Am I allowed to post a failure here rather than a success?
I got a packet of pork loin chops out of the freezer and decided to cook just one. I did in in the small oven, on 180 for around 20 minutes, as recommended in several recipes I found on line. It came out very tough. What did I do wrong?
Sparrow, how old were the chops? Freezer burn? Old chops and freezer burn have done in many a pork chop that I have cooked. Also, in my experience, thin cutlets are best fried in a skillet for the least amount of time it takes to get them fully cooked. I really can't take my eyes off them or they will turn into shoe leather.
I did have them wrapped in foil in the oven, but they were quite old and quite thin, maybe I should have done them for less. I have two left, maybe I'll try frying the next ones.
Or braise them (in apple juice/cider is good) for an hour or so?
With pork I find the safest options are either a roast or a very long casserole. Chops and steaks are tricky on account of the narrow margin between adequately cooked and overdone.
Good luck. in 30 years I haven't found a way of avoiding the shoe leather thing.
I'll try lamb chops next time!
Awk!
Shouldn't that have been "baaa!"?
I agree with Firenze about longer, slower cooking. I've recently discovered Delia Smith's recipe for Normandy pork* with apples, cider and crème fraîche, and while I haven't got the texture absolutely perfect, it is a nice, comforting dish.
* OK, maybe I shouldn't be eating pork ... <oink!>
A lot depends on thickness vs time. As well, if you're captive to the old fear of trichinosis, you're dooming yourself to badly overcooked pork. Certain cuts, like tenderloin, are at there best a little pink at the centre. Whatever the issues with pork production, trichinosis is not really a threat. About ten years ago I read that in North America there were more cases of trichinosis from eating cougar than pig. So make sure that your cougar is well done.
I ran across this in my recipe files the other day and thought I'd share. Some of you have been around Ye Olde Shippe long enough to remember KenWritez (of blessed memory), who was hilarious and a hearty participant in many a thread. He was also a good cook, and provided this chili recipe, which I copied just because I loved how he wrote it. I confess I've never made it, but just having it in my recipe file makes me smile. If anyone tries this, please report back!
KenWritez’ Fast and Easy Black Bean Chili
It's 5:30 pm., you've got Spouse on final approach coming in from work, hungry kids circling you like attacking ME-109s, and no idea what to feed them. No takeout--your food budget is a long streak of black smoke drawing a straight line from the sky to the ground. What to do? [Cue fanfare]
1 bell pepper, cored, seeds and inner white membrane removed, diced
1/2 favorite type of onion, peeled, diced
1 c corn kernels, fresh or thawed from frozen
2 cloves of garlic, topped and peeled, smashed and diced
1 jalapeno, cored and seeded, inner white membrane removed, diced
2 x 15 oz cans black beans (okay to substitute white beans)
3/4 c diced pineapple or 1/2 orange (peeled and seeded) or 1/2 c orange fresh fruit juice
15 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
1 TBL red wine vinegar
1 T beef base (or 2 cubes beef bouillon)
1 lb lean ground beef or pork
1 t Chili powder (more if you like heat)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ t dried oregano
2 t dried cumin
1 bay leaf
1 t dried red pepper flakes
Honey or table sugar
Olive oil
In a heavy-bottomed stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat, drizzle about 2 T oil and heat to barely smoking. Add meat and cook until browned, breaking up all big chunks of meat. Drain all but 1-2 T of fat. Add bell pepper, onion, jalapeno. Sauté until barely soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, corn (and pineapple or orange if using.) Stir to prevent sticking and cook for 2 minutes.
If using juice, add now. Add beef base, tomato sauce and paste. Add vinegar, oregano, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste, starting with the amounts above. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, string occasionally to prevent sticking.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If too spicy, add 2 TBL sugar or honey to temper the heat. Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread and top with grated cheddar cheese. Serves 5 hungry people.
@Mamacita, you have no idea how idea how happy this makes me
I have indeed made Kenwritez' chili in the past, and found it very delicious, and then I lost the recipe. The fruit (orange in my case, because I'm allergic to pineapple) gives it a sweet, barbecuey edge that made it my favourite chili recipe that I'd ever tried.
