Scandinavian meatballs
1 onion
20g(3/4 oz) butter
5 tbsp breadcrumbs
4-5 tbsp fresh cream
3 tbsp water
1 egg
450g (1 lb) minced meat (half beef, half pork)
1 tbsp chopped chives
salt
ground cloves
white pepper
butter for frying
For the sauce
30g (1 oz) flour
250 ml (8 fl oz) meat stock
250 ml (8 fl oz) fresh cream
Sauté the finely chopped onion in the butter until soft and translucent. Soak the breadcrumbs in the water and cream. Add the onion, soaked breadcrumbs and the egg to the minced meat, mix well together and season. With wet hands, form little balls and fry in the butter in a pan, browning well on all sides. Remove and keep warm.
To make the sauce: stir the flour into the fat in the frying pan and brown it a little. Stir in the meat stock. Add the cream and let the sauce cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.
The meatballs can be served hot with the cream sauce, or cold as a starter or as cocktail balls. If they are formed into walnut-size balls, they can be eaten with pickled cucumbers and tomatoes in a Swedish smorgasbord.
With Thanks J.S.
SAUSAGE PIE / SAUSAGE & EGG PIE
9”/22cm loose bottomed flan tin or a pie dish
centre shelf of oven. 200 C for 20˚ minutes
180 C for 25˚ minutes
Ingredients:
12oz / 350g shortcrust pastry
1 lb / 450g Best pork sausages (skinned) / meat
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 generous tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
Salt and pepper
Beaten egg or milk to glaze
(for sausage & egg pie) 4 eggs
Method:
1. Cut pastry into approx 2/3 + 1/3 piece.
2. Roll out 2/3 piece and line flan tin / pie dish.
3. In a large bowl mix the sausage meat, chopped onion, herbs and ketchup, when thoroughly mixed add seasoning, mix again.
4. Spread the mixture in the base of the pastry lined tin.
5. Make four depressions in the neat mixture at regular spaces break in an egg to each depression.
6. Roll out the 1/3 piece of pastry.
7. With the egg wash/milk brush the base pastry.
8. Place the top pastry over the contents of the dish and seal carefully. Use a fork to decorate edge and fully seal.
9. Make your incisions into the top to allow steam to escape. Then glaze with the egg wash/milk (try to avoid where eggs are if doing sausage/egg version).
10. Place made pie onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes @ 200˚ C / Gas Mark 6, to cook the pastry first.
11. Turn the oven down to 180˚ C / gas Mark 4 and continue to cook the pie for another 25 minutes until the sausage meat is cooked through.
12. The pie is ready when the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
Oven temperatures vary. If a fan-assisted oven is used, it may be necessary to reduce the temperatures by
20˚ C.
Times and temperatures given are approximate.
The pie is delicious served hot with vegetables or a salad. When cold it makes an excellent picnic / lunch snack. The egg version is particularly good cold.
Thanks to A.C.
Special mint sauce to accompany lamb or venison.
A handful of fresh clean dry mint leaves.
A teaspoon of freshly grated, or julienned, orange peal, more if desired.
Three tablespoons of hot quince, or red current jelly.
Heat in a saucepan, or in the microwave. Do not boil.
Mix well and leave to stand till cold.
Serve with hot, or cold, lamb, or venison.
Thanks to H. & J.
COUNTRY ROAST BEEF
Ingredients: Rolled Brisket of Beef (1.5 kilos)
2 carrots
6 small new potatoes
2 sticks celery
6 shallots
1 onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 glass red wine
(serves 4)
Method: Chop the vegetables and place in a meat tin.
Place the beef on top of the vegetables.
Cover the vegetables with boiling water.
Cook in an oven at 150C (gas mark 2) for 4 hours.
Remove the meat, cover, and allow to stand.
Mash, or liquidise the vegetables, and transfer to a saucepan.
Add the wine, simmer, and add more water to the required
consistency for gravy.
Serve with: Yorkshire puddings and seasonal vegetables.
Thanks to J. P.
SLOVENIAN GOULASH
1½ - 2 lbs good stewing steak - diced
2 – 3 large onions
corn oil
tablespoon of caraway seed
hot paprika (as desired)
a pinch of marjoram
2 organic beef stock cubes diluted to instructions on packet
( ½ pint +½ pint of stock used separately. One lot at first stage of cooking and one at final stage).
1 – 2 glasses of red wine
2 tablespoons tomato purée
Method:
Heat a couple of tablespoons of corn oil in a thick based saucepan or very large non-stick frying pan until it gets hot, stir in chopped onions and let them simmer down on medium heat until they are well glazed over. Add the tablespoon of caraway seed, the pinch of marjoram and the paprika. After 2 minutes or so add the diced steak and mix well together, until the meat starts to brown. Cook partly covered for another 5 minutes. When meat is browned over add half the stock and a glass of red wine.
Cook partly covered for half an hour and transfer to a medium oven for another half hour.
When the meat has cooled down, put the casserole in a cool place and when really cold transfer into the refrigerator if the weather is warm, otherwise leave till the next day, covered (especially if there’s a dog about).
Next day finish off by heating up and sprinkling it with plain flour, stirring for a minute or so, add the rest of the stock with the tomato purée. Add salt to taste.
Continue cooking for another half hour on top of the cooker or in a medium oven.
Serve with mashed potato, a green sald and fresh bread.
Thanks to M. A. R.
RECIPE FOR BOILING BACON JOINTS
With the meat you will need:
1 onion peeled and halved,
1 carrot roughly chopped,
4 black pepper corns,
2 cloves,
1 bay leaf
I tablespoon of brown sugar.
Cuts of bacon to choose from:
Prime collar,
Prime fore hock
Gammon.
If the bacon joint is salty, soak in cold water for 6 hours, or overnight, depending on weight. Cover with fresh water and bring to the boil, add the carrot etc., then simmer at a rate of 20 minutes to the lb (pound)/ 500 g, if a gammon joint allow 25 minutes per pound / 500g.
If the bacon is to be eaten cold, leave to cool in the cooking liquid, then remove the skin and cover in breadcrumbs. Otherwise, 45 minutes before the cooking time ends, remove the ham from the liquid, cut away the skin, score the fat in a diamond shape and dribble honey over it, then brown sugar over the honey.
Place in a roasting tin then into a hot oven, gas 6 or equivalent, for approximately 25/30 minutes, until the honey and sugar have a golden colour.
Thanks A. C.
