Recipes for Picnics
Cornish Pasties
Pasties are said to have been made in a traditional shape to fit into the lunch boxes of the tin miners
Ingredients
8 ozs flour
¾lb topside – cubed small
4 ozs butter
2 large potatoes cubed small
pinch salt
1 turnip/swede cubed small
sufficient iced water to mix
1 onion chopped
freshly ground pepper and salt
Method
1. Place the flour and pinch of salt in a bowl.
2. Rub the butter into the flour.
3. Use a very small amount of iced water to help mix the dough into a ball.
4. Place in the refrigerator and chill until ready to use.
5. Place steak, potatoes, turnip and onion in a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
6. Divide the pastry into 6 balls and, on a floured work surface, roll each out into a bread plate sized round.
7. Sprinkle the round with flour and then place a large a mound of mixture on each.
8. Seal the pasties by damping the entire circumference of the pastry circle with water and then pulling both ‘sides’ of the pasty to the top.
9. Press where the ‘sides’ meat to seal and then crimp the entire ‘half moon’ shape.
10. Before placing the pasty on a well greased baking tray, coat the bottom of the pasty with flour by running it across the floured work surface.
11. Bake in oven 400ºF/190ºC for about 10 to 15 minutes then turn down oven and continue to bake
at 375ºF/180ºC about ¾ hour to allow meat and veg to cook.
12. Best served hot.
Granary Bread
Ingredients
450g/1lb granary or malthouse flour – about 4 cups
½ teaspoon salt
15g fresh yeast or 7g dried yeast or instant yeast
4 tablespoons warm water
4 tablespoons/¼ cup rapeseed or olive oil
275ml/1 cup warm water
pinch of sugar
handful of mixed seeds eg pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, sesame if desired
Method
1. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix the yeast with the sugar and 4 tablespoons of warm water and stir until yeast is dissolved. Then leave to stand in a warm place until the mixture begins to froth. (If using instant yeast, omit this stage and mix the yeast and sugar directly into the flour)
3. Pour the yeast mixture, oil and warm water into the flour and salt. Mix all together until a dough is formed. The texture of the dough should be like ‘play dough’ If using a food processor, blend together for 45 seconds with metal blade.
4. Using a floured surface, knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pliable. If it is too sticky, simply add a little flour to it until it becomes firm. If too firm, add a little more water.
5. Continue to knead until the dough is elastic and smooth.
6. Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic film and leave to stand in a warm place until it has risen to double its original volume. If dough is not to be used immediately, once it has proved, it can be placed in a fridge for a day to retard. Proceed as follows.
7. When the mixture has doubled in volume, knock it down and add the seeds if desired. Then shape it into well rounded ball or rolls. To make shaping easier, keep hands a little oily.
8. Again cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to stand in a warm place until doubled in volume again. The bread will look beautifully ‘puffy’ at this stage.
9. If desired, glaze the top with egg yolk mixed with salt and a small amount of water, and sprinkle on any desired topping eg sesame seeds, poppy seeds, herbs and slash with sharp knife if desired.
10. Bake in oven 220ºC for about 20 minutes for rolls or 40 minutes for bread or until well browned.
11. Check that the bread is cooked by tapping on the bottom. It should sound hollow.
12. Place bread on cooling rack – if left in tin it will sweat. Do not place in sealed container for storage until completely cooled.
COLESLAW
Ingredients
½ white cabbage, very finely sliced
2 sticks of celery very finely sliced
½ red cabbage, very finely sliced
4 good tablespoons of full fat yoghurt
bunch of finely sliced spring onion
8 heaped tablespoons homemade mayo
3 carrots, coarsely grated
4 tablespoonfuls of dressing of choice
2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. In a bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, mayonnaise and dressing and taste for seasoning. You will probably need to add a little bit of salt and pepper. Place in the fridge to keep cool.
2. Place all the vegetables that have been sliced or grated into a large bowl.
3. Pour over enough of the dressing over the vegetables to cover them generously. Mix all together well.
4. This is a crunchy and tangy salad. Really good shop bought mayo can be used but excellent homemade mayo makes all the difference!
Category
Recipes
