We have so much that is British to celebrate in 2012! We thought long and hard about which British tea time treats are the most classic, and after lots of tasting and then a bit more, we came up with the very Victorian Battenburg Cake, and everyone’s favourite, the jam and cream filled scone. Enjoy your extra couple of days off to celebrate the Jubilee and get baking.
If all that cake has left you yearning for fresh vegetables then why not try our very special Olympic Salad which is full of goodness and packs a bit of a punch, much like our British Olympic Team!
450g rhubarb
100g caster sugar
Grated zest of one orange
1 tbsp strawberry conserve
2 eggs, separated
Cut the rhubarb into 4cm chunks, put into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle 50g of the sugar in, add the orange zest and stir it all together. Cover and bake in the oven (180C/fan oven 160C/Gas Mark 4) for about 35 minutes until the rhubarb is tender.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly and then stir in the strawberry conserve and the egg yolks. Divide the mixture between four 6 fl.oz ramekins (or you can leave it in one dish which is slightly easier but does not look quite so smart!). Put the ramekins on a baking sheet and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, sprinkle in half of the remaining sugar, whisk again, then fold in the rest of the sugar. Put the meringue mix on top of the rhubarb and then return it to the oven for 10 minutes or until the meringue is set with a lightly golden top.
This is one of my favourite recipes – delicious, healthy and very simple to make.
Serves 4
500g lamb neck fillet
2 garlic cloves
500g cherry tomatoes
2 x 400g cans of butter beans
Handful of fresh coriander leaves
Trim the excess fat from the lamb fillet, slice it into bite sized pieces and then sprinkle on all sides with salt and pepper.
Finely chop the garlic. Cut the tomatoes in half but leave the skins on.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan, add the lamb and fry for about five minutes by which time it should be browned all over. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and then cook until the tomatoes start to soften. Cover the pan and cook gently until the tomatoes have broken down to a sauce and the lamb is tender.
Stir in the butter beans and heat through. Then just before serving, roughly chop the coriander and stir it into the sauce.
Many people think the term “stainless” really does mean that stainless steel will always look as bright and shiny as the day it was purchased. Unfortunately this is not quite the case but with the use of some simple cleaning techniques stainless steel pans can quickly be returned to their former glory!
Most good stainless steel cookware will last a lifetime and become more durable with use unlike non-stick which will degrade over time. One just has to cope with unexpected discoloration and unexplained marks. For example:
- white spots caused by salt or salts in the water
- a blue colour on the stainless steel can result from overheating
- food residues can remain on the pan
- pasta can cause browning where it becomes stuck on the bottom and traps the heat – a tip which will help to avoid this is to make sure that you do not try to put too much pasta into too small a pan – give it plenty of room to move around, add a drop of oil to the water and don’t add the pasta until the water is at a good rolling boil.
- soot marks can be present on the outside of the pan caused by gas flames coming up the side.
All these problems can be dealt with by using a stainless steel cleaner such as Fissler Proline. Alternatively you can just use vinegar or lemon juice. Simply add a small amount of whatever you are using to the marked area of the pan, rub with a soft cloth and then rinse. Do not use harsh abrasive powders or wire scrubbers as these will scratch the pan.
Spring has well and truly taken hold here in Dorset. The end of April and the start of May give us all a culinary taste of what the summer has in store for us, so get thinking seasonally and make the most of all that Britain’s fabulous local producers have on sale. We’re really looking forward to the first British asparagus of the season which will be reaching the shops any day now, and have included some delightfully easy and seasonal recipes for you to wow your friends with.
Asparagus wrapped in Pancetta with a Lemon and Garlic Dressing
The British asparagus season is very short but well worth waiting for and lasts for only about six weeks from late-April to mid-June. Of course asparagus is always available from different parts of the world all year, but if you can make a point of searching out locally grown spears in season you won’t be disappointed.
This dish is a really good starter, or could be served as a light lunch with bread.
We have so much that is British to celebrate in 2012! We thought long and hard about which British tea time treats are the most classic, and after lots of tasting and then a bit more, we came up with the very Victorian Battenburg Cake, and everyone’s favourite, the jam and cream filled scone. Enjoy your extra couple of days off to celebrate the Jubilee and get baking. 
