Verdict:
The Verdict:
I had some potential good or at worst exciting news to celebrate so had some friends over for a session of awful films, epic tea drinking and tapas making. As well as recreating the wonder which was Chorizo cooked in wine I let them choose what else they fancied making. This one came out tops. 
Taste : 5/5 Oh Yes.
The Verdict:
I did add some chili to the mix and probably didn't leave it simmering for long enough as it came out kind of powdery thanks to the carrot but this was really good. Next time I have to make a spaghetti Bolognese or something similar, I'm going to use this as the basis for the sauce. The beans gave it a really creamy texture while the addition of bacon, which I had never thought of adding to Ragu before was this dish's shining glory. It would work equally well with pancetta I think but the flavour in every bite was unreal. 
Time : 2.5/5 35 minutes
So awake for 38 hours, in the office for 31 of those but completing work meant seriously reduced brainpower/ energy for shopping. After working out what I had in the kitchen cupboard/ fridge it was decided on habas fritas and black pudding. Black meal for a black day. Not particularly healthy or inspiring. But quick. 
Verdict:
What's better than scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast? Scrambled eggs with prawns on toast [with spinach]. I woke up feeling strangely ill and unusually shattered considering I'd actually had more sleep than usual and with a lot of prawns left over thought this would be a good breakfast. I had intended to add chives but forgot but did include the remainder of the Serrano Ham which as it turned out was a stroke of genius. 
This dish is Dangerous. Capital D. Flaming brandy included. Anything involving alcohol, fire and seafood gets my vote. I shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a recipe that states all of this but the book dictated and ultimately..its not my kitchen. The lack of crayfish meant that we substituted a ridiculous amount of prawns instead and while we could of opened up some very expensive brandy we used the already open Apricot Brandy instead, it was a risk and one that we were happy to take. Although I was highly skeptical about the rustic looking tomatoes and the addition of a carrot I had a feeling that this dish would be something pretty spectacular...
Providing that it was not just the wine fumes going to our head this dish is awesome. Sure the sauce could of been blended further but the slight chunkyness was welcome, tasty and unbelievably yummy. It was surprisignly incredible, deceptively light and moreish. This was part of a feast I was making so figured that were it to go wrong, it wouldnt really matter all dishes considered, turned out to be my favourite dish of the lot. Well done recipe, well done. The only downside with this recipe is that having already made it I may need to wait a further 230 days before I can make it again...
As much as the Tuna was the hero of this dish and all the flavours worked well the addition of green peppers let it down. Its not that I dislike green peppers but there is a muskiness to them which I always find strangely overbearing. Had it been any other type of peppers I cant help but think it would have been pretty damn epic. There was a definite surprise saltiness which came from the Serrano Ham which worked really well and added to the meaty-ness of the Tuna. I'd never cooked Tuna fillet before and it was insanely quick and really fun. Overall really tasty and deceptively quick. 
Finally some fish! About 1/4 of the book's recipes contain some kind of fish/ seafood and while I'm not going to start with baby eels in vodka, the helpful fish counter [and totally confused staff] in Sainsbury's is finally allowing me to work through some of them. I also thought that over weekends I'd have more time to write this but I've simply just been really busy recently and having some days off makes me want to take them off entirely. Its also time to use another kitchen, which is fun and makes me wonder how many will be used in the completion of this insane challenge. 
The recipe called for baby cod and we just used a fillet so I have no idea if there is any taste difference. It was a lovely piece of fish good and the breadcrumbs give it an almost battered feeling but its definitely lacking some punch. Perhaps using a different beer with more of a malty flavour or the addition of some more herbs may jazz it up. Or perhaps all its needs is some chips and vinegar. Who knows but it definitely needs something. Cooking it in a balti dish though was a good idea...