Here's What I Had For Dinner - Part III - Don't quote pics!

awec · 17-10-2021 8:51pm

Lamb here also!

Loin of lamb, marinated in whiskey and marmalade with a whiskey / marmalade sauce.

Delicious, but I should have reduced the sauce a lot more.

igCorcaigh · 17-10-2021 10:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118032791#Comment_118032791

I like the star anise touch on top! Looks delicious. I have never cooked duck; can I just pan fry the breast like chicken? Any tips?

Ryath · 17-10-2021 10:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118033955#Comment_118033955

You're missing out! Takes a bit longer than chicken. Score the fat in a criss/cross fashion. Put in on a cold pan fat side down on to a medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes till starts fat is rendered of and nicely browned. Will depend on your hob how long it takes. Pour of the fat don't throw it out save it for roasting potatoes. Flip over and into oven for 5 minutes at 180 for nice rare pink duck 10 if you like it cooked through.

awec · 17-10-2021 11:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118033955#Comment_118033955

Score fat, cold pan.

its not like chicken, much easier to balls up.

Dave_The_Sheep · 19-10-2021 12:40am

If you have one, a sous vide makes cooking duck (and goose) almost foolproof.

the beer revolu · 19-10-2021 2:01pm

I've posted this several time, at this stage. As far as I am concerned, this is the only way to cook duck breasts (I don't have a sous vide system).

Too late for this time but someone a few years ago gave me this tip for cooking duck breast and I haven't cooked it any other way since. It is a bit more work but the result is super, super tender meat. I've posted it here before but here goes again:

Put your breast skin side down (skin slashed a few times with a sharp knife) in a cold, dry pan over a medium heat.

After a few minutes, the fat will start to render out. Start to spoon the hot fat over the breast, keeping an eye on your heat so that the skin doesn't burn. For a medium rare breast, continue to do this for about 15 minutes.

Let your breast rest for 5 or 10 minutes (although this cooking method is so gentle that resting is almost unnecessary). Slice and serve.

sporina · 19-10-2021 10:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118033544#Comment_118033544

one of the best dishes I have seen here and I don't even like lamb that much but I can appreciate it none the less. wow - hats off to you

sporina · 19-10-2021 10:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118016080#Comment_118016080

me no likey gravy either.. so your not alone there.. prob had too many meals ruined with it while dining out when younger "would you like dinner with your gravy?"

Suckler · 20-10-2021 8:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118045353#Comment_118045353

Same. Lumpy gravy as a child has put me off the stuff for life. I find a lot of English people I've met would eat cardboard as long as it was swimming in gravy.

Gravy made from the juices of a roast is amazing though.

sporina · 20-10-2021 3:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046185#Comment_118046185

yeah I like a little of the really good stuff myself.. made with the juices of the roast meat.. but I HATE when your dining out and your dinner comes swimming in gravy... grr... by all means leave a jog of it on the table and let customers pour themselves if they wish

sammyjo90 · 20-10-2021 4:14pm

God i normally ask for extra gravy 😂

But I can't have food too dry, otherwise I have issues. So i have an excuse lol

Recliner · 21-10-2021 1:02am

I always ask for gravy or sauce on the side so I can judge for myself.

McMurphy · 21-10-2021 11:38am

Haven't posted in a while, made this Sunday night, and this was Tuesdays dinner (chilli always tastes better a few days later imo)

Creamy mashed potatoes (forget rice, mash and chilli are the perfect pair) and chilli made from scratch with steak mince.

Shenshen · 21-10-2021 1:49pm

Cauliflower Cheese Pie with a wholemeal shortcrust base. Looks a bit messy, but was very tasty indeed.

sporina · 22-10-2021 10:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118053050#Comment_118053050

that base looks great

Dave_The_Sheep · 24-10-2021 1:01am

My partner was away at a meal with her siblings that I was invited to but not really invited to so... I decided to treat myself. Goose breast, braised cabbage and apple and potato dauphinois. Orange, blackberry and wine sauce.

