THE VERY FIRST POSTING!

The very first one...

Well, here it is folks! There will be those occasional recipes that have won particular praise from the little Ginger Boss, a rambling thought or two and, eventually, when I've mastered all the quirks, an illustration or two. Where to start? Over that last week or so, there have been new forays into the world of jam making, some slightly runny marmalade, an entirely new fillet of pork dish, some chicken liver pate, with sloe gin and sherry , and a cake or two. But lets roll back to boxing day, and a request for an onion relish to go with some hot baked camemberts.

Looking through the books, I could'nt find much, then Elizabeth David came to the rescue. I know lots of people don't care for the way that she writes a recipe, but as inspiration - unparalled! Anyway, this was a suggestion of a recipe that was originally from Escoffier, and i happen to have a copy of the english translation of Ma Cuisine on the kitchen shelves. As you may discover, I am almost incapable of following a recipe; either I don't have all the ingredients or maybe the idea sounds great but there is something in there that I just don't like. In this one, it was the raisins. Not keen on raisins other than in a fruitcake (and there are better things to put in a fruity cake than raisins but more of that later!). So, raisins are out, but the sweet / sour mix is important, so what is in the cupboard that will do the job better? Chopped stem ginger from the cake baking shelf - brilliant!
By the way - it looks very attractive in pots – amber gold and bright red, great as little presents around Christmas as a way to zing up the interminable cold turkey.

Here you are:

Escoffier’s “Piments pour Viandes Froides”

1 very large round white onion (between the size of a cricket ball and a croquet ball)

2 ripe red peppers2 x 3” red chillis – the sort that the Singaporeans use – not blazing hot – or a dried hot red chilli that you will fish out at the end (these ain't in Escoffier either!)

A piece of dried orange peel (or fresh if you have run out of your store of home dried peel)

2 ½ ounces of sugar (I use demerera but caster will be fine)

2 big fat cloves of garlic or a big fat chunk of fresh root ginger

About half a 200gm tub of chopped stem ginger (messy job to chop it yourself)

Quatre epices or allspice (are they the same thing? – I am never sure)

White wine vinegar

Olive Oil – a couple of tablespoonfuls – Escoffier uses a pint and ¼ which I tried the first time and had to pour most of it off at the end

Salt

A lime (if you have one)

· Peel and halve the onion and cut it into neat matchsticks by cutting it downwards as finely as you can then across about three times.

· Cook it slowly with about a coffeespoonful of salt very slowly in a stainless, enamel or non stick pan – not aluminium! Keep stirring – it must not catch.

· Take the stalk off the peppers, deseed and chop into similar sized strips, and add to the onion.

· Do the same with the chillis (do NOT wipe your eyes during this process!)

· Slice the cloves of garlic or the root ginger as thinly as you can (don’t use a garlic press – horrible things!) and add

· Stir stir stir

· Add the sugar, allspice, orange peel, the dried chilli if you didn’t have any fresh, the chopped stem ginger and about a coffee cup of vinegar (taste for the sweet sour ratio)

· Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours over the lowest possible heat. I use a Bain Marie as the gas hob is too hot and I don’t have a pot for the oven with a lid that is the right size.

· Allow to cool, squeeze in the limejuice (optional but good) and stir well.

· Put into pots and label.

Makes good prezzies at Christmas time as it would be very good to jazz up cold turkey or ham or cold roast pork.

Since I made this the first time I have aquired a heat diffuser, which is utterly fantastic and makes these slow cooked recipes a doddle. A "must-have"!

My own Onion and Coriander Salsa

This was made at the same time as the Pepper, Onion and Ginger one above. Quite different. Unexpectedly, most of it disappeared before lunch as a dip with Pringles (it wasn’t in my house!), but it would also do well with cold meats.

1 very large round white onion (between the size of a cricket ball and a croquet ball

1 x 3” green chillis – the sort that the Singaporeans use – not blazing hot.

White Balsamic vinegar (Sainsbury’s) or white wine vinegar sweetened with a bit of caster sugar.

A big bunch of fresh coriander.

A teaspoonful of Salt.

The juice of 1 lime

· Dissolve the salt in the liquid.

· Peel and chop the onion as finely as you can.

· Chop the coriander leaves as finely as possible. I destalk first.

· Mix together and leave in the fridge for at least two hours. There should be just enough liquid at the end so that you see some if you tilt the bowl to 45°.

· Done!