Random Freemanesque Babblings II: Back to the Futile

[Burnaby49]

So Burnaby is the one that has completely bought up the local supplies of flour and baking essentials... I can't find flour or yeast around here at all. I mentioned previously the shortage of garden seeds and such. I was up at the local farm supply and they mentioned that someone had bought up almost their entire supply of garden seeds - 2600$ worth in one shot. They figured that they were going to corner the market and resell them because the business was going to shut down. The seed hoarder wasn't convinced that shutting down the local supplier of everything required to run a farm in an area entirely dependent on agriculture wasn't in the cards.

I also have at least nine months, possibly a year's supply of toilet paper and paper towels. I buy flour in 10 kilo (22 pound) bags, two bags at a time and have a full freezer I'm now working through. None of this is panic hoarding because of the virus, that's my normal supply of durables, all bought well before coronavirus became an issue. Wife and I are empty-nesters with a decent sized house with a full basement. I hate shopping so when I have to go shopping for items with no shelf life I buy piles of them and stick them in the basement. Once when Sockeye salmon was going really, really cheap because of a massive run that swamped the processing plants I bought almost 300 cans. I wish I had it now.

[Burnaby49]

Now you have me hooked, what is the beef & kidney recipe? Please.

Here you go. Since just wife and me at home I made two smaller pies out of this rather than one large one. It still served for two meals. I have a very good toaster-oven and I baked it in that rather than use the full oven. I also skipped the egg on top.

One change apart from the beer. While I make my own pastry my wife wanted puff pastry. It's too finicky for me to bother with so I used Tenderflake frozen puff pastry dough. It comes in packets of two squares and I found that one square was just the right size for my half-sized pie.

I screwed up on the beer. Wife and I did a 1,500 mile road trip last summer to northern British Columbia. She wanted to see totem poles. My goal was to visit and buy beer from any local craft breweries I could find. One was Jackson's Social Club and Brewhouse in 100 mile House. They had a dark ale I liked and the woman running the place said that she used it for beef stew. So I bought a few cans for that purpose but accidentally ended up drinking them. However the porter worked fine.

Fortnum & Mason Steak & Kidney Pie

Ingredients

Filling

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds cubed topside of beef (Top Round)
1 diced large onion
12 oz cubed beef kidney
10 oz chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 1/4 cup Guiness
1 1/4 cup beef stock
3 bay leaves
1 bouquet garni (thyme, sage & rosemary)

Shortcrust Pastry

225 grams all purpose flour
pinch of salt
150 grams butter
2 beaten eggs
5 teaspoons cold water


1 - Preparing Filling

Melt butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan and fry beef cubes on all sides. Add onion and cook until soft. Transfer to cooking pot. Melt remaining butter in same frying pan then brown the kidney. Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to pot.

Add tomato paste and oyster sauce to residue in frying pan, stir in flour and cook gently for 3 minutes. Pour in Guiness and beef stock and stir until mix thickens. Mix with meat and add bay leaves and bouquet garni.

Simmer in crock-pot for 3 hours.

2 - Making Pastry

Mix flour and salt in bowl and rub in butter. Add one beaten egg and cold water to form firm dough.Knead gently until smooth. Wrap and chill.

3 - Cooking Pie

Transfer meat mix to deep pie dish. Let warm to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out pastry to form crust and make a slit in top of crust to allow steam to vent. Brush remaining egg on crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

[notorial dissent]

Thank you, will give it a try. I never seem to be able to get the kidney taste out of the kidney.

[Burnaby49]

Thank you, will give it a try. I never seem to be able to get the kidney taste out of the kidney.

That's what makes it a steak and kidney pie. I actually put in more kidney than the recipe called for because wife and I both love it. I pan-fry lamb kidney with lamb liver once in a while. Add some onions and it makes a great meal. However, if you don't like kidney, just substitute with more stewing beef.

[eric]

To get the kidney taste out of the kidney:
1. kidney must be very fresh (not from frozen) and from a younger animal;
2. soak the kidney in milk for a few hours, rinse and pat dry;
3. cut up the kidney and try to remove as much as possible the white gristle, membrane, and fats - that's what has the strongest taste.
On another note nearer and dearer to my heart I'm in my annual process of hauling pork into my freezer - not hoarding, just something I do every year at this time. Not one of our own pigs though, supporting local business. Honking big girl, free range supplemented by a diet rich in omega oil, and an unusual large white/duroc/berkshire cross for genetics. I will see tomorrow what some of the bacon from it tastes like compared to my own girls (meishan cross camborough on barley).

[Burnaby49]

The key point;

3. cut up the kidney and try to remove as much as possible the white gristle, membrane, and fats - that's what has the strongest taste.

[notorial dissent]

Thanks.

