Another Food Blog

The last of the Thanksgiving turkey went into a pie.  I made shortcrust pastry with 3 oz of plain flour and 2 oz of self-raising flour plus about 2.5 oz of sunflower spread.  For the filling I chopped the turkey, already cooked, of course, into about one inch pieces.  I made a white sauce from cornflour and milk and used herbs plus sea salt and black pepper to add flavour.  This went in with the turkey pieces into a foil dish I’d lined with two-thirds of the pastry.  I put the top on and crimped it, but didn’t bother to glaze the top with beaten egg.  I knew it would need gravy, so I made up some chicken gravy from stock.  I baked it for half an hour, then ate it with green peppers and mushrooms and thought it tasted pretty good.

I went to Ask with a friend for a quick lunch.  I ordered the salmon rustico, and was quite surprised, in that I’d expected a piece of fillet, but instead was served a dish with pieces of salmon in and amongst new potatoes, butter beans, green beans, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and green pesto.  It was nicely cooked and quite delicious.

I didn’t really want a dessert, but my companion ordered two of them, and I watched as a chocolate nemesis, oozing with liquid chocolate and with vanilla ice-cream disappeared, followed by a substantial slice of lemon tart… I ate neither, but tasted both.

I was at a big formal dinner in Peterhouse.  The invitation stipulated “black or white tie,” so some of the boys turned up in dinner jackets, some in white tie and tails (I wore my white dinner jacket), and the girls came in long dresses, some off-the-shoulder.  The food was first class, and obviously they’d spent the heating money on the food, because the hall was stone cold throughout.  Several of the girls went out and came back with overcoats draped over their shoulders.  The boys braved it out, though some of them stumbled as they rose, having lost all feeling in their numbed feet.  It was a cold night, and even colder outside as we left.

After a champagne reception we went in and started with duck liver parfait, smooth and flavoured with Cointreau, and served with toast.  Then came quail stuffed with haggis.  I am used to quail as a tiny bird, but we had quite a quantity of meat, with chateau potatoes, vegetables and a whisky cream sauce (very good).

Finally came a poached pear with buttermilk pannacotta flavoured with vanilla and a butterscotch sauce.   Then came Peterhouse devils on horseback (sometimes called angels rather than devils), with apricots instead of dates wrapped inside the bacon.

The wines were a Willi Haag Riesling (of which you already know my views – there are no good ones) and a Chateau Lieujean haut-medoc 2003 (which was very nice).  Just as the cold room was about to induce rigor mortis, along came the Peterhouse port to give us all some central heating and thaw us out.

I was guest of honour at the Phoenix Dining Society’s Autumn Feast in the Stanley library at Girton College.  It was quite a lavish affair, starting with champagne beforehand.  The first course was superb; it was caramelized onion, wholegrain mustard and goat’s cheese tartlet.

Then came roast pheasant supreme with Brussels sprouts and chestnuts, thyme, roast carrots and boulangere potatoes served with bread sauce and gravy.  There as a huge quantity of pheasant, though I did without the Brussels sprouts, of course.

Finally came crème brulée, though this being Cambridge, they called it Trinity Burnt Cream.  Unusually this was baked with raspberries in it.  The wines were a Domaine Gayda ‘Cepage’ viognier 2009 and a Chateau Rousseau de Sipian 2005 Medoc, but since my speech came at the end of the dinner, I could only sample them sparingly…

Lord Lawson, the former Chancellor, gave the inaugural Adam Smith lecture at Pembroke College, followed by champagne, then dinner at high table.  We began with époisses tortellini in a brown onion consommé.  This was brilliant – three perfect ravioli pieces in a gorgeous tasting liquid.

Then came rump of lamb, so delicate that I suspect the chef used his sous-vide method of cooking.  It came with puy lentil ragout, sautéed spinach, rosti potato and rosemary jus.

Finally there was roasted pear with milk purée, croissant ice-cream, and little cubes of muscovado and rum jelly.  This was a great feast, and the wines were exceptional, too – a Saint-Aubin premier cru “Les Murgers des Dents de Chien” 2002, and then a Nuits-Saint-Georges premier cru “Les Porets” 1999.

Lord Lawson seemed to enjoy all this and was on sparkling form. I wonder if he told his daughter, Nigella, about it…

I attended an early St Andrews night dinner at Wolfson College, a week before the recognized date, perhaps so we could book the hall.  It was a splendid black tie affair starting with champagne.  The first course was a salmon mousse with cucumber relish. Everyone said it was very good, but I left mine because I saw apple and almond tart on the menu and wanted to have room at the end.

The main course was a very good sirloin Bordelaise with Yorkshire pudding and seasonal vegetables.  This was rather good, and the sauce was delicious.

The came the apple=almond tart with Calvados Sabayon, and I was glad I’d left space for it.  It was really nice.  The wines were good, too, and the talk by Sandy Stoddart, Scotland’s premier sculptor was brilliant, informative and amusing.

I made myself a meat pie.  Actually it was a minced lamb and onion pie.  I fried the onions first to soften them, then browned the mince, spooning away the fat that came off and replacing it with beef stock.  I added mixed herbs and garlic.  I didn’t bother to blind bake the pie, but put the meat and onions directly onto the uncooked base, fitted and crimped the top, and brushed with beaten egg.  I guessed that it wouldn’t make much difference, and it didn’t.   After 30 minutes in the oven the pie was cooked firmly on the bottom as well as the top, and readily slid out of its foil tray.  I served it with a thick slice of fried potato and some green peppers and mushrooms cooked together in a little butter and oil.  Oh, and I added gravy.

I ate this for a second breakfast (the first was porage with maple syrup, as usual). While the pita was in the toaster I folded a lettuce leaf, sliced two vine tomatoes and salted them, and cut a slab of Hawes Wensleydale cheese. When the pita popped out I cut along the edge so I could spread it inside with light mayonnaise before inserting the salad goodies.  It made quite a satisfying second breakfast.