From the Guardian
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ends his look at summer herbs with chervil, because it always brings a smile to his face
Mango
Got some “Ripe and Ready” Mangoes from Tesco and was surprised by how sweet they were, in many ways too sweet to eat.
Going back to melon…
“Confessions of an allium addict”
Nice article from the Guardian on spring onions.
Barbecued, pickled, scattered over a crisp salad, green tops on or bulb only… When it comes to spring onions, Nigel Slater just can’t get enough.
Venezuela’s giant rodent cuisine
BBC reports on Venezuela’s giant rodent cuisine:
While in many countries the Easter dish may be lamb, in Venezuela a traditional delicacy around this time of the year is the capybara, the world’s biggest rodent.
The capybara is a distant cousin to the common guinea pig but bigger and river-based like a beaver.
Many Venezuelans regard the semi-aquatic creature as more fish than meat – a useful description during Lent when it is eaten as a replacement for red meat in this largely Roman Catholic country.
Not sure if I would eat it, would you?
Unsalted Crisps
I much prefer unsalted crisps, however I am having real problems buying them locally.
True I can buy Smiths (actually Walkers) unsalted Salt ‘n’ Shake crisps, but I much prefer the traditionally cooked crisps you can buy.
In theory Tyrells, Kettle and Burts make unsalted crisps, but though my local suppliers have other flavours they no longer stock the unsalted versions.
Eat yer greens…
Pancakes
Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day and time to get your Pancake Pan out.
The Guardian has a nice article on how to get the best out of your pancakes.
Supermarket shelves have sprouted plastic lemons and extra bags of flour in preparation for pancake day tomorrow. Enthusiasm for Lent fasting might have waned, but our love of Shrove Tuesday is still going strong. No wonder. What other food is such fun to cook, is made from such cheap ingredients, and has so many delicious toppings? We asked four top chefs to suggest clever ways to get out of your lemon-and-sugar rut.
Photo source.
It’s not just for Paddington
Nice article from The Guardian on different uses of marmalade.
There’s more to marmalade than a topping for toast – Nigel Slater uses his to sharpen a duck casserole, and set off the sweet pastry of an apple tart.
Roasted Salmon Fillets
Nice and simple dish.
Take some good quality salmon fillets, remove the skin. You don’t need to remove the skin, but I prefer to do so.
Place in a roasting tray. Add some finely chopped parsley and place a knob of unsalted butter on each fillet.
Roast in a hot oven for about ten minutes.
Serve with steamed new potatoes and a side salad.
Roasted Duck Breast
I do enjoy duck and a simple roasted duck breast is a relatively quick and easy dish to make.
Having taken out the two duck breasts from the fridge, using a fork, prick the skin side of the duck breast.
Duck can be quite fatty and as a result if you simply roast the duck breast it will be too fatty and greasy. So heat a frying pan, but don’t add any oil. Place the duck breasts in the pan skin side down.
Frying the duck breast in this way renders the fat out from the duck and as a result you get nice crispy skin and little fat or greasiness.
The breasts will also shrink slightly as they cook. There is technique that you can use to stop the meat curling up, but I can’t remember what it is! Something about cutting away something. If you know post a comment and let me know.
Once the skin is nice and brown, place the duck breasts skin side up in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for about ten to twenty minutes (depending on how you like your duck).
Serve with your favourite accompaniments.