Russ's Restaurant and Recipe Repository

[Handley_Page]

In these days of the Internet of Things and so on is a smoke alarm that will
respond when you yell at it:-

"

Shut Up; I'm cooking​

"

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Traditional English Christmas Rich Mincemeat with Candied Peel

Ingredients:
300g 5% fat ground beef (or 300g ground venison mixed thoroughly with 20g ground pork fat)
225g coarsely grated cooking apple
125g candied citrus peel (see below)
1 tbsp golden cane sugar
260g sultanas
260g currants
190g soft dark brown sugar
225g beef suet
Finely grated zest and juice of 1½ oranges
Finely grated zest and juice of 1½ lemons
95ml brandy
45ml Calvados or Cointreau
50ml light rum
40ml ruby port
1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
1 heaped tsp ground allspice
1 whole nutmeg, grated

Candied Peel:
300g oranges
300g unwaxed lemon
750ml water
250g fine caster sugar


Method:
To make the candied peel, remove the peel from the oranges and lemons, carefully scrape the white pith from inside, and julienne into long strips roughly the width of a matchstick.
Put the peel in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes then drain.
Return the peel to the pan with the sugar and the 750ml of water and bring to the boil.
Lower the heat so the mixture bubbles gently then leave to cook for an hour. Keep an eye on it, so the liquid doesn’t boil away.

When the peel is translucent and quite soft, lift it from the syrup and spread out on a cooling rack or on baking parchment, and bake in a cool oven (100C/gas mark ½) for an hour.

The peel should not be completely crisp and dry. You want it to retain some softness.

Using a sharp knife, chop the candied peel into little chunks about the size of currants. Mix 125g with the currants and sultanas, store the rest in an airtight sterilized jar in the fridge, and use with currants and sultanas when making Hot-Cross or Chelsea buns.

Don’t let the citrus-tinted sugar syrup go to waste: strain, cool it, and bottle it in the fridge, it makes a great base for Mojitos, Old Cubans, White Lady’s, Ramos’ Gin Fizz, Metropolitans, Earl Grey Martini, Planter’s Punch, and Mint Juleps.

Mincemeat:
You’ll also need…
Large ovenproof pan

Method:
Heat the oven to 140°C (Fan 120°C, Gas Mark 1.)
Heat the pan over a medium heat, add the ground beef (or fatted venison) and fry for 8-10 minutes until browned.
Add the remaining ingredients, then stir to combine and to help dissolve the sugar. There’s no need to strain off the fat.
Transfer to the oven and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring every hour to incorporate all the cooking juices, until sticky and thick and just gorgeous.

Take out of the oven and leave to cool, stirring every now and then. If potting up, do so while it’s still warm, in sterilized glass jars with metal lids, and a circle of waxed paper that sits on top of the filled jar. Store when cold in the bottom of the refrigerator.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Well folks, I've done the first draft of the recipes here - 166 of them to date. If you want a link to the spreadsheet, PM me with an email and I'll send you the link.

 

[Handley_Page]

I found this one in a book on food preparation on a narrowboat.


Windfall Apple Pudding

Pastry:
6oz flour
3oz coking fats
Pinch of Salt
Cold water to mix.

Filling:
2 large Eating apples
1 large cooking apple
2oz seedless raisins
1 egg
2oz caster sugar
1oz self-raising flour
Icing sugar (for the dredging).

Set oven to 375F (Gas mark 5)
Pastry: Put the fats, salt & flour into a bowl; cut the fat into small pieces and rub in lightly. Add about 1½ tablespoons water and mix with a fork.
Knead lightly and roll out on a floured surface and line an 8inch pie plate.
Overlap the rim by half an inch and turn back the pastry to form a double rim.
Filling: Peel, core & slice the apples, mix in the raisins and pile in the pastry case.
Beat the egg & the sugar in a bowl until thick & creamy, fold in the flour and pour over the filling.

Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Dredge with Icing sugar and serve with cream or custard..

 

[Rustyoznail]

Thanks HP

Narrowboat = canal boat?

 

[Handley_Page]

Thanks HP

Narrowboat = canal boat?

Oh Yes.
Some buffoons will call them a "barge", but a barge is 14 foot wide and this will not fit on the waterways. It's called a 'Narrowboat' because it's supposed to fit in a lock only 7ft wide (and about 60ft long, but this is a bit of a problem on some locks)

Before we had engines on boats, they'd be towed by a horse; this meant a crew of two at least (one steering the horse, one steering the boat).

