Day One - Lunch

My Tesco bags arrived. The initial investment was a heavy one - the kitchen in which I work had nothing, not even salt, and I needed a full arsenal of spice and herbs. Thus the first delivery included not only fruits, vegetables, and meats, but also such staples as salt, vinegar, olive oil, curry, sesame seeds, five or six spices, garlic, onions, pasta, rice, and flour. (I am currently cultivating a sourdough starter - it will be detailed later). After much unloading, I had about thirty minutes before an appointment, and so the first experiment began.

RECIPE ONE - Rognon de Porc with Fresh Kale

No, kidneys are not icky. Nor is any offal. Those parts of the animal which some refuse to eat (the same ones that inevitably end up in the seemingly more palatable chicken nuggets) have more protein and less fat and calories than their muscle-based equivalents, and are also far cheaper. And tastier. 

INGREDIENTS

Raw kidney of pork (2 per person, or 1 if you're not hungry)

Half-bag or bunch of kale (spinach can be used)

Garlic clove (half per person)

Chicken stock (half-cube)

Salt, pepper, fine herbs

1) Grease a sauce or frying pan. Meanwhile, put the kettle on and wash your kle.

2) Cut open the kidneys. (Learn from my experience - if you put them in whole, they're too thick, and the outside is overcooked while the inside isn't cooked enough). Place them in pan

3) Stir until lightly browned. Meanwhile, put some stock cubes into a mug or cup and add the boiling water from the kettle you just put on.

4) Add in the kale and garlic

5) Whenever the kale/kidneys start to splutter, pour in a bit of the stock to add moisture.

6) Take the whole lot off the hob the second the center of the kidney goes from bright pink (raw, bad) to slightly pink (very rare, very good.)

7) Dust with fine herbes, salt.

TOTAL PREP TIME 1-2 minutes.

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 5-7 minutes

COST: Two medium-sized kidneys (one large portion) cost me 59 pence, a half-bag of kale was  35 pence, a half-clove of garlic was 20 pence. Adding in estimated per-use costs of oil, spices and stock, that brings our estimated meal cost to 1 pound 30.