BATTER BUTTY

Oh my word, I've just discovered the Batter Butty!  It's something so bad and so good at the same time.  When you read the recipe everything  will scream blocked arteries and high cholesterol but I'm a firm believer that you can have the bad things as long as that's not all you're eating - everything in moderation.

So, basically the Batter butter is a jam sandwich deep fried in batter - I told you it was bad.  I've tried to posh mine up a bit and used brioche rolls and added slices of fresh strawberry.

The picture says it all really, it's pretty simple.  Make your sandwich, don't butter it and put jam on both sides to help it stick together.  Add a layer of thinly sliced strawberry and sandwich it together.

Dip the whole think in batter and deep fry.  I made my batter with one egg and 5 tbsp of plain flour.  Stir them both together till the egg is incorporated then gradually add milk till you get the consistency you're happy with.  I used about 1/2 pt.  You want it to be the thickness of pancake batter.

It takes only a minute to cook, once it is, sit it briefly on kitchen paper then serve still warm with a sprinkle of icing sugar.  It's like a lovely fresh doughnut.

I can hear Elvis saying "thank you very much"

FAGGOTS!

What is it about Faggots that you can't actually say them without an exclamation mark!  I first had them when I left home and had to fend for myself.  'Brains' Faggots they were and I thought they were made from brains hence the name, I'm not entirely convinced  they didn't mind you.  Anyhoo, my love of offal has not waned and I recently saw faggots selling in a butchers in Bath.  I'd not thought of making them myself before but I'm glad I did, they're de-lish, like a meatball only softer but not mushy like to aforementioned  faggot of the cerebral variety.

Now, you have 3 choices when it comes to mincing your offal (not very often you get to use that sentence!)  Get your butcher to do it, if you have a mincer do it yourself or just stick it in your food processor but be careful not to get it too mushy, you still want a bit of texture.

We had ours with onion gravy and squashed potatoes.  Squashed potatoes if you're interested are new or salad spuds, boiled then put in a roasting tin and 'squashed' slightly with a fork or masher.  You just want to crack them open a little. drizzle a little oil on and sprinkle with salt flakes and caraway seeds.  Roast these at the same time as the faggots.

• 1 Onion chopped finely
  220g Minced Pigs Liver
  3 Lambs Hearts Trimmed of fat and chopped into chunks
  400g Belly Pork Trimmed of fat and rind and chopped into chunks
  1/2 tsp Mace
  1 tsp Allspice
  30g Fresh Chives snipped
  15g Fresh Sage snipped
  1 egg
  130g Fresh Bread Crumbs
  Salt & Pepper
  
  
  GRAVY
  2 Red Onions
  2  Sprigs Fresh Thyme
  2 tbsp Oil
  3 tbsp Flour
  1 Glass Red Wine
  1 1/2 pt Fresh Stock
  1 tbsp Red Currant Jelly
  
  
  Basically everything goes in together and gets a good mix either in your mixer or by hand.  When it's all combined form it into balls, I made 24 using an ice cream scoop to measure even quantities.  Roll them lightly in your hand to form the shape and chill in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up a little.
  
  
  Once chilled, roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 170C.
  
  
  I made the gravy by roasting the onions chopped into chunks with the fresh thyme drizzled with oil. Cook for about 30 minutes then sprinkle with flour and stir it in till it coats the onion.  Put your pan on the hob and add a glass of red wine (I keep left overs in the freezer for things like this) heat it through till it starts to bubble, you want to cook off the alcohol but keep the flavour.  Now add your stock and the red currant jelly and stir till it thickens.
  
  
  Once the faggots are cooked, pour the gravy over them and return them to the oven for 10 minutes before serving..  
  
  

Enough for another day and in a foil tray just like 'Mr Brains'

NATIONAL CUPCAKE WEEK

It's National Cupcake Week! - there's a week for everything isn't there. Personally I don't need an official week, any excuse to get the piping bag out.

These are Raspberry Cupcakes.  Pink vanilla sponge, scoop out a little hole once cooked and fill with a teaspoon of raspberry jam then top with italian meringue. Yum.