Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Religion
I came across this video somewhat by mistake. Taken alone, it appears to be a rant about Islam - but it's not. Pat has railed about most religions (he is one of those "fallen Catholics"), and the harm they have done to society over the past two millennia. Some of his vids are extremely funny, some are downright libellous, but all contain a modicum of truth. His latest vids reflect an attempt to prevent the setup of Sharia courts in the UK - they have no place in a civilised society, and should not be tolerated. They serve to demean women and strengthen chauvinism in the Islamic community, and by extension, the community at large. Do we really want to live in Medieval times? I think not. Religion has it's place for those that need it. For those of us who don't, leave us alone. And keep religion out of politics - its all about power, not saving the godless.
C
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Roast Duck
I am a real foody (which is emphasised by my waist in the photo) and love cooking, but I would like to share some of my concoctions with other like-minded people. Karen has a blog (http://krazyblonde-kb.blogspot.com/), which she shares with lots of people, so the girls and others can see what we've been up to. I thought I should too.
Here's one I made last night:
1 x 1.8 kg duck (neck and neck fat removed), skin scoured in diamonds - approx 1cm grid, patted dry and salted (rock salt) and peppered
Stuffing
4 - 6 Portobello mushrooms (sliced thinly)
3 cloves garlic, crushed with flat of knife and sliced
2 handfuls mung bean sprouts
2 handfuls baby watercress, roughly chopped
1 x 2cm long piece of ginger, finely sliced (1mm x 1 mm x 2cm)
1 Tblspn plum jam (Black Doris is best)
1 Dstspn Sweet soy sauce
1/2 red onion
2 Tblspn EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Method
Heat oven to 250C
Combine mushies, garlic, EVOO, Mung beans, w'cress, ginger, plum jam, soy sauce.
Toss in small wok until all veges are cooked, and the liquid reduced by 1/2. Strain liquid into bowl, reserve liquid, then stuff front end of duck with 1/2 red onion, then place drained, sauteed veges inside cavity after the red onion. Then truss and tie the duck to close the rear cavity, and tie the wings over the breast.
Place in oven, breast side up, on a rack over a drip tray containing one large cup of water, and a crushed clove of garlic (and the neck, if kept - this makes for brill. duck stock). Make sure that tray is in the middle of the oven, and that the oven is fairly clean, because at this temp there will be a lot of smoke if it's not). Keep at 250C for 15-20 min, then turn down to 150C, for a further 30min.(at this stage put another cup of water in the drip tray), then turn over for further 30min. Turn on your grill, and grill duck all over until skin is crispy (about 5 min each side will do). When medium rare, juices will run slightly pink when pricked through thickest part of breast (I recommend slightly rare, as duck gets much tougher the more it is cooked). Rest under foil breast down, (so the juices will gravitate there and make the breast less dry) out of oven in a clean dish for 10 minutes, then turn over and carve.
While duck is resting, take the reserved vege stock, and add 1 Tblspn plum jam, 1 dried star anise, and 1 Dstspn butter (Duck fat from the pan is better),1 Tblspn raspberry or balsamic vinegar. Reduce by 1/3 over med heat to prevent pan burning (about 5 min), and drizzle over carved duck.
I like this served with sliced Bok Choy, Mung Bean sprouts, chopped garlic and soy sauce, flash fried (in a wok together, about 5 mins.), accompanied by ginger scented fried rice (rice, sliced ginger, finely diced red and green capsicum, finely chopped garlic and soy sauce quickly fried on a high heat with 2 Tblspn peanut or canola oil - can be prepared in advance and quickly reheated).
Feeds 4-6, as we found out. Yay, leftovers!
If you don't like duck, would work with chicken too, though not as much flavour...
You'll need to go for a run the next day. It's not exactly calorie conscious, but tastes bloody great. You can always cut down on the amount of duck you serve, but trust me, they'll be begging for more!
Bon appetite,
Clark
Here's one I made last night:
1 x 1.8 kg duck (neck and neck fat removed), skin scoured in diamonds - approx 1cm grid, patted dry and salted (rock salt) and peppered
Stuffing
4 - 6 Portobello mushrooms (sliced thinly)
3 cloves garlic, crushed with flat of knife and sliced
2 handfuls mung bean sprouts
2 handfuls baby watercress, roughly chopped
1 x 2cm long piece of ginger, finely sliced (1mm x 1 mm x 2cm)
1 Tblspn plum jam (Black Doris is best)
1 Dstspn Sweet soy sauce
1/2 red onion
2 Tblspn EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Method
Heat oven to 250C
Combine mushies, garlic, EVOO, Mung beans, w'cress, ginger, plum jam, soy sauce.
Toss in small wok until all veges are cooked, and the liquid reduced by 1/2. Strain liquid into bowl, reserve liquid, then stuff front end of duck with 1/2 red onion, then place drained, sauteed veges inside cavity after the red onion. Then truss and tie the duck to close the rear cavity, and tie the wings over the breast.
Place in oven, breast side up, on a rack over a drip tray containing one large cup of water, and a crushed clove of garlic (and the neck, if kept - this makes for brill. duck stock). Make sure that tray is in the middle of the oven, and that the oven is fairly clean, because at this temp there will be a lot of smoke if it's not). Keep at 250C for 15-20 min, then turn down to 150C, for a further 30min.(at this stage put another cup of water in the drip tray), then turn over for further 30min. Turn on your grill, and grill duck all over until skin is crispy (about 5 min each side will do). When medium rare, juices will run slightly pink when pricked through thickest part of breast (I recommend slightly rare, as duck gets much tougher the more it is cooked). Rest under foil breast down, (so the juices will gravitate there and make the breast less dry) out of oven in a clean dish for 10 minutes, then turn over and carve.
