Showing posts sorted by relevance for query bread pudding. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query bread pudding. Sort by date Show all posts
When I first moved over to the UK in the year 2000 I was thinking I was moving to an English speaking country and that things would not really be all that different. Oh how wrong I was.
Nothing would ever be the same for the next 20 years! And I say that in the nicest possible way! It was not just the accent that was different. Things had totally different names and the foods and traditions were vastly different than what I had grown up and lived with throughout my whole life.
I have to say that I came to embrace and love everything and there are many, many things that I am missing and will continue to miss in the coming years. The UK really holds a special place in my heart and always will.
One thing which I loved and totally embraced were their Christmas foods and traditions! The Christmas Cake, Christmas Pudding and Mince Pies were only a very small part of it all!
I adored the Christmas dinner, with Christmas Crackers, funny hats, jokes around the table and all the fixings. The dishes served in some ways were very similar to what I was used to eating at Christmas in Canada, but at the same time very different!!
Nobody does Christmas like the British. The whole month is a beautiful feast for the eyes, ears and palate! I really miss it.
To that end I decided to cook myself a little mini Christmas Dinner in the British Tradition, sized perfectly for two, with turkey, roast potatoes, sausage stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, parsnips, sprouts and all the other trimmings!! Minus the crackers, party hats and jokes, sigh . . .
And the whole thing was cooked in pretty much an hour and a half and all on one tray for the most part! It was also delicious and very much enjoyed by myself. I am really going enjoy the leftovers today!
If you are only one or two and are up for it, or for trying something totally new this year follow along!
I had bought a couple of bone-in, skin-on split turkey breasts back in October. I cooked one then and I used one yesterday.
(source)
It weighed .588kg/1 1/4 pounds. The perfect size for just two people and took approximately 45 minutes according to the above chart.
To prepare it I placed it onto a baking sheet, patted it dry with some paper towels, rubbed it all over with butter, and seasoned it with salt, pepper and some Bell's seasoning.
I had preheated my oven to 375*F/190*C/gas mark 5. I popped it onto a foil lined baking sheet and added some potatoes for roasting at the side.
I used one large baking potato, which I had peeled and cut into large chunks. I par-boiled these chunks for 5 minutes in boiling water and then drained them really well, returned them to the saucepan. Banged them about a little bit, drizzled with about 1 TBS of oil, turning them to coat them.
These then got added to the end of the baking tray and I popped the whole thing into the oven.
While that was roasting, I got on with the business of preparing the remaining sides and turkey garnishes which is what the pigs in blankets and sausage stuffing balls, etc. are often called.
One thing you will note is that the British Christmas Dinner, or Christmas Lunch as it is also called is very heavy on the meat. Typically there is sausage meat in the stuffing and there are pigs in blankets (chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon) served on the side as a tasty garnish.
In fact you will often find that the turkey itself, if being roasted as a whole, will be blanketed with bacon strips to help to prevent the breast meat from drying out.
The stuffing is an easy one to make. I used Delia Smiths recipe from her book, Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course, the classic edition, for Pork Sage and Onion stuffing.
Of course I had to cut it back substantially as the original made enough to stuff a 12 to 14 lb. turkey! I did not quite need that much!
Pork, Sage & Onion Stuffing
Yield: 2 - 3
This is a small portion designed to serve only a few people. It lacks none of the deliciousness of the full version!
Ingredients
- 1/2 a largish stale Ciabatta roll (70g) (The roll was 6 inches square in size)
- 2 fat banger sausages, skinned (about 1/3 pound/about 115g)
- 1/2 cooking onion, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS dried sage leaves
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make your bread into coarse crumbs. Place into a bowl along with the onion and sage and some seasoning. Mix together well and add about 2 TBS of hot water.
- Add the sausage meat and mix well together with your hands. The mixture should hold together well. If you find it is crumbly or falling apart, you can add a tiny bit more water or an egg yolk.
- Shape into balls using wet hands.
Once I had made the stuffing and shaped it into balls, I set them aside on a plate. It made about six 2 inch balls.
I then got on with making the pigs in blankets.
Pigs in Blankets
Yield: 2 - 3
This is a small portion designed to serve only a few people. It lacks none of the deliciousness of the full version!
Ingredients
- 6 chipolata sausages (in North American use breakfast sausage links)
- 3 slices of streaky smoked bacon, cut in half crosswise
Instructions
- Once you have cut your bacon in half crosswise, stretch each piece a bit and wrap one piece around each sausage link. Place onto the plate/oven tray seam side down.
These were also placed on a plate and then I popped the plate into the refrigerator to keep the meat chilled while I prepped the other vegetables.
I trimmed the brussels sprouts and cut them in half.
