Odd bits that are actually quite unctuous

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I sauntered up to the local butchers shop for a quick perusal for something for dinner the other day and got very excited when I spotted a small portion of lamb sweetbreads! I had been hunting these beauties down for months and here they are on my own doorstep. Awesome. Needless to say, I bought some. Off home I trotted with my spoils, thrilled that I could finally cook up these delicious morsels into crispy, creamy, explosions of flavour and texture. Ohm, nom, nom…

I soaked them for an hour or so in water to make sure they were well cleaned. Then, I placed them in a pan, and covered them with more water, a little salt and some ground black pepper. Then I brought the pan to a simmer, and let them poach for about 4 minutes untill they were firm yet still springy. I popped them into cold water to let them cool just enough so I could handle them. They have a membrane on them that is well worth peeling off. It’s a little fiddly, but well worth the effort when you eat them. I popped a plate on top of them to “press them”, and left them in the fridge overnight. Then I sliced them into small pieces, about the size of a large grape ready for the final cooking.

I got a bowl of flour very well seasoned with salt and pepper ready. I tossed the small pieces of sweetbread in the flour, coating all the surfaces lightly and then cooked small batches of them in a shallow pan of duck fat untill they turned golden and crisp on the outside. A green salad, served as a base to support the sweetbreads, which I drizzled with good extra virgin olive oil and a nice sharp balsamic vinegar over the top with lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper, set the dish off perfectly. They were crisp and crunchy on the outside and creamy and mild flavoured on the inside but with a richness that means you only need a small amount to satisfy the most discerning of appetites. This makes for a very economical dish.

Sadly, I didn’t take a picture of these morsels of goodness, I was too busy enjoying them. You will have to supply the details in your head, but trust me, the taste sensation is worth the effort.

Now that I have the basic technique right, next time I’ll dress them up a little more like the ones I had at Rockpool in Perth.

Enjoy,

kind regards,

J

 

Four and Twenty Blackbirds…

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I love pies. I’m not sure about the why’s, other than they are great orbs of joy, particularly ones like these artisan pies I found on my travels, right next to the cheese stall, heaven…

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This particular spectacular morsel is a Tractor Wheel Pork Pie made from an old Tudor recipe. The photo doesn’t do it justice. Inside is a spicy pork filling with a nice amount of jelly that balances the pie beautifully. The pastry is rich and crisp without being too heavy or greasy, which is a common complaint. I’m now inspired to go home and make some more of these beauties. Hopefully, I can find a fluted game pie mould in France which will suit me well. I thought this pie was the best ever until I bit into the pork and black pudding pie this fellow also makes, and then I fell in love all over again. Wow, what a revelation that was. Rosa’s spanish sausage shop in Perth will be getting plenty of my custom to add her fabulous sausages to my pies. Beer goes very well with the pork and there has been plenty to try from different brewers over the last two weeks. Fragrant and hoppy, the slightly bitter taste is a great foil for the sweet and succulent pork.Image

We came across a little French Restaurant that was serving calves brains. Yes I know that sounds a bit challenging (read gross) but I’ve always wanted to try them and again, if this place couldn’t do them right with their reputation, then no one could. So, we ordered some to share. This is what came out…

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They came covered with a delicious black butter sauce and capers which cut the richness of the dish nicely. They were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside like very mild pate with a texture not unlike firm cod. It was a little daunting to eat at first, but once we got over the “strange factor” and started to enjoy the flavour they were actually quite delightful. Would I eat them again? Yes, but I would have to be in the right mood.

I wish I could bring the markets home with me. There is such an array of stuff that we just don’t get back home. The mushrooms alone were to die for.Image

I could get seriously fat over here. Next week I’ll be setting out to consume my own weight in cheese, and hopefully marinating myself in some good wine. Life is good.

Enjoy.

Kind regards,

J

PS: check out these fellows…

http://www.orchardpigs.co.uk       http://www.mrskirkhams.com

Leftover roast duck equals noodle soup the day after…

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I love leftovers. I usually make enough dinner to take some to work for lunch the day after but sometimes, the leftovers cry out for a transformation. There is nothing better than reconstructing and revamping one dish into another and making something fabulous and indeed economical with what someone else may just throw out…

Roast a duck in the oven the usual way with potatoes and root veggies and enjoy it with lashings of gravy. Save the carcass and the meat still on the bone after carving and jointing and you can get another meal out of it.

