Showing posts sorted by date for query lamb. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query lamb. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Lately we have all had a hankering for a Irish Lamb Stew. There is someting about the winter months that makes us long for comfort foods and you can't really cook anything much more comforting than a delicious Lamb Stew.
There is also something quite evocatively comforting about the idea of a bowl of Irish Stew. I never did get to Ireland when I was in the UK, but it was on my list of places I really wanted to go, and we had really planned to go last year, but Covid you know and then everything else happened.
Life has a way of surprising us with its twists and turns.
For all that I have heard and read about it, Ireland is a beautiful country. They say there are more shades of green in Ireland than the imagination can conjure up and I know personally that the people are quite simply wonderful.
Humble and sincere, open and friendly people. Much like the people of Nova Scotia I would say. I have heard it said that if you meet an Irishman in a pub, next thing you know he will be inviting you over to his for supper and to meet the family.
You'd probably be taken home to a humble abode, perhaps even a thatch roofed stone cottage. Cosy and quaint with an open fire on the hearth
Chances are you would be lucky enough to be served a fine hot bowl of this simple, yet very delicious Irish Stew. Filled with chunks of tender meat, rich gravy and some humble, yet perfectly cooked root vegetables.
Oh but I am waxing poetically now am I not? Oh well . . . we do tend to think romantically of Ireland and the Irish. I blame that old black and white movie, The Quiet Man.
It is one of my favourite old films. I just love it. I loved every film Maureen O'Hara was ever in. She was one of the best actresses of that era. My ex MIL looked very much like her, except she was blonde. What a beauty.
Lamb was not something we ate a lot of when I was growing up. In fact, I can only remember mom serving it to us once. Lamb Chops. They smelt like mittens burning in the skillet.
None of us would eat them. I rather suspect they were very old lamb chops or even mutton which had a very distinct strong flavour in comparison to lamb.
My great Grandfather raised lamb on his farm up in Inglisville on the North Mountain. He had quite a large farm, with milk cows, sheep, chickens, vegetables, etc. The old house and some out buildings are still there, very much run down. I believe it is owned by one of my mother's cousin's family now.
Mom was born in one of the bedrooms of that house and always spoke of sitting on the porch as a child with her older sister Thelma, scraping the flesh from a raw turnip with a spoon and eating it.
My sister and I have always said that if we won the lottery we would try to buy up the old property and return it to its former state. What a dream that would be.
Mom loved lamb and often spoke about a delicious lamb stew she had been served in the hospital when she was in there having given birth to my brother. That would be almost 61 years ago now as my brother will be 61 at the beginning of March.
My father has always said he doesn't like lamb, however he has eaten it without knowing it was lamb in a shepherd's pie according to my sister. Ignorance is bliss they say.
Often what you don't know can't hurt. I had a moose steak once and didn't know it. Best steak I had ever eaten. However had I known it was moose I would have been a bit queasy about trying it.
There is nothing fabulously outrageous ingredient-wise about this stew. Simple ingredients put together in a very simple way.
Stewing Lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery. Thyme, stock and seasoning. A bit of oil for browning the meat.
The meat is browned first. Much of the favour for a stew comes from the sticky juices that are left in the bottom of a pan after you have browned the meat.
I put the
lamb on to brown while I am prepping the vegetables. That way I tend
to forget about it, which means it gets nicely browned without me
worrying it every few minutes and stirring it about. (One of the secrets
to any good stew made with red meat, is in a good and proper browning.
The meat won't brown nicely if you keep moving it about.)
The vegetables in this stew are also semi softened in pan . You will need a good stove top to oven casserole dish.
Something with handles that can easily go into the oven. I use my enamel cast iron casserole dish, which is perfect for this sort of thing.
You also need some stock. Lamb stock is what is preferred for its subtle
flavours, but you can also use beef or chicken or a combination of the
two.
Aside from lamb stock, I have to say my preference is chicken stock as it has a much milder flavour than beef.
Altogether this is a fabulous stew that is comforting and pleasing. You have wonderfully tender meat and vegetables as well as a lovely broth.
I confess I enjoy mashing my potatoes into the broth and dotting them with butter. There is nothing more delicious on this earth. I quite simply adore simple meals like this. All you need on the side is some crusty bread.
Irish Lamb Stew
Yield: 4
prep time: 25 Mincook time: 2 Hourtotal time: 2 H & 25 M
Rich and delicious with fork tender chunks of lamb, a rich gravy and plenty of simple vegetables. Comfort food at its best. This is quite simply delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lamb stewing meat, cut into cubes
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 sticks celery, peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- salt and black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges or rounds
- 2 1/2 cups (600ml) lamb stock (can use beef or chicken, or a combination)
- 1 knob of butter
- chopped parsley to garnish if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F/gas mark 3.
