Buttered Swede with Bacon

Rich, orange fleshed swede has an amazing nutty, fresh taste that is just the thing with roasted meats.

This was always a popular vegetable dish at The Whitewell Hotel, Lodge Hill Estate, and Kimber Cottage.

we mainly served it with roast lamb or beef but we think this dish goes really well with roast turkey and often have it with roast pheasant and pigeon.

Sometimes we substitute the bacon with thinly sliced salami, pepperoni, or chorizo and grill until crisp just like the bacon.

I especially like it served as a light lunch or supper, served with a softly poached duck egg on top.

Serves / Makes:         6 servings

Prep-Time:                 12 minutes

Cook-Time:                20 minutes

You Will Need

1 medium sized swede

4 rashers, streaky bacon, you could use smoked and when we have it we use American bacon or pancetta

50 grams, butter

1 bunch fresh chives or spring onions, these are optional

Sea salt flakes and coarsely ground or cracked black pepper

Method

Peel the swede and cut into large dice, to small and they will absorb too much water put into a pan of lightly salted boiling water and cook, uncovered, until very tender about 20 minutes.

At the same time as the swede is cooking grill or fry the bacon until very crisp leave to cool a little then chop quite roughly.

Snip the chives or if using spring onions finely chop them drain the swede and mash with the butter, any fat from the bacon, and pepper until almost smooth Serve and Enjoy with the crispy bacon and chives or spring onions scattered on top.

Notes

Bigger than the turnip and with a rough skin that is partly tan and partly purple, the Swede’s dull exterior gives the lie to its fine texture and distinctive, sweet tasting flesh.

In Scotland, the swede is famous as neeps and is served mashed alongside The Haggis as part of the traditional supper on Burns Night and in America, they are known as Rutabaga.

John & Maureen Glen Tags: food, recipe, vegetables, swede, turnip, neeps, bacon, rutabaga, Burns Night

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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

Bacon and Leek Quiche

In France, this dish is known as Quiche aux Poireaux avec Lardons, The leeks and bacon filling of this quiche produces a flavoursome country style dish. Together with a green salad, it makes for a very agreeable light lunch or dinner. This was very popular with the guests at The Great Tree Hotel especially as a light lunch or supper dish.

Serves / Makes: 6

Prep-Time: 10 minutes

Cook-Time: 30 min

You Will Need;

1. One Recipe of Short Crust Pastry (Pâte Brisée)
2. ½ pound bacon, cut into 1 cm (about ½-inch) cubes
3. 2 leeks, white and light green parts, chopped (about 2 cups)
4. 3 shallots thinly sliced
5. ¼-teaspoon salt
6. 1/8-teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7. 1-tablespoon Dijon mustard
8. 3 eggs
9. 1-cup milk
10. ½-cup single cream
11. ¼ pound Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 1/3-cups)
12. 1 Pinch of Nutmeg

Method:

• Cook the bacon in a frying pan / skillet over a low heat until just cooked, not crisp. Add the shallots, leeks, salt and freshly ground black pepper and sauté until the leeks and shallots are soft and the bacon is crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Drain off the surplus fat, if any. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and arrange the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Then on a liberally floured surface, roll the pastry from the centre out, lifting pastry, turning it slightly, and intermittently turning over to prevent it from sticking. Roll the pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch pie dish and line with the pastry, leaving about ¼-inch overhang for shrinkage. Pinch up the surplus pastry to form an edge and flute, prick the bottom all over with a fork.
• Line the pastry case with a sheet of parchment or aluminium foil larger than the dish, and fill with pie beans (the ceramic ones are ideal for this). Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges begin to colour. Remove the paper and beans, and spread the mustard over the bottom of the pastry.
• Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly with the milk and cream, add a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg and then mix in the bacon and cheese mixture, pour the custard into the pie shell to within ¼-inch off the top of the crust.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the custard is just cooked.
• Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve warm or room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

My favourite is, to serve the quiche with steamed new baby potatoes tossed in butter, freshly chopped mint, and parsley and with baby lettuce leaves, cucumber, spring onions finely chopped, sweet cherry tomatoes together with a little chopped red pepper. On the other hand, you could try jacket potatoes with melted butter.

Leek is a vegetable related to the onion and garlic. Its edible portions are the white onion base and the green stalks. The white onion-like layers form around a core. I prefer to use young leeks. Otherwise discard the outer leaves; you can use them for soups.

LiveJournal Tags: Appetizers,Great Tree,Light Lunches,Favourite Recipes,Pies,Tarts,Quiche,Pastries