25 members and friends of the Cornish Association and the
Cornish/Welsh dance group attended the midwinter luncheon feast.
The extensive menu included:-
Nettle soup,
Star gazy pie (see menu and recipe below),
Fish cakes,
Roast chicken,
Cornish under roast (recipe below),
Leek pie,
Green salad,
Figgy hobbin (recipe below),
Cornish Christmas cake,
Saffron buns.
It proved to be a great way to spend midwinter's day and was
voted a great success. Maybe it will become an annual event.
Recipes (Australian style)
Stargazy pie (enough for a crowd)
11 Tommy Roughs (also called Rough Herrings or Tomahs)
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
4 chopped hard boiled eggs
2 sheets frozen puff pastry
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 chopped brown onions
8 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs (brown if possible)
4 short rashers bacon (chopped)
1/2 bottle cider (approx)
small amount of milk or cream
coarse black pepper, cloves and allspice to season.
Clean, gut, scale and fillet the fish, leaving the heads on. Trim off tails and fins.
Soak breadcrumbs in milk to soften, then add the lemon peel,
half the chopped onion, the parsley and seasoning.
Mix to make stuffing.
Place half stuffing mix in bottom of large pie dish or lasagne dish.
Use the rest of the stuffing to stuff each fish and place in the dish
with their heads hanging over the edge and tails towards centre.
The cut side of the fish should face up to stop the stuffing falling out.
Sprinkle the chopped eggs, bacon and onion in spaces between
the fish.
Season with black pepper and pour the cider carefully into the dish
to moisten well.
Allow the pastry sheets to defrost and then press together to make
a large sheet. Place the pastry over the pie. Cut the pastry around
the fish heads so that they stick up above the pastry. The cut parts
of the pastry can be used tuck around the fish heads to help them
look up to the stars. Brush pastry with milk.
Bake at 220 degrees C/425 degrees F/Gas Mark 7 for 20 minutes,
then reduce heat to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F/Gas Mark 4
and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until pastry is brown.
Cornish Under Roast
1kg topside or blade steak
4 large brown onions sliced
About 5 large potatoes
Black pepper, dried thyme to season
4 tablespoons plain flour
Cut the meat into small pieces.
Add black pepper and thyme to the flour, then coat the meat
with the flour. Place the meat in a large casserole dish.
Cover the meat with the sliced onions.
Peel the potatoes and cut onto 2 or 3 large pieces.
Then cover the onions with the potatoes (cut side down).
Add water to cover the meat and onion, but not the potatoes.
Cook in an oven at 180 degrees C/375 degrees F/Gas mark 5
for 1-2 hours. When done, the potatoes should be nicely browned,
like roast potatoes and the gravy should be bubbling under them.
Figgy Hobbin
500g suet mix (50/50 flour and suet)
250 g self raising flour
500 g raisins
cold water to mix
raw sugar
milk
Mix together the suet mix and flour.
Mix in cold water to make a soft dough.
Knead the dough a little to make a smooth soft pastry which
should not be sticky.
Roll out the dough to make a large rectangle about 1 cm thick.
Sprinkle over the raisins and use the rolling pin to roll the raisins
into the pastry a little.
Fold one third of the long side of the rectangle into the centre and
then fold the other third over the top so that a roll is formed.
Seal up the ends of the roll.
Use a knife to slash the top with criss cross markings.
Brush with milk and sprinkle over the raw sugar.
Bake at 180 degrees C/350 degrees F/Gas mark 4 for 35 mins
or until lightly browned.
Eat hot with warmed golden syrup and King Island or double cream
(or Cornish cream if available).
