Recipes, Food Stories, Food Tips and more

National Pie Week - What’s your favourite filling?We made...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:17:26 -0500

National Pie Week - What’s your favourite filling?

We made ours with lovely chunks of rump steak and heaps of crumbled Stilton - Gorgeous!

Creamy Chicken, Sauage & Leek Pie Recipe (Vegetarian alternative recipe included)

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:13:21 -0400

Each pie serves 3-4 people (with roast potato and vegetable sides)

Ingredients

Filling - (non-vegetarian version)

5x Chicken breasts (free range) - Cut into cubes
4x Bratwurst sausages - Cut into chunks
1 can of chicken soup
Handful fresh parsley (finely chopped)
Chestnut mushrooms
One large onion - Chopped
One large leek - Chopped
Rapeseed or olive oil for frying
Black pepper
Salt

Filling - (vegetarian version)

Quorn vegetarian chicken pieces
4x or Quorn vegetarian Sausages
Double cream
Mature grated Cheddar cheese
Handful fresh parsley (finely chopped)
Chestnut mushrooms
One large onion - Chopped
One large leek - Chopped
Rapeseed or olive oil for frying
Black pepper
Salt

Also needed

Shortcrust pastry (either made or pre-bought rolled)
1 egg to seal the top and wash the pastry

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220°C.

Heat a large, deep sided frying pan and fry chopped onions and leeks in a little oil.
Once fried add to a spare empty pan.

Add chopped bratwurst sausages to the pan and brown off.
We use bratwurst as the chunks hold together when cooked in the pie and won’t fall apart like most other sausages.
Once brown add the sausages to the spare pan with the leeks and onions.

Fry the diced chicken pieces adding a chicken stock cube to add flavour, add the chicken to the pan with the rest of the ingredients.

Fry the mushrooms and add these to the spare pan.

Bring the chicken soup to a simmer in the deep sided frying pan, adding a little grated mature cheddar and the finely chopped parsley, season with black pepper and salt to taste. Add to the rest of the ingredients and stir together, empty into a oven proof casserole dish.

*V For the vegetarian version follow the steps above using the Quorn chicken and sausages. Instead of chicken soup you can use mushroom soup, or alternatively replace soup with a thick cheese sauce.

To make the cheese sauce start by heating the frying pan and adding double cream splash with a little soy sauce add the parsley and a good handful of mature cheddar (stirring continuously) then season with salt and black pepper to taste.

You should have something resembling the photos below:

Non Vegetarian Creamy Chicken, Sausage and Leek Pie (without the top):

Vegetarian Creamy Quorn Chicken, Quorn Sausage and Leek Pie (without the top):

Add the pastry top (either shortcrust or puff pastry) wash rim with 1 beaten egg to seal and wash pastry completely before adding to the preheated oven at 220°C.

Stab two breathing holes with a knife so steam can escape.

Remove from the oven once the top is golden brown and the contents are piping hot.

Enjoy with roast potatoes and a selection on vegetables.

Submitted by Lewy

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Wow, major downtime (~Three Years!)

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:34:57 -0400

We’re back - Not posted since 2009 - ~Three years on We’ve (Lewy & Kaz) decided to make the most of this lovely website and blog called the cottagecookbook.

In the next few weeks we’ll be rolling out the changes to the website (I’ve been tinkering away and revamped the design and navigation) and We’ll start to post new recipes, tips, food stories and more (Just as before, but better).

Lewy

Fresh Mackerel with bay, served with peas

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:07:52 -0400

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 Fresh (Gutted) Mackerel
Bay leaves (either dried or fresh)
Black Pepper
Salt
Lime or Lemon Juice

Also needed

Aluminium Foil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220°C.

Wash your mackerel under some cold running water, place both on on a piece of aluminium foil on a baking tray.

Season the mackerel with salt and papper, stuff whole bay leaves in the belly cavity, add lemon or lime juice over all the fish. Wrap the mackerel in the foil folding the edges in and over so no juices will escape (even when turned over).

Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until piping hot all the way through.

Meanwhile Start podding the fresh pod peas

Heat in a pan of water

Remove the heads and tails of the mackerel (they should come away easily once fully cooked) and serve with the peas and some fresh buttered bread. Enjoy!

Tips

As an alternative, try with a spicy rub of Jamican Jerk Seasoning instead of salt, pepper and lemon juice.

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What foods are in Season in July

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Cherries

The Romans are believed to have discovered sweet cherries in Asia Minor in about 70 BC and introduced them to Britain in the first century AD. They were traditionally used medicinally; Studies show cherries to be a good source of antioxidants, which help counteract heart disease, certain cancers, and other types of illnesses (the darker the cherries have higher levels than the red/yellow ones).

The fruiting season is very short for cherry trees; most varieties will usually fruit in July depending on the weather conditions that particular year. Morello Cherries are a sour variety which has become popular in the UK over the years in gardens due to it being self pollinating. Sour Cherries usually fruit later in the year than sweet varieties but their fruit can be just as delicious sweetened in jams and pies.

Unfortunately in the last 50 years Britain has lost around 90% of its Cherry orchards. Britain now imports around 95% of the Cherries we eat. Hopefully this is gradually changing as the public become more aware of food miles. Smaller varieties of hardier sweet cherries are being cultivated which are easier to manage and more productive which should also entice UK growers to invest in this once abundant summer fruit.

FoodLoversBritian.com has even set up a campaign called “Cherry Aid” to help save the great British Cherry! Most people are totally unaware that this is happening; buying cherries from supermarkets without paying attention to what country they have been imported from. If you can, buy only British Grown Cherries (if you don’t know where they sell them, there is a list of British cherry retailers on the Food Lovers Britain Cherry Aid website) It will cut down on the air miles your cherries are traveling and also save a dying industry as well as wonderful summer fruit. Let’s face it, why import cherries when our climate as absolutely perfect for growing them here in the UK?

