Air Fryer alert! (It's been a while, I've been branching out to other forms of culinary formation.)
Now one of my first air fryer experiments was frozen fish and frozen chips in the air fryer at more or less the same time. Got that down to a fine art: Preheat air fryer at 200 for 5 mins, chips (having been olive oil-squirted and salty/peppery scattered) another 5 mins at the same 200. It stays 200 throughout. Shake chups, add fush, 7 mins. Turn fush over (having shaken chips again), 7 mins. 4 mins before that is up, a handful of frozen peas into a bowl, dab of butter, in the microwave for 3 mins. A delush fushn'chups should result.
So I wondered, how might this change for steak? It changed good. (@Clarence, did it change good?) 5 mins preheat at 200, chips (I can use a different short vowel sound for steak) 7 mins, turn chips around, steak (ah, let me digress: marinade is a pinch of salt, a tad more pepper, a tad again more garlic powder, and a splash of Worcester) 6 mins, shake chips around and turn steak over, a final 6 mins. Behold, a medium rare to medium (depending on thickness ) steak and chips. Oh, don't forget, as I did, to microwave peas with 3 mins to go.
Irish leek and potato soup, and Irish Brown Bread tomorrow morning, for Saturday lunch. Of which pics, perhaps. The rest of the weekend is @Clarence's.
We pretend we're Kiwis when talking about fish and chips, hence fush n'chups. But we use a short i for chips (which are chips, not crisps) otherwise. Clarence is my dear wife. And here's that Irish Brown Bread. The oven was too hot. It was a stone-age recipe, I had to convert to proper measures. But I forgot that stone-age cooking writers don't use a fan-forced oven. Like the Norwegian Blue, it's resting, so I don't know what it tastes like yet. Leek and potato soup is fine.
We pretend we're Kiwis when talking about fish and chips, hence fush n'chups. But we use a short i for chips (which are chips, not crisps) otherwise. Clarence is my dear wife. And here's that Irish Brown Bread. The oven was too hot. It was a stone-age recipe, I had to convert to proper measures. But I forgot that stone-age cooking writers don't use a fan-forced oven. Like the Norwegian Blue, it's resting, so I don't know what it tastes like yet. Leek and potato soup is fine.
Cool!
The bread looks lovely.
Monty Python would be proud of the "resting" comment. It probably will taste better than a Norwegian Blue, at least a raw one.
I just roasted a duck for the first time for supper. It was delicious. I'm sad I had to share.
I did get to eat the whole liver myself. Sauted in butter and garlic. With salt and pepper. And a dash of marsala wine.
What a way to go.
Planning on using the remainder of the turkey meat (the accessible stuff, anyway) in low-sodium stove top stuffing with my homemade cranberry sauce tonight. I may even eat dinner before midnight!
I just roasted a duck for the first time for supper. It was delicious. I'm sad I had to share.
I did get to eat the whole liver myself. Sauted in butter and garlic. With salt and pepper. And a dash of marsala wine.
Yum. My favourite fowl. It's our staple Christmas roast. While Peking Duck Pancakes are a weeknight treat through the year, especially after fortnightly grocery shopping.
Lots more turkey meat than I expected! The drumsticks and wings will go with the rest of the carcass to make broth tomorrow (simmering for hours and hours with various ingredients), or probably tomorrow. I’ve filled up a big plastic container with water and put it in the freezer so that, once the stock has simmered down enough and I’ve strained it, I can put the block of ice in to cool it off enough to refrigerate.
I used, in the days when I could be bothered, to do what I thought of as Carpet Duck. This entailed de-boning the body and spreading it out thus maximising the area of crispy skin - which I'd the whole point of duck IMO.
We rarely have it now though - bit too chewy for Mr F (as are a lot of things).
@Nenya asked for the recipe for sausages & rice I was wittering about in All Saints, so here it is:
For one rather greedy piglet:
3 medium sausages
A little oil
2 finely chopped shallots (they were rather small)
½ cup rice
A pinch of saffron threads
Salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika
About half a cup of frozen peas, thawed
Heat just enough water to make a film in the bottom of a heavy casserole. Prick the sausages and add to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, turning often, until the water has evaporated and the sausages are beginning to colour.
