Week 2 - Andorra and Bahrain

Andorra isn't that much smaller than Bahrain, however the population size is enormous!

We liked our meals from both these countries and were surprised along the way...

Andorra: Escudella (stew)
Andorra: Cunillo (Rabbit stew)
Bahrain: Muhammar (sweet rice) dish

Bahrain - Machboos (chicken with rice)

Andorra: Escudella (stew)
source: http://travelbystove.palfreymedia.com/andorra-recipes-escudella.asp (accessed 23JAN2017)
This was lovely, although I didn't put in the pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry white beans (I used a 16 oz package of the small white ones)
• 1 ham bone
• 1 marrow, bone
• 3 chicken thighs (the recipe called for 1/4 of a chicken, but boneless-skinless is so much easier)
• 14 ounces raw pork sausage, rolled into balls
• 1 thick ham steak, cut into chunks
• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 1 large white potato, cut into large chunks
• 1/4 cup uncooked rice
• 1 cup pasta shells
• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Roll the raw sausage into one- or two-bite sized balls.
2. Rinse the dry beans in cold water.
3. Meanwhile, cook the sausage balls over medium heat.
4. Dice the ham.
5. Put the beans, sausage, ham, chicken and bones into the pot with 8 cups of water.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered for two hours. The chicken should be very tender, almost falling apart.
7. Remove the bones and bring the remaining stock and meat back up to a boil (if there isn't a lot of liquid you can add more water).
8. Add the cabbage, potato, rice, pasta shells, garbanzo beans and salt and pepper.
9. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and rice are tender.

Andorra: Cunillo (Rabbit stew)

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/andorran-cunillo-rabbit-in-tomato-sauce-499353 (accessed 23JAN 2017)

I must admit, ours looked much nicer the photo suggests!

1 rabbit jointed (about 1.5kg) or you can use chicken thighs

¹⁄₄ cup white vinegar, about

1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 onions, sliced

500 g crushed tomatoes or 500 g chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

250 ml white wine

120 ml water

salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Wash the rabbit and rub with a little vinegar then joint and cut into about 15 serving pieces.
2. Add olive oil to the base of a large cast iron casserole dish and fry the rabbit in this until nicely browned. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the garlic, onion and tomatoes to the pan and fry gently for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Now add the white wine and water and increase the heat so the mixture comes to a boil.
5. Reduce the volume by about half then add the rabbit and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Reduce to a simmer, cover securely and cook gently for about 90 minutes, or until the rabbit is tender.

Bahraini Muhammar (sweet rice) dish

source: http://www.food.com/recipe/traditional-bahraini-muhammar-sweet-rice-dish-304145 (accessed 23JAN2017)

This is one of the most famous Bahraini dishes. It is a sweet rice dish which is typically served with fish. I just wanted to add: this recipe calls for 6 cloves, HOWEVER, I think it REALLY ONLY NEEDS 2 cloves! I did 3 cloves, for two of us and it was fine.

This was our surprise, I did it with Cod, as this fitted in with Andorran food too, as well as peas and oven cooked cherry tomatoes in olive oil and basil. Really nice.

Ingredients                                  

Servings 6                                                                                                                                                                                            

2 cups basmati rice, washed

¹⁄₄ teaspoon saffron

2 tablespoons rose water

3 cardamom pods, cracked

6 cloves (see Note above!)

1 cinnamon stick

¹⁄₄ cup ghee or ¹⁄₄ cup butter

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

1. Soak together saffron, cardamom, cloves, and rosewater; leave aside to steep.
2. Add rice to 6 cups of lightly salted boiling water: boil to half cooked - about 8 minutes; drain.
3. Stir sugar through the hot rice.
4. Heat the ghee or butter in the same pan the rice was boiled and add the sweetened rice. Sprinkle the rose water mix on top.
5. Cover the rim of pan with a cloth or paper towels and place lid on tightly.
6. Cook over very low heat about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to serving platter.
7. Top with melted butter.Directions

Bahrain - Machboos (chicken with rice)

Source: http://www.daringgourmet.com/chicken-machboos-bahraini-chicken-rice/ (accessed 23JAN2017)

"Chicken Machboos, or Machboos ala Dajaj (“spiced chicken and rice”), is the national dish of Bahrain, a small island country in the Persian Gulf neighbored by Saudi Arabia and Iran.  Machboos is similar to Biryani (from the Indian subcontinent) and Kabsa (from Saudi Arabia), all with varying cooking methods, ingredients, degree of spiciness, and assembly.   But all three are essentially meat and rice dishes."

