3rd of December 2010 - 150XP for Griselda Recipe, French Style
How come a Telchos knows the recipe of a typical French winter dish, la tartiflette ? No one can explain but since it's almost Christmas and she is in a good mood, she will share the recipe with you.
Warning : this recipe is NOT recommended for dieting people
Ingredients :
1kg potatoes
250g of beacon specks
450g of reblochon ( no other cheese can be substituted )
200g of thick créme fraîche
2 onions
Tools :
two deep pans, a deep dish for the oven, a good knife and a wooden spoon.
Steps :
Start with the potatoes. Peel and then slice them thin ( 3-4 mm ). Place them in a deep pan, under salted water, and let it cook covered for around 15 min.
Meanwhile, peel and cut the onions, throw them in a pan with a little of butter and stir. When they color, add the beacon and keep on stirring.
Prepare the dish: scrub the bottom and the sides with garlic and butter.
Now that the potatoes are half cooked and the beacon / onion mix is ready, it's time to get the gratin in the dish !
Throw in a first layer of potatoes, then beacon / onions, crème fraîche, more potatoes, more beacon / onions, more crème fraîche and then what's left. Finish it so that the surface is even.
Slice the reblochon open ( in its width ) and place both halves on top of the gratin. It's important to keep the crest in the inside, this way, the creamy part of the cheese can melt better.
Bake it in the oven for about 15 -20 minutes and serve with fresh bread.
Grumph ! ( bon appétit )
22nd of October 2010 - 150XP for Erleothir Recipe, Colcannon Irish Style
I just found out we missed some traditions when I cooked colcannon for you, but here is an interesting fact I found about Colcannon:
An old Irish Halloween tradition was to serve colcannon with prizes of small coins concealed in it.
The song "Colcannon", also called "The Skillet Pot", is a traditional Irish song that has been recorded by many artists, It begins:Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake
Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?
The chorus goes:
Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.
And the more I think about it sure the nearer I'm to cry.
Oh, wasn't it the happy days when troubles we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.
Now how to make it?
Recipe for 6 people:
- 2 kg of potatoes (preferably floury)
- 1 Savoy cabbage (or white cabbage)
- Leek
- 250 gr. of butter
- Salt/pepper
- Nutmeg
- Milk
- Evt. Horseradish
- Evt. Mustard
First peel the potatoes and put them in salty boiling water until they are nice and squashy. Then get rid of the water and mash the potatoes until they are dry and floury.
Chop the savoy cabbage and cook it for 10 min. in salty water. Afterwards decant the water.
Put the butter in a pot and let it melt, then put the savoy cabbage and leek in it and let it evaporate for 1 minute.
Then mix the cabbage mix together with the mashed potatoes. Put as much warm milk in it to get a creamy consistency. Taste it off with some nutmeg, horseradish and mustard (but not too much to avoid a dominant taste.)
6th of August 2010 - 150XP for Griselda Recipe, Bolivian Style
Griselda introduces you to Bolivian cooking with…. A pique macho !!!
This dish is not gourmet, not elegant but rather brutal in its proportions and its composition. Warning : not advised for vegetarians
Ingredients : ( for 8 persons )
1,5 KG beef
1 KG sausages ( o,5 plain and 0,5 spicy )
1,2 KG potatoes
6 pieces of garlic
2 big onions
3 paprika ( the colour is not important )
1 chili pepper
3 tomatoes
3 eggs ( optional )
salt, pepper, cumin, kurkuma
Instructions :
start by doing the shopping a day ahead because you will need time to cook.
Start with the potatoes – it’s easy and it’s the longest to cook. Peel them and cut them in semi-thick slices.
Go on with the vegetables: peel and slice the onions, then move to the paprika while you’re at it and finish with the 3 tomatoes. Cut them in little dices.
DON’T PUT THEM ALL IN THE SAME PLATE – patience…
Find a first assistant who will start cutting the sausages in small and thin slices.
Finish with the vegetables by peeling the garlic. The recipe says 6 pieces, 4 are enough to my taste but do it to yours, feel free to add more.
Put the potatoes in a big pan, pour a little oil at the bottom ( regular sunflower oil will do ).
Make sure your assistant is not slowing down and find a second one who will be in charge of stirring the pans. Yes, there is an “s” because, now, you are ready to fry the onions, the paprika and the tomatoes.
No time to rest, get the beef out of the fridge and cut it into squares. Be sure to use your best hunting knife or it will take forever. If you’re lucky, you’ll have by now a third assistant you can relay you with the meat while you prepare your dessert. Get a fourth assistant to help you.
You probably selected trustworthy assistants but make sure you keep an eye on them.
The sausages should be ready by then, put them with the potatoes and start using spices.
You can also start cooking the first 300g of beef in the onions. Progressively incorporate the 1,2kg remaining kilo.
Thank your assistant number 3 and reward him with the task of doing dishes. ( first round ).
To cheer everyone, get assistant 1 to serve the aperitif.
After a relatively short cooking time ( around 20 min ) the meat should be done, add it to the potatoes and mix it all without : 1 getting it all out of your pan suddenly really small
2 breaking the potato slices that are so pretty !
Gather your assistants and let them dress the table while you taste the dish. Make sure your dessert is not burning, reduce the heat if necessary.
Call for diner as it’s now ready and has to be eaten warm.
Enjoy the face of your guests as they savour and devour the result of your intense work !
Bon appétit :)
P.S : and what about the eggs ? they are here to decorate the plate, boil them at some point and cut them in 8th. Place them in a bowl and let the guests help themselves to it.