A Tudor Feast

Rosie and Pip helping out at the banquet

The Shoalhaven Foodies put on a Tudor Feast recently.  Twenty hungry diners gathered in Frances artistic home in Berry to experience the magic of the Tudor period, attended to by her lovely young nieces, Pip and Rosie . It was an evening of imagination, great food and conversation, even some Tudor dancing!

Frances conceived the evening and created a fabulous setting for the event. She hand- painted her dining room table with images of Tudor women and men on the chairs. Electricity was replaced by candlelight (each of the Foodies contributed appropriate candelabras for the night, so there were candles everywhere).  Cloths and decorations adorned the tables, which were soon groaning with delicious food cooked by the Shoalhaven Foodies, Christine, Chere, Colleen, Frances and Kimwith guest cook Fleur contributing a meal to the night.

Matthew Hill, a local prize winning photographer, was there with his beautiful wife Valerie.  Thank heavens for Matthew, who was able to photograph the evening beautifully, even though the lighting was not conducive to easy, modern-day photography! Thank you so much for taking the photographs on the evening Matthew. You can see more of Matthew’s photographs and find out more about his work on www.matthewhillphotography.com.au

Frances' Stargazy Pie

Christine's Cherry Tart and Pear Tart

Shoalhaven Foodies and some guests …

Shoalhaven Foodies Frances, Chere and Colleen

 

Guest cook Fleur with Shoalhaven Foodie Christine

Colin, Shoalhaven Foodie Kim, Mick, Lorissa, Valerie and Gaele

The Menu

The Recipes

Apple & Onion Soup (made by Kim)

To serve 20

4 tablespoons butter/margarine
4 carrots chopped
6 onions chopped
4 sticks celery chopped
4 green apples
16 cups beef stock (beef and bacon bones)
1 cup chicken stock
juice of 3 green apples
freshly ground black pepper

Melt marg. in a large saucepan and saute onion over a very low heat for about 10 mins. Slice and core the apple but don’t peel. Add apple and pepper and continue to cook mixture on a low heat for about 8 mins. Add beef stock to saucepan, with celery and carrots, bring to boil, reduce and simmer for 15 mins. or until all ingredients are very soft. Cool slightly and put soup through blender or food processor. Reheat and serve with swirl of cream and zest of orange.

Stargazy Pie (made by Frances)

For the shortcrust pastry:
240g plain flour
180g fridge-cold butter
pinch of salt
ice cold water

For the filling:
5 eggs (plus 1 for the glaze)
4-5 medium size fillets of a white tender fish
a good bunch of dill
6 to 8 rashers of good streaky bacon, rind removed
2 leeks
(poaching mix)11/2 cups milk with 2tabs chopped dill infused
veloute sauce made with half cream/chicken stock
1 egg for egg wash
Salt and pepper
4 Fish heads and tails (whiting are a good size)

Veloute Sauce

Make a roux with 50g butter 40g flour. Blend in 250 mls cream,  250 mls stock and stir to sauce consistency.  Season to taste.

Sift the flour, add the salt, chop the butter into small cubes and combine in a large bowl until you have an even, crumb-like consistency. Start adding the water a tablespoon or so at a time, working lightly into a ball. Wrap it up in cling film and stick it in the fridge for at least half an hour until you need it.

Meanwhile hard-boil the eggs (8 minutes), cooling them under running water before peeling and roughly slicing. These can be spread over the bottom of a lightly buttered pie dish.  Make the veloute sauce and set aside.  Debone and cube fish, bring milk with herb infusion to a light simmer and poach the fish for 3 mins.  Place in the pie dish; sauté bacon and finely chopped leeks then place in pie dish.  Add remaining chopped dill, salt, pepper, and then spoon over the veloute.

Roll out pastry; make a lid for the pie, keeping some aside for making stars.  Cut stars and egg wash them onto pie. Cut slits in the pastry for fish heads to be placed in the last 10 mins. of cooking.  Finally, brush the whole surface liberally with egg wash and pop into a 200C oven for 25 mins.  Remove; put the fish head and tails in slits and cook for a further 10mins or until the pastry looks golden and appetising.

Serve directly from the dish in strategic wedges with as many as possible including a fish head.

Roasted Chicken Henry (made by Chere)
(to serve a banquet of 22)

5 x large free range chicken, cut into quarters3 x large free range chicken legs
½ cup oregano (washed clean)
a full head of peeled garlic,
(simmered until it is soft in 3 changes of water – so that it is not too strong)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¾ cup olive oil
8 bay leaves
salt & pepper
1 cup fresh organic dates, chopped
¾ cup pimento stuffed olives (no seeds)
¾ cup capers
1 large cup brown sugar
1 ¼ cups white wine
½ cup finely sliced preserved lemon (discard the flesh)

For decoration:

½ cup finely chopped parsley, organic rose petals, nasturtium flowers.  Make sure flowers and petals are washed.

