Brisket

Rather than fire up the egg for a long, slow cook at this time of year I thought I'd pre-cook it in the oven.
To sort of mimic the egg, but without the smoke, I decided to dry cook it in a casserole using some canolli tubes to support the meat above the base of the pot and the inevitable drippings.
Initially dry rubbed, usual suspects, and left overnight in the 'fridge, this has had four hours on the oven's slow setting. The outside of the pot measured 104°C, which is similar to the 100°C that I target in the egg, and the internal temp was just under 80°C.

It's now back in for another fours hours or so then it'll be finished off in the egg, probably for another four hours or until it has fallen apart.

---

I forgot about it and left it in for ages, maybe 8 hours.

Plan 'B'
It was a bit dark and firm around the edges but it shredded easily with a fork

 and ended up in a bucket of ratatouille

so it turned out ok albeit without the smoke.



The casserole is Le Creuset's finest big marmitout, it cost me a lot of money a lot of years ago but is no longer made; this one has seen some service.

Web space

Thanks to Virgin doing away with the webspace as part of the deal I am now on the hunt

Lots of options, here are a few UK companies, November 2016
Most of them have various plans, the following are generally the cheapest on offer from each company
The parameters listed are not exhaustive but what were important to me at the time
Any ∞s, multiples and unmetereds probably have limits explained in the T's & C's. May containg mishtakes; be warmed, allus cheque for thee sen
ns = I couldn't find it

	hostpresto starter	easyspace Pic'n'mix	webhosting basic	123-reg essentials	unlimited webhosting web hosting	1and1 basic	uk2.net essentials	ehost
webspace	1GB	3GB	2GB	10GB	∞	∞	∞	unmetered
bandwidth	∞	∞	10GB	∞	∞	∞	∞	unmetered
domains included	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
domains allowed	y	ns	∞	10 subs 3 ext.	∞		∞ subs	∞
cPanel	y	ns	y		y	1&1 CP		y
websites	2	ns	ns	multiple	∞	multiple	10	ns
mailboxes	∞	2	∞	100 x 5GB	∞	100 x 2GB	∞	∞
site builder		ns	y	y	ns	y		y
php	y	ns	y	php7	y	y	y
cost £pcm			2.29	2.49	2.75	0.99 for 1yr then 4.99	2.98 for 1yr then 5.95	2.75 intro then goes up
1st year	24	27	27.48	29.88	33	11.88	35.76	33
2nd year	24	27	27.48	29.88	33	59.88	71.4	119.76
2 years	48	54	54.96	59.76	66	71.76	107.16	152.76
more than cheapest	0	6	6.96	11.76	18	23.76	59.16	104.76
			no min contract	no backup/ restore	no min contract

Tubular bread

Never seen these before so had to have'm

Three shaped loaf tins about 70mm across and 217mm long
I meant to fill them ½ way but they ended up about 80% full which was rather too much and this is what happened as it proved

The instructions suggested 30 minutes proving horizontally then 180°C for 30-35 minutes baked horizontally which I thought was a bit cool and brief so I went for 190°C for 40 minutes. Took them out, waited a few minutes then removed the loaves.
Not at all nice looking so they went back in at 210°C for another 5 minutes then heat off for the final 5 minutes. Thermometer indicated 95°C in the centre.

 

So, a bit of a pallava but it turned out pretty well in the end for a beginner.

Oh yeah, the tubes were buttered using a pastry brush before loading and the finished bread slid out easily.

Interestingly the makers website currently recommends, "close one side of the tube, place upright on a baking tray, put in the dough and bake" ie leaving the top cap off.

There's quite a bit of info out there as they seem to have been around for yonks in the U.S.A.

An old manual for a Valtrompia bread tube states, "Always bake in a vertical position. Most mixtures bake for at least 1 hour (375° degrees to 400° degrees)."

So that'll be 190 -  200°C or gas Mk 5 to 6 as we say in Ruislip.

Other advice is to bake straight after the tubes have been filled ie no prove.

Incidentally that manual is Form No. 228  6/88 which implies June 1988 so the U.K. is miles behind the baking technology times.

So next go will be 50% full, Mk 6 for one hour and, now that I'm an expert, I'm going to put them in a cold oven so that the dough heats up more slowly in lieu of the prove.

To be continued....

Krka Lakes, Hrvatska

Water, water, everywhere

Fish

Caught, fortunately in the shadows

Lots of cyclamen

Tesla's hydro power station, remember the bridge

It's a cave but it doesn't really work and should've been deleted

Looking along the valley from the middle of the bridge that you remembered

Now from the other side walking up the h  i   l    l

Part of the original machinery

No more waterfalls

Apart from this

Café

Local band practice, be sure to watch the video

More fish

Oops, another waterfall

Merde, yet another

Visovac Island and Franciscan Monastery

Now we're off to Šibenik

Hvar, Hvar, Hrvatska

Hvar, Hvar, Hrvatska

We arrived by Krilo catamaran from Split.
At the end of the quay if you look left you'll see this.

If you look right you'll see this, the taxi rank is just beyond the cathedral.

If you look back you'll see this.

A few minutes later we're a few Kuna lighter and at the apartment

Google map link, just up the ramp

A quick look from the window, nothing special only a couple of boats and a misty Korčula in the background.

So back down the hill to explore, eat and take a few photo's along the way

Fortica Španjola is about ²⁄₃ up the hill on the left; the one at the top is Napoleonova Tvrđava

Drinkies at bar Anna, possibly the only place on Hvar that sells the excellent San Servolo

Dindins at the Two Fisherman or Dva Ribara as we say in Ruislip and another Google map link

Then thunder, lightning, lots of rain and a chilly walk back

Breakfast on the balcony next morning

Now we're at the market, it's not ginormous but the grub is great

Looking back down at the cathedral square from the market

Exploring the old town on the way up to the first fortress

About ½ way up and a ½ decent view of the Pakleni islands

Couldn't be bothered to go in so read all about it

'Pon my soul, a passiflora clinging to the wall

Proper view of the Pakleni islands then back down for refeshments

The Cathedral of Saint Stephen or Katedrala Svetog Stjepana as we say in Ruislip

The step's pretty worn and that's all there is 'cause photography inside isn't allowed

The Benedictine Convent and Museum

Famous for its lacemaking using dried agave leaves, no soppy lacey pictures here though

Random pictures through the streets

 Pretty good food, not cheap

Very close to the apartment but closed for the season

The Franciscan Monastery

It was me being wonky, the tower's perfectly plumb

The Last Supper, artist unknown but it's 8000mm x 2000mm and very impressive

Whodat?

 Amazingly we have one just like this

Crikey, English alabaster

And a rainbow on the way back into town

The walk back to the apartment, up the steps and turn left at the pomegranates

or you can go this way, past the Marinero and turn left. We ate there, pretty good food, very lively and dead cheap

Flora and fauna

Flowers on cactus

Dog end and chit chat

Beach bar

Thirteen minutes to wait

Night time

Home cooking

They do an excellent mustard with tarragon

And an excellent place to eat it

Best ćevapčići from the butcher by the market by the cathedral with ćharters ćhips

Suicided fly

Some jolly nice cheese sir