We’ve been experimenting in the kitchen!
When I read out the recipe for garlic soup in David Tanis’ One Good Dish, Pete was instantly intrigued – so much so that he hotfooted it down the road for some Aussie garlic and sage leaves. It’s a really interesting dish – a stock is made from simmering two whole heads’ worth of garlic cloves with sage and a little salt for just fifteen minutes. Then an egg is poached in the liquid and it’s served with a submerged slice of sourdough toast.
The end result was surprisingly mild in garlic flavour, but tasty nonetheless – the boys were happy to drink the straight stock with their dinner. I’m sure it was very good for them…
I tried Tessa Kiros’ traditional Greek taramasolata recipe from Falling Cloudberries. I’m sure I’d love her books more, but the print in the two that I own is so faint that I have trouble reading them without a bright light.
This tarama recipe is very nice but quite salty (which might have just been the roe I was using). It’s also quite interesting in that it uses the juice of half an onion rather than the pulp. I made it with leftover sourdough bread…
After chatting to Cate at Black Forest Smokehouse, I thought I’d try making chorizo rice.
The sliced chorizos were fried until they gave off their fat and colour, then lifted out of the pan. Chopped onions were cooked in the oil until translucent, and finally raw rice was added and tossed briefly to coat. Everything then went into our baby Romy (unsoaked) with added water, and the dish was finished in the microwave…
Beth from Burrawong Gaian posted a photo of her roast chook on Twitter, which inspired me to try her method at home. The bird roasted to perfection in the big Romy (presoaked this time), but our backyard lemons are huge, and I couldn’t manage to get a whole one into the cavity. My friend Anne told me I’d made a half-arsed attempt…hehe…
As we’d served the chook with the chorizo rice, there was a portion of the breast meat leftover. A couple of days later, I made chicken rice congee for breakfast…
Finally, I tried my twisty bread again, this time using the Portuguese lard and pimenton. This batch was even more popular than the duck fat version!
I hope you’ve all been having fun in your kitchens too!
My sister and her girls arrive for a visit tomorrow, so I’m taking a week off the blog to spend time with them. Take care and talk soon! ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
The garlic soup looks very interesting! Might have to try it. Looks fairly simple. Tasty looking rice and chicken.
Lots of tasty, interesting foods in your kitchen!
Have a nice visit!
The garlic soup was a treat, and it was interesting how unstinky we all were the next day. Or maybe we were ALL stinky, so none of us noticed! :)
Enjoy the visit! I am sure you will have a wonderful time, and whatever you want to share with your readers, I will be paying attention! ;-)
Thanks darling. It was a fabulous week, and I’m quite sad now that they’ve gone..
There is always something going on IYK Celia. Have fun with your family.
Thanks G! We had a wonderful time!
So inventive and inspiring!
Thank you! :)
Oh my! Look at the size of your lemons! :o And that garlic broth sounds amazingly good especially for someone that is sick with a cold or flu.
They’re enormous! I’ll bring some for you next time, the tree is laden!
What baby Romy???!!!
I’m not telling you. I’m in enough trouble with your hubby as it is! ;-)
Yes, am interested in that garlic broth also and have not made taramasalata for ages: now to get some roe!! Love the stuff! And I do hope you have a wonderfully warm family togetherness period coming up: all the best!!
Thanks Eha! We had a wonderful week with them!
Keep experimenting Celia. Whatever you cook always looks good. Have a wonderful time with your family and enjoy the week;-)
Jody, thank you – nothing I enjoy more than messing about in the kitchen! :)
Taramasalata is on my list of things to make. I love lemon stuffed chicken. Have a super visit with your family :)
Tandy, I usually make a potato version, but this was a good way to use up leftover sourdough! :)
Yum :) I’ve done an onion stuffed chicken but not lemon… hmmmm.
I finely chopped one of your wonderful chorizo, added it to sauteed onion, chopped tomatoes & a bulls horn pepper and basil, and simmered it for almost 2 hours, serving with [bought] goats cheese ravioli for an easy Saturday night dinner from ingredients to hand.
ED, I’m so glad you enjoyed the chorizo! We’re hooked on them! :) Your dinner sounds divine… xx
Enjoy the time with your sister and family, love xox
Thanks darling, we really did! xxx
You are a constant source of inspiration! I am the proud new owner of a brand new oven and gas cooktop… so I will be looking at your archives for ideas for cooking all manner of things in it! The oven was ‘christened’ with a lamb roast, delish! Only one casualty so far, and that was a loaf of sourdough…. will have to revise my cooking times and temps I think!
