2009 January | Wrightfood

Duck and Cognac Rillettes

January 29 th 2009

18 Comments

I got a few requests in both comments and emails for recipes from the meat party that we just hosted.

Some of the recipes are on my blog already, but some are new.

This little bad boy of a rillette is new. So new in fact that I had never cooked it before I did for the party. Heck, this was actually my first time making duck confit.

So what is a rillette? If you ask me it is possibly the best potted food. EVER. The basic rule here is that you take some slowly cooked meat, shread it, and then beat it together with some fat, and often top it with fat (helps seal it you know…). Lets be honest, it is already sounding pretty good.

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Posted in Charcuterie, Meat Recipes | 18 Comments »

Seattle Food Bloggers Meat Party!!!

January 21 st 2009

42 Comments

(photo credit: Dawn and Eric: www.wrightangle.com)

Are you sitting comfortably? This might be a long post….

I am not quite sure how to start this post to be honest. This event has been a few months in planning. Planning, which has been in my mind since I attended quite possibly the best party ever, hosted by WhiteonRiceCouple. Back in August they hosted a food bloggers party in California, and Danika and I were lucky enough to be invited. It was quite honestly one of the best evenings of my life. On our flight back to Seattle a day afterwards, I decided then and there that we needed to do something like it back in the Pacific Northwest.

Me, being me, wanted it to do it ASAP. Danika brought me down out of the clouds. Events take planning. Especially if you really haven’t catered for a lot of people before. Heck, cooking for more than 6 normally freaks me out. “Matt, lets do it after the New Year” she said.. “Rubbish, I want to do it now!!” was most likely my response (I really don’t remember now my exact words). Thankfully, she convinced me – she is normally the voice of reason in Mattika to be honest.

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Posted in Meat Recipes | 42 Comments »

Eccles Cakes – the classic British tea cake

January 12 th 2009

31 Comments

Something must be kinda wrong with me recently. Maybe Christmas screwed me up…. First, I go and decide to host a “meat party” for 16 guests, when I am really a seafood cook, and then I go and bake.

Me, bake.

Any long (or not even that long) term reader (hi Mum..) will remember that not only do I completely dislike baking, but I am rather rubbish at it.

Continue reading about Eccles Cakes

Posted in Baking recipes | 31 Comments »

Here we go again (more curing)…. and a MEAT PARTY!!

January 8 th 2009

15 Comments

Did the bresaola in the trash (see last post) damper my spirits for home curing meat? Heck no. The opposite if anything. If I screw something up, I want to get it right. If at first you don’t succeed – try, try again (apparently..)

The bresaola was intended for a party I am hosting in about 10 days from now. Since it takes about 5 weeks to salt and cure, there is no way I could do another one. I might go out and buy some, just for kicks – but there is no way I could cure it myself.

Continue reading about duck prosciutto

Posted in Charcuterie | 15 Comments »