A Single Meatloaf

This week our friend Dave turns 40, and to kick off proceedings we held a "secret cinema" evening, leaving clues around the flat:

The film, if you haven't guessed yet, was "A Single Man" (I know, cheery), set in 1962 Los Angeles. One of the reasons I love this film is George's beautiful modernist house that has many Barbican-esque features, including floor to ceiling wooden-framed windows and drool-worthy chairs.

There is absolutely no mention of food in the entire film, and the only food that makes an on-screen appearance is some frozen bread. So I decided to serve up a classic American 60s dish, plumping for meatloaf, using Delia's Evening Standard cookbook recipe. This must have been one of Granny's favourites too - there's still a handwritten bookmark! I like to add tomato ketchup to the top of the loaf before baking, a tip from present day cookbook New York Cult Recipes, which adds a little extra to the taste and also helps stop the meat drying out. Meatloaf is also a dish that benefits from being made in advance - storing it overnight in the fridge makes it more robust and easier to cut into slices, as well as leaving more time for dancing when your guests arrive. 

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

500g minced beef

500g minced pork

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 clove of garlic

3 slices white bread 

2 tbsp milk

1 egg, beaten

50ml tomato ketchup

Method

1. Mix together the meat, chopped vegetables, herbs and garlic in a large bowl

2. Cut the crusts off the bread and soak in the milk. Squeeze out the excess milk and add the bread to the meat mixture, mixing again.

3. Season and add the egg to bind the mixture together. Pack into a loaf tin, cover and store in the fridge until ready to cook 

4. Spread the ketchup over the top of the meatloaf and cook in the oven at 180C for an hour.

Slice the loaf into thick portions and serve with mash, gravy, creamed corn and coleslaw for a filling and tasty American feast.

Happy BirthDave! 

Chicken soup for "invalids"

"Wife, mother, sister, whoever does the Christmas catering must be able to enjoy herself with the others..." begins the Christmas chapter of my 1964 edition of Woman's Own cookbook. This latest addition to my collection of retro recipe books (thanks Dad!) is a true housewife's handbook that's not only massively sexist but also packed with colour photographs and recipes for all occasions.

The occasion I was cooking for this week was 'having a cold'... the Bearded Argentinian and I have both been suffering this month. Luckily this cookbook has an entire chapter entitled "Invalid cookery", featuring (allegedly) inviting food to tempt flagging appetites. The chicken broth recipe, however, is a bit sparse, using just the liquor from a boiled fowl, simmered for 2 hours with chicken bones, then strained. That's it. Still, rather that than Brain Scallop, the next recipe in the chapter...

So I decided we weren't that poorly and we could probably manage something a bit more substantial. And even better, to get to a chicken carcass, you've got to have a roast chicken first, haven't you? 

(Just showing off...)

Ingredients:

Serves 2-3

1 chicken carcass and any leftover meat

1 small carrot

1 small onion

1 stick of celery

1 bay leaf

1 bouquet garni

50g rice or pearl barley

Chopped fresh parsley

Method:

1. Peel and slice the vegetables

2. Put all the ingredients in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 2 hours. Skim regularly to remove any scum.

3. To serve, either strain the soup and just serve the broth, or remove the carcass, bay leaf and bouquet garni and serve with all the bits in. Garnish with fresh parsley and a side of lemsip.

Get well soon!

Cate's Shepherd's Pie

As featured in Barbican Life magazine!! http://flickread.com/edition/html/584e5d1a464d0#1

This was my favourite meal growing up. Actually, it’s my favourite meal now. Shepherd’s Pie is supposed to be lamb rather then beef mince, but we’ve always called it Shepherd’s Pie, so I’m sticking to it. It’s hearty comfort food, perfect for winter, and if you make double and freeze one, it’ll be a blessing during the upcoming holidays when you can’t face any more cooking. 

Unlike most other dishes on my blog, this one is from memory: years of standing next to Mum at the cooker and watching for the secret trick to make the meat taste so rich. Apparently it’s not a secret – it’s Bisto gravy granules.

My mum in the 70s (same as now but with less perm. And better furniture)

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

1 onion, chopped

500g beef mince

1 stock cube, made up to 500ml with hot water

A few squirts of HP sauce

2 tsp gravy granules

4 large potatoes(about 1kg), peeled

1 tbsp butter

Method

1. Fry the onion in a little oil until starting to colour. Add the mince and poke it with a wooden spoon so it breaks apart and is completely browned.

2. Add the stock, HP sauce and gravy granules and bring to the boil. Taste and season, then simmer for about 30 minutes.

3. Chop the potatoes into even sized chunks and boil for 20 minutes until tender. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C.

4. Mash the potatoes and add the butter and some salt and pepper

5. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mince, without too much liquid, to a pie dish. Layer the mash on top. Run a fork along the top of the potato to ruffle it up, which makes lovely crisp brown ridges. Sprinkle with cheese if liked.

6. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the potato is browning and the gravy is bubbling up around the edges (or freeze at previous step and cook from frozen for about 50 minutes).

I like my Shepherd's Pie with peas, grave made from the leftover meat juices and more HP sauce.

Jazzing it up

Shepherd's Pie can be jazzed any ways, especially if you want to up the vegetable count. 

Grating a carrot into the mince is a good way of hiding extra vegetables. Adding peas, sweetcorn  and chopped carrot to the mince makes for a colourful one pot pie, and you can use a little less mince. You can also play with the topping, adding sweet potato or swede to the mash. A crispy leek and breadcrumb topping is another alternative.

Unanswered Shepherd's Pie questions

Why does this taste completely different from "mince with mashed potatoes"? Even with exactly the same ingredients, something magic happens in the oven...

Why can I eat so much of it?