Showing posts sorted by relevance for query lamb. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query lamb. Sort by date Show all posts
I love October . . . it is in October that my taste palate turns to the colour orange and I just want to eat my fill of winter squash and pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes. I don't crave these things in July and August, or even September . . . but once the calendar page flips over to October, I can't seem to get enough of them and I start incorporating them into whatever I can.
This is something which I cooked as a dessert on a few occasions when I worked at the Manor. I often had to cater to silver service 5 course meals and my boss usually liked me to have at least two desserts for her guests to choose from.
Normally she liked everything to be overly complicated. I always tried to temper the complicated dishes with a few simple ones and dishes that I could do a lot of pre-prep for were what I preferred.
After all I was all on my own in the kitchen. When you are talking about shopping and prepping for a huge dinner party that is a lot of work.
They would start with canapes to be served with drinks. You would think canapes would be simple, but actually they are quite fiddly. I would have to serve no less than 4 or 5 different canapes.
A favorite with me was Quail's eggs with seasoning salt. The hardest part was the peeling of the cooked eggs, but depending on how many guests there were, this was something that went rather quickly for me.
They were always served on a huge platter atop a bed of shredded lettuce, a bird's nest holding a dish of seasoning salt in the center. Another favorite was smoked salmon on brown bread. Also very easy.
Other canapes would be parmesan crisps, easy . . . I used to make these Indian shortbreads that were gorgeous. The recipe is on here. I liked doing those because they could be baked ahead of time and then just put together on the night.
I had a few other favorites I liked to do as well. Lets just say, easy was key for me, as much as possible.
The first course all depended on what the main course was going to be. I liked it when she wanted a soup of some kind because I could also do that ahead of time and just reheat it on the night.
The main course would be major work, always. I didn't mind however. I got to use the finest ingredients and really stretch my culinary abilities. I got to cook things I would never have been able to afford to cook at home.
Usually it would involve duck, or lamb, maybe beef, with a sauce. A starch of some kind (either potatoes or rice.) I made a really fabulous Dauphinoise Potatoes. This could also be made ahead of time and then reheated at the last minute.
Usually two or three vegetables to accompany on the side also.
Always, always two desserts, and she liked to go really fancy there. Most people would not choose one or the other, they usually had a tiny slice of each, whatever it was.
One favorite was the frozen Lemon Souffle. One reason I liked that as a dessert was, again, I could make them ahead of time and have them in the freezer waiting to pull out when I needed them. I tried to do that with both desserts if I could.
Another favorite would be this simple French Apple Tart. It looks impressive and complicated, but really it isn't. And lets face it, if you call something a tart, it automatically sounds special.
A simple pastry is made. Its a sweet pastry. You can make it earlier in the day and chill it. Roll it out and then par-bake it. This can all be done ahead. Bonus!
The fiddliest part of this tart is peeling, slicing and arranging the apples. They are mixed with a spice mixture, some lemon zest and lemon juice and then arranged in the tart crust, atop a flour and sugar mixture.
The flour/sugar mixture is there to help absorb some of the juices from the apples, so that the pastry doesn't get all soggy.
And then you just bake it. It bakes for a short time at a higher temperature, and then you reduce the temperature and bake it for a bit longer.
Just until the apples are crispy tender. You don't want them mushy. Once they are just right, you pull it out of the oven and brush it all over with some sieved apricot jam to glaze it a bit.
Its best served at room temperature. They always enjoyed it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Always Hagen Das.
While they were enjoying their dessert, I would be getting the cheese course ready. This was always served on a large silver tray with a silver biscuit barrel to hold the crackers. Usually six cheeses, and some fruit.
And as if that wasn't enough, once they were finished with the cheese course I would serve them coffee and chocolates in the Linen Fold room, which was a special room that had oak walls carved in a special linen-fold pattern. The manor itself dated back to Tudor times and this room and its walls were dated back to that time.
Then while they were enjoying their coffees, etc. I would start with the cleaning up. Usually I had my husband and the housekeeper to help me with that. Even so, it was a HUGE chore and we would be very lucky if we were home by 2 a.m.
All in all though they were pretty wonderful experiences. I look back on them now and I wonder at how I managed to pull it all off. There was only me to do everything, but somehow I managed to sort it every time and do it well. I am rather proud of that.
In any case I hope you enjoy this French Apple Tart! They always did!