Sweet cherries are wonderful fruits eaten on their own, but are amazing fruits to add to your cooking and even drinks. Ever tried making cherry brandy? Real cherry sauce topped pancakes on a glorious summer morning, with a little rich, indulgent cream? Go for it! Try mixing chopped fresh British cherries with some cookie dough, delicious cherry cookies! Experiment with ingredients like cherries, it couldn’t be easier; it’s the best way to come up with new recipes!

Don’t forget National Cherry day is on Saturday 18 July 2009 – Why not celebrate and make something Cherry?!

Mackerel

Mackerel are wonderful fish, and their season normally falls on at least a little good weather. Mackerel cooks marvelously on the barbecue, a little sea salt, coarsely ground black pepper and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice before they go on and they are perfect! Mackerel have quite a rich flavour which shines out from most recipes, that’s why it does so well on its own on the barbecue! The firm flesh stands up to the searing heat from the barbecue perfectly. Don’t let its rich flavour put you off trying it as part of a recipe though; it’s quite versatile when used with spicy or tangy flavours. Try a jerk seasoning rub for example. You don’t need to cook Mackerel on the barbecue, it’ll cook just as well in a foil parcel in the oven have a look at our simple mackerel recipe, just stuffed with a few bay leaves and served with fresh peas (which are also still in season in July)

Mackerel is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 and selenium. Mackerel is a relatively inexpensive, healthy fish and is extremely tasty – while its season is quite long (From July to October - Try and avoid from March until July as this is when they are spawning) it’s worthwhile enjoying it often while it is in season due to its health benefits. Make sure you buy the freshest fish you can, Mackerel will go bad quicky so when you do find a fresh fish make sure you eat it the day you buy it. Have a look here for tips on buying fresh fish.

Blueberries

Blueberries are another wonderful summer fruit, with one of the highest antioxidant levels, blueberries are extremely good for you as well as delicious. Most of the time you’ll see blueberries in the likes of muffins, cakes, pies and other baked wonders, but it’s when they are fresh that they hold the most nutritional value and to me more flavour.

Traditionally used as a medicinal fruit, the blueberry plant has a long history of medicinal uses. Native Americans used the stems and leaves of the blueberry plant to make medicines. Europeans generally used the berries and extracts from the berries to treat the likes of mouth ulcers, diarrhoea, scurvy even in the treatment of gout and rheumatism.

Blueberries freeze very well so their benefits can be enjoyed in the winter to make the likes of blueberry pancakes with cloves, vanilla and cinnamon, very warming and filling on a winter’s day. Don’t wash blueberries before freezing, seal in freezer bags and the berries will freeze individually and can be poured out when needed like marbles. Blueberries can also be used to make jams and preserves which will last 6 to 8 months.

Try our pancakes with seasonal summer fruits sauce recipe (blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and raspberries)

FIND MORE FOOD STORIES LIKE THIS ONE ON THE COTTAGECOOKBOOK.co.uk

Food For Free!

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:40:00 -0400

The collection and cooking of forager’s food.

There are many areas where wild food can be gathered or caught. Be it along hedgerows, in woodland, or along the sea shores, even your own back garden may secretly be hiding a tasty meal or two.

Whether picking tasty greens, catching snails, fishing, mushroom hunting, or catching the odd grey squirrel for your lunch, many places hold an abundance of ingredients to be used in your cooking.

Before you start foraging for food there are a few things that are important to know. Although most of these rules are common sense, they are always best kept to. Many plant’s and mushrooms are poisonous and some are in fact deadly. Be careful and always follow these rules.

The Rules

Never put a plant in your mouth, unless completely 100% sure of its identification and edibility. If you are unsure of a wild plant’s identification, don’t put it in your mouth! Don’t consider “pretty sure” as an option, be safe and leave the plant alone.

When trying wild plants for the first time, you should try tasting a very small amount of the prepared plant to check tolerance, some people (like those allergic to nuts etc) may be allergic to certain plants the majority will be able to tolerate. If a bad reaction occurs you can avoid further consumption.

Just because one part of a plant is edible (stems, root, leaves), this doesn’t mean the rest of the plant can be consumed safely – Rhubarb for example has poisonous leaves, although their stems make wonderful eating.

Only gather wild food, from safe sources, away from pollution (from car fumes, pesticides or other chemicals) always wash before use.

Rights

Always stick to places with public rights of way, designated footpaths, bridleways, and country lanes, here you are entitled to gather as much fruit, leaves, flowers, nuts and mushrooms as you like as long as you don’t uproot or destroy the plant in question in which case you would have to get permission from the landowner. Certain plants are also protected by law too, but we will not talk about these below.

Communal or national parks also have their own rules or foraging and these also should be considered if you intend to forage in these places.

Water ways and sea shores can also have their own rights of way and these also should be researched before bashing a prize carp on the head an taking it home for lunch. Pollution can also be a problem in water as well as on land, whether polluted by agricultural or industrial chemicals or by sewage outlets, it’s recommended to gather some information locally before eating any animal or plant that comes from the water.

Seasons

Just like other British food, wild food has it’s season, when it is at it’s best, even grey squirrel has more meat on it at a certain time of year. Eating seasonally means you can pick what nature has to offer when it’s at it’s best and you can be happy that your food hasn’t made any air miles whatsoever.

Why Forage For Food?

In times past foraging for food was second nature and was means to human survival. Now most of this food foraging knowledge has been lost. Many commercial scale crops have been forced beyond their means to produce as large a crop as possible, often compromising flavour.

