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GOOSEBERRIES

Gooseberry and Carrot Pie

RECIPE

  • 100g (4oz) grated carrot
  • 500g (1lb 2oz) gooseberries
  • 10g (4oz) sugar
  • 300g (12oz) shortcrust pastry
  • 50 - 100ml (2 - 4fl oz) water
  • 10g (1/2oz) caster sugar
  • egg wash
METHOD
  1. Prepare and wash the gooseberries. Stew with sugar and water. Cool
  2. When cool, mix in the carrot and place in a pie dish.
  3. Roll out the pastry to around 3mm thick. Place a thin strip of pastry around the rim of the pie dish. Egg wash the strip and cover the pie with the remaining pastry. decorate the edge around the pie.
  4. Allow to rest in a cool place for 30 minutes. Brush with egg and sprinkle with caster sugar.
  5. Bake at 215C, 400F or gas mark 7 until lightly brown (approx 15 minutes) and then reduce the temperature to 190C, 325F or gas mark 5 and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Gooseberry Crumble - an old favourite - by popular request

RECIPE

  • 1.5lb (500g) gooseberries
  • 4oz (110g) sugar (or to taste - I never measure!)
  • For te crumble:
    • 3oz mararine
    • 6oz plain flour
    • 3oz sugar
METHOD
  1. Set oven at 400F/gas mark 6.
  2. Top and tail the gooseberries and place together with the sugar in an oven proof crumble dish.
  3. For the crumble: Rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and then stir in the sugar.
  4. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the fruit and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
  5. Alternatively, stew the gooseberries in a little water and sugar until soft, stirring occasionally and bake for 20-30 minutes.
  6. Serve hot with custard or cream. (Or both with a good dollop of vanilla ice cream in for good measure if you're like me!!!)

Gooseberry Fool - an old favourite

RECIPE

  • 4 tblsp water
  • 1lb (450g) gooseberries
  • 2oz (55g) sugar
  • 1/2 pint double cream, lightly whipped
  • crisp biscuits to serve
METHOD
  1. Top and tail the gooseberries and simmer in the water and sugar until soft, stirring occasionally.
  2. Beat them lightly with a wooden spoon and push through a sieve. leave to cool.
  3. Stir the sieved gooseberries into the whipped cream and add ore sugar if necessary.
  4. Pour into a serving dish or sundae dishes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Gooseberry Jelly
A hot or cold pud - supposed to orginate from Russia

  • 1lb gooseberries topped tailed and washed
  • 15fl oz of water
  • 5 fl oz dry white wine
  • 6 oz sugar
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot (dissolved in 2 tablespoons wine)
METHOD
  1. First have a glass of wine to check that it is not corked!
  2. Then toss the gooseberries, water and wine into a heavy bottomed suacepan and bring to boil over a low heat - stir occassionally and bring to the boil (I find a stir and a sip - is a very pleasant way of spending the 20-25minutes this takes) Then the berries are nice and soft.
  3. Pour the saucepan contents through a fine wire strainer - don't press them too hard otherwise it all goes cloudy. (whilst it strains - time for another glass of wine!!)
  4. Pour the puree back into the saucepan ading sugar - keep heat low.
  5. When the sugar has dissolved, add the arrowroot and increase the heat to moderate, boil the mixture, stirring constantly for about 15minutes. At this stage it will be quite nice and thick.
  6. Traditionally you can serve it either hot or cold with a sprinkling of castor sugar.
I have tried all sorts of variations to this basic recipe:
  1. Mix with cream and chill.
  2. or spoon the mixture into some tall glasses which have had a mixture of crumbled digestive bisuits and ginger biscuits, (about equal portions, crumble into a saucepan with a little butter, cook quickly ; place in bottom of glasses , add mixture on top.
  3. Whilst the gooseberries are first simmering; put some heads of elderflower into a jelly bag and let them simmer at same time. When served cold, the sweet really sparkles and is delicious with a good quality vanilla ice-cream.

Gooseberry Preserve

  • Throw into a saucepan 4lb of green gooseberries and 2.5pints of water (no need to top and tail) along with a handfull of bruised mint Your kitchen now smells wonderful!
  • Simmer.
  • About 10minutes before you want to drain it all, add about a quarter of a pint of vinegar.
  • Drain through muslin (or anything that is strong enough will do)
  • Chop some mint into small pieces and add to the strained liquid
  • Return to the pan bring to the boil and add about a pound of sugar to each pint of juice.
  • Have a good rolling boil for 10 minutes until 'setting point is reached' - I still prefer the bit of ladling a tablespoon onto a saucer, let it cool, run your finger through and it should leave a ribbon
  • Let it cool to handling point and add to your jars that have been sterilized and left warm.
Absolutely delicious with hot or cold lamb - especially with a cold cushion of lamb - ideal in sandwiches.

Gooseberry Sauce
- for baked hams, fish dishes - especially the slightly more oil fish such as mackerel.

RECIPE

  • 0.5pt water
  • 0.5lb gooseberries
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1.5oz butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • half tspn pepper(freshly milled black is best)
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped tarragon
METHOD
  1. Simmer gooseberries in half of the water until soft
  2. Push through a strainer
  3. Add sugar to the liquid
  4. Melt the butter, remove from heat, add the flour and make a smooth paste
  5. Gradually add the rest of water and return to heat stirring and cooking for 2-3 minutes (tip if it looks lumpy - cheat , get out the whisk and really beat it)
  6. Reduce heat to low and stir in the gooseberry puree
  7. Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and add them to the sauce piece by piece
  8. When all the butter has been added, stir in salt, pepper and tarragon, remove from heat and serve.
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