Posted in Recipes, tagged bay custard tarts, Dan Lepard, Dan Lepard bay custard tart, homemade custard tarts on December 21, 2009| 6 Comments »
Dan the Man (aka Dan Lepard) created this recipe for bay custard tarts several months ago, and I’ve been wanting to try it ever since. Today was the perfect opportunity – I had leftover shortcrust pastry (June’s recipe) in the fridge, and an abundance of eggs.
The tarts are very moreish, and a little too easy to eat!
Posted in Recipes, tagged lamb casserole, lamb stew, Lancashire hotpot, Rick Stein Food Heroes on December 19, 2009| 5 Comments »
Hold tight lad, and think of Lancashire hotpot!
Wallace & Gromit, A Grand Day Out
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Chef Rick Stein showcased this dish on his Food Heroes programme, and it was so appealing in its simplicity and “Wallace-&-Gromitness” that I raced out to the butchers the same day to buy ingredients. Pete normally has an aversion to hotpots, particularly ones with boney pieces of meat – a consequence of growing up on what he and his siblings refer to as “mystery meat stews”. Nevertheless, he loved this dish, as did the boys, both of whom had second helpings.
Rick Stein didn’t provide quantities on his show, so I had to make them up on the fly. Having said that, I think the essence of this style of cooking is to make use of the ingredients you have on hand. I’m sure all sorts of cheaper cuts and offal would traditionally have been used, and allowed to tenderise during the long cooking time. This recipe makes a very big batch, so count on feeding the neighbours, like we did!
1. Preheat the oven to 180C with fan. Trim and discard the surplus fat from the loin chops.
2. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and onions. The onions give the dish sweetness, so don’t skimp on them.
3. Brush melted butter over the base of a large casserole dish (I used a Le Creuset dutch oven) and arrange a layer of sliced potatoes. Top with a layer of lamb (both shank pieces and loin chops), then a layer of onions. Season well between layers with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of oregano (original recipe used thyme, but I didn’t have any).
4. Layer more potato slices, then more lamb and onions, season again and repeat until all the ingredients have been added, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour over the chicken stock, then brush the top of the potatoes with melted butter. Cover and bake for 2 – 2¼ hours, removing the lid for the last 20 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown.
We served our hotpot with steamed rice, but Rick Stein served it with braised red cabbage, which has apparently become its traditional accompaniment in recent years. Perfect comfort food!
Posted in Food & Friends, tagged gifts from the kitchen, homemade Christmas presents, last minute Christmas gifts on December 16, 2009| 9 Comments »
Only a week to go…how are you all travelling?
We’re doing pretty well – Pete has our Christmas jams made (apricot, nectarine and raspberry, strawberry and chilli) and my various fruitcakes are maturing in the fridge. There’s not much room in there for anything else at the moment!
If you’re slightly daunted by the looming “deadline”, maybe these last minute gift suggestions will help. They’re all easily made in the kitchen, and much less intimidating than trying to navigate the shops at this time of year!
1. Chocolate chip cookies: these never, ever fail to please and the recipe we use results in over three dozen cookies. If you can’t find good choc chips at this late stage, try chopping up blocks of good quality chocolate (Lindt is particularly nice). Once cool, these cookies freeze brilliantly, so you can keep a stash in the freezer and package them up for gifts as needed. Click here for the recipe.
2. Butterscotch bars: if we had a recipe de casa, this would be it. It’s an absolute breeze to make, but its success is contingent on the quality of the chocolate you put in it. We use Callebaut, but we’ve also had great results using Lindt bars and balls from the supermarket. One batch will cut into 32 small pieces, giving you lots to share around. The recipe is here.
3. Lemon or lime curd: make this in the days leading up to Christmas, and keep it in your fridge as a ready gift. It only takes a few minutes in the microwave. If you buy a bag of lemons, butter, sugar and a carton of eggs, you can make three batches (about nine jars worth) in under an hour. The original lemon curd recipe is here, and the lime variation here.
4. Amaretti: these are super-quick to make, and they’re nutty and Christmassy and look lovely in a cellophane bag with a colourful ribbon. This gluten-free recipe doesn’t even need a mixer!
A packaging tip: baked goods look gorgeous and rustic wrapped simply in a sheet of parchment paper and tied with ribbon or raffia. Added bonus – it’s foodsafe packaging!
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Please see our Christmas page for more gift ideas!
Posted in Recipes, tagged chocolate bars, fruit and nut chocolate, grain fruit bread, mediants, temper chocolate on December 15, 2009| 13 Comments »
Clever Gillian at Some Say Cocoa made mendiants, French chocolate disks studded with dried fruit and nuts. They inspired me to try a block version using the leftover bits and pieces from our Christmas cakes.
Above, from left to right, are almond and crystallised ginger, glacé fig and walnut, and glacé apricot, ginger and raisin bars. They’re quite easy to make – pour the tempered chocolate into block moulds, then embellish to your heart’s content. As Gillian points out, you need to work quickly, as the chocolate starts to set up straight away.
I also made a couple of larger blocks – one with glacé fig and raisins, and the other with glacé apricot and cacao nibs. Wrapped in cellophane, these bejeweled bars will make a festive addition to our Christmas hampers!
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Thank you to everyone who entered our Giveaway!
Maryann, Sue and Liz, your parcels will be in the mail shortly!
Posted in Food & Friends, tagged cherries, Christmas foods on December 13, 2009| 9 Comments »
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Cherries at Christmas are an Australian tradition, and Pete found these gorgeous red Rons and white cherries at the markets.
What seasonal produce are you enjoying at this time of year?
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