The cookery thread

[Onyx2]

9 hours ago, air_raid said:

Can anyone give me some advice about bay

Avoid his films. 

Nigel Slater's best book Appetite has this paragraph that always stuck with me:

Like many herbs it relies on the oil inside being coaxed out, hence it's inclusion in stews as the long slow heat draws out the flavour. 5 minutes in a frying pan won't cut it. 

[chokeout]

I'll one up your Nigel Slater with this overly thorough section from my science of spice book. 

 

[Chest Rockwell]

58 minutes ago, Onyx2 said:

Avoid his films. 

Nigel Slater's best book Appetite has this paragraph that always stuck with me:

Like many herbs it relies on the oil inside being coaxed out, hence it's inclusion in stews as the long slow heat draws out the flavour. 5 minutes in a frying pan won't cut it. 

Of course you would respond with a potato recipe. Always staying on brand ?

[mim731]

Just to say, if you have the outside space for it, a bay tree is practically indestructible regardless of weather and requires minimal attention. So if you have one you have a plentiful supply of bay leaves at your disposal should you need them. Not sure how much they cost as we got ours as a gift (so this might make my point moot), but I imagine if you use them a lot it might work out cheaper in the long run. 

[Chest Rockwell]

I can second that. Literally the only two things I having growing in my garden are a bay plant and rosemary because they require absolutely no maintenance.  If there's anything else similar I'd love to know..

[chokeout]

6 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

I can second that. Literally the only two things I having growing in my garden are a bay plant and rosemary because they require absolutely no maintenance.  If there's anything else similar I'd love to know..

Chives! Had a plant in a pot for 7 years and it's indestructible

[Onyx2]

1 hour ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Of course you would respond with a potato recipe. Always staying on brand

Always working the gimmick. 

[Thunderplex]

1 hour ago, Chest Rockwell said:

I can second that. Literally the only two things I having growing in my garden are a bay plant and rosemary because they require absolutely no maintenance.  If there's anything else similar I'd love to know..

Mint, but just in one pot as it takes over.

[Carbomb]

We've got what we can only describe as a bay tree in our garden. It's older than me, was there when we first moved in. It's been out of control the past few years, so we had to chop it back a fair bit. Still going strong though.

[King Coconut]

Sage and thyme will also survive Armageddon.

[air_raid]

Thanks for the bay tips, lads.

Dont worry, I don’t plan to spam this thread like it was on-topic, but I felt compelled to share this ;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/man-shares-trick-best-roast-25977571.amp
 

I was shocked/not shocked at this. Not shocked because I’ve been garlic sautéeing my spuds instead of roasting for ages for both a great crunch and saving both time and space in the oven, for ages now, including Christmas dinner. Shocked that a professional chef does virtually the same step by step as me. Not that it’s complex or imaginative, of course.

Edited January 20, 2022 by air_raid

[Chest Rockwell]

I really balk at the idea of using olive oil for potatoes. Other than that the process seems perfectly sensible!

[air_raid]

1 hour ago, Chest Rockwell said:

I really balk at the idea of using olive oil for potatoes. Other than that the process seems perfectly sensible!

I’ve used rapeseed oil most of the times except Christmas I used goose fat “because it’s Christmas.”

[Onyx2]

2 hours ago, Chest Rockwell said:

I really balk at the idea of using olive oil for potatoes. Other than that the process seems perfectly sensible!

You will be shocked (SHOCKED) to learn I taste tested using all sorts of fats last year with about 10 friends. In a blind test they unanimously selected olive oil as making the best roast potatoes. I wasn't expecting it either! So now I use olive oil, and add butter 20 minutes in to avoid it burning.

Hey we had those Tesco paper napkins this Christmas @air_raid!

[neil]

Ain't that just Parmentier Potatoes?

 

In other food news I recently did this roast chicken:

Normally I do a roast chicken in a very hot oven with the results being great but always end up smoking my entire place up. This is low and slow and I have to admit was really good, not only juicy but the skin was surprisingly crisp.