For this part of our UK regional recipe exploration we're going to venture into the north with a few Scottish recipes to tempt your taste buds.
In years gone by people had to make do with what they could forage or get on home ground, long before the big supermarkets came and promised everything one could wish for. Some areas of Scotland are harsh barrren lands where living day to day would prove to be challenge enough for our northern friends and ancestors, and this is of course reflected in some of the recipes from the area.
For example many Scottish regional recipes make use of oats which were hardier than many other cereal crops and could withstand the harsh conditions the harsh conditions, and some of these oatmeal recipes can be found in my new regional recipe ebook that I hope to complete by Christmas, look out for it.
Scotland is famous for it's shortbread and whisky so in the meantime lets look at a couple of recipes that feature them and a couple more besides.
WHISKY TEA CAKE
Makes 1 small loaf
Ingredients:
175g currants
85g sultanas
90ml whisky
1 tablespoon lemon juice
350g plain flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
175g dark brown raw cane sugar
1½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
175g butter
150ml milk
Method:
1. Soak the dried fruit in the whisky and lemon juice for a few hours, the longer
the better.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
3. Put the flour, spice, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and
rub in the butter. Mix in the soaked fruit (do not over work the mix or the cake will be
chewy). Gradually stir in the milk, to end up with a soft dropping consistency.
4. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for about 50 minutes, or until firm to the
touch and a skewer inserted comes away from the cake without any traces of
uncooked cake.
5. Leave to cool on a wire rack and then turn out. Slice and spread thickly with salted
butter, or fruit compote and thick cream.
SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD
I use this one to make shortbread and it works a treat.
Ingredients:
175g (6oz) plain flour
50g (2oz) cornflour
50g (2oz) caster sugar (and a bit extra for sprinkling)
115g (4oz) butter, diced
Method:
Preheat oven 160 C / 325 F / Gas 3
Lightly flour shortbread mould and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment
Sift together flour, cornflour & sugar in large mixing bowl
Rub in butter until you can knead mixture into a soft dough
Place half the dough into mould & press gently but firmly to fit neatly
Carefelly invert mould onto one of the baking sheets and tap firmly to release fough shape
Mould remaining dough the same way
Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes, until they are just a pale golden colour
Sprinkle a little caster sugar evenly over the top of shortbreads & leave to cool on baking sheets before serving
COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP
This famous Scottish soup is so substantial, it could be served as a main course. Originally, it had beef as an ingredient along with the chicken, so you could add a bit of left-over roast beef near the end of cooking if you like. It is important to cook the chicken as a whole piece first and then dice it so that the broth remains beautifully clear and golden.
Ingredients:
15 Gram Butter ( 1/2 oz)
300 Gram Chicken portions (12 oz)
300 Gram Leeks, washed well (12 oz)
1.1 Litres Chicken stock (2 pints)
1 Bouquet garni
6 Prunes, stoned and halved
Parsley sprigs to garnish
Method:
Melt the butter; fry the chicken until browned on all sides. Cut the leeks into 4 lengthways, then chop these pieces into 2.5 cm (1 inch) lengths. Reserve the green parts and shred them finely. Add the white pieces to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until soft.
Add stock and the bouquet garni. Bring to the boil, simmer for 30 minutes. Add the green leek pieces and the prunes. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken, get rid of the skin and bones and cut the meat into chunks. Add the meat to the serving dish, then pour over the rest of the soup. Garnish with parsley.
SCOTCH BROTH
Another of Scotland's soup recipes, some refer to this dish as Scotland's national soup. It is best made the day before it is needed so that the fat can be skimmed from the top. This is a hearty and filling dish to be served as a main course.
Ingredients:
700 Gram Shin of beef, diced (1 1/2 lb)
2.3 Litres Water (4 pints)
1 Medium Carrot, chopped
1 Medium Turnip, chopped
1 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Leeks, chopped and thoroughly washed
3 Tablespoon Pearl barley
Chopped parsley, to garnish
Method:
Put everything in a large pan.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
There you have it, four Scottish recipes for your palette. Of course there are many more in my new UK regional recipe ebook out soon. In the meantime if you want a copy of the ones above to keep then as usual click here and download a FREE pdf with them in it.
Enjoy!
Any ideas for this blog or to ask me anything then please email me at britishbellybusters@yahoo.com and I will try and respond quickly.
Saturday 1 October 2011
Thursday 22 September 2011
Hedgerow recipes pdf
Here it is as promised, the fist hedgerow recipe pdf for free.
I've had my team of researchers (me) working tirelessly to bring you this first hedgerow recipe ebook. In this little ebook you will find a host of hedgerow recipes to get you started making the most of widely available hedgerow produce you can gather for free, often only a short walk from home.
We are already getting towards the end of September so you need to get out there now and gather the abundant autumn harvest before it is too late.
My researchers are working on a second hedgerow recipe ebook as I type so look out for it here soon.
Enjoy!
Click here to download your FREE hedgerow recipe book.
I've had my team of researchers (me) working tirelessly to bring you this first hedgerow recipe ebook. In this little ebook you will find a host of hedgerow recipes to get you started making the most of widely available hedgerow produce you can gather for free, often only a short walk from home.
We are already getting towards the end of September so you need to get out there now and gather the abundant autumn harvest before it is too late.
My researchers are working on a second hedgerow recipe ebook as I type so look out for it here soon.
Enjoy!
Click here to download your FREE hedgerow recipe book.
Monday 12 September 2011
Bountiful British Berries
September already, I can hardly believe that summer seems to have gone so quickly, but then again it usually does. To be fair although I like summer it doesn’t really like me; sometimes I suffer with bad hay-fever and it can on occasion be too warm in summer to be comfortable. I do like winter because of the transformation of the landscape which lends itself to some good winter scene shots with the camera. However my favourite seasons are spring and autumn; not too warm, not too cold, and constantly changing scenes – birth in the spring and decay in the autumn.
So it’s September now and the start of one of my favourite seasons, but this is all about making the most of the bounty available during the autumn. At this time of year our hedgerows are laden with the most bountiful harvest of ripe fresh fruit for the taking. I remember how as a child and in my teens we would spend many a happy day out picking the fruits of the autumn. My sister, brother and I would go off with Mum armed with empty containers, bags and baskets and return home at the end of the day with containers, bags and baskets full of our pickings.
For days after the kitchen would have the distinct aromas of fresh fruit being prepared in a multitude of ways. Mum would make blackberry, raspberry, and damson jam, apple pies and crumbles and whatever else she could rustle up with all that fruit. Meanwhile Dad and I would steal blackberries, elderberries, rose hips and begin the process of turning them into delicious wine to be enjoyed months or even years later.
