Well this will be my first post on this brand new Blog. i will be posting recipes,restaurant reviews ,opinions and whatever takes my fancy.I will be dealing in food and cooking but please forgive me if i also discuss my other obsessions sport and music from time to time.This Blog will be linked to Twitter so please be kind and follow me and i will reciprocate.
Yesterday i made the classic Welsh soup/stew Cawl.There are many recipes for this wonderful dish of goodness which started life in welsh farmhouses and Mam's black hearth many centuries ago and many cultures worldwide have variations on the same theme.
Take a kilo of lamb ,this should be the cheapest lamb cut that the Butcher has, on the bone is even better and the small bones can be removed in the bowl or prior to serving.Cut meat into inch cubes and set aside.Vegetables,Cube the same size as your meat .Carrots,Swede and Parsnip a kilo in total.Slice two medium white onions ,two sticks of celery including celery leaf and set aside.
Right the controversial bit-Water or lamb stock?Purists always use water.Lamb stock is hard to come by but stock cubes are available .In this instance i would use water.Although i have used a fresh lamb stock in the past with great results.
Get out your biggest pot ,hopefully with a matching tight lid.Put on medium heat and add a medium sized knob of butter,Add the onions and celery and slightly sweat for one minute .Add all other vegetables and meat with leaves from three sprigs of thyme.Now Mam would definitely not agree with adding a herb but i think that it is essential .although i once made the mistake of adding lemon thyme which was a massive mistake.After one minute of stirring taking care ,and this is most important do not brown anything add your water,enough to cover the meat and vegetables by an inch and half to two inches.Put your tight lid on and put the heat up.Bring to the boil and reduce to a low simmer for at least Forty-five minutes.Add seasoning to taste remember less is more seasoning can be adjusted.Switch off Cawl and leave.
I am sorry to disappoint but we are not going to eat it now.Cawl must be left for one whole day
I skim of all the fat on the surface the next day.Mam is turning in her grave again and thinking of fighting her way out of her coffin.I do not like the taste of Lamb fat or the site of it floating on the surface.This fat would have been a nutritional part to add to a farmworker or miner's diet but i think it tastes better removed.Heat slowly and gently do not boil and serve.Now with potatoes or not.Typically i have usually always served boiled pots with this but you may prefer a lovely fresh white crusty bread slathered with salty welsh butter.What the hell we removed all the lamb fat.
Enjoy.You will have enough for eight large servings or six for burly hungry farmworkers.
Sad to hear about Gary Mason .His only defeat was against a young Lennox Lewis.
Now enjoy your cooking and put some sounds on in the kitchen .Today i heartily recommend the excellent Stornoway.