Take your imaginary canned, chopped tomatoes and run them through an imaginary blender. What comes out is tomato sauce. No spices (usually), you can add those yourself if you want them. I have no idea what Brits call pureed tomatoes in a can!
Tomato sauce = passata. I happen to have both on hand in the cupboard. A 15 oz can of tomato sauce (about 400 ml) would be 'about' half a jar of passata (about 700 ml).
I'm not entirely sure - I could be wrong - but blending canned tomatoes might result in a more watery liquid than tomato sauce or passata, which I think are cooked down a bit more.
Just made a big batch of grapefruit and ginger marmalade. Generous fellow-parishioners had shared their backyard bounty with us.
These were my quantities but you can proportion them to suit.
2.5kg grapefruit, quartered and thinly sliced.
2.5kg white sugar
2 litres water
200g crystallised ginger, finely chopped.
Juice of two lemons.
1. Quarter and thinly slice the fruit, reserving any seeds.
2. Place in large pot with 2 litres water, or sufficient to cover. Wrap seeds in a muslin ball and place them in the pot.
3. Soak overnight if desired [My fruit was a little soft, so I went straight to step 4]
4. Bring to the boil and cook for 30-45 minutes until peel is softened and translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Lower heat and add sugar, stirring until dissolved.
6. Bring back to the boil and add ginger.
7. Boil for up to an hour, stirring and observing to ensure that the fruit does not stick and scorch.
8. Watch for gelling - the pot will bubble like a pool of lava. Test a spoonful on a saucer which has been in the freezer for 5 mins. Return to freezer and leave for 5 mins. If the jam wrinkles when pushed with a finger, it's ready.
9. Remove the ball of seeds.
10. Ladle into sterilised jars.
This made a beautiful firm natural set marmalade, 10 jars full, without the need to add any extra pectin, which sometimes happens with older fruit. It will be shared with our friends, because grapefruit is off my diet as it interferes with my heart medication.
@Barnabas_Aus Thank you for that recipe. I've put it in my miscellaneous recipe file, as I love both grapefruit and ginger. Question: #4 How vigorous is the boil?
Because I've been enthusing about it on the British thread, I think I need to share my signature dish: the Perfect Cheeseburger. It's the only thing I make that looks like it might have come out of a restaurant.
First of all you need to make the rolls. I use this recipe, although I make six rather than eight from this amount. They freeze very well for quicker production of burgers on a subsequent occasion. If I'm really going all out, I also make my own barbecue sauce. This recipe is nice, although half the quantity is more than enough. If you're making your own fries from scratch, you need to cut the potatoes and fry them for the first time then let them rest.
Perfect Cheeseburger is all about timing. Everything needs to be hot at the same time for the assemblage. Prepare the garnishes - finely diced iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, raw or fried red onion, sliced pickles and cheese. I use a good quality sliced cheddar. For the meat, fattier is better than lean for a delicious juicy unhealthy treat. It's cheaper as well, so a win-win.
Put a frying pan on a high heat. Slice the buns in half and toast on the cut side. I put them in a low oven once they're toasted to keep them warm. Cook the patty for two (rare), three (medium) or four (well done) minutes on each side. I use a timer. Fries go in the fryer seven minutes before the end of total cooking time. At the end, put the slice of cheese on top, put a lid on the pan and cook for one minute more so it starts to melt.
Assemble ASAP: spread both sides of the bun with sauce. Very important pro tip - pickles go under the patty so that the acidic taste hits your tongue first. Then the patty and cheese, onions, tomato and lettuce in that order. Close the sandwich, stick a cocktail stick in it if you're worried it might fall apart and serve immediately with the fries. Savour your Perfect Cheeseburger.
@Barnabas_Aus Thank you for that recipe. I've put it in my miscellaneous recipe file, as I love both grapefruit and ginger. Question: #4 How vigorous is the boil?
@Pangolin Guerre it is a rolling boil. The warning about sticking and scorching is because I nearly had a disaster yesterday when I left the kitchen for a few minutes during Step 4 and came back to find some of the peel had just caught, fortunately only just on the edges of a few pieces so no burnt flavour to the marmalade.
Stir fry tonight - a recipe I haven't done in a long while. Serves two.
2 small chicken breasts - diced into 1 cm cubes
1 cup fresh asparagus
1 cup sliced fresh green beans
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped.
