The New Black Archives - The Greedy Wordsmith

The New Black – Cloth pudding for Robbie Burns

After a break from writing over the Christmas recovery period I return to The New Black thread with a traditional boiled pudding for Burns Night.

I was a latecomer to haggis but always look forward to the end of January and the excuse to taste this Scottish delicacy once again. As a curious food writer, the next question had to be – what else would my Scottish neighbours have eaten as part of this winter festival to celebrate their most beloved poet?

Dessert proved a source of consternation. Many modern day Burns Night menus offer the naughty but nice Cranachan. A delicious combination of fresh cream, oats and whisky it was originally a late summer dish, served after the harvest with seasonal raspberries tossed gently into the mix. It is certainly not a dish suited to traditional winter provisions.

Eventually my research turned up the fantastic clootie (or cloutie) pudding, a combination of dried fruit, spices and suet and so named after the cloth used to wrap the ingredients before wrapping.

I couldn’t lay claim to the recipe that I am going to share with you today. The method and ingredients are simple to apply and the result is a pudding full of warming winter spices and much lighter than you might expect. The real trick is to prepare your clootie so as to create a skin as it cooks and it arrives at the table resembling the haggis itself. So I purely share the idea and encourage those of you setting upon your own Burns Night supper to consider giving this a try.

Clootie Pudding

From Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best
Serves 12

12 oz sultanas, 12oz plain flour, 6oz suet
1tsp cinnamon, 1tsp mixed spice, 1tsp ginger
1 grated apple, 5oz soft brown sugar
3 tbl treacle, ½ tsp baking powder
1 egg (beaten), milk to mix
A cloth – butter muslin or clean tea towel.

1. Fill a large saucepan or stock pot with boiling water and keep boiling ready for clootie
dumpling.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients and apple together.
3. Add the treacle, egg and milk and mix until you get a thick dough.
4. Scald the cloth in the boiling water, then spread the cloth onto a flat surface.
5. Spread flour over the wet cloth. This creates the skin of the dumpling.
6. Add your dumpling dough to the centre of the cloth. Pull the sides of the cloth together and
wrap the dough into a tight ball with the cloth. Tie the cloth tightly with string keeping the dough
tight within.
7. Add the dumpling to the boiling pot. Ensure the water comes up to the top or over the
dumpling. Boil for 3 ½ hours.
8. Ensure you keep the water on the boil and continue to top up the pot with water.
9. After 3 ½ hours lift out the dumpling from the pot, cut away the string and slowly unpeel the
cloth from the dumpling.
10. Once you’ve peeled away about 6 inches in diameter.
11. Add a plate upside down on top of the dumpling and tip the dumpling onto this plate. Slowly
unpeel the remainder of the cloth. The dumpling will look like a grey spotted brain!
12. Put the dumpling in front of a fire to dry off a little and turn brown.

The New Black – rosehips and honey

There is nothing new except that which is forgotten.

Marie Antoinette

Autumn is the perfect season for foraging as the hedgerows burst forth with elder, bramble and sloes. Amongst these sit an often forgotten bounty of ruby-red wild rose hips, once a very popular crop for those seeking winter nutrition. This member of the Rosaceae family is a relative of apples, quince and the ancient medlar – with many similiar qualities.

rosehips — Rose hips washed, topped and tailed.

From the marauding vikings of the 9th century to school children in World War Two; generations have long been aware of the benefits of consuming the fruits of Rosa Canina. Famously high in Vitamin C they are also an excellent source of Vitamin A, with additional research suggesting that they may deliver beneficial anti-inflammatory properties useful in the treatment of arthritis and heart disease.

The downside to converting your haul into a syrup is the high sugar content required to balance the natural tartness of the hips. In an attempt to address this I have used the less processed (but still a sugar of course) honey. You may question the true content of vitamin C after boiling – my own research shows that the cooking process only destroys around 15%. A lower sugar preserve will not last as long but can be frozen; a process which also has no discernible impact on the vitamin C.

Notes on picking – wait until the hips are dark red in colour and soft enough to pull off the plant easily. Make sure that they are not in a spot that is regularly sprayed with weedkiller and wash them thoroughly before use.

Ingredients

1 kg of foraged rosehips
1 1/2 litres of water
340g jar of honey

Method

Wash your rose hips well and pinch off the top and bottom with your fingers. Rinse again. Rough chop with a sharp knife. (See picture above.)
Place the hips and water in a large pan. Bring to the boil and reduce to a slow simmer for approximately 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside for about an hour.
After an hour sieve the juice into a large jug and discard the rose hips.
Strain the juice again through a piece of muslin or an old tea towel. Repeat to ensure that the tiny little hairs from inside the rose hips are thoroughly removed.
Clean your pan and return the orange pink juice with around 100g of the honey. Warm through, stirring continously until the honey is completely dissolved. Taste.

syrups — From left to right; damson cordial, hedgerow cordial and rose hip syrup.

