things to do and eat in retirement
A Poem for the end of Winter
SPRING IS ROUND THE CORNER
February is on its way
The end of winter, I suppose
Still lots of days completely grey.
Crocuses will burst through
The early morning dew
Hyacinths and snowdrops too.
March winds will soon blow
Daffodils may sway
Huddled together
Avoiding the last of the snow.
Why not liven up tinned soup with these delicious cheese rings.
Ingredients:-
6 ounces of plain flour
Half a teaspoon of cream of tartar
Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
Half a teaspoon of salt
A sprinkle of black pepper OR cayenne powder if you like things spicy
Half an ounce of fresh butter
2 ounces of cream cheese
2 or 3 tablespoons of milk
A little beaten egg
2 tablespoons of grated Cheddar cheese
Method:-
Sift the powdered ingredients into a bowl. Rub in the cream cheese and butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Blend with milk to a soft dough. With light strokes, roll out fairly thin and use a round cutter to make rings. Brush over with egg and dip into the grated cheese. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 10-12 minutes. They should be nicely risen and golden coloured. Re-roll some of the leftover pastry if you wish to make more. Serve piping hot on top of soup, tinned or homemade.
The ideal size for a Pomfret is between 475 to 500 grams. Its delicate, white flesh lends itself admirably to several cuisines. It is found in the deep Indian ocean, therefore the catch is small resulting in a high demand.This pushes the price up.
My husband bought frozen ones from our local fishmonger, Golborne Fisheries in the famous Notting Hill. It had been in the freezer for about six months during the Covid lockdown, so he decided to rescue it in his fish curry.
Ingredients:-
A Pomfret fish, cut into chunks
A dried lemon or lime (stick a knife in it to let the aroma spread)
Ghee to fry
Chopped and diced onion
Four cloves of garlic, crushed
8 cardamons
A teaspoon of cumin seeds
A teaspoon of crushed cumin
A teaspoon of crushed coriander seeds
8 cloves
A teaspoon of Nigella Seeds
A tablespoon of turmeric powder
Two teaspoons of hot curry powder
A tin of good quality tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, skin removed if preferred
A splash of water, to allow the fish to cook
Salt and black pepper
Coriander, washed, dried and chopped for a garnish
METHOD:
Melt some ghee in a large saucepan. Fry the onions and garlic until golden brown. Add the spices and the pomfret fish cut into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, dried lemon and water and simmer for half an hour.
Serve with pure white basmati rice and garnish with coriander.
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