Neddy’s Kitchen

“Well did you ever make colcannon,
Made with lovely pickled cream,
With the greens & scallions mingled
Like a picture in a dream?
Did you ever make a hole on top
To hold the meltin’ flake
Of the creamy flavoured butter
That our mothers used to make?

Oh you did, so you did,
So did he and so did I.
And the more I think about it,
Sure, the nearer I’m to cry.
Oh weren’t them the happy days
When troubles we knew not,
And our mothers made colcannon
In the little skillet pot?” ~~The Black Family

The Colcannon Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound cabbage
2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes
2 small leeks, green onions or scallions
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter
dash of nutmeg or mace

Core, quarter and shred the cabbage and place in a pan, covering with boiled salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Peel and cut the potatoes into two inch pieces and cook those in another pan, insalted water for about 15 minutes. Drain the cabbage and chop into very small pieces. Drain the potatoes and mash by hand. Do not use a processor or mixer! Meanwhile, wash and chop the onion - using the middle parts - not the root end or rough ends of the green part. In a pan large enough to hold the cooked potatoes and cabbage, combine the onions and milk and cook over medium heat until they are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and mace to the onions and milk and stir over low heat until well-blended. Add the cabbage and 1/2 cup of butter and stir again to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Mound the mixture in the middle of a platter and make an indentation. Add the remainder of the butter. Serves 4 to 6.

It is also the easiest to make. You may add additional spices and even top it with candied pecans for a combination, Pumpkin-Pecan Pie.

Pie - Traditional Pumpkin Pie BX0028 Eudy Majka Collection
Originally uploaded by Eudaemonius

This is a wonderful, easy and delicious dish. It is a Wintertime Comfort Food. I see lots of possibilities to build upon, such as it could be the base for Chicken & Dumpling’s or Chicken Pot Pie (add frozen mixed veggies and place crust atop during last half hour).

Sherry Chicken Casserole

INGREDIENTS:
3 whole/6 half chicken breasts, boned and skinned
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Celery soup
1 cup sherry

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish just big enough for the chicken in one layer.
3. Mix soups and sherry and pour over chicken & Bake for 3 hours.
5. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes. Serves 6.

“The Virginia Bentley Cookbook” 1987

This is the pie that I made for July 4th, 2010. It is the Best Blueberry Pie Ever!

CRUST: One double recipe for Edna’s Perfect Pie Crust.

FILLING:
2 pounds (6 cups) fresh blueberries, rinsed and stems removed
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for thickening)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

PREPARATION:
1. Prepare the crust, doubling the recipe. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured work surface, about 13 inches in diameter. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and trim the edges to a 1/2 inch over the edge all around the pan. Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon zest. Place blueberries in a separate large bowl and add lemon juice. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the large bowl and then transfer the entire mixture to the bottom crust of the 9-inch pie pan. Roll out remaining dough to the same size as the first. Place on top of the berry filling. Tuck the top dough over and under the edge of the bottom dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers. Sprinkle the crust with granulated sugar.

3. Optional for Superior Results: At this point you may place the entire pie to the refrigerator to chill until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Heat oven to 425°F. Remove the unbaked pie from refrigerator. Score the top pie crust with three cuts to allow steam to escape during baking. Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven with a lined baking pan on the lower rack to catch any spills. Bake for 20 minutes at 425°F. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 40 minutes more or until juices are bubbling and have thickened. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving. Makes 10-12 servings.

Blueberry Pie Originally uploaded by Edna Barney;
Slice of Blueberry Pie Originally uploaded by Edna Barney

Wet Nelly is the name for a delightful English pudding, made from pastry and cake scraps soaked in syrup. Wet Nelly was named for Admiral Nelson and hails from Liverpool.

The Liverpool “Wet Nelly” Cake

How To Work A Farmer’s Market is a video of Alice Waters on her love for fresh produce and the best way to pick produce at a farmer’s market.

AUDIO — How To Cook Fish, read by Andy Minter of Librivox.org.

From "How to Cook Fish" By Olive Green, "One Hundred Miscellaneous Recipes," Section XLIII. Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1908. Original from Harvard University, 522 pages.

From Gutenberg.org:

