Monday, 28 September 2015

Gin Mondays: Adnams Copper House Gin and Earl of Orange Infusion

Welcome to my second ever Gin Monday! I know I said it would be every other week but I've been very very busy travelling around the country to foodie events and haven't been able to post until now. Don't worry though, this is a corker and I'll be sharing the details of the events I went to in coming posts too!

Now, listen really carefully because I'm going to tell you all about my absolute FAVOURITE gin in the world ever. It's award winning and, even better, it is almost local as it's made in Suffolk! If you haven't already guessed (and the pic wasn't a massive giveaway) I'm talking about Adnams Copper House Gin.

It gets the name 'Copper House' because the gin in distilled inside traditional handmade copper stills. When in there, the botanicals are added to infuse the spirit with wonderful aromatics and flavours. Juniper Berries, Orris Root, Coriander Seed, Cardamom Pod, Sweet Orange Peel and Hibiscus Flower are the botanicals of choice and most of these are staples in other popular gins; but the one which really stands out is Hibiscus Flower. For me, this is what makes the gin particularly special; It doesn't add a particularly floral flavour, but it does round out the flavour overall and makes it particularly smooth and easy to drink.

As you can see, this gin is constantly winning award after award and now that I've proclaimed it the best gin in the world, I suppose they've collected the full set! I should probably mention I haven't actually tried all the gin in the world, even though I've been trying really hard, but this is definitely the best to date and one I come back to again and again.


You may not recognise the bottle, as Adnams have recently changed it from a classic look to one that is more modern and fun. I really like the new bottle; good job, Adnams!

Adnams Copper House Gin can be bought directly from their website.

Whilst the botanicals added during the distillation process do flavour the gin, some of the flavour is lost. When I want a strong flavoured gin, I tend to do my own infusions and I'm going to share one with you all right now! Here is my Earl of Orange Gin...


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Earl of Orange Gin
Infused gin with the delicious flavour of earl grey tea and orange. Delicious as a classic G&T or as a twist to a cocktail!
Ingredients
  • 500ml gin
  • 2 earl grey tea bags
  • 1 orange, preferably organic
Instructions
1. Remove the zest of the orange with a potato peeler and place the zest into a clean jar or bottle. Make sure the lid fits well, you'll need to shake this up! 2. Pour the gin onto the orange peel and add the teabags. Leave to steep for 2 hours, giving the jar a little swirl every now and then. 3. Remove the tea bags from the gin, squeezing out as much gin as possible. These have now done their job and can be discarded. Leave to infuse for longer than this and the tea will start to make the gin bitter. 4. Leave the tea-infused gin and orange peel in the jar in an accessible place for another week. Shake the gin every day to release the orange oils and flavours. 5. Once a week has passed, strain and bottle up the gin. You can drink it immediately or leave it for a while; the flavour will only improve with time.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 500ml infused gin


For more infused alcohol recipes, check out these amazing blogs:

If you have a favourite gin and I've not yet featured it, please do let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: I was provided a bottle of Adnams Copper House Gin free for me to review but I was not paid for this post. As always, I wasn't expected to write a positive review and all views expressed are my own personal opinions.

Sunday, 13 September 2015

Posh Mushrooms on Toast

Yep, you read the title of this post correctly! I'm going to show you a knockout recipe for the old favourite of mushrooms on toast.

With the addition of bacon, garlic, herbs and a dash of creme fraiche the humble dish of mushrooms on toast is transformed into something quite special. Add a simple dressed salad and it's a great mid-week meal that's both quick and super simple.

If you wanted to make this veggie, you could of course leave out the bacon. I like it because, well, everything is better with bacon!

I tend to use either rosemary or thyme as the herbs for this, but you could by all means experiment if you particularly like the flavour of others with your mushrooms. You could even go crazy with lots of different wild mushrooms; that would make for an extra special dish perhaps as a starter at a dinner party?

The possibilities are endless! Well, they're not really ENDLESS but you know what I mean...



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Posh Mushrooms on Toast
Try this 'pimped up' mushroom recipe for a mid-week dinner. Super simple and super delicious in equal measure.
Ingredients
  • 125g bacon lardons
  • 350g mushrooms, halved
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 sprigs of herbs of your choice (thyme or rosemary work very well)
  • 1 tbsp crème fraiche
  • 4 slices good quality bread (sourdough or similar is delicious)
  • mixed baby leaves
  • balsamic dressing
Instructions
1. Fry the bacon on a medium heat until it's just starting to go light brown and is cooked all the way through. 2. Add the mushrooms, garlic and herbs and continue to fry until all ingredients are cooked and soft. Try to start toasting the bread so it's done just as you need it. 3. Take the pan OFF the heat and add the crème fraiche, stirring to coat the mushrooms. If you add whilst on the heat, the crème fraiche may split. It will still be ok to eat but won't look very nice. 4. Serve the mushrooms toppled over the hot toast, with a pile of leaves on the side drizzled with balsamic dressing. 5. Eat quickly, whilst still piping hot!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: Serves 2 as a main meal, or 3-4 as a snack


Friday, 11 September 2015

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks


I love lamb shanks. Not just because they're completely delicious but also because they make the perfect dinner party dish. One shank is a fairly generous portion for one guest and left on the bone it looks very impressive when served. A few simple accompaniments and lashings of gravy and you have a fabulous meal that's sure to be loved by all your guests without much effort at all. Perfect.

I actually made these lamb shanks a long time ago but for one reason or another didn't get round to blogging them. However, with the nights drawing in and a nip in the air I feel I can now justify sharing it with you!

The shank is the lower part of a leg of lamb and is a hard-working muscle. As with most meats, this makes it a very tough cut but also completely delicious too! The secret to these hard working cuts of meat is low, slow cooking so for this recipe I turned to probably the most hard-working of all my kitchen gadgets; the slow cooker.

I used my Netherton Foundry cast iron pan to brown off the shanks and I'd probably have used my NF slow cooker to finish cooking them too if I'd owned it when I made this recipe. As it is, I used my Cookworks one which, whilst not quite so nice to use or to look at, is perfectly adequate.


Finishing the lamb off in the oven is completely optional, but it will crisp up the skin and ensure a nice brown colour. I always do it as it only takes as long as it does to prepare the accompaniments, but I'm sure the lamb will be very tasty even without browning.

print recipe

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
Meltingly tender and completely delicious, these lamb shanks are the perfect dinner party dish!
Ingredients
  • 1 lamb shank per person
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 250ml red wine
  • 500ml-1l lamb stock
Instructions
1. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat with a little oil, then quickly brown the lamb shanks on all sides. This is not essential, but helps to remove some fat, keep the shanks together and improves the appearance. 2. Place the shanks in the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients listed. Use enough stock to just cover the top of the lamb. 3. Cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce to low and cook for a further 5 hours at least. The longer the better! 4. Carefully remove the lamb shanks from the slow cooker (try not to let them fall apart!) and place on an oiled oven tray. Bake in the oven for 20 mins at 180C to crisp up the outside. 5. Whilst the lamb is crisping, prepare any accompaniments you wish and pour the cooking liquid into a large pan and place onto a high heat to bubble down and reduce into a lovely gravy. 6. Serve with lashings of the lovely gravy and enjoy!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: As many lamb shanks as you can fit!


For more great ideas for Lamb Shanks, check out these recipes on some of my favourite blogs:


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