Prog Chefs Unite!!!

 

So Saturday I cooked up a jambalaya - never cooked one before but it seemed to be basically a variant on a kedgeree, risotto or paella and it turns out to be easier than any of them yet produces similar results. Mine was chicken drumsticks, saucisson sec and prawn along with the traditional trinity of celery, peppers, and onions. I made cornbread to go with it (another first) with caramelised onions, strong cheddar cheese, fresh corn kernels and a couple of pokey little chillies picked from the out of the garden. It may have been my first but it was the best damn cornbread I've ever made. 

 

Today I BBQ'd some chicken thighs that had been marinading overnight in a dry rub of assorted herbs, garlic and paprika. They were cooked in smoker with the lid on for an hour before being covered in a bbq sauce and grilled until sticky and gooey - also grilled some skewers of prawn and fresh mackerel and served salad and deep fried "hushpuppies" - savoury sweetcorn fritters/doughnuts made with cornmeal, spring onions and cheddar cheese. I'm not sure the chicken was worth all the hassle (I made the bbq sauce from scratch) - I'm not a great fan of BBQing - I've a fitted kitchen with a working gas stove, I don't see the attraction of cooking outside ten feet away from all that over a naked fire - I usually empty a bottle of Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce over the chicken and my work is done - someone else can cook it.

 

I also made a fruit flan (sponge base, creme-pat, assorted fresh fruits and glazed with tangerine jelly)

 

...and I ended up making two birthday cakes so she could take one into work tomorrow to share with her new colleagues.

 

And I couldn't have a drink because I had to drive them to the railway station for 19:30.

 

... and for some reason the trains to London were only running from Aldersh*t this evening... "Dad... when do we have to leave to get to Aldersh*t for seven-thirty?" ... "Dunno - Google it" ..."okay *tap-tap-tap* 35 miles, 18 minutes" ... "Really? That's over 100 miles an hour" ... "Oh, *tap-tap-tap*... 18 miles, 35 minutes ... sorry. *giggle*" ... Ah, she's still my wife's daughter.

 

 

 

Seems like I've been cooking all week end - I'm knackered now.

 

 

I've a piece of home-cured pork belly in the fridge - dry-cured, guaranteed no injected water or chemical preservatives, just salt, sugar & pepper. This weekend I'm going to start another, this time using maple syrup as a flavouring/preservative. 

Now the ambient temperatures have started to drop it will soon be time to crank-up the cold smoker...