The Ploughman's Lunch and the Miser's Feast BLAD
-
Upload
harvard-common-press -
Category
Documents
-
view
358 -
download
0
description
Transcript of The Ploughman's Lunch and the Miser's Feast BLAD
T h e P loughm a n’s Luncha n d t h e Miser’s Fe ast
Brian Yarvin
Authentic Pub Food, Restaurant Fare, and Home Cookingfrom Small Towns, Big Cities, and Country Villages Across the British Isles
2 The Ploughman’s Lunch and the Miser’s Feast
Salmon BrothMakes 4 servings
Sometimes I wonder if there’s a bit of irony in the way some
Scottish soups are called “broths.” In no way could this be
reconstituted from a cube or poured out of a carton. Salmon
Broth is one of those Scottish “broths” that’s really a meal in
itself. In fine restaurants, it’s a first course, but in a local pub, it
might be served as the main dish.
1 pound salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch squares2 sprigs fresh thyme2 sprigs fresh parsley, plus 1 teaspoon chopped
fresh parsley, for garnish1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives1 cup peeled pearl onions1 cup peeled and chopped carrot1 cup peeled and chopped potato2 tablespoons unsalted butter1 cup heavy cream2 teaspoons salt
1. Combine the salmon, thyme, parsley, and chives in a
large soup pot with 1 quart of water over high heat. Bring to a
boil and let boil, uncovered, for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to
medium-low and simmer the soup, covered, stirring occasion-
ally, for 5 minutes, or until the salmon is opaque.
2. Add the onions, carrot, potato, butter, and cream and
simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes and carrots are tender
and the liquid has reduced by about 1/4, about 40 minutes.
3. Taste the soup, and if it needs salt, first add just 1 teaspoon.
Then taste again to see if it needs more. It’s all too easy to make
soups like this one too salty.
4. Remove the sprigs of thyme and parsley. Garnish with the
chopped parsley. Serve hot.
The Soup Pot 3
Beef WellingtonMakes 6 servings
Beef Wellington, a roast beef wrapped in a pastry crust and
named for the First Duke of Wellington, is an old-school classic.
It was the elegant dish that people in Britain knew before “fine
dining” was a buzzword. Today it seems corny, but it became a
legend for a reason.
1 beef tenderloin, 2 to 21⁄2 pounds2 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper2 tablespoons vegetable oil1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 cup chopped onion3 cups chopped fresh mushrooms1 (171⁄2–ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed1 large egg, beaten
1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Sprinkle the beef tenderloin
with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Pour
the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef tenderloin
and brown it on all sides. (Make sure it is really browned, and
not just gray.) Remove the beef to a platter and set it aside to
cool. Reserve the skillet and its drippings and juices.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter and
onions to the same skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the
onions are translucent and have absorbed much of what was
rendered when the tenderloin was browned, about 15 minutes.
3. Mix in the mushrooms and the remaining salt and pepper
and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have com-
pletely cooked and the liquid in the pan has thickened into a
saucelike consistency, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat,
set aside, and let cool.
4. Lay a puff pastry sheet down on a flat surface and cut out
a sheet large enough to cover the entire beef tenderloin. Put the
beef on the pastry sheet and spread the mushrooms out over
the beef. Wrap the pastry around the beef and mushrooms and
pinch the dough seam to seal it tightly. Oil a baking sheet well,
transfer the wrapped beef to the sheet, and brush the pastry
with the beaten egg.
5. Roast the beef for 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer
reads 130°F and the pastry is browned. Remove from the oven
and let cool for 15 minutes. Slice the beef in 1-inch-thick slices,
and serve warm. Or chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.
4 The Ploughman’s Lunch and the Miser’s Feast
The Main Course 5
6 The Ploughman’s Lunch and the Miser’s Feast
Fat RascalsMakes 6 to 8 large cookies
I heard about Fat Rascals long before I tasted them. In the
interim, I tried to imagine what would go into a cookie by that
name. My mind raced with images of cream, chocolate, caramel,
and other rich dessert ingredients. But when the time came to
bake them, eat them, and write a recipe, I learned that fat turned
out to mean lard. And lard is what you want for the flakiest
texture. You can, however, use shortening if you prefer.
2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1 cup packed dark brown sugar 3⁄4 cup currants1⁄4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves1 cup lard or shortening1⁄2 cup whole milk1⁄4 cup sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Mix the flour, baking
powder, brown sugar, currants, salt, cinnamon, and cloves
in a large bowl.
2. Combine the flour mixture with the lard or shortening,
using your hands to pinch the ingredients together until a
dough begins to form. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time
until the dough has the consistency of modeling clay.
3. Sprinkle your work surface with some additional flour
and roll the dough out into a sheet 1⁄2 inch thick. (Yes, these are
fat cookies.) Then use a 2- or 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut
out disks.
4. Grease a baking sheet with butter, lard, or shortening.
Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the sheet and bake them
until they are golden-brown, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle them
with the sugar and return them to the oven for 5 minutes more.
Remove from the oven, let cool, and serve.
The Sweet Side 7
T h e P l oughm a n’s Lunch a n d t h e M iser’s Fe a st
Within Britain, pub and country-inn chefs, food writers, and everyday home cooks are taking a renewed interest in their own traditional cuisine, approaching it now more with pride than with prejudice. Here the American food and travel writer and photographer Brian Yarvin brings these newly rediscovered pleasures to the attention of home cooks on this side of the Atlantic.
TABLe OF COnTenTS
• A Full Breakfast
• Sandwiches, Salads, and Small Plates
• The Soup Pot
• The Main Course
• The Curry Shop
• On the Side
• Savory Pies and Baked Goods
• The Sweet Side
• The Ploughman’s Cupboard
Brian Yarvin, a native new Yorker, has been a photographer for almost 35 years. He teaches food a nd com me rc i a l photog r aphy a t t he Washington School of Photography in Bethesda, Maryland, and is also a food writer and restaurant
reviewer. He lives with his family in edison, new Jersey.
978-1-55832-413-8 • $26.95 • Color photographs throughoutFEBRUARY • Cookbook • 320 pages • CL • 9 x 8
• Author website: www.brianyarvin.com• Friend Brian Yarvin on Facebook at:
www.harvardcommonpress.com/byarvin• Follow Brian Yarvin’s photo collection at byarvin.zenfolio.com
PUBLiCitY ContACt: nancy Grant Mahoney (617) 423-5803 or (888) 657-3755the Harvard Common Press • www.harvardcommonpress.com
UNCORRECTED BLAD • NOT FOR RESALE