Remove the sausages to a plate and add the shallots to the pan with some salt, pepper and paprika and a little oil. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to colour, then add the rice and saffron. Stir to get the rice nicely coated, then add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir again, turn the heat down as low as possible, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes.
Cut the sausages into chunks and add them to the pan, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a few more minutes, fluff up the rice and serve.
A month ago we were invited to visit the dear old friend who has made traditional Christmas cakes for her friends for years, expecting to receive our annual gift. She announced that she had retired and told us, "Here's the recipe". Neither of us had ever made such a cake before, but the result really didn't look too bad and we gave her one of the two that we made. A few days later we got a phone call telling us it was burnt, and they had left it outside for the wildlife to devour. Unfortunately the neighbour's dog scarfed the whole thing down, and they were waiting to hear if there would be a vet bill.
Eventually we unwrapped our own cake, and certainly it was quite dark, but tasted amazing, with a gentle bouquet of cheap brandy. Next year we won't change a thing, but will be careful about who we share it with.
Oh my goodness @Stercus Tauri I did not know whether to laugh or cry at your friend's critique of your Christmas cake, and then the neighbours poor dog, I do hope it will be OK.
My mother in law retired from doing her cakes only a couple of years ago, she is now 93, so I suppose we knew it would happen, but I think hers always taste the best, no matter how closely I try to follow the recipe!
A month ago we were invited to visit the dear old friend who has made traditional Christmas cakes for her friends for years, expecting to receive our annual gift. She announced that she had retired and told us, "Here's the recipe". Neither of us had ever made such a cake before, but the result really didn't look too bad and we gave her one of the two that we made. A few days later we got a phone call telling us it was burnt, and they had left it outside for the wildlife to devour. Unfortunately the neighbour's dog scarfed the whole thing down, and they were waiting to hear if there would be a vet bill.
Eventually we unwrapped our own cake, and certainly it was quite dark, but tasted amazing, with a gentle bouquet of cheap brandy. Next year we won't change a thing, but will be careful about who we share it with.
Many years ago it was my task to bake the family Christmas cake. I seem to remember that it needed very long baking - around 4 hours - on a low setting.
I am a devout Luddite where kitchen gadgets are concerned, but that's one item I've come to regard as a basic necessity (along with the spurtle and wooden spatula).
My quarrel with a lot of Italian cuisine is the tomato, with which I have an edgy relationship. But tonight was pasta/prawns/chilli/peas/lemon and basil - and a lot of butter - which was fine. A nice Cape Viognier with that.
Mine certainly isn't. Just running blades under running warm water has been enough the twice I've used it. The manual, and review posts, say that for a more thorough clean, fill a jug with hot soapy water, and run the blender in it. Then rinse well.
Thank you. I believe I have one at the back of the cupboard, barely used because I was worried about the cleaning aspect. I'll get it out and take a look, although I very seldom feel the need of one as I don't really like soup... *runs and hides*
Just out of interest I looked these up on a catering supplier that I use occasionally (Martini glasses mainly). The prices go from c £40 to several thousands - though at the high end you are getting something with its own stand and set of wheels. But leaving those aside, that still leaves a lot that look very similar but vary over 100s of £. What would you consider a reasonable price?
The one I've had for a great many years has a sort of power unit that clicks into the top of the food-processor and the mini-blender, or attaches directly to the whisk or the stick blender. You then plug it into the wall and away you go! Power unit is wipable, the rest can be washed. The whole lot came as one set, think it was either my sister or parents who gave it me.
Mini-blender is ideal for making ginger & garlic paste when cooking Indian style.
I'd not be without the mini blender for spice pastes and breadcrumbs.
There's the rather bulky food processor that runs the jug blender. Plus a grater, really only used the few times a year we have a cheese fondue. And the hand mixer for whipping cream or egg whites.
