Soda Bread

INGREDIENTS

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup currants or raisins (optional)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

METHOD

1 Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda: Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

2 Work the butter into the flour, add currants or raisins: Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then add in the currants or raisins.

3 Make a well, mix in buttermilk, egg: Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir.

4 Lightly knead dough and form dough mound: Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add in a little more flour. Do not over-knead!

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Note that the dough will be a little sticky, and quite shaggy (a little like a shortcake biscuit dough).

You want to work it just enough so that the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-knead, the bread will end up tough.

5 Score with an X: Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet (it will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet).

Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks.

6 Bake: Transfer to oven and bake at 425°F until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. (If you use a cast iron pan, it may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up than a baking sheet.)

Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil.

Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.

7 Let cool a few minutes: Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly.

Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted. Best when eaten warm and just baked.

Overnight Bread

Overnight bread 

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

turkey wellington

turkey wellington with gravy


1 batch of quick puff pastry (but add 2 tbsp of fresh sage, chopped finely, to the butter first)
5 lb bone-in turkey breast
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 large bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
15 oz whole berry cranberry jam
16 oz mushrooms
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup italian style breadcrumbs
1 carrot , roughly chopped
1 leek , trimmed and roughly chopped
1 onion , peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten

cooking twine


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Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F

Separate the breast from the turkey carcass, remove the skin. 

Place the turkey breasts between 2 pieces of cling wrap, use a meat tenderizer to make both breast approximately the same thickness uniformly. 

Cut the twine into 6 12in strips, place horizontally on cutting board, about an inch apart. 

Carefully place the turkey breasts over the twine, overlapping each other. 

Sprinkle about half of the fresh thyme over the breasts, plus salt and pepper.

Place 3-4 tablespoons of cranberry jam longwise in the middle of the turkey breasts.

Use the twine to help roll the breasts up with the cranberry inside, tie each piece of twine tightly. 

Transfer the turkey to a roasting tray, season the outside with the remaining thyme leaves, a good pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Rub it all over, cover in tin foil and roast in the hot oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until just cooked through – using a thermometer, you want it to be 162 F at the thickest point.

To make the gravy, add to a large pot the turkey carcass, carrot, leek, onion, salt and pepper, the flour, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, add 1 rosemary sprig, a heaped spoon of the cranberry jam, and the balsamic vinegar. Bring back to a boil, then then reduce and let simmer for 2 hours or until thick. Strain it through a sieve and reheat before serving.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in some oil until they are almost dry. Strip the leave from 2 rosemary sprigs, chop, and add to the mushrooms for the last 30 seconds or so. 

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the mushrooms, when that is melted, add the breadcrumbs. Toss to coat,  finely chop the mushrooms (or use a food processor for a few pulses), set aside to cool. 

Once the turkey breast and stuffing have cooled, assemble the Wellington.

Dust a clean surface with flour, then roll out the puff pastry to about 20 in x 20 in. Cut in half. 

Line a cooking sheet with silicon or parchment paper. Place one half of the pastry on the sheet. 

Spread half of the mushroom stuffing onto the middle of the base to cover an area the same size as your turkey breast. 

Remove the twine, then place the turkey breast on top and spread the remaining stuffing over the top packing it all in and smoothing it out so that the whole breast is covered. 

Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg. 

Lay the second sheet of pastry over the top, gently mold it round the shape of the breast, pushing all the air out and seal together. Trim the edges to around 4cm, then pull, twist, tuck and pinch in the pastry. If you have extra pastry and want to be creative, you can add decorative design at this point. 

Brush the whole thing with beaten egg.

Leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight until ready to bake.  

On the day of, bake at 350°F 50 to 60 minutes, or until risen, puffy and beautifully golden and the turkey is piping hot throughout. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for around 10 minutes before carving. 

Serve with the gravy and extra cranberry jam.

quick puff pastry

quick puff pastry


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup cold water

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Directions:

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Cut the cold butter into 1/4-inch slices and add to the flour mixture, tossing to coat.
Stir in the cold water until a thick dough forms.
Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk-shape, and wrap in plastic wrap.
Chill for 1 hour in the fridge, or 20 to 30 minutes in the freezer.
Unwrap the dough, dust the work surface with flour, and roll the dough into a rough rectangle shape.
Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter.
Turn 90 degrees, roll and fold again.
Repeat about 2 to 4 times, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours or overnight.*


*Dough can also be frozen. It will keep for several weeks in the freezer, tightly wrapped. Thaw in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Chocolate Chip Scones
3 cups flour
1.5 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 – 2 1/2 cup whipping cream
Topping
4-5 tbsp melted butter
4 tbsp sugar
Preheat oven to 425. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in cream with fork until
dough holds together in a sticky mass. Turn dough onto a lightly floured
surface. Knead several times. Cut in half. Pat dough into 2 circles. Cut into 12
wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 2” apart. Brush with melted butter
and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 large scones.
Recipe from: Melissa Williams
Note: When I am baking for a crowd, I will make 11⁄2 times this
recipe, and then I can use up a 1-pint size carton of whipping cream.
If you have leftovers of these, they freeze well, and can be
microwaved for 30-60 seconds on 30% power, and then 10-15 seconds
on 60% power.

buffalo chicken sliders

buffalo chicken sliders

4 servings | 
3 tbsps butter

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce

1/2 tbsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/4 cup ranch dressing

1tbsp dried parsley

8 hamburger buns

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Directions:

Melt butter in large skillet, add shredded chicken and stir to coat. 

Add buffalo sauce, and toss the chicken to coat again, add onion powder and salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate bowl, combine shredded cheese, ranch, and parsley.

egg roll in a bowl

egg roll in a bowl
6 servings | 
2 tbsps sesame oil
6 green onions, sliced, green and white parts divided
1/2 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp fresh, grated ginger 
3 tbsps sriracha
16 oz bag of cole slaw mix
3 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste
sesame seeds
1/4 cup mayonnaise

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Directions:
Heat sesame oil in large skillet to medium heat.
Add white parts of green onions, diced onion, & garlic. Saute, stirring frequently until onion is soft.
Add pork, ginger, and 1 tbsp of sriracha and cook until pork is browned, broken up, and cooked through.
Add coleslaw mix, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and salt.
Cook until cabbage in tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise and sriracha, add a pinch of salt to taste.
Serve mixture in bowls, with garnish of sesame seeds, the green parts of the green onions, and sriracha mayo sauce.