My daughter and I still go out picking, spending hours gathering the hedgerow fruits freely available only minutes from our home. I then turn these into much the same as Mum and Dad used to back then. Do you know that by using common hedgerow fruits that you can gather for free you can make the most delightful jams, jellies, fruit pies and fruit crumbles, and delicious wines; all that can rival anything available commercially for a fraction of the price? You just need to get off your back-side and have a pleasant day out in the countryside getting them.
This leads me nicely to what will be my next post on here where I will be singing the praises of hedgerow fruits and giving you some great recipes to get you started. I will also be giving away a free pdf of hedgerow fruit recipes that you can download and keep or print out to refer to in the kitchen.
Just promise me this: If you go out fruit gathering in the autumn don’t take it all, leave some for our wonderful wildlife and some for other gatherers! Enjoy yourself and show respect for nature!
Look out for my next post very soon!
Monday 5 September 2011
Something regional
Continuing with an outline of some of the recipes that are covered in my new UK regional recipe eBook that will be out in time for Christmas, hopefully; I am going to feature a few, but not all, of the recipes you will find there. These will be set out in areas as I did in an earlier post about Derbyshire (see here).
Just north of my home town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire we venture into Yorkshire, Britain's biggest county; so big that it has been split up into 4 seperate areas, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and Humberside (used to be known as East Yorkshire or Yorkshire East Riding).
Yorkshire not only has its fair share of beautiful unspoilt countryside but is also home to some of the largest and most influential cities in the UK; Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and York of course are four that spring to mind immediately.
Yorkshire has a lot to offer visitors and is well worth a visit by anyone venturing into the UK, I'll spare the details here because this blog site is about food but a Google search will bring up millions of pages about Yorkshire.
So back to the mission.
Below are a number of recipes originating in Yorkshire for you to try but I have purposely omitted the famous 'Yorkshire Pudding' from the list:
Yorkshire Parkin
Parkin is essentially the Northern English form of gingerbread. Different parkins are characterized by where they are made and Yorkshire Parkin, one the most famous, is made using oats. Yorkshire Parkin is eaten on Bonfire Night, November 5th, celebrating the famous failure of Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses on Parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes was a Yorkshireman.
This Parkin Recipe is easy to make and creates a moist sticky cake. However, you will need to store the cake for between 3 days to a week before eating. This allows the cake to soften and become moist and sticky. Delicious.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Ingredients:
4 oz/110g soft butter
4 oz/110g soft dark brown sugar
2oz / 55g black treacle/molasses
7oz / 200g golden syrup/ corn syrup
8 oz / 225g medium oatmeal
4 oz/ 110g all-purpose/plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1 very large, or 2 medium eggs, beaten
1 tbsp milk
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 275°/140°C/gas 1
Grease an 8" x 8"/ 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.
In a large heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat melt together the butter, sugar, treacle, golden syrup. Do not allow the mixture to get hot.
In a large spacious baking bowl stir together all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the melted butter mixture stirring to coat all the dry ingredients.
Add the beaten egg/s and mix thoroughly. Finally add the milk.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook for 1 ½ hours until firm and set.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool store the Parkin in an airtight tin for a minimum of 3 days up to a week before eating; this allows the flavors to develop and the mixture to soften and become moist and sticky. The Parkin will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container.
Yorkshire Curd Tartlets Recipe
Ingredients: Makes 10
175 g/6 oz/1.5 cups wholemeal flour
A pinch of salt
150 g/5 oz unsalted (sweet) butter, diced
50 g/2 oz/0.5 cup ground almonds
Cold water, to mix
50 g/2 oz/0.25 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 egg, beaten
225 g/8 oz/1 cup curd (smooth cottage) cheese
Finely grated rind of lemon
45 ml/3 tbsp currants
Grated nutmeg, for dusting
Thick cream, to serve
Method:
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add 75 g/3 oz of the butter and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the almonds. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry (paste) and use to line 10 sections of a tartlet tin (patty pan). Beat the remaining butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg, then the cheese, lemon rind and currants. Spoon into the pastry-lined tins and dust with nutmeg. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for about 20 minutes until golden and set. Serve warm or cold with thick cream.
Yorkshire Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients: Serves 6
For the pastry (paste):
225 g plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
50 g white vegetable fat (shortening), diced
50 g hard block margarine, diced
Cold water, to mix
For the filling:
3 large cooking (tart) apples, sliced
65g granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
A pinch of ground cloves
75g Wensleydale cheese, crumbled
15 ml/1 tbsp single (light) cream
Method:
To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the fats and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Cut in half. Roll out one half and use to line a pie plate. Prick the base with a fork.
To fill, put a layer of half the apple slices on top. Mix all but 15 ml/1 tbsp of the sugar with the cloves. Sprinkle half over the apples, then sprinkle with half the cheese. Top with the remaining apple slices, then the sugar, then the cheese. Dampen the edges of the pastry with water.
Roll out the remaining pastry and lay over. Press the edges well together to seal. Trim, knock up the edge and flute with the back of a knife. Make a hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Roll out the trimmings, cut into small leaves and use to decorate the top. Brush with the cream, then sprinkle with sugar. Place on a baking (cookie) sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7 for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot.
That's it for now. I'm feeling the urge to go and bake something!
If you'd like a PDF of the above recipes then click here to download one free.
Thanks again!
Just north of my home town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire we venture into Yorkshire, Britain's biggest county; so big that it has been split up into 4 seperate areas, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and Humberside (used to be known as East Yorkshire or Yorkshire East Riding).
Yorkshire not only has its fair share of beautiful unspoilt countryside but is also home to some of the largest and most influential cities in the UK; Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and York of course are four that spring to mind immediately.
Yorkshire has a lot to offer visitors and is well worth a visit by anyone venturing into the UK, I'll spare the details here because this blog site is about food but a Google search will bring up millions of pages about Yorkshire.
So back to the mission.
Below are a number of recipes originating in Yorkshire for you to try but I have purposely omitted the famous 'Yorkshire Pudding' from the list:
Parkin is essentially the Northern English form of gingerbread. Different parkins are characterized by where they are made and Yorkshire Parkin, one the most famous, is made using oats. Yorkshire Parkin is eaten on Bonfire Night, November 5th, celebrating the famous failure of Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses on Parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes was a Yorkshireman.
This Parkin Recipe is easy to make and creates a moist sticky cake. However, you will need to store the cake for between 3 days to a week before eating. This allows the cake to soften and become moist and sticky. Delicious.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Ingredients:
4 oz/110g soft butter
4 oz/110g soft dark brown sugar
2oz / 55g black treacle/molasses
7oz / 200g golden syrup/ corn syrup
8 oz / 225g medium oatmeal
4 oz/ 110g all-purpose/plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1 very large, or 2 medium eggs, beaten
1 tbsp milk
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 275°/140°C/gas 1
Grease an 8" x 8"/ 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.
