Time to Curry Favour

Over the weekend, Carl and I made our way to the lovely Mumbles just outside of Swansea to visit his family and run a 10k. Along the way we stopped off at the Abergavenny Food Festival (also known as Gŵyl Fwyd Y Fenni because 19% of the population in Wales speaks Welsh according to the 2011 census). We wandered all over town sampling (and buying!) all kinds of bread, cheese, cider, meat pies, wine. Of course, I somehow managed to stumble across the bubble tea truck before we dropped by the hog roast stand for lunch. I'm not sure the locals quite understood the meaning of bubble tea as almost every passerby exclaimed "I love tea!" while we were waiting in line.

At the Abergavenny Food Festival.

The locally made cheese was absolutely fantastic and we came home with several different kinds: handmade Welsh goats cheese, the most delightful Brandy Braf (a mature cheese with apricots and brandy), a wonderful caerphilly, an award winning extra mature cheddar, the absolute best blue cheese I have ever tried (the name of which I unfortunately cannot remember though I think it is one of these), and a few others. The aforementioned blue cheese with quince jelly on fresh apricot and walnut bread was my favourite snack of the weekend!

In addition to all the bread and cheese, I also got to taste a sort of British meatball known (controversially) as a faggot. They are typically made of pork off-cuts and offal (better if you don't know the details) and served with gravy, mash, and peas. According to Carl, when he was in a grocery store in America as a kid he pointed out that something looked like faggots and some women practically ran across the store all in a huff and pointedly asked if he knew what that word meant 'here.' Americans, you are using this word all wrong and are therefore missing out on this seriously delicious comfort dish! And while we're on the topic, Brits do in fact still use the term fag for cigarette as alluded to on Arrested Development (I nearly died when watching the Wee Britain episodes when watching the show with Carl but that is a story for another post).

In the evening we popped by The Pilot, a pub a brewery run by a sweet and thoughtful lady who even brings treats to the dogs she allows her patrons to bring inside. I must say, if you ever find yourself in Mumbles do drop in and try a pint of their Mumbles Gold! Luckily the beers and cider didn't do too much damage and we all crossed the finish line of the Swansea Bay 10k (10k Bae Abertawe) together.

Finished one race and already looking for another!

So how does all of this somehow tie in to the cooking of my first curry? While discussing cooking and my blog Carl's mums decided to lend me their copy of The Hairy Dieters (done by the British Hairy Bikers - not to be confused with the American knock-off). The book is nothing but fantastic recipes and I easily settled on this curry. Ordinarily I won't post recipes which are not readily available on the internet unless they are from my family, but I decided to post this one because I modified it to cook in my slow cooker instead of on the hob (stove) and in the oven.

Slow Cooker Saag Gosht (Lamb, Spinach, and Potato Curry)

My first curry!

Ingredients
600g lamb
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
25g chunk of root ginger, roughly chopped
1 plump fresh red chilli, roughly chopped
100g curry paste
400g can of chopped tomatoes
350g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3cm chunks (Maris Pipers)
450 ml water (for a less soupy version, try 200-250 ml)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp flaked sea salt
1 tsp caster sugar
6 medium tomatoes, quartered
100 g baby spinach leaves
ground black pepper

Directions
1. Trim the lamb of any hard fat and cut the meant into rough chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan and fry the lamb until lightly coloured on all sides. Transfer to a plate when browned.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a pot and add the onions. Cook over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes until they're softened and lightly browned, stirring regularly. Turn down the heat, add the garlic, ginger, chilli, and curry paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Remove from the heat and blend into a purée.

4. Combine the lamb, spiced onion purée, canned chopped tomatoes, potatoes, water, bay leaves, teaspoon of salt, and sugar in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.

