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Scotts Arms Stoves invited guests to attend a wonderful evening with River Cottage and Green Sauce chef Tim Maddams.

This video shows Tim demonstrating the ESSE EL 13Amp Range Cooker and a simple and succulent Pork recipe.

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2.5cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp kecap manis
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • Crispy fried shallots, to serve (optional)

For the peanut sauce:

  • 2 bird’s eye chillies, seeded and finely chopped
  • 5 shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp shrimp paste
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 150ml coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar
  • 150g unsalted peanuts, roasted and roughly chopped (or finely ground, according to preference)
  • 2 tsp kecap manis
  • Juice of 1 lime

Method

  1. Start by making the marinade. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant, and then grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar. Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and pound to a rough paste along with a generous grinding of black pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the oil, kecap manis and soy sauce.
  2. Cut the chicken into long strips about 3cm wide and stir into the marinade, mixing well. Cover, refrigerate and leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes if you’ve got it, and up to 12 hours. Soak eight wooden skewers in cold water until ready to use.
  3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put the chillies, shallots, garlic and shrimp paste in a pestle and mortar, or the small bowl of a food processor, and pound or blitz to a paste. Heat the oil in a wok or wide frying pan, and then fry the paste until it smells cooked. Add the coconut milk and palm sugar and simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the peanuts and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in the kecap manis and lime juice, add a little water or coconut milk if it’s too thick, then taste to check the balance of flavours; add more lime juice, sugar or soy sauce if you think it’s lacking. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  4. Thread the strips of meat onto the skewers in an “S” shape, pushing them down so they’re all touching. Cook the skewers on the ESSE hotplate over a medium-high heat, for about 20 minutes until cooked through, turning regularly. You can turn the heat down to medium on the hotplate after all are well charred – don’t worry about black bits, they add flavour.

This recipe was created to demonstrate the ESSE ‘X’ Electric Range Cooker by Georgina Revill of Vivaldi Catering. Georgie runs a bespoke cookery school called The Cook Shack on the Isle of Man.

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Serves 4 depending on the size of the squash. A great one pot and a seasonal gluten free meal.  Leave out the chicken if you would like it vegetarian.

Ingredients

  • 2 butternut squashes
  • 2 large leeks, washed and chopped
  • 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 chicken breasts, diced small
  • 150ml double cream
  • Olive oil and a knob of butter
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C / ESSE dial reading low end of HOT.
  2. Halve the squash lengthways and place cut side up on a baking tray and roast for about 50 minutes (depending on the size) until tender.
  3. Fry the chopped leeks with a little oil and butter in a pan for a couple of minutes until softened.
  4. Then add the fennel seeds and season well then transfer to a bowl.
  5. Fry the chicken in the same pan with a little oil and cook for about 4 mins until cooked through, then add the cream to the pan.
  6. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Then add to the leeks.
  7. When the squash are cooked, with a knife cut around the edge about 1 cm from the skin, remove the seeds with a spoon and scoop out the flesh.
  8. Place with the leeks and chicken and give it a good mix.  Taste for seasoning and spoon this mixture back into the squash shells and return to the oven until piping hot.  Or you can prepare ahead of time and leave them in the fridge overnight and reheat when required.

Recipe provided by Philippa Vine of Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen in East Sussex. Philippa is a cookery demonstrator with her own professional kitchen featuring a selection of British made ESSE range cookers. As a chef Philippa is a passionate advocate of local seasonal produce and what delicious dishes they can produce.  She is keen to share with the general public what a dedicated community of small independent farmers and producers there are across the UK and to encourage the reduction of food miles.

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A quick and easy nourishing lunch or super when you have no idea what to cook.

Method

  1. Take a soft tortilla wrap and cover with your favourite grated cheese.
  2. In a bowl mix a can of drained cooked tuna in brine with freshly chopped cucumber, red onion, red pepper, celery and seasoning… maybe add some smoked paprika and mayonnaise.
  3. Pile it in the centre of the tortilla and wrap it up like a parcel, closing the ends and rolling it.
  4. In a frying pan, add just a little olive oil and with the ESSE large induction hob plate on 5/6 fry, turning frequently for about 8 minutes until golden. Cut the wrap in half and enjoy! (I put some smoked paprika on the outside too!).

