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Post by tod2 on Jun 8, 2020 13:55:08 GMT
I have always found adding stock to a lot of dishes for the salt, is far more flavourful than just using plain salt. So to my utter delight I found a nice variety of the Portuguese stock cubes at the Super Spar. Last year I could only get from the now defunct Portuguese supermarket I supported until it was bought by a new trader.
Not only did they have my ultimate Paella cubes , "Caldo de Marisco", but a new lot I'd never seen before. Besides Carne and Legumes cubes, they had Tempero Alho & Salsa - They show in pictures what they contain - this was garlic and parsley. Then I snatched a box of Alho & Coentros - Corriander? And lastly I had to have Tempero Alho, Louro & Pimentao - garlic, bay leaves and bell pepper/chilli? Not too sure. All made by Knorr.
I also needed more chicken stock but another make caught my eye. This time the box read "Kippenbouillon" - Product of Belgium.
I would like to know if there are any other "cube" followers on Anyport.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 8, 2020 15:03:16 GMT
I have a full selections of cubes (beef, chicken, mutton, garlic & herbs, etc.), but I am pretty sure that I use them mostly in the winter to make soups or stews.
I have mentioned before that every single West African recipe that I have ever seen starts with "put two Maggi cubes in the pot" or some such. I'm certain that it was the greatest innovation ever made in African cooking, particularly at a time when so many ingredients may have been missing. Maggi replaced them all.
Here is an example with a Congolese recipe.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 8, 2020 16:10:57 GMT
Thank you for that input Kerouac. The only Maggi I have which is pretty damn good is Maggii Aroma in a bottle and its a liquid.
I have got to comment on the way the oxtail was prepared. She has no idea. Oxtail must be cooked for no less that 6-8hrs slowly - NOT on medium High heat!
But then again I have found that African like to chew their food off the bone. They don't like it all soft and succulent. Thanks again, maybe we have more folks who love cubes!!
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 8, 2020 16:18:26 GMT
I have got to comment on the way the oxtail was prepared. She has no idea. Oxtail must be cooked for no less that 6-8hrs slowly That perplexed me as well, so I just deleted her instructions from my mind for that part of the recipe. |
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Post by bjd on Jun 8, 2020 16:23:37 GMT
I only use either chicken or herb bouillon cubes for soups or for risotto, but once at a friend's Italy she made a delicious risotto using boletus mushroom (cèpe)cubes. It was really good and I bought a packet to bring home but have never seen them here. I usually buy Knorr or Maggi brand.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 8, 2020 16:51:21 GMT
Basically, in France the only brands of cubes are Maggi and Knorr and of course the store brands, which are almost certainly made by Maggi or Knorr for 10-20% less. The only reason that I can get mutton cubes is because there is usually a 'North African' section in any big supermarket. On my upcoming trip to Luxembourg, I'll look to see what they have there, since 17% of the population of Luxembourg is from Portugal (strange but true) and there is always a huge selection of Portuguese products.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 8, 2020 21:40:13 GMT
Yes, the neighbourhood south of the oldest Little Italy (except for another that disappeared) is Little Portugal where I fill up on tinned fish and Portuguese stock cubes. There is a butcher/grocer who also carries many Brazilian products. It is also a good place to find things like cod cheeks.
I was very surprised by the oxtail cooking heat and timing. I must find another second-hand slow cooker. That, beef shank and goat/mutton stew were among the things I used it the most for. Of course, most of these have to be cooked down afterwards, but washing one more pot was very much worth it.
And on the vegetarian side, for cooking dry beans...
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Post by tod2 on Jun 9, 2020 6:55:51 GMT
And on the vegetarian side, for cooking dry beans... Exactly Lagatta - that is my other use for my slow cooker. The Samp and the beans must of course , if at all possible, be soaked in cold water overnight. Rinsed well and then slow cooked with stock cubes of course! The normal method is not add salt until the very end as its said salt toughens the skins. For more flavour my housemaid adds a chopped onion towards the last hour of cooking. She is in charge of preparing all vegetarian meals for our gardener who is a Rastafarian and a vegetarian. We go through lots of veg cubes as you can imagine. I appreciate the fact that the oxtail recipe is using what's on hand around their supermarkets but I doubt even if a good red wine, bay leaves and other spices were available, it would make the recipe European not African.
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Post by tod2 on Oct 6, 2020 16:49:16 GMT
It is a small problem buying condiments in Europe and wishing you had bought 10 times more. An example of this was this sachet of beef stew mix and I loved it. I cant wait to get back to Paris and send a ton of packets back home!  |
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 6, 2020 17:46:53 GMT
Most of those sauce mixes usually taste great but are 'bad' for you, generally because of too much salt. But great strides are being made in offering healthier versions. The usual promise is "25% less salt" but I'm sure they can do better. In any case, even if they remove ALL of the salt, it will never stop you from adding your own salt.
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