It was not as good as it should have been due to a loss of focus at critical moments.
When you are about to serve the main course and realise that you have not started to cook the vegetables then you have a significant problem – so the vegetables were a bit – well – on the crunchy side.
And I did leave a few ingredients out of the main dish and did not discover these until later – but they were not really important so had no material bearing on the outcome.
This was due to the fact that I spent time chatting with the guests rather than being in the kitchen where I belonged – so have no one to blame but myself.
But Gwenyth’s Australian specialties were a hit – although due to the inadequacies of Austrian cream the presentation of the Pavlova was flawed.
Apparently Austrian cream - once whipped - needs help to stay that way. We were not aware of the need for the magic ingredient to make this happen so – much to Gwenyth’s horror - the Pavlova began to slop over the sides of the plate as soon as she had decorated it with cream and kiwi fruit.
But it tasted just fine and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Today Rozalin took delivery of our gigantic Turkey and I collected it from her.
Gwenyth and I decided that – for many good reasons - we should debone it so we watched a video on You Tube and then sharpened our boning knife and set about it.
I can’t say we did it with as much grace and skill as the butcher on the video but it is a pretty damn fine result and we now have a complete turkey without bones – just the legs and breasts.
Miraculously – we both still have all our fingers and thumbs and there was no loss of blood.
It is not something I would want to do more than once every year.
you did not get us drunk, well, not really ;) by no means like last year.
ReplyDeletei just finished my version of anzac biscuits (low carb) and they are delicious too - am glad i am capable of cooking healthy things that taste like they are leathal and will make you gain weight by just looking at them :)
the dinner was truely perfect as every year.
hmmm pavlova.. i was so sure you called it something else last night....
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a good time even if the pavlova slid over the sides a little !!!!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the turkey - we are having turkey bon bons on Sunday - very easy to pop in the oven and take out in 25-30 mins !
Have a great Christmas.
I thought it was like performance art, meant to be decandent and abundant.
ReplyDeleteMost be Austrian cows are missing some fat content.
Well, as long as the wine was good--and flowing--so what? Sounds like a fine meal to me!
ReplyDeleteOur boy is home from the Army. He surprised us this evening with his unexpected arrival--we haven't seen him in a year. We are jazzed and the wine and sherry are flowing!
Rozalin: No certainly no like last year. I did mention something about it being a but runny.
ReplyDeleteMe: And you have a lovely Christmas too.
fmcgmccllc: It was certainly terrifying to watch.
SK Waller: Yes we had a wonderful time. Have a good one!
A damned shame about the cream but the whole thing looked pretty with the kiwi fruit and passionfruit. What do you think of canned passionfruit by the way???
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas.
Sandy: They add sugar so it's not quite the same - but not too bad really!
ReplyDeletemaybe cream of tartar for the whipped cream.
ReplyDeletewaiting to see this deboned turkey!!!
That is a scary picture, a monster crawling off the plate, The Blob that ate Wien! Look at those scary green eyes! Everybody run for your lives! It can't be stopped! No? Oh, what did the humans do? They ate it. Yes, but that was The Blob's secret agenda, and now The Blob-ettes are dispersed in the humans wandering all over Wien and soon beyond-Wien. Its the end of mankind as we know it, hello Blobdom.
ReplyDeleteTNDW: There is some magic ingredient. I will post a pic.
ReplyDeleteesb: Fortunately the way to end the life of a blobby Pavlova is to eat it. I think we have contained the speared of blobbiness.