Potted Ham

“Hold hard a minute, then!” said the Rat … and after a short interval reappeared staggering under a fat, wicker luncheon-basket.

“Shove that under your feet,” he observed to the Mole, as he passed it down into the boat. …

“What’s inside it?” asked the Mole, wriggling with curiosity.

“There’s cold chicken inside it,” replied the Rat briefly; “cold-tongue-cold-ham-cold-beef-pickeled-gherkins-salad-french-rolls-cress-sandwidges-potted-meat-ginger-beer-lemonade-sodawater-“

“O stop, stop,” cried Mole in ecstasies: “This is too much!”

(“The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Graham)

There is something distinctly Edwardian about potted meats, coming from a time before the privations of the First and Second World Wars, but when pâté was positively exotic and probably not to be trusted. Even my grandmother would have felt it was old-fashioned. But I have to say that, both from the point of view of reducing waste, and just the sheer enjoyment of eating it, we have been missing out!

I am sure this is a theme to which I will return (there being a glut of potential variations) but to begin with I’m turning to the rather sad, dry nugget of leftover ham which is looking a bit unloved at the back of the fridge … Continue reading “Potted Ham” →

Leftover Brisket Curry

“Leftovers” are key to the way I plan our family meals and reduce labour and waste. I’ve always felt a little more at liberty to experiment with leftovers as they are an “added bonus” – it doesn’t feel like such a disaster if things don’t turn out perfectly. Also it’s much easier to “stretch” leftovers with other ingredients so it can be a really cost effective way to cook.

It’s one of the main tenets of Jamie Oliver’s “Save with Jamie” – a really useful recipe book if you’re cooking for a family. (I will write a proper review at some point.)

As we had a decent amount of brisket left over I had a look through his Beef chapter and realised the Beef Rendang recipe was virtually AIP friendly already so I gave it a whirl! (Especially now my hubby has managed to reintroduce rice into his diet, he is delighted to try new curry recipes whenever the opportunity arises.) It was so good there was only one portion left (which I have my eye on in the freezer next time I am home alone in the evening). Continue reading “Leftover Brisket Curry” →

Piquant Pot-Roast Brisket (Instant Pot)

I never found roasting beef very easy – more often than not it comes out dry and grey whilst making the whole house smell of dripping – but a slow cooked “pot roast” somehow just works, with the added bonus that, because cheaper cuts of meat like brisket cook best this way, you don’t have to remortgage to produce an amazing “Sunday Roast” with a ton of amazing leftovers*.

It is even easier in an Instant Pot and much quicker (which is great if, like me, you can’t even think about lunch at the weekend until you’ve had at least 2 leisurely cups of coffee!) but just as tender and tasty.

Continue reading “Piquant Pot-Roast Brisket (Instant Pot)” →

Homecooked Ham (Instant Pot)

Gammon (or “Hot Ham” as it was always known at home) is not just for Christmas.

Two things which help save my sanity when it comes to cooking for my family are meal planning and factoring in “leftovers” (and I don’t just mean making a “what you can find” meal from scraps, I mean cooking more than you need in anticipation of using it later). This is particularly useful when following a restrictive diet like AIP as food preparation can become a serious burden.

Cooking a Gammon (the raw ham joint – cured and/or smoked) definitely ticks these boxes – delicious hot main meal AND delicious cold ham for several days after (AND if there’s any left over after all that, it freezes well and there are innumerable dishes which can only benefit from the addition of a little chopped ham) – and if you’re careful about the Gammon you buy, you can be sure it isn’t more chemical preservative than meat (something AIPers know to be wary of with Deli meat). Continue reading “Homecooked Ham (Instant Pot)” →