You are probably wondering why I am showing you a fish recipe on a Monday. Two reasons really. First, as it is Canada Day back home I wanted to cook a typically Canadian dish, and not just Canadian, but a Maritime type of dish.
Secondly . . . it will take you a few days of preparation to get this dish put together, so I am giving you a heads up!
Down East Fish Cakes. There isn't a Canadian Maritimer worth their salt that doesn't love or know how to cook these fish cakes. They have been a Maritime staple for many years. These delicious potato and fish cakes use a traditional down east kitchen staple, Salt Cod.
It hails back to the years when the fishing industry was really big in the Maritime Provinces. Humble people are the Maritimers, and in years before refrigeration they would salt their cod to use in the off season. This was a great way to keep the cod. All they had to do was soak it to regenerate it and it was fit to eat.
Funny Story: It is said that during the Dust Bowl in the 1930's many Western Canadians risked starvation so the generous people of Eastern Canada sent them trains filled with Barrels of Salt Cod, which they knew would not only survive the long journey to the West, but could be easily stored and kept. Having no idea what it was, the Westerners used the slabs of salt cod to shingle their roofs.
The Salt Cod I used today does not come from Newfoundland or Nova Scotia, but from Scotland, Shetland to be exact, and it is famous! Mine came from The Fish Society, which is an online fish monger here in the UK.
They offer a really vast variety of fish and seafood to choose from, from A to Z, smoked, dried, over 200 kinds. They deliver across Western Europe but can also deliver further afield if you are looking for good fish to be delivered right to your door. Frozen fresh it is as fresh as it is right from the ocean when thawed. I just love their fish.
I was really excited when I discovered that they had Salt Cod. A little taste from home, Nova Scotia, which means New Scotland. This was singing to my Nova Scotian heart. This Salt Air-Dried Cod is considered to be the single Malt of the fish world. This is the best Salt Cod that you can buy here in the UK. Sustainably fished from MSC accredited Shetland stocks, this is a handcrafted premium product!
You do need to soak it in cold water before you can use it however. I soaked mine for 48 hours, changing the water 3 times, which is what was recommended to me. After that I simmered it in hot water for about 15 minutes, and then let it cool, whereupon I flaked it and used it in my recipe.
Some people cook their fish cakes right away, and you certainly could do that, but I like to mix them up one day and then shape them into a roll, wrap and chill, ready for me to cut into slices for frying the next day.
They are really easy to make. You just mix equal amounts of reconstituted, cooked and flaked salt cod with mashed potatoes. Don't add any milk or seasoning to the potatoes. Just peel, mash and use.
Into this goes a beaten egg, and some seasoning . . .
As a Maritimer I highly recommend Summer Savoury. Back home this is a staple of every kitchen larder. You will find it added to lots of dishes. Summer Savoury is the cousin of Winter Savoury, and adds incredible flavour to lots of dishes.
Summer Savoury is very aromatic and has an appetizing-enhancing, expectorant, digestive-regulating and sudorific effect.
Taken internally, the herb is viewed as a good remedy for nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, bloating and other digestive disorders, and can also used to treat a sore throat, colic, asthma and irregular menstruation. Just sayin'
Its not a herb that I have ever seen in the UK, and even in Western Canada it can be difficult to find. I always bring bags of it back with me when I come back from visiting Canada and throw them in the freezer to keep them fresh.
If you can't get it you can substitute a mixture of thyme and sage in its place. My Maritime heart just loves it.
Remembering that you are using salt cod, which has been cured by salting it, you will want to be judicious with adding salt. I taste as I go along.
You probably won't need much. I also like to add a healthy pinch of ground black pepper.
Shape the mixture into a fat log, wrap in cling film and place into the refrigerator overnight to chill, ready to slice, dip in flour and fry the next day for supper!
If you can't abide the idea of using salt cod (it does kind of smell) then you can use fresh cod which you have simmered until done, cooled and flaked in its place.
You will need more salt for seasoning in that case. I highly recommend the Fish Society's Prime Cod Mishapes which are perfect for this use.
