Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts episode 6 – Winter Woodland: Mary immerses herself in the enchanting Scottish Highlands. Surrounded by magical scenery, snow-capped mountains and frost-covered forests, Mary makes delicious food to warm her up after a day out in the cold, including a tempting sausage and pepper hotpot, some simple twice-baked souffles, a mushroom, lentil and double potato jumble and an onion and sage open puff pastry tart.
Mary hitches a lift through the woods on a husky sled and meets a chocolatier whose highland truffles have made him famous around the world. Back in her own kitchen, Mary makes an indulgent chocolate steamed pudding with a rich chocolate sauce. It is the kind of food that you long to come home to after a day exploring the great outdoors.
Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts episode 6 – Winter Woodland
Chocolate steamed pudding with chocolate sauce
Indulgent and so comforting, this chocolate pudding is full of rich flavour and served with a divine pouring sauce. It is also great served with ice cream.
Method
- Grease a 1 litre/1¾ pint pudding basin with butter. Cut a small square of baking paper, about the size of the bottom of the basin. Grease the square and place in the bottom of the basin, press into the corners.
- Place all of the pudding ingredients into a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until well combined, light and fluffy. Spoon into the basin and level the top. Cut a square of kitchen foil that is about 4cm/1½in bigger than the rim of the basin. Grease the foil with butter and make a pleat in the middle of the square. Place on top of the basin and tightly press around the rim. Tie up with string to seal.
- Place the basin in a deep saucepan and pour in boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover with a lid and place over a very low heat. Steam over a gentle simmer for about 1½-1¾ hours until the top is just firm. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Take the foil, run a palette knife around the edges and invert onto a plate. Remove the square of paper on top.
- Meanwhile, place the milk and cream in a saucepan. Heat until just boiling. Add the chocolate and vanilla, then remove from the heat and stir until melted and runny.
- Pour some of the sauce over the top of the pudding and cut into wedges to serve. Serve the remaining sauce in a jug alongside.
Onion and artichoke tart – Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts episode 6
Made in a very simple way using readymade pastry, this comforting veggie tart is all about the combination of the crisp puff pastry and herbed vegetables.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and fry over a high heat for about 3–4 minutes. Cover with a lid and gently cook for about 20 minutes until soft (if your pan doesn’t have a lid use a large piece of kitchen foil). Remove the lid, fry for a minute to evaporate any liquid and add the sugar and vinegar. Fry for couple of minutes until golden. Remove from the pan to cool.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for 2–3 minutes then cover with a lid and cook for 3–4 minutes. Remove the lid and fry over a high heat to evaporate any liquid. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the onions.
- Unroll the pastry and place on the baking tray. Cut and remove a 1½cm/¾in border of pastry from around the edge of the rolled pastry. Brush these strips with egg and place on top of the main pastry base, around all of the edges, pressing down lightly to create a raised border. Prick the middle section of the pastry base with a fork. Brush the border with egg.
- Pour the remaining egg into a bowl. Pour in the cream and whisk. Add the sage and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the onions and mushrooms into the pastry base, inside the border. Scatter the artichoke pieces over the top and spoon over the egg mixture. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the cheese.
- Bake in the oven for about 25–30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown all over. Serve hot with fresh salad.
Sausage and red pepper hotpot
Sausages are a comfort food that the whole family can enjoy and this all-in-one-pan dish is simple yet full of flavour. Serve with a green vegetable for a complete and colourful meal.
Method
- Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan or casserole dish over a high heat. Add the sausages and fry until browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the bacon to the pan and fry for a few minutes until crisp; remove and set aside with the sausages.
- Add the onion, red pepper, carrot and garlic and fry for 5 minutes over a high heat. Put the stock, tomatoes, tomato purée and thyme and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
- Return the bacon and sausages to the pan, cover and simmer over a gentle heat for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced a little and the vegetables are tender.
- Serve with freshly cooked green vegetables.