One for my Mum.. xxx

[Robmac]

I can eat most things but have never managed calamari/ squid. Went to a friend's hen party at an Italian restaurant. I ordered mixed seafood in a sauce. When it arrived it was full of baby squid. We all ended up swapping and sharing.

I love Calamari Sue.

In fact I love virtually all seafood. I couldn't quite take to whole baby Octopus though.

 

[n brown]

i have a massive respect for octopus , not enough to stop me eating it of course ! my kids caught one in Portugal with a cuphook screwed into a broom handle. we didn't know what to do with it so asked a local fisherman. so here's what you do
cut a slot in the back of its head about 50mm, then turn its head inside out. then pull off the eyes and discard. now pull off the brain and discard. lovely- now take it home slice it up and cook it ! trouble was, we carried it back to the van in a net, and it somehow got through a hole in the net, and, even missing its organs, made a break for the sea! we let it go of course.
the Portuguese nail the octopi to boards and dry them rock hard in the sun, then snap off bits of tentacle and burn them on a barbi . never ate it, but it smells horrible !

 

[jeanette]

I can eat most things but have never managed calamari/ squid. Went to a friend's hen party at an Italian restaurant. I ordered mixed seafood in a sauce. When it arrived it was full of baby squid. We all ended up swapping and sharing.

It's been years since I tried it and I found it a bit like rubber to be honest (imo)

 

[Channa]

Looks delicious, do you do meals on wheels to Lymm by any chance? It is good to see that you still want to prepare a 'proper meal', when, I imagine it can be soooo tempting just to throw a pre-packaged ready meal in the microwave. I was guilty of that when Iz & Lou went off on a jolly and I was on my own for 6 weeks. And, I am the cook in the house!

Ironically I don't have a microwave option (thankfully) I slung mine when I moved. Useful things but I avoid where I can .

When you start out just cooking for one it is a challenge, motivation portion sizes avoiding waste, but it can be done. It seems far easier to cook for a group rather than one.

Omelettes, stir frys, rice and pasta dishes come into their own using bits and bats left over.

As much as I hate microwaves I will replace it eventually, a friend has just changed his pub kitchen and been given a freezer, so cook in batches is the next idea and freeze.

I missed out on a coca cola fridge, that would have been fiddled with and turned into an incubator for snake eggs. !!

Channa

 

[Channa]

It's been years since I tried it and I found it a bit like rubber to be honest (imo)

I get that a lot depends on how it is cooked.

Simply added to paellas etc it is like chewing bits of old inner tube not nice at all. Deep fried in a "herby " batter transforms it in my opinion.

Nigels description of dealing with Octupus made me smile 30 odd years ago I saw a similar thing in Mallorca ...to despatch it basically turned it inside out..Lots of excited Spaniards shouting pau pau

CHanna

 

[Robmac]

I get that a lot depends on how it is cooked.

Simply added to paellas etc it is like chewing bits of old inner tube not nice at all. Deep fried in a "herby " batter transforms it in my opinion.

Nigels description of dealing with Octupus made me smile 30 odd years ago I saw a similar thing in Mallorca ...to despatch it basically turned it inside out..Lots of excited Spaniards shouting pau pau

CHanna

I agree Andy. Has to be just right, under or overcooked and it turns to rubber.

My local Chinese restaurant do an absolutely perfect Salt and Chilli Squid. :tongue:

 

[Channa]

much as i don't like offal, liver bacon and onion cooked in thick gravy, poured onto a pile of chips and peas has to be one of the cheapest tastiest meals around, and i'm salivating at the thought and i've just now downed a roast chicken dinner !

I share your sentiments , last year I worked in a pub restaurant where we served liver and onions ...Naturally cooking it I tasted to check seasoning etc and I became quite fond of it. Calves liver doesn't seem as strong as pigs for example. As Rob says the cheffy types on tv have made the cheaper cuts quite expensive to what they were, oxtail shins of beef etc all seem to be in fashion.

A pal of mine who is a butcher is getting me "Lights" calves lungs to try out the Escoffier recipe I shared a couple of weeks ago. I have a friend Elis who lives in London and is a fantastic cook, She is half Romanian and Portuguese, a strange combo if ever there was, She laughs at me for in Romania food she was brought up on.

Sometimes nice to leave the safety of what you know and try new things

Channa

 

[Channa]

I agree Andy. Has to be just right, under or overcooked and it turns to rubber.

My local Chinese restaurant do an absolutely perfect Salt and Chilli Squid. :tongue:

the orientals certainly seem in a different plain when it comes to seafood. A couple of months ago I watched a video of Marco Pierre White in Hong Kong cooking for the first time on a wok, His face a genuine picture He couldn't get over the ferocity of the heat compared to a "western Stove" Actually his hosts quite impressed with his efforts, Interesting watching a 3 star chef approach new ideas

A western restaurant the guy obviously knows what he is doing, his throw away comments are very interesting. It is fair to say he has an intimate understanding of what he is doing. The Chinese kitchen really threw him

Channa

 

[Robmac]

the orientals certainly seem in a different plain when it comes to seafood. A couple of months ago I watched a video of Marco Pierre White in Hong Kong cooking for the first time on a wok, His face a genuine picture He couldn't get over the ferocity of the heat compared to a "western Stove" Actually his hosts quite impressed with his efforts, Interesting watching a 3 star chef approach new ideas

A western restaurant the guy obviously knows what he is doing, his throw away comments are very interesting. It is fair to say he has an intimate understanding of what he is doing. The Chinese kitchen really threw him

Channa

We are really lucky with our local Chinese Andy. Look up the Golden Cross, Great Barford.

Fantastic head chef, service brilliant, presentation brilliant and the food is out of this world.

It's more expensive than most, but I'd rather pay more for quality than less for crap.