Ginger Cobnut Cake

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Ginger Cobnut Cake

2 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 oz roasted, skinned and chopped cobnuts/hazelnuts
1 egg

Sift flour and ginger into a bowl and rub in the butter.

Add the sugar and nuts then mix in the beaten egg.

Turn into a greased cake tin and bake at Gas Mark 4/350ºF/180ºC for 20 minutes.

  
A second reference says: This cake is made with pastry ingredients, plus grated ginger and cobnuts, or alternatively hazelnuts. It is relatively easy to make and requires little baking time.

Canterbury Pudding

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Canterbury Pudding

There are a number of distinctive recipes for this dish, which mainly consists of breadcrumbs, pastry ingredients, brandy, milk and lemon juice. A variation with no breadcrumbs exists but it is said to be rather dry.

Serves: 4

75 Gram Self-raising flour (3 oz)
75 Gram Fresh breadcrumbs (3 oz)
75 Gram Shredded suet or softened butter (3 oz)
50 Gram Caster sugar (2 oz)
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1 Egg
3 Tablespoon Brandy
3 Tablespoon Milk

Grease a 1.1 litre (2 pint) pudding basin if making a steamed pudding, or a deep pie dish if baking the pudding.
Mix together the flour, breadcrumbs, suet or butter and sugar. Add the lemon zest. Make a well in the centre and add the egg, lemon juice, brandy and enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency. Pour into the prepared dish.
 

If steaming the pudding, cover with pleated greaseproof paper or foil and secure with string. Steam for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. 

If baking, cook, uncovered, at 180 °C / 350 °F / Gas 4 for about 1 hour, until well risen. 

Serve hot with custard.

Kentish Pigeons in a Pot with Plums

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Kentish Pigeons in a Pot with Plums

There's no shortage of pigeons in Kent and they are early risers. The more often this dish is made the better the county's inhabitants will sleep. 

Fruit is widely used in savoury recipes in Kent and the delicate, slightly sharp flavour of plums goes well with game. Pigeons are widely available in early autumn, when plums are at their best.

Serves 4

25 g (1 oz) butter

15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil

4 young pigeons, prepared

10 ml (2 tsp) plain wholemeal flour

1 medium onion, skinned and chopped

2 cloves

15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh mixed herbs, such as

rosemary, sage, thyme, or 5 ml (1 tsp) dried

100 ml(4 floz) port

450 g (1 lb) purple plums, stoned and halved

salt and pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Coat the pigeons lightly in the flour, shaking off any excess, then add to the pan and fry, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole.

Stir the onion into the frying pan and fry gently until beginning to soften. Spoon over the pigeons, then sprinkle the cloves and herbs over the top.

Stir the port into the frying pan, bring to the boil, then pour over the pigeons. Arrange the plums over the top. Cover tightly and bake at 170°C (325°F) mark 3 for 1 1/2 hours, until the

pigeons are tender.

Transfer the pigeons and plums to a warmed serving platter. Boil the juices for 2 - 3 minutes to thicken them and concentrate the flavour. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour over the pigeons. Serve at once.

Lamb with Cherries

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Lamb with Cherries

Juicy red cherries from the orchards of Kent add a slight sharpness to this unusual casserole. Flavours and textures blend deliciously as the ingredients cook together in red wine.

Serves 6

225 g (8 oz) streaky bacon rashers, rinded and chopped

15 g (1/2 oz) butter

1.4 kg (3 lb) boneless leg or shoulder of lamb, cut into

4 cm (1 1/2 inch) cubes

1 medium onion, skinned and sliced

1 medium carrot, sliced

1 celery stick, sliced

1 garlic clove, skinned and sliced

568 ml (1 pint) dry red wine

bouquet garni

freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

450 g (1 lb) fresh red cherries, stoned

In a large frying pan, fry the bacon in its own fat until browned. Add the butter to the pan and fry the lamb, a little at a time, until browned.

Remove from the pan with the bacon and put in the casserole.

Fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in the fat remaining in the pan for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the vegetables to the casserole.

Pour over the wine and add the bouquet garni, pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 150°C (300°F) mark 3 for about 2 1/2 hours, until tender.

Thirty minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir the cherries into the casserole and continue to cook until the meat is tender and the cherries soft.

Maidstone Biscuits

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Maidstone Biscuits

 

Biscuits from what is probably an ancient traditional recipe. Popular with the Tudors when made with rose water.

Serves: 4+

100g butter
100g caster sugar
150g plain flour
50g ground rice and grated zest and juice of 1 orange

or 50g blanched almonds and 5ml rose water

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Fold in the flour, juice, zest and ground rice (or the flour, almonds and rose water) and mix to make a stiff dough.
Place in small heaps on a floured baking sheet.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) mark 4 for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container.

