Monday 31 December 2007

New Year buns

For about 20 - 30 buns

500 g / 1 lb wheat flour
500 ml / 1 pint water
1 oz / 30 g sugar
40 g / 1½ oz yeast
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a few drops of lemon juice
100 g raisins
50 g freshly and finely chopped apple

Dissolve the yeast in the water and briefly mix. Add flour and gently mix with the mixer at the lowest possible power. Mix the raisins, apple, sugar and condiments and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Scoop the mixture with a large spoon, and slide it into hot oil (180C), allow to bake for 6 minutes, or until brown. You need to turn the bun in the oil half way through the baking process.

Serve with icing sugar sprinkled on top.

Wednesday 18 July 2007

Ceann Cropaig

Had another addition to my Recipe Book journal:

Ceann Cropaig

Ingredients

1 medium / large cod
Cod is not easily available these days; 2 small haddocks or ling will do as well
liver of the same fish, chopped finely
enough fine oatmeal to make a binding mixture
rough salt to taste  

Required utensils
one large pan
a pudding bowl
grease proof paper / aluminium foil
string  

Method
Clean the head of the cod
Stuff the mixture of liver, oatmeal and rough salt into the head.
Sprinkle with flour or dry oatmeal to seal
Cover with grease-proof paper and tie with cotton or string
Place the remainder of the fish in a large pan and add water until it just covers the fish. Bring the water to the boil
When boiling point is reached, place the prepared head in the pan. The water should come halfway up the head
Reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 or 30 minutes depending on the size of the fish
Any surplus of the liver/oatmeal mixture can be placed in a pudding bowl in the water alongside the boiling fish and head, allowing water to come halfway up the side of the bowl  

Local variations
Finely chopped onions are added to the liver/oatmeal mixture in some districts