5. Stir in the quartered tomatoes and spinach leaves and cook on low for a further hour.

Additional Tips
While the book recommends lamb leg steaks, I think shoulder or leg would do nicely as well. For the curry paste I used a medium heat (balti paste from Asda). It had a nice kick to it and was enough to clear out my sinuses but next time I might brave the hot madras paste! If you aren't a fan of spicy food, a mild paste should still make for a tasty curry.


All in all, I had a wonderful weekend and thoroughly enjoyed my first attempt at curry. As a South Bay native, being able to wake up and look out over Swansea Bay and hear the gulls makes me feel right at home. I can't wait to come back for Christmas! I am already thinking about what traditional American dishes I can share!

Until next time, have fun attempting to curry favour with this tasty dish! x

The Inaugural Slow Cook

Last week, my friend Christian (who I am hoping to convince to guest write a post about cooking with the aga on his houseboat - see now it's in writing so you can't get out of it!) decided to try out the chicken adobo recipe I posted. Unfortunately I wasn't there to taste it, but it looked like it came out great judging by the picture and his glowing review in the comment section! For months now I have been promising to go all out and cook essentially every Filipino dish I know for one tasty feast. However, without a slow cooker I just couldn't do my grandmother's chicken adobo recipe justice (don't worry, the approximation is still delicious).

Christian's chicken adobo - great job!

So when I woke up the following morning, having already set a date for what will be an epic Filipino feast night, I made an excellent impulse decision and bought a slow cooker! Not just any slow cooker either. This baby has a shiny cardinal exterior (Fight On Trojans!) and a removable pot which can be used to sear meat on the hob! Aww yeah!

My precious (via amazon.co.uk)

Turning to Christian yet again for inspiration, I settled on lamb and barley stew for the inaugural slow cook in my new toy. This wonderfully hearty British dish is just perfect for the fall weather that is finally settling in after an unusually hot summer. I may be from southern California but 85 degree plus (Fahrenheit) weather is not okay when your flat is built to be insulating and has no ceiling fans or screens on the windows to keep bugs out. The other benefit to changing weather is the unspoken understanding of conversation initiation between strangers. I have found that if you strike up a conversation with anyone by asking about or commenting on the weather, they will politely inform you of their desire to carry on said conversation with their response. If they give you a quick response or simply agree with you comment, it means that they do not want to talk to you. However, if they reward you with a wordy reply or elaborate further on your comment, feel free to take that as a sign to continue the conversation. This handy chart is full of other cues you should be listening for when talking to a Brit:

todayilearned.co.uk / Via buzzfeed.com 

As you might guess, these subtle hints take a bit of getting used to after years of dealing with rather blunt Americans. I often wonder if people just think I lack tact or if they know not to take my straight-shooting personally. Either way, we all seem to agree that stodgy dishes make for great comfort food so on to the recipe!

Lamb and Barley Casserole with Dumplings

My completed casserole!

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
750 g lamb 

800 ml lamb stock

50 g barley
1 onion, chopped

4 stocks of celery, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

4 pinches parsley
salt
pepper
125 g plain flour
65 g suet
1/2 tsp baking powder


Directions
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the lamb. Season with salt and pepper and brown (about 5 minutes).

2. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and fry for another 3-5 minutes.

3. Transfer to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the barley over the lamb and vegetables, add the stock (make sure it covers the meat), stir, and add the parsley on top.

4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

5. For the dumplings, mix the flour, suet, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Gradually add small amounts of cold water (3-5 tbsp) to form a sticky dough. Flour your hands then roll the dough into 12 balls. The dumplings can be placed in the fridge to chill until needed. Add the dumplings, half submerged in the stock, one hour before serving.

Additional Tips
Neck meat left on the bone is excellent for this recipe. By the time the meat is finished cooking it practically falls off the bone.


I let my slow cooker run overnight so the stew was ready to go in the morning before I left for work. Thanks to my new thermos, I had a piping hot helping of casserole waiting for me at my desk after a long run during my lunch break. It really hit the spot! I'm really looking forward to trying out all sorts of recipes in my slow cooker now!

