festival feasting

 

BEDFORD JERSEY ARTS FESTIVAL is fortunate that its webmaster is an accomplished masterchef with 40 years experience in the catering and hospitality trade. This page will be his and celebrates the gastronomy that exists in Bedford and in Jersey.

The Bedfordshire Clanger

These are a handheld pasty-like confection that have a savoury end and a sweet end (like a Cornish Pasty with dessert included). They are exclusive to Bedfordshire, England. They were originally made by Bedfordshire housewives and mothers for their men folk to take with them into the farm fields, for a quick midday meal. The recipe comes from the cookbook for the website "The Great British Kitchen" at greatbritishkitchen.co.uk

For pastry

For savoury filling

For sweet filling

Directions

1

To make pastry, combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut suet into flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix water in with a fork, a bit at a time, until it becomes a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

2

Melt butter in pan over medium heat and saute onion, steak, and kidneys until onions are soft and meats are browned. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

3

Remove pastry from refrigerator. Divide into fourths. Roll each fourth out on lightly floured surface into a rectangle. Cut a strip from a short side and place down the middle of the rectangle to make two sections. Moisten both sides with of the strip with water to seal the savoury end from the sweet end.

4

On one half of each rectangle, spread the meat mixture. On the other half, place the apples, raisins, and sugar.

5

Carefully roll up pastry Swiss-roll style. Moisten the ends and seal. Wrap loosely in greased foil and place in a large saucepan.

6

Cover with boiling water and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Check water level occasionally, adding additional boiling water as needed.

7

May be served hot or at room temperature. You can also make one great one and share it sliced, with gravy and vegetables for the savoury side and a custard sauce for the sweet.

 

This is a real Jersey dish and was supplied by Jersey resident Libby Farnon.
'Les Bourdelots' (apples baked in pastry)
 
Ingredients
1lb flour
1tsp salt
half oz. fresh yeast
2 tsp sugar
half pint warm water
 
4 large apples (peeled and cored)
4oz. butter
4 oz. Demerara sugar
1 tsp grated nutmeg
half tsp cinnamon

Directions
Sift warm flour in basin and make a well in centre. Separately blend yeast and sugar, add half of water and add to flour to make this batter. Leave for 20 mins.

Dissolve salt in remaining water and add to bowl, mix and knead adding more flour if necessary. Leave to prove. Divide dough into 4 and using a rolling pin, roll into rounds big enough to cover each apple.

Cream butter and sugar and fill core of apples. Wrap dough around each, decorate top with any surplus and brush over with milk. Allow to rise for 30 mins.
Bake in a moderate oven (350 F, 180 C, gas MK4) for 45 mins covering for last 15 mins with cabbage leaves or foil to prevent burning. Serve with Jersey cream!!

<webmasters note> In Canada we call these Apple Blossoms. They are often sold on roadside stalls in front of the apple farm.


Jersey Bean Crock

Bean Crock has become the traditional dish of Jersey. It makes a filling but very tasty meal, and there are as many recipes as there are cooks - but they're all based on a mixture of dried beans, pork - preferably on the bone - or sometimes beef, and onions.

Traditionally, the jar of beans and meat was carried to the bakery to cook overnight. A good bean crock relies on long, slow cooking.

Traditional crock pots are still sold in Jersey - but you can use a large casserole dish with a lid, or even a slow cooker to make a bean crock.

Sometimes the beans used are just haricot beans, sometimes they are mixed beans. It was traditional to use pig's trotters - they give a rich gravy which forms a gel as it cools, but don't have much meat on them, so you need to add extra pork. Hocks can also be used. This recipe uses belly pork - easier to get and you won't have any problem getting a good thick gravy despite the lack of bones.

Ingredients
500g/1lb mixed beans
500g/1lb belly pork, cubed
2 onions
4 bay leaves
Black pepper
Salt

Directions
Soak the beans overnight in cold water. If the mixture includes red kidney beans it is important to vigorously boil the beans for at least 10 minutes before putting them in the crock pot.
Put the beans, cubed pork and roughly sliced onions into the crock pot with the bay leaves and pepper.
Cover with water, and cook slowly in a moderate oven for at least five hours. Check periodically to see that there is still enough water. You want the bean crock to thicken up, but not burn or dry out.
Add salt towards the end of the cooking. Serve with crusty bread and perhaps some green salad.
At community events in Jersey such as Barn Dances, bean crocks may be brought and served by the organisers. If you sample them, you will find that every one is different. Some are thick, some thin, some have carrots added. I definitely prefer mine on the thick side!