This recipe was created and prepared using an ESSE Electric Range Cooker  by Georgina Revill of Vivaldi Catering. Georgie runs a bespoke cookery school called The Cook Shack on the Isle of Man.

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The combination of fennel and fish is nothing new. It’s a marriage that works and I don’t hesitate to throw another version in the pot. My version is an all in one supper dish. It works with bass, pollock, most of the smaller whole flat fish, mackerel – but bream is way up there on my ‘most wanted’ list!

Serves

Two people

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh fish (any of the above)
  • 2 large, firm, fennel bulbs
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 400g new potatoes
  • glass of white wine
  • 100 g butter
  • juice of half a lemon
  • olive oil
  • maldon sea salt
  • black pepper

Method

Gut and scale the fish if you caught them yourself, otherwise your fishmonger will have done this for you.

Cut back the greener sticks from the top of the fennel bulbs and remove the coarser, outer layers. Then, using a sharp knife, finely slice the fennel from top to bottom and remove and discard the dense core from the centre of the bulb.

Scrub and slice the potatoes – they should be a similar thickness to the fennel (aim for 2-3 mm)

Peel and finely slice the garlic into slivers, combine the fennel, potato and garlic in a bowl with a slug of olive oil, the salt and the pepper. Then take two sheets of tin foil (large enough to envelope the fish and the vegetables) and divide the seasoned potato and fennel – making a pile in the centre of each piece of foil.

Place the fish on top and split the butter, wine and lemon juice between each parcel before seasoning with salt and pepper.

Bring the four corners of each foil sheet together and twist to seal the parcels. Then bake on a tray in the top oven reading just shy of very hot for 30-35 mins.

Bring the parcels straight to the table and open. The fish should be moist, the fennel soft and the sauce rich.

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The wonderfully fragant smell of onions and spices cooking at the beginning of this recipe will entice Bonfire Night revellers into the kitchen. It’s a good basic recipe using quick or easy-cook basmati rice. For meat eaters I often add cooked chicken and chorizo and for vegetarians crumbled feta, grilled halloumi cheese or extra roasted vegetables.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp black onion seeds
  • 400g quick or easy-cook basmati rice
  • 400g diced pumpkin
  • 800ml hot vegetable stock
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 125g thick Greek yogurt
  • 100g radishes, sliced
  • 100g roasted almonds, crushed
  • small bunch fresh mint and coriander, coarsely chopped
  • 1 chilli, seeded and finely sliced

Method

  1. Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy-based pan (with tight-fitting lid). Add the onion, garlic, cumin, fennel and black onion seeds and cook for 3 minutes.
  2. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, add salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed. (if you’re using regular rice then this may take up to 20-25 minutes cooking time). At this point add any meat or vegetarian extras, remove from the heat, re-cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
  3. Remove the lid and give the pilaf a gentle stir. Top with the yogurt, scatter with the radishes and almonds then sprinkle with the mint, coriander and chilli to serve.

Tip

Younger members of the family may not appreciate the fiery taste or heat of the chillies added at the end of this recipe. Serve them first, then add the chillies for more mature tastes to keep everyone happy.

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This simple but deep flavoured salad works well with larger white potatoes as well.

Serves

Six People

Ingredients

  • 1 kg new potatoes well scrubbed
  • 350 good organic streaky bacon or pancetta
  • 2 large onions peeled and thinly sliced from tip to root
  • 2 cloves of garlic peeled and slivered
  • 1 massive handful of fresh coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbls of olive oil

Method

Par boil the potatoes until just tender but not completely.

Heat a very large frying pan over the hot plate. Add the olive oil followed by the bacon fry until just starting to colour (2 mins max) add the onions and turn down the heat or move to the lower plate.

Sauté for 5 – 6 mins throw in the potatoes and cook for 10 – 20 more minutes.