Ginger-infused oil
Sesame oil
Oyster sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons of ginger-infused oil, with a splash or two of sesame oil [to your taste] in the wok. Stir fry the chicken meat and reserve. Stir fry the vegetables until just tender. Add the chicken. Stir in oyster sauce, heat through and serve immediately. We prefer it without rice, but can be added if desired.
The original had snow peas, but as Mrs BA is allergic to all peas, the green beans are a good substitute.
Kenwritez' chili has been made in preparation for tonight's dinner (I like food I can prepare ahead while Captain Pyjamas is napping) and is delicious as I remember. What I hadn't remembered was the rather curious fact that in a recipe called "black bean chili" he doesn't tell you to add the beans at any point I put them in at the end and it seems to be fine.
@Nenya asked me on the British thread in AS if I would reprint Piglet's Pancetta Pasta, so here it is:
For 2 generous servings:
Put 4 oz. pasta (spaghetti or linguine for preference) on to cook for about 8-10 minutes in well-salted water with a drop of olive oil.
Heat a frying-pan over medium heat and toast a handful of nibbed almonds until they just begin to smell fragrant, and tip them out on to a plate to cool.
Heat a little olive oil in the frying-pan with and add about 4 oz. pancetta chopped into ¼in. cubes and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add a chopped clove of garlic and cook for a minute or two more, being careful not to let it burn.
Add 2-3 generous tablespoons of Philly cheese and stir to break it up as it melts. Chop a few small tomatoes into quarters or eighths (depending on size) and add them to the pan along with a generous grind of black pepper. Cook over a medium heat, stirring often. Once the pasta's cooked, add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water to the frying pan, and mix well.
Lift the pasta out with a pasta spoon or tongs straight into the sauce, stirring it round to get it nicely coated.
Top with the toasted almonds and a grating of Parmesan and serve straight away.
Thanks to encouragement from @la vie en rouge , I made KenWritez's chili (posted upthread on Nov. 19). It is so good! I used an 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple and yes, as she says, it comes off as a tiny hint of BBQ sauce, but it's very subtle. This one is definitely going into the rotation.
And I am imagining dear KenWritez as one of the chefs at the Heavenly Banquet.
I thought I'd ask this here, rather than the questions thread as it's food related,
I have a bag of soft brown sugar that has become a bit hard and dried out. I vaguely remember a hint about putting something in with it to provide some moisture. Memory suggest it was a cut apple.
If I go to cook with soft brown sugar and find it has gone lumpy I give it a quick turn in the microwave and the lumps break down into grains very easily.
I don't know if that would work if it was going back into storage.
I used the standard recipe for peanut butter cookies but used almond butter in place of peanut butter. I put an almond in the center as well. I am very pleased with the results and am telling myself with the almonds they are a cookie that is really healthy and should be eaten often as part of a well-planned diet.
I used the standard recipe for peanut butter cookies but used almond butter in place of peanut butter. I put an almond in the center as well. I am very pleased with the results and am telling myself with the almonds they are a cookie that is really healthy and should be eaten often as part of a well-planned diet.
Oooh, what a great idea! I don’t really like peanut butter cookies (or really anything flavored with peanut butter), but I love anything almond flavored. I may need to try this.
@Nick Tamen, One thing I would do differently is next time I would add some chopped up almonds to the batter to boost the flavor even more. The original peanut butter recipe said you could use chunky peanut butter or smooth.
I used the standard recipe for peanut butter cookies but used almond butter in place of peanut butter. I put an almond in the center as well. I am very pleased with the results and am telling myself with the almonds they are a cookie that is really healthy and should be eaten often as part of a well-planned diet.
I think the same thing about carrot cake and pumpkin pie. Just look at all that beta carotene!
I believe that storing the sugar with a slice of bread prevents lumps. I don't know that it'll cure the lumps.
In my experience it will both cure and prevent lumps in brown sugar. I recently bought a bag at the supermarket that was incredibly hard. I broke it into chunks, put it in an airtight container with a slice of bread, and now it has the consistency of brown sugar.
As promised in All Saints, herewith the recipe for quince trifle. This is from memory, as the recipe book seems to have been moved into a safe place during my ill-health.