In a large heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat melt together the butter, sugar, treacle, golden syrup. Do not allow the mixture to get hot.
In a large spacious baking bowl stir together all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the melted butter mixture stirring to coat all the dry ingredients.
Add the beaten egg/s and mix thoroughly. Finally add the milk.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook for 1 ½ hours until firm and set.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool store the Parkin in an airtight tin for a minimum of 3 days up to a week before eating; this allows the flavors to develop and the mixture to soften and become moist and sticky. The Parkin will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container.
Yorkshire Curd Tartlets Recipe
Ingredients: Makes 10
175 g/6 oz/1.5 cups wholemeal flour
A pinch of salt
150 g/5 oz unsalted (sweet) butter, diced
50 g/2 oz/0.5 cup ground almonds
Cold water, to mix
50 g/2 oz/0.25 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 egg, beaten
225 g/8 oz/1 cup curd (smooth cottage) cheese
Finely grated rind of lemon
45 ml/3 tbsp currants
Grated nutmeg, for dusting
Thick cream, to serve
Method:
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add 75 g/3 oz of the butter and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the almonds. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry (paste) and use to line 10 sections of a tartlet tin (patty pan). Beat the remaining butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg, then the cheese, lemon rind and currants. Spoon into the pastry-lined tins and dust with nutmeg. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for about 20 minutes until golden and set. Serve warm or cold with thick cream.
Yorkshire Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients: Serves 6
For the pastry (paste):
225 g plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
50 g white vegetable fat (shortening), diced
50 g hard block margarine, diced
Cold water, to mix
For the filling:
3 large cooking (tart) apples, sliced
65g granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
A pinch of ground cloves
75g Wensleydale cheese, crumbled
15 ml/1 tbsp single (light) cream
Method:
To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the fats and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Cut in half. Roll out one half and use to line a pie plate. Prick the base with a fork.
To fill, put a layer of half the apple slices on top. Mix all but 15 ml/1 tbsp of the sugar with the cloves. Sprinkle half over the apples, then sprinkle with half the cheese. Top with the remaining apple slices, then the sugar, then the cheese. Dampen the edges of the pastry with water.
Roll out the remaining pastry and lay over. Press the edges well together to seal. Trim, knock up the edge and flute with the back of a knife. Make a hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Roll out the trimmings, cut into small leaves and use to decorate the top. Brush with the cream, then sprinkle with sugar. Place on a baking (cookie) sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7 for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot.
That's it for now. I'm feeling the urge to go and bake something!
If you'd like a PDF of the above recipes then click here to download one free.
Thanks again!
Thursday 25 August 2011
Party time again
Following on from my previous blog post 'Party Time' the next birthday came at the end of July when my grandson Harrison would see his first birthday. His parents wanted a special occasion as it was Harrison's first. My son and daughter-in-law of course asked me if I would bake 'some stuff' for Harrison's birthday, of course I would.
Almost every member of the family was invited; from our side and our daughter-in-law's side. Their modest two bed semi was soon packed to the rafters on the day, not leaving a great deal of room for guests to move about. Fortunately however the weather was good so the bulk of the celebration took place out in the garden. Everybody had a great time with no disagreements, and of course the home-made baking went down a storm.
I had a budget of just £15 to cover the cost of all the ingredients. As it was a party with lots of guests I decided to do individual cakes or buns so anyone could have their own rather than a slice, plus this also makes the cakes easier to serve; no slicing and handing out portions, our son and his good lady had enough to do.
For the limited budget I managed to bake: 100 mini fairy cakes (very small fairy cakes aimed at young children), 24 Bakewell tarts, 24 lemon Bakewells (like normal Bakewells but with lemon curd instead of jam and a lemon flavour sponge topping), 24 butterfly buns, 24 jam tarts, 24 lemon curd tarts, 24 coconut tarts (pastry base, thin layer of jam, topped with coconut/egg/sugar/butter mix - a firm family favourite), 24 chocolate cakes, loads of cheese straws, and 48 iced fairy cakes. Hasten to add there was plenty to go round.
Didn't do bad for 15 quid did I? What's more, I still had enough ingredients left over to do half as much again.
The point is if you are working to a limited budget then baking your own is much better value for money, plus home-baked goods always taste better than shop-bought if done right.
The next one would be our grand-daughter Tiffany's birthday in August.
Click on this link or right click and 'save target as' to get a free PDF of the recipes.
Almost every member of the family was invited; from our side and our daughter-in-law's side. Their modest two bed semi was soon packed to the rafters on the day, not leaving a great deal of room for guests to move about. Fortunately however the weather was good so the bulk of the celebration took place out in the garden. Everybody had a great time with no disagreements, and of course the home-made baking went down a storm.
I had a budget of just £15 to cover the cost of all the ingredients. As it was a party with lots of guests I decided to do individual cakes or buns so anyone could have their own rather than a slice, plus this also makes the cakes easier to serve; no slicing and handing out portions, our son and his good lady had enough to do.
For the limited budget I managed to bake: 100 mini fairy cakes (very small fairy cakes aimed at young children), 24 Bakewell tarts, 24 lemon Bakewells (like normal Bakewells but with lemon curd instead of jam and a lemon flavour sponge topping), 24 butterfly buns, 24 jam tarts, 24 lemon curd tarts, 24 coconut tarts (pastry base, thin layer of jam, topped with coconut/egg/sugar/butter mix - a firm family favourite), 24 chocolate cakes, loads of cheese straws, and 48 iced fairy cakes. Hasten to add there was plenty to go round.
Didn't do bad for 15 quid did I? What's more, I still had enough ingredients left over to do half as much again.
The point is if you are working to a limited budget then baking your own is much better value for money, plus home-baked goods always taste better than shop-bought if done right.
The next one would be our grand-daughter Tiffany's birthday in August.
Click on this link or right click and 'save target as' to get a free PDF of the recipes.
Monday 8 August 2011
Party Time
As I mentioned in an earlier post I’ve been rather busy of late catering for a few birthday celebrations for the grandchildren.
The first one was for my youngest grand-daughter ‘Tizan’ for which I baked a variety of different snacks, both sweet and savoury. I then received a phone call from one of the guests, "Those cheese scones you made were gorgeous! Will you make me some please?" ‘Yes, no problem, of course I’ll make her some’ and proceeded to do so.
Why my daughter particularly wanted some cheese scones for her youngest daughter's birthday bash I’ll never know. But I baked what was requested, no questions asked. Ours is not to question why, but merely to question how and why not!
Co-incidently the following day whilst I was exiting the local Co-op I was shouted over by a large lady sat in a car in the car park, "Pete, come here, I want a word with you!" ‘Oh s**t!’, I thought, ‘What have I done now?" I recognised the lady, my second cousin’s wife who was also at the birthday bash, "Them cheese scones you made were bloody lovely!" , is what she wanted a word with me about. ‘Thank God for that, I’m not in trouble after all!’ I thought. "Thanks for the compliment!" was about all the words I could muster.