[rogfulton]

To get the kidney taste out of the kidney:
1. kidney must be very fresh (not from frozen) and from a younger animal;
2. soak the kidney in milk for a few hours, rinse and pat dry;
3. cut up the kidney and try to remove as much as possible the white gristle, membrane, and fats - that's what has the strongest taste.
On another note nearer and dearer to my heart I'm in my annual process of hauling pork into my freezer - not hoarding, just something I do every year at this time. Not one of our own pigs though, supporting local business. Honking big girl, free range supplemented by a diet rich in omega oil, and an unusual large white/duroc/berkshire cross for genetics. I will see tomorrow what some of the bacon from it tastes like compared to my own girls (meishan cross camborough on barley).

My wife says her father used to say boil the piss out of them. He passed before we met, so I have to take her word for it.

[grixit]

The key point;

3. cut up the kidney and try to remove as much as possible the white gristle, membrane, and fats - that's what has the strongest taste.

I've done that a few times, it was a difficult and tedious task. Are there any tricks to it?

My father, who was a good cook and could be very british when he wanted to, made steak and kidney pie sometimes. I only ate it when he skipped the mushrooms, though, i find them nauseating. He made his with both bottom and top crust and it was definitely light and a bit crumbly, not quite flaky.

[grixit]

As for myself, in addition to flour, i bought some Bisquick. I've found that it makes a pretty good pizza in my iron skillet.

[Burnaby49]

The key point;

3. cut up the kidney and try to remove as much as possible the white gristle, membrane, and fats - that's what has the strongest taste.

I've done that a few times, it was a difficult and tedious task. Are there any tricks to it?

My father, who was a good cook and could be very british when he wanted to, made steak and kidney pie sometimes. I only ate it when he skipped the mushrooms, though, i find them nauseating. He made his with both bottom and top crust and it was definitely light and a bit crumbly, not quite flaky.

I cut the kidney down the center lengthwise (top to bottom so two mirror pieces). This exposes the white membrane core with equal amounts on both pieces. Then I cut it out using kitchen scissors. I find this easier than hacking away with a knife.

As far as savory pies go sometimes I make them with one crust, sometimes two. Strictly what you like best.

[longdog]

As for myself, in addition to flour, i bought some Bisquick. I've found that it makes a pretty good pizza in my iron skillet.

When I was in Tesco at the height of the locust season the bread flour had disappeared... Well... All of the flour had disappeared and the only thing left was coarse corn meal. As I had vague recollections of certain parts of the colonies serving "biscuits" made of the stuff with their fried chicken I bought a bag.

I have to admit the whole concept of a "two piece and a biscuit", as I believe it's known, is sheer genius.

I've not tried making "grits" yet. And probably never will.

[longdog]

Found this on Dean "Capacitor" Renshaw's Facebook page.... "Joseph Gregory Hallet is the Messiah & King of England" apparently...

[John Uskglass]

I'm not impressed by that CLC stamp at the top RH. Very cheap looking. I expect more, y'know, majesty from the highest court in the land.

[Pottapaug1938]

How soon before he shows up at Windsor Castle, or Buckingham Palace, and demands to be allowed in?

[longdog]

I'm not impressed by that CLC stamp at the top RH. Very cheap looking. I expect more, y'know, majesty from the highest court in the land.

I'm more concerned about the postage stamps bearing the likeness of our
own dear HMtheQ (gawd bless 'er). Why is it not carrying stamps with the likeness of Messiah/King Joseph The Oneth?

[longdog]

How soon before he shows up at Windsor Castle, or Buckingham Palace, and demands to be allowed in?

Something to do with the truncheons / tasers / hail of bullets that would result I suspect.

It does occur to me that if it were not for the fact that he's clearly mentally ill, and nobody would ever take him seriously, his declaration is almost certainly an act of sedition. Now you sheeple might think the offence was abolished in 2010 but as we all know parliament cannot change common law and so it remains an offence.

[morrand]

Found this on Dean "Capacitor" Renshaw's Facebook page.... "Joseph Gregory Hallet is the Messiah & King of England" apparently...

That appears to be his audition piece for the role of Doctor Bronner. I wish him luck. With phrasing like

The respondents have certified Joseph Gregory Hallett reinvigorating England's Royal Holy Grael Christian Mystery lineage, culminating in the combined knowledge of prophecies come true when Joseph Gregory Hallett was born at Rosh Hashanah on the day of the Mashiach, Christ, Messiah, inherited the title Christ from his great x 10 grandfather Walter Raleigh, pulled the sword from the stone, joined kingdoms and joined time, ... .

(and I promise I didn't make any of that up), I'd say he's a shoo-in.

[grixit]

When I was in Tesco at the height of the locust season the bread flour had disappeared... Well... All of the flour had disappeared and the only thing left was coarse corn meal. As I had vague recollections of certain parts of the colonies serving "biscuits" made of the stuff with their fried chicken I bought a bag.

https://www.food.com/recipe/corn-dodger ... ivity-feed

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Hush-Puppies-I-Allrecipes

[longdog]

https://www.food.com/recipe/corn-dodger ... ivity-feed

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Hush-Puppies-I-Allrecipes

Second one maybe. The first one... Good god no.