Mad Cook
Master Chef
French friend is over to visit her (English) late husband's mother . Plan A was that she would come for lunch on Sunday but the best laid plans of mice and men etc.... She rang at 11.30 morning to ask if she could come today instead. Of course she could but lunch was likely to be short commons.
My lunch today was to have been yesterday's roast chicken in a sandwich. I was away over Christmas and beyond so hadn't done much shopping for the last 2 weeks and I'd been running the freezer down to defrost it. OK, quick scrabble round. The chicken of course, the last legs of a bag of frozen peas (not enough for sides for two diners but could be used in a made-up dish), a slab of extra mature Cornish cheddar which was in a goodies hamper I received for Christmas and bottle of wine from same, some left over thick cream, an onion, some frozen roast potatoes and a few mushrooms. Decisions, decisions.
Made a soubise sauce with the onion, milk and the cream (yes I know sauce soubise isn't made with cream but needs must when the devil rides). Cut the chicken into chunks and put it in a baking dish, added the defrosted peas and the mushrooms which I'd sautéd in butter, poured the sauce over and scattered some grated cheese and Sainsbury's lemon and cracked black pepper breadcrumbs on top and baked in the oven. served with some frozen roast potatoes.
Grapes and more of the cheddar and a self-bake baguette from the Co-operative for "pudding" (the Co-op's bread is surprisingly good for supermarket offerings) and coffee from the new filter machine.
Though I sez it me sen as 'appen I shouldn't, it wasn't half bad for a last minute panic meal and the French friend enjoyed it (she knows me well enough not to lie if she didn't!).
She's just left and it was great catching up as we only usually meet once a year.
My lunch today was to have been yesterday's roast chicken in a sandwich. I was away over Christmas and beyond so hadn't done much shopping for the last 2 weeks and I'd been running the freezer down to defrost it. OK, quick scrabble round. The chicken of course, the last legs of a bag of frozen peas (not enough for sides for two diners but could be used in a made-up dish), a slab of extra mature Cornish cheddar which was in a goodies hamper I received for Christmas and bottle of wine from same, some left over thick cream, an onion, some frozen roast potatoes and a few mushrooms. Decisions, decisions.
Made a soubise sauce with the onion, milk and the cream (yes I know sauce soubise isn't made with cream but needs must when the devil rides). Cut the chicken into chunks and put it in a baking dish, added the defrosted peas and the mushrooms which I'd sautéd in butter, poured the sauce over and scattered some grated cheese and Sainsbury's lemon and cracked black pepper breadcrumbs on top and baked in the oven. served with some frozen roast potatoes.
Grapes and more of the cheddar and a self-bake baguette from the Co-operative for "pudding" (the Co-op's bread is surprisingly good for supermarket offerings) and coffee from the new filter machine.
Though I sez it me sen as 'appen I shouldn't, it wasn't half bad for a last minute panic meal and the French friend enjoyed it (she knows me well enough not to lie if she didn't!).
She's just left and it was great catching up as we only usually meet once a year.