- Heat a medium, heavy bottomed flame proof casserole (with a lid) over medium heat. Add half of the oil and heat. Once the oil is heated, add the lamb and brown, over medium heat until well browned. Working in batches if necessary.
- Remove the lamb from the casserole and set aside.
- Add the vegetables and the remaining oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium low heat, until they have begun to soften a bit.
- Return the lamb to the pot along with any juices. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sprigs of thyme.
- Pour in the lamb stock.
- Lay the potatoes on top covering and pushing them down a bit into the stock. Dot with butter.
- Cover tightly. Bake in the heated oven for 2 hours, until the meat is beautifully tender and all of the vegetables are cooked, uncovering the casserole for the last fifteen minutes to lightly brown the potatoes.
- Spoon out into heated bowls to serve. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Crusty bread goes well.
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!
There is no more comforting a supper on a cold winter's than a traditional cottage pie. I wanted to share this cottage pie recipe with you today that I have downsized from my original recipe for a simple cottage pie which serves 4-6 people. This version is half that size.
This English classic need not be reserved just for the large family. Why should the smaller family suffer for lack of numbers? I am here to say that you can eat just as well when you are only one or two as you can when you are more.
You can make it with either leftover roast beef, as I have here today, or fresh ground beef, which is also the custom in many homes. It is very similar to its close cousin, the Shepherd's Pie.
You may find yourself asking the question, what is the difference between a cottage pie and a shepherd's pie? Great question.
They are very similar casseroles, but in a cottage pie beef is traditionally used as the meat and in a shepherd's pie the meat is usually lamb. You can use either leftover meat from your Sunday roast or fresh meat, depending on what you have in your kitchen.
This is one of the things I like to make whenever I have leftover roast beef in my refrigerator. It makes a great change from making hash or a pot pie, which are my usual go-to's.
You don't even need to have leftover gravy to make it. I tell you how to make a delicious beef sauce without any gravy, By all means, however, do use gravy if you are lucky enough to have some!
Not only is it very easy to make, but it is also incredibly economical. Something we are all aware of these days.
We all want the food we eat to fit within our budgets. That is especially important when you are a smaller family.
You might think that it is much cheaper for two people to eat than it is for four. Simply not true. In fact in many cases it may even cost more, especially if you tend to buy smaller packages of things.
Typically smaller packages cost more than the larger sized versions of the same per ounce/gram. I am not sure why that is.
A good steward of the family budget needs to be able to make wise choices when it comes to the purchase of food. I have found that it is much more budget-savvy to buy the larger sizes, break them down and freeze the excess for a later date.
Being budget-savvy also means making the best use of what you have. Our fore-bearers knew exactly how to do that and dishes like Cottage Pie helped them to do just that.
As I said, you can use either cooked leftover roast in this or fresh hamburger. If you are using fresh minced beef you need to brown it. I find it is easiest to do this when you are sautéing the onions and other aromatics.
An aromatic is a vegetable used in cooking that develop deep and well rounded flavors to a dish when chopped or crushed and then heated and cooked. Aromatics most commonly used tend to be onions, carrots and celery.
Typically these are added at the beginning when you are cooking a dish. This helps them to add as much flavor and aroma as possible.
These are the things which bring others into the kitchen begging and answer to the question, "What's cooking?" These things typically set our tastebuds to tingling in overtime!
For this recipe I have minced leftover cooked roast beef and added it to onions, carrots, swede/rutabaga and celery. This is browned gently in butter, which adds much to the flavors.
Once browned a quantity of flour is added which will thicken the gravy. Make sure you cook it for a few minutes to cook out the flavor of the flour. This is a really important step to take as there is nothing worse than the flavor of raw flour in a sauce.
Once that is done a bit of beef stock is added along with some tomato paste, brown/HP sauce and herbs. You don't need to add the brown sauce, but I find it really adds a special something to the depth of flavor in this gravy.
You can add Worcestershire sauce in its place if that is all you have. It also works beautifully here.
I sometimes like to add a bit of creamed horseradish as well. Not a lot, only a dab. You want just the merest hint of it. Horseradish goes very well with beef.
Meat sauce made, it goes into the bottom of the dish and a layer of vegetables go on top. Typically I use frozen peas and I add them frozen, which not only helps to preserve the color of them somewhat, but also helps to keep them fresher tasting during the longer bake time.
You don't have to use peas. Some people use corn. Some people use both. Some people use a frozen mix of vegetables such as peas, corn, beans, etc. All work well.
The star of the show is the potato thatch which blankets the top of the dish. Creamy, fluffy and delicious, it seals in all the goodness of that rich and meaty base perfectly.
