Author: Notnick

Mum’s Chocolate Orange Chestnut Desert

10oz plain chocolate
6oz unsalted butter
6oz sugar
1 can (15oz) unsweetened chestnut purée
1 orange (juice & grated rind)
2 tbl grand marnier
Whipped double cream to decorate

9″x4″ loaf tin

whip the chestnut puree till light & soft. Beat the butter with sugar until sugar disolved. Melt chocolate, add to the chestnut. Combine remaining ingredients, add to the lined (clingfilmed) load tin and cool overnight in fridge.

Mum’s French Country-style Liver Paté

8 oz Pigs liver – tubes removed and minced
8 oz Belly pork, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & black pepper
1 tsp dried mixed herb
3 tbl white wine
4 rashes streaky bacon

Mix all together (except streaky bacon) -put in a small bread tin, with bacon on top. Stand in a water bath in the oven and cook for 60-90mins, until pate has shrunk away from the edge of the dish. Pour off the excess fat and allow to cool.

Mum’s Pork Chops with BBQ sauce

4 Pork chops
1 small onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 rsp paprika
2 tsp tomato purée
1 tbl worcestershire sauce
1 tbl vinegar
2 tbl lemon juice

Roast chops until brown- 30 mins
fry veg, and add the other ingredients – pour over chops, with some water to loosen.roast for another 10 mins.

Crumpets

makes 6 crumpets 

Ingredients

  • 150g  plain white flour 
  • 200ml warm water – c23ºc
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp dried/instant yeast
  • Veg oil to cook
  • Whisk all tge ingredients together for 2-3 minutes
  • Cover the bowl and let proove for 15 to 30 minutes until the surface is bubbly.
  • Grease crumpet rings wih oil, ladel a 1/4 cup batter into each ring and cook for 1.5 mins until bubbles appear on the surface.
  • Turn heat down and cook until some bubbles start to pop around the edges.
  • Turn heat down to medium low and cook for another 3 minutes, until the surface is “set”.
  • Remove from the rings and flip to cook the other side – until light brown.
  • let cool on a cooling rack so that they con’t get sweaty on the base – eat straight away or toast from cold. You need a lot of butter to eat these properly!

Sweet Potato Falafel

1 can chickpeas
2 smallish sweet potatoes – baked
1 small onion, fine dice
1 clove garlic
2 handfuls flatleaf parsley – fine chop
1 handful corriander – fine chop
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbl lemon juice
1 tsp salt

Mash the chickpeas with the sweet potatoes, add other ingredients and mix to paste. Roll to walnut-size balls and bake at 200ºc for 10 mins or so.

Quick cure for smoked salmon

For 1lb of salmon, cut into 4 pieces. Use 2hrs+ before smoking.

2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

mix the ingredients till the salt & sugar have disolved. Add the salmon (in a bag, so the salmon is covered) and give it a mix every now and then.

Smoking – hot smoke, c25 minutes.

Coconut Raspberry Slice

Base:
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g butter
1 egg
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla essence

Topping:
3/4 cup raspberry jam
2 cups (c200g) desiccated coconut
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Oven at 180ºc, and 10″ square pan lined.

For the base – rub the butter, sugar and flour into ‘breadcrumb’ consistancy. Add the egg, and pull into a dry-ish flaky dough – don’t overwork here – you don;t want a silky smooth pastry dough – it’ll get tough.

Spread over the bottom of the lined tin. blind bake for 15-20 mins till golden.

Whilst its still warm (but not fresh from the oven) spread the jam on top. Jam to the edges – it’ll stick in the pan lining a bit, but makes all peieces nicer.

for the coconut topping – beat the sugar and eggs till smooth abd shiny. Fold in the coconut and spread over the jammy base. Press it down so its flat and even.

Bake for another 25 minutes until golden topped.

Let it cool in the pan completely, then cut into squares.

Notes –

base is a bit heavy – maybe swap out for a shortbread, or maybe add some rice-flour?

I added more coconut and it was a bit too flakey – next time -50g coconut for a more together topping.

Scones – Buttermilk

These are a lighter softer scone. Add raisins if desired.

Heat the oven to 200c and line a baking tray before you start.

450g self raising flour
1/4tsp salt
100g cold butter
85g caster sugar
300g buttermilk
a splash of milk + buttermilk to glaze

in a large bowl, cube the butter and rub into the flour, salt & sugar. work quickly so that the butter does not melt. (Cold hands!)

Add the buttermilk, work quickly to form a loose dough. Turn out on to a floured board, press to about 4cm thick, cut into rounds and place on baking tray. Glaze with milk/buttermilk. Cook at 200c until golden.

Pasta Bolognese

2 large onions, finely chopped
1.5kg minced beef
200g(-ish) cubetti or bacon
3 – 4 cans tomatoes
1 carton passata
1 bottle red wine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 -2 bay leaves
2 tsp sugar
salt to taste (make it a spot saltier to compenate for the pasta, later)
1 tsp ground black pepper
herbs to taste (italian dried mix, fresh basil, margarum, whatever you like)

This makes a lot of sauce. I freeze it and take out lumps of it as I need it. great for a fast supper. Server on pasta of your choice, and slap on some parmasan

Fry the onions until they’re soft and translucent.

Add the cubetti/bacon, then the mince and cook off. Stir it well to make sure you don’t get big lumps of cooked meat in the pot.

Add the tomatoes & passata, wine, bay leaf, sugar and garlic. You can add salt at the end when you taste it. The bacon will add some salt so always taste.

Simmer for an hour or so (lid off) so that it condenses down to something dry enough. At this point – taste it, lots. add herbs and pepper, and if needed some extra salt.

Hook out the bay leaves, Serve or freeze…