Cottage pie

:rofl:

fuck me. you are a literary genius!

pisshed meself laffin

^^

An enjoyable tale, though perhaps not so enjoyable lamb dinner! Chapeau for effort!

^^^ What a palava... but I can't help feeling you made it needlessly complicated.

Practice makes perfect... try a proper leg in your air fryer next time. Shoulders are (should be) easy!

Oh... and a two Airfryer household... I've never heard of that before... well posh! :)

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Originally Posted by Mendip

Oh... and a two Airfryer household... I've never heard of that before... well posh!

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It does seem Shutree moves in quite select circles.

Just needs to start cooking earlier to allow for cocktail breaks.

Chopping an onion at about ten will do. :D

I thought the whole point of an air fryer was that you didn’t need to turn it or badge it and generally faff around?

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Originally Posted by TheRealKW

I thought the whole point of an air fryer was that you didn’t need to turn it or badge it and generally faff around?

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Some thing of a myth. Even making 'chips' needs the occasional shake etc. To be honest, having had an air fryer for quite a few months, and yes, it does have some advantages, however when it comes to baking/roasting, forget it. A normal oven is quids in. There's not even a substantial time difference.

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Originally Posted by PAG

however when it comes to baking/roasting, forget it. A normal oven is quids in. There's not even a substantial time difference.

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Cheers, I didn't realise. Any point to buying one then? Sounds like a no for me.

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Originally Posted by Shutree

I stuck the lamb in the fridge for two days then out onto the drainer for five hours to warm it up. When I opened it I realised that the Makro staff who had been debating what buttons to push for the lamb had priced it as pork. It should have been over B400 and they had sold it to me for a quarter of that. Such is fate.

Now the gf is not wild about lamb, she'll eat it well done and she doesn't want the smell in the house. No problem, I took the larger air fryer to the outside kitchen. It is one of those glass bowl things, I don't know if it has a special name. I also have a basket style air fryer which lives inside and is not big enough anyway for a kilo of meat.

Thus prepared, I set about creating the recipe and soon had a foil-wrapped lump of lamb sitting in the air fryer. I added some time to the recipe, allowing 90 minutes overall, and I bumped the setting up to 180C. I had a plan. Then I had a cocktail.

As we know, most plans evaporate upon first contact with the enemy. After 20 minutes I went to turn the meat over, which is tricky because I don't have a tool or a technique to lift a hot lump out of a hot bowl. I found some tongs and with the aid of some strong language I got the thing rolled over. Another cocktail was required as I pondered just how many times this recipe needed the meat to be moved.

The second lift was much harder because by this time the juices were leaking from the upturned foil. Recipes never focus on the practical challenges. Lifting the lump was one thing, turning the fat covered, foil bundle was another. Shouting abuse at it didn't help much. Eventually I got it right side up without burning off any fingers, then I basted it with the oil/soy/mint/worcestershire sauce, failed to wrap the foil back tidily and retreated to the aircon for a cocktail, or maybe two.

We were on the home stretch. Another 20 minutes and another trip outside to remove the foil. Ha! Easier said than done but done it was. The heat and the mosquitoes were no match for the master chef. What to do in the final half hour of browning the meat except to sip on another cocktail?

Time was up and I collected my carving board and the jug with the lamb stock ready to become a rich gravy with all those meat juices from the air fryer. When I opened the door, the air ouside was filled with a thick cloud of termites. Where had they come from? There had been no rain that day and no termites the night before. They were in my hair, in my face, wriggling down my shirt. I was breathing through clenched teeth to avoid swallowing them. I battled on and retrieved the meat. Meanwhile the termite air force was making kamikaze attacks on the gravy jug. I got the meat onto the board with a few spuds and carrying the board with two hands I arrived at the door which I would open with my third hand. Feck! Only have two hands. Call for assistance without opening mouth. Door opens and a zillion termites head for the bright lights of the kitchen. I dived in, saving the meat and leaving the termite gravy to its fate.

By this time, the termite attack was in full swing, they were swarming through the sliding window frames. The room seemed filled with the things. We had to turn out the lights. I was now walking on a wriggling carpet of termites as I found the smallest light possible to see where to cut the meat without adding too many insects to the dish. The meat was cooked well at the ends, too medium for the gf at the centre, so I sliced off the ends to eat and cut the remainder into two pieces, one of which went into the indoor air fryer. At the last moment I remembered we had a new oil spray bottle and a quick spray of the air fryer basket was needed.

