This is an eighteenth century Essex recipe which brings out the very subtle flavour of barley.
Ingredients
100 Gram Pearl barley (4 oz) 1 Litres Chicken stock, or vegetable stock (1 3/4 pints) 150 ml Milk (1/2 pint) 150 ml Double cream (1/2 pint) Salt and pepper 25 Gram Butter, in small pieces (1 oz) 2 Teaspoon Fresh parsley, chopped
Method
Blanch the barley for 1 minute in boiling water then drain.
Add the drained barley to the stock and simmer for 2 hours.
Pass through a fine mouli-légumes or liquidise. Add the milk, cream, salt, pepper and the butter.
Reheat and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Cabbage and Hazelnut Rolls
Hazelnuts, also called filberts or cob nuts, are grown in Kent. The three varieties are not exactly the same, but are interchangeable in most recipes.
Ingredients
450 Gram Potatoes, boiled until tender (1 lb) 900 Gram Green cabbage, roughly chopped (2 lb) 3 Tablespoon Milk, if required 50 Gram Butter (2 oz) 50 Gram Plain flour (2 oz) 50 Gram Hazelnuts, chopped and toasted (2 oz) 2 Eggs, beaten 110 Gram Dry breadcrumbs (4 oz) Oil, for deep frying Lemon twists, for garnish
Method
Mash the potatoes. Cook the cabbage in boiling water for 5-10 minutes or until just tender. Drain well, Purée, adding milk if necessary - you should have 450 ml (3/4 pint) purée.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook gently, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Gradually blend in the cabbage purée and milk, if necessary. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir the mashed potatoes and hazelnuts into the sauce and mix well. Transfer to a bowl, cool, cover and chill for at least 1 1/2 hours or until firm. Shape the mixture into 16 rolls. Place on a greased baking sheet and chill again for at least 20 minutes.
Coat the croquettes in beaten eggs, then the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil to 180 °C (350 °F) in a deep fat fryer. Deep-fry the rolls in batches for about 4 minutes, until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper while frying the remainder. Serve hot, garnished with lemon twists. Accompany with a crisp salad.
Autumn Cheese Salad
Ingredients
225 Gram Sage Derby cheese (8 oz) 1 x 227 Gram Pineapple rings in natural juice (8 oz) can 1/2 Red pepper, diced 50 Gram Raisins (2 oz) 25 Gram Walnut pieces (1 oz) 175 Gram Chinese leaves, shredded (6 oz) 150 Gram Natural yogurt (5 oz) 2 Teaspoon Wholegrain mustard 1 Clove Garlic, crushed 1 Teaspoon Honey Fresh chives, chopped, to garnish
Method
Cut the cheese into cubes.
Drain the pineapple and cube.
Combine the cheese, fruit, vegetables and nuts in a bowl.
Combine the remaining ingredients.
Mix well and pour over the salad.
Sprinkle with chives.
Use shredded white cabbage if Chinese leaves are unavailable.
Biscuit Cake
This delicious cross between a cake and a biscuit can be eaten as a pudding or as a tea-time treat.
Line a 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin with a large piece of foil. Press the foil carefully into the base and sides being careful not to tear it. Chop the cherries. Put the biscuits in a mixing bowl and break them up into small pieces. Add half the cherries.
Break the chocolate into a pan. Add butter and cream, stir over a low heat until it has melted. Add the raisins and almonds to the biscuit mixture, then pour in the warm chocolate sauce. Stir everything together well.
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and press the rest of the cherries on top. Cover cake with foil and press it down firmly. Put the cake in the fridge for about 2 hours until it has set hard. Then lift it out of the tin and peel off the foil. Cut the cake into small pieces before serving.