Some meals work out perfectly. Last night's one did just that.

I took a mixture of chopped shoulder and loin pork chops and garlic and gently fried them till juicy and almost cooked.
Then added a handful of sliced chestnut mushrooms, dried sage, pepper and salt. Turned it around in the pan to cook for a few more minutes. Whilst gently stirring I thought about not much, I find I cook better that way.
Had tea.

You'll notice there aren't any onions, well not proper legal onions, just the little upstart masquerading as an onion; the ubiquitous garlic. I love it. Often where a recipe calls for a clove (what's the point I ask) I invariably smash in three or four:)
Garlic is cool.
Anyway there aren't large onions in the recipe, which, by the way is called Roman Cobbler, a gem I found in a paperback written by Joscelin Dimbley, wife of one of the Dimblebums, can't remember which.At any rate it is a fantastic recipe and one I used to make a lot till I went worthy and started concerning myself about the cheese/cholesterol thing. More on that later..... I tend not to fret about health anymore. Mum by the way is looking a little grey but I wheeled her to the shops today, she liked it as much as I did.

Back to last night.

Ok meat cooked and placed in large baking dish. Now to the glorious topping which was firming up in the fridge.
I flinched sickingly on first reading of the recipe...here's why............. I had to take semolina, milk, egg, cheese and butter and make a gnocchi type topping. Thought semolina was for kiddies puds I thought not grown up's savoury mains. I risked it.
How the gluey mix boiled and thickened making it hard to even turn a wooden spoon.
But when the semolina and nutmeg flavoured milk was fit to go I added the aforementioned high cholesterol mix of egg, cheese, butter.
It looked divine. So substantial, so impressive. It was then spread our onto an oiled swiss roll tin and left to stiffen.

And so............Meat cooked..... I took the the semolina from its cold home, sliced it into fingers and laid them on top of the pork. A generous layer of grated cheddar was sprinkled on and into the oven it went till golden, crisping and bubbly bits spurting from the edges.

I always serve this with sweetcorn as it marries so well, bobbles of tender sweet corn as yellow as a daisy go so well with garlicky pork nuggets.

Savouries finished I withdrew from the fridge the best made Lemon Meringue Pie I've ever produced. I mean it was impressive. No sugary wet seepings from the golden meringue and a good wobbly lemony curd sitting fine on crisp dry bottomed shortcrust pastry.
Even I patted myself on the back.

Some meals are memorable and last night's one was certainly that.

Today I'm going for quickness by making  Salmon Pasta.
Tinned pink salmon mixed with lightly fried onions then turned into a pinky sauce by the addition of single cream, tomato puree, seasoning and a careful amount of cayenne.. Too much and it'll mask the flavour of the fish.
I'll boil some spaghetti for it to sit on. Green beans will probably accompany along with slices of homemade poppyseed garlic bread.

No alcohol to drink just water.

Lovely:)


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