Our typical vision of the ideal English Cottage is one which is covered with a thatched roof of straw. That is why this covering of mashed potatoes is called the "thatch." I love the quaint reasoning behind these English recipes, along with their simplicity.
I like to score a pattern in the thatch which adds to the attractiveness I think. Its not really necessary. You can just pile it on and swirl it, or not. Just make sure it covers the filling all the way to the edges. Typically some of the juices will bubble up through anyways.
I cannot tell a lie, those rich corners where the juices of the gravy bubble through are my favorite bits. I love all of this comfort food casserole really. That rich and meaty filling, the crisp buttery potato thatch, those meaty juiced edges.
Its all pretty good if you ask me! Somehow, no matter what your day has handed you, even the worst day gets tangibly better when a Cottage Pie is on the menu! Today I served it with some coleslaw, but any salad will do, or even a simple slice of buttered brown bread. Enjoy!!
Cottage Pie for Two
Yield: 2
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 45 Mininactive time: 15 Mintotal time: 1 H & 15 M
Simple, delicious, and a family pleasing comfort food. Downsized for two people.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (200g) leftover roast beef, roughly chopped, or browned ground beef
- 1/2 TBS butter
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
- 1/2 small carrot, peeled and grated
- a 2-inch cube of swede (rutabaga) peeled and grated
- 1/2 TBS tomato paste ( tomato puree)
- 1/2 TBS plain flour
- 1 tsp brown sauce (HP sauce)
- 3/4 cup (200ml) well flavoured beef stock
- 1/4 tsp summer savoury
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (50g) frozen peas
For the potato thatch:
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- warm milk
- a knob of butter
- salt and pepper
- 1 TBS grated cheese (Parmesan or cheddar)
- melted butter to brush (optional
Instructions
- First make the potatoes for the thatch topping.
- Put the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water and
- bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain well
- and then return the potatoes to the pan. Shake the pan over the residual heat of the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash the potatoes well until smooth with some warm milk, and a knob of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Set aside and keep warm.
- To make the filling, melt the butter in a skillet. Add the
- onion, celery, carrot and sweet. Cook, stirring frequently over medium low heat until softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the flour. Slowly stir in the beef stock and bring to the boil.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the tomato puree, brown sauce, and summer savoury. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and then stir in the chopped beef.
- Pour this mixture into the bottom of a buttered 1/2 litre (3 cup) shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the frozen peas over top evenly.
- Spread the mashed potatoes on top tocover. Rough up the potato a bit with a fork. Brush with melted butter.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Bake the casserole in the heated oven for 45 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let stand 15 minutes prior to serving. Serve hot with your favourite sides.
notes:
If you are using ground beef brown it in the skillet along with the onion, carrot, celery and swede. Proceed with the remaining recipe as directed.
I sometimes like to add a bit of creamed horseradish to either the topping or the filling depending on how I feel.
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!
I almost hesitated to post this. I mean Bacon & Cheese on Toast must be pretty common in most people's kitchens. They may not make it the way I do however, and so here I am.
With one of the most delicious snacks, light lunches, treats that anyone could want to eat! If you like bacon and you like cheese, you are going to simply adore this!
Bacon is one of those things which sets everyone's tastebuds to tingling (unless you are a vegetarian or vegan). And even they have their vegetarian options to enjoy. There is just something about that sweet smokiness that people just love.
Cheese is also a favourite of many people. I have so many cheeses that I love and when you combine any of them with bacon, well, you are singing the song of my heart.
It is the quintessential combination, is bacon and cheese. It exists in many forms. Quiche, flammkuchen, pizza, etc. Many different cultures clearly love this combination.
Its just something that people really love to eat! And I am no exception.
Bacon & Cheese on Toast was a treat my mother would sometimes make us when I was growing up. We always got very excited when she did.
It was always made with what I now call plastic cheese. Processed cheese slices. Bright orange. We didn't mind. This was the cheese of our childhood. It was what it was. We didn't care. We loved it anyways.
I always like to use a nice strong farmhouse cheddar if I can. It has plenty of beautiful flavour. You want something with enough flavour that it won't be swalloped up in the richness of the bacon.
I will let you in on my secret to a really great cheese on toast here. I always like to add a layer of something between the cheese and the toast. An extra flavour booster as it were.
Some days this can be something as simple as a thin schmear of marmite. Marmite gives it a nice salty meaty quality, and you don't need much of it to have an impact. When you are talking marmite less is definitely more.
Other times I will add a schmear of mustard. Dijon is a favourite, but my absolute favourite is a good grainy Dijon. Filled with lots of mustard seeds and texture. Honey Dijon is also very good.
If you can get Honey Cup Mustard you are in for a real treat. It has a lovely punchy heat but also plenty of sweet honey flavour. Goes very well with the saltiness of the bacon.
