Showing posts with label The Classics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Classics. Show all posts
One of the most iconic and popular dishes in the UK has to be Classic Bangers & Mash. Its right up there with Fish & Chips and Curry and Rice. And let's not forget, Sunday lunch Roast Beef.
And really, in my opinion, the British have some of the best sausages in the world. I totally fell in love with British sausage, and by that I don't mean the cheap and nasty ones. They are pretty blah everywhere. I mean the nice and thick, meaty, butcher's style of sausage.
Most localities in the U.K. pretty much had their own variety of sausage. Newmarket, Lincolnshire, Cumberland, etc. My favorites of all were the Cumberland sausage, which were nice and spicy.
You can actually tell a good Butcher in the U.K. by his sausages. We had some very good local butchers where I lived and I would have chosen any one of their sausages over a store market brand any day of the week.
A favorite way of enjoying those sausages was this very classic dish of Bangers & Mash. Beautifully cooked and browned thick pork sausages in a lush onion gravy, served alongside of fluffy, buttery, mashed potatoes. Its a dish that you just can't beat!
This recipe which I am sharing today comes from a cookery book by Tamasin Day-Lewis entitled Tamasin's Kitchen Bible. Tamasin is the sister of the actor Daniel Day-Lewis and is an excellent television chef and food critic who has written more than a dozen cookery books.
I always loved watching her on the television and I loved her no-nonsense approach to cooking and food. Very simple and non-pretentious and very classic, comforting, rural and seasonal. I have never cooked one of her recipes that was not delicious.
Her books are some of the British ones that I chose to replace when I moved back here to Canada. I have this one, as well as one called Supper for a Song, and another called Food You Can't Say No To. All are excellent and highly recommended.
This recipe for Classic Bangers & Mash is an excellent one. It is a simple, simple recipe that will turn out as good as the ingredients you choose to make it with, so choose wisely, and you will be rewarded with one very delicious meal!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CLASSIC BANGERS & MASH
Simple every day ingredients. Choose quality and you cannot go wrong.
- 2 - 3 top quality pork sausages per person
- oil
- butter
- 1 medium to large onion, per person, peeled and thinly sliced into rings or half moons
- 1 tsp dark soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) red wine, Madeira or Marsala
- 10 fluid ounces (300ml) chicken stock
- dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (smooth or seeded as you prefer)
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- fluffy white mash to serve (see recipe here)
You will want to buy the very best sausages that you can afford. My sister and I have made our own sausages from scratch in the past and were really pleased with how they turned out. We made apple sausages and Cumberland sausages. We really need to make some more.
The sausages I chose to use today and which I choose to always use are the PC Free From Bangers. They are a thick and meaty sausage made by President's Choice. They are made from vegetable grain fed Canadian pork which has been raised without the use of antibiotics.
They have just the right proportion of fat to lean in them. I hate greasy sausages, or sausages which are made with too many fillers. These are just right.
Also if you don't have the wine, you can use a good apple juice. That's usually what I do and the gravy always turns out beautifully flavored.
HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC BANGERS & MASH
It might seem a bit complicated, but really its quite easy. Just read the recipe through a few times. It doesn't get much simpler than this. The oven does much of the work, yielding perfectly cooked tender sausages, in a beautiful flavor filled onion gravy.
Heat a little bit of oil in a large shallow flame-proof casserole, or oven proof skillet . Add the sausages and brown lightly over medium low heat. Take care not to break the skins. Remove the sausages to a plate.
Add a lump of butter (about 1 TBS) and an equivalent of oil to the pan. Add the sliced onions, turning to coat well in the fat. Sprinkle with some sea salt. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, allowing them to cook down gently for about five minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, mixing it in well.
Pour the wine in over the onions. Let it bubble up for a few minutes. add the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
Add the sausages to the casserole, along with the mustard and a good sprinkle of black pepper. Place into the preheated oven.
Roast for about 30 minutes, turning the sausages every 10 minutes or so. Serve with the mashed potato and some vegetables on the side.
The gravy for these is really delicious. If you think it is too thin, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. Simply whisk together about 1/2 TBS of corn starch (corn flour) and some cold water to a paste. Whisk this into the casserole and cook over medium heat until everything thickens up and turns glossy. Simmer for about 2 minutes and serve.
Don't be put off by all of the spring onion scattered over top. Brown things just look much better with the contrast of the green. Parsley would also have worked. Brown things photograph very poorly.