Recipe courtesy of www.i-love-jersey.co.uk

In Celebration of 4th July

America Celebrates its Independence


CLASSIC STEAK BURGER WITH BEER-BRAISED ONIONS AND CHEDDAR

Serve with your favourite accompaniments, on grilled buns or bread.

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar

3/4 cup (175 mL) beer

1 1/2 lb (750 g) freshly ground beef sirloin (British rump steak)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup (50 mL) finely diced red pepper

1/4 cup (65 mL) beer

 2 tbsp (25 mL) Dijon mustard Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups (500 mL) grated cheddar

FOR THE BEER-BRAISED ONIONS:

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the onions and cook while stirring frequently over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, or until tender. Add 3/4 cup (175 mL) beer and the sugar. Cook until beer is absorbed and the onions become lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

FOR THE BURGERS:

Pre-heat the barbeque on high. In a large bowl, gently but thoroughly combine the beef, garlic, red pepper,

cup (50 mL) beer, Dijon, salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, and place on the grill, turning heat down to medium. Grill them for 4-6 minutes per side, or until nearly the desired doneness. Top each burger with 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated cheese, and heat till slightly melted. Serve on toasted buns and top each with the beer-braised onions.

Makes 4 burgers.

 

Crumplehorn Chilli (a British take on a Texan Classic).

8 lb mince.
2 lb smoked bacon mis-shapes or streaky bacon; roughly chopped.
2 onions; sliced.
2.25 kg tin of chopped tomatoes.
800 gr tin of tomato puree.
10 large hot fresh chillies.
1 tablespoon Paprika.
1 tablespoon.
Cumin.
1 tablespoon Oregano.
10 cloves of garlic; finely chopped.
6 chicken stock cubes.
2.25 kg red kidney beans (Optional and can be served as a side dish accompaniment).

Fry sliced onions, garlic, bacon, and chillies in a little oil. When browned add the Paprika, Cumin, Oregano, and the mince. Stir well as it cooks to stop it clumping.
Add the chopped tomato and tomato purée. Stir well. When it starts to simmer, add the rinsed red kidney beans (if cooking in the chilli). Add the chicken stock cubes. You might need to add a little water to correct the consistency. Simmer for about 2 hours. Skim off any oil. Tastes much better
on the second day. To be authentic, the red kidney beans should actually be warmed through and served in a separate bowl.

This quantity will fill 3 x 4 litre ice cream containers and freezes well.

I used to make 10 lbs a week for the bar snack menu, although in August it was 20 lb a week! Definitely tried and trusted and always excellent.

Andrew Taylor is a chef and was proprietor of Crumplehorn Inn, Polperro for 18 years. He now lives in Canada with his Canadian-born wife. He is the webmaster for Bedford Jersey Arts Festival.

 

Kitty's Pork Ribs

This is from my friend Kitty, she is a Texan.

I'd marinate them overnight in a large re-sealable plastic bag. - Amounts are difficult since I don't know how much you have, but this is how I'd start:

In a bag large enough to hold the ribs, pour in a tin of lager. Add about 2oz of soy sauce, a good slosh of Orange Juice or the juice of a lemon. Then 3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed and roughly chopped; about 1/2 of a small onion, roughly chopped; a generous spoonful of brown sugar; cayenne pepper; a generous pinch of dried thyme and of dried oregano; a couple of dashes of Tabasco, if you like it hot; and a bit of liquid smoke, if you have it.

The next day, I'd use a rub (basic recipe to follow) and let them sit for 1/2 an hour or so while you're pre-heating the oven or grill and working on other prep.

Then I'd slice an onion into kinda big chunks or thick rings and spread over the bottom of a roasting pan and set the ribs on top - the onions will add some flavour, but will also keep the ribs off the bottom of the pan. Pour in a small amount of lager - you don't want the ribs sitting in beer - and then cover tightly with aluminium foil. Bake at about 110-125C (225-250F) - hard to give you times, as I don't know how big the rack is, but anywhere from an hour to two hours should be ok. Basically, just cook slowly until the meat's almost falling off the bone.

I like my ribs with barbeque sauce, but some people prefer dry ribs - with the rub they should be very flavourful anyway. I'd either use a store-bought hickory BBQ sauce (NOT HP! - they may know brown sauce, but they don't know BBQ sauce) or a homemade one, if you want to go to that effort. 