6. If the syrup is still too sharp add more honey and continue until you are happy with the flavour. I find that about 150g – 170g of honey will usually suffice. Decant the finished syrup into bottles whilst still hot.

Add your rose hip syrup to hot water and lemon; dilute with sparkling water for a refreshing long drink or drizzle onto porridge an a cold, frosty morning.

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A fricassee of rabots – a modern take on a 17th century recipe.

This second rapid installment for ‘The new black’ grew from a current archive project at North Yorkshire County Council records office. Norton Conyers, near Ripon kindly donated their family documents, including a handwritten manuscript of household management and recipes dated around 1669.

The original receipt contains an elaborate dish of rabbit, veal, oysters and sweetbreads layered with pieces of bread and slow cooked in white wine and light ale. When invited to join Rachel Greenwood in presenting said recipe at York Food Festival, I decided to deconstruct it’s more accessible components and present these in a more manageable format. I have also included the instructions for frying the oysters and sweetbreads as we did at the demonstration.

Rabbit Fricassee
Serves 4 -6 with sides

Ingredients

450g – 500g diced rabbit off the bone.
Butter/lard
4 – 5 shallots or 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
4 – 5 preserved anchovies
Splash of dry white wine
Small glass of brown beer
One tablespoon Marigold vegetable bouillon powder
Small bunch of fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
Salt and pepper
One loaf of day old bread, preferably sourdough

Method
Place a spoonful of fat in a large saucepan. Don’t automatically dismiss the use of lard; it is around 20% lower in saturated fat and in my opinion lends a lighter note when frying. Brown the rabbit in small batches and set aside.

In the same pan sweat your sliced onion until translucent before adding the anchovies, nutmeg and bouillon. Return the rabbit and top with 200ml of water, the white wine and glass of brown beer. Tuck in your selection of herbs, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.

Simmer gently for around 30 – 40 minutes until the rabbit is cooked through. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

The final dish results in tender rabbit and a light, flavourful broth that matches wonderfully with wet polenta and a bitter green salad. To serve in a traditional way place a slice of your slightly stale sourdough in each soup bowl and top with a generous spoonful of the meat and sauce. Provide a large green salad for guests to help themselves.

Garnish of oysters and sweetbreads

Two oysters/sweetbreads per person
Spelt flour
Pinch of mace or nutmeg
Eggs
Milk

Buy your oysters and sweetbreads on the day required so that they are as fresh as possible. Sweetbreads usually need to be ordered ahead of time but many local butchers can get you them with a little notice.

Method
Beat two eggs with 300ml of milk. Add enough spelt flour to make a thick batter and season with the nutmeg.

Place a spoonful of lard in a frying pan and heat until red hot. Dip the oysters/sweetbreads into the batter and drop into your frying pan a few at a time. It will only takes 30 seconds or so until for them to cook through and reach golden brown on the outside.

Serve alongside the rabbit and green salad.

The New Black – A breakfast to go a-viking.

Nothing is new except that which is forgotten

Marie Antoinette

After sharing my 9th century inspired stoup in the York Food and Drink Festival cookbook; a Viking inspired, mixed grain porridge seemed an appropriate ‘New Black’ post for early October.

From top clockwise. Darker grains of the rye; pale white barley flakes and cream coloured rolled oats.

The inclusion of barley and rye flakes offers a deliciously nutty texture and fits with the typical diet of the time. Buttermilk gives a creamy texture with a sharp aftertaste that balances wonderfully with the natural sweetness of the topping.In addition to the honey, I have finished my porridge with nuts available to Vikings foraging in the 9th century. Dates and figs also work extremely well; as does a sprinkle of cinnamon, ground ginger or cardamom.

Barley, rye and oats each contain their own set of micronutrients along with heart healthy beta-glucen; making this a healthy and filling breakfast alternative for the winter months. The addition of native elderberries adds a boost of vitamin C and a dash of black blue colour. If you can’t find wild elder in your local hedgerow there is still time to replace them with the last of the picked over blackberries.

Ingredients

Serves 4

For the porridge

1 cooking apple
Small handful of elderberries
2 cups of barley flakes/rye flakes/oat flakes combined
3 cups of water
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons of buttermilk

The topping

Combination of hazelnuts and walnuts
Honey

Peel and chop the apple. Rinse the elderberries to remove dirt and insects before pulling from the stalks with a fork. Any excess berries can then be frozen until required. Place the fruit and a drizzle of water in a small pan. Cook until the apple is soft but still whole and the elderberries have broken down.

Roughly chop the nuts and toast carefully in a dry, non-stick frying pan. Place on the table alongside a pot of honey and extra buttermilk.

