I had to go to a training course for work and one of the ice-breaker questions was: what was the weirdest thing we had eaten. I won't divulge mine unless you ever meet me - but one lady said it was Dutch Slaw. Once she described it, it sounded similar to something I had seen a chef make, which was what he called German Potato Salad.
While thinking of side dishes for the What Katie Ate Next's Ribs, I suggested German Potato Salad and I got a very quick YES! I found a recipe for this on Budget Bytes' website, which I have used before for Dragon Noodles and was a great success, so I'm hoping this will be one too.
Yay or Nay: YAY!
This was delicious! I was dubious about adding the bacon fat to the final salad but I think it made it more bacon-y! I mean who doesn't love bacon?! This was tangy and not too heavy - I did smash the potatoes as I had cut them smaller to speed up cooking so they were a little on the mushy side and harder to cut. I don't think it affects the final taste too much.
I did use balsamic and regular distilled vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar like the recipe asked, but I didn't have any and wasn't about to take a trip to the supermarket to get one thing! The balsamic did have a stronger taste, but with a sweeter aftertaste. I'll have to try this with the apple cider to see the difference!
Having left over chicken in mind, I was trying to think of a tasty recipe to use them up. I didn't want anything soup based as we were having Pho most of the week. We wanted something spicy and, lo and behold, I remembered this recipe from my friend's Korean wife. I can't recall how she made it so relying on fail-safe Maangchi's Korean recipes I knew it wouldn't be far off.
This goes under several names dakdoritang or dakbokkeumtang but it is pretty much a spicy chicken stew which has enough heat to warm you up in the colder months. You definitely need this with rice to temper the heat of the chicken!
Yay or Nay: Yay
I mean, I knew this already going in but just for the sake of the blog! I did opt out of adding the extra spicy/chili pepper as I didn't want to overdo the spiciness. I felt like there was enough heat for me, however if you like really spicy then feel free to add at your own risk!
Growing up in England, Shepherd's Pie is ingrained in you - that and cottage pie. There's the confusion to which one is which, and the only difference is the meat. Shepherd's tend to sheep so it is made with lamb mince rather than beef.
For me, shepherd's/cottage pie is ultimate comfort food and especially as the weather gets colder. This meal is a real comfort as I think it was one of the first meals my mum allowed my sister and I to make on our own - so it conjures up happy memories of being in the kitchen together!
What Katie Ate Next's recipe is called shepherd's pie but gives you the option to choose lamb or beef for the meat filling. I went with beef as I'm not really a lamb fan. I found a similar recipe here.
Yay or Nay: Yay
A little more effort than my version but tastier! I can't say that I tasted the garlic and cheese in the mash, but sprinkled on top was a nice addition. The recipe for the filling was lengthy but the filling had a rich, ragu-like taste that was definitely moreish!
