covid diary Wednesday 1st July 2020- Level 1 Day 23

Stormy, windy (southerly) all night, winds to 110km/hr later in the day. Cold too. I don't think a beach walk today.

covid diary Tuesday 30th June 2020- Level 1 Day 22

Southerly, cold 6 to 9 deg C today, so wrap up.

Went to dentist yesterday and had filling. Today to hygenist to gt toof's cleaned.

covid diary Monday 29th June 2020- Level 1 Day 21

Still but cool, high cloud.

Apple Butter.

I've got a large amount of apples, I've dehydrated heaps and air sealed some and am looking for something else to do , and Apple Butter seemed an interesting project.  The consistency of the finnished product from Food wishes video on the topic looks good:

I wanted to use the instant pot to cook the apples, as that would speed up the process, I qite liked just cooking the apples on their own (with apple cider vinegar for liquid) and then adding the other ingredients in later, then you could taste as you go to get a flavour that you wanted.

1. Core 5 apples and dice
2. Cook apples w/ vinegar and water (I did it on steam setting for 40 minutes- pressure cooking time)
3. blend the result with stick blender
4. add sugar 2 1/2 cups (1-white, 1-raw and 1/2 brown) , cinemon 1 ts, 1/2 nutmeg, salt 1/2 ts, a big spoon (desert) of  treacle, a dash of vanilla essence.
5. simmer in pot until reduced to consistency you want. I wanted it thick. (I did try in instant pot but too hot (I think it was on high saute setting) and it was spitting out so I transferred it to a pot and stirred over a low heat until I got the consistency, about 1 1/2 -2 hours.
   

2nd batch on 30th June

This one I had the wok on low heat (bottom left ring just on 2 of high setting and left it for quite a while, it didn't quite bubble so took hours to simmer, but a good thick result.

I didn't use treacle but used golden syrup instead.

I strained this, it took ages to do as it was so thick, but a much more buttery finish. The leftover stuff in the sieve I used for a jam adadive to sweet & sour pork. Very nice.

3rd Batch on 1st July

Currently doing this, I used raw and white sugar, some treacvle, a bit of golden syrup and a palm sugar lump in a jar. It took a while for the palm sugar to dissolve. Currently simmering.

covid diary Sunday 28th June 2020- Level 1 Day 20

ill & fine soft rain, overcast.

covid diary Saturday 27th June 2020- Level 1 Day 19

Still, clear and lightly overcast, a lovely day (may rain later).

Delicate today, too much trinking last night. Oh woe is me.

covid diary Wednesday 24th June 2020- Level 1 Day 16?

Very still & overcast. Cooling down & high humidity so windows are condensated.

Caramalised Onion Marmalade was made yesterday. I'm looking forward to trying that.

covid diary Friday 26th June 2020- Level 1 Day 18

Overcast & light breeze.

Chicken & Pork Stocks & Guanciale (cured pig cheek)

Chicken Stock

I bought 4 chicken frames (leftover chicken carcases)  for 4.85$ so I thought I'd try the instant pot (IP) out to make chicken stock.

I'm sort of following the video below:

I cut up the frames and browned them using the saute setting. They were a bit awkward but I got some reasonable browning. I used a lid on the top to stop the vapour getting out.

Then I cut up an onion and about 6 small cloves of garlic and browned them  after taking the chichen out.

2 small carrots, pepper, marjoram, thyme and a couple of bay leaves and then filled with water to almost the maximum level.

Then I moved the IP into the utility room  and put on high pressure, setting 10 (broth) and manually set for 1 hour.

So with the heating up, then the 1 hour at high pressure, then the cooling down it should be ready in about 2 1/2 hours.

It was making a bit of noise while it was heating up and bubbling and steam out of the valve. Now its at pressure its pretty silent.

Chicken Terrine

There was a bit of chicken on the frames ,so I thought I'd try making a terrine with the meat and boiled veges from the stock. Worth a crack.

I tok some of the stock and simmered it to reduce it. I found, with the ramikins that I needed to put the chicken/carrot/parsley and spices in loose so that the reduced stock could get into the spaces , so there wasn't a liquid layer at the bottom and the meat compacted on the top.

I cut cardboard rings and put tins on top and in the fridge, I'll chechk them tomorow.

Here is a vid with fresh chicken:

I'm just seeing if I can use the leftovers for something interesting. Its worth doing the process.

I used cutout cardboard shapes to put on top of ramikins and also used 2 layers of clingfilm to wrap inside ramikin.

 I had to cool the stock down prior to pouring it over the meat in the ramikin.

They seem soft after being in fridge overnight so I'll put them in the freezer when I've room. I don't think the reduction of the broth was enough to make it geletenous.

I will get some gelatine for the brawn before attempting that.

Pork Stock

I was thinking of doing pulled pork so went to Pa'n'Save for a cheap bit of pork, instead they had some Half pig's heads (cool).

I'm going to do a pig cheek thingy and use the rest of the head for stock. No ear on the head, so that has been used elsewhere.

Apparently take eyes and brains out then cook up the meat.

 There is also an oppertunity for some brawn. So I may think about that:

But first I've got to finish off the chicken stock then think about doing the pigs heat.

I have done a bit of prepping, I had to chop snout down as it was so long and I'm concerned it wont fit in the pot. The rest of the pigs head, after taking off the cheek came to 1.3kg. Hopefully there will be a bit of meat on it to make brawn.

GUANCIALE

I'd been reading about pig cheeks for a panaceta like cured meat, apparently better if fried. Apparently called GUANCIALE. Home Cured Pork Cheek 'Bacon' video:

Apparently 3% salt (not iodine salt) and 1% sugar, a couple of bay leaves, some pepper, he used Fennel seeds for rub.

On tray, open in fridge for 4 days, turn each day, leave open to air. Then hang and air to get rid of 30% by weight.

 This is a video for getting the cheek off the bone:

I've put all the spices (himalayan salt) and others and used fennel for flavouring into the coffee grinder and rubbed over the meat. 

The cheek was 783g , thick in places and it is now in a glass dish in the fridge. I will turn it for 4 days then hang it. It is propped up on a plastic tray so if any fluid leaks out the meat is not sitting in it.

covid diary Thursday 25th June 2020- Level 1 Day 17

Breezy, a southerly and overcast.

A bit of a flat day yesterday. Went to be in late afternoon and watched films.

Korean Crab Jeon (Crab Stick Omelettes) & branston pickle

    I want to do some crab cakes and had these in the fridge. Also eggs were on special and I haven't been having many for breakfast so I thought this would be a good meal to try.

    I tried using a couple of crab sticks chopped up with 3 eggs and some vegetables (onion, grated carrot and cabbage) as per the video below (although my crab sticks were diced).

    It just tasted like a vege omelet, not enough crab.

    Video for making them:

    As the crab is such a delicate flavour, I thought it would work well with the omelet, but the selected veges were too strong and large.

    Next time I think some mung beans and spring onions only, and far more crab meat.

The frying pan was not that hot, so next time I'd make sure the pan is hotter.

I'll try it again another time, a nice light lunch meal.

At lunch I also had some anti-pasta with the freshly cooked ciabatta loaves with bits in the fridge and to test out the caramalised onion marmalade. That was delicious on the meats and the cheese. It got me thinking about Branston pickle and what is in that.