Having made my own Bacon in the past, I know how easy it it to create a really delicious product that doesn't seep 'gunge' when cooking.
This Bacon (below) is sliced from a slab and is totally delicious. Why can't all Bacon be made like this? Back in the UK I've almost given-up buying ready-sliced packs of Bacon; instead I now only buy Sainsbury's Bacon 'steaks', that come as two 'rounds' of Bacon in a pack, and are very good.
If I had an easy supply of good quality UK Belly Pork, I would still make my own bacon; but alas.....
Another favourite product that I can't buy back in the UK is Figatelli. This is a Corsican dried sausage that contains Liver. The Liver gives it a haunting flavour that is unlike any other.
It's a very dark and brooding sausage (possibly not to everyone's taste) but for aficionados it's addictive; I have to stop myself heading for the fridge for just 'one more slice'.
The other thing I've probably missed most are my cookery books. All my Rick Stein books, and Elizabeth David, and others. I love re-reading them and trying out different nuances in my dishes. These books (some of which are below) are in the 'Tower', and on really hot afternoons that's where you'll find me, flicking through the pages of some Italian or Mediterranean recipe book.
The pool is now perfectly clean, and at about 24 C is swimmable. In this heat I cannot tell you what a pleasure that is.
This afternoon (yesterday) it's 30 C in the shade, so perfect weather for swimming. The flagstones haven't yet been 'Karchered', but we didn't care; they can wait. Here is Lady M enjoying a few lengths, with Billy admiring her bravery. It was BRACING. The pool looks very narrow in the photo; it's actually 4 metres wide. It looks about 3 metres wide; cameras do lie!
Our bacon is terrible. Thin slices, almost see through. They taste OK but it's years since I've had a good thick slice. I wouldn't bother making my own though probably could using thin slices of pancetta.
ReplyDeleteI love reading cookery books. I have many. You're inspiring me to delve again.
And yeh for the pool. We must start our sea swimming soon though it has been quite cool recently
It was 24 C when we went in yesterday. Our first swim seemed very cold, then our second (a couple of hours later) seemed much better. We are cleaning the flagstones at the moment, we'll have our swims after lunch.
DeleteI do miss being able to eat (good) bacon and sausage now. Yours looks very tempting.
ReplyDeleteThis above is delicious; just as pukka Bacon should be.
DeleteAlthough we can buy English style back bacon here, I always choose thinly sliced pancetta and cook it in the microwave, wrapped in kitchen paper towel. It takes just over a minute at the highest temperature (900) and is dry and crispy - ideal for my BLT's! There are also packs of thick pieces of pancetta too, but I haven't tried them.
ReplyDeleteWhat is better than a Bacon sandwich!!! Better than Penicillin.
Delete"a very dark and brooding sausage..." Have you got Kanye West staying with you?
ReplyDeleteI shall write to the Corsican Food Agency and suggest that they change its name from Figatelli to The Kanye West. They might sell a lot more.
DeleteYP's comments have amazing capacity of putting me off a lot of things. Temporarily. Even this his image will pass.
DeleteAs to bacon (and ham): You have to splurge a little in England and go for DRY cured. No gunk at all since it has no added water.
Pork belly? There must be at least one good butcher in Brighton. I have one just round the corner. For some things, say, chicken which I am squeamish about (no supermarket offerings for me or my offspring), it's got to be a happy chicken, I buy from small specialist farms. Online, prompt delivery. We also have a fishmonger down the quays. The prices are, admittedly, eyewatering but then, remember, we are what we eat. And food growers need to eat too. Cheap is not ethical. Quality over quantity any time. As I don't wear Louboutins I am positively swimming in it. Which reminds me: Billy doesn't jump into the pool then? He probably knows, intuitively, that he'd have a hard time to get out of it.
U
I do know of a few good Butchers in Brighton, but it's a matter of getting to them, finding a parking space, etc. Being slightly immobile has many disadvantages. Billy isn't a swimmer. He goes into the sea up to his belly, but no further.
DeleteWith you on aversion to bacon gunge.
ReplyDeleteIt is really off-putting. Goodness knows what it contains!!!
DeleteI love reading Elizabeth David books they are more travel books with recipes added in. They conjour up the heat, smells and tastes of The Med almost as well as being there. The pool looks great it is very warm here too 30 degrees promised tomorrow. A dip in the sea beckons. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteBoth ED and Stein write to be read. They are travelogues as much as books about food. My favourite ED book is 'An Omelet and a glass of Wine'; I must read it again this year.
DeleteLiving the good life.
ReplyDeleteWe try to, but on a budget.
DeleteI agree, Cro, that finding good bacon is hard. It's sometimes all fat and very little meat. I'm not sure what your Figatelli is.... but I do like good liverwurst (no one else here likes it, but me).
ReplyDeleteAnd your pool looks wonderful! Enjoy!
The pool is now back to 'normal', and we are using it several times a day. Very hot here; about 33 C this afternoon. Figatelli is difficult to find outside Corsica, so I doubt if you'd find it in the US; unless you were very lucky.
DeleteWe often sell one of our pigs to people for the freezer.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago I used to buy Half a Pig to make Ham, Sausages, Bacon, Paté, etc, as well as having plenty of chops, etc, in the freezer. Sadly none of my neighbours now have any Pigs. They don't grow much either!
Deleteyou need to buy dry cured bacon.No gunk at all. Get mine and other items from a butcher who comes down from Duffield to sell in our newly reopened market hall. He's very busy!
ReplyDelete