Sausage Plait

It's that time of year when I live in hope of a spell of fine weather (just a spell would do at this stage!) and dare I say it picnics....finding just he right spot at the local park to throw down the blanket and relax in the sun....bliss. The idea of absorbing Vitamin D naturally without the aid of handfuls of vitamin pills is somewhat unbelievable, we have had truly awful summers these past few years, so my advice for what it is worth is, if the day presents itself, grab the chance and go have that picnic!
This is a very handy recipe for just such an occasion, it is very tasty and can be served cold, I can also recommend the quiche or if is a little chilly, some  pea soup in a flask. I hope against hope that we will have a dry summer, especially after such a long cold winter. I trust I haven't jinxed the whole thing now by saying it out loud!?!

Recipe adapted from BBC Twos'  The Hairy Bikers Mum's Knows Best Season One 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
For the Pastry:
500g Shop bought puff pastry
or
454g Plain Flour
142g Lard
142g Margarine
2 Pinches salt
As Required cold water

For Sausage Mix:
454g Sausage meat or sausages with the casings removed
100g Fresh breadcrumbs
2 Medium onions
Seasoning to taste
2 tbsp Mixed herbs

Glaze:
1 Egg, beaten
1 tbsp Milk

Note on the recipe:
I have made this pastry a few times and it is truly scrumptious, however I didn't have the blogger bug then so I have no photographic evidence of my efforts, suffice it to say that it takes a bit longer to make than shortcrust but well worth the effort, however if you are in a hurry and watching the dark clouds to roll in, go for shop bought!!

Method
Make the pastry as follows:
Mix flour and salt and add lard and margarine, cut into small pieces. Stir in with a knife (do not rub in) and mix to a stiff dough with water. Roll out on a floured surface to a narrow strip. Fold into three, and give a quarter turn so that one of the open ends is towards you. Roll out again. Do this three times in all. Cover pastry and leave to rest (15 minutes approx). Roll into rectangular shape ready for sausage mix filling. In hot weather allow pastry to rest for 20 – 30 minutes in a refrigerator or a cool place before use. Preheat the oven to 230ºC/450ºF/Gas Mark 8, line a large baking tray with baking paper.

If you are unable to get sausage meat then remove the casing (skin) from sausages as follows, score the sausages with a sharp knife, gently remove the casing and discard.

Grate or finely chop the onions, mix everything together in a medium sized bowl. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle roughly 35cm x 25cm.  

Lay the pastry onto the prepared baking tray. Place the sausage filling into the centre of the pastry, leave a 5cm border all the way round.

Down each side of the boarder, cut strips every 2½ cms from the filling to the edge at 45º angle. I like to flour the knife first to prevent it from sticking to the pastry. Start with folding the very top of the pastry towards yourself onto the sausage filling, then plait the pastry strips alternately left to right, left to right, across the sausage mixture.

Continue the whole way down the length of the filling.

Tuck the bottom of the pastry up over the filling before finishing the plait.

Mix the glaze together, brush the whole plait with the egg wash.

Place in centre of the pre-heated oven, cook for 20 minutes approx or until golden brown.

Serve straight from the oven in slices or allow to cool room temperature then serve. If you are feeling inspired here are a few more of my picnic recipes...Enjoy!

James Martin's Quiche Lorraine

A classic that is worth trying and it is brilliant served either hot or cold, ideal for alfresco dining. If you are new to pastry making the I suggest you avoid the all butter shortcrust pastry in this recipe and try the Handmade Shortcrust Pastry which is made with margarine, it is much easier to handle and roll out or if you are short on time then go down the ready rolled route.
Either way this has been a trip down memory lane for me, making quiche (not since home economics class in the Convent of Mercy, Kilbeggan) and it tastes much better than I remember. I wondered then why blind baking was necessary, my ever patient home economics teacher informed me that it stops the pastry getting soggy on the bottom and nobody wants a soggy bottom!

serves 6-8

Ingredients
For the pastry
175g Plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Salt
75g Butter, plus extra for greasing (alternatively use 270g ready made pastry)

For the filling
250g English cheddar, grated
4 tomatoes, sliced (optional)
200g Bacon, chopped
5 Eggs, beaten
100ml Milk
200ml Double cream
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Sprigs of fresh thyme

Method
To make the pastry, sift the flour together with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until you have a soft breadcrumb texture. Add enough cold water to make the crumb mixture come together to form a firm dough, and then rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a light floured surface and line a 22cm/8½inch well-buttered flan dish.

Don't cut off the edges of the pastry yet. Chill again.

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line the base of the pastry with baking parchment and then fill it with baking beans (I used uncooked rice which I pushed right to the edges of the flan tin, otherwise it will bubble up, I know this firsthand because this photograph was my second attempt!).

Place on a baking tray and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for another five minutes to cook the base.

Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Sprinkle the cheese into the pastry base and add the sliced tomatoes if you are using them. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp and sprinkle over them over the top. Combine the eggs with the milk and cream in a bowl and season well. Pour over the bacon and cheese.

Sprinkle the thyme over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set (especially in the middle, it will be firm to the touch). Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set further. Trim the pastry edges to get a perfect edge and then serve in wedges.

