The cookery thread

[Onyx2]

Not clear from your description what's being done to the pastrami here. If you're (wet) brining, I assume you are using salted water? In which case the salt used is almost irrelevant, as long as the brine is at least 5% salt. "Curing salt" is a lazy way of saying salt and sugar.

 

I like a pastrami with a brine of salt, brown sugar, mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Leave covered in the fridge for 5 days. When it's done roll in black pepper and roast.

[Slapnut]

Yeah I'm wet brining it with rock salt, sugar, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, allspice, ground ginger, honey, garlic and bay leaves.

 

The curing salt (or Prague Powder as some websites call it) is apparently necessary to give it its pink colour which, let's be honest, is half the appeal.

[Onyx2]

Ahh, that's sodium nitrite. Yes just for colour.

[Slapnut]

Well, my first pastrami attempt went poorly due to the oven being far too hot. However, I've spent most of today giving it a second go and it's turned out quite well. It spent about 4 hours in the smoker which didn't turn out great because my smoker is a heap of shit, but then I popped it in the oven at about 100 degrees for 3 hours which worked better. It's a bit tougher and saltier than I'd like, but I think I know where I've gone wrong.

 

[Onyx2]

Handsome!

 

That oven glove has to go though.

[Keith Houchen]

That looks lovely, well done!

[Slapnut]

That oven glove has to go though.

 

That'll belong to my parents.  Horrible, isn't it?

[King Coconut]

I accidentally made the best chips I've ever made on the weekend. Accidentally let them boil a bit too long in the water and then threw way too many into the fryer, which cooled the fat right down. Gorgeous they were.

[Onyx2]

I've just wasted my lunch hour going through dozens of these: White Trash recipes. Made by a guy in his trailer park home. He's really engaging and he makes great things.

 

The Minute Meals series is really well thought out.

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-Uz-Sdk7Ro2irq2jUniUFyKulCyt8Peb

[Gus Mears]

I really like the sound of scallop chowder on that channel.

 

I'm on a seafood kick at the minute as I am trying to limit red meat to one day per week. Did lobster in a lobster shell and white wine sauce as a starter at the weekend, which was excellent even if I do say so myself.

 

Did a monkfish tail, wrapped in parma ham and stuffed with butter and thyme, in a tomato and saffron sauce for the main. Served up with some mashed sweet potato and asparagus. Worked well and I adore monkfish.

 

If anyone has any inspired ideas for Gurnard, please let me know. I'm doing that for the first time tomorrow.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Gus Mears

[Onyx2]

Gurnard is a wonderfully versatile fish; the chicken breast of the sea. I've made this pot roast before which is just a chuck-in-and-leave affair.

 

Bonus fish fact: gurnard prefer to live 200m below the surface. 200m!

[Devon Malcolm]

Now that I have got my own place, I really want to start doing some proper cooking again. But I just find myself looking at recipes and my confidence just drains from me and I end up doing chips and egg. Might have a go at summat from those videos on Friday though.

[Sergio Mendacious]

 

 

"Where's me steak?"

[Thunderplex]

Chips and egg done well is much harder than so called exotics like curries and the like. Get the fundamentals right and everything else will fall into place.

[Gus Mears]

Chips and egg done well is much harder than so called exotics like curries and the like. Get the fundamentals right and everything else will fall into place.

 

 

You're not that wrong. Despite being a pretty good amateur cook, I am absolutely hopeless at frying eggs. I always end up spilling them after I have cracked them. Generally ends up looking like I have just spaffed on my T-shirt.