A Year in Preserving - Rumtopf

When looking into the historical reasons for preserving foods they tend to fall into two categories: Foods to get us through times when we may not have enough nutrition to cope and also, foods which we want to keep for a special occasion or feast.
In Europe, lots of foods are preserved and put away for Christmas. It seems strange typing about Christmas at the end of July but for our forefathers and mothers this would have been the start of the planning for the feast of the Christ Child. At a later date I will discuss the culinary masterpieces that are Mince Pies and Christmas Pudding but for now, I will tell you about a treat which has fallen out of favour of late, The Rumtopf.
As with much in the food world there is much controversy that surrounds this boozy preservation of fruit, not least its origins. The Germans claim it, as do the Austrians, the Danish and the Northern Italians. I'm sure that the truth about who first preserved fruit in Rum in an earthenware pot will never be known, and I'm pretty sure it matters about as much as the pronunciation of Scones. Suffice is to say that this practice happened somewhere in central Europe first.
The idea is quite simple. One takes an earthenware pot with a lid and pops in it soft fruit as the summer and autumn season progresses. One covers the fruit with rum (and a little sugar) every time a new fruit is added. This way the fruit turns into boozy compote for pain perdu or waffles and the remaining liquid is a perfect late night toast to the birth of Christ or to see in the New Year.
My mother had owned a decorated Rumtopf pot for many years without ever using it so being the good son I stole it last New Year and, on the 1st of July I began preparations for Christmas.
The first fruit to go in was Strawberries (01.07.19)
Then some gifted Red Currents (06.07.19)
Followed by Apricots from the veg box (22.07.19)
After that some Plums from the veg box (31.07.19)

I await now some Scottish Strawberries to be followed by gathered Blackberries (the ultimate free fruit) and then I will probably be at the top of the pot.
Many of the recipes I have read suggest that the rum should be of a Central European type and definitely over proof. I have just used Lambs Navy as the cost of getting hold of very expensive rums would be a little too rich!

  

A Year in Preserving - Smoked Salmon

It is hard to imagine a time before Smoked Salmon. It is especially hard to imagine Christmas or New Year without this luxury. Yet in the greater history of Christmas joys it is a relative new comer; in its present form it has only been around for a little over 100 years. Whilst fish has been smoked in the UK for many centuries the curing and cold smoking of salmon can trace its origins back to 1905.

Eggs Royale the perfect
Christmas breakfast

During the first decade of the twentieth century, The UK became a place of refuge for those, especially Jews, facing persecution in Eastern Europe. Many settled (as many immigrants did before and after) in the East End of London. One such was a man called Forman. The story goes that this finder of asylum began to smoke salmon and other fish imported form the Baltic. These fish had been transported in salt or brine and were not of the best quality upon their arrival in the docks of the East End. It was only after a visit to Billingsgate Market that Mr Foreman realised that Wild Scottish Salmon was a thing of enormous beauty and was available without weeks of travel. The Formans salted this fish, dried it and then smoked it : The London Cure was born.
Forman's is still going under the fourth generation and without doubt produces a product of superb quality, however, it is perfectly possible to produce smoked salmon at home with some very simple kit.
A couple of years ago I went on a food smoking course a a food school near Milton Keynes called Coldsmoking. (they can be found at coldsmoking.co.uk ) The school is run by an ex fire fighter called Turan, and the day under his instruction was a wonderful way to spend a damp November Saturday. From thence forward I have never bought smoked salmon!

The kit

So how is it done? The only kit required is a, quite inexpensive, smoke creator and a cardboard box (specialist ones are available online but not always necessary).

Ingredients
1 Salmon
Salt

If buying a whole fish make sure it is filleted and pin-boned, if you are unsure about how this is done get you fishmonger to do it for you or simply buy in single fillets.
The salmon should be laid on a tray and sprinkled liberally with salt, concentrating, especially on the thicker parts of the fish. This should then be placed in the fridge loosely covered with baking parchment for 6 to 24 hours depending on the salt you use (more hours if you are using kosher salt or a sea salt like Malden).

Salted and ready for the fridge

After its day in salt the fish should be washed of the salt and thoroughly dried. This is then placed back in the fridge for another 24 hours.
The fish will come out with a slightly sticky surface (a pelicile) and it will be firmer and feel a bit more "meaty". Now is the time to bring on the smoke. The type of wood dust you use is a matter of choice and, to be honest, I'm still experimenting but please buy food grade dust or chips - you don't want chainsaw oil in your burner!

The cook checking for smoke

The box is placed outside, the fish placed on racks within the box and the burner lit. Now its just a matter of time. The shortest I have smoked for is 4 hours but I have gone up to 6.
Then comes the hardest bit of all - The smoked salmon will be so much better 24 to 36 hours after the end of smoking - patience is a richly rewarded virtue in this case!
the easiest and most sensible thin cut is a D cut where you cut the flesh at an angle so as to cut a very thin, broad D. The is, however, a gentleman at Foreman's who can slice with a knife the full length of the fish, thin enough slices to be almost see-through.

