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There is Butter then there is REAL Butter

27 Monday Apr 2020

Posted by cinders54 in Appetizers, Dairy, Food, Recipes, Tips, Uncategorized

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Tags

butter, Dairy, Family, Food

This has to be the most delicious easy recipe ever for making BUTTER.  Yes real butter.

Monday morning dawns – Fresh bread proving

In the back of the fridge is a 21oz double cream that we have not used over the weekend so what’s the best thing to do with it? Make butter to go with your warm scrummy tasty fresh bread.

You need

  • 21 oz fresh double cream
  • Maldon salt
  • One electric hand mixer
  • Two clean bowls
  • One spatula
  • Muslin or a kitchen towel
  • Sieve and a clean pan or something to hold the sieve in

Stage 1

Pour a 21oz carton of double cream into a clean dry bowl

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Whisk with an electric hand whisk until thick cream.  You can make this with an electric stand mixer but I find it easier with a hand whisk

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Next step keep whipping. Don’t be afraid if it starts to turn pale yellow and look like scrambled eggs.

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Scrape down with a spatula.  Keep whipping – next stage it starts to get wet!

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Then even wetter. Keep going, you’re doing a great job

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When you get to this stage the buttermilk and curds split away from each other.  That’s perfect.

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Now, this is the exciting part.  Stop whisking – time to get your hands messy!

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Line a pan with a square of muslin cloth or if you do not have any a kitchen towel will do.  Now pour the liquid into the pan and add a third of the curds (butter in the making).

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Gather together at the top and wring out letting all the buttermilk drip back into the pan.

You will be amazed at the amount of buttermilk is squeezed out.  You now form a REAL butter pat

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Place the first pat into a clean bowl and repeat until all the butter is drained from the buttermilk.  I do this to make three pats for 21oz of cream.

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So by now, you have three good pats of butter and around 300 mls of buttermilk.  Now pop the buttermilk in a jug ready to use later (makes great chicken or scones).  Get some really good sea salt – I adore Maldon. I think it’s the best in the World but please don’t use table salt as it will spoil the finish.

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Sprinkle on two large pinches (around 7 grams).   You can add more or less depending on your taste and preference.

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Here again to get my hands messy.   Mix together to make a smooth butter.   I have old wooden butter paddles but you don’t need them. I just like them for the fun

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When smooth you can either make a block or if you have some butter dishes you can place the butter in them.  I put a greaseproof paper on top then cling film or you can freeze them.

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You can now make different Artisan Butters Garlic, Peppers, chicken butter is a fabulous appetizer just add chicken meat juices and serve topped with crispy chicken skin on the top delicious served with rye bread

Make some fresh Bread and savour.

And

Remember to stay safe

Love x

 

 

Perfect Boiled Eggs

20 Sunday Oct 2019

Posted by cinders54 in Appetizers, Breakfast, Food, Healthy, Protein, Recipes, Tips, Uncategorized

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delicious, Eggs, Family, Recipe

Creating the perfect boiled egg is an art:-

eggsbreakfast

 

NOT anymore.  Americans say you cannot make a hard-boiled egg in under 10 minutes I beg to differ.  

Put the Kettle on no, not for tea – well you could as long as you have enough boiling water.  Bring to a boil – place your ROOM temperature eggs in a saucepan – when the water is boiling pour gently over to cover the eggs.

Bring the water back to a rolling boil – Turn down to simmer. 

Set a timer for 4 minutes for large eggs, 3 minutes for small eggs and 5 minutes for extra large.

After the timer goes off pour the water away and run the eggs under a cold tap while still in the saucepan.  When cool enough to peel – peel and enjoy

I serve mine with organic Spinach and guacamole for a great breakfast

Enjoy x x

 

 

Mama’s Tagliatelle al Ragù

Featured

Posted by cinders54 in Food, Italian, Recipes, Sauce, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Ragu10This recipe is for a large Family -Or -you can adjust the quantities to fit the amount you need or do like I do and freeze it.   It is so yummy you will want to stock the freezer with this one.

