Colonial Goose
| 5 pound leg of lamb | ||
| Stuffing | ||
| 4 ounces dried apricots | 4 ounces fresh white bread crumbs | |
| 1 ounce unsalted butter | 1 tablespoon honey | |
| 2 ounces chopped onion | ¼ teaspoon dried thyme | |
| ¼ teaspoon salt | pepper, to taste | |
| 1 beaten egg | ||
| Marinade | ||
| ½ pound sliced old carrots | 6 ounces sliced onion | |
| 1 bay leaf | 3 crushed parsley stalks | |
| 5 ounces red wine | &ndsp; | |
24 hours beforehand, make the stuffing: chop the apricot coarsely, mix with bread crumbs and chopped onions. Melt the butter, pour over, add honey, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well together, then mix in the beaten egg.
Make marinade by mixing all the ingredients together.
Bone or have boned the lamb. (Tunnel bone for stuffing). Stuff the cavity loosely. Sew up the opening. Put the lamb in a polythene bag long enough to hold it comfortably. Add back the bones. Pour over the marinade, tie the top with a bag seal, sucking out the excess air. Stand it in a bowl (to catch leaks). Marinate it overnight, turning the lamb from time to time.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove lamb from marinade and dry well. Drain marinade and fry vegetables in roasting pan very briefly. Place lamb on top and roast 20 minutes per pound of oven-ready weight, or until a meat thermometer reads 170 F. Baste frequently with marinade while cooking. Meanwhile make a little lamb stock from the bones.
When the roast is done, remove from the oven. Remove the strings from the joint and leave to rest for 15 minutes while making the gravy, then carve it crosswise.
For the gravy, remove vegetables from the roasting tin and pour off the roasting juices, leaving two tablespoons of fat in the pan. Separate the fat from the remainder of the pan juices. Fry two tablespoons of flour in the fat remaining in the pan, then return the aqueous part of the roasting juices and the remaining marinade. Add lamb stock if needed. Season to taste.
Serves eight.
Egyptian Rice and Lentils
| 1 cup brown lentils, washed and picked over | ¾ teaspoon salt | |
| 1½ tablespoons olive oil | 1 large onion, chopped | |
| ½ teaspoon cinnamon | 1 tablespoon ground cumin | |
| ½ cup long-grain rice | 5 to 6 cups water |
Place all the olive oil in the bottom of a crock pot. Turn the pot onto its highest setting and add the onions. Allow the onions ten to fifteen minutes to warm in the oil. Add all remaining ingredients, including water. If cooking the dish all day (i.e., you’ve started in the morning for dinner), reduce the heat to low; else, leave the crock pot on high. Cover and leave to simmer.
Stir the dish a time or two while in the crock. If it becomes dry, add a little water; if it’s soupy, remove the lid for an hour or so to evaporate the excess.
Serves six or so.
Süss-Saures Rotkraut
| ½ cup unsalted butter | 4 medium apples, peeled and sliced | |
| 1 red cabbage, finely shredded | 1 cup red wine | |
| 4 whole cloves | 1/3 cup brown sugar | |
| 2 bay leaves | ¼ cup cider vinegar | |
| ¼ cup unsalted butter | ½ tablespoon lemon juice |
Melt a quarter cup of butter in a four-quart Dutch oven. Add the apples and onions, and sauté slightly. Add the finely shredded cabbage, red wine, cloves, sugar, and bay leaves. Simmer, covered, for one hour, then add the remaining ingredients. Heat to melt the butter and serve at once.
Serves six.
Trifle
| Leftover sponge cake or halved ladyfingers | 1 cup raspberry jam | |
| ¼ cup slivered almonds | ¼ cup brandy | |
| ¾ cup sherry | 1½ cups milk | |
| 1 cup heavy cream | 1 vanilla pod | |
| 1 teaspoon cornstarch | 3 tablespoons granulated sugar | |
| 5 eggs | 2 cups heavy cream, whipped | |
| 8 slices candied citron | 6 strawberries or crystallized violets |
Cut the cake into very thick slices and spread each piece with a generous amount of raspberry jam. Arrange the slices on the bottom of a large glass bowl. If you prefer to use individual dishes, divide the cake equally among the dishes. Sprinkle the almonds over the cake slices, pour on the brandy and sherry and allow it it to soak for about 40 minutes (but not longer as the cake will becomes soggy.) Bring the milk and cream with vanilla pod to a boil in a double boiler. Remove from heat and discard the vanilla pod.
Mix the cornstarch with the sugar and eggs and gradually pour in the milk and cream. Transfer the mixture back to the double boiler and stir until the custard becomes thick and creamy; do not allow it to boil.
Let the custard cool a little and then pour it over the cake. Let the cake set and when it fully cooled, spread any remaining jam on top, then cover with whipped cream.
Decorate the trifle with citron slices and crystallized violets or strawberry slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serves six to eight.
from Great British Cooking: A Well Kept Secret
