Chicken and Leek Pie

 I'd never used leeks before until this recipe. I am sorry I waited so long to use them. They are quite tasty.

Pie Filling 

16 oz. chicken stock
3 chicken breasts
75g. butter
2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and cut into ½ inch slices

2 garlic cloves, crushed
55g. plain flour
7 oz. milk
2–3 Tbsp. moscato (optional)
5 oz. heavy cream
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Pie Pastry 

350g. plain flour, plus extra for dusting
175g. butter
1 egg
1 Tbsp. cold water
1 egg, beaten, to glaze

To make the pie filling: Heat the stock in a saucepan. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer. 

Cover the saucepan and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the stock. Reserve the stock for later.

In a very large saucepan, melt 25g. of the butter. Then stir in the leeks and coat with the butter. Cook over medium low heat for several minutes. Add in the garlic and cook one more minute.

Add in the remaining butter. As soon as it has melted, stir in the flour. Stir continuously for 30 seconds.

Pour the milk in slowly, about an ounce at a time. Stir very well between each add, making sure the milk gets absorbed. 

After all the milk is incorporated, add 10 oz. of the reserved chicken stock and the moscato (if you're using it). Stir until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't let this boil or your milk will break. Gentle simmer only.

Remove from the heat, stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with cling film, making sure to touch the surface of the sauce with the film so a skin won't form on it. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Put a baking sheet in the oven to warm up.

To make the pie pastry: Add the flour and butter to a food processor (or cut with a pastry blender) until the mix resembles course breadcrumbs. 

In a small bowl, mix the egg and cold water together, beat lightly. Add to the food processor. Process until the mixture comes together into a ball. 

Portion off 250g. of the pastry for the pie lid.

Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until around ¼ in. thick and 1½ in. larger than the 9 inch pie dish. 

Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie dish. Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides. 

Cut the chicken breasts into bitesized pieces. Stir the chicken into the cooled sauce. 

Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg. 

Roll out the reserved pastry for the pie lid. Cover the pie with the lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry. 

Make a small hole in the center of the pie with the tip of a knife. 

Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. 

Bake on the preheated tray in the center of the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot.  

One of my all-time favorite savory pies!

Adapted from a BBC recipe.

Cornish Pasties

*Plan ahead... needs to chill...

2 1/2 c. flour
1 stick of butter, chilled
pinch of salt
4-6 Tbsp. water
10 oz. ground beef
1 small potato, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
6-7 baby carrots, finely chopped
1-2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. beef stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
thyme, to taste
coriander, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten

Place the flour and salt in a food processor. Grate in the chilled butter. Process for about 20 seconds, or until crumbly. Add in the water, and process in short bursts until the mixture comes together into a ball. Add more water if needed.

Gather the dough ball together and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, place the ground beef, potato, onion, carrot, sauce, stock, garlic, and seasonings into a large bowl. Combine well.

Grease a baking tray and set aside.

Preheat oven to 415 F.

When the dough is ready, divide into eight portions. Roll out each portion into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Divide the filling evenly and put in the center of each pastry circle.

Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and bring the sides together into a semicircle. Pinch the edges to form a frill. Place each pasty on the baking tray.  Brush with the remaining egg, and bake for 15 minutes.

Lower the heat to 350 F. Cook for another 25-30 minutes, or until golden.

Recipe adapted from 1000 Best Recipes

Victoria Sponge Cake

Cake:
shortening for greasing 
1 c. self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
14 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 c. caster sugar
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk

Filling:
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 c. caster sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. raspberry or strawberry preserves
icing sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease and line two 20 cm round cake tins with parchment paper. Grease the paper too.

To make the cake: In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Whisk in all other ingredients, adding in the eggs one at a time.

Divide the batter between the tins.

Bake 20-25 minutes until the center is cooked through.

Cool 5-10 minutes in the tins before removing to a cooling rack. The cake needs to cool completely.

