My disasters. Let me show you them.

[desperance]

As you know, Jim, I am cooking Big Curry tonight. Except that I'm not, because of course the secret of cooking Big Curry is to do almost all of it beforehand; curries mostly lie within that family that improves for a day of keeping and a quick reheat.

Mostly.

So the pork curry was actually made weeks ago, and has been improving slowly in the freezer, and mirabile dictu, I remembered to take it out last night and set it on top of the fridge to defrost.

The duck curry I made yesterday morning, and went into town with my shirt and jeans all besplattered for I am a sloppy cook; and on my way to buy coffee in the market I bumped into a friend, who wondered if I had time for a coffee. I raised her a glass of wine, and we went in pursuit of it.

But of course we are not capable actually of drinking wine by the glass; and the first bottle led inexorably to the second bottle, and then something to eat alongside the third. And lo, I came home not sober, and not perhaps thinking entirely straight, for then I made the meatballs.

With a cream sauce.

Which has split overnight.

Actually, I'm quite resentful about this, because I did use a tablespoon of gram flour to stabilise it, and I adhere to the principle that it should not have splut.

Nevertheless, there it is. Splatted.

Also splatted is the pork curry, because one of the cats has been adventuring on the fridge overnight, and has knocked it to the floor, and the container is besploit and the kitchen floor is all covered with meltwater. Which I must now go and mop up. Happily the curry's okay, because it was only starting to defrost, so it is pretty much just water that's oozed out. I am hoping, at least, that the flavour remains within.

If anyone knows a magic method for bringing a split cream sauce back together, now would be a really good time to divulge it.

Comments

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

My aunt was a good cook and she mentioned that a split cream sauce can sometimes be rescued by sticking it in a double boiler and beating the living wotsits out of it, but it's not guaranteed.

I'm assuming, too, that the meatballs aren't already in the sauce.

Also bear in mind that my memory is bad and I don't cook ;)

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

Whisk the sauce over very low heat (a double boiler is good), adding a teaspoon of boiling water, just a drop or two at a time. Keep the kettle boiling on a separate flame.

Be patient, whisk vigorously, and you will get a smooth sauce.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Thank both of you - that worked. All was well. Eventually...

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad it worked, though I think beckyzoole gets the full credit on that one - as usual, I seem to have forgotten a small, but vital, component of the rescue *g*

[durham-rambler.livejournal.com]

Our friend F (with whom you shared a meal at G-spot) had a plan to run a premium rate telephone number of 'Fanny's rescue service' where you could call her when your dinner party cooking had gone wrong and she would tell you how to put it right. I can divulge her (non premium rate) phone number if you email me privately.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Hee. Please do. Thankfully not needed in this instance, on account of wise words above - but yup, she is exactly the person I needed to turn to...