Supermarket bought greens can take days after being picked to be delivered from farm to supermarket and can sit on shelves for days again afterwards. All this sitting around loses vitamins, minerals and flavour. There is nothing fresher and tastier than wild foraged greens, they can often be eaten within the hour they were picked! (or less if you are lucky enough to find your greens in your own garden.)

Foraging for your own food means you can get the best, when it’s at its best.

Wild Meat

Foragers and grow your own enthusiasts alike have probably already tried rabbit or other game pies. Usually bought from specialist suppliers or available from farmers, and more recently local farmers markets. Many high end restaurants will serve rabbit pie, pigeon, even rook pies, A few even have the odd grey squirrel on the menu. Often seen as pests to farmers, gardeners and allotment owners these animals also make good eating. Grey squirrels and rooks and pigeon were once wartime delicacies so why not try them now? there are obvious reasons for eating them!

There are many opinions on eating animals like the Grey Squirrel. While rabbit is quite traditional and they have been eaten for years in the past, many will still disagree with eating such meats, but to me it makes complete common sense. They’re local, so there are hardly any food miles, low costing and highly tasty!

Kill a Squirrel, Save a Squirrel

It is estimated that Grey Squirrels number at about 6 million in the UK, against a mere 160,000 native red Squirrels. Since Grey Squirrels were introduced to the UK from North America in the 19th Century, not only have Grey Squirrels forced the native Red Squirrel out of it’s habitat, but they are carriers of Squirrel Pox which is killing off the Red Squirrel populations. While Grey Squirrels have built up anti bodies to Squirrel poxs and recover quickly, a Red Squirrel infected by the virus will usually die in as little as 2 weeks. Red Squirrels are now an endangered species in the UK and is therefore fully protected under UK legislation. As well as causing problems for the Red Squirrel Grey Squirrels cause havok for British song birds as they will eat birds’ eggs and fledglings in the spring. So what can we do to help slow the pest that is the grey squirrel?

There has been talk of mass culls by poisoning of Grey Squirrels, but to me it makes more sense to shoot them and put them in the pot. They have a natural diet of fruits and nuts, which make the meat moist and sweet. Many high end London restaurants are thinking the same way. Butlers Wharf Chop House in London even have a specialist Grey Squirrel and Rook Menu at the moment. The Pelts can be used for gloves and hats and the tails are frequently used for making into flies for fly fishing. None of this animal should go to waste.

Grey Squirrel control by shooting with a pellet gun is probably the best and most humane way, although like rabbits trapping can be effective also. If you would like to find out more on the background of Squirrel control, and where you stand in the eyes of the law when trapping or shooting Grey Squirrels, you can find some great information on greysquirrelcontrol.co.uk. Always get permission of the landowner if you aren’t shooting or trapping on your own land, doing so without permission is poaching, and is a prosecutable offence.

Grey Squirrel can make great eating, with its moist and sweet meat, it’s gamey, low in fat, low in food miles and completely free range! While there isn’t enough meat on a squirrel to feed a family it will happily feed one person. Grey Squirrel is great roasted on the BBQ. Southern fried squirrel is good, and tandoori style Squirrel also works well!

For those interested, more information can be found on Red Squirrel populations and conservation at UkRegSquirrels.org

Gorgeous Greens!

When it comes to collecting wild greens, you’d be surprised about the sort of thing we can eat. Of all these wild greens most have been used for decades in food and drinks, many of these generous plants are now seen as weeds. Think of Dandelion and Burdock for example, both extremely good for you and wildly prolific, even in our own back gardens.

Some Uses of Dandelions

As well as this traditional drink dandelions have many other uses; Dandelions are a great source of vitamins B, C and pro-vitamin A - They have been used medicinally in the past for stomach complaints. Dandelions also help to dissipate gallstones and are believed to improve kidney function.

All of the dandelion plant can be used for culinary purposes.

The thick roots can be roasted and ground (in a coffee grinder) and make a wonderful substitute for coffee, without the caffeine and loads of extra health benefits.

Leaves can be used raw in salads or steamed or boiled like spinach - It’s best to harvest the leaves before the flowers start to bud as they will be more tender rather than tough and bitter.

Dandelion flowers (before they go to seed) make a de vine dandelion wine, dandelion tea or can be sprinkled over salads uncooked to provide a vibrant yellow colour.

What foods are in season in June

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:40:00 -0400

photo by Kazerella

June is a bountiful month for those that have taken the plunge and decided to grow a few things in pots at the end of March. While shops and supermarkets may have fresh seasonal produce at hand, the food gardener is the one reaping the rewards from such little work at the begining of the year. For those of you that aren’t already getting their hands covered in soil, I hope this month I can convert at least couple of people into growing a few things in pots in their gardens.

Strawberries

What’s more delicious than a ripe strawberry picked straight from the plant on a hot summer’s day?

British strawberries are perfect in June, their alluring sweet scent and their juicy succulence. While British strawberries are in the shops right now, growing your own strawberries is easy. There’s nothing more rewarding than plucking your own strawberries straight from the plant and serving in a bowl with a little sprinkled sugar and thick whipped cream, you’ll never eat a sweeter strawberry!

Strawberries are simple to grow, even if you have little space they thrive in warm spots in pots, their sprawling shoots can be trained into adjacent pots to make yet more strawberry plants for next year. You can extend the season of your own strawberries by getting early, mid and late season varieties.

Broad Beans

While Broad Beans aren’t to everyone’s taste, to me it’s how they are cooked that makes the difference.

