Recipe #2...over before it began

I had intended making one of the two Chinese-style recipes today, as part of my quest to expand my repetoire, but alas, I have been thwarted in my efforts. As I mentioned in the original 'planning' post, making those two Chinese dishes depended on being able to track down the necessary ingredients in Newcastle's Chinatown. Well, I found Chinatown, and the big Chinese supermarket which I'd hoped would have everything I needed (actually I got a little lost finding said supermarket which is really quite sad because central Newcastle just isn't that big. But I found it in the end, so that's really all that matters, isn't it?!) The supermarket itself was brilliant...I had such a moment of homesickness as I walked in (weird, perhaps, but there was this gigantic Asian supermarket in Christchurch at which I was a regular shopper, so that very distinct smell of Asian grocers - a combination of star anise, cinnamon, chilli and assorted undefined but generally pleasant food aromas - reminds me strongly of home). Despite the joy of finally finding somewhere to buy proper egg noodles, miso paste and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), I wasn't able to get black rice vinegar or schzechuan peppercorns, both of which are key in the recipes I wanted to make. These seem fairly standard Chinese ingredients to me, so it's possible that the shop was just out. I will definitely try again.

Today isn't a total loss though. Since my free-range chicken was no longer going to be portioned and stir-fried, I thought I'd maybe just roast it. Instead, though, I am being brave and have attempted a slight variation...pot-roasted chicken with wine and bacon (British out-door reared and dry-smoked, of course) and I'm serving it with pommes boulangere and a salad of watercress, rocket, spinach and grana pandano cheese. Rather posh sounding, no?! I'm feeling very gastro-pub tonight! It's not precisely a departure from roast chicken, but it feels different enough to be fun and novel enough to count as a new recipe. Not sure yet how it will turn out (oh how I hope it's better than the chocolate pork!), but it smells damn good bubbling away in the oven.

Tomorrow I will be making the spiced parnsip soup (of which I have high hopes) and I'll let you know how the chook went. Hope your Saturdays have been delicious and restful!