BLOOMSBURY COOKS SEASONS EATINGS
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Treats to make and books to give
THE SONG On the first day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, Partridges Stuffed with Oats... On the second day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the third day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the fourth day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the fifth day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, MUCH MORE VEG, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the sixth day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, Parsnip Chestnut Hotpot, MUCH MORE VEG, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the seventh day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, Floatingat Poached Meringues, Parsnip Chestnut Hotpot, MUCH Enter www.bloomsbury.com/meathamper MORE VEG, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats...
THE SONG On the eighth day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, Nuno’s Lisboeta, Floating Poached Meringues, Parsnip Chestnut Hotpot, MUCH MORE VEG, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the ninth day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, A Parlour Wagon Wheel, Nuno’s Lisboeta, Floating Poached Meringues, Parsnip Chestnut Hotpot, MUCH MORE VEG, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the tenth day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, Modern British Food, A Parlour Wagon Wheel, Nuno’s Lisboeta, Floating Poached Meringues, Parsnip Chestnut Hotpot, MUCH MORE VEG, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the eleventh day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, A side of Nutmeg Neeps, Modern British Food, A Parlour Wagon Wheel, Nuno’s Lisboeta, Floating Poached Meringues, Parsnip Chestnut Hotpot, MUCH MORE VEG, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats... On the twelfth day of Christmas Cooks my Bloomsbury gave to me, Ed’s On the Side, A side of Nutmeg Neeps, Modern British Food, A Parlour Wagon Wheel, Nuno’s Lisboeta, Floating Poached Meringues, Parsnip Chestnut Hotpot, MUCH MORE VEG, A Baker’s Life, Paul’s Jam Tarts, Tom’s Meat & Game and some Partridges stuffed with Oats!
Partridges Stuffed with Oats, Orange and Juniper Oats have always been an integral part of Scottish cooking, so when my Head Chef Lachlan came to me with the idea of stuffing a partridge with oats it made perfect sense. It’s really impressive how the oats take on the flavour of the aroma of the partridge to make a really lovely, but original, dish. SERVES 4 200g porridge oats
Preheat the oven to 200˚C Fan/220˚C/Gas Mark 7.
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Put the oats in a bowl, then stir in the prunes, parsley, ground cinnamon, orange juice and zest and a good splash of oil. Crush the juniper berries with a pestle and mortar, then add them to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
100g prunes, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
freshly squeezed juice of 2 oranges finely grated zest of 1 orange olive oil
1 tablespoon juniper berries 4 oven-ready partridges 4 pancettta rashers
8 figs, cut in half lengthways
2 long cinnamon sticks, split lengthways fresh rosemary needles, to garnish
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
To prepare the partridges, use a small knife to cut down either side of a bird’s wishbone and remove it. Now use your fingers to check that all the heart and stomach have been removed from the carcass. Repeat with the remaining birds. Divide the oat mixture among the partridge cavities. Cover the back of each bird with a bacon rasher and tie in place with kitchen string, then truss the legs together for even cooking. Season all over with salt and pepper. Roll any remaining oat mixture into golf ball-sized balls to be cooked alongside the partridges. Heat a heavy-based roasting tray, or 2 smaller trays, over a medium-high heat, then add a good splash of oil. When it is hot, add the partridges and turn them as necessary until they are coloured all over and the bacon is crispy. Transfer the roasting tray to the oven and roast for 12 minutes, adding any extra oat balls for the final 6 minutes. Meanwhile, skewer the fig halves with the cinnamon stick pieces, as if making a kebab. Add the figs to the roasting tray and return it to the oven for a further 2–3 minutes until the partridges are medium-rare and the figs are tender. Transfer the birds to a warm plate and set aside to rest for 5 minutes covered with kitchen foil. While the birds are resting, return the oat balls and figs to the oven. Serve the partridges straight from the roasting tray, sprinkled with rosemary, with the figs and oat balls too.
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TOM KITCHIN’S MEAT & GAME
PARTRIDGE
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Jam tarts M A K E S 1 5 –2 0
My mum used to make these for us when we were little, often using leftover pastry from a pie. She’d dollop brightly coloured Robinson’s strawberry or raspberry jam into the pastry cases. Her tip is to not fill them too much or the jam can gurgle over and make a mess. Jam tarts are simple to make but we love them and they’re worth rediscovering for family teas or children’s parties. They are very basic, very cheap – and a treat.
170g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting 85g cold unsalted butter or margarine, cut into small dice 1–3 tbsp cold water About 15 tsp jam (any flavour)
Heat your oven to 200°C/Gas 6 and have ready two shallow 12-hole bun trays. Put the flour into a bowl, add the butter or margarine and rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in just enough water to bring it together to form a dough. Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 4mm thickness. Using a 6.5–7cm fluted pastry cutter, cut out 15–20 circles. Use the pastry rounds to line the bun trays (you’ll probably have some spare hollows). Add a scant teaspoonful of jam to each pastry case – not too much or it will ooze everywhere. Re-roll the leftover pastry to make more tarts or use a star cutter to cut lids and position on top of the jam filling. Bake in the oven for about 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is pale brown, checking after 20 minutes. Leave the tarts to cool in the trays for 5 minutes, then carefully remove and place on a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.
NOSTALGIC BAKES 23
r he
r u ho
Serves 4 100g pearl barley or pearled spelt 250g shallots or baby onions 300g Brussels sprouts 400g parsnips 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil 150g cooked, peeled chestnuts 150ml medium-dry cider 2 bay leaves, torn A couple of sprigs of thyme 750ml hot veg stock (see page 190 for home-made) Sea salt and black pepper Extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil, to finish
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A steaming bowl of this hotpot is exactly what I want on a bleak, grey day. I wouldn’t normally cook Brussels sprouts for this long but combined with all the other tender earthy veg, some nutty pearl barley and delicious cooking liquor, it works a treat. Put the pearl barley or spelt into a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak while you prepare the veg. Peel the shallots or onions and, if they are larger than a walnut, cut them in half. Trim the stalk ends of the Brussels sprouts and remove any dirty or damaged outer leaves. Peel and trim the parsnips and cut them into 2–3cm chunks. Place a flameproof casserole or small stockpot over a medium heat and add the oil. When it’s hot, add the shallots, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, chestnuts and some salt and pepper. Fry for 15 minutes or more, stirring only occasionally, so that you get some nice golden brown colour on the veg. This really adds to the flavour of the dish. Meanwhile, drain the pearl barley or spelt in a sieve and rinse it well under the cold tap. When the veg are nicely coloured, add the cider to the dish and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it, for a couple of minutes, until the liquor has reduced to almost nothing. Add the rinsed pearl barley or spelt, throw in the bay leaves and thyme then pour in the hot stock. Stir well, bring to a simmer then turn the heat down low and cover the pan. Let the stew simmer for 35–40 minutes, until the barley or spelt is tender (spelt will cook a little more quickly). Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Spoon into warmed bowls and add a trickle of extra virgin oil. Serve with greens, such as blitzed kale with lemon and garlic (page 362).
Swaps
Roots Add celeriac, potato or carrots (or any combination of these) in place of the parsnips. Alliums Use red or brown onions, roughly chopped, as an alternative to the shallots. Booze If you don’t have cider to hand, white wine works just as well.
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VEG FEASTS
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Floating poached meringues FarĂłfias Serves 4
FarĂłfias are our version of the French dessert ĂŽles flottantes (floating islands). The light meringues are gently poached
4 eggs, separated 150g caster sugar 700ml whole milk 1 cinnamon stick 2 strips orange zest Ground cinnamon, to taste
in milk, which is then used as a base for a fragrant custard. The dessert should be eaten nice and cold with lots of ground cinnamon on top.
Using a hand-held electric mixer or whisk, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks in a clean, dry bowl. Add 50g of the sugar and whisk for another 2 minutes until the mixture returns to stiff peaks and is thick and glossy, taking care not to over-whisk it. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a pan over a medium heat with the remaining sugar, the cinnamon stick and orange zest. Poach the meringues in batches by dropping tablespoonfuls of the whisked egg whites into the milk. Cook for about 2 minutes, turning them gently with a spoon, until they puff up and look like little clouds. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside at room temperature. Put the egg yolks in a bowl. Gradually pour the warm poaching milk onto the yolks, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture into the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring, until it thickens to a light custard consistency. Be careful not to overheat it or the eggs may scramble. Pour the custard into a shallow bowl to cool, covered with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming. Once cool, spoon the custard over the meringues and chill them before eating. Dust with cinnamon and serve cold.
