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What is/was for dinner?
- Thread starter Gutwrench
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9 degrees (F) outside with snow on the ground, so I had no choice but to go out and grill. Had NY strip steaks (medium rare) with mushrooms in butter and sweet potatoes. I am so full, right now.
We did some grilling not so long ago. Gorgeous weather, sizzle, smoke, beer. Good times. Looks like we're heading for more storm systems but it may be an early spring this year.Rain, snow, ice, hot, cold....when I need to grill, I grill! All year long.
Rain, snow, ice, hot, cold....when I need to grill, I grill! All year long.
I might fear for the grill construction at 9 degrees...
That was my dilemma, too.
However, as we each had a different fish dish, it was possible to taste them all.
Each had different vegetable accompaniments, as well (mine came with asparagus, samphire and an unusual take on the theme of "potato cake", which was the only thing I would have faulted with the dish).
I had to look up samphires. Looks like they're very rare here. What do they taste like? Best potato cake I had was full of sauteed veg and flaked herring, yet didn't taste fishy. Fluffy, flavorful, with just the right amount of crispness. I'm not very good at making them.
They are exceedingly fashionable in high end restaurants; to be honest, while I like them, I think them over-rated.
Today, for lunch, I enjoyed a most delightful dish of toasted brioche, onion chutney, dressed salad, and very tasty pâté, served with sparkling water and (afterwards) a welcome espresso.
There will be a cheeseboard (for dinner) this evening: It will comprise: Aged Stilton, mature Cashel Blue, maturing Taleggion, sticky stinky Durrus, extra mature Gouda, stout cheddar, slinky seductive Brie de Beaux, and positively oozing Époisses.
Accompanying this will be rich black soda bread, moist and tasty, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Accompanying this will be rich black soda bread, moist and tasty, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
I love Biryani. So many versions, but this method has never failed me.
Wash the rice… several times until the water runs clear.
Then soak for in salted water for at least 2 hours.
Drain well…
Bring the cooking water to the boil first. Add the rice to the boiling water.
Parboil till just soft outside, but still completely hard inside. In fact best to undercook than overcook.
Cool down and rinse again!
Tadeeq: The most important part.
Take some yogurt, mix with saffron water… add a couple tablespoons cooled rice and mix in.
Heat the pot (with a very nice tight lid) on low heat - in fact a Le Creuset works perfectly.
Spread a nice layer of the yogurt/rice mix all over the bottom of the pot.
Now follow your recipe for flavourings. Plain or spiced with meat in layers…
Pile the rice high in the pot.
Use the back of a wooden spoon and make 5 or so holes into the rice… but not all the way down to the bottom. These act like steam vents.
Place pot on high heat and cook briskly, covered, about 8 or so minutes. Watch it. do not burn the rice.
Take an absorbent dish cloth or towel over the pot. Place the lid on the towel and wrap up tightly.
Then cook (in the oven at 180°C for an hour or on the stove top on a very very low heat. Around 1 hour…
Turn the rice out on to a plate.
The tadeeq should be golden brown crispiness — like a rice rösti… only much better.
If the browned tadeeq sticks it helps often to place the hot pot into a shallow pool of cold water. It will sizzle like the blazes, but the crustiness will break free.
Enjoy!
Scrolling through my photos I only seem to have a pic of a plain saffron Biryani — with a potato tadeeq… (so thin slices of potato on the bottom of the dish. Rice/yogurt on top. etcetera…
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I love Biryani. So many versions, but this method has never failed me.
Wash the rice… several times until the water runs clear.
Then soak for in salted water for at least 2 hours.
Drain well…
Bring the cooking water to the boil first. Add the rice to the boiling water.
Parboil till just soft outside, but still completely hard inside. In fact best to undercook than overcook.
Cool down and rinse again!
Tadeeq: The most important part.
Take some yogurt, mix with saffron water… add a couple tablespoons cooled rice and mix in.
Heat the pot (with a very nice tight lid) on low heat - in fact a Le Creuset works perfectly.
Spread a nice layer of the yogurt/rice mix all over the bottom of the pot.
Now follow your recipe for flavourings. Plain or spiced with meat in layers…
Pile the rice high in the pot.
Use the back of a wooden spoon and make 5 or so holes into the rice… but not all the way down to the bottom. These act like steam vents.
Place pot on high heat and cook briskly, covered, about 8 or so minutes. Watch it. do not burn the rice.
Take an absorbent dish cloth or towel over the pot. Place the lid on the towel and wrap up tightly.
