Betty's Lancashire Hotpot

I don't watch much television, but the one show I never miss, is Coronation Street. It's like being wrapped up in a nice warm blanket. The characters have their fair share of drama, but they're all down to earth and feel like old friends. My husband generally walks out of the room when the theme song starts, so watching the show is my private time. Much of the action on Coronation Street centres around the local pub — The Rover's Return — and like many English pubs, there must be some tasty offerings on the menu to keep punters around during the dining hours.

Coronation Street's Betty Turpin, played by 91-year old Betty Williams

One of Corrie's signature dishes, is Betty's Hotpot. Imagine my surprise, when I discovered that there is a campaign afoot to secure Protected Geographical Indication status for the Lancashire hotpot, meaning that Betty and the regulars of the Rovers won't be eating hotpots made anywhere else in the world. Protected status has already been bestowed on foods such as Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Stilton cheese, which means that once identified with a specific region, a food cannot be made elsewhere and be given the same name. Champagne, for instance, can only be called champagne if it originates from the champagne region of France. So, if the current campaign convinces the EU to protect the hotpot it would mean that Betty can be genuinely considered an artisanal crafts-person and her hotpot recipe would enjoy a level of protection known only to some of the finest foodstuffs on earth. Quite right too!

Betty's Lancashire Hotpot

Lancashire Hotpot is a classic one-pot dish made traditionally from just three ingredients — lamb or mutton and onion, topped with sliced potatoes, left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. The 'hot pot' referred to is a tall brown earthenware pot with straight sides, that, using the embers of the last night’s fire, would get the best out of cheap cuts of meat. Originating in the days of heavy industrialisation in Lancashire, in the North West of England, Lancashire Hotpot requires a minimum of effort to prepare and is relatively inexpensive — this recipe cost me $16! There are a few recipes around the internet for Lancashire Hotpot, but this recipe was featured in a Special British Corrie Sunday Supplement in the 90s, featuring Coronation Street characters and their recipes — so here is Betty's Official Hotpot recipe! 

Betty's Hotpot

Serves 4

1 lb 'scrag end' or best end neck of lamb, cubed

1 1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and fairly thickly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups water (or beef stock — my addition)

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp of flour

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the lamb in a heavy saucepan with 2 tablespoons of very hot oil over medium-high heat, then remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the sliced onions and fry until they begin to brown. Sprinkle flour into the pan with the onions and stir to soak up the fat. Turn off the heat and add the water (or beef stock) slowly while stirring vigorously to prevent lumps forming. Add a dash of Worcestershire Sauce; salt and pepper to taste. Then mix the onion, meat and stock together and stir in a bay leaf. To compose the hotpot, alternate layers of the meat and onion mixture with thinly sliced potatoes in an ovenproof dish. The top layer should be potato. Cover and bake at 325°F for 2-3 hours. Remove cover and continue to bake until the top layer of potato browns. Serve hot with traditional condiments as chutney, pickled red cabbage or pickled onions.

Note: Although not part of Betty's original recipe, I used beef stock instead of water, and added some chopped thyme to the meat and onion mixture. I also dredged the lamb in flour before browning it.

Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti

My Aunt Mary Lou used to make her famous homemade Manicotti when I was quite young. Always eagerly anticipated and quickly devoured, her baked Manicotti was always a special treat when we gathered for large family dinners. I can't remember the last time she made this revered family favourite, so inspired by childhood memories, I decided to make my own version using a rich cheesy spinach filling, topped with Mamma Styles tomato sauce, and a generous handful of shaved pecorino and mozzarella cheese.

Manicotti, which means sleeve in Italian, is one of the oldest shapes of Italian pasta. Known for their hearty consistency, the pasta's unique tubular shape makes them perfect for sumptuous fillings and robust, highly flavorful sauces. This easy and delicious recipe for Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti, baked for just half an hour to golden perfection, is wonderfully heartwarming and flavourful. Served with a crisp green salad and fragrant garlic bread, my Manicotti was tantalizingly close to my Aunt Mary Lou's classic original. Maybe, if we're lucky, she'll feel nostalgic and make it again! 

Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti

Serves 4

8 manicotti shells
15-oz. container light ricotta cheese
8-oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess moisture
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups Marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella


Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain well and arrange in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the beaten egg and spinach. Season filling with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer filling to a large zip-top plastic bag, or piping bag with a circular nozzle. Twist and squeeze the bag so that the filling is in one corner. If using the plastic bag technique, snip a 3/4-inch opening in the corner of the plastic bag. Pipe filling into both ends of each pasta shell. In a shallow oven-proof baking dish, spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce to just cover the base. Arrange the stuffed shells over the sauce, side by side. Cover the shells with another layer of Marinara sauce, just covering them. Top the assembled manicotti with the remaining Parmesan and all of the Mozzarella.

Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving and garnish with a basil or whole chives. Serve with some homemade garlic bread and a crisp green salad.

Brandy Peach Pie Dingman

Ripe, succulent Ontario peaches are superb for eating fresh, but there is nothing more mouth watering than a peach pie, or in this case, my friend Chris's Brandy Peach Pie with Streusel Topping. This delicious homemade deep dish pie, encased in buttery pastry with a sweet streusel topping, studded with pecans and walnuts, perfectly accents the tender sweet peaches. The secret ingredient, as with any pie, is the pastry. Chris smartly uses Jean White's famous pastry recipe — considered by many to to be the best no-fail pastry on the planet. High praise indeed, but wait until you try it. Jean's pastry dough rolls out well, freezes well, and produces consistently flakey and delicious pies. In combination with juicy ripe peaches, a glug of Brandy and the sweet, buttery and nutty streusel crown, Chris's Brandy Peach Pie is an all-round winner.


Brandy Peach Pie Dingman
Serves 8-10

1 10" pie crust, unbaked (see recipe below)
4-5 cups peeled and sliced peaches
1/3 cup brandy or calvados
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup mixed nuts, chopped (walnuts, pecans, almonds)

For the steusel topping, mix all the ingredients until crumby. If too smooth and buttery, add flour, teaspoon by teaspoon, until crumbly. Toss peaches with brandy, sugar and cornstarch. Fill the pie crust with the fruit and cover with streusel topping. Bake at 350°F for one hour until the pie is bubbling, and golden, and he filling has set.



Jean's Pastry
Makes three 2-crust pies

5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 lb Tenderflake lard
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp white vinegar
3/4 cup cold water

Mix the first five ingredients together well, until it's in crumbs. Add the egg, vinegar and water together in a small bowl and combine. Add to the flour mixture and mix with your hands until it is in a smooth ball. Divide the dough into 3 round portions and wrap in cling film and then aluminum foil. This is enough for three 2-crust pies, and freezes really well.

Gorgonzola, Pancetta & Onion Quiche

Although quiche is now a classic dish of French cuisine, it actually originated in Germany in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, later renamed Lorraine by the French. The term quiche came from küchen, the German word for cake. The original quiche Lorraine was an open pie with an egg and cream custard and smoked bacon or lardons. The addition of Gruyère cheese makes quiche au gruyère or quiche vosgienne. Quiche Alsacienne is similar to Quiche Lorraine, although onions are added to the recipe. The original crust was made from bread dough, and later became a short-crust or puff pastry crust. These days, there are as many versions of quiche as there are culinary inspired chefs and home cooks.

Set of 6 4" Mini Quiche Tart Tins with removable bottoms, from Williams Sonoma

I recently picked up a set of mini tart pans with removable bottoms that inspired me to make these delicious mini Caramelized Onion, Pancetta and Gorgonzola Quiche. Caramelizing the onions gives them a rich, sweet flavor that compliments wonderfully with the salty crisp pancetta. Add some flavourful knobs of Gorgonzola cheese and you have a mouthful of flavours that blossom beautifully in the savoury custard and buttery crust. If you find Gorgonzola cheese and bit too strong, you can always substitute any melting cheese such as Gruyere or Fontina.

These individual serving 4" quiche are delightful served at lunch with a lovely fresh salad of mixed greens tossed in a light vinaigrette. For this Caramelized Onion, Pancetta & Gorgonzola Mini Quiche recipe, crumbled pancetta, Gorgonzola and caramelized onion are scattered on the bottom of individual 4" fluted pastry tarts and drowned in a luscious eggy custard. Baked to golden brown perfection, these individual-size quiche are the perfect addition to any brunch or luncheon buffet.

