RokDok

Well, at last after four months it is almost here : Surabaya to Singapore on the Bangkok Bridge, a little sojourn in Singapore and then a cruise aboard the HMM OSLO. I've followed it around the world and now it is so close. It's now parked at the Nab anchorage to the East of the Isle of Wight, waiting patiently for its slot at Southampton, which will hopefully be later today. I live just North of Dorchester- I feel I can almost see it !

@Wilsonj - I'm in the same boat as you - figuratively. My oven is anchored in the North Sea and I'm hoping to get the oven at the end of next week. I feel your pain. Some great handholders here ! Best RD

We finally got to cook this today . Fortunately our freezer in the garage broke down so we had to move our meat and fish to friends which gave us the chance to get our goat out and prepare the cook. I'm a bit lame at the moment with a hopefully temporary hip problem so Mrs RD did the cook - she is an expert on South Indian curries ( I gave her 10 lessons for Xmas a few years ago from a delightful and very talented local Mumbai lady). Best present I've ever given. I'd been waiting for my daughter to get hold of some Portland Heights Jamaican Curry Powder but we didn't have any so Mrs RD made it from scratch - recipe from the book C is for Carribean. The last time we'd eaten proper curry goat was when we lived in Jamaica 35 years ago . We went with Ray a local and colleague up into "the hills" and chose a goat from a small flock that his folk had. Mrs RD made the mistake of naming the goat Winston - a fine fellow. Next time we saw him he was in a large pot expertly cooked , together with a tub of " Mannish Water" - a delicious broth made of entrails. The curry goat was for my leaving do, together with a few cases of Red Stripe and some rum punch. I can't help feeling that Mrs RD was thinking of Winston when she was cooking today - but she still ate a healthy portion. Didn't have Scotch Bonnet unfortunately and one or two ingredients had to be subbed but it was pretty much to your recipe @Braai-Q, and delicious it was too so thanks for that.

Best wishes to all. Get well soon RD

Thanks Basher, No it will have to come off the pallet in the drive - and from there pushed on the plywood around the house to the back patio.

@HokieBen, the colour combination of the gold with blue is stunning. I have a question / reassurance. I'm hoping my 32" will arrive in the next 2-3 weeks - it's currently off the coast of France heading for Rotterdam before turning South and heading for Southampton here in the UK. I was hoping to get a posse of friends together to help with uncrating and moving it (on the flat but a couple of corners and bits of lawn) but we are now under strict lockdown here and it is just me and my wife and possibly a semi grown up daughter. I see you successfully uncrated with a family of four - do you think it's doable with just the two ( or possibly three) of us ? Can one person manoeuvre it on plywood ? Many Thanks, RD

Yep, @Braai-Q, I can just see a 23" supreme fitting in there- the shape compliments the amphorae. Autumn gold would be the colour match and it would definitely have to be tile - pebble would clash with the mosaics. Maybe they ordered one and the boat was just a bit slow ??

Beautifully presented too @Troble.

Happy New Year folks They say the darkest hour is just before the dawn, 2021 will bring light. RD

Ahh - so the KK would be for when you moved back to Singapore. The M Grill certainly looks tough enough to stand the rigours of multiple moves.

Yep, I remember making exactly that decision.... 32 tile on its way (currently crossing the med - heading towards Sicily) 😃 What are you using at the moment @IndGrill ??

That looks a lovely bit of kit @IndGrill

Thank you. Great video @tekobo. Nicely explained, can't wait to put those instructions to good use !

Hi @tekobo, I've got one of these - in blue - I've got my doubts that it is going to be deep enough for soaking the grates. I got mine for mixing the mortar when I was making my wood-fired oven ........ now there's a thing....

@IndGrill What size and colour are you not in the market for yet ?

@Troble That looks absolutely delicious, the grilled asparagus and bacon looks a great combination. The fryer thread was very interesting. Ours was consigned to the kitchen loft 15 years or so ago, sacrificed on the altar of Mrs RD's "healthy eating" mission, and maybe a slightly lingering cooking smell. This Spring I think it needs to come down. The one thing that I remember it for it not so much fries but that it enabled you to cook using Tempura batter. Courgette, Onion "bhajee" , squid, prawn and lumps of fish cooked with a light crispy coating of Tempura were wonderful. @Braai-Q, thanks for tool vs gadget tip. I'm not sure it will help me - I asked Mrs RD what things we cooked in Tempura in the deep fat fryer, and was promptly informed that I didn't need a deep fat fryer for that as they can be shallow fried in a pan. I might suggest that she put her hair straighteners in the loft as it is perfectly possible to use the iron and ironing board instead. RD

That's a work of art.

Twins separated at birth @tekobo ? - you'll be telling me next that you're learning Italian too ! My eldest and I have just spent an hour digging up two (rather obscene looking- but quite artistic - they could win the turnip prize) parsnips from the allotment - more like an archaeological dig - they're two feet long - you have to use your fingers to dig them out. We are firing up the Weber and having crispy duck thighs with potatoes cooked in the fat that drips off them. Now , if you're having that tonight I am going to buy a lottery ticket. The big bad 10.2 % matt black stout is the best beer I've ever made. Here's what it looks like :

Truly mouthwatering

Haaa ! It's a bit cold for them to be running around now - circa -18 degrees celsius !

@Basher That looks absolutely delicious. I can taste it. Great tip for the marinade and Beurre Balsamique ( :-)) We are having " Toad in the Hole " tonight - the consolation is that it comes form one of these : ( That's not the picture I had in mind - the thumbnails are too small and I 'm still celebrating @tekobo arrivals !

Really sorry to have missed it @tekobo, it must have been incredible. We did toast the arrivals in the RokDok household last night. What a set up !! Best RD

Very good ! It took me a few minutes to get it- Tekebo teed you up well for that !!

Fantastic that Dennis's place is just round the corner for you ! Turkey has got to be the first cook surely ??

My KK has left Singapore onboard the HMM OSLO heading for Southampton. Expected to enter the Suez Canal on Xmas Day. It's currently in the Malacca Straights between Malaysia and Indonesia. Yippee !