Tonights 'Come Dine with Me' menu will be...

[malbon]

(well ok, just dinner for friends)

Tempura Prawns in Chilli and Garlic

Prawns dipped in Flour, Egg and freezing cold sparkling water, then dipped in the deep fryer then tossed in chilli, garlic, ginger and spring onions

Cider Roast Ham with brown sugar, honey and mustard glaze, home-made 3 times cooked chips and cauliflower cheese

Ham has been stripped of the fat before being dipped in and out of water a few times and left overnight to soak in cider. Will finish the roasting off tonight with the sticky mix and some cloves poked in it.

I’ve never done either dish before, so any tips ??

[paulmurr]

Make the batter at the last second and don't overwork it. Lumps are good. Make sure that your oil is proper hot and try and drizzle more batter mix onto the prawns once you've dropped them in the fat. More crunch = better

[21TonyK]

With the the tempura, make sure the prawns are bone dry before dipping them and that your oil is at 180+. Fry in small batches and serve immediately.

With the ham don't stuff cloves directly into the meat unless you like mouthwash, they go into the fat which I would leave on for as long as you can to keep the meat moist.

Logistically you'll need to blanch the chips ahead as you'll have your fryer hot for the prawns. You can do this way ahead. I don;t bother with cooking 3 times. I just cut, soak in cold water for an hour regularly changing the water until it is clear. Then dry them and blanch at about 100 degrees for a few minutes until just tender. Then drain and chill. When you are ready drop them in at 180 until crispy.

Edited by 21TonyK on Monday 28th February 15:02

[condor]

21TonyK said:

With the ham don't stuff cloves directly into the meat unless you like mouthwash, they go into the fat which I would leave on for as long as you can to keep the meat moist.

This ^^^ I ruined a gammon by adding a good handful of cloves to an apple stock and slow cooking it.