Choose a pan with plenty of room. Combine your mixed grains and water before bringing to the boil.. Stir well, reduce the heat and simmer gently until cooked through. Stir regularly to create a thick, creamy texture. If the porridge is too solid for your liking add more water. Season with a pinch of salt.

Remove your porridge from the heat. First stir in the buttermilk and then the cooked fruit. Return to a gentle heat to ensure your porridge is piping hot. I like taking the steaming hot pan to the table so that guests can take ladlefuls of porridge before adding their own nuts and honey.

The New Black – Healthy Energy Snacks

There is nothing new except that which is forgotten

Marie Antoinette

I have chosen a History Girls favourite to launch this series combining modern food trends with historical recipes. The demand for reduced sugar, healthy snacks continues to rise; as does the use of dried fruits, nuts and seeds within the diet and exercise industry. In the vein that nothing is new, let me introduce you to the original energy snack.

Ancient Egyptian Tiger Nuts

Consisting of a mix of dried fruits, almonds, honey and sometimes sesame seeds, Tiger Nuts date back to 1400 BC. They are named after the edible tuber of Cyperus grass, a commonly used plant native to ancient Egypt. The ingredients can be found engraved into stone tablets of the era and are referenced in the Old Testament story of Joseph and his eleven brothers. Many components of this simple recipe were expensive food stuffs at the time; with honey revered as a food of the Gods and only available to the extremely wealthy.

A few food facts

Dates are high in dietary fibre, iron, potassium and contain good levels of vitamin A.
Figs contain soluble fibre, potassium, magnesium, iron and are excellent sources of vitamins A, E and K.
Almonds are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids – which can be helpful in lowering bad cholesterol levels – and supply you with healthy Vitamin E and B-Complex vitamins.

The Recipe

The secret of these goodness packed little mouthfuls is their simplicity. The ingredients are not cheap but you can make quite a lot in one batch and store them almost indefinitely in an air tight container. They never last long in our house though!

250g dried dates
100g ready to eat figs
75g sliced or chopped almonds
Honey to bind
Toasted sesame seeds to coat (optional)

Rough chop the dates and figs and combine with the almonds in a large bowl. Squeeze in a small amount of honey and use your hands to bring all of the ingredients together. Add more honey as you need to but try not to make the mixture overly sticky. Form small amounts into balls about the size of a walnut, pressing together with your fingers and rolling between the palms of your hands as you go.

Lay out onto a baking tray and leave to air dry overnight. Pack away and store in a cool, dry place.

Cinnamon, cumin, coriander or aniseed can be added by those who wish to spice things up and they are also quite delicious rolled in toasted sesame seeds.

Souper Aliums

Sunday is soup day in winter. It allows me to use up any leftover vegetables and get ready for lunches in the week ahead. A flask of steaming soup is almost compulsory for outdoor market days when the February cold creeps through my coat. This week I had an abundance of leeks and onions and I could hear their gut boosting properties calling to me from the bag. To boost the nutritious qualities even further I threw in garlic, chilli and half a bag of black kale waiting to be used up. The now trendy kale has a deliciously earthy, slightly iron flavour and is high in vitamins K, A and C. It is also the nearest modern cooks can get to the wild cabbage our ancestors once foraged.

I am generally reluctant to imbue particular foodstuffs with health boosting claims but, along with the ubiquitous chicken, onion soup sticks in the psyche as immune boosting and all round healthy fare. Anything that can lift the body and mind towards spring is welcome in my kitchen.

Giving an exact recipe for soup seems to go against the very nature of the dish itself. From Anglo – Saxon pottage to the traditional Italian home cooked minestrone, soup has been about taking whatever the season has to offer and turning it into a sustaining and delicious meal. For this reason I am going to give the foundations of my Winter Alium Soup and let your instincts do the rest.

Ingredients

5 – 6 medium leeks
6 – 7 brown onions
winter greens
2 low salt stock cubes
garlic cloves
fresh chilli
dried thyme
dried sage
red lentils
salt and pepper

Method

Finely slice the onions and leeks and place in a large pan with a little rapeseed oil. Fry slowly until translucent and much reduced. This might take 30 – 40 minutes.
Wash and tear the winter greens, removing any tough stalks at the same time. Toss into the pan along with the stock cubes. Add the herbs, garlic, sliced chillies and seasoning to your preferred taste. I usually start small and add more as it cooks.
Pour on enough water to cover and then a bit more. Bring to the boil and simmer for another 30 – 40 minutes. Keep tasting and adjust flavourings as needed.

The Greedy Wordsmith

Claire Davies

Category: The New Black

The New Black – Cloth pudding for Robbie Burns

The New Black – rosehips and honey

A fricassee of rabots – a modern take on a 17th century recipe.

The New Black – A breakfast to go a-viking.

The New Black – Healthy Energy Snacks

Souper Aliums