Tuesday, 31 December 2013

A refreshing - if frustrating - dessert for winter

Today I made Mr Slater's Refreshing dessert for winter served with Brandy snaps
The fruity dessert  consists of clementines and pomegranate - very healthy, but a desert is a treat and we all need a little bit of naughtiness! Hence the brandy snaps. The addition of pistachios to the brandy snap mixture adds texture and flavour.
I had a disaster with my first batch, leaving them to cool for 5 mins as instructed by the recipe, they became too cool to shape. Learning by my mistakes the second batch fared better. 
I also made the Potato and onion sauté from page 507 for lunch to accompany - yes - left over turkey. 
Quick to prepare, very tasty accompaniment to any meat or fish. 

Monday, 30 December 2013

Forgot to post the picture

This is the photo of the soup
It was not one of my favourites but it was OK
My husband didn't like it, and it was the first Nigel Slater recipe he didn't finish eating!!!!

Getting days all mixed up

The Kitchen Diaries suggest Roast goose with chickpeas, lemon and stuffing for Christmas dinner, but as I had nine for dinner I decided a turkey might be a better option as it would be difficult to find a goose big enough. We did however have Mr Slater's wonderful  Brussels sprouts with bacon and almonds. 
So the goose will be cooked for a New Years dinner party instead. 
Yesterday I cooked Sweet soup and a sizzling salad. These recipes came under Boxing Day so you can see I am getting a little behind with recipes but Christmas just seems to take over. 
Following a wonderful party at our friends Gilky and Richards I decided something light for supper would be good so I cooked the sizzling salad which fantastically was also a way to use up left over tukey. It was spicy, very asty and quick to make. The salad was refreshing and a nice change from the indulgence of Xmas.
The soup - Sweet potato soup, potato skins and coconut we had for lunch. 

Boxing Day

Today for lunch I served my marinated salmon and terrine with a freshly made Salad of celeriac, soured cream and mustard. 
Went extremely well together and was enjoyed by everyone 

Tuesday, 24 December 2013

Christmas Eve

This is how my marinated salmon looked when it had been refrigerated for four days.( The accompanying Salad of celeriac, soured cream and mustard not yet made as we will have this on Boxing Day )
Yesterday I made the Mincemeat and orange trifle just topping it with the cream this morning ready for Xmas Eve supper.  December 23rd and the chapter is headed " A long day in the kitchen" and of this recipe Mr Slater says " this is probably the longest and most complex recipe I have ever included in a book". 
It is time consuming to make but not that complex. The result is a very rich but quite different trifle, the addition of mincemeat giving it a Christmassy feel. Definitely worth a go. 
No left overs here!!!

Wednesday, 18 December 2013

Getting ready for Christmas


Today I have started getting ready for Christmas - a rest from the wedding preparations!!!
I have made A coarse and fruit terrine - well two actually.
Here they are in their water bath ready for the oven. Will report their success or failure at a later date!!!
I also made  Salmon marinated with beetroot, dill and orange.
Here it is awaiting being pressed with a heavy weight. Again I will report on its success or failure later. I have never cured fish before, always buying ready done. In fact my husband couldn't understand why I wanted to do this when I could buy it ready done saving a lot of time and energy!!!! 
The salmon will now rest for 4 days. 
Bring on the wedding !!!!!

  

Clementines in your Christmas stocking

The recipe yesterday was Roast Duck with apples, clementines and prunes. 
Mr Slater reminisces about the arrival of Christmas oranges when he was little. I remember they were always put in our Christmas stockings along with new coins - can you imagine the faces of children today if that is what they found in their stockings!!!!
I made this for my husband and daughter and wow , what a success. They both loved it and want me to make it again - soon !!! The accompanying gravy is a delight, full of flavour and texture - don't blend it. I also followed the recipe for the duck stock so this probably added to the rich rich flavour of the gravy.

Monday, 16 December 2013

Making life manageable

The recipe yesterday was a Lifesaving soup. 
Mr Slater describes this fishy soup as one which makes "......life manageable when there's so much going on!"
Well I hope he is right, Christmas round the corner and my daughter getting married on Saturday I am in need of some life saving!!!!
Couldn't find the white misto misto paste so had to settle for brown. 
Well it was a good soup but life saving? A stiff drink would be better !!!

Friday, 13 December 2013

"Carnivorous lust"

This recipe says Mr Slater is "....a feast of sorts..."
It is certainly for the meat lover but absolutely wonderful. The recipe Roast pork belly with   Pomegranate molasses 
The pomegranate molasses had to be another internet buy and although it was only £2:39 the postage was £5:99!!!!!!!
Worth buying though because I will make this recipe again. Long slow cooking with high heat at the end results in meat which pulls apart easily with a wonderful crisp crackling. The molasses gives a depth of flavour with a caramelised crust. Delicious !!!!

Wednesday, 11 December 2013

The most expensive vegetable dish ever !!!