Kentish Rarebit

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Kentish Rarebit

A popular snack with the fruit pickers in the orchards of Kent at the turn of the 20th Century.

Serves: 4+

260g cheese
2 eating apples
35g butter
salt and pepper to taste

Peel, core and slice the apples.
Grate the cheese.
Melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the apples.
Add the grated cheese and seasoning and mix together.
Spread onto rounds of toasted Kentish huffkin or toast and place under a hot grill until the mixture is bubbling.

Kent Lent Pie - Kentish Pudding Pie - Folkestone Pudding Pie

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Kent Lent Pie - Kentish Pudding Pie - Folkestone Pudding Pie

In the days when Lent was strictly observed, many cooks became very ingenious at thinking up new dishes to break the monotony of their abstemious diet. This recipe, sometimes called Kentish Pudding Pie, is rather like a baked cheesecake and made a pleasant change; it was particularly popular in the area round Folkestone.

Serves: 4+

150g short crust pastry
125g margarine
125g castor sugar
2 eggs, beaten
125g ground rice
75g currants
juice from half a lemon

Line a flan tin with the pastry, prick with a fork and bake blind.
Cream together the margarine and castor until light and fluffy.
Slowly add the beaten eggs and continue to beat the mixture well.
Add the lemon juice.
Mix in the ground rice and currants.
Spread evenly onto the pastry case.
Bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 minutes or until a light golden colour.

Variations to this recipe include adding orange and/or lemon zest to the mix and/or coating the top with a thin sheen of marmalade 

Kent Huffkins - version II

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Kentish Huffkins - version II

Makes 6 – 8):

10g dried yeast

2 tsp sugar

225ml warm water

110g lard

2 tsp salt

225ml scalded milk. That is milk that has been heated till it almost boils. This disables some proteins that would stop the yeast from properly fermenting.

500g plain flour, sifted

Flour for dusting

Activate the dried yeast in a little warm water with a pinch of sugar added. When it froths it is ready.

Cream the lard, salt, a pinch of sugar, add the yeast and then the sifted flour, making a dough.

On a floured surface knead the dough till it feels ‘springy’ to the touch. Then put the dough to one side in a bowl covered with a clean dry tea towel. Leave the bowl of dough to rise in a warm dry place for about 1 hour.

Then roll out the dough again so it is about 15mm thick and use a knife to cut-out oval shapes about 85mm across the length (the traditional shape), or larger circular shapes if you wish. Some bakers make larger huffkins.

Put your pieces of dough onto a greased baking sheet, well-spaced, and cover with some damp muslin, then leave to rise for further 30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 220C.

After they’ve risen, using your thumb make a large dent in the middle of each huffkin. Dust them lightly with a little flour then put them into your oven. How long you bake them for depends on how big they are, but remember they are soft crusted, so don’t over do it!

When they are cooked, remove them to a wire rack to cool, covered with a dampened tea towel to prevent the crust from hardening. Finally dust with a little flour. The dent will have almost disappeared.

Serve sliced in half and spread with homemade jam!

Variation: push a green or dried hop into the dent, you may have to make it larger to do this.

Kentish Huffkins - version I

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Kentish Huffkins - version I

A traditional flat bread roll with an indentation made by the bakers thumb. Eat as bread rolls or fill the hole with cherries or jam and top with a little whipped cream.

Makes 12 rolls

500g strong bread flour

5g salt

50g vegetable shortening

12g fresh yeast

5g sugar

400ml milk and water mixed

Sieve the flour into a warm bowl.

Rub the vegetable shortening into the flour and add the salt and the sugar. Leave in a warm place for a few minutes.

Heat the milk/water until tepid, crumble the fresh yeast into the liquid and stir until blended.

Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients & mix well.

Turn on to a floured surface and knead until smooth.

Return to the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Divide the dough into 12 pieces.

Roll into round balls and place on a greased, floured baking sheet.

Leave room between rolls for expansion.

Press a floured finger into the centre of each roll to form a hole.

Leave in the warm to rise for 20 minutes.

Set oven to 425F or Mark 7 and bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden brown.

Kentish Pudding

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Kentish Pudding

A traditional pudding from this area of South-East England, filled with chicken, bacon and mushrooms

Serves 4-6 people:

For the pastry

275g Self-Raising Flour, plus a little extra for rolling out

140g Suet

2 big pinches of Salt

about 100g cold water

For the filling

1 lb/450g uncooked Chicken meat, cut into big pieces - boned and skinned thighs are ideal

50g Butter

1 big Spanish Onion, peeled and finely-chopped

1 big, or 2 medium cloves of Garlic - finely chopped (optional, but not traditional)

150g Streaky Bacon, cut into pieces and the rind removed

250g Flat Mushrooms, wiped with a cloth, if dirty - then sliced

3 tablespoons (45ml) Flour

400ml Chicken Stock (made with 1 cube, if necessary)

100ml Dry White Wine (this would have originally been verjus)

2 tablespoons of washed and chopped Parsley

1 teaspoon (5ml) Salt and a generous quantity of freshly-ground Black Pepper 

 

Make the pastry first, by mixing the flour, salt and suet together in a bowl - then adding enough water to make a firm, but soft, dough.

