duck fat/birds after soup; Irish/potatoes

[Guest guest]

We use soup birds raised by a friend plus the carcasses of roasters (also

farm-raised), so I, too, don't like to waste the meat.

Simmer until the meat is cooked, then cut/shred across the grain every quarter

inch or so (even with old soup birds, some is tender even without this). It can

then be heated in a sauce or added to soup - we like a cinnamon/roasted

poblano/tomato salsa with fresh cilantro. Also works as a hash with

onions/potatoes.

Despite NT directions, I have more luck NOT simmering stock a long time. Simmer

an hour (add ACV/lemon juice/wine), refrigerate overnight, then simmer another

hour. The carcass falls apart, gels amazingly, and is more flavorful. Try it.

You can always simmer it more.

This also works well with tough cuts of meat - get it started, let it rest a

night or two, then cook a little longer, and the collagen dissolves. Easy in a

crockpot.

, I don't know that we Irish should have an unquestioning dedication to the

potato. It's a recent introduction to our ancestral diet that coincides with

political domination and more alcoholism, forced by the necessity to grow more

calories per acre when our land was stolen. All but wee new potatoes are pretty

high-glycemic. Average daily potato consumption for an Irish adult male at the

time of the Famine was estimated at 14 pounds - that's a lot of bulk to stay

full. On the other hand, our traditional grains, oats and barley, are

low-glycemic and very filling; add dairy, beef, mutton, poultry, eggs, copious

quantities of fish, shellfish and seaweed if your people were near the coast,

greens, berries, pome fruits, herbs, honey in abundance...