My point is this; if you are careful and do your stuff to the best of your ability then the compliments will come your way. I love getting positive comments and rave reviews about my cooking, it give me a great sense of achievement; and although my feet were aching from being stood in my kitchen all day when I did the baking – I might have gumbled a little but the compliments made it worthwhile after all.
On a final note, the first person who commented about those damn scones has since placed a regular order for them and a few other home-baked things (coconut tarts and lemon bakewells) for which she pays me handsomely for my effort. So it all makes it all worthwhile and might be the start of a little earner of a sideline.
Wish me luck!
The first one was for my youngest grand-daughter ‘Tizan’ for which I baked a variety of different snacks, both sweet and savoury. I then received a phone call from one of the guests, "Those cheese scones you made were gorgeous! Will you make me some please?" ‘Yes, no problem, of course I’ll make her some’ and proceeded to do so.
Why my daughter particularly wanted some cheese scones for her youngest daughter's birthday bash I’ll never know. But I baked what was requested, no questions asked. Ours is not to question why, but merely to question how and why not!
Co-incidently the following day whilst I was exiting the local Co-op I was shouted over by a large lady sat in a car in the car park, "Pete, come here, I want a word with you!" ‘Oh s**t!’, I thought, ‘What have I done now?" I recognised the lady, my second cousin’s wife who was also at the birthday bash, "Them cheese scones you made were bloody lovely!" , is what she wanted a word with me about. ‘Thank God for that, I’m not in trouble after all!’ I thought. "Thanks for the compliment!" was about all the words I could muster.
My point is this; if you are careful and do your stuff to the best of your ability then the compliments will come your way. I love getting positive comments and rave reviews about my cooking, it give me a great sense of achievement; and although my feet were aching from being stood in my kitchen all day when I did the baking – I might have gumbled a little but the compliments made it worthwhile after all.
On a final note, the first person who commented about those damn scones has since placed a regular order for them and a few other home-baked things (coconut tarts and lemon bakewells) for which she pays me handsomely for my effort. So it all makes it all worthwhile and might be the start of a little earner of a sideline.
Wish me luck!
Thursday 4 August 2011
The reason for my recent absence
Hello! I'm back!
Yes I know it's been a while since I last posted anything on here. I've been rather a busy fella. You see I'm in the process of setting up a website of my own as a platform to sell my stuff on. This is still in construction but will be online soon; hopefully!
Other than that my main reason for my absence is purely down to my family commitments. 'Family first' is a policy I've always stood by my whole life. Recently a few of my grandchildren have had birthdays, have you noticed how with birthdays they all seem to happen at about the same time of year?
You see as I am such a great cook and baker, lol, I have been recently commisioned by family members to supply all the baked goods for my grand-kids birthday parties. First it was my youngest grand-daughter only a few weeks ago, next my grand-son last weekend, and still yet to come this weekend one of my other grand-daughters, so my baking commitment as I call it is still on-going. All this coupled with days out (after all it's the six-week's holiday at the moment), my internet ventures, and various other lifestyle pressures something occasionally has to take a back seat; and unfortunately my blog posts are it.
But I'm back with a vengeance now, or at least from this weekend, yes there's still day trips and my other internet ventures but no more party baking until next month.
I'll post you soon!
Pete.
Yes I know it's been a while since I last posted anything on here. I've been rather a busy fella. You see I'm in the process of setting up a website of my own as a platform to sell my stuff on. This is still in construction but will be online soon; hopefully!
Other than that my main reason for my absence is purely down to my family commitments. 'Family first' is a policy I've always stood by my whole life. Recently a few of my grandchildren have had birthdays, have you noticed how with birthdays they all seem to happen at about the same time of year?
You see as I am such a great cook and baker, lol, I have been recently commisioned by family members to supply all the baked goods for my grand-kids birthday parties. First it was my youngest grand-daughter only a few weeks ago, next my grand-son last weekend, and still yet to come this weekend one of my other grand-daughters, so my baking commitment as I call it is still on-going. All this coupled with days out (after all it's the six-week's holiday at the moment), my internet ventures, and various other lifestyle pressures something occasionally has to take a back seat; and unfortunately my blog posts are it.
But I'm back with a vengeance now, or at least from this weekend, yes there's still day trips and my other internet ventures but no more party baking until next month.
I'll post you soon!
Pete.
Wednesday 6 July 2011
Follow on from Bakewell pudding and tart
As a follow on from my earlier post about Bakewell tart and Bakewell pudding I have decided to feature some regional UK recipes on this blog; starting of course in Derbyshire (my birth place) and then over time branching out across the whole country.
The aim is also to act as an introduction to the regional British recipe book that I am currently working on, which I hope to release in time for Christmas; but don’t bank on it because it is a massive book that will take me some time to complete. The book will contain over 100 regional UK recipes which I will need to edit and illustrate.
But this is not the only project I am working on.
I am currently working on 6 different projects: a British regional recipe book, an audio to accompany my already published pet bird guide book, video versions of all my articles, another online media tutorial ebook to accompany the one already published, video tutorials to go with both my media ebooks, and (you’ll love this) a UK regional recipe calendar for 2012, plus I am continuously researching for my many projects; as well as trying to maintain 6 different blogs – so as you can understand, I’m a busy man.
Back to the main point of this particular blog post:
Below are two other traditional Derbyshire recipes I have unearthed in my research. The ‘brides pie’ was a little outdated (by about 2 centuries) so I have had my dedicated team (me) working tirelessly on this to come up with a modern day alternative.
ENJOY!
Moorland Tart – Derbyshire
Ingredients:
Pre-made shortcrust pastry
¼ lb / 125 g sugar
¼ lb / 125 g chopped peal
¼ lb / 125 g currants
3 oz / 85 g butter or margarine
2 eggs (hard-boiled and finely chopped)
½ nutmeg (or ground nutmeg alternatively)
Method:
Prepare some pastry cases
Warm butter gently to melt
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to form a spread
Line the pastry cases with the mixture
Bake in preheated oven 180 ° C / 350 ° F / Gas 4 until set
A Bride’s Pie – Derbyshire
This recipe has been adapted to modernise it, as it is taken from a very old Derbyshire recipe source. Whether this is still made in the region, or anywhere for that matter is unclear but for tradition’s sake here goes.
