Nantwich Embankment

No ice visible today and temperatures were definitely heading in the upward direction. This however brought with it rain, which at least pleased Tilly and meant that her freshly laundered towels got christened with paw prints. The fat ball in the tree was very popular today with visits from Robins, Great Tits and Blue Tits, they did however keep away whilst Tilly was out and about!

Once the rain had passed over we ventured into town to stock back up on fresh veg and fruit. A joint of pork also somehow managed to make it into our trolley for Sunday dinner! Holland and Barrett provided me with some Buckwheat flour so that I can have a go at making some gluten free hot cross buns. Last year I didn’t get round to making any, mostly to do with having a broken ankle and now the highly expensive small amount of buckwheat flour is long past it’s use by date. I just have to sus out a way to balance a baking tray on my proving shelf as the recipe I have needs three lots of proving.

Back at Oleanna I had a go at cooking the shoulder of pork in my cast iron pot on top of the stove. The Great British Chefs website came up with some advice on roasting and getting crackling. Half an hour in the oven on high to get the crackling going, then pop the lid on and turn the oven down for at least two hours, six even better. Translated to stove top boat cooking, I popped it in the oven for the half hour, then after adding a drop or two of wine, had to wrestle with the joint to get the lid on the pot before sitting it on top of the stove for four hours. Our Great British Chefs seem to have been able to retain their crackling despite cooking the joint in a cocotte (cast iron pot to you and me). For us the joint had to come out of the pot and join the roast veg for twenty minutes in the top oven to return it’s crackle. In the end it turned out very tasty and saved having the main oven on for four hours using gas and creating condensation.

Work on my next knitting project (now mark two!) has gone much better, since I bothered to mark out a pattern on paper. Hopefully in a day or two it will be finished.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 walk into town, 2 bags of flour, 1.5kg pork joint,150grams cranberries, 1 apple, 2nd episode, 7 inches knitted, 1 owy ankle, 50 minutes gas 8, 4 hours gas 0, 4 hours free cooking, 1 damp happy cat.