British Isles Recipes

Through the years I have collected recipes from other lands. I guess it's my way of visiting without having to actually go there. We used to do a "different land" menu every Sunday, however, like most things it just fell by the wayside and we haven't done it for years. Maybe I'll be re-inspired to start that tradition. I've been singing "England Swings" by Roger Miller for days now and it somehow seemed appropriate to start with "British Isles" recipes. I found the lyrics for "England Swings" at lyrics.com.

England swings like a pendulum do,
Bobbies on bicycles, two by two,
Westminster Abbey the tower of Big Ben,
The rosy red cheeks of the little children.

Now, if you huff and puff and you fina'lly save enough
Money up to take your family on a trip across the sea,
Take a tip before you take your trip; let me tell you where to go,
Go to England, Oh;

Mama's old pajamas and your papa's mustache,
Falling out the window sill, frolic in the grass,
Tryin' to mock the way they talk fun but all in vain,
Gaping at the dapper men with derby hats and canes.

British Isles--

Devonshire Relish (England) : 3 cups whole kernel corn; 1 1/2 cups mincemeat; 1/2 cup peeled and chopped apple; 1 cup chopped sweet pickle (or sweet pickle relish); 1/2 cup pickle juice. Drain Corn. Mix all ingredients together. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Cool and store in a quart jar. (This is very good with meat.)

Yorkshire Pudding (England): 2 cups milk; 4 eggs; 1/2 tsp. salt; 2 cups sifted flour; 1/2 cup beef fat. Mix milk and eggs with your electric mixer. Add salt and flour and beat until smooth. Pour the fat into a 10x15 shallow pan; put pan in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes. Pour egg mixture into hot pan and bake for 20 minutes. Decrease heat to 300 degrees during the last 5 minutes. The pudding should be puffy and delicately brown. Cut into squares. Serve hot with roast beef and gravy.

Wassail (England): 2 cups sugar; 2 1/2 quarts water; 1 Tbsp. cloves; 10 sticks allspice; 10 sticks whole cinnamon; 5 cups lemon juice; 2 quarts orange juice; 1 quart apple cider. Mix sugar and water; heat. Tie spices in a spice bag and add to sugar/water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice, orange juice and apple cider. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Irish Stew (Ireland): 2 lbs. lamb, cut in 1" cubes; 1 lb. potatoes; 1 lb. onion; 1 lb. celery; 1 lb. carrots; 2 bay leaves; 1/2 tsp. oregano; 1/2 tsp. thyme; 1/2 tsp. rosemary. Parboil lamb for 15 minutes. Drain and dry. Cut vegetables into desired sizes and add to the pot with the seasonings. Add enough water to almost cover. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Serve.

Calico Salad (England): 1 1/2 cups finely shredded red cabbage; 1 1/2 cups finely shredded green cabbage; 1/4 cup minced onion; 1/2 cup salad dressing; 1 Tbsp. vinegar; 2 Tbsp. sugar; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. celery seed. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. In separate bowl, combine salad dressing, vinegar, sugar, salt and celery seed. Pour dressing over cabbage and onion and mix well. Refrigerate.

Barley Broth (Scotland): 2 lbs. lamb neck or breast; 1/2 cup pearl barley; salt; 6 whole black peppers; 2 quarts water; 3/4 cup each chopped onion and celery; 3/4 cup each diced turnip and carrot; 1 carrot grated; 1 cup cooked peas; 2 Tbsp. parsley; Pepper. Put lamb, barley, 1 tsp. salt and peppers into large, heavy pan; add water. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Cool and skim. Remove meat. Trim off fat and bones and dice meat. Return meat to the pot. Add onion, celery, turnip and carrot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Just before serving, add grated carrot, peas, parsley and more salt if needed and pepper to taste.

Smothered Rabbit with Barbecued Rice (Ireland): 1/2 cup flour; 2 tsp. paprika; 2 tsp. salt; 1/4 tsp. pepper; 1 (2 1/2 pound) rabbit, cut into serving pieces; 1/4 cup butter; 1 large onion, chopped fine; 1/2 cup parsley; 2 cups chicken broth. Combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a bag. Add rabbit and shake to coat the pieces evenly with flour. Heat butter in large, heavy skillet. Add rabbit and brown on all sides. Lift rabbit out and add onion. Saute until tender. Return rabbit to skiller, add parsley and chicken broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
Barbecued Rice: 2 cups tomato juice; 2 cups water; 2 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1 tbsp. minced onion; 2 tsp. salt; 2 tsp. worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp. mustard; 2 cups uncooked rice. Combine all ingredients, except rice, in a saucepan. Add rice and bring to a boil. Stir. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Serve with smothered rabbit.

Scotch Eggs (Scotland): 7 eggs; 1 lb. sausage; 2 Tbsp. milk; 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Boil 6 eggs and peel. Wrap each one with sausage, making sure that the egg is completely covered. Dip into remaining egg and bread crumbs. Cook in deep fat for 5 minutes until golden brown.

Carrot Tea Bread (England): 3/4 cup salad oil; 1 cup white sugar; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 2 eggs; 1 cup grated carrots; 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Mix oil and sugar. Add dry ingredients then beaten eggs. Mix. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into loaf pan and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Irish Soda Bread (Ireland): 3 cups sifted flour; 2/3 cup sugar; 3 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. soda; 1 tsp. salt; 1 1/2 cups raisins; 2 eggs, beaten; 1 3/4 to 2 cups buttermilk; 2 Tbsp. salad oil. Sift first five ingredients together. Stir in raisins. Combine eggs, buttermilk and oil. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and just until flour is moistened. Turn batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove bread from pan immediately to cool.