Patum Peperium - The Gentleman's Relish

The recipe for Gentleman's Relish has remained a secret since it was first invented by John Osborn in 1828. It is wonderful spread on hot toast and added to scrambled eggs. It is the essential ingredient for Scotch Woodcock - a Victorian snack served at the end of a meal! This is my interpretation of this famous English relish.

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200gm) anchovies, drained & coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsps fresh white breadcrumbs
• 5⅓ oz (150gm) butter
• 1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground mace
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• 1 dash fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. For a less salty relish, soak the anchovies in warm water for an hour or so.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the anchovies and butter until they resemble a smooth paste. You could also use a food processor.
3. Stir in the breadcrumbs, spices and pepper and spoon the paste into a large ramekin. Cover and chill before serving.
4. Serve with scrambled eggs, toast, sandwiches and as a "kick" to savoury sauces!

 

Source: Food.com

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Scotch Woodcock is Victorian dish served as an after dinner course as an alternative to dessert but now more often served as a snack or accompaniment to lunch. It is a simple recipe of scrambled eggs and toast. Spread the Gentleman's Relish on the warm toast and top with a large dollop of scrambled eggs and sprinkle with chopped parsley. For those wishing a more intense anchovy flavour, top the scrambled eggs with one or two anchovy fillets.

Scallops with Leeks

From the Two Fat Ladies cookbook

• 12 fresh large (or 24 small) scallops on their shells
• 8 young leeks
• 2oz unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 5oz dry white wine
• 4 tbsp dry vermouth
• 5oz thick cream
• salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• a bunch of parsley, flat-leaf preferably, roughly chopped

Remove the scallops from their shells or ask your fishmonger to do this. Separate the white flesh from the corals, and detach the hard skin round the whites and the tiny black sac from the coral. Wash clean under a running tap. Halve the whites horizontally. Leave to dry off on some paper towel.

Wash the leeks and discard the green parts (you can use them for soup or stock). Slice the white stems lengthwise into narrow strips about 2in long. Place in a saucepan with 1 oz of the butter, a pinch of salt and 8 tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Keep hot.

In another pan melt the rest of the butter and then gently cook the shallots until they are soft. Add the wine, vermouth and the scallops with their corals. Bring just to boiling point, then turn the heat very low and simmer for exactly 2 minutes, or less if the scallops are small.

Remove the leeks from their liquid using a slotted instrument and place in a heated dish. With the same implement place the scallops on top. Add the leek juice to the scallop juice and boil briskly until the liquid is reduced to 8 tablespoonsful. Pour in the cream, bring back to the boil and bubble for a moment or two. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the arranged scallops and leeks. Scatter the chopped parsley over all.

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This recipe could be modified to make a terrine by putting a layer of the cooked leaks on the bottom of a terrine form and topping with one or two scallops (depending on their size). Push out of the form and sprinkle with some chopped parsley (or finely chopped chives). Reduce and strain the liquid ingredients to make a sauce poured around the base of the terrine.

The Two Fat Ladies, Ebury Press, London, 1996. p.26

Food & Drink Festivals

St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, St. Moritz, Switzerland
January 29-February 3, 2024

Since 1994, the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival has attracted a lavish epicurean crowd, luring over 80,000 lovers of all things food and drink. Participants and chefs alike are rewarded with carefully prepared dishes and meals in hotels and venues throughout the region.
Ticket-buying participants can count on a fusion of culinary tastes and styles. Culinary professionals are matched up to cook multi-course meals in hotels like the Carlton, Suvretta House, and Grand Hotel Kronenhof. Wine tastings, a mountaintop brunch, and the festival's finale, introduce participants to many of the award-winning chefs for open conversation as well as great food and wine.

Download itinerary PDF here.

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Melbourne, Australia
March 15-24, 2024

This festival celebrates Victoria’s world-class food scene by having famous chefs, masterclasses, wine tastings, and other food-themed events that bring foodies from all over the world.

Royal Bath & West Food & Drink Festival, Shepton Mallet, England
March 22-24, 2024

"The British Cheese Awards will be front and centre of the Food & Drink Festival, taking place in our main hall with visitors being able to view and taste some of the award-winning cheeses! Delicious food & drink stands will surround the British Cheese Awards, giving you the opportunity to peruse and enjoy a huge range for mouth-watering food & drink from the Southwest of England."
Accommodations near the Showgrounds: Prestleigh Inn (1/2 mile), The Pecking Mill Inn (1.2 miles), Middleton House Bed & Breakfast (2.5 miles), Maplestone (2.9 miles), The Lion at West Pennard (6.7 miles). Note that Wells, the nearest large town, is 7 1/2 miles from the Showgrounds; Glastonbury is 11 1/2 miles away.

Toronto Food & Drink Fest, Metro Toronto Convention Centre
April 5-7, 2024

"Taste the very best from local chefs, restaurants, winemakers, spirit, beer and cider companies, quality culinary products plus get all the latest food & drink trends.
Grab your friends and prepare your tastebuds for 3 epic days of tastings, classes, pairings and music."