I peeled one carrot, one parsnip and a 1-inch thick slice of a small rutabaga/swede/turnip. I cut each vegetable into evenly sized batons/sticks, and then par-boiled them in some boiling water for about 5 minutes.
I then tossed them together with 1/2 TBS honey, 1/2 TBS melted butter and the finely grated zest of 1/2 unwaxed lemon. (Or a waxed one scrubbed in warm water. In any case I scrub my lemons anyways.)
I then removed the tray from the oven. I tested the breast meat and it was done. (Internal temp of 165*F/75*C. Note that if you cook it to just short of that (162/73), it will continue to cook while it rests and your meat won't be dried out.)
I set the meat aside, lightly tented and kept warm while the rest of the dinner cooked.
As you can see the potatoes are starting to get a nice golden crust on them. I flipped them over and then added the sausage balls, pigs in blankets and roasting vegetables to the tray, and increased the oven temperature to 400*F/200*C/ Gas mark 6.
I then returned the tray to the oven to cook at the higher temperature for about 35 minutes, flipping everything over halfway through the cook time.
While they were cooking I got on with making the gravy and cooking my brussels sprouts. I used my Perfect Gravy from Scratch recipe, and then steamed my brussels sprouts for about 5 minutes. (They were large and cut in half.) Those I cooked right at the last minute.
The stuffing balls and pigs in blankets were done when no longer pink inside and the vegetables were nicely caramelized as you can see.
You can also see how nice and crispy my roasted potatoes were.
Everything was simply cooked to perfection, and I wasn't long sitting down and enjoying my beautiful traditional British Christmas Dinner/Lunch for Two!!
TIMELINE FOR COOKING THE DINNER
- Place the turkey and prepped potatoes onto a foil lined baking tray. Put the turkey in about 1 1/2 hour prior to you wanting to serve the meal along with the parboiled potatoes for roasting, at 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- While they are cooking make your sausage stuffing and pigs in blankets. Prep any other vegetables needed.
- Remove the turkey about 45 minutes to one hour later. The exact time will depend on the size of your piece of meat. Remove it, tent and set aside to keep warm.
- Turn over your potatoes. Place the stuffing balls, pigs in blankets and prepped parsnips/carrots and swede the baking tray. Increase the oven temperature to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Return the baking tray to the oven and cook for a further 30 to 35 minutes until everything is cooked through, golden brown and the vegetables are just beginning to caramelize.
- While the stuffing, etc. is cooking make your gravy and then steam your brussels sprouts at the last minute.
- Carve the turkey and serve.
And there you have it! The perfect Traditional British Christmas Dinner, perfectly sized for just two to three people from start to finish.
I have not included the dessert. Most people will have mince pies, Christmas Pudding, Christmas Cake and often a Trifle. You can find my recipe for a Traditional Christmas Trifle here. Its delicious and very traditional. It is also full sized.
For the smaller family I would cut recipe in half, but set it up in individual dessert glasses, You will have enough dessert for two days, but I don't think anyone will be complaining!
All in all this is a lovely meal. I really enjoyed it and am contemplating doing a full sized one for my family come Christmas time. My oldest boy is supposed to come over with his wife and two sons. I am not sure they would appreciate all the extras however, so I will ponder on that!
If you would like full sized recipes for the stuffing or anything else just ask and I will happily give them to you!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. 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 Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
London Particular is a delicious Split Pea Soup! The name comes from the famous fogs of London back in Dickensian times, which came to be known as London Particulars or Pea Soup Fogs.
Fogs so thick that you could scarce see your hand in front of your face.
From Wikepedia: Pea soup fog (also known as a pea souper, black fog or killer fog) is a very thick and often yellowish, greenish or blackish fog caused by air pollution that contains soot particulates and the poisonous gas sulphur dioxide.
Not just common in Dickens's day these heavy fogs continued sporadically throughout the ensuing years. In fact there was a particularly bad incident in 1952 which was called "The Great Smog of London," which came to be known as one of the worst air-pollution events in the history of the United Kingdom.
I think actually fogs such as this were quite prevalent throughout Europe, especially in the colder months when people were using their coal fires. My mother had a photograph of me standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1959. You can just barely see me and only the feet of the tower as the fog is so dense and so thick.
I dare say those "Pea Souper" fogs were not as near delicious as this fabulous soup, London Particular, which had its beginnings at the Simpson's in the Strand restaurant in London.
This soup is rib-stickingly thick and very delicious, and really quite simple to make!
My mother always made us lovely pots of pea soup after we had enjoyed a baked ham either for New Years or Easter.
We always had a ham on those special occasions and the bone was always used to make a delicious soup.
