View Full Version : The cooking forum requests thread!
This might be a bit of fun and a bit of a challenge at the same time. This is a thread where you post a request and another forum user cooks it :D
The rules.
Either:
Post a request. This should either be a request for a dish or a set of ingredients to make a dish with. I guess the more obscure the ingredients, the better the challenge; but keep it realistic!
or:
Pick up the request! Cook the dish or take up the ingredients challenge and make something with them. Make sure you post up your recipe and take some pictures!
Lets see what happens! I'll try and pick up a request over the weekend to get things going :shocked:
SidewinderINC
30-10-2011, 23:03
love it!
Don't have anything at the moment but I shall be keeping an eye on this thread.
I usually plan out what I'm going to cook and end up with very peculiar ingredients at the end that I don't think I could make anything with. This could solve all my problems :D
OK, can I start? I have a rabbit in my freezer and no idea what to do with it. I've also been given some cider to cook it in.
So... please make me something involving rabbit and ciduuuuur :)
Stan_Lite
31-10-2011, 09:11
OK, can I start? I have a rabbit in my freezer and no idea what to do with it. I've also been given some cider to cook it in.
So... please make me something involving rabbit and ciduuuuur :)
Not a recipe as such but I'd be inclined to joint the rabbit and marinade it in the cider with some additions - probably onion, carrots, bay leaf, thyme, juniper berries (always good with game), peppercorns - and anything else you think may work. Bung it in the fridge overnight.
Dry off the rabbit and brown it in a pan and bung it in a casserole dish with veg of your choice. Pour over the strained marinade liquid and top up with stock if not enough liquid. Bung in the oven for an hour and a half. Remove the rabbit and veg and reduce the cooking liquid and whisk in some Dijon mustard and lots of butter for the sauce.
Mmmmm, sounds delish. Will give it a try when we're around for the weekend :) Wabbit stew. Larrrrvely!
Justsomebloke
31-10-2011, 17:48
Can I just request that somebody cooks me a home made meal & brings it round to me. :'(
Awwwww Malc!!! :( Am sure I could rustle up something and drop it over :D
is this very special French cider perhaps? :D
God no, that's much too good for cooking :p
I bet it'd taste lush in a stew though!
I didn't get any rabbit this year and it looks like I didn't take any pictures of last years ones either. Otherwise I'd love to do a rabbit dish. I might substitute the rabbit for pork and do it in a creamy cider sauce on a buttery bubble and squeak mash.
I do recommend taking the time to take the meat off the bone. It's a lot of faff but it makes it a lot easier to eat. You can use the loins wrapped in bacon and strew the rest. Braised on the bone is also good though, as long as you don't mind small fiddly bones :)
Stan_Lite
02-11-2011, 20:37
I prefer to cook it on the bone for the extra flavour. It'd probably be easier to cook it on the bone first and then remove the meat from the bone and put back in the sauce - I find removing cooked meat from the bone much easier than raw :)
volospian
10-11-2011, 09:21
I prefer to cook it on the bone for the extra flavour. It'd probably be easier to cook it on the bone first and then remove the meat from the bone and put back in the sauce - I find removing cooked meat from the bone much easier than raw :)
+1
I do a lamb shoulder dish, boiled in water for hours and then served in a creamy tarragon (or dill) sauce made with the water. The meat is then removed from the bone (when it's all just about falling off anyway) and popped back into the sauce for a little while... nice.
Well thought I might try this thread.
I have a banned leg of mutton, but don't fancy doing a normal roast or curry.
So can anyone suggest any other dishes, for some reason got a strong want to use anchovies/Italian as well(although not essential)
So what dishes can you guys suggest.
Stan_Lite
10-11-2011, 23:10
Well thought I might try this thread.
I have a banned leg of mutton, but don't fancy doing a normal roast or curry.
So can anyone suggest any other dishes, for some reason got a strong want to use anchovies/Italian as well(although not essential)
So what dishes can you guys suggest.
I'm assuming that because you say mutton, it's from an older animal (i.e. not lamb or hoggett), in which case it'll need a bit longer cooking time.
If it were lamb, I'd suggest cutting into steaks and giving it a herb and anchovy crust (Breadcrumbs, rosemary, thyme, anchovies and olive oil) and roasting. However, if it's an older cut, this probably won't be the best way to cook it.
