Sledging and Steak and Kidney Pudding

It was a cold snowy February, my 4 years old son had just saved enough pocket money to buy a sledge in the sales, he could not wait for the snow to come to try it out.

 

As luck would have it that during his first weeks half term holiday from infant school it snowed.  His dad took him to the local park where there was the perfect hill for teaching our son how to sledge.

 

Two hours later my son came back soaked to the skin, tired and cold but exceedingly hungry.  He smelled the aroma in the kitchen and wanted tea immediately (as they always do).  The thought of him having to wait an hour was just too much, not even one of his favourite CBBC programmes would help him.

 

Eventually tea time came and I served up his first ever home made steak and kidney pie, encased by a light and puffy suet crust pastry.  He thought it looked awful (well it is a wee bit insipid to look at even when adorned by rich orange carrots.

 

Well he decided to try it, one mouthful and he was hooked, I asked him what he thought of it, his reply?  Aah, man food.  Priceless!!!  The comments our children make!!!

 

Suet Crust Pastry   This is the basic recipe for suet crust pastry.  This pastry is used for glorious comfort food such as winter warming dumplings and also the infamous British savoury and sweet puddings eg, steak and kidney pie and jam roly poly.   Ingredients 8oz/250g plain flour pinch of salt 4oz/110g suet cold water   Method 1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bow. 2 Spoon in the flour. 3 Add the salt. 4 Shake the sieve so the flour and salt go into the mixing bowl. 5 Add the suet. 6 Stir the suet into the flour. 7 Make a well. 8 Add a little cold water. 9 Using your fingertips draw the flour mixture into the water. 10 Add sufficient water to make a soft, non sticky but pliable dough   Filling Ingredients 1 quantity suet crust pastry 450g/1lb braising or stewing steak 100g/4oz pigs kidneys 2 finely diced  onions 100g /4oz field mushrooms 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce salt 1 – 6 peppercorns a little water bay leaf parsley stalks 1 – 2 celery stalks a few celery leaves   Method 1 Into a large saucepan place the bayleaf, peppercorns, parsley stalks, celery stalks and leaves. 2 Cover with plenty of cold water. 3 Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. 4 Skim off any skum. 5 Continue to simmer the ingredients for 20 to 30 minutes.   6 Skin and core the kidneys and cut into small dice. 7 Dice the steak to 1 inch thick dice. 8 Toss both meats in a tablespoon of seasoned flour. 9 Mix the meat with the onions and mushrooms. 10 Strain the cooked herbs through a sieve and discard the used herbs. 11 Place the meats, onions and mushrooms with the Worcestershire sauce into a medium saucepan. 12 Cover the mixture with sufficient of the stock. 13 Bring to the boil. 14 Skim off any skum. 15 Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer uncovered for an hour. 16 Plunge the saucepan into a washing up bowl with cold water and allow to cool completely. 17 Grease a large pudding basin. 18 Roll out all of the suet crust pastry into a circle, large enough to amply cover the basin.  19 Cut out a quarter section of the pastry and reserve.  20 Line the pudding baisin it with 3/4 of the rolled pastry. 21 Seal the edge of the cut pastry with a little water. 22 Brush the rim of the pastry with a little water. 23 Gather the remaining 1/4 of the pastry and roll into a circle just large enough to fit the top of the pudding baisin. 24 Spoon the meats, mushrooms and onion mixture into the pastry lined pudding baisin, allowing an inch gap at the top. 25 Reserve any excess gravy to cook the carrots in and to give you extra gravy. 26 Cover the pudding with the circle of suet crust pastry. 27 Seal the edges securely. 28 Cover the pudding basin with a pleated square of greaseproof paper, leaving room for the pudding to expand. 29 Cover the greaseproof paper with a pleated square of aluminium foil or a square of floured muslin. 30 Tie securely with string. 31 Bring enough water to the boil to 1/4 fill a large saucepan. 32 Place the pudding into the large saucepan. 33 Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for no less than 3 hours. 34 Allow the pudding to cool for at least 5 minutes.   To serve, remove the string, aluminium foil and greaseproof paper. Wipe the pudding baisin clean, wrap a napkin or clean piece of cotton around the basin and serve on piping hot plates with loads of creamy and buttery mashed potatoes and carrots with any extra gravy.   Serves 4 to 6 people   Notes The uncooked suet crust pastry can be frozen for upto a month before cooking and allowed to defrost before rolling. The cooked meat and vegetable mixture can also be frozen for 4 to 8 weeks and allowed to defrost completely before cooking.

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Crafty’s Mince Pies

Oliver Cromwell decreed that the eating of Mince Pies on Christmas day be banned.  Now it is supposed to be good luck to eat 1 a day for the 12 days of Christmas.

