The Mucky Badger

Archive for the ‘recipe’ Category

For this you will need

750g of stewing beef
2 Beef stock cubes
2 Onions
2 carrots
4 Cloves of Garlic
Salt and Pepper to season
Mixed herbs
A bottle of Manns Brown ale or Guinness
A tin of chopped tomatoes
A good handful of mushrooms

Chop your onions, carrot and your garlic

Pop them into a flameproof casserole dish or large pan and sauté gently until onions soften

Gradually the bottom of your pan will turn brown. Don’t worry! This is all the excellent flavour which will go to making your gravy.

At this point remove the onion/carrot/garlic mix to a separate container and add your beef.

Brown your beef.

Pop the mix back into the pan/casserole and add the mixed herbs, the mushrooms and season well

Pour in your beer.

At this point I like to save a mouthful of the beer…just to make sure it hasn’t gone off.

Add your beef stock cubes and top up with a bit of water (not loads though or it will be too watery)

Bring to the boil.

If you are using a flame proof casserole transfer it to an oven set at 160°C.

If you are using a pan, transfer the contents to an ovenproof casserole or slow cooker. Put the ovenproof casserole in the oven at 160°C. Slow cooker? Well you wouldn’t want to put that in the oven so use your noggin and plug it in as per the instruction manual.

Leave to cook for at least 3 hours. The longer you leave it the more succulent the meat will be. Keep tasting every half hour or so to make sure the flavour is rich and flavoursome. Sometimes it doesn’t taste right to me so I like to put a few drops of either Hendersons Relish (if you can get it) or Worcestershire sauce

Serve with either mashed potato, chipped potatoes or boiled potatoes.

Enjoy!

Baking bread is so wholesome it is a kin to that nice tingle you get after having a good poo.

It’s also just as simple.

For this recipe you will need:

1lb 2oz Strong White Flour
1oz Butter
1oz sugar
A little bit of salt
1tsp fast acting yeast
10fl oz warm water
About 2 tbsp of cinnamon
Some raisins or sultanas

In a bowl mix the flour with the butter, cinnamon, raisins, salt, yeast and sugar.

Make a little well in the centre of the mix.

Add the water.

Slowly work the water into the flour using a knife or your hands.

When you’ve made a nice pliable dough flop it onto your worktop (not your laptop) and knead well by rolling into a sausage shape with the palm of your hand, folding it in and rolling again.

Shape into whatever shape you are intending to bake and cover with a damp tea towel. Place in a nice warm area for an hour or two. Until it’s doubled in size.

Bake in a preheated oven at 230°C for 30 mins.

Allow to cool before serving.

Nom.

So I thought I’d start this food odyssey by cooking one of my favourite dishes.

Based on secret KFC recipe, my flour seasoning is now at Mark VI. It is an experimental dish and is very low cost. All you need are the following:

Chicken breast (local if possible)
Flour
Your spice collection
Italian Mixed Herbs
Milk
Oil for deep frying

Pour some milk into a bowl. If you are allergic to milk you might try soya milk or even egg, but I don’t recommend egg as the texture goes a bit odd.

In another bowl add a good amount of flour, not loads but enough.

Then go to your cupboard and raid your spice rack. As I said, this is very experimental. I’ve found that the spices you need to always stick with are powdered garlic, garam masala and curry powder. You may also want to add some cumin, mace and chilli powder.

Next attack your herbs. I found copious amounts of Italian Mixed Herbs helped, but consider also plenty of marjoram and maybe some fenugreek leaves (methi).

Mix the herbs and spices well into the flour. Use your fingers to work them in. At this point you can also add some salt and pepper if you like. I did and it does add to the flavour.

At this point you will want to heat your oil in a suitable saucepan or in a deep fat fryer. You want the fat to get nice and hot but not too hot or the flour will burn. Make sure there are no children about who might mistake the chip pan for some smarties or any elderly people who might want to throw the hot fat about the place and also, don’t stand on a chair to do this. You might have an accident and people will mock you for being stupid.

While the oil is heating dip your breast (the chicken one) into the milk. Then dip the wet breast into the flour. Make sure the flour coats the breast well.

Repeat the dipping process. Into the milk. Then into the flour.

And again.

And again.

Right, that should be enough. Ensure your fat is at the right temperature and carefully lower your breast (again the chicken one) into the fat. Allow to cook for 4-6 minutes.

Take the cooked chicken breast out of the fat. Chuck it onto some paper to drain before serving on a plate with plenty of chipped potatoes. Indeed, if you cook the chips first, you can keep them warm in the oven, or vice versa, but I suggest you do the chips first as the chicken might go soggy in the oven.

And there you have it. Tasty deep fried chicken. Cheaper than KFC. And you could serve it in a box if you really wanted that authentic experience. Or let it go cold and give it to a passing motorist.

Brilliant