What can't you cook? A thread to learn from other urbs

[ringo]

I'm rubbish at making good, thick vegetarian gravy. It never tastes as good as that powdered stuff.

Tell me how to make a great veggie gravy please.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Nigel Slater: Browned Onion and Madeira Gravy
"I first intended this gravy to be poured over my toad in the hole but now make it for mashed potatoes, potato cakes, liver and braised vegetables (it is sensational with celery that has been braised in vegetable stock). It keeps for a couple of days in the fridge and is glorious poured over steaming hot, over bubble and squeak"

a very thick slice of butter
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
flour, no more than a level tablespoon
1/3 cup Madeira, Marsala or red wine
1¼ cups stock
Worcestershire sauce

Melt the butter in a heavy based pan, add the onions and cook over a low heat till golden and soft. Now continue cooking, covered with a lid, until the onions are truly brown and soft enough to crush between your fingers.

Stir in a level heaped tablespoon of flour and cook for a few minutes until it has lightly browned, then pour in the liquids. Season with salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat so that the gravy bubbles gently and leave for about fifteen minutes, stirring from time to time.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I can't seem to make decent roasted vegetables. They always come out mushy (in the case of peppers, aubergines etc) or dried up (in the case of baby carrots, little spuds with their clothes still on...).

 

[Threshers_Flail]

Couldn't cook an omelette to save my life. Don't know why they're supposed to be easy. It just gets stuck to the pan and goes all gooey.

 

[TitanSound]

Couldn't cook an omelette to save my life. Don't know why they're supposed to be easy. It just gets stuck to the pan and goes all gooey.

Here is how I do it.

3 or 4 eggs
Fillings can be your choice but my fave is chorizo, green peppers and mixed herbs.

I beat the eggs in a bowl with a dash of milk but not too much. Add some black pepper and the mixed herbs. Generally you don't want to beat the mixture too much. Just so the whites and yolks are bonded.

Stick some butter in a largeish frying pan on a low heat. Cover the base of the pan so the eggs do not stick. Pour in the mixture and slightly increase the heat. Add fillings and wait until mixture is half set. Turn up heat a little more and fold omelette after about 2 mins.

Serve with mixed leaf salad with a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil mixed together

Some people say its better to put the mixture into a hotter pan but I think the eggs set better on a lower heat to start and the omelette does not break when folded

 

[Kanda]

I can't seem to make decent roasted vegetables. They always come out mushy (in the case of peppers, aubergines etc) or dried up (in the case of baby carrots, little spuds with their clothes still on...).

Peppers - Just put them in the oven for 20 mins whole, remove and cover pan with foil for 10 mins. Then take foil off and peel skin away as it's slightly bitter (Barefoot Contessa done it on UKTV Food last Sunday )

 

[Pip]

Good thread

I can't seem to make decent roasted vegetables. They always come out mushy (in the case of peppers, aubergines etc) or dried up (in the case of baby carrots, little spuds with their clothes still on...).

If they're mushy you've probably overcrowded the pan and you're actually just steaming them.

Moderate heat, not too closely packed, and keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

 

[Epona]

Nigel Slater: Browned Onion and Madeira Gravy
"I first intended this gravy to be poured over my toad in the hole but now make it for mashed potatoes, potato cakes, liver and braised vegetables (it is sensational with celery that has been braised in vegetable stock). It keeps for a couple of days in the fridge and is glorious poured over steaming hot, over bubble and squeak"

a very thick slice of butter
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
flour, no more than a level tablespoon
1/3 cup Madeira, Marsala or red wine
1¼ cups stock
Worcestershire sauce

Melt the butter in a heavy based pan, add the onions and cook over a low heat till golden and soft. Now continue cooking, covered with a lid, until the onions are truly brown and soft enough to crush between your fingers.

Stir in a level heaped tablespoon of flour and cook for a few minutes until it has lightly browned, then pour in the liquids. Season with salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat so that the gravy bubbles gently and leave for about fifteen minutes, stirring from time to time.

That's how I make my veggie onion gravy, but without the madeira.

And a small dollop of marmite instead of worcestershire sauce, which isn't vegetarian.

 

[ringo]

Nigel Slater: Browned Onion and Madeira Gravy

That looks nice, ta, just need to substitute something for the Worcestershire sauce. I've used soy before, or marmite, or a bit of brown sauce.

Trouble is Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies in brine, tamarinds in molasses, garlic in vinegar, chillies, cloves, shallots and sugar. That's quite a lot of strong flavours to substitute. I'll give it a go though.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Good thread



If they're mushy you've probably overcrowded the pan and you're actually just steaming them.

Moderate heat, not too closely packed, and keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

This sounds like what I am doing wrong...thank you Pip!

 

[ringo]

That's how I make my veggie onion gravy, but without the madeira.

And a small dollop of marmite instead of worcestershire sauce, which isn't vegetarian.

