Mutton Cawl

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ESSE Recipes March – A Welsh Spring

Mutton Cawl for an ESSE hob and slow oven, serves 6 – 8

This ancient dish was probably first made with salt pork or beef, or more likely still with game. However these days mutton is the way to go and I’ve chefed the dish up a little with the addition of some fresh herbs and a drop of cider. It is an ideal slow cooking classic which is started on the stove top then left to do its own thing either on a low heat on the top or popped in a slow oven to finish. When cooking on an ESSE EL13Amp, set to slumber and use the low oven for 5 to 6 hours, for other cooker models, use the main oven, aim for the ESSE dial reading to be COOL, temperature about 120°C for around 4 hours.

Ingredients

  • 100g lard
  • 500g of diced organic mutton shoulder
  • 250g potatoes, peeled chopped chunky
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 rashers of good, smoked, streaky bacon
  • 2 leeks, washed very well and shredded
  • 1 small celeriac peeled and chopped the same size as the potato
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped the same size as the potato
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 1/2 pint good, dry cider
  • A pinch of ground cinnamon

To finish the stew / soup / stoup? You will need a selection of fresh, finely chopped thyme and rosemary along with some of the green from the leeks and a few nettle tops, some nice strong local cheese and fresh bread.

Method
It is so easy, it’s a no brainer this one. Simply start by sealing everything off a bit at a time in a large casserole dish in the lard, over a moderate heat. Start with the mutton and bacon then the veg, taking care not to overload the pan. You can, of course, complete this first stage in batches and pop the sealed up bits on a plate or in a dish until its all done. Reserve a little of the green of leek to use later and once everything is done, season heavily with pepper and a little salt. With everything now back in the pan, add the cider and cook for a minute or two before adding the bay. Only just cover your meat and veg with water and simmer until tender, probably 2 – 3 hours, topping up as needed with more water.

Once the meat is tender, season again, and then at the last minute stir in very finely chopped rosemary, thyme, leek green and add a pinch of cinnamon. Serve hearty portions with torn off bread and chunks of crumbly hard cheese.

I like to finish the Cawl with a few nettle tops if you can get them, it’s very seasonal and utterly delicious.

Pulled Chicken

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Pulled chicken prepared by Tim Maddams of Green Sauce.

Tim joined us in our factory showroom in Barnoldswick, Lancashire. He personally highlighted the benefits of owning an ESSE to our cookery demonstration team.
We hope you enjoy cooking this dish.

Roast Rack of Mutton with Potatoes, Anchovies and Garlic

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I was lucky enough to be given half a rack of mutton by Hugh after our Lamb and Mutton in a day course that we run at River cottage HQ.

I made this dish at home that night.

If you cant get hold of mutton a rack of lamb or hoggit will be fine.

Serves

Four People

Ingredients

  • Half a rack of mutton trimmed of excess fat.
  • Half a kilo of potatoes
  • A sprig of rosemary
  • 3 or 4 anchovy fillets roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper.
  • Olive oil
  • Pre heat your oven to hot. 210-220c

Method

Peel and slice the potatoes in to 1cm thick rounds.

Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander.

Place the rack in a medium sized roasting tin.

Scatter the potatoes around it with the anchovies, garlic and rosemary. Season the whole lot well with salt and pepper and trickle with olive oil.

Roast for 15 minutes in the top oven reading ‘very hot’. Drop to the lower oven and continue to cook for a further 15 mins.

Remove the rack of mutton. place the tray back into the top oven to crisp the potatoes up. This will take about 10 minutes, by which time, the mutton will have had a chance to rest.

Serve with steamed purple sprouting or winter salad leaves.

Rabbit Casserole

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This is really simple to make and warming on a cold winters day, it has a thin but incredibly flavoursome sauce, and goes well with celeriac mash or an egg pasta.

