My Definition of the Verb "to frazzle"

I have been frazzling things in the kitchen for years but whilst preparing this post I looked up “frazzle” in the dictionary for the correct meaning; apparently the primary definition is ...

“to put in a state of extreme physical or nervous fatigue”

I probably did frazzle some of the kitchen staff, including myself on occasion, but that’s not what I mean.

The other definition I found is ...

“cause to shrivel up with burning”

I might have done this too once or twice but I wouldn’t recommend it.

My own personal definition of frazzle is ...

“to fry shreds of an ingredient till crisp”

This sort of frazzling is a great way of using up and enhancing a little bit of this or that to create a snack, cook’s treat, garnish or component of a dish.

I was prompted to write post this by a couple of experiments we did in the pub kitchen where I am now employed making desserts – firstly we sliced a Chantenay carrot lengthways and deep fried it.  Drained, cooled and salted the slices were both pretty and delicious.  

Yesterday, as I peeled a whole case of apples to make loads of apple crumble (the season is upon us – yikes!), I wondered what would happen if we deep fried some of the peelings.  So we did and they were crisp and lovely with caster sugar and a pinch of cinnamon, I think they will be showing up quite a lot on the menu.

I don’t think I have frazzled either of these in the past and have no photos of the above experiments but I have frazzled the following ...

Sweet Potatoes 

To frazzle these I first peel the sweet potato and then using the potato continue peeling until I have a pile of sweet potato ribbons. More ideas for delicious sweet potatoes here.

Leeks

These make a lovely crunchy garnish for creamy leek dishes (see a few great ideas for leeks here). Cut a leek into long thin strips, rub a little cornflour (aka corn starch in the US) through them to help them go crips and deep fry for a few minutes till golden. Lift out of the oil with a skimmer and drain on kitchen roll. Sprinkle with a little crunchy sea salt.

Sage and Parsley

Just drop clean and dry sage leaves or parsley sprigs into hot fat for literally a few seconds, 2 or 3 will probably do it. Drain on kitchen roll and sprinkle with sea salt. Bacon and pork, savoury apple dishes, onions, butternut squash and blue cheese will all benefit from a sage garnish, and the parsley is a great garnish for fish dishes in particular and most other savoury dishes too.

Frazzled Onions which I usually call Onion Grass on menus. 

This is a quicker, easier and in my opinion nicer alternative to making onion rings. 

~   Peel halve and thinly slice onions into half-moons.

~   Toss together with seasoned flour – the easiest way to do this is in a bag.
~   Shake off excess and deep fry the onions.
~   Drain well and season.

Chorizo

Fry coarsely chopped, julienned or shredded (or any other shape) chorizo in a little olive oil till crisp.  Remove from the oil and set aside on paper towel to cool and crisp. Sprinkle on salads, soups, pasta dishes, fish and anything else that takes your fancy.

DON’T throw the oil away it will be infused with chorizo and great for drizzling on things such as soup or fried eggs, for instance.  See here for lots more on chorizo including purpose made chorizo oil. 

Prosciutto

Pretty well the same goes with Prosciutto for instance Tagliatelle in Asparagus “Pesto” with Frazzled Prosciutto.

Chicken and Duck Skin – Grattons and Gribenes

These are delicious crispy morsels made from duck or chicken skin. See here for how to make grattons and gribenes and use them to garnish soups, salads, pâtés and general duck dishes or just nibble on them.

Pancakes

Leftover pancakes are great cut into strips, fried till crisp and used to garnish whatever you fancy.

This is just one good way to use up scraps, bits and pieces and leftovers – I have written a book containing literally hundreds of good ideas, suggestions, recipes and tips ~ have a look at my leftovers cookbook Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while, by the way, my computer has been having a problem but he’s OK now.

OK - that's all for now, enjoy the sunshine! Let me know if you think of anything else that could do with a damn good frazzling!

How to Make Grattons, Schmaltz and Gribenes

My romantic old darling brought me home a duck last night and I am making many plans for it because he says I can eat it all myself!!  I'm not much of a meat eater but I do love a duck! 

I have decided to confit the legs (plus another two I have in the freezer) and roast or pan fry the breasts in a couple of wonderful ways and I also might make some duck soup of the Chinese persuasion or maybe ... ooh I don't know, more about the results of these plans later including how to confit duck legs.  However the idea of confitting sent my mind running along skin and fat in general and duck and chicken skin and fat in particular. 

Of course it goes without saying that  all leftover duck fat resulting from roasting a duck should be set aside in the fridge and used to roast potatoes which will then be remarkably delicious. 

Bits of leftover chicken skin can just be popped into a hot oven till crisp and served as a nibble or garnish.

Grattons

These are diced duck skin with any adhering fat which have been fried (boiled in oil according to one Gascon recipe I recently read) till crisp, then seasoned and served as a snack or garnish.  I have often done a similar thing when serving duck breasts in a restaurant situation - I remove the skin, toss with salt and pepper and olive oil, spread them on a baking tray and cook in the always on hot oven till crisp.  They make a fine crunchy contrast to the tender breast meat.

Schmaltz

This is a Yiddish term for rendered chicken fat (pronounced שמאַלץ according to Wikipedia!) and is essential in many kosher dishes such as chopped liver and matzo balls or sometimes just eaten on toast instead of butter.  As with duck fat a small amount can result from roasting a chicken, especially a fatty one, but it is easy and well worthwhile to make it on purpose too.  Gather together, in the freezer is fine, enough fatty chicken skin to make the job worthwhile and then ...

~   Chop the skin and fat in 10mm or so pieces.

