Saturday 2 June 2007

Saving Time..........

Three ways to save time on regular kitchen tasks. Pomiane would have approved.

1. When making mashed potatoes, don't peel them before you boil them. Boil them in their skins, then, once cooked, cut them in half; place the potato half in the ricer, cut side down, and push through the ricer disc as normal. The cooked potato goes through the holes, and the skin stays in the ricer. Dispose of the potato skin, and then Da Capo with the next potato until all have been efficiently processed, ready to have milk, egg, seasoning and butter beaten into them (which is how mashed potatoes are made in this house, at any rate). Simple, no?

2. Never wash a roasting pan or baking tray again! Always line them before use with a piece of aluminium foil, which you then treat as you would the base of the pan or tray, and once you've finished cooking, simply throw the foil away, and put the cooking utensil back in the cupboard.


3. When a recipe calls for freshly-squeezed lemon juice, rather than faffing around with one of those fiddly citrus presses - which have teeth designed to catch the pips and a bit where the juice is captured, with a spout for subsequently decanting it into a separate container - simply cut the lemon in half, hold a hand sieve over whatever it is you're cooking, and squeeze the lemon half by hand directly through the strainer and into the bowl or pan beneath. Much less trouble, and much less time.

Tonight's Dinner (post Cinema):

Asparagus, with Hollandaise.

Lamb Steaks, grilled, with Mushrooms and Shallots.

Posset of Apricots and Sherry-infused Cream.

3 comments:

Joanna said...

Never got on with a ricer, myself. But good tip for the lemon. Thanks

What was on at the cinema?

Joanna
joannasfood.blogspot.com

Pomiane said...

Appropriately enough 'Water'. Rather beautifully measured until the last ten minutes when the whole thing nose-dived as the Director made a clumsy sprint for the finishing line......Oh, well....

Anonymous said...

The foil trick only works if you can get that heavy duty catering foil such as Baco Foodservice brand. The thin supermarket stuff tears too easily particularly if the food sticks to it, which it generaly does.