Rick Stein’s Cornwall episode 34: Rick glimpses life in Cornwall 2,000 years ago as he explores the atmospheric ruins of the ancient village of Carn Euny. He soaks up the lively ambiance of Truro cattle market, an important social hub for local farmers but one of only a few live cattle markets still operating in the UK.
He cooks his favourite Sunday lunch, a hearty steak and kidney pudding, and goes for a bracing ride on a beautiful handbuilt boat, a replica of one of the most famous and fastest vessels to sail the waters around Falmouth a hundred years ago. In this new series Rick Stein reveals the Cornwall that he knows and loves: a unique part of the British isles with a strong sense of identity and a history rooted in its Celtic past. With his famous natural inquisitiveness, Rick shares the road less travelled – championing the food, history, music, art and culture of the county many locals argue should be a country in its own right.
Rick Stein’s Cornwall episode 34
Rick Stein
Christopher Richard “Rick” Stein, CBE (born 4 January 1947) is an English celebrity chef, restaurateur and television presenter. Along with business partner (and first wife) Jill Stein he has run the Stein hotel and restaurant business in the UK. The business has a number of renowned restaurants, shops and hotels in Padstow along with other restaurants in Marlborough, Winchester and Barnes. He is also the head chef and a co-owner of “Rick Stein at Bannisters” at Mollymook and Port Stephens in Australia, with his second wife Sarah. He has written cookery books and presented television programmes.
After graduating, he converted a mobile disco in Padstow, which he had run as a student, into a quayside nightclub with his friend, Johnny. It became known for its freeze-dried curries. However, the nightclub lost its licence and was closed down by the police, mainly due to frequent brawls with local fishermen. The pair still had a licence for a restaurant in another part of the building, so they continued with that to avert bankruptcy.
Stein ran the kitchen using the experience he had gained as a commis chef. Eventually he converted it into a small harbour-side bistro, “The Seafood Restaurant”, with his first wife Jill in 1975. As of 2015, his business operates four restaurants, a bistro, a café, a seafood delicatessen, a pâtisserie shop, a gift shop and a cookery school. In 2007 threats against Stein’s businesses were made by Cornish nationalists. His impact on the economy of Padstow is such that it has been nicknamed “Padstein”.
Steak and kidney pudding
This traditional steak and kidney pudding is made with a crisp suet pastry. A classic comfort food, it’s perfect for drizzly days and chilly evenings.
Method:
- Cut the ox kidney into small pieces and snip out the white core with scissors. Put the steak pieces and chopped kidney into a bowl with the flour, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Mix in the onion, parsley, thyme and bay leaves. Set aside for later.
- To make the pastry, mix the flour, suet and salt with 225ml/8fl oz cold water to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 36cm/14in circle. Cut out a quarter of the circle, set this aside for the lid.
- Use the remaining dough to line the base and sides of a lightly buttered 1.75 litre/3 pint pudding basin. Overlap the cut edges slightly and brush with water, pressing together to seal well.
- Spoon the meat mixture into the pastry and top with the soy sauce and enough beef stock to come three-quarters of the way up the meat.
- Roll the reserved piece of pastry into a circle 1cm/½in larger than the top of the pudding basin. Brush the rim of the pastry with water and press the lid firmly on top. Crimp the edges together to form a tight seal.
- Place a piece of baking parchment over a sheet of foil and make a large pleat in the middle, folding both sheets together (this allows the pudding to expand as it cooks). Put the parchment and foil on top of the pudding, foil side up, and secure with string, looping the end of the string over the top of the pudding and tying it to form a handle that will enable you to lift the pudding in and out of the saucepan.
- Put the basin in a large pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Put a lid on the pan and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and let the pudding steam for 4 hours. Top up the boiling water during this time if necessary so the pan doesn’t boil dry.
- To serve, uncover the pudding and serve it straight from the basin with some steamed Savoy cabbage and boiled potatoes.