• 250 g mascarpone cheese
• 1.5 cups caster sugar
• 3 large stewed quinces, sliced
• 2 egg yolks
• amaretti biscuits
• Amaretto
• pandoro
1. Beat egg yolks and caster sugar into mascarpone to create mascarpone cream
2. Slice pandoro, lay slices in bowl and moisten with amaretto
3. Layer quince slices on top of cake
4. Spread a layer of mascarpone cream on top of fruit
5. Repeat process until cake and fruit are used.
6. Top with final layer of mascarpone cream
7. Garnish with crushed amaretti biscuits
8. Serve chilled.
I had some veggies that needed to be used up, so I made a risotto with them, and I think it was shareworthy:
Risotto with Green Things
For one generous serving:
A handful each of broccoli and Kenya beans, trimmed and cut into smallish pieces
About half a cup of frozen peas
A shallot and a clove of garlic, finely chopped
A little olive oil and butter
Dried sage
Half a cup of risotto rice
A splash of white wine
About 2 cups veggie stock
A little crème fraîche
Parmesan cheese
Put the broccoli, beans and peas in a bowl with a little lemon juice, seasoning and a splash of boiling water and microwave for a minute or two - don't overdo it.
Make up the veggie stock and keep it simmering.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and cook the shallot and garlic with sage and seasoning.
Add the rice to the frying pan, stir it round a bit and add the wine. Set a timer for about 20 minutes.
Once the wine's absorbed, start adding the hot stock a little at a time, stirring, and letting each addition absorb before adding the next.
Once it's all in stir in the drained veggies and continue cooking until the rice is cooked but still with a bit of bite (that should take until the 20 minutes on the timer), add another knob of butter, the crème fraîche and a generous grating of Parmesan.
Piglet -- you've referred a couple of times to "Kenya Beans". What are these, as I've never come across the term? You've spent some time in Canada, so perhaps you can give me a name by which they're called here.
Piglet -- you've referred a couple of times to "Kenya Beans". What are these, as I've never come across the term? .
I wondered about Piglet's Kenya Beans, too. Thought maybe they are the imported beans we have in the supermarkets here pretty well all year round - I think Kenya is a major producer of them. They look like a French bean, but are often labelled as "fine beans", and known in this house as 'squeaky beans'.
Comments
On a side note, it occurs to me, in terms of side dishes, that there are the whole carrots that cook alongside the meat. Those are yummy!
I got a packet of pork loin chops out of the freezer and decided to cook just one. I did in in the small oven, on 180 for around 20 minutes, as recommended in several recipes I found on line. It came out very tough. What did I do wrong?
I'll try lamb chops next time!
With pork I find the safest options are either a roast or a very long casserole. Chops and steaks are tricky on account of the narrow margin between adequately cooked and overdone.
Awk!
Shouldn't that have been "baaa!"?
I agree with Firenze about longer, slower cooking. I've recently discovered Delia Smith's recipe for Normandy pork* with apples, cider and crème fraîche, and while I haven't got the texture absolutely perfect, it is a nice, comforting dish.
* OK, maybe I shouldn't be eating pork ... <oink!>
KenWritez’ Fast and Easy Black Bean Chili
It's 5:30 pm., you've got Spouse on final approach coming in from work, hungry kids circling you like attacking ME-109s, and no idea what to feed them. No takeout--your food budget is a long streak of black smoke drawing a straight line from the sky to the ground. What to do? [Cue fanfare]
1 bell pepper, cored, seeds and inner white membrane removed, diced
1/2 favorite type of onion, peeled, diced
1 c corn kernels, fresh or thawed from frozen
2 cloves of garlic, topped and peeled, smashed and diced
1 jalapeno, cored and seeded, inner white membrane removed, diced
2 x 15 oz cans black beans (okay to substitute white beans)
3/4 c diced pineapple or 1/2 orange (peeled and seeded) or 1/2 c orange fresh fruit juice
15 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
1 TBL red wine vinegar
1 T beef base (or 2 cubes beef bouillon)
1 lb lean ground beef or pork
1 t Chili powder (more if you like heat)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ t dried oregano
2 t dried cumin
1 bay leaf
1 t dried red pepper flakes
Honey or table sugar
Olive oil
In a heavy-bottomed stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat, drizzle about 2 T oil and heat to barely smoking. Add meat and cook until browned, breaking up all big chunks of meat. Drain all but 1-2 T of fat. Add bell pepper, onion, jalapeno. Sauté until barely soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, corn (and pineapple or orange if using.) Stir to prevent sticking and cook for 2 minutes.
