idun Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 It really was, I don't know why, it was something that I have done many times in the past, but this time, well, it was just superb. I had bought some lamb pieces and braised them with onions very slowly. The following day I made up a pan of soup veg. Parsnips, carrots, onions and potatoes, firstly started in a little butter, then a little salt and pepper and covered in beef stock and I added some mint. When it was nearly cooked I added a tin of peas (rinsed). Then I added the lamb and a little of the stock with it. I thickened it slightly and put in a spoon of mint sauce. Then I popped suet dumplings with dried mint on this stew and baked it.Why was this so delicious? I have no idea. I hardly dare make it again, our expectations will be so high. So what have you made that exceeded expectations and will rest in your memory for a long long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 [quote user="idun"] So what have you made that exceeded expectations and will rest in your memory for a long long time. [/quote][IMG]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/645.jpg[/IMG][:P][Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Well it WASN'T love ...[:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 [quote user="Bugsy"][quote user="idun"] So what have you made that exceeded expectations and will rest in your memory for a long long time. [/quote][IMG]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/645.jpg[/IMG][:P][Www][/quote] WOW, but can you eat it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 My memorable dish was a chicken pie made to impress some people I had for lunch.I did your mascarpone pastry for the top and the contents of the pie came from a very large, free-range chicken slow roasted in the bois-charbon oven I have in the other house.Put in some carrots and peas and onions, made a lovely velvety white sauce, adding some white wine. Had some dried and some fresh herbs mixed in it as well.I cut the chicken into biggish pieces (can't abide little itsy, bitsy bits of meat) and put the chicken, veg, etc into a large rectangular le creuset type dish. Must have measured 12 by 10 inches (sorry still can't do metric).Then when the pastry went on top and I'd made some lovely pastry decorations for the top, I brushed it all with an egg-yolk and salt glaze.When it came out of the oven, it looked so fantastic that I think a couple of the guests might have taken a photo!As for the taste.............yum. I'd have been happy to have served that pie to Michel Roux himself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 I love cooking, but when something is just 'perfect', what satisfaction. I have an oven on my wood burner now and cooked the lamb in that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osie Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I find that something quick and simple as a stir fry Chinese dish can be hit and miss dependant on timing, temperature, and prep... It rarely gets a 10/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAiffricaine Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 [quote user="idun"].... So what have you made that exceeded expectations and will rest in your memory for a long long time. [/quote]The meal that will stay in my mind for a long time : the Xmas I thought 'bugger bognor, turkey, sprouts, MIL and SIL who are the only ones to eat the darn thing!' The week before I went to Manchester to a lovely indian supermarket I know in Rusholme and went 'to town' on ingredients. Came home, wrote my menu, sorted my recipes, got my kitchen organised with all the utensils, pots pans etc..., proceeded to cook with Dearest Daughter as the scullery maid. Kitchen and dining room locked up, out of bound to the entire world and his mother.Xmas meal here is more of a late lunch or an early evening meal as during the day MIL will go to church and visit the old dears at the retirement home and all guests, family, brats and 4 legged friends will go out for a long walk as the sherry and whisky will have dried out and all the presents will have been opened and snarled at with gleeful expressions ... D.D. was just wonderful at transforming the dining room into an indian palace. We were both so busy to arrange this that neither of us thought of taking photos, to our eternal regret. Every one came back from their walk and diner was served ... Samosas, bahjis, parathas stuffed with paneer, poori, mulligatawny, naan bread, rogan josh lamb, saag aloo, murg tamatar, beef in garam masala, various vegetables cooked with an indian twist, poppadums etc... etc... all laid out on a side table for people to help themselves to. The ooh and ahh ! D.D. and I were so pleased with the effect as no one knew what was going on. Not a crumb left ... ... and do you know ... MIL and SIL still complained that they weren't served turkey ... I told them to stuff it [:P] - and the turkey - next time [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 And no photos to remind you. I always forget to take photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemonimo Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Like L'Affricaine, my best meal ever was at Christmas about four years ago. Feeling rather flush (for once) I used Chef Simon's recipe for chapon http://chefsimon.com/chapon-farci-2.html and everything was working well until the power went down - well it always does on Christmas Day - so we finished the cooking of the chapon and everything else in the chimney. The chimney is huge and I'm used to cooking agneau a la ficelle or an entrecote in it but a chapon plus the veggies was a different story altogether. More by luck than judgement, the chapon was absolutely the best I have ever eaten and cooked to perfection (can't say the same for the veggies) and when I looked at the recipe recently, thinking I might well cook a chapon again for the new year, I had written in capitals on the page I had printed.... DON'T DRINK WHEN YOU COOK!!!! So if my chapon was a success it was all down to the amount of Method Champenoise I had consumed when the power went down. If anyone feels like trying the recipe, remortgage your house and hide the bottles[:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 [quote user="Gemonimo"] Like L'Affricaine, my best meal ever was at Christmas [/quote]Sounds like a nice dish to celebrate the win against Secondigny.[:)]APPEL AUX SUPPORTERS AIFFRICAINS POUR AMMENER UN PEUT DE NOS COULEURS DANS LE BOULODROME DE SECONDIGNY LUNDI 31/10 SOIR 20H 30 Comment appelle-t-on les habitants d'Aiffres ? Le nom des habitants d'Aiffres est Aiffricains (fem. Aiffricaines). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAiffricaine Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Well done Pacha [:D] It is whence I hail from [:$] ...Now no one is quite sure of the origin of the name Aiffres but it is believed that in roman times a garrison of roman soldiers was based there and that garrison was made entirely from slaves captured in deep darkest Africa hence Aiffres being a derivation of Afrique and Aiffricain(e) a derivation of africain(e) Africa has a lot to answer for in my life [8-)] ... but this is digressing ... Let's get back to mouth watering offerings [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britgirl Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Not too sure if it's the best meal I've ever cooked, but it was the most challenging and rewarding, and one I would certainly enjoy againSome friends do not eat meat, fish, mushrooms or eggs!! I searched through the few cookery books I had with me and came up with the following menu;*************Spinach and ricotta lasagne with homemade tomato jus and salad leaves, ******************************Potato, leek and cheese gratin (loosely based on tartiflette)Spicy bean casseroleRoasted summer veg******************cheese and biscuits**************pear tart and creme fraiche************I think they enjoyed it, as there were clean plates all round.[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Food is only any good if some other b*gger has cooked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 I think you deserve a medal brit girl. Unless someone was dying and had dietry problems, I couldn't have made that meal and maybe your friends had such a problem.If not, as soon as they said they didn't eat meat, I'd have had a Homer Simpson moment and steaks floating in front of me. Add the rest of the list and I think I would have burst out laughing. So how did you do your pear tart without eggs? I could have had them in the pastry and I would have had them in the frangipan or creme patisserie which I would have plonked the pears on (presentation isn't my strong point). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britgirl Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I cheated and bought it. (As long as it's not quiche, omelette or boiled it's fine) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneySuckleDreams Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 [quote user="idun"]So what have you made that exceeded expectations and will rest in your memory for a long long time.[/quote]My children Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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