On the way down through France I treated myself to a food processor – a Magimix! The old Kenwood Chef died before I left Cornwall after about 20 years of service. So it is time for something new!
I wanted one with a two pin plug so decided to buy it in France and when we stopped off in Cahors I found a kitchen shop and indulged. It felt like a big buy but hopefully I will still be using it in 2021!
Today I made my favourite nut roast to eat on Christmas day.
I have special permission to bring my own food as this is my third Christmas here and the meal in Catalunya is a melange of pork, chicken, beef and sometimes lamb. It is called Escodella i Carn D’Ollo and is thought to be one of the most ancient of Catalan dishes.
It actually creates two courses – the first is a clear soup with large pasta shells and the second is the vegetables and meat that were used to make the soup. I have eaten it in the past (or those parts of it that I could swallow) and it is very interesting but this year I feel the need of something traditional for me. I want to actually enjoy the dinner!
The recipe I like is Sarah Browns Layered Cashew Nut and Parsnip Roast. Usually I use button mushrooms for the middle layer but today we bought some lovely Girgoles in the Thursday market which makes the whole dish feel more exotic
Today I was also doing a roast potato experiment. You need floury ones and here the choice was between White ones and Red ones – not a Maris Piper in sight! The stallholder thought the white ones would be best but the Red ones are the floury ones. So I got both and after parboiling, put them in the oven, hoping that I wouldn’t forget which was which.
They did taste totally different and although all were crunchy on the outside, the red ones definitely had a better consistency inside
Now….can I remember……the yellow ones are the red and the white the white? Or are the yellow the white and the white the red?…..oh dear!
The dinner for Sant Esteve is in our home and the plan is to have a more traditional British Christmas dinner so an ‘ecologic’ chicken has been ordered from the butchers and I will be testing my ability to produce a roast dinner without tears or trauma. Or burnt brussel sprouts and parsnips and wounded pride!
