The Cookery Thread

[evilkeen]

Don't worry - I'll have yours. I love onions and garlic. Well, and lots of strong and exotic flavours.

Have to confess I am also a fan of both onions and garlic. And exotic flavours come to that. Especially of the Indian variety...

[eirian]

well, from the look of it Thomas likes the more exotic flavours as well - thoroughly enjoyed his curry for tea!

[LAT]

Good for him! I enjoyed the one I had too.

[Wulfruna]

Sorry! Definitely no curry on the menu when he comes here for Christmas
But I'm sure he will enjoy the turkey.... (which is more than his mother does!)

[clvrlad]

RABBIT* STEW

Ingredients

A couple of Rabbits
Olive Oil
Garlic, Onions and Chillies (if you like it HOT)
Root Vegetables Carrots Swede Potatoes or any other root veg you have
A couple of pints of chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Remove Lungs Heart Liver Kidneys (use those for more stock or discard).

Joint the Rabbits into back legs front legs and saddle cut the saddle in to two pieces discard the rib cage (or use for stock).

Chop the root vegetables into large chunks. Not the potatoes that comes later.

Start heating the chicken stock ..bring it to the boil and turn down to a very slow simmer.

Using a heavy based frying pan sweat the garlic (crush and chop it) onions (roughly chop them) and chillies (finely chop them) in a liberal splash of olive oil..once tender transfer to a heavy based stew pot.

Turn up the heat on the frying pan, add another liberal splash of olive oil, seal the rabbit joints in the frying pan.
(Don't go overboard on the frying just enough to give a nice light brown colour).

Once sealed transfer the Rabbit joints to the stew pot pour the hot chicken stock over the rabbit.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the chopped root vegetables bring the whole lot back up to the boil.
Turn down the heat to a low simmer stir the stew, cover and leave to simmer for about an hour.
Then add the potatoes (cubed) bring the stew back up to a slow simmer stir it and leave for about another three quarters of an hour or until the potatoes are tender.

Enjoy.

* purple bunnys preferably What he doesn't realise is that I can come in and change his posts. But he just WON'T know when I might do that...BL

[kathlyn]

I agree with that but I wouldn't use the garlic or chillies. I also put the heart liver and kidneys in the stew.

[clvrlad]

well they do add to the stocks flavour

[Bunnylump]

[chazzie]

Yeah - but at least you're wanted who would want a horse or dog stew

(or even a penguin one?)

[clvrlad]

hmmmmm penguin stew......

[kathlyn]

Yeah - but at least you're wanted who would want a horse or dog stew

The French or the Chinese

[Bunnylump]

Dunno, penguin stew might be nice. I expect if you asked the average seals, whales, sharks, giant octopuses and squids, barracudas, or giant eels they'd probably agree.

Anyway, DON'T make rabbit stew. Bad move. Make this, it's lovely. Really -I'm not just saying that to deter rabbit massacres - it's actually my all time favourite soup, very fresh tasting, and every time I make it I always get lots of compliments. Under no circumstances be tempted to use tinned tomatoes - it's definitely not as nice.

*I use a little spice holder on a string with holes in it, but you can also cannibalise a bouquet garni and use the bag tied up with cotton if you don't have muslin to hand.

CARROT, TOMATO AND CARDOMON SOUP

Serves 4
9 cardomon pods
275 g of fresh tomatoes
275g carrots
1 and a half tablespoons of sunflower oil
1 cooking onion
1 and three quarter pints o vegetable or chicken stock (good quality stock cube is fine)
salt and pepper
Fresh coriander to garnish

Roughly crush the cardomon pods using a pestle and mortar. Place all the pods and seeds in a piece of muslin and tie securely with string or cotton.*(see note above).

Skin the tomatoes (see note below), de-seed tomatoes, trim the carrots and roughly chop them both.

Skin and finely chop the onion.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and slowly cook the chopped onion until transparent. Add the carrots and tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Add the stock and the wrapped cardomon pods and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer or about 30 minutes until the carrots are tender. Remover the cardomon from the saucepan and leave to cool, then squeeze the muslin out over the saucepan to extract the juice.

Puree the vegetables and their liquid, and then reheat. Season with salt and black pepper.

Garnish with chopped coriander (or parsley).

This is nice served with warm nan bread or paratha, but equally some warm granary bread is lovely too.

NOTE - skinning tomatoes the easy way.

Put the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water for about 20 seconds. Then remove them and plunge them straight away into very cold or iced water. The skin comes of easy peasy.

[clvrlad]

for some reason i dont have a penguin recipe but

the guys at
http://www.allegromedia.com/sugi/penguin/

do.....

[MBH]

well they do add to the stocks flavour

Yeah - garlic or chillie flavour

Roughly crush the cardomon pods using a pestle and mortar.

Why did I suddenly get a mental image of Professor Snape looking over your shoulder to check your work?

[Bunnylump]

Yes, it is official, I am a witch.

[Scurra]

I always knew it...

[Bunnylump]

My secret is out...

[MBH]

Very Good - Wizard Wheeze

[Bunnylump]

Now listen here MBH. Don't you start siding with the evil jester now.

[Bunnylump]

Christmas Cake recipe!!
Ingredients:
* 2 cups flour
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup of brown sugar

* Lemon juice
* 4 large eggs
* Nuts
* 2 bottle wine
* 2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the wine to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the
wine again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup
and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of
butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At
this point it's best to make sure the wine is still OK. Try another
cup... Just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eggs and
add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner.. If the
fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a
drewscriver. Sample the wine to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift
two cups of salt. Or something. Check the wine. Now shift the
lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar,
or some fink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake
tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the
turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the
wine and wipe counter with the cat.
Go to Tesco and buy cake.

Bingle Jells!