Combine the chicken in a large dish with the crushed garlic, oregano, salt & pepper, vinegars, olive oil, dates, capers and bay leaves. Cover and marinate overnight.

Heat oven to 180ºC. Arrange the chicken in a shallow pan and spoon over the marinade. Add the preserved lemon and sprinkle with brown sugar. Pour the wine around the chicken and bake for 1 hour, basting frequently.

Transfer to a large serving platter (or 2 smaller) and moisten with the pan juices. Decorate with parsley, rose petals and nasturtium flowers.

Mushroom and Leek Wild Rice Salad (made by Colleen)

Ingredients:

2 cups wild rice
1 cup white rice
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoon oil
6 leeks (cleaned and sliced)
5 cloves garlic
1500g mixed mushrooms (sliced) – I used portobello (small and large), button mushrooms and field mushrooms
3 teaspoon chopped thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup walnut halves
3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Method: 

Simmer the wild rice in the stock on medium-low heat, covered, until it is tender and it has absorbed all of the stock, about 40-50 minutes and remove from heat.
Cook the white rice.

Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan.

Add the leeks and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and saute until the mushrooms are just starting to caramelize, about 10-14 minutes.

Mix the wild rice, mushrooms and and balsamic viniagrette.

Ginger Orange Carrots (made by Colleen)

3.75kg sliced carrots
3 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 cup orange juice
6 teaspoons butter
6 teaspoons honey
3 teaspoons grated ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt

Bring carrots to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer until crisp-tender. Pour off water and leave carrots in pan.

Add remaining ingredients and stir over medium heat until the carrots are glazed.

Just before serving, sprinkle with violets as garnish.

Cherry Tart (made by Christine)

¼ cup red current jelly
5oo g cherries (approx), pitted and kept whole if possible

The pastry:

(This recipe was used for both the cherry and pear tart)
1 1/2 cups (200g) plain flour
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup (50g) granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Sift flour and salt together in one bowl.  In another bowl beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar to the butter and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating until just incorporated. (Don’t over mix or the butter will separate.)

Add the flour all at once and mix until it forms a ball. (I used a wooden spoon initially and then my hand.)  Flatten the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Have ready a lightly greased 23cm fluted tart pan with removable base. (For the pear tart a 10 x 34cm fluted tart pan was used.)

On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry large enough to fit the tart pan.  The pastry should be about an inch larger than the pan.  Roll pastry around your rolling pin, dusting off any extra flour. Unroll onto top of tart pan. Do not pull the pastry as this causes shrinkage. Gently ease the pastry into the pan bottom and up the sides. Roll over the top with the rolling pin then using a thumb up movement, again press the pastry into pan. Roll rolling pin over the top again to remove extra pastry.

Prick the bottom of the pastry to prevent it puffing up and then refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees with rack in the centre of the oven. Line the unbaked pastry shell with baking paper and fill to the top with weights or beans. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly golden. Remove weights and cool on wire rack (in the pan).

Reduce oven temperature to 175 degrees.

The Frangipane (Almond Cream)

¼ cup (50g) granulated white sugar
3 tblsp (42g) unsalted butter
1 large egg
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tblsp (12g) plain flour

Beat sugar and butter until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the almond meal and flour and beat until it forms a smooth paste. Spread the cream on the bottom of the cooled pastry crust.

Place the pitted cherries evenly over the frangipane. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the frangipane is puffed and light brown in colour. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool (in the tin).  Once cool, gently heat the red current jelly in a small saucepan until at a spreading consistency. Brush on to each cherry*. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* If cherries have been halved they will probably sink into the frangipane. Top of tart can then be decorated with whole fresh cherries.

Pear Tart (made by Christine)

The pears:
5 small, firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored and halved.
1 cup (250ml) dry white wine
½ cup (125 ml) water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar

Place all the above ingredients into a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, turning occasionally, until pears are tender. Approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool in the syrup.

The pastry (as for the Cherry Tart)

The Frangipane (Almond cream) – this recipe has slightly different proportions to that used for the Cherry Tart and was deemed to be the nicer of the two.

100g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup (100g) almond meal
¼ (40g) plain flour
½ cup (170g) apricot jam

Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the almond meal and flour, stirring until well combined. Spoon into pastry shell and smooth the surface.
Strain the pears and arrange over the tart. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place jam into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring until jam melts. Strain through a sieve into a small bowl. Brush the top of the pears (or whole of tart) with the warm jam.

Braided Bread (made by Christine)

(recipe from http://figjamandlimecordial.com/bread/ which has also been adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Soft Butter Rolls)

500g pizza flour or 50% bakers flour and 50% plain flour
230g (1 cup) water
1 egg
40g (3 tbsp) butter
30g (2 tbsp) sugar
25g (3 tbsp) powdered milk
11g (2 tspn) fine sea salt
4g (1 tsp) instant dried yeast
melted butter for brushing

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, milk powder, salt and yeast. Cut butter into small pieces and rub it into the dry ingredients until crumbly.

