Simple guilty kitchen pleasures

I recently read, in some famous chef's bio somewhere, that one of the end of service treats was to mop up the pan juices with a slice of bread accompanied by a cold beer.

Does this mean I'm ok?

Hi, I'm an addicted cleaner of pans. For years now, I've justified the uncontrollable sopping up of simmered sauce remnants with bread as just good quality control. I recognise that rationalisation of obsessive or compulsive (or both) actions are typical warning signs that I might have a problem because it doesn't end there.

There are also the pan juices of roasted or sautéed meat, the aromatic herbal oil from potatoes, those few drops left in the mussel pot, frypans where I've *gulp* browned butter (a shameful favourite - I blame years of deprivation during a near decade of training), or the little bit of extra browned cheese around the edges of ANYTHING.. it's terrible really, and if theres a little bit of bread lying around, flatbread, olive panini.. makes no difference, I'm away. I have no restraint.

The pot, after making this sauce (a wonderful long-simmered salsa di capra destined for the worker's lunch) was not spared.

I'm through making excuses and, after reading that I'm not alone, am learning to accept that there will be days when this weakness will get the better of me. But just so you know, as limited as my willpower may be in this regard, this guilty kitchen pleasure DOES make washing up much, much easier.

Comments

Barbara said…
I love the dark bits left in pan after roasting chicken. Which is why I never roast chicken in an oven bag
Mary said…
Hi Barbara,
I know.. I'll use the occasional bit of aluminium foil but would rather wash splattered pans (and have the bonus yummy brown bits) than use an oven bag too.
Very much looking forward to your weekend words.
cheers

Popular Posts