How to cook a cow's cheek and make a pate

A shop in a lane off the main pedestrian street in Dumfries, specialising in game and fish, also sells cheeks. No doubt they are also available from good local butchers, such as those in the food town of Castle Douglas.

This is an unusual dish these days but the Victorians were very fond of it. The cookery writer in Cassell's Family Magazine explained to readers in 1891 how to prepare cheek. She quoted a “Mrs Blakemore” who was always on hand to give advice to “Mrs Tomlin,” who had only been married for six months.

“Now about the cheek,” Mrs Blakemore went on, “That wants several hours' soaking in salt and water to remove the blood; then, by adding plenty of weak stock for gravy, and a good supply of vegetables and herbs, you may get a tureen of soup, and plenty of meat for dinner, with, as I said, some left over for potting.

She then went on to explain how to pot the meat, today we would call this a pate. “I always cut up the meat into inch squares, and season it well with salt and pepper, powdered mixed herbs, and allspice, and add an equal amount of something of a gelatinous nature, such as a cow's or calf's foot, or some ears and feet from the humble porker – all thoroughly boiled, of course; you must pack it closely into your mould, with a very little of the stock from the feet, then turn it out the next day. I forgot to say that it is much better to cut up the meat when warm.”

I hae min 'o

Some time during the 1960s a typewritten book of memories and stories about old Wigtown was compiled. The book includes sections headed “I have min o” or “I remember.” These were obviously the memories of long-time Wigtown residents. Here are some selections.

People often ate rabbit pie, sometimes with mutton in it. They grew their own vegetables and got gifts of fruit from the gardens of the big houses in the town.
On Sundays, food was a little special. In some houses that meant half an egg with the breakfast porridge; in others, it meant bacon and egg, porridge, and toast.
Ordinary folk had their main meal at noon and called it “dinner.” The gentry called that meal “lunch” and had a knife and fork tea. No one called an evening meal “dinner.” Better off people had damask tablecloths.
When the father was paid, a big ham end would be bought. For a special treat, a man had “a pint at the week-end.” As families were large and wages were small, few could afford more than that one pint a week. People baked a lot at home. Tattie scones were popular.
Farmers' wives bought eggs and butter to the town grocers to sell on Saturdays. Farmers had their own pigs and did their own curing. They also made “bleedy” puddings and white puddings. Farmers' children had bacon and eggs regularly, not just on Sundays.
On Sunday nights, children were given “a piece [sandwich] and milk” away to bed with them.
On New Year's Day there was bacon and egg for breakfast, a “fattened” fowl for dinner, and homemade ginger wine to drink.

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Here's how to make tattie scones: Ingredients – One pound of potatoes, two level teaspoons of salt, four ounces of flour, two ounces of butter.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20 minutes then drain and mash well. Add the butter and the salt, then work in a little flour to give a stiff dough. Turn onto a floured board and roll out to half an inch thick. Cut into three-inch rounds and fry in a lightly greased pan for five minutes each side. Serve buttered while still warm.

Wild garlic ready now

The wild garlic is sweet and new now and it is a wonderful addition to recipes.

Out strolling and rolling through an ancient deciduous wood we found ourselves next to swathes of beautiful young wild garlic. This is technically known as allium ursinum, or Ramsons.

A large handful of leaves was quickly gathered and later chopped fine to be cooked with a roll of beef brisket, a lovely, inexpensive joint that needs long loving cooking but is wonderfully tender if it gets it. Our chopped wild garlic went into the slow cooker with red onions, shallot-onions, a beef stock cube, a splash of soya sauce, water and some dried herbs. Delicious. The taste of wild garlic leaves is much milder than the more familiar cloves and heads of garlic. Some people eat the leaves raw in salads – but we prefer to play it safe and enjoy them cooked.

The Latin name acknowledges the fondness of bears for the roots of the plant and these are also a delicacy much appreciated by wild boars.

Try a taste of Arbroath

The scallop boats tie up right in the centre of Kirkudbright and there is an excellent fish shop, and fish and chip restaurant, just by the moorings.

Looking at the fish, king scallops and other delights of the sea on the slab, it is always difficult to decide what to choose. Arbroath smokies were eventually selected yesterday.

Arbroath smokes are one of the glories of Scottish cuisine and recently they have been awarded EU protected denomination status – like Champagne and Melton Mowbray pork pies. Arbroath smokes can only come from Arbroath.

