Hello Dear Reader,
Just in case the power goes off later with our Hollywood epic/blockbuster/should have Will Smith in it storm that's predicted, I wanted to make sure I cooked the most expensive item in my freezer in case is was spoiled! Apparently, we're about to get weather that's quite normal if you are in the Caribbean or Florida but we only get about every 25 years!Floods, 80mph wind and disruption has also been predicted so I've cooked lamb and pork to last for two days. I can warm it on top of my woodstove if I have to.
In light of my forthcoming storm, I thought it wise to eat the best meat! I cooked lamb shanks in honey and soy and the effect was simply stunning!
Ingredients -
Leg of lamb/shoulder of lamb or lamb shanks - I had the latter as they are the cheapest.
100ml of soy sauce
100ml of runny honey
100 ml of stock
Combine all of the above and marinade the meat for a few hours. I used the roasting bags that I had left over from Christmas.
I cut the 'spare' part of the bag off so it didn't catch on one of the oven shelves. I also marinaded some pork belly to make 'sticky pork' That marinade will require:
50ml soy sauce
50g of honey
50g of soft brown sugar
heaped teaspoon of dried ginger
2 cloves of garlic - crushed
1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup
Mix well together in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Pour over the belly pork and marinade. This is great eaten cold with salad. It means two slices cut into chunks will easily feed four people.
When you roast the meat in the roasting bags, they swell up and keep all of the moisture and flavour inside. Every hour, I took the meat out of the oven and gave it a very gentle shake.
The end result is meat so tender that I could have carved it with a spoon. I poured the cooking liquor into a sauce pan, mixed 1 tablespoon of corn flour with some water, stirred it through and then stirred it over the heat until it thicken slightly.
I served it with mashed potato and veggies. I was sticky, sweet and had an oriental flavour and would recommend this recipe to anyone.
As ever, because I don't cook on a Monday, we'll be having the same again for supper tomorrow night.
In case anyone is worried, we live on very high ground and we are not at risk from flooding, which I'm sorry to say will happen to quite a few people. I hope everyone battens down the hatches and stays safe and warm tonight and that they tempest passes by without anyone getting hurt.
Over to you, anyone else making storm preparations?
Until tomorrow, unless we have no power?!
Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxx
I've been reading the predictions and it sounds familiar...but I'm in New England, not Old!! I'd be filling every spare water bottle and bucket. Take care. I hope everyone - and their animals - stays safe.
ReplyDeleteRemember to fill your bathtub with water. The water company facilities might be without electricity and the water getting through could be dirty. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Last time we had a storm similar to what you will be getting we were without electricity for four days. There were many without for a week or more. Ours was called "The Hanukkah Eve Storm" because that was when it hit. All those days without power we were below freezing most of the time. I could see my breath in my kitchen. We did have hot water because we have a gas water tank. We stayed in the basement because it was warmer and had a fire in the fireplace. I am not a pioneer for a reason. Good luck and again, prayers.
ReplyDeleteWe're having quite a lot of wind here in Paris but nothing near what you're predicting. It's raining a lot though and the river banks are already very high, yet again ! I don't want to hear about the depletion of the water table any more. Thank God we had such a beautiful summer but my immediate concern is : will my laundry ever dry again ? It's still too warm to switch the heating on and I'm like you, I refuse to have a drier in concern for my electricity bill and the environment !
ReplyDeleteWe've got gales here today, seem to be getting stronger as the day goes on.
ReplyDeleteHope nothing blows away.
hey froogs we are as prepped as we can be. Thanks for the tip Tana 50, going to fill the bath and a bucket, charging our mobiles as we speak. normal wind speed at the mo here in Glos.
ReplyDeleteLets hope it is nothing and fizzles out.
Don't forget to check your soy sauce for gluten! I almost got caught out with that but you can buy gluten free.
ReplyDeleteYour gravy looks delish!!! Will give this a go when we return to cold evenings.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in the storm.
Looking at the BBC weather site it doesn't appear the weather will be quite as bad as predicted here in the south east. But if it is then I have tons of canned food we could eat cold if necessary, but I have both gas and electric methods of cooking so I should be okay...or I'll open up our disused fireplace and cook over an open fire if all else fails.
ReplyDeleteWe are on the south coast and prepared. I have baked and cooked. The boys bought in a huge pile of wood for the wood burner and we will be heating stuff on wood burner if we have too. Baked beans are on special offer and the boys are quite excited about toasting bread the old fashioned way. I have a hand crank sewing machine and my knitting at the ready and the candles etc are placed around the house ready to be lit if we end up with no power. If no power tomorrow we will be playing cards and having good old fashioned fun. I am secretly looking forward to no tv etc. Stay safe everyone. xx
ReplyDeleteStay safe Froogs (and everyone else)! Also, once the storm passes make sure to check on the house you are planning on buying. You want to make sure any storm/flood damage to that one is taken care of quickly. ~ Pru
ReplyDeleteHi, We are right on the south coast (quite literally) and currently still living in the motorhome, so in some ways we are luckier than those in houses - we have three way fridge, roo heater and water heater, a microwave, gas oven and hob with both electric and gas rings as well as the 'leisure battery' which means we have lights even if the mains electric goes off for a few days (as long as we are careful) We have a rechargeable radio and can charge our phones on 12v so have many options. We don't have TV but our laptops are fully charged, although they will only last a couple of hours each so can watch a film if there is nothing else to do! We are in Portsmouth and as at 20.00 the wind is just starting to pick up a bit. I have a nice chicken stew on the hob and gammon joint boiling too. Will be much happier when it is all over tomorrow, but having lived for 6 months on the North Norfolk coast earlier this year we are now more used to windy weather. I was 7 months pregnant during the 1987 storm and that was at night too! Everyone take care and check back in tomorrow evening!
ReplyDeleteYour meal looks lovely, worthy of the most expensive restaurant dish!
ReplyDeleteWe're in Surrey, have moved some garden furniture indoors, and are a little concerned as we have an appointment in Hampshire tomorrow afternoon that is crucial to our US house sale.
Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteThe lamb shanks meal looks absolutely delicious Froogs, as does it all, even though we're coming into our summer season here hubby and I still enjoy this sort of meal once a week despite the warm weather.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you all get through the bad weather okay over there, take care.
Also hope Dolly is feeling a little better too.
we have a HUGE storm hitting us in Alaska right now too! gusts to 80 as well--stay safe!
ReplyDeleteHope you are all ok Froogs! Nothing here yet in Manchester. How long did you roast your lamb for? It looks completely delicious. Stay safe. X
ReplyDeleteVery strong winds here in Essex. Some houses without electric. Heard on the news that some houses in south west are without power also. At least we were forewarned, it could have been a lot worse.
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicious! I live in Florida and yes, we do face bad storms regularly so we try to stay prepared at all times. We even own a generator that will power everything except AC so we can live in our house after particularly bad storms. But I know from past, pre-generator experience, my chest freezer will keep food frozen for 3 days if we don't open it.
ReplyDeleteThat looks yummy. Hope you were ok during the storm. It didn't come up here,just a few heavy rain showers and sun today,so lots of pretty rainbows.
ReplyDeleteTwiggy
How long did you cook the lamb shank?
ReplyDelete