Prepped veggies

Take some veggies that you have lying around in the fridge, preferably chinese style stuff. I used bok choy and spring onions with some snow peas for the greens, some mushrooms and I added carrots too.

Shredded duck.

Shred the meat off the remaining duck carcass and throw the bones into the stock pot.

Stock ready to go.

I use a pressure cooker and just almost cover the bones with water and then cook on high pressure for about 20 mins. Strain the stock to get rid of the bones and voila! Very basic roast duck flavoured stock. It isn’t clear, I like it that way, it has body.

Garlic, ginger and carrot heating through

When the stock is ready, find a pan and add some duck fat to the bottom and fry off an onion for a minute or two until translucent. Add a generous tablespoon of garlic and minced ginger and sweat it for a minute or so until is smells good. Add a sliced carrot and sweat that off for a couple of minutes.

Throw in the non leafy veggies and stalks of bok choy and stir for a minute and then add the duck stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and adjust the seasoning, but go easy on the salt if you’re adding the sauces below. Have your bowls ready with some dried asian noodles in the bottom (dried egg noodles or rice noodles are good, but ramen or any other that you fancy works well) When the soup is hot, drop in the bok choy leaves to wilt, and ladle off the soup into the bowls over the noodles. Garnish with sliced spring onions, bean sprouts and some chilli paste. Serve the soup accompanied with small bowls of :-

2 tablespoons of fish sauce with one green chilli sliced and/or

2 tablespoons of light soy sauce with one red chilli sliced and/or

1 tablespoon Lime juice, one tablespoon fish sauce, one tablespoon fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy!

Leftover roast duck noodle soup.

Kind regards,

J

Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble…

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I had a batch of sauerkraut that didn’t turn out as I wanted. A really big bloom of kahm yeast had formed on the top, and because I had neglected it, it had gone further than I wanted and had compromised the flavour, so the chickens got a prezzie. It also wasn’t salty enough which might explain the overgrowth of kahm. Bummer.

Anyway, I set another batch off today with some added spices for a bit of variety. The health benefits of home made kraut are far superior to the shop bought stuff which is invariably pasteurised and therefore all the good bacteria have been eliminated. The bacillus proliferating in the fermentation process gives the kraut its tangy taste and aids in digestion just like natural yoghurt does. It also improves the nutritional value.

The book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon gives a great description of the good things these old fashioned methods of preserving give us. It’s a pity that we have let the processed food industry and the paranoid regulators diminish our knowledge of the benefits of these great foods by flooding us with so called easy and safer alternatives.

Finely shred the cabbage

Recipe:

2 medium cabbages shredded finely

10 cloves

1 bay leaf

15 black peppercorns

2 teaspoons of cumin seeds

2 tablespoons of salt

4 tablespoons of whey

Cooled boiled water

Firstly, make sure every utensil you use is scrupulously clean, as is your preparation area. Wash your hands properly too, and if you have long hair, tie it up! You can sterilise all your gear if you like, but just make sure there is no residue left, or the batch will just go bad because you have restricted the good bugs from multiplying.

The acidity of the lactic acid fermentation process is in part what protects the cabbage from being consumed by “bad bugs”. Also, if you can buy organic, do so, there is less crap and it does actually taste better.

Shred the cabbage finely with a knife or a mandolin, watch your fingers! Layer the cabbage in the crock, ( I have a Harsch fermentation crock which is excellent ) and add some of the rest of the dry ingredients as you go, tamping down with your fist or a potato masher or similar implement.

The fermentation crock

Repeat until the crock is 80% full. Pop a couple of whole cabbage leaves on the top of the tamped down cabbage and then rest the stones on top. Add your whey and some cooled boiled water until the stones are just covered. ( You don’t actually have to use whey but it speeds things up.)

Pop the crock lid on and fill the moat with water and place in a warm spot ( 20-22’c room temperature) for a few days. You will hear the satisfying sound of “plip, plip” as the kraut starts to ferment. Don’t be tempted to peek just yet.

After a few days warm fermentation, transfer the crock to a cooler environment of about 15’c for 2-3 weeks. After this, the crock needs to go in a cold environment of 0′-10’c. At this point it can be opened and enjoyed at 4 weeks old, but it gets better as it matures over time.

You can transfer the kraut to smaller jars and put them in the fridge now if you want to make the volume more manageable or to make another batch. Just make sure there is enough liquid covering the top of the kraut (add a little cooled boiled slightly salted water if you need to.)