Smokies are made with haddock. They are first covered in salt and then tied in pairs by their tails before being hung over poles and smoked over a beech or other hardwood fire.
The process cooks them and imparts a wonderful flavour. They can be eaten cold, just picking off the flesh.

However, most people heat them up and one recommended method is to put your smokies into a pot of water which you then bring to the boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, strain it off and remove the smokes. Put the fish on heated plates, on top of thick slices of bread slathered with lots of salted butter.

Sharon made an excellent suggestion and the smokies were heated as above in milk instead of water, not quite to the boil. So, there was lots of lovely fishy milk to soak into the fresh multi-grain loaf slices.

Bells ring for Osprey arrival

The bells were ringing in Wigtown first thing this morning to announce the arrival of the season's first osprey.

Wigtown has been home to ospreys for several years with pairs arriving to settle into a giant nest and usually raising a couple of chicks. The County Buildings, or equivalent of the Town Hall, has a special bird room on the top floor with a link to a camera focussed on the nest, whose location is secret.

This morning the first arriving member of staff was delighted to see an osprey sitting calmly in the nest. She dashed for the bell rope and rang the bell to alert the town to this happy event. Quickly, people came along and there was great interest in the visitor. Apparently, no ring could be spotted on the bird when it stood up, so it may be a new visitor. Or, perhaps an older one that has lost its ring.

Half a dozen people were quickly on osprey watch at the screen but when we visited, he or she was off flying around. This is an early check in to the nest, last year the first bird arrived two days later.

Great hopes are held for this year's eggs and chicks.

Update: Another osprey arrived at the nest a short time afterwards. It was confirmed that the male was “EP” and the female “H/D” - not, perhaps, the most exciting names in the world for such elegant birds. They have both returned to Wigtown after wintering in Africa. EP has been out and about collecting sticks and started digging an egg hollow in the nest. His partner has enlarged the hollow and moved twigs around to make it comfortable. Meanwhile, swallows have also arrived, being seen in Newton Stewart and the Isle of Whithorn

***

Sharon is delighted that her early spring flowers are at last making a showing after the long hard winter. "About time," she says.

Making real bacon

Ken was talking about making bacon during the Second World War.

As a child he lived on a farm and the family pig was a key part of life. Every rural family kept a pig, he said, and slaughtering was carefully planned as sharing was vital. A well-fed pig would produce a lot of meat and this would be shared with neighbours, so that everyone benefited in turn.

Ken's family used to keep their pigs until they weighed about 300lbs, although they were normally slaughtered at about 200lb. The pigs were housed in a comfortable sty and fed well. A copper pot was kept in the kitchen and into that went all the scraps, potato peelings and left-overs from meals. Once a month a ration of meal, or grain, was available and this was mixed with the other food.

The pig always had a pet name but when the time came to slaughter things were efficient. It was hit over the head with a big hammer and the throat cut before being hung up from the rafters. An Irish woman would collect the blood in a bucket to make tasty black puddings.

The next stage was to butcher the pig, with hams and “flitches” being produced. But nothing was wasted and Ken remembered with longing the “chitterlings” which were made by an elderly neighbour. She would take the intestines and turn them inside out over a stick, using her fingers to scrape away the fat. They would then be washed and put in a brine bath for about a week. The chitterlings were then woven into plaits and hung up to dry. They lasted well and when wanted, were taken down, cut up and fried with the bacon. “Lovely,” said Ken.

The bacon was made in the following way. Two large planks of oak were angled together in a V-shape and mounted on trestles. The ends were closed by other bits of oak. The flitches, or sides of the pig, were put into these troughs and steeped in saltpetre, beer and pickling spices. There was nothing very fancy about the spices, said Ken. What grew around was used, such as juniper, with the odd exotic ingredient, such as cloves. The meat was left to soak for about a week. Then it was drained and hung up to dry. The process was not over, as the children of the house then had the important job of regularly rubbing more of the curing mix into the flitches until it matured into fine bacon.

There were plenty of eggs around the farm, with some 40 to 50 chickens running about. They were kept in a barn at night to protect them against foxes and did their egg laying in the straw there. So, fried bacon and eggs were a delight. Ken said that big thick rashers were cut from the flitches, nothing like the paper-thin wafers served today. Occasionally, a larger piece would be cut and put in the oven. Hams, or legs, were also cured and roast ham was a real treat.

He explained how potatoes were kept throughout the winter. A layer of straw would be carefully laid down on a dry, flat, area. Over this would be erected a pyramid-shaped lean-to of about six straw bales. Three to four inches of earth would be packed over these and the potatoes carefully placed inside. A bundle of straw sealed the small entrance. The potatoes were kept snug and dry and could be taken out as needed to feed the hungry family.

