Salami with fennel (final week)

They're ready! And a lot sooner than I expected it to be. Originally, I thought it'd take 6-10 weeks but in less than 3 weeks the salami had lost over 30% of their weight through moisture loss - meaning they're ready for nomming on. 

Salami with fennel (week 2)

Week 2 of my salami project and they seem to be doing well. I had a little scare with some green mold appearing on the topside of the bend. So, straight away I wiped it off with some vinegar and kitchen paper. Then I set about doing a little bit of research. 

Salami with fennel (week 1)

So after the disappointing failure of my venison prosciutto, I wanted to try something that was maybe a bit more realistic and not quite as expensive. So, I chose salami. I've made regular pork and beef sausages before, so I was fairly comfortable with using a sausage maker and there's something strangely satisfying about making these sorts of products using it. 

Chicken & Pancetta Bake

Recently, the weather has really started to pick up; the skies are intensely blue and the sun is shining down. It's times like these that I really appreciate living just a 5 minute walk to the coast, where I can go for a relaxing stroll - it almost feels like I'm on holiday sometimes. Feeling inspired by the almost-Mediterranean climate, I wanted to create a meal that mirrored it. 

Duck Pastrami

Traditionally, pastrami is made using beef but, when I was looking for the meat to make it with, duck stuck out as something a bit more unusual and exciting. I wanted to go for a Chinese-style flavouring, so in the brine I used spices that would mirror those in Chinese cuisine. The chilli doesn't come through that well, so if you want a bit of heat in there I'd recommend to try adding some dried chilli flakes to the spice rub on the outside... just be careful of how much you use.