Sometimes a kahm yeast forms on the top. It’s white and sort of fluffy and can be skimmed off the surface. It’s harmless, but doesn’t add to the flavour. Remove any solid matter that has it and looks a little oxidised.

Don’t be put off, home-made sauerkraut  is brilliant, and I can personally confirm its healing properties on the human gut after several bouts of gastro acquired in South East Asia and China.

It’s also delish!

Enjoy!

kind regards,

J

As a footnote:- Use your common sense, if the kraut smells and tastes ok it probably is, if there is black or red mould, and it smells really, really bad, then don’t use it. Trust me, you will know.

 

Lime pickle

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A mature jar

 

I have a thing for pickles. This is my favourite lime one. It goes really well with curries or with Dhal, rice and yoghurt, but it’s also great with cooked meat. It’s salty and slightly bitter and very limey so a little goes a long way, but you do have to keep coming back for more… Delish!

10 Limes cut into 6ths or 8ths depending on size

125g sea salt

1 tbs fenugreek seeds

1 tbs black mustard seeds

1 tbs chilli powder (I like Kashmiri for flavour and not too much heat)

1 tbs turmeric powder

300ml of cold pressed peanut oil

1/2 tsp asafoetida

Method:

Put the limes into a large jar and cover with salt. Dry fry the seeds in a small pan until they are aromatic and “popping”, then grind in a mortar or spice grinder and add to the limes along with the chilli powder and turmeric and mix well.

Dry frying seeds.

Just before mixing.

 

 

 

Heat the oil in a small pan until it just starts to smoke and fry the asafoetida for 30 seconds off the heat. Pour the oil over the limes (they will sizzle) and cover the jar with a lid and leave in a sunny warm spot for 10 days to mature. Shake the jar daily to redistribute the spices. When ready, store in a cool dark place. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

J

Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey…

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They let me enrol in a cheese making course. Uh oh.

I now have marinated herbed feta, plain feta, two lots of lactic butter, a couple of litres of buttermilk and some whey sat in the fridge. On the bench is some falafel fermenting with some added whey and some pickled cucumbers fermenting with more homemade whey. I even pickled some eggs which bear no relationship with the other things previously mentioned. I am now compelled to go back to the supplier for some blue cheese and brie cultures to try those out, even though I have mozzarella and halumi to tackle yet.

I could get addicted to this lark.

We sampled the fetas earlier. They have been sat in brine solution for a day and I must admit the flavour was fabulous. I cut the curd in fairly large cubes and consequently the cheese was soft and moist. Next time I think I’ll cut the curd smaller for a firmer effect.

The butter turned out gorgeous. I used two types of cream from different dairies to see if there was much of a difference. I inoculated the cream with the culture and left them overnight by the log fire to “breed”. This morning I whipped them into butter and the results were spectacular. I spread some on some fresh crusty bread and I swear the effect was like the artisan French butter that costs a small fortune from the deli. The butter milk is rich and thick and really tasty so it should make great pancakes and scones.

Getting the temperature right.

Clean break of the curds.

The curds almost ready to put into the drainers.

Curds drained of whey and settled in the mold to be brined later.

These delicate little curds are just like the junket we used to be served for school dinner puddings. As you can see, there is some more whey to drain yet, but you can appreciate the potential. This is the plain batch, the other I added dried herbs to and will end up covering in olive oil with some added dried tomato and maybe garlic.

Whipping cultured cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is just whipping cultured cream past the point of no return…

The “split”.

Fresh cultured butter using cream from two different dairies.

 

Final product, thick and rich with no additives other than salt and culture. The buttermilk is delicious and will make great pancakes, it’s much more creamy than the shop bought variety, which is like water in comparison.

 

 

Horiatiki salad with home made feta.

 

Here is the Horiatiki salad with the feta I made on Sunday…

It went well with the whey fermented falafel, which was crisp on the outside but moist and juicy on the inside, and the home made mayo for dinner tonight. Yumm.

 

kind regards,

J

 

 

 

Sugar and spice and all that’s nice…

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Well, it’s a week and a half since I got back from the US and I’m craving the pancakes in Chicago from the Famous Pancake House on East Bellevue. They were stunning to say the least and I think I had breakfast there 4 times in 7 days…

Mandarine pancakes with suzette sauce.