This makes for a deliciously comforting supper dish that everybody loves. The link is there to the mashed potato recipe. You can be making those while the sausages cook in the oven. I would serve peas and/or carrots on the side, but any vegetable will do!
I am feeling much better after my bout with Covid. I am still not 100%, but my brother says it could take a few weeks before I actually start to feel like myself again. Thankfully my taste and smell was not affected in any way!
To someone who cooks for a living, I would call that a HUGE blessing!
Some other sausage recipes which I have served here in my English Kitchen are:
SAUSAGE ROLLS - Buttery flaky pastry rolled around a rich sausage filling, cut into short lengths, glazed and baked to perfection. Ain't nobody going to turn down the offer of one of these. As a snack or as a part of a buffet meal, these are everyone's favorite!
SAUSAGE & VEGETABLE SKILLET DINNER - A complete sausage dinner cooked in one skillet, composed of tasty sausages, crispy browned potatoes, sliced cabbage and sweet carrots. Delicious served with some grainy mustard for dipping your sausage into. No fuss. No muss, and very little to clean up!
Yield: 4
Classic Bangers & Mash
Prep time: 65 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M
This is a great recipe from Tamsin Day Lewis. Delicious perfectly cooked sausages with a flavor filled gravy, served with a pile of fluffy mash.
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 top quality pork sausages per person
- oil
- butter
- 1 medium to large onion, per person, peeled and thinly sliced into rings or half moons
- 1 tsp dark soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) red wine, Madeira or Marsala
- 10 fluid ounces (300ml) chicken stock
- dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (smooth or seeded as you prefer)
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- fluffy white mash to serve (see recipe here)
Instructions
- Heat a little bit of oil in a large shallow flame-proof casserole, or oven proof skillet . Add the sausages and brown lightly over medium low heat. Take care not to break the skins. Remove the sausages to a plate.
- Add a lump of butter (about 1 TBS) and an equivalent of oil to the pan. Add the sliced onions, turning to coat well in the fat. Sprinkle with some sea salt. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, allowing them to cook down gently for about five minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, mixing it in well.
- Pour the wine in over the onions. Let it bubble up for a few minutes. add the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
- Add the sausages to the casserole, along with the mustard and a good sprinkle of black pepper. Place into the preheated oven.
- Roast for about 30 minutes, turning the sausages every 10 minutes or so. Serve with the mashed potato and some vegetables on the side.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
When I was trying to think of a dessert which would make the perfect ending to a romantic dinner, the best one I could think of was Creme Brulée. It might seem a bit cliche but it's simple to make and delicious.
It's also a dessert that you can make (up to the point of bruléeing it) well ahead of time. This makes it perfect for a celebratory dinner or dinner party. In face the longer you chill the custard part of it the better. It doesn't really take long to caramelize the sugar on top and this can be done at the last minute.
I looked at quite a few recipes. Some seemed very involved and faffy. Surely such a simple dessert did not need to be complicated.
I finally settled on the recipe for Creme Brulée that I found in Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook. It seemed very simple and straightforward, and you know me, I like simple and straightforward.
I had enough of cooking complicated food when I cooked at the Manor to last me a lifetime ten times over. Now I am retired, I love simple, and the simpler the better!
The test of a good Brulée is that it cracks rather loudly when you tap the top of it with the underside of a metal spoon! The secret to this is making sure your custard is really well chilled before you sprinkle it with the sugar and grill it.
There is a secret to perfecting the sugar crackle as well. You can do it underneath a hot grill or a salamander, but the easiest and best way to do it is by using a kitchen torch. This gives you far more control over the end result, and is much more efficient.
You can do it with a grill, yes, but you run the risk of heating up the custards, which will in turn effect the end result of the crackle. To prevent this, it is recommended (when using the grill) to place the custards into an ice water bath, which will serve to keep the custard part of the dessert really cold.
Very simple ingredients. There is nothing complicated about this simple dessert.
- softened butter for greasing the ramekins
- 4 large free range egg yolks
- 2 1/2 TBS (30g/1 ounce) vanilla sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (600ml) single (18%) cream
- 6 TBS (71g) granulated sugar
Don't worry if you haven't got any vanilla sugar for the custard. You can slit and scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean into the cream before heating it. Add the pod as well.
When done, remove the pod from the cream, pat it dry and then use the spent pod to flavor your sugar by inserting it deep into your sugar bin. After that you will always have vanilla sugar.