Now, it is possible that the cocktails up to this point might have impaired my mental acuity and it is possible that the oil bottle has a confusing shape. Whatever the reason, I directed a strong squirt of oil in exactly the opposite direction from the air fryer. It sprayed over my shoulder and gravity helped it find a wide area of the kitchen floor. I thought this immensely amusing, the gf not.

I got some lamb onto a couple of plates and tiptoed through the teeming termite lake and around the oil slick. Finally, dinner, in the dark. Without gravy. My end pieces turned out to be barely edible hunks of fat. There was rather a lot of cleaning up required. The resident geckoes should be happy, they got termites with EVOO for dinner.

Most of the meat is now in the fridge. I'll probably make a curry with it. The gf doesn't much care for lamb and doesn't like curry at all, so I think I am on to a winner with this one.

(No. Of course there aren't any more pics.

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Wow, so many Bogon Tips, so little time.

Great write up.

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Originally Posted by TheRealKW

Any point to buying one then?

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Only if you have no normal oven.

That's all they are - ovens. Nothing to do with actually frying.

Without an oven, cooking a joint of lamb can be a challenge if one is searching for a typical roast dinner outcome and frankly should not be contemplated.

But, there are alternatives that offer satisfactory results even if it means giving up on the traditional roast, gravy and two veg option.

First choose a half leg joint and trim off all the excess fat.

In a wide pan add a slug of olive oil and unsalted butter and heat until the butter starts bubbling but not burning. Place the joint into the pan and brown thoroughly on all sides. Remove and set aside in a cast iron pot.

Clean the pan and add more olive oil in which you will sweat a large onion chopped finely, careful not to brown. When translucent add a squished clove of garlic and warm through the mixture before adding a tablespoon of fine plain flour stirring it gently to form a roux ensuring it is not burnt. Then add two large beef tomatoes that you have chopped into a concasse after skinning and removing all the seeds. Stir gently and slowly add half a bottle of good dry white wine and a cup of chicken stock making sure there are no lumps and you end up with a consistency of a thin soup that barely coats a spoon. Season with a good sprinkling of ground black pepper, a smidgen of salt, a good teaspoon of marmite, the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon, two bay leaves and a sliced lengthways large hot chilli stripped of its seeds and a good bundle of fresh rosemary tied with thread. Bring to a slow bubbling boil and then add to the joint in its cast iron pot making sure the slow boil returns at which point you must adjust the heat downwards so that it is a very gentle, almost imperceptible simmer.

Now this is important - add a circle of greaseproof paper to the surface of the joint and sauce gently packing it against the sides of the pot, then wrap silver foil over the pot sealing it as much as you can before adding the lid of the pot.

Leave it on the hob without touching it for at least two hours. Do not poke at it or otherwise disturb the seals. On completion you should have a wonderful unctuous stew with the meat falling off the bone.

The best accompaniment are roast potatoes strewn with herbs but without an oven you will have to substitute with, say, fondant potatoes or long grained rice cooked in vine leaves.

A good Cote de Rhone is best to drink with it

^

Very good SA. A cast iron pot such as you refer to is also known as a 'Dutch Oven'.

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Originally Posted by TheRealKW

I thought the whole point of an air fryer was that you didn’t need to turn it or badge it and generally faff around?

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I thought that before I bought one. The basket style air fryer in the kitchen is good for a few sausages, some frozen chips or some bacon and it can just handle two small portions of salmon. Of those things, only the salmon cooks properly without turning.

The glass bowl version was on offer and it is big enough to roast a chicken. Also it has two layers so in theory you can cook two things together, like chicken legs and chips, however I find the rack allows chips to fall through. It was just a cheap model. Definitely things need turning and that isn't always easy with a deep, hot bowl.

I have done fish fillets à la Mendip, in foil packages, which are too big for the basket air fryer but fit nicely in the glass bowl and they don't need turning. You still need some tecnique to lift them out though.

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Without an oven, cooking a joint of lamb can be a challenge if one is searching for a typical roast dinner outcome and frankly should not be contemplated.