Ingredients:
Pre-made puff pastry
2 calves feet (I suppose some beef or veal will suffice if necessary)
1 lb / 500 g beef suet
1 lb / 500 g apples
1 lb / 500 g dried currants
¼ lb / 125 g raisins
¼ oz / 7 g cinnamon
¼ oz / 7 g mace
¼ oz / 7 g nutmeg
*2 oz / 60 g candied citron (peel)
*2 oz / 60 g candied lemon, thin cut
(* maybe 4 oz / 120 g mixed peel might be easier to get hold of)
Glass of brandy
Glass of champagne (fizzy wine is cheaper)
Method:
Boil the calves feet, then pick the meat from the bone and chop very finely (or cook the meat and chop it very finely)
Mix all the other ingredients (apart from the pastry of course) together with the meat
Place mix in pie dish and cover with rolled puff pastry
Decorate with more pastry and bake in oven (temperature unknown) so I suggest 180 ° c / 350 ° F / Gas 4 until pastry well risen and starting to brown.
It might be advisable to heat the filling up before using otherwise the crust may cook whilst the filling stays cool. Stick it in the microwave or warm gently in saucepan, stirring frequently.
The original recipe calls for a glass ring to be hidden inside the pie, assumingly for the said bride to find, but I wouldn’t advise this, maybe a metal ring or a coin would be a safer option. If you’d like a word pad file of the original script I had to work with then please emal me at prenterprises2010@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to oblige.
If you would like a free pdf of these and the Bakewell recipes for you to print out please drop me a short email with the words ‘R Derbys’ in the title, and I will email it out to you as soon as I can.
Thanks!
prenterprises2010@gmail.com
The aim is also to act as an introduction to the regional British recipe book that I am currently working on, which I hope to release in time for Christmas; but don’t bank on it because it is a massive book that will take me some time to complete. The book will contain over 100 regional UK recipes which I will need to edit and illustrate.
But this is not the only project I am working on.
I am currently working on 6 different projects: a British regional recipe book, an audio to accompany my already published pet bird guide book, video versions of all my articles, another online media tutorial ebook to accompany the one already published, video tutorials to go with both my media ebooks, and (you’ll love this) a UK regional recipe calendar for 2012, plus I am continuously researching for my many projects; as well as trying to maintain 6 different blogs – so as you can understand, I’m a busy man.
Back to the main point of this particular blog post:
Below are two other traditional Derbyshire recipes I have unearthed in my research. The ‘brides pie’ was a little outdated (by about 2 centuries) so I have had my dedicated team (me) working tirelessly on this to come up with a modern day alternative.
ENJOY!
Moorland Tart – Derbyshire
Ingredients:
Pre-made shortcrust pastry
¼ lb / 125 g sugar
¼ lb / 125 g chopped peal
¼ lb / 125 g currants
3 oz / 85 g butter or margarine
2 eggs (hard-boiled and finely chopped)
½ nutmeg (or ground nutmeg alternatively)
Method:
Prepare some pastry cases
Warm butter gently to melt
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to form a spread
Line the pastry cases with the mixture
Bake in preheated oven 180 ° C / 350 ° F / Gas 4 until set
A Bride’s Pie – Derbyshire
This recipe has been adapted to modernise it, as it is taken from a very old Derbyshire recipe source. Whether this is still made in the region, or anywhere for that matter is unclear but for tradition’s sake here goes.
Ingredients:
Pre-made puff pastry
2 calves feet (I suppose some beef or veal will suffice if necessary)
1 lb / 500 g beef suet
1 lb / 500 g apples
1 lb / 500 g dried currants
¼ lb / 125 g raisins
¼ oz / 7 g cinnamon
¼ oz / 7 g mace
¼ oz / 7 g nutmeg
*2 oz / 60 g candied citron (peel)
*2 oz / 60 g candied lemon, thin cut
(* maybe 4 oz / 120 g mixed peel might be easier to get hold of)
Glass of brandy
Glass of champagne (fizzy wine is cheaper)
Method:
Boil the calves feet, then pick the meat from the bone and chop very finely (or cook the meat and chop it very finely)
Mix all the other ingredients (apart from the pastry of course) together with the meat
Place mix in pie dish and cover with rolled puff pastry
Decorate with more pastry and bake in oven (temperature unknown) so I suggest 180 ° c / 350 ° F / Gas 4 until pastry well risen and starting to brown.
It might be advisable to heat the filling up before using otherwise the crust may cook whilst the filling stays cool. Stick it in the microwave or warm gently in saucepan, stirring frequently.
The original recipe calls for a glass ring to be hidden inside the pie, assumingly for the said bride to find, but I wouldn’t advise this, maybe a metal ring or a coin would be a safer option. If you’d like a word pad file of the original script I had to work with then please emal me at prenterprises2010@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to oblige.
If you would like a free pdf of these and the Bakewell recipes for you to print out please drop me a short email with the words ‘R Derbys’ in the title, and I will email it out to you as soon as I can.
Thanks!
prenterprises2010@gmail.com
Thursday 30 June 2011
Bakewell pudding and Bakewell tart
Referring to an earlier blog post where I was ranting off about Cornish pasties and their regional identity protection status (see here), well now is the Bakewell tarts turn!
Bakewell tart; don't you just love it!
Unlike the Cornish pasty the Bakewell tart has so far not been granted any regional identity protection, but I am not surprised at all. You see the almond flavoured sponge topped jam tart found in most shops and supermarkets that most of us know as Bakewell tart is actually a far cry from tradition, and resembles little by comparison to its regional namesake.
'Jam tart topped with almond flavoured sponge cake? That's never been a proper Bakewell!'
A small market town in Derbyshire, UK, Bakewell is quite an attraction to tourists; partially due to the traditional 'tart' or 'pudding' that originated there, but also due to its 'Olde England' charm and the annual traditions in the area such as the 'Bakewell Show' and 'well dressings' (a pagan ritual originating from Derbyshire). There are a few commercial premises within Bakewell that claim to bake and sell Bakewell puddings and Bakewell tarts made to the original recipe.
Although I now live in Nottinghamshire I was born and grew up in Derbyshire, and I still class myself as a Derbyshire man, so matters associated with the area are close to my heart.
Bakewell is also the only built-up area classed as a 'town' (all the rest are villages) that is located within the 'Peak District National Park', and the administrive headquarters of the 'Peak District National Park' authority is located within the town; other nearby towns of 'Matlock', 'Ashbourne', and 'Buxton' all fall outside the National Park boundary.
But enough of the tourist stuff for now, we're supposed to be talking about food here. So let's get back on track.
The famous Bakewell tart claims to originate from Bakewell but by tradition the original was actually a Bakewell pudding and not tart; although the town claims to be the birth place of the Bakewell tart also.
So what's the difference?
The Bakewell tart is made up of a shortcrust pastry base, a layer of jam (preferably raspberry), and topped with an almond flavoured sponge (and often with icing on top of that); whereas the Bakewell pudding is comprised of a puff pastry base, a layer of jam, and topped with an almond and egg based topping - the topping incorporates no flour whatsoever (unlike a sponge) and is made up entirely from ground almonds, egg and sugar - with the ground almonds acting like a type of flour.
