chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 18

tiddy oggies 

I was asked this week, (as I often am when people find out I am a chef) what is my favourite food, what would be my last meal if I had to choose one. No contest, it would be my mother's pasty. 

This was her piece de resistance, this was her signiture dish if you will. So what better dish to end this series of Mamon Wellman cooks, than with it?

Not pasty related, but this pic, was taken on one of our last ever trips out together and remains one of my favourites of her. It was her last trip out to Paignton and those that knew her will, I am sure, agree that this pic just sums her up in one

Paignton was a place mum just loved.

She loved the penny arcades. There were machines there that gave out tickets, that you collected and exchanged them for prizes. You had to spend £10 to get something worth a fraction of that amount, but she loved it. I managed find a machine that I could get ticket upon ticket out of, mum would sit on her walker and watch in awe and excitement as tickets just spewed out. And when she wasn't looking I would cheat and just buy some extra tickets, to ensure we got a prize or prizes worth having. In fact one time I even bribed the lady behind the prize counter (without mum knowing of course) to ensure mum got something she wanted ;-) 

But back to pasties. They were usually a Saturday dinner thing, mum made pasties on Saturday afternoon's when she had the extra time. They were huge! She always made them extra, extra big. Each end would always easily overhang our largest dinner plates; essentially the creator of the 'foot long' pasty ;-)

talking of dinner plates ..... 
All our crockery and cutlery growing up were non matching, odds and sods. All bought, I am guessing from jumble sales etc that she loved going to, to get a bargain or two. A factor, that when I started my apprenticeship started to bug me more and more (the odds and sods not her jumble sale mania)

The fact that nothing matched bugged the hell out of me. So with my first ever full time pay packet, I bought her a matching set of crockery; soup/cereal bowls, side plates, main plates etc. They had a brown pattern on them. I bought them (I have no idea from where) in 1977, mum still had them when she passed away 30+ years later and were given to one of her grandson's, one of my nephews. So even now they are being put to good use. 

I bought them so she could do away finally with all the mis-matched stuff and have a nice day to day set. well that was my intention, mum however decided that they would be 'kept for best' and bought a small Welsh dresser to display them on and in! God bless her. 

history of the pasty

But back to pasties. Cornish or Devonshire? The debate of it's origins will continue and will rage for decades to come I have no doubt. But in reality and fact many areas of the UK could lay claim to it. The Scottish version is called a bridie or forfar bridie.

• the patron saint of the pasty is St Carantoc, a 6th century monk/abbot who was actually from Wales
• the Cornish pasty has now been given Protected Geographical Status (like Champagne). Meaning only pasties made in Cornwall can be called Cornish Pasties 
• the Cornish pasties are crimped on the side, the Devonshire pasty is crimped on the top
• the reason the Cornish crimp is on the side, is that originally it was created as a meal for the (tin?) miners. The crimp was not meant to be eaten, but was a means for the miner to hold the pasty with their dirty hands
• the crimp was discarded and left for "the knockers" - spirits said to inhabit the mines 
• the initials of the miner were often placed in pastry at one end of the pasty, so they knew who's was who's come lunchtime
• the Cornish pasty was originally more than likely made with fish and not meat, because fish was more easily obtained and cheaper
• the Cornish pasty was said to originally be savoury at one end (meat or fish) and sweet at the other (apple?) so the miner had a main course and dessert all in one 
• the Cornish pasty meat was more likely to have been lamb rather than beef 
• it is said a true Cornish pasty should contain meat, potato, onion and swede (or carrot) and arguments abound it. (I say given it was a peasants meal, originally it would contain whatever was available and seasonal)
• the Cornish pasty is colloqually known as an "oggy" or "tiddy oggy"
• the original Cornish name for a pasty is "hoggan" from which oggy is derived 
• the word pasty is derived from pastry, which is derived from paste
• pasties should be eaten from end to end (not across like a corn cob) this way if it was only partly eaten the initials remained (which is a great idea but goes against the idea of for the crimp on the side : see above)
• pasties go back as far as the 13th century, when the pastry was likely inedible and no more than a vessal in which to cook the food. (logical when you think about it, as it wouldnt have been anything more than flour and water or a paste : see above
• a true Cornish pasty should be made with short pastry (no 17th century miner's wife would spend hours making puff pastry)
• the edible pastry wouldn't have come into being until the 15th century, when it was introduced from Italy, via France
• puff pastry was not created until the 17th century in France (probably by Chef Claude Gelee)
• Samuel Pepy's mentions pasties in his diaries in the 1660's
• Shakespeare also was not immune to mentioning them - in act 1 of The Merry Wives of Windsor he wrote "come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner, come gentleman, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness"
• it is considered to take a pasty onboard a ship (along with a banana) 

