A Wee Pinch of Sugar

My Ideas, My inspirations, My food

Tips on how to be star baker with your hand raised pies

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If like me, you’re a Great British Bake Off Fan then last weeks programme might have got you thinking about your pie making skills, or in my case, the lack of them. I have to put my hands up and say pastry is probably my weakest cooking skill and never mind the hot water pastry, I’ve never even made a savoury meat pie. Not that we’ve gone hungry as a result of my pastry failures, it’s just that I’ve always found an excuse not to make pastry or found someone else to make it for me. And, lets not forget that the Queen of Bake Off, Mary Berry has previously told us that it’s okay to use shop bought pastry.

The perfect game pie

The perfect game pie

Not for the contestants though and it was back to the 19th century and Victorian times for them with the challenge of making a raised game pie. No such thing as humble pie in those days;  beautifully  made pies pies with fluted edges and intricate ornate decorations on top were seen a middle class status symbol. Pie was everything in Victorian times, the decorations on top of the pie being as important as fillings.

Venison featured in most of the pies with some adding pigeon, wild boar, partridge guinea fowl and duck, great strong flavours and combinations along with classic seasonings such as juniper, sage and mixed herbs. But what did the judges of make of their efforts and were there any soggy bottoms in the kitchen?

The thickness of the pastry was an issue for a some, meat was tough and one pie was slightly burnt around the edges. But on the whole there was praise for most especially with the pie fillings and it was interesting to see the range of tins being used to bake the pies.

But what makes the perfect pie and what are the secrets to achieving star baker with your bake?

Despite my lack of domestic goddess skills in pie making, I am lucky that my friend Robert Corrigan, owner of  Mr C’s Hand-Crafted Pies is an expert and also an award winning pie maker. He was more than happy to have a chat to give some tips for baking the perfect pies.

A festive season favourite with a cranberry topping

A festive season favourite with a cranberry topping

It was his need for a faster and more efficient way to produce his pies, that led to the development of the modern pie tins used in last week’s Bake Off programme. Robert approached Birmingham based bakeware company Silverwood with his interpretation of  Victorian game pie moulds and this cleverly designed range is the result. Built to last from silver-anodised aluminium for even heat distribution and easy clean-up, they won’t rust, blister or peel and their shape and construction ensure a lovely, even bake every time.

mm

Unique removable walls lift away to uncover the part cooked pie for all round egg washing.

But the unique feature that makes them so perfect for traditional raised pies is the removable ‘walls’, which lift away to uncover the part-cooked pie for all-round egg washing, before returning to the oven for final browning. This means that the sides of your pies, as well as the lids, can have that lovely, shiny golden glaze so characteristic of traditional British savoury pies.

The range is now available from Lakeland UK

I caught up with Robert earlier this week to check out the secrets to becoming star baker when it comes to pies.

Game features in some of the pie fillings that Robert produces but over the past 7 years his range has grown to include mutton with capers, pork and chorizo, and pork pancetta and leek. He now supplies some of the countries high end food and farm shops including Fortnum and Mason in London.

Game Pie

Game Pie

So, what is the secret to making a top class pie? If you’ve ever wondered , this short video from Robert shows some of the techniques he uses. Doesn’t he make it look so simple ?

Good pastry is essential for a raised pie and hot water pastry is ideal as it can be kneaded and this develops the gluten, making it easier to mould in the tin and for the essential decorations on top. Robert uses Italian lard in his pastry, much preferable to British lard as it melts at a lower temperature, giving that melt in the mouth texture that you would expect from a quality pie. Unfortunately the Italian lard isn’t available in British shops so in the following recipes, that Robert developed for Lakeland he suggests as mix of lard, butter and sunflower oil.

Next essential is the thickness of the pastry; too thick is a problem and of course a pie needs to hold it’s filling with no leakages,  too thin and you have a problem. For perfection, get the tape measure out as 7mm is the recommended thickness.

Then there’s the all important filling and the baking. The Bake Off contestants managed to get the quantity of filling just right but one difficulty seemed to be ensuring the meat was cooked but not overcooking the pastry. For a crisp crust the pie needs to bakes at a high temperature to start, normally 200C and then reduced to around 180C  to ensure the meat is not overcooked and the pastry is not burned. 64C was the temperature they aimed for on Bake Off but Robert suggests achieving an internal temperature of 84C.

Robert's Pork and chorizo pie

Robert’s Pork and chorizo pie

Time was obviously an issue in the Bake Off kitchen as for a perfect pie finish Robert recommends a much slower approach, which to me seems sensible if you’re making at home.

Here are some of those tips that will make the perfect pie.

  • Do not overfill and watch when baking – if necessary cover with foil to prevent burning and too dark a crust.
  • Chill before baking – this will help the decorations keep their shape
  • After 1 hour put tightly rolled up kitchen roll in the lid hole to reduce overspill
  • Egg wash 1 hour into baking
  • Add hot jelly to a hot pie and top up as necessary – refrigerate when cool enough

Of course his recipes are top secret but since helping develop the new tins, robert has created a number of new recipes and these can be viewed on the lakeland app and website. Recipe links on images below.

