Cooking with Spirit.

Rowan2222

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Rather unexpected, but I was cooking with my wife's grandfather tonight. Pappy as she called him.

It was a bit of an event because this was the first roast chicken dinner I had cooked where all the vegetables were home grown.- Potatoes, carrots, runner beans, french beans, 2 types of broccoli and kale.

Chicken was prepped with 2 small onions, rosemary, thyme and sage and also had 2 onions in the pan for the gravy - all home grown.

Just finished roasting the chicken and took it out of the pan and saw the lovely roasting juices - but didn't have a clue how to make gravy from it! I'd never done it before.

In steps Pappy !
It was like he was over my right shoulder, but also in my head.
It started well. Shaving the side of a gravy block, with the pan on the heat, then added a bit of cornflour - got a telling off -don't use that he said - use the real flour.
So I started adding that instead.
How much I said?
More than you think he said.
I stopped short thinking that was enough, but part way into cooking I could still see the oil in the pan - so he was right!
I started adding pepper - and got told off - "you don't put pepper in gravy!" said he.

Took it off the heat and blended it -because I can and there was onions in it which my wife likes the taste of, but not the texture. Then back on the heat to finish and clear.

Was the best chicken and gravy ever - and brought tears to my wife's eyes. Said it was just as her Pappy used to make - so I then told her that I had some help.

Later in the kitchen I was clearing up, and said thank you. At which point he said "We're a cooking team", at which I disagreed as I didn't think I was that good, but accepted the compliment and thanked him again.

I think it was the best gravy I'd ever tasted.
Thanks Pappy.
 
Rowan, that warmed my heart! And made me hungry. I learned to cook with my grandmother, and that just brought back lovely memories, too. I will have to try reaching out to her when I get stuck on one of her lost recipes. When she passed, many of her recipes were lost.
 
What a great event. So happy for you. Could you see him? Hear him in your ear? Was it just telepathy? You seem to be very accustomed to these type of encounters. Thanks for sharing with us. Now I am hungry.
 
I did get an idea of what he looked like. Typical grandfather really - hair thinning and fairly short, happy face, hard working hands, and in good shape.
Wife confirmed that was him from the description.
 
Rather unexpected, but I was cooking with my wife's grandfather tonight. Pappy as she called him.

It was a bit of an event because this was the first roast chicken dinner I had cooked where all the vegetables were home grown.- Potatoes, carrots, runner beans, french beans, 2 types of broccoli and kale.

Chicken was prepped with 2 small onions, rosemary, thyme and sage and also had 2 onions in the pan for the gravy - all home grown.

Just finished roasting the chicken and took it out of the pan and saw the lovely roasting juices - but didn't have a clue how to make gravy from it! I'd never done it before.

In steps Pappy !
It was like he was over my right shoulder, but also in my head.
It started well. Shaving the side of a gravy block, with the pan on the heat, then added a bit of cornflour - got a telling off -don't use that he said - use the real flour.
So I started adding that instead.
How much I said?
More than you think he said.
I stopped short thinking that was enough, but part way into cooking I could still see the oil in the pan - so he was right!
I started adding pepper - and got told off - "you don't put pepper in gravy!" said he.

Took it off the heat and blended it -because I can and there was onions in it which my wife likes the taste of, but not the texture. Then back on the heat to finish and clear.

Was the best chicken and gravy ever - and brought tears to my wife's eyes. Said it was just as her Pappy used to make - so I then told her that I had some help.

Later in the kitchen I was clearing up, and said thank you. At which point he said "We're a cooking team", at which I disagreed as I didn't think I was that good, but accepted the compliment and thanked him again.

I think it was the best gravy I'd ever tasted.
Thanks Pappy.

Nice to hear pappy dropped by to help Rowan. Your re-telling of the event gave me “warm chills”.