The small matter of trifle

I was all set to go into Cambridge to buy baba moulds and try to reproduce the delicious rum baba I had at Au Pied de Cochon in Paris, but I couldn't resist adding strawberries to my Riverford order as soon as they appeared on the extras list. Rhubarb is still in season, and is a great partner for strawberries, so I added that to my order too. The result was these trifles, with poached rhubarb and strawberries, a healthy splash of Marsala, thick home-made vanilla custard, and - of course - topped with Riverford's rich double cream whipped up with a little sugar.

You can make trifle with pretty much any fruit - Fergus Henderson gives a recipe for an apple trifle in Beyond Nose to Tail, and it's his custard recipe I used here. This custard contains whole eggs, so is thicker than a crème Anglaise and more luxurious than crème pâtissière. The sponge takes a lot of whisking - it can be done by hand, but is much easier with an electric hand whisk.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Trifle

For the sponge:

• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 85g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp warm water
• 85g plain flour
• pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 180℃. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and dust with caster sugar then flour. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and water in a heat-proof bowl. Place over a pan of gently simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water) and whisk until at least tripled in volume. Remove from the heat and keep whisking until cool. Sift in the flour and salt, and gently fold through. Pour into the tin and bake for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For individual trifles, take a plain round cutter slightly bigger than the base of the glass and cut rounds of sponge to fit snugly. Place in the bottom of each glass and pour over a tablespoon of Marsala or sweet sherry.

For the fruit compote:

• 100ml water
• 50g sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
• 400g rhubarb, cut into 5mm dice
• 200g strawberries, hulled and cut in half

Put the water, sugar, and vanilla into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a simmer. Drop in the diced rhubarb and cook until tender. Add the strawberries at the last minute and cook for a couple of minutes, but stop before they start to lose their shape.

Allow to cool, remove the vanilla pod, then spoon over the soaked sponges.

For the custard:

•  450ml double cream
• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 85g caster sugar

Place the cream and vanilla into a pan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Pour over the warm cream, whisking continuously. Now transfer to a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally until it has thickened.

Allow to cool then pour over the fruit.

For the cream topping:

• 300ml double cream
• 30g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift the icing sugar onto the cream and vanilla, then whisk to soft peaks.

Spoon or pipe the cream onto the custard. Garnish with a sliced strawberry, then refrigerate until needed. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes or so before serving.

These quantities will make about 6 individual trifles.

Garlic and bread soup

Wet garlic is appearing in the veg boxes from Riverford at the moment. It looks a bit like a spring onion, but has a mild garlic flavour. It is delicious in this soup, which really couldn't be simpler to make. The recipe is adapted from Fergus Henderson's "Beyond Nose to Tail". Henderson uses 8 heads of garlic to 1 litre of stock; I used most of the stem and got away with only 6 heads, just be careful not to use the fibrous part. The recipe calls for the soup to be passed through a mouli - I don't have one, so I whizzed it up in a liquidizer instead.

Fergus Henderson's New Season Garlic and Bread Soup

• 8 heads wet garlic, sliced
• 1 litre chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• yesterday's bread, crusts removed, cut into 1" cubes

Place the garlic and chicken stock in a pan, bring to a boil, and simmer gently until the garlic is soft (about 40 minutes). Liquidize until smooth, then push through a sieve (the fibrous parts will be left behind). Return to the pan and reheat, season to taste, and add the bread to warm through at the last minute. Enjoy!

Carrot and Parsnip Loaf

If, like me, you get a weekly vegbox delivery, you might be looking for innovative ways to use up root vegetables. Right now, I have a surplus of parsnips in the bottom of the fridge. Rachael's birthday gave me an excuse to bake another cake last week, and a footnote in Leiths Baking Bible suggested a use for parsnips that hadn't previously occurred to me: replace half of the carrots in a carrot cake recipe with parsnips.

Although it sounds an odd combination, cinnamon is the dominant flavour and there is plenty of sweetness from the sugar and the vegetables. It went down well with everyone in the lab, even those who claimed not to like parsnips.

The quantities here are from the Baking Bible, but I have adapted the method to make use of my otherwise underused Magimix.

Carrot and Parsnip Loaf

• 225g butter
• 115g carrots, washed and peeled
• 115g parsnips, washed and peeled
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 225g caster sugar
• 285g plain flour
• 2tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch salt

Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Pre-heat the oven to 170℃. Melt the butter and put to one side to cool.