Basic Rib Rub
2 Tbs Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Paprika
1 Tbs Kosher or Sea Salt
1 Tbs Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
1 Tbs Onion Powder
2 tsp Dried Thyme
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Ground Cumin

Rub this generously into the ribs. Store excess for up to 3 months in a sealed jar or Tupperware container. This is just a good, basic, rub - you can adjust it as you go to suit your tastes - eventually, you'll end up with your own personal blend.

Generations of Texan BBQers are responsible for recipes like this, not me. (My poor ole Dad didn't get any boys, but my mother and sister always laugh that I'm his favourite son - he felt BBQ-ing was a Very Important Skill to pass on to me. Of course, looking back I think he just wanted me to get a husband and get off his "payroll" as quickly as possible, and we all know that chow is the way to a boy's heart!)

Best tip is that when you come across good quality or value steaks or chicken or whatever, you can put them in the marinade in small bags and let them sit a while, then freeze. Then anytime you have a longing for it, take it out of the freezer, and as it defrosts it'll start "re-marinating". A lifesaver on busy weekdays or when you don't feel like cooking.

Kitty is a gal born and bred in Texas now working for the U.S. Diplomatic Corp in Angola.

ODETTE'S CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE

Odette is a friend of mine who lives near Flagstaff, Arizona. Her husband is a Hopi Native American. She writes;

This is my Pumpkin Pie recipe. It is a classic type recipe, just pumpkin puree (or squash which is really good), eggs, cream, sugar and spice. No nuts in this one! This is what I make whenever Pumpkin Pie is called for at the Holidays and other occasions plus it's my husband's all time favourite pie, so I make it often. I use only cinnamon and cloves for spice, as this is his preference - others will prefer a more spicy mix, and use ginger, nutmeg, allspice and so on. The thing that works with this recipe are the proportions that make it set properly and in a timely fashion - extremely important in a successful Pumpkin Pie!

Preheat oven to 350 F/ 180 C

One 9 inch/23 cm pie dish lined with shortcrust pastry or pate brisee, uncooked, rolled out to 1/8th inch / 4mm thickness and crimped at the edges.

For the Filling. Mix together well:

2 cups cooked pumpkin or squash puree (should be quite dense like mashed potato, not at all runny) or 1 x 15 oz/420 gr tin unspiced pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/2 - 3/4 cup/4-6oz/112-175gr brown or white sugar or maple sugar (use 1/2 cup if you don't like it so sweet)
2 - 3 heaped teaspoons ground cinnamon ( or any combination of spices of choice)
pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 c / 360 ml heavy cream or a 12 oz can of evaporated milk
pinch of salt

Pour mixture into pie shell, bake on lower 3rd of oven for 45 - 60 mins until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting.

Serve with whipped cream or 'a la mode' with vanilla ice cream.

'Always-a-Winner' BBQ Sauce

This earned its name because everyone likes it. The sauce can be used on burgers, or added towards the end of cooking ribs or chicken on the BBQ. Once cooked it will keep well in a refrigerator for a month or so.

- 1/4 cup Finely Chopped Onion
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar,
- 1 tablespoon Worcester Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
- 1 Clove Garlic, Finely Chopped
- 1 cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup
- 2 Lemons (Juiced)
- 1 teaspoon Prepared Mustard

Cook onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes.

Recipe by Andrew Taylor

 


Andrew Taylor attended Birmingham College of Food from 1969 until 1971 working in Redbourne - Hertfordshire, Droitwich - Worcestershire and Stonehaven - Scotland before settling in Bedfordshire, where he became catering supervisor at the newly built Dunstable Park Recreation Centre. He was promoted to assistant manager and then as deputy manager of Queensway Hall - Dunstable, before moving to Leighton Buzzard as manager of Bossard Hall which he ran for nearly 10 years. Andrew then moved to Polperro, Cornwall in 1987 as the chef owner of Crumplehorn Inn and Mill. He was widowed in 1994 and continued to run the Inn until his departure in June 2005 when he moved to Canada with his Canadian wife Jo-Anne. Andrew is now sous chef at a fine dining restaurant and bar in Kleinburg - Ontario.

Chef - Andrew Taylor

 

1 May – 5 July 2009 in Bedfordshire UK
Celebrating 70 years of friendship  1939—2009

“Victoria College, Jersey children evacuated to Bedford School during the Nazi Occupation of Jersey  in WWII”

 

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