PLAT DU JOUR : Assorted Odds & Ends
Potato Fries (aka Chips), Soufflé Omelette & Rustic Sandwich Bread
Recently, the world at large has been meddling in my
affairs and limiting the time available to investigate interesting new dishes
and – of course – photographing them. Sigh … However, here and there a few
opportunities presented themselves for taking a photo or two.
Double Fried Potato Fries (aka Chips)
Recently I wasn’t in the mood for a serious attempt at lunch. French fries seemed a good idea but I was too lazy to go out for some at my local roadhouse (who sometimes makes killer french fries). So the last few ‘taters in my pantry cupboard were called up for duty.
Thus we have here hand cut, double fried fries. And
yes, I was too lazy as well to ‘french cut’ them, thus: “fries” only. I used
fresh sunflower oil with the first fry at medium high temperature to establish
a blanching effect, and then followed it with the second fry at high heat for a
fairly crispy exterior and soft insides.
Two Cheese Soufflé Omelette with Roasted Beef Sausage,
Fried Slices and Orange Juice.
Surprise, surprise! It turns out you don’t need all of
the above. Nerves of barbed wire and the precise coordination of a neurosurgeon
are not required either. HOWEVER, you do need to have your mise en place thoroughly sorted out and at the ready beforehand. It
became obvious that when that sucker hits the pan, things happen rapidly and
you need to have your tools, seasonings and filling ingredients close at hand
and already portioned out.
All in all, things went surprisingly well, if in stops
& starts here and there, with my first attempt. I now clearly understand what
the fuss is all about when it comes to soufflé omelettes. Ordinary, folded omelettes
were – in my opinion – always going to be hard to improve on, but I’ve seen the
light. Soufflé omelettes elevate the ordinary, folded version to an exciting and
rarified level. There is no going back now!
Rustic Sandwich Bread
Its winter in the Southern Hemisphere and we’re had a
particularly cold week or two locally. The usual fluffy and airy commercially
produced white bread doesn’t ‘cut it’ in the cold. It neither fills nor seems
to provide enough energy.
So, I’m returning to my old habits again and started
to bake my own rustic white bread. Known locally as a Farmer’s Loaf, the
country style bread is prepared with only five ingredients: bread flour,
baker’s instant yeast, some butter, a touch of salt and hot water. The result
is a pleasing, relatively dense bread with a uniform and fine grained crumb
structure. Each slice ‘fills’ and satisfies properly, much better than store
bought bread.
SUPREME SANDWICH BREAD Post Link
© RS Young,
2021
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