mum's pasties
I'm sure we all in the West Country say it, we all reckon it is our mum that makes the best pasties, but my mother did made the best pasties! Huge, hot, crispy pastry, succulent, moist filling and dee-lish-us, especially with a good splattering of Heinz tomato ketchup. Everyone will of course tell you the best pasties are made with shaved steak, home madee pastry etc etc WRONG! The best pasties are made with love!!

When she used to travel out to New Zealand to see me, pasties were always on the menu within days of her arrival. Also the last meal she cooked for me before she left to return to the UK. She would always make me half a dozen extra, to freeze down and enjoy through out the year. The last one she ever made me out there, I had up until the day I finally sold up, left NZ and returned to the UK when she fell ill. I always kept the last one in the freezer until a week or so until I knew she was coming back out to New Zealand. 

It was also the last meal she ever cooked for me before passing away. Mum was frail and ill, but insisted on making them. All be it with my help. It is a bitter sweet memory that will stay with me for the rest of my days. So here then, is her simple recipe .

R.I.P Mum, we miss your pasties but we miss you oh so much more

                                                                                                                                           

recipe - pasties a la mamon

500 gm   puff pastry (ready made)

001 cup  steak mince

002 cup  diced potatoes 
1/4  cup  diced onion
001 pc    egg
               lots of love 

recipe - method of preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. 

Wash, peel and wash the potatoes and cut into small dice (approx the size of a pea). Dice the onion to the same size and combine with the potato in a large bowl. Break up and sprinkle in the mince and combine. Season well with salt and pepper. 

Divide the pastry into four even pieces and roll out evenly. The pastry should be not too thin and the shape roughly circular. Divide the mixture evenly between the pastry rounds, placing it on one half. and leaving a two inch edge free

Brush the edges with the beaten egg, fold the empty pastry half over the mix and crimp the pastry to seal. Place onto a lightly buttered baking tray, cut a small slit in the centre of each pasty and open it up to form a small hole. Brush all over with the remaining beaten eggs. Place into the oven and bake for approx. 45 minutes until the pastry is cooked and golden brown, and the potato is soft when the pastry is pierced with a small pointed knife. 

Serve with generous amounts of love and ketchup ;-)

chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 17

steak to the heart
No not the vampire type, but if the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then the way to my mother's heart was through a steak dinner. Practically the only thing she would order if she ever went out to dinner.


When I was living in New Zealand, mum would visit me every few years and it fast became a tradition that her last meal before flying home was steak, eggs and chips. 

That tradition soon became extended, as I would cook her steak every day for virtually the last week. Starting with a braised type steak, then moving onto a rump steak, followed by a sirloin steak, T-bone the next (as pictured here with the largest  one I could find), scotch fillet (rib eye) the next and culminating in a well done fillet steak on her last night. And yes, all served with eggs and chips and all cooked well done!

Even a dedicated Chef like myself must bow down to his own mother, swallow his culinary pride and massacre a steak. After all, as she often told me, I was not too big or old enough that she couldn't still give me a thick ear! 

