Craddock - Devilled. Beautiful, strong word. Says what it means. Something devilish. Or devilishly something.
Something off-centre in the morality department, perhaps. Something you shouldn’t, or wouldn’t, but might. Something you want to, need to, but the lingering doubt gives you second thoughts. Thoughts that the devil on your shoulder is toying with.
Only the devil knows (because the devil made me do it). I had a devil of a time trying to find that (was he hiding it, part of his wicked plan?)… I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, you see, which is hardly any different from being between a rock and a hard place, only more sinister. If you don’t drown, well, there’s always an infernal eternity in the hot place. In essence, you can’t win.
And the other place– what must life be like there?
Would there be movies and music and theatre and beach parties. And what would I read? Would there be lovely, richly executed BBC dramas? Beautiful art deco furniture, Lalique vases, Turner sunsets in shimmering harbours, Pierneef landscapes?
All the things that we call “living” seem somewhat worryingly Earthly. All the fun things, the art, the books of finely crafted words.
And if everything – everything – was gone, and there was only sylvan scenery more beautiful than you’ve ever seen, and nothing to do on the endless days but look at it, how soon would you be so bored you’d beg to be given another life and come back as somebody who gets to do all the things you wanted to do in the life you’d just ended?
And that’s only the good stuff. But are there demons in another realm?
It doesn’t take a genius to conclude that if the human populace of this earthly plain is all headed for another when they die, there must be some pretty scary characters up (or down) there. So, yes, probably.
Best, perhaps, to try to hang out on this plain a while longer and play with devilishly lovely things in the kitchen.
Ever eaten devilled mushrooms, or devilled eggs, or devilled kidneys? All it means is the prime ingredient has been given hot flavours, whether mustard or chilli or a combination of spices that adds some oomph in the mouth temperature department.
To make old-fashioned devilled eggs, the kind you would find on platters at cold buffets in past decades (and still sometimes find today), you halve boiled eggs, remove the yolks, crumble with a fork and mix with mustard, mayonaisse, a hint of white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. A sprinkling of cayenne pepper often finishes it.
To make devilled kidneys, slice a sheep’s kidney in half and remove the white vein with a sharp knife. Saute chopped onion or shallots in a frying pan and add the kidneys, stirring. Add mustard, a little Worcestershire sauce, a sprinkling of cayenne pepper (or, to be more modern, a finely chopped red chilli), salt, stir to cook and add cream. Let this simmer down gently for the liquid elements to emulsify, and finish with a tablespoon of apple or redcurrant jelly or even a little strawberry jam, just to offset the spice. Kidneys, as most offal, is always good with a tad of sweetness.
There are as many recipes for devilled mushrooms as there are varieties of mushrooms. Traditionally they would be halved or quartered button mushrooms cooked with mustard, garlic, a hot spice such as paprika or cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and a herb such as parsley.
Fancying mushrooms on toast for breakfast, and having four large brown mushrooms in the fridge that I’d bought the day before, I decided to devil them in my own way and serve them on toast for breakfast. Or they could be turned out as a simple starter, with some microgreens and a vinaigrette. Or used as an accompaniment to a beefy main course.
It’s devilishly good.
Devilled Mushrooms on Toast
4 large brown mushrooms
2 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small red bird’s-eye chilli
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs aged balsamic vinegar
Slim slices of blue cheese, enough to cover the mushrooms
Parsley, chopped
Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Oil a flat frying pan and cook the mushrooms for a minute on both sides. Add garlic, chilli, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and cook on high heat for two minutes. Place in a greased oven pan, flat side down, pouring the pan juices over. Season on top with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped parsley all over. Arrange slim slices of blue cheese around the top of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Grill until the cheese has melted, and serve on lightly toasted bread.
Weekend Argus