Speck

Opening position

The first go at the speck from Borough Market was noticed at reference 1. About two thirds of the second piece were consumed on the Sunday chicken occasion noticed here.

Apart from boiled vegetables - I think cabbage, green marrow and brown rice - we had stuffing, as is proper, although it is many years since we actually stuffed the stuffing inside the fowl. Twin beds having become the thing.

So a small white loaf from Sainsbury's to supply the bread crumbs. Sage, the one rejuvenated earlier in the year by repotting, from behind the garage. Hazel nuts, celery, rape seed oil and eggs (two for binding) also from Sainsbury's. But covered with squares of speck rather than with some of the not very good streaky bacon I usually use. It turned out very well, both looking rather well and giving a little something to the stuffing below. The only silly thing was that the speck on the stuffing probably cost more than the chicken, despite this last being a full on taste-the-difference-outdoor-organic-maize-fed affair.

Half an hour later

Followed, as I recall, with stewed plums.

All washed down with a bottle of the Mademoiselle noticed at reference 2. Prompted by Terroirs but actually sourced from the people outside Guildford of reference 3. Maybe supplemented by a spot of something stronger.

I think the feeling today is that we might do stuffing with speck on state occasions, because it was rather good, but not in the regular way of things.

PS 1: later on in the day, the stuffing was found to be rather moreish. Coming in squares like the squares of a bar of chocolate, seemed to make just one more square hard to resist. All gone by the following day in any event.

PS 2: the following week, the modest remainder of the speck was taken in slices, fried, with brown bread, without butter. Not bad at all.

PS 3: Sunday lunch time following: surprised at how different both the snaps above look in Google Chrome on a full size screen, rather than in Microsoft Edge on a laptop. Colours quite different. Which all goes to show that cameras really do lie.

Reference 1: http://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/09/speck.html. 

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/06/series-2-episode-xi.html.

Reference 3: https://shop.lescaves.co.uk/lescaves-shopfront.