WOOLTON PIE
The combination of oatmeal and vegetables is what makes this dish one of the most significant from the Second World War; both foods were home-grown and both full of nutrition. Oatmeal was added to many dishes because it increased the food’s nutritional value and made it go further. The basic Woolton pie would only have contained potatoes, swedes, carrots, leeks, cauliflower or whatever was in season, but here sweet potato and broccoli are used for extra flavour, although you can use any combination of your most-loved vegetables.
450g/16oz each diced potatoes, swedes, carrots and cauliflower (or sweet potato and broccoli)
4 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp vegetable extract (or Bovril or Oxo)
1 tbsp oatmeal
Chopped parsley
225g/8oz sliced potatoes or pastry for topping
½ cup grated cheese
Gravy (to serve)
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Place vegetables, vegetable extract and oatmeal in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste. Allow to cool and then place in a pie dish, sprinkle with parsley then cover with potatoes or pastry crust and cheese. Bake until topping is browned and serve with steaming hot gravy. Serves 4–6.
COD CASSEROLE
Although fish was not readily available, cheaper stock fished in the North Sea—such as cod—was obtainable more frequently than other varieties.
675g/18oz fresh salted cod (skinned)
450g/16oz parsnips, parboiled and thinly sliced
Small cabbage, shredded
1 leek, sliced
1 dstsp parsley, finely chopped
30g/1oz butter
1 dstsp cornflour
570ml/1 pint water
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. In a pan, bring cod to boil and simmer for 15 minutes, then flake, removing bones. Arrange parsnip, cabbage, leek and parsley in layers with fish in a casserole dish, dotting each layer with butter. Blend cornflour with water until smooth and then pour over dish. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Serves 4.
LEMON SOLE
Sole is another fish that was both available and popular on the menus of restaurants and hotels at the time.
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp white wine
55g/2oz butter
Juice 1 lemon
2 tbsp chives, chopped
2 lemon sole, skinned and filleted
Wilted spinach, to serve
1 tomato, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
In a pan, gently simmer shallots, white wine vinegar and white wine until reduced. Add 2 tbsp water and simmer until reduced again. Slowly add butter, a small amount at a time, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and strain until the liquid is clear. Season and add the lemon juice and chives. Set aside and fry the sole in extra butter for 2 minutes on each side. Serve sole on a bed of wilted spinach with the sauce poured over and tomatoes dotted around the plate. Serves 2.
RABBIT STEW WITH HERB DUMPLINGS
Rabbit was a notable source of meat protein during the war and more available than traditional livestock, which had been sacrificed to make way for crops. Close in flavour and texture to chicken, it can be substituted now by its feathered friend.
1 rabbit, jointed (or chicken)
30g/1oz plain flour
Salt and pepper
60g/2oz dripping or butter
3 rashers bacon, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 sticks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
570ml/1 pint chicken stock
285ml/½ pint cider
½ tbsp tarragon or thyme, chopped
Dumplings
400g/14oz self-raising flour
200g/7oz butter
Parsley or sprig thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp milk
Mix the flour and seasoning and coat the rabbit pieces. Heat dripping or butter and add bacon and rabbit. Cook until browned then remove from the pan. Add onions, garlic, celery and carrots and cook until soft, then return the rabbit and add stock, cider and tarragon. Cover the pan and simmer for 1 hour, checking and adding more liquid as needed. Meanwhile, rub flour and butter with herbs, salt and pepper until they form a breadcrumb mixture, then add enough milk to bind it together. Knead until smooth and then divide into half, quarters and so on until you have 16 dumplings. Add dumplings to the stew after 1 hour and cook for another 30–40 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serves 4–6.
RABBIT CURRY
The slightly gamey flavour and ready availability of rabbit made it the ideal candidate for curry.
1 rabbit, skinned, deboned and cut into pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 cooking apple, peeled and diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 dstsp curry powder
1 tsp flour
1 glass water
Brown rabbit in oil and remove from the pan. Gently fry chopped vegetables and apple in same oil until softened and then add flour and curry powder, mixing and then stirring in water. Return rabbit to pan and cook gently for 2 hours before serving with rice. Serves 4–6.
LANCASHIRE HOTPOT
A classic that can make the most disciplined vegetarian’s mouth water; it is flavoursome, has great texture and is real comfort food—and there’s no need to use mutton now if you prefer to use lamb.
2 tbsp olive oil
450g/16oz scrag mutton, diced (or replace with diced lamb)
1 onion, thinly sliced
30g/1oz flour
570ml/1 pint hot water
Salt and pepper
4 mushrooms, sliced
2 sheep’s kidneys, sliced
450g/16oz potatoes, thinly sliced
Parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 170°C/340°F. Heat oil and brown lamb or mutton in small batches, then fry the onions, separately. Remove from pan. Add flour to the oil, cooking until brown, and gradually add hot water. Mix well and season to taste. Grease a casserole dish and add the mutton or lamb in layers with mushrooms, onion and kidneys. Cover with thinly sliced potatoes, pour over browned gravy and bake for 2 hours. Sprinkle over parsley and serve. Serves 4–6.