 

Credits – Thanks to Mr C’s Handcrafted Pies Lakeland for images and  icangetitonline.com for the link to the you tube video featured in this post

 

 

Slow cooked spiced mutton shoulder with ginger and sweet potato

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The popularity of mutton has declined over the years and it’s certainly not obvious on any of the butcher shops I have visited in the West of Scotland. Certainly don’t expect to find it the supermarkets but it is easily available at farmers markets and from farm shops and suppliers. There are many reasons for the decline in popularity, including, intensive farming and lifestyle changes over the past 40 to 60 years. But, mutton is regaining it’s well deserved place on the countries dinner tables and to encourage this,  a mutton renaissance campaign was launched by HRH Prince of Wales in 2004.

Mutton, for those who don’t know, is meat from a sheep over the age of two years and just like beef is more flavoursome than veal, mutton has a more depth of flavour than spring lamb.

To encourage more people to cook with mutton, I recently teamed up with Soil Association Scotland and Denise Walton of Peelham Farm for a feature in the Daily Record newspaper.

DR PIECE

Peelham have been been running their organic farm at Fouldon in Berwickshire for over 25 years and rear free range, pasture grazed, pure bred Llyen and Llyen cross, on the upland coastal pastures. The mutton is dry aged for two weeks and has a unique slightly salty flavour and a succulent texture. Having cooked with mutton shoulder, I was struck by just how tender the meat was after slow cooking.

Succulent and flavoursome lamb shoulder.

Succulent and flavoursome lamb shoulder.

The usual cuts are available with mutton and Peelham stock the full range, including, leg, mince, chops and mutton bones, much sought after these days for broths and stocks. Being a lover of cheaper cuts for slow cooking, I chose mutton shoulder and it was ideal for this recipe.

Slow cooked spiced mutton shoulder with ginger and sweet potato. pic Iain Gillon

Slow cooked spiced mutton shoulder with ginger and sweet potato.
pic Iain Gillon

Slow cooked spiced mutton shoulder with ginger and sweet potato
Print Recipe
This slow cooked mutton is a great dish for sharing. Serve with rice, chapti's and raita in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves.
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Slow cooked spiced mutton shoulder with ginger and sweet potato
Print Recipe
This slow cooked mutton is a great dish for sharing. Serve with rice, chapti's and raita in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves.
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Pre heat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2.
  2. Heat the oil in an oven proof casserole, add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the ginger and garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes
  3. Add the spices and green chillies, mix well and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the diced mutton and brown on all sides, ensuring the meat is well coated with the spice mixture.
  5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock and salt. Bring slowly to a simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours. Remove the dish from the oven, stir in the sweet potatoes and cook for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the mutton is tender and the sweet potato is cooked.
  6. Serve with rice, chapati's and raita.
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My thanks to Denise Walton at Peelham Farm for supplying the mutton for this recipe and Soil Association Scotland for assistance. All opinions expressed are my own.

The sharper your Knife, the less you cry

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The sharper you knife, the less you cry

The sharper your knife, the less you cry. pic Cook School Scotland

The sharper your knife, the less you cry – so says the name of a book  by American cook and author Kathleen Flinn, writing about her experience at the Cordon Bleu Cook School in Paris. It is true that you’re more likely to injure yourself using a knife that needs to be sharpened than using a good sharp knife. My knife collection has a few sharp knives but a recent knife skills class at The Cook School Scotland has made me realise that a rethink is required. Not that there’s a need to invest in a new set of expensive sharp knives, just that I learned, less is more.

The Knife Skills class is a new addition to the wide range of classes at The Cook School Scotland and although I’ve been cooking for many years, it was a chance to brush up my skills and learn some new techniques. The class was a clever mix of demonstrations from Head Chef Andy Beattie along with hands on practice and cooking. Filleting, boning, spatchcocking, slicing and chopping were all covered and each stage involved cooking the prepped produce and preparing separate side dishes using a range of different  knife and cooking skills.

First under the knife was sea bream for filleting and Chef Andy made the process look very easy. Filleting fish was one of those skills that I had let slip, preferring to leave it to the fishmonger.  Instructions also included, pin boning, skinning and scaling.  Andy also demonstrated how to fillet flat fish and this is now something I will feel confident about doing in the future.

Head Chef Andy Beattie demonstrates how to fillet round and flat fish

Head Chef Andy Beattie demonstrates how to fillet round and flat fish

A sharp filleting knife and clear instructions made the task so much simpler and I was rather pleased with my effort.

Using a filleting knife makes the task much easier

Using a filleting knife makes the task much easier

After filleting the bream was cured with flavours of  fennel, tarragon and pastis to be served with a delcious fennel salad.

Citrus Cured Sea Bream with fennel and orange salad- Serves 4

2 wild gilthead bream. Cure – 2 lemons. 2 limes. 200g sea salt. 400g sugar. 5g fennel seeds. 10 tarragon sprigs. 100ml Pastis.

