Slow Cooked Shoulder of Pork with an Apple Gravy

In nearly 20 years of married life with Sunday Lunch/Dinner every week without fail. I've never been very successful at cooking roast pork. It always too dry and the crackling becomes leathery with no crackle.

I've tried every recipe and obeyed all of the rules - "unwrap the pork and leave in the fridge to dry for 24 hours", "don't put any fat near the crackling" etc. but I have finally found the perfect way of cooking, that for me, produces consistently good results with crisp crackling and succulent meat.

Let's not kid ourselves this is not a meal for people on a medically restricted low fat diet or for the keen dieter. However for everyone else, even those on a diet are suggested to take the odd day off, it's a once a month treat!

I cook mine in the AGA and haven't tested it in a conventional oven. However I have measured the temperatures. The top oven of my AGA is about 230-240 degrees C and the bottom oven 130 degrees C. If you are cooking in a conventional oven then it's probably a good idea to make a foil tent over the meat and pan for the slow cooking bit. That's not necessary in the AGA.


Ingredients

A rolled shoulder of pork
2-3 apples - any variety sliced - no need to peel or core
2 large onions sliced thinly
several sprigs of thyme ( you could use sage leave as the traditional pork accompaniment but I don't like it! )
Olive oil
Sea Salt
A glass of apple juice or white wine or cider
plain flour
maderia, cider, white wine, sherry,calvados - whatever you have to hand

Put the apples, herbs and onions into the bottom of a roasting pan. I use the small AGA roasting dish if the pork isn't too big.

Dry the pork with some kitchen towel - be don't be too obssessive. Make sure the skin is well scored - the thiner the strips the better. Your butcher will do this for you or use a sharp knife and be careful!

Put the pork on top of the apples, onions and herbs, the pour a generous amount of oil onto the skin ( sorry Delia - but this works for me! ) and rub in well. The sprinkle generously with the salt and rub that in as well.

Pour the apple juice, wine or cider around the base of the meat. You then want to give the meat a good blast of heat until the skin has crackled. I normally put it at the top of the top oven of the AGA for 45 minutes to an hour. This will depend on the heat of your oven so keep an eye on it.

Once the crackling is done to your liking move the tin to the bottom oven of the AGA ( or reduce the heat and cover with foil for conventional oven ) and leave for at least 5 hours. At the end of the cooking time you will need to put the pork back in the top oven to crisp it up a bit.

The pork will be falling apart by now so it's not necessary to rest it but I put to one side and keep warm whilst I make the gravy.

For the gravy take a large jug and sieve and put the contents of the pan into the sieve. You then want to push as much of the caramalised onion and apple through the sieve as possible. I then take the liquid in the jug and put it into one of those fat skimming jugs - you could just leave it for a few minutes and skim the fat off.

Put the roasting pan on a high heat and add one tablespoon of the fat and a tablespoon of flour. Stir round and cook for about a minute. Then take a wineglass full of cider ( or whatever booze you have chosen - maderia and sherry will give you quite a sweet sauce so be warned ) and pur it unto the roux stirring all the time. Then gradually add the juices in the jug, again stirring all the time. I then add boiling water until I have the consistency of gravy that we like. Cook this over a medium heat for a few minutes.

Slice the pork and serve with the gravy. This is perfect served with mashed potato mixed with shredded savoy cabbage.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake with a Raspberry Coulis

Unlike my husband and daughter I've never been a huge cheesecake fan. However last year my daughter had the most wonderful cheesecake in one of our local pubs. A 6 months cheesecake recipe trial ensued and we have finally found one that the whole family ( including me ) love.

It was originally an Anthony Worral Thompson Recipe from Good Food Magazine. I have tinkered with it a bit and added a raspberry coulis until it meets the family taste perfectly.

Ingredients

For the Base

170g crushed hobnob biscuits

85g melted butter

For the Filling

500g white chocolate pieces - I've tried both expensive chocolate and very cheap supermarket own and to be honest the latter works just as well if not better!

