The Official Food Porn Thread

[hoverfly]

@Mark: OK, diabetes does require a different approach to most things kitchen anyway. I wasn't aware of that.

Still, it shouldn't keep you out of the kitchen too much, that is of course assuming that there is an inherent interest in the subject and the willingness to put in the time. Billions of people are quite happy to simply eat what is put in front of them, no problem.

Hobby chefs can in some cases easily be compared to any other nutcase on this planet, such as stamp collectors or people who'll do anything in pursuit of a rare record. It can become a bit of an obsession.

Take me, I have been known to spend 6 to 8 hours going from butcher to butcher and from one supermarket counter to the next in search of the perfect piece of Yorkshire Salt Marsh Lamb. Asking for thin slivers everywhere to first taste it. Mad, isn't it? But then, the differences in this particular British delicacy are enormous. With a bit of well developed taste bud, you can actually determine what the lamb fed on, ie. which herbs. BTW, I am just as bad when it comes to ribeye. The thinnest of slivers of chilled raw meat, left to lie on your tongue for a couple of minutes and I know exactly what the cow had been feeding on and just how it will turn out when cooked, unless I bugger it up.

I've not made any pasty myself as yet. I like it, but not to the extent of going all out and doing it myself. Maybe time for a different take on this.

As for spending days in prepping food... Yes, I've been known to mature hare in buttermilk to days on end, just to get that extra bit of tenderness, so I can understand your neighbour and there is nothing as rewarding as feeding friends a five course meal that I have been slaving over a hot stove for all day.

Yes, obsession would probably fit the bill quite nicely, but since I am retired anyway, I have all the time in the world to do it, which certainly doesn't apply to everybody here.

And here to disprove everything I have been saying all along, off to the kitchen it is and I will stick a 99p deep pan pizza in the oven since I really can't be bothered to do anything else tonight. Junkfood ahoi.

[jobleau]

Originally Posted by hoverfly

Yes, the woes of living in the Third World.

Yeah, right. Thanks for remembering us.

Originally Posted by hoverfly

Update:
Just had a quick peek at startpage.com and searched for 'making clotted cream'. Jeez, tons of links just pop up and from what I can gather it is really easy to make yourself. Cream in jar, into the oven, out comes Clotted Cream. Doesn't get much easier then that, does it?

Here are a couple of links to pages mentioning different recipes:
Cupcake Project: Making Clotted Cream at Home is Much Easier Than You Think

wikiHow: How to Make Your Own Clotted Cream

There are tons more out there, so feel free to research and try other methods. Oh, and don't forget to tell us about how it went.

Gee! That looks too easy not to try!

For once I'll be happy for not having a doctor, who would probably have a fit if I had to tell him/her I had some of that gorgeous cream.

[hoverfly]

I too was surprised at just how simple the process is. The only reason why I am unlikely to try it myself is the ready availability in the UK, but do let us know how it went.

Don't check the fat levels in your blood, you might have a heart attack just from looking at the figures. It is a treat, it has to be said. Pretty much as anything that clocks up almost 70% fat content.

So long as you remember to use only raw or untreated cream. Funny, I just reread one of the methods and it said that such products in the USA are labelled as for pet use only, not fit for human consumption. What a strange idea.

Oh, on the subject of British milk and cream. If you ever come to Britain and you like milk, don't miss our finest 'Gold Top' milk. Comes from the Channel Islands and has a naturally occurring fat content of 6.5%. Why it is appropriately named 'Gold Top' will become sufficiently evident when you see the bottle. Another one of those 'heart attack foods' Britain is so fond and proud of.

Right, off to the Leigh Folk Festival which is on today and tomorrow. Wish us luck with the weather.

[PaintItPretty]

This is the Filet Mignon (beef Tenderloin) recipe that I was referring to, Hoverfly. You must try.



http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef...0000000549853/

[PaintItPretty]

It would seem that I'm an absolute professional at posting...

Seriously, I hope I get better at this, because I just spent the past 30 minutes trying to post one recipe. lol

[Thicknshort]

That looks yummy PaintitPretty..... but it's got nuttin on my mutton!

