Back to the roots.

Thursday Night Fayre

Ok, so it wasn't a plate exclusively full of root vegetables, but I did make a rather pleasant carrot puree last night.  I always thought that a puree had to have cream in it, but I experimented with just butter and seasoning.  It yielded a pleasing result, one that was both tasty and used up our somewhat replete carrot bag in the fridge.

"Bangers and Mash" is somewhat of an institution here in England, something that is invariably wolfed down on at least one night a week.  We do love our sausages, and up and until now I have focused a little too much on the cured varieties from continental Europe.  When the sausage is the star of the show (excuse the plate-pun reference) I really think the less tinkering you do with it the better.  When I slowly pan-fry a sausage the only instruction you should follow is this - never prick!  If you prick your sausage you will permit the tasty fluids to leach out of the banger and you are left with an unsavoury and dry affair on your plate.

I tried to make a quick-fire sauerkraut too.  You can try this at home, without the need for a long-term pickling process:

Quick-fire Sauerkraut

•   Finely shred a pointed, spring cabbage (or indeed a standard white cabbage).  Do not use savoy, though, as it is rather unsuitable for this.
•   Steam the cabbage for no more than 2 minutes.  During the steaming process I turn the cabbage over, to ensure that it is all cooked evenly.
•   In a glass receptacle (I use a measuring jug) add four tablespoons (approximately) of good quality extra virgin olive oil.  Add two tablespoons of cider vinegar (white wine vinegar will do if you don't have cider).  Season with a good pinch of salt and a few vigourous turns of the pepper grinder.  To finish the dressing add a teaspoon of mustard powder.  Mix well with a whisk or fork.
•   Remove the cabbage from the steamer and place into a bowl.  Pour the dressing over, and mix well.
•   Serve by placing a nice mound of cabbage on your plate!

The carrot puree was even more simple to make, and its a great way to use up a glut of carrots you have.  

Carrot Puree

•   Peel and wash 5 or 6 large carrots.
•   Chop them into rounds no more then 1cm thick.
•   Steam, or boil them in salted water until they are tender, but have not been reduced to a pulp.
•   Put the carrots into a mini blender.  Add a thick knob (about 2cm thick) of butter, a good pinch of salt, lots of black pepper (yes, I love pepper) and a little glug of good olive oil.
•   Blend to a smooth paste.

I watched "Two Greedy Italians" last night with Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo.  They showed the slaughter of a pig, and then Gennaro made a chocolate cake using pigs blood.  I am not of a squeamish constitution, but why, oh why would you want to make a chocolate dessert out of pigs blood?  I guess, as they say, you don't know until you have tried it.