Greengage Jam

This is a deliciously, golden jam and it makes a change from plum jam. They are , however tricky to get hold of so if you know anybody that grows them or you grow them yourself, then get making this lucious jam. Sometimes they can be quite a dry fruit, so a little extra water may be needed to compensate for this. Check on the texture when halving and stoning the gages if they look dry, add a further 240ml/8fl oz water when cooking the fruit.

Makes 5kg/10lb

3kg/6lb greengages, halved and stoned, quarter if you prefer smaller pieces of fruit

3kg/6lb sugar

560ml/1 pint water, or more if necessary, see above

12 kernels, removed from stone and blanched in boiling water

Method

1.Place the prepared fruit in the pan with the water and kerels, simmer until gages are soft, this will take about 20 minutes if the fruit is quartered or 30 minutes if it is halved. Stir, gently, occasionally.

2.When the fruit is soft, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 4 minutes, stirring constantl. Test for setting, continue to boil for another minute if not ready and test again.

3.When setting point is reached, allow to cool for 10 minutes to allow the fruit to settle, stir gently and pour into jars.

This jam should keep for 8-9 months unopened.

Basic White Sauce

I use three methods of making a white sauce, depending on time mainly as my reason for choosing which I make. White sauces are usually thickened with flour, either plain or cornflour.

The most traditional method is prepared with a ‘roux’, this is a combination of fat, I always use butter and flour,  most commonly equal proportions.  It gives a rich base to add other ingredients and can be used for savoury or sweet sauces.

A quicker version of this is to put the cold milk, fat and flour into the pan together and whisk like mad. I tend to use more butter than flour in this version as it stops lumps forming more readily. The milk has to be cold for this though or it will go lumpy. This is also a rich base and can be made into savoury or sweet sauces.

For both of the above sauces always use plain flour.

The ‘cornflour’ method uses no fat in the preparation and can lighten the calorie content somewhat if you need too. This can be as rich or light as you wish. You can have a fairly low calorie sauce if you use skimmed milk and no added fat or add butter to enrich the sauce if that is required. I find this a very versatile way of making a white sauce.

There are no seasonings listed in these recipes as that will depend on what you want to do with the sauce. To flavour these three methods of making a white sauce, the milk may be infused with whatever ingredients you wish before preparing the sauce. See individual recipes for ideas for flavouring sauces in the next few chapters.

White Sauce using the roux method

For 600ml of sauce

40g butter

40g plain flour

600ml warm milk

1.Using a heavy- based pan melt the butter over a low heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Metal spoons don’t work so well at working on lumps.

2.Stir for about two minutes without allowing the mixture to colour, so keep over a low light.

3.Remove from the heat. Add the milk slowly and gradually, stirring constantly.

4.When all the milk has been incorporated and the sauce looks smooth, replace on to a medium heat and stir as the sauce comes to the boil.

5.Turn the heat down to low and cook gently for about 5 minutes until the flour is cooked. If this is not done the sauce will taste raw and floury.

6.If there are any lumps in the sauce, simply pass it through a sieve at the end of the cooking time into a warmed jug.

The Quicker Version

For 600ml of sauce

50g butter

40g flour

600ml cold milk

1.Place all the ingredients in a heavy based pan, it gives best results if you sift the flour into the milk.

2.Over a medium heat, stir the sauce with a balloon whisk.

3.Continue to whisk as the sauce comes to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes, still whisking gently though.

The Cornflour Method

For 600ml of sauce

600ml milk, skimmed, semi-skimmed or whole milk 

2 rounded tablespoons corn flour

1.Put about 5 tablespoons of the milk in a clean small jam jar and add the cornflour. Replace the lid tightly and shake the mixture until thoroughly combined. This is the easiest way of mixing flour and liquid.

2.Put the milk in a pan and heat until hot.

3.Stir in the cornflour and stir well with a whisk or a wooden spoon.

4.Bring to the boil stirring constantly then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Cornflour cooks more quickly than wheat flour.

For a creamy, rich flavour, especially good for sweet sauces, try using a large can of evaporated milk made up to 600ml with water.

Poule au Pot

This recipe is the brainchild of Henry IV of France who, despite having 56 mistresses, was happily married to his second wife, Marie de Medici, who was addicted to eating globe artichokes for their supposed aphrodisiac qualities, and having ended religious wars and rebuilt French commerce and industry, turned what remained of his energies to improving the lot of the peasants of France.

This is his recipe, which de dictated saying,

If I were granted more years to live I would make it so every family in the Kingdom could have a chicken for dinner each Sunday.

Poule au pot is cooked in a large pot, in boiling water for 90 minutes. It takes 2 litres of water, and the result is copious quantities of brilliant stock, amazing flavoured sauce, plus cooked vegetables and chicken with a flavour you wouldn’t believe.

Boiling is so much more efficient than roasting, allowing us to stuff the bird safely, something frowned upon in more conventional cooking. The downside: roasted chicken skin, which I love, but to be honest, there are so many wonderful flavours in this meal I didn’t miss it that much.

The meat

A 1.8 Kg chicken and a few slices of belly pork, around about 500 g, which are both boiled together.

The vegetables

There are two sets of vegetables for this dish. The first is to flavour the stock and the second to serve at table. The first consists of all those vegetables at the bottom of the fridge, the old onion, the green tops of leeks, some cabbage, overly large and split carrots.

The second are whatever you want from potatoes to turnips. Once the chicken is cooked, the whole lot is removed from the stock, and the new vegetables are allowed to cook in the stock until they are tender.

Forcemeat

The origin of the word forcemeat comes from the action – you force the meat into the cavity, in other words to stuff.

Ingredients

300 g breadcrumbs

2 garlic cloves

100 g gherkins

1 tbs Dijon mustard

3 rashers bacon

100 g belly pork

1 chopped onion

1/4 tsp Pepper

This stuffing is based around breadcrumbs, and all the ingredients are minced in a food processor.

Force all the stuffing into the cavity, really pushing it home with the spoon. Then pull the skin from the vent into position and it is time to truss the bird.

Cooking the poule au pot

Place the chicken into a large stock pot. Liberally cover the bird with cold water and add all your collected vegetables. The more the merrier really. If you have enough garlic, cut the whole bulb in half and add both halves, as well as about 500 g belly pork.

Bring to the boil and cook for 90 minutes on a low but steady simmer.

Around about an hour into the cooking, test for seasoning.

The sauce

Take about a third of the stock and reduce by about half by gentle simmering. Add about 30 ml white wine. You can thicken with a little cornflour if you prefer, or if you wish to be terribly English, make a full on gravy.