OFFAL PIE
If you don’t fancy going the whole hog with the offal, you could substitute with mushrooms or your choice of meat. While you might not want to eat the original offal version, wait until a grandparent or great-aunt or -uncle is coming over to visit; they will be suitably impressed!
2 tbsp dripping or olive oil
225g/8oz steak, diced
1 tbsp plain flour
2 sheep’s kidneys or 225g/8oz ox kidneys, sliced
225g/8oz calf’s liver, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 rasher bacon
55g/2oz mushrooms, sliced
285ml/½ pint beef stock
Puff pastry
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Heat half the dripping or oil in a pan. Toss steak in flour then brown in the oil. Place in the bottom of a pie dish and spread half the kidneys and liver on top. Sauté the onion, bacon and mushroom in the remaining oil in the pan, then place onion mixture on top of the layered meats and add the rest of the liver and kidneys as a second layer. Pour stock over and cover with a lid. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with pastry, return to oven and cook for a further 30–40 minutes. Serves 4.
MUTTON STEW
Now that tastier cuts are available, mutton is rarely used except in stews or curries, so for an authentic dish, use mutton and cook long and slow—but if you prefer a more succulent piece of meat, then substitute with lamb.
900g/32oz breast and scrag mutton, diced (or use lamb)
15g/½oz dripping
450g/16oz mixed vegetables such as carrots, turnips, swedes, parsnips, chopped
450g/16oz potatoe
s, thickly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
850ml/1½ pints chicken stock
Heat dripping in a deep pan, then brown meat in batches. Add vegetables and potatoes and season well. Cover with stock, replace lid and cook for 1½ hours for lamb or 2 hours for mutton. Serves 6–8.
LIVER AND SAUSAGE HOTPOT
It sounds old-fashioned, but this meal delivered all the necessary protein and vegetables in one meal, and it’s so easy to make.
450g/16oz liver, chopped
450g/16oz sausages, chopped
450g/16oz mixed vegetables, sliced
450g/16oz potatoes, sliced
850ml/1½ pints chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. In a deep baking dish, layer meat and vegetables, seasoning well. Cover with stock and then layer potatoes. Cook for 1½ hours.
TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE
It’s hard to believe this classic was born out of wartime necessity, but it was a good meal for home and a good one to serve in the canteen too.
30g/1oz dripping
450g/16oz sausages, left whole
Batter
140g/5oz plain flour
1 egg
140ml/½ pint milk
Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F. Melt dripping in a medium roasting tin and then add sausages and cook in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and raise oven to 220°C/430°F. Blend ingredients for the batter, then pour over the sausages. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a crisp salad or green vegetables and a tasty onion gravy. Serves 4.
CRISP-COATED SCOTCH EGGS
There was a requirement for fast food that could be eaten in a hurry, hot or cold, and the humble Scotch egg fitted the bill.
4 eggs
450g/16oz sausage meat
Flour
Breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F. Hard-boil eggs and coat with sausage meat, moulding them into neat shapes. Dust with flour and roll in breadcrumbs. Line a baking tray with baking paper and bake eggs until crispy. Serves 4.
LEEK AND MUSHROOM GRATIN
This works really well as a side dish or can be the star of the show, as many of the vegetable dishes had to be during wartime. Otherwise, bake some fish or chicken in the oven at the same time so that you have a complete meal at the end.
4 tbsp grated cheese
4 tbsp breadcrumbs
40g/1½oz butter
2 leeks, sliced
4 large mushrooms, sliced
30g/1oz plain flour
235ml/½ pint milk
Pinch fresh thyme leaves
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Mix 2 tbsp grated cheese with breadcrumbs and set aside. Soften leeks in 20g/½oz butter in frypan, then add mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Once softened, place leeks and mushrooms in a small ovenproof dish and add remaining butter to frypan. When melted, add the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook, stirring continuously, for a minute or two, then gradually add the milk until the mixture thickens. Stir through the remaining cheese. Pour sauce over leeks and mushrooms, sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumb mix, then bake in oven for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 4.
TURNIP TOP SALAD
The delicious honey mustard dressing is the perfect accompaniment to the slight bitterness of the vegetables. Although you can substitute any vegetables for this recipe—courgettes, fennel, etc.
Salad
115g/4oz turnip tops or radishes, thinly sliced
115g/4oz white cabbage, finely shredded
115g/4oz red cabbage, finely shredded
55g/2oz raw beetroot, grated
55g/2oz carrots, grated
Dressing
1 tsp English mustard (or grain, if you prefer)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp chopped herbs—chives, parsley or whatever you like
Salt and pepper
Small handful of flower petals for garnish (or micro herbs if they are easier to find)
Prepare the vegetables by grating or slicing with a mandolin or a peeler—the different techniques give a combination of shapes. Make sure the serving dish is white so that the vibrant colours of the vegetables stand out. Drizzle with dressing, decorate with petals and enjoy! Serves 4–6.
