Likky Pie

Or Leeky Pie. A very old traditional Cornish recipe and I took as a reference my old 1920s recipe book.

“wash, clean and chop about half-dozen good sized leeks” Well that was easy to understand and do!

“put in a pan and cover with boiling water, drain in a colander; then put a layer in a pie dish, then some fat bacon, very finely sliced. Then another layer of leek and bacon until dish is full”

Well that was pretty easy to understand. The thinly sliced leeks needed blanching and then draining to remove the moisture. But the fatty bacon was another matter. I have mentioned before our flavourless watery [13%] bacon. So - I am sorry to say I plumped for Pancetta! [Sainsbury's cubetti]

“salt to taste, sufficient milk to cover. Boil for half an hour on the top of stove”

I did not salt each layer as the pancetta would do its work, just plenty of freshly ground pepper and some sea salt flakes on the top. I also pressed the leeks and cubetti firmly down as I did not want the crust to sink later on. Our forebears would have used full cream raw milk, of course. I used semi skimmed and hoped for the best, with a knob of butter for luck!!!!  see photos on my blog.

I placed the filled pie dish in the oven instead of on the top of my “stove”, covered with tin foil for the said half an hour but added another 15 mins as it would take longer to come to the boil. Then put it back again, uncovered for another 10 mins. [after taking it out, I left it to cool a bit before adding the crust].

Meanwhile I made the crust, immediately before using to cover the pie. Never store or keep suet pastry. Use immediately.

“Cover with a good suet pastry”. Suet pastry is little used these days but it is very easy. Just half Atora [I used vegetable] to Self Raising Flour [I used 6 oz flour and 3 oz suet] for this pie] and some salt. As suet is such a heavy fat, always use SR Flour when making suet crust. Bind the mix with about 4 fl oz very cold water. Gently knead, then roll out. Not too thinly.  Cover the pie, making sure you do not grease or press the edge as you have to lift off the crust before the end of the baking.

No timings or temperatures are given. Suet pastry was so commonly used everyone would know how long it took in their own ovens!! I preheated the oven to 210 then after the first 10 mins turned it down to 180 deg C.

“ten minutes before ready for the table, beat up 2 eggs and a spoonful of cream, remove the pastry and lay the beaten eggs over the cooked leeks. Replace the pastry and put back in the oven for ten minutes”. If there is any liquid remaining in the leeks before you do this, I think you need to drain it off first. Which I did. See photos.

I baked the Leeky Pie for 35 mins then took it out and carefully, with a slice, lifted the crust off, forking through gently and pouring off most of the remaining milk, [not much] then pouring over the beaten eggs and cream. Replaced the suet crust lid and baked for a further 10 mins. But I lifted the crust off for a peek and it needed another 5 mins. I cooled for 15 mins before cutting through. It looked good! It tasted good too! The suet crust was not as heavy as I had anticipated either. That could easily be replaced by Rough Puff Pastry.

 I wonder why this dish had died out? Until I started my research I had not heard of it.

Baked Portabello Mushroom

This simple recipe, given to me many years ago by my dear friend Atty, which I have slightly adapted, takes no time at all and is delicious for lunch or a starter, served with crusty bread to mop up all the juices from the rapeseed oil, cream and herbs.

for each serving:

a large Portabello Mushroom [or field if you can get it]

Cornish Rapeseed oil - or any good olive oil is fine

Parsley, chopped - lots of it, the more the better!!!!

Double Cream

Sea Salt [I use flakes - Kosher salt] and freshly ground pepper

Some chilli flakes if you wish - they really add a fantastic kick.

ditto finely chopped shallot or a small amount of chopped garlic if you wish.

I use a small oiled oven proof dish to bake and serve. Carefully remove the stalk and finely chop. Brush over the bottom and inside of the mushroom generously with the oil, season the inside and pile in the stalk and herbs. Give it another glug of oil and a large tablespoon of double cream and a little more salt. I used a few chilli flakes too.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 15 mins and enjoy. Easy peasey.

It so adaptable and you can add different herbs or flavourings.

