The executive chef of dine by Peter Gordon at SkyCity answers your cuisine questions.
I really like black pudding and would love some suggestions for recipes that include it. I have served it fried until crisp on top of soup, which was good and it got me thinking of other uses.
- Sarah
Slice thinly and bake in a hot oven till crisp and crumble into mash or on pasta. Mix with breadcrumbs to stuff chickens. Dice and add to meat stews for a real richness.
Many recipes using lemongrass suggest one remove the tough outer sheath, then slice it finely and add to a recipe. When I do this, I find even the middle bit is quite stringy and don't seem to manage to get it fine enough by slicing to get rid of the unpleasant texture. Am I doing something incorrectly? The lemongrass is fresh and the stalks quite young as I grow my own, so I can be quite picky.
- Heather Cut
1cm from the base and remove 2-3 sheaths (freeze for stock or lemon cordial later) until the stem looks tender, then finely slice it till it feels fibrous from base end. Freeze remainder as well. Or bash and put in the bath - amazing.
The tomato soup I make throughout winter has the usual garlic, onions, celery, tinned tomatoes, etc. My husband has commented recently that it burns the back of his throat. How do I counterbalance this so that it remains a favourite? Is it better to use acid-free tomatoes or the addition of something?
- Barbara
It may well be the tomato processing has changed - have you swapped brands? Use some canned ones and add unsweetened tomato juice to see if this helps.
We were given some home-killed venison today and among it is venison salami, frozen. I am used to it air-dried and wonder how it can it be resurrected? The woman who gave it to me commented that it had gone slimy on a previous occasion once thawed. Can I pack it in salt, or any other process, to prolong its life once thawed?
- Barbara
Sorry - I'm afraid I have no answer for that. If even the maker doesn't like it, I can imagine it won't be all that great.
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