Yield: 6
Spiced Apple Tart
A wonderful tart with a crisp and rich dessert pastry base, delectably sweet filling of apples . Serve at room temperature with a hot drink after dinner for a real taste treat!
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 280g plain flour (2 cups)
- 120g cold butter (1/2 cup)
- 56g sifted icing sugar (7 TBS)
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 TBS water
For the filling:
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- the finely grated zest and juice of one large lemon
- 50g soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup, packed)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 TBS each plain flour and granulated sugar, mixed together
To finish:
- sieved apricot jam
Instructions
- First make the pastry. Sift the pastry into a basin. Add the butter, cut into pieces and rub it into the flour until it resembled fine dry bread crumbs. Add the icing sugar. Whisk in well.
- Make a indentation in the centre of the butter mixture. Beat the egg yolks and water together. Pour into the indentation and then, using a fork, mix together to a rough dough in the basin.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Shape into a ball and then place into a zip lock bag. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes, while you make the filling.
- Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6
- Put the apple into a bowl along with the grated lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and spices. Set aside.
- Take the pastry out of the refrigerator. Roll it out onto a floured surface to a round about 14 inches in diameter.
- Line a 10 inch diameter tart tin which has a removeable base with it, being careful not to stretch it. Don't trim off any of the overhang.
- Prick with a fork and line with a piece of baking parchment and fill with baking weights. Place onto a baking sheet and place into the heated oven.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, remove the baking parchment and the weights and return to the oven for a further 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and run a rolling pin over the edge all around and remove the overhang and discard.
- Sprinkle the base with the flour/sugar mixture. Add the apple slices, placing them into the pastry on top of the flour/sugar mixture in a really decorative manner.
- Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 160*C/325*F/gas mark3 and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the top with the sieved apricot jam. Allow to cool to warm.
- Cut into wedges to serve.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Well, it is officially summer now the kids are all out of school. People are taking summer holidays, the mercury is rising, and many of us are looking for ways to keep things cool in the kitchen. For a lot of us this will mean grilling, picnics, BBQ's.
Here in Canada, we have just celebrated Canada Day, and I know many of my American family and friends will be celebrating the 4th of July tomorrow. One of my favorite childhood memories is of visiting our American family at this time of year and seeing all of the American flags.
Our cookouts may be as simple as hotdogs and hamburgers, or they can be as sophisticated as grilled chicken, fish, lamb, ribs, chops, or that delicious, tender perfectly grilled steak we have been waiting to enjoy since last year!
And I do look forward to all of those things. But let me tell you what I look forward to even more. Its the sides. Truth be told, to me anyways, they are the best part of any cookout, and I have my favorites!
These are dishes which add texture, color and flavor to those meals, complimenting whatever it is that you are planning on grilling. The dishes that turn any summer cookout, BBQ or Picnic into a feast and not just a meal! The dishes that no summer get-together would be perfect without.
Let me share my favorites with you, and not just any favorites, but the best of the best recipes for adding to the side of anything you might be choosing to cook be it veggie burgers, steaks, kabobs, or whatever.
MOM'S POTATO SALAD
For me, no summer get-together would be complete without a dish of Mom's Potato Salad gracing the table. I know that everyone thinks that their mom's make the best potato salad, and maybe it is true. Maybe your mom does make the best potato salad, but this potato salad recipe is a recipe that will blow most of the others out of the ball park!
This is my most often requested summer salad recipe. Whenever I am invited to someone's place for a pot luck or a BBQ they always ask me to bring my potato salad. I am not surprised actually. It is the perfect potato salad with just the right ratio of potato and veggies to dressing.
I am not fond of potato salads that are overdressed in mayo and gloopy. There is such a thing as too much when it comes to potato salad. This really IS the best potato salad recipe. Its secret is a preliminary dressing of a simple vinaigrette. This gets flavor right into the potatoes and prevents them from absorbing too much mayonnaise when it comes to adding the mayo dressing.
I also like to include plenty of chopped boiled egg, crisp chunks of celery and some onion and of course I always add a layer of sliced boiled egg to the top of the salad which really dressed it up to perfection. A dusting of paprika and we are good to go! I also have a very classic small batch recipe which is perfect for the smaller family.
BASIC MACARONI SALAD
Another must have for me and which makes a change from Potato Salad is this Basic Macaroni Salad recipe. And when I say basic I mean really basic. There is no need for bells and whistles here. This is as basic as you can get.
