Roast Pork Dinner with Kernel Sour Cherry Saison

 About twenty years ago I was drinking in a pub in North London, it was a very well run establishment and was making every effort to be both up to date and embedded in the community. I instantly became a huge fan. No effort was made to be a "gastro pub" though the food it served was delicious and well priced. It was simply that the team really cared about food, but without any swagger. I was drinking one of my first ever draught pints of Hoegaarden and, as I glanced across the room I saw a sign that has stuck with me ever since-

Second best Sunday roast in the world! (you don't expect me to compete with your mother , do you?)

This gets to the truth of the Sunday roast, its full of nostalgia: For my parents, Sunday lunch was sacrosanct; the four of us would sit down to my mothers excellent cooking and talk, sometimes for hours. I credit those afternoons with my parents for my broad general knowledge and my love of rich, engaging conversation.

Incidentally, I thought that I had always known how to put together a Sunday Roast until I realised that I had learned by watching my mother. I used to do my homework on Sunday morning, sitting at the table in the kitchen. I simply soaked up the knowledge by being in the room with a highly competent cook.

This entry is not written as a standard recipe just a set of hints and tip as to how one should get the Sunday roast to the table.

The meat - Lamb and beef can be served as rare as you are comfortable but remember your guests tastes may not be the same as yours. Lamb without the fat well rendered can be a bit of a challenge for many people. Chicken should be cooked until there is no redness in the meat. Modern pork can be served a little bit pink but this will drive most people away so the challenge is to keep it moist and cooked through. Check regularly and go with your own sense of what is right for you. My only key suggestion would be to start the meat off at a very high temperature for ten minutes or so then turn the temperature down to about 170 fan.

Roast potatoes - I have been called quirky (and some ruder things too) for the way I produce roasties. I maintain that it is pure science. Primarily this method only works on cold, dry day. The potatoes should be main crop (Maris piper or King Edwards perhaps). Peel the spuds and cut into golf ball size chunks (just with sharp edges). pop them into cold water with a big pinch of salt, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes (capture the boiling water for later). Now for the quirky bit: Pop the colander with your spuds in it outside of your door to steam fast, this should take about 10 minutes. The outside of the potatoes will crack and ruffle, give them a gentle shake to help this. Your meat should've been roasting for a while by now, lift the roasting tray out of the oven and surround the meat with the spuds. roll them over to coat with fat. Pop back in the oven turning once during the cooking.

Gravy - If you are lucky enough to have some fresh or frozen stock use this but should you need to use a stock cube (like most of us without shame) this is where the retained potato water comes in. When you have taken the meat out to rest, pop the spuds in a different dish and put the roasting dish onto the hob and heat up. Add a tablespoon of plain flour and stir to create a loose roux. I like to add a splash of dry sherry at this point but id booze is not your bag then leave it out. Stir in the stock and ensure there are no lumps. boil gently till thick and shiny. If you really want to jazz it up, add a couple of teaspoons of redcurrant, apple or even quince jelly.

Vegetables - I am prepared to be attacked for this statement but I like carrots for a roast to be soft the whole way through. Also they do not need to be glazed for this meal. It's often worth cooking the greens before the meal and refreshed under cold water. This helps to keep a lovely green colour. Simply reheat in a frying pan with a little butter. Parsnips can be roasted with the potatoes (but do not need par boiling first). Please don't feel the need to add honey or such  - parsnips are naturally sweet (after they have had a frost on them) and the sugary additives will burn and ruin your gravy.

For the photo I roasted a kg of rolled pork loin.

The match

The Kernel brewery is one of London's gems. Its beers with their understated labels have become the stuff of legend. The quality of brewing is present in everything they produce. This "sour" is no exception. It is a Saison with a sour cherry flavour through it. I have a huge soft spot for Saisons. They are traditional, hybrid beer with a history wrapped up in the agricultural seasons, having been made as part payment to itinerant workers at the harvest. Saisons often have a hint of sourness and the cherry lifts this to total palate cleansing freshness. I thought this would cut through the pork and the general fattiness of the roast, after all, we regularly serve apple with pork. The sad truth was that the match was a bit too much. This is entirely my fault. Truly delicious beer, totally delicious food, just not made for each other. I felt a little bit like the person who had set up his two best friends on a blind date only to find out that they simply didn't like each other!

First thoughts of 2015

The  Beautiful Wife gave me a Butter Churn for Christmas and at the weekend I made my first batch of lovely butter. I can hardly tell you how beautiful fresh butter is on warm toast. Now I can make a bacon sandwich from scratch, who could ask for anything more!
Some cream was purchased, poured into the glass container, the lid screwed on and the handle cranked till the cream went from whipped to split. The butter milk was then poured off (great for scones, incidentally) and the solids drained of the remaining liquid. This was then "washed" with cold water to ensure all of the buttermilk was gone. A little salt was added. I now have 4 ramekins of butter sitting in the fridge. I don't think I have ever eaten so much toast!

Butter and my Christmas present

Over the past few days, I have been wondering why I blog. I have no aspirations to be a full time food writer, though I am delighted when anyone reads my ramblings and almost overjoyed when they comment. However, one of the main reasons why I blog is that it is unedited.
This can, however, cause its own issues. It has been pointed out that in my last post, there was an amusing spelling error. Just to clarify: At no stage was there any giggling from my roast potatoes at Christmas, just a little jiggling. Though if I had been grown in a beautiful organic field, gently peeled and par boiled, in preparation to be roasted in a duck fat rendered from an organic, free range bird, then I might afford my self a wry smile of superiority if not actually out right laughter.
Much, much more important than exposing poor proof reading, the fact that we bloggers have no editors means that one reads exactly what has been written by the blogger, warts 'n' all.
I revel in that freedom, and consequently, when I read entries from many months ago I also cringe at the mistakes and the lack of cohesion in my ramblings.
My New Year wish to you all is that you live your lives unedited.
Je suis Charlie

Stopping all the stress.