I have been making these mince every year since 1980 and still get asked to make them for friends and family.

 

Ingredients

8oz/250g diced unsalted butter at room temperature 
1lb/500g plain flour
2oz/55g icing sugar
2 medium sized egg yolks
1lb/500g mincemeat
a little milk

                                    

Method

1 Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl.

2 Add the butter.

3 Using the fingertips only rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbes.

4 Stir in the icing sugar well with a metal spoon.

5 Make a well in the centre of the mixture.

6 Add the egg yolk, draw in the flour with your fingertips.

7 If required add 3 to 4 teaspoons of ice cold water to make a pliable but not a sticky dough.

8 Wrap the dough in clingilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

9 Sprinkle a little flour onto a work surface and a rolling pin.

10 Cut off two thirds of the dough.

11 Roll out the pastry thinly.

12 Dip a 2 1/2 inch diameter cutter into flour and shake off the excess.

13 Stamp out 30 rounds.

14 Line the bun tins with the circles of pastry.

15 Brush the rim of each pastry case with a little water.

16 Using a teaspoon, fill the cases with mincemeat, making sure not to overfil the cases.

17 Roll up the remaining pastry trimmings and add to the remaining one third of pastry. 

18 Sprinkle a little more flour onto the work surface and rolling pin.

19 Roll out the pastry as thinly as possible.

20 Dip a 2 inches diameter cutter.

21 Stamp out 30 rounds.

22 Place these lids onto the mince pies.

23 Seal the edges thoroughly.

24 Brush tops with a little milk. 

25 Bake in the oven at 200 degrees centigrade/gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes or until a pale golden brown.

26 Transfer the pies to cool onto a wire cooling rack.

 

Makes approximately 30 Mince Pies

 

Serve hot, warm or cold with hot custard, brandy butter, thick whipped cream, runny cream, creme fraiche or ice cream.  They are delicious on their own too.

 

Notes

You can mix a little brandy or rum into the mincemeat, please note that the mixture will be a tad runnier. 

 

The mince pie pastry can be frozen after all of the circles have been stamped out, simply layer them in an old ice cream tub with greaseproof paper inbetween.  Freeze for upto 1 month.

 

To defrost, place individual rounds onto a wire rack and leave for a few minutes.

 

The baked mince pies can also be frozen (even if the raw pastry has been preciously frozen.

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Apple Pie

My maternal grandmother was a fantastic cook and was able to cook most dishes.  She was left a widow with 3 young sons (aged 3 to 11) and was 6 months pregnant.  Often my father and his brothers would ‘scrump’ for apples from which she made a multitude of dishes, this was 1 of my godfathers favourite pies.   Ingredients 1 basic amount of shortcrust pastry   1oz margarine 1lb peeled, cored and roughly chopped cooking apples 2 heaped tablespoons granulated sugar powdered cinnamon or cloves to taste   Method 1 Melt the margarine in a saucepan. 2 Add the apples and sugar. 3 Bring the contents to a simmer and continue to simmer until the apples breakdown easily. 4 Add the cinnamon or cloves to taste. 5 Allow the puree to cool. 6 Roll out half of the pastry to generously fit an oblong or square tin. 7 Line the tin with pastry. 8 Trim off the surplus pastry. 9 Roll out the remaining pastry to generously fit the top of the tin. 10 Brush the top of the rim of the pastry with a little water. 11 Spoon the apple sauce onto the base of the pastry in the tin. 12 Cover the apple sauce with the rolled out pastry. 13 Seal the edges of the pastry. 14 Trim off the excess pastry. 15 Brush the top of the pastry with a little milk. 16 Sprinkle with a little sugar if wished. 17 Make steam holes in the centre of the pie. 18 Bake in the oven at 200 degrees centigrade/gas mark 6 for about 20 to 30 minutes.   Notes Serves 6 to 8 people Serve hot, warm or cold on it’s own or with custard, creme fraiche, ice cream or fresh cream. Can be frozen for up to 3 months. Ideal for packing in lunch boxes or picnics as well as eating at meal times.

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Salmon Burgers

There are fishcakes and there are fishcakes if you know what I mean. A fantastic friend gave me this recipe to try out and I found them just sublime.

