Day 146: fluffy gorgeousness, with bite
We’ve just returned from a wonderful couple of days in the stunning Lake District with family (my sister-in-law and her friend - who are visiting from Poland). The weather was a little moody, but I’m a sucker for an English landscape doused in rain and low-hanging clouds. It’s magical, mystical, and - let’s be honest - very representative of a British summer! And it makes those first few thirst-quenching sips on your tipple of choice and the inordinate amount of carbs you order for dinner in the pub even more cosy and restorative. We enjoyed some incredible food – unexpectedly American in theme and portion size – and drank a lot of Japanese larger, also unexpected when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere in a quaint village (possibly hamlet) in the Western realms of the Lake District. I owned every carbohydrate and enjoyed every mouthful. With deep pleasure.
After a few days away from home, whether it be for holiday or work, I dont think (for me) there is a greater feeling than that comforting sigh when you walk into your own kitchen; the heart of the home waiting with open arms to welcome you back with its loving embrace.
It’s always emotional when family visits come to an end. My sister-in-law and her friend flew back to Poland today. We ate out quite a bit, but I managed to squeeze in one final Nigella recipe before they left!
I’d already planned dinner for when we arrived back home on Sunday: pork shoulder slow-cooked with apricots and fennel seeds; Nigella’s Bulgur Wheat with Flaked Almonds and Nigella Seeds; and a fresh cucumber salad with a tahini dressing and pine nuts. The pork and cucumber salad were less planned and more improvised on the spot.
Nigella’s Bulgur Wheat with Flaked Almonds and Nigella Seeds
Let coriander, cumin and nigella seeds work their aromatic magic on bulgur wheat, assisted by the steam from a good glug of water and low heat source, toss through a few finishing ingredients, and Bob’s your uncle: near-instant aromatised nutty goodness.
The pork with apricots and fennel seeds is based (heavily) on Nigella’s Spiced Lamb with Potatoes and Apricots; I would have cooked that in all its original glory, but I was the only one eating that night who liked lamb. (Although after walking amongst the sheep in the Lake District I grew quite attached and wanted to take one home to snuggle up with on the sofa; they looked so cold and wet). If it wasn’t for such a carb-heavy few days prior, I would have used sweat potatoes too.
(“My”) Pork with Apricots and Fennel Seeds
Should you fancy giving it a go, simply follow Nigella’s recipe on Page 171 of At My Table – for Spiced Lamb with Potatoes and Apricots – and make the following adjustments:
Replace lamb with pork shoulder (I used about 1.4kg of pork shoulder steaks cut into 2cm chunks)
Replace cinnamon stick with ½ tsp ground cinnamon (I only did this because a cinnamon hater was present; I still wanted the spice’s warmth but felt I had greater control of its intensity using ground)
1 ½ - 2 tsps fennel seeds, added with other spices to the oil
2tbps tomato puree (I fried this for a few minutes with the spices at the beginning – before tumbling in the meat)
I omitted potatoes, only for the reason stated above
I didn’t use onions, simply because I didn’t have any
Flavour musings
I’ve become quite the fan of bulgur wheat, since starting this cookalong, and make it often with roast vegetables – variations on Nigella’s Spiced Bulgur Wheat with Roast Vegetables from Cook Eat Repeat – and roast chicken thighs. This bulgur wheat is light, fluffy, gorgeously perfumed, and flecked with nutty crunch. It’s fluffy gorgeousness, with bite. And it was most welcomed following a traffic-riddled Sunday afternoon drive home from a short weekend break; when all you want is to be at home pottering in your kitchen, smelling good smells, feeding guests and eating good foods.
You can find the recipe for Nigella’s Bulgur Wheat with Flaked Almonds and Nigella Seeds in At My Table (p177).
