Companionable bacon home smoking. The old fashioned way.
The Chicken Lady answered my tom-tom invitation to share our chimney and indulge in a bit of home smoking last night. She arrived with her husband S and a large joint of wet cured belly of pork wrapped in an old red muslin curtain. “I did wash it and loads of red dye came out. Perhaps it will stain the pork pink and get over the problem of not using saltpetre.” I was regretting not using saltpetre on my loin of pork, wanting a good pink colour but had convinced myself that it was good to try different cures. TCL had used a brine...
read moreQuick and easy cheese and potato frittata recipe
The Chicken Lady dropped by on Sunday with a present of six eggs laid by her Indian Running ducks. Wonderful rounded eggs. Two creamy whitish ones and the others with a gentle bluish, greenish tinge. When I opened the lid of the box they looked almost translucent. Magical. Duck eggs are the perfect present. Softer shaped than the average chicken’s egg, they have a bigger yolk to white ratio and taste far richer. We’ve only ever eaten them once before – a memorable brunch at Alison and Richard’s house in Norwich. He...
read moreSlow cooked Boston Baked Beans recipe
“American baked beans are different from yours. Heinz are so bland. We have loads of different ways of making beans. Hot, with molasses, with sausage or bacon. There’s real variety in the States.” Mike was giving his beans a final stir before their 8 hour simmer in his crock pot. I’ve never been a baked bean fan. Danny likes me to buy those tiny tins of beans for his weekend brunch. The Min Pins will wolf down any leftovers but Great Aunt Daisy Beatyl is like me, she’d eat them if there was nothing else left in...
read moreHow did our first home cured bacon turn out?
This morning we decided to taste some of our bacon. We made it with Boston Baked Beans in mind but there was a bit too much for the recipe so why not test it out for breakfast? This little 600g belly of pork joint had been loved and cherished for three days. It had even hung in the Inglenook chimney, over the warmth and smoke of its very own log fire. When I stood inside the sturdy hood and reached up for it the next morning, the pork had a deep smoky smell. I popped it in the fridge in an airtight container. Slicing my own bacon this morning...
read moreHow to home cure streaky bacon. Making bacon at home
Fred measured the white powder out carefully. “You do know that it’s generally illegal to supply this now?” I didn’t but I nodded anyway as he tried to unglue the furred up spout of the salt carton. Impatient, he sliced the entire top off with his knife. Stunning Three Musketeers swordsmanship. He added the salt to the bag and shook the crystals together. He was mixing sodium nitrate (saltpetre) with salt as I was going to make my own salt pork for the very first time. “You could make salt pork but you could also...
read moreCoriander and lime juice pesto recipe – inspired by Bill Granger
Our old friend Richard introduced us to Bill Granger. We didn’t actually meet Bill but tasted his recipes and were instantly drawn to his books. Seductive photography and great copy. Sometimes Bill hovers behind a dish, looking calm and relaxed with just the right amount of sun. There is never a hint of a chilly English winter – it’s Australia after all and Bill doesn’t need to pull on a double knit. These are the perfect books to turn to if the weather is too warm for wintry food but too brisk for a chilled...
read moreGreat recipes for leftovers: Summery spiced chicken curry recipe
Many years ago Danny and I stopped for a curry in an Indian restaurant beyond the outskirts of Soho. When we pushed open the door we found that we were the only non Indian people in the restaurant. The meal was amazing. Hot, succulent and flavoursome. Nothing like the Indian restaurants that we know and love. A year later the yearning for their food was so overwhelming that we motored down to London to sample their food again. The restaurant had vanished, We walked up and down the street several times and eventually drove the 70 miles back...
read moreBest vegetarian recipes: Delia’s Vegetarian Shepherd’s pie with a tweak
We are chomping our way through veggie dishes on alternate nights. Actually, it’s been a joy so far. Great flavours and combinations. A revelation. Danny wakes me in the mornings. As he’s putting down my large mug of sweetened tea, he gently enquires who is cooking tonight. “It’s me and it’s vegetarian tonight.” “Great!” This response has as much to do with not having to cook as relishing the dishes that appear on the table. Delia’s vegetarian shepherd’s pie is truly wonderful. So...
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