Juicy beef patties

Watched Chef Ricky’s video of his family’s traditional way to make pork patties, very inspired by the little twist in preparation. Have to try it out even if I don’t have shoulder pork with a fatty rim, used rib eye instead.

The trick is to cut lean meat and fat into small cubes, the lean part slight bigger like 1/2 cm. Take 1/3 out from both and mince well. Mix the minced meat with the cubed ones, should be enough to bind into patties.

Season with salt, pepper, rice wine, cornstarch and water to make sloppy patties. Add some crunchy ingredients for texture, I used gold beetroot from the garden. Rest for an hour for flavour to go in. Either steam for 12 minutes or sear at with lid on until cooked through and golden outside, around 8 minutes.

Without much fat in rib eye, I worry that the patties will be dry, but it turned out well, tasty, juicy meat with texture from the cubed meat. What a great idea.

Cauliflower with pesto sauce

Have to start buying vegetable to supplement the closing down veg garden. At least I could mix the baked cauliflower with homemade pesto sauce, when basil leaves were abundant during summer.

Cider

Cider made from purely apple this year stopped vigorous bubbling after 2 weeks. Decided to start drinking it, very acidic taste with 7% alcohol and little sweetness left. 

I find it better to use it to make Kir, using homemade honey fermented wild bilberry as syrup.

Fermented daikon leaves

Now that there are less veg to harvest from the garden, it is time to take the excess stored in freezer during the summer.

This is the first time I made salted fermented leaves of Daikon, I used a small amount in a stir-fried dish. It is indeed umami tasty, added a good touch to the dish.

2024年11月2日 利己惠人

和英國友人相約在威爾斯見面聚舊，夫妻倆退休三年多，想知道他們如何面對新生活。

二人的興趣一向是行山，久不久傳來行山照片，在本土的亦有參加外國的行山團，但沒有新增其他文靜嗜好。

退休後搬到鄉村居住，發覺互聯網絡緩慢，在城市習慣了火速工作，不能接受慢三拍節奏。解決方法是舖設光纖，得有區內一定數目居民參與，才能申請成功。

二人是機械工程公司管理層，有足夠處理人事和解決問題能力，現在加上有閒暇，就捲起衫袖工作，全村逐戶拍門家訪，解釋計畫。在有足夠人數後，就研究光纖路線，要穿越私人土地包括農場，就得花時間討論，取得最短的合理路線。

計畫完成後，上網快捷外，認識了些合嘴型的村民，新的社交圈子。

這個經歷，令他們發覺，村內舊社區中心已經荒廢，開大會時得借用教堂，不是最合用的空間，亦不容易安排。

於是展開第二個區內活動，是和幾位有心人，註冊成立聯誼會，申請政府資助復辦社區中心。顧人維修清理置傢俬電器，是第一輪工作，已經完成，沒有太大難度。

現在開始使用，定期有晚間村民聯誼活動，日間有小朋友興趣班，反而細碎工作頗多，適時開關場地、安排飲品食物、事後清潔、定期檢查火警鐘走火通道等等，要有足夠義工服務，才容易處理。

看他們沒有什麼怨言，相信運作順利，是樂於花時間的細藝，亦找到朋友圈子，利己惠人。

North Wales trip

 

深秋，約英國友人在Wales 北部見面，大家駕車三個多小時，分別是我們要加上乘輪船的時間，時間長但不辛苦。

 

 

 

那區的主要景點是十三世紀的Caernarfon 古堡，和明媚山水。

 

古堡外牆和高塔大致完好，可以走窄小圓轆的樓梯上落，沿着牆內牆游走各個塔和主建築，心中想到好容易迷路，卻是玩捉迷藏好地方。

 

 

 

雨水多，河水翻滾而流，秋色和聲浪都精彩。

Glutinous veg pancake

Everyday I harvest small quantity of different veg for the meals, the easiest is to stir-fried to make a decent dish. This one have smoked mackerel for the protein part, after stir-fried to softern all veg, mix in glutinous flour water batter to make a crispy on the outside and glutinous inside pancake.

Home grown veg

Very pleased to still have harvest from the garden, the first time so late into the season. Mainly because of abnormally poor harvest during summer, hence re-sow a lot of veg during end July, not what I used to do in the past.

Most of them (spinach, stag horn plantain, mizuno, butter lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, gold and red beetroot, pea, red and purple carrots ) germinated and growing well. Together with existing tomato, aubergine and bean plants, providing a continuous supply of home grown veg.

Full Irish breakfast quiche

Went to Ballybunion for a walk along the coast, and found a coffee shop for a simple lunch. This quiche looks great and is tasty, with egg, bits of sausage, black pudding, bacon, mushroom and tomato. First time to see this creation and a good idea, piping hot, and no need to eat a lot of bread.