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon baharat (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• A combination of chicken thighs, legs and breasts (about 3 pounds)
• 1 hot green chile, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 5 large cloves or garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 large roma tomatoes, diced (or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, juices drained)
• 2-3 dried limes (loomi), several holes punched throughout each one
• 5 green cardamom pods
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon (about 2 inches long)
• 2½ teaspoons salt
• 2½ cups chicken stock
• 2 cups basmati rice (soaked for at least 15 minutes, then rinsed and drained)
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Rosewater for sprinkling (optional, but recommended)
• For the Homemade Baharat:
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches long)
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• ¼ teaspoon green cardamom seeds
• 1 tablespoon paprika powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• For the Baharat:
• Set the paprika and nutmeg powders aside. Place all remaining ingredients (whole seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves) in a small frying pan and dry roast over medium-high heat, tossing regularly to prevent scorching, for 3-4 minutes or until very fragrant. Transfer to a spice or coffee grinder and let cool. Add the paprika and nutmeg and grind all the ingredients to a fine powder. Store left over baharat in an airtight jar.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry the chicken pieces on both sides until the skin is brown and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a plate and leave the remaining oil in the Dutch oven.
2. Add the ghee (or butter), reduce the heat to medium, and fry the onions until starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Add the ginger, garlic, and green chile pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the baharat and turmeric and cook for another minute.
5. Return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven along with the tomatoes, dried limes, cardamom pods, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. Add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour.
6. Add the cilantro, parsley and drained rice and stir to combine. Return it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the rice is done and has absorbed the liquid.
7. Transfer the chicken and rice to a serving dish (either leave the chicken pieces tossed in with the rice, or place the chicken on top of the rice), and sprinkling with 1-2 tablespoons of rosewater (optional).
8. Serve with a green salad and yogurt raita.

Week 1 - Another adventure! Eurasia...

2016 didn't quite work with the different foods from different counties of Britain. Although we did follow it, for a fashion, throughout the year. But we found that each county has very similar foods, but called different things - such as Welsh Cakes, we had these several times under different names.

So, at the end of 2017 the family sat around and discussed 2017 challenge and came up with Eurasia! Each week we will cover an European country, as well as an Asian country and maybe have a meal which blends both. Something we are doing differently this year, is working through them in alphabetical order rather than 'pick randomly' out of a box.

Week 1 - Albania and Afghanistan

Menu for the week:
Albania - Leek Casserole (Tave me Presh)
Albania - Mixed Vegetables (Turli perimesh)
Afghanistan - Chelo nachodo (chicken & chick-pea stew with rice)
Afghanistan: Meatballs With Noodles Tossed In Yogurt

Our combined meal were the meatballs with the Mixed veg as well as a version of Afghanistan rice.


Albania - Leek Casserole (Tave me Presh)

I sourced several places for the recipe including: http://albaniantranslators.com/recipes.html (Accessed 19JAN2017). There are other variations which thicken the casserole and add more flavour, but we kept to this one. One website suggested eating it with bread, and this was really nice - specially if you let the juices be absorbed by the bread!

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

2 lbs leeks
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 lb ground meat
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
Mild red pepper
Salt
Pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Cut off the green leaves from leeks; wash and cut leeks slantwise into 1-inch thick slices. Sauté in a little oil and place in a baking pan. Sauté onion and ground meat in remaining oil. Add beef stock, tomato sauce, red pepper, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Pour meat mixture over the Sautéd leeks. Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees F. Serve hot.

