Wednesday, December 23, 2009



Late at night, drunk, and i ran out of dark chocolate, so the latest log has a white chocolate buttercream. Lush.

Monday, December 21, 2009



My new Kenwood mixer makes the best buttercream, effortless beating butter to a light cloud of fluff. Mix with melted chocolate for a denser, richer cocoa hit. The sponge is almost a soft meringue, sweet and moist. I want to try this next with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream and the same of raspberry jam as the interior swirl for a fancy effect beneath the chocolate frosting.

Recipe here

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Have you ever wondered what to do with lamb breast? They sit there on the shelf, so very very cheaply, little rolled blankets of fat and sweet meat (at least, i imagine lamb as always sweet), mysterious in their trusses and, well, cheapness.

Place rolled meat of a breast in an ovenproof dish (cut to fit, if necessary) with 2 sliced carrots, 2 sliced onions, a sprig of rosemary and a little dried thyme. Go for a snug fit. Pour over a glass of white wine and a glass of water. It is quite possible that i used a cup of chicken stock instead, depending on what i had in the fridge. Season, cover with lid or a close cap of foil and bake in a low oven (140ºC) for 3 hours, basting every 45 minutes, until meat is tender.





It smells very good at this point.

Leave to cool, removing any ribs still attached. Unroll and unfold the leaves of meat and press between two chopping boards, weighted by plates or tins. Don't be overly concerned by the fat in evidence - it will be cooked off again, under a hot grill. Leave overnight in the fridge.



To serve: slice the meat into double-finger width, single-finger length pieces. Brush with a little mustard (dijon or english), dip into beaten egg (you will need 2 eggs) and press firmly into a plate of dried breadcrumbs. This is messy, but relatively quick, and, as most of the work was done yesterday, it still seems like a very quick supper dish.

Arrange on a wire rack in a roasting pan, brush with melted butter if you wish for crispy brown crumb. I didn't bother with this adding-butter stage, feeling that there was quite enough fat in the dish already, so my fingers weren't evenly toasted, but i suspect just as delicious. Put dish in a moderate over for 15 minutes, (180ºC), then toast under a super hot grill until suitably blackened, to taste, turning once.

Serve with tartare sauce and mashed potato. And perhaps green beans.