Author: xPal EuroCuisineLady

Makes 1 x 30cm/12-inch pie crust

Ingredients

1 package Active Dry Yeast

150ml/5fl.oz. Warm Milk

Approx 175g/6oz Plain Flour

50g/2oz Sugar

A pinch of Salt

1 large Egg, lightly beaten

2-1/2 tbsp Butter, melted

Instructions

1. Place the milk in a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the top and leave for about 5 minutes until foamy. Stir well.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a whisk then make a well in the centre and pour in the egg, yeast mixture, and butter. Gradually work the flour into the liquid ingredients until you have a smooth, soft dough.

3. If necessary, add a little more flour to make a dough that does not stick to your fingers and can be rolled out easily. Do not knead or over work or it will become tough.

4. Form the dough into a ball, place in a large lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.

5. Butter the flan tin and coat with flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.

6. Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface and using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a round, about 6mm/1/4-inch thick.

7. Line the prepared flan tin with the pastry, trim the edges and prick holes on the base with a fork.

8. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave the dough to rest and rise again for 20 minutes before filling and baking.

This dish has a history that goes back to when the Spanish occupied Northern Europe. Potatoes and possibly carrots weren’t known in Europe as edible at the time and were added to the recipe later. It’s perfect winter comfort food, although it’s possible to eat this dish all year round. A vegetarian version can be made by removing the sausage and using vegetable stock instead.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 – 3 litres chicken or beef stock
1 kg carrots
600 g potato
500 g red sweet potato
300 g can of borlotti beans, drained.
400 g of onions and/or shallots
2 leeks

2 garlic cloves
teaspoon of dried chopped dill
½ teaspoon of ‘Provencal herbs’
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Two smoked sausages

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a large pan and add the not too finely chopped onions, shallots, garlic, leeks and the dill, Provencal herbs and some salt to a large pan. Chop the potato, sweet potato and carrots into equal pieces and add to the pan. Return to the boil.

2. If adding the smoked sausage, remove it from all packaging and lay it on top of the vegetables in the pan .Simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes and the carrots are cooked.

3. Add the beans and heat through.

4. Remove the sausage. Drain (reserving the liquid).

5. Mash (add a slight amount of the liquid or milk to make a fairly smooth mash). Season to taste. Serve with the sausage.

The recipe:

• 500 g yogurt
• 1 cup water
• 1 or 2 diced cucumbers (diced is far better than grated, although at many restaurants they grate them)
• a couple of spoonfuls chopped dill
• salt, vinegar and oil to taste
• optional: a couple of spoonfuls chopped walnuts

How to make it:

Mix all the ingredients and serve cold in a soup dish. Use enough water so the soup is about the consistency of milk. Add a couple of ice cubes if it’s not cold.

If you use all of the above ingredients without the water and strain the yogurt until it becomes half in volume, you can make a salad. It is then called suh tarator (dry tarator), or Snezhanka (Snow White) or mlechna salata (yogurt salad).

Christmas Eve Soup (Stedrovecerna Polievka)

My dad came from Katlovce where the family looked forward to this soup every year. These days we look forward to the first Christmas Eve when some unsuspecting new in-law is served this soup. They are usually quite surprised by a prune staring back at them from a sea of sauerkraut and mushrooms!

• 1 small can sauerkraut
• 1 box pitted prunes
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 8 oz. can of mushrooms
• sour cream

Empty sauerkraut into soup kettle and add 2 1/2 cans of water (using the sauerkraut can). Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add mushroons (don't drain can) and prunes. While this mixture is cooking, prepare the zapraska (the French call it "roux"). Mix flour and butter and fry in a skillet until a light brown. Add 3/4 cup water, beat until smooth, then mix with soup. Season to taste. Scoop sour cream into individual bowls when serving. [Source: Mike Chinoransky]

Dumplings With Feta Cheese (Bryndzove Halusky)

• 1 1/2 lbs. of uncooked potatoes
• 3/4 lb. fine whole wheat flour
• 1/2 lb. bryndza feta cheese
• 1/4 lb. smoked bacon
• salt
• butter

Grate the peeled raw potatoes, mix with flour and add a little water if necessary. Add salt to taste. Halusky are formed with a knife or a teaspoon on a wooden plate washed with cold water and thrown into bubbling salted water. Boil a little. When they float to the surface take them out, rinse with water and mix with feta cheese. Serve with bacon cut up into small pieces and mix with feta cheese. Fry in butter. Bon appetit. To make bryndza from the feta cheese: wash the feta with water, grate and mix with butter to bryndza consistency.