My sugar bin is always full of vanilla pods. The more the merrier! Or you could just use 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
HOW TO MAKE MARY BERRY'S CREME BRULÉE
It's really not as faffy as it seems, and Mary's recipe is the simplest version by far. Just follow the instructions to the "T" and you will have success.
Butter your dishes lightly. Set into a roasting tin large enough to hold them all in a single layer.
Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/gas mark3.
Beat the egg yolks together with the vanilla sugar in a large bowl. Heat the cream to just below the boil, (you will see bubbles around the edge) and then slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking all the time.
Transfer to a cup with a pouring spout and then carefully pour an equal measure into each dish in the roasting tin. Add enough hot water around the cups to come halfway up their sides.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until just set and firm to the touch. Lift out of the roasting tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Cover each custard with plastic cling film and then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours or longer if you can.
Sprinkle 1 TBS of the granulated sugar evenly over top of the set custards. Place under a very hot grill or salamander and grill until the sugar melts and caramelizes to a rich golden brown. (Alternately you can use a kitchen torch to do the same, doing one at a time.)
Chill for no more than 2 hours prior to serving. The sugar will soften if you leave them for longer.
This really is a lovely dessert. In all truth I could quite happily just eat the custard part of it even without the burnt sugar topping. Its rich and creamy and I love custard of any kind! This one with its cream is especially indulgent.
If you are looking for some other type of dessert might I suggest the following, which are all delicious:
LITTLE BLUEBERRY PUDDINGS - You make a simple batter, lightly flavored with vanilla and fresh lemon zest, into which you fold some fresh berries. This is spooned into paper cups; some wild blueberry jam is swirled into the batter, and they are baked. Served warm with some cream, these are deliciously delightful!
PRUNE AND WALNUT PUDDINGS WITH A LEMON SAUCE - Little steamed puddings that are lush and yet low in fat. Studded with plenty of sticky prunes and crunchy walnuts they are delicious served warm with a fresh sweet and buttery lemon sauce.
Yield: 6
Mary Berry's Creme Brulée
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 35 M
This is a fabulously rich dessert that is indulgently perfect for a special meal. Adapted from the doyenne of British cookery to reflect North American measures. You will need six ramekins or shallow creme brulée dishes.
Ingredients
- softened butter for greasing the ramekins
- 4 large free range egg yolks
- 2 1/2 TBS (30g/1 ounce) vanilla sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (600ml) single (18%) cream
- 6 TBS (71g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Butter your dishes lightly. Set into a roasting tin large enough to hold them all in a single layer.
- Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/gas mark3.
- Beat the egg yolks together with the vanilla sugar in a large bowl. Heat the cream to just below the boil, (you will see bubbles around the edge) and then slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking all the time.
- Transfer to a cup with a pouring spout and then carefully pour an equal measure into each dish in the roasting tin. Add enough hot water around the cups to come halfway up their sides.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until just set and firm to the touch. Lift out of the roasting tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Cover each custard with plastic cling film and then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours or longer if you can.
- Sprinkle 1 TBS of the granulated sugar evenly over top of the set custards. Place under a very hot grill or salamander and grill until the sugar melts and caramelizes to a rich golden brown. (Alternately you can use a kitchen torch to do the same, doing one at a time.)
- Chill for no more than 2 hours prior to serving. The sugar will soften if you leave them for longer.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
With the holidays fast looming over us, I thought it would be fun to share a recipe with you today that is not the usual turkey or ham. Maybe you are wanting something decidedly different for your holiday meal.
If you are an American, you will have just had turkey only a few weeks ago, so more than likely are not wanting to have it again so soon.
Perhaps, like me, you are just wanting a change. Classic Steak Diane is a fabulous entree that would go perfectly on the holiday table. It works well as a celebratory dinner be it Christmas or New Year's Eve.
Not only is it delicious, but it is very simple to make and can be on the table in about half an hour tops!
Steak Diane is one of those vintage type of recipes that is very much coming back into vogue these days. My recipe was taken from Chatelaine's Adventures in Cooking, which was published in 1968, but the recipe is really much older than that.
The original recipe is reported to have been invented in the city of London, England, in the 1930's, and from the forties to the sixties was considered to be haute Cuisine! Very continental.
