We exist as temporary states between stardust and soil.
[Marin May]
Tag Archives: zen mischief
This Month’s Quote
Some people have no idea what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.
[George Carlin]
Culinary Adventures #110: Duck Schnitzel with Orzo Pseudo-Risotto
It’s been too long since I did a Culinary Adventures post. So to put that right this is what I concocted for Friday evening. As always it’s based on ideas culled from recipes I see, and adapted à la mode d’ici.
Duck Schnitzel with Orzo Pseudo-Risotto
Serves: 2
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts
- 100g orzo
- 2 handfuls frozen peas
- 2 large salad onions, or one medium-size onion, chopped
- enough cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed
- a yellow, orange or red pepper, chopped
- zest & juice of a lemon
- plain flour
- an egg, beaten
- about 75g Panko Breadcrumbs (or ordinary breadcrumbs)
- fresh ground black pepper
- leaves from half a packet of fresh tarragon (discard the stems) or other fresh herbs of your choice
- splash white wine or dry sherry (optional)
What to do
- Lay out 3 small plates. On the first put the flour, and season it with ground black pepper.
On the second put the beaten egg.
On the third the breadcrumbs mixed with the lemon zest. - Put the orzo and peas on to cook together in plenty of boiling water. When done, drain and keep warm.
- Sweat the onion, garlic and pepper in some olive oil. As it cooks season with black pepper.
- (If desired remove the skin from the duck, and give it to your local fox.) Put the duck breasts between layers of clingfilm and beat them with a steak hammer (or rolling pin) to reduce their thickness.
- Coat each duck breast in the seasoned flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Fry in olive oil in another frying pan. Turn regularly and cook until the juices run clear (or a meat thermometer reaches at least 70°C) – but don’t overcook it so it goes dry.
- Just before the duck is done, add the tarragon and lemon juice to the onion, followed by the orzo & peas. Mix well and cook until heated through and steaming. If it seems too dry add a splash of white wine or dry sherry. Season with more black pepper.
- Serve the duck and “risotto” and enjoy with a glass or two of wine of your choice.
Notes
- I was surprised how well the lemon and tarragon came through in the “risotto”; it felt like the right combination. But thyme, sage, or coriander should work well too.
- I used Panko breadcrumbs. I’ve never used them before and I wanted to experiment. I think they gave a superior result to making your own breadcrumbs from stale bread – probably because they’re dried.
- This could be adapted (as I have) to use any pasta; broken up spaghetti works well.
- I’ve also done something similar with other meats, or for a veggie option I guess you could use slices of aubergine.
- Also optionally add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the onion mix at the same time as the tarragon and lemon.
Monthly Self-Portrait, June
Asian Hornets (Redux)
There’s more news on the Yellow-legged Asian Hornet which is attempting to get established in the UK.
A BBC news story earlier this week reported that DNA testing had shown that the hornets had definitely survived a UK winter for the first time. Subsequently Defra blogged that “Whilst this is the first evidence of Asian hornets overwintering in the UK, it is not considered to be strong evidence of an established population”.
Hmmm. Well. Maybe. That sounds like a fairly technical position by Defra, and almost looks like hiding their head under their blanket. Having overwintered once they can easily do it again – and by that time they will have spread and there will be many more overwintering queens. It’ll take only one missed nest not destroyed in time and another mild winter. So it feels to me that they’re here to stay.
This Month’s Quote
Nudists don’t take their clothes off, we get dressed when we have to!
This Month’s Quote
If it makes you happy it doesn’t have to make sense to others.
[Richard Feynman]
This Month’s Quote
It’s the invention of clothes, not nature, that made “private parts” private.
[Mokokoma Mokhonoana]
This Month’s Quote
However much you deny the truth, the truth goes on existing.
[George Orwell]
This Month’s Quote
Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.
[Margaret Mead]