Taste of Chicago, Chicago, IL
September 6-8, 2024

Taste of Chicago is one of the most popular and biggest food festivals in the world. It shows off the city’s diverse food scene by having many vendors sell tasty bites along the famous Grant Park.

Salon Du Chocolat, Porte de Versailles, Paris
October 30 - November 3, 2024

For 5 days, you met the key players in the chocolate and cocoa industry. They all came to give you an unforgettable experience! Chocolatiers, pastry chefs, confectioners, cocoa producers, major brands, food bloggers: they shared their passion with you.

Le Dîner en Blanc - Worldwide
Various dates depending on location

Le Dîner en Blanc is a unique global event where people dress in white and meet at secret places to enjoy a gourmet picnic. This creates a visually stunning and elegant dining experience.

Tuna Tapenade

Use this as a sandwich spread or on crackers or rounds of bread for appetizers.

• 1 5oz. can of tuna, drained 
• 2 anchovies, minced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• ½ cup pitted black olives 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• ½ tsp black pepper 
• 4 oz. olive oil, cream cheese or butter 

Place tuna, anchovies, garlic and olives in a food processor. Pulse until contents are finely chopped. Blend in lemon juice, pepper and olive oil, cream cheese or butter. Purée until smooth.

Aspic

The aspic adds that professional touch to a terrine or paté. You may also place thin carrot slices or other garnish in the aspic. If you wish to chop the aspic to garnish a dish use 4 tbsp of gelatin instead of 3.

Yields: 3-4 cups aspic

Ingredients

• 4 cups beef, pork or chicken broth, canned or clarified
• 3-4 tbsps unflavored gelatin (for a very stiff aspic use 4 tbsp gelatin)
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine or red wine

Directions

1. Pour 1 cup of the broth into a saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin on top.
2. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Heat until the gelatin has melted.
4. In another saucepan heat the remaining broth and wine to the boiling point and combine the two liquids.
5. Chill until syrupy and almost settled, then pour into paté molds and refrigerate.

Tomato Aspic Salad

By Martha Hall Foose

Yield: 8 servings

This tomato aspic is like a wobbly take on a Virgin Mary. Created by award-winning chef Martha Hall Foose, the base is a duo of canned tomato juice and gelatin, which is flavored with essential Bloody Mary ingredients. The savory gelatin is served in individual ramekins and studded with onion, bell pepper, and celery.

Ingredients

• 24 ounces canned tomato juice
• 2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin (~1½ tablespoons)
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp Bloody Mary rimming spice mixture*
• ¼ tsp cumin (if not in rimming spice above)
  
• ½ tsp hot sauce
• ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• ¼ cup mild onion―green onion, Vidalia, Spanish onion or Shallot, finely chopped (~1/16 inch slices for green onion or 1/8 inch dice for others)
  
• 2 tbsp green bell pepper, finely chopped (~1/8 inch square)
• ¼ cup inner celery ribs or celery root, finely chopped (~1/8 inch square)
• Sliced hard-boiled eggs, steamed asparagus (cooled) and leaf lettuce

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the tomato juice with the gelatin; let stand for 5 minutes. In a saucepan, combine the remaining tomato juice with the sugar, salt, rimming spices, hot sauce, lemon zest and lemon juice and heat just until warm. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until it dissolves completely. Return the mixture to the bowl and refrigerate until cold but not set, about 1 hour.
   
2. Lightly oil eight 1/2-cup ramekins. Stir the onion, pepper and celery into the tomato aspic and spoon it into the ramekins. [You could also add a piece of celery leaf to the bottom of each ramekin.]  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until chilled and set.
3. Unmold each aspic onto a lettuce leaf on a plate, and serve with a sliced hard-boiled egg and a few asparagus stalks. As an option also serve with a couple of inner celery stalks. Lightly salt and pepper the egg slices.
   

To add an additional level to this dish, add a smear of celeriac pureé to the plate. And could also add a tuile of parsley, celery, red pepper or onion (using onion powder).

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* – Use either a pre-made commercial Bloody Mary rimming spice mixture or follow the recipe below:

• ¼ cup Kosher Salt
• 1 tbsp Celery Salt
• 1 tbsp Cumin
• 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• ¼ tsp Dry Mustard Powder
• ¼ tsp Dry Powdered Ginger

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Download PDF.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken broth 
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
  
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp dill
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 tbsp flour
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Small bunch of spinach (optional)
  

Directions

1. Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter for about 15-20 minutes. Add broth, wine, soy sauce and seasonings, and simmer on low till reduced by half.
2. Mix flour and milk and add slowly. Simmer until thick, 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add optional spinach if you want and simmer until fully wilted.
4. Stir in sour cream and lemon juice just before serving.

Timbale of Brussels sprouts

Timbale de choux de Bruxelles from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, p.440

This recipe takes the everyday Brussels sprouts to a new level making an elegant opening dish. Preferably make with individual timbales, or if none are available it can be made as one large dish. 