This will be my last post before the big day and by now I hope you have everything under control. Please remember its only a roast dinner with a few extra bits there is really no need to get in a tiz. If the meal comes out of your kitchen 20 minutes late, who really cares?
Anyway, down to foody matters.
Yesterday I braised some red cabbage, it always amazes me how much one gets from a small red cabbage. The cabbage was finely sliced as was an onion and an apple (the variety was "Rudolf" appropriately). The onion was gently fried in too much butter in a casserole until it was just taking a little colour, the apple and the cabbage was then added and all mixed in. Some seasoning and some nutmeg, clove and cinnamon was then added with a big splash of cider vinegar and most of a can of cider. This was then covered and popped in a medium oven for about an hour and a half. After allowing this to cool it was bagged up in two bags and slid into the freezer. It will reheat perfectly in the microwave tomorrow. (see pics below)

One small red cabbage!

Stirring before the oven

While we are on the subject of vegetables:
 The Brussels Sprouts will be blanched off first thing tomorrow and then refreshed under cold water. Just before serving they will be added to some cooked bacon lardons and the other packet of chestnuts. This glorious gang of three will then be rolled around a pan of hot butter until they are ready for the table.
Most celebrity chefs will tell you that you need to "en-robe" your carrots in an emulsion of cummin juice and larks tongue puree. Don't listen to these people, boil them and simply serve them with butte over them (ok, a little garlic salt as well, if you must) This is not the meal for which to produce glazed carrots - too much faffing.
There is a craze for honey glazed parsnips at the moment. I have never understood this. The humble, yet noble parsnip is wonderfully sweet already, just roast it near the meat to bring it to perfection.
Then there's the potatoes. Everyone has a quirk with their spuds. However, if you need flour to make yours crispy then you are trying too hard. Foe most of the UK, tomorrow will be chilly, this is perfect for roasties. Boil your peeled spuds for just 8 to 10 minutes, drain them and return them to the pan. Put this pan outside in the cold for 2 minutes (yes I am being serious) bring it back in and gently giggle the pan. The cold will mean that the outside of the spuds has dried very fast and the giggling roughs up the edges to catch the fat. Now pop these heroes of the roast into the fat near the beast and turn them once (and I mean only once) during their cooking  - quirky enough for you?
As I sit here in Corner Cottage, this little house is filled with the smell of a gammon which is now cooling from its boiling and preparing to be smeared with marmalade and roasted for just half an hour. This will provide cold cuts and nibbly bits for the next five or six days.
Just a final word, whatever you are doing tomorrow please take just a couple of minutes during the day to count your blessings. A couple of minutes thought, a little meditation or a small prayer of thanks (if praying's your thing) will help you remember that we are lucky to be able to feast on this day.
Have a wonderful, peaceful and calm Christmas among those you love and love you.

Christmas dinner - The trial run (AKA Christmas 9)

So, for lunch, you roasted a chicken and tried out all the veg that you were apprehensive about and you now have a rather beaten up chicken carcass. Follow the instructions on here for the 15th November and then having allowed your stock to cool, freeze it. This is a huge step towards wonderful gravy.
I hope you enjoyed the roast potatoes - the only problem you face now is that there is no going back to leathery, tasteless spuds, you have been spoiled.
So what for the coming week?
This week I will be mainly blogging about vegetables!
I know there are now thousands of you checking daily into how to cook the festive feast - It would be lovely to hear some comments from any of you, come on don't be shy...
Keep warm.

Christmas 8 - Roast Potatoes

I haven't blogged for a couple of days in order to give you chance to buy your chestnuts - you have bought them by now I take it? How many times do you have to be told?
Anyway my tip for tonight as all about spuds (No, Recovering Vegetarian its not all about the coursework!)
Every celebrity chef and food writer will tell you that there is only one way to make roast potatoes and you need flour, polenta, semolina, a particular type of potato grown only on the Gower Peninsula and fat taken only from geese called Fred. This, of course, is complete nonsense.
To make beautiful roast potatoes you need two things - potatoes and high quality fat. Goose fat is great, but so is duck fat and don't knock lard until you've tried it.

Corner Cottage Roast Potatoes

Main Crop Potatoes
Fat

Peel and cut your spuds into chunks which you could eat in three bites. Pop these into cold salted water and bring to the boil. Boil for 7 minutes then take off the heat and leave for 5. Strain the potatoes (keeping the water to help enrich your gravy if it needs it). Pop the spuds back into their pan, put the lid on and give them one big shake so that all the edges crumble up a bit.
Now concentrate. If it is a clear cool evening, pop your pan (without the lid) outside in the cool air for 5-10 minutes. Yes, yes I know this sounds bonkers but it will help them fully steam off and become dry - much better for roasting!
Your fat should be hot and the potatoes should be tossed into the roasting pan (please be careful - Christmas evening in A&E is not a great place to spend a couple of hours.) Roast the spuds at the same temperature as your roast flesh for 30 minutes then turn them (once only mind) and pop them back for another 20 minutes.

The truth is if they are not wonderful people will notice - The roast potato is a thing of great beauty and if you don't deliver people will talk. Its worse top serve bad roasties than bad meat - trust me I've done both!