One thing I like about Macaroni salad is that it goes together a lot quicker than potato salad. You boil the macaroni, drain it and cool it off in cold running water. It doesn't take long. The macaroni I buy takes 5 minutes to cook and about 3 to 4 to cool down. Drain it again and its ready to add the dressing to.
It encompasses many of the flavors of a potato salad, but its faster. You get the crunch of the chopped celery and onion, the richness of the boiled egg, that creamy dressing, along with the bite of al dente macaroni.
This simple salad is about as unpretentious as it gets. Don't let its simplicity fool you into believing that its not really special however. This is the best. It is perfect just as is.
Sometimes my sister will add a can of drained tuna to it. My brother in law likes it that way, and it is very good. Myself, however, I like it just the way it is.
CAKE PAN SALAD
Cake Pan Salad. So called because it is arranged in a cake pan and is frosted with a delicious dressing on the top. Also called 7 Layer Salad, there are a ton of recipes out there for this salad. Most of them are pretty similar. You will also find some Tex Mex versions of it with corn chips and other bits added.
This basic layered salad recipe is a favorite for a reason. Its delicious! It is a beautiful marriage of layers, colors, textures and tastes!
One of the reasons I like mine the most is because I have managed (through trial and error) to reduce the fat and calorie content of it without compromising on taste! My version tastes every bit as delicious as the original. In fact I dare you to tell the difference.
You get the same tasty layers of crisp vegetables and lettuce. Peas, tomatoes, spring onions, cos lettuce. I use a strong cheddar cheese. If you use a strong cheese you need less of it to give you the same flavor impact that a milder one would give.
I use a low fat mayo and sour cream in the dressing. I still add bacon to the top, just not as much, and let me tell you, nobody notices. This salad is so delicious that nobody notices that it isn't slathered in an abundance of bacon. Lower in fat and calories and diabetic friendly. For me this is the best layered salad out there.
CHINESE COLESLAW
For me, every BBQ and summer get together is not complete without some coleslaw and there is no better version than Chinese Coleslaw. This is the perfect blend of crunch and color and flavor without a cloying mayonnaise based dressing. I have eaten far too many mayo soaked coleslaws in my life and if you are already having a potato or macaroni salad with mayonnaise in it, why do you need another salad full of mayonnaise?
Why Indeed?
This salad is the perfect antidote to that. It is a wonderful blend of crisp shredded vegetables. Carrots, two kinds of cabbage, the red and the green. You could use a ready blended coleslaw mix for speed if you wanted to.
Add to that the crunch of toasted almonds and sunflower seeds, and the piece de resistance . . . wait for it . . . a crumbled package of crispy ramen noodles. Crunch perfection.
Add a beautiful sweet and sour vinaigrette dressing and you have a salad that everyone will want seconds of! I always, always, come home with an empty bowl.
There are a bazillion versions of this recipe out there as well. This one uses water chestnuts and sesame seeds.
If you are wanting a slaw recipe that stands out from the crowd, is colorful and tastes delicious, with plenty of crunch then you cannot go wrong with Chinese Coleslaw. This is guaranteed to be the hit of your get-together!
PERFECT DEVILED EGGS
Finally, no cookout, picnic or BBQ would be perfect without a platter of Perfect Deviled Eggs. Again, no bells and whistles here. Just simple ingredients done well.
I don't want to brag or anything, but everyone love LOVES my Deviled Eggs. They are a very simple make. Just three ingredients, including the eggs. Oh, a bit of seasoning as well, according to taste.
When I cooked at the Manor the Mr and Mrs requested that a platter of my Deviled Eggs be in the refrigerator at all times. I wish I had a dollar for everyone that I have ever cooked. I would be a very wealthy woman.
In the above link I give all my tips for cooking eggs perfectly and my hints and tips for making the best deviled eggs ever. For instance did you know that fresh eggs are notoriously difficult to peel, but if your eggs are a bit older they peel much easier. I also like to peel mine under running water.
These are quite simply excellent, and the first thing to disappear on any buffet table, I guarantee!
And there you have it, my five favorite Summer Sides! What are some of yours? I really would love to know. Lets all share. With a bit of cooperation there is no reason why this summer can't be the tastiest one ever!
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@aol.com
Thank you so much for visiting! Do come again!
