Bakewell Slice
ingredients:
- 175g plain flour (1 1/4 cups)
- 75g butter (6 TBS)
- 2 - 3 TBS cold water
- 100g butter softened (scant half cup)
- 100g caster sugar (1/2 cup + 1 TBS)
- 175g self raising flour (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 large free range eggs
- 2 TBS whole milk
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 4 heaped TBS raspberry jam
- flaked almonds to sprinkle
instructions:
- First make the pastry. Measure the flour into a bowl. Add th butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the cold water gradually, mixing together with a fork to form a soft dough.
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle the size of your baking tin. Use this to ine the tin. ( I like it to come about 1/2 inch up the sides.)
- Measure all of the sponge ingredients into a bowl and beat together well until smooth.
- Spoon the jam into the pastry lined tin and spread it out with the back of a spoon. Dollop the cake batter over top and spread it out to cover the jam. (I find this easiest to do it in small dollops all over and then spread it out right to the pastry edge with the back of a clean spoon and finally my finger tip at the end.) Sprinkle flaked almonds over top to cover.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the centre and is golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into slices to serve.
- I often drizzle an almond drizzle icing over top. Whisk together 65g/1/2 cup of icing sugar with a few drops of vanilla extract and just enough milk to give you a thick drizzle. Flick it over the top decoratively.
Basic British Pork Sausage
ingredients:
- 2 pounds of boned and skinned shoulder of pork
- 4 pig's cheeks, trimmed
- 1/2 pound skinned pork back fat
- 1 brown onion, peeled and very finely chopped
- 1 1/2 TBS unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 tsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced (optional)
- pinch ground mace
- 2 slices of stale good dry white bread, crusts removed and crumbled
- 1 medium free range egg, beaten lightly
- Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
- about 4 meters (4 1/2 yards) sausage skins, well washed
- 25 - 50g of lard for frying (2 - 4 TBS)
instructions:
How to cook Basic British Pork Sausage
- Put all of the meats through the meat grinder on a medium mince. This should give you a medium coarse finish. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can pass the meat through the grinder several more times. Cover and place the minced meat into the refrigerator.
- Saute the onion and garlic in the butter along with the herbs and the mace over low heat, without browning for two to three minutes until quite soft. Let cool completely.
- Take the meat out of the refrigerator and mix completely with the cooked onion mixture. Stir in the bread crumbs and egg, adding a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and some seasoning. Take care not to over do the Worcestershire sauce. To check your flavours, take a small amount and fry it in a skillet, taste and then adjust the mixture as needed.
- To fill the sausage skins, you can use a sausage skin filler, or you can use a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tube, filling the bag only half full for better control.
- Take the sausage skin and pull it back to the knot. Sit it over the end of the piping tube and squeeze. Once the sausage skin has been filled to the size of a standard sausage, remove the piping bag and push the meat further down the skin to give a good plump shake, pushing out any air left in the skin, then tie at the end. Repeat to fill all your sausage skins. Place onto a plate, cover and allow to rest in the refrigerator before proceeding to cook them.
- They are ready to be grilled or pan-fried. Pan frying is my preferred method of cooking. Melt the lard in a heavy bottomed skillet. Lay the sausage in the hot fat and fry gently, for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until they are golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Enjoy!
Cumberland Sausage
ingredients:
- 1 pound lean pork shoulder, cut into rough dice
- a generous 1/2 pound pork belly, rind removed, cut into rough dice
- 1/3 pound pork back fat, cut into rough dice
- 100g soft fresh white bread crumbs (1 2/3 cup)
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp chopped fresh sage
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 - 3 yards sausage skins, soaked and washed in water, cut into 2 to 3 lengths
- butter, lard or cooking oil for frying
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground white pepper
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of cayenne pepper
instructions:
How to cook Cumberland Sausage
- Mince the meats to your choice using a meat grinder on a coarse disc for one turn, and the on a medium disc for another. Mix in the bread crumbs, herbs and seasonings.
- To fill the sausage skins, you can use a sausage skin filler, or you can use a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tube, filling the bag only half full for better control.
- Tie a knot in one end of each length of skin.
- Take the sausage skin and pull it back to the knot. Sit it over the end of the piping tube and squeeze. Once the sausage skin has been filled to the size of a standard sausage, remove the piping bag and push the meat further down the skin to give a good plump shake, pushing out any air left in the skin, then tie at the end. Repeat to fill all your sausage skins. Shape into coils and place onto a plate, cover and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before proceeding to cook them.
- To bake, preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Brush with butter and place in a roasting tray. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes basting every so often with some butter.
- To pan fry, heat a skillet and add a drop of lard or cooking oil. Place the sausage into the pan and gently fry until golden on the underside (12 to 15 minutes), flip over and fry gently on the other side for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
- To grill, brush with butter and place under a medium hot grill, cooking for 8 to 10 minutes per side.
- Serve hot.
The origin of the name 'Toad-in-the-Hole' is quite vague. Most suggestions are that the dish's resemblance to a toad sticking its little head out of a hole provide the dish with its somewhat unusual name.
Toad in the Hole
ingredients:
- 2 large free range Eggs
- 125g Plain Flour (1 cup, minus 2 TBS)
- 150ml Milk (2/3 cup)
- 150ml Cold Water (2/3 cup)
- Salt & Pepper
- 6 Good Quality Herby Sausages of your choosing (I like Cumberland myself)
- 2 tbsp Lard or Dripping or Cooking Oil
instructions:
How to cook Toad in the Hole
- On a low heat cook the Sausages in a frying pan on all sides until nicely browned and sticky. Do not prick the skins! Allow to cool.
- Crack open the eggs into a large measuring jug and beat well. Add the milk and water together, mixing it all together really well. Set aside.