Lunch at work is awesome now!

Until next time, happy slow cooking! x

Moroccan Night

Because my slow cooker has not been delivered yet (and won't arrive until Monday - the horror!) and I plan on spending the weekend perfecting my code for an awesome version of hangman instead of cooking elaborate meals, I thought I'd post a throwback tribute to the epic dinner that was Moroccan Night at Bondi House!

Our beloved Bondi House. The kitchen/dining room is on the top floor.

One of my favourite things about studying at Cambridge was meeting people from all over the world who were passionate about a wide range of topics. Conversations were practically guaranteed to be both illuminating and entertaining. This was especially true over dinner at my house in Churchill College (To Sir Winston!) where I lived with nine other people and discussions typically included the viability of fusion, the possibility of saving the world with room-temperature semiconductors, string theory, and Epic Rap Battles of History. Collectively, we were from seven different countries and studying subjects including maths (not a typo - they abbreviate mathematics simply by surgically removing ematic which leaves you with maths), physics, engineering (woo nuclear!), materials science, genetics, and linguistics. If you are noticing a pattern here, now would be a good time to explain that Churchill was founded by none other than Sir Winston Churchill with an emphasis on science and technology which today manifests as a requirement that 70% of the admitted students each year study these subjects.

I love this place even in the rain!

So what happens when you take 10 of these students and throw them together in a house? Why they plan themed dinner parties of course! The dinners originally started as a house meeting over snacks which quickly grew to a (typically) biweekly dinner tradition under the direction of yours truly (appointed unofficial president of the house). Thanks to busy schedules and a mysterious housemate whom a few of us still have not met, dinners were usually attended by 7-8 people and sometimes included special guests. For each dinner, one housemate would take charge in planning the menu, buying the ingredients, and directing the cooking. Whoever was around and felt capable in the kitchen would help out with prepping and cooking dinner while everyone else was responsible for cleaning up after. Originally the themes were chosen based on the hometown of the designated planner, e.g. moussaka by the Greek geneticist, quiche by the French physicist, jambalaya (sausage/crawfish and spam versions) by the Texan materials scientist, and enchiladas by the Angeleno (that's someone from Los Angeles) engineer.

View from the president's seat at a house dinner (Cajun Night in this case).

One day we decided to go completely out of the box and started tossing ideas around for a new theme. When Turkish was nixed by our resident Greek (because it was a "bastardisation" of Greek food), we settled on Moroccan. What followed was a feast to end all feasts. Even with eight of us in attendance, we still had plenty of food left over so I highly recommend only doing the full menu if you have 8 or so guests around for one tasty dinner party!

All the recipes take up quite a bit of space so I'll outline the menu here and post all the recipes below:

Starters: Moroccan zaalouk (with pita) and Moroccan salad plate
Mains: seffa medfounda and Moroccan lamb tagine
Desserts: cinnamon oranges and Moroccan fruit salad

Most of these recipes require resting overnight so please be sure to plan ahead! If you have never tried Moroccan food before, it is definitely worth a taste. After this dinner and having lunch with Carl at an outstanding Moroccan restaurant in Paris, I am absolutely in love with the flavours and dying for a chance to visit Marrakech or Casablanca.

Until next time,

"Come, then, let us go forward together." - Sir Winston

x

Moroccan Zaalouk (Eggplant and Tomato Cooked Salad) with Pita

My starters plate with zaalouk and pita in front and salad (see below) in back.

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro and parsley, mixed
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup watersmall wedge of lemon (optional)

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients in a large, deep pot. Cover and simmer over medium to medium-high heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat if necessary to avoid burning the zaalouk.

2. Use a spoon or potato masher to blend the eggplant and tomatoes. A small wedge of lemon can be added at this time. Continue simmering uncovered for 10 minutes or until the liquids are reduced and the zaalouk can be stirred into a heap in the centre of the pot.

