A summer recipe

I shared a suggested August menu from Modern Practical Cookery the other day; it was especially chosen for’a hot summer’s day’ with all the dishes served cold – ‘the only type of meal we feel we can enjoy’, the introduction says.

The first course was prawns, half a dozen for each guest, served‘arranged on a lemon, from which a slice has been cut at the top and base’  so I guess they are curled round, as if propped up on their elbows, with their tails curled round the lemon… do prawns have elbows? They should be accompanied by ‘tiny slices of thin brown bread-and-butter’.

The veal and ham pie, in contrast to the simple preparation of the prawns (and the pineapple to follow which is from a tin) is complicated and in many stages – I would want to practice a few times before risk serving to my guests! I would also not use veal but pork tenderloin.

Am I brave enough to try this? Are you?

Veal-and-ham-pie using pork tenderloin instead of veal

• 1 lb veal/pork tenderloin, minced
• ¾ lb bacon, rind removed and diced
• ½ lb pork sausage meat
• zest of ½ lemon (I think I would go crazy and use a whole lemon zest!)
• 1 tsp chopped parsley (seems a measly amount so I would use more – I do like parsley, so if you’re not as keen, use less)
• salt and pepper
• ground mace
• light meat or vegetable stock
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• gelatine
• 1½ – 2 lbs  flaky pastry
• 1 egg yolk beaten with a little milk

1. season the minced meat with  parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper, mace
2. season the bacon with pepper and mace
3. layer the differ meats and egg – ⅓ veal, then half bacon, then half sausage meat, one of the sliced boiled eggs arranged on the meat, ⅓ veal, rest of the bacon, rest of the sausage, sliced egg and the last of the veal
4. make up the gelatine with the stock and pour into pie
5. cut out a lid shaped piece of pastry and also a strip of pastry which will be placed round the rim of the pie dish
6. dampen the rim pastry and adhere the lid, crimping the edge – you can decorate with shapes cut from the pastry off-cuts if you like
7. make a hole in the centre of the pastry to let the steam escape
8. brush with egg and mil
9. put in a hot oven 210º C, 400-450º F, gas mark 7
10. bake until the pastry has risen and is brown, then reduce the heat, bake for 1¼ – 1½ hours, covering with foil if it risks catching
11. Leave it to cool and serve cold with salad of your choice!

My choice of salad includes pineapple:

• pineapple
•  red pepper
• celery
• white and red onion
• pistachio nuts
• cucumber
• drizzle of Greek olive oil