Serves

Four People

Ingredients

  • 2 wild rabbits, jointed
  • 500g bacon, lardons
  • Dash of Dorset cider brandy
  • 0.5 ltr white wine
  • 1.5 ltr game stock
  • 2 lrg onions, sliced
  • 3 lrg carrots, cut into chunks
  • 3 sticks of celery, sliced
  • A handful of Seasoned flour
  • A pinch of coriander, mace and white peppercorns

Method

Part boil the potatoes until just tender but not completely.

Pre-fire the oven to around ‘very hot’.

First brown the bacon lardons in a frying pan over the hot plate, when golden transfer to a casserole dish retaining the fat in the frying pan for the rabbit. Toss the rabbit joints in the seasoned flour shake off the excess and then brown in the same pan.

Add the sliced onions, veg and boquet garni to the casserole pot and sweat over the hot plate, when the rabbit is nicely browned all over add it to the casserole pot with the spices. While the frying pan is still hot add a slug of cider vinegar and deglaze the nice gooey residues stuck to the bottom then add to the pot. Finally add the stock and white wine adding just enough to cover the meat.

Now gently bring the casserole up to a nice slow simmer its really important that you don’t let it boil otherwise you will shock the lean meat making it dry and tough. Put the lid on and put into the top oven for about an hour till the meats really juicy and tender.

Slow-roasted Beef Brisket with Potatoes and Onions

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Brisket’s open-grained texture, generous fattiness and deep flavour make it perfect for slow roasting, as well as boiling. Ask your butcher for the thick end of the brisket, boned and rolled, and make sure he doesn’t trim off the fat.

Serves

Serves six to eight people

Ingredients

  • 2kg piece boned, rolled beef brisket (fresh, not salted)
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, bruised
  • Good handful of thyme sprigs
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1-1.25kg potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • About 400g baby onions or shallots, outer skins removed

Optional Extras

  • Baby broad beans and/or garden peas, podded and blanched for 2 minutes

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

Put the brisket in a large roasting dish. Tuck the garlic and thyme inside and under it. Pour over two to three tablespoons of olive oil and massage into the meat, then season well.

Put the meat in the oven for 20-30 minutes, then remove it. Turn down the oven to 130C/250F/gas mark 1/2 , cover the meat with foil and return to the oven for four hours.

After this time, the beef should be very tender. Baste it with its juices, add the potatoes and onions, and toss them in the fat, then turn up the heat to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and cook, uncovered, for a further hour.

Serve the beef in thick slices, with the potatoes, onions and a little of the rich cooking juices.

Chocolate Sponge

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Ingredients

  • 60g plain flour
  • 15g cocoa powder
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 75g caster sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to ESSE dial reading low end of HOT / 190°C/Gas mark 5.
  2. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
  3. Place the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using either a hand-held electric whisk or a free-standing electric mixer, whisk until the mixture has almost quadrupled in volume, is very light and fluffy, and holds its shape. Sift half of the flour and cocoa, using a large metal spoon, carefully fold them in before adding the remaining flour and cocoa in the same way. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well with a spatula.
  4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out lightly and evenly, making sure it fills the corners of the tin.
  5. Bake in the oven for 12–14 minutes until the sponge feels firm to the touch in the centre.
  6. As soon as the sponge comes out of the oven, lift onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Campari with Fresh Grapefruit Juice

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Ingredients

  • Cocktail glasses
  • 2 red grapefruits (or more depending on how many re-fills you want!)
  • Ice
  • Campari

Method

  1. Cut the grapefruits in half and squeeze the juice from them.  Set the skins aside. Strain the juice into a jar and refrigerate.
  2. Put 2 ice cubes in each glass, cover with Campari and top up with the grapefruit juice.

To use the grapefruit peel make crystallised grapefruit peel, (or use orange peel instead).  This is a quick method!

  1. Cut the peel into strips and cover with water and boil for 10 minutes and then drain,  throwing away the water (this removes any bitterness in the peel).
  2. Then place 450g granulated sugar into a saucepan with 1 pint of water, add the peel and bring gently to the boil.  Simmer until soft (about an hour in the bottom oven of the ESSE at 160C/ESSE dial guide middle of MODERATE).
  3. Drain the syrup from the peel and lay them out on a cake rack.  Put next to the ESSE to dry out overnight.
  4. Toss with a little caster sugar and keep in a dry container ready for serving or using in your cooking!