I think my dream is an appliance that blends, grates and whisks, is easy to clean, and takes up very little cupboard space.
My stick blender is a Kenwood and costs about £50 these days. It is great, I bought it as I was getting a soup recipe box from our veg delivery company and wanted make it easier.
I'd not be without the mini blender for spice pastes and breadcrumbs.
There's the rather bulky food processor that runs the jug blender. Plus a grater, really only used the few times a year we have a cheese fondue. And the hand mixer for whipping cream or egg whites.
I think my dream is an appliance that blends, grates and whisks, is easy to clean, and takes up very little cupboard space.
Mine is by a brand called Cookworks - I think they're Argos' own brand. I probably paid about £25 for it (they're currently in the sale for £20). It has a bladed whizzy-whizz for soup, a whisk and a little mini-processor that all use the same motor unit, and a tall jug.
So far (crosses trotters) it's served me well - I've probably had it for about four years - but if it goes phut it'll be no hardship to get another.
And I've just made my first smoothie 😊 It's mango season up here in N Queensland, but I guess you can buy frozen diced mango in less favoured climes? Or make strawberry or banana or whatever.
A couple of handfuls of diced mango
50gr natural yoghurt
A generous scoop of vanilla icecream
A cup of chilled milk
A tbsp of honey
Put all that into a jug (one comes with the Breville)
Immerse blender (hence its name) and blend until thick and smooth. Say 30 secs. On medium speed.
Tonight's comestible. And nary an air fryer or tagine or slow cooker or immersion blender to be seen. Only the good old-fashioned stove top and oven grill. I say (and we ate) creamy fish, but chicken would go well with this recipe, or just veggie, it's scrumptious enough already.
As a Johny-come-lately to this cooking lark, or an old beans-on-toast dog learning new tricks, I’m eagerly devouring recipes from across the Web. Many of them are on American sites. And nowhere is George Bernard Shaw’s aphorism “England” (and by extension, Australia) “and America are two nations divided by a common language” more true than in recipes. America uses Stone Age measures which I have to convert to Godly metric, they call things weird names (Cilantro, anyone?), and they list items which are proprietary tat from Walmart which nobody has heard of outside of that benighted land (or if they have, they make it themselves from the underlying and healthier ingredients. “Half and half” comes to mind). https://taste.co
@Foaming Draught I think at our end of the world cilantro is called coriander. My husband made what we call Dad burgers for dinner tonight, I haven't eaten mine yet because I think that the evening meal at 5.30pm is way too early and would have me raiding the kitchen by 8.30.
Mum or Dad burgers are nothing special, they are just what we used to call the more budget friendly version of fast food, when our kids were little and funds were quite tight. Funnily enough the kids still love them even though they are now adults. I suspect that being able to customise the salad toppings has a certain appeal
Are your husband's "Dad burgers" just homemade beefburgers?
My mum used to make them - I think they were just minced beef with seasonings (maybe a pinch of herbs as well), formed into patties and fried, served with home-made tomato sauce (made with tinned tomatoes, onions and herbs, and quite chunky). They were rather nice.
During lockdown, I worked on the Ultimate Cheeseburger. These buns are awesome, although I make six rather than eight with this quantity.
Cook your patty for two, three or four minutes on each side (rare - medium - well-done) then put your cheese slices on, put on a lid and let it melt for an extra minute. Speaking of cheese, I favour cheddar or mimolette. Something a bit acidic.
Assemblage: spread your pre-toasted buns with sauce on both sides. I have been known to make my own barbecue sauce but that really depends on having the time. Pickles go under the patty so they hit your tongue first. Cheese next (already melted on by this stage), then onions, tomato, salad. I'm not a fan of raw onion but that's a matter of taste. On one occasion when I forgot to buy lettuce, I replaced it with chopped parsley and was pleasantly surprised to find it very tasty.
I'm not keen on restaurant or cafe burgers
I like my food hot or cold, so I don't like the heap of cold salad items on the hot pattie.
