Balinese Chicken Satay Skewers – Repost from 2017

categories: Bali, Chicken, Travel

Okay, so I was planing on giving you the next instalment of The A-Z of Cooking this week. But, my plans went awry in much the same way as my life seems to be going awry. So Balinese Chicken Satay Skewers it is! Not that I’m complaining (and nor should you be) because I know what is coming up next from the A-Z and believe me, even though I haven’t made it yet? I strongly feel that we are onto a winner, winner chicken dinner with the Balinese Chicken Skewers.

I love chicken satay skewers and have been making these regularly since my return. The recipe provided below is based on the one we learned at Ketut’s Bali Cooking Class in Ubud. Sadly it is not as good. Possibly because it is not cooked in an open air kitchen overlooking rice paddies and cooked over coconut shells:

Nor were the spices hand ground in the traditional way:

Also, the Balinese have about forty types of ginger and here, we have one. However, whilst these won’t absolutely transport you to Bali, they are utterly delicious! How could it not be? I am a big fan of pretty much any meat on a stick. Here, the marinated chicken remains tender and juicy after grilling

And the spicy peanut sauce is a perfect accompaniment. I bought a tiny terracotta Balinese grill, however, I cooked these in the oven. I really like my terracotta friend though!

Here he is again!

Ketut suggested that you serve your chicken satay skewers with white or yellow rice. In the first photo above, I served mine the way my Malaysian friend Aiden serves his – with a very simple salad of cucumber and red onion. Simply stab the tip of the skewer into the cubes of cucumber and onion and then into the sauce. So good!

My favourite way of eating these is in a wrap (more traditionally a roti) with some tomato, cucumber, onion and coriander salad and sprinkled with extra peanuts!

Just looking at these photos is making me want to make them again, right now! So, here’s the recipe!

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Balinese Chicken Satay Skewers

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Perfectly grilled chicken and a spicy peanut sauce is a match made in heaven!

Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale

For The Skewers

500g chicken breast

For The Marinade

3 tbsp chopped shallots
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp sweet soy sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For The Peanut Sauce

300g peanuts
3 cloves of garlic
4 shallot cloves
2 tbsp palm sugar
1 tbsp red chilli (more / less to taste)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp ginger

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Instructions

For The Chicken

Mix the marinade ingredients together.
If using wooden skewers, soak these in water to prevent them burning.
Cut the chicken into cubes and marinate 15 minutes.
Thread onto skewers.
Grill until browned and cooked through, basting with the leftover marinade.

For The Peanut Sauce

Fry the peanuts until golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Drain off most but not all of the oil.
Grind the chillies, garlic, shallots, palm sugar and ginger in a food processor or mortar and pestle until they form a paste. Add the peanuts and grind to a paste again.
Place the peanut paste into a pan. Add the chicken stock and coconut milk.
Add the sweet soy to taste.
Bring to the boil.
Simmer until thick and season with salt and pepper.
Add the lime juice to taste.

Have a wonderful week! I’ll be back, next week possibly with something quixotic and quaint that hopefully will not leave me feeling too queasy!

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05
Feb
2017

REPOST – Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Podcasts + A Giveaway

categories: Cocktail, Podcasts, Vodka

Hey people of the internet..I know, it’s been a while… it’s been a pretty shitty start to the year.

My step father passed away a couple of weeks ago and it’s been a horrible, weird, grief filled couple of weeks. Maybe I’ll talk about it more in time but at the moment….it’s still all a bit too raw. I had written most of this post on the Peter Piper cocktail before all the shit got real. So, here it is, pretty much unedited because I just want to get something out to resume some semblance of normality….

Don’tcha just love it when ~~two~~ three of your favorite things come together in a perfect storm of awesomeness? Of course you do! Which is how I came to find the Peter Piper cocktail.

The original Peter Piper Cocktail comes from a recipe by Georgia Hardstark and Alie Ward. So, here are some things you need to know about Georgia Hardstark.

She can make a mean cocktail
She loves vintage clothes
Along with Karen Kilgariff she is the host of one of my favorite new podcasts, My Favourite Murder

One of which would be reason enough to like her. All three combined? OMG….massive girl crush!

