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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Mustard Baked Gammon Ham

At times, a ham just isn't a ham unless you have cooked it yourself! Enjoy this timeless British classic dish, gammon joints come smoked or unsmoked, the taste is somewhat distinct, what is more both taste good using this recipe

We have been using this recipe since we were at The Whitewell Hotel, not too sure were it came from originally but we have almost certainly made a few changes to the original down the years.

We really love to serve this with a mustard mash and buttered leeks with cabbage I like to be classical and serve it with a parsley sauce (Maureen doesn’t like parsley sauce).

Lord Hanson always asked for a Cumberland sauce however Lady Hanson love a citrusy raisin sauce with it but regardless of who had the gammon they in all honesty liked the flavours and it never lasted long enough to be used as leftovers.

I once caught Roger Moore and Michael Caine giggling like children as they were raiding the kitchen fridge at Norwood West for the ham and pickles (happy days).

Serves / Makes:         12 to 15 servings depending on how much your family and guests like it!

Prep-Time:                 overnight

Cook-Time:                1 ½ hours

You Will Need

1 x 5 ½ kilo or 12 pound ham, soaked in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water occasionally

1 onion, quartered

1 leek, cut into 4 pieces

2 sticks celery, cut into 4 pieces

1 carrot, cut into 3 pieces

6 cloves

10 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons prepared English mustard

250 grams, demerara sugar, depending on size of ham

Method

Place the soaked ham in a large pan, with the clove studded onions, leek, celery, and carrots add the peppercorns and bay leaf

Cover with water; slowly bring to a boil, skimming any foam that forms on top

As soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low so that the liquid is only gently simmering. Cover and let simmer until the meat is done. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes per pound after it starts simmering

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gasmark 5

When done, allow the ham to cool in the cooking liquid until just warm, this makes it easier to remove the skin.

Remove the skin and trim the layer of fat, leaving about a ¼-inch thickness of the fat; the fat can be left as it is or scored, forming a diamond pattern.

Brush the ham with the mustard and sprinkle well with the demerara sugar

Bake the ham for 15 to 20 minutes taking care to baste the ham with juices and the caramelised sugar, when nice and golden brown, remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving, or leave until cold. Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

A raw ham can be soaked specially if it is salty for between 12 to 24 hours in cold water, then brought to a simmer in fresh cold water and cooked for 30 minutes skimming the surface of scum occasionally, If the water is still very salty get rid of it and replace with fresh cold water bring to a boil and take off 30 minutes from the cooking time.

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John & Maureen Glen Tags: Christmas, food, recipe, Main Course, English, British, Mustard Baked Gammon Ham

Whitewell Pheasant Casserole

When I first started work at the Whitewell Hotel in 1971(now known as the inn at Whitewell) under Chef George McGuire. I used to dread the start of the shooting season as it meant that I had to dress limitless brace of pheasant for this simple but wonderful and very popular dish.

I always find that casseroles and stews are improved the day after they are prepared, and reheated, which makes this just what the doctor ordered for a dinner party, seeing that everything apart from any vegetables and potatoes you might want to serve with it, is ready! We like Potato Dauphinoise with this but it is simply mouth-watering with some good homemade warm crusty bread to sop up the juices.

Serves / Makes: six persons

Prep-Time: 20 minutes

Cook-Time: 2 hours

You Will Need;

• 2, pheasants, dressed and jointed
• 2, tablespoons beef dripping
• 1, large onion
• 1, large carrot
• 1, stick/rib of celery
• 1, bouquet garni, a parcel of thyme, parsley stalk and bay leaf, I like to wrap this up in a leek parcel
• 10 ounces, mushrooms, field if possible although we do use the meaty Portobello mushrooms
• 1 good pinch, Sea salt
• 1 good pinch, cracked black pepper
• 12 fluid ounces, red wine

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350/f or gas mark 4.
2. Chop the vegetables roughly.
3. Heat the beef dripping in a heavy frying pan and brown the jointed pheasant remove from the pan and place in a casserole dish.
4. Place the vegetables in the frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, add the red wine and bring to the boil.
5. Pour the mixture over the pheasant, season add the bouquet garni and cover, cook in the oven for 1 to 1½ hours until tender, if you want the juices a little thicker just reduce on the stove top until it is reduced as you would like it. Serve hot.

The hotel is situated in the hamlet of Whitewell near Dunsop Bridge in the Forest of Bowland, and when we lived there, it was a very popular spot for them as wanted to fish on the best 5-mile stretch of the river Hodder. As well as those who just wanted to explore this most stunning part of Lancashire, this area is/was known as Little Switzerland and named so it is said by Queen Victoria.

In the 1300’s The Inn at Whitewell was just a small manor house, lived in by the keepers of the Royal forest. The Royal connection remains as the Inn forms part of the Duchy of Lancaster Estate.

The Glens Tags: Lancashire, Whitwell, Game, Pheasant, Casseroles