Mixed Vegetables (Turli perimesh)
We all loved this one, which we had with Afghanistan meatballs!


Servings: 4
Ingredients:

2 lbs various vegetables (peppers, eggplant, okra, zucchini, potatoes, etc)
1/2 cup oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup peeled chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper

Cooking Instructions:

After cutting off inedible tips of vegetables, wash and slice them into 1-inch squares. Sauté vegetables in half of the oil and remove them from the frying pan. Sauté onion and tomatoes in the remaining oil, and season with parsley, salt, and pepper. Put everything in a stock pot with a cup of water, cover tightly, and simmer until almost all moisture has cooked away. Serve hot, accompanied by steak, meatballs, or any other main dish.


Afghanistan: Chelo nachodo (chicken & chick-pea stew with rice)
source: http://www.asian-recipe.com/afghanistan/afghan-meat-dishes.html#che (accessed 19JAN2017)

I cooked rice my own way...
Here is a family-style dish to be served any time of year. It is a substantial soup stew, well seasoned in Afghan style & combined w/a crispy-bottomed rice provides contrasting texture to stew. The stew & rice are served separately.

Ingredients

Yield: 6 servings Ingredients:

• 5 c -water
• 4 Chicken legs and
• 4 Chicken thighs, loose skin -discarded
• 4 Chicken thighs, loose skin -discarded
• 1 c Dried chick-peas, soaked in -water overnight & drained
• 2 md (1 cup) onions, chopped
• 1 Rib celery w/leaves, sliced
• 1 lg Carrot, sliced diagonally
• 1 (1/2 lb) zucchini, sliced
• 1 ts Salt, or to taste
• 1/4 ts Pepper
• 1/4 ts Ground cumin seed
• 1/4 c Fresh coriander, chopped
• 1/4 c Fresh dill, chopped
• 4 c Water
• 1 ts Salt
• 2 c Raw rice, well rinsed
• 1/4 c Corn oil

Directions

1. To prepare stew: Bring water to a boil, add chicken pieces, & remove foam as it cooks. Add chick-peas, onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, salt, pepper, & cumin seed. Cover pan & cook over moderate heat for 45 mins. Add coriander, dill, & lemon juice & simmer over low heat for 15 mins more. This is sufficient to tenderized chicken & ingrate all seasonings.
2. To prepare rice: Bring 4 c water & salt to a boil in pan. Add rice & cook over moderate heat for 5 mins. Drain rice in colander & rinse w/cold water. Return rice to pan and pour oil over all. Cover pan & cook over low heat for 1/2 hr. No other water is added & rice cooks only moisture clings to it after rinsing. The rice will develop a crisp bottom layer.

Serve rice & stew separately. Each diner takes their own portion of rice & covers it w/as much stew as they wish. Serve warm.
VARIATION: 2 lb of boneless beef chuck cut into 6 equal pieces may be used in place of chicken, but cooking will take longer. Cook beef stew over moderate heat for 1 hour. Add coriander, dill, & lemon juice, reduce heat to low, & simmer, covered, 1/2 hour more, or until beef is tender. Recipe: “Sephardic Cooking” by Copeland Mark — 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India — Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. D. Pileggi

Afghanistan: Meatballs With Noodles Tossed In Yogurt
source: http://www.asian-recipe.com/afghanistan/afghan-meat-dishes.html#che (accessed 19JAN2017)
I only did the meatballs from this recipe

4 servings
Serving Size : 6
MEATBALLS

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 spanish onion finely chopped
• 6 large ripe plum tomatoes core — peel, chop
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped NOODLES
• 1 pound fresh fine egg noodles in Asian markets
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint chopped

Directions

For the meatballs:
In a bowl, combine the beef, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, salt, pepper, and half of the garlic. With clean hands, mix thoroughly, then shape the meat into 3/4-inch meatballs. Set them aside.
In a large, flameproof casserole, heat the oil, add the onion, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until it is very soft. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the meatballs. Cook, turning them often, until they lose their pink color.

