Since my kitchen is still not quite in working order, I thought it would be fun today to talk about some of the more traditional Savoury Dishes that I have cooked here in The English Kitchen. In some cases I have taken the traditional and added a slight twist, which I love to do. The essence remains the same and all are quite delicious, if I don't say so myself!



Toad in the Hole

This is my meat and potatoes loving husband's favourite meal, and who wouldn't like it. With it's delicious Yorkshire Batter Pudding Base and Thick English Bangers, it is a family pleaser all round. Especially when served up with mash and lots of onion gravy!




Lancashire Hot Pot. Lancashire hotpot is a culinary dish consisting essentially of meat, onion and potatoes left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. Originating in the days of heavy industrialisation in Lancashire in the north west of England, it requires a minimum of effort to prepare.



Beer Battered Fish and Chips Moist and flakey fish encased in a traditional crisp beer batter, fried until golden brown. Oh so delicious, especially when served up with fat chips and mushy peas, or minted peas if you have no mushy peas to hand! (I love it both ways!)



Perfect Egg and Chips A perfectly fried egg, served with crisp chips and slices of buttered bread in the traditional way. All the better to make a hot chip buttie with! (Yes that's hot chips wrapped up in a buttered slice of white bread. The butter melts and the whole thing is just fabulously tasty.) Simple and filling and oh so wonderfully comforting.



Welsh Cheese Pudding A bread and butter pudding of sorts filled with lovely leeks, welsh cheese, eggs and milk. A simple and comfortingly filling dish.



Bangers and Mash
and not just any Bangers and Mash, but Sticky Bangers with a Chive and Buttermilk Mash! Scrummo!!



Spam Fritters, surprisingly tasty! Don 't knock them or turn your nose up til you try them. They are oddly addictive!


Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder. Oh, this is a gorgeous Sunday Lunch Treat! With lovely crisp roast potatoes, and vegetables, lotsa gravy. Oh yum...



The Great Cornish Pasty. A beautiful thing, filled with steak, potatoes, onions and swede. Oh, and that pastry. So delectable!



Posh Beans on Toast. Dressed up tinned beans served on cheese and onion toasties.



Lamb Stew with Feather Dumplings. So called feather dumpling because they are made with potato and light as a feather!



Cauliflower and Cheese. The ultimate in comfort and tradition, and not boring in the least.



Cottage Pie with Potato Cobbles. Oh so delicious with the surprise of a sliced potato and cheese topping over a rich beef, vegetable and gravy base.



Macaroni Shepherds Pie. A delicious Shepherds Pie with a twise . . . delicious lamb filling, topped with a scrummy Macaroni and Cheese topping!



Baked Corned Beef Hash. The traditional with a little twist, baked and topped with cheese. Delicious!



Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings. We are great stew lovers in this house, and dumplings make a fabulous dish every fabulous-er! (yes, I know, not a real word.)



Perfect Roast Chicken. Deliciously flavoured with carrot, leek, onion and butter. Moistly delectable.



A Mild Lamb Curry. Creamy and mild, with tender chunks of lamb in a well flavoured curry sauce. In short, delicious.



Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with Crusty Dumplings. Tender bites of chicken, with savoury mushrooms in a rich sauce, topped with crusty dumplings. Need I say more???

Of course there are many, many more traditional recipes on my site, but I've made myself rather hungry now. I think I'll have to go and make myself some bread and marmite and dream about a day in the not too soon future when my kitchen is again workable. Buttered Bread and Marmite . . . another tasty tradition, which you either loathe or love, or both.



Don't lose faith in me, there will be some new scrumminess soon, I promise!!

Lancashire hotpot is a culinary dish consisting essentially of meat, onion and potatoes left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. Originating in the days of heavy industrialisation in Lancashire in the north west of England, it requires a minimum of effort to prepare. It is sometimes served at parties because, not only is it easy to prepare for a large number of people, it is also relatively inexpensive.