Fillet pin bone and skin the fish. Finely grate the zest of the citrus fruit and combine with all the other cure ingredients. Lay the fillets on a tray, pour the cure over ensuring the fish is covered, cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 2 hours. Wash off the cure with cold water, pat the fish dry with kitchen paper, wrap the fillets tightly in cling film and place back in the fridge.

Fennel Salad. 1 fennel bulb. 2 oranges. 10 sprigs dill. 100ml extra virgin olive oil.

Finely slice the fennel and place in ice cold water along with the juice of one of the lemons. Segment the orange, cut into small pieces and combine with oil and dill. Drain fennel, shake dry and toss in citrus dressing.

Finely slice the fish and serve with the fennel salad.

Cured Bream

The cure bream makes a delicious starter 

There was  natural flow to the way the class was taught with the various knife skills and cooking techniques complementing each other. For instance,segmenting an orange was so easy with the correct knife and the kofta, made with lamb mince, included finely chopping several ingredients including fresh herbs and chef Andy stressed the importance of the correct knife action to prevent bruising the herbs and leaving the flavour on the chopping board. Accompanying the kofta’s was a podina, a spicy yoghurt based sauce and again this included more finely chopped ingredients.

Lamb Kofta

Lamb Kofta

 Kofta with yoghurt podina – serves 4  500g lamb mince. 2tbsp coriander finely chopped. 2 tbsp mint leaves finely chopped. 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley finely chopped. 1/2  red onion finely chopped.  1/2 garlic clove finely chopped. 1/4 tsp ground cumin. 1/2 tsp sumac. 1 egg beaten. sea salt and black pepper.

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well, season with salt and pepper. Take a small amount of the mix and fry to check the flavours and seasoning. Shape into the size you prefer and fry in a large frying pan on 3 sides until cooked. if the kofta’s are larger you may have to finish cooking in a medium oven – 175C.

For the podina – 200g Greek style yoghurt. 1 tsp fresh ginger finely grated. 1/2 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped.  1/4 red onion or 2 spring onions finely chopped. 3 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped. 1 tbsp mint leaves finely chopped. Juice of 1 lime. Fish sauce (optional, salt can be used). 1/2 tsp caster sugar. Freshly ground black pepper.

Drain any liquid from the yoghurt and place in a mixing bowl with the ginger, chilli, onion,  coriander and mint. The secret with this sauce is the balance, add the sugar and half of the lime juice with a dash of fish sauce, taste and adjust the seasoning. Chill until needed.

cooked kebabs

The kofta makes a great family meal and tastes much better than any takeaway. I made the recipe at home added some extra salad and pitta bread.

Pickling vegetables was also on the class agenda and again brought in a range of skills with different vegetables. They  make a great accompaniment to the lamb kofta’s and are also ideal for serving with cold  meats and other salads.

veg for pickling

vegetables for pickling

Slicing  into similar sizes was essential before adding salt to cure and drain excess liquid from the vegetables.

salted veg

Salting the vegetables before pickling

The pickled vegetables made a great accompaniment to the lamb kofta’s and are also ideal for serving with cold  meats and other salads.

Pickled Vegetables – Serves 4.

1 carrot, peeled and sliced in to batons. 1 stick of celery sliced into matchsticks. 1/2 cucumber deseeded and sliced into  batons. 1/2 red onion sliced. 1/2 yellow pepper sliced. 1/2 head of fennel sliced. 100g sea salt. 100ml white wine vinegar.

Toss all the vegetables in salt and leave to cure and drain of their liquid in a colander for an hour. Thoroughly rinse in cold water. toss the vegetables in the vinegar and place in a sealed container. They will be ready to eat in an hour and will keep for up to a week.

Being able to bone and joint meat is a great skill for any home cook and if you’re interested in saving some money on the food shopping bill, it’s an essential. As you would expect, a sharp boning knife and a good demonstration makes the task a lot easier.  This leg of lamb was quickly cut into a range of pieces, including the shank, leg steaks and chunks for casseroles. Of course, it also means no wastage as any leftover pieces can be minced and bones used for stock.

Taclking the bigger

An essential skill for home cooks – boning meat.

Jointed chicken pieces sold in the supermarkets are usually sold in packs of thighs and drumsticks, with the breasts and wings being sold separately. As this picture shows, jointing your own bird gives 8 pieces, thighs, drumsticks and 4 pieces from the breasts as they are divided into 2.  The wings can also be used but Head Chef Andy’s tip is freeze the wings and after a few jointed birds, there’s enough for a plate of chicken wings. Alternatively, they can be used for stock along with any other leftover pieces. Once again, cheaper and no food waste.

jointed chicken

A jointed chicken, eight pieces for a good family meal.

Spatchcocking was also covered and this is something I do regularly with chicken and like jointing, it’s easier to cut into pieces for serving once the bird is cooked. It’s also ideal if you’re pressed for time as the bird cooks quicker. Of course, any bird can be spatchcocked and it was poussin we prepared and cooked during the class.

poussin

This little poussin was spatchcocked and cooked in a honey and ginger marinade.

