I know, I’ve been slacking again, but its been a week or so of quick bites and general business. There was a nice warming bowl of chilli last week, but chilli is chilli.
A weekend back in Wales is more promising. My favourite chef is Jiffler Senior, and we’re having a few guests this week so he will no doubt be trying something daft out on us.
Arriving home after a day working in Cheshire we sat down to a huge plate of spaghetti carbonara – cooked fairly classically – which barely touched the sides. The mushrooms had dried out a bit and gave the carbonara sauce a bit of intensity.
The main event came on Friday night though with five mouths to feed. Despite feeling slightly battered by bad weather in Snowdonia, we got a bit creative in the kitchen and started by blanching shredded celeriac before mixing it with a thin, homemade, garlicy mayonnaise. The flavours here were remarkably subtle, and sat beautifully with ribbons of quality parma ham.
The main course was an altogether more robust outing. A combination of a French recipe stolen from Rick Stein, and given a Tuscan twist by the younger Jiffler. It started as a basic ragu-type sauce thickened by cooking very slowly with lamb shoulder and a generous amount of red wine. This was then left overnight, before the addition of a couple of tins of lima beans and some gentle heating. At the last moment we stirred in some finely chopped garlic and parsley and served it up with giant penne, to much critical acclaim.
I was somewhat disappointed that the traditional cheese and biscuits had to make way for some posh ice cream with crushed up almond biscuits.
A visit to Wales means a night out in Bangor on Saturday with 3s. This time we have the pleasure of our friend H, who has travelled down from Manchester to celebrate getting a new job.
These night outs always follow an amusing arc, bending towards drunken oblivion on a slippery dance floor, and Saturday was no exception. The Fat Cat is fully booked, so we take a chance at getting a table in the Harp. Previously I’ve praised the Harp as having the finest pub food in Bangor. Since then its been taken over by new management, who it seems have stripped the love and creativity out of the menu.
The three of us order burgers, with 3s opting for the ‘Mega burger’. They arrive huge, and freshly cooked. The mega burger is not so much a burger as a mixed grill in a bap, with burger, bacon, cheese, egg, onion rings, and a live octopus all spilling out on to the plate.
The company is good, and the conversation irreverent and intelligent. The food was sufficient to provide fuel for the next 8 hours of drinking without us feeling too greasy, but the Bangor pub grub crown has been snatched back by the Fat Cat.
A weekend back in Wales is more promising. My favourite chef is Jiffler Senior, and we’re having a few guests this week so he will no doubt be trying something daft out on us.
Arriving home after a day working in Cheshire we sat down to a huge plate of spaghetti carbonara – cooked fairly classically – which barely touched the sides. The mushrooms had dried out a bit and gave the carbonara sauce a bit of intensity.
The main event came on Friday night though with five mouths to feed. Despite feeling slightly battered by bad weather in Snowdonia, we got a bit creative in the kitchen and started by blanching shredded celeriac before mixing it with a thin, homemade, garlicy mayonnaise. The flavours here were remarkably subtle, and sat beautifully with ribbons of quality parma ham.
The main course was an altogether more robust outing. A combination of a French recipe stolen from Rick Stein, and given a Tuscan twist by the younger Jiffler. It started as a basic ragu-type sauce thickened by cooking very slowly with lamb shoulder and a generous amount of red wine. This was then left overnight, before the addition of a couple of tins of lima beans and some gentle heating. At the last moment we stirred in some finely chopped garlic and parsley and served it up with giant penne, to much critical acclaim.
I was somewhat disappointed that the traditional cheese and biscuits had to make way for some posh ice cream with crushed up almond biscuits.
A visit to Wales means a night out in Bangor on Saturday with 3s. This time we have the pleasure of our friend H, who has travelled down from Manchester to celebrate getting a new job.
These night outs always follow an amusing arc, bending towards drunken oblivion on a slippery dance floor, and Saturday was no exception. The Fat Cat is fully booked, so we take a chance at getting a table in the Harp. Previously I’ve praised the Harp as having the finest pub food in Bangor. Since then its been taken over by new management, who it seems have stripped the love and creativity out of the menu.
The three of us order burgers, with 3s opting for the ‘Mega burger’. They arrive huge, and freshly cooked. The mega burger is not so much a burger as a mixed grill in a bap, with burger, bacon, cheese, egg, onion rings, and a live octopus all spilling out on to the plate.
The company is good, and the conversation irreverent and intelligent. The food was sufficient to provide fuel for the next 8 hours of drinking without us feeling too greasy, but the Bangor pub grub crown has been snatched back by the Fat Cat.
1 comment:
"the conversation irreverent and intelligent"
You must have been more drunk than I thought...
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