Efests Recipe Book

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Now that the weather has turned a bit crap I was thinking about doing a nice beef stew in the slow cooker. Anyone know of any nice recipes?

I like to use a fatty part like skirt, brisket or ox tail. Rather than use a stock I just use a nice ale and make some dumplings with either sage or a little blue cheese in.

[Spartacus Mars]

I like to use a fatty part like skirt, brisket or ox tail. Rather than use a stock I just use a nice ale and make some dumplings with either sage or a little blue cheese in.

I like the cut of your jib!!

Good dumplings are the easiest thing in the world and taste fantastic. One part suet to two parts self-raising flour, and some water. Nothing easier. I've been known to put some powdered herbs or spices into mine for a bit of variety, a touch of mild curry powder or some Herbs de Provence for example.

BAH... I've bought material for four days worth of soups and now I want beef stew.

Och, there's always next week.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I like the cut of your jib!!

Good dumplings are the easiest thing in the world and taste fantastic. One part suet to two parts self-raising flour, and some water. Nothing easier. I've been known to put some powdered herbs or spices into mine for a bit of variety, a touch of mild curry powder or some Herbs de Provence for example.

BAH... I've bought material for four days worth of soups and now I want beef stew.

Och, there's always next week.

There is nothing more comforting that a suet dumpling or pudding. I was doing the catering for a crew of litter pickers a few years back. On the Monday it was pissing down and I did beef stew with dumplings. All I had were 2 burners but I did it for 60 people with mash and cabbage. I could not believe I ran out of cabbage. My son you was helping me thought I was mad but it went down really well.

[t8yman]

Just had a beef stew tonight, first one since before the "summer" - beaudiful it was!

I normally use shin, and a can of Guinness, and usually a Schwartz beef casserole packet.

Edited September 24, 2012 by t8yman

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I am not really a fan of packet mix but them again I have never really used them. I do have some packets to make chinese takeaway curry sauce and I have taken to buying a jar of value sweet and sour sauce. That is just ease if I do chips for the kids.

One thing I had last night from a takeaway at the bottom of the road. Chip Spice. Not something I have seen out of Yorkshire.

[Spartacus Mars]

If you can find a Chinese supermarket (we have loooooads in Glasgow) get their yellow curry paste. Cheap as chips (actually a lot cheaper than a bag of chips) and lasts for forever in the fridge. Combine a modest dollop and a can of coconut milk, simmer for a bit, and you have a perfect Chinese curry sauce.

Sweet and Sour sauce is really easy to make. Can of tomato soup, can of pineapple, a little extra white vinegar, a little extra sugar, some cornflour, and a dash of soy sauce if you have it. Probably better for your kids than value-range processed sauces.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Spartacus Mars

[Rufus Gwertigan]

20p for a jar of sweet and sour from Tesco. It is for when the kids come in from a night on the piss. I dont mind doing some chips but be ballsed if I am cooking healthy stuff ;-)

[Spartacus Mars]

[Essex_George]

I like to use a fatty part like skirt, brisket or ox tail. Rather than use a stock I just use a nice ale and make some dumplings with either sage or a little blue cheese in.

My beef stew is in the slow cooker now and timed to come on later this morning ready for when me and the Mrs get home after work. Used brasing steak with nice bits of fat running through it. Coated the beef with flour/pepper/salt/thyme mix and chucked it in with selection of veg and some stock. I like the sound of dumplings with a bit of blue cheese in, will def do them next time!

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Just made some Scotch Eggs from a recipe I saw on tv a few weeks back. Soft boiled the egg first. For the wrapping it is a mix of sausage meat, pork mince and chorizo. Double coat with egg and breadcrumbs and fry off and jobs a good un.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Rufus Gwertigan

[Uncle Liam]

Just had a beef stew tonight, first one since before the "summer" - beaudiful it was!

I normally use shin, and a can of Guinness, and usually a Schwartz beef casserole packet.

I use shin as well. And whatever stock vegetables I've got, this time it was carrots, onions and leeks.

Brown the meat is seasoned flour, and soften onions, carrots etc. Into the slow cooker with as much Red Wine as you feel is appropriate, and a pint of good beef stock. I also stuck a tin of butterbeans in it for the sake of it. Slow cook on low overnight.

Transfer to pan and take most of the liquid and put in a seperate pan and reduce it. I mix flour and butter to help thicken it as well.

It was absolutley beautiful.

[Spindles]

Leeks fucking rock. That's all I've got to say on the matter. Great for soup, great if you throw some into gravy, great on their own. The welsh might be responsible for some atrocities (yes shaking stevens, I'm looking at you) but leeks almost redeem the nation.

[grumpyhack]

Just come back from a holiday in British Columbia, Canada.

One idea I picked up was adding strawberries to salads - a salad ingredient I'd not considered before. Highly recommended.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Just come back from a holiday in British Columbia, Canada.