Today I used a good Mango Chutney. I adore Mango Chutney. Its sweet and tangy and spicy all at the same time. And yes, it goes excellent with cheese.
Lets talk bacon here. I adore bacon, but it has to be good bacon. I don't like bacon that smells like pig. I know. I know. Bacon comes from the pig. True fact that.
But I don't like to smell pig when I am cooking my bacon. Not any more than I want to smell barnyard when I am cooking beef, or burning mittens when I am cooking lamb.
This shouldn't happen with good quality bacon. I like a dry cure smoked bacon. Preferably without nitrates. I like the dry cure bacon because you get far less shrinkage with dry cure bacon.
Have you ever noticed that white residue in the skillet when you are cooking regular bacon? Regular bacon is injected with brine and when you cook it that comes out into the skillet.
When you take something out of something what's left behind is quite naturally smaller. Its physics! Oh that it were that easy when it comes to my hips!
Cured Bacon is made by adding artificial nitrates, usually sodium nitrate. This gets added to the regular salt and brine mixture.
Uncured bacon is left in a more natural state and so tastes more like pork belly itself. This is called green bacon, which does not refer the colour of it, but merely the uncured state.
Dry curing is a common practice used in sausages, hams and other chacuterie. Think salami here and pepperoni, etc. It is a combination of salt curing, air drying and sometimes smoking, all depending on the meat you are dry curing.
You can dry cure a roast before you cook it. Just rub it all over with salt and seasonings and leave it unwrapped and on a rack over a baking sheet in the refrigerator over night or for a day or so. Same with a chicken. This results in a beautiful crisp skin on the chicken and less shrinkage during cooking of the meat.
In the case of bacon, after it has been cured, it is usually also smoked in a smoker. (but not always) There used to be a place down the road from us that did beautiful home-smoked bacon. Oh my but it was lovely.
I don't think I have ever tasted such beautiful bacon since. It almost tempts one to set up your own smoker just so that you can smoke your own bacon and hams, salmon, etc. Mmmm . . . dry smoked salmon. The best.
But I digress. When you are cooking your bacon, do try to leave it a bit flimsy. It will cook further underneath the grill, so you don't want to have it over crisp or burnt. You also don't want to use any of that pre-cooked bacon.
Nasty stuff. Well, in my opinion anyways. And yes, when it comes to food, I can be somewhat opinionated. Sorry about that!
Do try it with that extra schmear of something and let me know what you think! I think it just makes something which is pretty amazing to begin with even more delicious.
This makes a great snack, or light lunch. Its also really nice with a hot bowl of tomato soup. Mmmm . . . now I am wanting some all over again! 😋😋😋
Bacon & Cheese On Toast
Yield: 1
prep time: 10 Mintotal time: 10 Min
This is more of a technique than a recipe, however delicious. You can make as many slices as you wish, but the amounts here are for one delcious serving. Feel free to play with it as you wish.
Ingredients
For one serving:
- 1 thick slice of lightly toasted bread
- 1 TBS of your favourite spread (marmite, mango chutney, grainy mustard, etc.)
- 4-6 TBS of your favourite cheese grated (I like strong cheddar)
- 3 slices of streaky bacon, cooked to semi-crisp
Instructions
- Preheat the grill on your oven to high. Spread your toast on one side with your desired spread. I love mango chutney. But I am also rather fond of grainy mustard. Both go very well with cheese.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top, almost to the edge of the toast, but piling it higher in the centre. (Remember cheese will spread as it melts.)
- Top the bread with your bacon slices.
- Pop under the heated grill until your cheese has melted and your bacon is crisp.
- Cut in half and enjoy!
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!
A few years ago I did a short series of posts entitled Recipes You Should Know By Heart. They were compilations of recipes which I thought every capable cook should know how to prepare without having to crack open a book.
Tried and trues. Family Favourites. That kind of thing.
I think I first fell in love with food and cooking when I was a very
young girl. My grandmother used to make exceptional soups, stews,
preserves, roasts, breads, cakes, cookies and preserves . . . simple
food, well prepared, using fresh ingredients or just whatever was in the
larder. Back in those days people rarely used recipes. They cooked by feel and by using methods and traditions that had been passed down from generation to generation.
There were not a lot of cookbooks available. Many recipes were kept in handwritten notebooks, with most being only lists of ingredients, relying instead on the cooks capacity to know what they were doing. Cooks cooked from memory . . . doing things the way their mothers had taught . . . cooking by instinct, feel . . . and taste.
Things were simple then and there weren't really many unknown, unusual,
or luxury ingredients available. These days we are so blessed to have
virtually a world of food and tastes at our fingertips. Even so, there
are some dishes which we should really know how to do from heart,
without a recipe.