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Nonsense.

I recently used a webber to cook a roast lamb.

Also did a roast beef with 3 or 4 veg. Easy peasy. And all done on a small balcony.

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

First choose a half leg joint and trim off all the excess fat.

In a wide pan add a slug of olive oil and unsalted butter and heat until the butter starts bubbling but not burning. Place the joint into the pan and brown thoroughly on all sides. Remove and set aside in a cast iron pot.

Clean the pan and add more olive oil in which you will sweat a large onion chopped finely, careful not to brown. When translucent add a squished clove of garlic and warm through the mixture before adding a tablespoon of fine plain flour stirring it gently to form a roux ensuring it is not burnt. Then add two large beef tomatoes that you have chopped into a concasse after skinning and removing all the seeds. Stir gently and slowly add half a bottle of good dry white wine and a cup of chicken stock making sure there are no lumps and you end up with a consistency of a thin soup that barely coats a spoon. Season with a good sprinkling of ground black pepper, a smidgen of salt, a good teaspoon of marmite, the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon, two bay leaves and a sliced lengthways large hot chilli stripped of its seeds and a good bundle of fresh rosemary tied with thread. Bring to a slow bubbling boil and then add to the joint in its cast iron pot making sure the slow boil returns at which point you must adjust the heat downwards so that it is a very gentle, almost imperceptible simmer.

Now this is important - add a circle of greaseproof paper to the surface of the joint and sauce gently packing it against the sides of the pot, then wrap silver foil over the pot sealing it as much as you can before adding the lid of the pot.

Leave it on the hob without touching it for at least two hours. Do not poke at it or otherwise disturb the seals. On completion you should have a wonderful unctuous stew with the meat falling off the bone.

The best accompaniment are roast potatoes strewn with herbs but without an oven you will have to substitute with, say, fondant potatoes or long grained rice cooked in vine leaves.

A good Cote de Rhone is best to drink with it

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That's a nice recipe, thanks for sharing.

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Without an oven, or fucking Weber BBQ and an outdoor patio area or balcony in a condo that would be so fucking stupid as to permit roasting for two hours, cooking a joint of lamb can be a challenge if one is searching for a typical roast dinner outcome and frankly should not be contemplated.

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There, as if anyone would have thought it was fucking necessary.......

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

There, as if anyone would have thought it was fucking necessary.......

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:doglol:


Too



Ducking



Easy.



:rofl:

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

On completion you should have a wonderful unctuous stew with the meat falling off the bone.

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That recipe sounds excellent. Well, the finished product sounds excellent, I think I need a few years practice before trying it myself. Does make me want a piece of lamb though.

I still have some cold, cooked lamb in the fridge. Circling back to the Cottage Pie theme I am fairly sure that I can remember my ex taking leftover lamb and chopping it small and using that for what I suppose would be a sort of Shepherd's Pie. It is between that and a curry today.

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Originally Posted by Shutree

I am fairly sure that I can remember my ex taking leftover lamb and chopping it small and using that for what I suppose would be a sort of Shepherd's Pie.

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That would work!

I shouldn't bother. Cold cooked lamb can be successfully resurrected but only as a soup, or perhaps as a curry at a pinch.

Take a chicken carcass and wings, uncooked, and simmer in a pot of water into which you have placed an onion, a stalk of celery, some whole black peppercorns and a bay leaf, spooning away any scum that may come to the surface. After two hours or so of gentle simmering remove from the heat and pour the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl discarding the detritus.

In a deep saucepan, fry some finely chopped onion, celery, carrot and smoked bacon in a slug of olive oil until translucent and then add the shredded lamb with chopped cubes of uncooked potato making sure the mixture is well seasoned with white pepper. Add the stock and a good dessertspoon of pearl barley ( a little more if you fancy but don't go overboard ) and adjust seasoning adding a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg, but go gently with salt - you can add but you can never take away - and simmer away until the barley has plumped up and the potato cubes are cooked. I like to add roughly chopped kale and some shredded savoy cabbage leaves but that's optional, as indeed are a few slices of good quality cooking 'hot' chorizo which will add some piquancy to the dish. Alternatively, eschew the chorizo but go hardcore kraut and add some sliced smoked frankfurter.

