Pickled Vegetables

Ingredients:

2 onions, coarsely chopped

2 unpeeled cucumbers, coarsely chopped

3 sticks celery, coarsely chopped

1/2 small cauliflower, coarsely chopped

1 carrots, coarsely chopped

1 red pepper, coarsely chopped

315g coarse cooking salt

Water

5 cups white wine vinegar (> 5% acid level)

5 whole red dried chillies

1/2 cup sugar 

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

Method: 

Place chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Cover with water and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover bowl with a dry cloth and leave to stand overnight. Drain the water the next morning, rinse and drain again. 

In a large pan, combine vinegar, chillies, sugar, coriander and mustard seeds. Heat slowly, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and then bring to boil. Simmer 3 minutes. Add vegetables and boil for another 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pack the vegetables into clean jars with a slotted spoon. Return liquid to heat and bring to the boil. Pour boiling liquid over vegetables and seal the jars. When cool, label and date jars. 

Pickles can be stored up to a year in a cool, dark place. Plastic containers are suitable for storage. 

Serve in antipasto platters, with sandwiches, or with meats.

Devonshire Scones

Ingredients:

3 cups self-raising flour

2 tablespoons fine sugar

35g butter

1 cup milk

1 beaten egg (ideally but can be omitted)

Method: 

Preheat oven to 415 degrees F. Brush a baking tray with oil or melted butter. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and butter till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and pour in milk. Mix to form a soft, sticky dough. Knead dough lightly on a floured surface (e.g. roti board). Roll to a thickness of 2 cm. Cut this strip to form roughly 6 cm rounds. Place close on the baking tray. Brush scones with beaten egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove and place moistened tissue paper on the scones. The scones are ready to serve once the tissue paper dries out. 

Serve scones with hot tea, strawberry jam and whipped cream. Makes 15.  

Hotch Potch

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large turnip, chopped

1 stick celery, chopped

6 florets cauliflower, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 cup peas

2 cups lettuce, shredded

4 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method: 

Heat oil in a large heavy-based pan. Brown onion, turnip, celery, water, salt and pepper over medium heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add cauliflower, carrots and peas to pan. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add lettuce, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir over low heat for 3 minutes, or until just heated through. 

Serves 4-6.

Variations:

-Swap lettuce and celery with cabbage, tomatoes or red pepper in the hotch potch.

-Include lamb shanks for a meat-and-vegetable hotch potch. Brown lamb with the onions and later once tender, remember to remove bones from the flesh. 

-Include pearl barley in the hotch potch. 

Colcannon

Ingredients:

4 potatoes

1/4 cabbage, shredded

60g butter

1/2 cup chopped spring onions

2/3 cup warm milk 

1 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

ground black pepper, for taste

Method: 

Pressure-cook potatoes. Peel skin. Mash with a fork. Cook cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain well. Melt butter in large pan, add cabbage and spring onions and cook for a couple of minutes. Combine the cooked cabbage mixture with the mashed potatoes. Add enough warm milk to give it a creamy consistency. Season with pepper and parsley. 

Serve with crusty white/brown soda bread. Serves 4.

Chelsea Buns

Ingredients:

2 cups self-raising flour

1/4 cup fine sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup milk

1 egg (ideally but can be omitted)

Filling:

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon soft brown sugar

1 cup mixed dry fruit (can just use raisins)

1 teaspoon ground mixed spice (or mixed of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom powders)

Method: 

Preheat oven to 415 degrees F. Brush a square or rectangle baking tray with oil or melted butter. Line tray with baking paper. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar and butter with a spoon till the mixture is crumbly. Add combination of whisked egg and milk and mix to form a soft dough. Spread dough onto baking paper evenly in a rectangle shape.  

Spread the filling on top of the dough evenly. Roll up lengthwise (to make a longer roll) and cut into 12 evenly-sized pieces. Place pieces in tray with sides touching. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake 30 minutes or until brown and cooked through. Remove and place moistened tissue paper on the buns. The buns are ready to serve once the tissue paper dries out. 

Serve buns with hot tea. Chelsea buns may also be sugar glazed for an added treat and served with butter. 

Flavours of Britain

My initial impression of British cooking was obtained from the scrumptious spreads depicted in Enid Blyton books like Mr Pink-Whistle, the Famous Five and Noddy.....afternoon tea with little cakes and pastries, freshly baked bread with homemade butter and jam.....countryside picnics with sandwiches and pickles, Cornish pasties and Shepherd's pie....
Imagine my surprise therefore on landing in London for the first time and seeing it full of kebab shops and Subway outlets!! Thankfully the English countryside still serves authentic English food.....
Here are 5 British food recipes for you to try out and comment on......