Good Scotch Egg

 

What makes a good Scotch egg? I think first of all egg has to be runny when finished, it is a pleasure to see runny yellow egg yoke when you cut in the middle, surround by the firm egg white and sausage  meat. 

I have tried my new recipes with this delicate quail eggs , it is so difficult to shell off  without making a whole on egg white when you boil only just about 1 minute.

Since famous chef, Michelin 1 stared pub, served quail  Scotch egg , Scotch egg has reinvent itself Some chef has made  with ground prawns, I've tried this recipe, delicious!! I do make usually Christmas time. They are very good at festive season drinks party.
Some does with smoked salmon, not dare to try, it would be so expensive.(  not only too expensive and I love smoked salmon just as it is with dill & capers)

Time to time we have lunch at Bray, pub ( owned by most famous chef in U K and made quail Scotch egg famous) with friends who lives in Surrey, we always have quail Scotch egg and move on to Oxtail & Kidney pudding ( very good) with triple chips .
But unfortunately, last week our Quail Scotch egg was awful, specially egg yoke.
was not there at all . I thought I could make a perfect one why this 1 Michelin stared pub's chef can not ?? After all it is a their signature dish.
I have tried waiter's attention but failed and I do not  like to fuss or delay our friend's meal. Well, it was very disappointing. having said that, I should have showed my egg and sent back.
After all we paid a good money for the meal.

I do make with seasoned rice Scotch egg, more like Korean fried rice. it has received very well from my family, and is delicious.   I am going to put in my Korean cookery book. ( if I can find willing publisher and an agent, soon)



 

Traditional Scotch Egg 

My new recipe Oriental Scotch Egg

 

Choseok (Lunar Thanks Giving Day (추석)) Meal

Today, 19th of Sept. 2013, is Chuseok ( Lunar Thanks Giving Day) in Korea, I do miss this Korean Chuseok always. Family gathering , delicious special food and ceremony for our ancestors and feast!!  never red spicy food in this feast because red colour is associate with devil , this story was told from my dad when I was child. and have to open the door during the ceremony because our ancestors' ghost has to enter the house and have the feast made for them. what a lovely tale!!!

I have tried this ritual ceremonial feast every year some how I could not manage the same as I had in Korea. But still I am trying for 33years, adding salted sea bream makes a such difference. I nearly made as our family feast in Korea, this year.

This year Chuseok meal is simple, made namul ( seasoned vegetable) with bean sprout and spinach, prawn and spring onion stuffed dumplings ( mandu), baked sea- bream with ginger and spring onion.

 Baked fish: sprinkled sea salt ( 2tsp per fish) and put in the fridge for a night, wash off salt and bed with soring onion and thinly sliced ginger, and add 2 tbsp of water and baked in the oven ( cover with foil), when fish is lightly salted , the texture is firmer and delicious. My family in Korea does steam with fresh hay under the fish , I loved this hay flavoured fish,  salty ( just enough ) and with rice and namul.
I decided to cook in the oven, it was a success, luckily. we all enjoyed .

Being a Anglo Korean House, I have to add fig and Parma ham salad with roasted red pepper and smoked salmon.
As usual I made bulgogi but not thin beef as usual, slightly thicker and used skirt beef , it was so tender and add more flavour.

It was simple but delicious Anglo Korean Chuseok meal .




bean sprout and spinach namul

fig and Parma ham salad

baked salted sea bream with ginger



prawn dumplings with dipping sauce
 

Korean food in London

 

Spicy Squid

Finally The Times said the fashionable Food in UK is Korean Food! at the moment.  I was waiting for this statement for some years now, It was an inevitable foodie's choice I think. 
London foodies and public regarded south Asia foods are their choice of fashionable foods, specially PHO, Vietnamese soup.  tourist from UK were in love with this special soup.

As a Korean food writer and running Korean cookery, I 've noticed the popularity of Korean food among 30 something generation more than 5 years ago as same time, Korean drama and Korean movie are popular in South Asia and Australia.

I remember sending an email to The Times food writer more than 3 years ago ,saying ( bravely  or foolishly) The Times food section ought to cover Korean food but surprisingly  the food writer replied that he had visited New Malden , Korean cook's house , experienced Korean Home Cooking and write soon, but never did ( perhaps his boss did not like ) .
Since then  Restaurant critic ( The Times)  had review on Saturday Times but he just said, Dinning Korean food is as a cheap and cheerful experience and some good flavours in Korean food, not much special.
Well. if more than 40 Korean restaurants are in London, it says something!