I.	THE CATCHING OF UNSHELLED FISH
II.	FISH IN SEASON
III.	ELEVEN COURT BOUILLONS
IV.	ONE HUNDRED SIMPLE FISH SAUCES
V.	TEN WAYS TO SERVE ANCHOVIES
VI.	FORTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK BASS
VII.	EIGHT WAYS TO COOK BLACKFISH
VIII.	TWENTY-SIX WAYS TO COOK BLUEFISH
IX.	FIVE WAYS TO COOK BUTTERFISH
X.	TWENTY-TWO WAYS TO COOK CARP
XI.	SIX WAYS TO COOK CATFISH
XII.	SIXTY-SEVEN WAYS TO COOK CODFISH
XIII.	FORTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK EELS
XIV.	FIFTEEN WAYS TO COOK FINNAN HADDIE Page iv
XV.	THIRTY-TWO WAYS TO COOK FLOUNDER
XVI.	TWENTY-SEVEN WAYS TO COOK FROG LEGS
XVII.	TWENTY-TWO WAYS TO COOK HADDOCK
XVIII.	EIGHTY WAYS TO COOK HALIBUT
XIX.	TWENTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK HERRING
XX.	NINE WAYS TO COOK KINGFISH
XXI.	SIXTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK MACKEREL
XXII.	FIVE WAYS TO COOK MULLET
XXIII.	FIFTEEN WAYS TO COOK PERCH
XXIV.	TEN WAYS TO COOK PICKEREL
XXV.	TWENTY WAYS TO COOK PIKE
XXVI.	TEN WAYS TO COOK POMPANO
XXVII.	THIRTEEN WAYS TO COOK RED SNAPPER
XXVIII.	ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY WAYS TO COOK SALMON
XXIX.	FOURTEEN WAYS TO COOK SALMON-TROUT
XXX.	TWENTY WAYS TO COOK SARDINES
XXXI.	NINETY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK SHAD
XXXII.	SIXTEEN WAYS TO COOK SHEEPSHEAD
XXXIII.	NINE WAYS TO COOK SKATE
XXXIV.	THIRTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK SMELTS
XXXV.	FIFTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK SOLES
XXXVI.	TWENTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK STURGEON
XXXVII.	FIFTY WAYS TO COOK TROUT
XXXVIII.	FIFTEEN WAYS TO COOK TURBOT
XXXIX.	FIVE WAYS TO COOK WEAKFISH
XL.	FOUR WAYS TO COOK WHITEBAIT
XLI.	TWENTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK WHITEFISH
XLII.	EIGHT WAYS TO COOK WHITING
XLIII.	ONE HUNDRED MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES
XLIV.	BACK TALK
XLV.	ADDITIONAL RECIPES
	INDEX

Clafouti for Fathers’ Day

Last year during cherry season I discovered the French dessert clafouti (or clafoutis) that contains fresh cherries. Captain Cliff loved it, so I made it this year for a Fathers’ Day celebration.

The Captain and I continue to like it, however none of our family took to it. One said that it tasted like bread pudding. Maybe that’s why we like it. If you want to try it, my recipe follows. Traditionally, “unpitted” black cherries are used, however, here in the U.S. dentistry is so expensive that I opted to be non-traditional. I used an olive pitter to remove all cherrystones before baking. In addition, last year I made it with Ranier cherries. I always have trouble keeping with tradition, as I like to innovate.

Edna’ s Clafouti
Serves 8

• 1 T butter
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 6-7 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk, half & half, or fresh cream (depending upon how rich you desire the resulting custard)
• 2 T kirsch or rum
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup almond flour (Use 2/3 cup of regular flour if you do not have ground almonds.)
• 3-4 cups fresh black cherries, pitted (unpitted for traditional)
• Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Generously butter a 9″ cast-iron skillet or baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated brown sugar.

Blend vanilla extract, eggs, sugar, milk, kirsch, and salt with an electric mixer or blender. for a few seconds, then add flours and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour batter into buttered skillet, then distribute cherries evenly over top. Bake until a skewer inserted into batter comes out clean and a golden brown crust has formed on top and bottom, about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack and then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

This is a quick version of my authentic Belgian Waffle Recipe. I continue to love using my Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker. You may serve these with authentic New England maple syrup to go with the blueberries. I like them with whipped cream.

(Makes Six Waffles)

* 1 1/3 cups milk scalded
* 2 tablespoons dried blueberries
* 2 cups biscuit mix, such as Jiffy or Bisquik
* 1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast (1/2 packet)
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 2 eggs, separated
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Measure the milk and add the dried blueberries to it. Slowly scald the milk in a large heavy saucepan or in the microwave. Add the butter and when it has melted, stir in the vanilla and cool to lukewarm, 105°-110°F. Meanwhile fill a copper mixing bowl with hot tap water. Measure the biscuit mix into another large mixing bowl, adding dried yeast and grated nutmeg. Stir to blend and reserve.

Separate the eggs, adding the whites to the dry, warm copper bowl and the yolks to the lukewarm liquid. Slowly stir the egg yolk mixture until smooth and slowly stir that entire liquid mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Do not beat, as it is necessary to keep the blueberries intact.

Whip the room-temperature egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold them into the batter.

Preheat your waffle maker on your preferred setting. Setting #4 for the Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker achieves a golden brown baked Belgian waffle. You can adjust the browning control if you prefer lighter or darker waffles. The green ready indicator light will turn on and the waffle iron will beep when preheated.

Using the provided measuring scoop, pour the batter into the preheated iron. You may use a heat-proof spatula to spread the batter evenly over the grids, however once you get the knack of pouring the batter evenly you will not need to do this. Close the lid and rotate the waffle iron 180° to the right. Bake until the beeper indicates that the waffle is done. Rotate the waffle iron 180° to the left to open.

For best results, do not open the iron during the cooking of the waffle, as doing so offsets the timing mechanism.

This old fashioned comfort food is really quite easy to make. It is a good way to use leftover cooked chicken.

The Dumplings

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Place the dough on a floured pastry cloth and with floured hands, pat into a square about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares.

The Chicken Broth

• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 small onion cut in fourths
• 1/2 pound fresh carrots sliced
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 pound frozen peas
• 1 pound cooked chicken

Place the broth, onion and carrots in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and drop each dumpling square, one at a time, into the simmering stock. The dumplings will swell, then slowly shrink as they thicken the chicken broth. Simmer for 20-30 minutes uncovered until thick. Stir often.

While the stock is thickening, remove the chicken meat from the bones, removing all skin. Cut into bite-size pieces. Add the poultry seasoning, frozen peas and deboned chicken to the pot and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, sprinkle with freshly grated pepper and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves four.