AL FRESCO FISH

What’s cooking today: Jam-basted fish on the braai

By Tony Jackman, the Galliova Food Champion of the Year 2021. 

This is my interpretation of the way they like their fish on the West Coast, but instead of serving it with jam I used it in a baste.

I used a carpenter, a variety of sea bream, which has firm flesh which is wonderfully succulent if cooked right. It was a rather thick fish so I cooked it for 10 minutes on each side. You could use snoek, yellowtail, geelbek (Cape salmon) or other firm-fleshed fish. If in doubt, ask your fishmonger for advice. They usually know everything about what they’re selling.

Ingredients

1 whole firm-fleshed fish, butterflied (ask a fishmonger to do this)

250 ml apricot jam

50 ml brown vinegar

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

A handful of fresh fennel fronds, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Cooking oil for basting the fish and oiling the grid

Method

Toast the fennel and cumin seeds lightly and crush them.

In a small saucepan, mix together the apricot jam, vinegar and toasted seeds and heat while stirring until the jam has melted. Let it simmer for a few minutes to reduce and thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped fennel fronds. Let it cool to room temperature.

Salt both sides of the fish and oil the skin side well.

Brush the baste generously over the flesh side of the fish. Leave about half of it for basting again when it is cooked.

Oil the inside (what good would oiling the outside do?) of the grid very well, on both sides. Place the whole fish skin-side down on one side, and fold the other down and fasten it closed.

Braai skin-side down first, for 10 minutes. Turn and be watchful while the other side cooks, no more than 10 minutes, probably a little less. Brush the rest of the baste all over the flesh side. Don’t be reticent about eating it. It could get messy. DM/TGIFood

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-11-05-whats-cooking-today-jam-basted-fish-on-the-braai/

NYT: Thanksgiving 2021 May ‘Be the Most Expensive Meal in the History of the Holiday’

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WENDELL HUSEBØ

26 Oct 2021

3:25

Thanksgiving of 2021 may “be the most expensive meal in the history of the holiday,” the New York Times wrote Monday about inflationary prices American families will absorb to celebrate the holiday first commemorated by the Pilgrims in 1621.

“I can buy that this will be the most expensive Thanksgiving ever, but there’s an income-inequality story here that matters a lot,” agricultural economist at Michigan State University Trey Malone told the Times. “The rich are going to be spending more on Thanksgiving than they have ever spent before, but not everyone is going to be able to do that.”

Indeed, Calvin Moore, the Congressional Leadership Fund communications director, a super PAC with close connections to the House Republican leadership, told Breitbart News that Biden’s policies have created a situation in which “working families can’t even afford to celebrate the holidays this year.”

“Family budgets are being pushed to the brink, and voters will quit House Democrats cold turkey because of it,” Moore said.

The Times noted many grocery items have increased in cost since Donald Trump held the Oval Office. American worker Caroline Hoffman said vanilla extract is nearly $2 more than last year. “I dread buying vanilla,” she said.

Sweet potatoes, too, have increased in price with consumers finding shelves lacking the starch in stores. Director of sweet-potato sales for Wada Farms, Norman Brown, told the Times he has “never seen anything like it, and I’ve been running sweet potatoes for 38 or 39 years.”

Turkey will additionally be more expensive in 2021. Executive chef Matthew McClure told the Times the price has increased in just the last month by 20 percent. “By the end of the year, market analysts say, prices per pound will likely surpass the record Department of Agriculture benchmark price for turkeys — $1.36, set in 2015,” the Times explained.

The price of turkey has reportedly increased because of the cost of corn, which the Times says is fed to most turkeys to fatten them up in time for slaughter. The price increase has more than doubled since 2020 with whole birds “between eight and 16 pounds” already costing “25 cents a pound more than they did a year ago.”

The price of celebrating Thanksgiving will be compounded by shipping delays, which have primarily been created by union infighting and a labor shortage. The labor shortage is correlated by Biden’s coronavirus unemployment polices that kept workers at home and not looking for jobs.