 

 Act 1

1lb Stewing Steak (chuck in America)

2lb Minced lean Steak

1lb minced pork or pork sausage meat

6 slices of Bacon chopped

6 slices of Pancetta fine dice

8 oz Consomme or beef stock (I use Baxters or homemade Beef stock )

1/2 bottle of Red Wine

2 large onions finely diced

6 cloves of garlic crushed (I adore garlic – use as much as you wish)

1 celery stalk finely diced with the leaves

4 carrots fine cubes

4 Tbs Tomato Purree

4 cans of organic tomatoes (Not the chopped ones) whole tomatoes

1 Teaspoon Raw cane sugar

1 large bunch Basil

1 Lemon

Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Good quality Olive oil (extra virgin)

Large wedge FRESH Parmasan

Act 1

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the Bacon and Pancetta.  Fry until crisp

Add the onion and carrot.   Fry gently over medium heat until the onion has softened slightly.

In another pan – add a splash of olive oil,  turn the heat to high and add the beef cubes.  Fry for a few minutes and keep rolling.   Once browned well add the rest of the meat and pork and brown this too.

When all the meat is browned, add to the vegetables with the crushed garlic.  Stir well and add the tomato puree.   Stir to cook

Add tomatoes the beef stock,  Lea and Perrins and salt & pepper to taste

Sprinkle the teaspoon of sugar

After an hour shred the Basil and add to the pot with the zest of lemon

I pop mine in the oven at 160C for at least an hour

Stir well back into the oven for another hour (sometimes I leave mine a tad longer to reduce the sauce).  You really want a thick sauce to stick to the tagliatelle

You will see a slick of oil on the top – you can strain this off or leave it in and stir well

Cook the Tagliatelle according to pack instructions or make your own Pasta (I do when I have time) in lots of salted boiling water.  I add lots of salt (taste of the sea). The packs of good quality pasta  you get these days are quite acceptable

I sprinkle my pasta with Olive oil and shake well

 

Act Two

Bringing it all together

 

In a large frying pan add as much sauce as you need.   Throw in the pasta with 4 tablespoons of the pasta water

Mix to coat every scrummy yummy strand

Grate over the top a large amount of Parmesan

Just before serving – sprinkle shredded Basil and the juice of the Lemon and salt and pepper.

Serve with Garlic sticky bread

Enjoy Buon Appetito

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courgette / Zucchini Stacks

03 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by cinders54 in Appetizers, Food, Recipes

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Tags

Appitzers, Family, Food, Lunch, Nibbles, Snack, vegetarian

My friend Jean has an allotment she grows the most abundant beautiful fresh Vegetables – My treat is she drops bags and bags of to my kitchen

On this windy rainy English Summer Jean arrived with tons of Zucchini /we call Courgettes – I wanted to use them while so fresh, so here we go recipe Number one

I have decided you could make small bite size ones with chilies and serve them with a sour cream dip and beer Or any non alcoholic drinks. This is a very easy recipe.

    • 1 pound zucchini / Courgette grated or 3 large
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 Plain flour
    • 1/2 cups Fresh grated Parmesan
    • 1 cloves garlic made to a paste with a pinch of salt
    • 2 large egg, beaten I used 1 Duck Egg 1 Large Egg
    • 1 tsp Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil or you can use fry light spray
    • 1 teaspoon mint chopped finely if fresh-or Mint jelly or mint sauce

     

  • In a colander over the sink. Grate your zucchini/courgettes sprinkle with salt and mix with your hands and leave for 10 minutes. Using a clean towel or Muslin cloth, drain the zucchini completely. Squeeze tight until no juice comes out.
  • In a large bowl place flour, Parmesan, garlic and egg and mix together to make a batter then add the Zucchini and mix really well.
  • Heat olive oil or fry light in a frying pan over medium high heat. Scoop tablespoons of the batter drop by drop flattening with a spatula, and cook until the underside is golden brown then flip to cook the other side. when both sides are golden, place on Kitchen roll to drain.
  • Sprinkle on a tad more salt.
    courgette3

    Mix

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    Cook

    courgette2

    Assemble

    Courgette1

  • Serve  hot with a sour cream dip.

