Om Saturday, we sat down and planned out what we are going to eat for the next few days. This is unusual for us, as meal planning is normally (at most) done a day ahead or via text messages as one of us leaves the office. We are those people who go to the supermarket 3 times a week - partly because there is a big one five minutes from the house, and it's on the way home from one of the stations we use regularly. Obviously our habits have had to change. I'd like to say we'll keep this up afterwards, but we blatantly won't. Anyway, we got out some cookbooks and made the shopping lists and decided what we each fancy and will cook.
Fry the bacon in some olive oil, in a heavy based pan with a lid, until golden. Add the peas and stir until they're coated in the fat and look less icy, then add the cider and bring to the boil. If you're me, use the time it takes for it to come to the boil to scrape up where the bacon caught on the shiny new pan. Leave it simmering for as long as it takes the peas to cook, then put the hake on top - skin side down - and put the lid on the pan. Check to see if it's cooked after ten minutes, then turn the heat off and leave it to rest for a couple of minutes (or leave it simmering gently until it you're sure it's cooked through). Serve with chopped parsley chucked over the top.
Tonight's dinner was Nigella's Hake with peas, bacon and cider (tomorrow is a different Nigella recipe, with asparagus and sweet potato and my husband cooking). I think this is the first time I've ever cooked hake, so there was a bit of novelty to it! Otherwise, as follows:
75g streaky bacon, snipped into little bits
200g frozen peas
250ml cider
2x 200g chunks of hake
Chopped parsley
Fry the bacon in some olive oil, in a heavy based pan with a lid, until golden. Add the peas and stir until they're coated in the fat and look less icy, then add the cider and bring to the boil. If you're me, use the time it takes for it to come to the boil to scrape up where the bacon caught on the shiny new pan. Leave it simmering for as long as it takes the peas to cook, then put the hake on top - skin side down - and put the lid on the pan. Check to see if it's cooked after ten minutes, then turn the heat off and leave it to rest for a couple of minutes (or leave it simmering gently until it you're sure it's cooked through). Serve with chopped parsley chucked over the top.
Disappointingly, it was a wee bit bland. I think it could work well with a different fish though - perhaps one for Salmon Day?
In a flurry of activity this afternoon, and with better experimental results, I also made the Reliable Inauthentic Brownies, this time with the addition of some frozen raspberries. Can recommend. And following on from a conversation on Twitter, I decided to make Pasticcini di Mandorle using Rachel Roddy's recipe. I had to halve the recipe as I didn't have enough ground almonds, but they worked! I found some sliced almonds in the cupboard, so I even managed to make them look slightly decorative. The recipe is incredibly easy, so I'll be making those again!
Those pasticcini look lovely. How fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI have an interesting-looking recipe using hake, which I'd have to source specially somehow. I just don't trust it not to be extremely dull either. Hmm.
We were going to the butcher/fishmonger anyway, hence the hake. I thought the bacon/peas/cider combination would be more interesting than it turned out to be. It was pleasant enough, just...dull.
DeleteFortunately - baking!
V impressed with the pasticcini. And loving the idea of Inauthentic Raspberry Brownies. Hmmm.
ReplyDeletePasticcini di mandorle look delicious. It’s nice to sit an plan what you are going to eat in following days. One of few moments of self-care that are necessary in this time.
ReplyDelete