Off Topic Distancing special - what are you eating tonight?

I have just read this thread all the way through with great enjoyment, many thanks to all contributors.

Cooking question - how do you roast topside so it ends up nice, ie tender with some pink in the middle? I have never succeeded, and end up going for brisket and slow roasting for an age (cheap and delicious) or rib of beef (expensive and delicious). Topside always comes out a bit grey and leathery for me. Might be that we have a hot oven.

 

Try this...

www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-cook-topside-beef/amp

 

Had a go at this tonight...



Very tasty - heeded your warning, so added extra fresh chillies, ground up cardomom seeds and also put in some fenugreek - seemed to do the trick.

Made a couple of different raita and some spiced onions to go with the naan breads, and of course Irn Bru to wash it all down!

 

That looks fabulous Steels.

Not long had dinner but that's making me peckish again already!

( irn Bru just added to shopping list for tomorrow )

 

Had the paella again

it’s really excellent, now my meal for when we have guests.Not that we do tonight.

Paired with a Sancerre this evening, very tasty.

 

Quick, simple roasting tin dinner tonight.

Roasted potatoes, chorizo, onion and coriander with warm tortillas and lashings of sour cream.

Not many ingredients in this one but very tasty nonetheless.

 

My grandson who works in New Covent Garden Market brought home some pineberries which are like white strawberries in appearance but have a pineapple flavour. Had some with strawberries, blueberries, Cornish ice cream with chocolate sauce, an amazingly moreish mix...

 

Really want to try the bengali mustard fish recipe from the Roasting Tin book.

Try as I might, I have failed to find any retailers locally ( or online ) that sells bona fide Bengali Mustard.

Just wondering if any posters on this fabulous thread had either come across it before or had any idea where I may be able to obtain some?

Thanking you.

 

Give this a go...

HOW TO MAKE BENGALI PANCH PHORAN SPICE
October 3, 2018 by Ashima 4 Comments

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Panch Phoran (aslo called Panch Phoron) is an Indian whole Spice blend which is a mix of cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds.

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Panch Phoran literally translates to 5 spices. While most Indian spice blends, like garam masala, are made by dry roasting whole spices and then grinding; panch phoran is very simple. Just mix the 5 whole spices and store it in an air-tight bottle ready for action, when a recipe calls for them.

THE 5 SPICES THAT MAKE UP PANCH PHORAN SPICE MIX

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1. Cumin Seeds: Known as zeera in Hindi, cumin is a common seasoning and flavor agent in many cuisines. It is used both as a whole and as a ground spice. Cumin helps improves digestion and also clearing phlegm and mucus.
2. Fennel Seeds: Known as saunf in Hindi, fennel has an anise-like flavor and is a commonly used as a mouth freshener. It is used both as whole seed as well as a powdered spice in recipes. It is a digestive aid and also a good source of fiber.
3. Fenugreek Seeds: Known as methi dana in Hindi, fenugreek seeds help control diabetes, cure constipation, and reduce menstrual pain. Fenugreek seeds are usually used as whole seeds in tempering. Another common way to consume fenugreek seeds is by sprouting them.
4. Mustard Seeds: Known as rai in Hindi, mustard seeds help in controlling diabetes and cholesterol levels. They are also mostly used as whole spices in tempering.
5. Nigella Seeds: Known as >em>kalongi in Hindi, nigella seeds boost memory and help cure diarrhea. They are used as whole seeds for tempering and also in making traditional Indian pickles.

Panch Phoran is commonly used for tempering in the cuisines of Eastern India, Bangladesh, and Southern Nepal. When used for tempering, these spices add a rich aroma and infuse the oil or ghee with a depth of flavor that dry spices cannot add. To use, simply add them to the pan once the oil or ghee is hot. As the seeds sputter they infuse the oil with their aroma, which becomes the first layer of flavor for the curry. After the tempering, the base vegetables of the dish are added to the oil like in this Panch Phoran Baingan recipe.

Bengali and other cuisines of the region often use mustard oil for cooking. When paired with mustard oil, panch phoran spice mix enhances the nuttiness of the oil. Traditionally in Indian cuisine, we use panch phoran spice for tempering as the first step of cooking a curry, but you can also use the tempered oil as a dressing for yogurt dips and salads. While it is difficult to pinpoint the taste to one word, the predominant taste of the tempered oil for me is more anise-like. This might be because of the 5 spices used in the blend, fennel seeds have the strongest taste.

If you like to make your own spice mixes, please take a moment to rate the recipe below and/ or leave your thoughts. It will really encourage me to keep improving and trying newer things.

 

Cheers steels, that may be the closest to it.

I'll give it a go

 

After an exhaustingly hot day at Drayton Manor with Noah and the family I threw this together tonight (minus the prawns), accompanied with a nice red.

Really good this, the saffron (plenty of) really enhances the dish. Another thumbs up for the Roasting Tin.

 

Standard Saturday night....chicken enchalatos from local butcher with fries.......

But main thing we had a Riesling from the Mosel, surprisingly sweet but then developed a flint aftertaste and only 10.5% alcohol.... perfect for summer quaffing....
German wines are so underrated....

 

Did the tandoori chicken tonight. While it’s not tandoori chicken (you’d need a tandoor oven for that) it is exceptionally tasty. Another win for the Roasting Tin.

Naturally made it a bit (ok a lot) hotter than the recipe suggests and used coriander instead of mint.

 

Mrs made McLasagne last night, a first for us....basically a lasagne, with sliced tatties instead of pasta sheets and fresh tomatoes between the layers instead of a sauce - ****ing yummy. Washed down with.....Irn Bru of course!

 

Tom Kerridges 'Pub In The Park' this weekend in Warwick.

You going Sb?

 

Not this year, other stuff on, and not sure how this is going to work in practice, there’s a bit of a COVID spike going on round here at the moment, this new variant does seem very easily transmitted.

Would recommend these though, especially for the food and drink.

 

Did wonder that myself. Think I'll be waiting until next year.

 

Mrs Steels recently bought an air-fryer, **** knows why. Cooked chips in it a few times (I'm not a big fan of chips at the best of times) and they were nothing special, so thought it was just going to.be another gadget gathering dust in the corner of the kitchen.

My workmate has one, and told.me to start cooking my meat in - rub a marinade onto some chicken, pork, lamb etc and chuck it in - wow! Cooks the meat beautifully, nice crisp skin/rind, really tender and juicy flesh. Pork chops are sensational.

Made some crsipy chicken burgers from Aldi tonight whilst watching the football - fantastic.