Source: Slovak Heritage and Cultural Society of British Columbia

Kolacky (Rich Cold Dough Cakes)

• 8 cups flour
• 8 egg yolks
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1/4 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 lb. butter
• 1 lb. crisco
• 1 large cake fresh yeast
• 3 teaspoons baking powder

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk. In large bowl, sift baking powder and flour then add butter and crisco and "work like dough." Add sour cream, beaten egg yolks and then milk with yeast. Work dough thoroughly and place in refrigerator overnight. Take small portion and roll on sugar. Cut in 3-inch squares and place filling (nut, apricot or poppy-seed) in center. Can make into small rolls or fold corners into middle. Brush tops with beaten egg whites and bake for 15 minutes at 325 F (do not grease cookie sheet).

Fillings (Nut and Poppy-Seed):

• 2 1/2 lb. chopped nuts (walnuts or other, or poppy seeds)
• 1 1/2 box powdered sugar
• 8 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• enough milk to make nuts spread easy

Mix all ingredients well in bowl

*Can also make into large rolls. Instead of cutting squares, roll dough out flat (about 1/4" thick) and spread desired filling on top (be generous). Then roll from one end and bake at 350 F approximately 50 minutes. [Source: Dennis Melko]

Ceregy

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons wine or beer
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• Powdered sugar

Sift flour, sugar and salt in bowl. Work butter into flour. Beat egg yolks well. Pour into mixture. Add sour cream and wine or beer. Mix until well blended. Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth. Divided into 2 or 3 pieces. Roll very thin. Cut into about 5-inch diamond shaped pieces (at this point, you could also make a 2-inch slit lengthwise in the diamond and pull one end through- just to make them fancier…) Fry in very hot deep fat (or crisco or other oil) for about 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. When cool, dust with powdered sugar. [Source: Dennis Melko]

Mushroom Soup (Hubova Polievka)

• 1 large can sauerkraut
• 1/2 lb. dry mushrooms
• 1/2 gallon of water (or more)
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
• 3/4 cup of flour
• 1 whole onion (chopped)
• 1 stick butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large bay leaf

Soak dry mushrooms in small bowl for 1/2 hour in warm water, making sure all are covered. Drain and save water. Chop mushrooms on board (not too small in size). Put sauerkraut in large pot with 1/2 gallon water and add all ingredients (EXCEPT flour, butter and onion – these are to make what is called "za praska" to be added later) and boil for one hour (keep pot covered).

Fry stick of butter in pan until just brown. Add 3/4 cup flour and brown again (don't burn and don't leave it whitish). When almost brown, add onion and brown again. When onions are almost brown, add water saved from the soaking of the mushrooms (only 1/2 cup of this water and not the residue). Mix out lumps and add to pot only after pot has boiled for one hour. Cook for 1/2 to 1 hours more while stirring occasionally and make sure all garlic cloves are crushed. [Source: Dennis Melko]

Potato Cakes

This is a traditional Cornish recipe (“I’m half-Cornish”, says the recipe’s original poster).

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes
• a little milk
• 4 oz plain flour
• 2 oz margarine
• salt
• white pepper

Method:

Peel the potatoes, chop into 1" cubes, and boil until soft in lightly salted water. Drain potatoes, mash with a little milk and season with salt and white pepper. Leave to cool.

In a bowl, rub the margarine into the flour, until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the (cool) mashed potatoes, and mix well.

With floury hands, form the mixture into patty shapes the size of burgers, and fry in a little butter in a frying pan, turning halfway through. Delicious served with a little butter on top.

(These can be frozen easily after forming into patty shapes. Flash freeze on trays, then gather up into bags later. Easy to make a lot in advance and then just pull out whenever you want a fryup.)

(makes about 8)

This is a traditional Cornish recipe. The "figs" refer to the Cornish common name for raisins.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz suet
• 1 lb flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• raisins
• milk
• sugar

Method:

Mix together the suet, flour, salt and baking powder. Add water gradually, to form a dry elastic dough.

Knead lightly, then roll out to about 1/2" thick. Sprinkle on two handfuls of raisins, roll them in lightly with a rolling pin.