County 9 - Doctor Foster's Home!

Over ninety per cent of Gloucestershire is countryside, over half of which is designated as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ONB). The county is dominated in the East by a band of limestone hills known as the Cotswolds and to the west by the ancient Royal Forest of Dean. The Cotswolds hills rise to over 1,000 feet at Cleever Hill, a place that is wonderfully scenic and quintessentially English. The lush countryside and picture-postcard villages makes this area of Gloucestershire a highly popular tourist destination.

The River Severn runs through Gloucestershire from north to south. The Severn Valley is about 8 miles wide in the north and known locally as the Vale of Gloucester. To the south of Gloucester it narrows to become the Vale of Berkeley.

Britain's Severn Bore (a large surge wave that travels inland along the estuary of the River Severn) is a spectacular natural phenomena and is one of the largest in the world. The Severn estuary is shaped such that the incoming tidal waters are funneled into an increasingly narrow channel, as the tide rises. This forms a large wave that can travel all the way up the river to Gloucester.

http://www.travelaboutbritain.com/gloucestershire/gloucestershire.php (accessed 02.03.2016)

 

CUISINE

I found that local delicacies include: Double Gloucester - a soft mellow cheese made with full cream milk and Gloucestershire Squab Pie - lamb and apples topped with a swede and potato mash.

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

I was born in Gloucester, but didn’t live there for long, so I was intrigued by what we would have. The pancakes were lovely, better eaten as cooked than warmed up later but still not bad. We had them with syrup, so not a waist friendly meal, but a lovely warm treat on a rainy after school run. We also had them as a pudding after homemade chicken soup – delicious. The pie was tasty, although the recipe I had used a pastry top instead of the swede and potatoes mash. I think either would work. The apples just disappeared, the meat was tender enough and the beauty was I could quickly assemble and then cook. 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Pancakes...................87

Squab Pie..................85

 

Gloucester Pancakes

6 oz flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 oz shredded suet

1 egg, beaten

salt

milk

lard for frying

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Rub in the suet. Knead in the egg and sufficient milk to get a firm dough. Roll out 3/4ins thick and cut into 2 ins rounds. Fry in a little melted lard until golden brown on both sides. Serve with warmed syrup or jam.

Source: English Favourite Recipes published by J Salmon

 

Squab Pie

You'd be forgiven for thinking this dish might contain young pigeons, otherwise known as squabs, but this pie has always been made with lamb; which is set off by the sharp apple and spices.

 

SERVES 4

225 g (8 oz) plain flour salt and pepper

50 g (2 oz) butter

50 g (2 oz) lard

700 g (1 1/2 lb) lamb neck fillets, sliced into 12 pieces

1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced

450 g (1 lb) onions, skinned and thinly sliced

1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) ground allspice

1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) grated nutmeg

150 ml (1/4 pint) lamb or beef stock

fresh milk, to glaze

 

1. Put the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water and mix in to form a firm dough. Knead lightly until smooth, and then chill until required.
2. Place half the lamb in the base of a 900 ml (1 1/2 pint) pie dish. Arrange half the apple slices and half the onion slices over the top. Sprinkle over the allspice and nutmeg and season to taste. Repeat the layers, and then pour over the stock.
3. Roll out the pastry to fit the dish and use to cover the pie, moistening the edges so the pastry is well sealed. Use any pastry trimming to decorate.
4. Brush the pastry with milk and bake at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for 20 minutes.
5. Reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) mark 4 and cook for a further 1 hour 15 minutes.
6. Cover the pastry if it shows signs of becoming too brown. Serve hot.
    
   NB Can do a swede and potato mash topping.
   Source: http://www.allbritishfood.com/gloucestershire%20squab%20pie.php (accessed 03/03/2016)

Country 8 - South Yorkshire

The main settlements of South Yorkshire grew up around the industries of mining and steel manufacturing. The main mining industry was coal which was concentrated to the north and east of the county. There were also iron deposits which were mined in the area. The rivers running off the Pennines to the west of the county supported the steel industry that is concentrated in the city of Sheffield. The proximity of the iron and coal also made this an ideal place for steel manufacture.

