Tonkotsu Ramen

[tielan]

Frankly, if you decide you want tonkotsu ramen on a whim, you're better off finding a local Japanese restaurant and just ordering what they have.

That said, I enjoyed making this, working out how it all goes together, and learning the techniques and variations.

I've had my eye on this series for some time: Ramen School by Adam Liaw (YouTube Channel)

There are 8 videos, starting with a Basic Ramen Broth and ending up with How To Make Tonkotsu Ramen. It goes through making the broth, making the eggs (ajitama), making the roast pork (chashu), and then has the instructions for both the motodare (flavour), and the aromatic oil in the various versions of ramen he shows.

( Yes, it's long and involved )

Yes, I'd make it again - all of it! But probably not for individual servings, but for a dinner party. As Liaw says in the video, it seems like a lot of work, but once you know how to do it, the process is the same for two bowls or twenty or two hundred. Not that I'd do two hundred, though. A dozen would be sufficiently complex.

Apple Butterscotch Tart

[turlough]

I have several of Nigella Lawson's cookbooks and I love to read them but I almost never get around to actually cook anything from them. This challenge will hopefully give me the impetus I need to change that.

The first recipe I tried is from her first book, How To Eat, and as it's not online at her website I ( did a rough scan... )

Changes: I used readymade glutenfree flaky pastry dough for the shell and instead of ordinary flour I used rice flour. It hadn't set properly after the stated time so I let it stay in the oven for another ten minutes. It still didn't set in the middle until it had cooled down however.

Verdict: We all agreed it was very tasty, if a little too sweet. Since it was very simple and quick to make (particularly if you have an apple slicer like this one) I'm probably going to make it again, but with less sugar.