The Times reported the shipping delays from Asia to the United States amounted to 73 days in September. According to supply chain technology company Freightos, when Trump was president in 2020, the price to ship a container from Asia to California was $3,800. That price has increased to $17,000 in October of 2021.

Biden’s supply chain crisis has increased the price of food by 4.6 percent since 2020. More specifically, prices for meat, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 10.5 percent.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2021/10/26/nyt-thanksgiving-2021-most-expensive-meal-history-holiday/

 

What’s cooking today: Rustic rack of lamb on the braai with a rosemary & dried orange zest crust

By Tony Jackman

It’s rustic because the racks are not Frenched. More of a homespun Karoo style, really. No foil bandages here; it’s designed to make the meat sing and zing with the tang of dried orange zest and lovely rosemary herbiness.

This rack of lamb was grilled on the braai, first on hot coals, then low and slow. The crust of very finely chopped rosemary needles mixed with dried orange zest, that staple of the old Cape kitchens, is only applied once it’s cooked and about to be served.

A rack of lamb is the most challenging cut of lamb to cook. A minute either way and it’s under- or over-done. I’ve got it wrong many times. But it’s a thrill when you get it right. And right for a rack of lamb must mean pink at the centre and so soft that it virtually melts in the mouth. “Well done” is not for a rack. Rather go for a shank and slow cook it if that’s what you’re after. Leave racks of lamb for the rare or medium rare meat aficionados.

Finishing a rack with a crust, often of herbs and/or breadcrumbs, is a time-honoured method of preparing and serving it. Traditionally it would be served as a tower or crown, the slim ends of the French-trimmed bones pointing upwards in a circle, sometimes with little chefs’ hats as it were. These days chefs in posh restaurants tend not to stack them like that as it has come to be considered old-hat. But they look best that way; what’s the point of changing something only because that’s the way it was done? Change is always refreshing, but I don’t find anything refreshing in that.

Orange zest dust is made by peeling orange (or other citrus such as naartjie or lemon) and drying it in a biltong dryer for a couple of days, or other method, such as hanging it in an airy garage, or drying it in a very low oven for an hour or so. Once dried it can be ground in a blender or grinder or pounded with a mortar and pestle. It should end up as a combination of dust and tiny shards. If it doesn’t crumble perfectly it needs more drying.

You need no fat at all for this other than the fat in the meat. There are few ingredients. That’s the beautiful simplicity of cooking a rack of lamb.

This recipe is best served with this column.

Ingredients

2 racks of lamb, each containing three or four bone sections

3 Tbsp fresh rosemary needles, chopped as finely as you can

4 Tbsp dried orange zest dust

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

2 Tbsp honey

1 or 2 Tbsp olive oil

Method

(Photo: Louis Pieterse/Kudu Studio)

In a bakkie or other container, mix chopped rosemary needles with orange zest dust and black pepper. Have this ready for when the racks come off the braai.

Prepare very hot coals.

Put the grid on a level close to the coals.

Season the racks with salt and pepper.

Braai the racks fat-side down for about 8 minutes, to render the fat and crisp it. Turn (only when the fat side is super crisp and browned) and braai the bone side for 8 minutes.

Raise the grid higher and spread out the coals so they emit less heat, and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer draws pink juices, not red. Rather test sooner to be sure the juices don’t run clear, which will mean they are overdone.

Once off the grid, brush the fatty side of the racks with honey mixed with olive oil. This is to give it something for the crumb to stick to.