Season well to taste.

Throw in the parsley, toss well and bring to the table.

Eat with bread, a little olive oil and some fresh tomatoes.

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The ESSE 990 ELX or 1000 X are perfect for baking granola as it gives such an even bake. This recipe can be seasonally adapted… cranberries for Christmas, dried blueberries and strawberries added in summer… maybe dried apricots in Spring! The added bonus of the steam vent is that it creates that delicious crunchy granola. It’s a delightful go to ‘meal’ when you are on the run, you feel you are adding goodness to your body!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups old-fashioned oats, organic preferably
  • A handful of chopped nuts, e.g. almonds, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, pecans
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • A good grating of fresh nutmeg
  • 1 tsp of zested orange
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chopped dried fruit (optional)
  • ½ cup of flaked coconut (optional)

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180c / ESSE dial guide top end of MODERATE.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, nuts, chia seeds, spices, orange zest and sea salt until evenly combined.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract until combined.  Pour the coconut oil mixture onto the oat mixture, and stir until evenly combined.
  4. Spread the granola out evenly on an ESSE baking sheet or tray.  Bake for 20 minutes with the steam vent open, stirring once halfway through.  Then remove from the oven, add the coconut or dried fruit if using, and give the mixture a good stir.  Bake for 5 more minutes, until the granola is lightly toasted and golden.
  5. Remove from the oven and transfer the tray to a wire baking rack.  Let cool until the granola reaches room temperature.
  6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month

This recipe was created and prepared using an ESSE Electric Range Cooker  by Georgina Revill of Vivaldi Catering. Georgie runs a bespoke cookery school called The Cook Shack on the Isle of Man.

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This is a great dish for summer entertaining and stuffing the chicken with a coriander pesto gives the moist cold chicken a delicious summer fragrance. This dish is designed to be served cold and sliced, perfect with summer salads or in sandwiches for a picnic. This ‘pesto’ is thicker than a normal pesto as it has the addition of ricotta cheese which will make it easier to stuff the chicken with. This dish makes the most of buying a whole chicken but ask your local butcher to completely bone out the chicken. (Ask to keep the bones for making homemade chicken stock, which you can do easily in the ESSE).

Ingredients

  • 1 free-range chicken about 2 kg, boned
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coriander pesto ingredients:

  • 1 large bunch of fresh coriander leaves
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 85g walnuts, roasted
  • 150g Parmesan style cheese
  • 1 pot of ricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C (ESSE dial guide HOT).
  2. Make the ‘pesto’ by putting all the ingredients except the ricotta into a food processor and whizz until all the ingredients are evenly mixed, then add the ricotta cheese and plenty of fresh ground black pepper and mix to incorporate.  Taste for seasoning.  (Go easy on the salt as the cheese will provide salt)
  3. Lay out chicken, skin side down and spread over all the stuffing to fill the boned chicken, season the chicken and roll up neatly.  Tie up with string.
  4. Place the chicken in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season well.
  5. Roast for about 1 ½ hours or until cooked (use a temperature probe).
  6. Leave to cool and refrigerate overnight or slice and eat straight away!

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen & Cookery School, East Sussex.

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This is a type of cornbread that can be made successfully gluten free and by adding some summer vegetables and store cupboard ingredients it makes a simple & delicious savoury cake.  Try adding sweet potato instead of broad beans or what you have available.  Perfect for taking on picnics and a nutritious snack too!  You will need a 20cm spring-form cake tin, lined with parchment paper, or you can make it in a lined loaf tin.

