The Elixir of Life

[johnnytheboy]

There is probably no such thing! But!

What is a delicacy to you? What are the foods / drink you probably don’t eat every day but you consider to die for?


For me,

Merguez sausages cooked over wood coals at night in summer
The first pint of stout in the autumn
Hot smoked anchovies with crisps and pickles in the spring sun
The first port of shooting season
Thinly sliced cold roast beef slightly pink served cold with and horseradish on crusty bread

The most underrated, a huge glass of Bristol cream sherry with a huge ice cube and slice of orange, on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Those things are usually on special days and bring back such great seasonal thoughts.

 

[ONE]

I have developed an unfortunate 'thing' for half decent caviar with the trimmings (egg, mixed onions, sour cream). I cannot afford it really, but on special occasions... If it was a ton a kilo I'd be eating it instead of crisps whenever I fancied a nibble.

Lots of different variations on small plate meals. Thalis, Mezzes, Tapas, Yetsom Beyaynetus (the Ethiopian take on it)

Glass of not too peaty single malt and a single cube of ice.

Homemade basic white bread, toasted, with homemade double salted butter.

Trifle, or just good custard.

Grilled whole sardines.

Scotch Broth

Squab pastilla

Sweet & Sour Pot Noodle

Steak & Kidney pie.

My mum's old recipe of calf's liver fried with onions & green peppers, then tossed in paprika laced yogurt.

I could go on at some length I fear. I love cooking, I love eating. But I'd eat an old boot if it was cooked over open fire.

 

[MartinK9]

Pie.Mash, stewed eels and liqour from Manzes. Luckily they deliver:

M.Manze: Pie and Mash Delivery Service | Since 1902

M.Manze delivers the best pie, mash & eels throughout the UK. Build your unique pie & mash box with our online tool and order it to your door today.

www.manze.co.uk

 

[HillBill]

Tempura prawns... Cooked extra crispy in an air fryer, well dunked in 'The Sauce Shop Pineapple Habanero hot sauce' which isnt hot at all, but... damn...

Spam sausage and beans with brown sauce sarnie from the local butty shop.

Slow cooked, minted lamb shoulder with veg for a Sunday dinner.

Beef short Rib, Slow cooked for 8 hours, with horseradish and a red wine gravy.

Smoked Chorizo, leek and potato soup/stew.

Proper Carbonara.. Probably should have been higher, not that this is in any order... Needs to be proper Guanciale, Only egg, Pecorino cheese and pasta water for the sauce...

Rum.

Chicken liver curry with pea pilau rice. Can only eat it occasionally though... once a month.. due to the high Vit A content. Which kinda sucks.

 

[bobnewboy]

A very good steak and kidney pudding in proper suet pastry. Oh my. Seems to be vanishingly rare these days.

 

[HillBill]

A very good steak and kidney pudding in proper suet pastry. Oh my. Seems to be vanishingly rare these days.

Big fan. Not so simple to find a suitable cooking vessel these days though. Tried various Pyrex offerings... not a fan. Similar for a proper bowl for Classic French Onion Soup... loads of offerings, but nothing with a proper lip to hold the 'crouton' and cheese

 

[HillBill]

The most underrated, a huge glass of Bristol cream sherry with a huge ice cube and slice of orange, on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Those things are usually on special days and bring back such great seasonal thoughts.

Try a 50/50 mix of Sherry/fortified wine, with a strong vintage cider... Henry Westons, Old Rosie... type thing... i was surprised by how palatable it was.

 

[Pattree]

A really good cold pork pie.

Eley’s Pie Shop in Ironbridge make the very best.

 

[TeeDee]

Milk.


I know - not very niche or sexy but damn.... tastes good from cold.

 

[Watch-keeper]

Full English with some horseradish and mustard on the side.
Home baked bread with butter.
Really cold Guinness.
My brother In laws Campfire steak.
My slow cooked pork ribs
And Cognac with Champagne 25/75 mix.

 

[Danceswithhelicopters]

Good smoked salmon , Kerrygold butter with a squeeze of lemon juice on a fresh loaf of Ormeau Road bakery wheaten bread. Washed down with a Guinness.

A fine seafood platter, or fish and chips, but with a bottle of chilled Veuve Cliquot champagne.

A fresh Scottish morning roll, again lashings of Kerrygold butter, a good steak Lorne slice sausage and 2 tattie scones fried in the sausage fat. Washed down with a pint mug of tea, milk and sugar.

 

[Toddy]

Good olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a decent selection of good bread
Seasalt.

Doesn't need anything else

 

[plastic-ninja]

Sashimi : wild salmon, wild sea bass, bream, and tuna.
Big bowl of sushi rice and some pickled ginger & wasabi.
Freshly homebaked bread. 70% wholemeal, 20% rye, 10% strong white.
Good butter and a pile of Maldon salt.
Cumbrian beef tartare, pickles & toast.
Cheeses, too. All of them except processed anything or Gjetost.

 

[HillBill]

Good olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a decent selection of good bread
Seasalt.

Doesn't need anything else

Define good olive oil... for you anyway

I'm a big fan of Spanish Extra Virgin... Greek, Italian... don't have a patch on Spanish... (IMO).

Balsamic... Currently on a 25 year old Gran Reserva... (was probably wine at one time lol) Not cheap though!!

Untitled by Mark Hill, on Flickr

Then... Which will now probably be vinegar, despite being properly stored... I've got this engagement gift.. from a LONG time ago. Been stored correctly... On its side, constant temp (cellar)... Bet this is worth a pretty penny...The bottle is hand painted.

Untitled by Mark Hill, on Flickr

 

[Billy-o]

Desert Island foodstuffs?

Duck fat
Grappa

... I can work out the rest. Well most of it.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Mmmmm.

Chipotle poached egg on a toasted Warburton's pikelet.

Octopus (I cooked a whole one last week and I'm eating a tentacle a day, fried with mushrooms, each day).

Marmite.

 

[HillBill]

Mmmmm.

Chipotle poached egg on a toasted Warburton's pikelet.

Octopus (I cooked a whole one last week and I'm eating a tentacle a day, fried with mushrooms, each day).

Marmite.

Don't you mean crumpet my lil strumpet? You'll be telling me T-Cakes are called rolls or baps or some such shite next...

 

[Keith_Beef]

Don't you mean crumpet my lil strumpet? You'll be telling me T-Cakes are called rolls or baps or some such shite next...

Baps are something very different! Not like teacakes at all!

 

[Damascus]

Pie.Mash, stewed eels and liqour from Manzes. Luckily they deliver:

M.Manze: Pie and Mash Delivery Service | Since 1902

M.Manze delivers the best pie, mash & eels throughout the UK. Build your unique pie & mash box with our online tool and order it to your door today.

www.manze.co.uk

That brings back memories from my youth, pie n mash shop opposite Fulham Broadway tube station, all made on the premises complete with burnt crusts!

 

[EdS]

Desert Island foodstuffs?

Duck fat
Grappa

... I can work out the rest. Well most of it.

I had a very nice 30 year old grappa barrique in the Dolomites the other week.

Dangerously easy drinking