To make the filling: Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium sized bowl until firm peaks form.

Spread the jam on one side of one of the cakes. Spread the cream on top of the jam. Sandwich the other cake on top of the jam and cream.

Dust with icing sugar.

Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6603/classic-sponge-sandwich

Digestive Biscuits

1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 c. spelt flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 c. shortening, cold
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1/3 c. heavy cream
flour for rolling out dough

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the rolled oats, spelt flour, salt, powder, and brown sugar to a food processor. Pulse several times until the oats are just small bits.

Add in the shortening. Pulse a few times.

Add the butter and pulse again.


Move mixture to a large bowl. Slowly add in the cream, stirring the mixture with a spoon until the dough comes together. Knead it in the bowl a few times.

Lightly flour a clean surface and roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a small cookie cutter and cut out the biscuits, placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the dough until all of the biscuits are cut.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden with faintly browning edges. Allow to cool completely.

Serve the biscuits with black tea for dipping.


Here is a link to the recipe I used: http://www.savorysimple.net/digestive-biscuits/

Scotch Eggs

4 hard boiled eggs, room temperature
8 oz. sausage (Jimmy Dean is always good!), divided into 4 equal parts (about 2 oz. each)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Uncooked

3/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
pepper (lots!)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 c. cornflakes, crushed
oil, for deep frying

Wrap each sausage section around each hard boiled egg. Make sure the egg is completely covered with the sausage.

Add the lightly beaten egg to a shallow bowl. Add the flour, salt, pepper, and dry mustard to another shallow bowl. Add the crushed cornflakes to a third shallow bowl.

Cookin' up the Scotch Eggs

In a deep skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom and a little up the sides. Turn heat to medium-high.

Take your sausage wrapped eggs, and one at a time dip first in the beaten egg, then coat in the flour mixture, then back in the raw egg, then roll in the cornflakes. Then put each ball into the oil. Make sure the whole ball gets cooked. Just roll to a different side every minute or so until each ball is a golden brown color. Don't burn them! Serve hot.

Beef and Caramelised Onion Pie

1/3 c. oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced

Flour covered beef

1 tsp. brown sugar
2 lb. lean rump steak, diced
1/4 c. plain flour
4 cloves garlic, crushed
7 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 c. beef stock
5 oz. stout (I used Guinness)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. thyme
11 oz. potatoes, diced

Simmering

2 carrots, diced
1 1/4 lb. quick flaky pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil in the frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes, or until light brown. Then add the sugar and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until the onion caramelizes. Remove from the pan. Wipe the pan clean. (Or just cook in a separate pan like I did)

Filling

Toss the beef in flour and shake off the excess. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and cook the meat in batches over high heat until browned. Return all the meat to the pan, add the garlic and mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock, stout, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Add the potato and carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Pie!

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a pie dish. Pour in the filling, then top with the onion. Roll the pastry out between two sheets of baking paper until it is 1 inch wider than the pie dish (We tried using wax paper, but that did not work). Cut a 3/4 inch strip around the edge of the pastry circle, brush with water and place damp side down on the rim of the dish.

Cover with the remaining pastry, pressing the edges together. Knock up the rim by making small slashes in the edges of the pastry with the back of a knife. Re-roll the trimmings and use them to decorate the pie. Brush with egg and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.

From The 1000 Best Recipes

Yorkshire Pudding

4 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C). In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until well blended. Whisk in the flour one cup at a time until frothy and well blended. Set aside. Distribute the oil equally among 12 muffin cups, a little over a tsp per cup. Place in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until smoking. Remove from the oven and quickly ladle about 1/4 c. of batter into each cup. Bake for 18-25 minutes. Serve immediately (with gravy). You can turn the oven off and leave the door partially open with the yorkies inside to keep them from deflating while waiting for everyone to ask for seconds. Yield: 18 yorkies

Recipe courtesy of Angelina Lee