If using juice, add now. Add beef base, tomato sauce and paste. Add vinegar, oregano, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste, starting with the amounts above. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, string occasionally to prevent sticking.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If too spicy, add 2 TBL sugar or honey to temper the heat. Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread and top with grated cheddar cheese. Serves 5 hungry people.
I have indeed made Kenwritez' chili in the past, and found it very delicious, and then I lost the recipe. The fruit (orange in my case, because I'm allergic to pineapple) gives it a sweet, barbecuey edge that made it my favourite chili recipe that I'd ever tried.
I'm delighted you've resurrected it
It looks like a nice recipe though - the fruit juice is an interesting addition which I must try next time I make a chilli.
I'm not entirely sure - I could be wrong - but blending canned tomatoes might result in a more watery liquid than tomato sauce or passata, which I think are cooked down a bit more.
These were my quantities but you can proportion them to suit.
2.5kg grapefruit, quartered and thinly sliced.
2.5kg white sugar
2 litres water
200g crystallised ginger, finely chopped.
Juice of two lemons.
1. Quarter and thinly slice the fruit, reserving any seeds.
2. Place in large pot with 2 litres water, or sufficient to cover. Wrap seeds in a muslin ball and place them in the pot.
3. Soak overnight if desired [My fruit was a little soft, so I went straight to step 4]
4. Bring to the boil and cook for 30-45 minutes until peel is softened and translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Lower heat and add sugar, stirring until dissolved.
6. Bring back to the boil and add ginger.
7. Boil for up to an hour, stirring and observing to ensure that the fruit does not stick and scorch.
8. Watch for gelling - the pot will bubble like a pool of lava. Test a spoonful on a saucer which has been in the freezer for 5 mins. Return to freezer and leave for 5 mins. If the jam wrinkles when pushed with a finger, it's ready.
9. Remove the ball of seeds.
10. Ladle into sterilised jars.
This made a beautiful firm natural set marmalade, 10 jars full, without the need to add any extra pectin, which sometimes happens with older fruit. It will be shared with our friends, because grapefruit is off my diet as it interferes with my heart medication.
First of all you need to make the rolls. I use this recipe, although I make six rather than eight from this amount. They freeze very well for quicker production of burgers on a subsequent occasion. If I'm really going all out, I also make my own barbecue sauce. This recipe is nice, although half the quantity is more than enough. If you're making your own fries from scratch, you need to cut the potatoes and fry them for the first time then let them rest.
Perfect Cheeseburger is all about timing. Everything needs to be hot at the same time for the assemblage. Prepare the garnishes - finely diced iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, raw or fried red onion, sliced pickles and cheese. I use a good quality sliced cheddar. For the meat, fattier is better than lean for a delicious juicy unhealthy treat. It's cheaper as well, so a win-win.
Put a frying pan on a high heat. Slice the buns in half and toast on the cut side. I put them in a low oven once they're toasted to keep them warm. Cook the patty for two (rare), three (medium) or four (well done) minutes on each side. I use a timer. Fries go in the fryer seven minutes before the end of total cooking time. At the end, put the slice of cheese on top, put a lid on the pan and cook for one minute more so it starts to melt.
Assemble ASAP: spread both sides of the bun with sauce. Very important pro tip - pickles go under the patty so that the acidic taste hits your tongue first. Then the patty and cheese, onions, tomato and lettuce in that order. Close the sandwich, stick a cocktail stick in it if you're worried it might fall apart and serve immediately with the fries. Savour your Perfect Cheeseburger.
@Pangolin Guerre it is a rolling boil. The warning about sticking and scorching is because I nearly had a disaster yesterday when I left the kitchen for a few minutes during Step 4 and came back to find some of the peel had just caught, fortunately only just on the edges of a few pieces so no burnt flavour to the marmalade.
