Oct 05 2008
Birthday Bonanza Mark II
The second birthday of the year, and yet again, ice cream and peanut fudge sauce had a starring role.
- Prawns with Maryam Zaira Sauce
- Red-Leaf, Fig and Serrano Ham Salad (this time with Figs!)
- Lamb Cutlets with Chilli and Black Olives
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae
Well, it was my birthday. What was I going to do apart from invite some good friends round and cook for them till we all burst?
I’d aimed to start with Scallops-on-the-Shell but the fishmongers of Leith let me down. Instead I bought in a truckload of prawns with their tails on, fanned them out all pretty in my Phil Revells (last birthday’s present) and gave everyone pots of Maryam Zaira sauce to dunk in. Dougal provided faintly saffron-y bread and all in all it was a grand wee starter.
Main course saw us re-visit a salad that we made way back when on the 1st of January. However, at the time we were missing a key ingredient- the Figs! Right now they are in season and there are heaving shelves of them in Waitrose. I was really impressed by how they brought this salad together- a lump of fig flesh with some serrano ham is a gloriously sweet and salty combination.
The high point of the main course was an awesome feast of tasty garlicky (oh my!) chilli seasoned lamb cutlets- 12 in all- fried on the hob. I was really impressed that this didn’t fill the kitchen (and my guests) up with smoke. We left the meat marinading while we ate our first course and then I set to frying whilst the table got re-organised and folks chatted away.
For pudding I pulled out the big guns. I’d commissioned ice cream from AC’s granddad (he makes it for her parent’s chippie and Italian restaurant) and thus, as much as a birthday present to myself as as a grand dessert for my guests, I was able to serve up the Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sundaes. These were wonderful; the salted peanuts on top really worked a treat and the three types of ice cream were definitely necessary. The only thing that wasn’t necessary was my doubling the volumes for the Peanut Butter Fudge Sauce. We had far too much- the amount specified for four sundaes would surely have done the trick. Sadly this means poor Dougal and I are on left-overs duty all week. It’s a hard life.
In other exciting news I got some heart shaped cookie cutters for my birthday so at least one more recipe is now in our sights! My parting shot is Nick, illustrating the theme of Ice Cream Sundae through the medium of interpretive dance…
Sounds like a grand feast. I keep meaning to try the peanut sundae thing as you have given it a big press. Trouble is I am getting bigger too.
My other problem is that out in the sticks, the only big prawns you can get have flown halfway round the world. As this has not been under their own steam, I prefer not to purchase them. Seeing as there is a major langoustine industry in Scotland, and I’m sure there are plenty of prawns of a decent size out there too, this pains me… but that is the price of living out in the country.
Glad the figgy salad was good; figs are always a bit difficult to get just so, but sounds like yours were!
xxxx
I suspect that, as they were bought under duress, the prawns we used were probably members of the Frequent Fliers club too. However I’m sure Mrs H has found time to pop into Eddie’s in Marchmont from time to time. I wonder if one could order mega prawns at the Fishmongers in Dunbar, for Saturday collection, or whether they’d just say ‘no call for them round here’ and gie you the brush off?
Good strategies… but require forethought, planning and other things my brain is not too good at just now.
xxx
Happy belated birthday! Sounds likes you had a lovely dinner and the lamb cutlets look gorgeous. Leftover peanut butter fudge sauce? You poor, poor, people. It’s a tough job!