Grate the carrots and parsnips into the medium bowl of the Magimix.

With the dough hook in the large bowl, break in the eggs, add the vanilla essence, and whizz together. With the motor running, slowly pour in the cooled melted butter. Stop the motor and sift in the caster sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and ground cinnamon; pulse a few times until combined. Add the grated carrots and parsnip, and give it a final whizz.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, level the top, and bake until firm, 1½ to 2 hours. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

I served this dusted with icing sugar, but it would also be nice topped with cream cheese icing.

Beetroot

If you get a weekly delivery from an organic vegbox scheme, you will probably have seen beetroot on your doorstep over the winter. Beetroot is harevested between July and November but, if kept at the right temperature, can be stored until April - so we might see more before the season is out.

I love the colour and the sweet, earthy flavour of beetroot. Beetroot can be eaten raw, grated into salads, but for an interesting twist try Hot Raw Beetroot: peel and coarsely grate the beetroot; melt some butter in a shallow pan, then toss the beetroot in the hot butter for 2 minutes, until it is hot; season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice (from Leiths Cookery Bible). Here it is pictured accompanying smoked trout.

Beetroot should not be peeled before cooking - just rinse in warm water, and try to avoid damaging the skin and thin root. It can be boiled in a large pan of salted water for 1-2 hours, but if you're short of time 10 minutes in the pressure cooker is long enough for small beetroot, 20-25 minutes for large. Recently I have taken to baking beetroot, which gives it a sweeter, more intense flavour: simply wrap the washed beetroot in tin foil and bake for 3-4 hours in a 140℃ oven. The beetroot is cooked when the skin near the root wrinkles and comes away easily. Wait until the beetroot is cool enough to handle, then peel by rubbing gently.

The cooked beetroot can now be used in a number of dishes. There is the classic beetroot and orange salad, but Jane Grigson, in her Vegetable Book also has recipes for beetroot and potato salad, beetroot and apple salad, beetroot salad with anchovy dressing, Italian beetroot salad (onions and herbs), and Scandinavian beetroot and herring salad. It also goes very well with goats cheese and peppery leaves like watercress and rocket.

Beetroot gratin

If you prefer your beetroot hot, cut the cooked beetroot into cubes and layer it in an ovenproof dish with some grated cheese (a mixture of Gruyère and Parmesan works well, but any piquant cheese will do); pour over fresh double cream, and top with more cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake in a 190℃ oven until the cream is bubbling and the top nicely browned.

Beetroot risotto

For a colourful risotto, add diced beetroot for the last 2 minutes of cooking (just long enough to warm through), and top with a slow-cooked egg.

Of course, there is always Borscht; Grigson gives two recipes in her vegetable book, but I usually make this quick, vegetarian version from  Cranks Recipe Book:

Cranks Russian Borscht

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small potato, peeled and diced
• 450g raw beetroot, peeled and diced
• 25g butter
• 1.2lt vegetable stock
• 1tsp yeast extract
• 45ml cider vinegar
• salt, pepper and grated nutmeg to taste
• soured cream and chopped parsley to garnish

Melt the butter and cook the onion, without colouring, until soft. Add the potato, beetroot and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, with a lid on the pan, for 1/2 hour. Blend in a liquidizer until smooth, add the cider vinegar and yeast extract, and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. This soup can be served hot or chilled. Garnish with a dollop of soured cream and some chopped fresh parsley.

Riverford Organic have more beetroot recipe ideas, but I think I'll be trying something sweet next time beetroot appears in my vegbox: beetroot chocolate cake.

Scottish Morning Rolls

This book by Andrew Whitley of Bread Matters is one of my favourites when it comes to making bread. It is written in a readable, no-nonsense style, is packed with information, and has some great recipes for both yeasted breads and breads made from natural fermentations (sourdough). If you only buy one book on bread making, this is the one to go for.

One of the recipes I make regularly is Scottish Morning Rolls. These are soft and chewy, and remind me of the rolls we used to get from Brison's the bakers when visiting my grandparents in Berwick Upon Tweed. These are perfect for a bacon sandwich. For a real nostalgia trip, fry the bacon in lard and, instead of buttering your roll, dip each half of a split roll in the hot lard before sandwiching together with the bacon. When I was a child we would sometimes forego the bacon and just eat dippy bread, but this delicacy has gone out of fashion in our health-conscious times.

