BRAISED BRISKET OF BEEF - POT ROAST

Here is some real comfort food for a cold winter's day - Casserole of Braised Brisket of Beef.

You will need a rolled brisket of beef and a selection of root vegetables. I use onion, leek, carrot, parsnip, celery and swede and a couple of cloves of garlic.
Vegetable or beef stock.
Thyme and bay leaves.

Prepare the root vegetables and cut into fairly large chunks.

Place in the base of the casserole and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Lay the joint of brisket on top of the vegetables.

Add more seasoning, a sprig of fresh thyme and a couple of bay leaves.

Pour some hot stock into the casserole nearly to the top of the vegetables.
Bring to simmering point on the hob.

Cover with a sheet of foil and then the casserole lid.

Place in a moderate oven and cook for three hours until the meat is meltingly tender.

To Serve

Remove the meat and slice thickly.

The vegetables can be served with the meat and some boiled potatoes.

Use the juices in the casserole as a sauce.

Delicious! Enjoy!

ICING THE CHRISTMAS CAKE

I made two Christmas cakes a couple of months ago and wrapped them well to mature. You will see that I gave the recipe in my blog for the golden jewelled cake.  I also made a traditional dark cake.  Visitors always enjoy a slice of home made cake.

After the almond icing had been applied and left overnight I prepared the Royal Icing to cover the cake.  I prefer to make my own icing to the ready rolled icing available in the supermarket. It is simple to make and only needs a few ingredients.

Ingredients

400g/1 lb Icing sugar
2 Egg whites
Few drops of Glycerine

Method

Sieve the icing if it is lumpy.
Lightly whisk the egg whites.
Add the icing to the egg white and continue to beat until it is shiny.
Add a few drops of glycerine - this keeps the icing more pliable and prevents it hardening too much.

It is now ready to use.

I dampen the top of the almond paste very lightly with a pastry brush dipped in cooled boiled water.  This helps the icing to stick to it.

Use a palette knife to spread the icing over the top and sides (if you have almond pasted the sides). Smooth out carefully if you wish to pipe a decoration.  Otherwise rough it with the knife to create a snow scene.  Add any decorative items e.g. snowman, star, etc.
Leave to dry and then cover.

Tip. If the icing is too stiff to spread smoothly, dip the palette knife in a jug of boiling water.  Shake off the excess water before using. You should achieve a nice smooth finish.

ALMOND ICING FOR THE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Now is the time to make the almond icing for the Christmas Cake I made some weeks ago.

Ingredients

100g/4 oz Icing Sugar
100g/4 oz Caster Sugar
200g/8 oz Ground Almonds
Few drops Vanilla essence
Few drops Almond essence
One Free range egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional: 1 teaspoon orange flower water

Method

Sieve the sugars and add the ground almonds, mixing well.
Add the beaten eggs and flavourings and mix to a soft paste.
Knead the paste until it is quite smooth.
If it is not to be used immediately wrap in cling film to prevent it drying out.

How to use

Unwrap your stored Christmas cake and brush the surface and sides with beaten egg white or sieved melted apricot jam.

The matured cake

Dust the worktop with sieved icing sugar and roll out the almond icing into a large circle.

Use your rolling pin to pick up the paste by rolling it over the pin.
Hold it above the cake and  gently unroll,  covering the top and down the sides.

Lightly roll the top to make the icing stick and press the sides to make it adhere to the cake. 

 I use a clean jam jar to roll around the outside, this ensures that the paste sticks and air bubbles are removed.
Leave to dry overnight before covering with Royal Icing.

LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

It is a crisp, winter morning with beautiful sunshine. Just the sort of day for a warming bowl of soup.

I popped out into my garden and pulled four lovely leeks and one carrot. Using these and other stored ingredients from my garden - potatoes, onion and garlic - I prepared them to make the soup.

  We had a lovely free range chicken on Sunday, I had boiled up the carcass to make delicious chicken stock, and had this strained and in a bowl in the fridge.  I always keep some celeriac in the fridge at this time of year to add to soups.

Ingredients

Leeks

Potatoes

Onion

Garlic

One carrot

Piece celeriac or stick of celery (optional)

Salt, freshly ground pepper and freshly ground nutmeg

Chicken stock (Knorr stock cubes are good if you haven't fresh stock)

Cooking oil and butter

Method

Trim the leeks, keeping some of the green, wash well and chop into chunks.

Prepare all the vegetables and cut into chunks, the potatoes can be quartered.

Put a little cooking oil and a knob of butter into a large saucepan with a lid. When it has heated, add the vegetables, except the potatoes, and allow to sweat with the lid on the pan - do not have the heat too high.