Also, here are some things you need to know about the Peter Piper cocktail. Actually, no just one.

The original recipe requires dry vermouth. Do not assume that just because you had dry vermouth the last time you made a cocktail, that you will still have dry vermouth. More specifically, do not wait until you have your vodka on ice in the damn cocktail shaker to realise that the dry vermouth has either disappeared into some Bermuda Trianglesque worm hole surrounding your bar cart or you drank a damn sight more of those Lord Suffolk cocktails on NYE than your memory has so far allowed you to admit. My money’s on the worm hole. Because you know, a lot of things go missing from that area of the dining room. And the stuff that is left? The levels also mysteriously change. Spooky..

Also, the girls used pepper vodka, I made my own chilli infused vodka and used that. That is super easy to make – I just chopped up a Bird’s Eye Chilli and put it into a 100ml jar filled with vodka and left it for about a week. And there you have it. Spicy vodka, perfect for mixing with pickle juice, and because you have no dry vermouth, a splash of Fino sherry. With a kick of heat from the vodka, briny sour from the pickle juice, a hint of sweet and nuttiness from the sherry….the Peter Piper is truly a thing of beauty! Perfect to drink with some salty chips whilst listening to your favourite podcast!

As far as I am concerned one of the best things to come out of 2016 for me was a new found love for the podcast. I have always been a big pod listener but l feel that last year raised the bar. So, whilst we sip our Peter Piper’s I’m going to take you through my Top 5 of the pods I discovered and loved in 2016.

These are vaguely in order of my discovery of them and not necessarily my love of them. Except the first three are probably also my top three in terms of love too.

1. The Black Tapes

It’s kinda X Files with loads of creepy children, music that will make you die within a year of hearing it, missing wives, and villain who looks like a Sexy James Bond. Not to mention evil monasteries and people having their faces ripped off.

Start with: You really need to listen to these in order. Start with S1, Episode1.

Standout Episode: The creepy knocking on Alex’s sleep tape gave me chills

2. Tanis

What have I not already said about my love for Tanis. (Brought to you by Pacific North West Stories who also produce The Black Tapes?).

Oh yeah – Both The Black Tapes and Tanis have been on hiatus for a while but The Sandy Island episodes which are for Patreon subscribers only? Totally amazing and made me fall in love with Tanis all over again. Also see my Tanis inspired cocktail posts:

Here for the Eld Fen Martini

Here for the Navigator

Here for the Sex on The Breach

Start With: As with The Black Tapes you need to listen to this in order

Standout Episode: I really liked S1 E3, The Girl in The High Tower which touched on the death of Elisa Lam. And anything with Geoff Van Sant. Or MK. So all of them.

3 My Favourite Murder

Who thought a podcast about murder could be hilarious? Well, let Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff change your mind. And just in case you are wondering, never disrespectful about the victims. They may not be the best researched of all the true crime pods that I will list but they are by far my favourite. I love these gals!

And OMG, the memes that have come out of this. From the catch cry “Stay sexy, don’t get murdered” to “You’re in a cult, call your dad” to “Here’s the thing, fuck everyone”

Don’t Start With: The Canadian Greyhound Bus Cannibal. This one scared the crap out of me. I was almost too scared to go on public transport for weeks after listening to this one!

Start With:The Alphabet Killer. This is absolutely what fascinates me about these things. No spoilers but how did that thing become his thing? Also the one on Israel Keyes. He looks like a guy you would see at a beachside pub wearing a polo shirt and boat shoes and talking too loudly to his bros. Not a serial killer, rapist, bank robber and arsonist. The Israel Keyes episode also spawned the now famous rules of hiking:

Go in packs of five
With knives
With fucking Rottweilers
With knives taped to your hands
And knives taped to your Rottweilers
And then just tons of guns
And just start shooting at any sound you hear
Anyone who fucking approaches you – shoot them

Other: They also have the best fan made merch. I just ordered one of these “Stay sexy, don’t get murdered rings” off Etsy. I feel it’s my version of the WWJD bangle.