2 small chicken breasts - diced into 1 cm cubes
1 cup fresh asparagus
1 cup sliced fresh green beans
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped.
Ginger-infused oil
Sesame oil
Oyster sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons of ginger-infused oil, with a splash or two of sesame oil [to your taste] in the wok. Stir fry the chicken meat and reserve. Stir fry the vegetables until just tender. Add the chicken. Stir in oyster sauce, heat through and serve immediately. We prefer it without rice, but can be added if desired.
The original had snow peas, but as Mrs BA is allergic to all peas, the green beans are a good substitute.
For 2 generous servings:
Put 4 oz. pasta (spaghetti or linguine for preference) on to cook for about 8-10 minutes in well-salted water with a drop of olive oil.
Heat a frying-pan over medium heat and toast a handful of nibbed almonds until they just begin to smell fragrant, and tip them out on to a plate to cool.
Heat a little olive oil in the frying-pan with and add about 4 oz. pancetta chopped into ¼in. cubes and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add a chopped clove of garlic and cook for a minute or two more, being careful not to let it burn.
Add 2-3 generous tablespoons of Philly cheese and stir to break it up as it melts. Chop a few small tomatoes into quarters or eighths (depending on size) and add them to the pan along with a generous grind of black pepper. Cook over a medium heat, stirring often. Once the pasta's cooked, add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water to the frying pan, and mix well.
Lift the pasta out with a pasta spoon or tongs straight into the sauce, stirring it round to get it nicely coated.
Top with the toasted almonds and a grating of Parmesan and serve straight away.
And I am imagining dear KenWritez as one of the chefs at the Heavenly Banquet.
I have a bag of soft brown sugar that has become a bit hard and dried out. I vaguely remember a hint about putting something in with it to provide some moisture. Memory suggest it was a cut apple.
Does this ring a bell with anyone please?
I don't know if that would work if it was going back into storage.
I think the same thing about carrot cake and pumpkin pie. Just look at all that beta carotene!
In my experience it will both cure and prevent lumps in brown sugar. I recently bought a bag at the supermarket that was incredibly hard. I broke it into chunks, put it in an airtight container with a slice of bread, and now it has the consistency of brown sugar.
• 250 g mascarpone cheese
• 1.5 cups caster sugar
• 3 large stewed quinces, sliced
• 2 egg yolks
• amaretti biscuits
• Amaretto
• pandoro
1. Beat egg yolks and caster sugar into mascarpone to create mascarpone cream
2. Slice pandoro, lay slices in bowl and moisten with amaretto
3. Layer quince slices on top of cake
4. Spread a layer of mascarpone cream on top of fruit
5. Repeat process until cake and fruit are used.
6. Top with final layer of mascarpone cream
7. Garnish with crushed amaretti biscuits
8. Serve chilled.
Do you keep some bottled quinces in the pantry?
Risotto with Green Things
For one generous serving:
A handful each of broccoli and Kenya beans, trimmed and cut into smallish pieces
About half a cup of frozen peas
A shallot and a clove of garlic, finely chopped
A little olive oil and butter
Dried sage
Half a cup of risotto rice
A splash of white wine
About 2 cups veggie stock
A little crème fraîche
Parmesan cheese
Put the broccoli, beans and peas in a bowl with a little lemon juice, seasoning and a splash of boiling water and microwave for a minute or two - don't overdo it.
Make up the veggie stock and keep it simmering.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and cook the shallot and garlic with sage and seasoning.
Add the rice to the frying pan, stir it round a bit and add the wine. Set a timer for about 20 minutes.
Once the wine's absorbed, start adding the hot stock a little at a time, stirring, and letting each addition absorb before adding the next.
Once it's all in stir in the drained veggies and continue cooking until the rice is cooked but still with a bit of bite (that should take until the 20 minutes on the timer), add another knob of butter, the crème fraîche and a generous grating of Parmesan.
I wondered about Piglet's Kenya Beans, too. Thought maybe they are the imported beans we have in the supermarkets here pretty well all year round - I think Kenya is a major producer of them. They look like a French bean, but are often labelled as "fine beans", and known in this house as 'squeaky beans'.
I have some in the freezer.
They look like this.
What they definitely aren't is runner beans, which are sliced, greyish-green, slimy and horrid.