Here are the promised recipes:
IRISH STEW
This was one of Mrs Watson's favourite Sunday dishes.
2 kg (4 lb) lamb from the shoulder or the neck, fat discarded
1 1/2 kg (3 lb) potat5oes, peeled and sliced
4 carrots, scraped and sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1tsp thyme
Lamb stock made with the bones of the lamb and 1 onion, 2 carrots and a celery stalk and a little barley
Place half the potatoes in a saucepan, cover evenly with half the onion and the lamb and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Then arrange the remaining onions and potatoes evenly on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour in enough stock to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to the minimum, cover the saucepan and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat and the potatoes are tender. adding a little stock from time to time. Traditionally Irish stew is served with pickled cabbage.
PICKLED RED CABBAGE
Another Irish must preserve.
1 red cabbage, trimmed, cut into quarters, cored and finely shredded
3 tbsp coarse salt
500-750 ml (2-3 cups) malt vinegar
3 heaped tbsp sugar
Pickling Spices:
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
4 allspice seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1//2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
Place the cabbage in 3 layers in a large bowl, sprinkling each layer evenly with coarse salt. Place the bowl in a cool room for 24 hours. Then rinse and dry the cabbage and put it back into the bowl.
Boil the vinegar with the sugar and the pickling spices stirring until the sugar melts then boil for 2 minutes more and remove from the stove to cool.
Strain the vinegar syrup into the cabbage and toss thoroughly. Cover the bowl and wait for 3 days before serving. This pickle will keep for 15 days.
SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH PORK AND APPLES
A delicious Irish dish.
1 1/2 kg (3 lb) pork from the leg, all fat discarded, meat cubed and sauteed in butter and olive oil
4 medium-sized apples peeled, cored and sliced
3 tbsp butter at room temperature
3 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 sprigs of sage, leaves chopped, stems reserved
1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
250 ml (1 cup) white wine
1 1/2 kg (3 lbs) potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
The reserved sage stems
250 ml (1 cup) milk
1 tbsp melted butter for brushing on top
Brush a flat saucepan with melted butter and place the chopped onions and sage leaves in a small bowl and toss well with salt and pepper.
Spread 1/3 of the sauteed meat in a buttered casserole and sprinkle with a 1/4 of the onion mixture, cover with 1/2 of the apples and sprinkle with a 1/4 of the onion mixture. Repeat the process and finish with the last third of the pork. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Coover the saucepan tightly and bake in the centre of the oven preheated to 180 C (250 F) for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender.
Taste and season accordingly.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes with the cloves of garlic, the reserved sage stems and salt and pepper to taste, Boil briskly until the potatoes are tender. Strain, return to the saucepan and discard the sage stems. Place the potatoes over very gently heat until dry then mash them until smooth and add the remaining butter. Spread the potato puree evenly over the meat, brush with butter and bake on the top shelf of the oven, about 10-12 minutes until the pie becomes golden brown. Serve with a green salad.
I am giving the recipe of some fabulous Greek biscuits because they remind me of Irish butter cookies.
KOULOURAKIA VOUTYROU
This recipe is from a cookery book that Theoni Androulidaki gave me. I am very fond of Theoni who besides being a beautiful girl, is also intelligent and a very charming person. She is also Alex's, my precious grandson's, girlfriend,
750 g (1 1/2 lb) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
400 g ( 14 oz) butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
250 g (1/2 lb) icing sugar
2 eggs
2 vanillas
A pinch of salt
Place the first 4 ingredients in a mixer and blend well together. Add the eggs, vanillas and salt and beat until the dough forms a ball around the pastry hook. Do not over mix! Cover the dough with cling film and refrigerate for one hour at least.
Then make pencil-sized cylinders with the dough, cut into 7.6 cm (3 inch) pieces and press the ends together to form rounds of dough. Bake in an oven preheated,180 C (350 F) and bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden.
