My fingers smell of bacon.
I've just roughly chopped up a bacon hock which had been simmering in chicken stock which had been poured over onions and garlic sauteed in olive oil. I've now returned the chopped bacon meat to the stock and added the split peas which I put on to soak earlier today, before I took to my bed to sleep off my muzzy head and aching neck.
I was inspired to do so by having finally, after feeling miserably hungry but not able to decide what to eat that didn't make me faintly nauseated, suddenly remembering I had some packet chicken and corn soup. A few minutes later, after the powder had transformed a cup of just boiled water whilst I yet again spent more time than I prefer to in the smallest room, I slurped that soup down with great relish. Ahhh - at last I felt I could get some sleep. But what to do for dinner tonight?
The thought of going to the shops specially for chicken necks to make soup horrified. What did I already have? Split peas in the pantry from last winter - stored properly, so fine. Yes! - bacon hock in the freezer, also left over from last winter (spring sprung suddenly last year). Commercial chicken stock in the pantry - not so good as fresh, but better than nowt. Herbs from the garden for a bouquet garni. Onions and garlic. Comfort food. Peasant food, requiring simple ingredients, some thinking ahead for preparation, and a long cooking time which can be whiled away with necessary chores (or in the case of 'fluridden bloggers, revisiting a favourite escapist high-fantasy novel).
The garlic bread (again from the freezer, from whence alsocame the frozen pizza I popped in the oven for the kids a couple of hours ago) has just been popped into the oven when I took a brief break from composing this post, and when I hit publish I'll quickly grab my stick-blender and give a couple of quick whizzes so that the soup is thick thick thick.
No booze for me tonight with my 'flu, but were I my usual self I would accompany the soup and bread with a nice nutty stout or a dry hock style white.
Bon Appetit, all.
2 comments:
I go for MORE alcohol with flu. Not classy alcohol, mind you. Medicinal brandy in the nice fat bottle helps.
- barista
I'm dehydrated enough as it is tonight - no alchol for me. I forgot to mention my secret ingredient for ensuring that the pea and ham soup is not too bland - obviously the aforementioned garlic and bouquet garni, but also a couple of dashes of Worcestershire Sauce about 5 minutes before serving. Piquant is the only possible word.
I'm about to pop a tape in the VCR (my girl wants to watch the rerun of Kath & Kim that starts tonight) and toddle up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire.
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