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It doesn't get much butter than this
Lost your sense of houmous?
Get it back with some home-made bread and butter
I HAVE just been down to one of my favourite haunts
and that is the Helford River in Cornwall. Although it was chilly,
the skies were a deep blue and therefore the sea reflected the
same glory and I felt that I was in the Caribbean.
Tucked in a corner of the little village Manaccan, there
is a small thatched pub where I have been going for too many
years to mention, and this always leads to an interesting visit.
It is a mix of sailors, farmers, locals, visitors, second homers,
children and dogs with alcohol and food thrown in. If the session
has gone really well, you can even get married there.
Joking apart, Penny, owner/chef cooks great local food and when
chatting to her about what recipes I should use she slipped
into the conversation that she made her own bread and butter.
I think this is very unusual so this week will be her recipes
along with my own bread recipe to use up the buttermilk.
Home-made Butter
You could flavour your butter while making by either adding
some anchovy, fresh chopped herb, such as tarragon, tomato puree
or just have it plain.
Ingredients
One tub clotted cream;
A little salt.
Method
Put the cream into a mixing bowl and beat with a blender until
the fat separates. Keep beating gently until you get a distinct
butter look and the liquid buttermilk split. Drain off the milk
and keep beating gently.
At this point add the flavouring or just a little salt. Then
put the butterball into a smaller bowl and dry out as much as
possible. Press into a ramekin or roll into a shape that you
require and then chill.
Clare’s Irish Bread
This is my old favourite that has even been sold in Waitrose
and Harvey Nichols. No kneading or waiting...just mix and straight
in the oven. Cut in thick slices.
Ingredients
175g wholemeal flour;
50g self-raising flour;
50g pinhead oatmeal;
50g wheatgerm;
50g bran;
One tsp baking soda;
Half teasp salt;
One teasp sugar;
One egg;
300ml buttermilk.
Method
Preheat the oven 190C 375F Gas 5. Place the dry ingredients
in a large bowl and mix well. Add the egg and buttermilk and
mix well with a spoon. Put into a 450g non-stick loaf tin, roughly
even out the top and bake for 45-60 minutes or until crisp and
a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Houmous
This is such an easy recipe to make but most pubs would
serve the bought one. Homemade is certainly better and garnished
with chopped flat leaf parsley just adds a lovely freshness
of flavour.
Ingredients
200g chickpeas, drained from tin;
One clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped;
One tbsp tahini;
One tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil;
Juice of 1 lemon;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Method
Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whiz until
smooth. You may have to add more lemon juice or a little water
to allow blending to smooth paste. Put into a bowl and chill
until ready to serve.
Penny’s Magic Sticks
Penny did not think this was a special recipe but I think
it is magic and so easy to make. Why didn‚t I think of
it. Great fun to serve with the houmous or any dip for that
matter.
Ingredients
One pack of pitta bread;
Oil for deep fat frying.
Method
Cut the pitta into strips about one inch thick and about four
to six inches long. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan to about
190C or 375F.
You can test the temperature by dropping a small piece of bread
into the fat and if it sizzles then it is ready.
Put a few strips in at a time and when golden brown, remove
and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve warm.
Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill, NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk
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