Yaay! I think a new oven needs christening like a ship – with champagne! :)
Dear Celia, I hope you have a good time with your sister and family but I suspect that you will still be producing some fabulous food from the kitchen and we are in for a treat or ten when you return.
Francesca, you’re very kind, but not a huge amount of time spent in the kitchen over the past week. Well, except to madly confit everything in sight – post is coming! :) Are you home yet? Should I mail you some sourdough?
I’m home! Its a mixed blessing. I have the little ones visiting and new art on my Fridge! Daisy just brought three eggs in from the chookhouse and was so excited. So it is good being back, despite all the housework building up.
And, YES please, I would love some sourdough starter. Time to get cracking on the bread.
That soup looks wonderful!
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Thanks Misky! Hope you’re enjoying the sunshine over there! xxx
It’s glorious. Spent the day in France buying cheese and wine with John who’s visiting us right now.
Lots of exciting experiments – love the congee :)
Thanks Tanya! It’s quite cold here now and I want congee all the time! :)
It all looks fantastic. i sure you will be cooking all week with your sister. I love tessa kiros
Not cooking at all, actually. :) My sister doesn’t cook!
Can’t wait to try the garlic soup! Must purchase another cook book first (what a shame) Thanks for sharing! Liz x
I think the David Tanis cookbooks are a treat!
How lucky to have your sister and her family visiting! I have a teensy bit of envy. :)
You’ve really done some outstanding experimenting in your kitchen. That garlic soup is something special.
I hadn’t seen her for a couple of years, so this really WAS a huge treat for me. Skype and FaceTime just aren’t the same…
Lots of deliciousness in your kitchen, nothing half-arsed going on there. (That made me laugh.) :)
Hehehe…Anne’s a wicked one.. :)
My goodness Celia, you have been busy but you really rocked all of these! I really want to try that garlic soup…but then I also want to try that chorizo dish also. I abused chickens myself – both with the lemon stuffed inside (I think I probably cut mine) and then with the beer can. I really didn’t think the beer can chicken would be all that great, but it really was very moist & tasty.
Enjoy your visit.
See, I haven’t tried the beer can yet, but everyone says it’s a wonderful way to cook chicken! Will have to give it a go – thanks for the inspiration! :)
mmm, what a neat idea, that garlic stock. I may have to try that in the autumn when we get some nice fresh local garlic.
And the chorizo rice…I know that would be a hit here. I thought you always had to soak the Romy?
I had a good giggle at your poor little chook stuffed with that large lemon..thanks!
I so wish I hadn’t read that bit about the lemon! Have trouble looking at the photo now! :)
Ha! Getting the lemon IN was one thing. Getting it OUT was like popping a champagne cork..hahaha
Bernie, I always soak the Romy before it goes into the oven, but it doesn’t seem to need it before use in the microwave.
it all looks good celia..but i’d love that congee now for breakfast..x
Jane, me too! :)
Always such deliciousness Celia! That poor chicken- it looks painful :) I’d really like some of your congee, perfect for our minus 4 degree mornings xox
Becca, there’s nothing better than congee – my mother made it for breakfast all the time when we were growing up!
I remember making garlic custard quite a few years ago and it was lovely. The roasting of the bulbs before adding left it mellow and subtle. This reminded me of that.
Maree, I love the idea of garlic custard! Sounds wonderful and mellow…
Awesome, Celia! Your chook was so plump! Your boys are so into the kitchen too, very nice :)
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Julie, thank you – they’re so into EATING in my kitchen. They don’t do a lot of cooking.. :)
You make me laugh Celia when you start your post with “We’ve been experimenting in the kitchen” as if it’s something unusual! Have fun. x
Thanks love! We had the best week ever – back to the grind this week though! :)
What yummy looking experiments! Swim is almost over, I am looking forward to having more time to prepare dinners and not have to pack them and eat at a swim meet!
Gretchen, you’re a swim mom? I have friends who seem to spend all their time at the pool – good on you, but it’s hard work! :)
This was our first summer with the two older boys on swim team. Luckily they practice at the same gym where I workout so it wasn’t too inconvenient!
That garlic stock is an awesome idea! I am definitely giving it a go :)
Thank you! It was delicious!
I am in love with the garlic soup with eggs. I can imagine how delicious and light it is. I am so trying this.
I think it will be even better with new season garlic!
Gorgeous gustatory experimentation Ms Celia and I hope you have a wonderful time with your family. Here’s to excellent experimentation in the kitchen for all :)
Thanks Fran! We had just the best time! :)
:)
I have a mild garlic addiction so loved that first idea. Bravo to the boys :)
I’m very lucky – my boys are always happy to try anything I make. They don’t always like it, but they’re always game to give it a go! :)