Whether you choose to go for the tart or the pudding is down to your own preference but both are delicious.
Either way if you fancy having a go at making your own, whether on a shortcrust or puff pastry base I personally believe that the topping recipe below gives the best results; it is the one I use regardless of what pastry base it has.
110g (4oz) ground almonds
110g (4oz) caster sugar
50g (2oz) butter, softened
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon almond essence
Beat all together, preferably with an electric mixer
Pour an equal amount into each jam lined pastry case
Bake at 200 C / 400 F/ Gas 6 for about 30 minutes or until the filling is set and spongy
So easy to do and absolutely delicious!
Bakewell tart; don't you just love it!
Unlike the Cornish pasty the Bakewell tart has so far not been granted any regional identity protection, but I am not surprised at all. You see the almond flavoured sponge topped jam tart found in most shops and supermarkets that most of us know as Bakewell tart is actually a far cry from tradition, and resembles little by comparison to its regional namesake.
'Jam tart topped with almond flavoured sponge cake? That's never been a proper Bakewell!'
A small market town in Derbyshire, UK, Bakewell is quite an attraction to tourists; partially due to the traditional 'tart' or 'pudding' that originated there, but also due to its 'Olde England' charm and the annual traditions in the area such as the 'Bakewell Show' and 'well dressings' (a pagan ritual originating from Derbyshire). There are a few commercial premises within Bakewell that claim to bake and sell Bakewell puddings and Bakewell tarts made to the original recipe.
Although I now live in Nottinghamshire I was born and grew up in Derbyshire, and I still class myself as a Derbyshire man, so matters associated with the area are close to my heart.
Bakewell is also the only built-up area classed as a 'town' (all the rest are villages) that is located within the 'Peak District National Park', and the administrive headquarters of the 'Peak District National Park' authority is located within the town; other nearby towns of 'Matlock', 'Ashbourne', and 'Buxton' all fall outside the National Park boundary.
But enough of the tourist stuff for now, we're supposed to be talking about food here. So let's get back on track.
The famous Bakewell tart claims to originate from Bakewell but by tradition the original was actually a Bakewell pudding and not tart; although the town claims to be the birth place of the Bakewell tart also.
So what's the difference?
The Bakewell tart is made up of a shortcrust pastry base, a layer of jam (preferably raspberry), and topped with an almond flavoured sponge (and often with icing on top of that); whereas the Bakewell pudding is comprised of a puff pastry base, a layer of jam, and topped with an almond and egg based topping - the topping incorporates no flour whatsoever (unlike a sponge) and is made up entirely from ground almonds, egg and sugar - with the ground almonds acting like a type of flour.
Whether you choose to go for the tart or the pudding is down to your own preference but both are delicious.
Either way if you fancy having a go at making your own, whether on a shortcrust or puff pastry base I personally believe that the topping recipe below gives the best results; it is the one I use regardless of what pastry base it has.
110g (4oz) ground almonds
110g (4oz) caster sugar
50g (2oz) butter, softened
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon almond essence
Beat all together, preferably with an electric mixer
Pour an equal amount into each jam lined pastry case
Bake at 200 C / 400 F/ Gas 6 for about 30 minutes or until the filling is set and spongy
So easy to do and absolutely delicious!
Thursday 23 June 2011
New hub post for your reading pleasure
Just finished posting another great hub to HubPages.
Click on this link and check it out please!
Here's one I made earlier!
Don't forget to share them with everyone.
Thanks!
Click on this link and check it out please!
Here's one I made earlier!
Don't forget to share them with everyone.
Thanks!
A load of waffle about tatties
Although not British originally but brought into the UK in the middle-ages from the land now known as America, potatoes have become a staple food here in Britain; as popular in the UK as rice in Asia. Thousands of tons of potatoes (spuds, tatties) are now grown in this country to meet consumer demand.
Many traditional British recipes use potatoes as a main ingredient. some of the most popular UK meals have them: the Sunday roast, fish and chips, bangers and mash, fish pie, fish cakes, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, and Cumberland pie (what's the difference? shepherds pie uses lamb meat, cottage pie uses beef, and Cumberland pie can be either but with an extra layer of cheese or breadcrumbs - sometimes both - on top), many stews and casseroles, hot pot is a casserole made using sauted potato slices.
So looking at the above list we see that potatoes are used and cooked in a variety of ways: Chips are traditionally fried, but so are sauted potatoes, French fries, American fries, and crisps; Sunday roast usually has both roasted and boiled potatoes - the boiled potatoes often being mashed - on the subject of mashed potatoes we find that shepherd's pie, Cumberlsnd pie, cottage pie, fish pie and fish cakes all use mashed potatoes. Stews and casseroles contain boiled (but not mashed) potatoes, whereas jacket potatoes are baked in the oven with the skin left on; potato wedges are also often cooked with the skin on and are either oven baked or fried.
Any traditional savoury British meal without some form of potato is often difficult to imagine.
Not bad for something originally introduced from abroad.
 |
| The humble spud of many varieties |
So looking at the above list we see that potatoes are used and cooked in a variety of ways: Chips are traditionally fried, but so are sauted potatoes, French fries, American fries, and crisps; Sunday roast usually has both roasted and boiled potatoes - the boiled potatoes often being mashed - on the subject of mashed potatoes we find that shepherd's pie, Cumberlsnd pie, cottage pie, fish pie and fish cakes all use mashed potatoes. Stews and casseroles contain boiled (but not mashed) potatoes, whereas jacket potatoes are baked in the oven with the skin left on; potato wedges are also often cooked with the skin on and are either oven baked or fried.
Any traditional savoury British meal without some form of potato is often difficult to imagine.
Not bad for something originally introduced from abroad.
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Cottage pie, shepherd's pie & Cumberland pie – What’s the difference?
The only true answer of course is, “Who cares? They all taste good!”
The definitive answer would be, “Onions and minced or finely chopped meat topped with mashed potato!”
After hours of painstaking reasearch I think I finally have the answer! – shepherds pie is made from shepherds, cottage pie is made from cottages (watch out for the bits of grit), and Cumberland pie; well nobody seems to know for sure, perhaps it’s made with either but in Cumbria.
In a recent survey when asked what their spouses prefered, 9 out of 10 shepherd’s wives said their husbands prefered shepherds pie over the other two – the other 1 out 0f 10 were vegetarian. The only big exception was 8 out of 10 shepherdesses in the Lake District said their husbands prefered Cumberland pie. No surprise there then! The other 2 out of 10 – had no idea what our surveyors were on about.
In reality though; although none of the results of my research are set in stone it is commonly held that cottage pie is made using minced or ground beef, shepherd’s pie uses minced lamb or mutton, and Cumberland pie can be either but has an extra layer of breadcrumbs on top of the mash (and often cheese also).