“Life was very rural when I was a boy,” said Ken.

Nothing beats Champed Potatoes

John Mactaggart, writing in 1824, described a Galloway dish that could not be beaten.

CHAMPED POTATOES – Mashed potatoes in milk and butter; one of the very best of dishes. I defy the most skillful French cook that ever lived, to make a dish of a more delicious nature; and no confectioner's shop in the kingdom has anything to compare with them: they are truly glorious belly trimmer.

From: The Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia, by John MacTaggart. First Edition 1824. Second Edition 1876., London, Hamilton, Adams and Co. Glasgow: Thomas D Morrison.

Wigtown's market will be back in town from Saturday, March 19, which is good news for food lovers in particular. With an excellent fresh vegetable stall and local farmers and producers selling their food there is always plenty to tempt. The cake stalls are a particular temptation. The market is held next to the market cross - as it has been for hundreds of years.

Emergency haggis recipe

You know what it's like, some days you are just so rushed off your feet that you don't have time to make a proper haggis, or perhaps you have run out of sheeps' stomachs.

Here's a quick recipe for haggis that should keep the family satisfied.

Half a pound of ox liver
4 ounces of shredded suet
4 ounces of pinhead oatmeal
one onion
black pepper
salt

Put the liver in a pan with the chopped onion and teacup of water and boil for about a quarter of an hour. Toast the oatmeal in the oven until it goes light brown. Then mince up the liver and onion and make the liquid back up to a cup with more water. Mix everything together with the seasoning. Put into a covered greased bowl and steam for two hours.

No more no haggis misery!

Stuffed Sausages and Baked Bean Flan

Simple recipes are the best – and they don't get much simpler than the recipes for stuffed sausages and for baked bean flan. These come from a recipe book probably published about 50 years ago to raise money for the building of a new church hall.

Stuffed Sausages: For the stuffing – quarter of a tsp of breadcrumbs, one ounce of margarine, 1 desertspoon of chopped parsley, one tsp of finely chopped onion, one egg yolk. Also – half a pound of sausages and four rashers of bacon.

Method: Melt marg and add all stuffing ingredients together. Make cut the length of each sausage, taking care not to cut through completely. Fill with stuffing. Remove rind from bacon and wrap rasher round each sausage. Bake at 425F or mark 6 for 20 to 30 minutes.

Baked Bean Flan: Six ounces of shortcrust pastry, one tin of baked beans, one medium onion sliced, four ounces of chopped and cooked bacon, two large potatoes cooked and sliced, grated cheese.

Method: Line a tin approximately two and a half inches deep with shortcrust pastry. Cover bottom of tin with baked beans. Add a layer of sliced onion, a layer of bacon and a layer of sliced potato. Cover top with grated cheese and cook in oven for 30-40 minutes.

***

Political potatoes

Spring is springing

With the snowdrops, narcissus and crocus flowers providing banks of white and of colour, the new gardening and growing season is soon soon to start and so it is also time to revive this blogspot, says Sharon.

“I'm looking forward to getting cracking, even though I've got about the smallest garden in the world I've got great plans,” says Sharon.

A visit to a garden centre at the weekend saw row after row of seed potatoes on offer. In a tiny garden there isn't a lot of room for a potato field but Sharon's sister, Deborah, has kindly given her a plastic/fabric bag which is specially designed to grow potatoes. The idea is that you put a bit of soil on the bottom, add half a dozen seed potatoes and when the shoots grow through, add more soil. Carry on like this until the top of the bag is reached.

Apparently, it's best to plant potatoes in this area in April, when the threat of frosts has receded. But the potatoes are on sale now at the start of March, so they will have to be put away for a month or so. This will let the little shoots develop.

A bewildering display of potato varieties was on offer at the garden centre. We chose two types, with political connections – Gladstone and Lord Rosebery. Gladstone was the distinguished Victorian Prime Minister and Lord Rosebery took over from him when he retired in 1894. However, Rosebery didn't seem to enjoy being PM very much and he resigned in June 1895.

Rosebery came from a distinguished Scottish background and went to Eton and Oxford. At Christ Church he bought a racehorse and was told that undergraduates were not allowed to do this. He was offered the choice of giving up the horse or his studies and so gave up the latter. He had thee ambitions, to become Prime Minister, marry an heiress and win the Derby. He achieved all three, marrying the greatest heiress in Britain, Hannah, the only child of Baron Meyer de Rothschild. He won the Derby three times. Rosebery owned 12 homes, including the magnificent Dalmeny estate, near Edinburgh, which he used for political house parties.

