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

Recliner · 07-10-2023 1:03pm

On holidays in the Algarve. Fat, juicy prawns, loads of garlic and cream. Salad and bread. I love cooking here, I could happily eat the prawns I buy here every day of my life.

Dave_The_Sheep · 08-10-2023 6:46pm

In France for the last two and a bit weeks (Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Clermont). Some of the various meals we had, at least the better than average ones.

Paris. Lao Lane Xang, right beside our hotel - went there twice but only pictures from one night. Highlight was the crispy tripe (third picture). Excellent selection, excellent food and excellent value as well.

Marseilles, Le Rhul. Expensive and whilst very tasty, probably not worth the price. First time having razor clams though, which I rather liked.

Bordeaux. First time having Korean BBQ, but sadly no pictures as I am a twat. Mokoji Grill was the place, recommend a go if you're in the pubby area. Also a semi-touristy spot that surprisingly did rather good mussels - plenty of them and plenty of choice for sauce as well. Also wanted to hit up a Peruvian place in nearby Lacanau when we were there for a night but I was outvoted. Ah well, can't win 'em all.

Clermont. Le moulin des Pierres Royat. Chanced on this brasserie as it was right near our place of stay and the place we wanted to eat was closed. Delighted we did as it was great - for wine and food - such that we went twice in the evening to eat drink and relax. The waiter's sister was married to a Dublin lad in Kilkenny so we had a bit of craic with him - really nice atmosphere to the place and very friendly/helpful. Anyway, parmentier potatoes with some confit duck (it was divine, honestly my partner wasn't hungry going in but would have sold any potential firstborn for more of it). Second one was a sweetbread and morel creamy risotto. Super stuff.

Last one was just some rumpsteak in a bakery/bistro. Wasn't expecting much and was very pleasantly surprised. Selection of pastries from the same place.

Lastly in Clermont, Bistrot d'à côté. Probably the 'fanciest' of the restaurants we went to and definitely with the most out there menu. In order:

Starters were beef cheek croquettes with ajo blanco, some mint and pickled radish / herb fritters with fir oil, sesame hummous and smoked eel.

Mains were low temp cooked veal loin with a almost curried corn/grain mixture, blueberries and sage* / grilled beef with spatzle peanuts and carrot-celery puree.

*I had this and honestly I ordered it because it sounded bizarre and I wanted to see what it was like. It was definitely strange, but it really worked. I'd have preferred a smidge more veal, but I suppose it is veal after all.

Lastly fresh and roasted figs with honey, toasted almond milk espuma, gingerbread and pollen, fig sorbet. I rarely eat figs, and this was excellent.

I'd happily recommend any of the places mentioned above (with the caveat that Le Rhul isn't quite worth the money paid, especially for wine).

Food wise very different styles and price ranges so I don't want to pick a favourite there as it's unfair, but I will say for general mood, relaxed wine drinking and very very good sharing dishes Le moulin des Pierres Royat was a clear winner.

Side note, if you're in Clermont - check out the thermal baths out in Royat (there's another one just down the way from this as well). It was a hundred metres from where we were staying and we only went on the last day. I am gutted, because I could have spent time every day there and not felt it was wasted. So relaxing and pleasant.

L1011 · 08-10-2023 8:15pm

Local Dunnes had a maybe 4cm thick sharing striploin for €11, absolutely perfect for reverse sear technique. Done on the cast iron insert on the BBQ for what will have to be the last use of it for the season.

igCorcaigh · 08-10-2023 9:16pm

A rice and grain salad with duck, ham, artichokes, olives and celery.

Black Sheep · 10-10-2023 10:12am

I did two huge batch cooks over the past few days, both Avoca recipes. With three kids in the house, and both of us working, the only way we're managing in the evenings is to have everything pre-cooked at the weekend, as far as possible.

A beef stew using diced topside, celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, tin tomatoes, stock and a hefty few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.

And a stape in our house, their Lakeshore pork. Diced pork steak, apple juice, stock and cream.

There's no point in doing pictures as it's pretty much just gradations of tasty brown.

Not a dinner, but I do feel I have to give an honourable mention to my lunch in Dash Burger on Capel Street yesterday. It remains the best burger, and specifically, one of the only places actually doing real smash burgers. A lot of other places purporting to do smash burgers are turning out really, really tasty diner-style burgers, which have a touch of smash to them, but they're not quite there.

Mystery Egg · 10-10-2023 11:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121217296#Comment_121217296

Question for you. Does the cream in the dish not split with the freezing/reheating? Or do you add that at the last moment before serving?

PARlance · 10-10-2023 1:03pm

Had/was treated to dinner in Hawksmoor at the weekend and I have to say I thought the whole experience was fantastic.

Went with the ribeye and was surprised to hear that the chef's preference was medium rare... I ended up going medium.

Still dreaming of it and the sides.

I was told that it was that or Shanahan's that were being suggested and I was very glad they went with Hawksmoor, much more informal setting which I much prefer.

Black Sheep · 10-10-2023 2:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121217647#Comment_121217647

This is a great question. I'm not sure I can give a totally correct answer, but here goes.

The Avoca recipe has you cook the pork in the apple juice and stock, for an hour, before you add the cream for the final ten minutes. So it is not quite before serving, but it is towards the end of the cooking process. The recipe also specifies that if the sauce is too liquid, you can remove the meat and reduce the sauce. Again, I've done this and had no significant issues.

