A recipe for the Sabbath

We are delighted to include the following recipe from Rabbi Aronovitz, who has been kind enough to send us his Cholent recipe.
I think this sounds delicious, whatever your faith.

I know that it has been a long time coming but here it is:
Over the past year I have been using the Netherton Foundry cast-iron slow cooker for my Cholent. It now has an amazing smoky flavour.
Cholent (Yiddish: טשאָלנט) is a traditional Jewish stew. It is usually simmered overnight for 12 hours or more, and eaten for lunch on Shabbat (the Sabbath). Cholent was developed over the centuries to conform with Jewish laws that prohibit cooking on the Sabbath. The pot is brought to boil on Friday before the Sabbath begins, and kept hot, in my case in a Netherton Foundry cast Iron Slow Cooker, until the following day.

Makes 8 generous portions.

4 Large White Potatoes
1 Sweet Potato
1 Onion
3 Cloves of fresh garlic - crushed
300 Grammes of Pre-boiled and drained Assorted Beans
200 Grammes Pearl Barley
700 Grammes Ball of Rib Steak (Cubed into 4cm x 4cm)
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Table spoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon of Marmite (Optional)
Heat up Pot on "High"
Dice onion into pot and seal the meat. Add rest of ingredients and water to cover.
After 4 hours, top up water to "just" cover the cholent and then turn to "Keep warm". Leave for anything from 12 hours up to 24 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Pondering a pineapple

When I was growing up, fresh pineapple was a rare luxury and we all made do with tinned rings and chunks.  Who else remembers?
And, whilst not exactly the height of sophistication, a pineapple chunk and a cube of Cheddar on a stick graced many a buffet table.
Even in more recent times, pineapples were still a pricey and exotic choice.  But latterly they  have become a lot  cheaper and more plentiful and we tend to regard them as commomplace.  You are as likely to see pineapple in a school lunch box as a satsuma or a banana.

Which brings me to the one sitting in my fruit bowl...what to do with it?  Last week I made pineapple, red pepper and chilli relish, which was a real zinger with the home made fish cakes, but this week I fancied something sweet and a bit different.
Going back to memories of growing up, I recalled having pineapple rice for school lunch - watery rice pudding with a few pineapple chunks thrown in and wondered how I could bring this up to date.... and here is the answer:

½ fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks
1 can evaporated milk
1 can coconut milk
100g sugar
100g pudding rice
2 eggs

Whisk the eggs with the sugar.  Heat the evaporated milk, ideally in one of our milk pans to just below boiling and stir on to the egg mix. Add the coconut milk and mix well.
Place the pineapple and rice into the slow cooker cast iron bowl and pour the milky mixture over the top.
Cover with the lid and put onto the heater base.  Cook on LOW for 2 hours.
Switch off and allow to cool to room temperature.



I drizzled this with a caramel sauce, for sheer decadence..

Melt 100g sugar in a saucepan over a low heat until it turns brown.  Carefully add 120ml double cream and the juice of 1 lime and cook slowly until the caramel dissolves into the sauce.
Add a slug of rum and pour over your custard rice