 

Although the modern county of South Yorkshire was not created until 1974, the history of its constituent settlements and parts goes back centuries. Prehistoric remains include a Mesolithic "house" (a circle of stones in the shape of a hut-base) dating to around 8000 BC, found at Deepcar, in the northern part of Sheffield. Evidence of even earlier inhabitation in the wider region exists about 3 miles (4.8 km) over the county boundary at Creswell Crags in Derbyshire, where artefacts and rock art found in caves have been dated by archaeologists to the late Upper Palaeolithic period, at least 12,800 years ago. The region was on the frontier of the Roman Empire during the Roman period.

 

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

I so wanted to make the Parkin, but when I realised I had to wait 5 days for best results I knew we would eat it after the South Yorkshire week – but next time Yorkshire comes up, I will make it then! The bacon and beans was ok, except I don’t think I cooked it long enough, plus as I don’t eat cheese the topping wasn’t as nice. I have, however, done it again and this time I put sweet potato on mine and cheese on the boys; and we all loved it! (oh, and thickened it a bit more)

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Bacon and Beans…............85

Wanted to cook:

Parkin

 

Bacon and Beans

INGREDIENTS:

5 Yorkshire leek sausages (other flavoured sausages can be used)

1 celery stick, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 white onion, diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

200ml water

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tin white beans (400g), washed and drained

salt and pepper

4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

100g cheddar cheese, grated

 

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 185°C.
2. Heat a large pan or pot and seal off the sausages. Once sealed, remove from the pan, and cut into four pieces. Turn pan down to a medium heat.
3. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste to the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes, then return the sausage pieces.
5. Add the water, Worcestershire sauce and beans to the pan. Bring to the boil, then pour into the baking dish.
6. Layer the sliced potatoes over the top, then scatter the cheese over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

Parkin

Ingredients

110g soft butter

110g soft dark brown sugar

55g black treacle

200g golden syrup

225g medium oatmeal

110g self-raising flour

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground mixed spice

2 medium eggs, beaten

1 tbsp milk

Pinch of salt

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140C/120C fan/Gas Mark 1. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.
2. In a pan, over a gentle heat, melt the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup. Don't allow the mixture to get too hot or bubble. When they have melted together remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large mixing bowl sift in the dry ingredients and make a well in the centre. Gradually add the melted butter mixture and fold together. Pour in the beaten eggs and milk and combine together.
4. Pour into your baking tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, however keep an eye on it as parkin can easily become dry and over baked.
5. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 20 minutes. Tip onto a cake rack and leave to cool completely.
6. Store the parkin in a cake tin and wrapped in greaseproof paper. You must keep it in a tin for a minimum of 1 day and up to a week before you cut it. Leaving it to develop will give it a moist and sticky texture, as well as making the flavour richer and deeper.
    

Country 7 - Kent

Kent is best known as the 'Garden of England', a phrase first coined by Henry VIII. It claims to be the oldest county in England and contains some 17000 listed buildings. Kent is most famous for its oast-houses, having tall conical or pyramidal roofs. These are the old kilns used for drying hops, once grown throughout the county, and many of which have now been converted into beautiful luxury homes.

 

The county is roughly triangular in shape, covering the south east corner of England. The chalk ridge of the North Downs runs centrally, east to west across the county, reaching over 800 feet in places. South of the downs runs a parallel ridge called the Ragstone Ridge. The Vale of Kent, a rich lowland to the south of the county, forms part of the Kent Weald. To the east lies the majestic city of Canterbury, home of the Anglican Church of England.

Kent is blessed with a spectacular coastline; just along the south coast stands the famous and iconic White Cliffs of Dover, which run from Kingsdown to Folkestone, a well-known symbol of Britain. To the south west is a wide expanse of low-lying marsh called Romney Marsh, where the shingly promontory of Dungeness extends southwards into the English Channel.