50g butter

1/2 vanilla pod split lenghtways

500g philadelphia cheese

50g caster sugar

175 ml double cream

400g of frozen raspberries

icing sugar

I make this is 2 16cm deep loose bottomed flan tins. You can then eat one and freeze the other. One cheesecake will feed 6.

Method

Combine the butter and biscuits and divide mix between the tins, pressing into the base.

Melt the chocolate, vanilla and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted. Mix well together and cool slightly.

In another bowl mix together the sugar, cream and cream cheese.

Remove the vanilla pod and then stir the melted chocolate mixture into the cream mix.

Stir in 225g of the frozen raspberries.

Divide between the 2 tins and put in the fridge to set. It will set in 4-8 hours. If I've forgotten to make it soon enough I'll pop it into the freezer for an hour or so.

Put the remaining raspberries into a blender, whizz up to a puree and then add icing sugar to taste. I suggest you do it one tablespoon at a time. You want it quite tart so that it will cut through the sweetness of the cheesecake.

To serve pour some of the coulis over a slice of cheesecake and enjoy!

Hopton House Granola

This is a lovely healthy homemade cereal - perfect with natural yoghurt and fresh fruit. It tastes far better than any packet cereals and you know exactly what is in it. You can make a batch then keep it for a while in an airtight container.
Customise it for your own B&B by adding different mixtures of nuts, seeds and dry fruits ( add the dry fruits after it has cooked and cooled ).
I recommend that you time making it for the same time your guests are due to arrive as it fills the kitchen and house with a lovely warm, welcoming caramel scent!

Hopton House Granola

Dry Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup flaked almonds
• 1/2 cup wheatgerm
• 1/2 cup seed mix ( sunflower, sesame, pumpkin )
• 1/2 plain wholemeal flour
• 4 tablespoons soft brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 4 tablespoons of warmed honey
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
  

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C or Fan oven 140 degrees C.
Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk together the wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed together.
Pour the wet onto the dry and mix really well till all of the dry ingredients are coated.
Spread onto a baking sheet and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to break up any very big lumps. You're looking for a golden brown colour.
Leave till completely cool and then put in an airtight container.
When it is cool you can add your favourite combination of raisins, sultanas or other chopped dried fruit such as read to eat apricots, prunes and figs.

Leeks in a Welsh Cheese Sauce

For the Leek Gratin

2 large leeks
100g strong grated Welsh Snowdonia Cheddar
25g Welsh butter
25g Plain Flour
250ml milk

Trim the leeks, discarding the tough green ends and outer leaves. Cut the leek in half lengthwise, then slice into 1cm thick semi ring. Put in a colander and wash thoroughly. Put the leeks into a gratin dish.

Make the cheese sauce by melting the butter over a medium heat, then adding the flour. Cook for about a minute; gradually add the milk, stirring all the time till all the milk in incorporated and the sauce is thick and glossy. Cook for a couple of minutes, and then stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the grated cheese. Check and adjust the seasoning. Pour the sauce of the leeks and then sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Put some foil on the top and put in the oven with the lamb and potatoes for 60 minutes. When the lamb comes out take the foil off and brown at the same time as the potatoes until the cheese is browned and bubbling.

Boulangere Potatoes

For the Boulangere Potatoes

800g of potatoes ( peeled or leave unpeeled – your choice )
1 large onion cut in half then thinly sliced
150ml milk
150ml hot water
Halen Mon Sea Salt
Black Pepper
25g butter

Butter a 20cm square gratin dish. Slice the potatoes very thinly. Put a layer of potatoes in the dish. Season well ( I add about ½ teaspoon of sea salt per layer – if you’re using normal table salt – use half of this amount ) with salt and pepper. Add a sprinkling of onion. Continue this layering until all the potatoes and onion have been used. Pour over the water and milk. Season the top layer and dot with the butter. Put some aluminimum foil over the top and put in the oven with meat for about 3 hours. Once you have taken the meat out and are doing the gravy, turn the temperature of the oven up to 220C / 200 fan, take the foil off the potatoes and cook till nicely browned.

