How's everyone's quiet New Years Eve going ?

Fell asleep before midnight.I always like to see the new year in so did it when i woke up around 4am.Got a bucks fizz on the go just now and will do a fry up soon.Happy New Year to you all.:cool:.
 
Drank a couple of beers around teatime. A couple of dry martinis to whet my appetite and had an Indian delivered at about 9.15. Sat up until about a quarter past midnight.
 
Our evening went really well and the meal a huge success.

Starter - Fruits de mer - Lobster tail, coques congelees & a salmom mousse on a bed of salad.

Main - Pork chops in creamy mustard & white wine sauce - British pork chops, pancetta pieces, sauteed apple, new potato, carrots and French beans, served with a Dijon mustard and white wine sauce.

Dessert - Chocolate Yule - Chocolate log, Baileys fresh cream and Duche de Leche ice cream. Accompanied with a chocolate Christmas Tree filled with Bailey's Irish Cream.

All this was washed down with a cognac whilst cooking (one for the chef and one for the pot), M & S Prosseco and Florenbelle white wine from the Cotes de Gasgoine region - this is the wife's favourite when we are away. Finished off with my favourite gin - you can't beat Gordon's.

I've also got a picture of me with the top end of the Christmas tree stuck to my nose - we done this as kids with ice cream cones and it infuriated my mum.

Happy New Year everyone.
 
I have added the recipe below for our main course. Give it a go., it is really easy and delicious, a huge success in our house. For the bacon we use pancetta for more flavour and we only add one table spoon of Dijon mustard - we felt two was overpowering. Add your mustard to the sauce and add more to taste.

Pork Chops in creamy Dijon mustard sauce

  • 2 1-inch thick bone-in pork chops, patted dry and seasoned ahead of time
  • sea salt
  • black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 apple, such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick, and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon Armagnac or Cognac
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


  1. The night before, or at least several hours ahead, generously season the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. Choose a pan large enough to accommodate both pork chops in a single layer. Set the pan over medium heat and cook the bacon pieces until they have a little colour but aren’t yet crisp. Transfer to a large plate.
  1. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the seasoned pork chops to the pan and cook, flipping once, until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through to your desired doneness, about 12 minutes total for medium. Transfer to the plate with the bacon. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
  1. Add the chopped apple to the pan and sautée until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate.
  1. Pour the white wine and the Armagnac or Cognac into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits.
  1. Add the chicken stock and simmer until reduced in volume by about one third, about 10 minutes. Decrease the heat to low.
  1. Stir the cream, Dijon mustard, tarragon, and parsley quickly into the pan juices, making sure the mixture doesn’t come above a light simmer.
  2. Return the bacon, pork chops, and apples to the pan, and mix well to coat. Cover the pan and let the chops heat through for 2 minutes. Slice the pork chops into 4 servings and serve immediately.
 
Just to be different I sparked up the BBQ for the 2 of us. Watched Whitechapel followed a pre planned midnight doorstep meet of the neighbors to see the New Year in, could not hear the Docks for the firework display going on.
 
Just to be different I sparked up the BBQ for the 2 of us. Watched Whitechapel followed a pre planned midnight doorstep meet of the neighbors to see the New Year in, could not hear the Docks for the firework display going on.
Do they still do the ship sirens? When i was a lad in Berwick Hills and the dock by the Riverside Stadium was still in use, the signal for us going first footing was the wail of the ships sirens. That was when people started knocking on doors.
 
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