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Ingredients you can or can't get from your local shops |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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Ingredients you can or can't get from your local shops
Seen a couple of recipies recently and myself and others have commented whilst the recipies are all well and good the chefs seem to expect the ingredients to be available everywhere to everyone.
A couple of examples are Tom Kerridge with his beef ribs and Jamie Oliver and smoked ham hocks. I've never seen them in local supermarkets or butcher. On the otherhand though I mentioned to a poster that wanted to do ribs but didn't like pork that they could use lamb, if they could find lamb ribs. I was in Morrisons the other day and spotted packs of lamb ribs. Unfortunately they weren't in a rack, they'd already been split but I did think of getting a pack and doing some bbq lamb ribs as a change to pork. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Apr 2007
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One of my pet hates is when TV chefs say 'if your supermarket doesn't have it, you can always get it in your local Greek/Asian/Chinese store. Some of us have absolutely no access to these sort of stores!
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#3 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: My Own Little World
Posts: 1,102
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If you have a local butcher you should be able to ask him about the beef ribs. A ham hock is the same as a ham shank and again if you have a butcher they will be able to advise you when they have them in.
My local butcher is getting Mutton on Thursday and I'll be there to get some - I'm going to give scotch pies a go and I know he'll mince the mutton for me. It's been a while since I tried a hot water crust but wish me luck. If our local butcher see's himself or I in the shop he always gives us the heads up if he's getting something special in- ie mutton, venison, game or - I need to whisper this- veal. I understand that many people have to rely on supermarkets for their meat and even if the have a "Butchers" counter they don't always have the cuts available. |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: My Own Little World
Posts: 1,102
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Oh and - the "local eskimo/maori supermarket or grocer" thing - that drives me mad.
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#5 |
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 9,227
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Quote:
One of my pet hates is when TV chefs say 'if your supermarket doesn't have it, you can always get it in your local Greek/Asian/Chinese store. Some of us have absolutely no access to these sort of stores!
Here's an example - Heston Blumanthal's ingredients just for the chilli powder blend for his "perfect" con carne: 2-3 dried devil's penis chillies 2-3 dried bird's-eye chillies 1 tsp Somalian extra hot chilli powder 10g sweet smoked paprika 10g Durango ground chilli powder 10g El Rey ground chilli powder 10g Madera ground chilli powder 20g Pecos Red ground chilli powder 20g Rio Tejas ground chilli powder The ingredients should be available "on line" |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,481
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Morrisons is quite good for the more obscure butchery stuff. I've seen ham hocks (though not smoked), tripe, pork bellies (not just the slices), pork crackling and oxtail.
The fish counter is pretty good too - seen sprats, sardines, herring, oysters, mussels, squid and even fresh octopus! Also decent manx kippers. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 7,610
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Quote:
One of my pet hates is when TV chefs say 'if your supermarket doesn't have it, you can always get it in your local Greek/Asian/Chinese store. Some of us have absolutely no access to these sort of stores!
We have a great Asian store but as I've said it's not exactly around the corner. ![]() I do bulk buy when I go there but you can't do that with fresh produce obviously. plus being veggie I love to try different veg.
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#8 |
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,725
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Quote:
With some of the lesser available ingredients they should add "And if you can't, would you even notice?"
Here's an example - Heston Blumanthal's ingredients just for the chilli powder blend for his "perfect" con carne: 2-3 dried devil's penis chillies 2-3 dried bird's-eye chillies 1 tsp Somalian extra hot chilli powder 10g sweet smoked paprika 10g Durango ground chilli powder 10g El Rey ground chilli powder 10g Madera ground chilli powder 20g Pecos Red ground chilli powder 20g Rio Tejas ground chilli powder The ingredients should be available "on line" Our local Tesco (which admittedly is huge) has quite a good world food section, last week I picked up some Kaffir lime leaves and Galangal from the Thai section. As for meats and fish, as others have said, go to a butchers or fishmongers. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: London
Posts: 2,540
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Quote:
With some of the lesser available ingredients they should add "And if you can't, would you even notice?"
