eG Foodblog: Adam Balic - An Australian in Scotland

[Adam Balic]

Welcome to blogland Adam...

I hope you will show some real Haggis.

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Tah Jack. Haggis is checked off the list. Already have posted image of haggis hanging in the shop window and 'slicing haggis' in the bacon shot. If England win this match I might just drink enough to have a deep fried haggis supper. If they really really thrash us, I might even go as far as the deadly 'deep fried white pudding' supper.

I refuse the 'King Rib' supper under any circumstances. I leave dangerous food items like that to Bourdain.

Edited August 4, 2005 by Adam Balic (log)

[jackal10]

Is the "Bacon shot" like the "money shot"?

[Adam Balic]

Is the "Bacon shot" like the "money shot"?

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That would depend entirely on what you are into.

But in general I see the position of bacon in a meal as more of a 'fluffer' role.

[snowangel]

Is the game wild or farmed?

[Abra]

Wow, I'm in awe of that butcher shop. But where is that breakfast happening? Looks like you're eating in an elevator shaft.

[Adam Balic]

Is the game wild or farmed?

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Depends on the game and what you mean by farmed. The "wild" boar is conventionally farmed (in the open), pheasants and partridge are raised as chicks by game keepers then released in to the wild (but there are a lot of wild breeding birds as well, especially the Grey Partridge), the red grouse, ptarmigan, snipe, woodcock and ducks are wild birds, although in the case of grouse their habitat is managed to some extent.

The Roe deer in this butcher is wild, but there is farmed deer in Scotland as well.

[Adam Balic]

Wow, I'm in awe of that butcher shop.  But where is that breakfast happening?  Looks like you're eating in an elevator shaft.

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Eh, how does one put this without looking like a plonker? My banana and coffe are carefully composed on "THE MANUSCRIPT OF MONTE CASINO" by Eduardo Paolozzi, which is a sculpture at the top of Leith walk in Edinburgh.

[ludja]

...

The Roe deer in this butcher is wild, but there is farmed deer in Scotland as well.

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A friend recently visiting Edinborough had a really nice dish at a restaurant featuring "red deer". From what I understand this is a species very similar to N.American elk.

[Adam Balic]

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The Roe deer in this butcher is wild, but there is farmed deer in Scotland as well.

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A friend recently visiting Edinborough had a really nice dish at a restaurant featuring "red deer". From what I understand this is a species very similar to N.American elk.

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Yes, they are now considered the same species (Cervus elaphus), although there is still some discussion on this. In Europe an "Elk" (or "Els") is what would be called a Moose in North America.

[fou de Bassan]

Happy to see you are blogging!

I wondered what Ayr bacon was on the shop front. Now I know it's round, but is there a specific curing process that differentiates it further?

Also, glad to know as an aside that Melbourne is food-centric as we will be moving there in another month or so.

[Adam Balic]

Happy to see you are blogging! 

I wondered what Ayr bacon was on the shop front.  Now I know it's round, but is there a specific curing process that differentiates it further?

Also, glad to know as an aside that Melbourne is food-centric as we will be moving there in another month or so.

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Yes, there is a specific process, but I will have to get that book out later.

Melbourne is one of the most food centric places I have ever been in. And I was naive enough to think that it was "normal".

[Jinmyo]

Historically, Scotland is not a big pork eating country. But bacon is another thing entirely. This is a selection of in shop made bacon, smoked, sweet cure and green. Now one of these bacons is specific to Scotland, can anybody identify the cure? Not shown here is gammon and smoked hough.

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Ayrshire, Adam?

edit:

Ack. Read further, saw it was already answered.

Anyway then, ta ever so for the blog, Adam.

Might there be a pie?

Edited August 4, 2005 by Jinmyo (log)

[racheld]

I'm homesick for Edinburgh, and I've been only once, and that for just two days. I love the wander of it, the streets and the uphills and the voices of the passersby.

Love the pictures, the info, the atmosphere you're evoking. The minuscule haricots vert juxtaposed to all that pink seafood is a lovely tableau, and if I could have crammed all my carry-bags full and made it home with those gorgeous beans which were everywhere, I'd have jettisoned woolens right and left.

Without injecting too much "Yank spin" into this---may we hope that there is a huge cold draft blowing from somewhere across all that lovely meat in that very sunny window? Or does the quick morning crowd, as mentioned above, grab up every scrap and make away with it before the warmth seeps in?

Lovely. Just lovely. More, please.

[Priscilla]

Adam, wonderful meat and fish purveyors. Just enviable. Have you ever taken advantage of the brining service? What is commonly or popularly brined?

And, you chose, um, monkfish? I trust you'll be detailing its preparation.

What about veg.

Your kitchen is beautiful! Please detail materials, reasons for choosing, etc.