Serve as a lunch or as an accompaniment to veal or chicken.

Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts
• 2 oz breadcrumbs
• 2 oz finely chopped onion
• 4 tbsp butter
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 2 oz grated Gruyère
• 5 eggs
• 8 oz milk
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 6 individual timbales or 1 large mold 
• Peanut oil 
• Fine breadcrumbs for lining molds

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°F
2. Clean the Brussels sprouts. Remove a few of the outside leaves to use to line the timbales and simmer these in a small amount of water to soften.
3. Cut the remaining Brussels sprouts into pieces (or mince in food processor for finer texture). If overly moist place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for a few minutes to dry out.
   
4. Grease the timbales with peanut oil and sprinkle with the fine breadcrumbs, rotating to cover the bottom and sides. Discard excess.
5. Line the timbale bottom and sides with the Brussels sprouts leaves. The leaves don't have to cover the entire surface – gaps are okay.
   
6. Sauté the chopped onion in the butter until it becomes soft and translucent. Pour into a bowl and add pepper, salt, nutmeg, cheese and bread crumbs. Slowly beat in the eggs.
7. Bring the milk to a boil. Gradually pour in the egg mixture while mixing continually (to avoid cooking the eggs) and add the minced Brussels sprouts.
8. Pour the mixture into the mold or timbales – filling only about half full. Pour boiling water into a into a bain-marie about half way up the side of the dish(es). Keep the water simmering and cook them 30 to 40 min. (or until a toothpick comes out clean).
9. Remove the mold/timbales from the oven and let stand 5 min. Cut along the inner edge with a knife blade and tap onto a preheated dish.
10. Serve with a cream sauce poured around the base of the timbale or in a side dish if made as a single large serving.
11. Recommended sauces are Sauce Chivry (béchamel with cream and herbs), Sauce Mousseline (hollandaise with cream), or Sauce Mornay (béchamel with cheese), using some more of the  Gruyère cheese that was used in the timbales.

© 2016 Roularta Media Group. Tous droits réservés. WeekendLevif.be

(Translated by Google and adapted for portions)

Escargot à la Bourguignonne

This is the classic escargot recipe

4 dozen snails 3 tsps minced parsley 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature ½ tsp salt 1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed ⅛ tsp of pepper 2 tbsps minced shallots or scallions fresh white breadcrumbs 4 dozen snail shells (optional)		Escargot à la Bourguignonne is actually escargot cooked with beurre à la bourguignonne — Burgundy butter. Drain snails and pat dry on paper towel. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Mash garlic into a paste and combine with finely chopped shallots and parsley. Add salt and pepper and mix in butter. Place a small dab of the butter in the bottom of the shell, push a snail into the shell, and cover the snail with generous dab of the butter mixture. If using an escargot dish, put a small amount of snail butter in each section and push a snail into the butter. Top with a generous dab of the butter. For best results refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake, uncovered, 10-12 minutes. When piping hot, serve along with some good French bread accompanied by a young red wine, such as a Beaujolais.
Adapted from Le Guide Culinaire by August Escoffier.

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For other escargot recipes see here.

Mom's Christmas Pudding

• 1 cup suet, finely chopped
  
• 1 cup currents 
• 1 cup molasses 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups flour 
• 1 cup sour milk* or buttermilk 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/3 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/3 tsp cream of tartar

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Spoon into serving bowls, either one or two large ones, or in small individual serving cups. 

* - to make sour milk, set out the milk (that is at least 2% butterfat content) until it is at room temperature. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of milk. Let stand for 15-20 minutes and it should start to curdle; i.e., lumps start to form in it. It is now ready to use.

Instant Beef Pot Roast

Using a pressure cooker makes this a faster cooking pot roast.

Ingredients

• 2 lb beef roast
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 1 carrot, thickly chopped
  
• 1 celery stick, thickly chopped
  
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tsp butter
  
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
  
• ¼ tsp baking soda

Directions

1. Rub salt and pepper all over the roast and let set at least half an hour. Tie up the roast with butcher's string.
2. In a saucepan sauté the onion, carrot and celery in the butter until lightly browned to caramelize.
   
3. Set pressure cooker on the high heat and high pressure settings.
4. Place the roast with the sautéed vegetables and the remaining ingredients (except the flour) in the pressure cooker and cook for 5-8 minutes.
5. Decrease the pressure cooker to medium low and cook for about 55 minutes.
6. When cooking is done let everything rest in the cooker for 10 minutes.
7. Remove meat to a platter and tent with aluminum foil.
8. Use a fat separater to remove any excess fat. Remove the bay leaves.
9. Put the remaining contents of the cooker into a blender and blend well, or place in a bowl and use a hand blender.
10. Put broth into a saucepan and reheat. Put ¼ to ⅓ cup of the liquid into a small bowl, add the flour and blend well. Pour this slowly into the saucepan whisking well to incorporate the flour mixture and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve this as gravy on the side.

Download PDF here.