Day 78 - Another Sunday Lunch

The day started early as Sundays always do and we arrived at work at about 9am. The ovens went on, the meat came out of the fridges and away we went....

As always, Laura makes the cheese sauce for the cauliflower and the batter for the Yorkshire Puddings while I get on with all the meat prep etc.  I had scored the fat on the belly pork last night so just needed to rub some salt into the cracks and all over the skin and get it to room temperature before cooking. The beef just needed to come out of the fridge and also get to room temperature. I placed the gammon joint in a pan of cold water and brought it to the boil. Once the water came to the boil I skimmed off the gooooey stuff and turned it down to a simmer. After 2 hours, took it out, trimmed off the fat, poured honey all over it and then brown sugar. Shoved it in the oven for 30 mins and voila.........

The belly pork went into a stupidly hot oven for about 30 mins and then at 170C for 2 1/2 hours. I always put some water in the roasting tray when cooking belly pork. It needs topping up from time to time. (If you were making gravy from the pork, use white wine instead of water).....


The beef is sooooo easy. Just place the topside joint in the oven at 200C fro 20 mins, then reduce the heat to 180 and cook for a further 1 hour to an hour and ten mins (3.5 kilo joint) if you like it looking like this.....


If you like it a little less rare, leave it in fo r another 15 mins......

It was a weird feeling for us this mornig as we only had 6 bookings. Normally we are in the high 20's with people also just turning up on the day. It felt strange to think that I was cooking all that food for just 6 people. I needed have panicked as we ended up with 30! Again got some very nice comments with some customers leaving messages on our Facebook page .... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauras-at-West-Beach-Calpe/179443228776929

A stupidly hot kitchen again, and so nice to get back home and hit the pool! I'm off to bed now as its another long day tomorrow opreparing Harrisons Birthday party at the house. I have copped out a little with the food as I'm just going to do a simple BBQ of burgers, sausages etc and a big salad. There should be about 20 five year olds turning up with their parents at about 5pm, so I thought a barby would probably be the easiest bet. Its also an excuse not to have to mingle too much with the parents, as my Spanish isnt great!

Will keep you informed as to how it went tomorrow. Until then, sweet dreams and I will speak to you all again in due course

Nite nite
Slimbo!