I believe that Pie's are something the British do extremely well, and I love Game and Rabbit Pie in particular. One of my favourites is by a chef known as Rick Stein. A chef I admire not only for his culinary expertise in general, but because of his passion for British food at its best. It seems every nationality loves to jump on British food, believing we eat nothing but fried breakfasts and roast beef. Its nice to see a commercial chef champion this cause, and tackle it head on! Here is … [Read more...]
Yorkshire Bilberry Pie
June 10, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Ingredients 1½ lb bilberries 8oz puff pastry 4 cooking apples 1 bundle herbs 8oz sugar 2 tablespoons thick cream 1 egg, beaten Method Bake the apples and scrape out the pulp. Mix it with the bilberries and sugar. Line a pie plate with pastry, fill with fruit and sugar, and cover with pastry. Do not seal. Brush the top with beaten egg white, sprinkle with sugar and bake in a hot oven until golden brown. Gently lift the lid and pour in very thick cream. … [Read more...]
Rules for Pastry Making
June 10, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Making your own pastry at home is relatively simple provided you follow a few key rules Keep the pastry cool Handle the pastry lightly Bake the pastry at the correct oven temperature Cool hands - a cool pastry board or worktop and water as cold as possible help to produce the best results. Use the fingertips, as they are the coolest part of the hands. Lift the flour well out of the bowl to incorporate as much air as possible when rubbing in the fat. Always mix with a round bladed … [Read more...]
Vegetarian Cottage Pie
May 28, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Ingredients 3 oz dried black-eyed beans, pre-soaked and drained 3 oz green split peas - rinsed 3 oz green lentils - rinsed 2 oz peeled carrots 2 oz peeled small white turnip 2 oz peeled celery 1 large onion, peeled and diced 8 oz tomato frito 2 oz butter 2 large tomatoes 1 glass of red wine 1 tbs fresh mixed herbsany from sage/rosemary/thyme/parsley- chopped finely Salt and pepper For the topping: 1 ½ lb potatoes - peeled and quartered 2 oz butter - softened 2 tablespoons … [Read more...]
Cherry Pie
May 20, 2007 By Leave a Comment
10 inch pie dish lightly buttered Ingredients Pastry: 10 oz self raising flour 5 oz unsalted butter 4 - 5 tbsp of cold water a pinch of sea salt Filling 10 oz of cherries 4 oz Golden Granulated Sugar 2 tablespoons Kirsch 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar 2 teaspoons Cornflour 1 beaten egg to glaze Method Preheat the oven to 200°C. 1. Stone the cherries and place in a bowl with the Kirsch and sugar. Leave to soak for about an hour. Meanwhile make the pastry and leave in … [Read more...]
SINFUL LEMON CHIFFON PIE
May 18, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Ingredients - pastry case: 1 cup self raising flour ¼ cup golden granulated sugar 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon ½ cup Butter 1 Egg yolk; slightly beaten ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon lemon juice Ingredients – filling: 4 large eggs - separated 2 x ½ cups of golden caster sugar 1/3 cup of lemon juice 2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon 1 leaf Gelatine ¼ teaspoon sea salt Preheat oven to 200 degrees … [Read more...]
Manchester Tart
May 7, 2007 By 4 Comments
Manchester Tart is a journey back into childhood where this was the feature on many schools menu. I´ve always loved the simplicity of Manchester Tart... the crisp golden pastry of the case accompanied with slices of banana, a layer of strawberry jam and lashings thick custard... all finished off with a layer of whipped cream and chocolate flakes. While there are many versions of this recipe on the web, this will always be the Manchester Tart of my childhood. A recipe I turn to in time of … [Read more...]
Cottage Pie
November 29, 2006 By Leave a Comment
On these cold nights it is sometimes nice to have a warming, easy to prepare dish such as Cottage Pie. This is my favourite, and has a nice little twist [especially suited for those kids who won't eat their veggies]. I tend to add plenty of very finely chopped vegetables to the mix - not only in the base, but in the mash as well. Thats not just potatoes topping that cottage pie! Its a combination of root vegetables and potatoes, for that extra healthy twist. No child (or adult for that … [Read more...]