D - cut smoked salmon

I have made Smoked salmon for friends, family, and village functions and it always goes down a storm. Unless you are prepared to spend a fortune, you will not be able to match the quality in purchased Smoked Salmon.
Give a man some smoked salmon and he is grateful; teach a man to smoke salmon and he suddenly has a lot of friends!
(Not all the photographs in this blog were taken at the same time)

Here we go...

Well the madness has begun. The build up to Christmas is now underway. I have always felt that I didn't like Christmas very much but the truth has only recently become apparent to me - I don't like "Xmas" or, worse than that "Crimbo." The grotesque events of last Friday were ample demonstration of everything that is wrong with a twenty first century Christmas.
The main work of preparing the Christmas Roast usually falls on one person and their day is often far from relaxing; they seem to miss out on the fact that it is a feast day and we should enjoy food and good company on such a day. Over the next few weeks, I shall attempt to write blogs aimed at lessening the load on such people.
So its the 1st December and by now you should have ordered your roast, If you have not, then stop reading now and do it!. The choice of which meat to roast on the day will depend on personal preference, finance and who is coming over on the Big Day (For the record, the Beautiful Wife and I shall be having a duck on the day as there will be only two of us). You also need to by some vacuum packed chestnuts - today. You do not want to be faced with a chestnut crisis on the 24th!
Do not even think about buying cranberry sauce.
Cranberries are a really good foil to most roast meat as the natural acidity cuts through any fat but most commercial sauces are far too sweet and hence, do not offer the acid hit that is required. It could not be simpler than to make your own.

Cranberry Sauce

400gms of Cranberries
Water
250gms of caster sugar

Pop the berries in a pan and add enough water to "cover" (be aware that cranberries float). Boil the berries, they will make a very satisfying soft popping sound as the berries split. You should get it to the point at which you have a sludgy liquid. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve and bring back to the boil. Boil for about 5 minutes, you are not looking to make a jam but you want some thickness. Pot into sterilized jars and put in a safe place to await the big day.
These also make a great present if you are lucky enough to be invited to a Christmas Lunch where you don't have to cook!  

Cranberries and water

Boiling the sauce

Potted and ready

Let the madness begin!

It is that time of year again, we are less than a month away from the Christmas dinner! A host (some heavenly some not) of food writers will be tell us how to have a stress free Christmas day with their easy recipes and methods. So here's the truth. Christmas dinner is just a roast dinner on a slightly larger scale. It may require a little more planning than your average Sunday fare but lets not get things out of all proportion here.
However it would be remiss of me not to offer some advice on how to produce the Yule feast in a relatively stress free way and on a reasonable budget.
So today I have two bits of advice for you:
1. If you have a lot of guests for the big day, order your meat now. Many years ago, the Beautiful Wife and I were planning to have a duck for the roast. I left it till the 24th to buy the bird and found myself trouping round the whole of North London to find one - not a particularly pleasant occupation on Christmas Eve,
2. Buy chestnuts now. They will be sold out when you go on the 20th to do your last shop. The vacuum packed ones are fine for the purpose of sprout re-invention.

Happy new year!

I Have not written much lately as we have had the builders in, trying to ensure that Corner Cottage survives another 138 years! So cooking anything remotely complicated has been impossible. However, as the majority of the work was completed before Christmas we were able to enjoy a fine spread over the Festive Period. When we were first married, the beautiful wife and I decided that we would spend Christmas without any family (apart from the cats) and that we would visit relatives after the madness was over; we enjoyed it so much that we have done the same every year since. For the big day we had a duck, the perfect feast day roast for two. I got mine from Abel and Cole who do my veg box and it was first class with plenty of bits and bobs to nibble on in the days after.


Carving.

   The bird itself carved like butter and tasted like a dream. We went a bit overboard with the trimmings which put the little kitchen under pressure but we managed to eat well, very well. The day had started with eggs BBenedict. I'd made some stove top muffins on Christmas eve and pre poached some eggs, so all that was required was a quick whisk up of an hollandaise sauce and we were away.
Today I decided that all the left overs and bits and bobs had to be used up so we had:

Salad of Butternut squash, dressed with lemon and yoghurt
Salad of shredded Brussels Sprouts with salami
Salad of Rocket with smoked salmon
Spiced cakes of root vegetables

My fridge is now clearer and ready for the good things of the New Year. This year I plan to waste less, Eat more vegetarian dishes, bake more and experiment much more with food. Here's to a very peaceful, prosperous and delicious 2013 with all the food we need and a little of what we want too.

Yesterday was the last harvest of the year at Corner Cottage. My Chili plants which had done so well finally gave up during the cold weather and I had to strip them before they froze completely.

Though I have the smallest plot of land it is such a joy to grow anything which you then eat. Still I hope that when the days lengthen, there will be the odd piece of food from the garden

The photo here gives you some idea of how cold it has been this weekend, though no snow as of yet.

On Wednesday I shall begin my countdown to Christmas. Every food writer and celeb chef has written a problem free guide to the festivities so I'm not going to try and re-hash that idea. The period around Christmas should naturally be a stress free time - you shouldn't need some TV personality to tell you how to reduce your stress! If you find the whole idea of cooking a big meal stressful then perhaps you should try eating out this Christmas? Let's get real, if you are cooking for your friends and family, are they really going to complain about the main course being 10 minutes late? If they do, don't invite them next year!