Seriously Useful is a selection of kitchen tools from Amazon that I can't cook without.
Obsession
Obsession
obsession — a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling
Yes. The small container above contains lamb juices — Perhaps 2 ounces? — that escaped from a grilled leg of lamb while I was eating dinner. The juice is seasoned only with the salt and pepper added to the meat before grilling. The essence of grilled meat.
Obsession.
A light film of juice had accumulated on the plate I’d set the rest of the lamb on. With a suitable piece of bread it wouldn’t have lasted a moment. But I didn’t have any bread. And I couldn’t simply wash it down the drain. It was too good. Too precious.
Obsession.
So I carefully poured it into a container, labeled it, and then froze it. I don’t
Laughter is brightest, in the place where the food is. ~ Irish proverb
know what I’ll do with it, perhaps simply thaw it and pour it over a slice of bread I just baked. Maybe a slice of tomato on another slice of perfectly fresh bread. Perhaps a couple of sardines on a third. Certainly a glass of wine to wash things down. Just a few simple flavors. A moment or three of focused pleasure.
Is saving two ounces of lamb juice obsessive?
Technorati: Food | essay | obsession
14 Responses to “Obsession”
Leave a Reply
Disclaimer: Most quantities in recipes are approximate. Adjust as needed according to your taste and experience. Unless otherwise specified, eggs are large and butter is unsalted.
“Is saving two ounces of lamb juice obsessive?”Absolutely not! You wouldn’t believe what I save (and I’m certainly not going to disclose it here). Hell, at least yours is labeled. : )
Nah…I’ll scrape the same amount of caramel from a pan, simply because I can’t stand to toss it.Not obsessive, no; you’re just thinking ahead.
Not at all! I do the same and end up with a freezer full of unlabelled bits and bobs (leftover sauces, small amounts of Thai curry, etc…)…
Looks like we’re all obsessive.
Kevin,Are you kidding me? I never even thought to do this — if I had, I would have done it already. Brilliant idea! If that’s obsession, I’m so there with you. Actually, I make this suggestion…make some slow-roasted tomatoes with the current wonderful produce, freeze that, too, and then, on a nasty winter’s day, bake your bread, make your three-slice meal using the lamb juice and the summer tomatoes (and the sardines version and the wine, of course), and you’ll have a little burst of summer in the dark of winter. Genie< HREF="http://www.theinadvertentgardener.com" REL="nofollow">The Inadvertent Gardener<>
Genie,Good idea.
Not obsessive, just make certain you don’t loose track of that precious juice.
S’kat,But if I do, then someday I’ll discover it. What a treat!
Isn’t it hard to wring the little lambs out to get the juice?
KM,Good question! I use an old towel I don’t mind staining. 1) Wrap the lamb in the towel (it should be a pretty big towel) and tie one end to a Buick. 2)Then place a container with a large mouth (about 2 feet in diameter) and small base (about 2 inches) beneath the lamb.3) Tie the other end of the towel around a baseball bat.4) Twist the bat until all the juices run out.Hope this helps.
Kevin, I am truly delighted to find someone else who does this! I consider myself a flavour-miser. I am unwilling to waste anything that has concentrated flavour in it – there would be more meatiness in your 2 ounces than any stock-cube.
Foodie,Thanks for stopping by. I hadn’t seen your blog before, but it’s right down my alley — except for the eating coffee grounds bit.{shudder}
HiFirst let me say, love your blog. Secondly, saving bits and bobs is exactly what I do to. However…I now obsesss over whether the fossil fuel cost of running the freezer outweighs the frugality part of what we’re saving.Thankfully I have two dogs with highly evolved palates.
kestypes,Thanks. My freezer is part of my refrigerator so it costs nothing extra. My extra ‘fridge is a different matter, but as a personal chef and cooking instructor I have to have the additional space.