One idea I picked up was adding strawberries to salads - a salad ingredient I'd not considered before. Highly recommended.

I like to add nasturtium flowers to a salad. They have a mild peppery flavour.

[Spartacus Mars]

Leeks fucking rock. That's all I've got to say on the matter. Great for soup, great if you throw some into gravy, great on their own. The welsh might be responsible for some atrocities (yes shaking stevens, I'm looking at you) but leeks almost redeem the nation.

Agreed. Leeks rock.

Hi-De-Hi and Ruth Maddock talking like she was permenently on the verge of an orgasm didn't harm my perceptions of them as a people either.

Just come back from a holiday in British Columbia, Canada.

One idea I picked up was adding strawberries to salads - a salad ingredient I'd not considered before. Highly recommended.

Great idea. I put grapes and walnuts and pine-nuts in already. At this rate I'll be able to skip the lettuice and just eat a bowl of fruit & nut.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Spartacus Mars

[Spindles]

+1 on the fruit and nuts in salad thing. Also +1 on Ruth "throatie" Maddock.

I should explain that I am a skanky half breed of bristol and wales, so I like to make piss poor jokes that revolve around "I blame the welsh"

My daughter is working her first shift in her 2nd job (she works as a carer for a disabled lady in the mornings and is now doing shifts in a care home in the evenings) so I'm going to surprise her with a banging traditional sunday roast (chicken) with leeks, cabbage and gravy made with chipolatas and onions as a #prouddad thingummie. Going to cook the chicken slooooowww so it is literally falling off the bone when it's served at 9pm

[t8yman]

I have just had one of the most awesome cheeseburgers I have ever eaten.

It was from andy bates American street feasts on the food channel. I followed the recipe and method to the letter, and it was superb. The kids loved it. I also followed his recipe for the homemade ketchup, and that was off the hook!

[t8yman]

Also, at the risk of coming off as a junk food addict, I am doing the "southern fried chicken" from the aforementioned tv programme tomorrow, and for the first time am brining my chicken. I've read about the benefits of doing so a few times but have never tried it. I've got about 15 pieces of chicken sat in 3 litres of water, with 3/4 of a cup of salt 1/4 of a cup of sugar, thyme, lemon, bay leaf and sage. I'm leaving it in the brining licquor for 24 hours before flour dredging it and deep frying.

I shall post my thoughts on the result tomorrow!

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Also, at the risk of coming off as a junk food addict, I am doing the "southern fried chicken" from the aforementioned tv programme tomorrow, and for the first time am brining my chicken. I've read about the benefits of doing so a few times but have never tried it. I've got about 15 pieces of chicken sat in 3 litres of water, with 3/4 of a cup of salt 1/4 of a cup of sugar, thyme, lemon, bay leaf and sage. I'm leaving it in the brining licquor for 24 hours before flour dredging it and deep frying.

I shall post my thoughts on the result tomorrow!

I dont brine my chicken but I do soak it over night. I either use buttermilk or milk with a bit of lemon juice and yoghurt mixed in, just to make the milk acidic. When I coat it in the flour mix I make sure it stands for half an hour for the juices/milk from the chicken to be taken up. It is fried in a shallow pan as well. If brining does the same as the milk the chicken will be tender and succulent and the coating really crisp.

[t8yman]

I've never seen buttermilk in the shops here, not that I've really ever looked for it before. Is it widely available?

Also struggling to find panko breadcrumbs too.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I've never seen buttermilk in the shops here, not that I've really ever looked for it before. Is it widely available?

Also struggling to find panko breadcrumbs too.

A deli near us does buttermilk but it is really only a sour type milk hence if you add lemon juice to normal milk it will suffice (same way as you can soup cream).

There is a Japanese supermarket on my way to work. I will drop in for you and see if they do panko breadcrumbs.

[t8yman]

Actually, I'll try the Chinese supermarket- they might stock them. Don't go to any bother Dave!

Edited October 9, 2012 by t8yman

[Rufus Gwertigan]

How did the chicken turn out?

Managed to get some packs of frozen lamb mince for a quid from Iceland. Last night I made up some seekh kebabs. I did not follow a recipe and just chucked in what I thought would go. Onion, chillis, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds and fresh coriander and just blitzed it for a few seconds. Grilled them off and they were delicious served with homemade naan bread.

[t8yman]

The chicken was tasty, but when I fried it, it burnt the coating before the chicken was cooked properly. I obviously had the oil too hot. just needs a bit of tinkering before I do it again. will definitely brine it in the future.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

The chicken was tasty, but when I fried it, it burnt the coating before the chicken was cooked properly. I obviously had the oil too hot. just needs a bit of tinkering before I do it again. will definitely brine it in the future.

Thats why I shallow fry mine. I have heard people brining a turkey at Christmas and I may give it a go now.