Part 18 (1/2)

Rejuvenating Beef Stew

Mrs. Patmore would be well aware of the rejuvenating effects of a solid meal, and would likely have made this filling stew for the staff during a particularly busy week full of houseguests. Perhaps, for example, when Mr. Pamuk and all the other guests are in town for the hunt, Mrs. Patmore would offer this dish as a way to soothe the servants' tired souls and feet.

YIELDS 8 SERVINGS.

2 pounds sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 34-inch cubes 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 12 pound red potatoes, cubed 12 pound small white boiling potatoes, cubed 1 cup beef broth 1 cup water 1 tablespoon Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce 1 yellow onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon white sugar 2 teaspoons brown sugar 12 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon orange juice 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon allspice 3 large carrots, sliced 3 ribs celery, chopped 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 1 medium turnip, peeled 2 tablespoons cornstarch In a large skillet, brown meat in hot vegetable oil.

Boil both sets of potatoes until soft. Set aside.

In a large pot, add browned steak, beef broth, water, Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, brown and white sugars, pepper, lemon juice, orange juice, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, and allspice. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes. Remove bay leaves and garlic cloves. Add carrots, celery, and cooked potatoes. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Remove 2 cups hot liquid to thicken gravy.

In a medium-sized skillet, melt b.u.t.ter. Saute turnips in b.u.t.ter until crusty and brown. Add turnips to stew.

In a separate bowl, combine 14 cup of water with the cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling. Serve by ladling into bowls.

Suggested Pairings For extra spice, try adding 2 teaspoons of garlic salt or a packet of dry onion soup.

Shepherd's Pie

While this might not be a familiar dish to the aristocrats of Downton Abbey, all the staff would know this dish all too well - and much to their dismay. Traditionally, Shepherd's Pie would be made with leftover roast lamb that has been put through a mincer. However, this recipe suggests regular ground sheep or ground beef. On an off day, Mrs. Patmore would cook this dish since it was quite an easy way to feed a large number of people.

YIELDS 68 SERVINGS 2 pounds ground sheep or ground beef 34 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper 12 cup mushrooms, sliced 4 tablespoons (12 stick) unsalted b.u.t.ter 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups chicken broth 2 teaspoons Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 1 (9-inch) unbaked pastry crust Preheat oven to 450F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Saute ground meat in 3 tablespoons olive oil until cooked through and browned. Transfer meat to baking dish. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to pan if needed. Saute garlic, onion, red pepper, and mushrooms until tender, about 45 minutes. Spoon over meat in baking dish.

Pour off excess oil from pan. Melt b.u.t.ter and add flour to form a roux. Cook for 34 minutes over medium-high heat. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring to keep smooth. Cook until bubbly and slightly thickened.

Remove sauce from heat and add Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over meat and vegetables.

Roll out pastry crust to fit over ca.s.serole dish. Crimp edges to seal. p.r.i.c.k with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake until crust is well browned, about 2530 minutes. Serve hot.

Times Gone By This dish would be served frequently at the prison that Mr. Bates would find himself in at the end of Season 2. His Shepherd's Pie, however, would not be nearly as delicious as this dish.

Mrs. Patmore's Downstairs Pork Pie

A take on Shepherd's Pie (see recipe in this chapter), this Pork Pie would be a frequent dinner offering for the staff as it is both filling and relatively inexpensive to make. Mrs. Patmore would be likely to serve this often during the war, when the kitchen is particularly sensitive to the lack of ready ingredients.

YIELDS 1214 SERVINGS, OR 2 PIES 112 pounds lean ground pork 1 pound ground hamburger 1 large onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 14 teaspoon ground cloves 12 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 bay leaf 3 cups water 4 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 (15-ounce) packages refrigerated pie crusts In a large saucepan, mix together the pork, hamburger, onion, celery, cloves, cinnamon, salt, bay leaf, and water. Simmer over medium-low heat for 312 hours or until the water has fully evaporated. Discard bay leaf, then remove mixture from heat.

Near the end of those three hours, place the potatoes in a separate saucepan and cover with water. Bring mixture to a boil, cooking until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, then mash potatoes. When the meat mixture is ready, stir in mashed potatoes until meat and potatoes are evenly blended.

Preheat oven to 375F. Line two 9-inch pie plates with bottom crusts. Spoon equal amounts of meat-and-potato mixture into each crust. Cover with top crusts and seal edges.

Bake pies until crusts are golden brown, approximately 45 minutes.

Times Gone By If Mrs. Patmore was feeling particularly proud of her pork pie, she could enter a pork pie compet.i.tion in Yorks.h.i.+re for the best pork pie. That said, she would have to be familiar with their colloquialism, as in Yorks.h.i.+re pork pies are known as ”growlers.” Considering the way Mrs. Patmore can growl at Daisy, she shouldn't have any problem with this!

Chicken, Leek, and Caerphilly Cheese Pie for St. David's Day

There would most certainly be Welshmen amongst Downton Abbey's staff, and they would likely request this Welsh entree for dinner on St. David's Day - a holiday honoring St. David, the patron saint of Wales, and Welsh heritage - every March 1. This dish incorporates the national emblem of Wales - leeks - and the Welsh Caerphilly cheese.

YIELDS 1 PIE, OR 46 SERVINGS 2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, sliced 2 teaspoons sugar 4 chicken thighs, chopped 2 cups sliced leeks, white parts only 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup dry white wine 112 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 12 cup prunes, halved 23 cup Caerphilly cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon 1 pound ready-rolled puff pastry 1 large egg yolk Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt b.u.t.ter. Add onion, garlic, and sugar, and saute until onions are translucent and garlic starts to color, about 1015 minutes.

Add chicken pieces to onions and garlic, and cook for an additional 57 minutes until chicken is seared.

Stir in leeks and flour, stirring constantly until ingredients are well combined. Slowly add wine and chicken stock to mix, stirring until sauce has thickened.

Add in cream and the mustard, then salt and black pepper to taste.

Remove from heat, then stir in prunes, cheese, parsley, and tarragon.

Evenly distribute pie filling into a medium-sized pie dish.

In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons cream and the egg yolk. Brush around edge of pie dish, then cover filling with puff pastry and cut around the sides with a knife. Brush remaining egg wash over pie. Poke holes all over pastry top to let out steam, then bake in preheated oven for 2530 minutes or until golden brown.