Dip the fatty edges of the racks in the rosemary-dried zest mixture and serve. DM/TGIFood

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-10-15-whats-cooking-today-rustic-rack-of-lamb-on-the-braai-with-a-rosemary-dried-orange-zest-crust/

 

Good Food vs Big Food

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-10-12-good-food-vs-big-food/

Pumpkin Roll recipe

 

Howdy do! Here's a neat looking fall inspired recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Full story here: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a36973372/pumpkin-roll-recipe/

Ingredients:

FOR THE PUMPKIN CAKE:

Nonstick baking spray (with flour)

1 c. all-purpose flour 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. pumpkin puree

4 large eggs 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. powdered sugar

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a half sheet pan (18x13-inch) with baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and allspice. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until all of the dry ingredients are combined.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake until the top of the cake springs back when gently poked, 14 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, while the cake is baking, lay a large clean kitchen towel on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately run a knife around the edges to loosen. Invert the cake onto the powdered sugar dusted towel. Peel off the parchment paper and discard. Starting with the narrow end of the cake, gently roll up the cake with the towel to form a log. Place the cake, seam side down and let cool completely in the towel, about 2 hours.

For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium until smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon. Beat on medium-high for 20 seconds.

Carefully unroll the cake and spread evenly with the frosting. Re-roll the cake without the towel. Transfer seam side down to a serving platter and cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight. 

Dust the cake lightly with powdered sugar just before serving.

Apple Fritters recipe

 

Howdy do! Here's another delicious looking recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Full story: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a8907/apple-fritters/

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

3/4 c. whole milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 whole granny smith apples, peeled and diced

Powdered sugar, optional, for dusting

FOR THE GLAZE (OPTIONAL):

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. whole milk 

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Gently fold dry and wet ingredients together until just combined (do not over mix.) Fold in the apples. Add enough apples to make a very chunky batter. You want the apples to shine though!
4. Heat a couple of inches of canola oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. When it gets hot (about 350 degrees), drop a little drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and rises to the top, the oil is ready; if it burns quickly, turn down the heat.
5. Drop 1 tablespoon of batter into the hot oil, six or eight at a time. Sometimes they'll flip over by themselves; sometimes you have to flip them. Just watch them and make sure they don't get too brown, but cook them long enough to make sure the batter's cooked through, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total. Repeat with the remaining batter. Remove fritters and drain on a paper towel. 
6. For the glaze (if using): In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract and whole milk.
7. Dust the fritters very generously with powdered sugar, or dip fritters in the light doughnut glaze. Serve warm! 

These fritters can be heated up the next day in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes.

Apple Cake recipe

 

Hello folks! Here's a yummy looking recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Full story here: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a36981696/apple-cake-recipe/

Ingredients:

Non-stick baking spray (with flour)

2/3 c. light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 c. apple butter

1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon 

3/4 tsp. kosher salt 

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups chopped)

1/2 c. chopped toasted pecans

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch round baking pan with non-stick baking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, apple butter, melted butter and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Whisk until just combined. Add the apples and pecans and fold in with a rubber spatula to incorporate. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 28 to 32 minutes.
3. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan, remove and discard the parchment paper and place cake on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. Dust the cake lightly with powdered sugar just before serving.

Instant Pot Chicken Soup recipe

 

Hey folks! Here's another yummy looking recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Full story link: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a37002168/instant-pot-chicken-noodle-soup-recipe/

Ingrediants:

2 tbsp. butter

1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 c. chicken stock

6 oz. extra-wide egg noodles

Chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions:

1. Add the butter to the liner of a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot and set to SAUTE. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and cook 1 more minute. Add the bay leaf, chicken, stock, and 2 cups of water.
2. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and lock into place. Seal the steam release handle. Select HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer for 10 minutes. When the timer is up, let rest for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure (unseal the steam release handle). Unlock and remove the lid, being careful of any remaining steam. Remove the bay leaf.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. 
4. Meanwhile, set cooker to SAUTE and bring the soup to a boil. Add the noodles and cook 5-7 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Return the shredded chicken to pot and stir gently. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Pumpkin Chili recipe

 

Hey folks! Here's a good looking recipe I found on The Pioneer Woman's website. Full story link: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a36973563/pumpkin-chili-recipe/

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

3/4 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 

2 15 oz. cans fire-roasted tomatoes, not drained

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

2 1/2 c. chicken broth  

Roasted pumpkin seeds, sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and avocado, for garnish, if desired

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring to break into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain. 
2. Add the onion and bell pepper to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium, stirring, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, 1 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, pumpkin puree, chicken broth and sausage. Bring to boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, about 20 minutes.
4. Season the chili with salt and pepper. Serve, garnishing with pumpkin seeds, sour cream, cheese and avocado, if desired. 

