Last weekend we decided to have a couple of roast duck breasts from our local butchers (Haywards in North Parade, Tonbridge - first class meat and the friendliest staff ever!) and wanted to use some of @TonbridgeDaily's blackberry and cassis jelly in the sauce. It turned out so well I couldn't resist taking a picture and was from this meal that I became motivated to start this food type blog.
For the easiest red wine sauce ever...
Finely chop a shallot and sweat it down in a thoroughly sinful amount of butter. I used about a third of a pack and even added a bit more right at the end. When it's nice and soft add an organic beef stock cube mixed in about half a point of boiled water and about the same amount again of red wine. Stir it in and then reduce down until it's lovely and silky and gloopy. Put it though a sieve into a clean pan and don't forget to squeeze through all the soft bits of onion to get every last bit of yumminess out of it. At this point I added about three teaspoons of the jelly and gave it a good stir. I used unsalted butter and so seasoned it at this point but if you use salted butter have a taste first. Warm through when you're ready and serve it up.
It went absolutely perfectly with the duck but I imagine would work just as well with any sort of game. Without the jelly it would go equally as well with a nice bit of beef, too.
We had our usual roast potatoes and braised red cabbage to accompany the duck.
Wendywoo, Queen of the Gravy!
Had a load of family round for Sunday Lunch yesterday. Two legs of lamb, roasties, veg mash, parsnips and some leftover red cabbage...and we finished off two dozen Yorkshire puds between the nine of us. Well, actually seven of us (poor old David is gluten free at the moment so we tormented him by cooking them) had a reasonable quantity each and JazzBazz Joe (in the pic with the hair) demolished about nine of them!
Enough leftovers for a proper Shepherd's Pie tomorrow, too.
Two more down courtesy of the lovely Claire!
Just checked the egg log. 52 since Easter! These are the latest our girls have delivered although already two light as Joe is tucking into his breakfast as we speak!
Up a while ago and let the chickens out. What a soggy morning!
We have five of them. A breed called Warrens that are apparently good layers and were originally bred as battery chickens. Thank God that practice has been forced to stop!
Three we bought on Easter Friday...Betty, Gladys and Noo. We had two eggs a day right from the start and then three once Noo strated laying. We added another two a week ago after Matt, a friend of Wendywoo's Joe (very confusing having two sons called Joe), and I extended the run. They're called Nugget and Paprika. Paprika is unusually light coloured and is a complete minx when it comes to chasing her round the garden to try and get her back in the run after a bit of garden 'free ranging'!
Still waiting for the last two to start laying though. Hurry up girls!
One of them lays really early so at least we have saved four eggs for Joe (mine this time) and Claire's breakfast.
Looking forward to getting to grips with one of these after supper. Well done, Wendywoo!
My eldest son Alex's birthday today but he's doing his bit in Afghanistan. Got a message to him on Facebook so paternal duties done. Home soon, though, and we can't wait to see him back safe and sound!
My youngest, Joe, and his lovely girlfriend, Claire, are over later for food, booze and freshly laid eggs for breakfast. Wendywoo and I have top and tailed the house and she's made some yummy rum laden choccy mousse delights. I'm doing a toad in the hole with two kinds of sausages courtesy of Marsh Produce (who usually have a stall at Tonbridge Farmers' Market), braised red cabbage and cheesy, mustardy mash.
The market is a great place to visit. We had a family get-together at the last one and did a bit of mooching about, a bit of shopping and a fair bit of eating! The website is http://tonbridgefarmersmarket.co.uk or you can follow on Twitter @TonbridgeFmMrkt
In the braised red cabbage I have used some of @TonbridgeDaily's blackberry and cassis jelly which she gave Wendywoo a couple of weeks ago. I used it in a red wine sauce to go with some duck breasts we had last weekend and it's absolutely delicious.
Wendy's sons, Joe and Sam, are out gigging this evening so we'll see them at some point if we're still up!
Got to go and chase some chickens round the garden now and put them back in their coop as the dogs need letting out for a wee.