Caramelized Onion, Pancetta & Gorgonzola Quiche

Makes 6 mini quiche

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup diced pancetta or thick bacon
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, diced
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
5 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
5 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
cracked black pepper

Savoury Pastry Dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
10 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt and baking powder together in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add butter and pulse about 20 times, to finely mix in the butter. Add the egg and egg yolk and pulse until the dough just begins to form a small ball. Turn out the dough and press into a disc about 1/2" thick. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least half an hour, until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush the inside of 6 removable-bottom mini quiche pans with canola oil or Pam cooking spray. Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out circles to line the 6 pans. Prick the base of the tart bottoms and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Then bake for 5 minutes, and remove from oven; let cool on a large baking sheet.

Melt the butter in a heavy frying pan and then add the chopped onions. Cook over low heat, stirring often until onions are very soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the pancetta into the pan and cook over medium heat until crisp and browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. To compose the quiche, divide the cooked onions and sprinkle into the bottom of each of the quiche. Then evenly sprinkle the pancetta on top of the onions. Break apart the Gorgonzola and divide into the 6 pans, then add the grated Parmesan cheese. Finally, sprinkle the parsley evenly over the onions and cheese. In a bowl, beat together the cream, milk and egg yolks until light. Add the chopped rosemary and cracked pepper. Pour the egg and cream mixture evenly into each mini quiche leaving just a little room to expand. 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Remove the quiche from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. The quiche can also be left to cool and then refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Jalapeño Corn Pudding

It's corn season and everywhere you look, fresh, plump, golden ears are ready to be shucked, cooked quickly and slathered with butter, added to chowders or made into light and fluffy corn puddings. I found this fabulous Jalapeño Corn Pudding recipe in an old issue of Bon Appétit. A reader had requested the corn pudding recipe from the Lido Restaurant at the Dolphin Bay Resort in California. It sounded just perfect as a side dish for my southwestern baby back ribs that I was making for the Labour Day long weekend. If you like bread pudding, corn bread, and Southwestern flavors, you'll love this full-flavoured corn pudding. 

Fresh corn, onion, diced jalapeno, cream and cornmeal are sautéed in butter to the consistency of loose polenta. Diced scallions, red bell pepper, cilantro and four egg yolks are then added for a hit of colour and extra texture. Just before baking, four egg whites are whisked and folded in to create a light pillowy soufflé-style batter, which is poured into a buttered gratin dish and topped with a handful of sharp cheddar cheese. Baked for about half an hour, this savoury side-dish puffs up to a deliciously savory, moist and slightly spicy corn pudding, that will leave your guests begging for more. Traditional corn pudding, a classic southern comfort food, can range from ultra-rich and creamy to something quite light and simple. This Jalapeño Corn Pudding falls into both camps. The pudding has a hint of sweetness with a great balance of flavors and textures — the perfect addition to Barbecued Baby Back Ribs, Grilled Chicken or any outdoor southern-inspired feast.

Jalapeño Corn Pudding
 

Serves 8 
Inspired by a recipe from Bon Appétit - Lido at the Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa  

2 tbsp butter

1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cups fresh corn kernels

1/3 cup finely chopped, seeded, jalapeño peppers

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
 

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

4 large eggs, separated

1 3/4 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese or monterey jack

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish or 6-8 ramekins. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion, corn, jalapeño and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cornmeal. Add milk and cream, and stir over medium heat until a thick batter forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in red peppers, green onions, cilantro, 1 cup of cheese, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper; cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile whip the egg whites in a separate bowl with a tiny pinch of salt until they form soft peaks. Mix the egg yolks into the cooled-down pudding batter, then gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish, or ramekins, and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cups of cheese. Bake the pudding until the top is golden and the centre is just set, about 35 - 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom & Gruyere Tartlets

Every once in a while you stumble upon a culinary trick that changes your life in the kitchen — the magic of puff pastry. Considered by many to be the Queen of Pastry, making it from scratch can be laborious and unforgiving, even for professionals. So why bother, when there are so many pre-made brands from which to choose. I always like to keep a stock of puff pastry in the freezer so that I can make any number of delectable sweet or savoury dishes in no time at all — from galettes, tarts, turnovers, sausage rolls and even savoury cheese straws which I curl and twist from any left over scraps. 