3. Serve warm or cold with pita.

Moroccan Salad Plate

Five different salads combined!

The Moroccan salad plate traditionally consists of five different salads arranged in an alternating pattern. An impressive sight to behold but a lot of work behind the scenes! Here are the recipes for all five salads:

Moroccan Tuna and Rice Salad
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 finely chopped coloured bell peppers
1/2 cup tuna
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise 

2 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions
1. Cook the rice according to the directions. Allow the rice to cool thoroughly before mixing the salad.

2. Place the cooled rice in a large bowl with the tuna and vegetables. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and add it to the rice. Gently stir to mix everything well. Refrigerate the salad for about two hours before serving.

Cold String Bean Salad with Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 lb (about 1/2 kg) fresh green beans
1 small roasted red pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
salt
hot paprika, cayenne pepper, or black pepper

Directions
1. Remove the ends from the green beans and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces. Wash and drain the beans, place them in a pot, and cover with cold salted water.

2. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and simmer the beans about 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are crisp-tender.

3. Immediately drain the beans, and cover with cold water to stop further cooking. Allow the beans to sit in the water for a minutes, then drain again.

4. When the beans have cooled completely, gently press the beans to squeeze out excess water. Put the beans in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, and season to taste. Toss gently to mix, cover tightly, and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Cold Potato Salad with Vinaigrette
Ingredients
2 lbs (about 1 kg) firm potatoes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt
pepper

Directions
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized cubes about 1/4". Wash the cubed potatoes in a bowl of water to remove the starch, and drain.

2. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes until tender (about 7-9 minutes). Test the potatoes frequently to avoid overcooking.

3. Drain the potatoes, then immediately cover them with cold water to stop further cooking. Allow the potatoes to sit in the water for a minute, then drain again.

4. When the potatoes have cooled completely, mix them in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently to mix, cover tightly, and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.

Cold Carrot Salad with Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb (about 700 g) fresh carrots
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp cumin
salt
pepper

Directions
1. Peel the carrots and cut off the tops. Cut the carrots into small cubes about 1/4" thick. Wash the carrots and drain them.

2. Place the carrots in a pot, cover them with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the carrots about 10 minutes.

3. Drain the carrots, then immediately cover them with cold water to stop further cooking. Allow the carrots to sit in the water for a minute, then drain again.

4. When the carrots have cooled completely, mix them in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently to mix, cover tightly, and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.

Cold Beetroot Salad with Vinaigrette

Ingredients
2 lb (about 1 kg) red beet roots
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt
pepper
minced or slivered red onion, to taste (optional)

Directions
1. Rinse the beet roots. Place in a pot and cover with water. Boil the beets until tender (can take up to an hour and a half).

2. Drain the beets and slide the skins off while the beets are still warm. Allow the beets to cool, and then cut the beets into 1/4" cubes.

3. Mix the cubed beets in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Cover tightly, and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.

Seffa Medfounda (Couscous with Chicken)

My main plate with seffa medfounda in back and lamb tagine in front.

Ingredients
For the Seffa:
2 lb (about 1 kg) couscous
3 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 cup golden raisins, soaked in water for 20 minutes
4 tbsp butter
1 cup powdered sugar (or to taste)

For the Saffron Chicken:
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
2 large sweet onions, chopped medium
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 tsp saffron threads, crumbled
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For decorating the Seffa:
1/2 to 1 cup almonds (blanched, fried, and ground)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Directions
1. Fill the base of a couscoussier with ample salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and proceed with steaming the couscous three times (add the raisins for the final steaming).

2. While you're steaming the couscous, prepare the meat. Mix the chicken with the onions, spices, butter, oil, and cilantro in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Gently brown the chicken over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

3. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender. This will take about 1 hour for the chicken. When the chicken has been cooked, reduce the liquids until a thick sauce has formed. Discard the cinnamon sticks and taste for seasoning. If desired, remove the chicken from the bones.

