Minted Lamb burgers with Oven Baked French Fries and Chilli Cucumber Relish

May 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

100 grams fresh spearmint (or other mint, to taste), leaves only
100 grams pitted black olives
1/2 red onion, peeled and quartered
100 grams bread crumbs
700 grams minced lamb, not too lean
To Serve
6 hamburger buns or try lightly toasted small ciabatta rolls
Chilli Cucumber Relish
3 Golden Gourmet shallots, peeled and finely sliced
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, quartered and finely sliced
2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh red jalapeños chillies, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
4 tbsp white rice vinegar
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

  1. Preheat the griddle to medium

Relish

  1. Place the shallots, cucumber, garlic, chillies and ginger into a bowl.
  2. Add the rice vinegar and toss to evenly mix the ingredients.
  3. Season to taste.
  4. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until burgers are ready.

Burgers

  1. Add the mint, black olives, red onion and bread crumbs to a food processor, pulse until well blended.
  2. Transfer to a large bowl, add the minced lamb and mix well to thoroughly combine.
  3. Mould the meat mixture, using your hands, into 6 patties and place on the hot, oiled griddle.
  4. Cook the patties for 6 to 7 minutes each side or to taste, depending on how thick the burgers are.
  5. Toast the buns then top with the burger and a little of the salad

Note

  1. Golden Gourmet shallot is mild tasting and a common ingredient used in casseroles and salads

Try serving accompanied by oven baked French fries with home made tomato ketchup.

Oven Baked French Fries

4 baking potatoes
1 dessert spoon (2 tsp) virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt flakes (I use Maldon)

  1. Preheat oven to 230ºC, 450°F, gas mark 8.
  2. Wash, peel and cut potatoes into even sized slices, cut each slice into fries.
  3. Place onto a clean tea towel and pat dry.
  4. Place onto a lightly oiled baking sheet in a single layer and lightly spray with the oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, turn and bake for a further 10 minutes, then turn again.
  6. Turn off the oven, leave for 5 minutes, remove and serve immediately.

Fresh Tomato Ketchup

1 kg whole ripe tomatoes – skinned, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 large onion – peeled and sliced
100 grams light soft brown sugar
155 ml apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic – crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
1/2 tsp original French Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp ground mace
1/2 cinnamon stick *
4 whole cloves *
Bay leaf *
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns *
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  1. Put the tomatoes and onion in a large, heavy based saucepan, stir.
  2. Cover, simmer, stirring occasionally for 60 minutes, or until soft.
  3. Push the tomatoes and onion through a sieve and return to the pan.
  4. Add the sugar, vinegar, garlic, tomato purée, mustard, ground all spice and ground mace.
  5. Put the items (marked *) in a piece of muslin and tie with string, add this to the pan.
  6. Simmer until thick, stirring often.
  7. When ready remove the muslin bag and check the taste, adjust if necessary and add seasoning to taste.
  8. Allow the ketchup to cool then decant into bottles and add the screw caps.
  9. Store in the refrigerator.
Filed Under: Bonfire Night, Lamb, mutton, hogget, Main crop Tagged With: , , ,

Mutton or Hogget Pie with Potato Pastry

March 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Mutton or Hogget are ideal for this recipe as the flavour is richer than lamb – lamb is the meat from animals in their first year, hogget is from sheep older than one year and mutton is an adult sheep.

1.5 kg shoulder or leg of mutton or hogget – cut into bite sized pieces
2 tbsp seasoned plain white flour
2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
30 grams unsalted butter
2 sweet Spanish onions – peeled, halved and thinly sliced
2 red onions – peeled, halved and thinly slice
2 garlic cloves – peeled and crushed
350 ml lamb or chicken stock
150 ml red wine
1 bay leaf*
1 sprig rosemary*
1 sprig thyme*
Potato Pastry
200 grams self raising flour
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
150 grams unsalted butter – wrap, chill in the freezer until firm, remove when required
200 grams mashed potato – cooled
Egg wash – 1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tbsp milk
*place onto a piece of muslin and tie with a piece of string to the pan handle, step 5**

Filling

  1. Preheat oven to 160ºC (320ºF, gas mark 2).
  2. Toss lamb in seasoned flour, pat off excess.
  3. Warm one tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof casserole over a medium-high heat, brown the lamb in batches, put to one side.
  4. Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining oil with all the butter to casserole – when the butter has melted, add onions and cook for 5 minutes or until soft.
  5. Add garlic, stir and cook for one minute before returning the meat; pour in the wine and stock then add the **herbs and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Bring to boil, cover and place in oven – cook for 90 minutes or until meat is tender, allow to cool then transfer to a pie dish – 1.5 litres.