The knife skills class is one of a fantastic range of courses available at Cook School Scotland and dates for future courses are available.  Other classes include Scottish Fish and Seafood, Simply Meat, Bread and Baking various classes covering world food. All the classes are held in the state of the art kitchen with staff and chef’s on hand to assist. The classes delivered in a way that ensures all participants, regardless of ability gain the maximum hands on experience and knowledge from the day. Full details of all calsses can be found on the school’s website

 

Disclaimer. I was invited as a guest of Cook School Scotland. I was not paid for this post or expected to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink

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Food has taken on a bit of a celebrity status throughout the country and there’s rarely a week passes without a national day to promote some kind of food. From bread to cupcakes and sausage to bacon we always seem to be paying homage to food. However, this year the Scots are celebrating in a much bigger way and 2015, if you haven’t already heard,  is Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink 

Year of food and drink

This year’s celebration comes hot on the heels of the Year of  Homecoming and the triumphant sporting events, where Scottish produce featured prominently. The perfect example was the Commonwealth Games venue at Glasgow Green where the  Food Village saw Scottish food producers providing top quality food for visitors. It was no ordinary street food; west coast langoustines and smoked salmon  was offered alongside stovies, steaks and shepherds pies, all made with the best of Scottish beef and lamb.

This was just one example of how well the country’s producers helped showcase the delicious food and drink available to visitors to the city. The aim of the Year of Food and Drink is to mark, highlight and promote Scotland’s abundant quality produce to visitors, demonstrating that Scotland is a destination for delicious food and drink, and it’s key role in our economic growth and cultural development.

To help increase exposure and showcase the the fantastic produce Scotland has to offer, Scotland Food and Drink and Think Local have come together to create 12 industry- focused food and drink themes to coincide with the Year of Food and Drink’s visitor events being held by Event Scotland and Visit Scotland

February’s theme was ‘Food of Love’ and I got involved by cooking with Slow Food West of Scotland at the relaunch of Queens Park farmers market in Glasgow.

Spreading the food of love and eat local message at Queens Park farmers market.

Spreading the food of love and eat local message at Queens Park farmers market.

The three dishes, beetroot & carrot soup, beremeal blinis with smoked salmon & Dunlop Dairy crowdie and venison steak with whisky & ginger wine sauce, reflected the seasonal produce available at the market, with a tie in to the monthly theme.

My feature on venison along with the recipe for venison steak with whisky and ginger wine sauce  is available on the Eat Scottish blog  and makes a delicious romantic meal for 2.

Venison steak with ginger wine and whisky sauce

Venison steak with ginger wine and whisky sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comfort food is still the order of the day

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Spring may be in the air, wild garlic is making an appearance in some parts, snowdrop are in full bloom, but in my world, comfort food is still bubbling away on the hob or simmering slowly in the oven.

 Top dishes for me are gutsy, hearty casseroles, the one pot wonders that cook happily for hours, meat and veg in one pot, needing very little else to accompany them. There are cuts of meat that just lend themselves beautifully to these dishes, shin of beef and and lamb shoulder being two of my favourites.

 Over the winter months Quality Meat Scotland’s comfort food campaign has been encouraging shoppers to cook up some great comfort dishes and their recipe booklet is full of some really delicious dishes.

comfort food booklet

This lamb casserole, made with lamb shoulder, is spicy and warming and once it’s cooking needs very little attention. The addition of lentils gives an extra zap of protein and adding some root vegetable such as carrots or sweet potatoes will turn it in to a great one pot meal to serve with rice or couscous.

Fragrant lamb stew served with a herbed couscous

Fragrant lamb stew served with a herbed couscous

Fragrant Lamb Stew
Print Recipe
This warming and wholesome stew is a perfect comfort food dinner for all the family. Adding some extra root vegetables makes it a great one pot to serve with couscous.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
1hr 20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
1hr 20 minutes
Fragrant Lamb Stew
Print Recipe
This warming and wholesome stew is a perfect comfort food dinner for all the family. Adding some extra root vegetables makes it a great one pot to serve with couscous.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
1hr 20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
1hr 20 minutes
Ingredients
To serve
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the lamb, onion, ginger, garlic over a high heat for 5 minutes or until nicely browned.
  2. Add the lentils and stock, bring to a simmer then cover and cook gently for 1 hour until the lamb is tender.
  3. Stir in the apricots and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice to taste then ladle into bowls and scatter with the pomegranate and coriander leaves.
  4. Serve with the couscous. Feel free to add extra ingredients to the couscous. Herbs such as parsley and mint will work well along with toasted pine nut or pistachio nuts.
Recipe Notes

Adding extra root vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes to the casserole will save cooking and serving a separate side dish.  The recipe is also suitable for slow cooking either in the oven or in a slow cooker- refer to instruction booklet for cooking time.

