The devils in the detail!

“The devil has put a penalty on all things we enjoy in life. Either we suffer in health or we suffer in soul or we get fat.” ... Albert Einstein

It is that time of year isn't it! Every single morsel that crosses your path stops you in your tracks for a moment knowing it is going from 'lips to hips' and then some! One of our favourite party platters sure to please is Deviled Eggs. The name 'deviled' was first recorded back in the 1700's and used to refer to dishes that were highly spiced. Although deviled eggs have been around for quite some time it seems that every household tweaks their own recipes to perfection and may even be unwilling to share!

Not the case here of course. My handsome chef is a master at recipe development and this is just one of those things he has been making for so long he really could 'do it in his sleep'.

I will not bore you with a big long explanation on how to make these but am going to offer up a few tips to make it a little easier.

Whatcha need

1 dozen eggs (hard boiled and cold)

Mayonnaise

Bacon (streaky is best)

Mango chutney/Coleman's English Mustard/Franks Hot sauce

Paprika

Chives

Howtomakeit

1. Hack the bacon into tiny pieces and cook. We cook it in the oven until it is really dry and crunchy, the drain off the fat and keep it for other great uses!

2. Crack the shell of the eggs so it feels soft and broken all around when holding in the palm of your hands. Cover all eggs in ice cold water and let soak for 10 - 15 mins. This really helps in the shelling process and the result is usually a perfect egg!

3. Slice eggs (lengthwise) in half and put all the yolks into a bowl.

4. Add mayonnaise, bacon and whatever flavour you are hankering for. Ron is partial to the mango chutney ones - taking him back to his days at Chateau Pomijie where he created this recipe. (just add as much or as little as you like with these items - taste as you go!)

5. Fill the yolk mixture back into the eggs and arrange nicely on a bed of cabbage leaves. (You can use lettuce leaves too, but cabbage will not wilt).

6. Sprinkle with a little paprika and some chopped chives for colour!






Once you start making (and eating these) they will become one of your favourites!

That is all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

Móna's Ham

Tasty Ham comes from Happy Pigs!

It was the end of our first summer together and we were nearing our first ‘anniversary’. Men hate that term especially when it refers to a dating relationship not marriage. It was too soon to think ‘diamonds’ but I could not help but wonder what in store to celebrate our first year of togetherness and as usual he did not fail to surprise me.

Ron, a well known (and loved) Chef in the area was invited to an Annual Harvest Party hosted by the farmers he bought most of his vegetables from. He and a few other Chefs in town belonged to a group called the Chefs Collaborative and they worked with several local farmers in the area. Twice a year they would get together to come up with a growing plan and discuss what was new on the restaurant and farming scene.

The year in question we were invited to go to the home of Robert Howard in Crittenden, Kentucky. Robert was a log cabin kind of bachelor and let’s just say with his exterior composting toilet he was way before his time.

The deal was all the chef’s got to bring their partners/wives/mistresses’ etc. and a covered dish.
It was their way of thanking the farmers for all their hard work during the growing season.

There was never a shortage of good food at an event like this. It was here we discovered Clifty Farms Country Ham (http://www.cliftyfarm.com/curing.html) and a few other goodies that we have added to our repertoire and have been sharing and serving ever since.

The secret to making a great ham is to start with a great piece of meat. We have always purchased the whole ham – bone in. Clifty Farms is a company based in Paris, Tennesee and when we went to pick up our first ham, one of the managers gave us a tour of the facility and told us that ‘happy hogs makes fer gudd eatin’.

Homeward bound with our heavy ham we talked a little about how we should prepare the ham. Oddly enough I had a little more experience with ham than the Chef because it is quite the tradition in Ireland to have a nice ham for Christmas (at least it is in our house!)

Although not entirely comfortable with the fact that I was more in the know than he (say it ain’t so) and needing to one up me, he came up with a pre-treatment plan for our ham. As with many of the dishes we have made and shared over the years, it is our combined efforts that give the desired result!

What you need:

• A nice size ham
  (bone in for best results, but boned and rolled is ok too)
• 1 very large pot (to boil the ham in)
• Cleaver style knife (may need this to hack off a piece of the bone in order to make the ham fit in the pot!)
• 4 - 6 litres of cloudy apple juice (non alcoholic)
• Whole Cloves
• Mustard (Coleman’s English is best)
• Dark Brown Sugar
• Honey/Maple Syrup/BBQ Sauce

Pre-treatment
In order to time this properly, you should soak for two days, boil the ham on the 3rd day and leave to cool overnight in the juice. On the 4th day you should be scoring, studding, glazing and baking the ham having it ready for an evening affair.

1. Soak the ham for two days in 2 litres of apple juice and enough water to cover the meat completely. This draws out the salt from the ham and helps prepare the meat for cooking. Leave covered in a cold room in your house. (Or in the fridge if you have room)

2. On the 3rd day, place ham in large pot and cover with 2 or 3 litres of apple juice and water. Bring to the boil then reduce to a soft boil for as long as it takes. Usually for a large ham this could take three or four hours. You want it cooked but not falling off the bone, so keep an eye on it after 2 hours depending on size. (Low and slow).