There are many regional variations, and it is frequently found listed amongst the usual pub grub dishes in various hostelries around Britain. The basic recipe consists of a mix made up of meat and vegetables (carrot, turnip, potatoes, onions or leek) which are then covered with a buttery thatch of sliced potato or pastry. (Don't you just love the idea of a "thatched" roof of potato covering the top?)The type of meat to be used in a true Lancashire hotpot is a matter of some controversy, with many being of the opinion that it should be lamb (with optional lamb kidneys) and some thinking it should be beef. As much food can be added as will fit in the pot.

Flavour can be enhanced with seasoning; salt and pepper would be the most traditional, and any other ingredients available in the kitchen. Some stock is usually added to cover the contents while it cooks to help keep them moist and aid in the tenderizing, although some recipes rely on a well sealed pot on a low heat to retain enough moisture within the meat, onion and potatoes.

The hot pot referred to is a brown pottery dish with straight sides used to cook casseroles in British cuisine. The basic recipe formerly included oysters at one point, when they used to be more affordable, but more often than not nowadays they are left out. (Good thing too because I am not overly fond of the little boogers, ooops I mean buggers!)

Can you believe that in all the seven and a half years I have been over here I had yet to experience this culinary delight until yesterday when I baked my very own hot pot for the first time???? Neither can I, but I can tell you this, it won't be another seven and a half years before I bake another one. It was absolutely delicious! I now know why people line up at the bar at the Rover's Return to sample this Lancashire piece of golden cuisine!


*Lancashire Hot Pot*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I guess you could call this the English version of Irish stew. One pot cooking of the most delicious persuasion.

1 TBS olive oil
750g diced lamb
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunky pieces
1/2 medium swede (rutabaga) peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
500ml lamb stock
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
750g of potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/350*F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meat in batches and fry it until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large casserole dish (one with a lid) as it browns. Set aside.

Once all the meat it browned and removed from the skillet add the vegetables to the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Return the lamb to the skillet and pour over the stock. Add the Worchestershire sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix it all in well and then carefully pour the mixture back into the casserole dish. Tuck the two sprigs of thyme into the mixture, burying it.

Cover the top of the mixture with a layer of half of the sliced potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and then dot with butter. Finish layering with the remaining potatoes and adding a final dusting of salt and pepper and dot once again with some butter. Put the lid on.

Bake in the heated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and bake for a further hour until the meat is very tender and the "thatch" is nicely browned in places and tender as well. Serve hot spooned out onto hot plates along with seasonal green vegetables on the side and plenty of crusty bread and butter to mop up the delicious juices.

 

May 26th to the 1st of June is National BBQ Week here in the UK, and with that in mind Newman's Own has put together some quick tips to help you achieve the perfect BBQ!  Getting it right is never easy, but with these handy tips anyone can have a fun, stress-free and smoothly run BBQ!



Stop flipping, leave it be! - If you leave your food to sit on the BBQ for a few minutes before turning, you will get better caramelization and therefore a better flavour.  It also means that the food is less likely to stick to the BBQ.

If you have a lid, use it! - "If you're looking, it ain't cooking!" - a well known phrase in the BBQ world.  With the lid down your food will cook faster and more evenly, which will also prevent food poisoning from under-cooking.  it also means your charcoal lasts longer or you use less gas, which means more BBQ's for the summer!

Wait 30 to 45 minutes to use your charcoal BBQ - The coals should be grey before using which means they are hot and give an even temperature.  Before this, they will flame and burn your food with uneven heat distribution and not cooking in the middle.

Don't stab your sausages -  Pricking the sausage may reduce the chance of it splitting but not by much. However, it will guarantee that all the juice will come out of the sausage leaving it drier and less tasty.  So it's worth not stabbing them and enjoying a tastier sausage!