Happy ESSE festive baking!

Recipe by Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen

Pink Lady Apple and Mince Pies

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Shop-bought mince pies rarely taste better than home-made and these with their apple and dried cranberry filling are more than impressive. Serve warm or cold with cream or custard if liked.

Makes

12 pies

Ingredients

Pastry:

  • 50g cold butter, diced
  • 50g lard or solid vegetable oil, diced
  • 175g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 4 tbsp cold water

Filling:

  • 200g mince meat
  • 1 Pink Lady apple, cored and finelychopped
  • 25g dried cranberries
  • icing sugar, to dust

Method

  1. Preheat the oven if necessary to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Esse Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be in the middle of HOT).
  2. Put the butter and lard (or solid vegetable oil) into a food processor along with the flour, icing sugar, egg yolk and water and pulse until the mixture binds together. Alternatively, use your fingertips to rub the butter and lard lightly through the flour and icing sugar, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add the egg yolk and sufficient water to bind together. Turn the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, knead to a ball then roll out and stamp out 12 circles with a 7cm cutter. Line a bun tin with these and chill for 30 minutes. Reserve the pastry trimmings.
  3. Meanwhile, mix the mincemeat with the apple and cranberries and spoon into the pastry cases. Stamp out 12 stars from the pastry trimmings and place one on the top of each pastry case.
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden and cooked. Serve warm or cold dusted with icing sugar.

Get Ahead!

Baked mince pies will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Ideally warm in the oven for 5-8 minutes before serving.

Chestnut, Red Pepper and Red Leicester Strudel

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Here is something a little more festive than the traditional nut roast for those who are vegetarian or those who choose to forgo meat over the holiday celebrations. Serve warm with seasonal vegetables or cold with a crisp mixed salad.

Serves

4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, wiped and roughly chopped
  • 100g canned peeled chestnuts
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 sheets filo pastry
  • 15g butter, melted
  • 150g Red Leicester cheese, grated
  • 300g jar red pimientos, drained and trimmed
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds

Method

  1. Preheat the oven if necessary to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Esse Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be in the middle of HOT).
  2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and mushrooms, mixing well. Cover and cook gently for 5 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat and cook until the juices from the mushrooms have evaporated.
  3. Transfer to a food processor, add the chestnuts and seasoning to taste and blend until you have a chunky pâté type consistency.
  4. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a clean surface, brush with little melted butter. Top with another sheet and repeat until you have a stack of 4 sheets. Spread the chestnut mixture over the top to
    within 2.5cm of the edge. Top with the cheese and red pimiento. Starting from one end, roll up like a Swiss roll to enclose the filling and place on a baking tray. Brush with any remaining butter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve warm cut into slices.

Get Ahead!

The strudel can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead of cooking. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until required. Uncover and bake from chilled for 25-30 minutes until crisp and golden.

Baked Gammon With a Quince and Sherry Glaze

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A sweet, sticky glaze of quince paste and sherry perfectly complements the flavours of this traditional Christmas gammon. It’s delicious both hot and cold.

Serves

8 people

Ingredients

  • 2.5kg smoked gammon joint
  • 1 litre pressed apple juice
  • 30-35 whole cloves
  • 100ml fino sherry
  • 155g pot quince paste (I used Cano’s Membrillo pure Spanish quince paste)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven if necessary to180°C/Fan 160°C/Esse Dial Guide MODERATE. (Aim for the dial reading to be at the top end of MODERATE or very low end of HOT).
  2. Place the gammon in a large pan. Add the apple juice and enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, cover then simmer for 1 hour.
  3. Drain the gammon and allow to cool slightly. Remove any string,then, with a sharp knife, carefully cut away the rind, leaving the layer of fat intact. Score the fat with a diamond pattern and stud the centre of each with a clove. Place on a rack in a roasting tin, cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, place the sherry and quince paste in a small pan and gentle heat until melted. Simmer for 23 minutes. Spoon about half of the glaze over the gammon. Pour a little water into the base of the roasting tin to prevent the juices from burning, recover then roast for another 2025 minutes.
  5. Uncover the gammon, brush with more glaze and roast, uncovered,until golden. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before carving to serve hot.