The preparation of these takes a long longer than it does to cook them. They cook in literally minutes. Back home we would serve them with scrunchions.
Scrunchions are pieces of salt pork which have been fried and rendered to crisp little bits. We don't get salt pork over here. (I know so much salt! Those ancestors of mine were hardy folk!)
In true Maritime tradition, I served these with some baked beans, sliced ripe tomatoes and some of my fabulous Creamy Coleslaw.
This simple supper never fails to delight!
Yield: 4
Down East Fish Cakes
A maritime recipe hailing from the provinces of Eastern Canada. I like to serve them with baked beans, coleslaw and sliced tomatoes.
ingredients:
- 250g salt cod (1/2 pound, 8 ounces)
- 250g mashed potato (1/2 pound, 8 ounces)
- 1 small onion, peeled and grated on the fine edge of a hand grater
- 1 1/2 tsp summer savoury
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 medium free range egg yolks, beaten
- flour for dusting
- sunflower oil for frying
instructions:
How to cook Down East Fish Cakes
- Soak your cod in cold to reconstitute it according to the package directions, draining and changing the water several times. It will pong, but don't worry, it tastes beautiful.
- Once your fish is ready to cook simmer it in boiling water to cover for about 20 minutes. Drain it at the end of that time and set it aside to cool. (You can be cooking and mashing the potatoes while you wait.)
- Flake the cod into a bowl with a fork, or your fingers. (I use my fingers as I find it easier.) Add the mashed potatoes, and the seasonings, herbs. Taste and adjust as needed. Beat the egg yolks and then stir them in to combine well. Shake into a fat log, wrap in cling flim and chill over night.
- The next day when you are ready to cook them, have a shallow bowl of plain flour ready.
- Heat some oil, about 1/4 inch in a non-stick skillet until hot. Slice the fish mixture into 1 inch thick patties and coat them in flour, shaking off any excess. Place them in the hot fat, and cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve hot.
Fish from the Fish Society comes straight to your door, with an overnight delivery, and beautifully packaged. Ready to throw right into your own freezer. I highly recommend!
Happy Canada Day to all my friends and family!
Here in the UK as I write this, we are enjoying one of the nicest days so far this summer. The sun is shining and the skies are blue, well kind of hazy actually.
Its one of the lazy hazy days of summer!
I was up especially early this morning as we had a Missionary Correlation meeting to go to at 9:30. I baked some special muffins to take . . . Sugar Jam Muffins . . .
We ended up not going because it had ended up that Todd had a bad night last night, one of those night where he had not slept a wink (according to him) but in any case he felt pretty blah. So I told him to go back to bed.
The recipe itself is an old handwritten recipe . . . the kind that you write down . . . shared from a loved one or friend. With really brief instructions.
Sometimes only the temperature and cook time. These are the best kind of recipes. The tried and trues, but with such a brevity of instruction, you do have to have somewhat of a natural feel for cooking!
These are a really fabulous muffin . . . with a tender buttery crumb . . . its pretty basic. Just butter, sugar, egg, baking powder, flour, milk . . .
Most times when you make a muffin, you just whisk together the dry ingredients, and add the wet. These go together in slightly different manner . . .
You cream together the sugar and butter and then beat in the egg. Once that is done, then you fold in the flour/baking powder, alternating with some milk.
Half the batter gets put into a well buttered muffin tin, topped with a dab of jam . . . I like strawberry . . . and then the remaining muffin batter gets spooned on top . . . before baking in a hot oven.
Once they are baked, all puffed and golden brown, you roll them in melted butter and then cinnamon sugar.
You don't want to do this as soon as you take them out, they are a bit too fragile for that right then . . . wait about 10 minutes or so . . .
Just long enough to sit and stare out the window at the fine day that is coming to life and happening right on your doorstep . . .
I love my glass birds. I got them here, from Simon Alderson, on Etsy. On sunny warm day, they glow with light. He does about 8 different once. I have four. I had been looking for a sparrow a while back, to remind me that "His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me." I bought one of his sparrows.