Pastry

  1. Note – cook the potatoes in boiling salted water, drain, cover with a tea towel and leave for a few minutes to steam – only then put through a ricer – this gives a lighter texture for the pastry. Do not add butter, milk or cream to the mash.
  2. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, remove butter from freezer and grate over the dry ingredients, tossing occasionally to coat the butter in flour.
  3. Briefly rub in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs before gradually adding to the potato and bringing the ingredients together to form a smooth dough.
  4. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 180°C (355ºF, gas mark 4).
  6. Roll out the pastry between two sheets of greaseproof paper, lightly floured, until just a little larger than the top of your ovenproof pie dish.
  7. Cut a one centimetre wide strip from around outside edge of the pastry, dampen the rim and place the strip of pastry around rim of the dish, pressing down lightly.
  8. Brush pastry on the rim with water and top with remaining pastry, trim off excess and make two vents in the top, brush with egg wash and bake, in the preheated oven, for approx. 30 minutes – or until the pastry is a golden colour and the filling piping hot.
  9. Remove the herbs and serve the pie with fresh seasonal vegetables.
Filed Under: Lamb, mutton, hogget, Main crop Tagged With: , , , , ,

Lamb Stew with English Apple Cider

March 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I generally use Cider when roasting or making a pork stew but it can be used with a wonderful result for both chicken and lamb. My preference in this dish is for a still dry cider from the West Country or England. You can use hogget or mutton rather than lamb, if preferred. I have included a recipe for mashed potatoes with caramelised shallots.

Yield – four to six servings

2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large red onion – peeled, halved and sliced
1 sweet Spanish onion – peeled, halved and sliced
3 medium sized carrots – peeled and thickly sliced on the diagonal
1 or 2 medium parsnip – trimmed, peeled and thickly sliced on the diagonal
1 celery heart with leaves – trim the root end, chop including leaves
1 fat garlic clove – peeled and finely chopped
1 kg leg of lamb – trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
3 tbsp plain flour seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper
Sea salt and black pepper
300 ml organic English cider
1 tsp Dijon wholegrain mustard
Lamb or chicken stock – if ready made use low sodium
2 sprigs fresh rosemary*
2 sprigs fresh thyme*
1 bay leaf*

* tie together in a piece of muslin with kitchen twine.

  1. Preheat oven to 130ºC (266ºF, gas mark 1/2).
  2. Warm one tablespoon of oil with the butter in a large ovenproof casserole (with lid) set over a medium heat, when hot add the onion, carrot, parsnip and celery with a pinch of sea salt, stir then cover and reduce heat to low and gently fry for approx. ten minutes without browning, adding the garlic for the last minute.
  3. Put the lamb into a large plastic bag with the season flour and shake to coat, transfer to a plate, tapping of excess.
  4. Put two tablespoons of oil into a heavy based frying pan set over a medium-high heat, when hot brown the meat in batches – add to the casserole; reduce heat to medium.
  5. Pour in the cider, warm while stirring to release the tasty bits on the base of your frying pan, remove from the heat and stir in the mustard then pour into the casserole adding just enough stock to cover.
  6. Add the herbs then cover and cook for two hours, or until the meat is tender – check after one hour, adjust seasoning if necessary.
  7. Serve with buttery mashed potato or root vegetables accompanied by seasonal vegetables.

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelised Shallots

30 grams unsalted butter
125 grams thinly sliced shallots
2 sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp golden caster sugar
2 kg floury potatoes, King Edward or Maris Piper – wash, peel and halve or quarter
180 ml whole milk
85 grams unsalted butter, or amount to taste

  1. Warm a heavy based frying pan, when hot add half of the butter and allow to melt.
  2. Add the shallots and sprigs of thyme then cook, over a low heat, for approx. 20 minutes, stirring often, until the shallots are soft and a light gold colour, discard the thyme.
  3. Add the sugar, while stirring, cook for 5 minutes or until a light brown; transfer to a plate and put to one side.
  4. Meanwhile, put the prepared potatoes into a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil, add one teaspoonful of salt and cook until soft.
  5. While the potatoes are cooking, warm the milk and butter over a gentle heat until just below boiling point, remove from the hob and put to one side.
  6. Drain the potatoes, return to saucepan and mash until smooth (alternately, put through a ricer), then add the milk and butter, season with with pepper and salt, if necessary and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and smooth.
  7. Add about three quarters of the shallots and mix well, garnish with remaining shallots and serve immediately.
Filed Under: Lamb, mutton, hogget, Main crop Tagged With: , , ,

Lemon Cake

February 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

If you don´t tell the family that this cake has a slightly different ingredient, they will never know. I love the texture that the mashed potatoes give to the cake – I always put the potatoes through a ricer rather than mash, also – do not add any butter, cream or milk to the mash.