Sliced melty cheese seems to be obligatory, and I would much rather have some real cheese, a vintage cheddar or Stilton. And finally - why are burgers now served on a brioche bun? I find the sweet taste on my tongue most unpleasant.
I don't often make burgers, but there's a nice version with mince, onion, seasoning and 3 types of cheese mixed in - cottage, cheddar* and parmesan.
*or whatever you have to hand, but there's other 2 are mandatory.
To make up for an expensive but frankly disappointing meal** out yesterday I am planning in-house treats. Lamb chops are marinading in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano as I write. There are kidneys and mushrooms for rognons à la moutarde tomorrow, belly pork for Chinese red-cooked pork (probably with sweet/sour courgettes), and prawn and monkfish skewers also in the offing.
**but the restaurant was hooching - clearly there is a market for large slabs of scorched protein.
Comments
Now one of my first air fryer experiments was frozen fish and frozen chips in the air fryer at more or less the same time. Got that down to a fine art: Preheat air fryer at 200 for 5 mins, chips (having been olive oil-squirted and salty/peppery scattered) another 5 mins at the same 200. It stays 200 throughout. Shake chups, add fush, 7 mins. Turn fush over (having shaken chips again), 7 mins. 4 mins before that is up, a handful of frozen peas into a bowl, dab of butter, in the microwave for 3 mins. A delush fushn'chups should result.
So I wondered, how might this change for steak? It changed good. (@Clarence, did it change good?) 5 mins preheat at 200, chips (I can use a different short vowel sound for steak) 7 mins, turn chips around, steak (ah, let me digress: marinade is a pinch of salt, a tad more pepper, a tad again more garlic powder, and a splash of Worcester) 6 mins, shake chips around and turn steak over, a final 6 mins. Behold, a medium rare to medium (depending on thickness ) steak and chips. Oh, don't forget, as I did, to microwave peas with 3 mins to go.
Irish leek and potato soup, and Irish Brown Bread tomorrow morning, for Saturday lunch. Of which pics, perhaps. The rest of the weekend is @Clarence's.
What would that mean? (Also, is @Clarence a spouse, offspring, friend, visitor, alternate version of oneself from a parallel universe, etc.?)
Cool!
The bread looks lovely.
Monty Python would be proud of the "resting" comment.
I did get to eat the whole liver myself. Sauted in butter and garlic. With salt and pepper. And a dash of marsala wine.
What a way to go.
Planning on using the remainder of the turkey meat (the accessible stuff, anyway) in low-sodium stove top stuffing with my homemade cranberry sauce tonight. I may even eat dinner before midnight!
Yum. My favourite fowl. It's our staple Christmas roast. While Peking Duck Pancakes are a weeknight treat through the year, especially after fortnightly grocery shopping.
We rarely have it now though - bit too chewy for Mr F (as are a lot of things).
For one rather greedy piglet:
3 medium sausages
A little oil
2 finely chopped shallots (they were rather small)
½ cup rice
A pinch of saffron threads
Salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika
About half a cup of frozen peas, thawed
Heat just enough water to make a film in the bottom of a heavy casserole. Prick the sausages and add to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, turning often, until the water has evaporated and the sausages are beginning to colour.
Remove the sausages to a plate and add the shallots to the pan with some salt, pepper and paprika and a little oil. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to colour, then add the rice and saffron. Stir to get the rice nicely coated, then add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir again, turn the heat down as low as possible, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes.
Cut the sausages into chunks and add them to the pan, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a few more minutes, fluff up the rice and serve.
Eventually we unwrapped our own cake, and certainly it was quite dark, but tasted amazing, with a gentle bouquet of cheap brandy. Next year we won't change a thing, but will be careful about who we share it with.
My mother in law retired from doing her cakes only a couple of years ago, she is now 93, so I suppose we knew it would happen, but I think hers always taste the best, no matter how closely I try to follow the recipe!
Many years ago it was my task to bake the family Christmas cake. I seem to remember that it needed very long baking - around 4 hours - on a low setting.