4. Casefile

This is also true crime but from Australia. And if MFM is entirely personality driven, Casefile is the facts ma’am just the facts. The host is even anonymous. This is not exclusively Australian content but there is a lot of it on here, proving that when it comes to nutters and psychopaths, we can certainly hold our own with the rest of the world!

Start With: Peter Falconio. I remember this case so well. I also remember how they demonised his poor girlfriend in the media.

Standout Episode: Snowtown. OMG. Find out what happens when a group of people who individually were only ever going to be losers and fuck ups meet up. Spoiler – it ends with bodies in barrels.

In Adelaide.

Of course.

5. The Sofa King Podcast

These guys started following me on Insta so I gave their pod a listen and have not stopped. It’s a mix of true crime, cults, conspiracies, mysteries, and things that go bump in the night.

Start with: Their take on Dahmer. Because no one else will tell you that they found a painted preserved penis in his work locker. For real.

Standout Episode: The 411. This is about people going missing in National Parks. I laughed so hard whilst listening to this that I had to pull my car over to the side of the road because I was no longer capable of driving. Believe me, you will never see Gary Coleman in the same light!

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Peter Piper Cocktail

Print Recipe

A delicious savoury cocktail

Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale

125ml chilli / pepper vodka
60ml pickle brine
Splash fino sherry or dry vermouth
Cornichons, pickled jalapenos, green olive to garnish

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Instructions

Add the vodka, pickle brine and sherry to a shaker filled with ice.
Shake it like a polaroid picture.
Pour into 2 glasses and garnish with a sliced cornichon, a green olive and a pickled jalapeno.
Enjoy!

Okay, so I have a couple of 1990’s magazines and a 1990’s cookbook on pasta and risotto, all from my personal collection to share with readers. Point me in the way of your favourite podcasts or let me know if you share my faves and these can be yours! Leave a comment here, on Facebook or Instagram or tweet me.

Have a wonderful week! And give someone you love a big hug….

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06
Jan
2017

Lord Suffolk Cocktail – (Repost from 2017)

categories: Cocktail, Cointreau, Gin

Top of the list of my New Year’s Eve libations this year was a cheeky little cocktail called the Lord Suffolk.

Featured in the classic Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930, the Lord Suffolk is a gin based cocktail and believe me, it is deeelicious!!!! It’s so good!

On top of the gin you have herby notes from vermouth, citrus from Cointreau and a nutty flavour from Maraschino liqueur.

This will however knock you flat if you have more than one though so go easy!

I’ve included a cautionary tale via some dating tips from the 1930’s to guide you in the correct etiquette of dealing with the Lord Suffolk so why not make yourself one, sit back, sip up an enjoy!

First Impressions

Him: Is that a nip I see before me? Mummy warned me about loose non-brassièred women like you. Must. Avert. Eyes. OMG, you’ve also got cankles!

Her: Calm down, that’s just my wrinkled stockings.

Pre – Date Chit Chat

Her: I wish I could just tug my girdle around a little bit. I feel it’s making me sit awkwardly. Good thing I have a jawful of Stay Calm Chewing gum or I’d be ready to bury an axe in your boring AF head.

Him: If you snap your gum at me one more time, I’m going to strangle you with my pristine white handkerchief. And BTW you sit like a truck driver with elephantiasis of the testicles. It’s making me weirdly horny.

Out and About

Him: Mummy gave me that hankie. She washed and ironed it specially for me, and now it’s RUINED, you harlot!

Her: If only this was the 21st century where the object I am holding would be a mobile phone and not a compact. I could

a) send a selfie to my bestie asking her if she thinks I should have worn a brassière tonight and,

b) ask her to call me to say she’s had a girdle tugging emergency and needs me to come immediately.

One Lord Suffolk Later

Her: This is the best drink I’ve ever had. Let’s go dance one of those new-fangled jitterbugs!

Him: You know, you’re not so bad after all. Waiter, another round of these delightful Lord Suffolk cocktails!

The Dance Floor

Her: You put the boom-boom into my heart, You send my soul sky high when your lovin’ starts
Jitterbug into my brain, Goes a bang-bang-bang ’til my feet do the same. (RIP George Michael!)

