ESPANSIONI DI TESTO

MODULE A - Traditional British recipes p. 25)

Note. The Avoirdupois system of weights has been used for some of the following recipes. The weights can be easily converted to their metric equivalent.
1 lb = 454 grams
1oz = just under 30 grams
8oz (1/2 lb) = approx. 230 grams

Kedgeree (serves 4)

Ingredients
4 eggs
6 oz rice
1/2 lb smoked haddock or salmon
2 oz butter
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper
1 cup cream
chopped parsley

Procedure
Hard boil the eggs, remove the shells under cold running water. Slice one and chop the rest.
Cook the rice in boiling water for about 15 minutes, until rice is tender. Drain well and separate the grains.
Cook the fish in a little simmering water for about 10 minutes, then drain. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the curry powder. Add the rice and fish, and stir with a fork until hot. Mix in the chopped eggs and seasonings. Stir in the cream and when the mixture is creamy, serve hot garnished with sliced egg and chopped parsley.

Bread and Butter Pudding (serves 4-6)

Ingredients
8 slices stale bread
50g butter
100g cheese, grated
4 eggs
568 ml (1 pint) milk
salt and pepper

Procedure
Remove the crusts from the bread and spread the bread with butter. Place layers of bread and grated cheese in a 1.1 litre (2 pints) well buttered ovenproof dish. Lightly beat the eggs, milk and seasoning together and pour over the bread. Bake in the oven gas mark 5 (190°C) for about 35 minutes until set and golden brown. Serve at once.

Wessex Pasties (8 pasties)

Ingredients
11/2 lb shortcrust pastry
8 oz potatoes, peeled and diced
1lb braising steak, trimmed and coarsely minced or cut into small pieces
4 oz turnip, peeled and finely diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Procedure
Set oven to mark 7 (220°). Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl and season well. Divide the pastry into 8 pieces and roll out on a lightly floured surface into rounds about 8 inches in diameter. Divide the filling equally between the pastry rounds and damp the edges with water. Fold the pastries over and seal well, fluting the edges with the fingers. Place on a lightly floured baking tray and cook for twenty minutes; lower the heat to Mark 4 (180°) for a further 45 minutes, covering the pasties with foil if they begin to brown too much. Serve hot or cold.

(From Favourite Dorset Recipes, J. Salmon Ltd., Sevenoaks, England.)

Scones

Ingredients
200 g plain flour
40 g butter
125 ml milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Procedure
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and mix well until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Slowly add the milk and mix well to form a dough.
Put some flour onto a flat surface. Then put the dough onto the floured surface and roll it until it is about 2 cm thick. Cut out circles of dough, each about 5 cm across. Put these on a baking tray and put the tray into a hot oven (220°C).
Bake the scones for about 10 minutes until they are golden brown. When the scones are ready, cut them in half and spread with butter, or add thick cream, and strawberry jam.

Plum Pudding (serves 6)

Most families have their favourite recipe for Christmas Pudding. Banned by the 17th century Puritans as being 'unfit for God-fearing people', it became popular once again due to George I so enjoying the Plum Pudding which was served at his first Christmas dinner in England. Later, the Victorians developed it into the familiar, even richer Dickensian 'cannonball'.

Ingredients

4 oz. self raising flour
4 oz. currants
4 oz. raisins
4 oz. breadcrumbs
4 oz. dark brown sugar
1 oz. shredded suet
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 eggs
Juice and rind of a lemon
4 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup milk

Procedure
Grease a 2 pint pudding basin. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the eggs, lemon juice and rind and rum and sufficient milk and stir well to produce a dropping consistency. Put the mixture into the basin. Cover and seal with greaseproof paper and kitchen foil and steam for 3 hours, topping up with boiling water as necessary. If the pudding is to be kept for a while before eating, steam for a further 3 hours before using.

(From Favourite Christmas Recipes, J. Salmon Ltd., Sevenoaks, England.)