'the ten miles between Maidstone and Tunbridge (which the Kentish folk call the Garden of Eden) ... there, there are, on rising grounds... not only hop-gardens and beautiful woods, but immense orchards of apples, pears, plums, cherries and filberts... and, all taken together, the vale is really worthy of the appellation which it bears.' William Cobbett (1830), "Rural Rides"

 

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

We had accepted a Vegetarian Week challenge from family, so we could not have the fish pie or stews that I found. I didn’t make the Apple and Cheese pie either, as I don’t eat cheese; but I hope to do so one day, hence the inclusion. The Oast Cakes were lovely, we really enjoyed them one day after school and reminded me of Welsh Cakes.

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Oast Cakes............87

Wanted to cook:

Kentish Apple and Cheese Pie

 

Oast Cakes

 

Original Receipt from Rishton Cricket Club (Ladies Section) Recipes, 1955

8oz. plain flour

1oz. sugar

1 level teaspoon baking powder

3oz. currants

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3oz. Marg

5 tablespoons water

Sieve the flour, baking powder add salt. Rub in 2oz. Marg. Add the sugar and currants, and mix to a soft dough with the lemon, juice and water. Shape with the fingers into small pieces and roll into rounds ¼" thick on a floured board. Fry on both sides in remaining 1oz. Marg, adding a little at a time until golden brown (about 6-8 minutes). Eat hot instead of scones at teatime. Makes 18-20 Oast Cakes.

Sourced: http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/oastcakes.htm (accessed 24.03.2016)

 

Kentish Apple and Cheese Pie

 

This is a pudding, apparently Charles Dickens loved it. The cheese, just under the top crust of the pie, really enhances the flavour of the apples. But if for some reason you want to hide the cheese, you can add it to the pastry, which is how the pie is served in some pubs.

 

6 oz puff or shortcrust pastry

1 ½ lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced thickly

3-4 oz sugar

3-4 cloves

Small pinch nutmeg

½ cup water

4 oz cheddar, sliced

Set the oven to 425F or Gas 7. Using half of the apples, put a layer in a greased pie dish. Sprinkle half the sugar on top. Lay the rest of the apples in the dish and put the cloves into some of the slices. Sprinkle with the sugar, nutmeg, and water, then lay the cheese on top.

Roll out the pastry and cover the dish with it. Brush with some milk and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Serves 4-6

(Favorite Kentish Recipes by Pat Smith)

http://www.crazyenglishwomancooks.com/2008/06/kentish-apple-and-cheese-pie.html (accessed 02.03.2016)

Country 6 - Herefordshire

With a population of less than 200 people per square mile, Herefordshire is one of the least populated counties in England, and with over 5000 farms one of its most rural. It is celebrated for its Hereford cows and cider producing orchards. The county has a long and rich history of cider and perry production. Great Britain produces around 130,000,000 gallons of cider per year, half of which is produced here. Herefordshire has around 3000 apple and pear orchards, covering over 9000 acres, more than any other county in UK. Its cider and perry production is protected under European law, sharing the same status as French Champagne.

The Black Mountain ranges of Wales border the south-west corner of the county, with many picturesque valleys between, the widest and most scenic is the Golden Valley. Rising majestically over Herefordshire, in the east, are the Malvern Hills, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ONB). The River Wye, England's fifth longest river, winds its way across the county from Plynlimon in Wales to the Severn Estuary. It is largely unpolluted and is considered to one of the best rivers for salmon fishing in Britain, outside of Scotland. Herefordshire's many scenic villages are filled with 16 and 17th century timber framed houses, many of which can be viewed on the popular 40 mile Black & White Village Trail. Its flower is the Mistletoe.