Here's an example - Heston Blumanthal's ingredients just for the chilli powder blend for his "perfect" con carne: 2-3 dried devil's penis chillies 2-3 dried bird's-eye chillies... |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,354
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I live in that London. I've never had an issue sourcing specific ingredients.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,481
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Quote:
As for meats and fish, as others have said, go to a butchers or fishmongers.
Still a few butchers but they too are in decline. |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: #teamHELEN
Posts: 21,549
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Quote:
One of my pet hates is when TV chefs say 'if your supermarket doesn't have it, you can always get it in your local Greek/Asian/Chinese store. Some of us have absolutely no access to these sort of stores!
It's taken me ages to find black salt! Thankfully, one of the local Asian stores has began stocking it
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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Quote:
As for meats and fish, as others have said, go to a butchers or fishmongers.
He just does the basics that he knows people will buy. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wirral Peninsula
Posts: 4,777
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Quote:
2-3 dried devil's penis chillies
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The south
Posts: 452
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Quote:
Morrisons is quite good for the more obscure butchery stuff. I've seen ham hocks (though not smoked), tripe, pork bellies (not just the slices), pork crackling and oxtail.
The fish counter is pretty good too - seen sprats, sardines, herring, oysters, mussels, squid and even fresh octopus! Also decent manx kippers. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 9,227
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Quote:
To be fair, I think that was from an old book of his. In his more recent books, certainly the one I have the strangest ingredient in his chilli is pimiento piquillo peppers which I've actually seen in Tesco.
Interesting viewing in some ways but of no use whatsoever to the keen home cook in terms of being achievable or affordable. Edit: he does other more conventional versions. |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,111
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Quote:
Seen a couple of recipies recently and myself and others have commented whilst the recipies are all well and good the chefs seem to expect the ingredients to be available everywhere to everyone.
A couple of examples are Tom Kerridge with his beef ribs and Jamie Oliver and smoked ham hocks. I've never seen them in local supermarkets or butcher. On the otherhand though I mentioned to a poster that wanted to do ribs but didn't like pork that they could use lamb, if they could find lamb ribs. I was in Morrisons the other day and spotted packs of lamb ribs. Unfortunately they weren't in a rack, they'd already been split but I did think of getting a pack and doing some bbq lamb ribs as a change to pork. I've bought beef ribs from Sainsbury's, and I've seen ham hocks at the meat counter. |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Posts: 4,011
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I can't find bloody Polenta anywhere!
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,005
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Down here in Spain you will be lucky to find Garam Masala never mind assorted chillies but you can have anything from a pig.
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#20 |
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,434
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Quote:
Down here in Spain you will be lucky to find Garam Masala never mind assorted chillies but you can have anything from a pig.
![]() ![]() Look at this site that I googled. |
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,725
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Quote:
TV series last year Jambo, in which he created his "perfect" version of a dish each week. In his con carne he also used several different types and cuts of prime meat and the meat cooking process wasn't straightforward either.
Interesting viewing in some ways but of no use whatsoever to the keen home cook in terms of being achievable or affordable. Edit: he does other more conventional versions. Quote:
I can't find bloody Polenta anywhere!
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 7,610
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Quote:
I live in that London. I've never had an issue sourcing specific ingredients.
![]() I don't think hubby would leave his job and take out a mortgage for me to be around my favourite ingredients!
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,005
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![]() ![]() ![]() Seriously - we bring things with us we know we will not be able to find whilst we are here and I have a large store cupboard. |
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 22,992
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No fresh durian fruit, dried salt anchovies, kaya or shrimp paste at my local Chinese supermarket.
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Here <-------------
Posts: 6,644
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Quote:
I can't find bloody Polenta anywhere!
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Our local Tesco has it either ready to use or dried. The dried variety could well be labelled "Corn Meal".
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