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There’s a great selection of recipes for Scotch beef and lamb on the The Scotch Kitchen website

 

 

Slow cooked shin of beef chilli

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Comfort in a box

Comfort in a box. Quality Meat Scotland sent me this lovely box of comfort goodies when they launched the new ‘Winter Comfort Food Campaign’. As a family who love Scotch beef and lamb we needed no encouragement to get behind the campaign and cook up some great wholesome and healthy dishes.

It’s definitely the weather for comfort food and I’m supporting Quality Meat Scotland‘s winter campaign to encourage people to eat healthy and wholesome dishes made with top quality Scotch beef and lamb.    What’s not to like about a healthy winter comfort food casserole. My favourites usually involve dishes that can be made in one pot, slow cooked in the oven or overnight in the slow cooker.

A magical one pot wonder. Slow cooked shin of beef chilli.

A magical one pot wonder. Slow cooked shin of beef chilli.

Shin of beef is such a wonderful and often overlooked cut of beef but it’s perfect for this slow cooked beef chilli. I prefer to cook shin with the bone in as I think it adds that extra special bit of flavour to the dish. You might find that your butcher needs a days notice for beef shin on the bone as it’s not always a cut they have on the counter. If I can only get the meat off the bone, I ask the butcher for the bones and roast them for about 20 minutes before adding to the casserole.

The bones give added flavour

Top quality Scotch beef.The bones give added flavour

Whether the meat is cooked on or off the bones, once the beef is cooked, I scrape the marrow from the bones and stir through the casserole. This just add to the rich and silky gelatinous gravy that shin of beef produces.

Shin of beef Chilli
Print Recipe
This shin of beef chilli is a real one pot wonder. Leave it to slow cook and magically transform in the oven for at least 3 hours or overnight in a slow cooker.
Servings Prep Time
8 People 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 People 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Shin of beef Chilli
Print Recipe
This shin of beef chilli is a real one pot wonder. Leave it to slow cook and magically transform in the oven for at least 3 hours or overnight in a slow cooker.
Servings Prep Time
8 People 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 People 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Ingredients
Servings: People
Instructions
  1. In a large ovenproof casserole, heat half of the oil over a medium heat. I use rapeseed for this recipe as it has a higher flash point. Add the meat, one to two slices at a time and brown on both sides. remove from the pan and set aside.
  2. Reduce the heat slightly, add the onions and cook for 2 mins, scraping any residue from browned meat off the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and peppers and cook for a further minute.
  3. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, stir to mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the tinned tomatoes, beans, beef stock and red wine (if using). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and slowly bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer the oven and cook for 3 hours.
  5. After 3 hours, remove from the oven and check that the meat is cooked and meltingly tender. Stir in the chocolate and mix well.
  6. TIP- I prefer to saute the peppers nearer the end of cooking time and add to the casserole.
  7. Serve with rice. This can be turned into a real feast by also serving with guacamole, tomato salsa, sour cream and cheese.
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More information about cooking with variety of cuts videos, recipes and recipe booklets can be found at Scotch Beef and Lamb and at Scotch Butchers Club  where you’ll also find a list of Scotch Butchers Club members in your area. The recipe booklets including the ‘Comfort Food’ can also be found in local butchers.

Scotch beef and Scotch lamb is among the best in the world and has been awarded PGI  (Protected Geographical Indication)  and only farms, cattle and sheep that meet the stringent standards laid down by Quality Meat Scotland are eligible be called Scotch beef and lamb. To be confident when buying  meat, look for the blue Scotch beef and Lamb label and PGI logo. That way you can be assured that what you’re buying  is quality lamb, born and bred in Scotland to the the QMS  standard.

Loving Scotch beef and lamb.

Loving Scotch beef and lamb.

I was sent the comfort box along with a £20 Scotch Butchers Club voucher by QMS. I was not expected to provide a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own

 

 

 

 

 

Shepherds pie made with Scotch Lamb

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Mmm

Comfort in a box from Scotch Beef and Lamb

Autumn is well under way and with winter fast approaching, comfort food is the order of the day especially for family dinners. There’s nothing quite like a hearty roast, a warming casserole or a family favourite of ours, shepherds pie on a cold blustery day. These dishes fit the bill so well for Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) new winter campaign to promote Scotch Beef PGI and Scotch Lamb PGI as the perfect wholesome comfort food. I needed no encouragement to get cooking as we’re a family who loves our Scotch beef and lamb and to help, QMS sent me this lovely comfort box full of cosy goodies.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be cooking a range of healthy and nutritious comfort food meals that are guaranteed to provide satisfying dinners that all the family will love.

Comfort food at it's best.

Shepherds pie, made with leftover Scotch lamb. Comfort food at it’s best.

The first dish, shepherds Pie was traditionally made with the leftover meat from Sundays roast and would be served up for dinner on Monday. The meat would be minced and my mother talks of also using leftover vegetables by mincing them with the meat to make the base for the pie. If I’m lucky enough to have leftover meat it’s how I like to make shepherds pie but in the absence cooked meat I use minced lamb.

Mincing leftover cooked lamb makes the best shepherds pie.

Mincing leftover cooked lamb makes the best shepherds pie.