 

http://www.travelaboutbritain.com (Accessed 02/03/2016)

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

The frazzled Beef sounded better than it was, so it was not a good start to Herefordshire, after last week too. However the fish pie was delicious, although I did use a mixture of fish instead of just salmon and we all enjoyed it. The apple dumplings were also very nice. I remember as a child my mother having a baked apple and I always thought it looked horrid; but know I know better. We had custard with ours, a lovely Sunday pud!

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Frazzled (or Frizzled) Beef............56

Wye Baked Salmon…...................90

Apple Dumplings……………………….87

Frazzled (or Frizzled) Beef

All I could find was this description:

Claimed in the J Salmon ‘Favourite Herefordshire and Why Valley Recipes’ to be thin, fried, beefsteak topped with, or accompanied by, fried patties of mashed potato with onion.

I did this, and we didn’t think it was anything special…

 

Wye Baked Salmon

 

4 thick salmon steaks

1lb shortcrust pastry

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped 

3oz butter

2oz button mushrooms chopped

2oz fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg beaten

Milk

2 tablespoons white wine

juice of lemon

Egg or milk to glaze

 

Serves 4.  Place salmon into boiling water for 5 minutes, remove the skin.  Set oven to mark 4 or 350F.  Roll out 2 thirds of the pastry on lightly floured surface and use to line a 2 litre pie dish.  Fry onions in half the butter, add the mushrooms and breadcrumbs and season, stir well and fry for 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the egg and enough milk to bind. Arrange salmon on the pie dish spread on the onion and mushroom mixture.

 

Melt the rest of the butter in a pan. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to the boil. Pour over the salmon. Roll out the rest of the pastry for a lid, seal the edges and trim.  Make a hole to release the steam in the centre and decorate with pastry trimmings.  Brush with beaten egg or milk to glaze.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.  Serve with mashed potatoes, baby carrots and a green vegetable.

www.allaboutherefordshire.com/files/Wye_Baked_Salmon.do (accessed 10/02/2016)

 

Hereford Apple Dumplings

 

12 ounces prepared shortcrust pastry (340g)

4 teaspoons sugar

4 cooking apples, peeled, cored

2 ounces sultanas (60 g)

¹⁄₂ finely grated an orange, rind of

1 tablespoon marmalade

¹⁄₄ ounce butter, softened (28 g or 2 tablespoons)

milk (for glazing)

sugar (for glazing)

marmalade (for serving)

 

Directions

1.       Heat oven to 400 F (200 C)(gas mark 6).

2.       Divide the pastry into 4 and then roll each piece out into a circle big enough to fully enclose one apple.

3.       Take each pastry circle and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar and place an apple in the middle. mix together sultanas, orange rind, marmalade and butter and then divide this mixture between the apples, filling up each core hole.

4.       Fold the pastry around each apple and seal firmly with a little water.

5.       Place them, upside-down, onto a greased baking sheet and decorate the tops with leftover pastry bits cut into leaf shapes.

6.       Brush with milk and sprinkle a little sugar to glaze.

7.       Bake for 10 minutes and then turn down the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C) (gas mark 4) for a further 30 minutes or until the dumplings are golden brown.

Source: English Favourite Recipes published by J Salmon

Country 5 - Staffordshire

Staffordshire is renowned for the craftsmanship of its world famous potteries in Stoke on Trent. It has some beautiful countryside, particularly where the Peak District National Park crosses into the north east of the county, and the breath-taking Cannock Chase, with thirty thousand acres of forest and heathland further south.

The hills in the north are a continuation of the moors of Derbyshire, rising in places to 1,500 feet above the River Trent. They are broken by several wooded valleys; the Manifold, Milldale and Dovedale. The northern part of the county is known as the Potteries. The famous 'Five Towns' that make up The Potteries are Burslem, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall. The centre and south of the county are generally level, with a few low valleys intersected by the Trent, Blithe, and Tame rivers. In the centre of the county is a wide tract of heather and forest known as Cannock Chase, a haven for foxes, wild deer, badgers, red squirrels, grouse and green woodpeckers. The southern part of the county is known as the 'Black Country', due to the iron, coal and associated heavy industries that are carried on there.

