BRONTE PIE (Meat Pie)

A note for those who do not like beef. This recipe also makes a lovely turkey or chicken pie. Just use meat from the breast or use breast fillets. Make sure that you remove any bones before cooking the meat. This will serve 6 large or 8 small portions.

Ingredients:
900g or 2lbs of sirloin or beef fillet (or chicken/turkey breast).
1 onion chopped into small pieces
450g or 1lb puff pastry
175g 6 oz chicken liver pate
1 egg
75g or 3oz butter
150g or 6 oz of small (button) mushrooms
Black pepper (course ground)

Directions:
1. Trim off any large pieces of fat from the meat. Chop into small cubes then season with a little black pepper and salt.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Put in the meat cubes and cook in the butter until the outside of the meat is sealed all over. This will take about 15 minutes.
3. Remove the meat from the pan and put to one side. 
4. Heat the oven to 200oC / 400oF / gas mark 6.
5. Add a little more butter to the pan, if needed, and fry the chopped onion and the button mushrooms in the mixture of butter and meat juices. Continue to fry until most of the juices have gone from the pan but take care not to burn anything.
6. Put these to one side too.
7. Roll out the puff pastry on a flour covered surface until it is rectangular in shape. The pastry has to be big enough to wrap the meat in to make a 'pastry envelope'. 
8. Take the onion / mushroom mixture and spread it onto the pastry, then put the sealed meat on top of the onion / mushroom mixture.
9. Spread the pate onto the meat then brush all round the edges of the pastry rectangle with an egg that has been beaten.
10. Make the envelope with the pastry to hold the meat and onions. Seal the edges by squeezing together the egg covered pastry edges where they meet.
11. Brush all the visible pastry with the remainder of the egg (helps make the pastry go brown).
12. Bake in the centre of the heated oven for 20 minutes.
13. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn down the heat to 180oC / 350oF / gas mark 4 and leave for another 15 minutes. The pastry should be a lovely golden brown in colour.

For a modern version use pre-cooked rice with small mixed vegetables instead of the onion and mushroom mixture.

'TOAD' or 'TOAD in the HOLE'

Another uniquely English dish and, yet again, one that can be prepared, cooked and eaten in a number of different ways depending upon where you live. This recipe came from Yorkshire and uses beef. It works just as well with lamb, pork, chicken or turkey. If you do not use beef then please make sure you half cook any meat before using it in this recipe.
This serves 4.

Ingredients:
350g or 12oz chuck steak cut into small cubes.
25g or 1oz dripping (or lard)
Course black pepper
Yorkshire Pudding batter (From the Roast Beef page on this site) 

Ingredients (Yorkshire Pudding):
110g / 10oz of plain flour (sifted)
1 large egg
A large pinch of salt
150ml / 5oz water
150ml / 5oz milk
Beef dripping or cooking fat

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 230ºC / 450'ºF / gas mark 8
2. Put the dripping into a deep sided baking tray until it just starts to smoke.
3. Take the baking tray out of the oven, Pour in about a quarter of the batter mixture and return to the oven until the mixture just starts to go solid. This will take about 10 minutes or so.
4. Whilst the batter is cooking rub the outside of the meat with black pepper then fry it until the outside is sealed. This will take about 10 minutes.
5. Remove the tray of partially cooked batter from the oven. Spread the sealed meat on top of the solid batter in the tray. The pour the remainder of the batter on top of the meat.
6. Return the tray to the centre of the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes keep the tray in the oven, turn down the heat to 200'C / 400'F / gas mark 6, and cook for another 15 minutes. DO NOT open the oven door or the rising batter mixture might collapse.
8. Once cooked, take out of the oven and cut into 4 pieces.

There are many ways of serving and eating this. Most people eat it with rich gravy (try our Special Gravy). Usually there will be beer at the table - but I love to eat this with a really rough red wine. Mmmmmmm

BACON CRISS CROSS
(egg, bacon and sausage criss Cross)

This is a simple lattice style pie that is meant to be eaten on picnics - but which is lovely for tea too! It is usually eaten cold.

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 200'C / 400'F
2. Cut of piece of pastry about 2/3rds of the amount. Roll it out on a floured surface and when thin, line a pie dish or oven proof deep plate with it.
3. Slice up the boiled eggs. Chop up the bacon into small pieces. Pull the sausage meat into small pieces and mix the eggs and meat together in a bowl.
4. Beat an egg with the milk and then pour this mixture over the meat/boiled egg mixture in the bowl.
5. Season with salt and pepper (to taste) then place the mixture onto the pastry covering the base and sides of the pie dish / deep plate.
6. Roll out the remaining 1/3rd of the pastry and cut it into long thin strips about ½ inch wide. Lay these strips across the top of the pie filling to make a 'Criss Cross' or lattice pattern. Seal the ends of the strips to the edges of the pie sides with a little water or egg.
7. Bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.
8. After 10 minutes, leave the pie in the oven, but turn the heat down to gas mark 4, 180'C / 350'F for another 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Allow to cool and serve cold. 