~   Spread over the bottom of a preferably non-stick frying pan, cover and cook over gentle heat for 10-15 minutes until the fat starts to render out and pool in the pan.

~   Remover the lid, turn up the heat to medium and continue cooking till there is plenty of melted fat at the skin is curly and starting to turn brown, maybe another 15 minutes.

~   Turn off the heat and allow to cool a little then strain through a metal seive - the melted fat is the schmaltz; cool to room temperature and then store in the fridge till needed.

~   Don't throw away the skin - now is the time to make ...

Gribenes

~   Return the skin to the still oily pan and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring till it starts browning again.

~   Add about and equal quantity of thinly sliced onion and cook together till all are crisp and golden.

~   Season with salt and pepper

~   Using a slotted spoon carefully lift the gribenes from any malted fat in the pan then spread them out on a piece of kitchen roll to drain and cool.

~   Add any remaining fat in the pan to the cooling schmaltz, it will taste even better than before.

In other news ...

1.   If these are just a few of the suggestions I can think of for leftover skin and fat don't you wonder what ideas I have for the other 450 potential leftovers in my book Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers?

A Delicious Sandwich of Roasted Things!

~  Menu  ~

Toasted Duck & Butternut Squash Sandwich

Grattons 

White Wine Spritzer

We had roast duck for dinner the other night, duck is my favourite meat and I wasn't disappointed. My real man ate both its legs and I ate one of its breasts.

The following night I made Roasted Butternut Squash and Duck Risotto which worked out well (for how to make risotto see here, and for how to roast squash see here) which is more than I can say for its photo – not shown!

Today’s lunch was obvious as soon as I opened the fridge; a toasted sandwich filled with leftover squash in roasted garlic mayonnaise and the last of the duck breast.

The biggest problem I had was I really couldn’t decide on red or white wine but was a good girl, I didn’t have both.

My real man and I also enjoyed nibbling on a few grattons – duck skin cooked in its own fat till crispy, at which stage I did wish I'd gone for the red.

My Leftovers Cookbook

As you may know I am nearing the deadline to submit my book manuscript and so was um … disappointed to discover that the word count on my computer has been ignoring all the words in text boxes which is how I have chosen to display my more major recipes. This has put me 12,000 words over the limit. On the plus side (slightly) I also find that bullet points count as a word so I can offset some of these against the other problem.

Apart from saying rude words I am dealing with this situation by editing the duck out of it. Not really, more like editing the bottargo and jackfruit out of it.

I have always fancied being a food writer – working at home, cooking and eating and sitting around writing about it. The reality is a little different; this constant typing has given me bursitis in both shoulders and a squint!

Read more here.

However ...

News from the Future ... my book was published in March, 2013. Originally titled The Leftovers Handbook a second edition is now available and is now called Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.  In it I give all the information, ideas and recipes I can think of for over 450 possible leftovers. 

In Other News

I would just like to say how very, very, very (you can see why I fancy myself as fluent!) pleased I am to hear that Paul Ainsworth has received his first Michelin star. His restaurant, No. 6 in Padstow, is my favourite place to eat out of a more than our fair share of excellent restaurants. Congratulations to Paul and his staff.

Chicken & Green Chilli Fritters - quick and easy!

~ Menu ~

Chicken & Green Chilli Fritters

White Wine Spritzer

We had a roast chicken for dinner last night.  My manly chap had a leg, a wing, sausage meat, homemade bacon stuffing, my own rich and luxurious bread sauce, new potatoes, cabbage, carrots, green beans, leeks and gravy.  He like eating.  I had a little breast meat, new potatoes and salad with light mayonnaise and I’m not even trying to lose weight!  I’m just crazy, like that!  Also I prefer a lighter sort of meal.

Today we still have most of the chicken left so he is having the same dinner again tonight and so might I, who knows.

For lunch today however I made myself some chicken and green chilli fritters (or cakes) using my “wet bread method”.  Sounds tempting doesn’t it!

There are lots of ways to make fish/chicken/meat cakes; breadcrumbs, potato, a panada (thick béchamel/white sauce) etc. and they are all good in different ways.  Wet bread is good because it is so quick and easy yet makes for a moist middle and a crisp outside. 

Chicken and Green Chilli Fritters – serves 1

I used Tesco’s Mediterranean bread which will add an extra nuance of flavour but use whatever you’ve got.

75 g finely chopped cooked chicken

40g bread soaked in cold water or, even better, cold chicken stock

½ tsp puréed green chilli pickle sludge – see Storecupboard for details – or other hot spicy condiment

1 heaped tsp mayonnaise
olive oil for frying

~   When the bread is completely soaked, 5-10 minutes, use your hands to squeeze it out as dryly as possible. 

~   Mix the squozen bread with the rest of the ingredients.

~   Taste and season but chilli pickle being so ace I doubt it needs anything else.

~   Form into 2 cakes and flatten to little rounds.

~   No need to coat in flour just shallow fry in a little olive oil till crisp on both sides.

As you can see I ate this with a few leaves and also with some chicken skin that I had crisped up in the oven to make a pretty, pretty delicious and unhealthy garnish.  Kind of makes up for last night.  I also partook of a spritzer as one does.

In Other News

It is, as you know, a bank holiday weekend and mostly the weather has acted accordingly.  Nevertheless there are an inordinate number of people camping here despite the difficulties …

I don’t know if you can even make out this picture of people putting their tent up or maybe taking it down or perhaps just ripping the damn thing to shreds so they needn't go camping again.  Sometimes I wonder why people bother but then I think if I lived in a city (and I am a Londoner so know what its like) I would probably be glad of a stint in Cornwall whatever the weather.  Anyhoo the sun is coming out now.