Tip

Any remaining glaze can be brushed over chicken breasts or pork chops before grilling or baking.

Roast Turkey with Apricot and Couscous Stuffing

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Everyone has their favourite turkey and stuffing recipe… sometimes handed down the family over generations. This is a new take on an old favourite, instead of the usual sausage meat and chestnut stuffing it has a modern and lighter couscous one.

Serves

6 people (with leftovers)

Ingredients

  • 150g dried couscous
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 150g courgette, coarsely grated
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
  • 50g soft dried apricots, finely chopped or dried cranberries
  • 25g toasted flaked almonds
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 thin slices lean bacon, halved
  • 5kg whole turkey
  • 2 oranges, cut into wedges
  • 300ml dry white wine or turkey stock
  • bay leaves, to garnish (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan170°C/Esse Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to beat the low end of HOT)
  2. Put the couscous in a bowl and add sufficient boiling water to cover by 1cm. Leave to stand for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork. Add the garlic, onion, courgette,sage, apricots or cranberries, almonds and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into small bun tins lined with the bacon.
  3. Place the orange wedges inside the turkey and place in a roasting tin. Pour in the wine or stock and cover with foil. Roast for 3 1/2 hours, removing the foil for the final 20-30 minutes to brown the skin. Allow to rest, covered with foil, for up to 1 hour before serving.
  4. Cook the stuffing in the oven during this time for 20-30 minutes.
  5. Make a gravy in the usual way with any skimmed pan juices. Serve the turkey garnished with bay leaves if liked and with the stuffing, gravy and chosen vegetables.

Get Ahead!

The stuffing can be used to stuff the neck cavity of the turkey if preferred but must be cold before doing so. Check the turkey is cooked sufficiently by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer – the juices that run out should be clear with no traces of pink.

Roast Rump of Beef with Garlic and Thyme

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Christmas and holiday eating doesn’t just have to be about turkey and ham. This might be the time to splash out on a special British beef top rump roast. In this recipe the beef is marinated before cooking with garlic and thyme then roasted with slices of butternut squash.

Serves

4-6 people

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 850g British beef top rump roast
  • 700g sliced butternut squash

Method

  1. Mix the garlic, thyme, shallots, olive oil and seasoning to taste in a dish. Add the beef, cover and chill for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or overnight, turning twice.
  2. Preheat the oven if necessary to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Esse Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be in the middle of HOT).
  3. Remove the beef from the marinade. Add the squash to the leftover marinade and toss to coat. Heat a roasting tin on the hob over a high heat and brown the beef quickly on all sides. Transfer to the oven and roast according to how you like your beef cooked (see ROASTING GUIDELINE below) Cook for the calculated time, adding the squash for the last 30 minutes. (This may mean that the squash is cooked from the beginning for a rare piece of beef).
  4. Cover with foil and rest for10 minutes before carving

Roasting Guideline

Allow 20 minutes per 500g for rare beef; 25 minutes per 500g for medium beef; and 30 minutes per 500g for well done beef.

Turkey with chestnut, celery and bacon stuffing and roast potatoes

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Philippa Vine cooked a Kelly Bronze turkey: “it is very simple – I put it into the top oven of ESSE at 190C/ESSE dial reading low end of HOT until cooked – as it depends on the size of the bird!”