Slow Cooked Shoulder of Welsh Lamb

Slow Cooked Shoulder of Welsh Lamb, served with Boulangere Potatoes and a gratin of leeks in a Welsh Cheddar Sauce

Whenever I think about my Welsh grandparents I am immediately transported back to their kitchen table in Aberystwyth where we would enjoy enormous family feasts of roast lamb. I can’t smell freshly cut mint without looking round for my grandmother.

What better way to celebrate St David’s Day than with a traditional Welsh Lamb Shoulder served with the Welsh national vegetable – the leek. I’ve made this dish even more patriotic by cooking it with Snowdonia Cheddar, that cooks beautifully and smells almost gruyere like.

I incorporate that all important mint by using a hedgerow jelly that I make in the autumn using crab apples, sloes from the hedgerows and mint from my garden. If you don’t have any to hand then use normal mint jelly or redcurrant jelly with some fresh mint thrown is at the end.

All of these dishes can be prepared in advance. This is the perfect menu for anyone who wants to spend time with family and friends rather than last minute cooking in the kitchen.


Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb

One Whole Shoulder of Welsh Lamb – about 2 kg
Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
Olive oil
Half a Bottle of White Wine or a pint of lamb stock
I head of Garlic, with the cloves separated but not peeled
2 tablespoons of Mint Hedgerow Jelly
1 pint of lamb stock of water
I glass of Maderia or Marsala
1 tablespoon of flour
Welsh Halen Mon Sea salt and Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 240C/fan 220C

Put the garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme into a large roasting pan. Put the shoulder of lamb on top of the garlic and thyme. Rub with olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Pour the white wine or stock around the lamb.

Put the roasting pan into the oven and cook for about half an hour until then lamb is browned on top. Then cover tightly with tin foil, reduce the temperature of the oven to 120C/Fan100C.

The lamb will then need about 7 hours to cook, by which time it will be falling off the bone. Check it every couple of hours to make sure there is still enough liquid in the bottom, adding more if necessary.

When the lamb is ready, place it on a warmed plate and make the gravy. Tip off all but one tablespoon of the fat. Put the roasting pan on a medium high heat and add the flour, stirring it round to absorb all the fat and allow it to cook for about a minute. Pour the glass of Maderia or Marsala into the pan to deglaze it, stirring round with a spoon to get all the lovely meaty bits off the pan. Then gradually add the lamb stock or water, stirring all of the time. Once you have a nice thick gravy, stir in the mint hedgerow jelly (or redcurrant jelly if that’s all you have). Strain it through a sieve into a warm serving jug (if you use redcurrant jelly this is the time to stir in some freshly chopped mint).

10 Storecupboard Must Haves

With a few essentials kept to hand in your storecupboard you've always got the basics of a good meal. Here are my favourites:

1. Maldon Sea Salt - I like food to be well seasoned. These lovely sea salt flakes taste saltier so you need less of them to season food well.
2. Oil - I always have Extra Virgin for salad dressing and drizzling and ordinary olive oil and sunflower oil for cooking
3. Dried Herbs - most dried herbs taste like sawdust and you're better leaving them out if you don't have fresh. The exceptions are thyme, oregano and bay leaves.
4. Dried Pasta - My store cupboard always contains spaghetti, tagliatelle, rigatoni and something spirally! I prefer semolina pasta.
5. Rice - Basmati is my favourite rice and I also have arborio rice for making risotto ( an ultimate storecupboard dish ) and pudding rice.
6. Tinned Tomato and Sundried Tomato Puree - Much better to use tinned tomatoes than out of season rock hard fresh ones. The tomato puree adds a real depth and smokiness to dishes
7. Marigold Bouillon Powder - a lot of chefs get sniffy about using stock cubes and powder but this one is generally accepted as the best and acceptable to the food purists.
8. Plain Flour and Baking Powder - flour is an essential for thickenign sauces and obviously for baking
9. Good Quality Vanilla Extract - not essence. Makes a real difference to a cakes and other puddings
10. Spices - I'm never without cinnamon, mixed spice, cumin seeds, cumin sticks, garam marsala, turmeric, ground cumin, cayenne pepper,cloves, mustard seed and ground coriander