The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook Part 17

Suggested Pairings Tom Branson would expect these mashed potatoes to be served with his Tom Branson's Colcannon or the Shepherd's Pie (see both recipes in this chapter) as potatoes are a st.u.r.dy, not to mention predictable, side dish to most lower- to middle-cla.s.s meals.

Walnut and Celery Salad with Pecorino

This dish, while likely enjoyed by the Downton Abbey staff, would be considered too plebeian for the aristocrats of Downton due to its lack of fancy French ingredients.

YIELDS 1012 SERVINGS 112 cups whole walnuts 2 small shallots, minced 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon walnut oil 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 pounds celery, thinly sliced 4 ounces dry Pecorino cheese, thinly shaved Preheat oven to 350F. Evenly spread walnuts in a medium-sized pie dish and toast for 1015 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool, then coa.r.s.ely chop.

In a small bowl, combine the shallots with the sherry vinegar. Then whisk in the lemon juice, walnut oil, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss together the celery and Pecorino cheese. Add in the dressing, then toss. Serve immediately.

Etiquette Lessons There's a whole language in just how one places his fork on his plate at the end of the meal. To show when you're finished in England, your fork and knife may rest either straight up and down on the middle of the plate with the handles resting on the rim of said plate, or the fork and knife may be angled between the 10 and 4 o'clock positions - handles still on the rim. And whatever you do, do not place your napkin on the plate!

Tom Branson's Colcannon

If there's one thing that chauffeur Tom Branson is proud of it's his Irish heritage. Thus, it's likely that he'd ask Mrs. Patmore to make this dish for him during a particularly lonesome evening after Lady Sybil rebuffs another one of his advances. That said, convincing Mrs. Patmore to cater to such a request from an impertinent servant would be another thing altogether.

YIELDS 6 SERVINGS.

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed 1 cup b.u.t.ter, chopped into tablespoons 12 cup heavy cream, heated 34 cup whole milk, heated Kosher salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 head green cabbage, cored and finely shredded 1 pound ham, cooked 1 clove garlic, minced 4 green onions, sliced, white parts and green tops separated In a large pot, steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a fork, then chop with a knife before mas.h.i.+ng. Mash until all lumps are removed. Add 12 cup of the b.u.t.ter, then gradually pour in heated cream and heated milk, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper.

Boil the cabbage in water until it turns a darker shade. Add 2 tablespoons of the b.u.t.ter to help tenderize it. Cover with lid for 35 minutes. Drain cabbage thoroughly, then return it to pan and chop into small pieces.

In a large saucepan, cover the ham with water. Bring ham to a boil and let simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. Then drain the ham and chop it into small pieces.

In a medium-sized skillet, heat remaining b.u.t.ter over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic and white parts of the green onions. Cook until the garlic has softened and mellowed. Add it to mashed potatoes, followed by the chopped ham and cabbage.

Serve in individualized soup bowls, topped with 1 tablespoon extra b.u.t.ter (if desired), and sprinkle with green-onion tops to serve.

Times Gone By It's an Irish tradition to serve this dish on Halloween with small coins or rings concealed inside, similar to the way the Downton Abbey artistocrats would serve Mrs. Patmore's Christmas Pudding (see Chapter 7) with treats within. Maybe if Tom asks Mrs. Patmore really nicely, she'll do this for him on the festive day!

Cla.s.sic Steak and Kidney Pie

Even though the poorer cla.s.ses - such as those that make up the staff at Downton Abbey - were allowed the least choice meats (such as the chuck steaks and the lamb kidney used in this recipe), this Steak and Kidney Pie would still be a sumptuous meal for anyone, regardless of their riches.

YIELDS 46 SERVINGS 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 112 pounds chuck steaks, cut into 112-inch cubes 12 pound lamb kidney Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon unsalted b.u.t.ter 2 medium onions, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 4 medium carrots, diced 4 large mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons tomato puree 3 bay leaves 1 cup beef stock 1 cup Guinness beer (or any stout or lager) 1 teaspoon Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce 14 ounces puff pastry 1 large egg, beaten (for glaze) Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Season chuck steaks and lamb kidneys with salt and pepper. Place steaks and kidneys in skillet and fry until fully colored.

Remove steaks and kidneys from pan and place in a large saucepan. Add b.u.t.ter to original pan and melt over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and carrots, stirring frequently, and saute for 35 minutes. Then add the sauteed vegetables to saucepan with meat.

Next add mushrooms to pan. Saute the mushroom slices for an additional 3 minutes, adding more b.u.t.ter if necessary. Turn mushrooms repeatedly, then remove from heat.

Heat the saucepan with the meat over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring for 3 minutes. Add tomato puree, sauteed mushrooms, and bay leaves. Pour in beef stock and beer, bringing mixture to a simmer. Skim off any excess impurities from top of stock. The meat should just be covered; if not, add more stock or beer. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 2 hours. Check every half hour for potential skimming needs.

