Who am I? I am lying awake at night stuck in an identity crisis. Am I that faithful chocolate crusader, a dog of the people, or a lap dancer, oops, I mean a lap dog?
As the boss has just pointed out that it would have to be a lap the size of a couple of MPs for me to fit into. (Cheeky sod.) Or am I a kitchen hand albeit one who has to wait around the back of the building for the rubbish to be put out? In this case I could also be termed a waiter.
The identity crisis has all come about as the twoleggers have been working all sorts of hours getting our restaurant and bar up and running. I hope things are finally settling down so I can actually get back to what I do best, eating and loving. Ah they go together, like rain and umbrellas, and it has become a memory and after Labour weekend (now I know why it was called this), the boss and his apprentice finally gave me a little attention I deserve and let me loose on The Strand.
It was good to see that not a lot has changed, well nothing really, the same old people are still cocking (strange term that) their legs on our wall and being a bloody nuisance up in the Park. I find it really strange in the twolegger world that the boss people have had to go through all the bureaucratic processes to get a licence to serve alcohol and these idiots can sit in the park and abuse who they like, while openly shoving any sort of substance they can find down their throats.
I know I do this as well, with food, but hell man there is a limit when good people cannot even go for a stroll without being subjected to all sorts of dirty smutty abuse. Get real you idiots, and get a job like me, or get the hell out of town! (Maybe they are having an identity crisis as well.)
Enough of my ranting let's get on to my favourite topic and talk about my old mate Johnny the Aussie Butcher. I know he does not have an identity crisis as all I see when I pay a visit is meat, meat and more meat.
Johnny has been telling me that with Christmas rapidly approaching, get in and order your hams and turkeys now. As I told you last year his hams are just the best.
This week he has corned silverside on special, cured in the special Aussie way, so let's give this recipe a go.
Catch Me in the Rye
Serves 4
Ingredients
1.2kg piece corned silverside
1 orange, sliced
1 Tbsp golden syrup
8 whole cloves
1 Tbsp juniper berries
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp white peppercorns
2 tsp fennel seeds
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 Tbsp sea-salt flakes
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 small red onion, finely sliced
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 thick slices rye bread
Method
Put corned silverside in a heavy-based pan, cover with water and bring slowly to the boil. Reduce heat and add orange slices, golden syrup and cloves. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove from pan, transfer to a hot plate and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Put the juniper berries, coriander, peppercorns and fennel in a mortar and pestle or food processor and grind or process until finely chopped. Sprinkle the spice mixture on a sheet of baking paper. Roll the corned silverside in the spice mixture, pressing firmly. Put the silverside in an oven dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Put the cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle over salt. Put a plate over the cabbage and stand for 1 hour. Rinse cabbage under cold water and squeeze liquid from cabbage. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the caraway seeds and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the onion and cabbage and cook for 2 minutes or until the cabbage is wilted. Add vinegar and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Combine the sour cream and mustard in a small bowl. Put the bread on a flat surface and spread each slice with mustard sauce. Top with slices of silverside and cabbage mixture. Serve immediately.
Highland Fling Cocktail
Ingredients
3/3 oz Vermouth, sweet
1 ½ oz Whiskey, Scotch
2 dashes bitters, orange
1 whole olive
Method
Stir ingredients in a mixing tin with ice. Strain into cocktail glass and add olive.
Alrighty people that's it from me for this week and go the mighty AB's on Saturday night in Hong Kong of all places. Here was I thinking that they usually only played with seven in a team over there. Never mind even with seven on the paddock we can still whip the convicts with 15. See you all and remember do it to them before they do it to you. Next week I will have some election tips for you.