Then cook (in the oven at 180°C for an hour or on the stove top on a very very low heat. Around 1 hour…
Turn the rice out on to a plate.
The tadeeq should be golden brown crispiness — like a rice rösti… only much better.
If the browned tadeeq sticks it helps often to place the hot pot into a shallow pool of cold water. It will sizzle like the blazes, but the crustiness will break free.
Enjoy!
Wonderful.
Just now, I have a craving for biryani - which I might satisfy in an afternoon's slow cooking over the week-end.
What flavourings and spices do you recommend?
I love Biryani. So many versions, but this method has never failed me.
Wash the rice… several times until the water runs clear.
Then soak for in salted water for at least 2 hours.
Drain well…
Bring the cooking water to the boil first. Add the rice to the boiling water.
Parboil till just soft outside, but still completely hard inside. In fact best to undercook than overcook.
Cool down and rinse again!
Tadeeq: The most important part.
Take some yogurt, mix with saffron water… add a couple tablespoons cooled rice and mix in.
Heat the pot (with a very nice tight lid) on low heat - in fact a Le Creuset works perfectly.
Spread a nice layer of the yogurt/rice mix all over the bottom of the pot.
Now follow your recipe for flavourings. Plain or spiced with meat in layers…
Pile the rice high in the pot.
Use the back of a wooden spoon and make 5 or so holes into the rice… but not all the way down to the bottom. These act like steam vents.
Place pot on high heat and cook briskly, covered, about 8 or so minutes. Watch it. do not burn the rice.
Take an absorbent dish cloth or towel over the pot. Place the lid on the towel and wrap up tightly.
Then cook (in the oven at 180°C for an hour or on the stove top on a very very low heat. Around 1 hour…
Turn the rice out on to a plate.
The tadeeq should be golden brown crispiness — like a rice rösti… only much better.
If the browned tadeeq sticks it helps often to place the hot pot into a shallow pool of cold water. It will sizzle like the blazes, but the crustiness will break free.
Enjoy!
Scrolling through my photos I only seem to have a pic of a plain saffron Biryani — with a potato tadeeq… (so thin slices of potato on the bottom of the dish. Rice/yogurt on top. etcetera…
View attachment 819006
Wow wow wow!
That’s amazing.
Soooooooooo, I just might be in your neighborhood....say around......5 pm?
Gives me about 30 minutes… hmmm. No problem.
[doublepost=1548866730][/doublepost]
Well, here's my version.
Now I will admit I cook by eye. So a pinch of this a handful of that…
I use a 4.7 litre Le Creuset cast iron pot… worth doing for when you have guests.
Make small meatballs from lamb. Using fresh parsley, fresh coriander, cumin, turmeric… season well with salt and pepper.
Form walnut sized meatballs no larger. Brown in oil/butter but not completely cooked. Set aside.
Fry some thinly sliced onions until golden, set aside.
In butter fry a handful or so of sliced almonds (pistachios work well as an extra), set aside.
Slice or chop some dried fruit — apricots, dates and some raisins or sultanas, set aside.
Melt some more butter.
Soak a couple strands saffron in hot water. A few tablespoons of liquid.
So proceed as above for the rice.
Layer the yogurt (tadeeq crusty layer).
Spread a layer of cooled rice.
Place some of the lamb meatballs, sliced golden onions, nuts and fruit.
Sprinkle over some of the melted butter, saffron liquid.
Layer again with rice.
Layer with meatballs and onions, fruit etcetera.
Sprinkle over some of the melted butter, saffron liquid.
Also a light sprinkling of ground cinnamon is delicious.
Continue until your pot is filled.
Depends on the size of your pot.
Finish with a layer of the parboiled rice.
Sprinkle over some of the melted butter, saffron liquid.
Poke the holes into the rice.
Proceed as the method I wrote in my original reply.
Cook — I prefer to cook in the oven after the initial heat blast from the bottom.
Turn the whole lot out on to a large platter.
Optional gold leaf decoration!
Eat with drained yogurt mixed with some pomegranate seeds (if in season or available).
Now I am hungry!
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Gives me about 30 minutes… hmmm. No problem.
[doublepost=1548866730][/doublepost]
Well, here's my version.
Now I will admit I cook by eye. So a pinch of this a handful of that…
I use a 4.7 litre Le Creuset cast iron pot… worth doing for when you have guests.
Make small meatballs from lamb. Using fresh parsley, fresh coriander, cumin, turmeric… season well with salt and pepper.
