Skip to main content

A Crack at Brining Spuds


Whew last day of lockdown, we made it again. I was thinking about it today, it is quite a good reset for the people without the stresses of business or illness. Last lockdown the stay home ethos hung around for some time and life was less busy and there was much less crashing around. But alas I note I had reverted to my old ways and prior to this one it was game on again with work, meetings, events and adventures. So now I am back on the go slow, I have found myself reading the newspaper and sorting the bloody photos on my phone, things I always have aspirations of doing but never find time. So not too many complaints from this camp with this shorter lockdown, but I could have well done with an in house audience for my dinners.

I had a crack at brining potatoes today, I read something on the internet about it, I am not sure it was worth the effort but there was a discernible saltiness to the skins which I enjoyed, it met my salt addiction needs admirably.

 

Lamb Steaks with Bok Choy, Tamarind & Potato

2 T salt

1 ½ C cold water

2 potatoes

2 t sesame oil

2 lamb leg steak

A bunch of bok choy

2 t tamarind paste

Salt & pepper

1 t garam masala

2 t sesame oil

A large serve of butter

 

In the morning put the potatoes in the smallest container they will fit in, add the salt and water so they are covered, put the lid on and give it a shake. When you want to cook them, remove from the brine and pat dry, cut a cross in each one, and fire in a medium oven for an hour or so. Trim the base off the bok choy and clean off any dirt, cut each steak into 2 or 3 pieces, pat them dry and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the garam masala on both sides. Once your spuds are done, heat the oil until quite hot, add the lamb and cook for about 6-7 minutes on one side, turn over and then cook for a further 5 or until it is done to your preference. Remove and hold. Add the bok choy to the pan, once it begins to wilt add a splash of water and the tamarind, stir that around and remove from the heat. Get your spud out and give it a squash so the inside explode out the cross, plate it all up and drizzle with the sauce form the pan, you can add the liberal serve of butter to the spud with another lick of salt or just use the juice from the pan. I of course went for the butter.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The official blog launch, or is it lunch of entertaining!

Ok here is the thing, my key performance indicator, to use corporate wank language is how much fun I am having. I have had three rules for many years. 1. Don't hang out with shit people.  2. Avoid all things boring unless absolutely necessary.  3. Always have something to look forward too. (I stole this one off a friend)  in recent years I have added  4. Only stay in Hawera 1 weekend a month.  Oh how the mighty have fallen! (I ripped that line from Tom Waits) if you don't know who he is I am not surprised.   1. I now have a dog to hang out with for a month, His name is Murphy, and he is only borrowed.  2. All those jobs here in my house, like cleaning it, tedious shit like painting that window, weeding the garden properly, sorting the shed out, renovating my desk (an old table from Butcharts Bakery), even mowing the lawn, there it all is right there in front of me with all the time in the world to get on with it having ignored i...
22 comments
Read more

A quick soup, best I can do in a short timeframe

  Hot & Sour Soup 500g shark 1 packet mild Singapore laksa paste (I know I know I know, but sometimes needs must) 1 t salted shrimp 1 t tamarind 2 T of the oil leftover from spicy smoked mussels ½ an onion peeled and finely diced 4 cloves garlic peeled and finely diced 1 thumb ginger peeled and finely diced 2 silverbeet leaves or other leafy green 1 tin coconut cream 500 g fish stock 2 serves noodles I used ramen 1/4 cup fresh lime juice Fry the onion, garlic and ginger in the oil, add the spice paste, salted shrimp and tamarind stir it all around until it is cooked a bit then add the fish and cook for 5 minutes then add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. When you are ready to serve it add the coconut cream, bring to boil again then add the noodles,  when boiling yet again add the silverbeet or greens. Once wilted turn off and add the lime juice.
Post a Comment
Read more

Give a cake a go day.

I received a delivery of jam, the fruit was left in the bowl at Kidsbarn for lockdown so Emma knocked up a batch of jam with it, I scored a bottle on the proviso it appeared on the blog so this is what I did.  I based in on a recipe from a book called Harbour Kitchens which was a fundraiser many years ago for the schools in Lyttleton. There is a classic recipe from the witt of Joe Bennett for fish and chips if you can get your hands on a copy.  This is an adaptation of the Lemon Yoghurt Cake by Jane Simmons. False Pretences Cake  Zest of 2 lemons 1 ¾ C sugar 2 eggs Juice of half a lemon 4/5 C of greek yoghurt Half a jar of orange, pineapple and kiwifruit or other jam ¾ C oil 2 1.2 C flour 2 large t baking powder  Line a largish tin with baking paper, I lined a smallish tin, then had too much mixture, so I lined another tin spooned the rest of the mix into that and it was too big! So I lifted it out and transferred to a loaf tin, what a palave...
Post a Comment
Read more