Roll out the pastry into a large circle (using a little extra flour to stop it sticking); and line the pudding basin - right to the top.

Cut a quarter section out of the circle, so the bowl is easier to line.

Re-roll this section out to form a circle, big enough for a lid.

Make the filling by melting the butter over a low heat, in a deep frying pan, large enough to easily hold all the chicken.

'Sweat' the chopped onions until translucent and a little soft, add the chopped garlic (if using) and cook for a further two minutes, stirring.

Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken pieces.

Stir them around, so they seal and become opaque on all sides.

Remove the chicken and most of the onions to a side dish, leaving as much liquid behind as possible.

Add the remaining butter, and reduce the heat to low.

Add the bacon pieces and after a further two minutes the sliced mushrooms. Stir around until the mushrooms are soft and have absorbed the butter.

Add the flour and mix well in.

Slowly add the wine, followed by the chicken stock - season with the salt, pepper and parsley.

Bring the mixture to the boil.

Remove from the heat and mix the sauce with the chicken.

Fill the pudding bowl with the chicken mixture.

Cover the pudding with the top, and make a good seal - using a little water, if necessary.

Cover the bowl with tin foil, so it has a good overlap, and fix this in position with string.

Half-fill a big saucepan with boiling water and carefully lower-in the pudding basin.

Cover with a lid and 'steam" over a medium heat for 3 hours - topping up the water occasionally so that it's always about half-way-up the pudding basin.

Serve straight from the bowl.

Pokerounce

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Pokerounce

An English (Kentish) medieval dish of hot spiced toast spread with honey and pine nuts. It was generally served as a second course at dinner.

120g/4 oz Runny Honey

½ teaspoon (2ml) Ground Ginger

½ teaspoon (2ml) Ground Cinnamon

a pinch of grated Nutmeg

25g/1 oz Pine Kernels

Gently heat the honey in a saucepan, over a low heat.

Stir in the spices, then heat very gently for about 20 minutes.

Dry-fry the pine kernels for a few minutes over a medium heat, removing them when they are golden.

Spread over thick slices of hot buttered toast, and sprinkle with the toasted pine kernels, and serve

Oast Cakes

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Oast cakes

Named after the distinctive hop-drying houses that dot the Kent countryside, these cakes were originally eaten after the crop had been gathered. They are like thin, fried scones, and are good served lightly dredged with sugar or with cherry jam.

Makes 12

225 g (8 oz) plain flour

2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder

50 g (2 oz) lard, diced

40 g (1 1/2 oz) caster sugar

75 g (3 oz) currants

45 ml (3 tbsp) vegetable oil

25 g (1 oz) butter

Put the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl, then rub in the lard until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar and currants, then mix with 45 - 60 ml (3 - 4 tbsp) water to make a soft dough.

Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and roll out until 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Using a 5 cm (2 inch) plain cutter, cut out 12 rounds.

Heat the oil and the butter in a heavy-based frying pan and fry the cakes for 2 - 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

Eat warm or very fresh.

Cabbage & Hazelnut Rolls

We haven't yet tried this recipe. But we'd love to hear about it if you do.

Cabbage & Hazelnut Rolls

Makes 16

450 g (1 lb) potatoes

salt and pepper

900 g (2 lb) green cabbage, roughly chopped

45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh milk, if necessary

50 g (2 oz) butter

50 g (2 oz) plain flour

50 g (2 oz) hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

2 eggs, beaten

100 g (4 oz) dry breadcrumbs

vegetable oil for deep-frying

lemon twists, to garnish

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash without adding liquid.

Cook the cabbage in boiling salted water for 5 - 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain well. Puree in a blender or food processor, .adding the milk if necessary - you should have 450 ml (3/4 pint) puree.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook gently, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually blend in the cabbage puree and milk, if necessary. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir the mashed potatoes and hazelnuts into the sauce, season to taste and mix well. Transfer to a bowl, cool, cover and chill for at least 1 1/2 hours or until firm.

With dampened hands, shape the mixture into 16 rolls. Place on a greased baking sheet and chill again for at least 20 minutes.

Coat the croquettes in the beaten eggs, then the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) in a deep-fat fryer. Deep-fry the rolls in batches for about 4 minutes, until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper while frying the remainder.

Serve hot, garnished with lemon twists. Accompany with a crisp salad.