Him: STFU! How do you expect me to concentrate on perfecting my moves like Jagger when your incessant idiotic ramblings prevent me from hearing the beat? And whose hat is that?

Two Lord Suffolk’s Later

Her: I love you Lord Suffolk, you’re my best friend.

Him: I hate you. And whose fucking hat is that?

Three Lord Suffolk’s Later

Her: Zzzzzzzz

Him: Dear Mummy, you were right, all women are drunken sluts…

Random Double Breasted Suit Wearing Stranger: My hat! Mamma Mia!! What has she done to my hat?

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Lord Suffolk Cocktail

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Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale

5/8 Gin – I used Beefeater
1/8 Italian Dry Vermouth*
1/8 Cointreau
1/8 Luxardo Maraschino
Lemon Peel to garnish

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Instructions

Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a strip of lemon peel.

Notes

*The original recipe used sweet vermouth. I tried with both sweet and dry and preferred the dry. Use your preference.

Have a great week and whatever you do, keep your dignity. And don’t tug your girdle.
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26
Dec
2016

Consider The Mutton Curry

categories: Curry, England, Lamb

Today we are taking a huge step back in time and heading back to the time of gas lamps, hansom cabs and thick London fogs. How nice then in this cold inhospitable atmosphere to pop into the Oriental Club for a spicy mutton curry to warm your cockles on a cold winter’s night! Just think, Arthur Conan Doyle could have tucked into this curry as he pondered the intricacies of the first Sherlock Holmes story.

And now you can too!

Our mutton curry comes from 1861 from The Oriental Club’s chef, Richard Terry who made use of the ingredients from the first Asian grocery warehouse in London to recreate a curry recipe he had learned from Indian cooks. It is also indicative of Britain’s and Briton’s long-lasting love of curry!

This is certainly not a curry in a hurry! There are several parts to making this, which is time-consuming but if you have the patience, it is well worth the effort. Also, whilst the original recipe called for mutton, I used lamb. I could not find mutton anywhere – not even dressed as lamb. Funnily enough though, my mum says that in Sri Lanka when any recipe called for lamb or mutton, what they actually used was goat so use what you can get.

First up, you need to roast up some spices to make a curry powder. This will make more than you need for one curry so you will have supplies if you want to make this again or you can use it in other curries.

One thing that is strange about this curry is that you not only need a curry powder but also a curry paste.

Whilst we’re roasting and grinding those spices, let’s talk Sherlock! I am a HUGE fan of the BBC series with Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Andrew Scott because who doesn’t love a bad boy right? And I am over the moon excited to see Series 4. Tom Hiddleston! Colin Farrell! This series is going to be AWESOME!

Now, a very weird thing about this curry paste is that it contains lentils which you grind up. I have never heard of this technique before but…hey, if it’s good enough for the The Duke of Wellington, who was the President of the Oriental Club back in the day, it’s good enough for me! The genius stroke is that they help to make the gravy lovely and thick.

Mutton curry (maybe even one based on this recipe!) features as a clue in a Sherlock Holmes story. In The Adventure of Silver Blaze, which not only contains the phrase”Consider the mutton curry,” the title of this post but also “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time”, a mutton curry is doused with powdered opium, putting the stable boy meant to be guarding the race horse Silver Blaze into a stupor and hence rendering him unable to do his job.

The paste mix will also make more than you need for one curry but will keep in the fridge for months.

Sadly, Sherlock Holmes may not have been a fan of curry. At least not according to the 1946 film, Terror by Night. This however is not based on a Conan Doyle story so this is open for debate. Terror By Night is also available for free download here. Personally, I think Sherlock would have been a fan of this mutton curry…with or without a garnish of powdered opium.

The 19th Century Mutton Curry was delicious, dark and spicy, thanks to those lentils, the gravy was lovely and thick and the meat was tender. This was a winner! And hey, I’ve got paste and powder left so I’ll definitely be making it again!

Best served with an ice-cold beer! Whilst watching Series 4 of Sherlock!

Any leftovers? A curry jaffle is THE best hangover food known to man. Just sayin’. Tis the season after all!

Oh and by the way, the Oriental Club still exists and curries still feature on the menu. I am adding to the list for a trip to London next year!