150 grams unsalted butter, softened
200 grams golden caster sugar
4 large fresh eggs
225 grams ground almonds
2 level tsp baking powder
250 grams cold mashed potato (use main crop, floury, potatoes)
2 unwaxed lemons – finely grated zest plus juice of one
Unrefined icing sugar, to dust
Syrup
2 lemons – finely grated zest of one, juice of two
70 grams golden caster sugar

  1. Cook the potatoes, drain then put through a ricer and leave to cool; weight out 250 grams.
  2. Equipment – brush a 23 cm round springform tin with softened butter, line the base with non stick baking paper, brush with softened butter.
  3. Preheat oven to 180ºC, (355ºF, gas mark 4).
  4. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, gradually add the eggs – one at a time with one tablespoon of ground almonds – beating well between each addition.
  5. Sift the baking powder over the batter with the ground almonds then gently fold into the batter with the mashed potato, lemon zest and juice.
  6. Transfer to the prepared tin, level the top with a palette knife.
  7. Place the tin onto a baking tray, put onto the centre shelf and bake for approx. 40 to 45 minutes.
  8. Remove the tin from the oven and place onto a wire rack, allow to cool while making the syrup. Place the wire rack over a tray (to catch any drips)
  9. Put the zest, juice and sugar into a small saucepan, while stirring, simmer gently over a low heat until the sugar dissolves completely, allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
  10. Prick the surface of the cake with a skewer then drizzle the syrup slowly over the whole surface pausing occasionally to allow the cake to absorb the syrup; leave to cool in the tin for 60 minutes then turn out onto the wire rack and leave until cold.
  11. Dust with icing sugar to serve, accompany with chilled crème fraîche – I prefer this cake to be chilled before serving, this is – of course – personal preference.
Filed Under: Cakes, Main crop Tagged With: ,

Potato Dauphinois

January 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Preparation – 30 minutes
Cooking – 110 minutes
Portions – 6

3 medium sized baking potatoes – peeled and very thinly and evenly sliced using a Mandolin
15 grams unsalted butter
1 medium sized white onion – peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves – peeled, pound to a purée with a pinch of sea salt using a pestle and mortar
150 grams Philadelphia Original
200 ml milk
Freshly ground white pepper
55 grams Gruyère cheese, finely grated (or other good melting cheese)

  1. Preheat oven to 200ºC, 390ºF, gas mark 6.
  2. Lightly brush a 20 cm by 16 cm ovenproof dish with very soft butter.
  3. Put the butter into a medium sized saucepan, when melted add the onion, cook over a low heat until the onions begin to soften, add the garlic and stir to combine.
  4. While stirring throughout – add the cream cheese then gradually add the milk, cook until the cheese melts and all the ingredients are combined and well blended.

To assemble

  1. Arrange half of the potatoes around the base of the dish, overlapping slightly, season with white pepper.
  2. Pour half of the sauce over this layer.
  3. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with remaining potatoes and sauce then sprinkle the Gruyère cheese over the sauce.
  4. Cover with kitchen foil and bake for 60 minutes, take out of the oven and remove the foil, bake for approx. 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly tinged with gold and the potatoes fully cooked.
Filed Under: Main crop Tagged With: , , ,

Corned Beef Hash with Corn and Peppers

December 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This was one of my favourite dishes following Christmas day, often served on Boxing Day (26 December) for lunch. Tasty and simple.

650 grams of floury potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 x small tin of Spanish red peppers in oil, drained and diced
1 x 340 gram tin corned beef, diced (easier to cut if refrigerated beforehand)
175 grams of frozen sweetcorn
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (or mushroom ketchup/catsup)
1/2 small glass each – red wine and beef stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley leaves

  1. Place the potatoes into a large pan, cover with cold water, place over a high heat and bring up to the boil, simmer for about 15 minutes, or until just cooked, drain and put to one side.
  2. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan and sauté the potatoes for 10 minutes or until a light golden colour.
  3. Add the onion and red pepper, fry for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the corned beef, sweetcorn, Worcestershire sauce, red wine and stock, cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
  6. Transfer to bowls and sprinkle with parsley.
Filed Under: Corned Beef, Main crop Tagged With: , ,

Potato Topped Turkey Pie

December 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In this recipe you can use either uncooked turkey mince or left over from the Christmas turkey, chopped or shredded.

Filling
30 grams unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 sweet Spanish onion – finely chopped
1/2 medium sized red onion – peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots – peeled and finely chopped
1 stick celery – washed, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek – white part only, cleaned and finely chopped
800 grams minced British Turkey (either cooked or left over turkey)
400 ml chicken stock with 1 Knorr stock pot – vegetable or chicken
200 grams tinned Italian plum tomatoes – puréed and sieved
115 grams frozen peas
115 grams frozen sweetcorn kernels
1 tsp to 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce – to taste
1 tsp fresh oregano leaves – finely chopped
Topping
1 kg floury potatoes, peeled (or a mixture of root vegetables – celeriac, carrots, parsnips, sweet potato)
30 grams unsalted butter
55 ml cream or milk
Sea salt and white pepper
55 grams mature white English Cheddar, finely grated

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, 390°F, gas mark 6.
  2. Melt butter with the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onions, carrot and celery over a medium to low heat for 5 minutes without browning, add the leek and fry for two minutes.
  3. Remove from the frying pan and set aside.
  4. Add the turkey mince to the pan, increase heat to medium-high and fry until lightly browned (if using cooked turkey, omit this step and add the turkey at step 5.
  5. Add the vegetable mixture, stock, stock pot, tomatoes, peas, sweetcorn, Worcestershire sauce and thyme.
  6. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat setting for 20 minutes then season to taste; ladle out some of the gravy and put to one side – when ready to serve, add a little more stock and reduce over a medium heat, to taste.
  7. Spoon into the prepared ovenproof dish, lightly butter, smooth out the top.

Topping

  1. While the filling is cooking, prepare and cook the potatoes until tender; drain, cover and leave in the colander for two minutes to finish draining.
  2. Meanwhile, warm the milk and butter, until the butter melts.
  3. Mash the potatoes until smooth, mix in the butter and cream or milk.
  4. Add half of the cheese, stir to combine; season to taste.
  5. Season the mince mixture and spoon into a shallow ovenproof dish.
  6. Top with the mashed potato and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
  7. Cook in the preheated oven for approx. 30 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the topping lightly browned.
Filed Under: Christmas, Main crop, Turkey Tagged With: , , ,

Marinated Lamb Chops with Side Dishes

December 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Marinated Lamb Steaks with Mint Sauce, Baby Broad Beans and Peas with Mint Butter and Mashed Potatoes

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, remove leaves and finely chop, discard the stems
1 lime, finely grated zest and 1 tsp juice
1 garlic clove – finely grated
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp each sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 lamb steaks

  1. Place the rosemary leaves, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, oil, sugar and seasoning onto a bowl large enough to hold the lamb, stir to combine then place the steaks into the marinade, toss to coat, cover and refrigerate overnight
  2. Remove lamb from marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper towel, discarding the marinade
  3. Lightly oil the griddle and place over a medium heat
  4. Cook the lamb for about 4 minutes each side, leave to rest for 10 minutes and serve

Fresh Mint Sauce

3 large handfuls of mint leaves (without stems)
1 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
60 ml (4 tbsp) wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lime juice
Optional – splash of extra virgin olive oil

  1. Wash and shake excess water off the mint leaves, sprinkle with the sugar and chop finely.
  2. Place into a bowl.
  3. Heat the vinegar in a small pan, then pour over the mint, stir and drizzle with a little olive oil if using.
  4. Taste and add more sugar if needed, cover and refrigerate until needed.
  5. Serve with roast lamb.
  6. Alternatively, you can blanch the mint leaves before chopping, add cold vinegar then sweeten to taste – cover and store in the fridge for the flavours to blend.

Mashed Potatoes

4 large floury potatoes – peeled and quartered
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
100 ml cream
50 grams unsalted butter

  1. Soak potatoes cold water over the for about 10 minutes to remove any starch then place them into a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.
  2. Add a pinch of sea salt, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until soft.
  3. Warm the cream and butter until the butter melts into the cream.
  4. Drain and press through a ricer into a clean saucepan, mix in the warmed liquid while reheating – do not allow the mixture to boil.
  5. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Baby Broad Beans and Peas with Mint Butter

750 grams frozen baby broad beans
525 grams frozen peas peas
55601 small bunch spring onions – cleaned, trimmed and finely
75 ml rich chicken stock
1 small handful small fresh mint leaves – washed and patted dry

