Black fungus

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While walking along the stream, I saw this log full of black fungus, with a greyish bottom, so beautiful. Is this 木耳?

  

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A little stream

After exceptional heavy rain in November and early December, the land around the house is flooded. It is because there is a layer of clay underneath, water stays on the surface, or run down the slope without being absorbed. However, the little stream at the bottom of the hill is full of water, it is the first time I could hear the sound of running water. 

 

Warm oyster and scallop with ham

Warm oyster

Place oysters in steamer for 10 seconds with a little grated ginger, they are not cooked, but slightly warm. Remove ginger before eating, the ginger taste is too powerful. After warming up, the oyster aroma is more pronounced, but less 'sweet' compared with eating cold.

Scallop with ham

Also tried steaming scallop for 10 seconds with some minced ham on top. The aroma of warmed ham is inviting, its saltiness brings out the sweetness of scallop even more.

Lemongrass

Harvested lemongrass that I had planted in spring, each one produces around 4-5 more sticks, a good return.

Mistletoe

This is semi-parasitic plant that absorbs nutrients from its host, usually big tree. Normally one could only see mistletoe from a distance, until some infested the lower branches of a couple of apple trees in my land.

This variety has beautiful white berries that attract birds to come to feed. This will help to pollinate plants around them. In this sense mistletoe increases bio-diversity and should not be considered purely as a pest.

However to safe the old tree, I will have to cut off all the infested branches.

Chorizo style beef sausage

While make the Chinese style cured sausage, I also make a beef sausage with a lot of Spanish paprika (pimenton) :

rough mince beef and pork fat  (1/4 fat)

salt 2% (weight of meat) 

sugar 2%

fennel seed 
grounded black pepper 
brandy 2%
red wine 4% 
pimenton 3% 
Form into sausages, hang in the sun, 4-8days, or in low temperature oven to dry until hard.

To serve, steam for 15 minutes, like Chinese style sausage. Or cut into thick chunks and cook in a little balsamic vinegar, white wine and brown sugar for 10 minutes.  

Roasted lamb with cashew and raisin

1. Sear rolled shoulder/saddle of lamb until brown on all sides, while sweating thinly sliced red onion in the same pan until soft.

2. On piece of baking paper, place a handful of chopped cashew nut and raisin, put seared lamb on top, sprinkle salt, black pepper, a couple tbsp of soya sauce and liqueur on lamb.

3. Twist baking paper to wrap up well, bake at 180˚C, around 15 minutes per 500gm meat. 

Pumpkin soup with roasted coconut

1. Cook thinly sliced red onion until golden, add pumpkin pieces, big pinch of salt, zest and juice of one clementine, and water to cover, simmer until soft.

2. Dry roast desiccated coconut in a pan until golden, stirring all the time.

3. Blend soup and sprinkle roasted coconut just before serving. 

Apple pear cider

In end September, I pressed apples and pears harvested in the garden, to this combined juice, I stirred in wine yeast to start the process of making cider. It was stored in a cool barn for slow fermentation. After two months, it is ready to drink. This cider is like a non-sweet apple pear drink, slightly fizzy, with the alcohol content similar to beer, I guess. 

 

Chinese style cured dry sausage 臘腸

Surprisingly easy to make, very tasty, and I know exactly what is being used- quality meat and seasonings, no preservatives, no colouring.

Roughly mince by machine, or better hand cut into 1/2cm pieces, 1.3kg pork, with around 1/4 fat, I used belly and shoulder meat.

Season with:

15gm salt - 1.2% (of the weight of meat used)

80gm brown sugar- 6%

20gm dark soya sauce -1.6%

50gm wine (1/2 Chinese Rose wine, 1/2 brandy)

 Marinate for a day

This quantity makes around 22 pieces of 20cm long sausages. Hang outside when sunny and hang in 5˚C fridge for the rest of the time until dry, around a week in France with not very strong winter sun. Other people have dried them in 3 days in strong sun, or 1 day at low temperature oven.

To serve, steam for 10 minutes.

Shanghainese style cured chicken 風雞

This cured chicken is only dried until semi hard, the meat is firm but still tender.

 Marinate chicken drumsticks with:

2% salt (of the weight of chicken)

1.7% sugar

3% wine (1/2 Chinese rose wine, 1/2 brandy)

for 3 days in the fridge, turn over every day.

Tie a string on drumsticks, hang outside when sunny and hang in 5˚C fridge for the rest of the time. Ready in 3-7days depending on how sunny and how dry you like them.

To serve, steam for 20 minutes.

Seville orange marmalade

Very surprised to find bitter orange, or Seville orange for sale in the local bio-shop. Bought 2 kg of oranges and made 4.5 litre of marmalade.

 My method of making a really thick marmalade with minimum time in front of the stove:

1. I cut the skin off oranges with a chef knife, trim into roughly 1cm strips and slice thinly. Squeeze juice through a sieve, to collect seeds, into the orange peel.

2. Add 1.5kg of cane sugar to orange peel, mix well and leave to macerate for a day or 2 in the fridge.

3. Put the pulp and seeds into a pan, add 1litre of water, bring to boil, cover with lid and let in cool down.

4. Pass the seeds and pulp thick liquid through a loose sieve, mix residue with a little water and pass again to extract maximum pectin.

5. Mix macerated orange peel and pectin liquid in a vacuum cooking pot, fill to the top with water. Bring to boil, stirring regularly.

6. Place the pot in the vacuum jacket for a day, repeat process if the skin is not totally transparent, adjust sweetness and bottle.

Migrating birds

From December onwards, everyday there are a number of flocks of birds flying pass, in groups of hundreds, cranes, pigeon, geese etc., presumably down south to somewhere warmer. They make a loud flapping noise when they are close to the house.

Sweet potato

I have a good harvest of sweet purple potatoes, each seed potato produced around 10 medium size ones. The intense purple when cooked is very attractive. I usually cut them into chunks or cubes, cook in half an inch of water, with a pinch of salt and a few slices of ginger, until soften and nearly dry, around 15 minutes. 

 To serve as a side dish for a main course, add in some butter or coconut oil, then mix in chopped up salad greens like mache or rocket leaves.

For dessert, add in warmed up coconut milk.

Chayote

Came back from holiday to find chayote (佛手瓜) plant being killed by frost, but it had produced a dozen of fruits. It tasted mild, I used them as a base to bulk up the oxtail stew.