This recipe uses a sponge and dough method: the sponge is made by mixing together flour, water and a small amount of yeast and leaving it to ferment for 12-18 hours. The yeast feeds on the sugars in the flour and reproduces so that the sponge contains enough yeast to raise the final dough.



For the sponge

• 5g fresh yeast 
• OR 2g fast-action dried yeast  
• 130g water
• 50g strong wholemeal flour
• 100g strong white flour

1. Mix together all the ingredients, cover, and leave in a warm place for 12-18 hours.

For the final dough

• 285g sponge
• 350g strong white flour
• 100g strong wholemeal flour
• 5g fine sea salt
• 270g water
• 15g butter or lard

1. Mix together and knead until smooth and elastic - about 10 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook will do the trick, or slightly longer by hand. Shape the dough into a ball, put into a lightly-oiled bowl, cover, and rest for 1-2 hours.
2. Gently ease the dough from the bowl and cut into 8-12 equal pieces. Shape into neat balls, dip each roll in a bowl of flour, then arrange on a baking sheet about 2cm apart. 
3. Cover with a linen cloth and leave to rise until the rolls are just touching. This will take 2-3 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
4. Put into a hot oven (230℃) and bake until risen and golden brown (12-15 minutes, depending on the temperature of your oven and how big you made the rolls).

Comfort food: macaroni cheese with leeks

There is something especially comforting about macaroni cheese: the smooth, creamy sauce contrasting with the bland, slightly chewy pasta pieces. I am also a big fan of leeks, particularly leeks in cheese sauce. What could be more satisfying than a supper of maraconi cheese with leeks?

This is easy to make. First, put on a large pan of salted water for the pasta. Add the macaroni as soon as the water comes to the boil.

In another pan, warm some milk with half an onion studded with a bay leaf and two cloves (onion cloué - the French call cloves clou de girofle, from the verb clouer, "to nail", making them ideal for our purposes). Leave the milk on a gentle heat, allowing the flavours to infuse, but keep an eye on the pan to make sure it doesn't boil over.

In a third, heavy-based pan, melt a good knob of butter and add a medium leek, cleaned and thinly sliced. Put a lid on the pan and cook the leek gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or so. Sprinkle over a tablespoon of plain flour and stir well. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, then gradually add the hot milk, stirring until smooth after each addition. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, and a pinch of dried mustard. Now stir in some grated cheese (I used a mixture of Gruyère and Parmesan, but a good strong cheddar would work just as well).

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, stirring to combine. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, top with more grated cheese and some breadcrumbs. Dot with butter, and bake in a hot oven until bubbling and browned on top. The breadcrumbs add a good crunch, a nice contrast to the smooth texture of the pasta. Leeks and mushrooms go together well, so I also tried a topping made by blitzing up dried wild mushrooms with the breadcrumbs. This was good, but the mushrooms were a bit of a distraction - I prefer the comforting blandness of the plain breadcrumbs, so will stick with that in the future.

Best laid plans beaten by the weather

The return of the cold weather will not be welcomed by our farmers. Last week's newsletter from Riverford, best laid plans beaten by the weather, complained that their cauliflower, cabbage, leeks, and purple sprouting broccoli have hardly moved on, so they are having difficulty balancing the root vegetables in the weekly boxes. Instead, last week's box contained aubergines and red peppers from Spain and broccoli from Italy.

Although unseasonal, these made a refreshing change: should I dip aubergine slices in flour and fry in olive oil? what about aubergine fritters, coated in a light batter? or an Italian-style aubergine Parmigiana? In the end I opted for this baba ghanoush recipe from Riverford. Right now, some dough is proving for flat breads to be cooked under the grill tomorrow.

As for the peppers, I made a batch of pepperonata, following a recipe from Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book. Thinly slice an onion and finely chop 1 or 2 cloves of garlic; cook in olive oil until just starting to colour. Deseed and finely slice the pepper and add to the pan; cover with a lid and allow to stew gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and simmer gently, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, by which time most of the liquid will have gone. Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar, and a splash of red wine vinegar. This is delicious hot or cold - I used half of this batch to make some individual tartlets (pictured).

Of course, there were root vegetables to be used up too, and the parsnips went into another of Grigson's recipes:  curried parsnip soup - sweet and spicy, and the perfect way to counter the winter weather.

Chicken breast, crisp chicken skin

This chicken breast was cooked sous vide for 55 minutes in a 63.5℃ water bath (I'm following the times for safe pasteurization given in Douglas Baldwin's guide to sous vide cooking).