3. After it is done turn heat off and leave in the juice overnight to cool down slowly. This is crucial as it helps the meat retain moisture and not dry out.

4. On the 4th day remove the ham from the juice. (Keep this juice for cooking vegetables and stock for soup. It is invaluable for its flavour!)

5. With a sharp knife, remove the outer layer of skin from the ham. Do not remove the layer of fat. According to our good friend Eric Dauer "fat is the magic carpet upon which flavour rides" and I believe he (and his lovely wife Jen) sampled our very first ham! Now would be a good time to pre-heat your oven. (240 °C)

6. Score the fat in a criss-cross pattern and stud it with cloves – pushing the cloves through the layer of fat into the ham.

7. Smother the ham in your favourite mustard using a rubber/silicone spatula. We use Coleman’s English for the flavour and the heat!

8. Cover the mustard with the dark brown sugar. This is the messy part because you need to use your hands to pat it on to the ham and make sure it sticks.

9. Here is where you can decide if you want to drizzle the ham with honey/maple syrup or BBQ sauce. We have used a variety of glazes over the last fifteen years and keep going back to the honey for mass appeal. This is a personal taste thing!

10. Put the ham in the (now hot) oven and watch it closely for ten – fifteen minutes. Once you notice it starting to get a little colour turn the heat down to 180°C for a further half hour. Remember, the ham is cooked. You are just doing this to make the outer layer reach its full flavour potential and texture. Once you are happy with the overall look of the ham allow the ham to rest for at least an hour before you slice into it. This part is utterly impossible to accomplish. Once that hog comes out of the oven you will be dying to slice of a piece to taste your work of art – go ahead, you deserve it!

11. We like to serve the ham at room temperature. It is best that way. Once you start trying to re-heat it, or have it served hot for dinner, it just dries out and all your hard work is gone down the drain! I know this sounds like a lot of work, but after your first one, you will realise it is totally worth it and you will fine tune this recipe to your liking.

Fast food sucks. Be patient. It is worth it!

That is all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

Imaginative Storm

Lonesome Pine Special, Charles Wright wrote:

What is it inside the imagination that keeps surprising us
At odd moments when something is given back
We didn’t know we had had, In solitude, spontaneously, and with great joy?

One of the many wonderful things about being a student is that you get to participate in very cool workshops. We were invited to attend an evening workshop last week at NUIG with none other than Allegra Huston and her business partner James Navé.

http://www.allegrahuston.com/ or http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0424/1224245291814.html

http://www.imaginativestorm.com/index.html

Navé, the creator of what they call Imaginative Storm paced up and down the aisles of our seminar room chanting "What is it inside the imagination that keeps surprising us at odd moments when something is given back we didn’t know we had had. In solitude, spontaneously, and with great joy? We were in a bit of a trance for a while and played along with his word games and then got down to work - opening our imaginations!

One of the exercises we had to do that evening was the one I have described below. Navé recommends everyone tries this whether you are a student or not. It opens up the door to some far off memory of something you may have forgotten about entirely - you will surprise yourself at how much you remember. This is grrrrrrreeeeeaaaaaaattttttttt for Writers Block!

Instructions:

Think back as far as you can to your childhood.
Do you remember something poignant or very sad that happened during that time.
Choose a memory that you struggle to recall.
Something you barely recollect.

Now, (and quickly) on a blank sheet of paper write for ten minutes everything you do not remember about this incident beginning your piece like this "I do not remember......"

The piece I wrote (below) was about a stay in hospital I had as a very young child and for some strange reason I am quite attached to this piece even though I remember nothing about the duration of time in hospital.

What I remember most................

I do not remember a lot of things regarding a stay I had in hospital as a very young child. There are so many things about this story I do not remember I reckon I could write a book about it. Assuming I am able to 'not remember' half of what I need to write, it should make for an interesting read.

If only I could remember a few details about Irene. The pretty girl in the bed next to mine with the jet back hair, startling ice blue eyes and snowwhite skin. Or did I make this up? I do not remember how cute Colin really was as he hopped up on my hospital bed trying to get me in trouble by hiding things from the stern nurses. It would help if I could remember what age we all were because somewhere between four and eight seems a little vague don't you think? No, nothing. I am drawing a blank!

I do not remember why Irene could not walk or why Colin was a longterm patient. I do not remember if I was in hospital for six days, or six weeks or six months. I do not remember if we played together every single day like the inseperable BestFriendsForever I imagine we were, or if we just played together only one time. I do not remember if the priest came to say mass or if he just needed to bless us because we were sick.

I do not remember if the flowers were red or white on the day I discovered Irene's empty bed. I do not want to remember that. I do not remember if Colin came in to my hospital room every night to kiss me goodnight, or if was only just that one time - but boy, do I remember that!

That is all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna