The General Chat Thread

Dizzyblonde

I bake a whole ham and roast pork loin with a nice garlicky rub on it. We don't like turkey much in our house, and most of it would end up in the bin if I cooked one for Christmas.

IvyTheTerrible

Tilly wrote: »

Your Dad sounds like he should go sit on the naughty step.

His dad sounds like he should make his own Christmas dinner.

Lovely Bloke

No band :eek:

iwantmydinner

I'm off to Paris on Friday week! Accommodation sorted, now it's time to think about all the eating and all the drinking. Any recommendations?

Tilly

iwantmydinner wrote: »

I'm off to Paris on Friday week! Accommodation sorted, now it's time to think about all the eating and all the drinking. Any recommendations?

Eat all the bread and cakes I love Paris, so much to see and take in.

Vivisectus

I get good results by making the standard aluminum foil tent, with a little ridge over the crown for accumulated moisture to drip down from.

And before cooking I take a wooden spoon, and create a little space between the skin and the meat: several long, tunnel-like cavities that go all the way to the back, And some more around the legs, and insert a mix of herbs and butter in there.

Then for the last 20-30 mins I remove the tent and hit it with a blast of heat to crisp the skin a little.

Brining works well too.

iwantmydinner

Re: turkey, my mom used Gordon Ramsey's* herb butter under the skin trick for the first time last year, it worked really, really well.

*I know he didn't invent it, but it was his Christmas Dinner programme that inspired her.

the beer revolu

beertons wrote: »

My dad has told me if he isn't getting roast turkey, he's not coming for dinner. I reminded him he said he wouldn't go to my wedding, 'coz we didn't have a band. And sure he had a great night. Not the day I want in controversy.

The link to the Corrigan recipe above is correct.
Don't tell your dad you're going to poach the turkey.
Last year my brother spotted me putting the crown into the pot and expressed surprise and scepticism - he had no idea that he'd been eating poached turkey for several years!

Loire

iwantmydinner wrote: »

I'm off to Paris on Friday week! Accommodation sorted, now it's time to think about all the eating and all the drinking. Any recommendations?

Nowhere like it - so jealous!!

Go walk-about and pop into as many patisseries as possible!!

Last time we were there we went to the Grenelle Market on the Sunday as we were staying nearby - it was great.

Apart from the food, the Musee d'orsay is great as is walking down from the Sacre Coeur

Enjoy!
Loire.

iwantmydinner

Loire wrote: »

Nowhere like it - so jealous!!

Go walk-about and pop into as many patisseries as possible!!

Last time we were there we went to the Grenelle Market on the Sunday as we were staying nearby - it was great.

Apart from the food, the Musee d'orsay is great as is walking down from the Sacre Coeur

Enjoy!
Loire.

Awesome, thanks L! Patisseries, prepare thyselves!

It'll be my first visit to Paris, I'm so excited I could DIE

Tilly

iwantmydinner wrote: »

Awesome, thanks L! Patisseries, prepare thyselves!

It'll be my first visit to Paris, I'm so excited I could DIE

You should probably hold off on this till you come home at least :P

SarahBeep!

Im super excited for christmas dinner, I think we're having goose as usual with a few slices of turkey breast! Mom bought the ham last week and it's plopped in the freezer.

Similar to IWMD, I'm off to Edinburgh next week and would love any recommendations for eating out! I'm there for three nights and maybe hoping for a nice Italian one night, a nice steak another?

Faith

I had 100% forgotten that I poached a turkey crown last Christmas, at beer's advice. I was reading through, going 'Poaching it? Really? I might try that...". D'oh!

In my defense, it's been a busy year!

Gloomtastic!

Faith wrote: »

I had 100% forgotten that I poached a turkey crown last Christmas, at beer's advice. I was reading through, going 'Poaching it? Really? I might try that...". D'oh!

In my defense, it's been a busy year!

And how was it? (The turkey, not the year!)

Faith

It was really nice! Highly recommended. I poached it in homemade stock, as opposed to milk.

StripedBoxers

I am the odd one of my family as I absolutely cannot stand turkey. It's just bland and ugh.

This year I am thinking maybe a t-bone steak or something.

Last year had a four bird roast from Aldi (I know, I know), and it was rotten. Absolutely rotten, I swore blind never again would I try a four bird roast from them.

I was considering a FBR from my butchers, but at €120+ I decided against it.

Neyite

We just buy a turkey leg for the one that wants turkey- we did last year while the rest of us had venison which was delicious. They were sorry they insisted on turkey.

Baldy, if you get a slow cooker you need to do the Mongolian beef stew recipe- it's savage! I did it with baby potatoes instead of rice and left the carrots in big chunks. It's great to walk in the door after work and smell a lovely dinner ready for ya on a cold wet day.

challengemaster

iwantmydinner wrote: »

I'm off to Paris on Friday week! Accommodation sorted, now it's time to think about all the eating and all the drinking. Any recommendations?

Avoid Champs Élysées for food - unless you fancy paying €30 for a ham and cheese sandwich.

Outside of that, can't offer much advice. Was on a student budget last time I was there

oscarBravo

iwantmydinner wrote: »

I'm off to Paris on Friday week! Accommodation sorted, now it's time to think about all the eating and all the drinking. Any recommendations?

If you're near the Eiffel Tower, check out Café Constant. They don't take bookings, so you may have to hang around in the street waiting for a table (at least, we did in the summer), but it's utterly worth it.

MissFlitworth

David Lebovitz's blog is worth a read before a trip to Paris! Even just for pretty pictures to whet your appetite. Not that I've been to Paris in the last many years but if I did go I think I'd be able to find all the nice pastries and bread and steak frites pretty snappy


http://www.davidlebovitz.com/category/dining-travel/

Cedrus

iwantmydinner wrote: »

I'm off to Paris on Friday week! Accommodation sorted, now it's time to think about all the eating and all the drinking. Any recommendations?

Not eating or drinking, but, check out Dehillerin 18/20 rue Coquilliere, Les Halles, near the Pompidou centre, it's the most fabulous cookshop ever. Careful though or your excess baggage will cost more than the holiday.

Mrs Fox

Cook books... Cook Books! COOK BOOKS!!!



SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!

iwantmydinner

Fantastic stuff, thanks so much lads! We're staying almost underneath the Eiffel Tower so will definitely check out Café Constant.

Vivisectus

I enjoyed Le Saint Andre near the Notre Dame - unpretentious Brasserie with really excellent Steak Tartare.

Gloomtastic!

Maple syrup is back in Aldi. Happy days!

The Black Oil

Mould from the apocalypse behind the cooker. :mad:

Vivisectus

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Maple syrup is back in Aldi. Happy days!

huzzah!

Haha I thought I was the only one who felt that was a major reduction in their service

iwantmydinner

The Black Oil wrote: »

Mould from the apocalypse behind the cooker. :mad:

Jaysus I wish I hadn't read that straight after my sos mór!

Loire

Mrs Fox wrote: »

Cook books... Cook Books! COOK BOOKS!!!



SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!

Hi Mrs F,

I'l get a van and meet you there - I'll grab one end, you grab the other :pac:

Loire.

Mrs Fox

Loire wrote: »

Hi Mrs F,

I'l get a van and meet you there - I'll grab one end, you grab the other :pac:

Loire.

You're supposed to be my addiction sponsor, instead of assisting me to relapse!
Your van smells of French wine, by the way.