RECIPE OF THE WEEK - VE DAY PICNIC
This Friday 8th May is VE Day and although we cannot celebrate it with street parties, people are still being encouraged to celebrate in their homes, whether that's with a picnic in the garden, on your balcony or indoors. This week we have decided to share some of Executive Chef, Andrew MacKenzie's picnic recipes to help you create some tasty treats. Our recipes include a Coronation Chicken Sandwich, Pork Pies, Sausage Rolls, Chocolate Eclairs and Scones.
Share a picture with us of your VE Day Celebrations and we will enter you in to a competition to win an Afternoon For Four at one of our hotels when we reopen. Tag us using #CWHVEDAY or email competitions@countrywidehotels.co.uk
Good luck and happy cooking!
CORONATION CHICKEN SANDWICH
INGREDIENTS
6 tbsp of mayonnaise, 2-3 tsp of mild curry powder, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp of mango chutney, 1-3 tsp sultanas, 500g shredded cooked chicken, your favourite bread
METHOD
Mix the mayo, curry powder, cinnamon, chutney and sultanas together and season with black pepper.
Add the shredded chicken and stir to coat in the sauce. Stir in 2 tbsp water to loosen if needed, then season and serve on or between slices of your favourite bread.
HOMEMADE PORK PIES
HOT WATER PASTRY INGREDIENTS
500g Plain flour
200 ml Water
200g Lard or Unsalted Butter
5g Carraway Seeds
FILLING INGREDIENTS
200g Pork Mince
1 Apple, diced
1 Small Onion, diced
100g Pancetta, diced
METHOD
MAKE PASTRY
Add the lard and water to a pan and boil. Mix flour, salt and caraway seeds in a mixer.
Slowly pour the lard and water mix into the mixer, until the dough comes together. Wrap in cling film and rest but not in the fridge.
MAKE FILLING
Fry the onions and apple in a pan until soft.
Mix with the pork mince, pancetta, onions and apple in a bowl and season.
MAKE PORK PIES
Roll out pastry until 1mm thick. Line the pie moulds with the pastry. Add filling. Put a top on and crimp the edges.
Remove from the moulds and place on a baking tray.
Cook at 210 degrees C for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and egg wash. Put back in the oven and cook at 160 degrees C for 30-40 minutes. When the sides are set and the top is a deep golden colour they are ready.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
SAUSAGE ROLLS
PUFF PASTRY INGREDIENTS
250g Plain Flour
150g Water
225g Cold Butter
A Pinch of Salt
FILLING INGREDIENTS
200g Pork Mince
2g Nutmeg
1 Small Onion, diced
100g Pancetta, diced
MAKE PUFF PASTRY
Put the flour and salt in a mixer. Add the water and mix until you form a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 20 minutes. Roll out the butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper 30cm x 20cm, and chill in the fridge.
Roll out the pastry to 30cm x 20cm. Place the cold butter on top. Fold over from the short edge to the centre on both sides. Then fold over again, so it's like a book. Put back in the fridge and rest for 20 minutes. Repeat the above 4 times, resting each time for 20 minutes.
MAKE SAUSAGE ROLLS
Fry the onion and nutmeg until soft. Mix with the pork mince and pancetta. Roll out the puff pastry until until 0.5cm thick.
Put filling into a piping bag and pipe a tube shape onto the puff pastry. If you don't have a piping bag you can shape with your hands.
Egg wash the edge and fold over. Crimp the edge with a fork. Put onto a baking tray, brush with egg wash and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Cook at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes or until golden brown. When cooked remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
When cool, cut into your preferred size. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS
CHOUX PASTRY INGREDIENTS
200g Plain Flour
225g Water
225g Milk
200g Cold Butter
8 Eggs
A Pinch of Salt
CREME PATTISERIE INGREDIENTS
400g Milk
3 Egg Yolks
100g Sugar
TOPPING
200g pre tempered chocolate, melted
METHOD
To make the choux pastry, add the milk and butter to a pan and boil. Add the flour and stir into a paste. Put the paste in a mixer and add the cracked eggs, one at a time, until it becomes a smooth paste. Keeping mixing on a low speed until it cools.
Put mix into a piping bag with a 1.5cm nozzle. On a baking tray, pipe 9cm long choux, use a wet finger to tap down any points.
Cook at 200 degrees C for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the oven off and allow to dry out. When cool remove from the oven.
To make the creme patisserie filling, add milk to a pan and simmer. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the milk to the bowl and stir. Then put the mix back into the pan and heat until the flour is cooked out, stirring.
Then cool mix in the fridge. When cool add to a piping bag and fill the eclairs with the creme patisserie.
Dip the top of the eclairs in the melted tempered chocolate.
Serve and enjoy!