Kedgeree Cake

In Britain, there are some dishes inspired by Indian cuisine.  They call those Anglo-Indian.

The recipes for Anglo-Indian dishes are generally eccentric.  I mean really eccentric!  For example, putting mango chutney in soup, or adding heavy cream to rice - ideas such as this first turned me away from Anglo-Indian dishes.

However,  once I tasted them, they were not bad at all!  I have tried most of the Anglo-Indian dishes and must say they are all very delicious!

In this blog, I am introducing to you a modified version of one of the Anglo-Indian dishes called Kedgeree.  Normally, Kedgeree is a curry flavoured pilaf cooked with smoked fish (which most British love) with heavy cream and boiled eggs added at the end of cooking.

I modified my usual Kedgeree recipe to cook it with canned salmon and, rather than adding boiled eggs, I made an egg mixture using cream and cheese, which I added into the rice mixture and then cooked in a cake tin to set as a savory cake.

Kedgeree is one of my husband's favourite Anglo-Indian dishes and every time I cook it he appreciates it very much.  However, when I made this modified version of Kedgeree, he was just so astonished by my idea and the taste.

As soon as I published this recipe in my Japanese blog, one of my Japanese friends tried it.  She and her husband really enjoyed the dish and she is now planning to add the recipe in her cooking repertoire.


Ingredients for 2 - 3 people
1 tablespoon butter, withholding 1/3 for greasing
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 - 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 - 2 1/2 inches carrot, peeled and chopped to the size of corn and peas
3 tablespoons sweetcorn, either frozen or canned
3 tablespoons frozen peas
2 cups cooked warm sushi rice (available at the oriental corner of any supermarket)
2 tablespoons chopped chives or parsley
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (about 5 oz) pink salmon, drained well
salt and black pepper to taste
3 eggs
1 oz mature Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons half & half
6 - 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half


Instructions
Heat 2/3 of the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion for a few minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.  Add the carrot, sweetcorn, peas and cook for 4 - 5 minutes or until the volume reduces to half.

Put the warm rice in a large mixing bowl, then add the cooked vegetables, chives (or parsley), curry power and 3 spices.  With a wooden spoon or spatula mix the rice using a slicing action to distribute the vegetables and spices thoroughly.  Bear in mind if you mix too much, the gluten in the rice makes the mixture too sticky which is not a pleasant texture when you eat.

Add the pink salmon to the rice mixture and lightly mix so as to keep the bigger fish lumps.  Season with salt and black pepper.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs and strain though a fine colander.  Add the cheese and half & half to the eggs and mix well.

Add the egg mixture into the rice mixture, mix and pour into a (using the remaining butter) greased and lined 7 inch spring-form round cake tin.

Arrange the cherry tomatoes cut side up and push them down to the rice.  With the back of spoon flatten the surface of the rice, then pick up the tin and let it drop from a few inches several times onto the kitchen work surface to remove any excess air.

Cook in a preheated oven at 350 F for 45 - 50 minutes.

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Below is the Japanese version of the recipe.  If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese with pictures covering every step, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!


＜材料　２～３人分＞
バター．．．１０ｇ＋型に塗る分
たまねぎ、みじん切り．．．１／２個
にんにく、みじん切り．．．１～２かけ
にんじん、細かく切る（コーンやグリーンピースと同じ位の大きさになるように）．．．５～６ｃｍ
スイートコーン、冷凍ものでも缶ものでも．．．大さじ３
冷凍グリーンピース．．．大さじ３
ご飯、炊き立てじゃなくても良いので温かいもの（混ぜやすい）．．．１合
チャイブまたはパセリのみじん切り．．．大さじ２
カレー粉．．．小さじ２
クミンパウダー．．．小さじ１／４
コリアンダーパウダー．．．小さじ１／４
シナモンパウダー．．．小さじ１／４
鮭缶、缶汁をしっかり切る．．．１缶（１４０ｇ）
塩ブラックペッパー．．．適宜
卵．．．３個
マチュアーチェダーチーズの削ったもの（もしくはピザ用細切りチーズ）．．．３０ｇ
生クリーム．．．大さじ２（私はHalf & Halfを使用）
チェリートマト、縦２等分する．．．６～８個


＜作り方＞
１．フライパンにバターを熱したまねぎを炒める。しんなりしたらにんにくを加え更に１分、続いて人参、スイートコーン、グリーンピースを加え、野菜の嵩が少し減るくらいまで４～５分炒める。 

２．ボウルに温かいご飯を入れ、１とチャイブ（またはパセリ）、カレー粉、クミン、コリアンダー、シナモンを加える。しゃもじで切るようにして混ぜ合わせ、全体に満遍なく具とスパイスが行き渡るようにする。

