Topic: The Secret to That Takeaway Curry Taste

[Razor]

Hi Julian,

Hi Ray

Just to let you know we are closed from wednesday for easter hols but I am open this saturday as normal. Don't want anyone wasting a trip out.

We are open from 10.30am - 5pm

That's great, I'm not over there until the 1st week in June (Mon 4th June to be precise) really looking forward to meeting you.

Just had a new tivo box installed with access to youtube on it.  Me and my mate spent most of Saturday night watching the videos from c2g.  I was amazed and he, even more so.  He'll be coming along with me if you don't mind.  He's a blue like yourself only he's not so 'vocal' as he was earlier in the season ;D

All the very best mate, and good luck with the book although I'm sure luck won't come into it.

Ray

[Razor]

Wayne,

Hi Paul,

I've only got an email from paypal mate?  I've emailed Julian with the invoice number to see if he can help.

I'll have another look.

Cheers Paul,

Ray

I had that as well ray, when it did come through later on it went straight into my junk email folder, have you checked there?

Spot on mate, that's exactly where it was, all sorted now, thanks for the help guy's

Ray

[Whandsy]

Hey Wayne,

I'm gonna pay a trip to c2g myself in June, whilst I'm on a camping trip.  Do us a favour mate please, find out what times and days he opens.  I did pm him but he may have missed it?

Ray

Hi Ray

Just to let you know we are closed from wednesday for easter hols but I am open this saturday as normal. Don't want anyone wasting a trip out.

We are open from 10.30am - 5pm

Regards


Julian

Looks like thursdays taste test is off then 

Wayne,

Hi Paul,

I've only got an email from paypal mate?  I've emailed Julian with the invoice number to see if he can help.

I'll have another look.

Cheers Paul,

Ray

I had that as well ray, when it did come through later on it went straight into my junk email folder, have you checked there?

Spot on mate, that's exactly where it was, all sorted now, thanks for the help guy's

Ray

No problem

W

[jb]

Even if i find only one recipe or an idea in a cookery book,I feel its worth the purchase and I think theres a few in this one
I think in cooking its about balancing flavours( which I struggle with curries) so I  thank Julian for touching on that
subject and look forward to trying out his techniques
looks like we need pressure cookers 

I'm not sure about needing pressure cookers.In his new base gravy video he uses one but in his book I'm sure he doesn't,although he does say you can use one to speed things up.The point I think he was making is that the onions MUST be slowly and completely cooked to get the right taste.Maybe Julian can confirm this as I may be wrong.

[Micky Tikka]

Your right JB I think the pressure cooker just speeds things up
I was having some friendly banter with SD If you read the thread on pressure cookers You'll understand 

[Salvador Dhali]

Even if i find only one recipe or an idea in a cookery book,I feel its worth the purchase and I think theres a few in this one
I think in cooking its about balancing flavours( which I struggle with curries) so I  thank Julian for touching on that
subject and look forward to trying out his techniques
looks like we need pressure cookers 

I'm not sure about needing pressure cookers.In his new base gravy video he uses one but in his book I'm sure he doesn't,although he does say you can use one to speed things up.The point I think he was making is that the onions MUST be slowly and completely cooked to get the right taste.Maybe Julian can confirm this as I may be wrong.

Having now fully digested the book, you don't need a pressure cooker - it's just a time saving thing. Julian does say that he uses a 15L pressure cooker at C2G for that very reason. (And it was apparently when he lost track of time while cooking a batch of base in one in the early days that he discovered 'that smell' and 'that taste'. All to do with cooking those all-important onions for long enough.)

You may not need one, but having recently knocked up 15L of C2G base using a big-boy pot and the slow-low heat method (which really does guarantee extracting all the sweetness from those onions, I've found), a pressure cooker is going to save you a good few hours.

Not as much of a time saver when making the smaller batches of base, but still, worth having anyway just for the perfect pilau method in the Rice and Breads section.

As intimated in another thread, I've long been lusting after a shiny new pressure cooker, and thanks to the machinations of Michael.t and his mate Heston, have been persuaded to part with most of my life savings to acquire the Rolls Royce of pressure cookers...  . But that's a different story... 

[George]

The title refers to the secret. But is it still a secret or are you all chasing your own tales? Good luck to Julian with his book but if any of the previous books had truly delivered, why should there be so much interest in Julian's book, like it really is the breakthrough everyone has been waiting for. I don't understand. Is the consensus that previous books didn't really deliver what you are looking for? And, despite the excitement at the time, neither did the Fleet cooking lessons?

Everyone must have their idea of the best-tasting dishes you've ever had in, or from, a BIR. Are you saying that NONE of the previous books, or recipes on this forum or tips picked up from the Fleet lessons have quite got you there but you hope that Julian's book will finally deliver or get you closer? Or that you simply enjoy buying a new book, even if it's no great breakthrough? Fair enough, I guess.

[Salvador Dhali]

The title refers to the secret. But is it still a secret or are you all chasing your own tales? Good luck to Julian with his book but if any of the previous books had truly delivered, why should there be so much interest in Julian's book, like it really is the breakthrough everyone has been waiting for. I don't understand. Is the consensus that previous books didn't really deliver what you are looking for? And, despite the excitement at the time, neither did the Fleet cooking lessons?

Everyone must have their idea of the best-tasting dishes you've ever had in, or from, a BIR. Are you saying that NONE of the previous books, or recipes on this forum or tips picked up from the Fleet lessons have quite got you there but you hope that Julian's book will finally deliver or get you closer? Or that you simply enjoy buying a new book, even if it's no great breakthrough? Fair enough, I guess.

I think the best thing that anyone can say is that, in life, no matter what the subject matter, you never stop learning.

Pat Chapman may never have taken me to BIR nirvana, but I still enjoyed his books tremendously, and picked up a wealth of interesting info.

Like many here, I've been knocking out what I consider to be BIR quality curries for a good while, and have long since ceased to chase a non-existent, mythical 'secret'. (If there is a 'secret', then it is contained within the Bruce Lee quote that Julian uses: "Simplicity is the key to brilliance".) But I will never stop chasing new information, and I will never stop buying books on my favourite subjects, as from each one I've bought I can honestly say that I've learnt something or harvested a nugget or two of useful information.

I've already got more than that from Julian's book, so money well spent and a happy customer here.

[PaulP]

I'm happy with what I paid for with Julian's book. I think a lot of the secret is just getting the technique right and Julian explains things clearly in the book. I'm also looking forward to his vegetarian recipes book when it gets finished. His emphasis on the cooking of the onions in the base sauce is a new take that hasn't been emphasised before.

Like SD said I'm also happy to collect cookery books even if I only learn a little from each one.

Paul

[Stephen Lindsay]

I share in the excitement that his book brings. However I agree with George as I think the "secret" was uncovered a long time ago, probably firstly with Bruce Edwards' paper on Curry House Cookery. Therefore I believe that for members of this forum Julian's book won't be a wiki leaks revelation. Having said that I will still buy the book (like I did abdulmohed's) because I want to absorb information wherever I can and as Julian is an established cook/chef I'm sure that I'll be able to take something from it. I'd also like to give my support to his work because he has produced great (free) videos and been open with his knowledge on here as well.

I imagine to those who do not subscribe to this forum (or the other one) it may well be a quantum leap in knowledge to discover how BIR curries are made. if they've not been exposed to "the secret" by now this this is another opportunity to discover the delights of home made curries that are as good as those bought from the local takeaway.