But the chef created on The Times was too modern for my liking. Chef may thought, introduce Korean taste slowly, gently and move on to more  stronger taste.( I hope)

In my experience all my Cookery students are very keen to lean more gutsy Korean food such as Kimchi ( Baechu  ( Chinese cabbage)kimchi), Kimchi pancake, Pajeon, bulgogi, Stone bowl bibimbab, Specially kimchi jjige, Spicy squid, Bo Ssam are their firm favourite .

Bo Ssam

Stone bowl bibimbab

Kimchi seems  a star of Global fermented food now as general fermented foods are getting a lots of notice from chefs and food writers as a healthy food. Even I had approached by Food historians ,they all seemed like to know about kimchi and kimchi making for their book on World Fermented foods.

Kimchi rice

kimchi jjige

Hope Korean Government siege this opportunity make Korean food firmly on the world food map!!
As I firmly believe the food trend is jut like fashion world, it comes and goes all the time.
Should not miss this chance!!





 



Korean Cookery in September

Beef Bulgogi stuffed with shiso leave/

 

August month is my Korean cookery free month, but I made an exception to do one cookery for very keen sisters from Glasgow.
Since I and family stay put at home in August, it was rather pleasurable to do cookery.
Class menu was, 1.Seafood pancake, 2. Stone bowl bibimbab and 3. Kimchi stew. Kimchi stew is not go well the others but they love kimchi so much and asked to specially.

Made kimchies, today  1, white radish ( kakkakdugi), 2. cabbage kimchi ( baechu kimchi) .  3. Radish water kimchi ( Dongchimi)

Baechu kimchi needs at least a whole day to make, salting ( brine) needs at least 3-4 hours, make stuffing and  finally making kimchi . It is a time consuming process, can not  be rushed .
Using good sea salt is very important to brine, never use fine ,cheap table salt, always Sea Salt!!

My September Saturday Korean Cookery Dates are :  14th, 21st, 28th.

By the way I am looking for the venue in London to do kimchi talk and workshop, tell you about many kind of kimchi and  recipes , how can use kimchi to do other dishes so on.  If you have a place do let me know. 



Baby radish kimchi

Radish kimchi ( kakkdugi)

Stone bowl bibimbab



Cabbage kimchi ( baechu kimchi)

 


Kimchi stew



 

The Beatles, Cavern , Chagall . Fish & Chips at Liverpool

You, readers might think this blog is a very odd combination.
 Since we moved to England, I meant to visit Beatles City, Liverpool but never had a chance , finally I had an excuse to visit, the Beatles, city, Liverpool , Chagall  exhibition is on at the Tate , Liverpool.
I and Cristina arrived station about midday, walk down to Albert Dock, It was much better than I expected I knew ,city council made  promenade with strong looking red brick buildings are nicely arranged around old harbour.
Get into the Tate Modern, Chagall exhibition hall, it is much bigger than I thought. familiar soft pastel colour painting with childish dreamy subject , they were so wonderful.
A lots of paintings are I have not seen, his homeland in Russia paintings were very dark , emotionally . I am glad I made this journey.

After seeing exhibition, we were walking around promenade and decided have Fish & Chips for lunch, it seemed so fit in, being in North of England, it was surprisingly good, not best but was good. crispy batter with white cod and chips ( too much chips) and mashed peas, well I felt they are  just right to have in the northern city . it was very good indeed, I think as non expensive café, batter was very nicely done, thin and crispy.

Now, Looking for Cavern, The Beatles hub. since I discovered the Beatles in my young age in Korea through my tiny radio, I was hooked, as it happens, I was one of the very first team , work with EMI & WEA licence holder Korean Record company ( OASIS) in early 1970. We were rare species in the man's business world in Korea then ( we were the first women only managers), sold a lots of Beatles, Eagles albums. Who wouldn't or couldn't?
We were the  new frontier to setting a trend of world music in Korea , have to choose album. song to promote in Korean Market, Good old days!

Paid £2 entrance fee and get into the dark space , finally Fab Four Drum set was on the stage but not the Beatles song , Pink Floyd numbers loudly came out, why not Yesterday, Hey Jude or any ?
Finally my beloved a few the Beatles songs were sang, not good (singing) but it was memorable by sitting in the dark, smelly Cavern, rather enjoyed thinking of our days of young and carefree.
Can not help thinking, if John Lennon is here now.
Here ,this unremarkable dinge dark basement made a history of Pop Music, how cool is it?

We had a good day out in Liverpool, Chagall. The Beatles and even Fish & chips!!



Albert dock, Liverpool



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School cookery lesson ---Young Chefs.

I was meaning to write about cookery lesson in schools as soon as I read the announcement from Education Secretary, I was very pleased to hear that U K Government finally realise how important to be able to cook from young age.

