Branch out from a solid base
Dunedin cook, travel operator and author Judith Cullen, in lockdown at her home in the Central Otago countryside, has this advice to share.
RESOLVING ourselves to a life at home for weeks has enabled many to enjoy their cooking skills and for some to reinvent themselves in the kitchen.
I am concerned about the shortage of flour to meet the demand of baking going on. I know it’s fun and delicious, but there seems to be an awful lot of sweet goodies being baked and eaten out there and I hope the breakfasts, lunches and dinners are getting the same attention.
I like to create delicious meals, especially making one base dish and from that creating a variety of different meals. The preparation is very easy and from one dish you have the satisfaction of enjoying an assortment of different meals.
In preparation for the lockdown, I bought some of my favourite cuts of meat that require slow cooking — 2kg cross cut blade steak, 500g streaky bacon and two bags of beef bones, plus pork belly slices, lamb shanks, beef cheeks and beef mince.
I love this method of cooking. It is excellent for time management and can be cooking away while you are busy with other activities.
We have more than enough work outside our home to keep us busy while this dish cooks away.
Another bonus is the flavours develop and improve if kept in the fridge for 23 days or transferred into smaller serving sizes in the freezer.
So from my blade steak, bacon and beef bones I have created a variety of meals. Starting with a beef, bacon and mushroom ragout I have created two dinners, four pies (two potato tops, two pastry tops) and I picked the meat off the beef bones and added some ragout sauce and vegetables, making filled pita pockets for lunch.
The beef bones also make beef stock that I can use in my casserole, plus I can store leftovers in the freezer.