Les restes

[chickenfeet]

'L'art d'accommoder les restes', says the Larousse Gastronomique, with some severity, 'is not to be considered as the summit of culinary achievement'.

Elizabeth David, it seems, broadly concurs but personally I find accommodating leftovers to be not without merit or even, on occasion, finesse.

The weekend involved, inter alia, a largish roast pork leg, some beets and a big bunch of kale. Owing to the leg being one standard pig quarter and the kale coming in a quantity designated as a 'bunch', there was far too much for two of us. Thus was born a need to find tasty things to do with the leftovers.

Last night I made a most toothsome pork and beet risotto. I fried an onion and some garlic in dripping from the pork adding Arborio rice in the usual manner. The cooking liquid included the remains of the deglazed pan juices from the roast. When the rice was almost done I added a couple of roasted beets cut in dice and some pork cut in thin strips. I seasoned it with salt, pepper and nutmeg and added a handful of Parmigiano before serving. It was excellent.

Tonight I'm dealing with the kale. I'm making bubble and squeak which I haven't cooked in an age. This is really quite funny as it will be accompanied not just by excellent bacon from the Hungarian pig guys but also by a very good sparkling pinot noir/chardonnay blend in honour of today';s good news.

X-posted to gastrogasm

Comments

[tanuja.livejournal.com]

The risotto sounds gorgeous.