One source says that not much is known about the Rosebery Potato but it is believed to have been grown at Dalmeny. It is a heritage variety and is said to be well suited for boiling, mashing and roasting. The Gladstone Potato was “first listed” in 1930, although it was thought to be the most popular variety in Ireland. It is a “creamy-fleshed potato with a great floury texture.”

Fine fish and chips

With the uncertain weather of early autumn, and recent days of wind and rain, when the sun shines it's time to get out and about before winter really sets in.

Yesterday, Sharon visited Kirkudbright. Though most famous as an artists' town, with many famous artists having lived, and living, there, the little port is also a great place for good food. Down by the harbour you can find the Portabites fish and chip shop and there is a great menu of fish and seafood landed by the fishing boats that are tied up only a few feet away in the harbour.

The waters of the Solway Firth are a great place for scallops but, sadly, most of those harvested are immediately sent to the gourmets of Spain and France. But at Portabites they are an important part of the menu. On offer are King scallops in a lightly curried cream sauce and Queen scallops in white wine and cream. Also amongst the seafood choices are mussels simmered in tomato garlic and wine and a big seafood platter served with oatcakes.

Lovers of fish and chips will be delighted to find that there are haddock, cod, whiting, lemon, sole and plaice, to eat with the lovely fresh fried potato chips. A notice gives encouragement to those thinking of healthy eating. We learn that the average portion of fish and chips has fewer calories and at least half the fat of a cheese and tomato pizza; the average serving of chips contains more than double the amount of fibre found in an average serving of brown rice or a bowl of porridge; an average serving of fish and chips has only half the trans-fat found in a typical burger and fries; fish and chips has no added salt – other fast foods can contain up to three times the daily recommended allowance of 6g of salt.

The wheelchair pusher immediately ordered haddock and chips, with mushy peas. Sharon, went for the smoked haddock fish cakes, with new potatoes and salad. Both were delicious.

Next to the cafe is the shop which sells fresh seafood and fish. There were stuffed crabs, whole fish, mussels, oysters, kippers and a whole range of beautifully prepared fillets of fish. There are also tempting vegetables on sale and we picked up half a pound of fresh red chillies.

Definitely a place to return to. Portabites fish and chip shop, Harbour Square, Kirkudbright, DG6 4HY. Telephone 01 557 339 050. Robert and Margeret Maxwell, proprietors.

While in Kirkudbright, be sure to visit the wonderful Stewartry Museum in an old Victorian building in St Mary Street. Check opening hours by telephoning 01557 331 643. Admission is free. For more information on Kirkudbright see www.kirkudbright.co.uk.

Locals pronounce the name of their town as “Kirkcoobree.” Wonder why?

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Sometimes you have to stop

Not every beautiful day is a sunny day. This picture was taken on the west side of Wigtown Bay on a blustery day when the wind was strong and blowing up white horses on the sea. There were spatters of rain on the car windscreen and the leaves on the trees were being blown about by the gusts. We stopped the car and to enjoy the view, which was described to Sharon. Sometimes you just have to stop, life isn't just all rushing everywhere.

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Beautiful blackberries

Today many people think a blackberry is a hand-held communication device reliant on satellites and the Internet.

But the blackberry, or bramble, is a lovely fruit that grows wild at the sides of roads and anywhere else it can get a foothold. With lots of thorns it can be a bit of a pest, but at this time of the year it produces lovely fat juicy berries which sensible cooks are out picking – at the cost of a good few scratches. The berries start out red but then turn a deep purple-black.

We have been making blackberry jam. Here's the recipe:

1kg of ripe blackberries
750g sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Wash the blackberries and pick off any bits of stalk. Include a few red berries to help with setting. Put a layer of blackberries in a dish and scatter with some of the sugar, then another layer, and so on. The next day add the lemon juice and boil/simmer in a pan until the setting point is reached. Pour into clean jars, seal and store. (A good place for jars, lids and other bits of jam making kit is www.lakeland.co.uk).

Fresh blackberries are also delicious if added to apples in making pies and crumbles.

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Herb harvest time

Dead leaves were scattering along the road today and the first breaths of autumn are already here. The herbs are being harvested from the pot plants that Sharon has watched so carefully during the summer. They have added fresh tastes to so many dishes but now is the time to cut and dry for winter. Drying now are parsley, chives, oregano, coriander, mint, rosemary, marjoram and others. No basil as this simply refused to grow on Sharon's patio – what a fussy plant.