If it's older, I would still cut it into steaks and braise/stew it for a long time in a sauce made from tinned chopped tomatoes, red wine, (maybe a little stock), onion, garlic, anchovies, oregano, red pepper and courgette and serve with some crusty bread.
Yep it's mutton, so long cooking time is essential.
That does sound good.
You can't really go wrong with stew and fresh bread.
Stan_Lite
10-11-2011, 23:17
You can't really go wrong with stew and fresh bread.
A man after my own heart :)
volospian
11-11-2011, 08:50
I have this recipe for "roman spring lamb" but, with a little thought, it could maybe work with mutton if the roasting was slower...
*Roman spring lamb*
*serves 4*
1 kg leg of lamb
plain flour, for dusting
3 tbs olive oil
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
175ml white wine
5 tbs white wine vinegar
4 large potatoes, sliced
salt and pepper
3 anchovies (optional)
Chop the leg into pieces or ask the butcher to do this for you. Preheat
the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Dust the pieces of lamb with flour.
Heat the oil in a wide roasting tin, add the lamb and cook over a high
heat, turning frequently, for about 10 minutes until browned all over.
Season with salt and pepper, add the rosemary sprigs and sprinkle with
the sage and garlic. Turn the pieces over several times so that they
soak up the flavour. Mix together the wine and vinegar, add to the
roasting tin and cook until the liquid has almost completely evaporated.
Add 150ml boiling water and the potatoes, cover and roast for 30 minutes
or until tender. If the gravy seems to be drying out, add a little hot
water mixed with white wine vinegar. Transfer the lamb to a warm serving
dish and serve while still hot. For an even tastier alternative, omit
the potatoes, and when the lamb is nearly ready transfer 2-3 tablespoons
of the gravy to a small pan, add three boned and chopped salted
anchovies and cook over a low heat, mashing the anchovies with a wooden
spoon until they have almost disintegrated. Mix well, pour the sauce
over the meat and roast for a few minutes more before serving.
^^^ would work really well if you slow roasted it for hours.
Too many cuts I can't lay my hands on, already, so I can't carry out any of the requests :(
OK, can I start? I have a rabbit in my freezer and no idea what to do with it. I've also been given some cider to cook it in.
So... please make me something involving rabbit and ciduuuuur :)
Ok, pretend the pork is rabbit and this should work...
One portion:
Front and rear legs of a rabbit (keep the loin for something else)
1 small leek
100ml very scrumpy dry cider ;)
100ml chicken stock
Dash of double cream
Plain flour
Salt and pepper
Clean and chop the leek. Roll the rabbit pieces in plain flour and put them in a hot frying pan with olive oil to brown on the outside. Add the leeks to pick up any excess flour and to add a little colour. Transfer the rabbit and leeks to an oven dish. Pour the cider and stock into the pan and reduce by 2/3. Check the seasoning at this point: I added salt, pepper and a teaspoon of sugar because it was a bit sharp. Pour that over the rabbit like so:
http://www.jonny69.co.uk/uploads/cooking/pork-leeks-mash/img7551j.jpg
Cover with foil and put in the oven at 180 for 30-45 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly in this time and the leeks will go soft. Just before you serve it, stir in a dash of double cream and pile it up onto creamy mashed potato:
http://www.jonny69.co.uk/uploads/cooking/pork-leeks-mash/img7553k.jpg
Photos need some 'shop to make them prettier, but you get the idea ;)
Edit: images improved :)
OK, here's a complete dunce question. What is a foolproof method for creating no-frills mashed potato? Mine always ends up soaked through with water, leaving the mash 'cloudy' but not in the light, fluffy way. The closest analogy I can get to is when ice cream melts and refreezes. It's still ice cream, but useless. Am I simply overcooking the potatoes, or maybe using the wrong type?
