Tuesday 26 July 2011

Jamie Oliver's Pot-Roast Meatloaf and a bit of a Custard Disaster

I set out today to do 2 selections from my Jamie Oliver cookbooks.
I loved the meatloaf! It was a really tasty dish...a bit on the liquidy side though. I think serving this dish with a side of bread would work well. Jamie suggested a leafy salad, but I decided to go with some simple steamed green beans. It was delicious.
I also wanted to make a rhubarb custard desert... it was doomed from the beginning.
I went to 2 different grocery stores and 2 fresh produce markets in my neighbourhood, but did not find any rhubarb! I improvised, I decided to just go with some berries with the custard....would have been great if  the custard actually turned out alright.
It was going so well. I"ve never made custard before, or ever watched anybody make it. This simple desert is a lot trickier that I estimated. I followed the directions to the letter, making sure not to agressively heat the mixture, and continually stirring so it doesn't "scramble". I'm watching, and thinking "is that it, is it custard now?" And just as I'm thinking, "I think its done", there it is....LUMPS. Oh Hell! I ruined it.
So sadly, I have no desert -  not to mention 8 egg yolks, a litre of cream and a divine vanilla bean washed down the drain....blimey!


Pot-Roast Meatloaf

2 medium onions
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 level teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaped teaspoon ground corriander
12 cream creackers, such as Jacob's
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 large egg
2 cloves of garlic
1 fresh chile
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can chick peas
1 28 os can diced tomatoes
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs of Rosemary
8 slices of bacon

To make your meatloaf

Preheat oven to 475. Peel and finely chop one onion. Place in a frying pan on medium heat with 2 lugs of olive oil.
Add the cumin and corriander. Fry and stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes, and then put into a large bowl to cool. Wrap crackeer in clean kitchen towel or dry ziplock bag and smash up until fine.
Add to bowl of cool onions with the oregano, mustard, and ground beef. Crack in the egg and add a good pinch of salt and pepper.
With clean hands scrunch and mix up well.
Shape the mixture into a football (loaf) shape.
Rub it with a little olive oil.


Place the meatloaf into the oven in a Dutch-oven, casserol type dish, and turn dow the temperature to 400 immediatedly. Bake for 1/2 hour.

To make your sauce

Peel the other onion and chop into 1/4 inch pieces. Peel and slice the garlic. Finely slice the red chile. Place the onion, garlic, and chile in a large pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil, the paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for around 7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chick peas, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven.


Pick the Rosemary off the stem and put them in a bowl. Pour the fat from the meatloaf pan over the Rosemary leaves and mess up well.


Spoon the sauce around the meatloaf. Lay the slices o bacon oveer the top of the meatloaf and sauce. Scatter over the Rosemary leaves.


Put the pan back into the oven for 15 minutes until the bacon turns golden.

Custard-astrophy


1 comment:

  1. Never mind darlin' that'll teach you for not making the summer pudding I requested!!!

    Only joking.. The fruit and frozen yoghurt was really good and I'm sure the custard will turn out perfectly second time around!

    The main course was fantastic and man was I full.. My folks aren't going to recognize me when we go back to visit.. I must have gained 40 pounds since you've been blogging these Tuesday dinners and fattening me up :)

    ReplyDelete