Sunday, 15 September 2013

Horatio Hornblower's Big Roast

Horatio Hornblower, my hero... I never would have thought I would have been so enraptured by a man of the high seas, but Mr. Hornblower has won me over. The series of stories by C.S. Forrestor (author of the wonderful African Queen) of the awkward and humble Horatio Hornblower are interesting, exciting and incredibly romantic. How could it not be romantic.....a story about an English man during the Napoleonic war, whose honour and duty are the most important things to him, other than fighting for his King?! 

If you haven't had the opportunity to read any of the stories (or the opportunity to watch the amazing tv movie series...seriously....so good and very true to the books), here is a little information about Mr. "Haitch", as he is sometimes called. As you can imagine, most of the food discussed in this series is awful and is usually spoiled food that a seaman has to endure throughout his time on the high seas. So I'm certainly not going to talk about biscuits with weevils in them...disgusting.  This is about Hornblower's story in Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, where he travelled to the Bay of Oran to resupply his ship, and then encountered the Black Plague (are you looking for the weevils now?). He sails to the coastal town to retrieve the food supplies and heads back to his ship, but since he and the men have been exposed to the Black Plague they are quarantined on the small supply ship, the Caroline, for three weeks.  Now the good news. The supply ship was packed with cattle. A pytain to clean up afterward, but delicious to eat. And the generous Hornblower allows the men to slaughter one cattle for their consumption. His theory...if they are going to die, might as well be happy and have a full belly. 

So here lies my inspiration for this blog. Beef. What the men on the Caroline ate was most likely boiled meat, but I am going to pretend that it was even more of a celebration. And how better to celebrate then with a wonderful roast. Now roast could mean a whole world of different things. The roast I am going to feature is beef brisket...a humble cut of meat (which has now become increasing popular)...but one that my mother has perfected. Its so good that family members have been known to do "brisket au jus shots". It is exactly what you think it is...  

A brisket is the cut of meat from the breast or the lower chest of beef (or veal), beneath the first five ribs and includes the deep pectorals which must be tenderized. Brisket can be cooked in many ways. Basting of the meat is often done during the long cooking process. This normally tough cut of meat (due to the collagen fibers that make up the significant connective tissue in the cut) is tenderized when the collagen is gelatinized (really....that's a silly word) which results in a more tender brisket. The fat cap which is often left attached to the brisket helps to keep the meat from drying during the prolonged cooking that is necessary to tenderize the meat. In stores, you will find that the long piece of meat is cut into two different parts...one that is a flat cut and one that is a point cut. The flat cut is leaner, but the point cut has more flavour due to a bit of extra fat (which is called the deckel). There are many different ways to cook brisket, but all of which are low and sloooow. 

I hope you enjoy my mother's recipe. And seriously...don't forget the aus jus or the horseradish!

Brisket Recipe

Ingredients: 


  • 1 beef brisket point (4 to 5lbs/2 to 3.5 kg)
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp Knorr Aromat Seasoning
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tbsp dry parsley flakes
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Kitchen Bouquet
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

Preparation: 

Wipe beef with damp cloth and pat dry.

Mix together garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, pepper and Knorr Aromat. Rub meat all over with spice mixture. Place in shallow roasting pan. 

Mix together bay leaf, thyme, parsley, beef broth, Kitchen Bouquet and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over brisket.

Cover pan with foil wrap and perforate in a few places to let steam escape. Place in 325F oven and cook 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until tender, about 30 minutes per pound. About 30 minutes before the brisket is done, remove foil and all brisket to brown. 

Remove brisket from pan and keep warm. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. 

Drain off excess fat from pan drippings. Heat and serve with meat.  








באָן אַפּפּעטיט
bʼán ʼaṗṗʻtyt

 !P.S. Mom, Thanks for the photos

Saturday, 7 September 2013

Polly's Curry

Jim "Qwill" Qwilleran is on another adventure in The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts, by Lillian Jackson Braun.  The mustachioed former crime reporter and current millionaire (or is it billionaire) has met a woman friend, Polly, the head librarian at the Pickax library. Qwill enjoys Polly's company since she is interested in literature, is of the same age as him, and even though she is not quite as glamourous as the other women he usually becomes friendly with, there is a beauty about her.  They often spend time together over a good meal and reading to each other. After reading a story about Indian cooking together, Polly is inspired to make curries, a lot of curries. So many in fact, that although Qwill enjoys a good curry, he starts finding excuses to only stop by before and after meals!