         

Ingredients

1 lb salmon fillets

2 handfulls chopped baby spinach

3 diced green onions (or a handful of chives)

1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 lightly beaten egg white

1 tablespoon soy sauce

salt to taste ground

white pepper to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

     

Method

1 Cut the salmon fillets in half lengthwise.

2 Cut the salmon fillets into quarter inch wide strips.

3 Cut the salmon strips into quarter inch dice.

4 Beat the egg white and the soy sauce together.

5 In a large mixing bowl, mix together the salmon, spinach, onion, ginger, salt and pepper.

6 Add the egg white and soy sauce until the mixture is sticky but not gloopy.

7 Heat a solid non-stick frying pan.

8 Add the vegetable oil.

9 While the vegetable oil is heatingstart forming burgers using a quarter of the mixture for each one with wet hands making them half an inch thick.

10 When the oil is hot enough carefully place the burgers into the frying pan, cooking only 2 burgers at a time.

11 Cook each burger for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, or until the burger is a beautiful golden brown colour.

12 Carefully flip over the burger and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the second side is a beautiful golden brown too.

13 Place the cooked burgerss onto a sheet of kitchen paper to drain.

14 Transfer the burgers onto a warmed plate and keep warm whilst you cook the next batch.

     

Notes

Serve hot with potatoes and a green vegetable of your choice or between your favourite savoury roll with salad.

These burgers can also be served with a tomato chutney, pickled ginger, wasabi mayo or good old tartare sauce.

The raw salmon fishcakes can be frozen for about a month, but do defrost them thoroughly before cooking.

Makes 4 good sized burgers.

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Seven Vegetable Sauce

A wonderous sauce to tempt even the most stubborn child that vegetables can taste superb.

            

Ingredients

1 finely chopped garlic clove

1 – 2 finely chopped onions

2 peeled and grated carrots

2 grated courgettes

2 sieved tins of tomatoes

1 peeled and grated butternut squash

2 skinned, deseeded and finely chopped red peppers

1 peeled and grated parsnip

large pinch oregano

1 cracked bay leaf

pinch salt

pinch pepper

           

Method

1 Fry the garlic, onion, carrots, red peppers, courgettes, parsnip, butternut squash, until softened but not coloured, about 10 minutes.
2 Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano and bay leaf.
3 Simmer for 30 minutess or until thickened to your liking.
4 Blitz to a puree.
5 Reheat, pour over pasta and toss well.

        

Notes

Serves 4 people generously.
Serve in hot pasta bowls, with grated parmesan on the top.

This sauce can be successfully frozen for a month.

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Basic Roux Sauce

This is such a wonderful creamy and rich sauce, it can be used in a number of ways, for parsley sauce, cheese sauce, marrow sauce, the list is endless.   There are cheats ways, but although they use the same ingredients they simply do not taste the same.  It really is worth just that little more effort to make this luxurious, silky smooth sauce.   Ingredients 1/2oz/15g unsalted butter 1/2oz/15g plain flour 1/2 pint/10fl oz milk   Method 1 Warm a medium sized saucepan on a hob. 2 Add the butter and allow to melt. 3 Add all of the flour. 4 Using a wooden spoon blend the flour into the butter, allowing the mixture to form a ball. 5 Cook over a low heat, stirring all of the time for 2 minutes to cook out the flour. 6 Add no more than a tablespoon of cold milk to the roux mixture. 7 Stir the milk in thoroughly. 8 Repeat the last 2 stages until all of the milk has been added. 9 Bring the milk up to the boil. 10 Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer for 2 minutes stirring constantly.   The sauce is now ready to use.   If the mixture does go lumpy beat the roux thoroughly and/or pass the mixture through a sieve.

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Gluten Free Shortbread

A good coeliac friend gave me this recipe, they are so nice, to me they tasted a bit like Viennese biscuits.

     

         

Ingredients

8oz gluten free flour

4oz cornflour

4oz icing sugar

8oz butter at room temperature

caster sugar for dusting

 

Method

1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.

2 Place all of the dry ingredients into the sieve and push through with a wooden spoon.

3 Add the butter.

4 Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture comes together.

5 Cover the ball of dough with cling film and refrigerate.

6 Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin.

7 Cut the dough into half.

8 Lightly knead the dough to smooth out the cracks.

9 With one half form the dough into a ball.

10 Roll out lightly to 1/2 inch thick.

11 Using sharp knife, lightly mark triangles with the blade.

12 Using a fork use the tines to decorate the outside edge or pinch the edges.

13 Using a sharp knife mark out fingers about 1″ thick.

14 Use the fork tines to prick the shortbread all over bar the edges.

15 Transfer the dough to a baking sheet.

16 With the other half of the dough form into an oblong shape.

17 Roll out the dough lightly to 1/2 inch thick.

18 Prick the dough with the tines of a fork.

19 Transfer the dough to a baking sheet.

20 Place in the oven heated to 180 degrees centigrade/gas mark 4 for approximately 20 minutes or until a pale golden colour.