I know I'm out of control...last one, I promise. lol

Good thread BTW...by everyone, you're all making me hungry!

[hoverfly]

Originally Posted by Thicknshort

That looks yummy PaintitPretty..... but it's got nuttin on my mutton!

I know I'm out of control...last one, I promise. lol

Good thread BTW...by everyone, you're all making me hungry!

You have a good mutton recipe. Come on, let's have it. Please, pretty please. I love mutton, hogget, well cooked can be even better. Lamb is very nice, but it can lack flavour.

I just learned that there is apparently only on term used for all sheeps meet in the USA and Canada, at least according to Wiki.

So, if you are unsure what the differences are between lamb, mutton and hogget, please use this link to Wiki for more details:
Lamb, mutton & hogget

Of all those animals we like boned-out, rolled and stuffed roast shoulder best. In fact, I think I should post that recipe here asap.

[hoverfly]

Chelsea Buns



Ingredients (makes 12 buns)
For the dough:
500 grams of strong white bread flour
300-350 ml of warm whole milk (3.5% fat min.)
100 grams of white sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
50 grams of melted butter
30-35 grams of fresh bakers yeast

For the filling:
120-150 grams of very soft butter
200 grams of good quality dried currants
150-200 grams of soft natural dark Muscovado sugar (unrefined cane sugar)
2-3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
Extra butter for greasing a large pie dish

For the finishing touch:
3-4 tablespoons of warm whole milk (3.5% fat min.)
2 tablespoons of soft natural dark Muscovado sugar (unrefined cane sugar)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Method:

• Sift the flour into a large bowl, making a shallow depression in the centre.
• Add half the warm milk and stir the yeast into a paste, cover with a cloth and leave to prove for at least 30 minutes or until the yeast paste is bubbling strongly.

In the meantime:

• Gently heat the remaining milk dissolving the white sugar, butter and salt in it. Set aside to cool to room temperature or you might kill off the yeast.

Method, continued:

• Stir the milk, butter and salt mixture into the flour making sure there are no 'lumps' left in it.
• Leave to prove for up to an hour or until the dough mixture has roughly doubled in size.

In the meantime:

• Place the butter for the filling somewhere warm, so it will be soft enough to spread onto the uncooked dough later.
• Heat the 3-4 tablespoons of whole milk, dissolving all the ingredients from the finishing touches into it. Set aside and leave to cool down.
• Grease a large pie dish (at least 20x30 cm / 8x12”) with the extra butter and set aside.

Method, continued:

• Remove the dough from the bowl, knead on a flour dusted worktop thoroughly for at least 15 minutes.
• Roll out the dough into a rectangular piece about 60x30 cm / 24x12”.
• Spread the soft butter for the filling evenly over the dough.
• Evenly sprinkle with dried currants.
• Evenly sprinkle with Muscovado.
• Liberally dust with lots of ground cinnamon.
• Roll up from the longest side into a tight cylinder.
• Cut into 12 equal slices (this is best done by cutting the cylinder in half and then each piece into thirds).
• Place the slices, cut side down, into the pie dish, I arrange them in a 4x3 pattern, making sure there is sufficient space for the dough to rise later.

Cooking:

• Preheat the oven to 210 C (190 C for most fan ovens).
• Bake for approx. 30-40 minutes or until golden brown in the middle of the oven. Make sure you check that they are done by pricking them with a wooden skewer. If the skewer comes out mostly clean, they are cooked.
• Remove from oven, brush liberally with the milk, sugar and cinnamon mixture and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes. This is what makes Chelsea Buns acquire that polished shine.
• Remove once cooked but leave in the pie dish as they will need to cool off completely before being cut.

Notes:

• This is a very rich recipe and even the fully cooked Chelsea Buns can still feel somewhat squidgy, one of the trademarks of the truly good Chelsea Bun.
• You may have to resort to using a spatula in order to remove the whole set of buns from the dish.
• Once cooled and removed from the dish, cut into 12 individual buns, roughly along the lines where they originally touched.
• I have adapted the original recipe based on what we used to be able to buy from one of the only remaining bakeries in Southend that were still capable of making what I’d call a ‘proper’ Chelsea Bun. The ones that when the baker puts them into a paper bag, you’d hardly be able to walk round the corner before all the butter oozing out from their bottoms would have soaked through the bag, putting you in imminent danger of losing your most prized possession.