My favourites where the mandarin pancakes that came with a Suzette style sauce. They were sweet but not overly so and the sauce was rich and complimented the mandarin segments perfectly. Coffee flows freely in these places after your first purchase (unlike Perth where they charge for each cup.) There were also a good range of savouries such as eggs and ham served with maple syrup pancakes and many styles of omelette, though it takes a bit of getting used to sweet and savoury items all on the same plate…

Strawberry crepes

These strawberry crepes were made with fresh strawberries which still had a pleasant tang and the strawberry compote inside was rich and delicious without being overly sweet. Service was fast despite the place being packed to the rafters and the waitresses were polite and ever so helpful even with my accent that apparently is quite novel.

Another delight was the Chicago Q restaurant that serves BBQ ribs that are to die for. I was too busy mesmerised by the aroma and hand to mouth reflex action to remember to take a picture. I did snap a pic of the house made bread and butter pickles that they serve the minute your bottom hits the seat and these were worth the trip alone. (They are also a freebie! Are you listening Perth?) They were sweet and sour, crunchy yet soft, salty and spiced. I couldn’t persuade them to pass on the recipe. Bummer.

Pickled cucumbers with onions and garlic

The picture doesn’t do them justice.

It’s a pity because they were so good. The ribs were succulent and very tasty. They were meaty and rich without being fatty and came with house made sauces, original Mild, spicy, eastern North Carolina vinegar and South Carolina mustard sauce all of which complimented the meat well. They were so good I ate there twice. Their smoked chicken is awesome. Portion sizes are large to say the least and how the waiters carried some of the trays I will never know. Dear God, some people can pack it away in ways I have never seen before…

I tried a famous Chicago hotdog from Portillo’s, and while it was good, I didn’t have that rave review moment that the place gets from hotdog aficionados. I suspect it’s a cultural thing.

The other great place I went to was The Alhambra Palace restaurant. There is a distinct Morrocan theme but if you have ever been to Spain, think of the Moorish influences of say Majorcan architecture or indeed its Spanish namesake. The food was good and plentiful,  but the stunning decor and the live entertainment made the evening. There were the usual female belly dancers and two male dancers, one of whom was interestingly Asian and very supple. The other fellow was very imposing and reflected the Turkish style of dance with its almost aggressive and protective nature of the women. It was a great night to share with good friends and I think we all had a wonderful time. I would love to go back.

Incidentally, the best meal of the week was the one a dear friend prepared for me at her house when I had just landed. Home made chicken soup, with – wait for it – dumplings. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Man, it was good. It couldn’t have been better even if my mum had made it herself. Perfect timing, perfect flavours, perfect comfort food.

Well, that just about winds up the food of the first week. Stay tuned…

Kind Regards,

J.

P.S. The golden arches get everywhere but none so impressive as this one… 

Of Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tales…

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Singapore, hot steamy and yet still relatively exotic despite a short 5 hour flight from Perth (It’s relative, trust me) February is a nice time to visit as there is less rain and therefore less humidity to drain the life out of you, even if you like that sort of weather. This time, the Swissotel Merchant Court was base for a week. It’s very handy for the MRT and there are plenty of good places to eat along the quay. Also, if you fancy a walk, Boat quay is not that far around the bend in the river… you can always take a “Bumboat” if you feel like traversing the river that way instead.

There are many places to eat in Singapore, you can find anything from Asian to European to Australian to even an American “Hooters”, which incidentally, is staffed by some very pretty but tiny Singaporean Chinese. The look is not quite what you would expect from that particular chain.

Street fountain, one row back from the waterfront, Clarke Quay.

Now some of you already know that I am rather fond of frog legs. The Asian variety in preference to the French version, as they are about 4 times bigger and therefore juicier and much more like eating chicken legs if you are a little squeamish at the thought. Fortunately I am not so, so, when I hear “aww, you wan gingers flog? Best here.” I practically swoon. I tried eating my way through my weight in them this trip. I’m known for wanting to get off the beaten path and find the best places where the locals eat and indeed did find some spectacular dishes for some ridiculously cheap prices.

Ginger and spring onion frog legs, Chinatown.

There were two great little places in china town that both ran a close second, but oddly enough, the best place in town was in a little touristy restaurant at the junction of Boat and Clarke quays. Go figure.

Stir fried Lotus Root.

We took an order of Lotus root, stir fried with chilli and garlic, that had a fabulous crunch to it that went well with the meaty frog and the eel dish that my partner in crime preferred to the constant barrage of my amphibian cravings.