SCONES

As I mentioned when I posted the Cornish Splits recipe, Scones are a relatively recent arrival. Nowadays scones are advertised as part of a “Traditional Cornish Cream Tea”, but we know that that is not the truth. Splits were used for that. I will be blunt now, and those of you that know me, know that I rarely mince my words when my dander is up!!!  Shop bought scones are “orrible”.!!!! There I have said it! and riled a lot of folk. BUT if you have ever tasted a home made scone, just cooled from the oven, then you will know that I speak the truth. Scones start to harden and deteriorate very quickly and should be eaten within a few short hours, 2 or 3 at the most. I freeze mine immediately they are cold, then microwave for a couple of minutes. They come out just as if they just came out of the oven. Beautiful little clouds of 'eaven, as my dear cousin Judy says!!!

To make about 18 little sweet clouds:

1½ lb Self Raising Flour

½ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

4 oz butter at room temperature [NOT marg]

4 oz castor sugar

tub Buttermilk [250 ml] about 8 fluid oz

more milk, to make up to 13 - 14 fluid oz.

Sieve the flour into a large bowl, along with the salt and BP. Rub in the butter until resembling very fine breadcrumbs, lifting the flour with each rubbing, putting as much air as possible into the mix. Add the sugar, mix, then make a well in the centre.

Empty the buttermilk into a jug and top it up to about 14 fl oz. with ordinary milk, whole if possible, but semi skimmed is fine. [all buttermilk is good too, but I like half and half]

Bring it all together, using almost all the milk and adding the last oz if you need it. Then tip out onto a floured surface and gently knead until smooth. The less you handle the mixture, the lighter it will be. Roll out evenly to about ¾ of an inch think. I use a 2 ½ inch cutter [makes 18] but smaller or bigger is just fine. Cut out your scones and place on a lightly greased baking tray. After the first cut, gather up the bits carefully and re roll. You can brush the top with milk but I never do. Place in a hot, preheated oven 210 deg C for about 12 - 15 mins according to size.

Cool on a rack. Split open and spread with jam, then clotted cream on top.

These days it is “traditional” to use Strawberry Jam. But in our forebears time jam was made with fruit that was free or in gardens. Mostly Blackberry would have been used. You may add some dried fruit if you wish, but only if you are buttering them, do NOT mix fruit and jam and cream

In a few weeks I will make some savoury scones.

Apple Cake Squares

With a bumper year for apples and fruit, there is an abundance of windfalls.  Apple cake is so good for desserts, served warm with clotted cream and the squares freeze like a dream. Or you can just eat them, as my husband does. Any apples can be used. I used a mix of Bramley and Worcester.

Prepare a suitable oblong or square tin, about 1 1/2 inches tall. Mine was 

8” x 14”. Lightly oil and put some baking parchment on the bottom and up the sides.

Turn your fan oven on to 170 Deg C.

8 fluid oz sunflower oil

12 oz castor sugar

3 eggs

14 oz Self Raising Flour

Cinnamon to taste - I used 1 teaspoon

a few drops of vanilla essence

4 oz roasted chopped hazelnuts [1 oz for the top]

3 peeled and roughly chopped apples + 1 extra, sliced unpeeled, for the top

Apricot Jam 

Whisk the sunflower oil, essence and sugar, then add the eggs, continuing to whisk, until pale and thick. Fold in the flour and spice, then the nuts and apples. Tip into the tin. Roughly level the top and spread with the sliced apples and sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts. Bake for 55mins - 1 hour.  Leave in the tin. Heat the jam until hot and runny then brush over the top.  Allow to cool for a while in the tin, cut in 4 to lift out, onto a cooling rack, then when cold cut into smaller squares. It is pretty hard to cut through the apple and nuts perfectly neatly. Don’t worry, it tastes delicious and looks homebaked.

Christmas Pudding

I made mine yesterday! But cannot take it out of the basin to photo properly, of course!! It's now tucked away in the back of a cupboard until Christmas morning!

This fabulous traditional pudding recipe belonged to a man named Joe who was a Chef at the Dorchester Hotel and later Head of the Catering Dept at Cornwall College. In it’s heyday of the 80s, when you had to book 3 weeks ahead to lunch there! Many, many years ago this recipe was given to Austin, a fellow lecturer at the college and he gave it to me!

It uses old fashioned fluid measurements, 1 gill = 5 fl oz.

This quantity makes 1 huge pudding [feeding probably 10 or 12 or more, as above] or 2 medium size.

