World Recipes

Scotch Eggs

Scotch eggs are served in most pubs throughout England as a snack. In Scotland, they are served for breakfast. They are also wonderful for picnics.

4 medium eggs (at room temperature)
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 cup all-purpose flour seasoned with
    salt and freshly-ground pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups fine, dry breadcrumbs
Oil (for deep frying)

Pierce each egg with a pin at its rounded end. Place eggs carefully into a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and when the water is really bubbling, immediately cover with the pan lid and remove from the heat. Leave them for 10 minutes, then run cold water over and around the eggs in the pan for 2 minutes. While the water is running onto them, crack them so that some of the moisture gets in. Peel the eggs carefully.

Divide the sausage meat into four equal pieces and roll each out on a lightly floured surface into a 5- to 6-inch circle.

Put seasoned flour in one bowl, the egg-milk mixture in the second, and breadcrumbs in the third. Dip a shelled egg into the egg mixture, then in flour. Repeat with each shelled egg. Now place each egg onto a circle of sausage meat and bring up the sides to enclose egg completely. Hold it in both hands and squeeze gently to eliminate the air. Dip each ball into the egg mixture and finally roll each in the breadcrumbs.

Heat oil to 375 degrees F to 400 degrees F.

Fry 2 eggs at a time until each egg is a deep brown all over, about 10 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining 2 balls.

To serve as a main course dish, halve each ball. As an appetizer, quarter each ball.

Serve with English mustard. These can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated, but not frozen.

Scotch Broth

1 (1 1/2 pound) boneless lamb shoulder
6 cups water
1/2 cup barley
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup diced rutabaga or turnip
Minced parsley

Trim fat from lamb; cut lamb into 3/4-inch cubes. Heat lamb, water, barley, salt and pepper to boiling in Dutch oven; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

Add vegetables to lamb mixture. Cover and simmer until lamb and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Skim fat if necessary. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yields 6 servings.

Salmagundi Salad

This became known as "salad-magundy" and "Solomon Gundy" in the United States. It is best made in a glass bowl so that the colors can be seen.

1 small bunch fresh spinach (or
    other greens), washed and shredded
1 can anchovies, minced
4 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup diced Smithfield or other smoked ham
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 hard cooked eggs, whites and
    yolks chopped separately
3 lemons
1 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish

Place spinach in bottom of the bowl for a green "bed." Add in layers the anchovies, chicken, ham, celery, egg whites and yolks, and pulp and chopped peel from 2 of the lemons. Thinly slice remaining lemon. Top bowl with parsley, put the horseradish in a mound in the center, and surround it with overlapping lemon slices.

Dressing
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Beat together all ingredients. Pour into a bowl and serve with the salad.

Makes 4 to 8 servings.

Roast Fresh Ham with Onion Stuffing (Wales)

1 (4 pound) boneless pork leg (fresh ham)
Salt
3 cups water
6 medium onions, chopped
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon dried sage leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Spread pork flat; sprinkle lightly with salt. Heat water to boiling; add onions. Cook 5 minutes; drain.

Mix onions and remaining ingredients. Spread half of onion mixture on pork; roll up. Fasten with metal skewers. Place pork, fat side down, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Spoon any remaining stuffing over top of pork. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of pork and does not rest in stuffing. Roast uncovered at 325 degrees F until thermometer registers 170 degrees F, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Yields 8 to 10 servings.

Queen Elizabeth Cake

1 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter or shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Add the baking soda to the dates and pour the boiling water over them. Set aside to cool. cream shortening. Add sugar and blend well. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add alternately to the creamed ingredients with the cooled date mixture and nuts. Bake in a greased 12 x 9-inch pan at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes. Prepare icing.

When cake is done, remove from oven and spread icing over hot cake. Return to oven until icing is golden brown.

Icing
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cream
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup coconut

Mix in a small pan and boil for three minutes. Pour and spread over cake. Return cake to oven for a few minutes.

Pimms Punch

1 (750 ml) bottle Pimms, chilled
1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled
Apple chunks
Fresh mint sprigs

Combine all ingredients just prior to serving. Serve punch over ice.

Makes 11 cups.

Oven-Fried Potatoes with Bacon (Tatws Rhost - Wales)

6 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
6 scallions (with tops), chopped
1/3 cup water
6 slices bacon
Coarsely-ground black pepper

Arrange potato slices in greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with scallions. Pour water over potatoes and onions. Arrange bacon slices on top; sprinkle with pepper. Cover and bake at 400 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Uncover and bake until potatoes are tender and bacon is slightly crisp, about 15 minutes longer.

Yields 6 servings.

Mulligatawny Soup

This is an Indian soup which was adapted to British tastes in the days of colonial strength.

1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 apple, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
Parsley

Heat chicken, water, salt, curry powder, lemon juice, cloves and mace to boiling in Dutch oven; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until thickest pieces of chicken are done, about 45 minutes. Remove chicken and broth; skim fat from broth if necessary. Add enough water to broth if necessary to measure 4 cups. Remove bones and skin from chicken; cut chicken into pieces.

Cook and stir onion in butter in Dutch oven until tender. Remove from heat; stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth. add chicken, carrot, apple, green pepper and tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until carrot is tender, about 10 minutes.

Serve in shallow soup bowls; garnish with parsley.

Yields 6 servings.