Add the water and egg, and mix with a clean hand, squishing the dough together to make sure it is well combined. Scrape dough off your hand, cover the bowl with a tea towel and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Spray a clean bench with oil, turn the dough out and knead it briefly until it has silky elasticity. Spray the scraped out mixing bowl with oil, then return the dough to the bowl, cover with cling film and allow to prove for about 1 ½ hours in a warm, draught free place. The dough won’t rise much, but will soften in that time.

Turn the dough out and divide it into six – for two three-braided loaves, eight for two four-braided loaves, or six for one six braided loaf.  It all depends on your braiding skills!

Roll each piece between your hands to start a long log, then roll it on the bench top into a piece about 12” long.  Braid accordingly.  Lay the loaves onto a tray lined with baking paper. Spray a piece of cling film with oil and fit snugly over the top of each loaf. Allow to rise for a further 30 minutes to one hour.  Preheat over to 200C with fan.

Remove the cling film; brush the loaf with melted butter and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through the baking time.  When the loaf is cooked through, remove from the oven and brush again with melted butter while it’s still hot.  All to cool on a wire rack before scoffing the lot!

Tudor Rose Recipe (made by Frances)

Ingredients for the Marchpane:

300g of fine caster sugar
600g of ground almonds (blanched not roasted)
50ml of rose-water 

Ingredients for the glaze:

30ml of rose water
60g of icing sugar

Decorating the Marchpane:

Edible gold / silver leaf (or edible gold / silver paint)
Icing Sugar made up into a thick paste and rolled out – cut into shapes
Sugared seeds and nuts (comfits)
Food dyes of different colours
Different coloured / flavoured simple sugar syrups for pouring into moulds.
Pastry cutters and chocolate moulds to form the decorated shapes.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 150 C

Work the ground almonds, sugar and rose water together to make a stiff paste. Knead until quite smooth (reserve a third of the marzipan for decorating the marchpane) and place the rest on a sheet of greaseproof paper.

Roll it into a circle, about 15mm thick; try to keep it perfectly round with smooth edges. Cutting neatly around a large plate works best.

Put the marzipan disc on to a non stick baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes in a cool oven, (150 °C) then turn off the oven, open the oven door and leave it in there for another 15 minutes.

Close the oven door; turn the oven back up to a cool temperature and cook for another 15 minutes. Open the oven door, turn off the oven and leave in the oven for 15 minutes.

Repeat this process until the machpane cake or disc is firm and dry, but only lightly coloured.

Meanwhile, mix the rose water and icing sugar to a thin paste for the glaze. When the marchpane is firm and dry brush the glaze over the disc and put it in the oven at the same temperature for about 5 minutes until dry and glossy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Roll out some of the reserved marzipan until quite thin and cut out into hearts, diamonds, letters, animals or birds using pastry cutters. Dry in the oven as above, and paint with edible gold colourings or brush on edible gold leaf and fix these gilded shapes on to the glazed marchpane with a little sugar syrup as it dries to form patterns or pictures.

Use the rest of the reserved marzipan (or roll out a thickly made up icing sugar paste) to model into 3D figures of animals or birds, or into traditional knot shapes, which can be gilded or painted as before. If you want to, pour a (cooling) simple sugar syrup (made up by dissolving caster sugar in boiling water, 150g of sugar and 150ml of water) into chocolate moulds of dragons etc. to get the 3D shapes you want. If you flavour and colour the syrup you can vary your sugar sculptures.

Sugar-coated caraway, fennel or coriander seeds, and nuts can also be used for decoration

Raspberry and Orange Layered Jelly (made by Frances)

1 ½ litres orange juice

1 litre berry juice

250 ml cream

250 g frozen raspberries

2 oranges

3 tabls rose water

stick of cinnamon

3 cloves

60g gelatine

2 decorative jelly moulds, one smaller than the other

Heat the orange juice with spices, add sugar to taste.  Simmer for 5 minutes, covered.

Puree berries, cream and berry juice.  Add rose water and sugar to taste.

Dissolve 30g of the gelatine in 3 tbls. of water over some hot water.  Mix through berry mix then pour into the smaller mould and refrigerate until set.

When the orange juice has cooled to room temperature, dissolve 30g gelatine in 3 tablespoons of water over hot water, stir in orange juice, pour into the larger mould and set in the fridge.    Release the larger jelly onto a serving plate then center the smaller jelly (also released) on top.  Decorate and serve.

Mulled Wine (made by Kim)

2 bottles of red wine

2 cups white sugar

1 lt. orange juice

Thinly sliced orange and lemon or lime

4 x 7cm cinnamon sticks

12 Whole Cloves

1 orange peel

2 aniseed stars

4 gratings of fresh nutmeg

Boil for 5 minutes then simmer for 10 minutes (If you want it to retain alcohol, infuse all of the above, then add the wine while mixture is warm)  Serve with lemon, lime and orange slices.