Hearty Main Course: English Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a fantastic, simple dish originally designed to be affordable for poor, rural workers. Since then, it's become a staple in the United Kingdom. Our shepherd's pie recipe uses lamb as the meat of choice, but this recipe will work just as well with beef instead. This hearty main course is comfort food at its finest. Read on for our favorite recipe...

Shepherd's Pie

(makes one, 2 quart casserole)

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lb lean, ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the potatoes, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked, but still firm.

2. Drain and mash the potatoes, then mix in the butter, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Start a fresh pot of water boiling and add the carrots. Cook them for about 15 minutes, drain, mash, set aside.

4. In a large frying pan, add onion and cook until clear. Add the ground lamb and cook until browned. Pour off the excess fat, then add flour and cook for an additional minute. Add the ketchup and beef broth.

5. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Spread the ground beef evenly over the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Over top, spread the mashed carrots in an even layer, then do the same with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the last of the shredded cheese on top, then bake for 20 minutes.

7. Enjoy!

Hearty English Recipe: Cottage Pie

or a fairly simple dish, look no further than the rustic roots of the United Kingdom. Cottage pie (also known as shepherd's pie when the meat is lamb) is a traditional dish cooked by shepherds and farmers.

Because lamb has fallen out of the American palette, most modern cottage pies are made with ground beef. We added in a few additional seasonings to really make the flavors pop in this dish. Keep in mind, this dish is a meal on its own. There is no need to serve it with additional sides, save perhaps for some leftover Yorkshire pudding.

Cottage Pie Recipe

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2lbs lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/3 cup peas
• 1 1/2lbs to 2lbs potatoes.
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes (or until tender).
3. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan.
4. Saute the onions and carrots in the butter until tender (about 10 minutes). 
5. Add the ground beef and saute until well browned.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste with Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, thyme, rosemary, and cornstarch.
7. Cook uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it's well mixed.
8. In a bowl, mash the potatoes with the remaining butter, minced garlic, and salt to taste.
9. Place beef and vegetable mixture in the bottom of a baking dish. Distribute the mashed potatoes on top. Feel free to use a fork to make interesting patterns in the mashed potatoes.
10. Distribute the shredded cheese on top.
11. Bake in the oven until bubbling and brown on top (about 30 minutes). For a slightly more crusty top, broil for the last few minutes.
12. Enjoy!

Teatime Recipe: Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

I love visiting British "tea rooms" not so much for the tea, but to sample their delectable selection of scones. It's not easy to find good quality scones here in the States, so when I find a tea room that does them right, you can bet I'll be a repeat visitor. I love the creative ingredient combinations, the buttery flavor, the way they're dense yet fluffy in texture. If there's clotted cream or lemon curd available, I usually smooth a bit of either on top of my scones... though they're equally delicious on their own! 

Hoping to re-create the joy of scones in my own home, I sought out the best recipe and was thrilled to discover this one. I love white chocolate and raspberries, so throwing them together into scones only made sense. 

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

(makes about 8 scones)

Ingredients:10 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen whole 
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (you can also use frozen, but do not defrost)
1/2 cup whole milk  
1/2 cup sour cream  
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface 
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder  
1/4 teaspoon baking soda  
1/2 teaspoon table salt  
zest of one lemon  
1/4 cup of white chocolate chips

Directions:1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove half of wrapper from two sticks of butter and grate the unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons).

2. Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. If you're using fresh raspberries, place them in the freezer now. 

2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated. 

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to a work surface that's been covered with flour. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in a ball form, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

4. Roll dough into squares about 12-inches in size. Fold the dough into thirds. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer squares to a plate that's been lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer 5 minutes.

5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into a 12-inch square again. Sprinkle raspberries and white chocolate chips evenly over surface of dough, then press down. Loosen dough from work surface. Then roll it, pressing to form a log shape. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle on some sugar if desired. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

British Recipe: Toad in the Hole With Onion Gravy

Well here's a strange name for a recipe: Toad in the hole. Not to be confused with eggs in the basket (an egg cooked in a hole cut in toast), toad in the hole is a distinctly British recipe combining two very British foods: sausage, and Yorkshire pudding.

Toad in the hole is a relatively simple dish ingredient-wise, however it can be hard to perfect. The trick is to preheat the casserole dish. Serve this meal with an onion gravy, or a mustard, and with a side of vegetables and mashed potatoes. Keep reading below for this wonderful recipe...