One of the things I love most about the food blogging world is that you get to touch base with food bloggers from ALL over the World! I think that's pretty cool. It makes the world . . . well . . . not so big a place, and it opens up your palate to all sorts of variety and possibility. At least that's my theory.
I was contacted recently and asked if I would be willing to participate in an activity to help to promote the launch of a new cookery book by one of the world's best food photographer/food bloggers Jules Clancy of the popular food blog Stone Soup. As a part of this activity I was asked to submit an ingredient which she could give me some recommendations for cooking quickly and deliciously.
The Stone Soup Blog is all about cooking fresh, healthy and delicious meals that can be cooked with 5 ingredients and in 10 minutes or less.
I asked Jules about Swede. I love Swede, or Rutabaga as it is known in North America and probably other parts of the world. We always called it turnip when I was a child, but that was a misnomer. It is a member of the brassica family, but it's not a turnip per se. In any case we love them in this house. Here was Jule's advice to me . . .
SWEDES
I'll be honest, swedes aren't my favourite vegetable. I usually only buy them once or twice a year when I feel like making a huge pot of my Mum's lamb and veggie soup or making a mixed root veg stew.
Given that they take at least half an hour or longer to cook, they really didn't get a look in when I was planning recipes for my book '5 Ingredients 10 Minutes'. But if you love swedes and would like to include them in your midweek cooking more often, the best thing to do is to cook them on the weekend. Just scrub and dice and roast in a little oil until golden. Then keep in the fridge to throw into soups like the simple minestrone in my book.
The roast cubes can also be quickly warmed in a pan to make warm salads more substantial. They're also great in any dishes involving lentils or eggs or cheese. Try using your diced roast swede to add bulk to a frittata or omelette or even scrambled tofu. Or make your favourite pasta bake recipe a bit healthier by replacing some of the cooked pasta with roast swede cubes.
I agree, they can take some length of time to cook, and I appreciated Jules advice to roast or cook it ahead of time, at the weekend, so that you can have some ready to add to soups, salads, omelettes, etc. I personally have a pretty quick way of cooking it myself, which is quite, quite delicious. I simply grated it on the large holes of a box grater and then pan fry it in a bit of butter. It's done pretty quickly and is absolutely delicious. Tis a trick I learned from a Canadian Mennonite.
I do love Jule's book. It's got a fresh clean look to it and peppered throughout with her beautiful food photography. All of the recipes are nicely written and quite doable! And yes, quick . . . Quick . . . QUICK!
Recipes for tasty spreads and dips such as this simply beautiful looking warm Cannellini Bean Spread with Parmesan . . .
to the unusual . . . like this Cream Cheese, Honey and Soy Crostini. Now tell me that's NOT appealing and intriguing! The picture alone begs me to create it and the ingredients list . . . simply crusty baguette slices, cream cheese, honey and . . . well . . . soy sauce! It could not be simpler.
But that's not all . . . there is also a beautiful variety of delicious looking and sounding soups . . .
Tasty and beautiful looking salads . . .
Quick easy, fresh and colourful pasta dishes . . .
A variety of mains using meat, fish and poultry . . .
And even fresh and delicious desserts.
And . . . all of the recipes use five ingredients or less and are easily created in just ten minutes or less. One of the main excuses people use today for not eating healthy is that they don't have the time to cook healthy meals . . . this delightful cookery book blows that theory right out of the water . . . it is indeed possible to cook fresh and delicious food, using healthy fresh ingredients in not an awful lot of time!
I was personally intrigued by her recipe for Crunchy Bread Pudding. We love bread pudding in this house, especially the Toddster. Too often though the recipes make far too much and most of it ends up being thrown away because it just doesn't get eaten in time. Was it possible to make a delicious bread pudding in ten minutes or less??
Yes. It is and I did.
*Crunchy Bread Pudding*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe
Take care to watch while it is baking as it can burn very quickly if you take your eyes off it for even a second.
60g caster sugar (I used golden about 1/4 cup)
125ml whipping cream (1/2 cup double cream)
1 large free range egg
2 thick slices of bread, cut into cubes
cream or ice cream to serve
Preheat your oven grill to it's hottest setting. Line a large baking tray with some aluminum foil. Spray it lightly with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Whisk the sugar, cream and egg together in a bowl. Add the bread cubes and squash them into the mixture, allowing it to soak up as much of it as possible. Spread the soaked bread onto the prepared baking tray.
Cook under the heated grill for about 5 minutes. Turn the cubes over and grill for another 3 minutes or so until golden brown.