It's how Wedgwood got his crockery to London; at a couple of miles an hour.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Hubby wanted something from his schoolboy days for dinner, so I made him classic English rissoles with green salad and chips, one of his favorite boyhood meals. These old-fashiond fried patties are easy to make and taste wonderful.

OLD-FASHIONED BEEF RISSOLES

Ingedients:
500 g minced beef (left-over trimmings from a meat roast finely chopped /minced are a good substitute)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cooked white rice, lightly blitzed to break up the grains a little, or cooked polenta/cous-cous (optional)
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
level ½ teaspoon of salt
1 beef bouillon cube crumbled finely
½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or dried mixed herbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
Pepper, to taste
Fresh breadcrumbs (made with a processed slice of fresh white bread), enough to bulk and make the meat easy to knead

3 eggs beaten and set aside
Bowl of sieved golden breadcrumbs

Method:
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well together with your hands.
If the mix is too wet add more breadcrumbs until a dough-like consistency is achieved.
Roll into balls big enough to sit comfortably in the palm of your hand, not too big, and flatten into approximately ½-inch thick patties.
Place small amount of oil in a frying-pan on medium heat.
Fry gently until brown on each side and firm, take out of the pan and let drain and cool on kitchen paper for a few minutes.

Dip the cooled patties in the beaten egg, dredge in breadcrumbs until completely coated (repeat if you want a thicker, crispier coating), and gently shallow-fry on medium heat until the rissoles are crisp and golden.

Serve with green salad and thick-cut fries

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Traditional Scotch Pie

Hot Water Shortcrust Pastry:
8 oz/225 g lard or dripping
1.5 lb self-raising flour
1 tsp salt
10 fl oz/300 ml water
Milk (for the glaze)

Filling:
1lb/450 g finely ground beef or lamb
8 oz/225g breadcrumbs
4 oz/115g cooked crushed barley
Small jug of pre-made beef gravy (use bouillon cubes and flour, or an instant gravy mix)
Salt, pepper,
1 tsp dried Myrtle
½ tsp dried Marjoram (or dried mixed herbs)
Nutmeg or mace to season.

Method:
1. Melt the lard in the boiling water.

2. Sieve the flour into a warmed bowl. Make a well in the middle and mix in the hot fat and water mixture with a wooden spoon.

3. When the dough has cooled a little - knead with your hands. When it is smooth and 'elastic' - leave in a warm place until firmer (but still elastic enough to roll out) and divide into 3 pieces, combine 2 pieces so yopu have two pieces, 2/3 and 1/3 total.

4. Roll out the pastry keeping it thin, maybe slightly more than ¼ inch thick. Cut the pastry into round shapes 4 inches across or if you are using pie or muffin tins - to the correct size. Roll out and cut the remaining pastry 1/3 into enough circles for the top of the pies.

5. Mix the ground meat with the breadcrumbs, herbs, spices, barley, and seasoning.

6. Add just enough beef gravy to bind, and mix thoroughly

7. Fill the pie shells to 3/4 full. Add the top and seal by wetting and carefully crimping the lids to the sides of the pastry shells.

8. Using a sharp knife, make a small, cross-shaped cut in the centre of the lid to allow the steam to escape. Brush with milk or beaten egg to glaze.

9. Pre-heat the oven to 190 centigrade/ 375 F. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Now the weather is here for comfort food, here's one that works for me every time:

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:
450g/1lb ground lamb (or use ground beef, which makes this a Cottage Pie)
25g/1oz beef dripping, preferably from a butcher, or reserved and refrigerated from a previous beef roast
2 lamb bouillon cubes crumbled fine
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp plain flour
50g fresh or frozen garden peas
2 medium carrots, scraped, cored and diced small
2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary, and 2 bay leaves firmly tied together with thread into a bouquet garni
1generous tsp English Mustard (or a level tsp English Mustard powder)
1 large tsp Redcurrant Jelly (optional)
1 small can chopped tomatoes
225ml/7 ½ fl oz beef or lamb stock, made up beforehand
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mash:
700g/1½lb White, King Edward, or Maris Piper potatoes (or any other fluffy white potato; don't use waxy salad potatoes, they don't mash well) cut into manageable pieces
55ml/2fl oz whole milk
75g/3oz butter
150g grated sharp cheese; mature Cheddar is best, but aged Monterey Jack works really well too
1 free-range egg yolk

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C for fan-assisted ovens)

2. In a large non-stick casserole dish heat the dripping. Add the onion and cook for five minutes, then add the diced carrot.

3. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat a little olive oil and fry the ground meat, stirring in the crumbled lamb bouillon cube, until browned all over. While the meat is frying, break up any lumps with the back of the spoon.

4. Stir the carrot and onion into the meat and add the flour (this helps to thicken the juices) and stir.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes; the peas and the stock, keeping a little stock aside for putting into the meat pan to de-glaze the pan.

6. Add the cooked ground meat and then pour the reserved stock into the empty meat pan to de-glaze it on the heat, scraping off any fragments of meat left in the pan. Stir the de-glazing stock into the meat and vegetable mixture.

7. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stir in the mustard and Redcurrant jelly (if using), mix well and add the bouquet garni. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper and then back it way down to the lowest heat, cover tightly, and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes, checking frequently and stirring to make sure it’s not catching or burning. If it looks or feels too dry, add a little hot water to loosen it up a little. When cooked, set aside to cool.

8. For the mash, boil the potatoes in well-salted water, and then drain them in a sieve or colander and let them steam dry.

Beat the egg yolk, butter, and cheese into the milk.

Place the potatoes, which should have stopped steaming, in a clean bowl and mash well by hand before stirring in the cheese, egg and milk mixture to give a silky-smooth, lump-free texture; season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Don’t use any kind of mixer or blender to mash the potatoes, this will liquidize the potato and turn it into slurry, always use a hand masher or a Potato Ricer or similar.

9. Spoon the cooled meat mixture into an ovenproof dish, fish out and discard the bouquet garni, and spread the mashed potato evenly on top, smooth over and mark a ridged pattern with a spatula or fork, or pipe using an icing bag and a star nozzle to give a ridged pattern which will give the potato more surface area and make the crust extra crispy. Put the dish into the oven (uncovered, or with a sheet of foil laid loosely over the top) and cook until the surface is bubbling, golden-brown, and crisp.

Serve with steamed green beans and steamed broccoli or cauliflower florets, and rich beef or red-wine gravy, or, to be decadent and luxurious, serve with champagne for a classic English Shepherd's Pie and champagne supper

 

[Handley_Page]

Lori: Is a '1 beef bouillon cube ' a simple OXO cube ?

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Lori: Is a '1 beef bouillon cube ' a simple OXO cube ?

Yes it is, HP, although the 'Oxo' brand will only be familiar to the Brits on here; 'beef bouillon cube' is much more generic

 

[Handley_Page]

Yes it is, HP, although the 'Oxo' brand will only be familiar to the Brits on here; 'beef bouillon cube' is much more generic

Thank you, Lori
bouillon is a french word I seldom use. . . .

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Sticky Jamaica Ginger Cake with Ginger Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
150 g Unsalted Butter
125 g Dark Brown Sugar
200 g Golden Syrup
200 g Molasses (to measure accurately, place the saucepan on the scales, zero it, then add the golden syrup and the molasses)
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
250 ml Semi-Skimmed Milk
2 large Eggs
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda dissolved in 2 tbsp of warm water
300 g plain flour (All-Purpose Flour in the USA)
2lb Loaf Tin, well greased with unsalted butter (DON'T use lard or cooking spray whatever you do!)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C

In the saucepan melt the butter, sugar, golden syrup, molasses and spices.

Once melted remove from the heat and add in the milk, eggs and dissolved bicarbonate of soda. Stir to completely combine all liquid ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl sieve in the flour.

Now pour in the liquid ingredients.

Beat the mixture on medium until thoroughly combined.

Pour half the batter into the loaf pan liner. (If you have another tin do the same. If not wait till 1 cooks then repeat filling and cooking again.)

Bake for 45minutes to 1hr until it's risen and firm. You want it to be sticky so better to test it at the hr point.

Set aside to cool and if needed make the 2nd gingerbread cake loaf.

Serve cold as a simple cake or as a hot dessert with Ginger Caramel Sauce, see recipe below

*****

Hot Ginger Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
250g Caster (confectioner) Sugar
1 large pinch powdered ginger
50g butter
142 ml Double Cream

Method:
Tip the sugar into a heavy-based frying pan, stir in 4 tbsp water, then place over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the ginger, and turn up the heat and bubble for 4-5 mins until you have golden caramel.

Take off the heat, then carefully stir in the cream and butter with a balloon whisk, don’t whip it in.

Leave the sauce to cool past boiling hot, then tip into a sauce boat.

Serve warm, over hot Jamaica Ginger cake, steamed puddings, or ice cream, or Sticky Toffee pudding, it’s superb!

 

[Rustyoznail]

Yes it is, HP, although the 'Oxo' brand will only be familiar to the Brits on here; 'beef bouillon cube' is much more generic

And 'stock cube" is even more basic...

I think you're going native, Lori. Next thing you'll be posting recipes for Escargots de Bourgogne or Couilles de mouton.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

And 'stock cube" is even more basic...

I think you're going native, Lori. Next thing you'll be posting recipes for Escargots de Bourgogne or Couilles de mouton.

Yah, no, sheep's testicles, no way (even though that's what Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made from...) and escargots? Not even in my worst nightmares; husband-creature eats them, and likes them, which is why I stand by with the electric toothbrush and a bottle of Listerine because he ain't kissing me until he don't smell like garbage no more; oysters I get, sea urchins are delcious, sushi, lead me to it, slime factories? Nope, just...nope

There is a ritual to cleanse yourself of eating escargots, it involves fasting, praying, dancing widdershins around ancient burial mounds, and getting shitfaced on JD and hoping the memories fade...

 

[PennLady]

Russ requested this, which I made for dinner tonight (12/9/20) and is in a few parts.

Part 1: Japanese Curry Sauce
Part 1a: Curry Powder
Part 2: Katsu Sauce
Part 3: Breaded Chicken

Curry Sauce:

First, a curry powder recipe, if you don't already have it.

6 parts coriander
4 parts cumin
1 part fenugreek
1 part dry mustard
1 part turmeric
1 part cardamom
Red pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. If part = teaspoon, this makes 14 tsp, or 4 tbsp and 2 tsp. This is enough for the sauce; if you don't have garam masala, just substitute the curry powder for it.

Now, for the Curry Sauce.

Roux:
1/2 cup flour
3 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp garam masala

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp tomato paste

1. Mix flour, curry powder and garam masala in a bowl, set aside.
2. Melt butter on med/low heat, then add worcestershire sauce and tomato paste until mixed.
3. Gradually add flour mixture and stir. It will be thick by the time you finish. Remove from heat and set aside.

Sauce:

4 cups chicken broth
1/2" ginger root (I just use some ginger from a squeeze bottle)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 med/small onion, minced
2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp (or to taste) red pepper
1 Tsp honey (or 1/2 cup apple juice)

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan on med-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Gradually add roux, approx. 2 Tbsp at a time, making sure roux is dissolved before adding more. Keep warm on low heat.

Katsu sauce:

I quadruple the recipe I found, because both my kids like this sauce, so here are those measurements.

1/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce (hoisin sauce would work as a substitute, or some soy sauce)
4-1/2 tsp white sugar (I prefer honey myself)

Mix all ingredients and set aside. Keep refrigerated. Lasts a long time, too.

Breaded chicken

1/4 cup flour
2-3 eggs, beaten
panko breadcrumbs (regular would work too)

2-3 boneless chicken breasts, sliced thin

For this I use boneless chicken breasts, which I slice very thin horizontally, about 1/4" thick or so. But you can go thicker and use a mallet, or use thighs, or whatever works. You do want the chicken to be thin, though. 1/8-1/4" thick.

Heat canola or vegetable oil in a 10-12" skillet. I probably use 2-4 cups, I don't measure. I just add until it's about halfway full.

Dredge the chicken in the flour, then the eggs, then cover with bread crumbs. Place carefully in pan when oil is ready. A handy trick to checking if the oil is ready is to put the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. If it bubbles, it's ready. If it bubbles violently, you might want to turn the heat down and wait a few minutes before adding the chicken.

Let the chicken pieces cook 3-5 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Ta da!

I usually slice the chicken into thin strips to approximate how pork katsu is served in a restaurant. It's also just easier to eat that way.

Enjoy with rice and/or whatever other sides you'd like. My kids eat the chicken with the katsu sauce, my husband and I have it with the curry sauce. Either way it's great.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

That Katsu curry recipe sounds scrummy, I'm deffo giving it a try, thank you, PennLady!

