Thread: Dinner

Nice one mate ,, served on an upper class rectangular / square platter

Looks round to me, with the white bit a bit square.

I'm going for comfort food tonight, FFLT sandwich. Fishfingers, lettuce and tomato.

Tonight's main. Just bits and pieces of salad that were in the fridge with some pan fried scallops. Nothing fancy, but it went down well.

Ooo I fancy some scallops. Looks good!

Ramsey would cut your balls off though for not having your frying pan hot enough.

I agree with FP re those scallops..... were they imported or local?

Ramsey, for all his talent, is a complete arsehole I'd gladly knock out before his security could act if he spoke to me the way he does most people on his cooking shows. But yes, the pan was not hot enough to get a good sear on the scallops. The reason being I live in a condo where gas is not allowed, and getting the pan up to the very high heat needed just can't be done on my stove as the pic below shows. And that's after the skillet sat on full burn for about 15 minutes, still not hot enough to seal them instantly hence some "milk" coming out. Still tasted ok though...

The scallops were from the US. Best place to buy them in Pattaya is Friendship, same fridge as their frozen fish. You can get good ones from Alaska in Foodland as well but they're about 400 Baht for 5-6 pieces where as the ones in Friendship taste/look the same (maybe 10% smaller in size) but are about 1300 Baht for a bag of something like 35-40 pieces.

Never had them ,, they look rubbery

Mr NR had them in a posh Italian restaurant in Dusseldorf (same time as I had the pear filling). He thought he'd ordered mussels. I didn't try them but he told me they were just like pork fat. Yuk!

Well they should never be rubbery, the way that happens is if they are overcooked. Same rules apply for a lot of seafood though, especially squid!. They should have the consistency of a firm piece of fish, and the ocean taste is something everyone should try!. Battered then well salted was my favourite way to do them, but that cooking method is something I'm trying to avoid while dropping weight.

They are a good price in Makro but I haven't tried them from there yet.

Thanks for that tip. I've only ever been to Makro once and wasn't impressed but that was a long time ago. Will check them out again.

Cor bloody hell mate if they're anything like squid I will cross them off my list to try .

^ Scallops are lovely when cooked properly.

Squid is crap whatever you do with it.

^ + 1

Scallops are a delicious treat, taste is a little sweet perhaps comparable to prawn.

When cooked properly (quickly seared and still slightly pink in the middle) they are soft and nothing like squid.

Just sprinkle a bit of salt and lime juice....yumm!

Sick squid will by you some Dublin Bay prawns,these Cocky sanjacques are a delight

Dublin Bay Prawn

I've eaten them in a restaurant and they are delicious. Never tried at home because i'm scared i would over cook them, and they are not cheap to buy.

Ramsay's Masterchef USA final is on this Friday. He may shout and swear and denigrate people but he does get results!!

Ok thanks for the heads up ,, I go forth with an open mind

This past Monday night I made a nice chili con carne. I do everything to taste, so I can't give you exact amounts.

S&P
Thyme
Oregano
Garlic
Onion
Chili powder
Cayenne Pepper
Ground beef
1 Can Black Eyed Beans
2 Cans Crushed Tomatoes
And a really nice 'special' ingredient, dark chocolate with chili



The finished product

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

^ Scallops are lovely when cooked properly.

Squid is crap whatever you do with it.

Agree,REAL scallops are lovely but most scallops here are made from sting ray flap, not real scallops at all. Although I have brought them from macro, they didn't taste like scallops, warm water doesn't make for great seafood.
Fish or shell fish.

That looks great Nat ,, yum yum ! sorry cant green at the mo

Tonight I made tabouli for my first time. I had it with shish tawook.

^ Blimey for a litllun you eat well !

^^ Made what and had it with what?

Looks fantastic but I think I need to hit Google.

Originally Posted by natalie8

Tonight I made tabouli for my first time. I had it with shish tawook.

Good for you, Nat!
Looks inviting...

Tonight's kitchen mission: Do garlic stuffed roast lamb and some veg in the easiest possible way.


First trick is to get the ingredients ready. Forgot to put the rabbit sticks there for this pic but fortunately, remembered to get the bastards into the mix before it was too late.


Step 2, into the cupboard for a lazy mans cooking accessory. Love these things, they have all different types but this one and the honey mustard chicken are my faves. You just throw everything into the bag provided, and shake the ingredients around till they're coated with the seasoning. Into a baking tray and into the oven and that's when the hard part starts, which is waiting for the cooking time with the unmistakeable smell of roasting lamb in the air.


''Bout 90 mins later and the temperature probe showing the lamb should be just turning from red to pink, out she comes. It even looks a bit like it should according to the photo on the Continental packet . Cut the bag open to let it all breath for a few minutes while knocking a quick gravy together made with juices from the bag + lamb and rosemary gravox + a good splash of Kiwi aftershave stirred in as well.


And there we have it, steaming hot and good to go. Bloody lovely it was but seriously, you just cannot go wrong cooking this way.