Hers was done in the French Canadian style however, using whole yellow dried peas. They are not so easy to get these days, and I have never seen them over here.
We did so love her soup. She used to make a huge pot of it and we would enjoy it once on the night, with the remainder being frozen for future use.
Always whenever any of us (after we had grown up and left home) made the trip home, she would be certain to feed us a supper of this soup and another of her home baked beans at least once during our stay.
I can't speak for anyone else, but for myself I can say that this was something I always looked forward to and enjoyed very much.
This is not that soup, but it is just as delicious in a different sort of a way. Its thick and flavourful . . . and as I said, very simple to make.
You do need to begin by soaking the peas over night, so be prepared, you will need to do this in advance of making the soup, but once you have done that, the soup comes together very quickly.
If you are lucky enough to have homemade ham stock in the freezer, use that. I have never seen a ham over here sold on the bone and so I have never had a ham bone over here to make stock.
Instead I relied on ham stock cubes to make my stock. You can also use chicken stock if you wish.
Other than the split peas and stock, there is bacon, carrots, celery and onions. Simple.
As an homage to my dear sweet mother I chose to add a bay leaf and some Nova Scotia Summer Savory. You can leave those out and the soup will still be delicious, but if you have them to hand, I do recommend.
You could in also use a bit of dried thyme instead of the savory, if you find that impossible to procure. I bring mine back with me from Nova Scotia and keep it in my freezer. It is that precious to me.
It takes about an hour and a bit to cook, so not that long really. Once the peas are nice and tender, you then puree half of the soup.
I used my immersion blender to do this. (Don't know what I would do without it!) You can also use a food processor or a regular blender.
You then stir the pureed portion of soup back into the pot and reheat the soup gently, seasoning it to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper . . . ready to be serve ladled into heated bowls . . .
Garnished with clippings of crispy bacon and chopped fresh parsley . . .
As always Todd enjoys his soups with a piece or two of buttered bread or a crusty roll . . .
The North American in me prefers mine with crisp crackers and I always crumble some of them into the soup. A "common" practice I know . . . but a leftover from my childhood. The heart wants what the heart wants . . .
Yield: 6
London Particular
So named because of the thick "pea soup" fogs that used to plague the city of London for years and years! This recipe is adapted from a book I have entitled "Mom's Favourite Recipes," published by Octopus Books.
ingredients:
- 300g dried green split peas, soaked overnight in cold water (1 1/3 cups)
- 25g butter (2 TBS)
- 4 rashers/slices streaky bacon, diced
- 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 sticks celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 litres of ham or chicken stock (6 cups)
- 1 bay leaf, broken (optional and my inclusion)
- 1/2 tsp summer savoury (optional and my inclusion)
- salt and black pepper to taste
To garnish:
- a handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 4 rashers/strips of streaky bacon, grilled until crisp and snipped
instructions:
How to cook London Particular
- Drain the peas in a colander and rinse. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to foam add the bacon and onion. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and the bacon has begun to release it's fat. Add the carrot and celery. Continue to cook for a further 5 minutes or so until golden.
- Add the peas and the stock, along with the bay leaf and savoury, if using. Bring to the boil, stirring. Boil rapidly for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce to low, cover and then cook for about a hour, until the peas are very tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
- Cool the soup slightly and then puree half of the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth, or use an immersion blender. Return to the saucepan and reheat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls, garnishing with parley and bacon. Serve immediately. Crusty rolls or crackers (my preference) are lovely with this.
When I was a child I would crumble so many crackers into my soup that it became almost pudding-like . . . I so enjoyed that. Tomato soup was especially good this way, with a knob of butter melted on top. Oh boy, now I am drowning in happy foodie memories. Yum!
I wanted to share a delicious Popover Recipe with you today that I thought you would enjoy. I have shared a Popover Recipe with you before in the past, while I was still living in the UK. That was a good one and you can find it here.
They were light and crisp and golden brown. I baked them in small metal individual steamed pudding tins, which worked perfectly fine.
I recently purchased myself a dedicated Popover tin however and was keen to try it out and see if they were any different from my original ones baked in the pudding tins.
For those of you who are not familiar with Popovers they are a type of quick bread or roll, very similar in taste and texture to Yorkshire Puddings. They are meant to be eaten with butter and preserves, honey, or jam, whereas Yorkshire Puddings form a lovely hole in the center meant to be filled with gravy.
This recipe I am sharing today is one I adapted from a cookery book entitled Lost Recipes by Betty Crocker. I love old recipes and vintage recipes. They are treasures.
A lot of younger people today think that cooking has to be complicated or use fancy ingredients to taste good, and there is value in that, but these older recipes have lots of value as well, and have withstood the test of time in my opinion. If it ain't broke don't fix it!