Ingredients

  • 110g self-raising flour or gluten free SR flour
  • 110g polenta
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 110g butter, chilled
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 50g Parmesan or strong cheddar, grated
  • A handful of podded broad beans or peas
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ a red pepper, diced
  • 3 – 5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 10 black olives, chopped
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 80g canned sweetcorn
  • A handful of fresh herbs, ie basil, parsley, thyme
  • Salt and freshly black pepper

Method

  1. If using broad beans, blanch them in boiling water for a minute. Drain and cool down quickly (to retain their emerald green colour) and skin them.  Reserve a few for decoration if you wish.
  2. Fry the red pepper, spring onions and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes.  Allow to cool.
  3. Put the flour, ground almonds, polenta into a bowl.
  4. Cut the butter into small chunks and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips (or you can use a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  5. Then add the beaten eggs and all the vegetables, olives & herbs and cheese.
  6. Season with a little salt (as the olives and cheese will provide salt) and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
  7. Mix well and spoon into the prepared tin.
  8. Decorate with some extra podded broad beans if you wish.
  9. Bake in the oven 180C (ESSE dial guide low end of HOT) for about 1 hour or until it is cooked and just starting to colour.

 

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen & Cookery School, East Sussex.

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Cooking the whole unpeeled beetroot in the ESSE slowly until just cooked, is nutritious and gives the beetroot a rich and sweet flavour too. No need to bake the pastry blind as you cook it direct on the base of the oven. I like to add a few of the beetroot leaves, chopped to the filling, making the most of this delicious earthy vegetable!

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

  • 225g plain flour, I use half wholemeal spelt and half plain flour
  • 140g butter, chilled
  • 1 large egg

For the filling:

  • 4 beetroots, plus a few leaves, chopped
  • 2 red onions, thinly sliced
  • Olive oil
  • 100g soft goat’s cheese
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 200ml single cream
  • A small handful of fresh dill, chopped
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Wash the beetroot and cut off the tops (save a few leaves for the filling) and roast them in the ESSE for about 1 ½ hours (depending on the size and freshness of the beetroot).
  2. When the beetroot is almost tender, allow to cool a little and then slip the skins off with your fingers.
  3. While the beetroot is cooking make the pastry as you would for shortcrust and line a 24cm loose-based flan tin.
  4. Fry the onions in a little olive oil until they begin to colour then add a splash of balsamic vinegar and seasoning.  Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the onions soften a little more.
  5. Set aside to cool and then place in the pastry case.
  6. Dice up a couple of the cooked and peeled beetroots and scatter over the onions and add some of the green beetroot leaves if you wish.
  7. Put the cream and eggs into a bowl and mix together, add the chopped dill and season with salt and pepper.
  8. Pour the mixture into the pastry case.
  9. Scatter over the goat’s cheese and quarter the rest of the beetroot and carefully place on top of the tart.
  10. Place on the base of the oven at 170C (ESSE dial guide MODERATE) and cook for about 40 minutes or until the filling has set and just starting to colour.  Allow to cool slightly in the tin before serving.

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen & Cookery School, East Sussex.

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Serves

Four people

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 50g plain flour
  • Whole milk
  • 1 kilo mussels
  • 2 Tbls of white wine
  • 2 Tbls water
  • 300 fresh chard washed and courser stalks removed
  • 4 shallots sliced
  • 1 fat clove of garlic finely chopped
  • Fresh white bread crumbs
  • Half a lemon
  • Grated parmesan (optional)
  • Olive oil

Method

Set a medium sized pan over the hotter of the plates; (make sure it has a lid that fits it snugly). Add the wine, water and bring to the simmer. Throw in the scrubbed mussels. Toss them around the pan and replace the lid. They should open within a minute.

When the mussels are just opening remove them from the pan and set aside until they are cool enough for you to pick the meat from the shell.

Set a medium sized pan over the hotter plate. Add a splash of olive oil followed by the sliced garlic and sauté, just as it’s starting to colour throw in the washed chard and wilt it with the garlic for 2- 3 mins.

To make the Béchamel – melt the butter in a medium sized pan.

When it’s foaming add the flour and stir well. Combine the cooking liquor from the mussels with enough milk to give you 500 ml of liquid. Warm this in a pan and pour over the roux mixing all the time until it is smooth and creamy. Cook the béchamel for 4- 5 mins before removing from the heat.

Fry the shallots in a little olive oil over a medium heat until soft and golden.

Fold the shallots, picked mussels and cooked roughly chopped chard in to the béchamel.

