The 100 Mile Trial
	Recipies 28.11.08 Rita's potato sourdough I know that many of you are making your own bread with Powlett Hill flour, and that there is at least on commercial bread option, but here is another potato alternative to bread: Cut up 2 potatoes and cook in the microwave until cooked but not real soft-just cooked really -DO NOT USE VERY MUCH WATER THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT -ALMOST DRY. WHen cooked mash them -the consistency must be like thick biscuit mix it should not be runny at all. Put a glad bake sheet of paper on a baking tray and spread the potato mix out into a square or oblong -so that it is the thickness you want -not too thin but not too thick either (trial and error) -so it looks like a thin mashed potato square.

Bake in a mod oven for 45 -60 mins but keep an eye on it, watch to see it doesnt cook too quickly. This is the part that people seem to get wrong, so you might need to experiment with your oven. it is really drying it out and hardening it (however when it first comes out it shuld be fairly flexible and can be rolled). It can also be toasted. You can add onions, garlic etc to the mix for savoury bread or add banana, or other sweet stuff to make sweet bread. We have used the sweet bread to make a sticky date pudding and it is a REAL HIT. Rita

 

(1 - 7 below from Kim 13 Nov 08)

1.Flaky Pastry

2 cups plain baking flour
¼ teaspoon salt
200g butter
6 tbspn cold water, approx.

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Cut ¼ of the butter into the flour until it resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add sufficient water to mix to a stiff dough. On a lightly floured board roll out dough to a rectangle 0.5-1cm thick. Dot two thirds with a third of the remaining butter to within 1cm of the dough edge. Fold one third of pastry without any butter on it to the middle of the pastry. Fold the buttered section over to the folded edge. Seal the edges with a rolling pin and mark the dough with the rolling pin to form corrugations. Give the pastry a half turn. Roll into rectangle. Repeat the folding and rolling processes twice more until all the butter is used, chilling the pastry for 5 minutes between rollings if possible. Use as required for savoury pies and Vol au Vents.
Makes 500g pastry.

2.Short Pastry

2 cups baking flour
¼ tspn salt
125g butter
Cold water

Sift flour and salt together. Cut in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix to a stiff dough with a little water. Roll out very lightly and do not handle more than is necessary. Use as required for sweet or savoury pies and tarts, and quiches.
Makes 375g pastry.

3.Flat Bread

4 cups flour
2tbspn oil
1tspn salt

Put all ingredients into bowl. Stir with a knife. Add warmish tap water little by little. Mix with hands. Add just enough water to have no mix left. Pick out 4cm balls, roll flat to 3-4mm thickness. Cook under grill approx 2 minutes each side. Extras to add: garlic, caraway, chilli, dill, etc.
Makes 12 x 15cm flat breads.

4.Family Chicken Pie

8 boneless chicken thighs
2 tbspn oil
3 rashers bacon, chopped
100g mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic, crushed
2 tbspn baking flour

1 cup chicken stock
¼ tspn mixed herbs
½ cup milk
½ tspn salt
(pepper)
(1 cup corn kernels)
200g flaky pastry (recipe above)
1 egg yolk

Cut chicken into 2.5cm cubes. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add bacon, mushrooms, onion and garlic. Cook until onion is clear. Stir in flour and cook until frothy. Gradually add stock and bring to the boil. Add chicken, herbs, milk, salt (and pepper) to taste. Reduce heat and cook gently for 20 minutes or until juices run clear when tested, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. (Stir in corn). Pour chicken mixture into a 20cm pie dish. Brush edge of dish with water. On a lightly floured board roll out pastry to a circle large enough to fit top of pie dish. Carefully place pastry over filling. Press edges firmly to seal then trim. Decorate pie with pastry trimmings. Cut steam holes in centre of pastry top. Brush pastry with egg yolk. Bake at 220c for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and well risen.
Serves 6.

5.Spicy Tomato Bacon Soup

(Adapt ingredients as available)
2 onions, chopped
200g bacon, diced
(2 sticks celery, roughly chopped)
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
½ tspn chilli powder (1/2 – 1 fresh chilli chopped finely)
(1 tbspn tomato paste)
1kg ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chicken stock or water
1 bouquet garni (marjoram, sage, thyme, parsley, bay) – dried or fresh

Saute onion, carrot and celery. Add bacon, garlic and chilli. Cook for a bit. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, stock or water and bouquet garni. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove bouquet garni if desired. Puree and reheat to serve.

6.Scones

3 cups baking flour
6 tspn baking powder
¼ tspn salt
50g butter
1 ¼ cups milk
Milk

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cut butter in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add milk and mix quickly to a soft dough with a knife. Lightly knead. Lightly dust an oven tray with flour. Press scone dough out onto this. Cut into 12 even sized pieces. Leave a 2cm space between scones. Brush tops with milk. Bake at 220c for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

7.Blisters (savoury biscuit)

225g flour
½ tspn baking powder
¼ tspn salt
1 tspn onion stock

50 – 60g butter
½ - 1 cup grated cheese
Chilled water

Sift dry ingredients together. Rub in butter and add cheese. Combine to a stiff dough with chilled water. Halve mixture and roll out thinly on baking tray before cutting into fingers. Mixture should make 2 baking trays. Bake at 190c till crispy.

 

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