Bara Brith

To celebrate St. Davids Day here is a traditional Welsh teatime recipe.  St David is the patron saint of Wales.  Note it does take 2 days to prepare and cook, but the effort is so worth while for a moist fruit cake.

         

Ingredients

450G/1lb self raising flour
1 heaped teaspoon mixed spice
175g/6oz Muscavado sugar
1 medium size beaten egg
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon runny honey
300ml/½pt cold strong black tea
450g/1lb mixed, dried fruit
extra honey for glazing

                

Method 

1 Place the mixed dried fruit into a large mixing bowl, pour over the tea, cover and leave to soak overnight.

Next day.

1 Into the dried fruit and tea mixture add the sugar, egg, orange juice, zest and honey.

2 Sieve the flour and spice into the mixture.

3 Mix the ingredients thoroughly.

4 Pour the mixture into a lined and greased/oiled loaf tin (1.2l/2pt capacity).
5 Bake immediately in a preheated oven at 160 degrees centigrade/gas mark 2 for about 1¾ hours or until the cake is a golden colour, firm to the touch in the middle and a skewer comes out clean.

6 Transfer the cake onto a wire cooling rack.

7  Baste with the extra  honey whilst still warm.

8 Allow to cool completely on the wire rack. 

Store in airtight container. 

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Chicken and Mushroom Casserole

Chicken and mushroom casserole 

A tasty casserole, ideal for those winter evenings.
 
Ingredients
2kg skinless and bonelss chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large finely chopped onion
6 sliced field mushrooms
500ml chicken stock
2 level teaspoons corn flour
1 tablespoon water
handful freshly chopped coriander
 
Method
1 Pour the oil and butter into a large frying pan and heat.
2 Brown the chicken pieces pn all sides.
3 Transfer to a casserole dish.
4 Fry the onion until soft, do not colour them.
5 Place them in the casserole with the chicken.
6 Add the mushrooms, fry until they are pale golden brown.
7 Transfer the the casserole.
8 Add the chicken stock to the fryong pan.
9 Bring to the boil.
10 Transfer the stockl into the casserole dish.
11 Place a lid or aluminium foil over the casserole dish.
12 Bake in the middle of the oven at 190 degrees centigrade/gas 5 for 1½ hours.
13 Remove the casserole out of the oven.
14 Remove the chicken pieces iinto a sheet of aluminium foil, wrap up and keep warm.
15 Place the casserole dish on the gob or transfer into a large saucepan.
16 Bring the stock to boil.
17 Mix the cornflour and water together in a small bow.
18 Add this to the chicken stock, stirring well.
19 Let the stock reduce down and thicken.
20 Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.
21 Rreturn the chicken pieces.
22 Heat until the chicken is heated thoroughly.
24 Stir in the coriander and serve immediately.

Serve with potatoes and a vegetable or even rice for a change.

Serves 6 people

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Orcadian Crunchy Trout

This wonderful trout supper dish comes from a member of the family living in the Orkney Islands.  As I have a love for crumbles (both sweet and savoury) I just had to try this recipe, it is slightly unusual but very good.  Save the fish head, fins, skin and bones and make a stock which can be frozen.

 

Ingredients

1 cooked trout

1oz flour

1 large can evaporated milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ stick diced celery

2oz plain flour

1oz polenta

2 ½oz butter

salt and pepper

 

Method

1 Grease a 2 pints baking dish.

2 Skin and flake the trout, discarding the head, fins, skin and bones.

3 Melt 1½oz butter in a saucepan.

4 Add the flour, mix together thoroughly and cook out for 2 minutes, stirring all of the time.

5 Gradually add the evaporated milk, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

6 Bring to the boil, stirring constantly.

7 Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

8 Add the trout and lemon juice to the sauce.

9 Bring the sauce back to the boil and then reduce to a simmer, stirring frequently.

10 In a mixing bowl melt the remaining butter.

11 Add the breadcrumbs and the polenta and mix together thoroughly.

12 Test the sauce for seasoning and adjust to taste with salt and pepper.

13 Pour the sauce into the prepared baking dish.

14 Pour over the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the pie, do not pat down.

15 Bake at 180 degrees centigrade/gas 4 for about 30 minutes or until the crumble topping is a pale golden brown colour.

 

Serve straight away with new potatoes and favourite vegetables.

 

Serves 3

 

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Cococnut Ice (Uncooked)

This recipe is so much easier to make than the cooked variety especially if making with children.  Master Cookie and I used to love making these sweets together, he loved to partly dip the sweets into melted chocolate too! (Especially licking his hands afterwards).   Ingredients 250g sieved icing sugar 175g dessicated coconut 200g sweetened condensed milk few drops pink food colouring   Method 1 Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. 2 Mix together thoroughly. 3 Sprinkle the work surface with a little icing sugar. 4 Knead the dough lightly. 5 Cut the mixture in half. 6 Sprinkle a few drops of food colouring onto 1 half. 7 Knead the pink colouring into one half. 8 Shape both of the halves into seperate bars measuring 9″ x3″. 9 Lay one bar on top of the other. 10 Press together firmly. 11 Leave to set and dry out slightly. 12 Cut into into small bite sized slices. 13 Place in small sweet cases. Store in airtight container – as it is an ucooked mixture it only keeps fresh for up to a week.