 

 

 

The Very Best Chicken- Beef Stock Ever

05 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by cinders54 in Food, Recipes

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Tags

Beef, bone broth, Chicken, delicious, Family, Healthy, stock, wine

  • 2kg chicken wings I use about 24 chicken wings
  • 2 tbsp. skimmed milk powder
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil
  • 2 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 8 Large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 celery stalks chopped
  • 10 button mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • Large Pinch of Salt – Grinding of Pepper
  • Half bottle white wine
  • Any mixed herbs you have left over or fresh of your choosing You can use dried is you wish too

Act 1

Roughly Chop all the Vegetables, place in a large roasting tin with the peeled garlic

Place Chicken wings on top

Sprinkle over the Milk Powder

Slosh over a good sprinkling of Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Place in a hot over, roast for an hour, keep checking and turning the wings so they go brown, stir the vegetables so they do not stick

Act 2

Place everything in a large stock pot, pop in the herbs and wine, cover with cold water and bring to a boil

Skim the stock until clear to get rid of all the impurities

Leave to simmer with the lid on for at least 3 hours, check the water level keeping it topped up to cover the meat

 

Act 3

Turn off the heat and strain into another large pan – crush all the wings and vegetables to release all the juices

Back on the heat to a rolling boil

Simmer and reduce to half

 

Act 4

Turn off the heat and when cold place in the fridge overnight to go very cold

 

Act 5

Next day take off all the fat, it will come off really easy

 

Act 5

Store in pots in the freezer, you will always have homemade Chicken Stock, you will never buy a cube ever again

 

You can also do the same with BEEF BONES about 10 large beef bones –  just switch the White wine to Red

If you do not wish to use Wine, just replace with more water

Enjoy Happy Cooking

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mulled Pear Rhubarb Crumble with Vanilla Butter

04 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by cinders54 in Food, Recipes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

British, butter, delicious, Family, Food, pudding, Recipe

This is in stages but well worth all the effort

Ingredients

6 pears peeled and left with the stalks

400g Rhubarb chopped into 1 inch chunks

Act 1

Mulling the Pears

  • 1 bottle red wine
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 Star Anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick or teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 6 ripe but firm pears, peeled with stalks intact

Place everything but the Pears in a pan bring to a rolling boil – turn the heat to a simmer and reduce the syrup to half

Place the pears in the syrup and simmer for 15 minutes turn off the heat leave to cool

Act 2

The Rhubarb

Wash and chop the rhubarb into 1 inch chunks place in a baking dish

Act 3

Make the crumble

4oz Organic Spelt Wholemeal Flour

4oz Organic Plain Flour

4oz cold chopped Butter (Please no margerine)

4oz Raw Cane sugar

Rub the butter and flours together untill it becomes like breadcrumbs – you can have it chunky or fine

mix in the sugar salt and pepper give a good mix I do this with my fingers its so easy

Sprinkle the crumb mix over the fruit

bake in the oven

180c for 30 minutes then dot with the Vanilla Butter place back in the oven for another 10 minutes

Act 4

While the crumble is baking in the oven make the Vanilla Butter

Vanilla Butter

2oz soft butter (No Margarine)

1 vanilla pod

Scrape the pearls out of a Vanilla pod add to Butter

add

1 oz Raw Cane Sugar

Mix together until beat until soft and blended

Place in the fridge to get really cold.

Serve Hot with more Vanilla Butter if you wish plus a nice dollop of Vanilla Ice Cream – Heavenly Enjoy x x x

Bloody Mary Pico De Gallo -Salsa Fresca

04 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by cinders54 in Food, Recipes

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Tags

Diet, Food, Fresh, Healthy, Mexican, Recipe, Salad, Vodka

This is the most amazing Salsa Fresca – pico de gallo-Bloody Mary! If you want to serve it without Alcohol just leave out the vodka – There is no substitute for the Vodka it will not detract from the most Beautiful pico de gallo

Before you start get a chopping board (Not Glass) A sharp knife and a large bowl add all ingredients as you chop – Finely Dice everything as you go –

