credit crunch cooking

From the Evening Herald, 2nd Feb, 2009.

As more bad financial news is announced, the one thing nobody should compromise on is food. You can save a fortune if you just spend a little longer in the kitchen, change the cuts of meat and fish that you buy, and avoid convenience food and eat more pulses.

Your local butcher is almost always cheaper than supermarkets (besides good special offers) ; the quality should be higher, they will do bulk deals for freezing and advise you on cooking cheaper cuts like skirt, belly and brisket (which supermarkets don't stock).

Always cook in bulk; a frozen lasagna popped in the oven on a cold, wet winter evening can be served in 25 minutes. It will make you a bone fide hero to your family.

Making your own brown soda bread takes about five minutes preparation time and costs as little as 50p per loaf -- use brown bread mixes (eg Odlums) to save even more time.

The recipes below are relatively conventional but should feed a large group of people of between six and 12, for around one euro per head.

CREDIT CRUNCH COOKING TIPS
Eat lots of slow release carbs – porridge, lentils, beans
Buy vegetables in season
Learn to love root veg, particularly turnips.
Buy in bulk from Smithfield and markets
Buy from ethnic shops and importer shops (e.g. Little Italy in Smithfield)
Follow the immigrants – the Chinese and Nigerians know where to find cheap food
Buy large amounts of fish on Moore Street or Howth pier and freeze it
Buy whiting instead of cod, chicken legs instead of breasts
Buy or order unusual cheaper cuts of meat from your butcher and ask for advice
Learn to love offal – liver, kidneys and hearts are delicious if cooked correctly
Discover the joys of slow cooking – shin of beef, breast and neck of lamb, belly of pork
Buy lots of special offer meat and freeze what you don’t use
Always check the “reduced to clear” section of supermarkets
Always cook in large quantities and freeze leftovers
Avoid all convenience food – it will not fill your teenagers.

Recipes

Smoked Mackerel Pâté (serve with Champagne)
250g Packet of Smoked Mackerel
125g Mascarpone Cheese
1 lemon
½ French Baguette cut into rounds and toasted

Remove the skin from the fish and chop. Using a fork, mix with the mascarpone and the juice of ½ a lemon until smooth. Place the pâté on a plate and arrange lemon wedges and toasted baguette around the plate and serve.


Slow Roast Pork Belly
You can rub spices such as star anise or szechuan chili into the skin to add exoticism. Have your butcher deeply score the skin of the belly or do it yourself with an electric knife or sharp blade.

1.5kg Piece of Pork Belly
1 large Onion roughly chopped
Rock Salt
Place the chopped onions in a roasting tin. Rub the salt into the skin of the pork and place on top of the onions. You can also rub in some other flavourings such as coriander, star anise, grated lemon rind, chopped herbs etc.

Add a glass of water and roast at 180C for 2½ -3 hours until the flesh is melting and the top is crisp.


Stuffed Breast of Lamb
Use a piece of lamb breast around 10 inches long. First remove all the bones including the softer ones which you will find if you press the meat. Cut off any white fat from the meat side, digging in with a small knife, and tidy up the edges.

To make the bread stuffing fry a finely chopped medium onion in 30g of butter until soft. Blend 2-3 slices of day old bread along with whatever fresh herbs you have to hand (e.g. parsley, thyme, mint, rosemary etc.). Mix the onions and their cooking fat with the breadcrumbs and add some salt and pepper.

Season the meat and add the stuffing to the centre of the breast. Roll the meat around the stuffing and hold it in place with a couple of skewers while you tie the meat with string to ensure it holds its shape. You may need some extra skewers or cocktail sticks to keep the stuffing from leaking out the ends.

Roast at 190oC for 2 hours until the skin is crisp and the meat tender. Slice into rounds of moist meaty goodness and serve with Dauphinoise potatoes and roast vegetables.

Wine Recommendation: Tesco Montepulciano D'Abruzzo - €4.79-5.29.

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