices. Taking it further would be better not burnt? 

[heidih]

42 minutes ago, CantCookStillTry said:

So I can cook the roux to brownish? (These are Noob questions I know). I'm scared of burning so leave it quite pale 3/4 mins before adding the juices. Taking it further would be better not burnt? 

 

It is almost Mardi Gras so roux all over the internet. Yes  dark nut brown is a thing. Example!  https://www.food.com/recipe/microwave-roux-60992

[Shelby]

Cabbage/ramen noodle/smoked chicken salad with beans and ribs

 

[chromedome]

5 hours ago, CantCookStillTry said:

10 hour slow cooked leg of lamb with unpictured Gravy from the juices (diluted). I don't often picture my pan gravys because while they taste great - they look anemic - any ideas? 

(I have to use flour to thicken to get to an Australian standard of Gravy Paste).

 

A couple of thoughts.

First, there's nothing wrong with using a commercial gravy browning product, if you're otherwise happy with the flavor and texture of your gravy. The one I use (Kitchen Bouquet) gets most of its color (and its smidge of flavor) from roasted mirepoix, the way I'd do it myself if I had time. I don't use it often, but when I feel the need I apply a few drops without shame or apology. Just be aware that anything more than a drop or two will give your gravy an over-darkened, artificial appearance.

Second, a dark roux requires practice and *all* of your attention while it's under construction, lest it simply be a burnt and acrid roux. I'm seldom willing to invest the time.

 

I'll offer up my "go-to" tip here. Take a small portion of the jus - say, a quarter-cup or so - and transfer it to a separate small pot or pan. Simmer it until it boils completely away (an occasional glance is all you need to give it, up to that point), then turn down the heat and watch carefully as it darkens to a deep mahogany. Seriously, it should be almost coffee-colored but not quite black. Now deglaze with some water or broth, or whatever other liquid you choose (I generally just use water, but it depends on the dish). Stir and scrape to get up all the browned-on bits and dissolve them into the water, which should be quite dark as a result. Stir that into either the jus (if you haven't started the actual gravy yet) or the finished gravy, which could be under construction on the next burner while you do this (that's how I usually approach it).

 

The browned-on "fond" will darken your gravy quite acceptably, but that's just the first benefit. A second is that you're taking the flavor of your main (lamb in this case, but it applies to anything) and enhancing it through the browning. The browning comes from the actual amines in your main dish, just as they do when you brown the meat itself, which means you're creating the very same flavors you'd get from a good, hard sear and adding them after the fact. It's a powerful technique.

You can use more of the jus if you have lots, and want to really kick up the flavor. Alternatively, you can use the same technique with a prepared broth (chicken, beef, whatever) if you haven't got enough jus. It concentrates the broth so it tastes more like the drippings from your roast, and if you then combine it with the actual jus it works really well. That's a great option when you want to stretch the gravy for a family get-together...I'll often do that at holiday meals, for example. It's a lot easier to press leftovers on everyone as they leave, if you can assure them there's plenty of gravy included.

Edited February 23, 2020 by chromedome
clarity (log)

[Duvel]

5 hours ago, CantCookStillTry said:

So I can cook the roux to brownish? (These are Noob questions I know). I'm scared of burning so leave it quite pale 3/4 mins before adding the juices. Taking it further would be better not burnt? 

It’ll go through several stages of “brown” before the roux will actually burn. Take it slow and you will be fine. And when you think it is brown enough, check out a Youtube video with a Cajun lady making Gumbo and you’ll see that it can get much darker 😉

[TdeV]

Sorry no pictures.

• Beef point brisket sous vide 2.5 days 133F, blow torched by DH
• Pale gravy (made with cornstarch), but reasonably tasty. Thanks to @chromedome and @Duvel, my gravies may become darker in future. 🙂
• Cider vinegar based unsmoked barbecue sauce (untasted, forgotten in microwave).
• Mashed rutabaga with s+ p, plenty of butter (IP 4+ min, high pressure). Topped with toasted pinenuts.
• Artichoke, halved, choke removed, sous vide 2 hours at 185F
• Artichoke dressing: mayonnaise, garlic, lime zest + juice, thyme, parsley. Made by DH.
• Anadama dinner rolls. Recipe called for 3 T molasses, only had 2; added 1 T pomegranate molasses
• Dessert by dinner guest: ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, toasted pecans.

 

[TdeV]

Which reminds me, does it matter whether one makes gravy with cornstarch or flour?

[Duvel]

3 minutes ago, TdeV said:

Cider vinegar based unsmoked barbecue sauce (untasted, forgotten in microwave).

Hahaha, I am so relieved that the “forgotten in microwave” thing doesn’t happen to me alone 🤗

[KennethT]

Just now, TdeV said:

Which reminds me, does it matter whether one makes gravy with cornstarch or flour?

It depends. Gravies thickened with cornstarch are not as stable - especially if you plan on saving/freezing some for later.  Also, they can have a sheen and consistency that some people don't like.

[suzilightning]

8 minutes ago, KennethT said:

It depends. Gravies thickened with cornstarch are not as stable - especially if you plan on saving/freezing some for later.  Also, they can have a sheen and consistency that some people don't like.

So true....

I also use a beurre manie rather than a flour slurry when doing most beef based dishes.  Having said that I am about to go make a blond or dark roux for a chicken and shrimp gumbo.  I don't like to make too dark a roux when I include shrimp.

just my $.02.

[rotuts]

BTW

 

@Duvel 

 

those Weisswurts 

 

as the pulpiest Ive ever seen

 

bet tasty to match.

 

im pleased someone is enjoying W's from time to time

 

just not so pleased its not going to be me.

[heidih]

2 minutes ago, rotuts said:

those Weisswurts 

as the pulpiest Ive ever seen

 

 

I have found when poached you get "the plump" - just my experience

[rotuts]

@heidih  

 

I agree.  

 

Ive been known to slice the W's  in 1/2 " slices

 

and pan saute. 

[Duvel]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

BTW

 

@Duvel 

 

those Weisswurts 

 

as the pulpiest Ive ever seen

 

bet tasty to match.

 

im pleased someone is enjoying W's from time to time

 

just not so pleased its not going to be me.

They were quite good and “short” ... I guess thats why they appear plump. Usually, I buy them fresh so they don’t actually change during the brief time the get warmed in salted water.