UNDER ROAST POTATOES

A true Cornish, simple recipe, used by our forebears for many generations. These days, we would call this a side dish, but long ago, for many, it would be the whole meal. When re creating this I decided to go the whole hog and use dripping, as they would have.

This recipe belonged to Hettie Merrick and was given to me by her daughter Ann, who you will know as the famous pasty maker from The Lizard. Ann’s Pasties are almost world famous and the best ‘bought pasties” in our County, I reckon. If you have never tried them, get down to The Lizard!

Notes:

Hettie states a hot oven. I guessed at fan 220C

I saved the hot water the potatoes were boiled in and used that to pour into the pie dish.

In the photo you can see [on my Blog] I used one onion, cut into 8ths and about a quarter of a small turnip [swede] cut into pieces about double the size I would chip for pasties.

Peel some even ish sized potatoes [not too big] and bring them to the boil, then drain. [I cut larger ones in half] Grease a pie dish with butter or dripping and fill with the potatoes. Add a couple of small onions and a few pieces of turnip if liked. Season the potatoes with salt and a good shake of pepper, then half fill the dish with hot water. Brush some more dripping over the potatoes and cover with a few bacon rinds. [hard to come by these days, I used some fatty streaky bacon, cut into thin slices longways, then twisted. see my Blog for more pics]. Place another dish over the top as a lid [I used foil] and put in a hot oven for half an hour. Take off the lid and bake for another hour or so until the tops of the potatoes are nice and brown and the water almost gone.  The result should be crispy brown topped potatoes with mushy bottoms.

Hettie added that sometimes a piece of meat would be placed in the middle and her granny baked a roll of pastry for a topping.

Great flavours. I need not add any more comments. The photo says it all. Traditional Cornish food at its best.

My husband thought he had gone to heaven when I served these for supper with pork chops.

I loved the mushy bottoms of the potatoes!!!

A CORNISH CAKE

This lovely, very old recipe was passed on to me by Sheilagh Banner who follows my page. It was her mother’s recipe and Sheilagh describes her mother as a supreme cake and pastry cook. Thank you so much Sheilagh.

It really does have a strange combination of ingredients but I must tell you the smell from my kitchen, as it cools, is just wonderful!

I used a greased and lined 8” spring form tin, but Sheilagh suggests that her mother might have used a loaf tin sometimes. Whatever! No oven temp was given to me, so I popped it in at 150C, then turning it down to 140C after 20 mins.

10 oz plain flour

4 oz butter [slightly softened]

4 oz soft dark brown sugar

8 oz sultanas

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 tablespoon marmalade

2 tablespoons black treacle

2 tablespoons vinegar [I presume malt]

3 eggs [I used large], beaten

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

a little milk for the top

Sieve the flour and spices together then rub in the butter, add the sugar and fruit. Warm the treacle and vinegar [in a microwave] then add the marmalade and bicarb. Add the eggs to the other liquids and tip into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Tip into your prepared tin, then brush the top with some warmed milk and bake for about 1 - 1¼ hours. I did the full time. 

A lovely cake and I will definitely make it again, although I do not think I will bother with brushing the top with milk and I will increase the quantity of the sultanas. It looks quite different with a smooth top!

Does anyone have some more old recipes? lauriemb@sky.com. You will get full credit. We need to preserve them for posterity and our descendants.

Rhubarb Tray Bake

The rhubarb outside my back door is turning into a forest, so my thoughts turned to making use of this delicious fruit. A great summery recipe [what summer????]

Pre heat your fan oven to 150C and butter an 8 x 12 inch tray bake tin. I also use some baking parchment on each direction, hanging over to help lift it out.

Prepare 12 oz rhubarb, making sure there are no stringy bits and cut into small ish pieces. I tried to use smaller stalks. Set aside for a mo.

In a medium bowl, place:

5 oz softened butter

5 oz caster sugar

zest of a lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract.

Cream the above until light and fluffy. Add:

3 large eggs, beating them in one at a time.

Add: and mix well

9 oz plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 fl oz buttermilk

Tip the mixture into your prepared tin, then toss your rhubarb in about 3 tablespoons demerera sugar [turbinado]  and sprinkle the sugary rhubarb evenly over the top of your mixture.

Bake in your pre heated oven for about 50 mins. Cool and cut into squares. Mmmmmmmm. I love rhubarb. This is just scrummy.

Sour Cream Cinnamon Cake, with a Cinnamon Drizzle

This is a lovely recipe that I found in a very old book many years ago. So easy to make and made in minutes. I bought myself a natty plain ring tin a couple of weeks ago and have used that, but you could also use a loaf tin, or a 7” round one. Ring tins [bundt] as very easy to decorate and even easier to slice. I just cannot understand why we do not use them more often.

Pre heat your fan oven to 150C and prepare you choice of tin. With a ring tin, I grease well and toss around some extra flour, tapping out any left over.

10 fl oz Sour Cream [300ml]

9 oz caster sugar

2 large eggs

9 oz plain flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and caster until very thick and very pale. Add the slackened Sour Cream. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients and mix well. Tip into your prepared tin and bake for about 55-60 mins.

While it is cooling on a rack, make up some icing to drizzle using a little icing sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon, along with a little water. Drizzle over generously and dot with some chopped nuts of your choice if you wish, or/and some cinnamon sugar.

Absolutely scrummy, so moist.  Piece of cake too.

Whiskey Infused Fruit Loaf

I love fruit cakes and it never ceases to amaze me that just by tweaking the ingredients, you get a different cake. I have posted many fruit cake recipes since I started my Blog/page and I do hope you will enjoy this one. The perfect indulgence. Great sliced with some butter slathered on it!!!! Clotted cream as well.

You will need a 2lb loaf tin, lightly oiled and lined along the long side, hanging over the edge to help you lift it out. Start off the day before, with the fruit…..

In a medium mixing bowl, add:

½ pint very hot strong black tea

8 oz soft dark brown sugar

Stir until the sugar has dissolved then add:

10 oz sultanas

6 oz currants

4 fl oz whiskey

Cover with a plate and leave [at least] overnight, stirring occasionally.

Pre heat your fan oven to 150C

2 medium eggs, beaten

8 oz plain flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 - 2 teaspoons mixed spice [your choice]

runny honey for the top

Next day - in the bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the beaten eggs and tip the whole lot into your prepared tin.

Bake for about an hour. Brush runny honey over the top while still hot in the tin, then after ten minutes cool on a rack.

Just delicious, so moist. 

Cheesy Ham and Bacon Cake

A great picnic standby, now that summer is here! Better still eaten warm with a salad. So versatile and easy. No Cornish elements to this, I am afraid but I did use Davidstow cheddar!

Grease then line the long sides [hanging over to help lift it out] of a non stick 2lb loaf tin.

Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

The cake is done in stages. Prepare each stage before making the “cake”.

In a frying pan, lightly fry until soft:

3 oz finely chopped bacon

1 med-large onion, finely chopped

[I used a teaspoon of chilli infused oil, to add a little extra depth of flavour]

Set aside for a mo to cool.

In a measuring jug, whisk together:

4 large eggs

4 fl oz white wine

4 fl oz sunflower oil

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a bowl, place:

12 oz plain flour

1 teaspoonful baking powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

6 oz chopped ham [I used a chunky offcuts pack from Aldi]

5 oz grated mature cheddar

Tip the cooled bacon and onion into the flour and cheese. Mix well, then beat in eggy mixture.

Make sure everything is well combined and tip into your prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour.

Just yummy. Easily halved if you want to make a small cake in a 1lb tin. You may need to reduce the baking time a little though.

After I made this, I took it along for afternoon tea at the Friday Bridge Club I attend. It did go down well!

PARMESAN AND RED ONION FOCACCIA with thyme

Making focaccia is a piece of cake. Dead easy and great to pull apart and share. I wish I could tell you there is a Cornish element to this recipe, but unfortunately not. But is is great to have a change now and then. Good with Davidstow cheddar though!!!! And balsamic to dip with more olive oil.

I do recommend using a mixer with a dough hook, but by hand is ok if you use an oiled surface, but the dough is fairly wet.

In a large bowl, place:

12 oz strong white bread flour

1 teaspoon easy bake yeast [use a proper measure]

1 teaspoon sea salt

a generous amount of fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan

Mix well. Add:

9 fl oz warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

Knead for ten minutes [use an oiled surface if doing by hand, it is a wet dough so try not to add any more flour. A dough scraper is handy]. Put the dough to rise in a warm spot, covered with cling film to keep it warm and cosy until doubled in size. About an hour or so.

Meanwhile:

1 large red onion, quartered, then sliced thinly. Place a generous tablespoon of olive oil in a small fry pan and over a medium heat lightly cook the onion until it just starts to soften, tossing it well, so it is completely covered in the oil, about 2-3 mins. Set side to cool.

Oil a baking sheet - I use my mermaid 1” high pan, 12 x 8 “. Take your dough and shape and stretch out to fit the baking sheet. Cover it once more with oiled cling film [spray is handy for this] and prove again for about an hour until double in size.

Pre heat your fan oven to 200C

Chop about a half tablespoon each of fresh thyme and rosemary leaves.

1 fl oz olive oil for drizzling

½ teaspoon sea salt [I love to use sea salt flakes]

Poke your finger gently in the top of the dough to make little dents all over, if not too soft. Evenly spread the cooled onion over the top, then sprinkle with the fresh rosemary and thyme. Drizzle the oil over the top and sprinkle over the sea salt flakes.

Bake for about 25 mins. The smell is absolutely amazing.  Lift and cool on a wire rack then cut into squares or better still, serve whole so folk can tear.

I just love yeast cookery!!! If doubling, bake on two separate baking sheets.