[little ms foodie]

I also wanted a bit of fish for my supper. Right across the street from Bower's is Armstrong's Fishmonger. : .

Todays selection:

Adam- beautiful pictures!! what is the square of green in this? Is it sea beans??

[Tess]

Correct! It is know as "The Glorious 12th" and marks the opening of the game season, or specifically Grouse season. So the feathered game at the butcher is last years stocks at the moment. Nothing wrong with that, but I prefer to wait for the new season stuff.

Grouse 12th Aug to 10th Dec

Pheasant 1st Sept to 31st Jan

Woodcock 1st Sept to 31st Jan

Partridges 1st Sept to 31st Jan

Snipe 12th Aug to 10th Dec

Ducks 1st Sept to 31st Jan

 

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Adam, when you get the new stuff, I would love to see what you do with it, although your blog will be over. I used to get a lot of upland game birds (mostly grouse and woodcock but some pheasant and ptarmigan) and found cooking them very interesting.

(I'll also do a search on some of those birds.)

[Smithy]

How do the commercial purveyors get wild game? Do they employ their own hunters and shooters? Are there commercial hunters and shooters, so to speak? Or do the locals bring in their bag and sell it?

[Adam Balic]

And so to lunch. Which was this sammosa, which was very nice. No real comments as I was running about like a blue-arsed fly at the time. I also ate one Bailey's chocolate thing.

But there comes a time in the day when a gentleman desires a short one. I have recently discovered that love rum. I know very little about it, but have been working my way through what is availble locally. This is 4 year old Barbancourt Rhum from Haiti, with lime and apple mint. It certainly does the job, but I think I prefer the Mt Gay, although it is cheaper. Must do more research.

[Adam Balic]

Now the bounty from the butcher. A shoulder of lamb (including sweetbread for me) and two 6 point racks. I rushed the butcher, so I actually got a forequater this means I have more prep work then normal. Will have to debone the shoulder, but I also get the neck to use. So I win really.

[Adam Balic]

For tonights dinner I promised my wife a green curry. So I rushed down to Hing Sing the "Chinese" grocer. While this is the smaller of the two in shops in this area, it has the better range of greens

n.b. Notice the chap dressed for an Edinburgh summer.

Greens.

This is one of the mysteries of Edinburgh. Excellent ethnic produce, but I have no idea who uses it. There is one Thai store that flys in fresh, obscure, produce from Thailand every week, yet I don't see it at the Thai restuarants, nor do I see a large SE-Asian presence on the street. Still, I can't complain as I get to take advantage of it all.

This is tonights ingredients. Not show is the sh.rimp paste, spice and galangal.

The blurry orange blob is fresh tumeric, which is fantastic. Nothing like the dried powder, it as a wonderful flora aroma and it freezes. Very useful in a green curry as it brightens the green colours and adds aroma. If you can get it, do.

[Adam Balic]

Adam, wonderful meat and fish purveyors.  Just enviable.  Have you ever taken advantage of the brining service?  What is commonly or popularly brined?

And, you chose, um, monkfish?  I trust you'll be detailing its preparation.

What about veg.

Your kitchen is beautiful!  Please detail materials, reasons for choosing, etc.

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I have used it to get salt beef and gammon cuts. This is from a boiled meat dinner I did a while ago. The two chunks at the back are brined at the butcher

Dinner later.

Reasons for kitchen. Complete destruction of kitchen by plumber and lack of free funds. Smeg was an silly choice at the time, but I am glad we did it.

[FoodMan]

Adam- beautiful pictures!! what is the square of green in this? Is it sea beans??

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that is one awsome picture and I believe these are a sea weed called Salicornia. I could be wrong though...

Elie

[Adam Balic]

Adam- beautiful pictures!! what is the square of green in this? Is it sea beans??

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Thank you I will tell the camera, which deserves the credit. I think that these are what are called sea beans in the USA. It is called samphire in the UK. It like it. I was once served with roast mutton in the UK. Will have to do that one day.

Edited August 4, 2005 by Adam Balic (log)

[Adam Balic]

Adam- beautiful pictures!! what is the square of green in this? Is it sea beans??

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that is one awsome picture and I believe these are a sea weed called Salicornia. I could be wrong though...

Elie

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Thanks. Yep Sea beans/salicornia/samphire are the same thing. Very nice it is and considered a bit posh in the UK at the present time.

[Adam Balic]

How do the commercial purveyors get wild game?  Do they employ their own hunters and shooters?  Are there commercial hunters and shooters, so to speak?  Or do the locals bring in their bag and sell it?

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All of these I think. There is a processing and hanging service at this butcher, so in season the place is full of braces of pheasant/partridge hanging from hooks on the wall.