Today I made Roasted roots with vin cotto ( should have made it yesterday but thought they would go well with the steak we were having for tea tonight!)
This recipe has to be the most expensive vegetable dish I have ever made. The dressing proved to be the expensive item. The verjuice and vin cotto I had to get on the Internet and couldn't get them from the same supplier consequently postage cost quite a lot the verjuice cost £12:74 in total and the vin cotto £14:94 so as you can see a very expensive evening meal but of course I still have lots left to use on other occasions. 
The result was nice - ish but not sure worth the effort of finding the vin cotto and verjuice!!!

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Oxtail again

December 10 th and today's recipe is A casserole of oxtail and prunes
The chapter is headed " Consider the prune "
I remember prunes and custard served at school when we would all count the stones to find out what kind of man we would marry !!! Never liked them then but was made to eat them as we were not allowed to waste food then. 
So this evenings tea already cooked as Mr Slater says a slow cooked dish ".....is better for a night in the fridge". 
The result is a very rich casserole with lots of intense flavour. I can be a bit squeamish about eating things like oxtail but just forgot about where the meat had actually come from and really enjoyed this. Ideal for a cold winter's day. 

Monday, 9 December 2013

A faff ?


I agree with Mr Slater in yesterday's chapter headed "A better canapé" - making canapés is fiddly and a faff. However I do love eating them! 
One of today's recipes - Sunday December 8th - is Rarebit puffs
Little puff pastry parcels filled with a cheesy mixture. Made these for my daughters hen do, well worth the effort. As he said ".......they disappear before you can say rabbit". 
(Some of mine leaked their filling a bit but didn't spoil)
The second recipe was A cheesecake for Christmas.
This cheesecake  - an experiment by Mr Slater "..........to use mincemeat outside its short, traditional Yuletide window........" is well worth a go. 
Made this for a dinner party and it was a great success. Easy to make as long as you have plenty of time as it is an hour baking, an hour sitting in a switched off oven and then overnight in the fridge. 
When I am entertaining I'm a great fan of things which can be done in advance, so for me, a perfect dessert for entertaining. 
Served with lashings of cream and orange slices - divine. 

A rare treat

On Saturday a chapter headed "A fruit for Christmas". 
The pomegranate - a rare treat when we were children, eaten when sitting with the fruit on our knees picking out the seeds with a pin ( no health and safety then!)
I made Orange and pomegranate cake
Mr Slater says ".......outrageously moist, grittily sweet and delightfully tart....."
My verdict - a nice cake but not amazing. 
However not a morsel left by the end of the day!!!

Friday, 6 December 2013

Uggghhhh!!!!!

Dec 6 th and a chapter headed " A big useful casserole". 
A recipe "in" says Mr Slater "....the rich tradition of old fashioned good housekeeping."
Butter bean cassoulet .

When I read this recipe I shuddered - ugghh - having once had cassoulet in a London restaurant ( a well known one in fact ) and hating it. Everything about it, the textures, the look of the pale almost undercooked sausages - again ugghh!!!!!
This, however, must be tried. The sausages cooked "......until golden on all sides...." Before adding back to the " cassoulet" meant this dish looked more inviting. 
Lovely flavours running through and the beans were OK too. 
A success, will make again,  ideal for our British winters. I served with crusty bread to mop up the sauce. ( Much nicer than the posh London restaurant)

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

In second place ......

Dec 4 th and the recipe is A Christmas posset
Made from clementines - a fruit always reminiscent of Xmas. Always found them in our Christmas stockings alongside nuts and new coins when we were children. 
This was heaven - a close second to Passion fruit creams made back on March 2 nd. 

Monday, 2 December 2013

Can be dishwater dull!!!!

December 2 nd and a new chapter headed " A pasta soup for Xmas". 
Mr Slater says "........chicken noodle soup can be good and it can be dishwater dull...."  
Let's see how mine turns out. 
Angel hair noodles, chicken broth and chives. 
Well this was delicious - (buying angel hair noodles was more difficult than anticipated as they come under various names)
And "A cake is not just for Christmas". 
About Christmas cake Mr Slater says "......almost everyone likes at least one layer of it but few.....like them all". 
How true this is - a fact revealed as one collects the plates with one or another layer of the iced Xmas cake left behind. 
The second recipe today is an alternative to the traditional cake. Chocolate hazelnut slice. 
Chocolate and hazelnuts - a perfect combo for me. 
Apart from having to add a lot more sugar to make my praline this recipe worked like a dream and was so so delicious. Quite spectacular to serve too with its topping of shines hazelnuts in a crisp praline. 

Sunday, 1 December 2013

White rabbits

December 1st and white rabbits!!!!
A chapter headed "The start of it all". 
Mr Slater says "...... the festival that is Christmas has begun", and he begins to plan the recipes he will use this season. 
I will endeavor to continue following his recipes but Xmas is the last thing on my mind with a daughters wedding coming up on 21st Dec. 
"Planning is essential......." he says. 
Help  ! Not only have I a wedding but 4 children and partners joining us over the Xmas period. 
The recipe today is Parsnip and potato croquettes
I found these time consuming to make but if you have time they are worth the effort. Very tasty, and they can be made in advance and popped into the oven just before you need them. The accompanying tomato sauce however was quick to make and very good.