Choucroute Garni

February 26, 2016February 26, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ 2 Comments

Having been a bit distracted by other things of late, DonQui has been a bit remiss in posting.

Fear not! Today he has the pots and pans out and is going to try to create a classic winter’s dish that he has never attempted before.

It all started when Duchess decided she liked sauerkraut. Now DonQui has a sort of love/hate relationship with sauerkraut. Properly cooked like they do it in the Rhine valley – simmered in Riesling with lots of smoked meats infusing it with their deep flavour – then it is love. Taken straight from the jar and still sour, or cooked with caraway seeds, then it is hate. To be certain, to get the sort of sauerkraut he loves then there was no doubt that he would have to prepare it himself.

So after searching through a myriad of different recipes and casting his mind back to the tastes he remembers from meals he had in Alsace and Baden, DonQui creates his own version of Choucroute Garni. This roughly translates as “Dressed up Sauerkraut” – Choucroute being a gallicisation of Surkrutt , the word used in the local dialect on both sides of the Rhine for sauerkraut.

One of the hurdles DonQui had to overcome was to find suitable smoked meats and sausages to give the right flavour. Heavily smoked bacon, pork and proper German style sausages are really hard to find in Britain. The influx of recent Polish immigrants may help in the future but for now DonQui was going to have to rely on doing some online shopping.

Melbury and Appleton furnished authentic Frankfurters and Bratwürste (DonQui put the latter aside for another day)

The German Deli came up with the all important Geräucherter Speck (smoked pork belly) as well as Kassler (smoked and cured pork loin) and some Schwarzwälder Schinken (Black Forest Ham)

For those who don’t know, real Black Forest ham is like a super smokey version of Italian dry cured Parma ham. What is peddled under that name in some other countries (especially in North America) is nothing like it.

So to the Recipe for 2 people. More people will allow a greater variety of meats:

About 250-300g Sauerkraut, depending on size of appetite
A good piece of smoked Speck cut into 1cm wide chunks (although nothing like as good, smoked lardons, available from supermarkets in the UK, can be a reasonable substitute)
1 thinly sliced carrot
1/2 a finely chopped onion
butter mixed with a bit of duck or goose fat or dripping
1 bay leaf
around 10 peppercorns (DonQui used soft pink peppercorns for their delicate flavour and so as not to loose a filling when biting into one)
around 8 juniper berries (a few more or less do not matter)
about 200 ml Alsatian Riesling (no other wine works quite as well)
about 100 ml non-salted chicken stock (leave this out if you cannot find an unsalted version otherwise, with the addition of the cured meats the taste will be far too salty).

A selection of smoked and cured meats such as:
Smoked sausages (at least 1 or 2 per person — DonQui used 2 long frankfurters which he cut in half)
Kassler or smoked gammon (DonQui used the former)
Smoked Black Forest ham (Next time DonQui would leave this out as unnecessary)
Pork Knuckle (Not used this time)
Confit Duck legs (Not used this time)
Smoked pork ribs (Not used this time)

Method

Drain the sauerkraut and soak in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as possible. Pick it apart to separate the strands.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Stir-fry the speck, carrots, and onions in butter/fat slowly in a casserole for 2-3 minutes until they begin to colour. Then cover and simmer for around 8 minutes.

Add the sauerkraut and when it is well covered with the fat and vegetables, cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes more.

Add the herbs and spices. Pour in the wine, and enough stock to just cover the sauerkraut. Add the kassler or any other uncooked meats that will benefit from a long simmer. Cover, bring to the boil then put in the middle of the preheated oven. Turn down to 160 degrees and then let it cook slowly for 2-3 hours. Check every once in a while and if it is beginning to dry out add a splash more wine.

Twenty minutes before serving add the frankfurters to the pot or any other meats that need a little less cooking such as duck confit if you are using it. If you want to try using bratwürst then it is better to fry or grill them and add them at the last minute.