Oh . . . yes, we can follow a recipe the first time
we make them, but with time and experience, these are the recipes which
we can become so adept at using that we rarely need to look them up
again, and indeed we can put our own stamps on them. They become
recipes we know by heart, and these are mine.
Every cook should know how to make a very basic tomato sauce. This is
how I make mine. I can do it with my eyes closed and after many years
of making it I can increase it to serve large groups and add other
flavours and textures to suit the dish I am cooking.
This is the basis
for many other tomato sauces, simply by adding a few herbs, some sauteed
onion, perhaps bacon, mince, etc.
This is a simple sauce which uses fresh tomatoes when they are in season, and good tinned tomatoes when they are not.
2 to 3 large, ripe unpeeled tomatoes, cut into chunks
(Or one 400g tin of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (14.5 oz))
1 TBS butter or olive oilMy mother discovered oregano when I was a teenager and a recipe for chili con carne on the back of a tomato soup tin. That because the basic Saturday night supper for years as my father really loved it. A good chili is a recipe that is very easy to master and very adaptable. Most people like it and it's quite economical. It's also one of those dishes which tastes better for having sat over night.
Bechamel Sauce is the basis for many other sauces. It is a creamy white and rich sauce.
A good bechamel is the basis for many dishes
such as souffles, or macaroni and cheese. The foolproof way to achieve a
perfectly smooth sauce is to have the milk hot when you add it to the
butter and flour. It uses an extra pot, but perfection is perfection.
Once you have mastered a bechamel sauce you have opened the window to many other delicious things such as Creamed Peas on Toast or Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese.
*White Sauce or Bechamel Sauce*
Makes 225ml or one cup
Makes 225ml or one cup
salt
freshly ground black pepper
I wish I had a dollar for every pancake I have ever cooked in my life. They were a pretty standard weekend treat for my children the whole time they were growing up. Of course you can use a mix, but really nothing beats the deliciousness of a homemade pancake. They are so simple to do as well. I can do them with my eyes closed.
Once you have mastered the art making a good basic pancake, you have the ability to play with the recipe and create many other options!
The
amount of milk you use will determine how thick these pancakes will
be. Start off with the smaller amount which is suggested and add more
only if the batter seems too thick. I try to have all of my ingredients
at room temperature before starting and as with most quick breads, take
care not to over beat. A few lumps are quite acceptable. You can
make lighter, fluffier pancakes by separating the egg yolk and white,
adding the yolk with the milk, and then beating the white until stiff
and folding it in last of all. Serve with maple syrup or honey.
120 to 150ml of milk (1/2 to 3/4 cup)Variations:
If you have a carton of eggs in the refrigerator, you have the makings of a quick and easy meal. We all have days where we don't really feel much like cooking. Those are the kinds of days which are made for a simple supper of scrambled or fried eggs on toast or even an omelet.
Knowing how to scramble, fry or make an omelet are very basic skills that anyone can pick up quite easily.
Scrambled eggs are not something that you want to cook in a hurry . . . slow and steady definitely wins the race here.
It's not that hard to cook scrambled eggs properly, although some people do seem to be a bit mystified as just how to proceed, and still others seem to overcook them so much that they end up as dry little rubbery curds. What you are looking for is something that luxuriously, meltingly creamy.
First of all you need to start with a good egg. I know I don't need to lecture you on the difference between a cage grown egg and a free range egg . . . we've all heard that spiel . . . Let's just say that I prefer to pay more and use free range. For me it's more than just taste . . . it's a matter of conscience.
You want to use a skillet that's not overly heated, in other word, warm, but not hot. Then you want a nice lump of butter, softly foaming in the pan . . . and finally you want the perfect mix of beaten eggs, cream and milk.
You add this mixture to the warm pan, and then you just let it sit
without disturbing it . . . not for long . . . just long enough that it
begins to set on the bottom. Only then do you want to start moving
the eggs. I like to use a wooden spatula or spoon.
I commence to folding my eggs, slowly . . . from the outside edges into the centre of the pan. Not stirring . . . but folding . . . a constant, and slow movement . . . which I keep doing . . . just until the eggs are almost set, but still moist.
At this point you will want to take them right off the heat. The eggs will continue to cook for a bit longer from the residual heat in the pan, but what you end up with is a lovely moist product, not dry at all.
Perfectly scrambled eggs make a delicious light supper with either some buttered toast or even simple buttered bread.
*Cheese and Chive Scrambled Eggs*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
Fresh
chives and a good strong cheddar together with perfectly scrambled
eggs, create a hearty breakfast dish just packed with flavour.