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Wallflowers

The amazing ability of beautiful plants to find a foothold anywhere is astonishing. Within the cracks of an old stone wall this lovely yellow plant finds all it needs to flourish.

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China Chilo for high summer

Although the early August weather remains grey and dull, it is still summer and there are lots of local lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and other tasty things in the markets. Here is a summer recipe for “China Chilo” which comes from an 1847 cookbook.

“Mince a pound of an undressed loin of leg of mutton, with or without a portion of its fat, mix with it two or three young lettuces, shred small, a pint of young peas, a teaspoon-ful of salt, half as much pepper, four tablespoonfuls of water, from two to three ounces of good butter, and a few green onions minced.

“Keep the whole well stirred with a fork, over a clear and gentle fire until it is quite hot, then place it closely covered by the side of the stove, or on a high trevet, that it may stew as softly as possible for a couple of hours.

“One or two half-grown cucumbers, cut small by scoring the ends deeply as they are sliced, or a quarter-pint of minced mushrooms, may be added with good effect; or a dessert spoon-ful of of currie-powder and a large chopped onion. A dish of boiled rice should be sent to the table with it.”

Sharon suggests that this is a dish that draws its inspiration from Asia. In 1847, trade with China was exploding after the founding of Hong Kong seven years earlier. Readers will be familiar today with “stir fry dishes.” Plenty of vegetables are included, as is the case with Chinese stir fry, and the mention of “currie” powder further supports the theory that the recipe was brought back by some old China Hand. However, it is localised and modified to suit British tastes. The dish is cooked slowly rather than quickly stir fried. Southern Chinese people find the smell of lamb and mutton absolutely revolting and have a special word to describe the pong “sui.”

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Garden of All The Senses Taking Shape

In a few weeks there will be a special temporary garden in the centre of Wigtown for the blind, partially sighted and other disabled people.

The garden is a project of the enthusiasts of the Wigtown in Bloom project who are working hard to make it success, together with the support of sponsors and other well wishers.

Sharon suggested the garden be set up as she has always loved gardening. “I have always gardened and as I have lived around the world it has always been a great joy. I lived in high-rise apartments mostly so my balconies have been my garden. When I was in Spain, I had a real garden, not just a balcony, and it had lots of lovely flowers and fruit trees, such as medlars, quinces, apple, mandarins, oranges and even grapes.

“As my sight diminished, I found it more and more difficult and struggled. When I had my stroke about two and a half years ago it became impossible for me to garden. But my husband has taken up the gardening for me as I have a little patio which is ideal for pot plants – I give the orders, of course! But things are flourishing and I can see the big blobs of colour, such as my nasturtiums, sweet peas and petunias. And I can smell all the lovely herbs, which get used in our cooking almost daily.

“The idea of the Garden of All the Senses is so that people like me, who can't garden themselves, will be able to come along and enjoy the plants as if it was their own garden. Wonderful people are supporting the idea and will be donating plants for the displays.

“We still have some way to go in meeting all the expenses. I'm hoping, for example, that we might be able to get people to sponsor a pot at £10 a go or make other donations. My email address is sharon888bruce@gmail.com

“We will be setting a date for the garden to open soon and everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the displays.”

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Never mind the lottery - try millionaire's shortbread

Sharon has been buying lottery tickets for ages but so far the fickle finger of fate has declined to shower her with cash.

Yesterday, she was in Stranraer, and couldn't resist popping into a traditional bakery and cake shop – John Gillespie and Son, in Castle Street. Not surprisingly, this street is right next to the castle and very easy to find.

There were beautiful shiny glazed strawberry tarts, mouth-watering meringues and other tasty temptations. “I fancied something chocolaty,” she said. “The lady pointed out the slices of chocolate-covered, caramel, Scottish shortbread known as Millionaire's Shortbread. Most appropriate, I thought, so I plumped for a slice which I have to say was one of the most delicious things I have eaten in a long time. I ate it when I got home with my afternoon cup of tea. I wish I had bought two so that I had one for today. Whenever I am back in Stranraer I will definitely be visiting Gillespie's.”

The shop also makes wonderfully-light potato cakes, which are a Scottish savoury tradition. They are like flat pancakes and are delicious, either warmed with breakfast or spread with whatever you like.

“I have still got my lottery tickets for the weekend,” said Sharon. “Think how many squares of Millionaire's Shortbread I can buy when I win.”

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