At the same time boil some potatoes. When they are done, swish them around in butter and add some chopped parsley

Five minutes before serving add the Black Forest Ham to heat through and allow its smokiness to permeate the dish. Next time DonQui will leave this out as he did not think it quite worked.

Served with the sauerkraut heaped on a plate with the meats draped over it and surrounded by the boiled potatoes, it met with Duchess’ approval.

Wash it down with the rest of the Alsatian Riesling (chilled)

Rules

February 9, 2016February 9, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ Leave a comment

Before going off to see the antics of Nell Gwynn and Charles Stuart, DonQui thought it would be a good idea to have a proper lunch.

And what could be more appropriate than Rules — possibly London’s oldest restaurant although the title is contested by Simpson’s Tavern and Wilton’s.

Opening in 1798, Rules is probably the closest one can get to a restaurant of Nell’s time, not that they really existed back in the 17th century. Nell would have frequented taverns but the concept of a ‘restaurant’ did not really come into being until after the French Revolution. One theory is that in the revolution the chefs of headless aristocrats found themselves out of work and therefore started to set up on their own.

Started as an oyster bar by Thomas Rules it then expanded to include more substantial fare. Contemporary writers mention ‘rakes, dandies and superior intelligences who comprise its clientele.’

‘Just the sort of place for me’, DonQui thinks.

Serving proper food such as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, rack of lamb, pies and a wide variety of game, Rules is not the sort of place to bring a vegetarian, some Californian on a weird faddish diet, nor someone who is in a hurry. It is the sort of place to go to if you are looking for a long leisurely meal and old-school atmosphere.

DonQui booked in for a late lunch at 3:30, leaving plenty of time to build up an appetite before, and plenty of time to linger afterwards. He was surprised that even at this hour the place was full, with waiters in black and white weaving their way around tables of casually well-heeled patrons.

With a lovely glass of bubbly Crémant de Bourgogne to sip on while he contemplated the menu, DonQui sees that meat from rare breed, slow maturing cattle is on offer. With Duchess on hand to help out, rib of beef for two seemed just the ticket. After an appetite warming partridge salad to start with, DonQui was ready for the main event.

Although he was well aware that Rules tended to go for old fashioned large portions, he was not quite prepared for just how much food arrive at the table.

It certainly looked good. So DonQui took a sip of Côtes du Rhône to fortify himself, girded his loins, and prepared to do battle.

The beef, served along with the bone it was carved from, was delicious with a nice charred, salty outside while remaining rare in the middle. Ordered medium-rare it was on the rarer side of medium which was fine for DonQui but a little too visceral for Duchess. Fortunately there were sufficient outside pieces of greater doneness which suited her tastes. The Yorkshire puddings were magnificent as were the accompanying spinach and dauphinoise potatoes. DonQui is not keen on horseradish but Duchess, who is, assured him that it was creamy with just the right amount of bite.

Service was professional, helpful yet unobtrusive and the bill was… well… as magnificent as the food. Even by London standards Rules is not cheap, but then it is an experience as much as a place to eat.

Resolutely old-fashioned and English, in DonQui’s opinion Rules is a wonderful respite from the modern world’s obsession with the new, fast and transient. It is well worth saving up a few shekels for the occasional visit.

Nell Gwynn

February 7, 2016February 6, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ 1 Comment

DonQui is most pleased to have snaffled a couple of tickets to see the play Nell Gwynn which has just opened in the West End. So he and Duchess find themselves making their way down Shaftesbury Avenue to check it out.

The story of Nell Gwynn and Charles II strikes a sympathetic chord with DonQui’s attitude to life. As the blurb from the theatre says:

Welcome to England, 1660. The Puritans have been sent packing as Charles II makes his triumphal return to London following the restoration of the monarchy. After years in France, the King brings with him an appreciation for the bawdy and the boisterous. Meanwhile, the young Nell Gwynn is selling oranges on Drury Lane. Nothing will ever be the same again.

