Homemade Pizza

Posted on 13/01/2009 by cwildman

Really simple and fun recipe for Homemade Pizza and great to make with the kids.  Takes a little time but it’s fun and very tasty!  adapted from Delia Smith’s basic pizza dough from How to cook book 1.

Pizza Base Ingredients:-

  • 12oz/350g plain white flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons dried yeast
  • 1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8fl oz/240ml warm water
  • dusting of polenta or semolina to roll out

Method:-

  • warm flour for a few mins in oven
  • add flour, salt, sugar & yeast to bowl
  • add olive oil and water and mix to a dough with wooden spoon/hands
  • knead dough on a chopping board for 2 or 3 minutes then transfer to a bowl and cover with lightly oiled cling film
  • leave to rise for approx 1 hour at room temperature or until roughly doubled in size
  • knock back the dough, that is whack it and knead to get all the air out
  • pull off into a smaller ball for your preferred pizza size and start stretching into shape
  • dust your chopping board & rolling pin with polenta or semolina and roll out as thin as you prefer with slightly thicker edges
  • add pizza sauce and toppings of your choice (see below) and bake for approx 10 minutes on a preheated baking sheet at 450F/230C,  gas mark 8, top of the hot oven in an Aga and enjoy

Tomato Pizza Sauce Ingredients:-

  • Tin chopped tomato’s
  • 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped or put through your garlic press
  • fresh oregano or basil or a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or a good glug from the bottle!

Method:-

  • place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes or until reduced into a good pizza sauce consistency, put on one side ready to make your pizza
  • prepare your pizza toppings and place into small individual bowls or ramekins ready to design your pizza
  • toppings may include  some or all of the following, sliced olives, whole or halved olives, sliced mushrooms, sliced red and green peppers, salami, pepperoni, chorizo, ham, chicken, sweetcorn (uggh),  thinly sliced chilli, Italian bottled artichoke hearts, olive oil, cheese, Cheddar, Red Leicester, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Parmesan, whatever cheese you have or prefer
  • once you have your base prepared brush on some pizza sauce and then let everyone design their own pizza from your prepared selections.
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Real Milk

Posted on 12/01/2009 by cwildman
Green Top Whole Milk - Real Milk

Green Top Whole Milk - Real Milk

Very random blog about Milk, I love real milk, that is unpasteurised full fat milk otherwise known as MILK, green top, raw milk, the real stuff, whatever…..

Everyone has a favourite milk and just so many variations now but what is wrong with the real stuff I ask you!

  • Unpasteurised Green Top – whole natural milk, only available direct from the farm or a your milkman for doorstep delivery if your lucky, minimum 3.5% fat content.   Government made it illegal to sell in shops in 1989!
  • Pasteurised Full Fat Milk – the regular full fat pasteurised variety, minimum 3.5% fat content
  • Semi Skimmed Milk – the most popular variety in the UK with 1.7% fat content, our local supermarket sells this with a green lid! scandalous should be trade descriptions act green top is ONLY ever real milk not this wallow rubbish or “blue milk” as Grandma used to call it!
  • Skimmed Milk – nearly all fat removed 0.1 – 0.3% fat content, complete waste of space, might as well be water!
  • Pasteurised Milk – Pasteurisation involves heating the milk to a minimum of 71.7 degrees centigrade fro a minimum of 15 seconds
  • Homogenised Milk – has undergone a process to spread the fat evenly through the milk, pushed at high pressure through little holes, does not get a creamy layer at the top of the bottle, used to come in funny shaped bottles!
  • Sterilised Milk – pre-heated, sterilised, then homogenised and then heated in the bottle to between 113-130ºC for approximately 10-30 minutes, just about kill’s everything including some of the vitamins and taste funny different!
  • UHT Milk – UHT = ultra heat treated, heated to a temperature of at least 135ºC, long shelf life ,OK on your cornflakes when camping! IMO should not be used at any other time!
  • Jersey Milk – rich & creamy also know as Breakfast Milk
  • Organic Milk – from Organic herd’s grazed on Organic pastures with no use of chemical fertiliser or pesticides

Update Jan 2011

Mail Order delivery of Real (Raw) Milk to anywhere in the UK direct from the farmers Hook & Son in Hailsham, East Sussex  Link to website for Mail Order Real Milk

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Stilton and Cauliflower Soup

Posted on 02/01/2009 by cwildman

I have a full Stilton Quarter that we have not even started over Xmas, so have been looking out some Stilton Cheese recipes to try and use some up!