When the vegetables are transparent and lightly cooked add the potatoes, stock and seasoning and simmer until cooked.

Puree the vegetables with a hand blender or liquidiser.

Check for seasoning and serve.

Delicious! Enjoy.

SHORTCRUST PASTRY BAKES

I always make 1 lb of shortcrust pastry (A ratio of half fat to flour) at a time and use it to make various things.   Occasionally, I will only use half of it and freeze the remainder; it freezes extremely well.

 

Ingredients

1 lb S R Flour (plain is recommended in many recipes but I prefer the lighter pastry this makes)

Good pinch of salt

4 oz hard butter

4 oz lard

Cold water

Method 1

Put all the ingredients, except the water, into a food processor and blitz until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Slowly add some cold water until the mixture binds.

Turn out onto a floured work top and make into a ball.

Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Method 2

Put the flour, salt and fats into a large bowl.

Using your fingertips gently rub the fats into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add a little cold water and bring everything together using a knife.

Turn out and make into a ball and chill as above.

Today I made 18 mincepies, 1 quiche and a tray of bakewell slices with this amount of pastry. All of these recipes are delicious eaten fresh or they freeze well for the coming weeks. I will freeze half of the almond slices and a dozen mince pies.

Mince Pies

Roll out the pastry thinly and, using a cutter, cut out circles to fit bun/tart tins.

Put 1 teaspoon mincemeat into each pastry.

Use the remaining pastry to cut out lids for the mince pies.  I like to use a star cutter at this time of year.  If you choose to put a circle on top use a smaller cutter than

used  for the base and dampen the edges to make it stick to the base.

Bake at 200C for five minutes then reduce to 150C for approximately ten minutes.

Cool on a wire rack and then sieve icing over the top.

Serve warm with clotted cream or creme fraiche.

Delicious mincepies, fruity and spicy.  Enjoy!

Almond Bakewell Slices.

The recipe for these can be found on my July blog.

When cold cut into fingers or squares

Tip: Use a rolling pin to lift the pastry onto a baking tray or tin.

Roll the pastry over the rolling pin, hold it over the tin or baking tray and gently unroll. Easy!

Quiche.

Shortcrust Pastry

Cheddar and Double Gloucester Cheese

2 large free range eggs

Half fat creme fraiche

Little milk

Cayenne Pepper

This is a 'use up' quiche.

Use the remaining shortcrust pastry to line a sandwich tin.

Grate the cheeses and cover the pastry base generously.

In a bowl, mix the eggs, creme fraiche and a little milk until blended.

Pour the mixture over the cheese.

Sprinkle the surface with a little cayenne pepper.

Bake 200C for ten minutes then reduce to 150C until the quiche is well risen and golden on the top.

Leave to rest for ten minutes before cutting.

The cooked quiche

This freezes well, if cooled first.

FISH PLATTER STARTER

A simple starter can be made using smoked salmon, smoked mackerel and prawns set out on a platter for everyone to make their own selection. Place the prawns on a bed of salad in the centre of the platter, surrounded by lemon wedges. The smoked salmon and mackerel can be placed around this. Serve with gerkins, dill sauce and bread and butter.

I served this as a starter when my sister and her husband came for lunch.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS IN RED WINE

My sister and her husband will be visiting us tomorrow to celebrate her birthday so I am preparing braised lamb shanks in red wine for the main dish.

Take:

4 locally sourced lamb shanks

2 quartered onions

1 clove garlic

1 carrot chopped

2 sticks celery chopped

Chicken stock

Red wine

Freshly ground black pepper and salt

1 Bay leaf and a sprig of fresh thyme (from my garden)

Method

Heat some oil in a large pan and brown the lamb shanks one at a time then remove and set aside.

Lightly cook the onion, garlic,  carrot and celery and put in the base of a large casserole. I use a Le Creuset.

Place the browned shanks on top of the vegetables.

Pour the wine (to taste) in the pan and bring to the boil, stirring to remove the lovely juices in the base of the pan.

Add the chicken stock and seasoning. Stir.

Pour this over the shanks, adding a little more seasoning, a bay leaf and sprig of thyme.

Cover with foil and then the casserole lid.

Cook in a slow oven starting at 160C and reducing to 140C after it has reached simmering point.

Cook for two and a half hours.

I removed the shanks and used a blender to puree the vegetables with all the lovely juices to make the sauce/gravy.

Place the shanks and sauce in a clean casserole or large ovenproof dish and cover with foil.

Re heat for one hour when ready to serve.