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19th Century British Mutton Curry

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A delicious mutton curry from the days of The Raj, Queen Victoria and Sherlock Holmes!

Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale

19th Century British Curry Powder

2 tbsp ground turmeric
5 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp ground cloves

19th Century British Curry Paste

4 tbsp whole coriander seeds
2 tbsp yellow split peas
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 whole cumin seeds
1 tbsp whole brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
120ml cider vinegar
6 tbsp corn, peanut or olive oil

Curry

675g bones lamb, cut into 2.5cm cubes
2 tbsp 19th Century British Curry Powder
1 tbsp 19th Century British Curry Paste
200g onions, peeled and finely chopped
4 tbsp corn, peanut oil or ghee
3/4 – 1tsp salt

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Instructions

For The 19th Century British Curry Powder

Combine all the ingredients in a jar. Mix. Cover with a tight lid.
Store away from heat and sunlight.
Makes 7 tablespoons.

For The 19th Century British Curry Powder

Put the coriander seeds, split peas, peppercorns and cumin into a medium cast iron frypan and set on medium heat. Stir and roast until the split peas are reddish, the coriander has turned a shade darker and all the spices begin to give off a roasted aroma.
Empty them into a bowl and allow to cool.
Put the roasted spices and the mustard seeds into a spice grinder or food processor and grind as finely as possible. Place in a bowl.
Add thee turmeric, cayenne pepper, ginger, salt, sugar, garlic and vinegar.
Stir to mix.
Pour the oil into a small non-stick frying pan and set over a medium heat.
Add the spice paste.
Stir and fry for around 5 minutes or until it browns slightly.
Cool, then empty into a jar.
Cover tightly and refrigerate until needed.

For The Curry

Put the oil or ghee in a heavy, wide, lidded pan. Set it over a medium high heat.
When the oil is hot, stir in the onions and fry them until they are lightly browned.
Add the curry powder and curry paste.
Stir a few times then add the meat and half the salt.
Stir and fry for a few minutes until the meat is coated in the spice mix.
Cover and reduce the heat to low.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 600ml water and increase the heat/ Bring to the boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for an hour until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick.
Season to taste and serve.

Notes

If the sauce is not thick enough, remove the lid and let it boil down.

Have a great week! Enjoy your holidays if you are on them, enjoy Sherlock S4 if you are watching. Let me know if you are, we can compare notes after!

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24
Dec
2016

Choc Ripple Christmas Wreath – Repost from 2016

categories: Holidays

Still looking for a quick and easy dessert to make for Christmas Day? Look no further than my Chocolate Ripple Christmas Wreath! It’s also as pretty as a picture and delicious to boot!

Making this could not be easier. Get a pack of plain chocolate biscuits, whip up some cream. Add a hefty splash of booze – I chose amaretto but you could use limoncello or Baileys or Kirsch, whatever you have or like. Add a large spoonful of icing sugar into the cream and stir through.

Then sandwich your biscuits together with the cream mixture and shape into a wreath.

Don’t worry too much about getting the shape perfect at first. Once you have the general shape you can push the biscuits together to make a neater circle. Then cover the top and sides with the remaining cream mixture.

Pop this into the fridge for a few hours to set. Then decorate – I used cherries, blueberries, strawberries and mint leaves.

Wow! Has anyone else felt that 2016 was a tumultuous year? I am so glad to be coming to the end of it. I am exhausted and looking forward to the break. No work for me until 6 January so I have a lot of time for some much required r&r.

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Choc Ripple Christmas Wreath

Print Recipe

A quick, easy and delicious festive dessert.

Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale

1 pack plain chocolate biscuits
500ml thickened cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp Amaretto or liqueur of your choice
Cherries, berries and mint leaves to decorate

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Instructions

Pour the cream into a large bowl and beat until firm peaks form. Add the Amaretto and icing sugar and fold through.
Spread each biscuit with approximately 2 teaspoons of the cream and sandwich together. Form into a wreath shape.
Cover with the remaining cream and place in the fridge to set for four hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, garnish with cherries, berries and mint leaves.

Wishing you all the very best for the Festive Season! I hope it’s wonderful however you choose to celebrate.

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