Don't risk under cooking - Digital thermometers are a genius invention.  For under £10, BBQ-ers can easily check that their meat is cooked by measuring it's temperature.

All post-tax profits from Newman's Own products go to the Newman's Own Foundation which donates all profits to charity, with over £1 million already being donated to a wide range of charities in the UK alone and over £250 million donated around the world.

With a selection of sauces, marinades and dressings the Newman's Own products are the perfect BBQ essentials and the all new Smokin' Hot Dog Sauce will add some extra hot flavour to your hotdogs this year!  If you've been inspired to get the BBQ started at home, Newman's Own has come up with some recipes to fire up your imagination.

Newman's Own Smokin' Hot Dog Sauce is available from April 2014 from Morrisins at a suggested RRP of £1.89




This hot dog sauce is a personal favourite of ours. We just love it and we love the Newman's own BBQ sauce too!



 

*Newman's Own Minced Lamb BBQ Skewers with Pita Pockets*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

If you prefer, the skewers can be placed side by side on a baking sheet and cooked in an 180*C/350*F/ gas 4 oven.

For the skewers:
500g (1lb 2 oz) lean minced lamb
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
4 TBS Newman's Own Sticky Original BBQ Sauce
Pita Pockets:
4 pitta bread
2 tomatoes, chopped or sliced
100g (4 oz) feta cheese, crumbled or cut into small cubes
50g (2 oz) piece of cucumber, sliced or chopped
4 to 6 lettuce leaves, depending on size, shredded
a few springs of leaf coriander (cilantro)

Put the minced lamb, chopped shallot and 2 TBS of the BBQ Sauce in a bowl and stir until well mixed.  Shape the mixture into small balls and thread on to 8 medium or 12 small skewers.  Place in a shallow dish, spoon the rest of the BBQ sauce over the meat and cover with cling film.  Chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight until ready to cook.

Lift the skewers from the dish and grill or barbecue for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through, turning them over once or twice and basting or brushing with any BBQ Sauce left in the dish.

Toast the Pita bread lightly on each side or warm on the barbecue.  Cut a slit down one side of each pita and carefully open out to make a pocket.   In a bowl, mix together the chopped tomatoes, feta, cucumber, lettuce and coriander leaves and divide between the pockets.  Serve with the lamb skewers and accompany with a bowl of natural yoghurt dusted with paprika and finely chopped coriander.

Tip:  When shaping the meat around the skewers, press it firmly together so it doesn't break up and fall off during cooking.  If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes prior to using or cover the exposed ends with small pieces of foil to prevent them from scorching.




*Newman's Own Honey Turkey and Red Pepper Burgers*
Makes 4
Printable Recipe

Turkey mince makes mouthwatering burgers and is far lower in fat than ground beef or lamb.  Add extra salad to the buns such as sliced tomatoes, onion rings or cucumber slices according to pertsonal taste.

500g (1 lb 2 oz)  turkey mince
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large open mushroom, peeled and finely chopped
6 TBS Newman's own Sticky Honey BBQ Sauce
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into thick wedges
4 sesame seeded burger buns, split in half and lightly toasted
5cm (2 inch) piece of cucumber, sliced
4 lettuce leaves

Put the mince into a bowl, add the chopped onion and mushroom and stir until mixed.  add 3 TBS of the Honey Sauce and stir again until evenly combined.  Shape the mixture into 4 burgers, pressing the meat together to give a firm shape - a round pastry cutter or special burger press makes the task easy.

Put the burgers on a plate, spread over the remaining Honey Sauce and cover with cling film.  Chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

Grill or barbecue the burgers over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through, turning over half way and brushing or basting with any of the sauce left in the dish.

Grill the pepper wedges for about 5 minutes or until lightly scorched.

To assemble the burgers, layer up lettuce, pepper wedges, cucumber and burgers in the split buns and serve hot.

Tip:  If you prefer you can make 8 small burgers and serve them in rolls or small buns as finger food.


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