After 1122 hours, check meat for tenderness. If the meat has cooked properly, the sauce will have reduced, both thickening its consistency and increasing its flavor.

Add Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce. Transfer to a pie dish and allow meat to cool until it is lukewarm.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Roll the pastry until it's about 14-inch thick. Cut a strip of pastry to sit around the rim of the dish; this will help the top to stay put. Brush the rim of the pie dish with beaten egg before applying the strip. Then brush strip again with egg. Taking care that the pastry top is larger than the dish, sit it on top. Push down around the sides, trim, and crimp for a neat finish. Brush completely with egg wash and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 4045 minutes or until golden brown.

Times Gone By Any of the Granthams might read about this dish while browsing their Charles d.i.c.kens books. The famous author discusses steak and kidney pie and the changing culinary market in his famous first novel The Pickwick Papers.

Soupe a l'Oignon

A popular dish from Roman times, this French Onion Soup was, throughout time, considered a peasant dish because onions were easy for the poor to grow and eat. Nonetheless, the nice cheeses add a taste of formality to this informal treat. Thus, while not likely served to the guests of Downton Abbey, the staff would highly enjoy this soup.

YIELDS 46 SERVINGS 1 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter 6 sweet onions, sliced 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs fresh thyme Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup quality red wine 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour 8 cups beef broth 2 tablespoons brandy 1 baguette, sliced 14 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter, melted 12 pound grated fresh Gruyere cheese 13 pound grated fresh Parmesan cheese Melt b.u.t.ter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onions, garlic, bay leaves, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are mushy and caramelized, around 2025 minutes.

Slowly pour in wine, then increase heat until mixture reaches a brief boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until all the wine has evaporated, about 1015 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme. Sprinkle flour over the onion mixture and stir, making sure heat is low so flour does not burn. Cook, stirring every 35 minutes, for 15 minutes.

Slowly pour in beef broth and brandy, then increase heat to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Turn on oven's broiler. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet in one long layer. Do not overlap slices. Using a spoon, dab melted b.u.t.ter over baguette slices. Evenly cover baguettes with Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, then broil until toasts are bubbling and a golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cut into four to six strips.

Pour soup into bowls and float several of the Gruyere-Parmesan croutons on top. Serve.

Suggested Pairings While Mrs. Patmore would need to perfectly time the release of this dish to her staff in between their many upstairs obligations, the longer she cooks this soup, the more complex and delicious the flavors. Try this with a gla.s.s of good red wine and perhaps some crusty bread slathered with Brie.

Stubborn Oxtail Soup

Another "poor" dish, the Earl and Countess of Grantham would never dream of serving this dish at a dinner party due to the poor quality of its meat. Mrs. Patmore, however, would have no qualms about serving this to her staff, especially during a particularly busy day when all she could use for the staff meal would be leftovers. This dish is actually best when made one full day prior to serving, which would give the cook time to focus on planning for intricate dinner parties for the Crawleys. Even the most stubborn of staff (such as Thomas or O'Brien) would not turn their back on this filling meal.

YIELDS 68 SERVINGS 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 pounds meaty oxtails, patted dry Kosher salt to taste Ground black pepper to taste 8 cups water 6 (1412-ounce) cans beef broth 4 cups high-quality dry red wine 14 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter 4 medium carrots, peeled, finely chopped 2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium leeks, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 bay leaf 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 14- to 12-inch cubes 13 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley Heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Rub oxtails with salt and pepper, then add them to pot and let brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.

Add water, beef broth, and 3 cups of the wine to pot. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover partially and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 2123 hours.

Carefully remove oxtails from soup. Place removed oxtails in a large bowl and set aside.

Pour cooking liquid into a separate bowl and freeze until fat separates from liquid, at least 1 hour. Spoon fat off top of cooking liquid.

Remove meat from oxtails. Add meat to the cooking liquid with fat removed.

Heat 14 cup b.u.t.ter in same stockpot over medium heat until melted. Increase heat to medium-high, then add carrots, parsnips, onion, leeks, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Saute until vegetables are soft and slightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add meat and liquid mixture to pot, then stir in remaining cup of wine. Bring soup to boil, then add potatoes and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Add Italian parsley, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Times Gone By According to legend, oxtail soup, while a uniquely British-sounding dish, originated in 1793 during the Parisian Reign of Terror, when many French n.o.bles were reduced to begging for sc.r.a.ps. One day a n.o.ble-turned-beggar pa.s.sed a local tannery and noticed a pile of discarded ox tails, and used them to cook himself oxtail soup. Claiming the dish gave him good luck, other beggars started making the dish.

Mock Turtle Soup

As turtle was quite pricey to s.h.i.+p to England, most British citizens had to make do with "mock turtle soup," which used brains, organs, or sc.r.a.p meat such as from a calf's head to replicate the texture and flavor of the soup. Below is an authentic recipe from the early 1900s that ex-housemaid Ethel Parks would likely cook while trying to raise her son without financial help from Major Bryant.

