hipcook's Reviews
7 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 7Sort by: Title | Date 
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New English Kitchen: Changing the Way You Shop, Cook and Eat
By Rose Prince
Fourth Estate Ltd - 2005
Soda Bread : page 18
Nice loaf of bread. Mixed up particularly wet, which was odd for our house and weather; ended up adding a lot of flour to make it workable and a longer bake time to get it fully cooked.
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Trout Pate : page 322
Simple base for a sandwich spread or dip. We used smoked salmon in place of "cooked" trout, and I suspect the lower moisture content is part of why we needed a lot more yogurt and sour cream to reach the texture we wanted.
useful (1)
Lamb in a Pan with Peas, Mint, and Butter : page 205
I'd never considered stir-fry as a British dish, but this quick and satisfying preparation is exactly that. It's next to the page about using "cheaper cuts", but this was a nice way to put a dent in a leftover leg of lamb. (A different kind of frugality, I suppose.)
The cooking liquid can be either white wine or meat broth. I picked white wine, and I think the acidity helped cut the oiliness of the dish.
Not a dish I see myself buying lamb to make, but certainly a dish I'll put into the rotation to use up leftovers.
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Pleasant technique. Braised sausages take longer than panfried, and you don't get the same browning, but they do require less attention and cook up moist and tender. A quick browning before or after the braise might be called for.
I've braised a ton of sausages in beer; cider has a more delicate flavor, but the apple note is clear and goes nicely with a mildly-spaced sausage. I'll remember that.
The hot potato salad was pretty good. My wife added pan juices to the dressing, which was a great choice which tied the dishes together and added a bit of complexity to the dressing.
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Shepherd's Pie : page 200
Very nice way to use up the end of a roast, sweet and savory. It's easy enough to be a weeknight dinner, especially if you let the food processor handle the chopping and mincing. I think I went too heavy on the mashed potatoes, but it was awfully good... maybe it's served differently in the UK than in the US.
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Roast Lamb : page 199
Prince calls this "in the French style", meaning roasted on a bed of vegetables which are then incorporated into the sauce. I found it very pleasant; the flavors are subtle and compliment the lamb nicely, and the meat was tender and juicy.
I suppose the style I'm more familiar with - crusted with assertive rosemary, garlic, and salt - must be the "American" style, but I do enjoy this continental take.
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Braised Once-Roasted Beef : page 188
A pretty good technique for using leftover roast - minced, mixed with shredded root vegetables, and braised into a hearty sauce (suggested for Yorkshire puddings but fine for noodles or rice). And while it does take an hour, there's not a ton of work involved if you use a food processor. I feel like it misses an herbal note - maybe thyme or even parsley to green it up a bit.
useful (1)