A New Style of Cooking At Just_Rodney

A slab of Marble 19cm wide and 38cm long, and 1.5cm thick, with a groove engraved along its width and length, a chromed metal frame work supports the stone at the correct height from the two solid fuel burners. This is the cooking top of what turned out to be one of my best finds in a kitchenware department of a Hyper store.

We are talking about hot rock cooking at home.

Yes I had experienced "Hot Rock Steaks" at the local Steak Houses, where they bring this what resembles a brick, that is on its special board.

This is OK if you want the rough and ready, with jugs of beer, a slab of over sauced Rump or Fillet, that you plonk onto the rock and leave it, give it a turnover and then slap it onto your plate of fried chips and onion rings. The kids, either your own or other peoples, screeching in the "play ground", within ear splitting distance.

Not the place for a grand seduction, or for that matter a treat, where you either want to be pampered or do the pampering.

So step into Chez Rodney, ask for the Fillet Racollete with all the trimmings. Experince a fine Dining experience, that will have you coming back for more, or rushing around trying to buy your own HotRock Diner.

Ingredients

150 to 250 grams of Fillet (the centre part so that it is uniformly thick) per person or a couple of thick well trimmed sirloins, well matured.

150 grams of mushrooms cut into thick slices.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

A small side dish of herbed olive oil or garlic olive oil.

That is for the cooking on the "Rock"

Ingredients for the side dishes.

A Selection of your favourite salads.

A French loaf (Recipe follows shortly)

An Avo/Mayo Dip

Some hot baby potatoes in Parsley Butter

Or a baked potato.

This Epicurean delight comes with a special ritual way of eating, you now forget about plonking the whole chunk of meat and chomping away at the side dishes, this is a reined relaxed experience. You are about to enter a world of food sensuality.

The marble slab will have arrived to the table already warm

Preheat the rock in the oven for 10 minutes at 180°Celsius for 10 to 15 minutes - remove from the oven (do not forget the oven gloves) and place it in its frame above the filled burners and then light the burners, using a long match.

Test if the rock is hot enough - take a slice of mushroom and dip it in the herbed or garlic oil - place it on the Rock and let it cook for a minute or so, then turn over for a further minute. If cooked through you can begin.

Dish up some salad and potaot or french loaf on your plate, pour yourself a glass of wine or fruit juice, depending on your mood or personal preference, dim the lights, have a bit soft music in the background.

Cut a small slice off from your meat (I always suggest that it is about two mouthfuls, if you know what I mean), dip very lightly in the oil, and place it on the Rock, then leave it to cook away to your preference, turn over and transfer to your plate, you will soon be able to judge the degree of rarity of the steak. Add some mushrooms, and away you go.

Once you start your second half of the piece of steak, you can if you prefer to eat and get finished, start the next slice of steak. Or if you are like my wife and I, we finish what is already cooked, chat a bit longer, nibble a bit of bread and salad. Then carry on cooking.

The beauty of this is that you can eat it over a long period of time and enjoy a meal with a touch of class and style.

When you have cooked that last bit of mushrooms and meat, all you have to do is cap the burners, then leave it until it cools down.

Clear the table, then enjoy the rest of the evening.