While duck is resting, take the reserved vege stock, and add 1 Tblspn plum jam, 1 dried star anise, and 1 Dstspn butter (Duck fat from the pan is better),1 Tblspn raspberry or balsamic vinegar. Reduce by 1/3 over med heat to prevent pan burning (about 5 min), and drizzle over carved duck.
I like this served with sliced Bok Choy, Mung Bean sprouts, chopped garlic and soy sauce, flash fried (in a wok together, about 5 mins.), accompanied by ginger scented fried rice (rice, sliced ginger, finely diced red and green capsicum, finely chopped garlic and soy sauce quickly fried on a high heat with 2 Tblspn peanut or canola oil - can be prepared in advance and quickly reheated).
Feeds 4-6, as we found out. Yay, leftovers!
If you don't like duck, would work with chicken too, though not as much flavour...
You'll need to go for a run the next day. It's not exactly calorie conscious, but tastes bloody great. You can always cut down on the amount of duck you serve, but trust me, they'll be begging for more!
Bon appetite,
Clark
Monday, September 8, 2008
Southern Style Ribs and Slaw
Southern Style Ribs (Dry Rubbed)
2-3 racks pork backribs (preferably smoked – try South African Butcher, or add 1 tsp liquid smoke in 1/2 cup water to baste ribs first)
1-2 Tblsp Garlic powder
1 Dstsp onion powder
2 Tblsp brown sugar
1 Dstsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground thyme
1 Dstsp ground sea salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on taste)
Mix together all dry ingredients to create a homogenous powder (I use a small blender)
Remove the membrane from the concave surface of the ribs (use a paper towel to grip the membrane, as it is slippery)
Rub the dry mixture into both surfaces of the ribs
Using single sheets of foil, carefully make a sealed package enclosing each dry-rubbed rack.
Place in oven at 90deg C for 5 hours
If you desire sticky ribs, substitute garlic and Onion powder with crushed and finely chopped garlic (about 6 cloves) and onion (1 med. sized brown), and use one Dstsp of brown sugar and one of either molasses or Manuka honey, and a ½ cup of Jack Daniels Whiskey. Add a knob of butter and reduce in a saucepan until the same consistency as barbeque sauce. Cool and blend. Spread evenly on both sides of each rack and enclose as for the dry rub racks, leaving enough of the sauce for dipping when the ribs are cooked (or make up a little more if you have used it all on the ribs).
When the time has elapsed, open each packet to expose the ribs, and grill until golden brown, or sugar starts to glaze (for the stickies)
Southern Style Peanut Slaw
½ Cabbage, very finely sliced
1 capsicum (pref. red) very finely sliced
1 red onion, halved and very finely sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely sliced
1 small red chili, seeds removed and finely sliced
1 carrot, very finely grated (I use a slotted zester)
¾ cup roasted and salted peanuts, blitzed until coarse chopped
200-250g Crème Freiche
Zest and juice of 1 small lime
1 tsp curry powder
1 Dstsp brown sugar
1 Dstsp Italian or Spiced white wine vinegar
Mix all vege. ingredients together until consistent.
In a mixing bowl, mix remaining ingredients with a fork until the consistency of salad crème. Taste and season, adding more or less vinegar depending on taste.
Pour dressing over vege. mix, and refrigerate for at least four hours (overnight is best) to allow flavours to fully develop.
2-3 racks pork backribs (preferably smoked – try South African Butcher, or add 1 tsp liquid smoke in 1/2 cup water to baste ribs first)
1-2 Tblsp Garlic powder
1 Dstsp onion powder
2 Tblsp brown sugar
1 Dstsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground thyme
1 Dstsp ground sea salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on taste)
Mix together all dry ingredients to create a homogenous powder (I use a small blender)
Remove the membrane from the concave surface of the ribs (use a paper towel to grip the membrane, as it is slippery)
Rub the dry mixture into both surfaces of the ribs
Using single sheets of foil, carefully make a sealed package enclosing each dry-rubbed rack.
Place in oven at 90deg C for 5 hours
If you desire sticky ribs, substitute garlic and Onion powder with crushed and finely chopped garlic (about 6 cloves) and onion (1 med. sized brown), and use one Dstsp of brown sugar and one of either molasses or Manuka honey, and a ½ cup of Jack Daniels Whiskey. Add a knob of butter and reduce in a saucepan until the same consistency as barbeque sauce. Cool and blend. Spread evenly on both sides of each rack and enclose as for the dry rub racks, leaving enough of the sauce for dipping when the ribs are cooked (or make up a little more if you have used it all on the ribs).
When the time has elapsed, open each packet to expose the ribs, and grill until golden brown, or sugar starts to glaze (for the stickies)
Southern Style Peanut Slaw
½ Cabbage, very finely sliced
1 capsicum (pref. red) very finely sliced
1 red onion, halved and very finely sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely sliced
1 small red chili, seeds removed and finely sliced
1 carrot, very finely grated (I use a slotted zester)
¾ cup roasted and salted peanuts, blitzed until coarse chopped
200-250g Crème Freiche
Zest and juice of 1 small lime
1 tsp curry powder
1 Dstsp brown sugar
1 Dstsp Italian or Spiced white wine vinegar
Mix all vege. ingredients together until consistent.
In a mixing bowl, mix remaining ingredients with a fork until the consistency of salad crème. Taste and season, adding more or less vinegar depending on taste.
Pour dressing over vege. mix, and refrigerate for at least four hours (overnight is best) to allow flavours to fully develop.
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