12 large free range eggs
2 ounces whole milk
2 ounces cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 TBS butter
4 TBS finely chopped fresh chives
4 ounces of a good farmhouse strong cheddar cheese, grated
(I use Davidstow)
Whisk the eggs, milk, cream salt, black pepper and hot pepper sauce
together in a large bowl. Heat the 2 TBS of butter in a large nonstick
skillet over medium heat. Once the butter begins to foam add the eggs.
Allow to sit for several minutes, without stirring, so that the eggs
can begin to set on the bottom. Begin to draw a wooden spatula or spoon
across the bottom of the skillet to form large curds. Cook, continuing
to fold the eggs with the spoon slowly, working from the outside edges
into the middle until the eggs are thickened but still moist. Do not
stir constantly or you will end up with small curds, you want thick
moist ribbons. Remove from the heat to a warm platter. Sprinkle the hot
eggs with cheese and the chives. Serve hot with warm toast, if
desired.
Nothing screams Home Sweet Home more than a delicious Roast Chicken. I could easily roast and enjoy a succulent Roast Chicken every Sunday. Done properly it is a thing of beauty and a properly Roasted Chicken affords you so much more than just the roast on the day, depending on the size of your chicken. 
You can't beat a nicely roasted chicken. Simple. Easy to prepare. Deliciously succulent.
1 large free range roasting chicken (between 3 1/2 and 5 pounds in weight)
a few knobs of softened butter
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a sprig of thyme
a couple cloves of garlic, peeled
the juice of half a lemon
This is a very simple and easy soup to make. I often use the carcass from a roast chicken to make this, saving some chicken from the roast to use as well. As I always cut up chickens myself to use in other recipes, I usually always have bags of chicken backs and necks in the freezer as well, which are very good when used in this soup! Its amazing what you can do with a few bones and some vegetables!
1 spent chicken carcass (if there is not a lot of meat left on the carcass you can add a few chicken wings or a leg)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut in half
1 stalk of celery
Handful of celery leaves
1 onion, unpeeled, cut in half, root end removed
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
To finish:
1 carrot peeled and grated
¼ of a swede peeled and grated
1/2 mug full of Stelline Pasta (star shaped pasta, about 1/2 cup, or more as desired)
Put your chicken carcass in a pot and cover with boiling water. Add the bay leaf, thyme, carrot, celery, celery leaves, onion and salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Strain broth into a clean pot. Discard vegetables and pick off as much meat as you can from off of the bones. Cut into small chunks. Bring broth to a boil and reduce somewhat. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If it is not very strong you can add a TBS or two of Marigold vegetable stock powder, but it really shouldn‘t be necessary.)
Add the grated vegetables and the Stelline pasta. Bring to the boil and then reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked. Add the diced chicken meat. Heat through and then ladle into hot bowls. Serve with some nice crusty bread or rolls.
Next up I am showing you how to make a very basic stew. You can use beef cubes, or pork or lamb for this, or even venison. This is a very basic recipe. Once you master this and can make it without a recipe, you can branch out and begin to add other flavours, such as a bit of horseradish, some balsamic vinegar, even sweet pickle juice. You can even use leftover wine for added flavour instead of water. All are beautiful additions.
Remove from the heat. Stir
in the cheeses until the cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and
black pepper and serve immediately. Delicious!
(trim of any fat and gristle and discard)
salt and black pepper
flour to roll the meat in
a knob of butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 stalk of celery, trimmed and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into coins
1/2 a small rutabaga (swede) peeled and cut into cubes
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 TBS tomato ketchup
Note - if you wish a thick gravy you can shake a tablespoon of flour in a jar with about 110ml or 1/2 cup of cold water until smooth. Stir this into the stew and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Cook for several minutes to cook out the flavour of the flour. 
Make
sure your soup or stew mixture is bubbling. Drop the dumpling mixture
on top of the hot stew by the spoonful, trying to keep it on top of any
vegetables and meat. Cover tightly and cook for 10 to 15 minutes
without lifting the lid. The dumplings are done when you can insert a
toothpick into the centre of one and it comes out clean. 
For the smaller family a roast chicken is a delicious alternative to roasting a large turkey at the holidays. This year due to the pandemic, many of us will not be able to travel to our family's during the holidays, so having a roast chicken only makes sense.
Leftovers are great for sandwiches or casseroles and then there is always that lovely carcass ready to be used for stock and soups.
I always choose to buy the best chicken that I can afford. Free range and corn-fed are the best, but you need to make this choice according to your budget.
How to Prepare a Chicken for Roasting
It goes without saying that when you are spending a bit of money on a nice piece of poultry you will want to treat it with respect. Here are my tips for making the perfect roast chicken!
Before you roast the chicken, you will want to pat it dry with some paper kitchen towelling. This results in a crisper, tastier skin.
I like to tie the chicken’s legs together after stuffing it with anything I might be stuffing it with, prior to roasting. This helps the chicken to keep its shape during its roasting.