 

[Rustyoznail]

Thank you PennLady.

 

[PennLady]

That Katsu curry recipe sounds scrummy, I'm deffo giving it a try, thank you, PennLady!

I hope you like it! It's one thing we all like here.

I would also suggest doing some advance work. Before I get started actually cooking the curry sauce and chicken, I usually:

* make the curry powder
* mix the dry ingredients for the roux
* make the katsu sauce
* slice the meat (pork is great with this, just slice it thin)

Then you can just heat and mix per the instructions.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

I hope you like it! It's one thing we all like here.

I would also suggest doing some advance work. Before I get started actually cooking the curry sauce and chicken, I usually:

* make the curry powder
* mix the dry ingredients for the roux
* make the katsu sauce
* slice the meat (pork is great with this, just slice it thin)

Then you can just heat and mix per the instructions.

Tried it, and I was right, it was scrummy, watching hubby trying not to lick the plate was a good sign it worked a treat! Tonight I'm going with the flow and making the fam Chicken Teriyaki, the Katsu curry put me in the mood for more of the same...

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Festive Pork Sausage & Mincemeat Mini-Wellingtons

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small dessert apple such as Royal Gala or Braeburn, or half a medium Bramley, peeled, cored and grated
1 lb/454g lean pork sausage meat (Lincolnshire or Cumberland recipe or similar high-meat content finely-ground pork sausage meat)
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
Small bowl of gently warmed sweet mincemeat, with 2 tbsp fresh orange juice or half-and-half fresh orange juice and Cointreau well stirred in to thin it to a spreadable consistency. Don’t use mincemeat straight from the fridge, it’s very hard to work unless you’re filling mince pies.
3 tbsp pickled black cherries, patted dry and chopped (or use Cranberries if you prefer, they add a suitably festive accent.)
3 sheets (or more if you increase your quantities) ready-rolled shortcrust pastry sheets.
1 egg, beaten

Method:
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a small non-stick saucepan and gently fry the onion and apple for 4-5 mins, then stir in the sage and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until onions and apple is softened and lightly browned.

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and leave to cool for 15 mins.

Place the sausage meat in a bowl and thoroughly combine the onion/apple/sage mixture with your fingers, and season well with freshly-ground black pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt (sea salt is much stronger than table salt, so use sparingly.)

Cut the sheets of pastry in half and brush the edges with milk.
Form a neat line of meat in the shape of 1-inch wide sausage about 3 cm in from the long edge of one half of the pastry.

Carefully spread the thinned-down mincemeat along the entire length of the meat, ensuring the fruit is evenly distributed along the entire length, and sprinkle evenly with the chopped cherries or cranberries.

Roll the pastry over tightly, encasing the meat mixture, but don’t roll the pastry sausage over, and cut the Wellingtons to preferred size (I like a 2-bite size, but cocktail sausage-roll size works too) dampening the cut ends with a little milk and crimping around the edges of each mini-Wellington with a fork to or your fingertips seal. Cut a small slit in the top of each Wellington to allow steam to escape, and brush with beaten egg.

Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

N.B.
This recipe also works rather well as a more savory petit-four, using Mushroom paté rather than mincemeat, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in place of cherries or cranberries.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Victorian Steamed Christmas Pudding

I got this original recipe from my husband's 4x great-grandmother's kitchen book, dating from 1840, that I found on his family's library shelves. She was very particular about ingredients, stirring times, cooking times, and care and handling of the dishes she would be serving, and the margins are full of testy little notes to her cooks and kitchenmaids about how exactly she wanted things done. Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, so this book was begun just 3 years after her coronation, when the lady in question was a brand-new bride of 15 years old and suddenly mistress of her own house; one assumes the recipes therein came from her mother and grandmother, so may well be of Regency or even earlier vintage.

Classic Victorian Christmas Pudding.

Ingredients:
1½ lbs soft breadcrumbs (make yourself, process fresh white or semi-wholemeal bread slices in a blender or food-processor, not store-bought dry breadcrumbs, and don’t be tempted to process dry or stale bread, the resultant breadcrumbs will absorb too much liquid and make the pudding hard and solid)
1 lb plain white flour
1 large teaspoon baking powder to be authentic (or use 1 lb white self-raising/US All-Purpose flour)
8 oz shredded beef suet (not vegetable or artificial shortening, they won’t work)
1 large very tart cooking apple (A good, solid Bramley is ideal, peeled, cored, sliced and diced into ½” pieces and soaked in lemon juice and sprinkled with white cane sugar to stop them going brown)
6 oz plump sultanas
6 oz currants
6 oz moist seeded raisins; try and avoid the rock-hard dried raisins, they don’t really work
6 oz stoned and halved eating prunes (or dried ones, soaked overnight in sugared brandy, but not canned)
2 oz chopped dried figs
4 oz stoned dates roughly chopped and stirred into 2 tablespoons of unset honey
2 oz chopped mixed walnuts and hazelnuts
6 oz candied mixed peel (store-bought or make your own)
6 oz Dark brown, Demerara or Muscovado sugar, not white cane sugar
Zest of 1 medium orange and 1 small lemon, minced fine
Juice of half an orange
Juice of ½ lemon (fresh squeezed, not bottled)
1 large teaspoon powdered ginger or 1oz finely minced fresh ginger
½ teaspoon Allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Dusting of grated mace
1 large tbsp molasses or Black Treacle
2 tbsp unset honey
2 tbsp golden syrup
Large pinch of salt
2 chopped and split cloves
3 large whole eggs plus 2 extra yolks
Generous splash brandy or Cognac
Generous splash Jamaica Dark Rum
Generous splash Dry Gin
English flat dry cider (the alcoholic kind, not American-style mulled apple juice) such as Dry Blackthorn or Worley’s, and India Pale Ale (not lager!) I prefer the original Victorian IPA, Hodgson’s, Watneys, or Bass, not Greene King or the American ‘craft’ copies, they’re far too hoppy, in a 50/50 mix, sufficient to bind into a firm(ish) batter

Brandy Sauce (serves 6)
1 ltr milk
100g cornflour
100g castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
100ml brandy
Place 900ml of the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Mix the remaining 100ml milk with the sugar, vanilla and cornflour to a paste. Add to the boiling milk and stir until thickened, add the brandy.

Traditional English Custard (Crème Anglaise)
Ingredients
350ml of milk
2 egg yolks
25g of sugar
1 vanilla pod

Add the milk and vanilla pod to a pan set over a low-medium heat and heat until just beginning to simmer. Then, remove from the heat and leave to infuse – the longer it is left the more pronounced the vanilla flavour will be

Using a wooden spoon, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl. Using a wooden spoon prevents any air being incorporated, which will help to create a dense custard

Gradually and gently whisk in the slightly warm milk until you are left with a smooth liquid

Pour the liquid into a clean pan and reheat over a low heat, whisking continuously. It is important to heat gently as a high temperature will result in the eggs scrambling. Continue to heat until the liquid thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon

Pass the liquid through a sieve into a clean bowl or serving jug. If not using straight away cover with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming

*****

Making The Pudding:

Method:
(You will need a large, old-fashioned mixing bowl for this amount of ingredients, preferably ceramic or glass, or stainless steel; DON’T use an aluminum bowl!)

Beat the eggs, sugar, brandy, rum, Black Treacle, juices.

Mix together the breadcrumbs and flour, all the fruit, the spices, salt, mixed peel, nuts and chopped apple until all the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, then stir in the beaten egg mixture, and beat for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the cider/pale ale mix and stir with a wooden spoon continuously for at least 20 minutes. (This part might need some assistance, traditionally one kitchen-maid stirred while two held the bowl and they took turns stirring.)

Don’t be tempted to add too much liquid, as this will make the pudding flaccid, and no amount of re-steaming will revive it, and don’t try to break the mixture and do it in batches in a food processor, it will pulverise all the ingredients, add too much air, and you’ll end up with a Christmas Pudding-flavored steamed sponge cake.

Cover the bowl with a dampened clean white kitchen towel and leave in a cool place (but not the fridge) overnight to season and infuse.

The next day spoon the mixture into a large traditional pudding basin with a raised rim.

Cooking Instructions:

Make a tinfoil lid with a large, double-pleat across the middle (to allow the pudding to rise), wrap the lid across the top of the basin, making sure there are no gaps, and tie a double string (and make sure you use only kitchen string; hemp or sisal twine will break-down and snap with the heat) securely around the basin top, making sure it can’t slip up over the basin rim.

