Traditional English Recipes

Shepherd's Pie

Some people call this Shepherd's Pie and some people call it Cottage Pie. Often, Shepherd's Pie is only used for the dish when minced lamb and not beef is used.

Ingredients
16oz minced (ground) beef or lamb
1 large chopped onion
1 large chopped, cooked carrot (optional)
3 tbs peas
2 tsp mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste
32oz (2lbs) cooked potatoes, mashed
2 tbs cooking oil
2 cups stock

Method
1. Fry onions till soft but not brown, stir in minced (ground) meat, salt and pepper, and mixed herbs. Stir until meat is cooked. Stir in peas and carrots if used.

2. Stir in enough stock to provide gravy but do not make it too wet and sloppy.

3. Put the meat into the bottom of an ovenproof dish. It should half fill the dish.

4. Spread the mashed potato on top and spread evenly. Using a fork, make indented lines across the top of the potato - this gives a nice, crunchy top.

5. Put the dish into a preheated oven, 375 deg F (190 deg C) and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.

Serve with vegetables. This can be frozen and used within a month or two.

Sausage Casserole
Copyright Ennor used under a Creative Commons Licence

This is a recipe where you can pretty much please yourself what you put in it, depending on what you have in your larder or refrigerator. It tastes good, it's economical and is often served at the end of the month when money is getting tight. Another advantage is that it usually tastes even better reheated the next day.

Ingredients
8 *pork sausages, cut into about one inch wide pieces
A few slices of bacon, chopped
1 large chopped onion
Chopped carrots (optional)
Any other chopped vegetables that you have
1 or 2 medium cans of chopped tomatoes
1 or 2 medium cans of baked beans
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup stock
Chopped fresh or dried sage to taste (optional)

Method
1. Fry or grill (broil) the sausage pieces and bacon to brown. Place in a large pan.

2. Fry the onions to brown and add to the sausage and bacon.

3. Add the stock, tomatoes and baked beans (you might want to try just one can of each and then decide if you need to add more). Bring to the boil on the hob, reduce heat so that the hotpot is simmering.

4. Add the seasoning, sage, and any other vegetables and more tomatoes and baked beans if needed.

5. You can either transfer the hotpot to the oven, about 350 deg F (180 deg C), and cook for about 45 minutes or you can cook on the hob but you will need to stir it regularly to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

6. Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes or slices of bread to dunk.

*Vegetarians can substitute vegetarian sausages for pork.

Here's another recipe where you can choose what you put in and the quantities as long as you have the basic types of ingredients.

Ingredients
Mashed potatoes
Cooked cabbage and/or broccoli
Chopped onion (optional)
Cooked carrot, swede, and/or parsnip (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Small amount of cooking oil (any kind)

Method
1. If you are using an onion, fry that until it's soft but not brown.

2. In a large bowl, mix together everything except the cooking oil. Combine with a large wooden spoon or with your hands - probably easier.

3. Use a frying pan or a griddle. Heat it with a little oil in it. There should be just enough oil to stop the mixture sticking.

4. Depending on what you want and the quantity, you can make one large bubble and squeak or individual ones. Whichever you choose, it should be flattened to about one to two inches deep. Some people prefer it smooth while others like to leave the surface quite rough.

5. Cook the mixture on one side until it is browned, turn over and brown the other side.

6. Serve with a fried or poached egg, bacon or sausage. Alternatively, you can eat it on its own with tomato ketchup or other sauce.

Variation
You can chopped up corned beef and mix it into the mixture before browning.

Picture above: Copyright © Mot - Creative Commons Licence

Honey Glazed Ham
Copyright klubchen used under a Creative Commons Licence

Honey-glazed ham is a popular and traditional dinner for Britain's 'Boxing Day', 26th December, and other celebration meals.

Ingredients
14lb (7kg) leg of ham

Honey Glaze
4oz (125g) soft brown sugar
4tbs honey
1-1/2tsp ground mixed spice
1tbs English mustard

Whole cloves to decorate

Method
1. Soak the uncooked ham in cold, fresh water for about 12 hours, changing the water at least once.

2. After about 12 hours set the oven to 315 deg F (160 deg C). Prepare the roasting tin (pan) by taking two long pieces of aluminium foil. Put one lengthways in the tin and the other widthways. They should both be long enough to cover the ham when it is put in the tin.

3. Remove the ham from the water, rinse and then dry it. Put it into a roasting tin (pan), then bring up each piece of foil over the ham and fold them so the meat is sealed inside.

4. Bake for about 4 hours 10 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven then peel off the skin, leaving the layer of fat below. Score a criss-cross pattern on the fat so that you have diamond shapes. Drain off any juices in the roasting tin and use for stock.

5. Making the honey-glaze is easy, just mix all the ingredients together, then spread them over the ham. Put a whole clove in the middle of each diamond. Put the ham back in the roasting tin and cook for a further 30 minutes or until golden brown. This can be served either hot or cold.