３．２に鮭缶を加える、身を細かくほぐしてしまわないようにざっくりと混ぜ、塩、ブラックペッパーで味を調える。この後卵液を加えると味が薄くなるので、ここで結構しっかり味をつけると良い。このまま最低５～６分冷ます。

４．卵をよく溶きほぐし、目の細かいざるなどを使って漉す。チーズ、生クリームを加えよく混ぜ合わせる。

５．冷めたご飯に卵液を加えてよく混ぜ合わせる。薄くバターを塗り、更にパーチメントペーパー（クッキングシート）を貼った１８～２０ｃｍのスプリングフォーム（側面がばねで閉めたり緩めたり出来る型）の型にご飯を詰める。

６．表面に２等分したチェリートマトを、切り口が上になるようにして並べ、スプーンの背などで表面を押さえて平らにし、更に台の上に数回落として空気を抜いて、１８０度で予熱を済ませたオーブンで４５～５０分焼く。

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Cottage Pie in Twice Baked Jacket Potato

During my years in the UK, I learnt how to cook lots of British & Irish dishes.  Cottage pie was one of the first dishes that I learnt from British people.

Cottage pie is a simple weekday evening meal for the busy British family.  For housewives, they can prepare it in their limited spare moments from child care and housework, and for professional couples, either husband or wife (whichever one comes home before the other after the long day at work) can cook it for their partner and family without extra effort.  It is still a hearty and filling dish and everyone's favourite.

Though cottage pie was originally one of Britain's clever cooking inventions in ensure no waste of the leftovers from roast beef, nowadays most people cook it with raw meat. For your information, the term for cottage pie is to cook with beef and a similar dish cooked with lamb is to be called shepherd's pie.

In this blog, I am introducing a variation of cottage pie which is cooked in a twice baked jacket potato and served with gravy.


Ingredients for 2 people
(jacket potatoes)
2 large russet potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon milk

(filling)
olive oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 medium sized onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, peeled, chopped finely
1/4 green bell pepper, seeded, membrane removed, then chopped finely
3 brown mushrooms, the end of stems removed, chopped finely
3 OXO beef stock cubes, diluted in 2 1/2 cups of hot water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1/2 nutmeg, grated
salt & black pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped parsley

(other)
2 oz grated Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon pale dry sherry or brandy
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water


Instructions
Wash the potatoes and lightly pat-dry with kitchen paper.  Wrap the potatoes individually with a kitchen paper and cook in the microwave at 1000W for 8 minutes (flip them over once during cooking in the microwave).

Remove the kitchen paper and place the potatoes on an ovenable tray, turning the potatoes over, so the top side in the microwave becomes the bottom side in the oven.  Cook in a preheated oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until tender when tested with a skewer.

While baking the potatoes, heat a little amount of olive oil in a frying pan (if you are cooking more fatty beef in a non-stick frying pan, you can omit the oil) add the meat and cook for 6 - 7 minutes or until no longer red and any excess water has come out of the meat.  Drain through kitchen paper, discard the mysterious water and set aside.

Clean the frying pan with paper and heat some more olive oil.  Add the onion and cook for 4 - 5 minutes or until becomes soft, then add the garlic, carrot, bell pepper and mushroom and cook for a further 3- 4 minutes until the volume of the vegetables reduces by half.

Return the beef, add the beef stock and bring to a boil.  Add the tomato paste, Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce and grated nutmeg.  Season with salt and black pepper, then cook for 7 - 8 minutes or until the liquid has reduced a bit and slightly thickened.

Add the parsley, mix well, then remove from the heat and strain the filling through a colander to separate from the stock.  Reserve the stock for the gravy.

When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and, while they are still hot, wearing a pair of oven gloves,vertically cut them in half. With a spoon, scrape off the flesh to a mixing bowl being careful to not break the potato skins.

Add the butter and milk to the potato flesh and mash well to make a creamy mashed potato.

Fill the potato skins with the beef filling and cover with the mashed potato.  Sprinkle the cheese all over the jacket potatoes and bake in a preheated oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and browns.

While baking the jacket potatoes, put the stock separated from the filling in a small pan and place on a medium heat.  Bring to a boil, season with salt and black pepper if necessary, then add the sherry or brandy.  Reduce the heat to simmer and, stirring well, gradually add the flour to thicken the gravy.  Increase the heat to medium and cook for 1 minute.

Serve the jacket potatoes hot with the gravy.

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Below is the Japanese version of the recipe.  If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese with pictures covering every step, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!


＜材料　３～４人分＞

じゃがいも、ジャケットポテトに適したジャンボサイズ．．．２～３個（普通サイズのじゃがいも６個）
バター．．．１０～１５ｇ
低脂肪牛乳．．．大さじ３

（フィリング）
牛ミンチ．．．２２５ｇ
オリーブオイル．．．適宜（脂肪の多いミンチなら焦げ付かないフライパン利用でノンオイル調理可）
たまねぎ、粗みじん切り．．．大１／２個
にんにく、細かく刻む．．．２かけ
人参、皮を剥き細かく刻む．．．細いもの１／２本
パプリカ、種を抜き白い薄膜を取り除いて細かく刻む．．．１／４個
マッシュルーム、石突を取り除き細かく刻む．．．３個
OXOキューブ、６００ｍｌの湯で溶く．．．３個（味の素固形コンソメなら同量の湯で２個を溶く）
トマトペースト．．．大さじ１
リー＆ペリンウスターシャーソース．．．大さじ１
ナツメグの削ったもの．．．１／２個分（もしくはナツメグパウダー小さじ１）
塩ブラックペッパー．．．適宜
パセリのみじん切り．．．１／２カップ

（その他）
チェダーチーズもしくはピザ用細切りチーズ．．．４０～５０ｇ
シェリー酒またはブランディー．．．大さじ１（どちらもなければ不要）
水溶き小麦粉．．．大さじ１の小麦粉を大さじ２の水で溶いたもの


＜作り方＞
１．じゃがいもは皮ごと食べれるようにたわしで綺麗に洗って汚れを落とす。ペーパーでパットドライ程度に軽く水分を取り、キッチンペーパーに包んで１０００Wの電子レンジで約１０分加熱する。

２．レンジで底になっていた面が上になるようにオーブントレーにじゃがいもを並べ、２００度で予熱を済ませたオーブンで２５～３０分、または竹串がすっと通るようになるまで焼く。 

３．じゃがいもを焼いている間にフィリングの準備をする。必要に応じ少量のオリーブオイルをフライパンに熱し牛ミンチをほぐしながら炒める。赤みがなくなり芯まで火が通ったら、穴のあいたお玉でペーパーの上に取り出す。鍋の底に残った水分は処分し、ペーパーで汚れを拭き取る。

４．フライパンにオリーブオイルを熱したまねぎを炒める。しんなりしてきたら、にんにく、人参、パプリカ、マッシュルームを加えて炒める。野菜のボリュームが半減するくらいまでよく炒める。

５．４に牛肉を戻す。熱湯で溶いたスープキューブを加え、煮立ってきたらトマトペースト、ウスターシャーソース、ナツメグを加え、塩、ブラックペッパーで味を調える。そのまま７～８分、スープの量が少し減るまで煮詰める。 

６．５にパセリを加え全体に混ぜ合わせたら火からおろす。 

７．ボウルにざるを載せ、６を具と煮汁を分ける。 

８．じゃがいもが焼きあがったら、やけどをしないように注意しながら、熱い内に縦半分に切り分け身をくり抜く。くりぬいた身が熱い内にバターを加えて溶かし、牛乳を加えながらクリーミーなマッシュポテトに仕上げる。 

９．７の具を８のじゃがいもの皮に６等分して詰める。 

１０．９の表面をたっぷりのマッシュポテトで被い、チーズをまぶして、２００度で予熱を済ませたオーブンで２０分、またはチーズが溶け、表面がこんがり色づくまで焼く。

１１．グレービーを作る。７の煮汁を火にかけ、煮立ったら水溶き小麦粉で好みの濃度にとろみをつける。（目安は、デミグラスソースよりは薄い！）

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Bubble & Squeak Deluxe

Bubble & Squeak is one of the most tasty British inventions! Originally it was cooked with leftovers of mashed potatoes and boiled cabbage.

You do not have to wait until you have some leftovers.  You can cook it from scratch too.

Here, I am introducing a recipe for a delicious modification to Bubble & Squeak.  Mine is meaty and voluminous and it becomes a beautiful hearty dinner when served with yolky fried eggs or canned baked beans.


Ingredients for 3 - 4 people
about 1/8 cabbage, remove the heart and roughly chopped
1 small carrot, peel and roughly chopped
2 slices fatty bacon, chopped finely
1 tablespoon butter, divided
1/2 sweet onion, chopped finely
1/2 bell pepper (any colour), chopped finely
2-3 mushroom, chopped finely
1 stick celery, chopped finely
2 large russet potatoes, peel, boiled and mashed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt and black pepper to taste


Instructions
Put enough water into a small pan that will cover the cabbage and carrot, and bring to the boil.  Add the cabbage and carrot, put on the lid and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes or until they become soft.  Drain and leave them to cool.  Wrap the cabbage in a piece of kitchen paper and squeeze lightly to remove excess water.  Chop the vegetables finely.

Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the bacon until it browns and lots of fat comes off.  With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a plate and dab the bacon using a piece of kitchen paper to remove excess fat, but make sure you leave the bacon fat that's still in the frying pan for the next step.