DonQui thinks the play is great fun, well cast, well acted and well directed. There is just the right amount of humour and raunchiness interlacing the true story which is delivered with touches of real emotion.

The fully packed house love it, as does DonQui.

Gemma Arterton is utterly fantastic as Nell, fully living up to the original Nell Gwynn’s stage performance as described by Samuel Pepys:

But so great performance of a comical part was never, I believe, in the world before as Nell do this, both as a mad girl, then most and best of all when she comes in like a young gallant; and hath the notions and carriage of a spark the most that ever I saw any man have. It makes me, I confess, admire her.

DonQui must also confess to admire Gemma Arterton, even since watching her in the excellent re-make of St Trinians.

The character of Nancy is also brilliantly played by Michele Dotrice, best known as the long-suffering wife in the 70s TV series ’Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em. DonQui thinks that she delivers one of the best comic moments through perfect timing and just a look.

DonQui thoroughly enjoyed himself and highly recommends trying to get hold of tickets.

Stuck on a Sofa

February 6, 2016February 6, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ Leave a comment

Oh dear DonQui has made a classic coltish error!

He left Duchess in Anthropologie on Kings Rd while he went into Waitrose to get some essential supplies. He agreed to meet her back at the American emporium for earthy, ethnic-y, modern fashions.

Fully expecting to meet up and then head off home, DonQui’s ears fall when he realises that Duchess has barely begun her grand tour.

Fortunately there is a sofa for waiting males

And free wifi.

And so here DonQui sits writing this.

And he expects to be here a while more…

For more on Kings Rd and DonQui’s attitudes to shopping see his London Shopping Survival Guide

A Proper Pub in London

February 4, 2016February 4, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ Leave a comment

So what does DonQui mean by a ‘proper pub’?

He would say it should be a place where you feel at home, where you can drink good beer (proper cask conditioned ales alongside decent continental imports) and wile away the hours chatting with friends.

The Ship and Shovel on Craven Passage near Charing Cross is just such a pub. In central London such places are sadly becoming a rarity. It does serve food and DonQui vaguely remembers having a decent lunch or two here in the past. But that is not the point. This is not where one goes to for a gastronomic experience, not that DonQui has the slightest problem with gastronomy as regular readers will certainly know.

Nor is this a place where one might be offered the latest trends in oddly mixed concoctions sold as over-priced ‘cocktails’. It is a place for companionship, good conversation and a decent draught or two.

The Ship and Shovel serves Badger beers, which come from Dorset and are not that widely available elsewhere. DonQui fondly remembers his first pint of Badger at the late lamented Angel in Paddington which the current landlords of the Ship and Shovel used to run. It was where he first met Duchess, but that is another story.

So back to the Ship and Shovel.

On one side of Craven Passage (on the north side) is the Ship…

…and opposite is the Shovel.

Smokers can puff away to their hearts’ content out of the weather in the connecting passage despite the best efforts of the Puritans who would like to ban such sinful pleasures.

On an early Thursday evening the place is heaving. The nearby Ministry of Defence generally supplies a good number of after work regulars but the crowd is eclectic. Groups of males predominate but it is not unfriendly to women nor are the men loud, boozy or unpleasant. For the most part they are catching up with friends over a pint or two and this is exactly what DonQui was doing.

Meeting up with an old friend he had not seen for a while, the Ship and Shovel was the perfect place to reminisce, discuss politics, the state of the universe, and generally catch up. After a pint or three, followed up with a whisky, DonQui and his friend had throughly put the world to rights.

This is the whole point of a proper pub.

Long may they survive!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ 2 Comments

Much to DonQui’s surprise this is really easy to make. He first tried it out over Christmas and more recently to accompany his guinea fowl supremes.

Ingredients
200g fresh cranberries
Juice of 1 orange plus a bit of zest
Sugar to taste (DonQui likes his quite tart while Duchess likes it sweeter)
A good splash of ruby port

Method

Put all the ingredients except the port in a small pot. Bring to the boil and then let simmer gently until the cranberries turn soft and the liquid reduces down.

