Salami Culture Part 2

You will be wondering what is Part 2 all about having read some months ago the blog I wrote on a new salami culture, well lets remind ourselves about that initial simple blog first;- http://charcutieranglais.blogspot.com/2011/05/salami-culture.html

Well since that blog was written I can tell you there has been some lively activity going on, so much activity in fact it caused the company Yakult to trace the source. What activity you may well be asking right? Well it was you guys, yes you guys who follow and read this blog who caused the ker fuffle. After the blog went out, most of you readers and in particular the salami enthusiasts amongst you went out and bought yourselves some Yakult product to add to salami making. Of coarse there was also some massive traffic to the Yakult website www.yakult.co.uk for those looking for further information on the product.

Chef Paul Websdale with his Yakult Salami (what a cheesy smile!).

The I.T. department within Yakult eventually traced the source to all this activity to my blog. The company having discussed their findings contacted me and shared their gratitude by inviting myself and my wife to an up and coming birthday celebration they were having.

This invite was no other than a grand bash (concert) at the Royal Festival Hall in London. This concert evening was to be presented by OJ Borg TV & Radio presenter, including the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Phillip Ellis and also starring in the concert was classical soprano singer Lesley Garrett CBE. (by eck that lass can sing!)

Amongst the guests were Japanese Ambassadors, RAF Top Brass and other titled VIP's whose names I can no longer remember. The hall was full to bursting and the many thousand seats were filled with people in their best attire. When the first act got under way it consisted of the classicals from Mozart - Strauss - Tchaikovsky to name a few; and when Lesley Garrett sung Bizet - Carmen Suite No.2: Habanera, she was pointing straight at me when those words "I love you" were sung....

I adored the number Dvorak - Rusalka: Song To The Moon

Lesley changed her frocks several times during the concert, starting with one red number and then to a white sparkly sexy outfit before changing once more into another red floral dress for the second act (the white dress was my favourite). It was Lesley who made those frocks look grand and elaborate and not the dresses flowering our star turn, I think you get by now I fell in love with her on this wonderful evening. I suppose I better go and buy her CD now!

Let's not forget the orchestra, they were faultless throughout the evening, whilst at times including the audience to participate through clapping, this was evolving to be one of the best evenings of my life. I tried counting the violinists several times during the evening and I think I got to 30, then there were all the other musicians possibly 60 or more in total.

I'm pinching myself as to the reason of why I'm here, charcuterie has brought me to a place where normally the association does not exist, not until now that is. This leaves not only to say to Yakult, Thank you! But also to Mike the Farmer from Tavistock who brought the idea to class and you my blog readers for making it happen. Merci B Q.

Venison

It's that time of year now when our eating habits are changing by following the seasons and that season being Autumn is now supplying much game including venison.

In Suffolk recently I saw www.wildmeat.co.uk accepting Fallow and Roe deer along with rabbit and much more, given this company has several game larders at their disposal, I know they are in line for an exciting time.

But having left Suffolk, I found myself once more in the Highlands of Scotland, here the Gamekeepers and Stalkers are going about their business taking out the red deer which are either of poor condition or are the troublesome stags which maybe causing a nuisance within a local village community.

Here two gamekeepers prepare their quarry of the morning (two red deer stags) for the local game dealer. (Notice the white framed gurney in the background?, this is used to lay your carcass on whilst working on it at a reasonable height and without having to resort getting down to floor level. I use a folding metallic saw-horse as you would for logging, I open the saw-horse and place two small planks of wood in the V-shaped frame, this works really well and it's portable.)

Here these two Gamekeepers were lucky enough to guide some paying guests who stalked the deer before shooting them, bringing in much needed revenue to the estate.

The head keeper ensures he cut's off and saves the stags heads as trophies for the paying clients.

The head keeper then takes care and cuts out the stags penis and hangs it along with the deer carcass for collection by the local game dealer who will cure and air dry the penis before selling it on the Chinese market. The Chinese dealers grind the penis and then supply it as a medicinal ingredient including as an aphrodisiac.

The deer carcasses are then left to hang in a chiller with their fur skins on whilst awaiting the game dealer, as this will assist in the venison from drying out too quickly.

These Gamekeepers were pleased as the local game dealer was paying £2 per kilo dead weight for the venison, this was a good and much needed return for the estate. These particular stags weighed in at approximately 90kg dead weight each.

This Christmas I've told myself to have some venison for my main meal and having seen how www.wildmeat.co.uk make their Venison Wellington with a Duxelles pate, I know where I'm getting my Christmas meal from.

