Fidget pie

Tags

apples, british food, cider, fidget pie, pie, Pork, pork pie, Shropshire

No one knows exactly when this pie was invented, but it has been made for at least 400 years. This is a regional specialty from Shropshire in the UK. Fidget pie, probably the county’s best-known dish, was in danger of becoming a distant memory until recently. Only the elderly still had recipes or remembered fidget pie’s function as a portable meal in the hand for workers at harvest time.

There are a few variations but the basic ingredients remain consistent: gammon or ham, apples, cider cooked in a pastry, with potato and onions too. I have changed it up a little, as it is near impossible to find gammon in France, and I used minced or ground pork instead and it was delicious.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Pastry
500g / 2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
140g / 5oz lard or butter
215ml / 7oz water
Knob of butter for the tin
1 egg, beaten
Filling
500g / 1lb minced pork
125ml / 1/2 cup medium cider (cidre brut)
1 teaspoon salt
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
115g / 4oz unsmoked bacon or lardons, finely chopped
225g / 8oz grated onion
225g / 8oz peeled and grated apple, (I used pink lady)
1 large potato, grated

Preparation:

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/400F
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray
Butter the sides of a 22cm / 9″ springform cake tin
Place the springform pan, without its base, on the baking sheet

To make the pastry, put the flour into a large bowl
Add with 1 tsp salt
Heat the lard or butter and the water in a medium saucepan until the butter or lard melts and the water is just simmering
Pour the hot liquid into the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula
When the mixture has comes together, tip it onto a floured surface and knead lightly to make a dough
Cover and set aside

To make the filling, mix the pork, cider, salt, sage, nutmeg and sugar together in a large bowl
Add the bacon, onion, apple and potato to the mixture and mix well – the best way to do this is with your hands
Be sure to squeeze all excess liquid out of your grated apple, onion and potato or else your mixture will be too wet

On a lightly floured surface roll out two-thirds of the pastry to a large circle and use it to line the cake tin, allowing the pastry to overlap the rim slightly
Trim off any excess
Roll remaining pastry to form a lid large enough to cover the pie
Set aside

Put filling in the pie case and push down well
Brush the pastry case’s edges with a little water and cover with the lid
Crimp the edges together and brush the top with the beaten egg
Bake for 60 minutes then turn off the heat and allow the pie to cool in the oven for 30 minutes
Remove from oven and cool for about 60 minutes before serving
Delicious cold as well
Enjoy!

 

 

 

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French Apple and cream tart / Tarte aux pommes à la crème

Tags

apples, cream, fiesta fridays, fruit, tart

This must be one of the easiest apple tart recipes yet it is absolutely delicious. This recipe comes from Normandy, the land of apples and cream.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 pâte brisée, prebaked
4 large apples such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and quartered
3 egg yolks
180 ml / 3/4 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
60 g / 5 tablespoons sugar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 190 C / 380 F
Take your pastry shell and layer the apple slices in concentric circles, working towards the centre – overlap the slices slightly
Beat the egg yolks with a fork
Add the cream and half the sugar and mix well
Pour the cream mixture over the apples
Sprinkle on the remaining sugar
Bake the tart for about 45 minutes
Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Enjoy!

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Poulet Vallée d’Auge / Chicken with apples, cream and Calvados

Tags

apples, calvados, Chicken, classic french recipe, mushrooms, stew

The Pays d’Auge is located in central Normandy—the land of butter and cream and apples. It is also the home of Calvados (apple brandy), as well as hard cider and Pommeau (a fortified-style apple wine). It is only fitting that a traditional chicken sauté from this region would feature cream, Calvados and apples.

The components of Poulet Vallée d’Auge vary surprisingly little from recipe to recipe.  There are of course the three signature ingredients (Calvados, cream and apples).  And most versions will also include shallots, mushrooms, thyme and bay.  The greatest variation occurs in the liquids that are used.  In addition to the Calvados and cream some recipes add even more liquid—hard cider or chicken stock are typical. I added hard cider and stock to mine. If you do not have any Calvados handy, I would suggest you use brandy. It will not be the same but it is better to use that than to not make the dish at all.

Since we are in the middle of apple season, now would be a perfect time to sample this dish.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 firm, tart apples, peeled, cored, quartered, (I used pink lady), make sure you choose an apple that holds its shape when cooked
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 chicken, cut into 8
•  salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Calvados (apple brandy)
• 3/4 cup brut apple cider
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 250 g / 8 oz button mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1  egg yolk

Preparation:

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large dutch oven, I used a 27 cm / 10″ Le Creuset, over medium heat
Add the apples and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, until golden
Set aside
Add another tablespoon of butter and add the mushrooms
Cook, stirring frequently, until brown, about 5 minutes
Set aside
Add the remaining butter and the oil to the pot and increase heat to medium high
Add the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes
Set aside
Add the leeks and shallots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring continuously
Remove the pot from the heat
Add the Calvados and ignite with a long lighter and allow flames to die down
Return the pot to the heat and pour in the cider
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half
Return the chicken to the pot
Add thyme, bay leaves, broth and salt and pepper
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked
Remove the chicken and keep warm
Whisk the egg yolk and crème fraîche together in a bowl
Add the cream mixture to the pot and mix
Add the chicken, the apples and mushrooms and allow to warm through for about 5 minutes on a low heat
Sprinkle with fresh parsley
Serve with rice, tagliatelle or mashed potatoes
Bon Appétit!

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