- Sift the the flour into a large bowl and season with a sprinkling of salt & pepper. Make a well in the centre. Gradually whisk in the liquid mixture, whisking until you have a stiff but smooth batter with no lumps. Allow to rest for half an hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 205*C/425*F. Slip the lard or oil into a deep sided baking tin and place just this in the oven. Once it is quite hot and the fat is sizzling, quickly, but carefully, take it out and rest on the top of the hob. Pour in the Batter mixture. Then add the Sausages, parallel to each other, the length of the tin.
- Place back into the oven and bake for around half an hour until the batter is puffed up, golden brown and crispy. Serve cut into squares with fluffy mashed potatoes and a delicious gravy of your own choosing.
Sticky Sausages with Cream & Mustard Mash
There will also be gravy and an assortment of cooked vegetables on the side and any number of condiments such as Horseradish Sauce, hot English Mustard or Apple Sauce. Popular vegetables are cabbage, brussels sprouts, carrots, swede (rutabaga) and peas!
Number Two would have to be FISH AND CHIPS. This delicious dish has been a popular meal with the British since the 19th century. Known as a street food, even small Hamlets can boast of having their own fish and chips shop and it would not be a trip to the seaside without enjoying a feast of fish and chips, wrapped in white paper as you sit on a bench watching the waves and beating off the sea gulls. (They love fish and chips as well.)
The fish, which usually Cod, Haddock or Plaice is dipped in a delicious batter and deep fried. Chips are almost always hand cut and twice fried. You will always be asked if you want salt and vinegar on them and they will lavish them with salt and malt vinegar if the answer is yes. This is the ultimate finger food! When enjoyed in a sit down restaurant you will often have them served with some mushy peas and or coleslaw.
Simple, yes, but proof positive that sometimes simple can be very, very good. You can use oven chips if you wish, but once in a while it doesn't hurt to have a real chip. (In the UK French fries are called Chips.)
Number Four, CLASSIC SHEPHERD'S PIE - The UK is famous for all of their pies, steak and kidney, chicken and mushroom, pork pies, etc. but one of the absolute most comforting of pies is this classic. And its not really even a pie!
This is the perfect family meal and is very easy to make with a rich ground lamb and gravy filling topped with vegetables and a layer of fluffy mashed potatoes. You can top the potatoes with grated cheese if you wish. It is cousin to the also very popular COTTAGE PIE which is made with ground beef.
Both are equally popular and incredibly satisfying. You can also use leftover cooked beef or lamb in the fillings, which is how they were originally planned to be used, as a vehicle for the leftovers from Sunday dinner.
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK is another bonus meal created from the leftovers of Sunday lunch! Traditionally it is a hash made with leftover gravy, potatoes, cabbage, and onions, as well as brussels sprouts during sprout season, but really . . .
You can use whatever combination of cooked vegetables you have to hand . . . carrots, peas, parsnips, beans, swede . . . it doesn't really matter . . .
The name comes from the way it bubbles and squeaks in the pan as it is cooking.
Number six - BANGERS AND MASH - This is so popular that even songs have been written about it. Banger is a term lovingly used to describe sausages and is a term which began during World War ll. This was attributed to the sound that sausages might make when cooked under high heat, a pop and a sizzle.
You will find this tasty dish on offer at most pubs and restaurants in the country. What you get here is a delicious snappy skinned thick pork sausage grilled to perfection and served with a fluffy pile of mashed potatoes and plenty of onion gravy!
Number Seven - TOAD IN THE HOLE - This tasty dish combines grilled sausages and Yorkshire pudding batter. The sausages are partially cooked in a dish and once the fat has been released a pudding batter is poured around them and they are baked until the batter is all puffed and golden brown and the sausages are cooked through,
This is a favorite of one and all and delicious served with Bisto gravy and fluffy mash. The origin of the name 'Toad-in-the-Hole' is quite vague. Most suggestions are that the dish's resemblance to a toad sticking its little head out of a hole provide the dish with its somewhat unusual name.
Number eight - CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA - The British love their curries and Chicken Tikka Masala is a real favorite. Chicken tikka masala is a dish of pan roasted chunks of chicken in a spicy sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured, from the tomatoes that are in the dish.
It was almost certainly invented in Britain and is among the country's most popular dishes, leading a government minister, Robin Cook, to claim in 2001 that it was a British national dish.
When I went to Culinary school in the UK Chicken Tikka Masala was one of the first dishes we were taught to make.
Number 9 - APPLE CRUMBLE - So popular you could almost call it the National dessert. Usually served warm with cold cream for pouring over top, or warm custard sauce.
When it comes to an apple dessert you can't get much better than an apple crumble. I like the ones with the Oats in the crumble most of all. You can find my recipe for the custard here. This custard is also awfully good served with stewed rhubarb, another British favorite!
Number ten - THE CREAM TEA - You will find "Cream Teas" on offer throughout the UK, but they are truly a speciality of the SouthWest . . . Devon and Cornwall areas. I have seen Welsh Cream Teas as well as Cream Teas being offered in many other areas of the UK. In general nowadays, they are offered in Tearooms EVERYWHERE across the UK wherever someone wants to give an impression of British influence.
Not to be confused with high tea which is more like a meal, Cream teas are meant as a light lunch or snack and usually consist of CLASSIC SCONES, served with jam and clotted cream (a true British delicacy) and hot pots of tea.
This is by no means a complete list, but only the tip of a very delicious iceberg. I came to love many different dishes when I lived in the UK. Every region has their own specialty and all of them are endearingly delicious. These are just a few of the things which wangled their way into my foodie heart!!
There is Sticky Toffee Pudding and Banoffee Pie for instance, but I had to draw the line somewhere. If you ever are lucky enough to travel in the UK these are some of the more traditional culinary delights which await you! Bon Appetit!
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