Now Prime Minister Mr Cameron made commitment ( promise) saying, every school will have a kind of cooking lesson. it is a fantastic news ! (if he keeps his promise)
Cooking skill is needed to us all not only to survive also to be healthy  .  I do not know why they  got rid of cooking lesson in first place, I wonder.
I truly recommend not make as a subject to have test and exam, just cook anything, make a fun, they will all learn in the end.

My recommendation for the school cookery, Must to learn.
1. Egg dishes, ( soft boiled, fried, scrambled, omellet, poached  and Scotch egg)
2. Pasta dishes
3. Salad ( salad dressing)
4. Roast chicken with stuffing, roast potatoes and how to cook vegetables.

Today, I received the information about Children's cooking program by ITV.  they invite children ( for age 9-12), who loves to cook, to participate program. It sounds fun to be involved.
If any my Blog readers are interested in for family and friends do apply.

CALLING YOUNG CHEFS

For age 9-12 years old
Email by Sunday 18th August
Email: themunchbox@cactustv.co.uk 

12 course Meal at BO restaurant

I have heard about another up market Chinese restaurant  BO, in London, Mayfair,  originated in Hong Kong by Alvin Leung and got 2 Micheline stars there. Tasting menu is a modern trend in London these days, now a few Japanese and Chinese restaurants are following this trend.

Now Hkk and Bo is taking to Chinese meal experience to the different level.
I was a guest of Harpers & Bazar review by my daughter, Catherine.
It is conveniently situated in heart of west end, Mayfair for us, the interior is smart and very simple, nice grey , not too big, quite cosy feel to it. we were ushered to the chef's table, in front of chefs who are artfully assembling  the dish. It was fun to watch, it would have been more fun to watch cooking but it was very interesting to see how assembling the dishes like an art.

We were offered Boju drinks made with weed and served in special cup, a replica of a royal court drink cup, fun to drink from this cup but drink itself was very strong for me.

1st course was White garden, served in a little wooden box, small grain measuring box in olden days in china and Korea. it was lime, avocado moose topped freeze dried morel( looks like soil) and dehydrated Enoki, ginger powder, it was very smooth moose with grainy morel was just look like garden without grass ( as oriental garden)

2nd, Bed and Breakfast, it was one of my favourite dish , bacon wrapped jasmine smoked quail egg, taro crust topped with caviar and gold leaf. how decadent !  caviar with egg who wouldn't like this?
3rd : Cloud

4th was Steak and Kidney, it was Chinese style of Steak & kidney pudding, absolutely delicious, I would loved to have had  2 rather one. it was a clever dish, flavour of English Steak& Kidney and soft beef was in the tiny dim-sum, like a Shanghai Bun, when you bite clear meat juice is coming out , flavour was just like Steak & Kidney pudding at home. ( actually I make a mean S&K pudding at home with oxtail meat Hah!!!!)

Boju drink cup

White garden

Bed & Breakfast

 

5th, three tomatoes, they are delightful to look, tastes even better. My favourite was  green tomato in the middle of  marshmallow,  How cool is it! colour contrast was clever but taste was fresh with hint of fresh tomato and soft marshmallow was melting in my mouth , If I can make this dish at home it would be a dreamy tasting starter!

3 Tomatoes

 

6th; English Mustard.

7th: Hawthorn

8th: Toad in the hole.  I love this play on very English children's favourites with Chinese twist but frog sausage !! how funny, are they make a fun with English or French, I wonder.

Steak & kidney Dim-Sum

 

9th: pigeon.

10th : Beans on Toast.

11th; Coconut. I loved this, Palm sugar crème brulee was so delicious, I loved that they made so shallow brulee.

Because I liked the size ( very small) ,I can finish, crunch top was so good, sour cherry comport was reminding me my childhood. I love sour cherry.

 

12th: Petite Dim Sum. Served 3 tiny dim sum in the bamboo steaming basket and chocolates on a bird cage, it is very Chinese ! Bird in bird cage are associates in Chinese culture for a long time, literature and specially in Poem!, what a nice thought.

However the sweets are too sweet for me, hope they do use a lot bitter chocolate in the fried sticky rice flour ball. I love in Chinese style but this is too sweet !!

 

Extra dessert: Sex and beach. this was not in the menu but suddenly arrived with a big beam from the sommelier, I knew this infamous dish. I was talking about  this with him, how this dish got a shock value, he might have mentioned to the head chef, Condom with sand and breast with breast cancer appeal red ribbon !!  How cheeky !!

 The story and humour are acceptable but everything on that plate were so so!! sweet, I LIKE TO SHOUT.  Please easy on Sugar CHEF!!

Sex & Beach

The wine were superbly selected with every dish, finally sommelier brought Ice wine from China, it was so delicate and delicious, I had no idea China makes Ice wine (?) let alone even just wine? you really learn something everyday.

B O London : 4 Mill street, Mayfair.

Petite dim sum