Recipes
Damson Gin Syllabub
In the autumn as the trees begin to turn the damsons will be ready to pick, not long after the blackberries. Turn them into glorious bright pink gin for cold winter mornings, or use it for this delicious dessert.
- Serves: 4
- Prep time: 10 mins
Ingredients
- 145 ml double cream
- Juice ½ lemon
- 60 ml damson gin
- Sugar to taste
- To serve:
- 100g damsons cooked with 3tbsp sugar
- Sprigs of mint
Tip:
At other times of the year you can make this with Cassis and blackberries or blackcurrants, sloe gin and plums or a dessert wine and pieces of peach or nectarine.
Method
- Whip the cream with the lemon juice until thickening. Then gradually whip in the damson gin and sugar to taste, whisking until the cream is thick enough to hold in soft peaks.
- Spoon a little of the cooked damsons into the bottom of the chilled glasses, and then spoon in the syllabub. Chill until ready to serve topped with mint and any remaining cooked fruit.
Cumberland Sausage with Apple Red Cabbage
The traditionally curled and spiced pork Cumberland sausage is delicious served with tangy red cabbage and some lightly broken up minted potatoes.
- Serves 4
- Prep time:
- Cook time:
Ingredients
- 1 large or 4 individual Cumberland sausages
- 3tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 small red cabbage, finely shredded
- 2tsp mixed spices
- 2tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2tbsp cider vinegar
- 150ml cider
- 1 large cooking apple, peeled and chopped
- 400g potatoes, peeled and quartered or chopped
- Fresh mint
- Butter
Method
- Brush the sausage lightly with oil and place in a small roasting tin with 3-4 tbsp water. Cook slowly at 170C/325F/gas Mark 3 for 30 minutes, brushing occasionally.
- Heat the rest of the oil in a large pan and fry the onion until softened. Add the cabbage, spice, vinegars, cider and 150ml water. Bring up to bubbling, cover and leave to simmer for 10 minutes or until just tender.
- Check the sausages and increase heat to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 to brown.
- Check the cabbage seasoning and add the apple, cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Cook the potatoes with a few sprigs of mint until just tender, drain and leave covered in pan for a few more minutes.
- When ready to serve bash the potatoes slightly and add knobs of butter and fresh mint leaves.
Cumberland Rum Nicky
Cumbrian ports were once busy with the exotic spice trade from the West Indies and this is one of the traditional recipes evolved from that era. Apple was not traditionally added, and is optional, it does make this pastry a little less rich!
- Serves: 6
- Prep time: 15mins
- Cook time: 35mins
Ingredients
- 25g chopped preserved ginger
- 75g dates, chopped
- 50g ready to eat apricots, chopped
- 2tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 2tbsp rum
- 200g short crust pastry
- 1 crisp eating apple, peeled and chopped
- knob butter
- 1-2tbsp milk
- 2tsp caster sugar
Method
- Mix the dried fruits, sugar and rum together and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out half the pastry to line a 18cm pie plate or shallow baking tin. Prick the base of the pastry. Pre - heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas Mark 6.
- Mix the apple into the dried fruits, spread evenly over the pastry base and add a few knobs of butter.
- Roll out the rest of the pastry and cover the dried fruits. Seal the edges with a little water.
- Brush the top with a little milk and sprinkle with castor sugar.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until light golden. Serve warm with thick cream or custard or leave to cool.
Braised Cumberland Lamb
Cumbrian lamb is well known for its rich and aromatic flavour acquired from the varied hillside grazing. Braised long and slow with parsnips, mustard and Cumberland sauce, the shoulder produces a tender and succulent weekend joint.
- Serves: 4
- Prep time: 20mins
- Cook time: 2 hours ++
Ingredients
- 1.5kg shoulder of Cumbrian lamb
- Little vegetable oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 sticks celery, cut in long pieces
- Several cloves garlic
- 400g parsnip, peeled and quartered
- Sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 300ml lamb or light stock
- 1tbsp grainy mustard
- 3tbsp Cumberland sauce
- Salt and pepper
Tip:
If preferred you could thicken the juices with a little flour or cornflour and extra Cumberland sauce.
Method
- Brown the joint in a little oil in an ovenproof and heat proof casserole or a roasting tin. Transfer to a plate while frying the onion and celery
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas Mark 3. Return the joint to the pan and add the whole garlic cloves, the parsnips and rosemary.
- Mix together the stock, mustard and sauce and pour over the lamb, adding seasoning if you wish. Bring to bubbling, cover and cook in slowly for one hour.
- Baste the joint and return to the oven for a further hour or until really tender. Check the seasoning and serve with a few additional sprigs of rosemary and Cumberland sauce.