Lime and ginger chicken

The Netherton freezer is accumulating pack ice faster than the Arctic is losing it and is in serious need of a de-frost.  We have been waiting for a cold spell, so we can store the contents outside the back door while the freezer sheds more tears than a love struck teenager.

But that seems unlikely, so we are eating our way through the contents.

This can lead to surprises, when unlabelled packages are unearthed and "oh I'd forgotten all about that" boxes resurface.

The latest plundering gave us a pack of chicken thighs and drumsticks, which were enlivened with one of our favourite cocktail combinations  - ginger and lime....... a Dark and Stormy, anyone?

Check out our recipe for lime and ginger in cake form too 

1 kg chicken pieces

2 tblsp lime marmalade

1 tblsp soy sauce

2½cm root ginger, peeled and grated

1 tsp crushed fennel seed

Salt and pepper

Mix all of the marinade ingredients and place in a dish.  Add the chicken pieces and ensure they are all well coated.  Leave to marinade for about an hour, turning from time to time.

Heat the oven to 190ºC.

Tip the chicken and the marinade into a prospector pan ( I used a 10" one) and place in the oven.

Cook for 30 minutes, checking to ensure that the juices run clear.

Serve with rice, to soak up all the lovely sauce and a forest of greens.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire © 2020

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

The smell of baking

You cannot beat the smell of baking.  There is something so comforting about the aroma of bread and cakes wafting from a warm oven.  And the fug of condensation on the windows on a cold November baking day instantly transports me back to my childhood.  I remember baking with the children when they were small, and then not so small - they have inherited my love of the mixing bowl and wooden spoon.

There is always a cake in our house, rarely elaborate, but a welcome addition to a cup of tea and always, but always a key part of packed lunches.

The thinking behind this one was triggered by the unexpected treat of Jaffa cakes in the workshops, brought in by Carl, and Neil's sudden whim for toast and marmalade late one evening.
Apparently marmalade sales are on the decline, but there seems to be an ever growing band of marmalade makers, so it would appear that news of its demise is greatly exaggerated.  We are very partial to home made marmalade here, tangy and not over sweet, and definitely containing peel!

Not only have slices of this been wrapped in beeswax wrap for packed lunches, it has also been dressed up with poached quince and Greek yogurt as a dessert.

120g butter
120g orange marmalade, something robust and dark is best
2 nubbles of preserved ginger, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
2 eggs
120g self raising flour

Pre-heat the  oven to 165ºC 
Cream the butter and marmalade with the chopped ginger.  Beat in the eggs and then fold in the flour and fennel seeds.

Spoon the mixture into a greased 1lb loaf tin and place in the oven.
Cook for around 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Turn out on to a cooling rack.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2018 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Rhubarb, golden syrup and ginger cake

A lot of fuss is made of the beautiful, pink, forced rhubarb from the Yorkshire rhubarb triangle.  More especially perhaps in these days of Instagram, its blush so photogenic, the colour "popping" on the screen.

But I think I prefer the thicker, greener stems of field grown rhubarb, with its astringency and bite.  Of course, it does need to be tempered with sugar, I defy anyone to tell me they like unsweetened rhubarb, even in savoury dishes.  It also combines joyfully with other flavours; rhubarb and strawberry crumble is a firm favourite here.

This cake is a variation of a much loved steamed sponge and is a light and luscious foil for the tart rhubarb topping.

2 long sticks of rhubarb
Sugar to taste
120g butter
120g golden syrup
2 eggs
120g self raising flour
1 tblsp ground ginger

Heat the oven to 180ºC
Cut the rhubarb into thumb sized pieces and place in an oven proof dish.  Sprinkle liberally with sugar, you will have to decide for yourself how much you need, I used a couple of tablespoons.
Place in the oven for about 20 minutes until it is soft, but still holds its shape.

Set aside while you make the cake mix.
Lightly grease a 22cm cake tin 
Beat the butter and golden syrup together until light in colour and thoroughly combined.
Beat in the eggs.  Really beat in the eggs, then beat a bit more.
Fold in the flour and ground ginger.
Spoon the cake mix into the prepared tin and level it.
Carefully place the cooked rhubarb on top of the cake mix and put the tin into the oven.
Cook for 20 - 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Serve at room temperature with cream or ice cream.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2018 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Spiced, iced and sliced - lime and ginger cake

I've been on something of a baking spree since we launched the loaf tins and am more than happy to share the results with you.

Don't forget that the shop at the Workshops is open Monday to Friday, if you want to call in and see us, but please try and give us a ring in advance if there is something in particular that you are after.............. and if you give us enough notice, there may even be cake to share!!

My teenage son loves Jamaica cake - that sticky confection warmed with ginger, so I thought I'd try my own version, cutting through the sweetness with the citrus hit of lime - a classic partner to ginger.

125g butter
100g golden syrup
50g black treacle
2 eggs
2 limes
125 g self raising flour
1½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp mixed spice
100g icing sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC

Cream the butter with the syrup and treacle.
Beat in the eggs.
Pare the rind of one lime and reserve for decoration.
Add the finely grated zest of the other lime and the juice of 1½ limes and mix thoroughly.
Fold in the flour and spices.

Line a 1lb loaf tin with a butter paper of baking parchment.

Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and level the top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, remove the paper and allow to cool.

Make the icing by mixing the icing sugar with the remaining lime juice, adding a little water if necessary.

Spread the icing over the cake, cut the reserved lime peel into thin strips and scatter over the top.

© Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2015

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Sweet and savoury

Two lovely new dishes for you to try and which will warm you up now that the winter is approaching.

The first one is inspired by my Chinese friend, Sophie and demonstrates that not all Chinese style food has to be cooked in a wok!  This is simplicity itself and requires virtually no effort to create a delicious, low fat meal which will get your tastebuds tingling

Slow braised tofu with aubergine
250ml stock ( I used vegetable stock to make a vegetarian meal, but beef would work too)
2 tblsp soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
3 star anise
1 stick of cinnamon
1 aubergine, cut into cubes
400g tofu, cubed

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker bowl and cover with the lid.
Place on the heater base and cook on KEEP WARM for 8 hours
Serve with noodles and beansprouts or boiled rice.

This quantity is enough for 6 people, but you can easily make double the amount in one go if you are entertaining a crowd.

And for afters.........

Ginger Apple Topsy

125g  + 50g butter

100g golden syrup

25g black treacle

125g sugar

2 eggs

150ml milk

250g self raising flour

1 tblsp ground ginger
1tsp ground cinnamon

Stem ginger

5 apples, peeled, cored and cut into large chunks

Place the slow cooker bowl on the hob over a low heat. Melt 50 g butter.  Place the bowl on the heater base and add the apples to the butter. Stir well to coat.

In a separate pan, melt the rest of the butter, syrup, treacle and sugar together over a low heat.

Add the flour, milk and eggs and beat well to create a batter.  If you really like ginger, chop some stem ginger and add it to the batter.

Pour over the apples and put the lid on.

Cook on LOW for 3 hours.

Serve with whipped cream ( add some syrup from the stem ginger to make it even more special!)

Enough for 8 greedy pudding fans!