Add a splash of port. Taste for sweetness.

And that’s it!

Guinea Fowl Supremes

February 2, 2016February 3, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ 2 Comments

Looking for something interesting for dinner, DonQui rummages around the corners of his freezer. There, underneath some frozen beans, he finds a pair of guinea fowl supremes which he picked up from the wonderful Wild Meat Company at the Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival last September.

Thinking that these will do the trick DonQui pulls them out to thaw and then looks around for advice on how to cook them.

Guinea fowl is a lot like chicken. It has a relatively delicate white meat without any of the gaminess of pheasant, partridge or grouse. DonQui has roasted a whole guinea fowl before but not supremes.

The supreme is the breast of the bird off the bone but with the first wing joint still attached and the skin on. Mr Google advised first frying and then finishing off in the oven. This is what DonQui decides to do and he is delighted with the result.

This is his recipe:

Preheat the oven to 200º

Lightly brown a very finely sliced onion or a couple of shallots then put them into a roasting tray with a good splash of white wine.

Make sure the supremes are completely dry (this will ensure a nice caramelised outside), season with salt and pepper and then fry skin side down in the same pan. Fry gently for about 3 or 4 minutes until nice and golden brown then turn over and seal the other side.

Swish out the pan with white wine and add to a gravy base (see DonQui’s earlier post: Rich Meat Sauce)

Turn down the oven to 160º, place the supremes skin side up in the roasting tray on top of the shallots, sprinkle with rosemary (or you can also use tarragon for a slightly different flavour). Cook uncovered for about 12 minutes.

Let rest for 4-5 minutes while you finish off the vegetables. Pour off the juices into the gravy.

DonQui served his with curly kale, roast carrots, wild rice and parmentier potatoes (roast potato cubes); gravy and homemade cranberry sauce (very easy to make and may be the subject of a future post).

DonQui recommends a light red wine to go with it. This Moulin-à-Vent was just about perfect.

A Glasgow Watering Hole

January 26, 2016January 26, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ Leave a comment

On a wet, windy afternoon DonQui finds himself north of Hadrian’s Wall in Glasgow. He is in need of a good place to settle down with a pint or two and to do a bit of work.

DonQui has not been to Glasgow for a while and he does not really know where to go. A helpful hint from a local sends him off towards Merchant City where he is assured he might find several descent watering holes.

After a good trot around the neighbourhood he is draw towards Rab Ha’s
It takes its name from Robert Hall, the 19th century ‘Glesca Glutton’, who was celebrated throughout the west of Scotland for his eating prowess.

And a very good choice it proves to be.

The cosy interior with exposed stonework, wood panelling and fairy lights seem to cut just the right atmosphere. Unusually all the bar staff and all the customers are female which is a rather pleasant surprise. DonQui does not get the impression that it is a lesbian hang out, not that he would have minded, but it is certainly very female friendly even if a few other males of the species drop in a bit later on.

There are a reasonable selection of beers on tap and DonQui first opts to try a Blue Moon which is a craft wheat beer from Colorado.

Now a few years ago DonQui would have snorted in disgust if someone had proposed an American beer. Over the past decade, however, there have been an increasingly interesting selection of really good brews coming from over the Atlantic. This particular one has the style of a Belgian witbier and is served with a slice of orange to complement the slight orangey taste imparted by the orange peel and coriander which goes into the brew.

It is different, interesting and surprisingly pleasant. DonQui is glad he gave it a go even if he will probably not make it a regular tipple.

DonQui spends a very pleasant couple of hours here, doing a bit of writing and switching to the local Belhaven Best to follow the Blue Moon. He also highly approves of the selection of music — mostly from the early to mid ‘70s with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Supertramp, Don McLean, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Joel and David Bowie coming over the speakers at just the right volume level so as not to be too intrusive.