Then I bought one for my mom for Christmas last year, and one for me at the same time, so we could share the joy. Mom's went with her . . . that brought me comfort to know that a piece of my love for her will always be in her hands. Since then I have bought a couple more as and when I can afford them. They're really pretty.
Almost as pretty as these delicious muffins!
I sat in my chair by the window while Todd slept, enjoying a hot cup of
fruit tea and one of these fabulous muffins while I practiced my
penmanship . . .
My handwriting has deteriorated so much over the last 30 years or so
since I first wrote out the recipes in my folder . . . I hardly write
at all these days.
Its mostly typewriting. I started practising my
penmanship a while back so that I could get back the skill. If you
don't use it you lose it.
Yield: 8
Sugar Jam Muffins
Buttery tender muffins, filled with jam and coated in cinnamon sugar. Scrumptiously tasty!
ingredients:
- 100g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 120g butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- 1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
- 120ml milk (1/2 cup)
- 210g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- strawberry jam or your preferred jam to fill
To coat the muffins:
- 150g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 120g butter, melted
instructions:
How to cook Sugar Jam Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter 8 large muffin cups really well. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, making 3 dry and 2 wet additions. Spoon half of the batter into the muffin tin. Dab about 1 tsp of jam into the centre of each, avoiding the sides of the tin. Cover with the remaining batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Let sit in the tin for about 5 to 10 minutes before tipping out.
- Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. The original recipe only called for 1/2 tsp cinnamon, but we like more. Place the melted butter in another bowl. Gently roll the baked muffins (still warm) in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Enjoy with a nice hot cuppa!
Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, months, years? This year is turning into one set back after another! As you know my mother passed away in January, very suddenly.
That was really hard on all of us. Just the worst. We all know we are going to lose our loved ones one day, but somehow, when it happens, we are never prepared for it.
Then my oven broke, not once, but twice . . . and I was without a working oven for about 2 1/2 months altogether. After that somehow, its still a mystery to me, my stick blender disappeared. Not the whole thing, just the motor for it.
And now today my electric mixer has blown up. Right in the middle of making these lovely desserts. I apologise in advance for the crummy photos. They are not as pretty as they might have been had I not had to beat up the egg whites by hand.
I had no sooner got everything ready to go, went to plug in my electric mixer and there was a loud bang. Let me tell you I just about hit the ceiling!
Shocking to say the least! I near jumped out of my skin! Its a wonder I didn't drop something.
And in the meantime ice cream was starting to melt . . . I quickly threw them back into the freezer and then began beating furiously with my hand whisk.
It takes forever to whisk egg white stiff with a hand whisk. I don't know how our grandmothers did it. They must have been made from much sturdier stuff and had stronger arms.
We are so very spoilt! We truly are! Anyways I finally got it all stiffed up and went to spread it on my frozen cakes.
It was deflating as fast as I was spreading it. Blah . . . there is no comparison to electric whisked whites . . . but I did my best!
The end result was no less tasty, but not quite as pretty as I had envisioned.
I wanted to share them anyways, because this is a really solid recipe and with all your stars aligned will absolutely turn out beautifully! Its easy and quick and very delicious!
You can make as many or as few as you like! I made two, but you could make ten or even twenty if so inclined. Simple.
They work best if you cut the cake, cover it with the jam and ice cream and berries and freeze the night before. That way they are really cold when you go to spread the meringue over top and pop them into the oven.
If they are really cold when you go to bake them the ice cream won't melt in the oven. It will still taste good if the ice cream does melt a bit, but trust me when I say they won't be as pretty!
Yield: variable
Red, White & Blue Baked Alaska
You can make as many or as few of these as you like. I will give the quantities for two, but you can multiply them to make more. Quick, easy and delicious. You can cut out and top the cakes before hand, keeping them in the freezer until you need them, covering with meringue at the last minute prior to baking.
ingredients:
- 2 slices of pound type of cake (Madeira cake) 1/2 inch thick
- 2 tsp good quality strawberry preserves
- 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, or strawberry/raspberry ripple
- sliced strawberries
- Mixed berries to serve
For the Meringue:
- 3 large free range egg whites
- 2 1/2 TBS caster sugar
instructions:
How to cook Red, White & Blue Baked Alaska
- These preparations can be made the night before and then put into the freezer. Take your slices of cake and using a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, cut out two round circles from the cake. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the cake slices, well apart on the lined baking sheet. Spread each with a teaspoon of strawberry preserves. Top with a scoop of ice cream and surround each scoop of ice cream with slices of strawberry around the bottom edge. Put in the freezer to get really cold. (You can do this the night before.)
