Guten Tagine

Yesterday was rough.
Mrsinky has been unwell and at home, so I stayed at home during the day instead of hiding in Costa or wherever. I made a start on the garden, a task I have long put off.
But to be honest my mod was up and down like a rabbits arse in mating season.  every time I stopped or some trigger came on the telly or whatever the tears would be running down my face.
So I kept at it and kept active and felt like shit.  eventually I wore myself out.
Today was better.  so far, anyway.
But one of  Mrsinky's friends is depressed so she is sleeping over tonight.  so I ma cooking.
Foal and I had meatballs tonight but as part of an attempt to educate her palate we did a moroccan meatball tagine.
I have used fresh lemons here but you can use the preserved ones.

You will need
12 beef meatballs
an onion, chopped
a can of chick peas
the rind and juice of a lemon
6 oz of chopped dried apricots
a chopped aubergine
2/3 pint of chicken stock
3tsp harissa paste
olive oil

first of all i cal anathema on the inventors of soft dried fruit or ready to eat dried fruit.  not only is it way too soft to be an enjoyable eat it is filling the shelves with uncookable ingredients.  enough.

fry the onion hard in olive oil till the edges blacken.  then fry the meatballs in with the onions till they too brown.  add the harissa paste, then  fry a minute then the stock.  use a potato peeler to cut long strips of lemon zest, then add them and the juice.  add the other ingredients.   put a lid on and cook t 140 for an hour.
serve with flatbreads.
Foal says: It was nice but aubergines are bleeeeh

Personally it was one of the best I have done.  lovely.

Also pictured are my derby scones.  every time i go to the kitchen i get requests for these.  So here goes...
oven to 170C

1lb SR flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 oz melted butter
1 egg
5 oz caster sugar
5oz currants
1 large pot buttermilk
milk and demarara sugar for topping


put dry ingredients in a bowl.  work in the butter until breadcrumbs ( ok you could do the traditional breadcrumb thing but my hands wont and this works.  Comes from eliza acton)
add the egg, then the buttermilk to get a soft dough.  flour a surface, tip out ontoo it, flour the top then work lightly.  pat it down to about n inch thick then cut it out, reshaping and patting as necessary.
decorate the tops by painting with milk then tipping on a thick layer of dm. sugar.  this must be thick enough so the top does not wet.
cook for about 15 mins until brown and firm.

So thats tonights first bake.  I am doing laundry too.  but i will be doing more thought avoidance laer.