Toad in the Hole

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• a pinch of black pepper
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1lb bangers (British sausages) or good quality sausage links
• 2 large yellow onions chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon beef bullion cube

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour in the eggs, milk, and 2 tablespoons melted butter and whisk until the flour is smooth. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
2. Coat the bottom and sides of an 8"x12" casserole dish with a high smoke point vegetable oil. Set the oven rack in the lower-third of the oven. Place the empty casserole dish on the rack and preheat the oven to 425F.
3. While the oven is heating, heat a tablespoon of oil on a skillet on medium heat. Add the sausages and brown them on at least a couple sides. When the sausages have browned and the dish in the oven is hot, pull the oven rack out a bit. Put the sausages in the casserole dish, and pour the batter over the sausages, throwing the sprigs of rosemary in with the batter. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the batter is risen and golden. Do not open the oven too soon, or the batter will collapse.
4. While the dish cooks, cook the onions and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet until the onions have softened and browned (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and thyme and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook it down to about half. Add the bullion cube and stir. Sprinkle with a little water, let simmer, then serve with the toad in the hole.
5. Enjoy!

Scottish Soup Recipe: Chicken and Leek Soup

Today, we wanted to share something fresh from Scotland: Chicken and leek soup. It's a soup that's filling, and delightfully easy to make.

This soup is delightfully easy to make. For this recipe, we added in some additional wild rice instead of using a pasta, and we also added some mushrooms to really add a depth and complexity. For this recipe there's no need for any stock: we'll be making a quick stock without the hours of simmering involved. Keep reading below for this delicious soup...

Chicken and Leek Soup

(makes 7 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 medium leeks, washed and chopped to 2cm in length
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 stick of celery, washed and coarsely chopped
• 1 whole chicken (about 4lbs) breast removed and split. The remaining chicken is cut into 2" pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 quarts boiling water
• salt
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup wild rice, cooked according to package instructions
• 1/2oz dried shitake mushrooms
• 1/4lb domestic mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven. When the oil shimmers and starts to smoke, add the chicken breast halves. Saute until brown on both sides (about 5 minutes). Remove and set aside. Add the chopped onions to the kettle and saute until colored and softened slightly (2 to 3 minutes). Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Add half the chicken pieces (not the breasts) and saute until no longer pink (4 to 5 minutes). Transfer to the bowl with the onions. Saute the remaining chicken pieces. Return the onions and chicken pieces (not the breasts) to the kettle. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken releases its juices (about 20 minutes). Increase the heat to high. Add boiling water along with the chicken breast halves, 2 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves. Return to a simmer, then cover and barely simmer until the chicken breasts are cooked and the broth is rich and flavorful (about 20 minutes). Remove 1 cup of broth and pour over the shitake mushrooms. Let them rehydrate for 30 minutes.
3. remove the chicken breasts from the kettle and set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the breasts, then remove the meat from the bones and shred into bite-size pieces. Discard the skin and bone. Strain the broth, then discard the bones. Skim the fat from the broth, reserving 2 tablespoons
4. Return the soup kettle to medium-high heat. Add the reserved chicken fat. Add carrot, celery, and leek. Saute until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the fresh domestic mushrooms and continue to saute the vegetables until the mushrooms are softened (about 5 minutes). Drain and chop the dried mushrooms. Strain the soaking broth through a strainer lined with coffee filter to remove the grit.
5. Add thyme, broth, chicken, strained mushroom soaking liquid, and chopped mushrooms to the pot. Simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors meld (10 to 15 minutes). Add the wild rice and cook until tender (about 5 minutes). Adjust the seasonings, stir in parsley, and serve.
6. Enjoy!

Teatime Recipe: The Perfect Cranberry Scone

English cuisine brings to mind plenty of classic dishes: the pub fare fish and chips, savory yorkshire pudding, and the ever delicious scone. Despite what some might think, this treat isn't actually a pastry. It's more akin to a cake or a bread. It's also an absolute necessity during Devonshire tea (a tea assortment consisting of tea, scones, jam and cream typically served in the afternoons). Today we can find them in many cafes, but nothing tastes better than the homemade variety.