To crisp the skin, it was sandwiched in baking parchment between two baking trays (to keep it flat) and cooked in a 200℃ oven for 45 minutes. (I tried crisping the skin with a blow torch, but just ended up with burnt rubber; I must be doing something wrong.)

The carrots were also cooked sous vide (85℃ for 1 hour), while the cabbage and potatoes were cooked conventionally.

I served this with a white wine butter sauce, following a recipe I learned at Ashburton Cookery School. This is similar to a beurre blanc, but contains reduced chicken stock and a splash of double cream which acts as an emulsifier, making the sauce more stable (McGee has an illuminating section on cream and butter sauces, worth a read if you're interested in the science).

Cooking the carrots sous vide kept their shape and retained all their flavour. The chicken was succulent and very tender; it was tasty, but definitely benefited from this creamy but slightly sharp sauce.

White Wine Butter Sauce Recipe

For 2 portions:

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 50g butter, cut into small dice and kept chilled
• 100ml white wine
• 300ml chicken stock
• 50ml crème fraiche or double cream
• Salt and peper

1. Melt a little of the butter in a small saucepan and add the shallot and a pinch of salt. Sweat gently to soften the shallot without letting it colour.
2. Add the wine and increase the heat, letting it bubble and reduce until the wine has almost gone.
3. Add the chicken stock and simmer until it has reduced by two thirds.
4. Stir in the cream and cook gently until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Gradually whisk in the diced butter. You should end up with a sauce the consistency of double cream - adding more butter will give you a thicker sauce.
6. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Granny Cook's potato soup

When I was home for Christmas, my dad described a potato soup his grandmother, Granny Cook, used to make. It was one of his favourites, warming and soothing - perfect for a winter's day. "What did she put in it?" I asked.

"She used a ham hock," he replied, "...onions, leeks, and potatoes - obviously." He remembered she added some milk, too, and served it up as a rustic broth, swimming with chunks of potato.

I set out to make my own version. Unfortunately, the local butcher had sold out of ham hocks. Instead, he provided me with some bacon trimmings. I cut these into medium dice and fried them gently in in beef dripping until they started to render their fat. To this I added an onion, a leek, and 2 sticks of celery, all finely chopped, and let them sweat, with a lid on, for 10 minutes or so. Next went in a good 500g peeled and diced potatoes, a bay leaf, 200ml milk, and enough water to cover (ham stock would be better). I brought this to a boil then let it simmer until the potatoes were tender and falling apart - about 30 minutes. Seasoned well with salt and pepper and served piping hot - not fit for a king, perhaps, but good enough to invite a neighbour to join us for supper.

I decided to give this another go when I got back to Cambridge and could get my hands on a ham hock - this is where last week's ham stock went to. I also wanted to intensify the earthy potato flavour, so cut down on the other vegetables and, following the lead of Heston Blumenthal, who cooks his potatoes in a stock made from their skins, included the potato skins in my soup. Here's the recipe I came up with.

Ray's potato soup

• 25 g butter
  
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 kg floury potatoes, peeled and diced, skins reserved
• 1 lt ham stock 
• 300 ml whole milk
• salt and pepper

As you see, this is a soup of few ingredients. It's important to use a floury potato variety (I used King Edward), otherwise the finished soup will have an unpleasant gloopy texture.

Melt the butter and sweat the onion, without colouring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook gently, with a lid on the pan, for at least 10 minutes. You will have to stir them from time to time to prevent the potatoes from sticking. Now add a bay leaf, 1tsp salt, and the stock and milk. Tie the potato skins up in muslin and add this to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove and discard the package of skins.

To finish, blend in a liquidizer until smooth. (In retrospect, I think simply pushing the soup through a fine sieve would result in a better texture, as it would work the starch less.) If you have ham left over from your stock-making, add this to the soup when you reheat it. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Other ideas


For a real treat, omit the ham and serve each bowl of soup with a generous drizzle of truffle-infused olive oil.

Jane Grigson, in her Vegetable Book, gives a recipe for potato soup flavoured with lard and garlic, "...which both blend wonderfully with potato." She suggests serving this with croutons, also fried in lard and garlic. This is definitely something I'll try soon.