Form walnut sized meatballs no larger. Brown in oil/butter but not completely cooked. Set aside.
Fry some thinly sliced onions until golden, set aside.
In butter fry a handful or so of sliced almonds (pistachios work well as an extra), set aside.
Slice or chop some dried fruit — apricots, dates and some raisins or sultanas, set aside.
Melt some more butter.
Soak a couple strands saffron in hot water. A few tablespoons of liquid.
So proceed as above for the rice.
Layer the yogurt (tadeeq crusty layer).
Spread a layer of cooled rice.
Place some of the lamb meatballs, sliced golden onions, nuts and fruit.
Sprinkle over some of the melted butter, saffron liquid.
Layer again with rice.
Layer with meatballs and onions, fruit etcetera.
Sprinkle over some of the melted butter, saffron liquid.
Also a light sprinkling of ground cinnamon is delicious.
Continue until your pot is filled.
Depends on the size of your pot.
Finish with a layer of the parboiled rice.
Sprinkle over some of the melted butter, saffron liquid.
Poke the holes into the rice.
Proceed as the method I wrote in my original reply.
Cook — I prefer to cook in the oven after the initial heat blast from the bottom.
Turn the whole lot out on to a large platter.
Optional gold leaf decoration!
Eat with drained yogurt mixed with some pomegranate seeds (if in season or available).
Now I am hungry!
Fantastic. That sounds amazing and I shall certainly experiment with this over the week-end.
Now, I am hungry, too.
For today, I decided on a gentle version of potatoes boulangère; gently sautéed onions (very finely sliced) and garlic, (ditto), until softened and golden, a dash of aged balsamic at the end; very thinly sliced potato put into a buttered dish, salt, pepper, butter, sprinkle a little garam marsala, and then layered - onion, potato until the dish is half filled; stock (chicken) added, and then put into a pre-heated oven.
I shall serve sautéed spinach with it, when it is ready.
Today, while prepping and sautéing, the door-bell rang; pleasant and kindly neighbours who hadn't heard of mother's passing until very recently and dropped by to pay their respects and offer their condolences.
So, everything (of a culinary nature) was temporarily put in abeyance.
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Besides a couple of instances of buckwheat crepes which were excellent, but my wife thought the buckwheat overpowered the taste of the rest of the crepe, we’ve had some fantastic French dinners, with the flour crepes we are used too and filet minion. Some of the best green beans ever! No pictures though. Both of the restaurants were little hole in the walls recommended by our hosts. Today we broke down and...
le Big Mac
McDonald’s have taken over the world! I’ve seen them in the UK, Germany, France, and Japan. Ok, not quite the world based on my observations.
No pictures though. Both of the restaurants were little hole in the walls recommended by our hosts. Today we broke down and...
le Big Mac
Besides a couple of instances of buckwheat crepes which were excellent, but my wife thought the buckwheat overpowered the taste of the rest of the crepe, we’ve had some fantastic French dinners, with the flour crepes we are used too and filet minion. Some of the best green beans ever!
McDonald’s have taken over the world! I’ve seen them in the UK, Germany, France, and Japan. Ok, not quite the world based on my observations.
I'd have preferred a picture of the green beans; in my experience, nobody, but nobody prepares and serves green beans as well as a good French chef (whether in a domestic setting or in a restaurant).
You have obviously never been to a "Meat and 3" in the American South. While I am no fan of green beans, the green beans served at these venerable, old school Southern restaurants are legendary. No French chef could ever compare to the old school cooks at these establishments who have been making these beans for decades, (usually as they were taught by their grandmothers!). You really do need to come over here for some serious eating!
You have obviously never been to a "Meat and 3" in the American South. While I am no fan of green beans, the green beans served at these venerable, old school Southern restaurants are legendary. No French chef could ever compare to the old school cooks at these establishments who have been making these beans for decades, (usually as they were taught by their grandmothers!). You really do need to come over here for some serious eating!
Actually, not only have I never been to "Meat and 3" in the American South, I have never been to the US, despite a professional career that has taken me to three continents.
Yes, I probably do need to visit the US; gumbo and jambalaya beckon, as do the green beans you refer to.
However, in the here and now, nothing touches French chefs (for the provision of seriously good green beans) although I look forward to extending my culinary adventures and will readily accept that Southern cuisine - especially in places such as New Orleans (historically influenced by French, Spanish, and African culinary traditions) seem well worth some serious research and investigation.