So, if last night was about something I'd been meaning to cook for ages, tonight is about nostalgia - a beef curry casserole I half remember from my childhood - which means I probably haven't had it properly in 20 years.
I thought I had it scribbed down in our notebook of recipes but I didn't - however unlike me, my mum was not a massive collector of cookbooks. She did however have this 80's gem (which I picked up in a charity shop in another fit of nostalgia - her copy moved to Barcelona with her)
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| One day I'll poach pears in grenadine and it will be the talk of the town |
I was pretty sure the recipe would have originated from this book and I was spot on (my mum confirmed it, and explained it had gone through some changes over the years, which is why I remember sultanas in it).
What I had forgotten from my childhood was that butchers in markets don't keep the same hours as shops, so by the time I swung by at 3pm ish, on my way home through town the markets were all closing up, which means I ended up at the butchers counter in Tescos. I don't find supermarkets easy places to buy meat, especially as I usually need it in such small quantities, but I did also sort out a chicken to roast for tomorrows lunch.
The curry was remarkably easy to make (I'd halved the quantities, so also halved the cooking time more or less - which gave me chance to have a bubble bath). I didn't have any sultanas, so I replaced them with prunes, which also made up for the fact I didn't have any mango chutney or apricot jam) I also had to make up a 'mild curry powder' since I haven't had premixed powder in the house for a very long time.
{Post Dinner Update}
It's weird, this tasted like no curry I've had since moving to the midlands, but it did taste more or less of the curry I remember from my childhood. It can best be described as a slightly more interesting beef stew - not a bad thing at all but an interesting reminder on how far assimilated other cultures cooking has come - Pete can make a selection of curries indistinguishable from a half decent restaurant -but I can't see this kind of slow cooked casserole becomes a staple in the Wearn household. Nicely I do have enough left for lunch on Monday.