Bristol Rob Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Talk of takeaways and best restaurants in Bristol, but what are your cooking skills like? Any must-have gadgets you swear by, any online chefs you follow and have produced some epic results from using their recipes? Any butchers you think are a cut above? I have been making Indian food following the recipes from Misty Ricado and Latifs Inspired (both on YouTube) and haven't ordered a takeaway curry in a few months now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Not the best cook being at work all day i usually use the slow cooker got a nice beef stew to look forward to later! I def would like to be able to cook more things though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted February 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Super said: Not the best cook being at work all day i usually use the slow cooker got a nice beef stew to look forward to later! I def would like to be able to cook more things though. Got a slow cooker about 6 months ago, a shoulder of pork in a homemade barbecue and chilli s.auce and then left for about 12 to 14 hours is an absolute delight. I have the advantage of working from home so for long-cooks, I can tend to them during the day if needs be. Edited February 2, 2022 by Bristol Rob 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hunt-Hertz Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) I wouldn't claim to be a great cook, but I do like to have a go. Roasts, curries (getting pretty good at these), risottos and various veggie recipes (fiancee and daughter are veggies). I am keen on making stuff from scratch. Churned butter from cream, and made some mozzerella from unpasteurised milk and vinegar...very easy and turned out a treat. Baking is also something I try...home made soda farls always go down well with the family. Oh, and slow cookers are excellent! Edited February 2, 2022 by Mike Hunt-Hertz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norn Iron Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 10 minutes ago, Mike Hunt-Hertz said: Baking is also something I try...home made soda farls always go down well with the family. Brilliant. Slice and grill and then fill with fried egg and bacon and sausage! If you can make Wheaten Bread, you'll be able to play football for Northern Ireland or Ireland! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norn Iron Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Soda Bread (farls) grilled and then served with Apricot Jam is also a particular favourite of mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selred Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 I love my griddle. So handy for cooking the likes of chicken on it without it being too oily. Also so handy for sausages (so they don't bloody roll everywhere), and also really like chargrilling broccoli on it. In terms of hosting, I have a raclette which is excellent. Essentially getting guests to cook their own dinner, but many love the novelty! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted February 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 1 minute ago, Selred said: I love my griddle. So handy for cooking the likes of chicken on it without it being too oily. Also so handy for sausages (so they don't bloody roll everywhere), and also really like chargrilling broccoli on it. In terms of hosting, I have a raclette which is excellent. Essentially getting guests to cook their own dinner, but many love the novelty! I have recently upgraded my griddle to a hob-top jobby. Sits over the hob and is reversible one third on one side is completely smooth with the other third a raised griddle, and on the other side, the opposite (two parts griddle to one part flat). Feel like I work in either a burger van or one of those Asian restaurants where they cook at your table. It's great. Issue is keeping the thing clean and seasoned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hunt-Hertz Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Norn Iron said: Brilliant. Slice and grill and then fill with fried egg and bacon and sausage! If you can make Wheaten Bread, you'll be able to play football for Northern Ireland or Ireland! I'm more of a Scotsman! Soda bread there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slippin cider Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Big foodie….I enjoy cooking and like to make things from scratch…I cook a mean steak and make a very nice Cottage pie which is even better next day . Love making Curry’s and home made soup …big fan of Saturday Kitchen and James Martin . Very lucky to have some of the best produce here including fantastic Veg,meat, fish and shellfish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyderInACan Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Slippin cider said: make a very nice Cottage pie Much prefer a Shepherd's Pie TBH - I was probably mid-30s when I learned what the difference between them was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slippin cider Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 3 minutes ago, CyderInACan said: Much prefer a Shepherd's Pie TBH - I was probably mid-30s when I learned what the difference between them was! I love both , I make Cottage pie with half pork and half beef mince .. proper lush. lamb mince for the other . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTonyTony Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Get yourselves a Ninja 7 in 1 cooker. Airfryer, steamer, grill, bake, roast, slow cook and pressure cooker. Does amazing, crispy yet juicy roast chicken. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty C Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 I enjoy a bit of time home cooking and I love a kitchen gadget! There are a few at the back of the cupboard with the Breville toasted sandwich maker (doughnut maker, raclette etc), but the 2 devices I use much more than the conventional oven are : Anova Precision Oven - this is an amazing piece of kit (not cheap at £550) which can sous vide (amazing for meat), it can steam for baking (and even proofs dough if you want), it can air fry for frozen foods along with a few other uses. The other device is an Instant Pot (similar to Ninja) and this is great one pot option for pasta, curries and you can cook a whole chicken in about 35 minutes if you are in a rush! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hunt-Hertz Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 6 hours ago, Bristol Rob said: I have recently upgraded my griddle to a hob-top jobby. Sits over the hob and is reversible one third on one side is completely smooth with the other third a raised griddle, and on the other side, the opposite (two parts griddle to one part flat). Feel like I work in either a burger van or one of those Asian restaurants where they cook at your table. It's great. Issue is keeping the thing clean and seasoned. Hob top jobby...not sure that I like the sound of that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erithacus Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Like to do a lot of stuff myself, within my limited skills and kit. Signature dish is a pizza, which is better if you don't count calories. Agree that there are lots of good cooks on You Tube, which help. I did come across a new bit of kitchen equipment recently which is Thermomix - a computerised food processor on steroids. It does so much at the touch of a button. Cost? £1100. I'd want a new car for that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted February 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 14 minutes ago, Mike Hunt-Hertz said: Hob top jobby...not sure that I like the sound of that. Clearly, you have never eaten my food! My poo-jus is simply wonderful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted February 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 41 minutes ago, TonyTonyTony said: Get yourselves a Ninja 7 in 1 cooker. Airfryer, steamer, grill, bake, roast, slow cook and pressure cooker. Does amazing, crispy yet juicy roast chicken. Looked at the air fryers and decided against it based on limitations using wet batter and the amount of room they took up. Got a deep fat fryer instead. So not only am I making bang-on Bhajis and fantastic falafel, I can also pretend I made it to Bully's Prize Board! Innnnnnnnnn one....