This is Stilton and Cauliflower Soup adapted from Keith Floyds recipe from his book Floyd on Britain & Ireland and serves 8.

Ingredients:-

  • 30g/1oz butter
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 1 very large or 2 regular cauliflowers
  • 1 Litre/1.5 pints vegetable stock
  • 1 bouquet garni
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 pint milk
  • 8 oz blue stilton
  • parsley to garnish

Method:-

  • melt butter in pan and fry onion until soft (do NOT brown)
  • add cauliflower, stock, salt and pepper and bouquet garni and bring to boil for 10 to 15 mins
  • remove bouquet garni and allow to cool slightly
  • liquidise or blend until smooth
  • mix cornflour with a little cold milk and stir into puree with remaining milk
  • bring to boil whilst stirring
  • remove from heat and start crumbling the Stilton into the soup and stirring until melted and combined, it’s ok to have some small cheesy lumps!
  • serve with a sprig of parsley and enjoy…
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Pickled Onions

Posted on 01/01/2009 by cwildman

Had some small onions/shallots in the pantry from before Xmas that needed pickling.

Ingredients:-

  • Shallots or small onions
  • Salt
  • Pickling Vinegar
  • Pickle spices and/or a couple of fresh chillies

Method:-

  • Top and tail your onions with a sharp stainless steel knife, that is, cut off the root and stalk ends of the onions
  • Peel off any dry or soft onion skin layers until you have a firm clean peeled onion and toss in a bowl
  • Once all peeled sprinkle liberally with table salt and set aside in a cool place for a few hours or preferably overnight, alternatively boil water and salt to make a brine and allow to cool then add onions (only when completly cool)
  • Pour off any onion liquor from time to time and add more salt, this process draws moisture out of the onions and gives a nice crisp onion when pickled, the more salt and time you give them the better the result
  • Wash and then sterilise your pickle jars in boiling water and allow to dry (I put them on the back of the Aga)
  • Wash onions in clean cold water and then dry with a clean tea towel
  • Fill jars with onions and then top up with cold pickling vinegar, make sure you cover all the onions but the vinegar should not be in direct contact with metal lids
  • Seal with airtight lids and leave for at least a week or two before sampling your pickles
  • For extra flavour try throwing in a chilli pepper or pickling spices with the onions
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Sausage Meat Balls

Posted on 17/12/2008 by cwildman

This is my Mum’s recipe and is simply the best Sausagemeat ball recipe, great hot and I suggest you make extra and hide them so you can have some leftover cold on boxing day!  These are so good they should not be restricted to Xmas.

Ingredients:-

  • 1lb/500g pork sausagemeat (or just remove skin from some sausages)
  • 1 grated carrot
  • 1 grated onion
  • 1 grated apple
  • 2 sticks grated celery
  • 1 fresh egg
  • small packet Paxo sage & onion stuffing
  • salt & pepper
  • plain flour if required

Method:-

  • make up the paxo stuffing mix with water as directions on packet
  • combine all other prepared ingredients with the stuffing and add a little flour if too wet
  • make into small balls with an ice cream scoop or just use your hands
  • space out on a tray (leave a gap as they will spread out)
  • cook in oven for 20 mins or until cooked through, I like to slightly over cook them until a deep brown colour
  • keep warm and serve with your Xmas Dinner/Lunch

I would double or treble the recipe at least and reserve some for boxing day, in our house half get eaten as soon as they come out of the oven by various members of the family pinching one as they pass through the kitchen! be warned….

Sausagemeat Balls for Christmas Dinner

Sausagemeat Balls for Christmas Dinner

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A simple luxury in life the humble cooked English breakfast

Posted on 17/12/2008 by cwildman

Don’t think this really needs any description, words, recipe, method or instructions, just wholesome fresh local Yorkshire ingredients….