You've only got one of those magical inventions now?!? And I thought you were Cooking Gadget Man!
I wouldn't be without mine; it was one of the first things I replaced (because cross-Pond electricity) when I moved back to Scotland.
Are they not hard work to clean properly?
Mine certainly isn't. Just running blades under running warm water has been enough the twice I've used it. The manual, and review posts, say that for a more thorough clean, fill a jug with hot soapy water, and run the blender in it. Then rinse well.
I don't need a blender that much, but the jug one I have is getting rather battered, plus a faff to clean.
I'm tempted by the ones that come with a whisk as well as a blender, as that could replace the handheld mixer as well.
Mini-blender is ideal for making ginger & garlic paste when cooking Indian style.
We have one from a well-known German brand that cost about €40 and seems to be holding up well. It doesn't whisk though.
There's the rather bulky food processor that runs the jug blender. Plus a grater, really only used the few times a year we have a cheese fondue. And the hand mixer for whipping cream or egg whites.
I think my dream is an appliance that blends, grates and whisks, is easy to clean, and takes up very little cupboard space.
You need a Daisy (Downton Abbey)
So far (crosses trotters) it's served me well - I've probably had it for about four years - but if it goes phut it'll be no hardship to get another.
A couple of handfuls of diced mango
50gr natural yoghurt
A generous scoop of vanilla icecream
A cup of chilled milk
A tbsp of honey
Put all that into a jug (one comes with the Breville)
Immerse blender (hence its name) and blend until thick and smooth. Say 30 secs. On medium speed.
Just right when it's 36C at 2pm.
https://meandering-maudie.blogspot.com/2025/01/creamy-fish-and-vegetables.html
Kind of like a fisherman's pie, but without the potatoes.
https://taste.co
Mum or Dad burgers are nothing special, they are just what we used to call the more budget friendly version of fast food, when our kids were little and funds were quite tight. Funnily enough the kids still love them even though they are now adults. I suspect that being able to customise the salad toppings has a certain appeal
My mum used to make them - I think they were just minced beef with seasonings (maybe a pinch of herbs as well), formed into patties and fried, served with home-made tomato sauce (made with tinned tomatoes, onions and herbs, and quite chunky). They were rather nice.
Cook your patty for two, three or four minutes on each side (rare - medium - well-done) then put your cheese slices on, put on a lid and let it melt for an extra minute. Speaking of cheese, I favour cheddar or mimolette. Something a bit acidic.
Assemblage: spread your pre-toasted buns with sauce on both sides. I have been known to make my own barbecue sauce but that really depends on having the time. Pickles go under the patty so they hit your tongue first. Cheese next (already melted on by this stage), then onions, tomato, salad. I'm not a fan of raw onion but that's a matter of taste. On one occasion when I forgot to buy lettuce, I replaced it with chopped parsley and was pleasantly surprised to find it very tasty.
Junk food from heaven.
I like my food hot or cold, so I don't like the heap of cold salad items on the hot pattie.
Sliced melty cheese seems to be obligatory, and I would much rather have some real cheese, a vintage cheddar or Stilton. And finally - why are burgers now served on a brioche bun? I find the sweet taste on my tongue most unpleasant.
I don't often make burgers, but there's a nice version with mince, onion, seasoning and 3 types of cheese mixed in - cottage, cheddar* and parmesan.
*or whatever you have to hand, but there's other 2 are mandatory.
To make up for an expensive but frankly disappointing meal** out yesterday I am planning in-house treats. Lamb chops are marinading in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano as I write. There are kidneys and mushrooms for rognons à la moutarde tomorrow, belly pork for Chinese red-cooked pork (probably with sweet/sour courgettes), and prawn and monkfish skewers also in the offing.
**but the restaurant was hooching - clearly there is a market for large slabs of scorched protein.
Maybe it's more of a Scottish usage? Crowded, busy, full of - possibly related to the shouts of 'heugh' when dancing at a ceilidh.