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

Roasted a duck today, first time. Some delicious fat rendered off that I'm going to keep for Christmas roasties. Also first attempt making gnocchi, pumpkin and squash in sage butter. The dough was ... interesting. Worked out OK but not fantastic. I had to use a LOT of flour. Though I had dried out the mix enough but I guess not.

Same, to be honest. I assumed it was the latter so wanted to make my own. These were nicer than any shop bought I've had, but I'd by lying if I said I thought they were anywhere near as good as they should have been.

Next time I see it when I'm eating out I might order it just to see.

It would be chicken chow mein if it had noodles...

Thanks. No blanching, I stir fry the vegetables in 3 stages: Shallots, garlic and ginger, then the pak choi stems and capsicum, then the leaves from the pak choi and the small heart bits just at the end for probably less than a minute to avoid wilting. The vegetables I put aside in a warm oven and then cook the chicken in the wok.

Cooked in rendered duck fat from the last time I fry/roasted duck breasts from Lidl.

Wouldn't that be chop suey?

(honestly, I never really knew what chop suey was on menus but I think I settled on it being chow mein without the noodles)

Sausage and bean stew, trying to get more veg into me and makes plenty of leftovers for work lunches.

We had slow-roasted neck of pork with roasted veg. Don’t think I’ve had neck of pork before. Really juicy and tender. Got it from O’Mahony meats in Coolock.

Was in Marseille the last few days what with the rugby. Didn't eat out that much, at least nowhere really decent bar one. Food on the go. I will say, the mediocre overpriced shite you get there is far better than our overpriced mediocre shite.

Nice little evening in with some wine, cheese, (basic bitch) ham, etc. How I like to spend an evening winding down with a book.

Went to a place that turns out specialises in bouillabaisse, or so they claimed. Starter of cuttlefish, which turned out to be a mistake because the main was packed full of fish of at least seven types, and it was really really tasty. I was stuffed but just about managed it. Scorpionfish, Spider fish, Conger, monkfish, lobster and galinette apparently.

A total mess to eat mind you, you get given a bib and it's definitely required. Not sure it was worth the price, but it was definitely an experience.

Liver, mushrooms, onions, cream sauce.

Mashed spuds and peas.

One of those dinners that comes together in no time and is a great big cuddly hug on a plate.