Cornish Pasties

Cornish Pasties

by | Mar 11, 2023 | Dinner, Recipes, Secrest of Wayfarers Inn Recipes, Secrets of the Isles Recipes, Shadows Over England Recipes

Cornish Pasties

This traditional Cornish take on a classic meat hand-pie is a savory meal that will transport you straight to Land’s End.

Printable Version

Servings

8

Prep time:

30 minutes

Total Time:

1.25 hours

Good For:

Dinner

Inroduction

About this Recipe

I ate my first Cornish pasty at Land’s End in Cornwall, looking out at the rugged coastline. I came home on a mission: must…recreate…this…recipe! I tried many different crusts. A few variations on the filling. And I can say in all honesty that this is the closest of all them to authentic Cornish fare!

The crust needs a little tang, but the orange juice doesn’t just provide that, it helps give it a stretchy consistency while rolling, but it still bakes up flaky, with a perfect amount of chewiness. You’ll likely encounter debates on what “proper” Cornish pasty filling should include…these days there are many varieties, and you can certainly try fillings that suit your tastes. I found that the absolute “traditional” ingredients listed here are delicious, even though I don’t usually like turnips. They provide a nice bite without being overpowering.

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 pinches of salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup orange juice

 

For the Filling

  • ½ lb stewing beef/chuck roast, cut into small pieces
  • 1 medium potato, diced
  • 1 turnip, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • Butter
  1. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Add in butter and combine until it forms a crumbly mixture. Slowly add in the orange juice and mix just until combined. Pat into a disc and wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
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  2. When ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 350. Divide the dough into 8 equal sections and roll out on lightly floured surface into circle.
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  3. Combine the meat and vegetables in a bowl, stirring to evenly distribute the ingredients. Place a scoop of the mixture into the center of the dough round. Add a few dabs of butter. Fold the pastry dough over and crimp the edges to seal. Arrange on greased or parchment-paper-lined baking sheets.
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  4. Whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water and brush over the pasties for a glaze. Bake 30-45 minutes, until golden brown.
Printable Version

From the Books

This recipe was included in the back of There’s No Place Holmes, and pasties are also mentioned in A Name Unknown and enjoyed by all the locals in the Secrets of the Isles books too.

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Mushy Peas

Mushy Peas

by | Mar 11, 2023 | Recipes, Secrets of the Isles Recipes, Shadows Over England Recipes, Side

Mushy Peas

Fish and chips demand a side of mushy peas to be TRULY authentic!

Printable Version

Servings

6

Prep time:

10 minutes

Total Time:

13 hours (overnight)

Good For:

Dinner

Inroduction

About this Recipe

Americans are more accustomed to split peas in our recipes, but dried marrowfat peas, which are allowed to dry in the fields, give pea soup and mushy peas a flavor that other dried peas cannot imitate.

Mushy peas are a staple in the British Isles, and the typical side for fish and chips. Preparation is simple but does require overnight soaking, so plan ahead!

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces dried marrowfat peas (no substitutions)                
  • Boiling water
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  1. Add baking soda to boiling water and let dissolve.  Pour water over a bowl with the marrowfat peas, making sure they’re covered by 3 inches of water.  Stir and leave them to soak for at least 12 hours.
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  2. Drain and rinse the peas and place them in a pot with about 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, until the desired consistency is reached. Once the peas are mushy, add the salt.
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  3. If the peas are too watery, simmer with the lid off until it thickens. If the peas are too thick, add some water. Taste again and add more salt if needed. They will continue to thicken as they cool.
Printable Version

From the Books

Mushy peas, as the assumed side dish of fish and chips, would have been enjoyed by many of my characters who live in or visit coastal regions…and quite possibly all of them who live in England, regardless. But I won’t link to everything. 😉

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Authentic Fish and Chips

Authentic Fish and Chips

by | Mar 11, 2023 | Dinner, Ladies of the Manor Recipes, Recipes, Secrets of the Isles Recipes, Yesterday's Tides Recipes

Authentic Fish and Chips

Crispy fried fish fillets and homemade french fries (chips) deliver authentic, delicious taste!

Printable Version

Servings

4

Prep time:

30 minutes

Total Time:

1.5 hours

Good For:

Dinner

Inroduction

About this Recipe

When we visited England, we went to several different regions, and my husband’s experiment was to try fish and chips in each of them. His goal: to find the best fish and chips in the country.

I don’t know that he was satisfied with his results, but when we came home, I made it my mission to find an authentic recipe that even I, who don’t love fish, would like. And I found one! This adaptation of that recipe features beer-battered fish (don’t worry, the alcohol cooks off, but it lends the batter a lightness from the fizz and a yeasty flavor) and twice-fried chips (that’s how you get the soft-and-crisp texture we so love). If you want it REALLY authentic, serve it with a side of mushy peas!