To serve, apportion, piping hot into warmed bowls and sprinkle with finely grated strong cheddar and parmesan shavings.

And make sure you have a good baguette to hand.

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Cold cooked lamb can be successfully resurrected but only as a soup, or perhaps as a curry at a pinch.

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Another excellent looking recipe. I'm not quite ready for Masterchef, what I really need to do is find an accomplished chefette with a well-equipped kitchen so that she can make this kind of magic work.
Someone else here might have a go, then invite us over for dinner.

This is not rocket science. Cooking is basic chemistry and if you observe easily understood core rules and grasp that the application of heat is not a mysterious alchemy but common sense then you'll manage ok - just follow the steps.

However, fucking around with eggs in a sauce and baking can be a total bastard and should be approached with respect, a clear head and experience.

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

but go gently with salt - you can add but you can never take away

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Fcuking gold advice that is.

No wonder you are a master chef.

Maybe not to an oafish lump such as you but to a novice it needs stating not least because in other circumstances the learner might assume a solution is available because a variety of undesirable outcomes can indeed be retrieved by the addition of another ingredient e.g too much spicy heat can be ameliorated by the addition of a dairy product or vinegar, a split mayonnaise can be re-emulsified by the addition of water etc, but too much salt in your preparation and you are fucked.

Now fuck off you piece of ape shit.

^Sounding a bit salty there Gent, anything bothering you today? :)

One of my favourite uses of leftover lamb is in simple sandwiches, good white bread with lashings of butter. The lamb can be heated or left cold (my preference).

^I like the cold leftovers too, dipped into a really old recipe of homemade mayo that has condensed milk, mustard powder, salt, and vinegar. Standing over the sink with the remnants of a leg of lamb and a sharp knife dipping away is heaven.

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Originally Posted by Headworx

Standing over the sink with the remnants of a leg of lamb and a sharp knife dipping away is heaven.

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that's why God invented lamb legs!

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Originally Posted by PAG

One of my favourite uses of leftover lamb is in simple sandwiches, good white bread with lashings of butter.

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My lunch yesterday. Cold, with some mint sauce. :D:D

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Originally Posted by Mendip

Oh... and a two Airfryer household... I've never heard of that before... well posh!

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No longer! I was baking some marinated salmon fillets in foil wraps when the Otto exploded.

Attachment 71429

It doesn't show in the pic, some glass blew out over the counter. Nothing like some red hot, razor sharp slivers of glass to get your attention.

On the upside, it exploded on the opposite side from where I was standing. No one got hurt and the salmon was tightly wrapped and salvaged successfully.

Blimey - some drama in the kitchen thread that isn't about Chitty poisoning his family with 'squid fingers'. :D

Glad everything's OK.

Cottage pie with a Chitty twist today methinks.

Sausages, mushrooms and peas are going into the mix.

Need a name for this new pie!

Any ideas?

The countdown is on one hour to go....:)

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Top tip for the Chitty Casserole is use the potato water for the gravy keep all that flavour and vitamins cocooned in the dish...
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The anticipation of a new signature dish is unbearable tonight we dine like kings:)

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Originally Posted by Joe 90

Cottage pie with a Chitty twist today methinks.

Sausages, mushrooms and peas are going into the mix.

Need a name for this new pie!

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Frankfurt Cottage Pie

:cool:

Bloody ell.

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Originally Posted by Shutree

No longer! I was baking some marinated salmon fillets in foil wraps when the Otto exploded.

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Oops! Didn’t know that would happen. I’ve put a piece of fish in on foil uncovered in the air fryer. The fish cooked on top very fast but the bottom was still raw. Decided the air must circulate for the convection oven to perform properly.

Looking and smelling damn fine...

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On with the mash and into the oven..

Attachment 73138

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Originally Posted by hallelujah

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Originally Posted by Samuel

Frankfurt Cottage Pie

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Bloody ell.

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nope.

7/10

Sausages didn't really mix...

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Attachment 73140

He who dares wins Rodders, the quest for the ultimate pie continues...

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Originally Posted by Joe 90

Sausages didn't really mix...

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Take the cases off and cut them up next time. :)

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Originally Posted by Joe 90

Need a name for this new pie!

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Originally Posted by Samuel

Frankfurt Cottage Pie

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good name?