It is very similar to Steak Au Poivre actually, which also boasts a creamy rich sauce, with the main difference being in Steak Au Poivre the brandy is not ignited and in Steak Diane it is.
If you are afraid of fire, simply boil the cognac to reduce it to a stick glaze, rather than ignite. (I, myself don't really like igniting anything in my home.)
You will get all the lovely flavors of a good brandy without any of the fear.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CLASSIC STEAK DIANE
Nothing is extraordinary. Just simple ingredients of the best quality.
- 4 (4 ounce/115g each) beef tenderloin steaks
- 3 TBS light olive oil
- 10 medium sized button mushrooms, wiped clean
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cognac (can use a good brandy)
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) good beef stock
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy or whipping cream
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp good Dijon mustard
- 2 TBS finely minced fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- thyme sprigs, chopped spring onions or chopped parsley to garnish (optional)
Of course, the most important element of this dish is the steak. I have chosen to use beef tenderloin steaks. What my sister and I do is when they put the whole tenderloin on offer at the store, we will buy it and cut half into steaks and leave the other half for a roast.
Its win/win.
You can also use other steaks such as ribeye, sirloin, flank, skirt or hanger steaks. The trick is not to overcook any of the steaks so as to ensure a nice tender finish.
You will need to pound the steaks lightly to flatten them out slightly. Don't bash them.
The only mushroom I would not use are portabella mushrooms. They have a tendency to color the sauces you put them in a ghastly color and you want the sauce for this dish to be a lovely color of creamy brown.
If you only have banana shallots, then only use half the shallots. Also use smaller cloves of garlic unless you really enjoy the flavor of garlic.
HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC STEAK DIANE
This is really very simple to make and if you have everything in place (mise-en-place) before you start, it goes together very quickly!
Pound your steaks lightly to flatten them out slightly and then season your steaks generously on both sides with salt and black pepper.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over high heat until it almost smokes. Add the steaks. (Don't crowd the pan. Work in batches if necessary.) Sear for two minutes on one side, flip over and sear for one minute longer (medium rare) on the other side. Remove, set aside, and keep warm.
Add the mushrooms to the pan. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until they are golden brown. Push them to one side in the pan.
Add the garlic and shallots to the other side of the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until they have softened and are starting to brown. Stir everything together and remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the cognac, scraping up any brown bits. Return the pan to high heat and carefully ignite. (Stand back.) Leave until the flames die down and the alcohol is cooked out. Pour in the beef stock.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer gently until the stock reduces by half. Pour in the cream, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Return the steaks to the pan and heat through for one to two minutes.
Serve the steaks immediately with some of the sauce spooned over top of each. Garnish as desired.
This really is delicious. Juicy and tender, perfectly cooked steak in a lush and creamy sauce that is to die for. It doesn't really get much better than this.
I don't really recommend that you make this too far ahead of time. It is meant to be cooked and then eaten almost right after you cook it. To do anything else would really ruin a beautiful piece of meat and a spectacular sauce!
A salad would also be very nice on the side and, if you are a drinking person, a bottle of really nice red wine. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Yield: 4
Classic Steak Diane
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This quick and easy steak dish from the 1960's is very simple to make and most impressive. It is perfect for a special meal or occasion. You can have it on the table in less than half an hour as well.
Ingredients
- 4 (4 ounce/115g each) beef tenderloin steaks
- 3 TBS light olive oil
- 10 medium sized button mushrooms, wiped clean
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cognac (can use a good brandy)
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) good beef stock
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy or whipping cream
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp good Dijon mustard
- 2 TBS finely minced fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- thyme sprigs, chopped spring onions or chopped parsley to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pound your steaks lightly to flatten them out slightly and then season your steaks generously on both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over high heat until it almost smokes. Add the steaks. (Don't crowd the pan. Work in batches if necessary.) Sear for two minutes on one side, flip over and sear for one minute longer (medium rare) on the other side. Remove, set aside, and keep warm.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until they are golden brown. Push them to one side in the pan.
- Add the garlic and shallots to the other side of the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until they have softened and are starting to brown. Stir everything together and remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the cognac, scraping up any brown bits. Return the pan to high heat and carefully ignite. (Stand back.) Leave until the flames die down and the alcohol is cooked out. Pour in the beef stock.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer gently until the stock reduces by half. Pour in the cream, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Return the steaks to the pan and heat through for one to two minutes.
- Serve the steaks immediately with some of the sauce spooned over top of each. Garnish as desired.
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