Day: 16 December 2018

Tablet

Classic recipe.

Have to hand a sink with a bit of cold water in the bottom, a jam thermometer, an electric beater and a well-greased swiss-roll tin, preferably resting on a trivet.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 1 kg caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 250g salted butter

METHOD:

  • In a large pan, mix the condensed milk, sugar, butter and vanilla. Rinse out the condensed milk tin with a little bit of water, less than half the tinful, and add that to the mixture.
  • Gently heat, whilst stirring, until the sugar has all dissolved and the butter is melted.
  • Keep a track of the temperature with a sugar thermometer. Keep on stirring and cooking, as the tablet begins to take on a brown colour, and is up just past the ‘soft ball’ temperature, around 119 C
  • When the tablet looks right and is the right temperature, take the pan off the heat, cool the bottom of the pan in a sink of cold water. Take your time to put down the spoon and the thermometer.
  • Beat the tablet as it starts to cool, until the surface starts to lose its shine. If you test the texture on the beater wires, it should begin to thicken and look slightly velvety.
  • While it is still hot, pour it into the greased swiss roll tin.
  • Leave to cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then score into squares. When it is completely cool (usually much later) turn it out and break into squares.

I like tablet with coffee.

Goose Stroganoff

First of the wild goose recipes. I adapted this trom a recipe in Francis Bissell’s book, The Organic Meat Cookbook. The technique of slicing the goose meat into tiny strips and flash-frying them is a good one, and transferrable to other experiments, I think.

I used the breast meat of a fairly young tender goose. You can estimate the tenderness of the goose by trying to tear the webs – younger geese have softer webbed feet.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 goose breast, around 400g
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 x 25g butter
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 150ml double cream
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • Grate of nutmeg
  • 60g linguine, fettuccine or pappardelle per person

METHOD:

  • Slice the goose breast into thin strips, about 5cm long and max 1cm across. Season with salt and pepper, and a grate of nutmeg.
  • Heat 25g of butter in a heavy skillet or similar, and fry the strips of goose meat for a few minutes only, until well-browned. Only fry a handful of strips at a time. Put them in a colander on a plate when done. The goose meat should be underdone on the inside.
  • In the same pan, add the next lot of butter and gently fry the chopped onion until soft.
  • Add the wine, and simmer until reduced to a third.
  • Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil, ready to cook the pasta.
  • When the wine has reduced, put the pasta on to cook for 8 minutes.
  • Add the cream to the wine and onion in the pan, and season with salt and pepper, and gently cook, to reduce the sauce further. Very gently.
  • When the sauce is thick and the pasta is nearly done, add 2 tsp lemon juice to the pan, and stir in the meat. Check the seasoning.

Serve the Stroganoff and noodles garnished with chopped parsley.

The perfect wild goose chase

In the Hebrides, we have a problem with greylag geese eating the grass on the machair. Occasionally there are goose culls, and we have goose in the freezer. I’m on a quest to find the best wild goose recipes. The last recipe, for goose stew with barbeque sauce was not good.

Please send your favourite wild goose recipes by typing into the comments box. The best versions will get posted here, and credited to you (if I know your name).