I have always been a slapdash cook in many ways and, as I have admitted, there are some terrible meals in the record to illustrate that. Chicken in lemon sauce made with tinned cream anyone? But cooking is also alchemy, magic rather than a science. Any recipe has been created by someone. So you can get away with lots of your own touches and variations even to a classic recipe. Except of course a baking one. It is risky to adapt any cake or bread recipe - you can but the results are likely to bomb.
I usually vary a dish when I haven't got all of the actual ingredients, or I don't fancy what is stipulated. Because N, P's mother in law, cooks such delicious tagines I have been experimenting with this type of Moroccan stew. We had a lamb one, not as wonderful as N's it is true and not exactly what Jamie authorises. It was a version of a Jamie tagine with what I had and fancied. The spice mix seems the most important part and I tried to get that right, though I don't have the Moroccan mix he prescribes. But a successful dinner with different tastes. Next time I will use dried prunes, not tinned ones though..
For pud we had baked pears. They were hard, rough skinned ones which I peeledand left whole. Then instead of my usual way of cooking them in the oven, Pears, I followed Nigel's suggestion in the Sunday mag and put not only some butter, sugar and a dash of water but also a piece of cinnamon stick and a vanilla pod in the dish. I didn't use his maple syrup and white wine idea (I didn't have the syrup and didn't want to waste the wine). They cooked slowly in a low oven under the tagine for nearly an hour and they were absolutely stunning. Thank you Nigel.
NB Any recipe I put on this blog is one I have tested and can recommend - no unsuccessful variations will make it on to here!
I usually vary a dish when I haven't got all of the actual ingredients, or I don't fancy what is stipulated. Because N, P's mother in law, cooks such delicious tagines I have been experimenting with this type of Moroccan stew. We had a lamb one, not as wonderful as N's it is true and not exactly what Jamie authorises. It was a version of a Jamie tagine with what I had and fancied. The spice mix seems the most important part and I tried to get that right, though I don't have the Moroccan mix he prescribes. But a successful dinner with different tastes. Next time I will use dried prunes, not tinned ones though..
For pud we had baked pears. They were hard, rough skinned ones which I peeledand left whole. Then instead of my usual way of cooking them in the oven, Pears, I followed Nigel's suggestion in the Sunday mag and put not only some butter, sugar and a dash of water but also a piece of cinnamon stick and a vanilla pod in the dish. I didn't use his maple syrup and white wine idea (I didn't have the syrup and didn't want to waste the wine). They cooked slowly in a low oven under the tagine for nearly an hour and they were absolutely stunning. Thank you Nigel.
NB Any recipe I put on this blog is one I have tested and can recommend - no unsuccessful variations will make it on to here!
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