Broad Beans again can be grown at home; they cope wonderfully in a grow-bag or in pots without much attention other than a good watering after an extremely hot day. At home you have the choice of harvesting early for the young and tender pods that can be briefly steamed, or waiting until the pods are bigger and enjoy the beans in stews, soups, or as I prefer them by removing the bean casings and boiling like potatoes, then mashing with a little pesto and serving thickly spread on top of grilled prosciutto on bruschetta.

Peas

Peas are another great garden food; again you don’t need loads of space for a few pots of peas. Even though they are available in the shops right now and taste delicious, growing them yourself can make them taste better still. Just add a few bamboo canes for the peas to climb up and water them regularly and you can’t go wrong. There are many varieties of peas available from the mange-tout that you eat in the pods, to large pod varieties. Pod peas are wonderfully sweet, snapped straight off the plant de-podding and eating as soon as possible. Peas are a great accompaniment to lots of meals, gently steaming is my preferred method of cooking.

Gooseberries

Gooseberries bushes are a hardy and particularly suited to the British climate, they can be trimmed into small bushes in pots or do well if left to their own devices in beds and borders. Gooseberries do very well in large pots but prefer good soil (grow-bag soil works wonderfully).

Gooseberries aren’t as fashionable as they were in the nineteenth century when gooseberry wine, tarts, fools, pies and puddings were all common place. The gooseberry was a much celebrated fruit; there were even gooseberry clubs, all fighting to grow the biggest and most flavoursome fruit. Nowadays the gooseberry has become a much forgotten wonder of the past, which is a pity, their high yielding fruit produced from mid June through to the end of July make for delicious eating.

As well as the more traditional uses for gooseberries like pies, tarts and fools they can be used in more adventurous ways, one of our forum members and restaurant chef (who goes by the name of Sexychef on our forum) recommends to cook them down with some sugar and serve them with a pork chops/roast instead of apple puree/sauce, What could be more delicious?!

FIND OUT WHAT’S IN SEASON NOW ON THE COTTAGE COOKBOOK

What foods are in Season in May

Tue, 05 May 2009 06:59:00 -0400

Asparagus, Asparagus, Asparagus!!

That’s what May shouts out to me, but then again I love the stuff. While these lovely green shoots can be bought from super markets nearly all year round they are grown in places like Peru and imported to the UK – All those miles from picking can make Asparagus taste woody and tasteless. While Asparagus isn’t everyone’s cup of tea they will probably adore UK Asparagus at their freshest (Which is now) The UK Asparagus Season only lasts for about six weeks from late-April to mid-June. While they are so fresh they are delicious! Why not try wrapping with prosciutto and grilling them in a heavy based grill pan with good strong olive oil, sprinkling with a little grated parmesan cheese after the prosciutto has browned. As the weather warms up you can grill these in the same way on the BBQ and wow your guests, Asparagus is so simple but such a lovely starter before you get the sausages, steaks and burgers on the BBQ.

A lot of people over cook Asparagus; I think grilling quickly so they are still crunchy is the best way to serve them. The last thing you want to do is boil away all that fresh flavor until the poor Asparagus ends up an unappetising soggy, green, and stringy mess. I love the flavour of Asparagus that much I have been known to munch on the fresh stalks raw, they work perfectly raw and crunchy like this with a garlicky humus dip. You can even finely chop the tips and serve in a salad. Just give them a good wash with clean, cold water and trim off the woody side tips before you finely chop them.

However you decide to eat them, get as much of UK Asparagus as you can now!

Duck

Duck and Asparagus go brilliantly together; Crispy Roast duck on a bed of stir fried asparagus couldn’t be more delicious. It’s wonderful that in the UK their seasons cross each other’s path at their peak in late April and May. Although Duck is now farmed and is available all year round, it’s at this time of year (also Christmas) that these versatile birds are at their largest.

While seen as a fatty bird, duck doesn’t have an overly pleasing reputation outside Chinese restaurants or takeaways. Many say it’s too fatty, the problem is that British consumers try to cook Duck as they would chicken.

I cook duck much like I cook a Pork Joint, scaring the skin with a sharp knife, seasoning and roasting slowly until the fat melts down and the meat below is exceptionally tender, stuff potatoes all around the duck and these will roast at the same time, occasionally baste the duck and the potatoes with the juices. Duck will roast beautifully and makes for a rich gamey alternative to roast chicken. Save the juices to make a rich gravy and serve with creamy mash and steamed asparagus.

If you only have duck breasts you can cook them in the same way in the oven. Make Chinese crispy duck by rubbing with a little Chinese five Spice and a light soy sauce paste before starting them off in a really hot oven until the skin becomes crispy. Just reduce the heat after about 15 minutes and cook slowly until the juices run clear when pricked with a skewer. Serve your crispy (and rather tasty) duck with your Asparagus. With this style of duck your asparagus is probably best stir fried. Try stir frying in grated fresh ginger and grated orange zest with a little crushed garlic and a teaspoon of honey, juice the remaining orange and add to a searing hot wok, quickly boil down the orange juice until sticky and caramelised letting it coat your Asparagus with the garlicky, sweet and zesty sauce.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a strange and wonderful vegetable, most people will eat rhubarb sweetened more like a fruit than a vegetable. For those that grow their own food, Rhubarb is simple to grow, although a little demanding of space. It can be a rewarding plant as they are very hardy, in fact they prefer a good frost in the winter which will make the stems more abundant when they finally start come out of their winter slumber in late March and early April.

Forced Rhubarb can be seen in supermarkets earlier in the year around January, as their name suggests forced rhubarb has been encouraged to come out of their slumber early in heated conditions, it’s a great way of extending the UK Season. Forced Rhubarb has yellowish leaves and is usually more tender than normal field-grown Rhubarb. Forced or not Rhubarb will often deliver it’s bounties when most other plants in the veg plot are still sleeping and is one of the first crops to be harvested. By late April Field grown Rhubarb can be harvested, don’t however eat the leaves of a rhubarb plant- they contain oxalic acid which is poisonous to humans.