IRISH STEW
This was one of Mrs Watson's favourite Sunday dishes.
2 kg (4 lb) lamb from the shoulder or the neck, fat discarded
1 1/2 kg (3 lb) potat5oes, peeled and sliced
4 carrots, scraped and sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1tsp thyme
Lamb stock made with the bones of the lamb and 1 onion, 2 carrots and a celery stalk and a little barley
Place half the potatoes in a saucepan, cover evenly with half the onion and the lamb and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Then arrange the remaining onions and potatoes evenly on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour in enough stock to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to the minimum, cover the saucepan and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat and the potatoes are tender. adding a little stock from time to time. Traditionally Irish stew is served with pickled cabbage.
PICKLED RED CABBAGE
Another Irish must preserve.
1 red cabbage, trimmed, cut into quarters, cored and finely shredded
3 tbsp coarse salt
500-750 ml (2-3 cups) malt vinegar
3 heaped tbsp sugar
Pickling Spices:
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
4 allspice seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1//2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
Place the cabbage in 3 layers in a large bowl, sprinkling each layer evenly with coarse salt. Place the bowl in a cool room for 24 hours. Then rinse and dry the cabbage and put it back into the bowl.
Boil the vinegar with the sugar and the pickling spices stirring until the sugar melts then boil for 2 minutes more and remove from the stove to cool.
Strain the vinegar syrup into the cabbage and toss thoroughly. Cover the bowl and wait for 3 days before serving. This pickle will keep for 15 days.
SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH PORK AND APPLES
A delicious Irish dish.
1 1/2 kg (3 lb) pork from the leg, all fat discarded, meat cubed and sauteed in butter and olive oil
4 medium-sized apples peeled, cored and sliced
3 tbsp butter at room temperature
3 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 sprigs of sage, leaves chopped, stems reserved
1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
250 ml (1 cup) white wine
1 1/2 kg (3 lbs) potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
The reserved sage stems
250 ml (1 cup) milk
1 tbsp melted butter for brushing on top
Brush a flat saucepan with melted butter and place the chopped onions and sage leaves in a small bowl and toss well with salt and pepper.
Spread 1/3 of the sauteed meat in a buttered casserole and sprinkle with a 1/4 of the onion mixture, cover with 1/2 of the apples and sprinkle with a 1/4 of the onion mixture. Repeat the process and finish with the last third of the pork. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Coover the saucepan tightly and bake in the centre of the oven preheated to 180 C (250 F) for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender.
Taste and season accordingly.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes with the cloves of garlic, the reserved sage stems and salt and pepper to taste, Boil briskly until the potatoes are tender. Strain, return to the saucepan and discard the sage stems. Place the potatoes over very gently heat until dry then mash them until smooth and add the remaining butter. Spread the potato puree evenly over the meat, brush with butter and bake on the top shelf of the oven, about 10-12 minutes until the pie becomes golden brown. Serve with a green salad.
I am giving the recipe of some fabulous Greek biscuits because they remind me of Irish butter cookies.
KOULOURAKIA VOUTYROU
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| Koulourakia with Currants |
This recipe is from a cookery book that Theoni Androulidaki gave me. I am very fond of Theoni who besides being a beautiful girl, is also intelligent and a very charming person. She is also Alex's, my precious grandson's, girlfriend,
750 g (1 1/2 lb) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
400 g ( 14 oz) butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
250 g (1/2 lb) icing sugar
2 eggs
2 vanillas
A pinch of salt
Place the first 4 ingredients in a mixer and blend well together. Add the eggs, vanillas and salt and beat until the dough forms a ball around the pastry hook. Do not over mix! Cover the dough with cling film and refrigerate for one hour at least.
Then make pencil-sized cylinders with the dough, cut into 7.6 cm (3 inch) pieces and press the ends together to form rounds of dough. Bake in an oven preheated,180 C (350 F) and bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden.
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| Summer Roses by Julia S Powel |