Eel in oyster sauce with spring onions.

The lot went down well with copious quantities of Tiger Beer whose slight bitterness was a great foil for the almost sweet and succulent meat.

Now to snails… and Shanghai…

Snails in black bean sauce.

There is a large food hall in the old section of the walled city in Shanghai that sells the most amazing array of chinese food I think I have ever seen. This place does not remotely serve anything resembling western food. No one speaks english and it seems that pointing is a reasonable way of getting what you want. Being able to say XieXie (Thank you) helps, it makes them smile.

These snails were rich and tender until you hit the cache of baby snails hidden within the shell. I’m not sure I liked the texture though the taste was fantastic. Trying to remove the snails from the shell was interesting with chopsticks until a local pointed out via descriptive sign language, that the toothpicks supplied on the tables was the implement of choice.

Puppy dog tales…

No, I did not eat them. The Chinese like them as pets too it would seem. At least in the centre of Shanghai they did…

Lazy Sundays…

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Cool summer mornings are always nice. This summer has had an unusual number of overcast days and today was another fine example. I fancied something a little different for breakfast this morning, so I rustled up some asparagus, prosciutto, duck eggs, garlic aoli and some crumpets. I could have made hollandaise, but I already had some garlic aoli that I made yesterday and figured it may well be close enough. Besides, it’s Sunday morning and sometimes you just feel lazy.

  Voila, a yummy breakfast…

A couple of Sundays ago we had friends over for lunch. I like cooking for other people, there is something nice about preparing and sharing food with good people. I had a couple of fresh pork bellies and the remaining macadamias from the last crop. I shelled and partly crushed the macadamias and mixed them with finely diced mushrooms, some breadcrumbs, a beaten egg, some chopped sage and heaps of salt and ground black pepper to make a stuffing.

 

I spread the stuffing over the pork belly and sandwiched the two together.Then I tied the bellies together with some butchers string and popped it in the BBQ to roast for a couple of hours.

The finished result was a fabulously crusty crackling with a moist and juicy interior. Despite the fact that the stuffing squished out a little, a jolly good feed was had by all. Oh, and the cold cider went down rather nicely too.

Sautéed Veal Sweetbreads and Marron with Almonds, Oranges and Rosemary.

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It sort of jumped out of the menu at me.

I’d never eaten sweetbreads.

It’s not something you generally see on a supermarket shelf or even in the weirdo ethnic butchers fridge cabinets that I frequent, and trust me, I’ve seen some weird stuff. I suppose they are the special “whisper quietly in the butchers ear” type of order. Since I had never tried them, and I was dining in a particularly auspicious, fancy restaurant in Perth, I figured that if these guys couldn’t make them taste great then no one could. It was either that or the item labeled Four Raw Tastes of the Sea, and I wasn’t really in a sushi/ceviche sort of mood, I was feeling adventurous.

The plate arrived with popcorn sized crispy looking morsels on a bed of salad greens that contained the almonds, slices of orange and some fine rosemary sprigs. My fork pierced the crispy coating into the soft textured middle. I was somewhat apprehensive of the first bite (colleagues had regaled me with horror stories from their childhood, ugh.) Thankfully though, I have never embarrassed myself publicly with a loathing of food on first try (except perhaps for the century egg incident, but that is another story.) So, with a brave breath, I took my first taste of sautéed sweetbread.

Amazing. Just amazing. The texture and taste was reminiscent of firm pate, but still soft and creamy, and the crisp crust added to the delight of the mouth feel. Through the citrus dressing you could taste the rosemary, but there was also a hint of star anise and Szechuan pepper that went well with the slightly bitter greens, almonds and plenty of salt that left a lingering savoury note that suited the semillon sauvignon I was drinking.

The marron pieces were also excellent, with their sweet flesh also crisped on the outside, yet preserving a juicy middle. All in all it was a great entrée. I polished the lot off, relishing every mouthful. I actually wanted to lick the plate (Mummy would have died of shame.)Thankfully, the restaurant had the good sense to provide some fabulous artisan bread and some wonderful French lactic butter to mop up the remaining dressing.

Delightful.

I think I shall have to have a go of that one at home…

Regards, J

Fact File:

Rockpool Bar and Grill

08 6252 1900

Victoria Park
Great Eastern Hwy (Burswood Entertainment Complex)
Burswood, WA 06100
rockpool.com