Fold up, like a jam suet pudding, sealing the ends. Criss-cross the top with a knife, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz butter
• 4 oz sugar
• 8 oz flour
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

Sieve together the flour, salt, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Rub in the butter, and add the sugar. Spoon the syrup in to a cup, stand in shallow water in a pan and heat gently until soft.

Pour the liquid syrup onto the other ingredients and work in thoroughly. With floury hands, roll the mixture into small balls and place on a greased baking tray, well spaced out. Bake at 400F, moving the biscuits from the top to the bottom shelf of the oven the moment they begin to brown.

Remove to a rack.

• 1 1/2 oz fresh yeast (or 1 1/2 oz teaspoons dry yeast)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 lb plain / strong flour
• 1/2 pint milk
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 ounces granulated / caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 5 ounces of butter, melted

Note: If using dry yeast, dissolve it in 3 fluid ounces of warm water and 2 tablespoons sugar. Allow to rise / “proof” in a warm place until bubbly. Proceed with the recipe as follows, remembering that no additional water need be added.

Crumble the fresh yeast in a small bowl and mash together with a couple of tablespoons of the sugar until the yeast is liquid. Set aside for several minutes. Sift half the flour into a large mixing bowl; sift the other half into a separate bowl and set aside.

Make a well in the center of the flour in the first bowl. Heat the milk with 3 fluid ounces of warm water until just warm to the touch. Pour into the well in the flour, along with the yeast/sugar mixture. Draw in the flour with a wooden spoon, beating well, to make a thick batter. Dust some of the reserved flour over the top, cover with a damp towel, and allow this “sponge” to rise in a warm place until bubbling and doubled in bulk — about 30 minutes.

Grate the lemon rind into a bowl with the eggs and beat together lightly with the salt and sugar. Add the melted butter (allow it to cool a little first: you don’t want to scramble the eggs). Set aside. When the sponge has risen sufficiently, beat the batter briefly to deflate the mixture. Add the egg and butter mixture, gradually beating in enough of the reserved flour until the dough becomes manageable enough to handle. Knead on a lightly floured board until smooth and shiny, or use a mixer’s dough hook, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. You will probably need most or all of the reserved flour.

When sufficiently kneaded, place the dough in a well-buttered bowl, lightly buttering the surface of the dough, and cover with a damp towel. Allow to rise until double in bulk — approximately 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down with your fist and knead briefly. Wrap well in cling film / plastic wrap, then in a large heavy plastic bag, and knot this tightly. Refrigerate overnight for best results. An hour after refrigerating, punch down the dough again (it will have expanded considerably). Use as directed in the recipe, re-kneading briefly.

This page’s content is duplicated elsewhere on our site, so we’ve removed it. Please click here for the three Irish stew recipes: or click here for the best one we’ve found.

Leeks turn up in all kinds of Irish recipes, but most commonly in soups and stews, and sometimes as a major ingredient. Brotchan foltchep is one of the oldest soups in which they appear, paired up with that other hardy northern crop, oats. Evidence of the popularity of this treatment may be suggested by the soup's other name, brotchan roy: "roy" seems to come from the old word for king, rí. A soup fit for kings, perhaps? or just fed to them? At this end of time, it's hard to tell. But the soup is hearty, tasty, chock full of vitamins and (as we now know) antioxidants — something very positive and pleasant to be eating as winter turns toward spring.

Ingredients:

• 3 leeks
• 1 ounce butter
• 3 ounces flake oatmeal (rolled oats)
• 600 ml / 2 1/2 cups "white stock": vegetable stock, or if preferred, chicken stock
• 300 ml / 1 1/4 cups milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A pinch of mace
• Chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons single cream

Wash the leeks thoroughly and chop into chunks. (Save one chunk and slice into rings as a garnish, if liked: put these aside until the soup is done.)

Melt the butter gently in a saucepan, not allowing it to brown. Add the oatmeal and fry it in the butter, stirring until golden brown. Still stirring, pour in the stock and milk.

Add the chopped leeks, salt, pepper and mace. Bring to a boil; then lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the broth is thick. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, and then either liquidize the soup in a blender or with a "stick mixer", or push it through a sieve.

Reheat gently without allowing it to boil again. Stir in parsley: serve and garnish with a swirl of cream and / or the previously sliced bits of leek (or stir the cream in when the parsley is added). Plain white or brown soda bread on the side goes well with this.