Wednesday, 27 June 2012

1970s Fabulous Fondue - Anyone seen Abigail?

Fondues are still popular so here is a fondue recipe from the Good Housekeeping CookBook 1972 edition. First you'll need a cast iron fondue of course!
1 clove of garlic
1/4 pint dry white wine and a squeeze of lemon juice
8 oz cheese cut into thin strips (half gruyere and half emmenthal)
2 level tsps cornflour
1 liqueur glass of Kirsch
a little pepper and grated nutmeg

Rub the inside of the fondue with the garlic, place over a gentle heat and warm the wine and lemon juice in it. Add the cheese and continue to heat gently, stirring well until the cheese has melted and begun to cook. Add the cornflour and seasonings, blended to a smooth cream with the Kirsch, and continue cooking for a further 2 - 3 minutes; when the mixture is of a thick creamy consistency it is ready to serve. Take to the table and place over it's burner.
Serve with cubes of crusty bread.
Can be made with strong cheddar cheese, cider instead of white wine and brandy instead of Kirsch
Kitchen Craft's Red Cast Iron Fondue Set - just add friends
For a Fondue Bourguignonne 
6 - 8oz fillet or rump steak per person cut into cubes
Oil for frying
Dips such as Horseradish, Curry, Paprika, Tomato, Mustard - in fact any dip you like. Heat the oil to around 375F and spear the cubes, cook in the hot oil then dip into the dip of choice and enjoy

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

1940s Wartime Recipe for Bread Pudding

This is a family favourite based on a Bread Pudding Recipe handed down and altered to taste. Delicious hot or cold - in fact it is nigh impossible to have a cup of tea and NOT have a chunk!
What you need:
Stale bread (about half a loaf's worth - we placed any left over bread in the oven as it cooled to let it dry out and last longer until we had enough)
4 oz Margerine or butter
2 oz Suet
Dried fruit to taste (it's delicious well loaded, in the war dried fruit was hard to come by)
Black treacle (the family like it nearly black in colour)
4 oz brown sugar
Nutmeg and/or mixed spice to taste
Good sized dish like this pyrex

Cook at about Mk 4 for approx 45- 60 minutes

  • Break the dried bread up and cover with water to soften (we leave it overnight). When it's soaked wring out as much water as possible either by hand or push through a sieve. Get the kids to do it - but wash hands first!
  • Melt the marg and suet and add to the bread and mix then add the sugar and about a tablespoon of treacle if you like your Bread Pudding dark and flavoursome.
  • Add the amount of dried fruit and mixed spice you want and mix thoroughly together and place ina greased ovenproof dish. Press flat and if you wish, mark out portions. Sprinkle more sugar on the top or some grated nutmeg for extra zing.
  • Place in the oven and wait patiently - it'll be worth it. Let it cool a little and become  more solid and enjoy.
Play with the recipe until it's just as you like it.