Dos and don’ts and a million variations:

• This is one hell of a versatile recipe. You can try adapting it to your taste but I would suggest you initially stick to adapting the filling before you embark on the changing the actual dough recipe.
• You can add or reduce the amounts of sugar, butter, dried fruit and spice. There is no law to say you can’t use raisins or any other dried fruit or even mixtures of them.
• Don’t like cinnamon? No problem, anything that’s good for a sweet baking experience can be used, it just won’t be a true Chelsea Bun but so what.
• You could leave nearly all the sugar out from the dough recipe in preparation for turning this into a savoury bun.
• Try that dough adaptation and fill with a only a little whey butter, lots of strong grated cheese and herbs such as chives or try spreading with your favourite mustard or mustard powder.
• Even filling with finely minced beef or our favourite lamb mince with plenty of mint sauce (only ever use Coleman’s Mint Sauce or disappointment is inevitable).
• Always remember, if you can roll it into a cylindrical shape, you can make it into a new form of bun and the above cooking times should be sufficient for all your ideas.
• Should you stumble upon a nice adaptation of this magnificent recipe, do let me know. I’m always eager to try something new and exiting.

Download:
PDF file attached, see below.

[hoverfly]

Rolled and stuffed Lamb Shoulder

Ingredients (serves 6):
1.2-1.5 kg of lamb shoulder
50 grams of cooking fat
Sea or rock salt from a grinder (you can use normal table salt)
Black pepper from a grinder (you can use ground black or white pepper)
100 grams of strong white flour (you can use any white flour)
2 meters of cooking string to tie the rolled shoulder with (do NOT use those elastic cooking bands you can buy, they are not capable of holding the meat together as is needed)

For the stuffing:
150 grams of bread crumbs
70 grams of dried sage (use a decent brand quality unless you know of a really good no name product, you don't want the stuffing to taste of grass cuttings or worse)
100 grams of dried roasted onions
25 grams of butter
200 ml of boiling water
Alternatively, buy a 250 gram packet of high quality sage and onion stuffing (in the UK I would recommend Paxo)

For the gravy:
1 pint (500 ml) of boiling water
Sea or rock salt from a grinder (you can use normal table salt)
Black pepper from a grinder (you can use ground black or white pepper)
100 grams of double cream (if you are worried about the fat content, use milk instead)
1-2 tablespoons of corn flour (corn starch) for thickening. Alternatively, make a butter ball from 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of strong white flour.

Method:

• Bone out the lamb shoulder. Unless you have a proper boning knife and are absolutely sure about what you are doing, ask you butcher to do it for you.
• Lay the meat flat on a cutting board and season both sides with freshly ground sea or rock salt and black pepper.
• Set aside until required.

Making or preparing the sage and onion stuffing:

• If using a ready made stuffing, follow the instructions on the packet but remember to add the 25 gram knob of butter and leave until ready (approx. 25 mins).
• If making your own stuffing, add all ingredients into a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave to soak for approx. 25 mins.
• If you homemade stuffing is too wet or dry, either add a little water or some more breadcrumbs.

Method, continued:

• Once the stuffing is ready to be used, spread evenly over the inside of the lamb shoulder (this is the side that does not have the thin fat layer on it), leaving an uncovered edge of at least 1-2” (2.5-5.0 cm). This will prevent the stuffing from leaking out during tying and/or cooking.
• Roll the meat up along its longest side.
• Use the cooking string to first tie the two outer edges as tightly as you can. Use a butchers knot, not dissimilar to a ships bowline knot.
• Once the ends are secured, tie the shoulder in three or four more place in the middle, making sure that stuffing does not spill out.
• Roll the tie shoulder in the strong bread flour. This will give it a wonderful crisps outside once cooked.