- When you are ready to bake your desserts, preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.
- Break your egg whites into a clean glass bowl. Whip with an electric whisk until they start to get foamy. Continue to beat, adding the sugar slowly until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.
- Remove your cakes from the freezer and working quickly with a small flat flexible spatula cover the cakes with the meringue, swirling it decoratively, and covering the top and sides completely.
- Pop the oven tray into the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until light golden brown. Carefully remove from the baking tray with a large metal spatula and pop onto serving dishes. Serve immediately with an assortment of fresh berries on the side.
I have no idea how long I will have to wait until I can get a new mixer. It will probably be months, but in the meantime I reckon I am going to develop some seriously arm muscles. Every cloud has a silver lining!
This week in honor of the world's first Pickle-nic Week we decided to invite some good pickle-loving friends over for a picnic lunch to help celebrate with us.
A Pickle-nic shared is a Pickle-nic joy doubled! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Pickles are the perfect picnic food don't you think? Sweet/sour/crunchy and perfectly portable!
Of course our weather these past few weeks hasn't been all that Picnic friendly, so for safety we planned a Pickle-nic worth indoor picnic and of course Mrs Elswood's pickles were the centre of our picnic table feast.
They are the only pickle I have ever been able to find over here in the UK that compares in taste and crunch to the pickles I was used to from back home. I miss the pickles from home and its so nice to finally have a tasty alternative here that I can munch on and enjoy just as much!
Their sandwich slices were perfect in my ham and pickle buns. Such a simple make also, with plenty of salty ham, sweet pickle crunch and some sharp grainy mustard.
Simply layer well buttered soft rolls that you have spread with grainy mustard (I used German) with some Mrs Elswood's Sandwich slices and some finely sliced ham. Perfectly delicious! These went down a real treat!
This was a picnic I decided to throw together basically at the last minute, having only decided to plan it on Monday evening. I had been wanting to have our friends over for a while but had been waiting for good weather to do so in.
I finally told myself "The heck with the weather!" we will just invite them anyways and weather come what may, we'll either do it indoors or outside. I planned something which worked both ways.
My Perfect Picnic List
- Suitable seating, blankets and folding chairs for outdoors, or plenty of seating indoors
- A cooler or basket to hold the food whilst transporting (outdoor picnics) or a suitable surface to spread everything out on (indoors)
- Freshly made sandwiches, suitably wrapped. Nothing overly messy. If your sandwiches are going to be in the car or basket for too long, make sure you also include little ice blocks to keep everything cold, or else avoid fillings which include mayonnaise. Indoors, make your sandwiches ahead of time, and keep them covered and chilled in the refrigerator, putting them out just before serving.
- Something crunchy to enjoy along with your sandwiches. Crisp pickles. Crisp raw vegetables (with dip!). Potato chips.
- Something sweet to satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. Sturdy cakes that travel well and are not overly fussy with tons of frosting and decorations. Fresh fruit/berries. Cookies and squares, again not too fussy or mussy.
- Plenty of cold refreshing drinks. Carbonated don't travel well. I like to make ice cold lemonade and then pack it into large sealable containers with plenty of ice. Of course if you are indoors transportation isn't a problem, neither is keeping everything cool until you are ready to enjoy.
- paper napkins, plates, plastic/wooden knives/forks/spoons, cups
- scintillating conversation and company, plus some calming background music, nothing to gregarious or distracting. Gentle and soothing is the key.
MAKE SURE YOU INVITE EVERYONE TO LEAVE THEIR MOBILES/LAPTOPS AND OTHER DISTRACTING MEDIA ASIDE FOR THESE FEW HOURS! This will greatly add to the enjoyment of the time you are able to spend together!