4. Gently toss the steamed couscous with the butter and powdered sugar. Place about 1/3 of this mixture on a very large serving dish.

5. Arrange the chicken in the centre and cover with the sauce. Pile the rest of the couscous on top of the meat, using your hands to shape a dome.

6. Decorate the mound of seffa in a vertical patter with the cinnamon, ground almonds, and powdered sugar. Serve immediately with small bowls of powdered sugar, ground almonds, and cinnamon on the side.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Ingredients
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into 5cm/2in chunks (about 1.1kg meat in total)
2 large onions, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp argan oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
570ml/1 pint tomato juice
2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
115g/4oz dried apricots, cut in half
55g/2oz dates, cut in half
55g/2oz sultanas or raisins
85g/3oz flaked almonds
1 tsp saffron stamens, soaked in cold water
600ml/1 pint lamb stock
1 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions
1. Place the cayenne, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.

2. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F.

3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of argan oil in a large casserole dish. Add the grated onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes.

4. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb on all sides then add the browned meat to the casserole dish. De-glaze the frying pan with 1/4 pint of tomato juice and add these juices to the pan.

5. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins/sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock, and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven, and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.

6. Place the lamb in a tagine or large serving dish and sprinkle over the chopped herbs. Serve.

Cinnamon Oranges

Ingredients
4 oranges, the sweetest you can find
2 apples, sliced (optional)
2 tbsp cinnamon

Directions
1. Peel oranges, then slice crossways into rounds and arrange on a pretty plate.

2. Add a few apple slices, if desired.

3. Lightly dust with cinnamon and served immediately.

Moroccan Fruit Salad

Fruit salad, yummy yummy (yes, that is a Wiggles reference).

Ingredients
6-8 oz vanilla yoghurt
1 pint fresh strawberries
2 apples, peeled
1-2 bananas
2 oranges or tangerines
1 tbsp sugar

Directions
1. Cut up the strawberries and place in a bowl. Cut up the apples, bananas, and one orange and add to the strawberries.

2. Mix the sugar in with the fruit. Next add the yoghurt and stir.

3. Squeeze the juice from the last orange into the bowl and stir.

Additional Tips
The yoghurt and juice may separate if stored in the refrigerator so stir before serving.

If you eat all of this, you may end up with an unpleasantly full belly like these guys!

Manners Matter and the Alternative Roast

Life in another country is often full of paradoxes. As I rapidly approach my second anniversary of living in England, I am reminded of how I have managed to both adapt to my surroundings stubbornly stick to my American roots.

The most noticeable indication of my nationality is my accent. I cannot hide it and it usually gives me away as a foreigner as soon as I begin talking. However, my vocabulary and phrases have certainly changed. Sometimes this is intentional, such as when I am in public and ask someone where I might find the loo (pro tip: no one says W.C. out here) or comment that a friend's trousers look nice (complimenting someone's pants would result in a very embarrassing situation which I have learned to avoid). Other times things just seem to slip out without my noticing.

Americans prefer to refer to things as addicting. For example: "Dude, these Korean tacos are totally addicting! We have to find the Kogi truck again tomorrow!" In the UK (and I doubt I would have ever noticed this if it hadn't been pointed out to me on a few occasions), people say things are addictive. For example: "I'm well chuffed the Truckle website has Vesuvius back in stock! That chilli cheddar is so addictive!"

So when Carl found me playing a version of Breakout, which I had programmed as part of a course on Java, at 7 in the morning (as you do when you are a complete nerd and really enjoying your new hobby), my immediate response was to explain that during the debugging process I realised that "Breakout is super addictive!" Cue faux glare from Carl who must have thought I was poking fun at the Brits. This was met from a blank stare from me. After a few confused silent seconds he finally put two and two together and asked me if I meant to say addicting. I stubbornly refused and asked why I should have to change the way I speak. Well, egg on my face! Of course, he really let me have it (admittedly, quite deservedly so) for not only using the proper British phrasing but completely forgetting which way was originally mine. Eventually we moved on with the rest of our Sunday and I attributed my slip of the tongue to my slow but steady assimilation. However, it was only a matter of hours until I was knocked most ungracefully from the 'worldly person' pedestal on which I had placed myself.

