Volume 8, Issue 125 - July 1, 2005

Hello Recipe Club,

I would like to take this moment to thank Chef Jennifer Gordon for hosting our Recipe Club, this week. I enjoyed learning a bit about the traditional cuisine of England. If you enjoy our Forums at Chef2Chef.net, keep an eye out for username ChefJen, she pops in on a pretty regular basis and shares her expertise. Have a great weekend everyone.

Friday - UK Friday Favourites:

This was the hardest day to come up with recipes as there was so much I could put in here. But I thought what better way to end the week then with traditional "fish Friday". Now I did not include in this recipe, but the fish is best served in newspaper for the full British experience!

Now the Americans have their apple pie but the Brits have their Apple Crumble again best served with lashings of custard or cream!

Thank you for letting me share my "Best of British Cuisine". Enjoy!!

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Beer Battered Cod with Mushy Peas

Ingredients:

2 eggs, whole, beaten
1 1/3 cups quality beer (Newcastle Brown or Guinness)
4 tablespoons Tabasco Sauce
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon parsley
2 pounds cod fillets
cornstarch (for dredging)

Preparation:

Combine eggs, beer and Tabasco Sauce. Add dry ingredients all at once. Mix smooth and adjust consistency as required. Moisture content of flour may vary so if the batter is heavy, adjust with a small amount of milk. If the batter is too thin, adjust with cornstarch, but never over mix.

Dredge fish lightly in cornstarch, shake off excess, dip fish in batter and immerse into deep fat. Fry at about 375 degrees F.

It is done when the batter puffs up and they are a golden brown.

Mushy Peas

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups dried marrowfat peas (see note)
3 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large basin, soak the peas overnight (or for at least 4 hours) in three times their volume of cold water, with the bicarbonate of soda.

Rinse the peas well, put them into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for approximately 1 to 2 hours, stirring from time to time until the peas are cooked and have fallen to a softened mush.

If they appear too wet, continue cooking over a low heat to drive off any excess moisture, but take care to keep stirring, to prevent them burning on the base of the pan.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: In the United Kingdom, dried, rehydrated and mashed marrowfat peas, known by the public as mushy peas, are popular, originally in the north of England but now ubiquitously, and especially as an accompaniment to fish and chips or meat pies, particular in chippies or fish and chip shops. Sodium bicarbonate is sometimes added to soften the peas. In 2005, a poll of 2,000 people revealed the pea to be Britain's 7th favourite culinary vegetable.

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Homemade Brioche

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup bread flour
10 eggs
2 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/4 cups butter

Preparation:

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk add the 1/2 cup of flour and mix to make sponge. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Gradually mix in the eggs, then the dry ingredients to make a soft dough. Beat in the butter a little at a time until it is completely absorbed and the dough is smooth.

Rest for 20 minutes. Scale into 2 loafs or 12 rolls. Egg wash and proof (let rise).

For loaves, bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 35 minutes. For rolls, bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes.

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Granny's Apple Crumble and Custard

Ingredients:

Crumble:

2 1/3 cups plain flour, sieved with pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups unrefined brown sugar (see note)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
knob of butter for greasing

Filling:

1 pound apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) pieces (I prefer Granny Smith)
1/4 cup unrefined brown sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F, Gas Mark 4).

Place the flour, oats and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Place the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit.

Butter a 24 cm (9 inch) ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.

Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.

Note: Unrefined sugars are made from pure unrefined sugar cane. This means the colour and flavour that is naturally present in sugar cane has not been refined out.

Custard

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups milk
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 vanilla pod, split
2 eggs

Preparation:

Put the milk, half the sugar and the vanilla pod into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat very gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the remaining sugar and whisk together lightly. Pour a small amount of the hot milk into egg mixture. When the eggs have tempered, add the remaining milk. Cook, stirring all the time over a pan of simmering water.

When the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon it is ready.