The recipe is basically the same for all: minced meat and onions in gravy (sometimes carrots and/or peas are mixed in also but not always) topped with mashed potato, and baked in the oven uncovered so the top starts to crisp and brown. The precise amounts of each ingredient vary dramatically and are usually left to personal preference.
What I do know for sure however is that whether Cumberland, cottage, or shepherd’s all make a delicious hearty British meal, especially when served with some side veg and extra gravy over it all.
So there you have it, call ‘em what you like, they’re all good!
The definitive answer would be, “Onions and minced or finely chopped meat topped with mashed potato!”
After hours of painstaking reasearch I think I finally have the answer! – shepherds pie is made from shepherds, cottage pie is made from cottages (watch out for the bits of grit), and Cumberland pie; well nobody seems to know for sure, perhaps it’s made with either but in Cumbria.
In a recent survey when asked what their spouses prefered, 9 out of 10 shepherd’s wives said their husbands prefered shepherds pie over the other two – the other 1 out 0f 10 were vegetarian. The only big exception was 8 out of 10 shepherdesses in the Lake District said their husbands prefered Cumberland pie. No surprise there then! The other 2 out of 10 – had no idea what our surveyors were on about.
In reality though; although none of the results of my research are set in stone it is commonly held that cottage pie is made using minced or ground beef, shepherd’s pie uses minced lamb or mutton, and Cumberland pie can be either but has an extra layer of breadcrumbs on top of the mash (and often cheese also).
The recipe is basically the same for all: minced meat and onions in gravy (sometimes carrots and/or peas are mixed in also but not always) topped with mashed potato, and baked in the oven uncovered so the top starts to crisp and brown. The precise amounts of each ingredient vary dramatically and are usually left to personal preference.
What I do know for sure however is that whether Cumberland, cottage, or shepherd’s all make a delicious hearty British meal, especially when served with some side veg and extra gravy over it all.
So there you have it, call ‘em what you like, they’re all good!
Friday 10 June 2011
Food - Is traditional British cuisine being phased out in favour of foods with overseas influence?
Many UK foods and ingredients that are taken for granted nowadays were not originally from Britain. For example potatoes, peppers and other spices now regarded as everyday stuff in the UK, are now easily available and used in many recipes.
As the UK is a multi-cultural country over the years foreign influence has had a big impact on the type of foods eaten in Britain with many people and families moving from abroad to live here in the UK and of course bringing their own influences and recipes into the country. Also the ease of transportation over the last century or so has helped many people to travel abroad more often and find food influence and ideas from other nations. A couple of good examples are curry and pizza, both of which are enjoyed by many as a favourite food here.
Foods that are very popular with the Brits but not originally of national origin are endless: Bolognese, curries, kebabs, paella, many rice or past dishes, noodles, goulash, lasagne, kedgeree, chow-mein, sweet and sour, pizza, chicken supreme, coq-au-vin, frankfurters, the list goes on and on.
Although many of these foods are favoured throughout the UK I do feel that you can't beat a good old traditional British meal. Even many UK citizens whose families originated elsewhere love the traditional Sunday roast for example or fish & chips. You can't get much more traditional than that; or can you? For a start both of these use potatoes. The potato is not a native British plant but was introduced during the middle-ages by pioneers (so was tobacco unfortunately) from their travels to the west, now known as America.
Also some consider certain readily available meats such as chicken and rabbit to be British; wrong! Chicken was introduced into western Europe and the UK at about 1000 BC, so yes British chicken is rather ancient in origin but not entirely British. Rabbit, although numerous in the UK, is also a non-native animal but was introduced during the Norman conquest as a ready food source along with hare.
I feel I aught to justify what I'm writing here; I love most food whether foreign or not but I do feel however that so-called traditional UK foods are gradually disappearing in favour of foreign influenced cuisine.
Fortunately I love traditional British food as well as many foods originating from abroad, and I'm sure you do also, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this would you!
So to conclude no I don’t think traditional UK foods are dead but are gradually beginning to take a back seat. However with these articles I will be singing the praises of traditional British cuisine. A dying art maybe, but there are still many out there who like traditional food so not all is lost!
As the UK is a multi-cultural country over the years foreign influence has had a big impact on the type of foods eaten in Britain with many people and families moving from abroad to live here in the UK and of course bringing their own influences and recipes into the country. Also the ease of transportation over the last century or so has helped many people to travel abroad more often and find food influence and ideas from other nations. A couple of good examples are curry and pizza, both of which are enjoyed by many as a favourite food here.
Foods that are very popular with the Brits but not originally of national origin are endless: Bolognese, curries, kebabs, paella, many rice or past dishes, noodles, goulash, lasagne, kedgeree, chow-mein, sweet and sour, pizza, chicken supreme, coq-au-vin, frankfurters, the list goes on and on.
Although many of these foods are favoured throughout the UK I do feel that you can't beat a good old traditional British meal. Even many UK citizens whose families originated elsewhere love the traditional Sunday roast for example or fish & chips. You can't get much more traditional than that; or can you? For a start both of these use potatoes. The potato is not a native British plant but was introduced during the middle-ages by pioneers (so was tobacco unfortunately) from their travels to the west, now known as America.
Also some consider certain readily available meats such as chicken and rabbit to be British; wrong! Chicken was introduced into western Europe and the UK at about 1000 BC, so yes British chicken is rather ancient in origin but not entirely British. Rabbit, although numerous in the UK, is also a non-native animal but was introduced during the Norman conquest as a ready food source along with hare.
I feel I aught to justify what I'm writing here; I love most food whether foreign or not but I do feel however that so-called traditional UK foods are gradually disappearing in favour of foreign influenced cuisine.
Fortunately I love traditional British food as well as many foods originating from abroad, and I'm sure you do also, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this would you!
So to conclude no I don’t think traditional UK foods are dead but are gradually beginning to take a back seat. However with these articles I will be singing the praises of traditional British cuisine. A dying art maybe, but there are still many out there who like traditional food so not all is lost!
Thursday 9 June 2011
Cornish? pasty recipe
Just in case you fancy breaking the rules here's a couple of recipes to try.
Just don't forget to re-name them when their done!
CORNISH PASTY
The Cornish pasty is known and loved throughout Great Britain and Ireland and so simple and easy to make.
The pasty started life as lunch for Cornish tin miners, who with their hands often dirty from work, this hearty pasty could be held by the thick pastry crust without ruining the filling.
Here’s two Cornish pasty recipes to try.
RECIPE ONE
Serves 2 or 4
500g rump, chuck or skirt steak
125 -150g onion, chopped
90g turnip or swede, chopped
250g potato, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt, pepper and a good pinch of thyme
1. Make a firm pastry and roll out two dinner plate circles or four side plate circles. Leave to chill while you make the filling.