If you are roasting a chicken on its own, it helps to place the chicken onto a greased rack I the baking dish. This helps to prevent the chicken from sticking to the dish.
Pouring a small amount of liquid in the baking dish helps to create steam which helps to keep your roasting chicken moist. You don’t need much, only about ¾ of a cup. This can be stock or wine, or both.
Once your chicken has roasted and has been taken from the oven, remove it from the roasting dish to a platter, tent with foil and allow it to “rest” for about 15 minutes. This helps the juices to settle back into the meat and will reward you with a much more succulent finish. Cutting into it too soon will release all those lovely juices that you really want to retain.
*A Simple Roast Chicken*
Serves 4 - 6
Serves 4 - 6
1 large free range roasting chicken (between 3 1/2 and 5 pounds in weight)
a few knobs of softened butter
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a sprig of thyme
a couple cloves of garlic, peeled
the juice of half a lemon
225ml of chicken stock (1 cups)
1 TBS flour
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a nice deep roasting pan.
Take
your chicken and season it liberally inside with salt and pepper.
Stuff in the thyme into the cavity, along with the garlic, and a large
knob of butter. Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the
chicken, pushing some of it beneath the skin of the breast between the
skin and the flesh, taking care not to tear the skin. Place the chicken
into the roasting tin. Season it with salt and pepper on the outside,
and then squeeze the lemon juice over all. Put the spent lemon half
into the cavity of the chicken as well. Pour the chicken stock
into the roasting tin around the chicken.
Roast the
chicken for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, basting with the pan juices from time
to time. When done the juices should run clear from the chicken when
pierces
between the thigh and the breast and the legs should feel quite loose
when gently twisted. Remove from the oven. Remove the chicken to a
serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Allow it to rest while you
make the gravy.
To make the gravy, pour the pan juices out into a measuring jug. Pour a bit of boiling water in the pan and scrape up any juicy browned bits. Pour this into the measuring jug. Spoon about 2 TBS of the fat from the jug into a saucepan. Discard the remainder of the fat. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the pan juices, whisking until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Season to taste. Allow to simmer over low heat for a few minutes to get rid of any flour taste.
Serve the chicken sliced, along with some of the gravy and any vegetables which you have prepared.
To make the gravy, pour the pan juices out into a measuring jug. Pour a bit of boiling water in the pan and scrape up any juicy browned bits. Pour this into the measuring jug. Spoon about 2 TBS of the fat from the jug into a saucepan. Discard the remainder of the fat. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the pan juices, whisking until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Season to taste. Allow to simmer over low heat for a few minutes to get rid of any flour taste.
Serve the chicken sliced, along with some of the gravy and any vegetables which you have prepared.
Now that you have a roasted chicken and have eaten all that you want from it, you will want to make yourself a delicious soup. Its not at all very hard to do and can really help to make your hard earned dollars go a lot further.
There is nothing tastier to make with the spent carcass of your roasted
chicken than a beautiful big pot of chicken soup. My mother taught me
how to make soup and she never used a recipe. She could make soup out
of just about anything. A soup is only as good as it's stock. Here
is my foolproof recipe for making a beautiful chicken soup that is sure
to become a family favourite.
*Chicken With Stars Soup*
Serves 4-6
Serves 4-6
This is a very simple and easy soup to make. I often use the carcass from a roast chicken to make this, saving some chicken from the roast to use as well. As I always cut up chickens myself to use in other recipes, I usually always have bags of chicken backs and necks in the freezer as well, which are very good when used in this soup! Its amazing what you can do with a few bones and some vegetables!
1 spent chicken carcass (if there is not a lot of meat left on the carcass you can add a few chicken wings or a leg)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut in half
1 stalk of celery
Handful of celery leaves
1 onion, unpeeled, cut in half, root end removed
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
To finish:
1 carrot peeled and grated
¼ of a swede peeled and grated
Put your chicken carcass in a pot and cover with boiling water. Add the bay leaf, thyme, carrot, celery, celery leaves, onion and salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Strain broth into a clean pot. Discard vegetables and pick off as much meat as you can from off of the bones. Cut into small chunks. Bring broth to a boil and reduce somewhat. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If it is not very strong you can add a TBS or two of Marigold vegetable stock powder, but it really shouldn‘t be necessary.)
Add the grated vegetables and the Stelline pasta. Bring to the boil and then reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked. Add the diced chicken meat. Heat through and then ladle into hot bowls. Serve with some nice crusty bread or rolls.
Next up I am showing you how to make a very basic stew. You can use beef cubes, or pork or lamb for this, or even venison. This is a very basic recipe. Once you master this and can make it without a recipe, you can branch out and begin to add other flavours, such as a bit of horseradish, some balsamic vinegar, even sweet pickle juice. You can even use leftover wine for added flavour instead of water. All are beautiful additions.
