Have you ever been in the position where you’re so, so hungry that you can’t concentrate on anything? You know? The times when, whatever you try to do, all you can think about is food? This was the position I found myself on Thursday evening, after eating nothing for the entire day and having the hangover from hell.
Wednesday night had been an interesting experience. Who’d have thought a group of PhD mathematicians could be quite such hardcore drinkers! I mean it isn’t exactly the occupation which makes you think ‘party animal’, is it?
I hadn’t been out drinking in about three months, after deciding that morning tutorials were less painful when I only had my compulsory glass of wine with dinner (and possibly a G&T to aid my creative cooking). However, I was convinced to head of for just the one drink……..
A couple of glasses of dodgy college wine on an empty stomach, while not excessive in themselves, were enough to convince me I could possibly handle another two small glasses. My very persuasive office-mate somehow turned those two small glasses into three large. After five hours in the pub, I just escaped being dragged off to a late-license bar, then managed a semi-conscious stagger home. Six hours later, I awakened with little memory of the latter part of the night (especially the half-eaten packs of Chinese food on my floor - how the hell did those get there!?) and realised that I had to get up to teach. Oh. Dear. God. 
So after a very, very painful morning tutorial and a day of sitting at my desk, doing no work, shaking a lot and not being able to eat anything, my hangover gently started to subside. However, it was replaced by something almost as bad.
HUNGER MEASURABLE ON THE RICHTER SCALE!
It was like I hadn’t eaten for three weeks! With this sitution of near-starvation, my mind started inventing dishes. Creamy, comforting, fat laden dishes, with lots of meat….. rare, juicy red meat …..(drool) . It didn’t take long before the rumblings in my stomach led me to invent this artery clogger.
This is (lots of) rare fillet steak with a creamy stilton and wild mushroom risotto, crushed walnuts and a port reduction.
The risotto was made as a normal mushroom risotto except I substituted soaked wild mushrooms. I added the soaking liquid to the stock I used too. At the end, I stirred in a ludicrous amount of stilton (about 100g) and then gently crushed some walnuts in a pestle and mortar before sprinkling them over the top.
I had a little trouble with not gagging as the port reduced. Those damn alchohol fumes! But once all the ethanol had gone, I was happy.
I seared my steak for 1 min 15 per side and let it rest for 5 minutes whilst I served up my risotto, then sliced the meat and arranged that on my plate.
Yes, it IS a lot of steak. What? I told you I was hungry!
This was exactly what I needed after the pain of Thursday. Risotto is comforting however it is done, but adding great chunks of stilton to it made it even more so.
After eating I curled up into a ball and slept, vowing never to get drunk again. Well, until my next birthday, obviously. Oh, wait. That’s only until Monday. Ah well! :/
Have you ever been in the position where you’re so, so hungry that you can’t concentrate on anything? You know? The times when, whatever you try to do, all you can think about is food? This was the position I found myself on Thursday evening, after eating nothing for the entire day and having the hangover from hell.
Wednesday night had been an interesting experience. Who’d have thought a group of PhD mathematicians could be quite such hardcore drinkers! I mean it isn’t exactly the occupation which makes you think ‘party animal’, is it?
I hadn’t been out drinking in about three months, after deciding that morning tutorials were less painful when I only had my compulsory glass of wine with dinner (and possibly a G&T to aid my creative cooking). However, I was convinced to head of for just the one drink……..
A couple of glasses of dodgy college wine on an empty stomach, while not excessive in themselves, were enough to convince me I could possibly handle another two small glasses. My very persuasive office-mate somehow turned those two small glasses into three large. After five hours in the pub, I just escaped being dragged off to a late-license bar, then managed a semi-conscious stagger home. Six hours later, I awakened with little memory of the latter part of the night (especially the half-eaten packs of Chinese food on my floor - how the hell did those get there!?) and realised that I had to get up to teach. Oh. Dear. God.
So after a very, very painful morning tutorial and a day of sitting at my desk, doing no work, shaking a lot and not being able to eat anything, my hangover gently started to subside. However, it was replaced by something almost as bad.
HUNGER MEASURABLE ON THE RICHTER SCALE!
It was like I hadn’t eaten for three weeks! With this sitution of near-starvation, my mind started inventing dishes. Creamy, comforting, fat laden dishes, with lots of meat….. rare, juicy red meat …..(drool) . It didn’t take long before the rumblings in my stomach led me to invent this artery clogger.
This is (lots of) rare fillet steak with a creamy stilton and wild mushroom risotto, crushed walnuts and a port reduction.
The risotto was made as a normal mushroom risotto except I substituted soaked wild mushrooms. I added the soaking liquid to the stock I used too. At the end, I stirred in a ludicrous amount of stilton (about 100g) and then gently crushed some walnuts in a pestle and mortar before sprinkling them over the top.
I had a little trouble with not gagging as the port reduced. Those damn alchohol fumes! But once all the ethanol had gone, I was happy.
I seared my steak for 1 min 15 per side and let it rest for 5 minutes whilst I served up my risotto, then sliced the meat and arranged that on my plate.
Yes, it IS a lot of steak. What? I told you I was hungry!
This was exactly what I needed after the pain of Thursday. Risotto is comforting however it is done, but adding great chunks of stilton to it made it even more so.
After eating I curled up into a ball and slept, vowing never to get drunk again. Well, until my next birthday, obviously. Oh, wait. That’s only until Monday. Ah well! :/
Oooh I know that hungover and hungry feeling well!
That dish looks REALLY good, I could devour that right now. I haven’t eaten yet and am hungry and looking at that I’m drooling!
Comment by Julia — February 3, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
The fact that you found boxes of Chinese food… on the floor… and couldnt remember how they got there, sent me into a fit of giggles!
Just the images of how the event must have gone down is hilarious! 
But omg that risotto looks sooo wonderful… with Stilton in it…. not fair!!mmm
Comment by Lea — February 4, 2007 @ 1:39 am
I know those hungovers all too well and I’m amazed you could manage to work the next day! Still, the meat and risotto both look like they’d soak up any excess alcohol! Really delicious! You do like your rare meat don’t you?!!
Comment by Freya Erickson — February 4, 2007 @ 3:44 pm
Julia: Thanks! I was very pleased with it. That hungover and hungry feeling is the worst, isn’t it? Although it does feel good when you finally get food and it starts to go away.
Lea: It wasn’t as bad as the time I woke up after a night out, and got out of bed to feel something squishy under my foot. I found my foot was in a forgotten kebab! See, I’ve gone up in the world since then.
Freya: Yes, I do LOVE my rare meat. It comes from growing up with parents who, if they had meat at all, would have it black on the outside and grey and rock solid on the inside. You can’t help but overcompensate!
And I wouldn’t say I ‘worked’ the next day. Teaching a 16 year old kid how to add fractions isn’t all that strenuous, although ANY mental arithmetic was painful that morning.
Comment by ros — February 4, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
Oh poor you! I have to say that after a very interesting hung-over day in court when I was newly-qualified, I kind of made a mental note to keep the heavy drinking for nights when I didn’t have to get up the following morning!! Oh yes, that and investing in some fabulous little South African tablets called Essentiale that contain huge doses of Vitamin B and phospholipids and help your liver metabolise toxins
Risotto is surely one of the ultimate comfort foods… Although when I’m REALLY hung over all I want is toast with tons of sloppy scrambled eggs, Hellmann’s mayo and cheddar. Sad!
Comment by Jeanne — February 13, 2007 @ 5:30 pm