Christmas Rose.

Ye Olde Faithfull.
One of the plants that the chickens don't eat. It never fails year on year and is one of the first blasts of colour after winter. Late in the year when it grows taller and heavier it can get trampled but it's a good on. a Hellebore. I love the dusty purple colour.

Hand riased water crust pastry Pork Pies

Time to have ago at a classic hand raised pork pie.

This makes enough for 2 large pies using 12" spring form cake tins. Or 1 large 1 medium and lots of small ones. I buy a 2.5kg shoulder joint. Use half for roasting and the other half for the pies. Remove the rind and some of the fat.

Filling
1.25kg finely chopped pork shoulder.
200g chopped unsmoked bacon (Rind removed)
1 teaspoon of anchovy paste
2 tsp fresh chopped sage
1 tsp Allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
couple of pinches of salt.
2 tsp ground black pepper.

For an alternate try adding black pudding. It works well.

Water Crust Pastry (Enough for 2 batches of pies)
1000g flour (half strong and half plain)
100g unsalted butter or extra lard
250g lard or dripping
450ml boiling water (use 350ml in the mix keep 100ml boiling in reserve if needed)
3 tsp salt

1 beaten egg to glaze

For the jelly (If you want to cheat ask your butcher if he has powdered savoury jelly) Other wise
2 pig's trotter
5 litres water
30g gelatine
1 boquet garni.

Method

For the pastry, sieve the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in just 50g of lard. Gently heat the remaining lard and water together until boiling, then add to the flour, mixing until mixture is cool enough to knead. Knead well. keep aside a third for the lid and decoration. Ideally make each piece of pastry into a ball and leave in the fridge overnight.

For the filling, mix together the minced pork, minced bacon, salt, pepper and water. Sometimes the meat mixture can feel a little wet – if so add the rusk or breadcrumbs (I have never needed to). Ideally cover and leave to stand in a fridge for 24 hours this will allow the bacon to cure the minced pork. When the pie is eventually baked the meat will then appear to be pink in colour.

For the jelly, place the trotter in a saucepan with the water, bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 3-4 hours. Allow the water to evaporate down to approximately 1l, but do not let the pan boil dry - top up with more water if necessary. After 4 hours strain off the liquid and measure out 1l. Dissolve the gelatin in the stock, then it's ready to fill into the pie. Let the cooked pies cool for 30 minutes then  Fill 3 times over 1 hour. A turkey baster comes in handy

Cooking.
I use a slightly watered down egg wash and wash before they go in and 2 minutes before the end of cooking.

Large pie. 20 minutes at 220c then 2 hours at 180c

Smaller pies. 50 minutes at 180c

Let the cooked pies cool for 30 minutes then fill with jelly 3 times over 1 hour. A turkey baster comes in handy. It can be messy so stand on a tray.

Vermicelli Singapore Noodles with Char Siu Pork

I think the pictures say it all.

No Knead bread

This method is based on an American 5 minute a day Artisan Bread recipe but modified and simplified to my liking.

1.5kg strong white bread flour
1ltr water
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp salt
2 packs dried yeast (Activated as per instructions) or 50 grams fresh yeast

Mise en Place (Everything in place)

Measure all the ingredients

Rub the yeast into the flour

Mix until all the flour is wetted

Make a well and add the water

Leave in a warmish place for several hours
then in the fridge for a day or so

After a day or so the proteins will be nice and stretched and a "Sour Dough" flavour starts to develop.
When you want a loaf take the amount of dough required you can weigh it if you want but I judge it. Flour your hands, use a knife or large scissors to cut the dough. Fold it in on its self to form a round or a torpedo.
Leave to rise in a warm place for an hour or so. Cook at 220c for 30 minutes dependant on size. Leave on a rack to cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

Brownies

These are easy to make. Quite rich due to the butter and 3 eggs. Probably not the cheapest brownie recipe to make but definitely luxurious. I may try a batch using one egg and veg oil to compare.

Okay so I'm a messy cook!

Crisp on the outside and gooey  in the middle. 

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's brownie recipes

• 170g butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g cocoa powder
• 50g plain flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 100g walnut halves or chopped chocolate (optional)

Heat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Lightly grease a 22cm x 22cm x 5cm brownie tin and line with two strips of baking parchment. Let the strips hang over the sides of the tin by about 8cm – this'll make the brownies easier to remove when they're cooked.
Place the butter in a medium-size saucepan and melt it over a medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells slightly sweet and nutty. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, and using an electric hand mixer, beat together the sugars and eggs until very thick and glossy – when you lift up the beaters, a ribbon of batter should stay on the surface of the mixture for several seconds. Beat in the vanilla and the browned butter.
Sift together the cocoa, flour and salt into a separate bowl. Gently fold this into the batter with a spatula, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the walnuts or chocolate chunks, if using, and scrape into the prepared tin with a spatula.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the middle of the brownies with a few moist crumbs attached. Place the tin on a rack and let the brownies cool completely. Lift them out of the tin with the parchment and cut into 16 squares.

Soda Bread

SODA BREAD

In a rush for bread and have no time or no "No Knead Bread" prepared then this is good. Ideal to make whilst you are waiting for a meal to cook.

225g Wholemeal bread flour
225g White bread flour
150ml Soured Cream
150ml Water
1 tsp bicarb of soda
2 tsp salt

Preheat Oven to 220c

The ingredients

Mise en Plas

Mix dry and Mix wet

Combine

Mix (Don't over work)
This is a little dry

Add 3 tbsp of water if too dry

Place on a grease tray
cut into dough
Bake for 220c for around 30 minutes. If it starts to brown too much cover with foil

Leave to cool at least 15 minutes 

Nice with butter and honey or to mop up a stew.
Does not keep well.

Costing around 80p
Whole meal flour 17p (£1.10 1.5kg Asda)
White Bread Flour 9p (60p 1.5kg Asda)
Soured Cream 47p (93p 300ml Asda)
Salt and Bicarb, pennies (5p)

Next time I may try milk and cream of tartar in place of the soured cream.
You could also add chives and cheese.

Sunday Morning Walk.

It's always good to blow the cobwebs away on a Sunday Morning.
Daresbury Firs Combines a little Woods, a Canal and Nutrinos.

It's by Daresbury Labs on the Bridgewater canal.

Daresbury Labs

Poor foxie can't hand two miles any more.

The Spoils of Normandy.

I have Just Spent a great week in Normandy over Christmas. For a food and drink lover it is heaven. For some one who hates the over commercialised and tacky free for all that starts in October on the run up to a few days then it is a good place to be over Christmas.
Bread, Cheese, Cider, Preserved Meats, Fish, Vegetables, Pastries, Coffee, they are all in abundance and in peak condition.
Dieppe it's self could not be easier to get on with. An apartment 5 minutes from the Ferry Port. 2 Minutes from the Fishing Port, On the Shore front and 2 minutes from the main shopping street.
The choice is fantastic.
I have too many picture for one post, So here is a taster of what Dieppe looks like and a few of the "Spoils" of the trip I returned home with.

Thanks, Peter and Brenda.

 

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The Spoils