Rhubarb Freezes well and can be used (as well as in Rhubarb crumble) in many different ways, because of it’s tart flavour most of the time Rhubarb must be sweetened, When not sweetened Rhubarb goes brilliantly with fatty meats like lamb, pork and of course duck. Try making a salsa sauce with rhubarb to accompany your favourite roast, just boil in a pan on a low heat with a mix of garlic, chilli, red wine vinegar, honey, chopped onions and ground cardamom, take the lid off and boil the excess liquid off for a tart, rich salsa.

For those who enjoy a good wine, Rhubarb makes a lovely (and very strong) home-brew wine, with the addition of just water, sugar and brewer’s yeast, a simple wine can be brewing away vigorously in just a few days. Just bring a gallon of water to boil in a large pan adding about 3lb sugar and 3lb of chopped rhubarb leave to simmer for 30 minutes, cool until just warm and add the brewer’s yeast. Transfer to a fermentation vessel like a demijohn, or a plastic brewing bucket with a lid. After a month of brewing, rack off regularly to another sterilised demijohn until clear then finally rack off into bottles and store for a few more months to mature before drinking.

In Season in May

Fish:

Pollack
Salmon
Sea Trout
Dover Sole
Skate
Plaice
Lobster
Brown Crab
Haddock

Hedgerows:

Nettles
Primrose
Elderflowers
Wild Garlic

Herbs:

Rosemary
Chives
Mint
Parsley
Sorrel

Meat & Game

Spring Lamb
Wood Pigeon
Duck

Vegetables:

Asparagus
Rhubarb
Courgettes
Radishes
Carrots
Spinach
Kale
Jersey Royal Potatoes
Cauliflower
Samphire
Purple Sprouting Broccoli

IN SEASON FOOD ON THE COTTAGE COOKBOOK

Sesame seed topped large white bread rolls

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:07:00 -0400

Ingredients

Makes 4 large bread rolls

1kg Strong White Flour
2 tsp Dried Yeast
1 1/2 tsp Salt
600ml Water
1 cup of milk (for coating)
A small bag of sesame seeds for coating

Also needed

Cooling rack
Heavy baking tray (or baking stone)
Deep sided baking tray

Instructions

Get all your ingredients ready in one place, It’ll be easier than trying to find them when your hands are covered in floury dough.

Measure out 1kg of good strong flour.

Add 2 teaspoons of the dried bread yeast and 1 and a half teaspoons of salt to the dry flour.

Slowly add the water to the dry mixture.

Mix the dough with the tips of your fingers, work quickly and sticking won’t be as bad.

Make a rough dough, then empty onto the worktop.

Don’t flour the work top at this point you want the dough to stick. Push the dough down on the worktop away from you, this will stretch the gluten, scoup the dough back towards you and repeat the process. Eventually the dough will stop sticking at this point knead for about 15 minutes until smooth. Make into a rough round to make is rise more evenly.

Flour a deep pan and place the dough in, cover with cling film and leave in a warm (but not hot) place to rise for about an hour. The dough should double in size.

Remove the dough from the pan back onto the worktop, the dough should feel much smoother and lighter.
Gently press the dough back down with your finger tips. Split the dough into four (the easiest way is to cut with a sharp knife) and work each piece into a small roll.

To coat with sesame seeds pour the milk into a shallow bowl, dip the top of your rolls into the milk and then into another shallow bowl with the sesame seeds.

At this point you should cover the rolls with cling film and leave for another 20 minutes, this last stage of rising is called proving. You can do this on the worktop or in a warm place as before, professional bakers use fermenting baskets or linen coated boards, as long as the gas doesn’t escape easily the worktop should be fine. Wait until the dough doubles in size again. With 10 minutes to go preheat the oven to full power (about 250°C) Preheat your baking tray at the same time, a heavy bottomed baking try is best, or if you have one a baking stone.

Slash the tops of the rolls diagonally with your sharp knife before cooking, as well as making them look nice this will give the bread more surface area to rise to in the oven. You’ll notice the dough on the inside is softer as it hasn’t dried in the air.

Before adding to the oven get a kettle of boiling water and pour into a deep sided baking tray. As quick as you can remove the baking tray from the oven add your bread (We baked two loaves at a time in batches as our baking tray was a little small… remember that these will double in size again in the oven, make sure to give them space.) Place the tray with boiling water at the bottom of the oven to create steam (this will help the bread rise better) and place your rolls on the baking tray on the middle shelf.

After closing the door wait ten minutes before opening it to check on them, You want to keep the temperature as high as possible cooling at this point will stop them from rising and make your bread heavy.

After ten minutes check on your rolls, If they aren’t starting to go golden yet turn the oven down to 200°C, If they are starting to brown turn down to around 170°C, If they are over browning cover with foil and turn down to 150°C.

Bake in the over for about 35-50 minutes depending on the size of your loaves. A tap on the bottom of the rolls should sound hollow when they are nearly done. Give another five minutes unless over browning and then remove from the oven. Place on a cooling rack to cool before cutting, at this point they are still cooking, If you cut them now they will become heavy and doughy… don’t waste all your hard work. wait until fully cool before eating.

FIND THIS RECIPE ON THE COTTAGE COOKBOOK

Char Siu Recipe (Chinese Barbequed Pork) with stir fried noodles

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:11:00 -0400

You’ve probably seen Char Siu or Chinese barbequed pork at all you can eat Chinese buffet restaurants or in special fried rice (the red in Char Siu is unmistakable).