Divide the cubes between two small bowls and serve with cream or ice cream.
Note: you can use coconut cream instead of the whipping cream and egg to make this dairy-free/vegan; or use a gluten free bread for a gluten free version, you can add cinnamon to give a spiced flavour, or replace the crea, sugar and egg with a commercial egg free custard for an egg-free version.
Another thing I like about Jules' recipes is that there are many variations included for most of them which give you the opportunity to charge things up. There are also 10 minute tricks of the trade, etc.
All in all I think this book is a real winner and will take pride of place on my book shelf.
Many thanks to the people from Penguin and Jules for sending it to me.
5 ingredients 10 minutes
delicious, healthy recipes for tired and hungry cooks
by Jules Clancy
Published by Penguin books
ISBN 978-0-718-15874-3
U.K. £14.99
Do take a gander at the banner at the top of my right hand side bar to see all of the other people participating in this blogging event.
As promised yesterday I am back today with a delicious casserole that you can make with some of your leftover cooked pork. I think that this casserole would also work well with leftover cooked chicken, beef or lamb as well.
I am a great lover of the casserolee and of using up my leftovers.
My last year in high school I started collecting a series of books by the people at Better, Homes & Gardens. They came one every couple of months or so and I thought they were just fabulous. They were some of the very first cookery books I used. There were quite a few volumes, each one pertaining to a different cookery subject. One on meat, another on chicken, there was a casseroles one, one on entertaining, etc. This recipe today came from a volume filled with money saving budget recipes and became a real favourite of my family through the years.
Its a great way to use up some of the ham left over from a roast ham, and in fact, I will sometimes pick up one of those small dinner hams at the grocery store, just so I can make this old standby of mine.
Cubes of cooked ham are mixed together with cooked macaroni and slices of sweet apple in a delicious, creamy sauce which is lightly flavoured with mustard and brown sugar. I am sure that it sounds a bit unusual, but it really is quite tasty. The original recipe called for plain ordinary mustard, but I now use Dijon, which is not as bright yellow in colour and has a nice depth of flavour without being too sharp.
Of course ham and mustard are perfect partners anyways, and who hasn't enjoyed a brown sugar glazed ham? I have often heard of people glazing their hams with apple butter, so really using sliced apple in this is not much of a flavour stretch, and the apple is a flavour partner, albeit it somewhat unusual, that goes amazingly well.
The sauce is creamy without being too rich. You can use whole milk in this but more often than not I use 2% or semi skimmed. It works just fine. I have even made it with re-constituted evaporated milk in the past when I was really having to pinch the pennies. All work well.
You can use white bread for the crumbs, although nowadays I am more apt to use whole wheat. I actually have come to prefer whole wheat bread now because of its almost nutty taste and texture, and of course it is much better for you. I usually serve this with salad and pickled beets.
*Ham and Mac Bake*
Serves 4 to 6
Serves 4 to 6
This is a wonderful casserole that is not only very tasty, but also very easy on the budget as well. My children always loved it when they were growing up and it was something different to do with the ham that was leftover from Easter. I often buy a slab of ham at the shops so that I can make this as well.
225g of uncooked macaroni (2 cups)
65g cup butter (1/4 cup)
45g flour (1/4 cup)
2 TBS Dijon mustard
salt to taste
1/4 tsp pepper
480ml milk (2 cups)
2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
2 cups cubed, fully cooked ham (about half a pound)
2 medium eating apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 1/4 slices of bread made into soft bread crumbs (about 1 cup)
2 TBS butter melted
Cook the macaroni in lightly salted boiling water until done, according to the packet directions. Drain well, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside until needed.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ Gas mark 4. Melt the 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute over low heat. Blend in the mustard, salt, pepper and sugar. In the meantime bring the milk just to the boil. (Just until bubbles appear around the edges) Slowly whisk the heated milk into the flour mixture, cooking and stirring it until thickened, smooth and bubbly. Stir in the cooked macaroni, ham and apple slices. Turn into a greased 2 litre casserole dish.
Toss the bread crumbs with the 2 TBS butter and sprinkle evenly over top of the casserole. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top.
Simple, old fashioned and delicous, this recipe would be the perfect way to use up some of that Easter Ham. Over here most people cook lamb for Easter, but the North American in me always wants a baked Ham at Easter. Old habits die hard. Bon Appetit!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons