Tuesday 16 October 2007

Little Foodies Britain

So many people think pease pudding is revolting. As a child I would have agreed. I still ate it though. There was no fussing about food when I was growing up. You ate what you were given. This was an unspoken rule, it was never enforced heavily, it's just what happened. Give me pease pudding now and I love it! I don't have it that often admittedly and I prefer it when I'm actually in the North East. It always seems to taste better. I particularly love a ham and pease pudding stottie. A stottie being a soft white bread bap. If you find yourself in the North East of England anytime you should try it. Pease Pudding certainly doesn't look appetising but boy it's good. It even has it's own little rhyme.

Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold,
Pease pudding in the pot, Nine days old,
Some like it hot, Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot, Nine days old.

I think it is better cooked with a ham, preferably on the bone but you can always do it without the ham, making it suitable for vegetarians. In which case I'd cook it with an onion.

Ham and Pease Pudding
One ham joint, approx 1 kilo in weight (This doesn't really matter, if it's on the bone it will probably weigh more. I used a boneless joint this time.)
500g packet of yellow split peas (this is just over 1lb in weight)
31/2 pints / 2 litres of boiling hot water
a sprinkle of pepper

Put the ham in a large heavy bottom pan and cover with water. Put on a high heat and let it come to the boil. Boil it for approx. 10 minutes then pour the water away. Add the split peas to the pan along with pepper, cover with 31/2 pints of boiling hot water. Bring to the boil, then let it simmer gently for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Regularly skim the top of any frothy scum that appears. After the 1 1/2 hours take the ham out (so long as it's cooked enough for the size). Put the pan back on the heat and check the consistency, it should be like thick soup at this stage. Simmer for a further half an hour but keep an eye on it as it may start to dry out too much in which case it will start catching/burning on the bottom of the pan. If this happens add a tiny bit more water, just enough to stop it from catching.. After 2 hours it should be ready to take off the heat and let it cool down. It will set harder once it cools down, so bear this in mind.

Edit: I took off some of the liquid after an hour when I made this to make some soup and therefore it took less time to cook. I could see that the split peas where going to be mushy enough without the full two hours. I was able to go on instinct, I guess from years of watching it being made as a child.

It is superb when it's freshly cooked, hot from the pan smeared on top of really fresh bread with butter on. It's also really good on a plate, alongside a few slices of the ham it was cooked with and some hot potatoes. Best of all eaten cold in a sandwich with slices of the ham.

It also makes really good soup if you take a couple of cups of the cooked pease pudding and add 2 pints of good stock, one chopped onion, some chopped root vegetables and potatoes, a few bits of the ham, finely chopped. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes and you have one very tasty soup.


Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes (This made 24 mini cupcakes and 12 normal size cupcakes).
200g / 7oz self raising flour
175g / 6oz unsalted butter (room temp)
175g / 6oz sugar
3 eggs medium size (room temp)
Zest (finely grated peel) and juice of one lemon
A few tablespoons of milk may be needed to loosen the mixture.

Cream the sugar and butter together, add the eggs and mix well. Fold in the flour (sieved) then add the juice and rind of one lemon. If the mixture is too thick add a little milk at a time to loosen it. Spoon into cupcake holders and bake in a preheated oven (175C/gas mark 3 ) for approximately 12-15 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes, then drizzle with the icing and allow to cool.

For the lemon icing. 1 and a half cups of icing sugar, zest and juice of one lemon. You may need more lemon juice or use a few drops of warm water. This made far too much icing but it was so delicious we allowed ourselves to spoon more on each time we ate them!!

Ginger Flapjacks
1lb / 450g rolled oats
101/2 oz / 300g butter
3oz / 75g soft brown sugar
2oz / 50g golden syrup
Half a jar of ginger conserve

Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the ginger conserve and mix then add the oats and mix well. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof pan, lined with greaseproof paper (mine is approx 9 x 11 inches) and press down with the back of a wooden spoon. Bake in a pre-heated oven (190C / gas mark 5) for approximately 30 minutes. Take out and leave to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into pieces. Store in an airtight container for a few days if you can get them to last that long.

Little's verdict of pease pudding - NO THANK YOU but can I have some more ham, that's really good! Small's verdict of pease pudding - Mmmm delicious! But on hearing Little's protests he decided he didn't like it either. Harsh glares at Little - he knows the rules!

25 comments:

FH said...

Flapjacks interest me. Looks great, I might try!:)

Caffienated Cowgirl said...

Oh man...flapjacks...I do miss those!

Katie Zeller said...

So THAT's what pease pudding is... I think I'd rather like it!
Knew the nursery rhyme, just had no idea what it was.

In the U.S. 'flapjacks' is just another word for plain, old pancakes.

Deborah said...

I never knew what pease pudding was, but I knew the nursery rhyme!! I think it sounds tasty, though!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

You are really cooking it out woman. I always loved singing that pees song! I know I'd like your ham & pease pudding!

Marie Rayner said...

Ohh, what a yummy post! I love all these things! We have peas pudding at home as well. I forget what it's called now...umm... oh yeh, Peas Pudding! DOH! We have it with something called a Jig's Dinner, which is like a boiled dinner with salt beef. anyways, well done Amanda!

Kelly-Jane said...

We read that nursery rhyme, and I do think to myself I wonder what it's like!

Cottage Smallholder said...

We make a ham and split pea soup in the winter. I must try your pease pudding it sounds scrummy. Thanks.

KJ said...

What a yummy post. I love this type of food.

I've never tried pease pudding, but I think I should. I often make pea soup just like you described. I use meaty bacon bones. Yum.

I've never tried flapjacks either. They sound delicious. I love ginger. I have copied your recipe for my must try list.

Anonymous said...

It's a really Northern thing, pease pudding and it's something I love but the lentils don't agree with my constitution, so it's something I love from afar (ditto for lentil soup, which I love with a passion... *sigh*) but I do love a good ham! I have to admit that the ham that they make where I work is heavenly.

Anonymous said...

I've never had pease pudding, but I think I will eat it with more ham please ;).

KellytheCulinarian said...

What great dishes.

Shaun said...

Amanda - You know, as a kid I always thought the nursery ryhme went "Please pudding hot, please pudding cold..."! No wonder I loved that rhyme. With age, though, I have a developed a great love for split peas. I'd have loved to have tried your sottie and will take you up on the recommendation to try one should I ever find myself in England's North-East.

Anonymous said...

I know that rhyme! Although I have never had pease pudding...so that's what it is! :) I love mushy bean stuff (even as a kid)so I'm sure I would love this too!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Asha, I hope you do, they are really good.

Hi CC, They're yummy. So easy too, little man could nake a batch with you.

Hi Katiez, pancakes eh? I learn something new all the time. I'm ashamed to say that I kept seeing mac and cheese when I first started blogging and thought everyone was talking about McDonalds. Shame on me!

Hi Deborah, it's very tasty.

Hi Tanna, I think you would too. It would go great on some of your homemade bread.

Hi Marie,Jig's Dinner is such a great name.

Hi Kelly-Jane, I can't believe you've not tried it.

Hi Fiona, do, it's really good. Though hubby said he prefers split peas in soup.

Hi KJ, I love the ginger flapjacks and therefore only make them sometimes!

Hi Tash, Ah! That explains the music that has surrounded me for the last few days! You're in the perfect place for really good ham and even though you can't eat it pease pudding.

Hi Veron, do you know my children?! ;)

Hi Kelly M, thank you

Hi Shaun, how funny! I much prefer your version. Will teach the children it today. I love split peas. I really love curried split pea soup...

Hi Joey, I think you'd love it too. In fact I know you'd love it with some jamon serrano sliced into it. Actually so would I!

Thank you all for your comments.
Amanda x

Patricia Scarpin said...

Those flapjacks look so good, Amanda!
I should use more ginger in my cooking/baking.

Joanna said...

Haven't had pease pudding since I was a child, and have never cooked it. That's going to change.

Great idea to put ginger in the flapjacks

Joanna

Kelly-Jane said...

I really must try it. We were out last night and I had some lovely lentil soup after reading this post =)

Pig in the Kitchen said...

Oooo, lemon drizzle cakes, always wondered how you make them, now I know. That has got my egg free, dairy free, gluten free brain whirring!
Pigx

Cynthia said...

Peas pudding, hmmm that's something new I've learnt today. Thanks, Amanda.

Pat said...

Oh that sounds lovley!!! Like ham and pea soup. And the flapjacks sound lovely especially with the added ginger.

Anonymous said...

I think when you were small peaspudding must have been the last thing you wanted to eat as when i was carrying you my craving was for gingersnaps with peaspudding. how disgusting.
Mxxxx

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Patricia, I love putting ginger in things. I often put it in old recipes that don't include it and they become new favourites.

Hi Joanna, I would happily put ginger in almost everything if I could, sweet and savoury, same with garlic and onions in most savoury things.

Hi Kelly-Jane, I love soup with pulses in, especially if they're spiced up a little.

Hi PITK, If anybody can do it, you can.

Hi Cynthia, I learn something new everyday from reading other blogs.

Hi Pat, I think ham and pea soup is better if I'm totally honest. I do like pease pudding, but not that often. As for the ginger flapjacks, I made them by chance a few years ago when I didn't have enough sugar or syrup in the house and they turned out so well, I made them again and again. I tend to do everything by eye though so I hope the recipe stands up to the measurements I've put down.

Hi Mum, That sounds absolutely revolting! Each thing on it's own - fine, but together? No thank you!! hugs xx

Thank you for your comments.
Amanda x

Anonymous said...

I will definately be trying these lemon drizzle cup cakes. Thanks for sharing the recipe. sara from farmingfriends

Anonymous said...

I just made these cookies for the first time (without ginger) and a comment told me they were called flappjacks in the U.K. I found them on a canadian blog and they were called Muskoka. Anyway you name them, I call them delicious!

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