Taking five

I wanna drink. I'm working here. And starting to get seriously stressed...

I smoked! But in a good way. I smoked my duck-breasts. I do actually have a smoker, but I've never used it before. As witness, taking it out of the box (basically, it is itself a steel box that sits on a heat-source, with the food on a rack above the smokingstuff), I discovered that it comes with a heat-source of its own: viz a tray for methylated spirit. I hadn't twigged that. And, of course, I have no meths. So I just slammed it on the hottest ring of the stove, as I'd intended to anyway. With sugar-and-lemon-zest-and-star-anise-and-tea in the base.

Smoky thing was smoky. I really could not have done this in anyone else's house: even with the lid on and the back door wide open, there is an acridity throughout. I should probably not have left my clean laundry hanging on the banister.

I worried that it was too hot, so I turned the flame down; then I worried that there wasn't smoke enough, that after I'd cooked the breasts there would be nothing to show for this. Which may still prove to be true. At the moment, though? Raw, they smell ... perfumed. It's lovely.

In other news, I appear to have bought a strain of commercial yeast that is just too effete to be troubled with anything as effortful as rising in the morning. Both the spelt-and-rye and the chestnut breads just took forever, it's been ridiculous. And I've been worrying all day about whether there'll even be enough bread. No other starches, bar lentils with the confit; and the soup will want bread with it, and so will the terrine, and then there's the salad, and...

Sigh. People will just have to fill up on desserts.

Otherwise: well. I've made the soup, I've made the confit. I need to cook the lentils. Made the terrine and the mousse. Salad can wait till I'm there; so can the veg. Chestnut bread needs to bake, but that's now. Cream to whip for the pavlova when I get there; I have roasted the rhubarb. Creme brulee double surprise only needs to be bruleed - and of course I can't find my blowtorch. Why did I ever imagine that I would? It may turn into chocolate cream one-surprise, unless their grill is up to the work.

In utterly unsurprising news, yes. Mac does indeed like roasted rhubarb. Also, chestnuts. Thank you, nom nom nom. (I thought to give him a chestnut, but he had to steal the rhubarb. Very slow of me, really.)

Right. Back to the fray.

Just checking

Apparently, it's all about the lists.

First course:

green pea soup - check
parmesan, green pea garnish, white balsamic - check
sourdough bread - check

Second course:

duck terrine with mushroom and chestnut forcemeat - check
duckliver mousse - check
cornichons, sweet pickled silverskins, pear and ginger chutney - check
chestnut bread - check
spelt and rye bread - check

Third course:

tea-smoked duck breasts - check
watercress - check
pears - check
pecorino romano - check
pomegranate molasses, walnut oil, lemons, garlic, nut vinegar - check

Fourth course:

confit duck legs - check
Puy lentils - check
purple sprouting broccoli - check

Fifth course:

duck-egg meringue pavlova base - check
cream and balloon whisk - check
roasted rhubarb - check

Sixth course:

chocolate cherry custards - check
vanilla sugar for brulee - check


Oh noes, I didn't make any petit fours for coffee...

Oh, I forgot:

Prosecco with wild hibiscus flowers, to start.

And I have to report another failure: I have failed to invent the perfect savoury chocolate soup. owlfish - I tried the shallot/butter/duck stock/100% cacao, as discussed. With a drop of balsamic, I think it actually rather nice - but not ready to test on other people. Besides, Sean told me not to be too weird, and starting with a shotglass of hot bitter chocolate soup? That's weird...