When he next finds himself in Glasgow DonQui will definitely return.

The January Blues

January 11, 2016January 11, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ 4 Comments

January is generally regarded as the most depressing month of the year. DonQui, however, rarely has too much trouble with it, probably because he never bothers to set any New Year’s resolutions which might curtail his enjoyment of life. Indeed he is writing this now in a pub with a nice pint beside him after just having devoured a rather good beef burger and fries.

Today’s papers brought the news of David Bowie’s death alongside the usual depressing stuff from the Middle East and the evil antics of religious nut-cases world wide. If this is not bad enough DonQui comes across an article describing a new movement designed by puritanical spoil-sports to ensure we expunge even more fun from our lives.

Alongside the ghastly proposition of dry January (staying off booze rather than stopping the rain) comes the even worse idea of veganuary. This latest moralising fad proposes that we should become vegans for the month of January allegedly to improve our health and save a few cute cuddly animals.

Now DonQui’s view of a proper vegetarian option is similar to that of a good French restaurant — choose fish or poultry as an alternative to meat. He has known a few vegetarians in his life and he may have seen a vegan or two passing along in the street looking gaunt, joyless and as if they were in need of a proper meal to give them a bit of colour. Hitler was a vegetarian while Churchill freely enjoyed many vices— meat, alcohol and tobacco amongst them. DonQui is in no doubt of which man he looks up to.

There have been days when DonQui has not eaten any meat but this was because a nice mushroom risotto might have taken his fancy rather than a conscious desire to avoid animal products on moral or health grounds.

If the puritans had their way, not only would we all be more miserable but the livestock would be too — or they might not exist at all.

The cute piglet in the veganuary advert would not go to market if the moralists gain the ascendancy. He would be killed and incinerated as the farmer could not afford to keep him alive just to decorate the countryside. This is what happens to hundreds of thousands of male calves each year in the UK since for some reason Brits are squeamish about eating veal and the animal rights brigade destroyed the export industry. With no market the male calves are simply destroyed and thrown away.

Although DonQui may be a simple creature he struggles to see how this could be considered a moral outcome or a good for our planet’s dwindling resources.

So as he consumes a second pint DonQui resolves to continue to drink alcohol, eat meat and generally to enjoy all that life has to offer.

The January blues be damned!

The British Museum

January 8, 2016January 8, 2016 ~ donquioaty ~ Leave a comment

Finding himself in London with a bit of spare time on his hands DonQui decides to wander over to the British Museum.

British Museum.jpg

Filled with the loot of Empire there is tons to see — so much so that DonQui finds it better to visit only a few favourite galleries, leaving others to another time.

Elgin Marbles.jpg

Whether it is the Elign Marbles, looted from the Acropolis of Athens; the huge Egyptian collection; or the Anglo-Saxon treasures of Sutton Hoo; anyone with the slightest interest in old stuff is bound to find something of interest. Best of all it is free!

DonQui is attracted to the special exhibition of Celtic artefacts which is on until the end of January. There is a charge to see the temporary exhibits but as Duchess is a member the charge is waived and she is able to bring in DonQui as a guest.

Celtic Helmet.jpg

There are some very impressive artefacts, well displayed with good explanations which give the historical and cultural context.
The exhibition covers the story of the Celts from their fist naming by the Greeks through to Victorian fantasy and modern revivals of Celtic culture.

DonQui had seen pictures of the Gundestrup cauldron before but seeing it up close was something else.

Romans in Egypt.jpg

Running concurrently with the Celts is a smaller exhibition on faith in Egypt after the pharaohs. As he very keen on late Roman history there was quite a lot to interest him.

After the two special exhibitions DonQui wanders upstairs to see the newly renovated early European gallery which houses the Sutton Hoo treasure. He has seen it before but the previous setting did not do it justice. The new gallery does.

On a cold January day, and if you do not want to spend much money, a visit to the British Museum makes for a good day out.

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Author: donquioaty