Citylife in Lichfield June 2020

Tastes of the Season
Well here we are still in lockdown
and the world is baking. Even with
a catering business I’m still
struggling to get flour and light
muscavado sugar which makes life
difficult. We are having to learn to
adapt as in the war years but
sometimes that can give us better
skills and a chance to experiment.
The setback is that baking is more
of a science than savoury cookery
which is much more forgiving as
far as quantities, ingredients and
temperatures are concerned.
As most children are still currently
at home, I’m giving a couple of
easy recipes that the children can
join in with and develop their skills
in the kitchen.
Baklava
200gms butter
100gms pistachios
100gms macadamia nuts
50gms walnuts
50gms pecan nuts
3tbsp honey
1 x pack filo pastry
Pinch cinnamon
Method
Melt the butter either in a
microwave or a pan. Take a sheet
of filo, lay it on a baking sheet and
brush with the butter. Lay another
on the top and brush again. Repeat
until you have 5 sheets.
Chop the nuts or whizz in a food
processor but only until chopped
Sweet Treats!
By Simon Smith
not blitzed. Mix with the honey
and cinnamon. Put this mix onto
the filo pastry and roll like a
sausage roll. Bake in a preheated
oven at 180 for 15 minutes or until
the pastry is golden. When cold
slice and serve. For a bit of added
luxury I serve with mascarpone
and pomegranate seeds.
Jam Roly Poly
This is a long
time
favourite and
one I had to
make for a
dinner in the
trenches at
Whittington
for the officer’s mess.
200gms self-raising flour
100gms shredded suet
1tbsp caster sugar
150ml milk
7tbsp raspberry jam
Pinch salt
Method
Mix the flour, suet and salt
together in a bowl. Add the milk
and knead together. Put on a
floured surface and gently knead
for a further 3 minutes. Roll into a
rectangle and put onto some
baking parchment on a baking tray.
Spread with the jam and roll up
like a Swiss roll. Turn so the joint
seam is at the bottom to hold it
together. Bake in a preheated oven
at 180 for 35 minutes. Serve with
custard.
Simon Smith runs a catering business
from his production kitchen in
Lichfield, providing bespoke private
dinners plus wedding, corporate and
event catering. Simon also undertakes
cookery demonstrations around the
country and with local businesses such
as Arthur Price and Tippers. During the
summer months Simon works for
private clients both on superyachts
and in villas in St Tropez and Europe. If
you are looking for catering or a day of
cookery skills go to www.simonsmithchef.com
*Please take extra care when
preparing and handling hot foodstuffs.
Go to www.food.gov.uk for further
details.
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