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted February 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 24 minutes ago, Matty C said: I enjoy a bit of time home cooking and I love a kitchen gadget! There are a few at the back of the cupboard with the Breville toasted sandwich maker (doughnut maker, raclette etc), but the 2 devices I use much more than the conventional oven are : Anova Precision Oven - this is an amazing piece of kit (not cheap at £550) which can sous vide (amazing for meat), it can steam for baking (and even proofs dough if you want), it can air fry for frozen foods along with a few other uses. The other device is an Instant Pot (similar to Ninja) and this is great one pot option for pasta, curries and you can cook a whole chicken in about 35 minutes if you are in a rush! I think we have a 'used once' spiraliser (or whatever it was called) somewhere in a cupboard. Probably next to a bread maker that promised the earth and didn't quite make the grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slippin cider Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 46 minutes ago, TonyTonyTony said: Get yourselves a Ninja 7 in 1 cooker. Airfryer, steamer, grill, bake, roast, slow cook and pressure cooker. Does amazing, crispy yet juicy roast chicken. Mrs bought one a couple of months ago …loves it! ..pretty impressive bit of kit to be fair . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazred Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) Love cooking. Indian is without a doubt my favourite to make. Try this recipe... https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/next-level-tikka-masala/amp As a tip, wuth the marinaded chicken, cook it on the bbq to get a nice smokey tikka flavour. Get this one right and it's restaurant quality. Some Indian colleagues I used to work with some years back recommend this site... https://www.vahrehvah.com/ I think he's a celeb chef over there and it has a lot of tasty, local authentic recipes. Worth a look. Edited February 2, 2022 by Gazred 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTone Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 I'm not bad with a Moroccan dish Tagine de Kefta being a specialty. I use my Halogen cooker, Slow cooker & Teppanyaki grill mostly. Haven't used a conventional oven for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reigate Red Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Interesting thread as I quite like cooking. Had not thought about a slow cooker before but am beginning to wonder. Have frequently thought about buying a bread maker but suspect it would just be a big kitchen item quickly resigned to the cupboard. To downsize things a bit one of the most satisfying gadgets I have is a mezzaluna - very therapeutic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Port Said Red Posted February 3, 2022 Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 If you are looking for something quick, easy and different to do with beef mince, you might like to try this South African recipe. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/bobotie We are not big curry fans in our house, so I replaced the curry powder with extra mango chutney, I love the BBC good food app by the way, I have all my favourites in categories. They have added a pay option recently but if you ignore the sign up a couple of times it goes away. As there are just 2 of us I spend most of my time halving or even 3rding the ingredients. Making this lovely steak and ale pie today, always goes down well. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/steak-ale-pie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyderInACan Posted February 3, 2022 Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 11 hours ago, Reigate Red said: Interesting thread as I quite like cooking. Had not thought about a slow cooker before but am beginning to wonder. Have frequently thought about buying a bread maker but suspect it would just be a big kitchen item quickly resigned to the cupboard. To downsize things a bit one of the most satisfying gadgets I have is a mezzaluna - very therapeutic. Slow cooker - essential Bread maker - waste of time - making bread from scratch is awesome, a bit time consuming but well worth it once you get the hang of it IMHO of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyderInACan Posted February 3, 2022 Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 11 minutes ago, Port Said Red said: Making this lovely steak and ale pie today, always goes down well. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/steak-ale-pie That sounds awesome. Could you use butter instead of lard? Tempted to try this at the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
54-46 Posted February 3, 2022 Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 If you like making curry then I highly recommend this book You need to make a “base” Source which can be used for most of them and a “mixed powder” but if you make a massive batch of both in one hit you’re sorted for a good while It’s the closest I’ve had to proper restaurant stuff by making myself. Definitely worth the effort Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Port Said Red Posted February 3, 2022 Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 24 minutes ago, CyderInACan said: That sounds awesome. Could you use butter instead of lard? Tempted to try this at the weekend. An all butter pastry might be a bit sweet, I only do that for dessert pies, but you can try it. I would blind bake the base first though as the lard stops the filling from soaking into it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted February 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 16 minutes ago, 54-46 said: If you like making curry then I highly recommend this book You need to make a “base” Source which can be used for most of them and a “mixed powder” but if you make a massive batch of both in one hit you’re sorted for a good while It’s the closest I’ve had to proper restaurant stuff by making myself. Definitely worth the effort Most of the online chefs I follow use a base gravy, so I have been making and freezing it. Also, a huge amount to be said for pre-cooking the meat. Lamb in particular comes out really nice and tender. As a result of the right prep, base gravy, mix powder, pre cooked meat, I can throw together any one of dozens of different 'British Indian Restaurant' style dishes in under 30 minutes. Just bought a load of spice jars that I am going to purpose for that reason, and to save having to measure spice by the meal, to reduce cooking time further. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted February 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 Also, for those with a fondness for Indian food, the Dishoom book is fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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