Two things, 1) I did not eat all that potato, there's at least half left for tomorrow (promise) and 2) I did the slice and fan thing to see how it eats given I always think that it's something that looks pretty but the meat gets cold very quickly, even with hot plates.

I was correct. I'm not a fan. It looks nice, but I prefer the solid block of meat that keeps it's temp a bit more.

Gloomtastic! · 24-10-2021 9:02am

^ Did you buy the goose breast separately? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on sale……

the beer revolu · 24-10-2021 9:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065176#Comment_118065176

Lidl often have frozen goose breast.

Dave_The_Sheep · 24-10-2021 4:57pm

Yep, Lidl have them a lot of the time. €4.99 a breast. Down the back right if the layout is the same as mine. Frozen food section.

sporina · 24-10-2021 9:15pm

turkey and ham with all the trimmings.. hmmmmmmm.... hug happy

L1011 · 24-10-2021 10:12pm

This:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lPdBrC3Tyg&t=509s

However, I couldn't find marsala so used dry sherry - which is white not red, and my mushrooms were generic white mushrooms so the sauce was more green than brown.

Chicken worked out amazingly. Sauce would have benefited from following the recipe properly! Ate with mash because I forgot to buy gnocchi; there's no carb sides in that video but I'd guess gnocchi would be ideal. Will remake if I can find some marsala; and now I need to use the rest of a bottle of dry sherry before it goes off.

Gloomtastic! · 25-10-2021 8:33am

^ Hold onto your horses. Sherry lasts for months after opening. 😋

the beer revolu · 25-10-2021 9:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118068896#Comment_118068896

Dry sherry is a great rice wine substitute - so great in Asian dishes and more. And, as said, for cooking purposes, sherry lasts pretty much indefinitely.

woodchuck · 25-10-2021 8:12pm

PXL_20211025_182735349.jpg

Butternut squash, filled with mince, rice, and kale (cooked with onion, garlic, tomato puree, stock, cinnamon and herbs). And topped with a little parmesan cheese.

Recliner · 26-10-2021 2:29am

Had roast chicken yesterday with all the trimmings. So today made a chicken and mushroom pie, with the leftover pots on top and sprinkled with the leftover stuffing for extra crispness. Fried off the leftover veg in butter, salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.

Delicious and plenty left for tomorrow.

I read a statistic somewhere recently that 60% of our food gets thrown away. Horrifying thought. So I've decided to try and cut back as much as possible on our own food waste.

Gloomtastic! · 26-10-2021 7:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118073066#Comment_118073066

Get some chickens. They eat everything - all your trimmings, leftovers and grass clippings. 😋 🐓

No pic but we went veggie tonight with a Pistou Linguine from Mary Berry. It was really quick and delicious!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pistou_linguini_37127

woodchuck · 26-10-2021 7:47pm

PXL_20211026_181948180.jpg

Chicken in a creamy white wine sauce with pasta and spinach.

We recently received a fair a bit of wine... but we're not wine drinkers, so need to find creative uses for it in the kitchen :P

Actually we've a few bottles of prosecco gathering dust too... any recipe suggestions for those?! :/

cbreeze · 26-10-2021 8:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118069652#Comment_118069652

not in my house it doesn't!! It seems to evaporate through the cork all the time 🤔

snowgal · 27-10-2021 1:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118076683#Comment_118076683

I use wine in lots of cooking! I find a way to stick it in there somehow.... If you have white wine, get roast loin of pork and season and sear it, add more or less full bottle of wine, rosemary, thyme lots of garlic, and cream for the last 20 minutes, on the hob for an hour, delicious! failing that, I am also willing to take any wine off your hands if it would make life easier for you! 😉

Gloomtastic! · 27-10-2021 6:27pm

First time making Cheese & Potato Pie. Definitely not the last, amazing! 😋

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cheese_and_potato_pie_52107

igCorcaigh · 27-10-2021 6:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118079843#Comment_118079843

Is dry vermouth a good sub for white wine in cooking?

