With bacon and herbs
This was a learning curve! This was a bit of a disaster! I’d found a recipe for a savoury crumble on Flickr last week, something I’d never heard of (the crumble, that is). I immediately thought of my herb-y chickpea/garbanzo beans recipe I made last weekend. So, why the disaster? Perhaps this has happened to you, too: there I am standing in a queue at my local food store staring at the heifer in front thinking, your hips certainly don’t need that cake only to notice the customer in front of me with a block of butter. One of the ingredients that I needed for this. As it’s way at the other end of the store I didn’t bother trying to race there, grab a block and charge back. So, disaster No 1. A savoury crumble made with only olive oil doesn’t work! As for the flavours, I’m pleased to say they really worked well here. What didn’t was my checking on the crumble in the oven and noticing it had started to bubble. Instead of switching off the oven and putting on the grill/broiler, then adding the nuts, to get the topping nicely golden I kept the oven on. Ouch! Disaster No 2 as most of the sauce evaporated leaving this cloyingly moist rather than crunchy topping with a sauce underneath.
Last week, whilst shopping in the other store, I’d noticed they were selling fresh parsley at last. Not when I need it they don’t. So, disaster No 3 was having to use dried, which leaves a horrid aftertaste! I’m cussing that store, right now! As my little pots of fresh parsley are surviving winter on a south facing window sill, far better than I am, I’m loath to keep nipping off their small branches. Anyway, I’m not going with the recipe as yet. Instead, I’m linking to the chickpea recipe (here it’s with pan-fried bacon rather than kabanos sausages) and the dessert crumble that I used as a template, sort of. Without using sugar, I hasten to add. To end, I’d love to hear if anyone has had a savoury crumble and, if so, how theirs turned out. As this klutz in the kitchen certainly needs some advice!
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Oh don’t berate yourself … what’s all this about being a kluz! I expect many a super-duper dish came into existence owing to a bit of a kitchen disaster. You’ve learnt from it and now we can learn from it too … so, as Zorba the Greek would have put it: “What a beautiful catastrophe!”
Thank you for that. Don’t want to give up on the idea of a savoury crumble as sweet crumbles are probably my favourite dessert.
Love it – you are so refreshingly honest. We all have our disasters! Yours just seem like more fun. ;)
Thanks! Not so sure if they are, in fact, more fun. Still, nothing wrong with learning new techniques – sometimes it just takes me a little longer to master them. Especially when it comes to anything pastry. I might be safer using mash!
Well likely not more fun for you – but certainly fun to read about!! Someone else’s disasters are much more interesting. And you do make me smile ;)
Thank you. I have to laugh, even if it’s at myself!
Aw what a shame it didn’t work out as you’d planned, I’m sure you’ll have better luck next time!
Hopefully! Might have leftovers tomorrow with puff pastry instead! Would prefer to do mash, as it’s probably safer, but I’ve ran out of spuds.
Yes, a steep learning curve indeed, and a valiant effort. Take a leaf out of my book and keep the EU butter mountain in your fridge at all times – salted and unsalted :)
Butter is something I very seldom have in my fridge. Growing up we were allowed butter, even though the Muttering Patriarch certainly wasn’t. Purely because of that I stopped buying butter for decades. Not overly keen on the stuff, excepting on new potatoes with dried tarragon and Fadge, potato bread. When I do buy a block it invariably goes off!
Interesting, I hated butter and didn’t eat it if at all possible until my early 30′s. Still can’t eat it on a sandwich, with potatoes, etc, but do cook with it where recipes demand (and conceal it) – and there seems to be heavy demand in classic French cooking, for example! Guess I’m making up for lost time :)
I’m with you on buttered bread. Although I probably wouldn’t use it in French cooking as there are so many wonderful olive oils on offer. The one recipe I’m keen on trying, though, is an authentic Rigatoni Alfredo. Heart attack inducing, maybe! Will have to do the recipe one day.
Never worked with any savory crumble before but yours look lovely. From the look of it, I couldn’t tell you had a disaster with it.
That’s why I went with posting it as I liked the photo. When I dug in to plate up was when I should’ve taken an auto as the look on my face certainly would’ve been funnier than the post itself! Although the dish tasted good the texture just wasn’t right. You know me and my textures!
Yes, such harsh critic! ;)
I have to be! Hahaha! I’m not going to post recipes on here that I’m not happy with. Anyway, I suddenly realised where I might’ve gone wrong with this after responding to your comment! How exciting…Hasta mañana!
“your hips certainly don’t need the cake” Oh that made me laugh! Aside from that you should be applauded for being so bold with this recipe. You never know what will happen…
If I’m honest that’s not what I was thinking about when in the queue. What I was thinking was even worse! Shant go into that!
Going to give this a second attempt tomorrow as I might have figured where I went wrong.
Too funny. I try not to react to what to what is in some people’s carts. Fortunately the filter between the brain and mouth tends to stay in working order. :)
I’m far too nosy. I applaud your filter! Think mine needs to be checked in.
:)
What a fun experience – for us, that is :-) Love your tales from the supermarket… As you know, I made a savoury crumble last year, and it turned out really well, although it would have been better with a sauce to go with it. I’ve been thinking ever since what other kinds of savoury crumbles I could make but haven’t come up with anything yet. Yours definitely looks good, though! Looking forward to getting a recipe for a “refined” version…
Well, you probably won’t be surprised when I tell you I’d completely forgotten about your post. And that was only last December! Griefters! Must Google for food stuff that’s good for restoring memory – that’s if I remember to bother!
Realised last night where I was going wrong with this, in adding a thin sauce underneath. Going to post about that later, so I’ll be able to include your link (that I’ve just gone into) as a source of inspiration. Even with a gravy today I’m still unsure about a savoury crumble. At least I’ve tried one. Don’t think this combo works, though.
First things first, I love your summaries :) You make disasters fun!
Thank you. Maybe it’s the ‘gift of the gab’ as they say.