Food

Tonight:

Beef and Guinness Pie.
Beet-root Salad.

Pasteis de Nata for Dessert.

The soundtrack will be provided by multigrooves.com

Thankyou kind sir.

I will also be cooking in the style of

Moar wine.

mike and I are trying some new dishes tonight, a starter and main each.

Sofar.

poached egg salad
pancetta wrapped scallop with chilli
naan bread topped with tomatoes, anti pasto mushrooms and gruyere ad oven baked (basically naan pizza)

pan fried steak with lemon and thyme marinade with tenderstem brocolli
(recipe here)
(totally amazing)

next dish is mike's and a surprise but i know it involves pigeon, hazlenuts, and prunes

I've also burnt my finger on the steamer, but don't have to cook anymore - so i can eat one handed, whilst holding the ice pack in the other..it fucking hurts.

My guests are late. I knew they would be so didn't start until 7.

Mooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr Wine.

Banana Soreen! Waitrose!

banana soreen is made of the purest of win.
Tescos had it too.

Tonight i am having a pizza.
Just called it in.
20" pepperoni lover.
£9.99

I just had a satay quorn, vegetable and noodle stir fry, with a goats cheese and red onion mini pizza on the side. Double carbs I know, but I've earned them today.

Main course update. Mike has just put this in front of me

Apologies for the fuzzy pic, but I couldnt wait to wolf it down.

Pan fried pigeon breast on hazelnut mash, served with a red wine reduction and devils on horseback.

Amazing.

oh and Mike has also now burnt his finger, so we're fighting over the ice pack.

Bloody hell... thats raising the bar.

I had a chicken doner for lunch and it was very good.

The hazelnut mash looks immense.

Pork belly. The butcher asked if I wanted the 'thick end'. Err yes thanks!

I've had the bones underneath left on, I've cut them back and rubbed in fennel seeds with garlic.

Just sweating out the skin with salt. Then 4 hours in the oven.

Serving with roasted carrot puree with caraway and a spinach/broad bean pilaf.

Only problem is I'm not eating til 8.30!

that's going to be epic, picture when it's done please.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did that pork belly set you back, and how much you reckon it would feed (roughly)? Looking for something extra to add to xmas/new years day dinner.

Got it from a good butcher, and it was 8 quid. Should feed 6, and good portions at that.

Only feeding 4 tonight though!

Read about Randall & Aubin a few posts back.That TV chef Ed Baines runs it - had half a lobster and fries there a few years back, didn't rate it, too expensive, good atmosphere though.

Totally agree.

Was there a few months ago - nothing's changed. The staff are lovely, but the food is very overpriced, small portions, and seriously uncomfortable seating - however cool the vibe - to leave poor and hungry is a bit of a no-no in the current economic climate.

Was reading this Nigel Slater article and have been wanting to make some roasted pork belly and some Rilettes ever since. At that price I'm going to get some tomorrow and have a go!

pork belly- total comfort food.
just chucked a load of rosemary potatoes in the oven, gonna be great with me fish,
cooking is even better in winter isnt it.
and roasting stuff even better than that.

That pork belly looks lovely, where was the butchers you got it from?

On a side note, the Brazilian butchers on Mare street sells some amazing beef ribs! they are massive, I need to get the BBQ out and get some on at some point soon.

Funny. I did pork belly today as well.

Before

After

Served with Cumberland sauce and topped with crispy bits of black pudding.

Pork belly really is full of win. Had a lovely bit last night in the Duke of Cambridge. Nom nom nom.

That pork belly looks lovely, where was the butchers you got it from?

It's from Hartshorn, Raynes Park

Baking bread..... two loaves proving.... yum yum......