Mulligatawny Soup & Cornish Pasties

Last night Keith bammed up a delicious Mulligatawny soup and very robust Cornish pasties. The soup was just a shy too heavy on the cloves but otherwise scrumptious and all dishes were emptied. The Cornish pasties were very filling and the fillnig itself could have benefited from perhaps quorn mince and finely chopped carrots [as it's a vegetarian pasty]. The meal was also served alongside a very creamy and heavenly champ. Here's the knorr-how:

Mulligatawny Soup















Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
6 whole cloves, finely crushed
1 tablespoon curry powder (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4lbs chicken, cut into serving pieces
3 stalks celery, with leaves, thinly sliced
2 large onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 leek, thinly sliced (white part only)
3 litres chicken stock
2/3 cup long grain rice
2 medium-size apples, peeled, cored and diced (tart)
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
2/3 cup whipping cream, warmed
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
lightly toasted sliced almonds, to garnish
salt & pepper, freshly ground

Method

1. Combine garlic and spices.
2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until lightly browned on all sides.
3. Transfer chicken and to stockpot. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add celery, onion, carrot, leek and spice mixture and blend well.
5. Add a small ladle of stock and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender.
6. Add to chicken.
7. Stir in remaining stock and season with salt and pepper.
8. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
9. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and set aside. Add rice to soup and continue cooking 15 minutes.
10. Return chicken to soup and blend in apples and yogurt. Simmer 10 minutes.
12. Degrease soup if necessary.
13. Stir in lemon juice, then blend in cream.
14. Taste and adjust seasoning.
15. Pour into heated tureen and sprinkle with parsley and almonds.


Cornish Pasties

















Ingredients

For the pastry

120g hard margarine straight from the fridge
225g + 25g plain white flour
1tsp salt
150ml very cold water

For the filling

200g potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
½ medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks
125g swede, peeled and cut into chunks
2-3 rounded tsps light vegetable stock powder
50g canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
To taste pepper
Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Grease a baking sheet, or line with baking paper (not greaseproof)

2. To make the filling: put all ingredients except the kidney beans into a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Turn into a bowl and stir in the kidney beans. Add plenty of pepper to taste.

3. To make the pastry: Grate margarine into 225g flour and the salt. Stir and cut through well with a large blunt knife to break up the fat and margarine a little.

4. Using the blunt knife to stir, gradually add enough water to make a soft dough. Do not make too sticky. Using a little of the remaining flour, gently roll out the pastry until about 1cm thick. Fold the pastry into thirds by bringing the bottom edge up to about two thirds, and the top edge down to cover. Then fold the sides in the same way.

5. To form the pasties: Roll out the pastry to about 1cm thick and cut into 4 rounds about the size of a large tea plate. Pile filling into the centre of each circle and top with a piece of the remaining margarine. For each pasty, dampen the edge of the pastry with a little water, then fold pastry over the filling to form and half circle. Try to stuff as much filling in as you possibly can.

6. To make the traditional edging, beginning at the right side, use the forefinger and thumb of your right hand to pinch the pastry together while using the forefinger and thumb of your left hand to fold over the section of pastry next to it. Move along to the next section of pastry, and repeat. Continue in this way along the edge of the pastry, making a rope-like join.

7. Place the pasties onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush each one with sweetened soya milk, and prick with a fork to let the steam escape.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes until golden brown. Serve piping hot. The pasties should not split open, but if they do, it’s not a problem, they are merely called ‘laughing pasties’!


Champ














Ingredients

125g spring onions, chopped, or 40g/1½oz chives, chopped
300ml/10fl oz milk
6-8 potatoes
salt and pepper
75g butter

Method

1. If using onions, simmer these in the milk until soft.
2. Boil the potatoes in salted water until just cooked, then mash.
3. Add the onions and their milk and the chives, if used, together with the milk which you have heated separately.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the butter melt over the finished dish.