Aside from the Ham & Pickle Buns I made a few other sandwiches. I did Cheese & Tomato on whole grain bread (Just layer in grated strong cheddar cheese, and sliced ripe tomatoes, making sure you drain as much of the pips out beforehand), Cheese & Pickle (exactly what it says and very popular) and some Chicken Salad Croissants.
I made a delicious Curried Chicken Salad and then layered it in fresh buttered croissants along with some baby rocket.
Curried Chicken Salad
Yield: Makes about 3 cups
A delicious chicken salad that you can either enjoy on its own spooned over lettuce or in a tasty sandwich!
ingredients:
- 110g good quality full fat mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
- 120g full fat Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
- 1 heaped TBS mango chutney
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 3 to 4 tsp curry powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 250g cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (2 cups)
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 4 TBS flaked toasted almonds
- 12 grapes quartered
- 1 stalk of fresh celery, chopped
- 3 TBS raisins
instructions:
How to cook Curried Chicken Salad
- In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, chutney, curry powder and seasoning until smooth. Fold in the remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. This will keep in the refrigerator for about 2- 3 days. I would not keep it any longer. (Of course this depends on when you cooked the chicken. I never keep cooked chicken any longer than 4 days in the refrigerator.)
The chicken croissants went down a real treat along with the ham and pickle sandwiches, although the chicken croissants were a tad bit messy, but in a very good way if you know what I mean!
For the something crunchy I provided some potato chips. You could use ruffled chips or tortilla chips and have a dip as well if you wanted.
Of course plenty of crunchy pickles are nice and yes, the vegetables and dips! Did you know you can stuff larger pickles with cheese? Just do a search on google.
I found some that had been wrapped in bacon and fried. OH MY GOODNESS. Not exactly Pickle-nic worthy, but hey ho!
For my something sweet I served fresh berries from the garden and cake. I had baked two cakes for the occasion . . .
Swedish Visiting Cake on the left and French Yogurt Cake on the right.
We enjoyed them with the berries and I'll be honest with you because we were at home I got some Clotted Cream Ice Cream out of the freezer and we each had a scoop of that on top as well!
And of course we washed it all down with an assortment of refreshing drinks. I had ice cold sparkling water which I served with a twist of lemon over ice and chilled sparkling lemonade. Both were nice and went very well.
Everyone loves these Ham & Pickle Sandwiches. Mrs Elswood's Sweet Cucumber Sandwich slices worked perfectly in these and we even enjoyed a few on their own, because who doesn't enjoy the extra crunch of a pickle, sliced or not!
These taste very similar to the Bread & Butter Pickles from back home. Great on burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and even chopped up and popped into your salads.
I wish they would do a sweet pickle relish like we have back home. So, so, so tasty!
This was a wonderful feast to be enjoyed for Pickle-nic week. Everyone was really happy with the food.
It wasn't stressful for me to prepare and made for a very relaxing meal. Picnics indoors or out! You can't beat them for fun, fun, fun!
A PICNIC MEMORY
I must have been 10 or 11 years old and my friend and I decided we wanted to go on a picnic. My mom made me a peanut butter sandwich and I had that in a brown paper bag along with a few cookies. I also had a cold bottle of Nesbitts Orange Soda Pop. My friend had something similar.
We popped our lunches into our bicycle baskets and then took off for the great outdoors on a grand adventure. We ended up in Torbrook, which was quite a tough bicycle ride partway up the nearby South mountain.
We parked our bicycles and ate our lunches on a hillside looking down on the old Baptist church, with the sounds of bees buzzing, all hot and sweaty from our exertion in getting there, but I can tell you, you have never tasted a better or more delicious peanut butter sandwich than that one!
We finished it off by eating some green apples we picked from a near-by tree and went to bed with belly-aches that night, but oh what a wonderful memory we had built!
I do believe a Picnic is a wonderful excuse to crack open your inner-child and dust it off for a few hours!!!
Happy Picnic Days!!
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