This is delicious with most pickles and works very well with a salad.

CROWN of ENGLISH LAMB

Most people will associate roast beef with England. But, in reality, they should associate lamb with us instead.
Lamb is a slightly fatty meat, but with such a delicate taste, a taste that is amplified by the careful use of herbs or other meats.

Crown of English lamb is, basically, a roast meal. BUT this recipe is very, very unusual, easy to make, and will result in a stunning meal.

Served with a dark gravy, boiled potatoes, peas (with a hint of mint and a lump of butter on them) and carrots - all washed down with a light red or sweet white wine - delicious.

This recipe will make enough for 4 - 6 people

Ingredients:
2 neck ends of lamb - making about 12 'cutlets' (see picture below)
1 lb black pudding
3 tablespoons clear honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion
1 apple
1 pear
4 oz bread crumbs
fresh mint *
fresh rosemary *
1 egg (beaten)
coarse ground black pepper
salt
* (you can use dried rosemary and mint)

4. Cover each bone with cooking foil and place the crown in a tray.
5. Melt the butter in a pan, then add the chopped onion, rosemary, chopped apple, chopped pear and cook for about 4 minutes.
6. Add the bread crumbs, egg and mint to the pan. Stir well and continue to heat. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Once the whole mixture is warm and thick remove from the heat. This is now your stuffing.
7. Place the stuffing into the centre of the crown of lamb. Cover the whole crown with cooking foil and put in the oven to bake for 70 minutes.
8. After 70 minutes baking in the pre-heated oven, remove the tray with the crown on it.
9. Carefully remove the foil from the crown and pour the clear honey down the sides of the crown. Replace the foil and return the crown to the oven for another 10 minutes.
10. Whilst the crown is in for those last 10 minutes, cut the black pudding into slices about ½" thick and grill for about 3 minutes each side.
11. Remove the crown of lamb from the oven. Remove the foil and garnish the crown with the black pudding slices. 

LANCASHIRE HOTPOT

A filling, tasty and warming dish from the county of Lancashire. Originally it was baked in the oven then wrapped in an old blanket to keep it hot until it was eaten much later. A favourite for warming the menfolk up whilst watching the horse racing on a cold autumn day.

Ingredients:
2 lb lamb
4 lambs kidneys
20 fl oz hot water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 lb potatoes
¾ lb onions
1 bayleaf
A sprig of thyme
Tablespoon flour
Knob of Butter
Fat or oil for frying
Salt and pepper (to taste).

Directions:
1. Peel the potatoes and cut into ¾" thick slices.
2. Skin, core and chop the lamb's kidneys.
3. Chop the lamb meat into small cubes or chunks.
4. Brown a few of the cubes of lamb at a time in a hot frying pan with a little oil. Continue until all the pieces have been browned.
Once the cubes have all been browned then put them in an oven proof casserole dish (or pot).
5. Now brown the kidneys in the hot oil and scatter over the cubes of lamb in the dish.
6. Keeping the same oil used to brown the meat, brown the onions which should have been chopped up too.
7. Once the onions are golden brown stir in a little flour to soak up all the oil and juices in the pan.
8. In a measuring jug (or cup) add the Worcestershire sauce to the hot water and then pour and stir into the pan with the flour etc. Take care to pour slowly and blend the mixture well, or else you may end up with a lumpy mixture.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Now gently heat the pan and bring the contents to a simmer. As soon as it is simmering, take off the heat, then pour over the meat and kidneys in the pot.
11. Add the thyme and bayleaf. Now carefully lay the potato slices on top of the meat to form a cover by overlaping the slices, just like tiles on a house roof.
12. Add a few small knobs (or dollops!) of butter on the potato roof and cover with a tight fitting lid.
13. Place in a preheated oven at 325'F (gas mark 3) or (170'C) for about 1½ hours.
14. Remove the lid and return to the oven for another 45 minutes - to help brown the potato roof and finish the cooking. If you really want a 'crisp brown' covering then finish off under a grill until the desired shade is reached.

Serving Suggestion:
For a really traditional way of eating, try serving with pickled red cabbage.