Roast lunch

    Roast lunches are such a typical english thing that it came as no surprise when the gorilla got well excited when I suggested we do one on the afternoon he was leaving.

     I haven't properly cooked in a long time and I don't count all those weird food experiments that I did in the name of diet as proper cooking. It was somewhat daunting to be honest, to whip up a three course lunch when all I've really been obsessed about was baking. Yet the lunch must be done.

        After dancing naked under the street lamps and sacrificing of some virgins, the powers of a sous chef was bestowed upon me.

       I'm kidding. I'm not pagan. Just a little bit nuts.

   After much recipe hunting and feeling somewhat unsatisfied, I sought the help of my father. After all, family recipes are there for a reason and the best way to get your hands on them is to weasel them out is from the source itself. My family is a little odd. My dad cooks, my mom bakes.

    My father is an amazing cook. His turkey is always  tender and succulent, his flash fried frozen chicken nuggets taste like heaven somehow and a plain fried egg becomes a delicacy in his wok. I"m serious. This man is talented. And very saddistic.

       I remember getting yelled at for not slicing the Bang Kwang or Jicama "fine" enough for his peranakan tastes. We were making Kueh Pie Tie and I offered to help with a hidden motive. After four hours of slicing, grating, cutting, more cutting, more slicing, more grating, more..( you get the picture), I was giddy and about to faint. After that ordeal, I decided to try my luck and ask for the recipe.

       Surprisingly, I did not have to sell my soul to the devil nor offer anything. I simply asked and I received. The recipe reads as follows:


POUND 4 cloves of garlic, 3 slices of ginger and a red onion until it turned into mush.

Next, add salt, pepper, chinese wine, msg, light soy sauce and a little sugar to the mush.

Then rub it all over the chicken, under the skin, in the cavity and on the skin.
Let it sit overnight in, get this, A PLASTIC BAG( I kid you not), in the fridge.

Before roasting, rub white pepper with Ajio salt( I'm guessing more MSG)  all over the chicken.  Roast for slightly over an hour and this is what you get:

           Yes, its not perfectly browned I know. Yes, I did roast it for an awful lonng time. So why did it not only not  brown but even had pink bits near the bone of the leg? Why? WHY?

        Because the smart ass in me wanted to roast paper parcel potatoes over the bird, hoping the butter will baste the chicken.

         But no, the parchement was leak proof so it just prevented skin cancer, I mean, the browning of the chicken. I basted the chicken every ten-fifteen minutes or so with margarine( keeps the meat tender according to my dad)  and the meat was really succulent. I was pleasantly surprised and quietly congratulatting myself on the taste and tenderness.

         However the gorilla didn't fancy the taste but was impressed at how succulent the meat was and not so impressed that I nearly gave him semonella.

        As a side dish, I decided to make my favourite Paper Parcel Roast potatoes. These are so easy yet oh so delicious and gratifying. Seriously. Obama ought to feed this to his detractors.

          
                                     That liquid gold you see is none other than melted butter.

How do you make this? I can't give you exact proportions because I never remember them anyway. I simply add everything till it looks enough?

I'm guessing: 4 cloves garlic sliced, 4 spring onions, chopped butter( 50g?) and salt and black pepper to taste. Place it all on a baking paper and then seal the ends by brushing lightly beaten egg white. Bake for 30mins at 180 degrees celcius.

In lieu of dessert, the gorilla requested another savoury. So side kick number 2 was cheese straws!

That turned into cheese puffs.

My cheese straws had cheese exploding out of them because a) I did not twist the pastry tightly enough b) greed over took my better judgement and I cut 10 strips instead of 24 and c) the cheese fiend in me added more cheese than required.

            Nonetheless, they were comforting and delicious. Who can resist hot puffy pastry filled with gooey mozzerella and sharp parmesan? I even cheated on this one. I used ready rolled puff pastry because I got inspired only that very morning.

Here's what you need:

2 sheets of ready rolled Puff Pastry

1 cup of mozzerella cheese/pizza cheese

1/2 cup of parmasan cheese

1 egg yolk

salt to taste

Brush egg yolk on one sheet of pastry. Sprinkle with mozzerella. Place the second sheet of pastry over the mozzerlla.

With the remaining egg yolk, brush it evenly over the pastry and sprinkle parmasan cheese. Lightly sprinkle some salt.

Cut the pastry in half and stack one half on top of the other, pressing down firmly.

Cut the stack, widthwise into 24 strips. you may want to cut them thinner than you like them because they tend to puff out.

Picking up each strip, gently twist and pull as you do so, pinching the ends to seal them in. Place them on a parchment lined sheet and  bake at 220 degrees celcius for 10 mins.

      It made a rather satisfying lunch which was finished off with some beer and quiet moments. Goodbyes are never easy.
      
        Often made easier when you know you have a leftover roast lunch waiting for you in the freezer.