Serve with creamed potatoes, macedoine (diced) of  root vegetables and a green vegetable in season.

Delicious.

By preparing this casserole the day before there will be very little work when my visitors arrive and also this dish benefits from being refrigerated over night to develop the flavours.

Next day.

I added some cooked cannelloni beans to the casserole before reheating and served  the lamb shank  with  macedoine of root vegetables, Brussels sprouts and creamed potatoes.  The meat was meltingly tender and the meal was a great success and enjoyed by all.
We were so busy chatting I forgot to photograph the finished dish!

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

It is a miserable wet day today so I decided to make a pan of Cream of Celery Soup using ingredients I have to hand.

Celery, onion garlic and celeriac

1 head of celery
1 onion
A clove of garlic
Piece of celeriac
Half litre vegetable or chicken stock
(Bouillon or stock cubes are fine)
Freshly ground black pepper and salt
Semi skimmed milk
Knob of butter



Method

Using a potato peeler, run it down through the washed celery stalks to remove the 'strings'

Chop the celery, onion and celeriac

Crush the garlic

In a large pan, melt the butter, add the prepared vegetables and sweat them in the lidded pan until transparent.

The vegetables sweated in butter

Add the stock and bring to simmering point.

Season with the pepper and salt.

Simmer until all the vegetables are soft.

Blend to a puree.

Add the milk and heat through, without boiling.

Serve with crusty bread or croutons.

Mmmm.

             

Tasty and warming!

GRANARY AND WALNUT LOAF

Using locally sourced organic granary flour I made two Granary and Walnut loaves. These are my favourites!

INGREDIENTS

1kg Granary Flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 sachet (7g) active dry yeast
75g walnuts
2 tablespoons oil
Approx 600ml tepid water

Place all the dry ingredients (except the nuts) into a mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook.  Mix together then add the oil and a little water with the motor running.  Gradually add all the water until the mixture looks moist. Knead then add the walnuts and continue to knead for a short time.

Cover the bowl with a clean, damp teatowel or clingfilm and leave in a warm place to rise - this will take about one hour.  When the dough has doubled in size knead again and place into greased loaf tins or shape into a ball and place on a greased baking tray.  

When well risen, bake in a hot oven 220C/Gas mark 7, for ten minutes than reduce the temperature to 200C/Gas mark 6 for another 30 minutes.

The loaves, when cooked, should sound hollow when tapped on the base.

Cool on a wire rack.

Delicious. Enjoy!

GOLDEN JEWELLED CHRISTMAS CAKE

Instead of my usual recipe for a  rich, dark Christmas Cake I am making a golden jewelled cake. I made this recipe about twelve years ago and it made a lovely change. It is citrus and nutty. 

Preparation

This morning I have prepared all of the fruits and nuts and put the fruit soaking in orange juice. (Brandy can be used but I feel this recipe is enhanced with the orange and is preferable to Brandy)

The citrus peel before
preparation

Pineapple, ginger and cherries
chopped






In twenty four hours, I will finish the recipe and bake it. 

Chopping the peel



The tin greased and lined with
baking parchment



The tin all prepared

In the meantime, I can prepare the cake tin by double lining it with baking parchment and also by tying a double band of brown paper around the outside of the tin.  This prevents the cake from over browning before it is cooked.
 

Ingredients

100g/4oz crystallised pineapple

100g/4oz glace cherries

50g/2oz crystallised ginger

175g/6oz candied peel,  (Sundora whole peel is best)

200g/8oz sultanas

4 tablespoons orange juice or brandy - plus extra for 'feeding' the cake

175g/6oz mixed shelled nuts e.g. Brazils, almonds, hazelnuts

200g/8oz softened butter

200g/8oz golden caster sugar

4 free range eggs, beaten

grated zest and juice of an orange

200g/8oz plain flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

100g/4oz ground almonds

You will need a deep 20cm/8" cake tin or a larger size to make a shallower cake.

Method

Chop the pineapple, ginger and peel. Quarter the cherries and mix everything together, with the sultanas, in a bowl. Pour over the orange juice or brandy and cover with clingfilm. I like to leave the fruits to absorb the liquid for one or two days. (This can be omitted if time is short).

The fruits soaking in juice

Chop the nuts and put them in a separate bowl until needed.

Mixed nuts ready to add to mixture

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs a little at a time. Add a spoonful of the measured flour to this mixture to prevent curdling.

Beat in the orange zest and juice, then add the soaked fruit and any remaining liquid.  Stir in the chopped nuts. (These can be chopped in the food processor - not too fine, leave them a bit crunchy)
Add the flour, cinnamon and ground almonds and fold in gently.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Press down lightly with the back of a metal spoon.

