Downton Abbey Dinner with Staff

As I announced last week, we will be eating with the staff this week. With all the activities going on around this big house I am amazed they could all sit down for a meal. Of course it was a much simpler meal, but Mr. Carson always observes protocol and sees that proper standards are upheld.

This is a sit-down service with everything on the table and passed around to each person. Choosing from the designated staff section of the Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook we prepared Bangers and Mash (page 194) as our main entree. We choose a celery and toasted walnut salad with Pecorino cheese (page 208) as a side and finished with a Treacle Tart (page 232). We couldn’t resist adding Bluebell Homemade Vanilla to the tart.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the term “banger,” that means sausage. The recipe called for beef sausage. We tried to be true the English version, but I am not fond of beef sausage and will not use that if I ever make this again. During World War II, because of the lack of farm meat and rationing the sausages were stuffed with cereal and water and had tendency to hiss and pop when cooked over fires in the trenches; thus the name banger. This dish is popular today and can be found in many local pubs.  Of course, the “mash” is mashed potatoes. This is just another version of Shepard's pie without the lamb. Using mashed potatoes as a topping for a casserole can come in very handy for many meat and vegetable dishes.

From reading the cookbook, potatoes were a main ingredient in the staff diet. I am assuming there was a kitchen garden nearby. We have never seen or heard anyone talking about working a garden, but I feel certain there was one and potatoes were a main staple. The only garden talk has been about growing roses and the Dowager Countess seems to have the lock on that production. Today, we talk about being locavores, these people really put it to the test. What they didn’t grow on the place, local tradespeople delivered to the back door.

Dressing for Walnut and Celery Salad

2 small shallots, minced

2 Tbsp sherry vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)

2 tsp fresh lemon juice (best with fresh juice)

1 Tbsp walnut oil, optional

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and pour on salad right before severing.

Treacle Tart (Cockney slang for “sweetheart”)

Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

2 1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

6 tsp ice water

Thoroughly mix flour, salt, and sugar, cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time just until mixture clumps together. Divide into two parts, form two separate disks. Wrap separately with a little flour and chill for at least 90 minutes.  This a very delicate pastry, handle with care.

Filling

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 cup golden syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water)

2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix lemon zest, oats and ginger set aside. Mix syrup and lemon juice and set aside.

Remove one pastry disk from refrigerator; allow to set for 10 minutes. Roll gently and place into 9” pie plate. Place half of oat mixture in prepared pie crust, pour all of the lemon syrup mixture on top of oats, then add the rest of the oat mixture. Roll out the rest of the pastry and cut into strips to form a lattice topping. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Can be served hot or cold. Top with whipped cream.

This was a little scary for me with so little in the filling but it worked with a good topping. Remember those Ritz cracker pies? This has been a fun journey to share with friends. Next week we plan to have tea Crawley style.

Lets us hear from you about this adventure. I can be reached at PatsChat@livingston.net.