Tags
cycling, driftwood, family, fire, fried bread, genes, Pelican, quick thinking, recipe, red wine, steak, The wild atlantic way, the yellow bicycle, turf
You would be forgiven for thinking Blown-away bread is so named because the eater was ‘blown away’ by it’s deliciousness.
But that is not the case.
It got its name due to a mischievous gust of wind that blew it off the plate when I was about to serve it to my first customer.
“Hey my bread! it’s blown away” (needless to say I was serving it out of doors and by the wild Atlantic sea)
I quickly picked up the offending bread, shook the sand off, put it back on the plate and coolly replied
“Of course it has. That’s why its called Blown-away bread!”
Picture this!
you have just spent a glorious but tiring day cycling along mountain and bog roads and are positively STARVING.
Passing through a small village you decide to call into the butcher and buy a piece of steak.
Then, cycling the last down hill to your small tent by the sea, you set about lighting a fire.
You pull out a frying pan and throw a slab of butter into it followed by the steak.
That done you, pouring yourself a lavish glass of red wine, you stretch out your tired feet to the fire and wiggling your muddy toes (you cycle in sandals) sigh with contentment.
As you lean forward to turn the steak you become aware, above the sizzling of the pan, of the sound of voices in the distance and note (alarmingly) that they are getting louder.(A sure sign they are headed in your direction).
With sinking heart you hastily consider your options.
The first (which isn’t even a possible one but in your panic you consider it anyway) is to grab pan, steak and fire and run and hide (there are many sandy dips and hollows in this place) but you know that no one has ever manage to move a fire and live to tell the tale so you discard that one.
The second is to grin and brace yourself for the onslaught.
And here they come now .
‘Hi mom what are you doing?’
‘Hi granny’ (there are little ones in tow)
‘ooh that smells delicious’
It’s your family and without any invitation they plonk themselves down in unison beside you on the grass.
Now mothers are, by there very nature, selfless beings and it would be unacceptable to sit in front of your genes and devour a steak if you hadn’t enough to share, so you have to think quickly.
Mothers are also very innovative when it comes to feeding their young during a food shortage (think of the pelican) so without further ado you find yourself inventing a dish that although it would turn every cardiologist in the country white with fright, would have your children (even those whose diet mainly consists of avocado and almond milk) calling out for more.
The name of the dish? Blown-away Bread and you can find the recipe below.
THE RECIPE:
Accoutrements:
- One large frying pan into which you can fit two slices of bread comfortably.
- one fire preferably by the sea.
- one medium sized family
Ingredients:
- one Ilb butter (I use kerrygold)
- One small steak
- a small drop sea water (instead of salt)
- A bottle (or two) of red wine (mostly for drinking but a small amount for cooking)
- a loaf of thickly sliced bread (as many slices as there are people to feed and more)
Cooking time: as long as the fire lasts.
Method:
First build a small circle of stones slightly smaller than the base of the frying pan and with an even finish so the pan can balance on it.
This done, light your fire inside this circle using turf /gathered drift wood/ dried cow dung etc
Allow the embers to die down.
Place your pan on the fire and when hot, add a good dollop of the butter.
As soon as the butter is frothing, add the steak browning it well on both sides
Allow the steak to cook thoroughly.
Discard the steak (either eat, give to the dog or throw to the seagulls. It’s no longer needed for the recipe)
Add more butter to the pan
Add some wine and a tablespoon of sea water and reduce
Carefully place two thick slices of bread in the pan.
Allow the slices to crisp on one side before turning over, ensuring they are thoroughly coated in the meat/butter/wine juice/seawater juice.
Crisp other side then lift on plate (watch that wind) and serve to your first two customers.
Continue adding butter/ wine/sea water/ bread and serving in that order until everyone has had a slice of substitute steak.
Keep going for as long as you have bread/fire/family/wine oh and calm weather.
Waiting for the embers to die down. The wine? Oh that’s for cooking with of course.
The End.