In the meantime:

• Pre-heat the oven to 140 C.
• Place to roasting tin with the cooking fat onto the middle shelf of the oven.

Cooking:

• When the oven is hot, place the shoulder in the roasting tin and leave to cook for about 3 hours, turning and basting the joint frequently.
• The meat is done when pierced and the juices run clear, i.e. no blood.
• Lamb shoulder needs longer cooking times.
• Remove from the roasting tin and place on a carving plate.
• Leave covered with foil for 15 minutes before carving, so the juices can distribute evenly throughout the meat.

In the meantime:

• Pour one pint (500 ml) of boiling water into the roasting tin in order to remove as much of the meat stock as possible.
• Drain through a strainer into a saucepan, season with sea or rock salt and ground pepper.
• Thicken the gravy using the corn flour (corn starch) or use the butter ball, which must be placed in the gravy and slowly heated. This requires constant stirring or it will solidify as one solid lump, leaving you with watery gravy and a huge lump in it.
• Well up and stir to dissolve any lumps.
• Remove from the hob, leaving to cool a little and slowly stir in the double cream. Make sure that the liquid is no longer boiling or the cream will separate. It is still fine but will not look particularly nice.
• If using milk instead of cream, make sure you don't water down the gravy too much, it should be a creamy consistency.

Notes:

• This is a relatively simple method, though on your first attempt you may struggle with tying the meat. This is important, as it will help keep all those juices inside, rather then spill out into the roasting tin. If in doubt, ask your butcher to show you how to do it. Should he offer you to use those elastic bands for cooking instead, he's basically a rubbish butcher and chances are his meat won't be up to much either.
• Serve with fresh green beans, roast potatoes, Yorkshire Puddings (recipe to follow) and mint sauce (make sure it is made from fresh mint, rather then dried).

Variations:

• Try substituting the sage and onion stuffing with my mum's all time favourite, a mixture of finely chopped cooking apple and currants or raisins. Use 1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored, chopped and 100 grams of currants or raisins and spread onto the meat as you would with the sage and onion stuffing. The contrast of the meat and the sweet and sour tang of the apple and currants is delicious.

Storing:

• Suitable for home freezing, preferably in meal sized portions.

Download:
PDF file attached, see below:

[hoverfly]

Traditional and individual Yorkshire Pudding

Credits:
Deliah Smith, BBC



Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
175g/6oz plain flour
2 eggs
175ml/6fl oz milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
110ml/4fl oz water
2 tbsp beef dripping (if you are unable to obtain this, try lard - solidified pork fat)
Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Equipment and preparation:
You will need a solid roasting tin measuring 28x23cm/11x9in.

Preparation time:
less than 30 mins

Cooking time:
30 mins to 1 hour

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
• Begin by placing a sieve over a large mixing bowl, then sift the flour in, holding the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down into the bowl. Now, with the back of a tablespoon, make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Add the salt and pepper.
• Now measure the milk and water into a measuring jug. Then begin to whisk the eggs wth an electric whisk and as you beat them the flour around the edges will be slowly incorporated. When the mixture beacomes stiff simply add the milk and water mixture gradually, keeping the whisk going. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula so that any lumps can be pushed down into the batter, then whisk again till all is smooth. Now the batter is ready for use and although it's been rumoured that batter left to stand is better, I have found no foundation for this - so just make it whenever is convenient.
• To cook the Yorkshire pudding, remove the meat from the oven (or if it's not ready place it on a lower shelf) and turn the oven up to the above temperature. Spoon two tablespoons of beef fat into the roasting tin and allow it to pre-heat in the oven. When the oven is up to temperature remove the tin, using an oven glove, and place it over direct heat (turned to medium). Then, when the fat begins to shimmer and smoke a little, pour in the batter. Tip it evenly all round and then place the tin on a high shelf in the oven and cook the Yorkshire pudding for 40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve it cut into squares presto pronto.

Variations:

• I sometimes prepare them as individual Yorkshire's instead by using a bun or cupcake tray. Make sure you don't overfill the individual portions, 3-4 tablespoons each is sufficient.

Download:
PDF file attached, see below: