Our Best Mince Pies

We must have made thousands of these little beauties from the Whitewell Hotel, The Willow Tree Restaurant, The Great Tree Hotel and on and on, now we just make a couple of dozen, but we think that they are still the best especially if you make your own mincemeat.

I like my mince pies with a little custard sometimes as an extra special treat.

Serves / Makes: 12 mince pies

Prep-Time: 12 minutes

Cook-Time: 20 minutes

You Will Need;

1. 350 grams, mincemeat, preferably homemade


2. 200 grams, plain flour, sifted


3. 40 grams, golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling


4. 75 grams, ground almonds


5. 125 grams, unsalted butter, diced


6. 1 large egg, beaten


7. 2 tablespoons, milk, to glaze

Lightly butter a 12-hole pie or bun tin, place the mincemeat into a bowl and stir so that any liquid is uniformly dispersed.

Place the flour, sugar, almonds and butter into a food processor and process for a moment until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then slowly add the egg through the feeder tube. (Otherwise, do it the old-fashioned way and rub the butter into the dry ingredients by hand and stir in the egg.)

Bring the mixture together with your hands, wrap in clingfilm, and chill for an hour or so.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface, roll it quite thin, and cut out 12 circles with a fluted pastry cutter, large enough to fill the base of the prepared tin press them gently into each hole, then fill with the mincemeat.

Cut out another 12 slightly smaller discs and use to cover the mincemeat press the edges together to seal.

Make a small slit in the top of each, and then using a pastry brush, gently brush a layer of milk or egg white over the tops of the pies and sprinkle around a quarter of a teaspoon of caster sugar over the top of each pie to glaze them, chill for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200° c, 400° f, Gas mark 6 and bake the pies for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and

Serve and Enjoy!

Notes;

A mince pie (occasionally also minced, minced meat or mincemeat pie) is a British festive sweet pastry, traditionally eaten during the Christmas and New Year period. Mince pies as a rule have a pastry top, but adaptations may also be found without the top in which case they are known as mince tarts. Mince pies are filled with mincemeat; a preserve characteristically containing apple, dried fruits such as raisins and sultanas, spices, and either suet or vegetable shortening. Modern mince pies typically do not contain any meat, but because suet is raw beef or mutton fat, mince pies made with suet are not suitable for vegetarians, although you can now buy a vegetarian suet.

Individual mince pies are usually 6–7.5 cm (2.5-3 inches) in diameter,

although larger mince pies, suitable for slicing, may also be baked.

Did You Know?

• Centuries ago, mince pies were large dishes filled with various meats, mixed with fruits, peels, and sugar


• In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell made the eating of mince pies on Christmas day illegal. This was voted the 4th most ridiculous British law in 2007


• It's considered good luck to eat 12 mince pies in 12 different houses over the 12 days of Christmas, even luckier to eat each one in a different home


• English tradition demands that the mincemeat mixture should only be stirred in a clockwise direction. To stir it anticlockwise is to bring bad luck for the coming year


• Mince pies should always be eaten in silence


• The most expensive mince pie is the 'ultimate' £100 (€149) being offered by London bar, Dion, which includes organic cranberries, stem ginger, orange blossom water and Hennessy cognac.


• The humble mince pie has been subjected to many makeovers in the name of improvement.
  
  The Glens Tags: The Glens Tags: Recipes, Cooking for Christmas, Mince Pies, Holidays, Festive Food, Whitewell, Great Tree

Jonathan Norris, Fishmonger of Pimlico

Saturday, 21 November 2009

Address: Tachbrook Street Market, SW1V 2JS

Telephone: 0779-907-3060

Strolling through our local market on Tachbrook Street, SW1 we noticed that our favourite fishmonger Jonathan Norris had on display (and what a display) megrim, witch and dover sole as well as the usual cod, haddock, plaice and hake for sale at a extremely affordable prices he also had skate wings (blooming big ones), whiting, Pollock and even sturgeon as well as other fish and shellfish that you don’t normally see on a market stall and furthermore more or less all that I noticed was caught from around the UK’s own shores with Scotland and Cornwall dominant.

I am impressed at the way Jon has developed this small concern through supplying fish and seafood that you don’t as a rule see except in the significantly more expensive fish departments in stores like Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.

Jon is so friendly and a real character and when you speak to him you notice at once that he’s enthusiastic about all things fish, and when you ask him about the fish he has available you become aware that from his response that there's nothing he and his people don't know about the produce they sell.

The fish is always in the best of condition, and as far as I can see always from sustainable sources. He explained to me after I asked him about it that “we take environmental issues very seriously and are continually striving to reduce the negative impact on our beautiful world wherever possible”. I got the feeling that he could even tell you what boat the catch came from.

If it's not in season or not at its best, he won't sell it to you and you can clearly understand that he does not buy in more than he can sell, so be sure to get there early as he sells out incredibly fast.

There are many more pricey fishmongers that sell inferior quality produce so if it's the finest quality and at a reasonable cost you're after, you should pay Jon a visit he won’t disappoint you, plus in a couple of weeks time he is opening his first shop in Victoria Park, London, I will let you know exactly where and when soon, don’t worry residents of Westminster and Pimlico the market stall will still be open with Jon in charge.

Full marks all round from me!

The Glens Tags: London, Pimlico, Tachbrook Street Market, Fishmonger, Local Shops

Megrim Sole with Brown Butter, Capers, Lemon, and Parsley

The other day we were walking through our local market on Lower Tachbrook Street and noticed that our favourite fishmonger had some Megrim sole for sale at a very reasonable price so we bought one which was big enough for the two of us.

Now consumers frequently fail to see megrim because of its unfamiliar name. It is usually caught off the Cornish coast, the Irish Sea and is frequently found in Scottish waters.

We love it grilled or roasted whole with plenty of butter, olive oil, parsley and lemon and served with steamed or boiled new potatoes and fresh garden peas mixed with baby broad beans.

The recipe below is the one we have always used for dinner parties and can be used with all varieties of sole and flatfish.

Megrim Sole with Brown Butter, Capers, Lemon, and Parsley

Serves / Makes: 2
Prep-Time: 5 minutes
Cook-Time: 8 to 10 minutes
YouWill Need;

• 2 tablespoons, plain flour for dusting
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 pinch, freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon, vegetable oil
• 800 grams, Megrim sole, either
  whole on the bone or 4 x 200g megrim sole fillets, trimmed and skinned, if you
  have a good relationship with your fishmonger why not ask him to do this for
  you?
• 40 grams, salted butter
• ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon, chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons baby capers
  

Method;


Season the flour, coat the sole both sides with the flour and knock off any excess, we find it best to put the flour into a bag and then add the fish and gently shake until the fish is coated.
Heat the oil in a large well seasoned or a non–stick frying pan, add the sole, lower the heat slightly, and add 20 grams of butter, fry on a moderate heat for 4 to 5 minutes, turn over, and allow to cook through.
Lift the fish on to serving plate and keep warm. Now wipe the frying pan clean, and add the remaining butter and allow to melt over a moderate heat, once the butter starts to froth and smell nutty and it turns a light brown, add the lemon juice, capers, and parsley. Check the seasoning and pour the brown butter over the sole. Serve with a lemon wedge and Enjoy!


Pan frying fish, The French call it "sauté,” it's a great way of cooking most types of fish fillets as well as some whole fish. Pat the fish dry with clean kitchen paper and make 3 or 4 shallow slashes across the skin side of the fish and portion the fillets if necessary.
Heat a non-stick frying pan or skillet until hot, add a little olive or sunflower oil. Lay the fish into the pan away from you skin side down so that any oil that might splash from the pan doesn't burn you.
Allow the fish to start to crisp up, turn the heat down and allow it to cook until almost finished cooking; then leave the fish in the pan for a couple of minutes to finish cooking. If you are cooking fillets, turn them over on to the flesh side and immediately turn the heat off. There will be sufficient residual heat in the pan to finish the cooking process.
If you are cooking a whole fish, place the pan into a hot oven (200C / 380-400F) and leave until cooked; this will depend on the thickness of the fish.
Squeeze Lemon juice over the fish and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, add extra virgin olive oil to taste.
As the fillets of fish start to cook, the cut sides will change colour from raw opaque to creamy white cooked. The more that the colour changes the closer to being cooked they are, when light pressure on a fillet starts to separate its flakes, it is cooked.

Oxtail Soup

One of the much-loved soups of the Great British public, and memories of when the local butcher's shop sold oxtails inexpensively.

This soup is one of our favourite soups and the one I always used in the hotels, for Mr. and Mrs. Finken at Lodge Hill as well as for lord and Lady Hanson.

To make this soup a real winner for a dinner party replace 1 pint of the stock with red wine and near the finish add 3 tablespoon of a good port.

Serves/Makes: 4

Prep-Time: 20 minutes

Cook-Time: 4 hours

You Will Need;

1 oxtail

2 carrots diced

1 turnip diced

1 onion diced

4 tablespoons dripping or oil

1 tablespoon seasoned flour

6, peppercorns

2 sprigs, fresh thyme

3 tablespoons parsley chopped finely

1 bay leaf

4 pints water or beef stock

Method:

Joint the oxtail and blanch it (put it into a saucepan with a pinch of salt, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil.

Strain off the water, put the joints into cold water for a minute, and then wipe them with a cloth.

Season the tablespoon of flour with salt and pepper, and coat the joints of oxtail with it, I find it best to place the seasoned flour into a plastic food bag and then add the oxtail and give it all a good shake.

Melt the dripping or oil in a saucepan, and brown the joints well, turning them over so that all sides are browned. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil, boil gently for about 30 minutes, skimming off the scum as it rises.

Tie up the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley in a piece of muslin.

Pour off any excess fat, add the herb and spice parcel and diced vegetables, season with salt & pepper and simmer for three and a half hours, then strain off the stock.

Set aside the pieces of oxtail, rub the vegetables through a sieve or you can use a blender, skim off any fat from the stock, and add the vegetable puree to it. Put in a saucepan; if the soup seems a little thin remove some of the soup let cool slightly and whisk in a tablespoon of flour whisk this into the simmering soup and let simmer until the flour has cooked in and thickened the soup, serve hot.

   

 

The Glens Tags: Soups, Broths, Chowders, Consommés, Meat Soups, Oxtail, Lodge Hill, Lord Hanson, Lady Hanson

Scotch Broth

Traditionally Scotch broth is a bit of everything thrown into the pot and is quite a substantial soup. In bygone days, Scots would eat this as a main meal in modern times; many Scottish households still serve Scotch broth as a main meal of the day rather than a first course. Ingredients can be exchanged depending on your personal liking, it's best made the day before to let the complete flavour to marinate through.

My granny Glen sometimes used to call it barley broth and always had a pan of broth on the go, I can even see in my mind the big black cast iron soup pan.

Even though a classic Scottish soup I think every household had their own recipe, this recipe is a blend of granny Glen’s and my mother’s.

I can remember being sent to the greengrocer for a fresh broth or soup mix this consisted of all the vegetable ingredients and a bunch of fresh thyme it changed almost weekly depending on what veg was available. This was in the days when the greengrocer and maybe his wife did some vegetable preparation and even boiled beetroots. Moreover, this was before convenience foods and supermarkets became popular.

Nowadays in the winter months, we make enough to last for a whole weeks worth of lunches and along with homemade wholemeal or crusty granary bread, it really sticks to your ribs, which is just what you want on a winter’s day. Oh, the barley we use isn’t pearl barley we think pot barley (see note) it is so much better with more flavour a creamier texture and very traditional in Scotland.

Serves/Makes:          10 to 12 servings

Prep-Time:                 10 to 12 minutes

Cook-Time:                90 minutes or there about

You Will Need;

2 pounds of neck of mutton or lamb

4 ounces pot barley or if you must pearl barley, soaked overnight

3 ounces split green peas, (soaked overnight) or you can use fresh or frozen peas added near the end of cooking

2 tablespoons of cooking oil or to be more authentic beef dripping or lard

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large leek, chopped

4 turnips, peeled and chopped

1 small Swede, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 small bunch of fresh thyme, strip the leaves from the stalks we only want the leaves

2 tablespoon, chopped parsley

1 small cabbage, this is optional, but we like to use a small January king

6 pints of water, you might need more to let the finished broth down if you think it is too thick

Method:

Heat over a medium flame heat the lard or cooking oil and add the chopped onion and leek, once softened not browned add the water and the lamb bring to a boil, and skim off any fat from the top. After boiling for about 30 minutes add the soaked barley and peas bring back to a boil reduce the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes add the remaining vegetables and thyme leaves and season to taste and cook a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. If used, remove the bone, strip off the meat, and return to the pan discard the bone, add the parsley as a garnish before serving.

Pot barley is different from pearl barley this is the whole grain is a good source of protein, fibre and niacin (vitamin B3), as well as the trace minerals calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It wants soaking overnight or for at least eight hours, just cover with boiling water, and leave to soak drain the following day. The soaking makes the barley more eatable and cuts down the cooking time.

The Glens Tags: Soups, Broths, Chowders, Consommés, Meat & Vegetable, Barley, Pot Barley, Traditional, Granny Glen, Homemade, Winter Warmer, Classic, Scottish Recipes

Quote of the Day:
Commerce is the great civilizer. We exchange ideas when we exchange fabrics.
--Robert Green Ingersoll

Lamb Cutlets Reform

One of the very first dishes I learnt to make as a 15-year-old boy in the Army Catering Corps, this was at Clayton Barracks, Aldershot, and the occasion was for a dinner for the officer’s mess. Since then I have cooked it for countless people and it became a very popular lunchtime meal for Lord Hanson and some of his business friends including Eddie George, the governor of the bank of England.
Alexis Soyer invented this dish at the Reform Club, London in the 1830’s when the late entrance of a difficult and hungry club member and a resourceful chef who had to make the most of what he had in his kitchen may clarify the invention of this rather extraordinary recipe. Reform sauce is piquant and deliciously seasoned with herbs and spices and is one of Soyer's most famous recipes. The recipe has been changed over time but this is as close to the original as I can make it.
The club is still open with Lamb Cutlets Reform a popular item on the menu

Serves/Makes: 4
Prep-Time: 12 to 15 minutes
Cook-Time: 10 to 12 minutes

You Will Need;
8, lamb cutlets, each weighing about 4 ounces each
2 ounces, cooked ham, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon, chopped parsley
3 ounces, fresh white breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
A good knob of butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For The Sauce
2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
A generous pinch of cayenne pepper
2 ounces of butter
2 teaspoons, plain flour
½-teaspoon tomato purée
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
1-tablespoon redcurrant jelly
½ a pint, of a good strong beef stock, I now use a Knorr beef stockpot (you know the jellied stock)
1 ounce of sliced Ox tongue
1 small cooked beetroot weighing about 3 ounces, peeled and cut into strips like the tongue
2 large gherkins cut into strips like the tongue
White of 1 large hard boiled egg, shredded into strips the same size as the tongue

Method:
To make the sauce gently cook the shallots, garlic, and cayenne pepper in half of the butter for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the flour and tomato purée and stir well, add the vinegar and redcurrant jelly and simmer for about one minute, then add the stock, bring to a boil, and simmer gently for 15 minutes season to taste, and whisk in the remaining butter.
Trim the cutlets to remove most of the surrounding fat this is known as French trimmed. Scrape the bone absolutely clean to within 1 inch of the 'eye' of the meat.
Mix the chopped ham, chopped parsley and breadcrumbs together. Season the lamb cutlets and coat with the beaten egg and then cover with the ham and breadcrumb mixture. Cover and chill until required.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and cook the cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden, adding the butter towards the end.
Arrange the cutlets on a warmed serving dish and garnish each one with a cutlet frill.
To serve, combine the julienne of tongue, beetroot, gherkin, and egg white in a serving dish, pour the sauce into a sauceboat and serve separately.

We love these served with Pommes Anna and sliced runner beans

The Glens Tags: Lamb and Mutton, Lamb Cutlets, Reform Sauce, Reform Club, Alexis Soyer, Army Catering Corps, Clayton Barracks, Wilton Lodge, Lord Hanson, Bank of England, Eddie George

Lancashire Pea and Ham Soup

 

Once again, delightful memories of childhood, this soup was a winter staple at our house and this recipe has been passed down for at least 4 generations.

There is a lot of history to pea soup and not just in Lancashire, The traditional English pea soup was made with dried peas, and its greeny-brown colour was so similar to the dense smog that dominated London in the winter (until as late as the 1960s), that the smog became known as a ‘pea-souper’. In Bleak House, Dickens referred to the fog as the ‘London Particular’, and the name has been used for both fog and soup ever since.

Dried peas are a healthy and nutritious low-cost vegetable. They make an excellent meal extender and when puréed, they form the base of many dishes from the traditional pea soup to the more unusual vegetable pâtés and fritters.

Soak and cook more dried peas than necessary. They can be refrigerated or frozen all set to serve as a vegetable or added to casseroles, pies, and soups. It is a little less trouble to make the soup with split peas, which have no skins, and here there is a selection of green or yellow. While there is no difference in the taste, the latter give the soup a pleasing golden colour.

Serves/Makes: 10 servings

Prep-Time: 10 minutes

Cook-Time: 2 hours

The Glens Tags: Broths, Chowders, Consommés, Vegetable and Meat Soups, Ham, Lancashire, Family Recipes

You Will Need;

1 pound, marrowfat peas (dried)

8 cups, ham stock, if at all possible homemade (see below)

2 ribs of celery, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 teaspoons, fresh thyme leaves (1 teaspoon dried)

½-teaspoon cracked black pepper

½-teaspoon sea salt

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups diced ham, preferably from the ham hock you have just used to make the stock

Method:

Soak the peas as directed on the packet (or see notes) then in a large soup pan add the peas, water celery, carrots, onion, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes now reduce the heat to slow simmer cover the pan and cook 45 to 60 minutes until the peas are tender.

Add the parsley and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes until thick now you can puree the peas in a blender or pass through a sieve or just leave as is if you like a chunky soup. Fine-tune the seasoning, add the diced ham, and serve with a swirl of cream or a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top.

A Few Notes about Dried Peas Soaking Dried Peas;

Overnight Method, Put 1 cup / 200grams / 7 ounces dried peas into a large bowl with 3 cups / 700ml / 1¼ pints tepid water. Do not add any salt.

Quick soak Method, Put 1 cup / 200grams / 7 ounces dried peas into a large saucepan with 3 cups / 700ml / 1¼ pints water. Bring to the boil and continue to boil for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Cover pan and leave to stand for one hour.

DO NOT EAT RAW SOAKED PEAS

Cooking dried peas, on the stove drain the water from the soaked peas and move peas to a large saucepan. Cover with plenty of fresh water, cover and bring slowly to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to a simmer cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender. The longer the soaking time, the shorter the cooking time. If necessary add salt during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

In a slow cooker, proceed as above, adding to the slow cooker after boiling rapidly on the stove for 10 minutes.

In the microwave, soak 225g (½ lb) dried peas overnight. Drain peas then transfer to a 2 litre (3½ pt) glass bowl. Add sufficient boiling water to come 1.25cm (½") above peas. Cover and stand bowl on glass plate in case water boils over. Cook on full power for 30 minutes, checking water level after 20 minutes. Top up with boiling water if necessary. Keep covered and leave to stand for 10 minutes. 650-watt microwave.

Store dried peas at room temperature in a covered container for up to one year. Canned peas should be stored in a cool dry place and should be used within one year.

Soaked or cooked dried peas can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Cooked dried peas can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ham Stock

Ham stock is simple to make and it’s incredibly useful for enriching sauces and soups. Ham stock is very gelatinous and after being left in the fridge overnight, it will turn to meat jelly. Ooh scrumptious meat jellies.

Serves/Makes: 4 to 5 pints

Prep-Time: 10 minutes plus overnight soaking

Cook-Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Tags: Stocks, Bouillons, Ham, Ham Hock

You Will Need;

1 ham hock, about 2 pounds (900 grams) in weight

6 pints water (3.5 litres)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 onions, peeled and chopped

1 head of celery, washed and chopped

12 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Method:

Do not whatsoever add salt it does not need it.

To start the stock, cover the ham hock with cold water and soak overnight.

Drain off the soaking water, and cover the ham hock with the measured cold water, bring to the boil and skim off any scum, then add the carrots, onions and celery, leave simmer gently (we call this ticking over) for about 30 minutes, then add the peppercorns and bay leaf, lightly simmer 2 hours until the ham is cooked through.

Watch it carefully; you do not want the stock to reduce too much, strain off the stock, Put the ham to one side, and discard the vegetables and flavourings the ham you can use foe soups, sandwiches and even salads for pea and ham soup you will need about 3 pints.

Cockles in White Wine

A Simple but Very Tasty Starter, you can of course use clams. I have no idea where this recipe came from but I have been using it since about 1978. I do have a vague recollection of having something similar at Alfredo’s Restaurant; in Morecambe so I think the kudos should go to them.

Serves/Makes:          4 servings

Prep-Time:                 5 minutes

Cook-Time:                15 minutes

The Glens Tags: Fish and Shellfish, Clams, Cockles Recipes, Alfredo’s Morecambe, Lancashire

You Will Need;

3 Fluid Ounces Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled

3 Pounds Cockles, Washed in tap water then soaked in sea or salted water

3 Fluid Ounces Dry White Wine

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 Bunch Parsley, Chopped

1 Lemon, Cut into wedges

Method:

Heat the oil and garlic in a pan.

Take the cockles out of the salt water and wash. Add them to the pan and let them open.

Add the white wine and cover the pan until the cockles are quite open.

Season with salt and pepper

Serve the cockles covered with the parsley and with lemon wedges.