This is real tasty comfort food and I’ve been making this recipe for 30 years and to be honest it’s never really changed much. When the boys were small they loved it with baked beans but as they’ve got older I serve it with whatever seasonal vegetables are available.

Potato, parsnip and leek mash makes a delicious topping

Potato, parsnip and leek mash makes a delicious topping

 

Shepherd's Pie
Shepherds pie
Print Recipe
Shepherds pie made from leftover cooked minced lamb is a delicious comfort food dinner.
Servings Prep Time
4 20 Mins
Cook Time
30mins
Servings Prep Time
4 20 Mins
Cook Time
30mins
Shepherd's Pie
Shepherds pie
Print Recipe
Shepherds pie made from leftover cooked minced lamb is a delicious comfort food dinner.
Servings Prep Time
4 20 Mins
Cook Time
30mins
Servings Prep Time
4 20 Mins
Cook Time
30mins
Ingredients
topping
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and mushrooms and continue cooking for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to colour.
  2. Meanwhile prepare the potato and parsnip topping. Place the potatoes and parsnips in a large pan of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 15 minutes until tender. Drain and mash with the butter and milk. Beat in the leek if using.
  3. If using cooked minced lamb - add the stock, ketchup, Worcester sauce and thyme to the pan and mix together. Gently fold the cooked lamb through the mixture and gently heat through. Season with black pepper and salt if required.
  4. If using uncooked lamb mince - add the lamb to the saute pan with the vegetables and brown, stirring to break up any lumps. Sprinkle on the flour and mix through. Cook for 1-2 mins, stirring to make sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, tomato ketchup, Worcester sauce, black pepper and cook over a low heat, simmering for approx 45 minutes. Check seasoning and adjust if required.
  5. Add the meat to a medium sized ovenproof dish and top with the potato mixture, using a fork to spread and make ridges on top.
  6. place in the oven and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes until piping hot and the potato is golden.
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A healthy and nutritious meal

A healthy and nutritious meal

More information about cooking with variety of cuts videos, recipes and recipe booklets can be found at Scotch Beef and Lamb and at Scotch Butchers Club  where you’ll also find a list of Scotch Butchers Club members in your area. Scotch beef and Scotch lamb is among the best in the world and has been awarded PGI  (Protected Geographical Indication)  and only farms, cattle and sheep that meet the stringent standards laid down by Quality Meat Scotland are eligible be called Scotch beef and lamb. To be confident when buying  meat, look for the blue Scotch beef and Lamb label and PGI logo. That way you can be assured that what you’re buying  is quality lamb, born and bred in Scotland to the the QMS  standard.

 

Loving my Scotch Lamb

Loving my Scotch Lamb apron. Look for the blue Scotch lamb and Scotch Beef logo when buying meat

 

I was sent the comfort box along with a £20 Scotch Butchers Club voucher by QMS. I was not expected to provide a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scotch Lamb Street Festival

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image If you thought Scotch lamb was just for Sunday dinner then think again. A recently held Scotch Lamb Street Festival in Glasgow showed just how easily different cuts of lamb can be cooked and how well it works with different cuisines. With an invitation from Scotch Lamb I was keen to find out just what the city’s street food chefs would be cooking and headed along with the hungry food loving Gillon boys in tow. These boys love their food and when it comes to good street food hot and spicy is what they look for.

The food was organised by Glasgow’s popular and successful Street Food Cartel and like all their events this was  top notch street food with a difference. First thoughts on the combination of lamb and street food might conjure up thoughts of the ubiquitous donner kebab, but, I’m glad to tell you that these guys did so much more with Scotch lamb and produced some outstanding food. With influences from around the world, Moroccan, Mexican, Italian and Thai, the boys were happy to eat their way around the festival.

Lamb

Some of the delicious street food served up at the Scotch Lamb Street Festival.  Pics by Food and Drink Glasgow

Scoop  in their well known Silver Bullet served up a favourite of mine (pic top left), braised neck fillet of lamb, ras el hanout with pomegranate and sultana couscous. I love these Moroccan flavours and having visited the country recently this was a really well flavoured authentic dish. I also liked the use of neck fillet in this dish as it’s a cut that’s very often overlooked by shoppers. Maybe one to try next time you’re buying  Scotch lamb.

Pad BKK served a lamb massaman curry with jasmin rice, prawn crackers, crispy shallots, peanuts and herbs (botton left) and this was another crowd pleaser. The lamb worked really well with the Thai flavours and overall it was super tasty sweet and spicy dish.

So La Ti Dough, the sister company of Scoop treated us to lamb shoulder, slow roasted in the wood fired oven, with vine tomatoes, rosemary and garlic (pic bottom right). This was such a delicately flavoured dish and didn’t overpower the sweetness of the lamb.  The thick slices of lamb were served on focaccia, making this a really hearty and filling dish.

The final dish was Mexican inspired and was served up by Antojito Cantina. Being lovers of chillies and Mexican food the boys made straight for this and were not disappointed. The Barbacoa lamb served in soft taco’s with sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo  ticked the spicy box for them. I cook Mexican food regularly and this was another great example of being creative with lamb, breaking away from the usual chicken, fish and beef  as the main ingredient.