Another thing I like to make from scratch rather than from a box is Stove Top Mac and Cheese. My sister gave me this recipe many years ago and it has been an old stand by ever since. Why pay a premium price for a boxes Mac and Cheese when making your own is such a simple thing and so much tastier!
*Stove Top Mac and Cheese*
Serves 4
So easy to make and incredibly tasty!
2 cups (480ml) water
2 cups (230g) dry macaroni
1 cup (240ml) milk
2 TBS butter
2 cups (245g) grated strong cheddar cheese
2 TBS finely grated parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
Heat
and stir the water, macaroni, milk and butter over medium heat for 15
minutes until the macaroni is al dente stirring frequently. Should take
about 15 minutes.
Who doesn't melt at the sight of a warm plate of Baking Powder Biscuits. They were one of the first things I learned how to make.
These are one of the most basic of the quick breads and I have never known anyone to turn a well made biscuit down. The important thing to remember about biscuits is to use a light touch with them. Over working them toughens them.
Pat them out gently and cut them out with a sharp cutter, using a very sharp quick straight up and down motion and your biscuits will always be perfect!
*Baking Powder Biscuits*
Makes 16
Printable Recipe
Golden brown and crusty outside, meltingly tender inside.
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 TBS sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup of milk
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 6. Grease two 8 inch cake tins. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together in a bowl. Drop in the shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk all at once and stur just until the dough forms a ball around the fork. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 14 times. Pat out to 1/2 inch thickness. Stamp out rounds with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, giving it a sharp tap straight down and up again. Do not twist. Place touching each other in the cake pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
If you like biscuits with crusty edges all around, place them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet to bake instead.
Makes 16
Printable Recipe
Golden brown and crusty outside, meltingly tender inside.
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 TBS sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup of milk
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 6. Grease two 8 inch cake tins. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together in a bowl. Drop in the shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk all at once and stur just until the dough forms a ball around the fork. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 14 times. Pat out to 1/2 inch thickness. Stamp out rounds with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, giving it a sharp tap straight down and up again. Do not twist. Place touching each other in the cake pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
If you like biscuits with crusty edges all around, place them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet to bake instead.
Next up I am showing you how to make a very basic stew. You
can use beef cubes, or pork or lamb for this, or even venison. This is
a very basic recipe. Once you master this and can make it without a
recipe, you can branch out and begin to add other flavours, such as a
bit of horseradish, some balsamic vinegar, even sweet pickle juice. You
can even use leftover wine for added flavour instead of water. All
are beautiful additions.
*A Basic Stew*
Serves 4
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
This is the very basic recipe for a delicious stew. You can use beef, or pork, or lamb, or venison and it will come out perfectly every time. The secret is in the browning.
1 pound of stewing meat, cut into 1 inch cubesThis is the very basic recipe for a delicious stew. You can use beef, or pork, or lamb, or venison and it will come out perfectly every time. The secret is in the browning.
a knob of butter
hot water to cover
beef stock cube
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
Season
your meat and roll it in flour to coat. Melt the knob of butter in a
large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the meat and brown it well on all
sides working in batches. Don't over crowd your pan or your meat won't
brown well. Browning it well is the secret to a nicely coloured
gravy. Remove the meat to a bowl as it browns and repeat until all the
meat has been browned. Add the onions and celery to the pan. Saute
until softened. Return the meat to the pan along with any juices that
have accumlated in the bowl. Add enough hot water to barely cover the
meat along with the worcestershire sauce, ketchup, stock cube, thyme and
bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, tightly
covered at a slow simmer for about an hour. Add the carrot, parsnip
and rutabaga. Cover and cook for about half an hour longer. Add the
potato cubes and cover again. Cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes
until the vegetables are tender and the meat is falling apart. Taste
and adjust seasoning as required. Serve hot with plenty of crusty bread
for sopping up all the juices.Note - if you wish a thick gravy you can shake a tablespoon of flour in a jar with about 110ml or 1/2 cup of cold water until smooth. Stir this into the stew and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Cook for several minutes to cook out the flavour of the flour.
Now that you have the stew made you are going to want to make some dumplings to drop on top and enjoy with your stew. When I was a child it was always a great day when my mother made stew and dumplings.
They are quick and easy to make. Just try not to peek into the pan when they are cooking and you will be okay!
*Basic Dumplings*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
Quick and easy and oh so tasty. A must with some soups and always with stew.
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (240ml) milk
Quickly
whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk all at
once and mix only to combine. Let rest for a few minutes.
So there you have it. Ten basic delicious recipes that everyone should know how to make by heart. These are my ten basics. What are yours? I really want to know!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons