The 'Here's what I had for dinner last night' thread - Part I

Minder

Dinner was salmon en croute, pan fried potatoes and samphire grass in butter and lemon. I also cooked some venison pies, beef pies and two dragon pies for freezing.

The Sweeper

Ooo, a pastry night! Sounds good!

Am making another batch of quince jelly, so did a beef, broccoli, mushroom n oyster sauce stir fry with boiled rice. Quick and tasty.

Nevyn

Chicken korma with saffron rice.
The kids had fun smashing and grinding the spices.

psycho-hope

Minder wrote: »

Dinner was salmon en croute, pan fried potatoes and samphire grass in butter and lemon. I also cooked some venison pies, beef pies and two dragon pies for freezing.

Minder, whats a dragon pie?

havin roast turkey today with all the trimmings cant wait

the beer revolu

Last night was grilled, spatchcocked quail, slow roast tomatoes, cubed, fried potatoes, braised cabbage and a mulled wine and thyme jus (which I managed to spill down my front, resulting in a frantic striptease in the kitchen and a slightly scalded belly and many leaves cut off my aloe plant(very useful plant for burns):o:o:o)
What jus was left was very tasty, though!!;)

I got the quails reduced in Dunne's a few weeks ago and froze them - they often have them in at weekends and often reduce them on a Monday!:D
I love bargins!!

Little Alex

We had prawn cocktail and roast chicken.

The prawn cocktail is from Ramsay's Cookalong 70s Night, but without the avocado (because I forgot to get one):



The main was roast chicken. I made the stuffing with breadcrumbs, celery and Danish blue cheese. Basting was with Frank's RedHot sauce... any excuse to use the Frank's!

bills

tomato soup, steak with tomatoes & onions & chips & salad. & apple strudel for desert.

The Lovely Muffin

Quiche and coleslaw for me.

Chocolate cake for afters.

Roast beef, carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy for mam and granny.

CJhaughey

Whole Deep fried turkey, (18lbs) with roasties, green beans and roasted root veg with herbs, Lemon Tart to finish.

The Sweeper

I've always wondered how you deep fry a whole turkey.

Minder

psycho-hope wrote: »

Minder, whats a dragon pie?

Take a regular beef pie filling and add a tablespoon of green peppercorns (the brined ones) and add a whole green chilli to each pie - prick the chilli or slash the sides then add the pastry lid.

Yesterday was roast lamb, pilaf rice, glazed chicken wings, pasta with meatballs, roast parsnips with seasme seeds. Desserts included a rhubarb and white chocolate trifle, a strawberry trifle for the kids, cream filled meringue and a sponge cake flavoured with orange blossom water.

CJhaughey

The Sweeper wrote: »

I've always wondered how you deep fry a whole turkey.

You need a big pot, 40-50l and enough oil to cover the turkey.
A big powerful gas burner and a turkey.
Measure the amount of oil you need in the pot by putting the turkey in and covering with water.
remove bird and mark level, this is your oil fill level.
Heat oil to 325 deg F and slowly put bird in, this is dangerous if the turkey is wet, so make sure you do the measuring the day before and allow the turkey to dry overnight.
Lower in to oil and cook for 3.5mins per pound.
Nicest turkey you will ever eat in my experience.
I also injected mine with marinade made from Apple juice Beer, Honey, and Cajun seasoning.

Minder

CJhaughey wrote: »

You need a big pot, 40-50l and enough oil to cover the turkey.
A big powerful gas burner and a turkey.
Measure the amount of oil you need in the pot by putting the turkey in and covering with water.
remove bird and mark level, this is your oil fill level.
Heat oil to 325 deg F and slowly put bird in, this is dangerous if the turkey is wet, so make sure you do the measuring the day before and allow the turkey to dry overnight.
Lower in to oil and cook for 3.5mins per pound.
Nicest turkey you will ever eat in my experience.
I also injected mine with marinade made from Apple juice Beer, Honey, and Cajun seasoning.

Do you have some sort of cradle to take it out? Homemade wire frame or other gadget?

The Sweeper

That is very interesting... Though the thought of managing a 50 litre pot with something deep frying in it gives me the heebies.

Made quince jelly today so not much other cooking - boiled a whole chicken, that'll be soup and risotto for the next two days.

restaurants

r3nu4l wrote: »

Last night I had:

Stir-fried honeyed chicken breast with stir-fry vegetables, mango and boiled rice. Really tasty!

