Fools and courses IT WILL be Passion Sunday tomorrow, and
I am in search of a particular kind of dried pea, the Carlin pea, only to be found in the north-east of England, so I understand. One of our greengrocers in the market told me about it. It is small and round, a blackish- brown colour, quite unlike the normal split dried pea. It takes its name from Passion Sunday or Carling or Care Sunday because it was much eaten then, and probably still is. In the playgrounds you will hear the children singing and naming the Sundays of Lent: Tid, Mid, Misere, Carlin, Palm, Pase Egg Day.' These Carlin peas are put up by Amos Hinton & Sons, complete with cooking instructions, so if you are in Thronaby or Stockton-on-Tees, try to get some, it might be rather an interesting find.
Brillat-Savarin was born today, 1 April, in 1755, leaving us his legacy of gastronomic works and the splendid spongy yeast cake made in ring form named after him, the favourite type being Fraises Brillat-Savarin. This consists of a baked Savarin border steeped in syrup flavoured with liqueur and glazed with strawberry preserve, the centre being filled with whipped cream and straw- berries flavoured with curagao and topped with pistachio nuts. Very good indeed, and would make a fine treat for Easter except the strawberries would have to be imported. If you should try it out, the Savarin dough is made with 1 lb of flour sifted with 1/4 oz of salt. Add 1/4 pint of cream, 8 eggs, 3 oz of melted butter, 2 oz of castor sugar, and, last- ly, 1/2 oz of yeast dissolved in water. Make into a clear dough, fill the Savarin ring to prove for about 40 minutes until risen, then bake at Gas 5, 375F, for 45 minutes until well risen. For full details of making the dough, look in any reliable baking book.
From Sally Bruce-Gardyne's St John's Ambulance book comes 'a scrummy receipt' which you might like to make today.
Festive cake
8 oz butter 4 large eggs 8 oz dried fruit lemon juice 1 bottle of whisky 1 cup of brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt nuts
Sample the whisky to check for quality. Take a large bowl. Check the whisky again to be sure it is of the highest quality. Pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer, beat the butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one spoontea of baking powder and beat again. Make sure the whisky is still OK. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer. Break two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the dried fruit. Mix on' the turner. If the fruit gets stuck to the beaters, prise it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the whisky again to check tonsistici- ty. Next sift two cups of salt, or something, who cares? Check the whisky again. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts Add one babblespoon of brown sugar or whatever colour you can find. Wix mell. Grease the oven and turn the cake tin to 350 gredees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window. Check the whisky again and go to bed. And a very happy 1 April to you.
For Good Friday I have found a very suit- able dish from In a Shaker Kitchen by Norma Macmillan — Pavilion Books.
Fish and exs (for 4)
8 oz cod fillet 8 oz smoked haddock
16 fluid oz full cream milk or 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream
a slice of onion a few black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1 oz butter salt and pepper 2 lb waxy potatoes, cooked and thinly sliced 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced.
Preheat the oven to Gas 4, 350F, 180C.
Put the cod and the smoked haddock in a shallow baking dish. Pour over the milk or the milk-and-cream mixture, add onion slice, bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and put into the oven. Poach the fish for 15-20 minutes or until it is just firm and will almost flake. Remove the fish to a plate. Strain the poaching milk, through a fine sieve set over a bowl. Add the butter and season with salt and freshly ground pep- per. When the fish is cool enough to handle, break it into large flake's, discarding any skin and bones. Wipe out the baking dish and butter it. Make a layer of potato slices on the bottom. Scatter over a layer of fish and cover with a layer of egg slices. Repeat, ending up with a layer of potatoes. Pour the warm milk mixture over the top and bake for about 40 minutes until all the milk is absorbed.
Jennifer Paterson
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