Real Deal Carbonara by a Real Deal Chef

Challenge time! OK, so I bent the rules a little. There's a boy on my floor called Jin, who is no doubt going to own the most successful restaurant in New York City one day soon. Since he knows pretty much everything there is to know about food in general, I asked him if he would teach me how to make my favourite meal, Linguine alla Carbonara, the proper Italian way.

See, I usually make it along the lines of: pancetta, garlic, onions, pepper, linguine, egg mix, then top the whole thing off with cheese. Turns out that is COMPLETELY WRONG! And thus, allow Jin to teach us the proper method of making this delicious dish:

You will need:

Linguine (Jin taught me that in buying pastas you should look out for a rough texture instead of a smooth, an indicator of quality and will absorb the sauce you use)

Pancetta

Parmesan (but any cheese will do aparently)

Two and a half eggs

Ground black pepper

Salt

Mixed herbs

and a little bit of olive oil

1. Cook your linguine! BUT ONCE IT IS READY SAVE SOME OF THAT WATER IN THE PAN. Very important you don't drain it all away, put some aside in a little bowl when the time comes. You'll find out why soon.

2. Grate around half the parmesan, and place it in a bowl. Then add two eggs, and a third yolk. Whisk together with a fork. By adding cheese to the egg mixture, you buy yourself more time to mix the sauce and pasta, as the cheese will prevent the mixture from curdling once it hits the heat!

3. Cut up your pancetta into bits, and fry on a low heat with a teensy bit of olive oil until crispy and delicious looking. Add a teaspoon of black pepper. (Check out my terminology!)

(Uh, btw, Jin works at lightning speed so I didn't get a photo for every step!)

4. This is where the linguine water comes in! Add a ladle of the pasta water to the pan of pancetta. The starch in the water will help thicken the sauce, and also make the linguine deliciously soft.

5. Add linguine to the pan of pancetta, and then add the egg and cheese mixture. Then stir stir stir stir stir for about a minute then take off the heat.

6. Add herbs, pepper and salt.

7. Serve and garnish with more parmesan, pepper and herbs. Savour the deliciousness of true Italian carbonara!

BONUS RECIPE! HERB AND GARLIC BREAD!

Jin also taught me how to flavour bread the healthy way.

You will need:

A Baguette

Mixed herbs

A bay leaf

Pepper corns

Garlic cloves

1. In a pan, heat about three quarters of a cup of olive oil (I speak in UK terms, just grab a cup and fill it. If you are Ashley I guess the American measurements can work too!).

2. Whilst the olive oil is heating up, crush your garlic and pepper corns. In a bowl mix together your garlic, pepper corns, herbs and bay leaf.

3. When the olive oil starts to smoke a bit, take it off the heat and pour it into the bowl with the herbs.
4. Smell the ameezin fragrance of the herbs and garlic!

5. Slice up your baguette and dip it face down in the oil. Eat! Enjoy!

(6. Jin also dipped one side of the baguette down, put it in a pan and toasted it till it was crispy, then dipped the other side in but left it untoasted. A very delicious result.)


Me enjoying the carbonara and looking like a tool:

Thumbs up for the genius!

Yay for Jin!

Other news:

I had my politics exam on Wednesday. It went surprisingly well, despite the fact I woke up half an hour before it started because my alarm didn't go off. One of those "things-that-should-only-happen-in-sitcoms" moments. Wednesday was also a good day because it was Be Nice To Roseanne Day for Drew. It was great, a whole day without being referred to as "Lady Parts" - perhaps the most demeaning nickname on the planet - or being thrown down mountains. I miss it already.

Right now, I am supposed to be revising for my Film and Media exam right now, but it is not going so well.

The weather is far too hot for my Shetland blood to take. Also the heater in my room is perpetually warm and I am pretty much deteriorating into a sweaty ball of stress. It's quite attractive.

Please to be keeping Vaila Mae in your thoughts tomorrow. <3

Quote of the Moment:

You're so nice Roseanne. You're like Mary, except you didn't get ground-pounded by God. - Jin