Here's What I Had For Dinner - Part III - Don't quote pics!

Mystery Egg

V simple dinner here tonight. Striploin steak, fried medium rare and sliced thinly, served with broccoli, egg noodles and a sauce of soy, honey, garlic and chilli.

Recliner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121463360#Comment_121463360

I've tried several times to do a smash burger but I've never been able to get that crispy edge like you have.

Any tips?

Black Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464777#Comment_121464777

I've made some small tweaks that seem to have helped me, but I would say that out of the six burgers I made, only four of them turned out very well, the other two weren't great. So still need to get a bit more consistent.

Couple of ideas for getting the really flat, crisped edges, where they droop over the edge of the burger :-

• Thick pan, and have it on a medium heat for a while, before cooking. Then turn it up high just before the burger puck hits the pan.
• Use meat that's freshly ground, insofar as possible, and with a high fat content.
• Smash within the first few seconds of cooking. I use a square of baking parchment that I put on top, and then I smash the meat down firmly with something cylindrical and heavy. Spatulas will bend, or break, I recommend using something like the base of a metal jug, small pan, whatever. The parchment will stop whatever you use from getting in contact with the raw meat.
• Make sure you've smashed firmly and uniformly enough that you've got the burger thin. If it's not thin enough, it's not going to work. It's a bit like smashing a chicken fillet flat for making breaded cutlets or whatever. If you don't get it thin, you've kind of missed the point.
• If it's thin it should only need to be left then, on the high heat, for approximately 90 seconds.
• I season, and put finely sliced onions on top, then I flip...
• For flipping I use a thin metal spatula... If you use a thicker spatula I find some of the meat catches, and the burger can be ruined. If you flip too early, or are cooking on too low of a heat, it also seems to increase the likelihood of catching.
• After flipping DO NOT smash again, or you'll just run juices out, and dry it out. The onlions, if thin enough, cook from raw at this point. This is the way Dash Burgers and others do it, and even my wife, who hates raw onions, is a convert.
• If desired, put cheese on top, turn the heat off, and cover with a closh / foil in order to steam the cheese down.
• You can lay the bun on top for a minute, still under cover, if you want to steam and soften it. A key to a good burger is that the bun should always be softer than the meat, this is why I never toast a bun or put it in the oven.

These tips expanded into the whole process... But anyway, that's my take on it.

Dave_The_Sheep

Chicken thigh burgers, lightly floured and deep fried. Hit the spot.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466148#Comment_121466148

This is an example of the personal touch which makes boards.ie worthwhile, and a valuable community. Thanks @Black Sheep

Planet X

160c. 90 minutes. (Marked down because of cracked skin 😀😀)

the beer revolu

Pan fried duck breasts. Jasmine rice. Tenderstem broccoli and pak choi with garlic. Kimchi. Soy based sauce.

the beer revolu

Made nems for the first time. Not terribly tidy but absolutely delicious. Carrot, cucumber, beansprouts, mango, chilli, basil, mint, coriander, mung bean noodles. Lime, fish sauce, soy, chilli dipping sauce.

The Black Oil

Chicken, sausage and bacon pie.

Recliner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121479695#Comment_121479695

Had to look them up. Never heard of them, but sounds right up my alley.

Would you have a recipe?

Incidentally, Nems, also the name of an American rapper. Who knew??

PARlance

I've actually been on a Nem making course! Or to be exact, spent 30-45 mins being shown how to make them.

Honeymooned in Vietnam and it was part of a cruise on Halong Bay.

Would love to go back to Vietnam, the food there was amazing.

Recliner

Doesn't have a name. Prawns, mussels, fennel, asparagus, in a cream sauce with a little curry powder, just enough to add warmth. Served with fresh egg tagliatelle and coriander.

Might be an odd combo, but it really works.

Dave_The_Sheep

Honestly, that sounds delicious. Looks great too.

Recliner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121480568#Comment_121480568

I hadn't made it in ages and my husband requested it. It literally was created on a day when I had all the ingredients and didn't know what to make.

Desperation is definitely the mother of invention.

igCorcaigh

Chicken drumsticks, from the shop, with potatoes, peas and gravy. It'll do nicely!

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121480129#Comment_121480129

No recipe. The filling is simply all the ingredients mentioned above, sliced and arranged inside. Don't omit the fresh herbs No dressing or seasoning - that all comes from the dipping sauce.

I don't have amounts for the sauce but I'd guess at the juice of a lime, a teaspoon or less of fish sauce, a teaspoon of soy sauce, a teaspoon of sugar and some chilli sauce (how much will depend on heat). For the second lot, I added some sliced garlic, too. You could use a finely chopped fresh chilli, too.

Some instructions say to lay the soaked rice paper on a clean towel - I found this to be terrible advice - just put it on a clean counter. Also they need less time than you think to soak - once they are any way pliable, at all, they are ready to go - they will continue to soften.

The second batch looked a bit better.

I really like the mung bean noodles. They look like rice vermicelli but have a firmer texture. Bought in local Asian shop. I love them.

I actually got the rice paper wrappers in Dunnes

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121481124#Comment_121481124

They from Dunnes? I've noticed they have nice drumsticks there lately - not all dried out.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121483543#Comment_121483543

Centra actually! Done them in the air fryer.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121481784#Comment_121481784

Do you cook the noodles first? A brief blanch in hot water and then cool, I suppose?

I'm not a big fan of rice noodles... The texture is too pappy and there is no taste.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121483897#Comment_121483897

Yes. I soak them in boiling water for about 5 minutes and cool.

These mung bean ones are way nicer to my taste and can be used in place of rice noodles. It was these noodles gave me the idea to make nems as I thought they'd be really good in them.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121483633#Comment_121483633

I thought you'd bought them cooked.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121484263#Comment_121484263

Nope, raw but pre-breaded from my local Centra.

My second time trying them, and they are the only times that I have ever had chicken in drumstick form... I must try making my own from better quality chicken. They were quite tasty!

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121484260#Comment_121484260

I might search those mung bean noodles out so... they must be more nutritious than the rice noodles too.

I found these on Jia Jia's site, something similar?:

the beer revolu

That's them, I think except mine aren't individually wrapped. All the separate bundles are packed together in one pack. I got them in Jia Jia.

Mr.Wemmick

Three nights, three dinners - Vegetable fried rice with peppers in chilli sauce, salmon & potato casserole and ragu style pasta.

mrsdewinter

Er, tell me more about the potato casserole...

Mr.Wemmick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121488624#Comment_121488624

It’s different each time I make it, to be honest. Potatoes, sliced onions sometimes I add broccoli or carrots or bacon (a great thing to make with left over Xmas ham) double cream, milk, grated garlic seasoning & cheese. If it’s all potato then it’s a gratin/ dauphinois and I add lots of nutmeg. Delicious.

igCorcaigh

Keema and black eye bean curry, potatoes, spinach, yoghurt and chilli pickle.

The Nal

Makey uppy whats in the fridge stuffed chicken. Deboned a few chicken thighs. Stuffed with spinach and smoked cheddar and then rolled in an nduja, oregano and thyme paste.

Ryath

Portion of butter curry sauce from the freezer with tandoori chicken cooked in the air fryer. Fried off some king prawns in butter and tandoori seasoning for myself to go with it.