The idea of writing a food blog has been bouncing around in my head for a while now, and after a number of friends encouraging me to go for it I've decided it is time to take the plunge and get all these ideas I have down on the page.
My earliest memories involve "helping" my mum in the kitchen, and I remember these with such fondness and really need to credit my mother for giving me such a love of really good food, and for giving me an amazing foundation of knowledge through everything she taught me. If there were any disasters she would calmly tell me that all chefs have mistakes, just start again and it will be okay the next time.
And so, over the years, I have cultivated a deep love for cooking, eating and food in general... and I hope I can share some of that with you. Feedback is welcome, as are recipes, restaurants suggestions and anything else food related!
Now, onto the good stuff. Why not start with something special - lobster!
I am very much in love with seafood. On any given Saturday, you are more than likely to find me with my nose pressed up against the window of Eddie's Fish Market in Marchmont, checking out with child-like excitement what fishy delights they have. But I have to say, there is nothing more indulgent than lobster.
Having been in Crail for the weekend, my boyfriend and I decided to stop in at Crail Harbour on Sunday afternoon and buy a lobster for our dinner. A small hut sits at the side of the harbour, where you can buy lobster or crab rolls, or freshly cooked & dressed lobsters. They will serve you these harbourside, so you can feast on these delights while watching the small fishing boats bring in their catches.
But we had to get back, and so I patiently waited in the queue (that's a lie - I hopped about from one foot from the other, anxious to pick my lobster from the tank) and was rewarded with a beautiful lobster to take away with me.
Once back, I decided that simple is often best - so steamed lobster and chips with homemade mayo.
For the chips, I took two large baking potatoes and cut them up - skin on - into thin chips. Before coating them with olive oil, salt and pepper, I plunged them into cold water and dried them in a clean tea towel to get rid of the starch (I think this is a tip from trusty Delia!). In the oven they went for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.
Next, the mayo. As anyone who has made mayonnaise from scratch before will tell you, it is a risky business. I've made it plenty of times before, but for some reason on this night, it was not happening. Three attempts - THREE - to get a lovely, creamy mayo that had not curdled. At this point I should credit the book I had picked up that day in a second hand shop for 95p: The Foolproof Cookbook by Mary Norwak. I bought it as a bit of a laugh, as I thought the 1970s look & feel of it rather quaint and comical (in fact, it's so old that when I googled it there is no mention of it anywhere on the internet!). My boyfriend openly laughed at my purchase. But in the midst of my mayo meltdown, I flicked through it, and sure enough there was some tips on how to rescue a mayonnaise that has split. Adding an extra egg yolk apparently does the trick and lo and behold, it worked like a charm. Best 95p I ever spent!!
So, three egg yolks, (two to begin with, plus the extra yolk to rescue the mixture!), 250ml of sunflower oil, very slowly mixed together into an emulsion. Then a teaspoon of good, sharp mustard (I used english mustard which worked really well, although normally I go with Dijon), half a clove of crushed garlic and lots of juice from one lemon plus salt & pepper to taste. Heaven!
Finally, it was time for the lobster. I'd left him in the freezer for a couple of hours prior to cooking, as - according to the RSPCA - this renders them deeply comatose, to the point that they will feel nothing when put into the boiling water.
Having done my research beforehand, I cooked a 500g lobster in salted water for 10 minutes. So, in went our crustacean, and after 10 minutes out he came, a beautiful deep shade of pink and ready to be served.
Having done my research beforehand, I cooked a 500g lobster in salted water for 10 minutes. So, in went our crustacean, and after 10 minutes out he came, a beautiful deep shade of pink and ready to be served.
Somehow, I had managed to pull this all together with time to watch the last 10 minutes of the last stage of the Tour de France with a glass of bubbles. If there is a better way to finish up the weekend, I'd be surprised!
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