I saw this technique in the series Kitchen Chemistry by Heston Blumenthal and thought I’d share it here. Obviously the quantities don’t matter just do as many as you want. You’ll need a thermometer to do this recipe properly, but for the pre-cook you can just use a meat thermometer and could probably get away with guessing the warm versus hot oil temperature. I personally used bran oil but I think peanut oil would be another good choice but nothing wrong with just using regular vegetable oil either. I used a wok, Chinese scoop and infrared thermometer for the deep frying which is a neat way to deep fry using the more expensive oils because you need less oil in total and don’t feel so bad using fresh oil every time. Anyway back to the recipe, the title came from the series and after trying them I think I’d have to agree with Heston. Not as much effort as it sounds and really worthwhile.
A hearty, flavoursome really quick to prepare and assemble one dish meal. Bill Granger’s recipe from the Lifestyle Food Channel.
From Australian Super Food Ideas. A very tasty potato dish. Have included cooking time for boiling potatoes and making sauce and oven time. I think you could make this ahead and keep in the refrigerator but would have to take out for at least 30 minutes before cooking and would cook at a slightly lower temperature for longer to ensure it heats all the way through. NOTE 28 May’10 – Tasty cheese = cheddar, usually a young one; my personal preference is a sharp or aged vintage one depending what I have on hand but all will work well but just give a different depth of flavour. Also a sprinkle of paprika on top (or mixed with breadcrumbs does not go wrong – not unusual for me to do on a cheesy topped dish).
Adaptation of a recipe I saw on a cooking show a few years ago. I’ve listed exactly what I used on this occasion but of course a lot of variations are possible and different styles of cheese may be used.
I was looking for a mashed potato recipe on Zaar and couldn’t find one. So here it is. We have mashed potatoes with casserole, stew or just as a side. Also being gluten-free I often use a gluten free pastry for the base of a pie and just top it with mash. You can use any quantity of potatoes, butter and milk/cream to your preferences.