Ta, reckon I'm on the right track then. Think I'll try it this week.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

That looks nice, ta, just need to substitute something for the Worcestershire sauce. I've used soy before, or marmite, or a bit of brown sauce.

Trouble is Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies in brine, tamarinds in molasses, garlic in vinegar, chillies, cloves, shallots and sugar. That's quite a lot of strong flavours to substitute. I'll give it a go though.

Ah yes I forgot that...I'm sure you can get fake Worcestershire sauce that doesn't have anchovies can't you? You could put mushroom ketchup in as an alternative.

 

[internetstalker]

I can't cook curries

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Peppers - Just put them in the oven for 20 mins whole, remove and cover pan with foil for 10 mins. Then take foil off and peel skin away as it's slightly bitter (Barefoot Contessa done it on UKTV Food last Sunday )

That's not what I'm after though...I want the nice chunks of veg with the nice charred edges like...

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I can't cook curries

...you're just not trying hard enough

 

[internetstalker]

...you're just not trying hard enough

or at all in my case!

 

[Fedayn]

I can't cook curries

Bit of patience and a wee free afternoon-not easy with kids I know-and you'd be sorted.

 

[Kanda]

That's not what I'm after though...I want the nice chunks of veg with the nice charred edges like...

Ah, I thought you meant roasted peppers, to put in salads and such. Apologies.

 

[Pip]

I can't cook curries

In what way? It's a bore, but you really do have to grind and fry all the spices rather than use standard curry powder.

Actually having said that I once got some curry paste from the Chinese supermarket and made lovey dahl type things with it. I can get you some and stick it in the post if you want?

 

[Looby]

My steaks are always shit. Too tough, too burnt etc etc

I've never really cracked meringues either.

 

[Epona]

I can't cook curries

What goes wrong?

My tip is to mix the ground spices to a paste with a bit of water and fry the paste FIRST to release the flavour (careful not to let the spices burn) then add your onions, which absorb a lot of the spice flavour - then add other ingredients when the onions have softened.

 

[Kanda]

My steaks are always shit. Too tough, too burnt etc etc

Next time you come up I'll teach you

 

[Pip]

My steaks are always shit. Too tough, too burnt etc etc

I've never really cracked meringues either.

God I'm loving this thread.

Someone on here posted a good method of turning cheap steak into tender steak by covering it with rock salt for a while then washing it off, drying and cooking the steak. I hate to say it, but expensive steak is always going to be better than cheap steak. Or rather, good steak is always going to be more expensive than shit steak.
Your pan has to be very hot, and you flash fry it. Let it rest like you would a roasted bit of beef, and always season after you cook it, not before. Have you tried all that?

What's wrong with your meringues? The bowl, mixer, etc all have to be scrupulously clean, and no trace of yolk. It takes longer than you think to get them stiff - often after I put the sugar in the mixture goes all gloopy and I think "fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck", but if I stand there whisking it for a good while more (more than common sense dictates) it always fluffs up again.

ETA: is your kitchen very steamy? Humidity can scupper meringues sometimes. The mixtue can still be salvaged though - do lots of thinish layers of it and sandwich them all together with berries mushed up and mixed into whipped cream.

 

[fogbat]

I never seem to get a simple white sauce right.

Always either over- or under-cook the flour

 

[Biddlybee]

That's not what I'm after though...I want the nice chunks of veg with the nice charred edges like...

On the hob, straight over the flame is the only way you'll get that charred look/taste - or under a grill.

I can't cook risottos, but I've never tried

 

[Pip]

I never seem to get a simple white sauce right.

Always either over- or under-cook the flour

How do you do it? Do you fry the flour in butter first? I think my mum's got a good recipe for cheat's white sauce with cornflour, but I've never used it so you have to wait for her.

 

[Biddlybee]

You can use cornflour, but it takes ages to thicken... think it's a tablespoon (dissolved in cold water) for a pint of milk.

 

[fogbat]

How do you do it? Do you fry the flour in butter first? I think my mum's got a good recipe for cheat's white sauce with cornflour, but I've never used it so you have to wait for her.

Yep - fry the flour in the butter first, then gradually stir the milk in.

It'd probably help if I looked up quantities, rather than just guessing at what looks right

I've used cornflour as a thickener before, but not for a white sauce. Might be worth a try

 

[Pip]

Yep - fry the flour in the butter first, then gradually stir the milk in.

It'd probably help if I looked up quantities, rather than just guessing at what looks right

I've used cornflour as a thickener before, but not for a white sauce. Might be worth a try

Half of cooking is cold hard SCIENCE and half is experience and tasting. For reaction type stuff (stuff that needs to be thickened, cakes, bread) you can't go wrong following a recipe.

 

[fogbat]

Half of cooking is cold hard SCIENCE and half is experience and tasting. For reaction type stuff (stuff that needs to be thickened, cakes, bread) you can't go wrong following a recipe.

Couldn't agree more

My overconfidence in the kitchen sometimes bites me on the arse.

*carefully neglects to mention setting fire to the oven gloves on Tuesday*