Delia's Squidgy choc log

This one's from Delia! Thanks Delia!

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/party-food/roulade/squidgy-chocolate-log.html

Ingredients
 6 large eggs, separated
 5 oz (150 g) caster sugar
 2 oz (50 g) cocoa powder
For the filling:
 8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate (70-75% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
 2 large eggs, separated
 8 fl oz (225 ml) double cream
To finish:
 icing sugar
 Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).

Equipment
You will also need a tin 30 x 20 x 2.5cm / 12 x 8 x 1 inch, oiled and the base lined with baking parchment


Begin by making the chocolate filling. Break the chocolate in pieces into a basin and add 100ml/4fl oz warm water. Now place the basin over a saucepan of barely simmering water and wait for the chocolate to melt. After that, remove from the heat and beat it with a wooden spoon until smooth. Next beat the egg yolks, first on their own, then into the warm chocolate mixture. Let it cool a bit then whisk the egg whites till stiff and fold them into the chocolate mixture. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Meanwhile you can get on with the cake. First place the egg yolks in a basin and whisk until they start to thicken, then add the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens slightly – but be careful not to get it too thick. Now sift the cocoa powder into the egg yolk mixture and whisk them together, then, using a clean whisk and bowl, whisk the egg whites to the soft peak stage. Next carefully cut and fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture – gently and thoroughly – then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake the cake on the centre shelf for 20-25 minutes until springy and puffy. When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven but leave it in the cake tin to cool (it will shrink quite a bit as it cools but don't worry, that's normal).
Then when the cake is quite cold, turn it out on to an oblong of baking parchment which has been liberally dusted with icing sugar. Peel away the cake tin lining paper from the bottom of the cake (which is now facing upwards), then spread the chocolate mousse filling over the cake. Next whip the cream softly and spread it over the chocolate filling. Now with the shortest end nearest you, roll the cake away from you, using the parchment to help you to make a log shape. This will serve eight people and, although it's unlikely that there will be any left, you can cover any remaining cake with an upturned basin and keep it in the refrigerator. As an alternative, an 11 oz tin of sweetened chestnut purée (crème de marrons) can replace the chocolate mousse.
 
 

Perfect Pulled Pork

This is from http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/perfect-pulled-pork-slow-roasted-seasoned-savory.html#ixzz1Y1uLTQWD

1 whole boston butt (4-7lb bone in - shoulder should be ace too

Dry Rub
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Brine Solution
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp dry rub mix

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is
completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay
leaves and stir well to combine. (half that salt if smaller roasts)

Pork shoulder preparation:
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the
brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the
container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then
remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels,
place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a
inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub
onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres
to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the
shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a
225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into
the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the
bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital
thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do
not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200
degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven
and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the
oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices)
then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat
during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees
or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work
surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted
fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very
easily. Serve for friends and family!

Farenheit not Celcius - american recipe!

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/perfect-pulled-pork-slow-roasted-seasoned-savory.html#ixzz1Y1uLTQWD

Crispy shredded beef

this is another of deb's kitchen creations!
better than takeout...


Approx 230g beef fillet or stir fry already cut beef is good too 

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
4-5 tbs cornflour
2 tsp 5 spice powder
Oil for deep frying

For the sauce:-
A bunch of spring onions, finely shredded
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1" piece of ginger, grated
2 Red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
4 tbs Caster sugar
3 tbs Rice vinegar
2 tbs Light soy sauce
Cornflour paste (1 tbs cornflour, mixed with 2 tbs cold water)

Cut the beef into very thin long strips and dust with a little cornflour.

Make up the batter by placing cornflour in a medium bowl with the salt and five spice powder, make a well in the centre and add the beaten eggs. Mix well to form a smooth, lump free batter than mix in the beef strips and stir well to coat beef.

Get your oil nice and hot to 190 whilst preparing ingredients for sauce.

Using tongs, pick up strips of the beef from the bowl and drop individually into the hot oil, cook in batches for approx 4-5 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm whilst making the sauce.

TIP: You can prepare the beef in advance and keep refrigerated until required, then warm though in the sauce when ready.

In a wok or saute pan heat 1 tbs of vegetable (or groundnut) oil. Add carrot and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Then add the spring onions, garlic, ginger and chillies. Stir fry again for a couple of minutes and add the rest of the ingredients.Once the sauce is quite thick, quickly add the beef and stir well to coat in the sauce. Serve immediately.

Verrrrrryyy tasty!

Sweet & Sour sauce

This is one from debs kitchen creations!! Her stuff is excellent :) http://debskitchencreations.blogspot.com/p/recipe-list-alphabetical.html

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

quick and easy recipe that can be poured over a dish or used as a dipping sauce. A recipe for sweet and sour sauce using black rice vinegar can be found here.

Yields about 1/2 cup
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water
Preparation:

Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.
(If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch. For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.)