Signature Dish

[sunny-dave]

Spinning off from SK's dinner thread :

What are your own "signature dishes" - not the fancy stuff you cook once in a blue moon, but the simple recipes you go back to over and over again?

Dave's Mince and Beanie Stew :

Basically mince, onions, mushrooms, Heinz Beanz (no other brand will do) and suet dumplings ... mmmmm


Dave's Mum's Lemon Meringue Pie

3 eggs
2 lemons
Tin of condensed milk
6oz caster sugar

Pastry :

9oz plain flour
4oz softened butter
4oz caster sugar
1 egg

Mix all ingredients for pastry together with a little lemon zest.
Make into ball (leave in fridge for an hour if you have time) and roll out.
Line a deep greased dish 20 cm square.

Mix condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest.
Put in pastry case.

Beat egg whites and sugar till stiff.
Put on top of lemon mixture.

Bake for approx 30 mins. at 160°C.

[sunny-dave]

Do you parboil your roasties first daffy?

I never used to, but have become a convert recently.

[Traci66]

A pan of scouse, lamb, potatoes and veg all cooked together for hours, or chicken broth, or pea and ham soup.

[sebhfhion]

I make a 'shepherdess' pie that even carnivores ask the recipe for:

fry carrots/leeks/celery in butter until golden. Add 1 cup of uncooked puy lentils and 2 cups veg stock and simmer until lentils are soft. thicken mix up with a little veg gravy granules (you can use the beef ones cos they have no meat in them). Put mix in dish and top with creamy mash. Grate thick layer of your favourite hard cheese on top and put in hot oven for about 15 mins.

[Zacs-Master]

Rustic jamabalay. Fresh chillies, choritzo, chicken coated in smoked paprika, onions, peppers, garlic, rice & veg stock.

Fry the peppers and onions for 6 mins and remove from pan.

Fry the chicken for 6 to 7 mins until golden brown and remove from pan.

Fry the garlic, chillies (as many or as few as you want - we usually do 2) and chorizo for 3 - 4 mins and remove from pan

(you need a few bowls for this one as you will have gatherd)

Add the rice and fry for 3 mins.

Bung everything back in the pan and add 600ml of veg stock, cover and leave to simmer for 20 mins, stir half way thru. It might need a little longer.

You can add tobasco to spice it up if you wish.

[daffy654]

Always Dave, I then 'rough them up' in the colander before roasting.

[Octavius]

Yes daffy, but do you sprinkle them with semolina first ?

[woofgang]

loathe chorizo, can't even stand the smell of it....
yes you must parboil and rough your spuds and no, no semolina which is like eating spuds coated with gravel

[sunny-dave]

I'm hoping that's a culinary tip & not something weird, Octavius ;+)

[Octavius]

Well Dave, Nigella does it so it must be right.

[daffy654]

I've never sprinkled them with semolina and really wouldn't want to. :-/

[sunny-dave]

Sounds a bit odd to me - having said that a lot of Nigella's ideas do seem to work pretty well ... off to have a google.

[Zacs-Master]

I could eat chorizo (without a 't') with almost anything. Love it.

[mrs_overall]

I tried roasties with semolina and they were grim.

The meal the kids ask for the most is my cottage pie. My secret ingredient is adding a can of Campbells condensed mushroom soup to the mince.

[Octavius]

All the greats do it, Nigella, Gordon, Rusty Lee ...

[paddywak]

Though I say it myself I make a wicked Christmas Cake.

[sunny-dave]

I just love Christmas Cake .... nice & moist, loads of marzipan?

[rockyracoon]

Chorizo, cherry tom and balsamic pasta.

Homemade lamb burgers with minty mayo.