Dave_The_Sheep · 27-10-2021 7:02pm

Spagbol. Didn't have any milk though. Anyway, added some of that boar salami from Lidl into it for a bit of difference, worked out quite well as did mushrooms (I don't really like mushrooms or at least I'm training myself to like them so I've never put them in before). Also tried the whole dark chocolate thing that I do with chilli, definitely wasn't a negative.

sammyjo90 · 27-10-2021 7:48pm

@Dave_The_Sheep question,Milk?

What do you need milk for?

Gloomtastic! · 27-10-2021 8:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118081677#Comment_118081677

Yes! I use it all the time.

Dave_The_Sheep · 28-10-2021 12:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118081962#Comment_118081962

Many people put milk in their bolognese\ragu towards the end, or even cream/milk mixture. I don't pretend to know why, but I've done it before and it's lovely. Apparently quite traditional too.

Shoelaces · 28-10-2021 1:13am

Some lamb chops with pee puree and a kick of habanero

sammyjo90 · 28-10-2021 8:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118083315#Comment_118083315

Ahh I see! Didn't know that

the beer revolu · 28-10-2021 9:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118081677#Comment_118081677

No, it really isn't. Some people claim otherwise. Yes, I have tried it and I wasn't happy!

To me, it would be like substituting gin for vodka - they taste completely different. Perhaps if it was just a dash in a strongly flavoured sauce, it would be fine but it ruined a dish for me - the whole dish tasted of vermouth. It went down the drain.

Gloomtastic! · 28-10-2021 10:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118083836#Comment_118083836

Maybe your palate is more refined than mine tbr, but I’ve never had any complaints about the taste of vermouth in my dishes. Vermouth is, by itself, disgusting so they’d have plenty to moan about. 😜

snowgal · 28-10-2021 2:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118081677#Comment_118081677

Mmmm, it can be used, but its definitely not quite the same as white wine. Depending how much you are using too. A splash or so would be fine but a good glug or half bottle I wouldn't substitute it for wine....

Dave_The_Sheep · 29-10-2021 7:57pm

Utterly unhealthy but f*ck it it's Friday. Pan-fried breaded chicken with mash, creamy pepper-whiskey-mushroom sauce and roasted romanesco broccoli. If you like cauliflower and broccoli, you'll like that - it's kind of a cross between the two.

Ludikrus · 30-10-2021 12:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118091659#Comment_118091659

Unhealthy says who? That’s top class home cooked grub 👍

woodchuck · 30-10-2021 2:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118092741#Comment_118092741

I was thinking the same thing! It might be healthier to cook the chicken in the oven than fry it, but overall I wouldn't count that as an unhealthy meal. I've burgers and chips on the menu for tonight 🙈

Dave_The_Sheep · 30-10-2021 4:12pm

Fair points, but there was a lot of cream in both the sauce and - as well as plenty of butter - the potatoes, etc. I don't mind too much though, it's a cheat meal. It's not like I eat it every day (though I will admit I am eating it again today, ****).

Shenshen · 01-11-2021 9:51am

It doesn't look too pretty, but it was seriously tasty.

Oven-roasted butternut squash, spicy garlicy wedges, broccoli and a blue cheese sauce. Well, I say blue cheese - there was some blue cheese, some gubeen and some raw-milk cheese that all needed using up. The sauce packed quite a punch, and was wonderful with the sweet squash!

Roasterd butternut squash, wedges and broccoli.jpg

igCorcaigh · 02-11-2021 10:41pm

A mish mash of things, omelette (kale, onions, mushrooms, salami and cheese) with toasted rye bread, hummus, cauliflower pickle, and lots of parsley. That's instant tomato soup in my BFG cup.