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
  • 3 sticks of celery, finely chopped
  • Small bunch of herbs, such as sage, thyme and parsley, finely chopped
  • 10 dried apricots, chopped
  • 110g cooked chestnuts, chopped
  • 150g wholemeal breadcrumbs
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Fry the bacon, onions & celery in a little olive oil until soft and just starting to colour.
  2. Then add the herbs, chestnuts, apricots and breadcrumbs.  Mix well and add seasoning to taste.  For a more “set” stuffing, mix a little beaten egg.
  3. Put into a baking dish and cook in the bottom oven at 180C/ESSE dial reading very low end of HOT for 20 minutes or until just starting to brown.

 

Here is Philippa’s recipe for her roast potatoes, always a hit in the ESSE!

“King Edward potatoes are my favourite as they are really floury and soak up the olive oil or dripping well!  Second choice would be Maris Piper.”

Method

  1. Part boil the potatoes in plenty of salted water and drain well.
  2. Add a little olive oil or dripping in a roasting tray and put in the top oven at 200C (vent open)/ESSE dial reading middle of HOT and heat for 5 minutes until the oil and tray is very hot. Then add the potatoes.
  3. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Roast until crisp and golden turning them over occasionally.

Recipes by by Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen.

Mini Panettone Cooked in Flower Pots

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Cook with the steam vent closed.

Ingredients

  • 300g strong white bread flour
  • 100ml milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 25g fresh yeast
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 75g mixed fruit with peel
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 50g butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Honey for glazing

Method

  1. Warm the milk (to blood temperature) and dissolve the yeast, add a pinch of sugar in it.
  2. Warm the flour at the back of the ESSE and make a well in the centre.
  3. Pour the melted butter into the flour with the sugar, salt, spice, fruit, vanilla and egg.  Mix together, then add the yeast mixture, mix as you go.
  4. When it has formed a dough, put in a bowl and place next to the ESSE to prove.
  5. When it has doubled in size knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.
  6. Prepare your mini flower pots or tins by lining them well with greaseproof paper.  Divide the mixture into the pots/tins and put next to the ESSE to prove again.
  7. When they have doubled in bulk place them on a baking tray and in the top oven, bottom shelf at 200C/ESSE dial reading middle of HOT for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Carefully take out of the pots and brush with a little warmed honey.

Recipe by Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen.

Christmas Pudding With Citrus Notes

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This is a lighter pudding and it doesn’t need maturing. Philippa Vine made it from scratch at Scotts Arm Stoves cooker demonstration in Sicklinghall. Philippa baked it in the bottom of the ESSE whilst the turkey and roast potatoes were cooking.

Ingredients

  • 100g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 100g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 100g butter, softened
  • 175g sultanas
  • 225g raisins
  • 50g candied peel, finely chopped
  • 1 dessert apple grated
  • 50g prunes, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon golden syrup
  • Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons brandy or rum or more!

Method

  1. Mix the spices with the flour and breadcrumbs.
  2. Pour in the melted butter, then add the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Give it a good stir and pack it into a greased pudding basin.
  4. Cover with a double sheet of greaseproof paper and a sheet of foil, tie securely with string.
  5. Place the pudding on a tray with a little water (if you are cooking it with the roast dinner and the steam vent isn’t closed) in the bottom oven at 150C/ESSE dial reading top end of COOL with the steam vent closed for about 3 1/2 hours.
  6. Remove the greaseproof paper and foil and pour over extra brandy if desired!

Recipe by Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen, East Sussex.

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

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Butternut Squash & Chickpea Curry cooked the ESSE way.

Serves

4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 knob of root ginger, grated
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 400ml passata
  • 300ml vegetable stock
  • A handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

In a roasting tray tip in the butternut squash and onions, then mix in the olive oil, garlic, ginger, spices, salt and pepper.  Cook in the top oven of the ESSE with the vent open at 200C / ESSE dial reading middle of HOT.  Roast for 25 minutes.

Then stir in the passata, stock and chickpeas.  Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.  Taste and add more seasoning then scatter over the fresh coriander.  Serve with flat bread and rice.

Suggested serving with flatbreads cooked on the ESSE hotplate.

Recipe created by Philippa Vine of Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen.

Presented by Dan Blewitt on an ESSE Bakeheart at Humble by Nature.

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