There are lots of things for us to remember as the holidays approach, particularly in the area of food, however, I have identified 12 things that I think we all can benefit from with a reminder. Here they are, in no particular order.
1. Skimming the Pepperpot – This refers to removing the cloudy, foamy residue that rises and settles at the top of the pot when it is about to come to a boil. While it is usually referred to as scum or impurities, it is not harmful nor does it impart any undesirable flavour. However, it can change the look and texture of your sauce (or broth if you were making a broth).
2. De-fat the Pepperpot – We use a lot of various parts of animals (cow, ox, pig) that render a generous amount of fat to Pepperpot. Too much of it can cause digestive issues, therefore, try to de-fat the Pepperpot as much as you can. The easiest way to do it, is after the first initial cooking of the Pepperpot, remove it from the heat and let cool completely at least overnight. The fat will solidify creating a white coating at the top, simply take a spoon and remove it. I do my defatting two ways, when it has come to a boil and after it has been resting overnight. When the Pepperpot has come to a boil, if you notice, there are certain parts of the pot that bubble and other parts that do not. The parts that do not are where the oil has settled. Using a pot spoon or ladle, I scoop off the oil into a bowl.