Ready to cook

Bake for 1 hour in a preheated oven 150C/Fan oven 130C/Gas 2 then reduce to 140C/Fan oven 120C/Gas 1 and bake for 2 to 2 and a half hours until golden brown, and firm to the touch. (ovens vary so adjust accordingly).  Cover lightly with foil if browning too quickly.

Pierce with a skewer to test if it is cooked. If the skewer comes out clean the cake is cooked.

Cool in tin for a while before turning out onto a cooling rack.

The cooked cake ready to wrap
and store to mature

When cold, wrap in a double thickness of greaseproof paper and over wrap with foil. Store in a cool dry place for up to three months or freeze for up to a year.

Optional

You may wish to 'feed' the cake with brandy at fortnightly intervals. Invert the cake and make several holes in the base with a skewer. Spoon 2 tablespoons over the holes and allow to soak in before re wrapping.

Nearer to Christmas, cover with almond paste and icing.

I will describe this when I reach this stage.

APPLE STRUDEL

My husband loves any dessert made with apples. Today I made a simple apple strudel. I have made strudel pastry in the past but today I used Filo Pastry for speed. Homemade strudel pastry is time consuming though worth the effort!

INGREDIENTS

Pack of filo pastry

Melted butter

Cooking apples

Caster sugar

Lemon juice and grated zest

Cinnamon

Ground Almonds or breadcrumbs

Sultanas (optional)

METHOD

Prepare the apples and place in a bowl, add the sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and grated zest. Stir well.

Add the ground almonds or breadcrumbs and sultanas, if using.

Set aside whilst you prepare the pastry.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and brush the sheets of pastry with the melted butter.

I used a tranche tin and lined the base and sides with three sheets of buttered pastry, leaving the excess overhanging the edges.

Place the prepared filling on top of the pastry and fold the excess pastry over the top.

Butter a further two or three sheets of pastry and fold over the top.

Bake in a hot oven 210C for ten minutes then reduce the temperature to 180C and cover with foil to prevent over browning.

When the apple is cooked (pierce with a skewer to test) remove from the oven and sieve icing sugar over the top.

Serve sliced with clotted, double cream or vanilla custard.

Delicious! Enjoy.

Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup

At this time of year when the parsnips are in season and the apples are at their best,  I love to make a 'winter warmer' soup - curried parsnip and apple.

You need:

Onion
Garlic clove
Parsnips
Cooking apples
Vegetable or chicken stock (Bouillion or stock cubes are fine)
Curry paste (I use Rogan Josh)
A little sunflower oil or butter

Method

Prepare the vegetables and fruit
Heat a little oil or butter in a large pan
Add the onion and garlic and sweat with a lid on the pan
Add the chopped parsnips and continue to sweat for about ten minutes
Stir in a rounded teaspoon of curry paste
Add the chopped apple
Pour over approximately two litres of hot stock and bring to a simmering point
Simmer gently until the parsnips etc are soft
Use a blender stick to puree the vegetables
Stir gently
Serve with a swirl of cream or yogurt

PRESSED OX TONGUE

My local butcher was offering two salted ox tongues for £10.  I thought this was good value and bought two, one to cook and one for the freezer. It is good to revive some of these traditional recipes. Tongue is easy to prepare and cook and tastes delicious.

Method

Wash the salted tongue under the cold tap to remove excess salt.

Ready to Cook

Place in a deep pan with an onion, carrot, bay leaves, celery stick and black peppercorns.

Cover with cold water and bring to simmering point.

Bringing up to a simmer

Remove any scum which rises to the top.

Place a lid on the pan and simmer gently until tender when pierced with a fork.

Ready to remove the skin

Leave to cool in the liquid until cool enough to handle. Remove the string and then peel off the coarse skin and cut away the gristle on the underside.

If you are lucky enough to have a tongue press you can curl the tongue into this.  I like to improvise and use a small saucepan or a small souffle dish.  Curl the tongue into a circle, secure with a small skewer and ease it into your pan or dish.  Reduce the stock and pour some over the tongue.

Curled into a dish

Weighed down to press the tongue

  Place a saucer or plate on top of the tongue and weigh it down with weights to press the tongue.
When cold, place in the refrigerator to chill over night.

The pressed tongue

Turn out on to a serving plate.

You will see that the stock has formed a jelly, remove any excess and the tongue is ready to serve.

Ready to Serve

 

This is delicious as part of a celebration buffet table or served with jacket potatoes, salad and pickles or in sandwiches with mustard.  Enjoy!

Why not be part of this revival of old English dishes?