you know i barely cook anymore gonz,
I tend to eat at work, and in days off take the ladypig out somewhere nice. Personally I do the fucking meanest lamb shank you'll ever taste, but its a secret.
The restaurant at the moment has this properly excellent ravioli ai porcini, chef makes the pasta from scratch in the mornings and we get really great porcini mushrooms from the market. Lovely and earthy and warm for this time of year.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Sun 13 Nov 2011, 16:35, 1 reply, 14 years ago)

I don't think I've ever had lamb shank, how do you do it?
Oh f'ck me, a good mushroom pasta is devine, I love unusual mushrooms. 0o0o0h, I've just remembered, I wish I bought it yesterday, Marks'n'Sparks now do Elderflower Liquire, if it's anything like the one I bought at a food-fair this year, it'll be fucking devine, and an amazing replacement to wine in cooking (in small quanitities, naturally). I wish I bought some now.

It's really simple what my following recipie, I've done it so many times, but really good. I'm going to use a splash of apple brandy in it 'cus I've got some.

Boil up some pasta,
While that's happening, use a big glugg of olive oil and garlic and a little bit of red chili. I'll also add some of the apple brandy to see if that works; I've done it with elderflower liquire and it works well. Add chopped sundried toms and pepperdew peppers, then just before the pasta is done, throw in some seafood sticks chopped into 3rds (I've got some amazing ones from waitrose, about the thickness of my thumb), and let them get a bit of colour, then throw in the pasta.

Seriously, it's fucking lush and it's exactly what I'm going to make right now, now I've thought about it
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Sun 13 Nov 2011, 16:42, Reply)

lamb shank requires a long cooking time to get it right.
You can cook it in a big oven tray, nice and deep, with a little water in the bottom to help it stay moist. The trick is to sear it really well first, great big super hot skillet with some good quality butter and fresh mint and basically burn the outside. Keeps all the flavour in then. And it needs good quality gravy, or if you can find a decent recipe oxford sauce ( not the Shit you can buy in Tesco)
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Sun 13 Nov 2011, 16:59, Reply)

You are making my mouth water.
Oxford sauce is a new one on me, but I'll be trying this sometime soon: www.theoldfoodie.com/2009/09/oxford-sauce.html
(NoeI «:::P:::» «:::E:::» «:::R:::» «:::V:::» «:::E:::», Sun 13 Nov 2011, 17:08, Reply)

it's very good for thick red meats like shank,
Although that recipe looks good, add Orange zest as well. Not brandy though, takes too much away from the meat. Make sure you reduce it down so its properly thick.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Sun 13 Nov 2011, 17:14, Reply)

[To above] Oh man, that does sound good.
Do you get mouths full of genatilous lamb though? 'cus I don't those bits.

Also, windy, what do you recommend in the way of chef's knives ? Dont' wanna spend more than £150 for whatever ones I go, and I know I should hold them first, but is there anywhere in london you reckon I could look ?
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Sun 13 Nov 2011, 17:50, Reply)

don't bother with buying from shops, prices are ridiculous these days.
Do you have a local pub or deli or restaurant you're friendly with? Best bet is to ask someone in the trade you're friendly with to tack a set of something nice on to their next order from whoever their catering equipment supplier (nisbets is fairly common, or 3663) is and throw them the cash and a couple of thank you beers. Get decent knives for a fraction of the cost of a shop.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Sun 13 Nov 2011, 17:57, Reply)

I saw Jamie Oliver go to a shop in London somewhere, a shop that just sales knives and related stuff.
He said "You can spend £30 every couple of years, or spend £150 and they'll last a life time and be fitted exactly to your needs.", I can't remember the details of the shop, but I presume it was somewhere in mayfair/kensington/savel-row.

That makes sense about getting one of the delis to do it, but I want to hold them in my hand and for them to really be 'right' for me, they'll last a lifetime
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Sun 13 Nov 2011, 18:32, Reply)

Same with pots Gonz.
Spend a few and get some proper cast iron shit. Last you thrity years or so. You'd have to go some to break them.
( mark morrisons prison shoes I love Willie, Sun 13 Nov 2011, 19:02, Reply)