21 Lay the baking sheet(s) onto a wire cooling rack and leave for about 5 minutes.

22 Sprinkle with caster sugar.

23 Cut through the marks on the shortbread.

24 Transfer the shortbread onto the cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

 

Store in an airtight container.

 

Note

A pinch of salt maybe added for keeping quality if required and should be sieved with the dry ingredients.

                   

If flavoured shortbread is required vanilla or almond flavourings or dried fruit or quartered cherries or good quality chocolate drops maybe added to taste.

         

The dough maybe frozen before baking at -18 degrees centigrade for about a month.

 

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Pate Brisee

 

 

This pastry is a better pastry from France than sweet flan pastry, it gives a much lighter and crumbly texture.

 

Ingredients

8oz/250g plain flour

5oz/150g diced unsalted butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon salt

pinch of caster sugar

1 medium sized egg

about 1 tablespoon cold milk

 

Method

1 Place the flour and salt into a sieve.

2 Shake the sieve over a work surface.

3 Make a well in the centre of the flour.

4 Place the butter, sugar and egg into the well.

5 Using the fingertips only mix the ingredients together by drawing in the flour.

6 Add sufficient milk to form a pliable dough that is not sticky.

7 Work the dough to make it smooth.

8 Wrap the dough in clingfilm.

9 Place in the fridge to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

 

Notes

Can be stored in the fridge for upto 5 days.

 

Can be frozen at -18 degrees centigrade for upto 2 months.  To defrost place in the fridge overnight or leave at room temperature for a couple of hours

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Mum’s Rich Beef Stew

This takes me back to coming home from junior school on a cold and wet day in the 1960’s to a wonderful aromatic stew.

 

Ingredients

12oz diced braising or stewing steak

vegetable oil

1 medium diced white onion

3 diced smoked streaky bacon rashers

1 1/2 tablespoons pin head oatmeal

1/4 diced swede

1 diced carrot

6oz diced mushrooms

1 large cracked bay leaf

1 dessertspoon chopped fresh sage

1 tin of tomatoes (sieved)

2 heaped tablespoons tomato puree

pinch sugar 

good shake of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 pint beef stock

 

Method

1 Heat a large frying pan on the hob.

2 Add a little vegetable oil

3 Brown the steak on all sides and reserve.

4 Add the onions and cook until softeining.

5 Add the bacon pieces and mushrooms and cook until the bacon starts to colour.

6 Stir in the oatmeal.

7 Add the swede and carrot, mix thoroughly.

8 Add the bay leaf and sage, mix thoroughly.

9 Add the tomato puree and mix in thoroughly.

10 Add the sieved tomatoes, sugar and Worcestershire sauce, mix in thoroughly.

11 Add the beef stock, stir thoroughly.

12 Bring to the boil, stirring well.

13 Transfer to a warmed casserole dish and place the lid on.

14 Cook at 150 degrees centigrade/gas mark 3 for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is cooked through and tender.

15 Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

16 Remove the bay leaf.

17 Serve immediately with potatoes.

 

Serves 3 people

 

Notes

Can be served with dumplings, pasta or rice.

Can be frozen for a couple of months in individual portions.

Reheat by bringing to the boil in a saucepan and simmering for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through thoroughly

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Paddingtons Muffins

This recipe is dedicated to one of my all time literary heroes – Paddington Bear (who is 50 years old this year – 2008).  He loved marmalade and I made these muffins for a teddy bears picnic that my son went on when he was at playgroup and the recipe had to be repeated whenever he had to take cakes anywhere.                 Ingedients 12oz/350g self raising flour  1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 5oz/135g soft brown sugar 1 tablespoon runny honey  3oz/80g sultanas 125ml buttermilk  2 large beaten eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5oz/135g melted butter 9oz/260g marmalade, plus extra to decorate                       Method  1 Line muffin tin with paper cases. 2 Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, into a large mixing bowl. 3 Stir in the sugar and sultanas. 4 Make a well in the centre.  5 In another large mixing bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract and melted butter. 6 Pour the egg mixture into the well in the flour mixture.  7 Add the marmalade. 8 Stir until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over-mix – the batter will not be smooth.  9 Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases.  10 Bake at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 for approximately 20 – 25 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.  11 Allow to cool in the tin for 5 mintues before turning out onto a wire cooling rack. 12 Brush the tops with a little extra warmed marmalade. Makes 12 muffins   Notes If buttermilk is unavailable use 125ml fresh milk, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, it will curdle, this is perfectly alright to use. The muffins can be frozen at -18 degrees centigrade for upto 1 month.  The marmalade topping can seperate, best decorated afterwards.

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