Dry run

Friday eight days ago was earmarked for a dry run of a dish we intend to be festive with in a week or so's time. Not completely a dry run as it is a dish which we use to have from time to time in the distant past, but not for many years, at least in so far as I can recall.

Proceedings started with a cookbook which we have had for many years, featuring all kinds of things that can be cooked involving cream, butter, milk and cheese. Published by the Ebury Press of National Magazine House on behalf of the Milk Marketing Board. The location being Soho rather than next door to the Elizabeth Street in Belgravia, where I once bedsitted it for a year or so.

So their beef Strogonoff, in addition to beef, onions and mushrooms includes soured cream. Which we omit.

But the day started in the presently ordinary way with a spin around Jubilee Way, winding down with a Wellingtonia in St. Ebba's, noticed at reference 1.

Onto the butcher to pick up some rump steak, about a pound and a half of it, and half a white pudding. This last was turned over to BH to practise on for lunch, when it was taken with bread, on the grounds that although we have white puddings on a regular basis, she has never cooked one. I might say she did very well. 

In the afternoon, polished off a Maigret story involving a young lad who pinched his favourite pipe in the course of visiting Maigret's office with his mother. A pipe which went on to figure quite largely in the story that followed. With Maigret and Simenon both being pipe people who take a dim view of a favourite pipe being lifted. At least, on this occasion, he got it back.

This left me in fine form to commence activities. Phase 1, cut the steak across the grain into strips, maybe an inch and a half by half an inch by three sixteenths of an inch. Set fat aside for the crows in the morning.

Toss in no less than three tablespoons of flour, which was fine, but which I shall cut down on the next occasion. Fry for a few minutes in some butter, stirring to stop the wet flour sticking. Take the snap above. Add a finely chopped onion. Fry for a few minutes longer. 

In the meantime, boil some white rice. Just as with bacon sandwiches, this is a dish which does better white than brown. Use some of the rice water to loosen up the beef. I thought about a little tomato puree, but didn't know where it was hiding when I thought about it, and subsequently forgot. Try are remember for next time. At the last minute add the button mushrooms.

Serve with some of that all year round broccoli that they sell in Sainsbury's. A distant relative of the purple sprouting broccoli which I used to grow on the allotment - and used to eat raw when very young.

Flowers provided by BH, again from Sainsbury's. Bought tight and last just about a week, which works well just presently. Plus a couple of bottles of wine from Tracy-sur-Loire, for lack of which had to move on yesterday to the stuff noticed earlier in the day at reference 4.

All went down very well. My only adverse comment being that a little less flour would have been better. Plus maybe a spot of tomato puree, maybe a spot of black pepper. Not too sure about this last.

Dessert was grapes and or cheese and biscuits, that is to say Lincolnshire Poacher from Neal's Yard and Water Biscuits from Carr's. I think I had taken too much first course to need cheese, so stuck at grapes.

PS: the red book under the sun hat middle left, looks to be the fine map purchased on the occasion noticed at reference 5. Got down to confirm the location of Baltimore, as noticed at reference 6.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/03/wellingtonia-27.html.

Reference 2: https://www.masterbutchersepsom.co.uk/.

Reference 3: La Pipe de Maigret - Simenon - 1945. Volume XII of the collected works.

Reference 4: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/03/a-wine-for-friday.html.

Reference 5: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/09/army-navy-co-op.html.

Reference 6: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-woodcote.html.