Month: March 2018

Chocolate hot cross buns – spicy, sweet, fruity & full of chocolate!

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Hot Cross Buns 2
Use your favourite hot cross bun recipe and just substitute a quarter of the flour with Green & Blacks organic cocoa

& throw some roughly chopped chocolate chunks into the mix

 

Get them while they’re hot and eat them by the ton
One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns!

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It’s St Patrick’s Day – so cook up a feast! Irish stew inspired meatballs with colcannon & champ

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Simply #MeatballDeli-cious!

It’s St Patrick’s Day so why not celebrate with Irish stew inspired meatballs, colcannon & champ?!

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To make the meatballs – mix together minced lamb + finely sliced spring onions + chopped parsley + S&P

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Roll the meatballs in flour and fry until golden

Drain off any excess fat

Cover the meatballs with lamb stock and braise until tender

Add a sprig of thyme if you like

Add baby carrots 15 minutes before the end of cooking time

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Prepare a batch of creamy mashed potatoes

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Add cooked kale for the colcannon

Not forgetting the traditional ‘well’ of melting butter!

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Add sliced spring onions for the champ

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Once the sauce has reduced to a gravy consistency serve generous portions alongside the champ & colcannon, & sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley

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A slice of buttered soda bread to accompany is a must, and a Guinness, if you’re in the mood!

“May the luck of the Irish enfold you”!

For more meatball ideas visit:

Meatball Deli  |  www.meatball-deli.co.uk   |  For the love of meatballs!

Duck pie

Roast duck pie with mushrooms & sage forcemeat balls

Published on by sugarpeppercooks1 Comment

duck pie

duck pie

duck pieFor the filling:

Fry diced bacon until crisp – drain and reserve

Season the duck legs and fry until both sides are golden

Transfer to oven and cook through

Drain off excess fat

Heat a large, flameproof casserole over a high heat, lower the heat slightly, add the bacon and oil and fry until crisp and lightly golden. Lift onto a plate with a slotted spoon. Season the duck legs with salt and pepper, add to the casserole and fry all over, until golden brown. Set aside with the bacon. 3. Pour away all but 1 tablespoon of the duck fat from the casserole, add the shallots and fry until they begin to take on a little bit of colour. Sprinkle them with the sugar and continue to cook until nicely golden on all sides. Add the carrots and fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and fry briefly. Pour in the red wine, beef stock and redcurrant jelly, and bring to the boil. 4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Stir the bacon into the casserole, rest the duck legs on top, cover and roast for 11/4 hours, until the duck is very tender. 5. Lift the duck legs out of the casserole and set aside until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, skim off the excess fat from the top of the sauce, place the casserole over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Mix the soft butter and flour until smooth, then stir into the sauce. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened, then stir in the peas, chopped mint and seasoning to taste. Remove from the heat. 6. Discard the skin from each of the duck legs and cut them in half at the joint. Take the meat off the thighs, (discarding the bones), break into small pieces and stir into the sauce. Stand the duck drumsticks upright in 4 x 350ml deep ovenproof pie dishes (ours were 11cm wide and 6cm deep). Spoon the sauce around each leg. Wrap the top of the legs in foil so they don’t burn in the oven. 7. Unwrap the pastry and divide into 4. Roll each piece out on a lightly floured surface to make a 15cm disc, and cut a cross in the centre of each. Beat the yolk with 1 teaspoon cold water, then brush it onto the underside edges of each disc. Position the discs over the pie dishes so that the duck drumsticks poke through the holes. Press the edges firmly onto the rims and sides of the dishes. Chill for 20 minutes. 8. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Put the pies onto a baking tray, brush the pastry with the remaining egg/water mix. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Return bacon to the pan

Add chopped mushrooms

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Fry mushrooms until golden

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAdd red wine + chicken stock + bay leaves

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For the pastry:

Sift the flour & add diced butter

Rub the fat in to the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs

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Add chopped parsley & mix

Add cold water & mix until the dough is smooth & firm

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Form a ball and wrap in cling film

Chill for 30 minutes

For the forcemeat balls:

Mix together white breadcrumbs + chopped sage & parsley + finely sliced spring onions
+ grated lemon zest + chopped streaky bacon + sausage meat + salt & pepper + beaten egg

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Roll into balls and chill

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERARemove duck legs and allow to cool

Add flour and redcurrant jelly to the wine & mushroom pan to create a rich, well seasoned sauce

Allow to cool

16Remove the duck meat from the legs

Add the meat to the red wine sauce & pour into pie dish

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Arrange the the forcemeat balls over the sauce so that they will support the pastry lid

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Roll out the parsley pastry

Roll out the pastry until it’s about 2.5 cm larger than the top of the pie dish

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Cut off thin strip of pastry from around the edge & brush with beaten egg

Press the pastry strip onto the rim of the dish and brush with more egg

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Top with the pastry lid & press the edges together to sea

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Press edge of fork around the rim

Decorate with pastry ‘leaves’ from the trimmings & make a steam hole in the lid

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Brush the lid with more beaten egg & chill for 30 minutes

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABake at 200C for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden

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Food styling website

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For more food styling inspo check out our Food Styling site ‘SugarPepper  . . . . on food’:

https://bluesplashdesign.wixsite.com/sugarpeppercooks  – enjoy!

Food styling website

Food styling: https://bluesplashdesign.wixsite.com/sugarpeppercooks