In Fergus Henderson's Beyond Nose to Tail, he gives a recipe for Potato and back fat soup. This recipe also plays on the pork fat and garlic theme: the soup is made with 10 cloves of garlic and topped with chunks of salted back fat rendered in a frying pan. Henderson writes: "But our possibilities do not end there. You could instead sear off a generous slice of fresh foie gras per bowl of soup, pop on top of the hot soup and give it a few minutes to do a little melting, then eat."

Who said that potato soup had to be boring?

Ham stock and what to do with it

Ham stock is cheap and easy to make, and is an excellent foundation for a number of soups. You can buy a ham hock from your local butcher for about £2, and this will be enough to make a good 2lt of stock. The ham hocks come smoked or unsmoked - I prefer the latter, as I don't like the smokey taste that is otherwise infused into the stock.

You might want to soak the ham hock overnight to remove some of the salt, but if you forget or are short of time simply place the hock in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring slowly to the boil; simmer for 5 minutes, then discard the water and start again.

For the stock itself, place the soaked ham hock in a pot along with a carrot split lengthways, a peeled and quartered onion, two bay leaves, half a dozen peppercorns and a couple of cloves (optional). A stick or two of celery and some parsley stalks are also a good idea if you have them (I didn't, so made do without). Cover with cold water, bring slowly to a boil, and simmer gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, skimming off any grey scum that rises to the surface. The meat will have shrunk away from the bone when it's done.

Strain the stock, reserving the meat but discarding the vegetables. Cool and refrigerate overnight, then lift off the deposits of fat that have settled on top. The stock is now ready to use in your favourite soup recipe, but take care not to over-salt: taste the stock before you begin and, if it's too salty, dilute with some water.

When the ham hock is cool enough to handle, peel off the fatty skin, then pull the chunks of meat from the bone, discarding any bits of fat as you go. The reserved meat can be added to your soup, kept for sandwiches (with a good mustard), or used in another recipe (for example, added to a quiche or a chicken and leek pie).

Some recipe ideas

Lentil soup

This is one of my favourites, and is very easy to make. Finely chop an onion and a carrot, sweat gently in butter to soften, then add red split lentils and your ham stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the lentils are done. Blend until smooth, then reheat gently with some cream. Sprinkle with snipped chives and serve.

Vegetable broth

Cut a selection of vegetables into small dice (carrot, onion, swede, leek, celery - anything else you fancy). Sweat gently in melted butter, with a lid on the pan, for a good 10 minutes, then add the ham stock and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Stir in some cooked pearl barley (if liked), and plenty of chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, mint). Delicious served with fresh, crusty bread.

Pea and ham velouté

Sweat a finely-chopped onion in melted butter until it is soft but not coloured. Sprinkle over plain flour and cook, stirring continuously, until it is a sandy texture. Gradually ladle in the hot stock, whisking until smooth after each addition. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly. Now add green peas (frozen peas work well with this, but let them defrost first), and simmer until the peas are done. Liquidise until smooth. This is nice with minted cream: whisk together double cream with fresh, chopped mint leaves, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper; spoon a dollop into the centre of each bowl just before taking them to the table.

Turnip bake

This is a simple recipe from Fergus Henderson's "Nose to Tail Eating". The turnips here are small and white-fleshed, not the larger orange-fleshed swedes that  are known as turnips in Scotland and the north of England.

Thinly slice an onion and fry gently, without colouring, in a generous amount of melted butter. Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice your turnips - a mandoline is good for this if you have one to hand. Liberally butter a shallow oven-proof dish, and layer in the turnip and onion, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Start and finish with a layer of turnip. Dot the top with butter, cover closely with aluminium foil, and bake for about 1 hour in a 200℃ oven. The temperature and cooking time can be varied to fit around other things happening in your kitchen, just probe with a fork to make sure it's done to your liking.

Henderson says that this calls out to be eaten with roast lamb, but it also went very well with my venison stew. I would say it was "surprisingly good", but I know enough not to be surprised by one of Henderson's recipes: he has yet to disappoint.

Pork meatballs with rosemary, lemon, and fennel

Here's the recipe for the pork meatballs mentioned in my last post. These are inspired by a recipe for Pork and Lemon Polpettine that you will find in
Nigel Slater's "Kitchen Diaries". Slater flavours his with lemon, thyme and parsley, but I adapted the recipe to use ingredients I had to hand. I have also used a lower proportion of breadcrumbs: just enough to bind - rather than bulk up - the meat. I like to serve these with spaghetti tossed in a quick sauce made by deglazing the pan with wine.