Season with freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Divide the mixture between 4 shallow oven proof dishes. Top with bread crumbs and cheese if you like and trickle over a little olive oil. Bake in the middle of the top oven reading middle of very hot, for 10 – 12 mins or until golden and bubbling.

Serve with crusty bread and butter.

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I cook all my pizzas on the floor of my ESSE’s hot oven. You get that great crisp crust that is so typical of good stone baked pizza. The key is to get the oven really, really hot.

I rate beetroot. Its fantastic colour and taste make it one of our most unique root vegetables. It has a rich, earthy depth of flavour and is silky smooth to eat.

Boiling beetroot is good, but I think roasting it is better. You can roast them skin on, this keeps in all the flavour. Garlic, thyme and olive oil are a must. This combination works well as a warm salad with some boiled eggs or sirloin steak but also makes a fitting winter pizza topping.

Serves

Six People

Ingredients

  • Makes six small pizzas, at least
  • For the dough:
  • 250g strong white bread flour
  • 250g plain flour
  • 5g powdered dried yeast
  • 10g salt
  • 350ml warm water
  • About a tablespoon of olive oil
  • A handful of coarse flour (rye, semolina or polenta) for dusting
  • The topping ingredients are listed in the method

Method

Make the dough:

To knead by hand, mix the flour, yeast, salt and water in a bowl to form a sticky dough. Add the oil, mix it in, then turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Knead until smooth and silky.

To use a food mixer, add the flour, yeast, salt and water to the mixer, fitted with the dough hook, and mix on low speed. Add the oil, then leave to knead for about ten minutes, until smooth and silky.

Shape into a round, then leave to rise in a clean bowl, covered with a plastic bag, until doubled in size.

For the topping:

Wash and de-stalk a good bunch of young kale. Chop it roughly. Throw it into a pan set over a high heat with a few slugs of olive oil, 2 peeled, sliced garlic cloves and 2 dried chilli’s de-seeded and chopped.

Sweat the kale down; keep it moving around the pan, the kale has to be well wilted and all the water to have evaporated. Season the kale with salt and pepper and set aside.

Take 5 or 6 smallish beetroot and give them a really good scrub under a tap. Throw into a roasting tin with a few tablespoons of olive oil, 3 or 4 smashed garlic cloves and a generous scattering of thyme and rosemary leaves.

Season well with salt and pepper, then roast in a hot oven for 30 – 40 minutes until soft and crispy round the edges.

Divide the dough into 6 balls. Roll out each on a well floured work surface as thin as is practical 2- 3 mm max.

Scatter the roast beetroot over your pizza base, tear over some decent mozzarella and 6 or so anchovy fillets. Tear the wilted chard over the pizza. Season with salt, pepper, a glug of olive oil and a few more thyme leaves.

Lastly spoon over any roasting juices left over from cooking beetroot. I use a large base form a tart tin as a peel for putting my pizzas in the oven. You really have to make sure that your peel and your surface is well floured. Semolina or polenta flour is great for this as it is courser Lift the pizza up with your dusted peel.

Carefully slide each pizza onto the floor of your very hot oven (up to max). It’s best to do 1 at a time. It wont take long to cook – 3- 4 mins and there done.

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This recipe is great for using up left-over jacket potatoes or just a delicious one pot potato dish. It is adaptable to whatever ingredients you have in your fridge, and it goes so well with roast chicken at this time of year when you have cooked enough roast potatoes over the winter months!

Ingredients

  • 3 – 5 cooked large potatoes with skins, diced up
  • 3 red onions, thinly sliced
  • 260g chorizo sausage, skin removed and thinly sliced
  • 100g pancetta, optional
  • A handful of wild garlic or parsley
  • Olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Fry the onions, chorizo and pancetta (if you are using) in a little oil in a large oven proof pan over a medium heat until everything starts to colour, and the onions are softened.
  2. Add the chopped potatoes and wild garlic, a little ground black pepper and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste for seasoning.
  3. Give it a good stir and if you like a crispier topping pop it under the grill for a few minutes until its golden brown.