In the same frying pan, heat the half of the butter and cook the onion, bell pepper, mushroom and celery for 5 - 6 minutes or until the vegetables become soft.

Return the bacon to the frying pan and add the cabbage, carrot and parsley.  Cook for a minute or two.

Add the mashed potato and stir well in order to combine the bacon and vegetables into the potato evenly.  Season with garam masala, salt & black pepper.

Now, with the back side of wooden spoon, press the mixture into a large thick pizza shape.  Cook over the medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of potato cake becomes brown.  Gently shake the frying pan every so often making sure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Invert the potato cake to a large enough plate.  Melt the rest of butter in the frying pan and slide the potato cake back.  Cook a further 10 minutes or until the new bottom side also becomes brown.

Cut the Bubble & Squeak into 8 wedges and serve hot with some yolky fried eggs or canned baked beans. 


If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Cornish Pasties

The Cornish pasty is a very traditional English pastry dish – coming from Cornwall in Western England.

Historically they were prepared as a lunch for workers in Cornwall’s tin mines.  The edges of pasties in those days were made much thicker to be used as a “handle” so that the mine workers could hold the pasty with their dirty fingers, eating the pasty and throwing away the edge of the crust.

Traditional recipes suggest to wrap uncooked meat and vegetables in the pastry - cooking everything at one time.  I cook the filling first to allow its taste to be more intense.

Serve with a green salad for dinner, or enjoy by themselves as a snack.

Ingredients for 6 pasties

(Pastry)

10oz all-purpose flour + extra for dusting
1 teaspoon mustard powder

pinch of salt

5oz chilled butter, cubed

(Filling)

8 to 10oz steak beef, remove extra fat and finely chopped (do not mince!)

salad or olive oil to cook

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

medium potato, skinned, chopped into small cubes, washed and drained

1 teaspoon English mustard powder

1 teaspoon hot horseradish

1 round tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 beef (stock) cube, combined with 1/4 cup hot water

salt and black pepper to taste

MSG to taste, optional

1 heaped tablespoon chopped parsley

1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt to glaze

Instructions

Sift the flour, mustard powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.  With your fingertips or using a pastry blender, rub the butter into the flour lightly until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the water (1 tbs at a time) into the flour mixture and mix the pastry until it becomes smooth.  Wrap the pastry in aluminium foil and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the chopped steak until any excess water come out of the beef (2 to 3 minutes).  Drain the water and remove the beef from the frying pan. Set the beef aside.

Wipe down the frying pan and re-heat with a little oil.  Fry the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook further 1 minute (this is just to soften the onion, you don’t want to brown it).  Add the potato and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Return the cooked beef into the frying pan.  Add the mustard and horseradish and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

Add the flour into the frying pan and stir well to ensure the filling is covered evenly with the flour.  Add the beef stock mixture and the parsley.  Stir until the filling thickens slightly.  Remove from the heat and spread on a wide plate to cool it completely.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 1/6” thickness.  Using a round cereal bowl (about 6 inch diameter) cut out the pastry to six round wrappers.

Spoon 1/6 of filling into the centre of each round wrapper.  Moisten the edge of the wrapper with a little egg.  Fold over and pinch the edges to make a frill.  Repeat for the rest.

Glaze the pasties with the beaten egg and cook in the preheated oven (at 350F) for 25 to 30 minutes or until they become golden brown.

 

Mini Cornish Pasties are everyone's favourite at party.

 

British enjoy Cornish Pasties with HP brown sauce.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Sausage Rolls

My first cooking in this blog is one of British people's favourites - Sausage Rolls.

These mini sausage rolls are a modification of the British-style sausage roll – also known as “Pigs in a Blanket”. 

In Britain, sausage rolls are generally made with sausage meat filling with a puff pastry wrapping, but I use ground pork, adding some herbs & spices to give them a little more sophisticated taste. 

These are great for kids snacks as well or alternatively finger foods at a party.

Ingredients for 16 rolls
(Filling)

6 oz ground pork

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 egg

4~5 tablespoons breadcrumbs

salt, pepper and MSG to taste

2 sheets frozen rolled puff pastry, thawed

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk to glaze

(Cocktail Sauce)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon English mustard (quite hot)

Instructions

Place the ground pork in a mixing bowl and add the other filling ingredients, mixing well with your hands. Season with salt, pepper and MSG.

Lay the pastry sheets on a board and cut each sheet into two strips.

Spoon 1/4 of the filling across the long edge of the pastry sheet and roll up. Repeat for the rest of filling and sheets. Freeze the rolls for 20 minutes or so. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.

Cut the rolls into 1 and a half inch long “sausages” and place them on the baking sheet seam side down. Brush lightly with the egg mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.

Serve hot with the cocktail sauce on the side – the sauce is made by simply mixing the ingredients in a cup.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!