    • 6/8 Large Vine ripened  tomatoes still on the Vine
    • Bunch chopped Coriander / cilantro Only to top leaves save the stalks to use later
    • 1 large finely diced onion
    • 1 Celery Stalk
    • 1 small fresh jalapeño serrano chile or Red Chile to your own heat level you can add more if you want a kick
    • Vodka How much depends on how strong you like it – I do 2tbs unless my friend Jean Hudson comes then double the Vodka!
    • 1 Tbs Tomato Ketchup
    • 1 Tbs Sriracha sauce or a chilli sauce of your choice
    • 6 splashes of Worcester Sauce
    • 1 Lime Zest & freshly squeezed juice
    • Large Pinch Sea Salt or Kosher salt brings out all the juices
    • Grinding of fresh Black Pepper
    • 4 Spring Onions -Green Onions
    • Place all diced ingredients in the bowl as you go –  zest lime and juice into the bowl sprinkle salt pepper mix add Tomato Ketchup Worcester Sauce Sriracha Sauce
    • Leave to rest for a couple of hours or overnight to marrige of all the flavors
    • salsa3
      salsa2

 

English Prawn Cocktail Vs American

22 Wednesday Jun 2016

Posted by cinders54 in Food, Recipes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

American, British, Dinner, Family, Food, Healthy, Prawns, Recipe, Salad, seafood

Starters – Appetizers

Shrimp –Vs–Prawns

 Now here is a fun quandary:-Is it a Shrimp Or Is it a Prawn

Please do not ask for shrimp in Britain.  You will get the smallest little pink curled up things that you have ever seen.  I mean little tiny pink shrimps that are not even the size of an American salad shrimp.  The best shrimp come from Morecambe Bay (a seaside town in the north west of England) and are know as, guess what, Morecambe Bay Shrimp.   In British cookery these are a delicacy served as potted shrimp, an excellent dish for an appetizer or starter spread on toast or crackers. Another use for shrimp is to add to rice dishes.   Prawns though area completely different matter, big and juicy, similar to American shrimps.

One way to cut the cost of making a British prawn cocktail is to mix shrimps with the prawns before pouring over the sauce.  They truly are very, very expensive; a treat served on special occasions such as birth, deaths, marriages, birthdays and Christmas parties.   I always feel sorry for the deceased person at a funeral, missing out on a beautiful prawn cocktail.

You will still get a choice of size of your prawns in Britain but they will not be count size as in America.  You have to buy them by the half-pound (8oz) or pound (16oz).   A point here: an English pint is 20oz.   I think that is why Americans can not take our Pints of BEER!

Compare the difference in our two recipes. It is quite amazing that they are in principle called the same thing. Britain uses Creamy Cocktails Sauce and America uses Spicy Tomato Sauce – I have the recipes for both.  Try both recipes for a great bonus to add to your culinary repartee. I don’t say one is better than the other,  both are excellent just different.

Please do not leave it too long; you do not want to make your first for a funeral!

Great British Prawn Cocktail

For the Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise made with free-range eggs
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup (Heinz)
  • 1 lime, juice and Lime wedges to serve or Lemon if you prefer.  Both work
  • A few drops of Tabasco or chilli sauce
  • 1 splash Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Salad Cream
  • Pinch Salt and white pepper

For the Salad

  • 500 grams / 16oz Atlantic Prawns fresh or defrosted
  • 4 large Crevettes for decoration (Large Prawns shell on)
  • A shredded Lettuce
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 a finely chopped cucumber
  • 4 finely chopped spring onions
  • Sweet Paprika

Mix all the sauce ingredients together leave in the fridge to marry together

Place salad lettuce in cocktail glasses first or I make a very large one on a wooden platter for all my family to share.
Pop the prawns on top leaving aside the crevettes
Pour the sauce over and finish of with a dash of the sweet paprika on each of your cocktails
Dress the glasses with the crevettes, sliced limes and cucumber
This is always served with brown bread and butter.  Cut into triangles please x x
American Shrimp Cocktail
For the sauce
  • 1 cup tomato ketchup (Heinz )
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Lime wedges to serve
  • Pinch salt and white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or chilli sauce
  • Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

Shrimp

2lbs Large Shrimp (16 to 18 count)

Mix to combine ketchup, horseradish, lime juice, Tabasco, dash of Wostershire, salt, and pepper Leave in the fridge to marry.

Arrange all the shrimp around the edge of a chilled bowl .

Pour the cocktail sauce in the middle

Serve with lime wedges

Enjoy x x x 🐟

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