Livestock Auctions

As the summers country shows come to an end for this season, then consider visiting your local livestock auction in a town near you.

 Here you can see your local farmers going about their business buying and selling livestock.

 You get to see first hand the quality of the beef animals before they enter the food chain.

 Also you may see some judging of sheep or pigs, allowing you to get up close and personal.

 Meeting the producers is enlightning, listening to how they prepare their animals for the show and sales ring.

 If you have a few hours to spare the next time you go shopping, then pop into your local livestock mart and get familiar with all that is shared in how your food is produced.

These Marts are frequent, friendly and above all Free, so go on treat yourself or your children and visit your local livestock auction.

Field Mushrooms

Autumn is now upon us and it will be soon time to forage the fields for the bountiful larder that awaits us, if you are lucky enough, you may find some field mushrooms. Here are some ideas as you see what I did with mine.

Firstly size up a pastry cutter that fits comfortably over the mushroom stalk, this method helps to use all of the mushroom and helps keep the filling on the mushroom base.

With your pastry cutter, cut out the centre of some black pudding and then place over your mushroom stalk.

Now cut a cross in the centre of a slice of chorizo sausage and place over the mushroom stalk as you did with the black pudding.

Do the same with a burger and place onto the mushroom with some added onion rings as a garnish. Here I used a beef burger with added chorizo and sweet chargrilled peppers. The centre pieces can be placed to oneside and be used later as fillings for homemade ravioli.

On this mushroom I again cut a cross in a slice of pork salami, then placed that onto the mushroom before applying a smooth pork liver pate on top.

This last mushroom I used the following, firstly the chorizo, then the black pudding with a pork and herb forcemeat on top.

Any of these filling types can then be either oven baked as they are or better still wrap them in puff pastry and cook them encroute.

I am aware these fillings are a little basic and maybe clumsy, however they are fun to make and they taste amazing.

Come on guys, allow yourself some fun and go foraging, it's free and who knows you might find some field mushrooms just like these. Do remember if in doubt about anything you find, leave it!

Olde English Sausage Recipe circa 1800

When I was recently in Germany, I found myself wandering around a flea-market in Hannover. To my surprise I came across a German cook book dated 1800 and all written in old German, why was it surprising you may ask! Well this book titled "Neues Hannoverisches Kochbuch" loosely translated as a New Cook Book of Hannover. This book had in it some interesting recipes including recipes from foreign regions including an English sausage recipe, not what I expected from a book of that time era.

Ingredients:
Soak old stale bread in milk
1lb Almonds toasted and ground fine
1lb Sugar
Lemon zest
Mace
Caneel (translation required)
1/2lb Belly pork (ground)
12 Eggs

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together and fill your skins before poaching in half milk and half water then brown in a skillet to finish.

Rillons

Rillons is a dish we British do not embrace for some reason, yet the French hale this piece of meat as we do a good pork pie.



Having chosen your belly of pork, prepare the meat by cutting away any ribs that may be attached.



Then cut several 2 to 3 inch square pieces from the belly of pork.



Season with salt, pepper and maybe a little paprika and brown in a skillet, once browned place in a marmite and cover in dripping ensuring you cover the meat by at least 1 inch and slowly cook for two to three hours or until tender.



Once cooked either eat warm or leave to cool and eat with a salad or take it with you as part of a picnic.



Rillons can also be stored in kilner jars as Confit de Porc and covered in dripping where they will keep for several months in a larder and without refrigeration.

Enjoy !

Terrine de Lapin

A terrine of wild rabbit is welcome any time of the year, when accompanied with fresh bread and salad it makes an ideal starter or light meal for any summers day.



Ingredients
1 x Wild rabbit de-boned

Equal amounts of chicken livers and belly pork

Enough slices of streaky bacon to line a terrine mould (optional)

2 x Garlic cloves crushed

2 x Sprigs of Thyme

1 x Zest of Lemon

1 x Juice of lemon or ½ a glass of dry white wine



Method
Line the terrine with slices of streaky bacon (optional)

Using a blender, achieve a runny mix of the chicken livers, then add the remaining meats to achieve a fine or coarse mix of your choosing.

Now place the mix on top of the bacon slices (if used) and seal.

Place the terrine in a bain marie and then in a pre-heated oven at 180c for appx 80mins or until cooked through.

After cooking allow to cool, place weights on top of the terrine and chill for at least 24hrs before use.



Tip
You can if you so wish add more rabbit than liver & pork or even add whole pieces of rabbit meat to obtain a real Artisan feel to your dish.

Whatever you choose to do, you are certain to enjoy this dish.

Bon appetite!