2014 Scotland Food and Drink Ambassador and chef patron of The Sisters Restaurant, Glasgow, Jacqueline O’Donnell, was in charge of the food demonstrations and as usual Jacqueline’s very relaxed style made it easy to see how the food she was cooking was something you could do at home. If you’ve seen Jacqueline in action before, you’ll agree that she’s one of the best when it comes to cooking with Scottish produce, and her Scotch lamb dishes were no exception. Her demos are always more than just cooking up a recipe; she always gives lots of tips on cooking meat, how to get the best flavour and what cuts to ask your butcher for. Jacqueline’s three dishes used different cuts of lamb, loin, shoulder and mince, and each one showed how incredibly quick and easy it is to to produce great family meals with Scotch lamb. I loved all three and I’ve included her ideal street food food recipe, sizzling lamb kofta for you try at home. I’ll add Jacqueline’s other  Scotch Lamb recipes in the near future.

Chef Jacqueline O'Donnell

Chef Jacqueline O’Donnell

Sizzling Scotch lamb kofta
Print Recipe
These sizzling lamb koftas are a joy - as soon as they come off the grill they are rolled in smashed nuts and spices, before being wrapped up with pickles and crunchy veg in a soft tortilla. They're super simple to make, filling, and in various ways have been the ultimate street food for hundreds of years.
Servings
4 People
Servings
4 People
Sizzling Scotch lamb kofta
Print Recipe
These sizzling lamb koftas are a joy - as soon as they come off the grill they are rolled in smashed nuts and spices, before being wrapped up with pickles and crunchy veg in a soft tortilla. They're super simple to make, filling, and in various ways have been the ultimate street food for hundreds of years.
Servings
4 People
Servings
4 People
Ingredients
Servings: People
Instructions
  1. Add the very finely sliced cabbage to a bowl along with the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently scrunch with your hands and set aside.
  2. Blitz the pistachios and fennel seeds in a food processor until fairly fine, sprinkle over a chopping board and set aside.
  3. In a food processor, blitz the bread into breadcrumbs and add to a bowl with the minced lamb. Season well and mix together. Divide the mixture into 4 pieces and mould each into a sausage shape. If cooking on a BBQ, mould each kofta around a wooden skewer that's been soaked in water.
  4. Heat a griddle pan on a high heat and when hot add the koftas and cook to your liking, ensuring that they are cooked all the way through. Remove from the heat, brush with chilli sauce, then simply roll in the nuts and spices until well coated.
  5. Briefly warm each tortilla on the griddle (give it a quick wipe first), then add the lettuce, a kofta, radishes and a dollop of yoghurt. Squeeze the excess salty liquid from the pickled cabbage and add a small handful of cabbage to each tortilla and serve.
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With so many different cuts of lamb, it’s  good to have some knowledge of what to ask your butcher for and to know what works well with a particular recipe. The  Scotch Lamb Club Butcher on hand was the very person to ask and along with his demonstrations there  helpful advice on what to look for and how to choose different cuts. A butchery lesson also gave some of my fellow bloggers  the opportunity to get hands and learn how to butcher and bone a leg of lamb.

Butchery demo

Butchery demo

Even watching the lesson was helpful and I’m sure with a sharp knife I’ll feel more confident if I ever have to trim and bone a leg of lamb.

Many thanks to Scotch Lamb for inviting us to the street food festival and the Street Food Cartel for such great food. If you would like to find out more about cooking with Scotch Lamb, check out Quality Meat Scotland’s  Scotch Beef and Lamb, Scotch Kitchen  where you’ll find videos, recipes and free recipe booklets to help you cook with different cuts of lamb.

Scotch Lamb is among the best in the world and has been awarded PGI  (Protected Geographical Indication)  and only farms and sheep  that meet the stringent standards laid down by Quality Meat Scotland are eligible be called Scotch lamb. To be confident when buying  lamb, look for the blue Scotch Lamb label and PGI logo. That way you can be assured that what you’re buying  is quality lamb, born and bred in Scotland to the the QMS  standard.

FFF

Look for the blue Scotch Lamb label and the PGI Logo

The Scotch Lamb Street Food Festival was also a great opportunity to meet up with some of my fellow blogging chums, Mark from Glasgow Food & Drink and Janice from Farmers Girl Cooks. You’ll find further posts about the event on their sites. Also thanks to Mark  for saving the day when I lost some of my pics.

I was invited as a guest to the Scotch Lamb Street Festival, I was not paid and all opinions expressed are my own

Chicken with Herbs and Gnocchi

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I love meals that can be served up in one big dish and placed in the middle of the table for everyone to share and help themselves. This chicken with herbs and gnocchi fits the bill perfectly and like many of my recipes it was made with a few ingredients from the fridge/freezer and store cupboard with herbs from the garden. That means it’s easy for you to change the flavours by using different herbs or spices.