Flash claims to be the highest village in England, at 1,158 feet above sea-level. Tamworth is famous for its pigs, which are a sandy red colour and its country flower is the Heather.

 

http://www.travelaboutbritain.com/staffordshire/staffordshire.php (accessed 02.03.2016)

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

We loved the oatcakes, we had then on Pancake Day and they were a huge hit. I have to admit I did make the recipe simpler by cooking the bacon and mushrooms as I cooked the pancake, so although we ate separately it was a communal experience in the kitchen with good hot yummy food. The Beef Lobby was also a hit, very warming on a cold winter’s day. Lovely experience of food.

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Staffordshire oatcakes............90

Beef Lobby..............................87

Staffordshire oatcakes

Ingredients

225g/8oz fine oatmeal (if you don't have this, blitz some porridge oats)

100g/3½oz wholemeal flour

100g/3½oz plain flour

1 tsp quick-action yeast

pinch salt

825ml/1 pint 9¾fl oz water

1 tbsp baking powder

12 tsp vegetable oil

24 rashers streaky bacon

1 tbsp olive oil

150g/5¼oz chestnut mushrooms, cut in half

300g/10½oz mature cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Mix together the oatmeal, wholemeal flour, plain flour, yeast and salt in a bowl until well combined.
2. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then gradually add the water in a thin stream, stirring well with a wooden spoon, until the batter is well combined and the consistency of thick double cream. (NB: You may not need to use all of the water.)
3. Cover the batter with a damp, clean tea towel and set aside for 3-4 hours (or up to 8 hours), to allow the gluten in the batter to develop.
4. Once ready to cook the batter, whisk in the baking powder until well combined.
5. Heat one teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add a ladleful of the batter mixture and swirl the pan to coat the bottom of it in a thin layer of the batter.
6. Fry the oatcake for 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown on one side.
7. Flip the oatcake and fry for a further minute, or until golden-brown on both sides.
8. Set the oatcake aside on a warm plate and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper.
9. Repeat the process with the remaining batter mixture, to make about 12 oatcakes. Stack them on top of each other, separated by greaseproof paper, and keep warm.
10. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to its highest setting.
11. When the grill is hot, arrange the streaky bacon onto a grill tray and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown on both sides. Set aside and keep warm.
12. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a separate frying pan over a medium heat.
13. Add the mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
14. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat until hot. Return one of the cooked oatcakes to the hot pan and sprinkle grated cheese over one half of it.
15. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt, then place two grilled rashers of bacon on top of the melted cheese and sprinkle over a spoonful of the mushrooms. Fold the other half of the oatcake over and continue to heat for a further minute, or until the cheese has fully melted.
16. Repeat the process with the remaining vegetable oil, oatcakes, bacon, mushrooms and cheese.
17. Serve immediately.
     
    Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/staffordshireoatcake_92371 (Accessed 05.03.2016)
     

Beef Lobby

Serves 4

450g/1lb stewing or braising steak - fat removed and cut into small chunks

A handful pearl barley (optional)

1 onion diced

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional)

4 potatoes diced

1 swede diced (the big orange fleshed ones not the little white ones)

4 celery sticks, chopped

4 diced carrots

Beef stock

 

1. Put the meat, onion and pearl barley in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently on a very low heat for 40 mins. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking.
2. Meanwhile peel and chop the vegetables to dice of a similar size - small or chunky, however you prefer. Add the vegetables to the pan and top up with stock to cover the vegetables.
3. Cook at a low simmer for approximately 60 mins or until everything is softly cooked and the meat is tender. Cook for 2 hours+ for really tender meat (the longer the better!) or cook in a slow cooker. Continue to stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of pan. Season to taste.
4. Serve in big bowls with chunky bread. HP Sauce is a nice addition, or a little vinegar
    
   NB: Being a "chuck-in" recipe, feel free to add/substitute cabbage, turnip, parsnip, nettles etc.
    
   Source: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81775  (accessed 10/02/2016)