Hairy Bikers’ Best of British episode 5 – Recession: In this programme, they discover how necessity often forced British cooks to pull out all the stops in an effort to create tasty dishes. In fact some of our favourite meals have been born out of hard times. From tummy fillers like mince and dumplings to hearty scotch broths, when the going gets tough, we often turn to food for comfort.
Stunning dishes and fascinating stories told by the popular culinary duo. Si and Dave continue their foodie journey through time, as they celebrate British food.
Hairy Bikers’ Best of British episode 5 – Recession recipes:
Mince and dumplings
Embrace autumn with a great, big hug of a dish: comforting mince and dumplings.
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole and cook the onion, garlic, celery and carrots for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and pale golden-brown.
- Add the minceand cook for a further five minutes.
- Put the tomatoes, tomato purée, beef stock, red wine, sugar and bay leaf. Add a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- For the dumplings, put the flour in a bowl and stir in the suet, salt and parsley. Make a well in the centre and add enough cold water – you’ll need around 200ml/7fl oz – to mix to a soft, spongy dough. Use lightly floured hands to roll into 12 small balls.
- Place the dumplings carefully on top of the mince. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over a medium heat for 18-20 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through and well risen.
How to make Scotch broth
Warm up with a classic recipe for Scotch broth from The Hairy Bikers.
Method:
- Put the pearl barley into a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside to soak.
- Meanwhile, pace the lamb in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole and cover with the cold water or lamb stock. Bring to a simmer and skim off the scum. Add the onion, bay leaf and thyme to the pan. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for one hour, skimming occasionally.
- Add the carrots, turnips and celery to the casserole with the lamb. Season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a very gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
- After the vegetables and lamb have been simmering for 30 minutes, rinse the pearl barley in a sieve under cold running water. Turn the lamb over. Add the pearl barley and potatoes to the casserole. Cook gently for a further 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Stir in the cabbage and return to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking uncovered for a further 15 minutes or until the lamb is very tender and is falling off the bone and the barley is softened. Remove the pan from the heat
- Lift the lamb out of the pot with tongs or a large fork and put on a board. Carve off all the meat, slicing or tearing into largish chunks and discarding any skin and bone. Season the broth with more salt and pepper to taste and spoon into large, deep plates. Divide the lamb between the plates and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.