10 oz currants

10 oz sultanas

8 oz raisins

5 oz chopped mixed peel

½ gill each of brandy, rum and madeira [or sherry]

Soak the fruit in the spirits the day before. Set aside.

Prepare all the dry ingredients: Always easier if you do it the night before too, then its all systems go in the morning.

½ lb white breadcrumbs from a stale ish loaf

½ lb soft dark brown sugar

8 oz suet [vegetable light is good]

3 oz plain flour

2 oz ground almonds

½ teaspoon mixed spice

large pinch cinnamon

When you are ready to go - combine the fruits mix and dry ingredients, then add:

grated zest of a small lemon and small orange or clemantine

4 oz of chopped peeled apple

1 gill each of stout and milk

Mix well then tip into a well greased basin, making sure there is room for the pudding to rise.

Cover with a pleated piece of parchment, then ditto foil. Tie with string securely making a loop for a handle, to help you lift it out.

Prepare a large saucepan, I fold about three folded pieces of kitchen paper in the bottom centre for the basin to sit on. Sit the basin in the saucepan then carefully pour in boiling water up to ¾ of the way up the basin. Simmer gently for 6 hours, but if you make the large add another hour, checking the water levels occasionally. Don't let it boil dry!!  When cold, replace parchment and foil etc with new, then store in a cool cupboard. Re-steam for 2 hours on Christmas Day! Serve with clotted Cream!

Cornish Crab Soup

I suspect those of our Cornish ancestors who lived in the fishing villages around our coast have been making some version of this traditional Cornish soup for a very long time. One of the most delicious soups you will ever taste. No photo could do it justice, unless someone invents 4D smelly ones! It encapsulates everything that is essentially Cornish. And it is very simple to make, done in 25 mins or less.

To make 2 large bowls:

Large knob of butter

Plain Flour

½ pint whole milk - could use semi-skimmed

¾ pint fish stock   [I now use Knorr Fish Stock pots - very good - no need to make!]]

Brown and white Crab Meat, separated

Keep the cost down, for the brown I used a small tin of John West Dressed Crab, 

about a £1 for a 43 gr tin. It has intense flavour for the base.

Buy the white - about 2 oz from your local fish merchant, a little more if you wish. Out of season they should keep fresh frozen.

Few strands saffron [see saffron buns for how to buy it cheaply]

3 or 4 tablespoons double cream

Splash of brandy

A little grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper and sea salt.

Melt a large knob of butter in a saucepan and make a runny roux sauce with some plain flour - about a half a tablespoonful, another teaspoonful if you would like it thicker.  After the butter is melted take it off the heat for a moment to stir in the flour, until smooth, then gradually add half a pint of whole milk and then the brown crab meat. Whisk until smooth and mixed well, then add the hot fish stock and a few strands of saffron.  Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 mins. Season well.  Turn the heat right down.

Add the cream, white crab meat and spice. Very gently heat for a further 5 minutes but do not let it boil. Check the seasoning and then adjust if necessary.

As my Mother said “you can add, but not take away”

The perfect winter starter or warming lunch. So good.

Footnote - I made it for lunch one day, thinking my friend Jeny would be here, but she was held up. I then ate both bowls! Disgraceful.

Farmhouse Cake

This is my favourite cake recipe. The milky smell is so comforting and feel good. It was given to me by an old lady who lived in Ponsanooth about 25 years ago and I have been making it regularly ever since. 

A recipe that you can chop and change, adapt in any way you want. This is the basic mix but I often use chopped dates and chopped walnuts instead of the sultanas. Add spices,  cherries, or chopped apricots. Coconut too… you name it…. If you omit the fruit you have the basic mix, then just go ahead and invent.

This is a boiled cake mix and uses just one medium saucepan. I find it cooks best in a 2lb loaf tin which is easier to slice too. I half line the oiled tin, to help lift out the finished cake.

In a medium saucepan put:

I cup of sultanas

1 cup of caster sugar

4 oz butter

1 cup of milk

Gently heat then bring to the boil. Leave for a while, until cool enough to add:

2 cups of Self Raising Flour

2 medium beaten eggs

Mix well and tip in the prepared loaf tin. Dredge generously with Demerera Sugar.

Bake in a preheated fan oven, 160 Deg C for about 1 hour. Delicious.