Desserts
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The Parlour Wagon Wheel
When I was young, school dinners were all about packed lunches, with sandwiches cut rather too thickly, soggy from the filling, some rather hippy-ish dried dates, perhaps some grapes and, if Mum was feeling flush and we deserved a treat, a Club biscuit or a Penguin Bar, or, if all the planets aligned, a Wagon Wheel. There has been much controversy about the wagon wheels that we serve. Regardless of whether people love them or not, and aside from them not being totally true to the original recipe – that much I can take – diners often try and catch us out about the jam. ‘Where is the JAM!?’ they shout. Well, actually, the jam is only in the blue-packet Wagon Wheels; those in the red packets are without jam, so we are going to stick with serving red ones. Then there is the famous American campfire treat of the s’more: a particular brand of biscuit (the Graham cracker) with bonfire-toasted marshmallow and a wedge of fatty American chocolate that doesn’t taste of much. Not only does it look handsome and mostly taste good too, but the performance and the delivery of it is sometimes the only reason people actually order it. For it is flamed ‘tableside’ as the Yanks would say. Not flambéed (as the French might do), but flamed, by the waiter and an industrial blowtorch. It is quite something. I remember the first time we ever blowtorched something in front of a customer, and I watched on the CCTV as the nervous waiter approached the table to a nervous punter, neither quite knowing what was going to happen or how each other was going to react, or in fact the outcome. It ended well on both sides and we have gained such confidence since that even the floppy ginger-haired apprentice waiter Matthew is now entrusted to scare the three-year-olds with the brandishing of his welder’s torch on an innocent marshmallow, much to the excitement of the children and often the shocked surprise of the parents. We have taken inspiration from both the wagon wheel and the s’more, and with an added theatrical presentation of blowtorching the marshmallows in front of startled children we have come up with a winner! Lovely cookies, chocolate spread, homemade marshmallows and a dash of pizzazz. Sometimes cooking is just about holding your breath and trying something new. Making marshmallows was exactly that for me, as I was always slightly overawed by them – little did I know that they really are hardly more difficult to make than an Italian meringue. And I am so glad I discovered how to make them with a little zest through them, or flavoured with vanilla or cocoa powder – even chopped nuts work really well. They can be dipped in chocolate, or made in a tray and cut up as brilliant edible presents. Push yourself today, go on! Each element is worth making on its own, but put them together and the planets really do align, making all the effort worthwhile.
Tarts, Pies and Toasted Teacakes
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sweet
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MARSHMALLOWS / Heat the water with the glucose and caster sugar in a small pan until it reaches 127°C: watch it closely as it gets near the magic 127 number. At the same time, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment in place (at the very least use an electric hand whisk), and whisk on high to form stiff peaks. Serves 6
Marshmallows 100ml water 1 tablespoon liquid glucose 225g caster sugar 60g egg whites (about 3 eggs) pinch of cream of tartar 5 gelatine leaves, soaked in 70ml water for a couple of minutes 50/50 cornflour/icing sugar mix, for dusting
Once the sugar mixture hits 127°C add the soaked gelatine and any remaining soaking water, stirring and whisking in well, then slowly pour this sugary gelatiney mix into the fluffy egg whites while still whisking on high, and leave it whisking until it starts to thicken and cool for about 15 minutes or so. This will allow the mixture to be thick and glossy and hold stiff peaks. When it is cooler and very thick, transfer it to a piping bag and pipe little marshmallow kisses, as big or as high-peaked as you dare, onto trays lined with baking parchment. Put them in the fridge for an hour or so to chill properly. Once cold and firm, remove them from the tray and dust all over, including the base, with the cornflour/icing sugar mix. Put in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. WAGON WHEEL COOKIES / Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan/Gas Mark 3.
Wagon Wheel Cookies 80g caster sugar 90g soft dark brown sugar 90g butter, softened 1 egg 140g chocolate chips, chopped by hand or finer in a food processor 150g plain flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Wagon Wheel Chocolate Spread 140ml double cream 40g soft dark brown sugar (the darker the better) 50g dark chocolate, chopped Assembly, you will need a blowtorch
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Place the sugars and butter in a bowl and cream together by hand or using an electric mixer. Add the egg, along with the chopped chocolate, flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla extract, and stir until well combined. Roll out the cookie dough between two sheets of baking parchment so it’s the thickness of a pound coin, and bake for 12–15 minutes so they’re still soft. It is actually better to cook the mixture as a whole sheet and, once cooked, cut the cookies out while still warm and then leave them on the sheet to cool – this gives a much better edge. You need to cut out 12 cookies, either just rounds, or we go one step further and cut a hole in the middle of each one to make it that much more ‘wheel like’. WAGON WHEEL CHOCOLATE SPREAD / In a pan over a low heat, bring the cream just to the boil with the sugar, then remove from the heat and fold in the chopped chocolate. This needs to be chilled to reach the desired spreadable thickness. ASSEMBLY / Allow two cookies per person (to make a sandwich), and cover each with the chocolate spread, then cover one of the cookies in marshmallows. Blowtorch the marshmallows and then squash the two sides together. There you have it: a toasted marshmallow wagon wheel. But of course.
Modern British Food
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Nutmeg neeps Pr e paratio n : T im e n e e d e d :
on a hob 15 to 30 minutes
Not enough people cook mashed swede (aka neeps), which is a shame. Swedes have a unique flavour and, when matched with butter, nutmeg and lots and lots of black pepper, make a cracking partner for numerous meat and veg dishes. Haggis is, of course, the obvious thing to eat with neeps. But sausages with onion gravy, lamb stew and dumplings and even a smoked haddock gratin are well suited too. If you anticipate being particularly busy just before dinner time, you could make this in advance and reheat it in a saucepan with a little water, or bake it in a low oven for 15 minutes with extra butter dotted on top. Serves 4–6 1.5kg swede, peeled and cut into 3–4cm chunks 100g butter, cubed ¼ nutmeg, freshly grated Juice of ¼ lemon Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Put the swede in a large pan of cold water with a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for around 25 minutes, until the orange colour has intensified and a fork can push through the pieces with relative ease. Drain, add the butter, then smash and mash the vegetable with a hand masher. A little texture is good, so don’t be too thorough – it’s not supposed to be a smooth purée. Grate in the nutmeg and season liberally with black pepper (at least 20 firm grinds of your pepper mill). Stir, taste, add a little salt if needed and more nutmeg or black pepper if you fancy. Add the lemon juice, which is there to lift the flavour a little, rather than make the neeps taste of lemon.
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Roots, squash & potatoes
A longside : Cabbage with juniper butter (page 20); Rosemary and chestnut sprouts (page 34); Runner beans with bacon and walnuts (page 66); Hasselback potatoes with bay and caraway (page 172); Colcannon (page 178); Carrots with brown butter and hazelnuts (page 220)
Steak and Kidney Pie with Roasted COOKBOOKS Bone Marrow
Recipes taken from our delicious range of cookbooks
I once tried to take this dish off the menu at The Scran & Scallie and we had so many locals asking for it we had to put it back on by popular demand! It really is the perfect comfort food, and adding the bone marrow makes it that little bit more special. The kidneys are optional but for me they should always be added.
Browse online at bloomsbury.com/uk to find the perfect Christmas gifts for your foodie family and friends. SERVES 4–6
800g stewing steak, well-trimmed and diced
200g ox kidney, well-trimmed and diced 75g plain flour, plus extra for rolling out olive oil
100g smoked lardons
200g button mushrooms, trimmed, wiped and quartered
2 carrots, peeled and chopped 1 bouquet garni
The steak and kidney filling can be made a day in advance and chilled overnight – just remember to return it to room temperature before putting it in the pie dish. Place the flour in a shallow tray and season with salt and pepper. Use a kitchen cloth to make sure the stewing beef and kidney are both perfectly dry, then toss them in the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat a large flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat, then add a good splash of oil. When it is hot, add the stewing beef and kidney and fry until they are browned all over, then set aside to drain. You might have to do this in batches. Wipe out the pan, then return it to the heat with a splash of oil. When the oil is hot, add the lardons and sauté until they render their fat and are coloured all over. Add the mushrooms, carrots, bouquet garni, garlic and onion with a pinch of salt, and continue sautéing for a further 2–3 minutes until the vegetables start to colour and soften.
1 garlic clove, crushed 1 onion, chopped
Worcestershire sauce
1 litre Beef Stock (page 278)
Tom Kitchin’s Meat A Baker’s Life River Cottage Much Hollywood and Game Return the beef and kidney toPaul More Veg the pan, along with a good splash of the 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
500g puff pastry, thawed if frozen
£26
1 bone marrow piece, 7.5cm tall
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
£26
Worcestershire sauce. Pour in the beef stock, adding water, if necessary, so the meat is submerged. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper, but remember the Worcestershire sauce will be salty, then cover the casserole and leave to simmer for 2½–3 hours until the meat is so tender it falls apart if you press it. Check occasionally and top up with water, if necessary. Set aside and leave to cool.
£26
When you’re ready to assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 200˚C Fan/220˚C/ Gas Mark 7. Transfer the cooked meat, vegetables and all the sauce to a 2 litre-pie dish. Stir in the parsley.
Continued on page 19
Lisboeta
Modern British Food
Nuno Mendes £26
Jesse Dunford Wood £20
BEEF
On the Side 17 Ed Smith £20