Dining with Delia Day 5
One of the major drawbacks to finishing culinary school is a sharp drop in the number of dinner party invitations one receives. Chef Hunt, the culinary dean in Le Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh, warned us about this phenomenon, advising us not to take it personally. Prowess in the kitchen is intimidating.
But my English friends, Danny and Sue, are very supportive of me in my efforts to embrace the best of British home cooking. Last night, they tossed aside their fears (although they did mention them as we sipped our second glasses of sherry before dinner), invited us to dinner, and did not just one, not just two, but three full on Delias in my honor.
As they slaved over my dinner, they trotted out their entire collection of Delia cookbooks for me to peruse. I have most of them, but will definitely be searching through the second-hand book shops here for a copy of her 1985 edition of Frugal Food, in the forward to that cookbook she warns that British eaters were getting too fat and that home cookery would help save both themselves from larger trouser sizes and heart troubles and the planet from reckless consumption.
Piedmont Roasted Peppers
The starter was Piedmont Roasted Peppers, a recipe first published in Delia Smith Summer Collection in 1993. Delia traces the credit for this dish from the London restaurant where she first ate it to a Welsh place where the London chef first ate it.
This is one of those dishes where you want to throw all manners aside, grab a piece of bread and use it to sop up the drippings in the roasting pan. You slice red and yellow peppers in half, removing the seeds but keeping the halved stems intact for dramatic effect. Then you stuff the peppers with skinned, raw tomatoes, garlic slivers, anchovy pieces and a grinding of fresh black pepper. Amply drizzle the lot with olive oil and roast the stuffed peppers until they are slightly charred and fabulously running over with sweet juices. You serve them topped with sprigs fresh basil.
After eating these – well, what I had of them as Eliza ate her two and one of mine – I’d have to say that Danny and Sue had nothing to fear but my full on approval and expectation that they serve these every time we come to visit.
Sherry, chicken and tarragon ... sweet.
The main course was Chicken with Sherry Vinegar and Tarragon Sauce, Delia’s adaptation of the French classic called poulet au vinaigre, which was first published in 1982 in Delia’s Complete Cookery Course. This dish requires a whole broken down chicken, the pieces of which are first browned in a small amount of hot oil and then simmered – uncovered – with loads of medium sherry, sherry vinegar, tarragon, and whole shallots and garlic cloves. The sauce is finished by stirring in some crème fraiche. There I go again, embarrassing myself by dipping my bread into the serving dish….
For dessert there was Baked Apple and Almond Pudding – which Delia credits the chef at an old pub in Laycock (in Wiltshire, not far from Bath) called the Sign of the Angel, and was published in 2006 as part of The Delia Collection, Puddings. This is a warm, creamy nutty, cake sitting atop homemade applesauce. Pouring some cold, single cream over the top just seals the deal.
So Danny and Sue, with this extreme success under your belt, what are you cooking for me next week?
The meal sounds delicious. I have enjoyed your story so much that I have gone back to the beginning to get caught up on your journey. I’m so happy to have discovered your blog. Thanks.