I don't necessarily need any tips on what to add in terms of milk, cream, herbs etc., just some sort of idea of how to get from raw potatoes to cooked, mashed up potatoes that could be served on their own if need be. It's probably my biggest failing in the kitchen and tarnishes any dish it encounters. :(
Edit: I've just realised this wasn't really the point of the thread, but if someone wants to make some basic mash for the purposes of educating me then go for it. ;D
leowyatt
15-11-2011, 12:37
Try this Belmit:
1kg potatoes
splash milk or cream (optional)
butter
nutmeg (optional)
Peel the potatoes and cut them into even- sized pieces, about 3x3cm (if they aren't even they won't cook at the same speed). If you choose to boil the potatoes, make sure you only cook them until tender and not so they start getting ragged around the edges or they'll become water-logged. Then drain and briefly steam dry in the pan.
Once you have nice, dry, cooked potatoes add milk or cream, if using, and put the pan back over the heat until the liquid is also hot. Add a good knob of butter (Heston Blumenthal uses 300g of butter for 1kg potatoes, but 25g of butter would be fine, a little more even better). Then mash quickly (or go in with your electric whisk), until smooth. Season, with nutmeg too if you like.
I have a brace!
Angus has suggested pheasant goujons! Any other ideas!? :D
BB x
If you choose to boil the potatoes, make sure you only cook them until tender and not so they start getting ragged around the edges or they'll become water-logged.
I suspect this is the biggest problem I have. That and not chopping them small enough. Will give it a go and see what happens!
volospian
15-11-2011, 15:33
Am I simply overcooking the potatoes, or maybe using the wrong type?
I'd say potentially both. Have a look here (http://www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/the-potato/potato-varieties/) for some suggestions of spud type :)
OK, here's a complete dunce question. What is a foolproof method for creating no-frills mashed potato? Mine always ends up soaked through with water, leaving the mash 'cloudy' but not in the light, fluffy way. The closest analogy I can get to is when ice cream melts and refreezes. It's still ice cream, but useless. Am I simply overcooking the potatoes, or maybe using the wrong type?
I don't necessarily need any tips on what to add in terms of milk, cream, herbs etc., just some sort of idea of how to get from raw potatoes to cooked, mashed up potatoes that could be served on their own if need be. It's probably my biggest failing in the kitchen and tarnishes any dish it encounters. :(
Edit: I've just realised this wasn't really the point of the thread, but if someone wants to make some basic mash for the purposes of educating me then go for it. ;D
I don't think you can overcook spuds for mash. Not unless you cook them to the point that they are soup.
This is how I did the mash in the pic above:
Use white non-waxy potatoes, otherwise you'll get sticky mash. Reds are usually waxy.
Boil in salted water until soft all the way through
Strain the water off with a colander
Add quite a lot of butter and mash well
Add *just* a dash of milk to loosen and mash it in
Check seasoning
Nyomski
Sometimes I'll cook the potatoes in their skins on the microwave jacket potato setting and simply scoop out the insides, mash up with butter and a bit of milk and keep the skins for the next day.
Stan_Lite
15-11-2011, 17:51
Some tatties are more watery than others so I'll usually gauge the amount of milk/cream depending on how wet they are. If I have a wet tattie, I won't bother with any liquid, just loads of butter. I also use a potato ricer rather than a masher as it gives a much finer and more naturally creamy mash. I'll usually undercook my tatties very slightly for mash - once they've been through the ricer, you don't notice if they're a bit firm in the middle.
I tend to drain and rinse mine part way through cooking - gets rid of a lot of the starch and helps to make lighter, fluffier mash. Told a few other people to try it and they all do it that way now. (Its also healthier - it was part of my dads diabetes diet to cook them that way)
LeperousDust
18-11-2011, 03:43
I'd say for mash don't beat/mash it to much as well, Heston makes something of a mash purée from what i've seen, and whilst it's nice its more gourmet than home cooking. A potato ricer makes lovely mash, one pass through a ricer into a hot pan, pour over hot milk and melted butter (don't introduce cold things to mix) and simply a few stirs to combine its fluffy airy and lovely. Albeit i don't have a ricer any more (it was my housemate's) that was definitely the most consistent way back in my old flat. For me anyway, i guess everyone appears to have their own way!
The style of potato has a huge impact on the end result, but i've never had bad mash, they're just all different, i've never chose my potato solely on in mashing ability, more likely to make sure its nice to roast/chip (these DO require a decent potato no doubt).
Bloody hell Belmit. You're a whiz in the kitchen and I'm a dunce and even I can make mashed potato ;D
Everyone has a blind spot! :D
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