Ingredients

For the Fish:

  • 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
  • 7 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1 pinch black pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup dark beer, cold
  • 1/3 cup sparkling water, cold
  • 4 (7-ounce) fish fillets (choose a thick, white fish like cod, pollock, or haddock, the fresher the better)
  •  milk, for soaking fish if it isn’t very fresh (optional)

For the Chips:

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
  • 1 quart/1 liter vegetable oil (or lard), for frying
  1. If you live in a landlocked region like I do and “fresh” fish has those quotation marks around it, soak the fillets in milk for an hour first to take some of the “fishiness” out of it. If you’re using actual FRESH fish (yay!), no need for soaking.
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  2. Set aside 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix the remaining flour with the cornstarch and baking powder in a very large bowl. Add the paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
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  3. Whisk in the beer and the sparkling water to the flour mixture, whisking continually until you have a thick, smooth batter. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
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  4. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into ½ inch by ½ inch sticks. Put them into a colander and rinse under cold running water.
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  5. Place the rinsed chips into a pot of cold water. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
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  6. Drain carefully through a colander, then use paper towels to dry them more. Keep in the fridge covered with paper towels until needed.
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  7. Meanwhile, pat the fish dry with paper towels. Season lightly with a little sea salt.
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  8. Heat the oil to 350 F in a deep-fat fryer or large, deep pot. Cook the chips a few handfuls at a time for about 2 minutes. Do not brown them. Once the chips are slightly cooked, remove them from the oil and drain. Set aside.
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  9. Place the 2 tablespoons of reserved flour into a shallow dish. Toss each fish fillet in the flour and shake off any excess.
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  10. Dip into the batter, coating the entire fillet.
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  11. Carefully lower each fillet into the hot oil (make sure it’s still at 350 first). Fry for about 8 minutes, turning the fish a couple times, until the batter is crisp and golden.
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  12. Once cooked, remove the fillets from the hot oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.
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  13. Heat the oil to 400, add the chips back in, and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain. Season with salt.
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  14. Serve immediately with the hot fish.
Printable Version

From the Books

Fish and chips is mentioned explicitly only in To Treasure an Heiress, but many of my characters who live in or visit coastal regions would have enjoyed them!

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Victoria Cake

Victoria Cake

by | Mar 10, 2023 | Dessert, Guideposts Recipes, Imposters Recipes, Recipes, Secrest from Grandma's Attic Recipes, Secrets of the Isles Recipes

Victoria Cake

A classic tea cake with whipped cream and berries.

Printable Version

Servings

12

Prep time:

20 min

Total Time:

1.5 hours plus chill

Good For:

Dessert, Tea

Inroduction

About this Recipe

When you write about Edwardian England as much as I do, you come across a lot of recipes for tea treats. Interestingly, it was for one of my Guideposts mystery novels that I discovered Victoria Cake and fell in love with the simplicity and scrumptious flavors. If there’s anything better than vanilla and berries and whipped cream, I haven’t found it.

Best of all, you can use ANY jam and fresh berries to make this cake! Strawberry is a classic, but raspberries or blackberries or blueberries would all work just as well. Get creative and try it with orange marmalade, lemon curd, or turn it into a vanilla black forest cake with cherry pie filling. The possibilities are endless! (And delicious.)

Ingredients

Instructions

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 ½ sticks butter at room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups superfine sugar
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • raspberry or strawberry jam for filling
  • heavy whipping cream for filling
  • confectioner’s sugar for the top of the cake
  • fresh berries for garnish, if desired

 

INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottoms of two 8” round pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pans and set aside.
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  2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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  3. Add about one third of the beaten eggs, and mix well at medium speed. Then add about a third of the sifted flour. Repeat this step. Add the rest of the eggs and mix well, then turn the mixer to low and add the final flour and mix until just combined.
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  4. Using a scale, divide the mixture evenly between the two pans and bake for about 35 minutes.
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  5. Once you can smell the cake and it looks done through the oven door, open the oven and carefully check with a toothpick inserted in the middle (cake falls easily, so only test when you’re confident it’s close!). When the cake is done, remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely.
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  6. To remove: place a cooling rack over the top of the cake and flip it over quickly. Remove the tin and the parchment paper and allow to cool completely before filling.

 

ASSEMBLY:

 

  1. Beat the cream until it’s thick enough to fill the cake and support the next layer.
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  2. Using a cake slicer, place the cake layers, flat side down on the counter and slice off the top to make them even. (Save or freeze the leftover cake to trifles or cake pops!)
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  3. Place one layer, cut side up, on a serving plate and spread a generous amount of the jam on top.
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  4. Next, spread the cream over the jam. Leave about an inch between the cream and the edge, as it will squish out.  Top with the second layer, cut side down.
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  5. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and chill for an hour or two. Top with fresh berries, if desired.
Printable Version

From the Books

Victoria Cake is served in A Royal Tea, and this same recipe is included in the back of the book. Gemma is also enjoying a slice in A Noble Scheme, book 2 in the Imposters series. And you can bet that Mrs. Dawe served it aplenty at tea time in the Secrets of the Isles books!

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