Faggots and Peas

[Wohoki]

I'm with you on that. We went out for a bite over Christmas, and the sprouts were so hard I fired one off my plate and half way to the exit. Foul.

[roseway]

Yep, my mother used to do the same to greens and even cabbage.. I used to refer to it as 'plap'. Just watery mush.

Oh yes! My father wouldn't eat anything that wasn't cooked to death, so my mother's method for cooking cabbage was this:

1. About 9:00 a.m. prepare the cabbage and leave it to soak in a large pan of water (to start soaking out the vitamins, presumably).
2. Change the water a couple of times over the course of the morning.
3. At 12:00 put the cabbage in a pan of boiling water and boil for 30 minutes.
4. In case by some miracle there were any vitamins remaining, squash the cooked cabbage thoroughly in a colander.
5. Serve and enjoy.

Eric

[jenny_haddow]

My dad's method today, soaked for hours then cooked to death! Overcooked veg does you little or no good, under cooked is downright bad for your digestion. Getting it just right is like getting the perfectly cooked soft boiled egg, all in the timing.

Jen

[Paul Kribs]

After reading through this thread again I decided to thaw some faggots for tonights dinner. They appear to freeze and thaw very well. I also decided on the addition of some home cured salt beef (corned beef). I made some more onion gravy to supplement the cheese, chive and parsley mash (piped onto a baking tray like walnut whips, and coloured)... spring greens and some Farrows from a tin, cooked to a mush. Made sure I made enough for me to take some to work in the morning.. beats keep taking sandwiches.

Funny how the old brain clicks into gear after reading things.. fortunately.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[roseway]

Overcooked veg does you little or no good, under cooked is downright bad for your digestion. Getting it just right is like getting the perfectly cooked soft boiled egg, all in the timing.

You're dead right. One of my favourite vegetables is savoy cabbage, braised for about 4 minutes. There's just no comparison with the watery pap I was brought up on.

Eric

[Josh]

under cooked is downright bad for your digestion.

Are you sure? The turks and others from that region seem to digest all their raw cabbage salads without issue as do I when I have a kebab or coleslaw.

It may cause flatulence in some (although is that really a bad thing? It always brings a smile to my face) but bad for the digestion seems a bit OTT.

[jenny_haddow]

Hi Josh

I think there's a difference between raw and undercooked. Given that we initially 'eat with our eyes' when presented with a salad or any dish that deliberately comprises raw veg we eat it with no problem, the body knows what to expect. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with sprouts like shrapnel balls will give your stomach a jolt, it was expecting something better. Half the time I reckon indigestion is down to disappointment, the other half poor cooking, undercooked veg falls into both categories.

That's what I think anyway.

Cheers

Jen

[Rik vonTrense]

Have you tried shredded sprouts stir fried ?? They are delish.

If every there are any avaliable I always chuck em in the stir fried veggies.

.

[Wohoki]

Sprouts with a little garlic and ginger shredded over the top, steamed, served with oyster sauce over them. Can't be beaten.

Or bubble and squeak made with left over sprouts and spuds roasted in duck-fat.

[jenny_haddow]

The Brazilians have a regular veg dish called cove(Kovay). Garlic and lardons are fried in olive oil and very finely shredded greens are added, loads of them, salt and pepper. Lid on the pan,sweat them for a few minutes, toss it all around adding more oil if it looks dry. Great stuff, I've made it with all kinds of greens.

When I lived out there I had a cove cutter, a bit like a small bacon slicer. The finer your cove the better.

Wohoki, your kids must have incredibly well educated palates.

Cheers

Jen

[Wohoki]

Jen, there are three things that I want to teach my kids: the secrets of a long and happy life are how to enjoy a good meal, how to cook a good meal and how to get a good nights sleep. This is achieved by cooking for them, cooking with them, and telling them not to have six children in nine years.

[jenny_haddow]

Then the fourth should follow naturally - 'look after your father in his old age!'

[Wohoki]

But of course. At least one of the little swines will turn out to be a great chef, so I can sit at the bar with a kir and take all the credit.

[pokerpete]

Anyone had any success with cooking marrow-fat peas? I've tried a couple of times and they've been awfull, even though I followed the instructions to the letter.

Oh dear, and I thought making peas mushy was oh so simple when I had a Chippy in Preston.
Just soak the marrowfat peas in plenty of cold water overnight, and they will swell.
Drain off the water, and just cover with enough water to submerge the peas. Then boil up and add the sodium bicarbonate, and turn down the pan to a simmer until the peas are cooked through, then add salt to taste.
Off course mine took an extra heating in the shops bain marie, but that didn't make any difference. Sold binfulls of the stuff everyday.
Golden Rule is never to salt the water in the soaking time.

[Wohoki]

Aha: never salt during soaking, I have discovered my error.

Cheers for that, Pete, it anoyed me that they didn't work.