Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: It's In the Kete!

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  • Steve Barnes,

    I seem to have inadvertently started a bad food thread.
    Mushrooms have little or no nutritional value but my mushroom and bacon Fettuccine is rather special even if I say so myself.
    So, shall I start with the recipes?
    Why not...
    First obtain about 1/2 kilo of mushrooms, white buttons are fine.
    4 strips of streaky bacon,
    Large teaspoon of crushed garlic.
    Butter, about a tablespoon.
    Sage, a good pinch if dried, half a handful if fresh.
    500ml of cream.
    Fettuccine, packet stuff is ok but fresh is not only better but easier to cook, the packet stuff can stick together being flat and you must keep stirring it up.

    Methode des endeploydemont, as they say in the best cafés.

    First put on to boil a pile of water in a large pan, add salt and olive oil (tsp salt, tbl spoon oil) a lid helps the boiling bit.
    In a large frypan be putting the bacon while you slice the mushrooms.
    add the butter to the frypan and drop in the sliced mushrooms give it all a good stir to get the butter and bacon fat over the mushrooms.
    Add the garlic.
    By this point your water should have boiled so add the Fettuccine and make sure it don't all stick together, continue with a rolling boil. Should take about 20 mins to get it the way I like it but some people think it should be "El Dente", firm to the bight, 12-15mins.
    Cook until the moisture is driven from the mushies and they start to turn brown
    Add sage and stir to blend.
    Add the cream and simmer stirring occasionally.
    Reduce until the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but not gloopy.
    Strain the Fettuccine and return to the pot adding a little olive oil and black pepper.
    Then take the mushroom and cream and bacon, jeeze, my mouth is watering now and dump the whole lot into the Fettuccine pan and fold together.
    Serve with Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper to the plate and a bit of parsley to cover the garlic breath.
    Enjoy.
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    OK, on further research I have eaten sweetbreads after all. Just not the particular sweetbreads that happened to be called sweetbreads the time I saw them on a menu and inquired. Those were lambs testicles. But certainly I've eaten various offal, and profess to liking kidneys and livers.

    I also notice on nature shows when you see carnivores kill animals, that they seem to begin with the offal, eating the animal from the belly. Maybe it's just easier that way, or maybe they like it most.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to BenWilson,

    begin with the offal, eating the animal from the belly. Maybe it’s just easier that way, or maybe they like it most.

    Stronger flavours and more nutrition? Seems to make sense.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    goes off faster?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Sacha,

    Don't most wild animals prefer their meat as fresh as possible, to the point of having got to know their prey quite intimately just before dinner? (hmmm.... reminds me of many a restaurant in Changsha).

    I guess 'goes off faster' would be a huge bonus for vultures and others of their ilk that prefer their meat rotten.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Lilith __,

    <q>IIRC, isn’t it raw liver? (cooking de-natures Vitamin-C)



    Seal & whale blubber contains Vit E, other antioxidants, and selenium – liver in Arctic waters may contain vit C – but can also contain dangerous levels of Vit A.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Ok, my mouth has stopped watering now, in fact I feel rather ill.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    I ever get hold of some home-killed (by someone I know & trust) and cured (ditto) bacon - I'll make this - reads deliciously-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

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