Chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks Easter?

Easter ... and why shepherd's watch thier flocks by night

Quoting a line from a Christmas carol may seem a strange way to commence an Easter food blog, but all will be revealed ..............

The Easter holidays for me growing up, meant one thing. Not chocolate eggs, not hot cross buns, but it meant we were off to Wales! Every Easter holidays, we would pack our bags; well mum would pack our bags and it was time to catch the train back to the land of my fathers. We always went and stayed with my father's side of the family. 

Rather fitting then, that this Easter is the very time my eldest sister is selling her house in Plymouth; the house that has been the family home for over 45 years. And lo and behold, she has just bought a house in Wales. After 45 years, big sis has decided to up sticks and is returning to the valleys. In just a few weeks time then, 336 will no longer be in Wellman's hands. In 1967, after tragically losing my father in a house fire my mother took us to be close to her side of the family and purchased 336. A terraced house on a road that back then was beautifully lined with trees, it had a huge garden that ended up housing our pet (Easter) bunny rabbits etc, a view overlooking the river Plym and cousins I had never met just a few doors down from us. 

That house, houses many, many happy childhood memories. So, in one way it will be sad to see it leave the family. But, Easter is a time for renewal, a time of rebirth. So it is very fitting in so many ways that at Easter time my sister is selling up and moving back to Cymru.

recipe - cheffies hot, but not so cross buns
500 gm bread flour
010 gm instant yeast
150 ml  milk
150 ml  water 
050 gm butter
120 ml honey
002 tsp ground cinnamon
001 tsp ground nutmeg
001 tsp ground ginger
001 tsp ground cloves
100 gm sultanas
100 gm dried cranberries 
050 gm chocolate chunks (large)

recipe - method of preparation
Heat the milk and water with the butter, honey and ground spices over a low heat until just warm to the touch. Sprinkle in the yeast and a handful of the flour and allow to stand in a warm place until it ferments and bubbles. Add the sultanas and mix thoroughly. Add sufficient of the remainder of the flour, while mixing with a wooden spoon to form a thick batter. Then with your hands, add sufficient flour to form a soft dough. 

Turn out onto a floured working surface and knead to a smooth elastic dough. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in size. Uncover and punch the dough to knock the air out. Turn out onto the bench again and quickly knead while working in the chocolate chunks. 

Roll into a sausage shape and cut into even sized pieces. Shape into buns and place on a lightly oiled and floured tray, allowing at least a 3cm gap between each. Allow to prove again until doubled in size. Place in a pre-heated oven (200C) and bake until cooked and golden brown (approx 15 minutes). Remove and allow to cool slightly, before brushing with some honey, that has been warmed in the microwave

Given that Easter falls on different dates each year, and therefore the so called Easter school holidays didn't always fall at Easter, we probably spent many an actual Easter weekend at 336 before going to Wales. I don't really remember. I do remember mum always bought hot cross buns for the Friday. Never home made, always store bought. There are some great store made one's these days, but I still prefer home made.

I also remember we always had lots of Easter eggs. Mum always bought us one of course, and in those days so did most of your close aunty and uncles. So we always had eggs given to us from the close rellies (as the Kiwis call them) in Plymouth, then when we went to Wales we always got more from our Welsh aunties and uncles too. Is it any wonder then that; my name is Jos Wellman and I am a chocoholic?!?

best easter memory?

That's an easy one. My mother came out to New Zealand one year at Easter time, when I was living in the Bay of Islands. I think it must have been the year after I got married, and she came out to meet the new family (my wife had three kids from a previous marriage). I drove to pick mum up from Auckland airport, but my daughter decided she wanted to come too. So we made it an outing and drove part way down and camped overnight, ready to pick mum up on Easter Monday. We camped next to a beach and woke on Easter Monday early, only to find the sand dunes littered with rabbits hopping everywhere! What a spectacle for a 6 year old girl to experience on such a day!

easter lamb

Apart from that I don't think we had any family traditions at Easter. maybe we had roast lamb on Easter Sunday, who knows? But I suspect if we did, it was more by good luck than design. But coming from Wales and living so many years in Aotearoa (New Zealand) it's little wonder that I have a passion for lamb. Well when I say lamb, I mean all things ovine. Actual lamb for roasting is nice, but I much prefer the stronger flavour of hogget (an ovine over 1 year old) for chops and steaks etc and for stewing and making curries, nothing beats the stronger flavour of mutton (over 2 years old). 

This is my favourite roast lamb recipe. Roasted with hints of garlic, fresh thyme and lemon. With what many might consider an unusual ingredient; anchovies. They have been used "for ever" however to enhance the flavour of meats; if not directly like the Italians do, then indirectly like we have in the UK with the addtion of Lea & Perrins.  They will not leave a fishy taste, but act as a flavour enhancer to the lamb

recipe - easter roast lamb with lemon and mint sauce
001 pc leg of lamb (Welsh or NZ) 
003 pc garlic cloves 
006 pc sprigs of thyme
002 pc lemon 
004 pc anchovy fillets 
001 pc mint bunch
            olive oil
            honey
            maldon sea salt 

recipe - method of preparation
Pre-heat an oven to 180 - 200C. 

Cut the unpeeled garlic cloves in half (lengthways) and break the thyme sprigs into small lengths. Using a small, narrow bladed knife make a small incision into the lamb leg and insert a half garlic clove and a good piece of thyme (folded in half in needed) and repeat all over the lamb leg, evenly spacing the incisions.

Grate the lemon zest, chop the anchovies and combine with a drizzle of olive oil and a good helping of sea salt. Rub all over the lamb leg and allow to sit and infuse for approx 20 minutes. Place into a roasting tray and cook for 75 minutes until cooked and pink (if you have to be a barbarian and have it thoroughly cooked, roast for an hour and  a half at least). When cooked, remove from the oven, place on a clean tray or plate, cover with tin foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving (allowing the meat tendons to relax and making for a more tender and juicier joint)

While the oven pre-heats and the lamb is marinating, you can make the lemon mint sauce. Juice the lemons, and sweeten to taste with the honey. Add the chopped or shredded mint leaves and allow to infuse while the lamb is roasting. 


cottage pie?
Always a favourite at 336 was mum's cottage pie. But circumstances this week forces me to write my recipe for shepherds pie. Circumstances? Well first it is Easter and traditionally that means lamb! Also my adopted sister in Australia posted a pic of her shepherds pie on Facebook, on further investigation (from myself) it turns out she has always made it with minced beef. Needless to say I pointed out to her that shepherds looked after sheep not cows!

Cottage pie = minced beef  Shepherd's pie = minced lamb


recipe - cheffies shepherd's pie 
500 gm minced lamb
001 pc  onion
001 tsp chopped rosemary
001 tsp chopped oregano  
001 tsp chopped thyme
001 tin chopped tomatoes

001 cup frozen peas
002 kg desiree potatoes 
250 gm butter
200 gm grated cheddar 

recipe - method of preparation
Pre-heat oven to 180C. Wash the potatoes well and bake until softened. Remove, cut in half and scoop out the flesh. Mash thoroughly with the butter, adding a little warmed milk or cream if required or desired. Taste and season. 

Warm a few tbs of olive oil in a large pan and add the minced lamb, gently fry until the meat starts to separate and lightly colours, add the onion and the herbs and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and peas and cook for another 5-10 minutes until most of the moisture has cooked away. Pour into an earthen ware dish. 

Cover with the mashed potato and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 180C for approx 40 minutes. Place under a hot grill until the cheese has really gratineed and is a deep golden colour.