so what else is new?
A round-up of little bits and pieces I’ve been mucking about with at Spud HQ.
Trying (and failing) to make Heston Blumenthal’s meat fruit
I had a lot of fun recreating this iconic recipe from Dinner by Heston. Meat fruit is a trompe l’oeil whereby a mandarin sphere encases chicken liver parfait. I made some terrible mistakes. Watch how I got on.
Kathy’s continental potatoes
Do you listen to the Off Menu Podcast? Ed Gamble and James Acaster ask guests to name their favourite starter, main dish, side, dessert and drink. It’s an excuse for some fun chat. One of their dream guests was the incredible Kathy Burke, who had a homely and delicious sounding menu. Her side dish of “Kathy’s Continental Potatoes” spoke to me for some reason so I had to make it. And whaddya know, they’re great!
Boxtails
The lovely people at Boxtails sent me some of their cocktail sachets to try. Letterbox-friendly, their boxes come in a variety of flavours. I’ve tried a bunch, to the point where I can’t remember what I’ve drunk now! Though I do recall the Bramble being tasty. Word of warning, they are pretty strong! I recommend plenty of ice. And then have another one.
Garlic and black pepper seasoning
I’m a little obsessed with this seasoning from Santa Maria lately. Readily available in supermarkets. I’ve been grinding it over roast potatoes, into meatballs, over broccoli… whatever I can get my hands on. Love it!
Gumbo Recipes
I’ve been playing around with Gumbo recipes lately. Chuck in some ingredients and you get some recipe inspo back atcha. Gumbo crawls recipe sites (including this one!) and pulls in ideas. Other sites have done this but I like the wide variety of sources it uses. Give it a try!
Floyd on France
I’ve been reminding myself what an absolute treat the show Floyd on France (iPlayer link) was. 7 episodes of self-deprecating, leisurely escapades in food and cooking. It feels like the whole thing is made up on the spot and it’s all the better for it. There’s never been another presenter like Keith Floyd. Go revisit if you’re in the UK. And if not, Floyd on Fish is easily found on YouTube.