COOKING FOR CHAPS

Cooking

A PICNIC TO IMPRESS

Nicole Drysdale prepares the perfect ingredients for a picnic that is easy to transport and impressive to serve

Feel free to share your creations with Nicole on Instagram @nicolethechap

Want to know how to butter up your picnic guests? It starts with the butter. These days everyone has a sourdough starter on the go; making your own bread has become the thing to do but I have to admit I have resisted. Mainly due to the fact that I live round the corner from an amazing bakery, but also because I never seem to get past the starter stage without killing my starter by forgetting to feed it (a bit like my houseplants).

Homemade butter, however, with homemade or fresh bakery-bought bread, is simply divine and cuts an impressive dash at any table or picnic blanket. And there is no need to tell your guests how easy it is to make; just take the compliments on your originality.

For this picnic butter I have simply added sea salt, but if you wanted a sweet butter for breakfast crumpets I would suggest a pinch of soft brown sugar and perhaps even a pinch of cinnamon. Other flavours to play around with could include chilli flakes, ground coriander or crushed cardamom pods, or, to toast on bread, garlic or fresh herbs. This can be delicious served with fish.

No-one enjoys a soggy sandwich. I like serving open sandwiches, which can be made up once you have reached your picnic destination. That’s why the baked ham works well, for you can cut fresh slices as and when your guests get peckish. The English mustard gives the ham a sharp bite to it, while the honey gives a sweetness. Cut slices as thick or thin to suit individual tastes, and a topping of the piccalilli makes the perfect open sandwich.

I really must insist you try making haggis sausage rolls. Whatever your thoughts are of haggis, I can guarantee that once you have tried it in sausage rolls, you will never go back to plain sausage meat. I mix roughly half and half of sausage meat and haggis. Like any sausage roll, these are best enjoyed fresh, so I would suggest making these on the morning of the picnic. Everything else can be made the day before, except the piccalilli, which takes around a month to make.

For a sweet treat I’ve gone for fudge, with the delicate flavour of rose. Be careful not to add too much rose, as the flavour could become overpowering. Fudge is a little easier to transport than tartlets or a cake, and so is perfect to take on a picnic. As it’s very sweet, the addition of fresh ripe strawberries on a sunny day would help to cut through the sweetness.

These picnic ideas sit perfectly on their own, but if you wanted to add to them you could include salads, cheeses or good quality tinned sardines. Let’s hope the sun is shining all summer and we can enjoy many day trip picnics. Probably best to pack the umbrella just in case…

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients 2 Packs ready rolled Puff Pastry 1 Egg 500g Haggis (MacSweens preferably) 450g Sausage Meat

Method 1. Remove the puff pastry from the fridge at least half an hour before required. Pre-heat oven to 190. 2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the haggis and sausage meat until fully combined. 3. Unroll the pastry and place on a large chopping board. Keep the parchment paper underneath so it doesn’t stick to the board. 4. Cut the pastry in half lengthways. 5. Take a handful of the haggis mixture, roll it out in a sausage shape and place along the middle of the pastry. 6. Fold the pastry over on itself, making sure the haggis mixture is tightly inside the pastry. Use a fork to press both sides together. 7. Take a sharp knife and cut into individual sausage rolls about 3cm each. Gently stab each one with the knife on the top. 8. Whisk the egg and brush over the top of the sausage rolls to get a nice golden colour. Place on a large baking tray lined with baking paper and pop in the pre-heated oven for around 35 minutes, or until golden.

Sea Salted Butter

Makes 2 ramekins

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients 600ml pot of Double Cream Sea salt to taste

Method 1. Place the double cream into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix at the highest setting. After about 7-10 minutes, the cream will separate into butter and buttermilk. You might need to scrape the cream from the edges every so often. 2. Remove the butter and squeeze out any remaining buttermilk through a muslin cloth or clean tea towel. 3. Place the butter into a bowl and season with sea salt to taste.

Baked Gammon

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 2 hours

Ingredients Small Smoked Gammon Joint 1x heaped tablespoon of English Mustard 100g Runny Honey

Method 1. Place the gammon joint in a large pan of boiling water and simmer for 1 hour. 2. Pre-heat the oven to 180. 3. Mix the English mustard with the honey. 4. Place the gammon in a baking dish and coat with the honey/mustard mixture. Cover with foil and cook for 1/2 hours, then remove the foil for the remaining 1/2 hour. If using a larger joint, cook as per pack instructions.

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Pickling Time: 1 month

Ingredients 225g Sea Salt 1 x Cauliflower 2 x Courgettes 150g Fine Green Beans 3 x Carrots 3 x Shallots 1 x Red Pepper (Optional) 1/2 Jar small pickled onions 1 x Clove Garlic 25g Fresh Ginger 1 x Chilli (Optional) 750ml White Wine Vinegar 200g Caster Sugar 2 tbsp English Mustard Powder 2 tbsp Ground Turmeric 2 tbsp Cornflour

Method 1. Stir the salt into 500ml water. Once dissolved, make up to 2.5 litres. Pour this into a large mixing bowl or jar (or two). 2. Prep the vegetables: cut the cauliflower into small florets; slice the carrots then cut in half; do the same with the courgettes. Cut the green beans into 1.5cm lengths and the shallots into fine slices. 3. Put the vegetables into the salted water and leave to brine overnight (or at least 12 hours) 4. The following day, rinse the vegetables under cold water and place on kitchen towel for 20 minutes or so to dry.

Discard the brine. 5. Sterilise the jars by placing them, lids removed, into the oven at 120 for 15 minutes. 6. In a large saucepan mix the cornflour, sugar, mustard and turmeric powders together, with a splash of the vinegar, and mix to form a paste. 7. Once combined, add the rest of the vinegar and bring to the boil. 8. Once boiling, add the vegetables and the pickled onions (and red chilli if using) and turn down the heat. Cook for 5 minutes then turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly, before spooning the mixture into the sterilised jars. 9. Loosely place the lids on the jars until completely cooled, then tighten them up and place in a cool dark cupboard for a month.

Fudge with a hint of Rose

Makes approx 30 small squares

Prep Time: 30-40 minutes Cooling Time: 2-3 hours

Ingredients 1 x Tin Condensed Milk 125g Unsalted Butter (115g for the fudge, 10g to line the tin) 450g Light Soft Brown Sugar 150ml Full Fat Milk 1-2 tbsp Rosewater, or a couple of drops of Rose Essence

Method 1. Put all the ingredients, except the rosewater, into a large saucepan and place on a low heat until melted. 2. Bring to the boil and boil for 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously. 3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before adding the rosewater. 4. Now beat the mixture for 5-10 minutes until thick and smooth. 5. Line a 20x20cm tin with parchment and grease with the remaining butter. 6. Pour the mixture into the tin and allow to cool at room temperature. Once cooled and set, remove from the tin and place on a chopping board. Cut the fudge into small squares. To store, line a tin with parchment and use a sheet of parchment between each layer.