Squid and pork patties

The squid legs and fins are used in a separate meal, mix with minced belly pork and chopped fine scallion, season with salt, white pepper and chilli sauce. 

Formed into balls then flatten, place a leg on top for visual effect. Brush with oil and bake at 180˚C until cooked through, around 20 minutes. Serve with mustard diluted with fresh cream sauce.

Deep fried squid

Ordered fresh Irish squid, turns out to have only 2 for a kg, pretty good size and thick meat. It is wet and cold outside and the thick body is good to have it deep fried, wonderful comfort food, even though I rarely do deep frying.

Just dredge in flour mixed with seaweed flakes, for the colour effect and a mild flavour. Worked well, though not as crispy as a proper batter, squid is tender and tasty. The red sauce is a quick mix of raspberry coulis, cider vinegar and soy sauce.

Wild deer

 一直知道愛爾蘭樹林內野鹿很多，且在瘟疫期間因為少獵殺而數量大增。

野鹿和野山羊，數量過多，是生態平衡的破壞者，因為不似放牧的牛羊，只吃青草和嫩葉，鹿和山羊，並不擇食，所到之處，可以把所有草根、樹苗、嫩樹皮吃過清光，成就不少光禿山頭。

然而，有獵人捕殺，卻又不常在餐廳、市場上見到，知道自然又是因為本地人不愛吃也。

最近經人介紹，終於在附近找到獵人，且是一盤小生意，有屠房、冷藏櫃，包裝出售，有四名工人的公司。

八成出口英歐，其餘供應本地餐廳，有野鹿外，尚有野山羊、野鴨和野鴿。

買了一整條小鹿背脊骨連肉，十五歐羅一公斤，若由他們切下作肉扒出售，就要付三十五歐羅。鹿肉出名的少油脂，肉色深氣味強烈，下了很多胡椒粉和五香粉辟味，燒烤、焗至剛好，肉質細𡟹綿密似鴨胸肉軟嫩可口，煮後氣味亦沒那麽濃。

野外生物吃的是各種天然植物，有不同的營養，又環保又有口福，何樂而不為。

Wild Mayard duck

Finally found a hunter of duck, wood pigeon, pheasant and deer who live nearby, and went to see his supply. Quite a small commercial operation with proper butcher area, cold room and packing facility, with 4 people working. 80% went to UK or other European countries, as Irish are not crazy with game meat. The rest to local restaurants. 

He is happy to sell to individual customer in cash and we get the wholesale price. Wild Mayard duck is small and not fatty, good for a meal for 2. 

I seasoned with salt and 5 spices powder, bake at 200˚C for 25 minutes and rested in the oven with the door ajar for another 10 minutes. The breast meat is dark and tender, while the thigh is tough and needs longer cooking/stewing.  Next time I will cook breast and thight separately.

Cider

A good year for apple, meaning I have to think of ways to use them up. The best liked variety for eating is Cox Orange pippin, good sweet sour balance. The other three trees planted by previous owner are fine but more on the sweet juicy side. Hence decided to use these sweet ones with excess green cooking apples to make cider.

Simply juice the apples, fill the jar until 3/4 full, add wine yeast for a sure good fermentation. This cider is not going to keep, will start drinking in a couple weeks time as a mild alcoholic apple juice.

Staghorn plantain

Found this green veg from seed catalogue, a perennial veg if it survives winter here. The name is obviously from the shape of the leaves, unusual, even more green after cooking. 

 

Texture is a bit like Chinese chive, on the tough side, better to cut up into short pieces next time.

Wild line caught sea bass

 

野生sea bass 鱸魚，是今年伴侶希望釣到的本地海魚，但尚未成功，這條是附近釣魚人揮杆釣到，但那人並不吃魚，所以大方送人。

魚兒銀光閃閃，體態和骨頭都似三文魚，但魚肉只有些少粉紅色彩，所以仍未被捕殺至滅絕。

鹽醃一晚，放在蔥油上焗熟，肉嫩滑鮮美，但油水不夠多，背脊肉略乾，仍然是上好魚種。

昨晚煮餘下的鱸魚尾，加上拌了橄欖油的蒽碎，用紙包好，焗爐焗廿五分鐘，剛剛好。

 

 

效果似蒸魚，只是沒有添加蒸氣的倒汗水，魚肉濕潤嫩滑，蔥油芳香，執意不下豉油，太搶味，反而吃不到清淡魚鮮滋味。

 

 

 

Gold beetroot

To show off the beauty of gold beetroot and present as a centre dish, I cut them thin and arrange half overlapping on a baking dish. Brush olive oil on top and bake at 180˚C until the edges are golden. 

Enjoy very much the natural sweetness with crispy edges and softer centre.