Monday 16 December 2013

Duck Legs in Orange Juice

Following the original motivation for this blog : Pot Roast Duck Legs in Marmalade Sauce (also Pot Roast Duck Legs in Marmalade Sauce)

I did learn some of the lessons of the second post, though I only read it now: I didn't over cook it, did drain off most of the fat and didn't use grapefruit juice.

Ingredients

2 Muscovey Duck legs
Lots of coarse ground black pepper
2 onions, chopped
2 Oranges cut into 1 inch pieces
Small amount of ginger
4 cloves garlic
Half lemon, without zest
600ml orange juice.

Cooked the legs in an open pot in a hot oven for 30 minutes.

Rested and drained off fat and liquor.

Added chopped onions and cooked for another 30 minutes.

Added oranges, ginger, lemon, garlic and orange juice. Cooked for another 40 minutes

Served with roasted squash, roasted parsnips, white cabbage and boiled potatoes.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Pot Roast Partridge

I bought a brace of partridges (£7) from Willowbrook Organic Farm at East Oxford Farmer's Market. I always rather like the idea that someone very wealthy has already paid £25 for the privilege of shooting it, making game one of the cheapest of meats.

Following Rick Stein's Pot-roasted partridge with cabbage and chestnuts

Boiled potatoes, parsnips and carrots, then roast in goosefat.

Browned partridges, panacetta and shallots in goose fat.

Added chestnuts.

Cut cabbage into eights, fried in wok, then added boiling water and bouillon powder.

Added cabbage and stock to casserole, ensuring that partridges are clear of water.

I think it was rather undercooked. Either way this is a dish back on the back burner. Whilst there were some good flavours no one really liked the meat.

Shaggy Parasol Mushrooms

We picked up some Shaggy Parasol Mushrooms Chlorophyllum rhacodes at Blenheim which some fungiphobes had kicked over pointlessly.

It turns out that they are not entirely risk free: they must be cooked and some people are allergic. I prepared and cooked them anyway.

We collected 1225g.

I broke into pieces by hand.

I cooked a pan full at a time in a little butter and milk and a little water to ensure it did not catch.

Once they had started to cook a lot of juice came out.

Rather a lot of very tasty mushroom.

Having stored in the fridge for a week I threw them away.

Sunday 3 November 2013

Stuffed Pork Loin

Inspired by Roast Pork Stuffed with Gooseberries and Black Pudding I decided to try stuffed pork loin with apple and redcurrant.

Unrolled the pork loin, seasoned with sea salt, pepper and what I thought was fennel flower, which turned out to be Dill! Left over night. The next day I dried and salted some more.

Sliced some apple and fennel and added frozen red currants. Cut a pocket under the fat and stuffed with the mixture.

Rolled joint and secured stuffing with two pieces of apple.

Flat roasted for half an hour.

Moved meat to a clean pan; roasted parsnips, carrots and potatoes in a original.

Served with peas and red cabbage in apple.

Sunday 11 August 2013

Seafood Cocotte

I bought four cast iron cocotte in from E.Leclerc.

Decided to make a (farmed) seafood dish.

Flat leaved parsley
Spring onion
Salmon fillet
Farmed scallops
Farmed king prawn
Red and yellow tomato berries
Red currants
Oregano flowers
Olive oil

Chopped parsley and onion. Skinned and cubed salmon and marinaded in oil, black pepper and lemon juice. Added scallops and prawns, then tomatoes and red currants. Garnished with oregano flowers.

Cooked in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes.

Served with brown rice and eat the garden salad.

Monday 15 April 2013

Leftover Lamb Curry

On sunday we had a classic pot roast half leg of organic lamb from Sandy Lane Farm via East Oxford Market. It was slow cooked, in a well sealed Le Creuset casserole, with rosemary, garlic and thyme stuffed inside the joint.

It fed four, but now what to do with 250g of cooked lamb? Curry it.

Ground fennel seeds, one dry chili, two cloves, ground dry ginger, a tablespoon freshly ground cumin.
Four red onions.
Two chopped carrots.
Eight cloves of garlic.
A handful of chopped chives.
A handful of chopped flat leaved parsley.
A tin of chick peas.
A tin of green lentils.

Cook for an hour in oven.

Flora made raita: yoghurt, finely chopped cucumber, mustard, lemon juice.

Served with basmati rice, Patak's popadoms and Patak's naan bread and two varieties of mango chutney; with ice cream to follow!

The carrots were insipid and out of place, otherwise a success.