GentlemenAndrew Allison, in pointing out the definition of a gentleman, need go no further than himself and it's only logical that his wife, Becky, is a perfect lady as well. Last Saturday, we wandered down to the Old Town of Hull and would have stayed there except for a raucous, amplified flamenco guitar in the square, masquerading as entertainment.
Well, naturally people can't enjoy their Guinesses that way [which choice, incidentally, marks the end of their recent trip to Ireland] plus it was chilly and so we retired down by the Humber, to the Minerva, which is soon to close down, sad to say.
For the connoisseurs, Broadside and Bombardier were the two brews sampled.
Cottage Pie and Shepherd's pie
Sunday evening, Andrew loaded about 20kg of cooked, spicy mince and mashed potato into a cottage pie which left no room for anything else whatsoever beyond wine and copious amounts of tea and coffee.
Wiki says:
While a variety of meats can be used, the dish is traditionally made from beef or lamb. The lamb version is often called shepherd's pie but neither term is exact.I was always led to believe that the difference was not in the meat used but in the presence of cheese on top but you could set me straight that way.
Anyway, for those who don't wish to just bung in a bit of mince and taties and wish to do it properly, here is a recipe.
I think you'd be pushing it to touch Andrew's cottage pie and whilst we're there in Hull, you should check out Jailhouse Lawyer's scrumptious, crispy bacon butties.
Broadside and Bombardier are my two most regular beers. The former at the local to my office and the latter local to my home.
ReplyDeleteSadly I'm having to take a little break as a slightly unsightly middle-age spread started forming at my middle so gym and salad rule my life for now.
If you're staying over that way you should shuffle along to 'Nellie's', in Beverley, to try some of Sam Smith's excellent stouts. The food there is, or was, disappointing to the point of avoidable but the atmosphere of the place, with gas lights, hard floors and open fires, is unsurpassed, except, perhaps, by the Three Stags' Heads, at Wardlow Mires, in the Peaks, where I once wrestled with the landlord's wife and soundly smacked her arse (as Mrs Gruff can confirm.
ReplyDeleteTip: The place crawls with Hull University undergraduates at weekends, in term time, so go midweek or during the hols.
You never did get around to tasting my Shepherd's pie, however, as you did taste it at Andrew Allison's I will let you off.
ReplyDeleteThe scrambled eggs on toast went down well.
It's a shame you never got a chance to sample my blackberry pie with either fresh cream or ice cream.
More importantly, you survived the experience and lived to tell the tale.
Rocky has reclaimed his bedroom now that you have gone. His popping in to see you first thing in the morning and last thing at night, was amusing and his head on your lap snoring away on the sofa in the lounge.
I actually feel bad about Rocky, leaving him that way. Still, he has the lass down the street.
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds delicious apart from the Beer, I much prefer wine ;-)
ReplyDeleteBut sadly like Wolfie I should really be dieting!!!