| Welsh wonders
There is a legend that Welsh warriors of the 7th century wore leeks, the national symbol, on their helmets to distinguish them from their enemies, the Saxons, and that this noble veg gave them strength and victory in battle. Modern day cooks put them to better use in soups, stews and savoury tarts or baked with ham in a cheese sauce. Leeks blend well with other ingredients as part of a group or are happy served as a vegetable in their own right. Now for something cheesy Wales also produces plenty of her own cheeses, Caerphilly being one of the best known. It originates in the town of the same name, which was a centre for cheese making in the early 19th century. Caerphilly is a cow's milk cheese with a soft, crumbly texture and mild flavour and was traditionally a favourite of Welsh miners. In recent years smaller cheese-making farms have sprung up all over Wales, indeed all over the UK, and produce their own particular cheeses, often rearing their own cows, sheep and goats. Many offer tastings at the farmhouse and sell at local markets and by mail order through the Internet. Stranger things at sea Historically Welsh cooks were not known for writing down their recipes, choosing rather to pass them down through the generations by word of mouth. This accounts for the great variation in ingredients and technique. And as with all agrarian societies, the better the harvest the fuller the pot, likewise when times were hard people got by on what was available. Welsh Rarebit Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
Preheat the grill. Mix the cheese, butter, mustard, cayenne and beer together. Toast one side of the bread slices. Spread the un-toasted side with the cheese mixture, making sure all the edges and corners are covered. Grill until melted, golden-brown and bubbling. Serve immediately. Leek and Potato Soup Serves 4
Ingredients Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks and boil until just cooked. Drain and allow to steam. Meanwhile trim the tough ends from the leeks, cut in half lengthways, wash out any grit and slice thinly. Heat the butter and when sizzling, fry the leeks for about 10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the potatoes and stock or water and bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the parsley. Use a hand blender or food processor to blend the soup briefly - it should still have some texture. Taste again for seasoning and serve hot. Glamorgan Sausages Serves 4
Ingredients: Cook the potato chunks in boiling water until soft, then drain and mash. Set aside to cool. Or you can use left-over mashed potatoes. Mix together the cold potato, half the breadcrumbs, cheese, leek, and parsley. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the egg yolks and mix to bind. Form into 6cm / 2 1/2 inch sausages and refrigerate for an hour or longer. Place the beaten egg, remaining breadcrumbs and seasoned flour into 3 shallow bowls. Dip the sausages in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and when hot, fry on all sides until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm. Honeyed Welsh Lamb Steaks Serves 4
Ingredients
4 large lamb leg steaks (or 8 smaller ones)
Mix the honey, orange juice, garlic, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and marinate the lamb steaks for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill, remove the steaks from the marinade and lay on a rack over a grill pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes each side, depending on thickness and on how you like your lamb done. It is best served slightly pink. Serve with simply steamed new potatoes and a green vegetable. Honey Cakes Makes 12
Ingredients Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / gas mark 5. Use paper cases to line a shallow 7cm / 2 3/4 inch patty or muffin tin. Sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then whisk in the egg. Slowly whisk in the honey. Fold in the dry ingredients and the milk until just combined. Spoon into the patty tins and bake for 20-22 minutes or until risen and golden. Bara Brith (Currant or Speckled Bread) Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Ingredients
Soak the fruit in the tea overnight. Grease a 900g / 2 lb loaf tin and preheat the oven to 170C / 325F/gas mark 3. Add the orange zest and juice to the fruit. Mix the egg and sugar in a mixing bowl and sift in the flour and spice. Add the fruit with its liquid and fold until the mixture is blended. Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour, 35 minutes. Check it?s cooked by inserting a skewer in the centre, it should come out clean. If the top begins to get too dark, cover loosely with a piece of tin foil. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and continue cooling. Serve in slices with unsalted butter. |