As with most breads and cakes there are many variations to the scone. They may include raisins, cheese, fruits, or even some regions, potatoes. For this recipe we added cranberries to our scones for a delicious, tart flavor that mixes perfectly with a bit of clotted cream and jam. Scroll below for our recipe...

Cranberry Scones

(makes 10-12 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cold, unsalted butter cut into pieces
• 1 1/4 cup fresh cranberries chopped coarse
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest (should be from about 2 lemons)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In a food processor, pulse flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, and lemon zest until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, toss cranberries and 3 tablespoons sugar, then stir into the flour mixture.
4. In another small bowl, beat egg and egg yolk together, then stir in the cream.
5. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until it's combined. Be careful to not overmix or you will end up with hard, tough scones.
6. Flour a working surface, pat the dough out into a 1-inch thick round, and using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out as many pieces as possible.
7. Reroll the scraps and repeat until there is no more dough left.
8. Shape the rounds into little triangles, then place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they just start to golden.
9. Serve scones warm with clotted cream and jam. Whipped cream can also be used.
10. Enjoy!

Warm & Filling Recipe: Tasty Fisherman’s Pot Pie

The U.K. is a place that really embraces pies: meat pies, fish pies, vegetable pies…pies are their comfort food! We’re pulling a page out of their book and making a tasty Fisherman’s Pie with three different types of fish. (It’s just as good if you choose to stick with one type of fish, if that's more to your taste!). This dish is the best on cold days when all you want is to be snuggled up somewhere cozy—eating it will help warm you from the inside out!

Fisherman’s Pie

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients 

• 1 1/4 pound assorted fish pieces (salmon, haddock, cod), 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 cup fish stock
• 1 1/2 cup milk, divided
• 2 cups creamy mashed potatoes (homemade or storebought)
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoon parsley
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat oven to 355º F.
2. In a large saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cup milk and fish stock to a simmer. Add the different pieces of fish and bay leaf and let poach for no longer than 5 minutes. Remove fish and transfer to a plate. Reserve the
3. In a different saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour to make a roux. Stir well. Add the poaching liquid to the roux, raise the heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until the poaching juices are incorporated into the sauce. Take off heat and remove bay leaf.
4. Add fish pieces back into thickened mixture and season with salt and pepper and parsley.
5. Pour the fish and sauce into a deep baking dish and cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs and mashed potatoes are browned and the sauce beneath is bubbling.

Savory Breakfast Recipe: Cheese Scones

A few months ago we shared a recipe for fantastic cranberry scones. Those pastries are perfect for a hint of sweetness from the fruit with perhaps a little help from some clotted cream and jam. What about something that only needs a little butter, or no help at all? What about scones that are more savory than sweet?

Cheese scones are a perfect, savory breakfast treat. The trick to is really let the cheddar cheese taste shine through and mix in a few chives for added flavor. It's a little salty, plenty cheesy, but it should never be overpowering. For our scones we only used a good quality cheddar cheese we grated ourselves, but for a more complex flavor feel free to combine a variety of cheeses (keeping the total amount of cheese the same). Gouda, cheddar, and asiago make for a great combination. To end up with well-shaped and better looking scones, we refrigerated the dough overnight after cutting, but that isn't necessary. Keep reading below for this delicious recipe...

Savory Cheese Scone Recipe

(makes 14 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups self-raising flour
• 1 tablespoon caster (fine) sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold butter
• 3/4 cups chilled whole milk
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 egg white plus 2 teaspoons of water for egg wash

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Chop the cold butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients and butter until it begins to resemble a coarse meal. Stir in the cheese and chives.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, 1 egg, oil, and mustard. Gradually add the milk mixture to the dry mixture, tossing until moist clump form. Add more milk by the tablespoon if the dough is too dry. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured workspace and knead until the dough just comes together.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pat out the dough into a 1" thick round. Us a 2 1/2" diameter cutter, cutting out the scones. Gather together the dough scraps and repeat. Transfer the cut out scones to the prepared baking sheets.
4. Optionally, cover the dough with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge. Refrigerate for at least three hours before baking, or  feel free to bake ahead of time.
5. Before baking, preheat the oven to 425F. whisk together 1 egg white and 2 teaspoons of water. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheets, and brush the scones with the egg wash. Sprinkle with a little extra cheese. Bake the scones until golden on top (about 14-16 minutes). Cool scones on a sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a basket. Serve warm with butter.
6. Enjoy!