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Yorkshire Curd Tarts from Margaret Marshall

Thursday 22nd March 2012 10:41 AM

Featured in the Halifax Evening Courier earlier this week, "Domestic Doyenne" Margaret Marshall invited reporter Virginia Mason into her home for cake and tea!

YORKSHIRE CURD TART

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 lb (225g) shortcrust pastry
  • 1 pint (600ml) milk (preferably a day old)
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 2oz (50g) margarine
  • 2oz (50g) sugar
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 2oz (50g) currants


HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. Line a flan ring (or small tart trays) with pastry
  2. Bring the milk to blood heat and add vinegar to separate milk.
  3. Pour curds into strainer
  4. Mix margarine, sugar, egg and golden syrup together. Add curds and finally currants.
  5. Pour into flan or tarts and bake at 200C, gas mark 5 for 30 minutes until golden brown.

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Posted 10:41 AM | 0 Comments | Permalink

Creamy Fish Pie from Gillian Holt

Tuesday 13th March 2012 2:33 PM

Gillian gets her fish from Crabtree's fishmonger on Albion Street in Halifax. This is made with the potato all around the edge and the filling in the middle, rather than the fish under a potato topping.

INGREDIENTS

  • About 12oz fish (I usually use haddock but cod would be equally good and you can also substitute small amount of smoked haddock for some of the white fish and/or a mixture of white fish, salmon and smoked fish)
  • 6 large cooked or raw shelled prawns
  • 1lb of potatoes
  • a shallot
  • 3oz frozen peas
  • fresh parsley
  • dried oregano
  • juice of half a lemon
  • a small glass of white vermouth
  • 2oz butter
  • 1 1/2 oz plain flour
  • half a pint of milk
  • a tablespoon of creme fraiche
  • extra milk and creme fraiche for the creamed potatoes
  • gruyere cheese.



HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. Peel the potatoes and cut into even sized chunks. Just cover with water and add salt in a large pan over which steam the fish cut into pieces on a plate that fits on top of the pan (I use a large, enamelled tin plate).
  2. Cover the fish with the pan lid and bring the pan to the boil. After simmering for ten minutes check the fish. Do not over cook it, it should be just turning white and flaky. As soon as it's done put to one side and put the lid back on the pan.
  3. The potatoes will take a few minutes longer. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the finely chopped shallot to soften slightly before stirring in the flour to make a roux. Don't let the shallot or the flour brown.
  4. Add the vermouth and a pinch of dried oregano.
  5. Add the cold milk and beat it in, a little at a time, to make a creamy smooth sauce.
  6. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste, and continue to cook gently, adding any juices that had run from the cooked fish and stirring regularly.
  7. De-vein the prawns and cut each one across into two or three pieces. Add to the sauce with the frozen peas and a handful of chopped parsley. Cook about a minute more.
  8. Put the cooked potatoes though a mouli-légumes, a sieve or a ricer (or just mash thoroughly) and beat in some milk and creme fraiche to make a light and creamy purée. Check and adjust the seasoning and add a little chopped parsley.
  9. Take an oven-proof dish and butter it well, then take heaped tablespoons full of creamed potato and place all round the sides of the dish. Use the spoon or a fork to make a "wall" of potato round the inside of the dish. Put the pieces of cooked fish all over the base of the dish and pour the sauce over the fish pieces, keeping it inside the potato edging. Grate a little gruyere cheese over the top. The fish pie can be made ahead up to this point. Finish by browning in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
  10. This is plenty for two, with second helpings.

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Posted 2:33 PM | 0 Comments | Permalink

Stewed Steak and Kidney with Suet Crust - Gillian Holt

Friday 9th March 2012 10:52 AM

Gillian Holt's Stewed Steak and Kidney (with a suet crust), using meat from Keelham's Farm Shop at Queensbury.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1lb of skirt and ox kidney (at least a quarter of it kidney)
  • 1 large onion
  • Stick of celery
  • 2 large carrots
  • Bunch of parsley
  • 2 bay leaves

HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. Cut the skirt and kidney into cubes and slice the carrots and celery and chop the onion.
  2. Put all into a casserole and just cover with beef stock, season well with salt and pepper bring to simmering point and put in a low oven for at least 2 hours
  3. Make suet pastry with 5oz of self-raising flour, two and a half ounces of suet, salt and enough cold water to mix to a dough.
  4. Wrap in cling-film and leave to rest in the fridge.
  5. When the stew is done, leave to go cold and remove any fat (there won't be much).
  6. Put in a pie dish, reserving most of the gravy and roll out the suet pastry to cover.
  7. Put in a hot oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown and sizzling.

TOP TIPS

  • I use Knorr stock pot but it is quite salty, so if you use these taste before adding extra salt.
  • You could use beer instead of water for a richer flavour and you can keep the gravy thin or thicken a little, if you prefer, with a heaped teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a little cold water before adding to the gravy.
  • Instead of making a pie, you could equally use the suet dough to make little dumplings and add to the hot stew for the last half hour of cooking.
  • This quantity is enough for 4 portions for us with small appetites but for others it would serve two or three.

Find more authentic recipes on our website for our campaign Get Cooking Calderdale

Posted 10:52 AM | 0 Comments | Permalink

Sausage and Bean Hotpot from Pat Wragg

Monday 5th March 2012 11:59 AM

Pat Wragg often makes this fabulous comfort food classic (based entirely on a Nigel Slater recipe). She works at the brilliant Community Shop in Midgley, and uses sausages from Far Isle Farm in Ovenden who supply the shop with great meat.

Sausage and Bean Hotpot

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 fat sausages
  • 1 x tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 x tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 x jar tomato passata
  • 2 x teaspoons chilli paste, or 1 teaspoon chilli powder, or 1 x teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
  • 1 teaspoon English mustard
  • 3 tomatoes, halved
  • Flat leaf parsley

HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. Fry the sausages in a little oil till golden but not brown, on each side.
  2. Mix the remaining ingredients, apart from the parsley into a casserole pot.
  3. Add the half-cooked sausages and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 mins till everything is bubbling.
  4. Scatter over the parsley.
  5. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

Find more authentic recipes on our website for our campaign Get Cooking Calderdale

Posted 11:59 AM | 0 Comments | Permalink

Salami Rigatoni from Dean Jones

Thursday 1st March 2012 12:27 PM

Dean Jones cooks Salami Rigatoni (with a credit to Jamie Oliver!) Alex Pogson has an incredible stall in Todmorden Market where he sells all things Mediterranean: olive oil, paprika, chocolate, pasta, sundried dried tomatoes and fabulous Spanish salami. He stocks every herb and spice you need plus much more. It's worth going just for the colour!


INGREDIENTS

  • Cooking oil
  • Sliced salami from Alex Pogson's
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Tin chopped tomatoes
  • Medium tub crème fraiche
  • 2 balls mozzarella cheese
  • 300g rigatoni pasta from Alex's
  • Bunch basil leaves


HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry half the salami til crisp. Add onion & garlic and cook slowly til soft. Add the vinegar, tomatoes, crème fraiche and shredded basil. Mix together, season to taste, simmer for 5 mins.
  2. Cook the rigatoni according to the packet instructions til nearly soft. Drain and drizzle with a bit of olive oil & seasoning (optional). Tip in a baking dish and pour the salami sauce over.
  3. Cut one ball of mozzarella into small pieces and stir it into the mix. Slice the other one as thinly as you can and put it on top of the whole lot with the rest of the salami. Bake for 20 mins in a medium oven.

Find more authentic recipes on our website for our campaign Get Cooking Calderdale


Posted 12:27 PM | 0 Comments | Permalink

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