“Char siu” literally means “fork burn/roast” after the traditional cooking method for the dish: long strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire.

This Char Siu Recipe is a great for using up leftover roast pork, you can serve with noodles like I have or serve with rice or even on a bun (Char Siu Baau).

Ingredients

Cooked pork cut into small pieces
Spring Onions - Derooted and chopped
Mushrooms
Mixed vegetables
A few Dried Lime Leaves
A stick of Dried lemon grass
Olive oil
Toasted Sesmame oil
Egg Noodles

Marinade Ingredients:

1 cup of soy sauce
2 tbsp of hoisin sauce
2 tsp chinese 5 spice
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp red food colouring
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sherry - or rice wine
1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Instructions

Mix marinade ingredients in a small jug - When adding honey melt by placing jug in a bowl of boiling water and stir until fully mixed.

Make sure your cooked pork is cut into small bite sized pieces before adding the marinade (Trust me it’s much easier than trying to do it afterwards) my advice is don’t wear anything white while making this recipe… you’ll never get that red food colouring out.

Slowly pour the marinade over the pork pieces and continually spoon over until nicely coated - cover and place in the fridge for about 4 hours to let the marinade soak into the meat. mix occasionally to get an even coating while marinating.

Once ready to cook add the lime leaves and lemon grass to a cup of hot water to rehydrate. If you can get fresh lemon grass this will taste much better and will save lots of time.

Add a little olive oil to a deep sided pan (or a wok if it’s not in the dishwasher) and add lemon grass and lime leaves to brown - If you’ve gone for the dried ones and rehydrated them in water be careful, at this point they’ll spit hot oil all over the place.

Chop your spring onions and mushrooms

Add to the pan along with a little toasted sesame nut oil, I mean a little as this stuff can easily over power with it’s nutty flavour - I use a tiny spash of this mixed with a good slosh of good olive oil and i find this works well.

Add the chopped mushrooms and spring onions to the pan

Cook until browned. At this point stick your noodles in a pan of hot water from the kettle and place on the hob, add a good slosh of dark soy sauce to add a little flavour

Get your meat and slowly add to the pan, a little of the sauce is a good thing but not too much, as your mushrooms will end up red which you don’t want.

Give your noodles a stir, heat the meat in the pan until the excess sauce boils down to a sticky mixture, make sure you coat the meat in this sticky mixture before it boils away completely - this is where all the flavour is, as the sugar and honey caramalise their flavours will mix with the salty tang of the soy sauce and five spice.

You want the edges of your pork to start turning black - this isn’t burnt, this is all that sticky flavour - although if all your pork goes black, this is probably burnt - if it starts to smoke turn down the heat.

Add your mixed vegetables - fresh is always better but if like me you’ve run out but you have a bag of frozen mixed veg in the freezer these will do.

Your noodles should take about 4 minutes from boiling so they should be ready now, drain the noodles and add to a serving bowl, stack the pork on top and edge with the mixed vegetables. Take the lemon grass and lime leaves out before serving.

Enjoy.

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Lewy's Mexican Chilli Chicken Fajitas

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:02:00 -0400

Ingredients

2 Large Onions - Chopped
3 Spring Onions - Derooted and chopped
1 Green Pepper - Deseeded and chopped
2 Jalapeno Chilli Peppers - Deseeded and finely chopped (leave seeds in if you prefer more heat)
4 Organic Chicken Breasts - Cut into medium pieces (use kitchen scissors)
Olive Oil
1 tbsp Double Cream
2 Cloves Garlic - Finely Chopped

Mexican Spice mix

2 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp Sweet Paprika
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion powder
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
1 tsp Ground Cumin

To Serve

Fajita Bread
Salsa
Guacamole
Crisp Salad
Grated Mature Cheddar Cheese

Also needed:

Not a must but a Cast Iron Sizzler Pan (like the ones used in restaurants) will make this food sound delicious as well as smell delicious and will keep the chicken warm until you’re ready to roll. This makes it brilliant for sharing straight from the platter and a wonderfully romantic meal.

Instructions

Turn the oven to full power, add a little olive oil to the sizzler pan (if using) and place in the oven.

Heat a deep sided frying pan on the hob, once heated add the chopped onions, spring onions, chopped green pepper, garlic and jalapenos and fry until a golden brown. Once golden move to one side of the pan and add the chicken, once the chicken is seared sprinkle the mexican spice mix over the contents of the full pan, stir well coating everything in the pan. Lower the heat and cook for half an hour or until the chicken is cooked through.

Heat the fajita bread in the oven for 2 minutes. Whilst the bread is heating remove the sizzler pan from the oven and place on a very hot hob for 1 minute until red hot.

Add the double cream to the chicken and mix well, this is just to glaze and stop the chicken being too dry, it will make it look shiny. If you prefer to keep this recipe healthy you can omit the cream.

Add the contents to the red hot sizzler pan (make sure you wear oven gloves when handling the pan) serve immediately with guacamole, salsa and leafy salad and a bowl of grated cheese. Place in the centre of the table and roll your own fajita.

Tips:

A sizzler pan can make your food sound amazing as it comes to your table in a restaurant, but this will work just as well at home. It will keep your chicken hot so you can take your time rolling your fajitas.

Rolling your own fajitas is quite easy - place your mix of salsa, guacamole, salad, cheese and lastly your Mexican Chilli Chicken in the centre of a warm fajita, make a fold along the bottom to hold your ingredients in then just roll the sides around the contents. It’s fun and you’ll soon get the hand of it!

If you love heat maybe this recipe is too bland for your taste buds, just add some of your favourite scorching chilli sauce at the rolling stage.

I think this recipe goes well with white wine (if you’re going for that romantic meal). You can always double the recipe up and have friends round, go for a mexican night and serve with an ice cold mexican beer, Corona or Sol are my favourites.

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Chicken and Leek Pie

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:45:00 -0400

Ingredients

Filling

500g Chicken Breast cut into small chunks
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tsp Corn Flour
4 Leeks sliced
2 tbsp Chopped Parsley
2 tbsp Crème Fraiche
1 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard

Topping

600g Parsnips
400g Potatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200

Boil potatoes & parsnips until tender, drain, reserving the water, season & mash.

Coat the chicken in corn flour, heat oil in large wok & fry leeks until starting to soften, add chicken & 200ml of the water, bring to the boil stirring, simmer for 10 mins until chicken is tender.

Remove from heat & add parsley, crème fraiche & mustard. Add mix to ovenproof dish, top with potato spreading roughly with a fork to seal in the filling. Bake for 35 mins until golden.

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Carrot Cake

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:28:54 -0400

Ingredients

175g Light Muscavado Sugar
175ml Sunflower Oil
3 lge Eggs lightly beaten
140g Grated Carrots
100g Raisins
100g Walnuts
Grated zest of 1 Orange
175g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tsp Mixed Spice

Topping

200g Philadelphia
50g Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Orange Juice to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180.

Oil & line the sides the of a 18cm tin.

Tip sugar into mixing bowl, add oil, eggs & lightly mix with a wooden spoon, stir in grated carrot, raisins, walnuts & orange rind. Mix flour, bicarb & spice & sift into sugar mix, lightly mix all ingredients & pour into prepared tin, bake for 45 mins.

Check cake is cooked by inserting a metal skewer through middle (it should come out clean) turn out from tin & remove paper, leave to cool. Beat all frosting ingredients together & spread over cooled cake.

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Fresh Fish

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:21:00 -0400

Not everyone can go out and catch their own fish to guarantee freshness. So, How do you know a fresh fish when you see one?

Here’s how to know what to look for…

The fish’s eyes should be clear and bulge slightly - Cloudy sunken or indented eyes means the fish isn’t at it’s freshest.

Whole fish or filleted fish should have firm and shiny flesh. If you can rely on your sense of touch (by that I mean if the fish monger will let you or if it is packaged) press the skin, if it remains indented and doesn’t spring back up this is another sure sign that the fish isn’t at it’s freshest.

Dull flesh may mean the fish is old, the body should have a nice slimy coat but being dull may mean it has been wiped down with a cloth or washed.

Check the gills they should be a nice bright red and free from slime - Slime in the gills could mean bacteria so avoid fish with slimy pale gills.

The fish should smell mild, more like the sea than a fishy smell. If the fish smells fishy it has probably been there a while.

Fish fillets and steaks should be moist and without yellow or brown discoloration.

How to keep your fish fresh

A fish may be only a day old but if it is not stored correctly it might as well be a week! Fish is always best used as soon as you get it, the quicker you can use it after purchasing the better. Keep the fish cool, leaving a fish out for any length of time (even ten minutes) can loose the freshness. For every hour a fish isn’t kept cool it looses a day of its shelf life!

As soon as you get your fish home gut and gill it as soon as you can, so any bacteria held in these areas cannot permeate into the flesh of the fish, then cool it in the fridge and use as soon as possible.

Tips

The best way to get fresh fish is to find a reputable fish monger, ask them what is at it’s freshest. Get to know them and purchase from them regularly. Most will be happy of the regular custom and will point you in the right direction for the best catch.

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Real Ale

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:13:00 -0400

With Real Ale Festivals held in abundant regularity around the UK I would be surprised to hear of someone who didn’t know anything about Real Ale, but that doesn’t mean everyone knows the difference between Real Ale and any other pub pint.

What makes Real Ale different from your bog standard pint?

Real Ale or Cask Ale is made with 3 main ingredients, Water, Barley Malt and Hops, Although Real Ale comes in many styles it is how it is made which makes it Real.

What makes Real Ale different is that it undergoes a secondary fermentation (in the barrel or even bottle). Which means live yeast is still kept in the barrel until it is served. No artificial gases are added when storing Real Ale and the natural Carbon Dioxide from the secondary fermentation lightly pressurises the barrel/cask, this also carbonates the brew and prevents it from going off as quick.

Many pubs around the country are starting to stock at least a few Real Ales and Local Breweries are at the forefront of the movement.

We headed down to our local (Real Ale) pub and had a few pints of the stuff. It isn’t until you try a Real Ale after a normal (commercial Scale Pint) that you realise what you’ve been missing. The taste of a good strong Real Ale with its hoppy distinct flavours is a pleasure to the pallet.

Don’t forget your Camra!

We couldn’t talk about Real Ale without mentioning CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), in fact they were the one’s that first introduced the name “Real Ale” In the early 1970s to make it easy for people to differentiate between the bland processed beers being pushed by the big brewers and the traditional beers whose very existence was under threat.

CAMRA was founded in the most Westerly pub in Europe - Kruger’s Bar in Dunquin, Co Kerry, when four young men from the north west of England, Michael Hardman, Graham Lees, Bill Mellor and Jim Makin were on holiday. Fed up the increasing bad quality of beer in Britain that was too fizzy, no character and no taste they decided to form a Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale.

A year after the founding the first AGM was held at The Rose Inn, Nuneaton; and membership started to grow. Articles by the late Richard Boston in the Guardian (Boston on Beer) boosted membership when Richard happened to mention the fledgling organisation CAMRA.