There's an elegant beauty to puff pastry — the way its paper-thin layers puff like magic, delicately crisp and golden. The way it shatters with each bite. The deep buttery richness tucked inside every morsel. These delicious little Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere tartlets are gloriously rich and delicious, and best of all, they're easy to make. Finely chopped onion, sautéed in a little butter until it caramelizes, is added to sliced mushrooms, garlic and thyme, and cooked until all the liquid evaporates. This savoury mixture is then spooned on top of little coin-size discs of puff pastry and sprinkled with gruyere cheese. Baked for about 15 minutes, these gorgeous fragrant savoury tartlets come out of the oven, bubbling, golden brown and absolutely delicious — a perfect appetizer for any party!

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom & Gruyere Tartlets
Makes about 12 2-inch appetizers

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter

8 oz white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup white wine
1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1 egg and 1 tbsp water, beaten together, for the egg wash
parsley or onion sprouts, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft and all of the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up all of the browned bits, and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.

Unfold the thawed sheet of puff pastry and cut out 2-inch circles from the dough, placing them evenly spaced on the baking sheet. Using a very sharp knife, make a score around the diameter of the dough, about ¼-inch from the edge. Top the rounds of puff pastry with a small spoonful of the onion and mushroom mixture, trying to keep the filling within the score marks. Top with the shredded Gruyere cheese. Brush the edges of the dough rounds with the egg wash, and bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm and garnish with fresh chopped parsley or onion sprouts.

Apple Galettes with Frangipane

We are the proud owners of an espaliered apple tree which has thrilled us this year by bearing fruit for the very first time! Golden Delicious apples to be exact. Ten of them, the little darlings. We have nurtured them all summer, and the time arrived to harvest them before they became over ripe. The obvious dish to prepare was a sweet, buttery flaky Tarte au Pomme. However, I wanted to make individual Apple Galettes like I used to enjoy at Le Bistingo on Queen Street West, a wonderful French bistro run by Chef-Owner Claude Bouillet in the 90s. Le Bistingo had an exemplary kitchen, but their signature dessert was their Apple Galette, which was made to order and arrived hot, sweet and delicious from the kitchen, at the end of the meal.

Inspired with this memory, I sought out a recipe for Apple Galette that would honour my apples and the sumptuous Bistingo Galettes from my youth. This fabulous recipe for Apple Galette with Frangipane is absolutely outstanding! Using frangipane, a fragrant almond cream, as the base for galettes, provides a lovely sweet pillow for the thin slices of lightly sweetened apples to nestle. Sprinkled with some sugar and cinnamon, the pastry is brushed with egg and cream and the galettes are baked for less than half and hour. The results were fabulous — better than I could have hoped. Light, flaky, sweet and delicious, this recipe for Apple Galettes with Frangipane is now one of my new signature desserts, and what was even more special was, they were created with my own little darlings!

Apple Galettes with Frangipane

Serves 4

1 package puff pastry dough, defrosted

flour for dusting

2 apples
1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg yolk

1 tsp cream


Frangipane:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup slivered almonds, ground in a food processor
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
pinch salt
1 tbsp cream

For the frangipane, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add in egg, and mix until incorporated. Add in the ground almonds, extracts, salt, and cream. Mix well. Mixture should be light and creamy.

For the pastry, lightly dust the working surface with flour. Unwrap the puff pastry dough and lay flat. Use a rolling pin to flatten it out to about 10"x12". Using a small upturned bowl or mug as "cookie cutters", make four round disks of puff pastry. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate.

Peel the 2 apples, cut them into quarters, and with a paring knife, remove seeds and stems. Place them in a large bowl of water with lemon juice. This will stop the apples form browning. Pull each apple quarter from the water and cut into very thin slices. Return slices to lemon water and set aside.


Preheat oven to 400°F. Take the pastry disks out of the refrigerator, and using a fork, make several marks in the centre. Spread 2 tablespoons of frangipane on the center of each disk, leaving a half inch border around the edges.

With a paper towel, dry off a few apple slices at a time and place decoratively on top of the frangipane, on each pastry round. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the egg yolk and cream in a small bowl and set aside. Remove the pastries from the refrigerator, and sprinkle the apple slices with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Brush the edges of the pastry dough with the egg wash, then bake for 15-20 minutes, until the apples are tender and the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Remove to a wire rack to cool or serve while while warm with a scoop of vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.