Try out these scrumptious recipes from National Trust properties all over Wales and you can guarantee your friends and family will be back for more...
Chirk Castle Recipes
© NTPL / Matthew Antrobus
Blackberry & clotted cream shortcake
Shortcake
- 300g self-raising flour, preferably organic
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 140g butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 75ml buttermilk
- 1 egg, beaten
Filling
- 500g blackberries
- 3 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 275g pot clotted cream
- icing sugar, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5
- Tip the flour into a mixing bowl with baking powder and a pinch of salt.
- Add the butter, rub everything together with your fingers to make a reasonably fine crumbed mixture, then stir in the sugar.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, then tip in the buttermilk and egg. Gently work the mixture together until it forms a soft, sticky dough.
- On a lightly-floured surface, knead the mixture a couple of times and mould it into an 18cm round. Put the dough on a lightly-greased baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Leave to cool.
- For the filling, lightly mash the blackberries with the sugar. Split the shortcake in two and spread the bottom half with the clotted cream. Spoon the mashed berries over the cream, then top with the shortcake. Dust with icing sugar and serve in slices.
Nettle Soup
Serves 6
- 25g (1oz) butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 400g (14oz) potatoes peeled and finely chopped
- 450g (1lb) freshly picked nettle tops
- 1 Litre (1 3/4 pints) vegetable stock
- 150ml (1/4 pint) double cream
- freshly grated Nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic gently for 10 minutes in a covered saucepan, without colouring.
- Add the potatoes and nettles and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the stock, cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cool a little, then puree in a liquidiser. Return to a clean saucepan, stir in the cream and season with freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently and serve.
Erddig Recipes
© NTPL / Rupert Truman
Asparagus Soup
From an Erddig recipe book, c.1765
- About 1lb (450g) fresh asparagus
- 1/2 lettuce, washed
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 pt (900ml) vegetable or chicken stock
- 1oz (18g) plain flour
- 2 eggs yolks
- 2 1/2 floz (about 75ml) double cream
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Cut off the tips from the asparagus and reserve for garnishing. Trim the asparagus and cut into 1 in (2.5cm) pieces.
- Shred the lettuce finely, then put it with the asparagus and onion in a pan. Pour over the stock, cover the pan and simmer gently until the asparagus is tender.
- Put through a blender or food processor to make a puree. Steam or simmer the asparagus tips very gently until tender, drain and reserve.
- Rinse out the pan, then make a roux with the butter and flour, and stir in the puree. Season well, then gently bring to the boil and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Mix the egg yolks and cream together and stir into the soup. Reheat carefully without boiling, then taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Add reserved asparagus tips and serve hot. Serve 4.
Apple Shortbread
- 1lb cooking apples
- 3 tbsp soft Brown Sugar
- 4oz welsh Butter
- 3oz caster Sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 6oz plain Flour
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C. Grease and line 7” round sandwich tin.
- Stew the apples gently with the brown sugar until soft and leave to cool. Beat together the butter and sugar, add the egg and flour and work to a soft dough.
- Divide into 2 portions. On a lightly-floured board roll out one half to fit the base of the tin, cover with the apples, roll out the other half of the dough and cover the apples.
- Mark the top into eight portions and prick lightly with a fork. Bake for about 1 hour until golden, leave to cool and sprinkle with caster sugar.
Powis Recipes
© NTPL / Kevin Richardson
Pea Soup
- 4 onions
- 1.5 kg peas
- 2oz butter
- white sugar
- crushed garlic
- salt & cayenne pepper
- bay leaves
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp vegetable stock
- 1 1/2-2 litres milk
Method
- Peel onions & slice, sauté in melted butter & add peas to soften.
- Liquidise with a little of the milk. Return to saucepan, add rest of milk & water to fill saucepan.
- Add sugar, garlic, salt & pepper & bay leaves.
- When nearly boiling add stock & thicken with cornflour.
Welsh Cheese & Leek Flan
Serves 8-10
- 3 leeks
- 3 free-range eggs
- 3 fl oz soured cream
- 3 fl oz milk
- 6oz Welsh cheese, nutmeg, shortcrust pastry
Method
- Boil leeks until soft. Make shortcrust pastry for flan base.
- Line dish with pastry & add leeks together with cream, milk & cheese with a pinch of black pepper.
- Sprinkle with nutmeg on top & bake at 180C for 40-45 minutes, or until set.
Organic Welsh beef, red wine & mushroom pie
Serves 6-8
- 3 tbsp gluten-free plain flour
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1.5kg organic stewing steak cut into chunks
- 4 sliced garlic cloves
- 2 sliced onions
- 1 chopped celery stick
- 225ml red wine
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 200g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 finely chopped large tomatoes
- chopped parsley
- 500g puff pastry
- 1 free-range egg yolk
Method
- Preheat fan assisted oven to 160C. Mix flour, paprika & some seasoning in a bowl.
- Toss steak into flour until well coated. Put steak, garlic, onions, celery, red wine, 400g chopped tomatoes & thyme leaves into ovenproof casserole dish with a lid.
- Season & stir well. Cover & cook in oven for 1 1/2hours, stirring every 1/2 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in frying pan. Fry mushrooms over a high heat for 3-5 mins, until just softening. Take off the heat.
- Remove the beef from the oven & leave to cool. Add large chopped tomatoes, parsley, mushrooms & juices.
- Heat oven to 200C. Put filling into a 1.7 litre pie dish & put a pie funnel in the middle. Roll out pastry to £1 coin thickness.
- Cut out a shape 5cm larger than the dish, then cut out a 2.5cm strip from the edge. Brush with more water & stick pastry to it. Brush with more water. Flip pastry over a rolling pin & drape over pie.
- Press the edge onto the pastry strip to seal, ease top of pie funnel through the pastry’s middle & trim excess off. Tap the blade of a small sharp knife along the pastry’s outside edge, then flute it using the back.
- Brush pastry lid with yolk. Bake for 30-35 mins until puffed & golden.
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