 

Tax-Funded Research: Britons Could Live off Bug Meat by 2030 Because ‘Net Zero’

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KURT ZINDULKA

30 Jul 2021

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/07/30/tax-funded-research-britons-could-live-off-bug-meat-by-2030-because-net-zero/

Burgers made of bugs will replace beef in the British diet within a decade in order to hit the green agenda ‘net zero’ government targets, a Great Reset-style taxpayer-funded review has predicted.

The UK Research and Innovation Council (UKRI) said that meat substitutes made from insects, such as mealworms and crickets, are more environmentally friendly as they require less space and feed compared to traditional bovine burgers.

“Although methane inhibitors in feed could reduce emissions by around 30 per cent, meat is still one of the highest-impact foods,” the UKRI said per The Sun.

The public body, which is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), also suggested that Britons could swap their beloved fish with lab-grown seafood-esque products in order to combat over-fishing.

The UKRI went on to say that fried eggs may become a thing of the past as well, claiming that eating two fried eggs per day will equate to the same amount of energy used to heat the average home per month.

The dystopian report questioned: “What will your Friday fish and chips look like in 2030?”

“To close Net Zero Week 2021 we’re looking at how the research we support can help us produce our food in a more climate-friendly way, and how our behaviour and expectations might need to change, too,” the taxpayer-funded quango added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to reduce carbon emissions in the United Kingdom to “net-zero by 2050″. The move would cost the UK over £3 trillion, or £100,000 per household, according to a report from the Global Warming Policy Foundation in February of last year.

The buggy predictions were widely criticised as being “out of touch” with reality, with the Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, Tim Bonner, saying: “I’m not sure there will be much of a buzz out there for chomping on fly filled burgers, but there will continue to be a growing appetite for sustainable grass-fed British beef produced by our fantastic farmers.

“UK Research And Innovation appear to be somewhat out of touch with what the vast bulk of people would be prepared to accept.”

A spokesman for the National Farmers Union added: “It’s crucial people are making informed diet decisions based on accurate information; when people buy British meat and dairy they are buying sustainable, local food, produced in areas often where it is difficult to grow other foods.

“The same cannot always be said for some highly processed meat alternatives.

“People should be reassured that if they want to enjoy meat and dairy products and at the same time reduce their carbon footprint – they can.

“British farmers are already leading the way in climate-friendly food and we have an ambition to do even more.”

Users on social media blasted the bugged out plan as well, with technology journalist Mark Sparrow quipping: “How many times does this old chestnut keep popping up? Someone must have invested a fortune in insect farms and is determined we’ll eat bugs after the Great Reset.”

Insects have long been touted by climate change activists as a possible replacement for meat, which they claim negatively impacts the environment. However, eating bugs has remained a niche practice in the West.

The European Union has been at the forefront of trying to push bug burgers in the West, approving beetle larvae for human consumption in May after announcing in January that yellow mealworms were safe to eat.

The nominally conservative British government, for its part, has been considering ever more draconian measures to influence the eating habits of the public, including a tax on sugar and salt and even promoting the idea of a Chinese-style social credit score app that would reward “loyalty points” for buying supposedly healthier groceries.

A spokesman for UKRI claimed that their report was not meant to be taken as a diktat but rather a suggestion, saying: “These are examples of what people might be eating in a Net Zero future. They represent choices people may make, rather than any recommendation on what they should do.”