YIELDS 68 SERVINGS 1 calf's head 1 gallon water 12 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter 14 pound ham, cubed 1 shallot, diced 4 celery stalks, diced 1 leek, diced 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 small turnip, diced 12 teaspoon fresh parsley, ground 12 teaspoon fresh thyme, ground 12 teaspoon marjoram, ground 12 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped 1 bay leaf 4 cloves, ground 13 cup flour Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 1 cup dry sherry 1 lemon, juiced 12 forcemeat b.a.l.l.s, preferably made of veal, already baked Wash the half calf's head thoroughly. Cut all flesh from the bones and tie together in a cheesecloth.

Pour water into a large stockpot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at medium heat. Place cheesecloth full of meat, along with the calf's head bones, into water. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for at least 3 hours.

Remove the calf's head meat and bones, then strain stock into a clean pot. Allow stock to get cold, then remove all of the excess fat.

Heat b.u.t.ter in a large skillet, adding ham, shallot, celery stalks, leek, onion, and turnip. Then add spices and continue to grill.

When ham and vegetables are fried, add flour and continue to cook until mixture is a light brown, stirring constantly to keep from burning.

Reheat stock in a large stockpot. Heat to a boil, then allow to simmer. Add ham-vegetable-flour mixture, then allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for an additional half hour.

Remove all fat as it rises. Strain stock into another pot, then cut calf's head meat into medium-sized pieces, about three-bites-worth. Add this meat to stock.

Increase heat to a boil, then let cool. Best if served, reheated, 24 hours later.

Etiquette Lessons If served at a house of repute, mock turtle soup would be served, if possible, in a turtle sh.e.l.l, so as to give the semblance of being actual turtle soup. However, those who were serving actual turtle soup could be lax on appearances and would plate their soup in a tureen, since they possessed the real deal.

Split Pea Soup

In cla.s.sic English literature, eating pea soup is considered a sign of poverty. Thus, this would be a dish the staff and townsfolk of Downton Abbey would eat, but not the lords and ladies. No doubt Mrs. Patmore would make a hearty and delicious split-pea soup to warm her staff on cold winter nights. If Mrs. Patmore wanted to offer this cla.s.sic soup with a bit of variety, she only need to cook this soup with yellow split peas, as it would thus be called a "London particular" after the thick yellow smogs for which London was famous until the pa.s.sing of the Clean Air Act in 1956.

YIELDS 68 SERVINGS 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock 4 cups water 1 pound ham bone 212 cups green split peas 1 cup diced onions 1 teaspoon kosher salt 12 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 large clove of garlic, chopped 2 bay leaves 1 pinch thyme 2 cups chopped celery stalks 2 cups chopped carrots 1 cup diced potato Pour stock and water into a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Add ham bone, then lower heat to simmer stock for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Add peas to stockpot and allow to soak, liquid still simmering, for 15 minutes. Then add onions, salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover, bringing soup to a boil, then simmer for 1122 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove bone from soup and cut off meat. Dice the meat into bite-sized pieces and return to soup. Discard the bone. Add celery, carrots, and potato to soup. Then cook slowly, uncovered, for 3045 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Etiquette Lessons When you are finished with your soup, it is polite to leave your soup spoon on the soup plate or saucer, handle to the right, over the edge of the plate, parallel to the table's edge. The spoon should never be left in the soup bowl or in any bowl or cup.

Magnificent Mutton Stew

Mutton, a popular meat in Edwardian England, comes from a fattened sheep at least two years in age. While wealthy Edwardians served mutton with a variety of fancy sauces created by the famous Chef Escoffier, the servants at Downton Abbey would be happy to eat their mutton in this filling stew.

YIELDS 46 SERVINGS 12 cup grapeseed oil 4 carrots, diced 4 celery sticks, diced 2 white onions, diced 6 garlic cloves, diced 6 sprigs rosemary 1 (4-pound) leg of mutton, diced off the bone 1 bottle red wine 12 cup tomato paste 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 12 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter In a large dutch oven, heat grapeseed oil over medium heat until it begins to glisten. Stir in carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and rosemary, and saute until onions are translucent, about 57 minutes.

Add mutton pieces and stir until all sides have browned. Lower heat, then stir in wine and tomato paste; simmer for 10 minutes. Increase heat and add vegetable stock, bringing mixture to a boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, cooking for 45 hours. Be careful to not let liquid completely dissipate by adding extra stock or water if necessary.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly mix potatoes with salt and pepper.

Once meat starts to show signs of tenderness, add seasoned potatoes. The stew is ready to be eaten once the meat is extremely tender. Whisk in b.u.t.ter to thicken sauce before serving.

Suggested Pairings Try this dish with a large gla.s.s of red wine, some crusty bread, and Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce or with Daisy's Noisette Potatoes (see both recipes in Chapter 6).