Simple Yorkshire Cooked Breakfast

Simple Yorkshire Cooked Breakfast

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Burger Lunch

Posted on 16/12/2008 by cwildman

Nephew dropped in at Lunchtime the other day so made a quick burger.

6oz beef burger, cooked in oven for 10 mins, then remove and add a slice of whatever cheese you have in, can be anything, Wensleydale, Cheddar, Stilton, Edam, even Lancashire!  Toast some bread or a bun, whack some mayo, tomato, lettuce and a bit of tomato chutney or burger relish on top, season and there you have it…..

Mines the boring one on the left, the one on the right is the same burger in the hands of a better chef and photographer, Leigh over at The Good Stuff Blog.

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Toad in the Hole

Posted on 16/12/2008 by cwildman

Not had much inspiring to write about but thought I would give you the benefit of my Toad in the Hole recipe, always great for a quick family meal, and fantastic with Paganum bangers (pork sausages).

I used a large Aga roasting tin, cut the links and threw the sausages into the roasting tin, shouldn’t need any oil as some fat will come out of the sausages as they start to cook.  These sausages were classic pork sausage 500g/1.1lb of sausages, don’t prick them or anything just throw them into the pan.  I cooked for 7 mins in the top oven of the Aga and then removed and poured in the Yorkshire Pudding mixture, I used Delia’s recipe below but doubled all ingredients to feed hungry family of four!  If no Aga then approx gas mark 7, 425F, 220C.

Ingredients:-

  • 3oz/75g Plain Flour
  • 1 egg
  • 3floz/75ml Milk (I used Green Top!)
  • 2floz/50ml Water
  • salt & pepper to taste

Method:-

  • To make the Yorkshire Pudding batter sift flour into bowl,
  • make a well in middle with an egg then break egg into well,
  • gradually combine milk and water into flour in bowl with electric hand whisk,
  • season with a pinch of salt & pepper.

Just double up recipe for larger quantities.  If your just making Yorkshire Puddings then same recipe as above but heat a little oil or dripping in a bun tin before pouring a little of the mixture in each section and returning to oven.

Of course you MUST serve with onion gravy, I finely sliced 2 shallots/pickling onions, sauteed until golden in a big knob of butter, added water, pepper and then Original Bisto Powder (not those horrible granule things!)  for a quick tasty onion gravy, served with new potatoes or mashed and cabbage.  I had the coffee whilst making this and just love my Nespresso coffee machine, best invention since sliced bread….

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Snow in the Yorkshire Dales

Posted on 04/12/2008 by cwildman

A couple of photos of the current snow fall here in the Yorkshire Dales.  We have had a couple of inches on the ground for a few days now and nicely topped up last night with another 2 or 3 inches.  Not sure the Hens were too impressed.

The Hen's and Hen Hut in the Snow

The Hen Hut and occupants in the snow

Also as hen production has gone down, hen consumption has gone up, lessened the numbers by 11 and still getting the same number of Eggs! so at least we know we despatched the correct one’s!  So this week have made Coq au vin with a couple of the old hens! should that be Hen Au Vin! and chicken veg soup, chicken stock and some very very sticky (slightly over cooked) pork spare ribs.

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Sharpening Kitchen Knives

Posted on 01/12/2008 by cwildman

Part butcher’s tricks and part bushcraft tricks! here is how we sharpened the kitchen knives the other day.

Dad was over (retired Family Butcher) so asked him to give my knives a quick wizz with the butchers steel but he thought they were past sharpening with just the steel so big brother decided to have a go with my Japanese water stone (available from Bushcraft suppliers) and really put an edge on them.  Then finished off with Dad’s handy steel work.  Note the Water Stone has 2 faces a medium and fine side, you start with the medium then finish off with the fine., the stone should be submerged in water for a couple of minutes before you use it.  Tools we used in photo below…  and all knives now razor sharp.

Link to YouTube video showing how to use a Japanese water stone

Butchers Steel and Japanese Water Stone

Butchers Steel and Japanese Water Stone

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