APPLE CHARLOTTE
In the 1940s, substitutions would have been made by adding marmalade instead of sugar to the mixture and using available fruits instead of apple, but now, with the addition of almonds or walnuts, you can transform this tasty dessert into something a little more special.
450g/16oz apples
85g/3oz sugar
½ tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon or mixed spice
55g/2oz butter, melted
170g/6oz day-old bread made into breadcrumbs
½ cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Stew apples in a little water with half the sugar, then mix through half the spices. Grease pie dish and dust with a little sugar. Mix the breadcrumbs with melted butter and the remaining sugar and spices, then line the dish with alternate layers of breadcrumbs, apples and a handful of nuts. Sprinkle the top with some extra sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Serves 4.
MOCK CREAM
This is only for those truly dedicated to authenticity or if you get caught out when the shops are shut; otherwise, please buy a tub of fresh cream or fromage frais!
30g/1oz butter
30g/1oz sugar
1 tbsp dried milk powder
1 tbsp milk
Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the milk powder and the milk until the cream is the desired consistency.
HONEY AND WALNUT PUDDING
This is quite a labour intensive dish to make by hand, so maybe it’s the one to whizz up in the food processor to save time and muscle-ache.
55g/2oz butter, melted
1 cup milk
4 tbsp honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
115g/4oz self-raising flour
55g/2oz stale breadcrumbs
55g/2oz chopped walnuts
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Brush pie dish with a little of the melted butter, then mix the rest of the butter with the milk, honey and egg and warm gently in a pan. Mix the flour, breadcrumbs and walnuts in a basin. Add the vanilla to the milk mixture and pour it into the flour mixture. Mix and pour into the pie dish and bake for 1 hour. Serve with a generous drizzle of extra honey. Serves 6.
STEAMED RICE AND APPLE PUDDING
This is a flourless steamed pudding, so it’s a good one for the gluten-free around the table.
170g/6oz short-grain or Arborio rice
5 medium apples, peeled
4 dstsp sugar
1 dstsp cinnamon
Pinch ground ginger
750ml water or milk
Golden syrup to serve
Cook rice with 1 dstsp of sugar in water or milk until tender. Core and dice apples and add to the rice, together with the rest of the sugar and spices. Mix well and place in a baking basin. Cover with baking paper and leave rice to swell. Steam for 2 hours and then turn out and serve topped with warmed golden syrup. Serves 6.
STEAMED JAM PUDDING
Robbie knows the secret of this dish: plenty of rhubarb jam!
85g/3oz butter, melted
85g/3oz rhubarb jam
170g/6oz self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
55g/2 oz sugar
Pinch salt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
140ml/¼ pint milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Brush a pudding basin with a little melted butter and place jam in the bottom. Sift flour and baking powder into a separate bowl and add the sugar, salt and spices. Combine the butter, milk and vanilla e
xtract and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour mixture into the pudding basin, cover with baking paper and steam for 2 hours. You can steam by placing the pudding directly into a steamer over a saucepan of simmering water, or use a large saucepan with an upturned saucer in the bottom and simmering water. Remember to check water levels regularly. Serve with custard. Serves 6.
THRIFTY CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Those who lived through the Second World War endured six wartime Christmases, and they were as much of a celebration then as Christmas is now—perhaps more so, as an occasion to look forward to and provide hope. Even though certain foods were limited, they were hoarded all year in order to prepare special dishes for Christmas—most importantly of all, the pudding.
85g/3oz bread
140ml/¼ pint cold water
85g/3oz flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp cinnamon
85g/3oz sugar
225g/8oz mixed dried fruit
85g/3oz rolled oats
85g/3oz carrots, grated
85g/3oz butter
2 eggs
Break the bread into small pieces and leave to stand in the cold water for about 20 minutes, then beat with a fork until smooth. Sift flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including the bread, and mix thoroughly. Spoon into a greased 2½-pint basin, cover with baking paper and a cloth and steam over boiling water for 2½ hours. Leave to cool and then store in a dry place for 2–3 days. On Christmas Day, steam for 1 hour and then serve with brandy custard. Serves 6–8.
POLISH PANCAKES (PLACKI Z KARTOFLI)
Some things are worth taking time over, and this is one of them.
510g/18oz potatoes
2 eggs, separated
285ml/½ pint milk
1 dstsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
30g/1oz butter
Boil the potatoes and mash until smooth. Gradually beat in the egg yolks, milk, sugar and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the mixture. Heat butter in a frypan and ladle batter into pan, just covering the bottom for a thinner pancake and adding more for a thicker texture. Fry pancakes in batches for approximately 5 minutes, turning once. Serve straight away with fruits or jam. Serves 4–6.
Maggie’s Kitchen Page 31