Gnocchi, like pasta is great store cupboard standby and makes a change from using potatoes or pasta, especially when including in a one pot dish. It’s also ideal as it cooks very quickly, usually in 3 minutes.  Once cooked I like to saute the gnocchi for a few minutes in the pan that the chicken was browned in as it adds a nice golden colour and some extra flavour when it picks up all the bits from the pan. I have made my own gnocci, but to be honest, when it’s a quick meal you’re looking for, a good quality pre made version will be just fine. I like De Cecco for pasta and gnocchi but use whatever make suits your taste and budget.

I added 2 Italian sausages to make the dish go a bit further but it will be fine with any sausage or indeed leave them out and just use chicken.

Chicken with herbs and gnocchi.

Chicken with herbs and gnocchi.

Chicken with Herbs and Gnocchi
Print Recipe
A delicious healthy chicken meal for all the family.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Chicken with Herbs and Gnocchi
Print Recipe
A delicious healthy chicken meal for all the family.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Ingredients
Marinade
Ingredients
To Serve
Servings: people
Instructions
Marinade
  1. Place the marinade ingredients in a bowl or plastic bag, mix well, add the chicken thighs and leave to marinate in the fridge 2 - 3 hours.
To Cook
  1. Pre Heat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5 Remove the Chicken from the marinade. Heat the oil in a heat proof casserole over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for a few minutes on each side until browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the chopped sausages, if using, cook to lightly brown and remove from pan. Add the shallots and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Return the chicken thighs and sausages to the casserole and add the tomatoes, white wine, herbs, seasoning and bring slowly to a simmer. Cover and cook in the preheated oven for approx 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. When the chicken is cooked, prepare the gnocchi according to the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, heat the frying pan used to brown the chicken and saute the gnocchi for a few minutes, add to the chicken and gently mix through.
To Serve
  1. Sprinkle with the remaining fresh herbs and serve.
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It’s ‘Love Scotch Lamb’ Weekend.

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Love Lamb Logo

Did you know that despite producing some of the best lamb in the world, we Scots eat much less lamb per capita than elsewhere in the UK. So, obviously we need some help to encourage us to include lamb as part of weekly family meals.

This week saw the 2014 launch of  Quality Meat Scotland’s,  ‘Wham Bam Thank You Lamb‘ campaign, aimed at encouraging us to understand the versatility, simplicity and speed of cooking with lamb.  This is ‘Love Scotch Lamb Weekend‘ and to spread the love for our delicious Scotch lamb some of Scotland’s sheep farmers will be out and about in town centres and supermarkets telling shoppers about Scotland’s outstanding lamb. There will be samples of the new season’s delicious Scotch lamb with lot’s of encouragement to include lamb as part of the weekly shop.

Cooking with Scotch lamb can be quick and easy, and as part of ‘Love Scotch Lamb’ weekend, Quality Meat Scotland sent me a hamper with lamb mince along with a super tasty recipe for lamb meatballs.  The challenge was to put my cooking skills to the test and show how quickly a tasty mid week meal can be prepared. All the ingredients were included for my challenge and the hamper also included a handy stopwatch to let me see how quickly the recipe could be cooked up.

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This recipe for lamb meatballs is easy to prepare, and once the prep is done and the meatballs are browned the dish is popped into the oven to finish cooking and will be on the table within 20 minutes.

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My family gave the dish top marks and they loved the flavour from the tarragon and basil. Served up in the middle of the table in one big pot this  makes a great family meal for any day of the week.

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Love Scotch Lamb
Recipe Type: Easy
Cuisine: Scottish
Author: rachelgillon
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
  • 500g Lean Scotch Lamb mice
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 2 small brown onions, finely diced
  • 1 slice of white bread, grated into crumbs
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 25g fresh tarragon
  • 25g fresh basil
  • 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 200g cherry tomatoes
  • 400g penne pasta
  • 50g Parmesan shavings (optional)
Instructions
  1. preheat oven to gas mark6/ 200C/ 400F
  2. Mix the lamb, half the garlic and onion, breadcrumbs, egg, a pinch of salt & pepper, and tarragon leaves. Shape into 12 balls.
  3. In batches, cook the meatballs in oil and allow them to brown all over. Remove and place to one side. Stir the onions and garlic in the pan before adding the chopped tomatoes with a pinch of sugar. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 3 – 4 mins.
  4. Add the meatballs back into the pan along with the cherry tomatoes and basil. Stir and bring to a simmer, place in the oven with a lid and bake for approx. 20 mins.
  5. Cook the pasta according the instructions on the pack & drain. Remove the meatballs from the oven before adding to the pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan and sprigs of basil to serve.

There you have it, no excuses, Scotch lamb is on the supermarket shelves and at farmers markets around the country. Why not pop a pack of lean mince lamb into your shopping basket and give this recipe a try. More delicious and easy recipes for Scotch Lamb are available on Quality Meat Scotland’s website

Notes: The recipe suggests shaping the meat into 12 meatballs. However my boys prefer smaller meatballs and I managed to make 36 from the lamb mixture.