To freeze the quiche: Allow to cool completely, then wrap in cling film. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen, in a preheated oven, for 15-20 minutes, or until piping hot throughout

Chinese Chicken Wings

My daughter celebrated her birthday recently and as part of the finger food I thought I'd try this recipe. It is really easy and very quick to make, in fact the only cleaning up is licking your fingers afterwards! Obviously this sauce can be used on drumsticks or even over a chicken fillet for a quick dinner. I didn't marinade these but I imagine it would only improve the flavour.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1kg Chicken wings
4tbsp Chinese 5 spice powder
4tbsp Runny honey
4tbsp Soy sauce

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C, place the chicken wings into a large ovenproof dish. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, pour the sauce over the wings and either brush the sauce all over the wings or get your hands in there and rub in the sauce thoroughly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. Serve immediately with large napkins and a bowl of lemon water ( for washing sticking fingers afterwards)

Pea Soup

This is just the soup for days like today, that are a bit chilly and you need to be warmed from the inside out. When my husband started running, we started going to charity runs and this soup is great in a Thermos flask with some brown bread while the lengthy race registration process is taking place!

Serves 2

Ingredients
400g -450g Frozen peas
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
600ml Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Fresh ginger, grated
100ml Single cream (optional)
Seasoning

Method
Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat.

Prepare the vegetables, don't worry too much about chopping neatly as everything will be blitzed with a hand blender before serving

Sweat the shallot and garlic for 2-3 minutes.

Add the frozen peas, ginger and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream (optional).

Blitz with a hand blender until smooth and serve.

Pea and Spinach Soup

Why not add 100g of fresh spinach....

add the spinach to the pea soup about 2 minutes before the end of cooking time.

Blitz as normal until the soup is smooth and serve. This pea soup is my 6 year old son absolute favourite, however he hasn't noticed that I've started adding in the spinach (Mum's the word!!).

Lorraine Pascale's Oven Baked Scotch Eggs

This was hard to resist when Lorraine Pascale made these recently on her cookery show. I've never tasted scotch eggs before so I was in for a rare treat. They can be eaten hot or cold and they're ideal for lunch boxes. Don't be put off about the number of bowls and the order they go in, if you set it up correctly from the start it's a doddle after that. Remember, dry before wet, the flour sticks the sausagemeat and the beaten egg sticks the breadcrumbs.

Makes 4

Ingredients
4 Eggs, hard boiled for 5 mins
25g Plain flour, seasoned
5 Jumbo Sausages, skin removed
1 Egg, lightly beaten
80g Stuffing mix  (I used Oakland Sage and Onion, Tesco 79c)

Method
Shell the eggs, set aside. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6 and line a small baking tray with parchment paper. A production line starting from right to left is needed to do this job efficiently.

Have each ingredient in a bowl, starting with the shelled eggs, plain flour, 5 sausages, chopping board with clingfilm, bowl of beaten egg, bowl of stuffing mix and the prepared baking tray. I suggest having a "dry" hand and a "wet" hand so that you aren't left with a congealed mess on your hands after each egg!

Starting with your "dry" hand roll the egg in the plain flour. Flatten the one and a bit sausages between two pieces of clingfilm, use the heel of your hand, flatten until it's about 10cm in diameter. Unfold the clingfilm and place the floured egg in centre, bring the sausage meat up around the egg using the clingfilm to coax it into place. Twist the clingfilm to get an even egg like shape. Unwrap, fill in any gaps and dip into the beaten egg mixture with your "wet" hand.

Roll the scotch egg until it is fully coated with egg (the egg is the glue that binds the breadcrumbs). With your "dry" hand roll the egg in the stuffing mix and lay your finished scotch egg onto the baking sheet. Do this with all your eggs.

Give them a light brushing or spray of oil and then place in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Nigella's Mini Meatloaves

Nigella is the one of my favourite authors when it comes to cookbooks, her food is tasty and simple. I had an impression that she was a bit of a lightweight and it was just about good television, but having received as a present Nigella Express, I'm a convert!
I have her recipes dotted throughout my blog  and this is a firm favourite. Now just so you know I used ordinary rolled oats in this recipe, the Sausagemeat was skinned sausages and I've replaced A1 steak sauce with BBQ sauce, all for handiness. You can eat these hot or cold we've done both, plenty of times waiting for my husband to registered for a run, we've happily sat and eaten these as a picnic. Your choice, enjoy either way.

Serves 6
Ingredients
500g Sausagemeat
500g Minced Beef  (Iused Quorn Mince)
80g Quick Cook Oats
70g A1 Steak sauce
2 Eggs, beaten
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Table salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 Degrees C/ Gas mark 6. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl really well with your hands or a fork.




Divide the mixture into 12 balls, and then shape into mini loaves. Sit the mini Meatloaves on a lined baking sheet with space between each and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Prawn Cocktail Canapes

This is an ideal finger food for the summer or very easy party food, they look so impressive for very little effort.

Serves 4

Ingredients
400g Cooked prawns peeled
1 Head of gem lettuce
200g Mayonnaise
200g Tomato ketchup
Pinch of paprika

Method

Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup and the paprika to make the cocktail sauce. Set aside. Wash the baby gem Lettuce and dry. Using the lettuce as a cup fill with the prawns and top with the cocktail sauce and garish with a sprinkle of paprika.