Prior to the sacred Sunday roast, the all important Sunday grocery shopping must be done. While it is a well known fact to Americans that Brits are very well mannered, this is doubly true on Sundays. So when Carl left me in the queue with our basket of groceries to fetch a bottle of wine only to return just in time to hear me ask the man in front of me to move his cart ahead slightly so that I might begin to unload my groceries on the conveyor belt, I can only imagine how aghast he must have looked. In my defence, I thought leaving my basket (which was getting too heavy for me to hold) on the ground in a busy walkway would be considered rude and wanted to move it as soon as possible. I realised my mistake as soon as the words left my mouth when the man glared at me as though I had asked if I could kick his puppy. At least he moved his cart but the damage was done and I felt terrible. Carl explained that inconveniencing someone, particularly on a Sunday afternoon, when the net impact is null (as in forcing the man to move his cart when it would take the same amount of time for both of us to check out either way) is not polite. He also added, though jokingly I hope, that my American accent didn't really do me any favours and that people would be more inclined to assume I was being rude. Curse you America and your reputation for being a self-centred bully! Ah well, lesson learned.

More importantly, the offending groceries were combined that evening to create one of the most delicious roasts we have ever done: maple and mustard glazed ham! This recipe is courtesy of Gordon Ramsey and the BBC Good Food website. Cheers Gordon!

Gordon's Maple and Mustard Glazed Ham

Another tasty Sunday roast consisting of ham, stuffing, corn, and roasties.

 Ingredients
2 kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1/2 tsp coriander seeds (cilantro seeds)
1 bay leaf
100 ml maple syrup
1 tbsp coarse-grain mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions
1. Put the gammon in a very large pot and cover with cold water. Add the cinnamon, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for around 1 hr 50 mins. Top up the level of boiling water if necessary. Occasionally scoop off any scum that rises to the top.

2. Carefully pour the liquid away then let the ham cool a little while you heat the oven to 190°C. Lift the ham into a large roasting tin, then cut away the skin leaving behind an even layer of fat (we left about 5mm). Score the fat all over in a criss-cross pattern.

3. Mix the glaze ingredients in a jug. Pour half over the fat, roast for 15 minutes, then pour over the rest and return to the over for another 35 minutes, basting with the pan juices 3-4 times as it bakes. Turn the pan around a few times during cooking so the fat colours evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving (you can continue to baste during the time to get a nice thick layer of glaze which will harden slightly as it cools).

Additional Tips
We used No. 2 grade maple syrup which is darker (amber as opposed to light). I believe the American equivalent would be Grade A dark amber or possibly Grade B.

If you are feeling particularly ambitious, you can stud the ham with whole cloves after you score the fat in step 2.

Save the liquid from step 1 and use it as a stock for soup or stew later in the week. We scooped of what little fat remained after it was refrigerated for a few days, brought it to a boil, added chopped carrots, mushrooms, celery, and onions, tossed in some hunks of ham, and poured it all into a roasting dish. We then dropped in some balls of dumpling dough and then put everything in the oven to cook the dumplings. The resulting stew was fantastic!

Leftover stew!

I may have a lot left to learn in the way of British manners, but at least I seem to be making headway in the food department! To the gentleman ahead of me in the Waitrose queue on that fateful Sunday, I am sincerely sorry. As for the rest of you:

Until next time, happy roasting! x

Proper vs Real: A Kitchen Divided

English certainly is a funny language. In addition to using different words to describe the same object (as with biscuits and cookies), there are also several instances of Americans and Brits using the same word to describe two separate things. Bacon and pancakes are two (particularly delicious) examples of this conundrum. Luckily Carl and I managed to work out our differences while cooking breakfast one morning. In what can only be attributed the brilliance that comes from uniting two minds from opposite sides of the pond, we decided that from that moment forward all British uses of shared words would be preceded by 'proper' and all American uses would be preceded by 'real'.