This sound great. Must try it. Thanks....

Dizzyblonde

Last night we had rack of lamb with roasted new potatoes, carrots, green beans and warm red pepper chutney (as made by Derry Clarke on the Afternoon Show the other day, it was delicious), and gravy.

the beer revolu

The Sweeper wrote: »

I've always wondered how you deep fry a whole turkey.

Minder wrote: »

Do you have some sort of cradle to take it out? Homemade wire frame or other gadget?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E270Qx5OpxU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLNLYL24qUA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9mq29BaLLk

The Sweeper

Thanks for those. That's brilliant.

Little Alex

CJhaughey wrote: »

You need a big pot, 40-50l and enough oil to cover the turkey.
A big powerful gas burner and a turkey.
Measure the amount of oil you need in the pot by putting the turkey in and covering with water.
remove bird and mark level, this is your oil fill level.
Heat oil to 325 deg F and slowly put bird in, this is dangerous if the turkey is wet, so make sure you do the measuring the day before and allow the turkey to dry overnight.
Lower in to oil and cook for 3.5mins per pound.
Nicest turkey you will ever eat in my experience.
I also injected mine with marinade made from Apple juice Beer, Honey, and Cajun seasoning.

CJ, would you take some photos of this being done and post them the next time you do it? Sounds very interesting!

CJhaughey

This is a short thread from 06 of the same procedure.
I now cook at 325 not 350F sorry for the Fahrenheit but the long temp probe I have only reads in degs F.

I don't use peanut oil anymore, too expensive and hard to find.
You can buy 20l drums of frying oil in cash and carry places for 20 euro, one of these is good for at least 3-4 frying sessions.
If you don't have a big enough pot I have seen beer kegs sawn off and used but they are a little bit too wide for a good fry, better a tall pot than wide.

Be assured this kind of cooking isn't for the weak or non-safety aware cook. Large quantities of boiling oil are not to be trifled with, always cook outside on non flammable surfaces, not decking or wood.
You will encounter some oil splashing and for this reason you should do it on a surface that won't be marred by oil.

That Alton Brown stuff is over the top no need to hang the bird from a ladder.

I have been doing this for a few years now and have never had any problems, I have got more experienced and know what happens when the turkey is too wet going in:rolleyes:

but being able to cook a bird that size in a short time with very little hassle is a great thing for entertaining a lot of people.
The biggest I ever cooked was 23lbs and that was almost at the limit of the pot, I have a 27lber but might have to just do the crown and then the legs.
I have also done pork roasts in the fryer and had great results.

The Lovely Muffin

Me: Quiche and Coleslaw - leftovers from yesterday

Mam and Granny - Salad

Little Alex

CJhaughey wrote: »

This is a short thread from 06 of the same procedure.

That's cool. I would have never thought you could deep fry a whole turkey!

CJhaughey

Little Alex wrote: »

That's cool. I would have never thought you could deep fry a whole turkey!

Actually it's not as crazy as it sounds, the turkey cooks from the inside as well as the outside, being hollow and all that so the maximum thickness is probably only 4"
Still a lot but oil carries a lot of heat unlike air which will cook a turkey as well but slower.
The outside is sealed and the meat gets pressure steamed from within.

Miaireland

I was out for lunch and had scampi, salad and shoestring chips.

Last night I had chicken liver pate and smoke salmon pate.

xzanti

Last night I grabbed a Chinese on my way home from the boozer

Tonight I'm making Faith's pesto chicken again, can't wait

The Lovely Muffin

xzanti wrote: »

Last night I grabbed a Chinese on my way home from the boozer

Tonight I'm making Faith's pesto chicken again, can't wait

Could either yourself or Faith post here/pm me the recipe please?

Thank you.

Edgedinblue

had chicken supreme and mash yesterday, having a big duuuuuuurty bowl of chilli today cant wait! nom!

Faith

Purple_Bobbin wrote: »

Could either yourself or Faith post here/pm me the recipe please?

Thank you.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055828512

The Lovely Muffin

xzanti wrote: »

Last night I grabbed a Chinese on my way home from the boozer

Tonight I'm making Faith's pesto chicken again, can't wait

Faith wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055828512

Thank you very much.

The pics in that thread are mouth-watering!:D

xzanti

*pats belly*

That was delish, I added some herbs this time (thyme & parsley) and it gave it a little extra kick, went easy on the pesto though after last time