Simple ingredients done well. That is my favorite thing and this easy recipe uses only four basic simple ingredients. Ingredients I always have in my kitchen. Not only that, they go together lickety split. You can be enjoying them with your family in quick time.
Plus they don't make a lot of popovers. The recipe said six, but I got nine beautiful, light, airy, crispy, golden brown puffs of delicious delight!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY POPOVERS
As I said, simple, uncomplicated every day ingredients. If you don't have a popover tin, you can also bake these in muffin tins or custard cups.
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
I always try to make sure all of my ingredients are at room temperature before baking. Eggs, milk, etc. It is a very easy thing to do. You can warm the milk just slightly in the microwave, 30 seconds usually does it.
You can easily bring refrigerator cold eggs to room temperature quickly and safely if you have forgotten to take them out ahead of time. This article on All Recipes gives very good instructions for that.
Having all of your baking ingredients at room temperature ensures better results and success. I also only ever use whole milk in all of my baking unless otherwise specified. It just makes sense when you live alone to only have one kind of milk in the kitchen and since I use whole milk the most, that is the one I keep.
As you can see my popovers rose beautifully. They were a bit funny looking, but that is the nature of the popover I guess!
They were light and crisp and delicious even eaten without any butter or jam. I took some over to my friend Glenna and her sister and they ate them fresh right out of the bag right there in front of me and declared them delicious. They were still warm and they couldn't wait to try them!
HOW TO MAKE EASY POPOVERS
When I call these easy popovers, I really mean easy! So easy you will want to make them again and again!
Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Grease a popover tin really well (generously) with some vegetable shortening. (I used Crisco. In the UK use White Flora or Trex.)
Beat the milk, eggs, flour and salt together with a wire whisk until smooth. Do not overbeat or they won't rise as tall. (I do this in a beaker to make it easier to put into the tin.)
Pop the popover tin into the preheated oven and leave it to heat for about 5 minutes. Once it is nice and hot remove it from the oven. Pour the batter into the pan filling each cup about 1/2 full.
Pop the filled pan back into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3 and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer until deep golden brown.
Remove from the cups immediately and serve hot. These are wonderful with butter and fruit preserves.
As I said, these turned out beautifully. They were light and crisp on the outsides, beautifully golden brown and you can see how light and fluffy they were on the inside.
I loved how simple they were to make. The hardest part was greasing the tins.
If you follow my instructions and hints and tips, there is no reason why you can't also have beautiful popovers like these! These were so tasty I am going to make some more today!
THREE SECRETS TO PERFECT POPOVERS
If you follow these three rules, your popovers will always be perfect!
1. Always heat up your pan until it is hot, hot, hot, be it a popover pan or a muffin tin, before adding the batter. It should start to rise and cook as soon as you pour the batter into the pan.
2. Never fill your pan more than half full.
3. Resist the impulse to open the oven door and peek. (Hard I know!)
These were delicious! So light and airy, fluffy. Crisp and golden brown on the outside and just like little clouds of air.
I enjoyed mine with some soft butter for spreading and some Rhubarb jelly that I had picked up at a farm market last week. Delicious!
If you are a fan of things like this you might also enjoy:
MARITIME BISCUITS - Similar to Angel Biscuits, these are not cookies, but a quick bread that uses both yeast and baking powder as a leavening. This is a very traditional Eastern Canada recipe. These are so light and fluffy and go wonderfully with salads, soups, stews, etc. They are fabulous on their own, simply split and buttered. Easy to make and delicious!
MINI SCONE FOCCACCIA BREADS - These are a very simple make. Scone dough, is cut and rolled out flat and brushed with an herb butter, sprinkled with some pine nuts and baked to perfection. Perfect with soups or salads, or even pasta. Quick, easy and delicious!
Yield: 6 - 9 (depending on size of your pan)
Easy Popovers
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min
These are beautifully golden brown and crisp on the outside and light and fluffy inside. Delicious served warm with some butter and jam@
Ingredients
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Grease a popover tin really well (generously) with some vegetable shortening. (I used Crisco. In the UK use White Flora or Trex.)
- Beat the milk, eggs, flour and salt together with a wire whisk until smooth. Do not overbeat or they won't rise as tall. (I do this in a beaker to make it easier to put into the tin.)
- Pop the popover tin into the preheated oven and leave it to heat for about 5 minutes. Once it is nice and hot remove it from the oven. Pour the batter into the pan filling each cup about 1/2 full.
- Pop the filled pan back into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3 and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer until deep golden brown.
- Remove from the cups immediately and serve hot. These are wonderful with butter and fruit perserves.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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