2024 - Tonight's recipe

P's off to IOW for the day on the bus and foot ferry just to check the flat and make it winter proof. It'll probably be chunky fish fingers for tea when he finally gets home.

This evening will be canapés and party food. We’re having a Christmas party.

Never having cooked duck beforeI thought I would buy another frozen one at £6.50 and give it a go today to iron out any problems I may have on Christmas day?
I have defrosted it overnight and will probably uttilise some of the frozen roasties I have with it.? If it is deemed a success I will add more trimmings to the one I cook on Christmas morning!

Baked Mackerel with potatoes, onions and broccoli.

Hey, Vinny, Have you tried Camel Milk? They sell it in Morrisons and I thought of you when I saw it. https://groceries.morrisons.com/products.../114116546

Hey, Vinny, Have you tried Camel Milk? They sell it in Morrisons and I thought of you when I saw it. https://groceries.morrisons.com/products.../114116546

I didn't know they had camels in Austria?

I don''t really fancy it as I only use cream and the thought of camel cream is repulsive. Theoretically mik is for babies only to fatten them up.A lotof our species are lactose intolerant which I imagine in evolution would have been to wean us off mik? Cream is very low in lactose apparently! Here endeth the first lesson!
More importantly my duck experiment was a success.Things I have learned that will make the Christmas duck dinnr more appealing are:-

1) Heat the plate as the duck cools down rapidly

2) Take off the legs off first as it makesit easier to carve

3) Use a filleting knife rarther than a carving knife to get most of the meat from the bone.

4) Apricots go well with duck,which is good because I like apricots

5) The giblets are quite tasty as well, especially the liver and kidneys, but don't need such a long cooking time

6) Turnt he duck over about 1/4 hour before end of cook time to drain liquid from chest cavity and brown the underneath


I feel much more relaxed about cooking the other duck for Christmas now I have ironed out these wrinkles.I don't eat chicken because it is tastteless and devoid of fat, whereas duck is tasty and a bit fatty so could become a regular on my menu.

I used to cook geese and ducks upside down so that the fat drained into the breast and kept it moist. Prick the skin first so that the fat drains out.

B. Yogurt and raspberry jam
L. Tarka Daal and crusty bread.
D. Too full after that so I just had some crisps and a cherry bakewell.

All Free except the bakewell.

Lat riser today as spent tthe night on the couch next to Kato who wouldn't settle!Waling the streets with hime at 2.30am! Anyway my late lunch was a duck omellette with cheese and yellow sticker boiled asparagus. Only ate half so other half for ron.

B. Porridge & cherry yogurt
L. Crisp sandwiches
D. Tarka daal with rice and falafel, and some homemade mango chutney

All FREE.