With curdling, it is often down to acidity, and in this recipe although you're using quite a large quantity of apple juice, it is diluted by the presence of stock and the pork alongside it, before the cream is added.

The overall cooking temperature is relatively low to moderate - the pot is in an oven at 180 degrees - which could be another factor.

My last thought is that if you were having this issue it would be worth experimenting with using double cream only. Although, that single cream has worked fine for me.

Freezing and thawing... TBH I don't think anything is improved by this process, I hate freezing nice pieces of meat in particular, but it is a trade-off between convenience and preserving the dish in an ideal state.

Mystery Egg · 10-10-2023 4:37pm

Thank you. So when you are batch cooking do you add the cream at that stage or not?

igCorcaigh · 10-10-2023 7:03pm

Smoked mackerel from Union Hall with chilli paste.

Black Sheep · 10-10-2023 7:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121219218#Comment_121219218

For convenience sake - yes, I add it in, and refrigerate, so when we walk in the door it is just reheated for dinner, and served. I freeze a few portions too.

Mr.Wemmick · 10-10-2023 7:31pm

I’ve had a nasty flu over the weekend and spent the best part of two days in bed. Much better now and I swear what saved me was the veg soup I pre-made & froze, that and soda bread. It’s made me realise that batch cooking is so important this time of year and to have some nutritious home cooked food readily available in the freezer. Thanks for the suggestion of Lakeshore Pork, Black Sheep. I will give it a go.

the beer revolu · 11-10-2023 10:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121219992#Comment_121219992

It's interesting and I think it runs through famalies regarding how smoked mackerel is served.

Many serve it hot as a main course. I've only ever had it cold as a snack/lunch/starter. I've never ever had it hot with vegetables.

How do others eat sm?

Just remembered, my dad smoking his own mackerel in an ancient oven in the garden!

igCorcaigh · 11-10-2023 11:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121222528#Comment_121222528

Yeah, people eat it differently. I prefer to heat it and crisp the skin, and serve it as part of a main meal.

awec · 11-10-2023 12:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121222528#Comment_121222528

You ever had the smoked mackerel from Lidl/ Aldi? Any good?

Is it de-boned? I love fish but can't be dealing with bones.

Gloomtastic! · 11-10-2023 1:20pm

Pretty sure it’s deboned. I’ve used it for pate a few times.

So to answer tbr’s question, we have it cold. 😋

thereitisgone · 11-10-2023 1:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121222528#Comment_121222528

Cold or hot, but the best mackeral i ever tasted was on a fishing boat off mulranny, where he had a little gas setup and frying pan

Straight from the sea, fried in butter between two slices of buttered white bread

Glorius

Mystery Egg · 11-10-2023 2:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121220059#Comment_121220059

Cheers. Good to know that works.

the beer revolu · 11-10-2023 2:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121223494#Comment_121223494

Thats fresh mackerel, not smoked. Very different thing.

On the bones question, I've never had smoked mackerel that didn't have a few bones in it. They are nearly always filleted but still have a few bones.

Recliner · 12-10-2023 12:48am

Last night in the Algarve

Prawn and avocado salad, garlic prawns flambeed in whiskey.

Ribeye, scallops in cream sauce.

Panacotta and chocolate lava cake.

Lots of Vinho Verde.

Best meal of the holiday, possibly the best meal in 20 years of holidaying in the Algarve. All Beef in Praia da Rocha

Mr.Wemmick · 12-10-2023 5:25pm

Mixed veg & beef chilli made with lots of cayenne pepper, Kashmiri chilli and a heaped teaspoon of garam masala for richness. My daughter loves her chilli smothered in cheddar cheese.

igCorcaigh · 12-10-2023 7:29pm

*want

Black Sheep · 13-10-2023 12:13pm

Beef stew.

igCorcaigh · 13-10-2023 5:15pm

Chicken and shiitake mushroom curry with black rice and cukes.

My food is looking all the same, I must try to shake up my routine.

Gloomtastic! · 14-10-2023 9:37pm

Gyozo boiled for 8 minutes. They’re like oysters. 😋

igCorcaigh · 15-10-2023 12:11am

Oh I love Gyoza... did you make them from wrappers Gloom?

Miyazaki takeaway here do lovely ones.

Gloomtastic! · 15-10-2023 6:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121239830#Comment_121239830

I did once, never again. Way too fiddly and stressful.

We had 8 people for dinner, take away would have cost €150+. 10 packets of gyoza for €60, big pot of boiling water, done.

sibersha · 15-10-2023 1:12pm

Chicken Rogan Josh

Mr.Wemmick · 15-10-2023 2:10pm

I haven’t cooked Sunday lunch roast beef in ages and freaked out cos I thought I over cooked it, but it was nice and pink in the middle.. with creamy colcannon & greens.

Dave_The_Sheep · 15-10-2023 8:58pm

Low and slow eight hour lamb leg with some ratatouille and roast baby potatoes with lamb and veg gravy. Been a long while since I've done a lamb leg, but it was deliciously juicy and tender.

Yes, yes, I was absolutely using cooking as a cathartic release after last night. Spent ages in the kitchen today, doing dinner, various spice mixes, seed mixes, spicy seed mixes, bits and pieces here and there. Just **** around a lot of the time. Enjoyed it.

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

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