On 20th March 2015 the UK will see its first Total Eclipse in 16 years, last seen on 11th August 1999. Although not visible to all, most will see a solar or partial eclipse. On previous occassions this astronomical phenomenom bought with it fears of death and superstition. Most cultures regard the event as omens both good and bad, the word eclipse comes from the ancient Greek word ekleipsis for being abandoned. Legend has it that the Chinese, associated it with the health and success of their emperors, and that two astronomers, Hsi and Ho, were executed for failing to predict the event. The Babylonians thought like the Chinese with the bad omens towards their kings, so they replaced their monachy with substitutes during the event so that they false kings would face the wrath of the gods. However this was not the case with the Greeks in 585 BCE, who stopped the war between the Lydians and Medes who saw the darkened skies as an omen for peace. The superstitions and potents of death weren’t helped over the years by the coincidental deaths of the Prophet Mohammad’s son Ibrahim in 632 BCE and King Henry 1st 1133 CE shortly after a solar event. It has also been said that Helium was discovered during an eclipse, independently by French astronomer Jules Janssen and British scientist Norman Lockye in 1868.
This week also see St Patrick’s Day being celebrated the world over on 17th March, so this week’s recipes all have an Irish flavour. They are:- Potato & Spring Onion Breakfast Pancakes, Mussels Steamed with Cider & Bacon & Fruit & Spice Soda Bread.
My first recipe is Potato & Spring Onion Breakfast Pancakes courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine January 2015.
Serves 2 (makes 6 pancakes). Prep 15mins, Cook 30mins plus cooling.
140g x Floury Potatoes (weighed after peeling), cut into large chunks
50g x Self-Raising Flour
½ tsp x Bicarbonate of Soda
3 x Large Eggs
5 tbsp x Milk
3 x Spring Onions, finely chopped
2 tsp x Sunflower Oil, plus extra if needed
A Knob of Butter
6 x Rashers of Streaky Bacon (smoked or unsmoked)
Put the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and boil until tender. Drain well, tip back into the pan, shake for 1 min over a gentle heat to dry them off, then mash and leave to cool.
Put the cooled mash in a bowl with the flour and bicarb. Whisk 1 egg with the milk, season, tip into the bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir in the spring onions, reserving some to serve.
In a non-stick frying pan, heat half the oil and butter until sizzling, then spoon in half the pancake batter to make 3 pancakes. Cook for 1 min or so on each side until browned and set underneath, then flip and cook the other side. Keep warm in the oven while you make 3 more pancakes.
Wipe out the pan, add the bacon and sizzle until almost crisp. Push to one side and crack in the 2 remaining eggs – with a splash more oil if needed. Fry to your liking, then serve with the pancakes and bacon, sprinkled with the remaining spring onions.
My next recipe is Mussels Steamed with Cider & Bacon Recipe by Barney Desmazery, courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine November 2007.
Serves 4 as a starter 2 as a main course, Prep 40mins, Cook 20mins.
A Small Knob of Butter
6 x Rashers of Bacon, chopped, or a 140g piece, cut into small cubes
2 x Shallots, finely sliced
A Small Bunch of Thyme, leaves stripped
1½ kg x Small Mussels, scrubbed and bearded
A Glass of Cider, approx. 150 ml
2 tbsp x Crème Fraîche (optional)
PREPARATION: Raw mussels MUST be alive when you cook them, so careful preparation is key. Wash them under cold running water until it runs clear, and scrub if necessary. Pull the ‘beard’ away from each individual mussel – this is the byssus thread, a protein the mussel ‘spins’ so it can attach itself to rock or rope. Drain and then check; if the shell is tightly shut, this is a good indication that it’s alive. If the mussel is open, tap it sharply for a few seconds – if it is alive, it will close. Discard any that appear to be dead as they can decompose very rapidly, and eating one that you aren’t sure of is not worth the risk. Don’t check them too far in advance; cook within a few minutes to be on the safe side.
Heat the butter in a pan large enough to easily fit the mussels, then fry the bacon for 4 mins, turning occasionally until it starts becoming crisp. Throw in the shallots and thyme leaves, then cook for 1 min until softened. Whack the heat up to maximum and add the mussels to the pan, then pour over the cider. Place the lid on the pan, give it a good shake, then cook the mussels for 5-7 mins, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that haven’t.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the mussels into bowls and place the pan back on the heat. Bring the juices to the boil and stir in the crème fraîche, if using. Pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve with hunks of crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
COOKING TIPS: Mussels are most often steamed open over a small amount of flavoured liquid, as in Moules marinière, although they can also be oven roasted and are particularly good cooked ‘en papillote’ (in a bag). Wine, stock, beer and cider are all great for cooking mussels, but take care not to add salt to the liquid as mussel juice can be very salty. Drop the mussels into the liquid, cover with a tight-fitting lid, then cook until they have opened and the meat has settled into one side of the shell; this usually takes 3-4 minutes. Avoid overcooking as the meat shrivels and becomes tough. Check them all again before serving and discard any that haven’t opened. If a mussel is unopened at this stage, this indicates that it was already dead. You will probably notice the colour of the meat varies between beige and orange. This is an indication of sex – beige for male and orange for female; there is no difference in flavour. Once cooked, mussels are usually lifted into a bowl and the cooking liquor is reduced by simmering. Pull the meat from one shell and then use that shell as a pincer to remove meat from the rest. Serve simply with crusty bread – lovely!
And finally Fruit & Spice Soda Bread Recipe by Sarah Cook, courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine March 2007.
Makes 1 large loaf enough for 8, Prep 30mins, Cook 35mins.
100g x Rolled Porridge Oats
25g x Butter, diced
200g x Plain Flour
200g x Plain Wholemeal Flour, plus extra for dusting
100g x Caster Sugar
1 tsp x Bicarbonate of Soda
1½ tsp x Mixed Spice
50g x Raisins
50g x Sultanas
50g x Stoned Dates, finely chopped
3 tbsp x Mixed Peel
450ml x Buttermilk
3-4 tbsp demerara sugar
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whizz the porridge oats and butter together in a food processor, or rub the butter into the oats with your fingertips in a big bowl. Stir in the flours, caster sugar, bicarb, mixed spice, 1 tsp salt, the raisins, sultanas, dates and mixed peel.
Pour over the buttermilk and quickly stir in with a round-bladed knife. Tip out onto a flour-dusted surface and gently bring together into a ball with your hands. Transfer to a flour-dusted baking sheet and scatter over the demerara sugar, pressing it into the top. Use a sharp, flour-dusted knife to cut a big cross in the top and bake for 30-35 mins until crusty on the outside. Eat warm or cold, thickly sliced, with butter.
Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.
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Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D
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