Next, make a handle by tying a doubled length of string to the string already tied tightly around the rim of the basin, ensuring there is plenty of slack, to form a carrying handle – this is important, as this is the only safe way to lift the hot pudding basin out of the steamer pan, so it would be a good idea to try it a few times beforehand, to get the technique right.

Now, get a large deep pan big enough to fit the pudding basin inside, and stand a china soup bowl upside down inside it, and put in enough water to come up to just under halfway up the side of the pudding basin, put the pudding into the pan resting on the upturned bowl, and put a clean cut-off strong bamboo cane or long wooden spoon handle through the string handle you made and rest it across the top of the boiling pan.

The pudding will require about 6-8 hours steaming, (check it with a knife through the middle after 6 hours, if it comes out clean the pudding is done, so let it rest in the boiler until an hour before serving and bring it back to the boil so that the brandy will flame) depending on the level of water in the boiler – the more hot water surrounding the basin, the less time to cook, from a minimum cooking time of about 6 hours, up to a maximum cooking time of about 10 hours.

Reckon on putting it on to boil at 10:00 and having it with dinner at 8:00 at night, or make it the day before, and heat it through in a boiler 1 hour before Christmas lunch is served, to ensure it's hot enough to flame as it's brought to table for dessert

Serve hot (splashed with brandy or cognac and flamed before bringing it to table) with custard, Brandy Sauce or double cream

Hint:
You can cut the ingredients in half, and it still works, even the steaming time; I don’t know why this is, but it only seems to work for these puddings – maybe Great-Great-Great Grandmother knew something we didn’t...

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Rhubarb Rice Pudding

A simple dessert to counterbalance the rich and extravagant desserts we all indulge in over Christmas

Rhubarb Rice Pudding

Ingredients:
½ litre (2 cups) whole milk, plus more as needed
½ litre (2 cups) pasteurised cream
¾ cup (150 g) pudding/Arborio rice, or, you could use Basmati rice, or Thai Jasmine rice for that extra floral fragrance. Note that long-grain rice will take slightly longer to cook, so factor this in
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp mixed grated nutmeg and mace
¼ cup (80g) agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon orange flower water (or ¼ teaspoon orange juice diluted in ½ teaspoon fresh water)

Rhubarb Sauce:
12 ounces (350 g) rhubarb, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) lengths
½ cup (125 ml) water
1 star anise
1 teaspoon rose water
2 additional tablespoons agave nectar or honey

Method:
First, make the rice pudding. Pour the milk, cream, and rice into a medium-sized saucepan, add the cinnamon stick, bring to a boil, and then simmer over very low heat, stirring frequently, for around 30 minutes. At this point, stir in the agave or honey, and the orange flower water, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, adding more milk if the pudding starts looking dry. When the rice is plump and sticky, (and remember that long-grain rices like Thai Jasmine or Basmati take longer to cook, so factor in a little extra time to ensure the rice is properly cooked if you use these, adding more cream, or milk and cream half-and-half if the rice apears too dry) and stir in up to an additional ½ cup of cream or milk, decant into a lightly greased (use unsalted butter) ovenproof dish, dust lightly with the mixed nutmeg and mace, and bake with the lid on for 30-40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 160-170C.

While the rice pudding is baking, put the rhubarb, water, star anise, rose water, and agave or honey in a separate heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 10 minutes, turning once or twice, until you have a lovely tender pink softness; fish out the star anise. Plate the rice pudding and swirl the rhubarb sauce through, or swirl the sauce through, then plate, it doesn’t matter which.

Delectable eaten hot on a chilly afternoon, it really is comfort food at its best, or, as my husband eats it in summer, chilled, with a large dollop of Cornish Dairy ice cream or whipped cream, and an additional handful of redcurrants tossed in.

Note:
If rhubarb is too tart for your taste, substitute with a 400g, 50/50 mix of raspberries and blackcurrants or blackberries heated in 125ml water just until they start to break down and consolidate, or raspberries (fresh or frozen) and strawberries in the same proportion.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Cornish Pasty

Cornish Pasty

Pastry:
1lb (450g) plain flour
½ tsp salt
¼lb (120g) cold lard, diced
75g (3oz) cold unsalted butter, diced
90ml (3fl.oz)ice-cold water
1 egg, lightly beaten, to glaze

Filling:
1 large onion, diced
¼lb (120g) rutabaga (Swede)
1 large diced carrot (optional)
1 large firm potato, such as Red or Jersey
1lb (450g) beef skirt or stewing beef
1tsp mixed herbs
2oz (50g) butter
salt and pepper

Equipment
9 ½ /24cm plate (to use as a guide)

Method:
1.To make the pastry, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, add the lard and butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in enough water to make a fairly firm dough, then knead briefly until smooth. Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. For the filling, slice the onion finely and cut across once; don't dice the onion. Cut the rutabaga and potato into small cubes; keep each separate. Cut the beef into small, thin pieces, roll in the mixed herbs and divide into 5 portions.

3. Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Divide the pastry into 5 equal pieces. Roll each out on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness and cut out a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide.

4. Scatter a scant layer of rutabaga (swede) on one half of the pastry circle, leaving a 1cm border and the other half clear. Add a similar layer of mixed potato and carrot (if using it), season lightly and top with some onion. Repeat the rutabaga, potato, and onion layers, seasoning as you go. Check the pasty will close, then add the beef along the top of the mounded vegetables. Add a final layer of onion, and dot with 6-8 knobs of butter about the size of the end of your pinkie. A final dusting of black pepper, then close and seal the pasty as below.

5. Brush the pastry border with a little beaten egg, then fold over the unfilled pastry side and seal the edges of the pasty together, making sure that the edges meet. Press together firmly and then crimp the edges together by pinching the dough all the way round between your thumb and forefinger and folding the pinched dough over to seal it and make a decorative edging.

6. Fill and seal the remaining circles of pastry in the same way. Place the pasties on 2 baking trays and cut 2 small parallel slits in the middle of each one. Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes in the middle of the oven, then lower the oven setting to 160°C/Gas 3 and bake for 30 minutes longer. Best eaten hot from the oven.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Oggbashan's Cornish pasty

Ingredients

For the pastry

500g/1lb 1oz strong bread flour
120g/4oz vegetable shortening or suet
1 tsp salt
25g/1oz margarine or butter
175ml/6fl oz cold water
1 free-range egg, beaten with a little salt (for glazing)

For the filling

350g/12oz good-quality beef skirt, rump steak or braising steak
350g/12oz waxy potatoes
200g/7oz swede
175g/6oz onions
salt and freshly ground black pepper
knob of butter or margarine

Method

Tip the flour into the bowl and add the shortening, a pinch of salt, the margarine or butter and all of the water.

Use a spoon to gently combine the ingredients. Then use your hands to crush everything together, bringing the ingredients together as a fairly dry dough.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface (there’s no need to put flour or oil onto the surface because it’s a tight rather than sticky dough).

Knead the dough to combine the ingredients properly. Use the heel of your hand to stretch the dough. Roll it back up into a ball, then turn it, stretch and roll it up again. Repeat this process for about 5-6 minutes. The dough will start to become smooth as the shortening breaks down. If the dough feels grainy, keep working it until it’s smooth and glossy. Don’t be afraid to be rough – you’ll need to use lots of pressure and work the dough vigorously to get the best results.

When the dough is smooth, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for 30–60 minutes.

While the dough is resting, peel and cut the potato, swede and onion into cubes about 1cm/½in square. Cut the beef into similar sized chunks. Put all four ingredients into a bowl and mix. Season well with salt and some freshly ground black pepper, then put the filling to one side until the dough is ready.

Lightly grease a baking tray with margarine (or butter) and line with baking or silicone paper (not greaseproof).

Preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan assisted)/325F/Gas 3.

Once the dough has had time to relax, take it out of the fridge. The margarine or butter will have chilled, giving you a tight dough. Divide the dough into four equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a disc roughly 25cm/10in wide (roughly the same size as a dinner plate).

Spoon a quarter of the filling onto each disc. Spread the filling on one half of the disc, leaving the other half clear. Put a knob of butter or margarine on top of the filling.

Carefully fold the pastry over, join the edges and push with your fingers to seal. Crimp the edge to make sure the filling is held inside – either by using a fork or by making small twists along the sealed edge. Traditionally Cornish pasties have around 20 crimps. When you’ve crimped along the edge, fold the end corners underneath.

Put the pasties onto the baking tray and brush the top of each pasty with the egg and salt mixture. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45 minutes or until the pasties are golden brown. If your pasties aren't browning, increase the oven temperature by 10C/25F for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.