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Lamb Burgers

I love a tasty lamburger, plenty of meat but not too fatty, so I always bake mine in the oven to alleviate this problem.    Ingredients 1lb/450g lamb mince 1 grated onion 2 tablespoons/60ml tomato puree 1 finely grated small carrot 1 finely chopped small red pepper 1 tablespoon/15ml Worcestershire sauce freshly milled black pepper little oil   Method 1 Place all of the ingredients (except for the oil) into a large mixing bowl. 2 Mix together thoroughly . 3 Divide the mixture into 4 portions. 4 Form each portion into a burger. 5 Brush a little oil on each side of each burger. 6 Place burgers onto a baking tray. 7 Bake at 200 degrees centigrade for 10 minutes on each side.   Serve in a bun, with chips, potato wedges, crispy potato skins or baked potatoes.   Serves 4 people

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Snow Pancakes

Every Shrove Tuesday pancakes are made all over Great Britain.  This is a most unusual recipe as the star ingredient is fresh powdered snow. No I have not finally flipped my lid but someone actually invented this dish!!!   Ingredients 125g plain flour 1 large beaten egg 250ml milk pinch of salt 1 heaped tablespoon fresh powdery snow 25g unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil   Method 1 Sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.  2 Make a well in the centre of the flour. 3 Using a wooden spoon to draw in the flour into the egg. 4 Gradually add the milk a tablespoon at a time, continue beating until you form a smooth batter. 5 Pop the batter into the fridge for at least a couple of hours or even overnight. 6 Heat a 7 inch non-stick frying pan lightly brushed with melted butter or oil. 7 Pour a ladle full of pancake batter into a cup. 8 Add the tablespoon of fresh powdery snow. 9 Mix together. 10 When the frying pan is hot, pour in the batter from the cup, tilting the frying pan at the same time to coat the base evenly. 11 Cook until the pancake dries on the top and moves freely in the frying pan. 12 Now for the fun you can either toss the pancake or turn the pancake with a spatula. 13 Cook for 30 seconds to a minute or until the second side is  cooked.   Serve straight away with caster sugar and lemon juice for the traditional topping.   Makes 8 to 10 Pancakes   Note The secret of success with these pancakes is to cook the pancakes before the snow melts!

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Pancakes

Every Shrove Tuesday pancakes are made all over Great Britain.  This is the basic recipe for the food that used to be made from goods that were forbidden to eat during Lent, the season of fasting.   Ingredients 125g plain flour 1 large beaten egg 250ml milk pinch of salt 25g unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil   Method 1 Sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.  2 Make a well in the centre of the flour. 3 Using a wooden spoon to draw in the flour into the egg. 4 Gradually add the milk a tablespoon at a time, continue beating until you form a smooth batter. 5 Pop the batter into the fridge for at least a couple of hours or even overnight. 6 Heat a 7 inch non-stick frying pan lightly brushed with melted butter or oil. 7 When the frying pan is hot, ladle in the batter, tilting the frying pan at the same time to coat the base evenly. 8 Cook until the pancake dries on the top and moves freely in the frying pan. 9 Now for the fun you can either toss the pancake or turn the pancake with a spatula. 10 Cook for 30 seconds to a minute or until the second side is  cooked.   Serve straight away with caster sugar and lemon juice for the traditional topping.   Makes 8 to 10 Pancakes.                    Notes These pancakes can be frozen layered betweeen sheets of greaseproof paper and placed in a plastic bag and sealed for a couple of months.

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Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins

 

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Glace Icing

This is the easiest recipe to get right.  Made properly it is a bright white and beautifully sweet icing.   Ingredients 4oz/110g icing sugar 2 teaspoons lemon juice 4 teaspoons warm water   Method 1 Place a sieve over a medium sized bowl. 2 Tip the icing sugar into the sieve. 3 Shake the icing sugar into the bowl. 4 Add all of the lemon juice and half of the water. 5 Start stirring, adding a little more water as necessary to form the consistency to coat the back of a wooden spoon.   Notes This icing has to be used immediately it is made as it goes hard very quickl.   Flavourings can be used, add with the lemon juice. I do not reccomend that any cake that has been iced with glace icing be frozen as it cracks on defrosting, even carefully in the fridge..

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Chocolate Concrete

This is my absolutely favourite pudding of all time, I can remember eating it for the very first time at Osborne Road Junior School in Birmingham in 1965 and have loved it ever since.  I love to serve and eat it hot with either custard, peppermint custard or fresh cream, or take a chance and not break a tooth and eat a portion cold.   Ingredients 8oz plain flour 2oz cocoa powder 4oz granulated sugar 4oz melted unsalted butter   Method 1 Sieve flour and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. 2 Add the granulated sugar and mix well. 3 Add the melted margarine, mix well until fairly stiff. 4 Press into a prepared 7″ tin until flat. 5 Brush the top with water, sprinkle on a little extra granulated sugar. 6 Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade/gas mark 4. 7 Cool slightly in the tin on a wire cooling rack before slicing and serving.   Serves 6 to 8 people

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