In 1973 to make the Campaign’s name easier to say it was changed to the Campaign for Real Ale.
(source - CAMRA.org.uk)

CAMRA now have over 95,000 members and numbers continue to grow - Although you don’t have to be a CAMRA member to appreciate good Real Ale, CAMRA’s actions have made Real Ale what it is today and without them we would all be drinking bland, tasteless, fizzy, processed beers.

All we can say - If you haven’t tried Real Ale - Give a go, If your local doesn’t have any… ask them why not.

You can find out more about CAMRA on their website: www.camra.org.uk

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Nettle & Ginger Wine

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:10:00 -0400

Ingredients

Ginger Root 10 Gram(s) Bruised
450 grams Raisins
2 Lemons
2 Litres Nettles
1750 Grams Sugar
4.5 Litres Water
Brewers Yeast

Instructions

Pick nettle tops these tend to be a little sweeter and still hold lots of flavour, If you pick your nettle tops in the spring they’ll be at their best.

Wash the nettles thoroughly and drain

Heat the water in a large pan and add the bruised ginger, nettles, lemon rind and juice (excluding white pith) and raisins, simmer for 50 minutes.

Strain and transfer to a fementation/brewing bucket then add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add more water to bring up to the one gallon mark, wait until the temperature falls to 21°C before adding the yeast.

Place the lid on the bucket and put in a warm place for four days.

Pour the bucket contents into a demijohn, fitting an airlock as usual. Leave to stand for two months until clear. Rack and restand as necessary, bottle after 3-4 months.

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Sexychef's Tandori Chicken

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:08:00 -0400

A Simple Tandori Chicken Recipe from Sexychef (Photo Submitted by Laura)

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts
300ml Natrual Yoghurt
1tsp Cumin
1tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1tsp Curry Powder
12 Leaves of Mint
1/2 Lime Zest

Also needed

Hand Blender

Instructions

Cut the chicken into strips
Blend everything together and pour over the chicken
Leave in the fridge for 4-48hours.
Grill until cooked.

Tips

Serve with a crisp salad and raita

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Teriyaki Chicken

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:05:00 -0400

This recipe is great for most meats. Although it works especially well with chicken, Teriyaki Sauce can be used for beef, lamb, pork, fish or even vegetables.

Ingredients

6 Skinless Chicken Breasts

The Sauce:

5 spring onions (roots off and roughly chopped)
1 cup Dark Soy Sauce
A dash of white wine vinegar - or preferably Sake
Whole Root Ginger (roughly chopped)
2 Jalapeno Chili peppers (remove seeds)
Half an Orange
1 cup of White Sugar

Also needed

Blender

Instructions

Add all sauce ingredients to the blender, blend until smooth.

Pour Marinade/sauce over the chicken and place in the fridge over night in a glass or plastic dish.

To cook the Chicken

Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade saving as much of the marinade as you can and add to a medium pan. (place the meat on a plate for now)

Boil the sauce/marinade in the pan on the cooker hob for 15 minutes (this kills any harmful bacteria from the raw chicken) if it gets too thick add a little water.

Grill the pre marinated chicken in a grill pan or place on the barbeque

Cook the meat turning regularly until firm and any juices run clear.

The sugar in the marinade will help to add nice grilled browning on the chicken.

If you want a nice sticky sauce coating add a little more of the boiled sauce once the chicken is cooked through, just reduce the heat on the hob and coat throughly and heat until the sauce is warmed.

Save a little of the sauce and add to small individual dishes per serving for dipping or pouring. This sauce has wonderful flavor and everyone always wants more, this way none of the sauce goes to waste.

Tips:

Don’t just use this marinade on meat. It can be used on corn on the cob, it works brilliantly with vegetable kebabs. Try grilling asparagus which has been marinated in this sauce overnight and add a little grated cheese… be inventive!

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What foods are in Season in March?

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:00:03 -0500

March can be an awkward month for the cook but spring greens are in abundance and Wild Scottish Salmon is coming into season. With a rich bounty of other seasonal fish a rich creamy fish pie with fresh greens would go down a treat. With plenty of wild hedgerows to get some tasty nettle tops from, March is a great time to make some Nettle Wine or Beer.

In Season in March:

Fish:

Cockles
Crab
Lobster
Oysters
Pollack
Salmon
Sardines
Sea Trout

Hedgerows:

Nettles
Primrose

Herbs:

Chives
Mint
Parsley
Sorrel
Watercress

Meat & Game

Hare
Rabbit

Vegetables:

Forced Rhubarb
Purple Sprouting Brocolli
Raddishes
Spring Cabbage

Corned Beef Hash - Submitted by Laura

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:57:00 -0500

Ingredients

Filling:

1 large Tin Lean Corned Beef (375g)
300ml Beef Stock
150ml Red Wine
1 tsp mixed herbs
2 red onions – chopped
Fresh ground black pepper
Butter – knob
A Glug of maggi liquid seasoning if unavailable use Worcestershire Sauce (optional but really tasty)

Creamy Mash Topping:

500g Peeled Potatoes
Salt & Pepper
Butter, Milk and Cream for mashing
80g mature Cheddar
1 tsp Whole Grain Mustard
Bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C

Cook the potatoes until tender, drain and mash adding the butter, milk, cream and mustard, season well and set aside.
Grate the Mature Cheddar and set aside also.

Put butter and onions in a wok and soften, add wine and beef stock and season well with plenty of black pepper, put on high heat and reduce down for approximately 5-10minutes (If using Maggi add now). Meanwhile chop the corned beef into small cubes add to the wok and mash slightly, cook gently for 5-10minutes.

Place filling in an oven proof dish and top with potato, grated cheese and bread crumbs, bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Tips:

Serve with roast vegetables or green leafy salad is equally nice.

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