Kath's Kitchen: Traditional British Recipes For Autumn
Now that harvest is over, and the vines are starting to show their fall colors, it's time for some traditional British recipes to fill the coming season with warmth and cheer. The following recipes--Shepherds Pie, Sleepy Pie and Olde English Apple Pie--are specialties of Kath Morley, and are delicious served with Escafeld Vineyards 2002 Merlot.
Shepherds Pie
(Serves 4)
Filling
1lb lean minced beef
1 large onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 oz red lentils
2-3 beef stock cubes
Olive oil for frying
Topping
4 large potatoes
Salt to taste
1 oz butter
2 tablespoons milk
Peel and chop onion and fry gently in a little olive oil until transparent and starting to brown. Drain, remove from pan and reserve.
Fry minced beef gently until browned all over (do not add extra fat). Remove from heat and drain off the fat. Place in a large saucepan and add onions, salt, black pepper, mixed herbs, tomato puree and lentils. Cover with hot water and bring to the boil, stirring well. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes, partially covering pan. Add beef stock and stir well.
If sauce needs to be thickened, blend 1 teaspoon cornflour with a little water to form a smooth paste. Add gradually to mince mixture and reheat gently until sauce thickens, stirring well. Strain sauce from mince and keep warm.
Peel and chop potatoes into 1 inch; pieces, cover with cold water adding salt to taste. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Add 1/2 oz butter and a little milk to potatoes and mash until smooth and creamy.
Place mince beef in a shallow, ovenproof dish with just enough sauce to moisten.
Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, leveling out with a fork. Dot remaining butter over potato and place under broiler until topping begins to brown.
Serve immediately with fresh garden peas and carrots.
Sleepy Pie
(Serves 4)
Filling
1lb best braising steak (all fat removed)
2 large onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 oz red lentils
1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 beef stock cubes
2 oz seasoned flour
Olive oil for frying
4 large potatoes
12 oz shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust Pastry
1lb Self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
8 oz lard
Water to mix
Place SR Flour in large mixing bowl and add salt.
Cut lard into small pieces and add to flour. Rub lard into flour with finger tips or until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water gradually, mixing with a knife, until mixture binds together. Avoid adding too much water as this creates a sticky, unmanageable dough.
Make mixture into a ball and place on floured pastry board. Roll out pastry until it is required thickness.
Peel and finely chop onion. Fry gently in a little olive oil until transparent and slightly brown. Remove from pan and reserve.
Cut braising steak into 1 inch cubes and toss into seasoned flour until completely coated.
Add a little extra olive oil to frying pan and fry beef until brown on all sides, stirring occasionally.
Place beef, onions, salt, black pepper, red lentils, mixed herbs and tomatoe puree into a large saucepan, cover with hot water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to simmering, partially cover and cook for 2 hours or until meat is tender.
Add beef stock cubes stirring well. If gravy needs to be thickened, blend 1 teaspoon cornflour with a little water to form a smooth paste. Add gradually to meat mixture and reheat gently until gravy thickens, stirring well.
Peel and dice potatoes, cover with cold water, add pinch of salt and bring to boil. Cook until potato softens. Drain.
Place braising steak and potatoes into a large pie dish, adding sufficient gravy to moisten. Cover with shortcrust pastry, trim edges and prick pastry with fork. Brush with a little milk and cook in hot oven (300c) for 20 mins until pastry is browned.
Serve with beef gravy and fresh vegetables.
Olde English Apple Pie
1 1/2 lbs best Bramley cooking apples
4 oz sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
1lb shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust Pastry
1lb Self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
8 oz lard
Water to mix
Place SR Flour in large mixing bowl and add salt. Cut lard into small pieces and add to flour. Rub lard into flour with finger tips or until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water gradually, mixing with a knife, until mixture binds together. Avoid adding too much water as this creates a sticky, unmanageable dough.
Make mixture into a ball and place on floured pastry board. Roll out pastry until it is required thickness.
Peel, core and thinly slice apples. (Placing apples immediately when peeled into cold salted water will prevent discolouration). Place apples in saucepan with the sugar and a little water. Heat slowly until apples are soft. Strain apples from syrup and reserve. Blend cornflour with a little water to make a smooth paste. Add gradually to the syrup and cook until the mixture thickens.
Line a 10 inch pie dish with pastry. Place apples in dish together with several spoonsful of syrup mixture. Damp edges of pastry and place pastry lid over apple mixture, pressing pastry edges together. Trim away excess pastry and prick pie top with fork. Fluff up the pastry edges to prevent hardening. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Cook in hot oven (300c) until pastry is browned. Serve warm with ice cream or custard; equally delicious eaten cold with fresh cream.