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This simple but stylish salad starter is bursting with freshness and flavour and just the thing to start a Valentine’s Day meal. I think it is delicious with a little crusty ciabatta bread to soak up the juices.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 100g Tenderstem broccoli
  • 2 medium peaches, stoned and quartered
  • 1 ½ tsp olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 50g baby spinach leaves
  • 75g goat’s cheese log (I used Kidderton Ash), cut into thin slices
  • Few fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

  1. Preheat a griddle pan until smoking hot…this may take up to10 minutes.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss the Tenderstem broccoli and peach quarters in the olive oil with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Add the peach and broccoli mixture to the griddle and cook for about 5 minutes, turning a few times, until they are just tender and marked with griddle-lines.
  4. Arrange the spinach leaves on a serving plate and top with the cooked peach and broccoli mixture. Add the goat’s cheese and sprinkle with the basil leaves.
  5. Beat the extra virgin olive oil with the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste to make a dressing. Drizzle over the salad and serve at once.

Tip

When available replace the peaches in this salad with 2 fresh, ripe nectarines or 4-6 fresh, ripe apricots… they are equally as delicious.

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You will need a 22cm pie plate/tin.

This traditional minced beef and onion pie has the base of my staple selection of colourful vegetables to give it a real depth of flavour.  The addition of dried porcini mushrooms (a wonderful winter store cupboard ingredient) gives it an extra savoury seasoning and means you don’t need to make any stock for this pie.

Ingredients

  • 500g beef mince
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons of tomato puree
  • 1 heaped tablespoon dried porcini mushrooms, optional or 200ml beef stock
  • Freshly ground black pepper or 2 teaspoons of savoury spice mix (see below)
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil or rapeseed oil

For the pastry

  • 350g spelt or plain flour
  • 200g butter
  • 2 eggs, beaten plus 1 egg yolk plus a teaspoon of water for the egg wash

For the savoury spice mix

This will make more than you need for this pie but store what you don’t use in a clean jam jar for another winter casserole or pie.  It adds a delicious and interesting savoury note!

  • 1 tablespoon juniper berries
  • 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon whole black pepper
  • Grind the spices together

Method

  1. Set your electric ESSE on the economical setting, using the top right oven for the filling.  If you are using the Ironheart heat the oven for the gauge to read moderate/hot.
  2. If using the dried mushrooms soak them in 200ml boiling water.
  3. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles crumble.
  4. Add the eggs and work the mixture to a firm dough with a little gentle kneading.   Add a splash of water if too dry.  (You can use a food processor to speed up the process)
  5. Wrap and chill in the fridge while you make the filling for the pie.
  6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a high heat, add the mince and brown or until it loses its raw look, breaking it up with a table fork.  Season with a good sprinkle of salt.  Then add the celery, carrots, onions, garlic and cook, stirring for few minutes.  Drain the mushrooms, keeping the liquid.  Chop them and add to the mince mixture.  Then stir in the flour and cook for 2 -3 minutes more.  Add the mushroom liquid/stock, tomato puree, savoury spice mix or a good sprinkle of ground black pepper.  Bring to the boil and cook in the ESSE for about 30 minutes until thickened.  Add a splash more stock/water if too dry.  Leave to cool while you roll out the pastry.
  7. Increase the oven temperature to 200C or hot/very hot on the Ironheart.
  8. Roll out two thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a circle, then use it to line the base and sides of the dish.  Roll out the remaining pastry to form the lid.  Spoon in the cooled filling.  Brush round the edge of the pastry with a little egg wash then lay the pastry lid over the filling, pressing to seal. Trim off any excess pastry and you can cut out shapes to use for decoration if you wish.  Brush the pie with egg wash and cook on the base of the ESSE and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Recipe baked in the ESSE Electric Range Cooker by Philippa Vine of Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen, Arlington.

Philippa is a professional cook and cookery writer and delights visitors with her creative and wholesome food. She shares her passion for locally grown and sourced quality ingredients. Philippa runs several themed ESSE cookery courses and demonstrations every year in her delightful country kitchen.

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