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I very seldom cook with any conscious
care, only when making something like profiteroles that demand being exact
with the measurements. If I have a food philosophy, I think that the basics
are proportion and lack of unnecessary complication. When I first married,
my husband was vegetarian so I had to expand my vegetarian repertoire.
Later on we both realised that we actually needed meat so we started having
roast chicken and fish. We still don't eat dark meat. We both love leeks
so I use them regularly, and we both love the flavour they add to a dish.
When I'm trying out something new
I aim to keep the flavours clear, and not allow any one to smother the
others, that's where proportion and simplicity are important. I do think
about nutrition and keep the fat and salt levels low. I try to find a
balance between proteins and vitamins. That's why both hot-pots have beans
in them and are meals in themselves not needing any accompaniment. The
leek and mushroom hot-pot just occurred to me the other night so I tried
it and it worked! Serendipity is very important in life and in cooking.
The basic distinction between hot-pot
and a casserole is that the hot-pot usually has sliced potatoes on top.
My dictionary defines it as: "a dish of hot mutton seasoned and stewed
in a pot, with sliced potatoes, or similar mixture." Maybe another
distinction is that hot-pot is cooked in a pot, rather than a saucepan,
and baked in the oven. As with many things the terminology is probably
very loosely used nowadays. The most direct association is with Lancashire
hot-pot. "The Cookery of England" by Elizabeth Ayrton gives
a recipe which she claims to be the original as cooked in the kitchens
of Loughton Hall. It uses "8 very good lean chump chops, 3 sheeps
kidneys, 240g. mushrooms, 60g. butter, 60g. cooked lean ham, 1k. potatoes,
1/2 k. onions, 1/2 pint stock, pepper and salt, a pinch a cayenne, 1 teaspoon
mace and a little finely chopped thyme". It states that "This
dish should be sent to table in the pot". The recipe serves 8 people.
Try Isobel's modern, healthy versions
of hot pot:eggplant
hot pot, leek
and mushroom hot pot, London
butterbean hot pot. To go with
it, make Isobel's healthy, delicious
whole wheat bread then have apple
meringue for dessert.
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