The Hackney Butchers Association

This morning a few of us did a trip to Billingsgate Fish Market.  It was a 5:30am start. It was great fun. We arrived in the dark and left carrying almost more fish than we could carry.  Greedy people make good shoppers. We got some amazing fish which will provide meals for Christmas and more importantly, some experiments for tomorrow!  One of the buys was a huge box of Octopus.  I'm doing a recipe as a starter for tomorrow's lunch along with a big bundle of razors clams.  Wow.  I can't wait. Pictures of all the exploits to follow...

It's part sweet, part fishy.  Deilicious! This is cheap, easy, and very more-ish. It takes 15mins. RECIPE BELOW:

Very easy & quick & damn tasty too... RECIPE BELOW:

This came from a recipe by Ravinder Bhogal.. It's a bung-it-in-the-oven-job.  Perfect. Dead easy & delicious. This is a great side dish for some simple white fish, a steamed lemon chicken, or just by itself..  It is best served warm or at room temperature, so would be fantastic picnic fodder. Takes 45mins.  (5mins prep, 40mins in oven.) RECIPE BELOW:

This could be a great starter or just a fantastic dish to have alongside pitta bread, salads etc. It takes 20mins to do. RECIPE BELOW:

The most simple glaze is just Balsamic Vinegar brought to the boil & then simmered and reduced in a pan until it coats the back of a spoon.  About 25mins, depending on the amount your making.  It will keep in a covered jar in the fridge for a few weeks. It can used to add richness to meats ( a few drops on a steak is amazing), or a mixed with sweet vegetables like roasted carrots or onions.  Yum.  People often put a little glaze on fresh strawberries. There are lots of variations.  If the balsamic vinegar your using is not great, you can make the glaze better by adding demerara/brown sugar and water before reducing. 250ml Balsamic Vinegar 180ml water 4 tbs demerara sugar If you fancy something a bit different, you can add any herbs or spices you have while simmering.

I came across this nice use for Boudin Noir sausage.  You can obviously use any blood sausage/black pudding. RECIPE BELOW:

Er.. that's it.  To make the 'umble sprout a bit more fancy, boil or steam until just soft, then toss with butter & a good splash of sherry vinegar.  Salt & Pepper. It makes them taste lighter, fresher,and less cabbage-y.  Mighty nice.

Miso pastes can be made from Soya, Rice or Barley. Full info here The main types are: Sweet White Miso (Shiro Miso) is the type usually used with dashi for soups, and for dressings. Light-yelow Miso (Shinsu Miso) The most commonly used one. Red Miso (Awase Miso) is a saltier, stronger paste. There are loads of other variations used in Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Indonesian cooking. Always add the miso towards the end of cooking when making soups or stocks, as over-heating will reduce the flavour. I've been wanting to cook some Miso poached salmon for ages.  I'm going to try out a few different pastes and will post my findings....   I came across this Japanese mail order company, for anywhere in the UK & Europe. http://www.japanesefoodshop.co.uk

Guanciale is salt cured Jowls.  It is the traditional cut used for Carbonara & all'amatriciana.  It has a rich, porky flavour.  Yum. Similar to bacon, this is really easy to do.  Next time I'm at the butchers I'm going to get 1kilo of pork jowl and try it out.  All you need is salt, string and 1 month's patience. I found this great & simple explanation on the Babbo Restaurant (NYC) website .  Gotta love it! For smoked pork jowls CLICK HERE .

It's straightforward stuff, and can be done in under a week.  The end result will last for a week, or can be frozen for 3months. Use Belly for Streaky Bacon. Loin for 'Back Bacon'. I found this good site "The Accidental Smallholder" , that clearly explains the process of both wet-curing and dry-curing.  Another great site The Cottage Smallholder has a really simple way of doing unsmoked bacon.  It only takes 4 days and uses molasses & less salt. When it comes to smoking, use only hard wood chips.  Evergreen woods can give an unpleasant flavour. Wood Characteristics Apple Slightly sweet, fruity smoke that is mild , but capable of flavoring bacon Cherry Slightly sweet, fruity smoke that is mild , but capable of flavoring bacon Hickory Strong hearty taste Oak Strong, earthy smoke for a robust bacon Maple Sweet smoke – good for bacon ...

This mad and noisy shop never ceases to amaze...  I love it. Last night I saw that they now sell, trotters, pig's ears, pig tripe, bags of pork blood etc etc.