Inspired by this silly infatuation with curries, chicken curries, beef curries, vegetable curries, shrimp curries, and every other curry under the sun, I wanted to make my own. I have never made a curry from scratch...I am loathe to admit that any curry that I have made in my kitchen has come from a pre-made bottle. So what better time then now to learn how to make a curry from scratch!!!!

As is my usual custom now, I did a little research on curry, specifically Vindaloo which is a spicy and popular Indian dish from the region of Goa. Mumbai-based Indians also have a variation of this dish. "Vinho de alho" is an old Portuguese pork dish preserved in vinho (red wine) and cooked with alho (garlic). The dish evolved with South Indian West Coast spices and became what we now know as Vindaloo. It is often one of the spiciest dishes on a western restaurant menu.  Western restaurants often serve this dish mixed with potatoes but  traditional Vindaloo dishes do not contain potato.

My boyfriend's wonderful mother makes a fantastic Vindaloo (without potato!!). One so spicy...well...we shouldn't talk about it. But it is super flavourful and wonderfully tasty. The Vindaloo recipe and a Raita recipe (to help put the fire out), is below.

Vindaloo Recipe:

Ingredients:
  • 2 lb. lean shoulder pork or lamb, or one 3 ½ lb. chicken, or 2 lb. raw shrimp (about 22 shrimps to the lb.)
  • 2/3 cup lemon juice, or as needed
  • ½ cup mild-flavoured vegetable oil, or as needed
  • 1 to 2 tsp. salt, to taste
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp. powered cumin
  • 2 tsp. powered mustard
  • 1 inch-thick slice fresh ginger-root, peeled and cut up
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 small dried hot red chili peppers, crushed, or 2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes or to taste
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. powered coriander
  • 1 tsp. powered cinnamon
  • 1 Tb. Sweet paprika
  • 1 to 2 tsp. sugar, or to taste
  • 1 to 2 cups boiling water, as needed
  • Serve with 2 cups cooked rice, preferably basmati and Raita (recipe below)

1.       Trim fat from meat and cut into 1-inch cubes. Or, cut chicken through bones into 12 pieces, first quartering, then disjointing wings and drumsticks, then chopping breasts and thighs in half. Remove skin as you work. Or, shell and devein raw shrimp. Place in glass or ceramic bowl.

2.       Combine 6 Tb. lemon juice, 2 Tb. oil, 1 tsp. black pepper, cumin and mustard. Coat meat, chicken or shrimp with mixture. Marinate meat or chicken for 2 hours at room  emperature; shrimp for 1 hour. If kitchen is warm, marinate in refrigerator but let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before cooking.

3.       Using blender or food processor (preferably with a small bowl), grind together ginger, garlic, and onion until you have a coarse paste. Scrape sides down to incorporate everything. Heat half of remaining oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet or casserole. Gently sauté ginger-garlic-onion paste for 5 minutes or until it begins to turn yellow. Stir in all remaining seasonings except sugar. Sauté for about 7 to 8 seconds, or until spices lose raw smell. Add more oil if needed. Stir in meat, chicken or shrimp with any liquid remaining in bowl. Sauté over low heat 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup boiling water, or enough to come just below level of  eat or shrimp.

4.       Cover partially and simmer over low heat until tender, stirring frequently, adding more boiling water if needed to prevent scorching. Meats will take about 1 hour; chicken, about 45 minutes; and shrimp, 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings with lemon juice, salt and pepper, chilies and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes longer, or reheat before serving.

Serve with rice and raita.
Yield: About 6 servings



If you are looking to dress up the curry a little bit more, add some toppings for the table to enjoy. Try diced hard boiled egg, raisins, sliced bananas or shredded coconut for some fun!!!


Raita Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 large unpeeled English hothouse cucumber, halved, seeded, coarsely grated 
  • 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt or Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon plus pinch of cayenne pepper

Wrap grated cucumber in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Whisk yogurt, mint, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Season raita to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Sprinkle raita with pinch of cayenne pepper and serve.
Yield: About 8 servings

आप का खाना स्वादिष्ट हो (āp kā khānā svādiṣṭa ho)