  1. Blanche the beans in boiling water for two minutes, drain and slip off the skin from each bean, put to one side.
  2. Warm 30 grams of butter in a deep frying pan, add the onions and gently fry until translucent.
  3. Add the beans and peas – cook for approx. five minutes or until tender.
  4. Stir in the mint and remaining butter.
Filed Under: Lamb, mutton, hogget, Main crop Tagged With: , ,

Nadger´s Pie

December 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is an easy to make old fashioned cottage style pie. While not authentic, the carrot and celery are new additions, this recipe is lovely in its simplicity. Try adding herbs for additional flavour. I often wander why the pie was given this name, especially as the term “nadger” was assigned to an old horse, or least that is the definition my father gave me which I am sure was not what they were talking about at the time!

A relative of my husband lived in Derbyshire Peak District, she made this pie for lunch when we visited shortly after marriage many years ago, too many years to bother counting. She was a talented and traditional cook, often serving game dishes, one of her favourites was roast partridge.

Use any game meat you like – my favourites are duck, rabbit, hare, wild boar and partridge. A pack of mixed game meat is available from the Wild Meat Company.

Filling
30 grams each:-

  • beef dripping
  • prepared sweet onion or shallot – finely diced
  • prepared carrot – finely diced
  • prepared celery – trimmed, peeled and finely diced

1 tsp plain white flour
230 grams prepared game meat – chopped or minced
1 ripe tomato – skinned and chopped
Chicken, beef or game stock
Salt and pepper
Topping
4 large baking potatoes – peeled and quartered
30 grams butter
30 ml cream or milk
Salt and white pepper

  1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salt water until tender, drain well then mash until smooth.
  2. Warm the butter and cream or milk until the butter melts, add to the potatoes and mix until smooth and creamy.
  3. Warm the dripping, when hot add the onion, carrot and celery, cook until the onions are translucent.
  4. Blend in the flour then add the game meat and tomato, cook until the meat brown then pour in sufficient stock to moisten, season to taste.
  5. Cook over a low heat, while stirring until all the ingredients are combined and the filling is hot.
  6. Spoon into a buttered ovenproof dish, top with the mashed potatoes, dot with a little butter.
  7. Set oven to 180ºC, 355ºF, gas mark 4 – moderate oven.
  8. Cook for approx. 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned, the filling hot and bubbling.
  9. Serve with fresh seasonal vegetables.
Filed Under: Game, Main crop, Traditional Tagged With:

Patatas a la Importancia

December 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

“Patatas a la Importancia,” as the name implies are “potatoes of importance.” These are one of the most rich and delicious potato recipes from Spain – the potatoes are peeled and thickly sliced, coated in flour, dipped in beaten egg before browning in olive oil after which they are simmered in a sauce made with onion, chicken stock, saffron and garlic.

Preparation – 20 minutes
Cooking – 25 minutes

Olive oil
1 large sweet Spanish onion – peeled, halved and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – peeled and very finely chopped
2 tbsp plain white flour – to thicken the sauce
5 large floury potatoes
80 grams plain white flour – to coat the potatoes
2 large fresh eggs – lightly beaten
480 ml chicken stock
4 threads Spanish saffron
Sea salt and pepper – amount to taste

  1. Pour olive oil into a large frying pan, enough to cover the entire base – place over a medium heat – when hot add the onion and sauté until translucent, adding the garlic for the last minutes to prevent burning.
  2. Add two tablespoons of flour, stir until incorporated and cook for two minutes.
  3. Gradually pour in the stock, while stirring, simmer for approx. 5 minutes then remove from the hob and put to one side.
  4. Meanwhile prepare the potatoes – peel and cut into slices approx. 8 mm thick.
  5. Spread the flour onto a large shallow bowl or plate – thoroughly coat the slices in flour, put to one side.
  6. Whisk the eggs in a wide shallow bowl and quickly dip each potato slice in the egg allowing excess to run off.
  7. Pour 2.5 cm of olive oil into a large deep frying pan – place on a medium heat, meanwhile whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl.
  8. When the oil is hot (not smoking) fry the potato slices – while monitoring the heat so the oil does not burn – brown on both sides, remove and place onto a large plate lined with kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.
  9. Put the potatoes into the sauce – in a single layer if possible – return to the hob over a low heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender – toss occasionally to prevent burning or sticking.
  10. If the sauce evaporates (the potatoes are not completely covered) before they are ready, add more chicken stock.
Filed Under: Main crop, Spain Tagged With: , ,
«Older Posts
%d bloggers like this: