A random thread for food things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

[ElyDave]

Slight cock-up on the catering front.
- Ordered a 350g Vacherin for CHristmas, non-veggie, so it would all be mine. Waitrose didn't have that in stock, so they substituted it for a 500g one at the same price.  That's a lot of Vacherin. And that pack says eat within 3 days, not sure how truthful that is
- Bunged a load of beers in the order, thinking I'd go back and edit down to three that I wanted. Looks like I missed a couple in the editing as I ended up with 5 being delivered.

[hellymedic]

Does the panel think I'll ever get my Mythic Beast?
(Sainsbury's Three Bird Roast, ordered Christmas 2018, 2019 and every week since November 9, 2020. Never available.)

Mythic Beast 'no longer available' when I edited my Sainsbury's order today.

They are selling 2.5kg white potatoes for 35p...

[hellymedic]

Sainsbury's did not have the Christmas pudding or Butterscotch Bombe I ordered.

We'll have to eat Christmas cake and make our own pies...

[orienteer]

BTW Helly, I saw three birds in one in Lidl today!

[hellymedic]

Thanks! We'll have a Guinea Fowl.

My quest for the three-bird roast was more to check its existence than to actually consume it...

Point is, I have no evidence that my local Sainsbury's ever had them!

[Wowbagger]

The bad news is that our WR order, due any moment, will be devoid of the Christmas pudding we ordered - a WR own brand one at £7 for 400g - well, it is Christmas.

The good news is that they have substituted it with a heston candied orange Christmas pudding weight 1.2kg but charged us £7. The Heston one lists at £16.

The only things that are not available from our order are leeks (we have some in the garden anyway) and broccoli.

At present, this is all theoretical based on an email I received this morning. If you'll pardon the expression, the proof of the pudding...

[Mrs Pingu]

Instead of getting duck breast for our xmas dinner we got duck legs instead 

[Wowbagger]

We got A Duck.

[hellymedic]

As posted upthread, we didn't get a Christmas pud or the butterscotch bombe I ordered.
D was disappointed but doesn't actually like Christmas pud.

Have two loads of Jus-Rol they were flogging cheap, a rosy Bramley from the garden and some ancient Basics dried fruit. These will form some kind of mince pie.

Various other frozen fruit will go into more pies.

[ElyDave]

Instead of getting duck breast for our xmas dinner we got duck legs instead 

Do you not like duck legs? I prefer them  myself, or will the recipe not work?

[Mrs Pingu]

Have never tried cooking duck legs TBH. But I like my duck breast pretty rare, not sure if it works with legs like that.

[citoyen]

Have never tried cooking duck legs TBH. But I like my duck breast pretty rare, not sure if it works with legs like that.

No, that won't be so good - they need plenty of cooking. Confit is my favourite way with duck legs, and it's very easy.

[Mrs Pingu]

Tough cheese for me really then. Just been for a look in Lidl & Markies with no luck.

[Mrs Pingu]

Have never tried cooking duck legs TBH. But I like my duck breast pretty rare, not sure if it works with legs like that.

No, that won't be so good - they need plenty of cooking. Confit is my favourite way with duck legs, and it's very easy.

Don't you need a ton of duck fat for that?

[citoyen]

Don't you need a ton of duck fat for that?

Ideally, yes, but you could use any other cooking oil instead at a push. Or lard. You just need enough to submerge the legs.

[ElyDave]

I generally just roast them long and slow, maybe 140 and baste regularly with fat that renders out of them. Keeps them tender and moist.

[Mrs Pingu]

Yeah the Gressingham duck website says bung em in at 180°C for 90 mins with occasional basting. Take it you do it a bit longer than that if you use 140°C? Not sure I could face the lake of fat that confit involves.

[Mrs Pingu]

Oh. I've just had a bit of a thought. What I usually do with the breast is to boil down a bottle of kriek with some sour cherries and use that as a sauce.
I suppose I could just tip the kriek in with the legs and slow cook them in beer...

[hellymedic]

I found Sainsbury's mince pies a disappointment, did not enjoy so never ordered another box.
Sainsbury's ran out of Xmas pud for my last order and D started nagging me for mince pies. Never made mince pies before but I did have some Special Offer Jus-Rol.
Cobbled together various budget ingredients, many of which had been hanging in my cupboard for a few years.
Passable pies emerged.

[ian]

Oh. I've just had a bit of a thought. What I usually do with the breast is to boil down a bottle of kriek with some sour cherries and use that as a sauce.
I suppose I could just tip the kriek in with the legs and slow cook them in beer...

That's what I'd do, though I'd drink the kriek first and have to get another.

You'll need to reduce down the sauce on the hob though, slow cooking makes things a bit too juicy. I transfer to the hob for the last 30 mins or so on a low heat.

Don't fuck it up with any of that goat cheese nonsense.

[Mrs Pingu]

Don't worry, I wasn't about to ruin the beer by sticking cheese in it 

[Ham]

Well, the answer to "how much meat do you get left with if you have a 10.5kg raw weight turkey to share between four people?" is 4Kg, I'm sure you will find that useful.

I couldn't leave the subject without giving a big-up to S J Fredricks - it was, without doubt, far and away the very best turkey any present (yeah, ok, ALL 4) have eaten. Juicy and flavour like no other, and a skin to die for. Part of that is the cooking advice, for sure, which I followed and required only 3.5 hours, not the 6 hours of yore. No wrapping, no bacon, no butter. Let it rest without covering. Absolutely bloody perfect.

[Andy W]

Seems guinea fowl are popular this year. Covid restrictions  meant that  two of my sons couldn't come to us for Christmas so they both bought 1kg guinea fowl. They're both great cooks and put together fabulous  meals for their respective  household.

[hellymedic]

We had a skinny fowl guinea fowl (having escaped the Mythic Beast).
I enjoyed it but D battled carving it and found little to eat as he rejects skin. We've had one before.
We'll have Something Else next year...

[L CC]

Buche Noel.

I watched too much Sugar Rush and made this. It's Vanilla Creme Patisserie; with a raspberry gelee insert, a passionfruit & mango cremeaux, on a financier with freeze dried raspberry with a crisp white chocolate & freeze dried raspberry. There are vanilla hard candy snowflakes on top.


It was every bit as delish as it looks.