Proper bacon is also known as back bacon and includes pork loin and pork belly in a single cut. It can sometimes be found in the US as Canadian bacon (not to be confused with the circular smoked ham slices which go by the same name). Proper bacon is the best for bacon sandwiches: two thick cut slices of white bread, 2-4 slices of proper bacon, and a generous smothering of brown sauce (definitely has to be HP Sauce). A proper bacon sandwich as prepared by Carl has become my British equivalent for a bean and cheese burrito from El Sombrero #2 on the way to the airport.

A proper bacon sandwich ready to be smothered in brown sauce.

Real bacon, called streaky bacon in the UK, is cut from the park belly. It is the best for creating tasty lattices of bacon-y goodness which can be layered on top of a roasting turkey at Thanksgiving (more on that later) or wrapped around a chicken breast to emulate a tortoise's shell for a Darwin Day feast.

Uses of real bacon include lattices for tortoise shells and covering turkey.

The Brits apply the term pancake to thin, crepe-like round cakes. They require a bit of finesse and tend not to satiate my American cravings for a nice hearty breakfast. I attempted to remedy this by creating a pancake 'lasagna' with alternating layers of nutella, bananas, raspberries, and proper pancakes cut into rectangles for my birthday last year.

Proper pancake lasagna.

However, my true culinary pièce de résistance (and main reason for this post) is delightful real pancakes, which have earned me the title of Breakfast Queen from Carl and our friends. I must admit that prior to moving to England, I had never cooked real pancakes from scratch. We always had Bisquick around the house (and I stooped even lower as an undergraduate by buying the shake and pour version which came in a plastic jug). 

It is with great irony that I confess my current recipe for real pancakes is based on a version I found for 'Fluffy American Pancakes' on the BBC website. However, they do have some truly excellent recipes and this one is no different. My favourite version is with bananas as I will illustrate below, but this works very well with blueberries, strawberries, and chocolate chips as well! 

Real Banana Pancakes

Real banana pancakes plated wonderfully by Carl.

Ingredients

135g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar (superfine or baker's sugar for you Yanks)
130ml milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp melted butter
2 ripe (almost overly so) bananas

Directions
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and caster sugar into a large bowl. In a separate bowl or jug (the classic pyrex measuring jug is perfect for this), lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.

2. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter. Let the batter stand for a few minutes while you cut (or mush according to your preference - mushed bananas will spread more evenly through the batter but the banana flavour won't be as pronounced) the bananas off to the side. Gently fold the bananas into the batter.

3. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add cooking spray (like PAM) or butter to ensure the pancakes won't stick. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Wait for the pancake to bubble then flip it over and cook until both sides are golden brown. The pancakes should rise to be about 1/2 inch thick.

4. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

Additional Tips
While you can easily peek at the pancakes by lifting them gently with a spatula to see if the underside is the right colour, it is much better to closely watch the edges of the pancakes. As they begin to cook, you should see little bubbles forming along the edges. The batter will change colour and consistency which you will be able to watch on the sides. Once the change has reached about halfway, it is time to flip the pancake.

Don't worry, the first pancake in the batch is almost always the 'throw away' of the bunch. If the first one cooked to quickly on the outside and is still wet on the inside, it may help to turn the heat down or use less batter for the next pancake.

For fancy plating as Carl often likes to do, pile up the pancakes into little stacks, sprinkle icing (aka powdered) sugar on top with a strainer, and add a few pieces of chopped banana on top for a bit of flair. The pour a bit of maple syrup over the top and voilà - breakfast is served!

Until next time, enjoy your proper or real breakfast of choice! x