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The kitchen is open- In the London borough of Merton sits Wimbledon, an affluent suburb and home to its namesake tennis tournament since 1877. We tuned in to Centre Court during the Gentlemen's Championship - the battle of the drop shots and third grade haircuts, a net that seemed to grow taller, and break points that wouldn't break. For us? A bloody fine excuse to drink champagne and eat strawberries. Deuce again? Insane. But we have Champagne! Throughout this match for the tennis history books, dueling deuces stretched games into events in themselves. Four hours in called for scotch eggs and Dorset Red toasties. Deuce. So nice to see you again. More Champagne! And another toastie. Whoa. After five sets and nearly five hours, victory brought closure to our stress eating. But not our love for the sport of tennis or the enjoyment we experienced baking scones and scotching eggs. Whether winning a final set or setting the table, preparation is key.  Breakfast at Wimbledon - British Scones Strawberry Jam, Clotted Cream - Strawberries and Cream - Earl Grey Lavender Tea  Pimm's Cup  Picnic on the Hill - English Tea Sandwiches Three Ways Cucumber | Egg and Cress | Cheese and Pickle - Truffle Scotch Eggs - Hot Smoked Salmon - English Garden Salad  
   SIDE DISH Thousands of strawberries are harvested daily during the wee morning hours in Southern Kent County, in order to arrive fresh at the All England Club for each day of match play. Some 2 million are consumed along with 10,000 litres of fresh cream over the fortnight.  Recipes British Scones KT Favorite 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats 1 tablespoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon Maldon Sea Salt 2 tablespoons caster sugar 3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cubed 1/2 cup milk 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, to glaze Clotted cream, strawberry jam Preheat convection oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add butter and blend with hands into a fine crumbly mixture. Slowly add milk, working dough until sticky and no lumps remain. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle with flour and knead into a smooth, 1/2-inch-thick round. Cut out scones using a floured, 2-inch biscuit cutter. Roll any scraps of dough into a new round to form additional scones. Place on a buttered baking sheet, and brush tops with egg yolk glaze. Bake 10-12 minutes until firm and golden. Cool scones on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with clotted cream and jam. Yields a baker’s dozen ------ Cucumber Sandwiches ½ English cucumber, peeled 4 thin slices of white bread Lightly salted butter, room temperature Fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed Thinly slice cucumbers and place in a colander with a sprinkle of sea salt. Mix gently and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Butter bread slices generously. Layer half the bread slices with overlapping cucumber slices and sprinkle with pepper. Top with remaining bread slices. Remove crusts and cut into fingers or triangles to serve. Makes 2 sandwiches, 4 fingers or triangles ------ Egg and Cress Sandwiches 2 hard- or soft-boiled eggs 1 tablespoon mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard Small handful of watercress, chopped 4 thin slices of white bread Lightly salted butter, room temperature Peel eggs and mash with a fork. Mix in mayonnaise and mustard, and combine well. Butter bread slices generously. Layer half the slices with egg mixture. Top with chopped watercress. Close sandwiches with remaining bread slices. Remove crusts and slice into triangles to serve. Makes 2 sandwiches, 4 triangles ------ Cheese and Pickle Sandwiches ½ pound English mature cheddar, grated 4 generous tablespoons Branston Pickle 4 thin slices of white bread Lightly salted butter, room temperature Butter bread slices generously. Layer half with grated cheddar followed by a generous spooning of chutney. Spread to coat evenly. Top with remaining bread slices. Remove crusts and slice into triangles. Makes 2 sandwiches, 4 triangles ------ Truffle Scotch Eggs KT Favorite 5 eggs 1 pound ground pork 1 tablespoon black truffle oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ cup flour ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs Neutral oil for frying (I used 34 ounces of grapeseed oil) Fresh rosemary, Branston Pickle, and Dijon Mustard for serving Drop 4 eggs into boiling, heavily salted water. For jammy yolks, boil for 7 minutes and then transfer immediately to an ice water bath to stop cooking, approximately 5 minutes. Mix pork, truffle oil, salt, and garlic powder by hand. Form mixture into 4 balls. Gently peel boiled eggs and pat dry. Place flour in one bowl and breadcrumbs in a second. Beat the remaining egg in a third bowl. In one hand, flatten a ball of pork mixture into an oval patty. Coat an egg in flour before placing it onto the oval patty. Gently wrap the patty around the egg, shaping it with your hands until sealed. Roll the meat-wrapped egg in the flour, shaking off any excess, dip into the beaten egg, and roll in the breadcrumbs, pressing them to adhere. Repeat with the remaining three eggs. Heat oil in a deep fryer on medium low heat. Carefully lower eggs into the oil and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Cool slightly before slicing in half. Serve with sprigs of rosemary, Branston Pickle and Dijon as desired. Pork will continue to cook while resting. If needed, the eggs can be heated briefly in the microwave to ensure pork is cook without compromising the jammy yolks. ------ Hot Smoked Salmon 2 6-ounce center salmon portions ½ teaspoon juniper berries ½ teaspoon celery seed ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt Olive oil ½ cup apple wood chips ¼ cup nonfat yogurt 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish Finely grind juniper berries, celery seed and salt. Pat salmon dry and rub mixture over all sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, soak apple wood chips in a small bowl of water. Rinse the cure from the salmon under cold water and pat dry. Leave uncovered in the refrigerator to dry completely, up to an hour. Scatter soaked wood chips in a foil-lined, deep baking tray or roaster. Rub the salmon with olive oil and place on a wire rack on top. Cover with tented foil so as not to touch the fish. Place tray on a stove at medium heat until smoke begins to waft from underneath the foil. Remove from heat and allow fish to smoke for about 20 minutes. Transfer to a hot oven to finish cooking if needed. Mix yogurt with horseradish and serve alongside the salmon. ------ English Garden Salad 2 new potatoes, scrubbed and cubed 2/3 cup frozen peas ¼ cup julienne sundried tomatoes ½ cup thinly sliced red onion ¼ cup nonfat yogurt 1 tablespoon mayonnaise Salt and white pepper Boil new potatoes for 3 minutes. Add peas and boil for an additional 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Combine with remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. ------ Pimm’s Cup KT Favorite 1 ounce Pimm’s No.1 1 ounce London dry gin ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice Light ginger beer Cucumbers and strawberries for garnish Add Pimm’s No. 1, gin, and lemon juice to a highball glass over ice. Top with ginger beer to taste. Garnish with thinly sliced cucumber and quartered strawberries. Makes 1 cocktail
2 Comments
7/17/2023 06:06:17 pm
Your kitchen photography amazes me. I don't think I've ever seen Scotch eggs, but they are much too complicated for me to even begin to tackle in the morning. Might have to wait for a visit to London. So grateful you featured watercress. It rarely seems available when I check, but I just did and both Central Market and HEB have it right now. Watercress salads are about my favorite. Thank you, Gayle! We were pleased with how the scotch (wrapping with meat) eggs turned out. Not as difficult as I was expecting. And sinfully delicious. Whole Foods has the most beautiful watercress I've ever encountered in a grocery store. I shall purchase more and make salad with it. Thanks for sharing! Leave a Reply. |
AuthorSFood and travel enthusiasts Michele and Doug McMurry journey to global destinations by way of their home kitchen in San Antonio, Texas. Archives
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