2. Cut the skin and gristle from the meat and chop it up.
3. Season with salt and pepper and then layer the filling ingredients to one side of the pastry circles. Or mix them together.
4. Brush edges with egg, flip over the pastry to form a half-moon shape, and twist the
edges to give a rope effect. Brush over with egg and make two small holes at the top
for steam to escape.
5. Bake at 200ºC for 20 minutes then lower the heat to 180ºC for a further 40 minutes.
Protect the pastry with butter papers if they brown too quickly.
RECIPE TWO
For the filling:
200g swede, peeled and roughly cut into 1½cm pieces
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1½cm pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
500g rump or rib steak, trimmed of fat and chopped into 5mm pieces
250ml beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
For the pastry:
500g plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
125g butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
125g lard, chilled and cut into small pieces
A little milk, to mix
1 egg, beaten, to seal and glaze
Method:
1. To make the filling: heat half the oil in a frying pan and gently fry for 2-3 minutes until
soft. Remove from the pan and put to one side. Heat the pan over a high heat, add
the rest of the oil, season and add the meat. Cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes,
turning until evenly browned. Remove the meat from the pan and add to the onions.
2. Add the stock to the pan together with the Worcestershire sauce, and boil rapidly until
you have only 2-3 tablespoons of liquid left. Add the meat and onions back to the
pan and simmer until the sauce has reduced until it is just coating the meat.
3. While the sauce is reducing, cook the potatoes and swede in separate pans of salted
boiling water until just tender. Drain and mix into the meat.
4. To make the pastry: mix the flour and salt together, then rub the butter and lard into
the flour with your fingers or mix it in a food processor until it has the texture of fine
breadcrumbs. Mix in some milk a tablespoon or two at a time or until a smooth rollable
dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to a thickness of about 3mm and using
a plate or bowl as a template, cut out 6 circles about 18cm in diameter. Spoon
the filling evenly in the centre of 6 discs of pastry. Brush around the edges with the
beaten egg and bring the edges of the pastry up around the filling. Crimp the edges
together with your fingers, or roll the edges back then crimp them. Brush the tops with
the remaining egg mixture and cut a small slit in the top for steam to escape. Chill for
about 30 minutes.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC. Bake the pasties for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down
to 180ºC and cook them for another 20 minutes or so until golden brown. If the pasties
are browning too fast, cover them with foil or greaseproof paper (if they are going to
be reheated, finish cooking them while they are still quite pale brown).
Just don't forget to re-name them when their done!
CORNISH PASTY
The Cornish pasty is known and loved throughout Great Britain and Ireland and so simple and easy to make.
The pasty started life as lunch for Cornish tin miners, who with their hands often dirty from work, this hearty pasty could be held by the thick pastry crust without ruining the filling.
Here’s two Cornish pasty recipes to try.
RECIPE ONE
Serves 2 or 4
500g rump, chuck or skirt steak
125 -150g onion, chopped
90g turnip or swede, chopped
250g potato, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt, pepper and a good pinch of thyme
1. Make a firm pastry and roll out two dinner plate circles or four side plate circles. Leave to chill while you make the filling.
2. Cut the skin and gristle from the meat and chop it up.
3. Season with salt and pepper and then layer the filling ingredients to one side of the pastry circles. Or mix them together.
4. Brush edges with egg, flip over the pastry to form a half-moon shape, and twist the
edges to give a rope effect. Brush over with egg and make two small holes at the top
for steam to escape.
5. Bake at 200ºC for 20 minutes then lower the heat to 180ºC for a further 40 minutes.
Protect the pastry with butter papers if they brown too quickly.
RECIPE TWO
For the filling:
200g swede, peeled and roughly cut into 1½cm pieces
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1½cm pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
500g rump or rib steak, trimmed of fat and chopped into 5mm pieces
250ml beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
For the pastry:
500g plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
125g butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
125g lard, chilled and cut into small pieces
A little milk, to mix
1 egg, beaten, to seal and glaze
Method:
1. To make the filling: heat half the oil in a frying pan and gently fry for 2-3 minutes until
soft. Remove from the pan and put to one side. Heat the pan over a high heat, add
the rest of the oil, season and add the meat. Cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes,
turning until evenly browned. Remove the meat from the pan and add to the onions.
2. Add the stock to the pan together with the Worcestershire sauce, and boil rapidly until
you have only 2-3 tablespoons of liquid left. Add the meat and onions back to the
pan and simmer until the sauce has reduced until it is just coating the meat.
3. While the sauce is reducing, cook the potatoes and swede in separate pans of salted
boiling water until just tender. Drain and mix into the meat.
4. To make the pastry: mix the flour and salt together, then rub the butter and lard into
the flour with your fingers or mix it in a food processor until it has the texture of fine
breadcrumbs. Mix in some milk a tablespoon or two at a time or until a smooth rollable
dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to a thickness of about 3mm and using
a plate or bowl as a template, cut out 6 circles about 18cm in diameter. Spoon
the filling evenly in the centre of 6 discs of pastry. Brush around the edges with the
beaten egg and bring the edges of the pastry up around the filling. Crimp the edges
together with your fingers, or roll the edges back then crimp them. Brush the tops with
the remaining egg mixture and cut a small slit in the top for steam to escape. Chill for
about 30 minutes.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC. Bake the pasties for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down
to 180ºC and cook them for another 20 minutes or so until golden brown. If the pasties
are browning too fast, cover them with foil or greaseproof paper (if they are going to
be reheated, finish cooking them while they are still quite pale brown).
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Regional identity protection rant
So what's that all about then?
Apparently it means that it can now only be sold with the 'Cornish pasty' label if it was actually made in Corwall to a traditional Cornish recipe, and this is meant to protect its regional identity.
If it was made anywhere else other than Cornwall the label needs to be revised like so; 'pasty formerly known as Cornish', 'Cornish style pasty', 'beef, onion, potato and swede pasty' or whatever, but not 'Cornish'.
Oh and by the way, it's allowed to be cooked - or should I say baked - elsewhere as long as it was actually made - or should I say constructed - in Cornwall - to the traditional recipe of course.
Surely the fact that in the past it has been allowed to be made anywhere is what made it so popular in the first place! Just like some other popular foods that now have similar regional identity protection.
Most of the top supermarkets in Britain - I think it best not to actually name them here, don't want to get in trouble; you'll have to look it up on the net - claim that their Cornish pasties are already made in Cornwall.
Yeah right!
I remember not too long ago working in a factory that made Cornish pasties - and loads of other pies and pasties - for most of the top UK supermarkets and guess where it was located?
'Lincolnshire'
At the time it was one of the biggest UK producers - if not the biggest - of pies and pasties - including Cornish ones - for most of the leading supermarket chains. Whether they still do or not I don't know but it was big business to them then.
I don't know! Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that the supermarkets are not being entirely honest with us!
Pete
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