Shepherds Pie
(Serves 4)
Filling
1lb lean minced beef
1 large onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 oz red lentils
2-3 beef stock cubes
Olive oil for frying
Topping
4 large potatoes
Salt to taste
1 oz butter
2 tablespoons milk
Peel and chop onion and fry gently in a little olive oil until transparent and starting to brown. Drain, remove from pan and reserve.
Fry minced beef gently until browned all over (do not add extra fat). Remove from heat and drain off the fat. Place in a large saucepan and add onions, salt, black pepper, mixed herbs, tomato puree and lentils. Cover with hot water and bring to the boil, stirring well. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes, partially covering pan. Add beef stock and stir well.
If sauce needs to be thickened, blend 1 teaspoon cornflour with a little water to form a smooth paste. Add gradually to mince mixture and reheat gently until sauce thickens, stirring well. Strain sauce from mince and keep warm.
Peel and chop potatoes into 1 inch; pieces, cover with cold water adding salt to taste. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Add 1/2 oz butter and a little milk to potatoes and mash until smooth and creamy.
Place mince beef in a shallow, ovenproof dish with just enough sauce to moisten.
Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, leveling out with a fork. Dot remaining butter over potato and place under broiler until topping begins to brown.
Serve immediately with fresh garden peas and carrots.
Sleepy Pie
(Serves 4)
Filling
1lb best braising steak (all fat removed)
2 large onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 oz red lentils
1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 beef stock cubes
2 oz seasoned flour
Olive oil for frying
4 large potatoes
12 oz shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust Pastry
1lb Self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
8 oz lard
Water to mix
Place SR Flour in large mixing bowl and add salt.
Cut lard into small pieces and add to flour. Rub lard into flour with finger tips or until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water gradually, mixing with a knife, until mixture binds together. Avoid adding too much water as this creates a sticky, unmanageable dough.
Make mixture into a ball and place on floured pastry board. Roll out pastry until it is required thickness.
Peel and finely chop onion. Fry gently in a little olive oil until transparent and slightly brown. Remove from pan and reserve.
Cut braising steak into 1 inch cubes and toss into seasoned flour until completely coated.
Add a little extra olive oil to frying pan and fry beef until brown on all sides, stirring occasionally.
Place beef, onions, salt, black pepper, red lentils, mixed herbs and tomatoe puree into a large saucepan, cover with hot water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to simmering, partially cover and cook for 2 hours or until meat is tender.
Add beef stock cubes stirring well. If gravy needs to be thickened, blend 1 teaspoon cornflour with a little water to form a smooth paste. Add gradually to meat mixture and reheat gently until gravy thickens, stirring well.
Peel and dice potatoes, cover with cold water, add pinch of salt and bring to boil. Cook until potato softens. Drain.
Place braising steak and potatoes into a large pie dish, adding sufficient gravy to moisten. Cover with shortcrust pastry, trim edges and prick pastry with fork. Brush with a little milk and cook in hot oven (300c) for 20 mins until pastry is browned.
Serve with beef gravy and fresh vegetables.
Olde English Apple Pie
1 1/2 lbs best Bramley cooking apples
4 oz sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
1lb shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust Pastry
1lb Self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
8 oz lard
Water to mix
Place SR Flour in large mixing bowl and add salt. Cut lard into small pieces and add to flour. Rub lard into flour with finger tips or until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water gradually, mixing with a knife, until mixture binds together. Avoid adding too much water as this creates a sticky, unmanageable dough.
Make mixture into a ball and place on floured pastry board. Roll out pastry until it is required thickness.
Peel, core and thinly slice apples. (Placing apples immediately when peeled into cold salted water will prevent discolouration). Place apples in saucepan with the sugar and a little water. Heat slowly until apples are soft. Strain apples from syrup and reserve. Blend cornflour with a little water to make a smooth paste. Add gradually to the syrup and cook until the mixture thickens.
Line a 10 inch pie dish with pastry. Place apples in dish together with several spoonsful of syrup mixture. Damp edges of pastry and place pastry lid over apple mixture, pressing pastry edges together. Trim away excess pastry and prick pie top with fork. Fluff up the pastry edges to prevent hardening. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Cook in hot oven (300c) until pastry is browned. Serve warm with ice cream or custard; equally delicious eaten cold with fresh cream.