I did partially get my own back on her one year though by cooking her one of the best steaks she had ever had, so she told me. "That was delicious dear, and so tender. What type of steak was it?" ...... hmmmm, should I tell her? Should I dare admit it was venison not beef? I dared!! After which, she always made sure,     always made me swear it was beef before I started cooking it.  

degrees of cooking a steak
How do you know when a steak is cooked? Poke it! A rare steak has a spongy feel like your cheek, a medium steak has a spring to it like your chin, a well done steak has a hard resilience like your forehead. Easy!

best steak for the best job
But bare in mind, that the type of steak is best taken into major consideration. Everyone likes their steaks differently and who's to say who is right or wrong? But for the best results:

• a rump steak is best cooked a little slower and a minimum of medium, or it is likely to be very chewy
• a sirloin and a scotch fillet is best cooked no more than medium or it will become dry and chewy
• a fillet steak is best when cooked no more than medium rare

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recipe - the perfect steak?

There are many factors or tricks to ensuring a great steak. We all have our own ways, here is mine

• ensure the steak is of the highest quality. Preferably properly aged and dried (nothing worse than a wet, steak, still oozing blood. It should be dark red in colour and no visible signs of blood. 
• ensure the steak has minimal external fat, but is well marbled with internal fat. This marbled fat, will render down when cooked, but ensure it stays moist. 
• prior to cooking, remove from the fridge, cover and allow to come to room temperature for an hour
• pre-heat the pan so it is quite hot, the steak must really sizzle when place into the pan
• never oil the pan, always oil the steak; drizzle a little oil on both sides just prior to cooking and rub it all over with the hands
• always lightly season the steak seconds before it goes into the pan, never minutes before as the salt will draw out moisture
• place the steak into the hot pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 1 minute, turn it over and cook for another minute. Keep turning it every minute; this defined time allows the heat to penetrate evenly and the steak to cook evenly. 
• Just before the steak is cooked to your liking, add some butter (plain or garlic) to the pan and spoon it constantly over the steak (baste it)
• remove the steak from the pan, place onto a spare warm (but not hot) plate and pour over the butter
• allow the steak to rest for 2 minutes before before serving. This resting time allows the tensed, cooked structure of the meat to relax (making it more tender when cut and chewed) and allows the internal juices to evenly spread throughout the steak. 
• serve and enjoy

next time - Mamon Wellman's ultimate dish ......

chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 16

jam tarts 

the Queen of hearts she made some tarts, all on a summer's day. The knave of hearts he stole the tarts and took them clean away ..... so says the nursery rhyme.

And there was no better Queen of our Hearts than my mother. Not just to me, but to all those that seem to adopt her as a mother figure or a favourite aunt; Aunty Sheila as she was known to many. God knows the amount of times she awoke and went downstairs to find the bodies of our friends sprawled out asleep on the chairs, couch and floor, and in one case in the bath! she loved a full house and was always welcoming to our friends. With little in the cupboards and fridge, (and at times even less in the purse) she was never one to not feed these strays and waifs!

But back to tarts. Whatever has happened to jam tarts? I cant remember the last time I saw them (store, bakery or home made), I can't remember the last time I baked one myself or even ate one for that matter!

hey always used to be a good quick stand by when one needed a sweet in a hurry. whether it be with home made jam, or store bought jam. Any fruit jam will do or even a lemon curd, they are simply delightful. especially when cold and topped with Devonshire clotted cream.

Baked from and using just two simple ingredients; pastry and jam, what could be easier? But of course due to its simplicity a good tart rely's on a good pastry and a good tasty jam. My mother would use whatever store bought pastry was at hand or cheapest; sweet or puff. Puff pastry gives a lighter version, but due to the pastry swelling it tends to be messy, the former being far better.

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recipe - jam tarts a la mamon

500 gm  pastry 

001 jar  jam

recipe - method of preparation

Pre-heat oven to 170C and lightly butter tart cases or Yorkshire pudding moulds. 

Roll the pastry until a few millimetres thick (do not roll too thin). Cut into appropriate sized rounds that will fit the moulds. Line the moulds with the pastry and spoon in sufficient jam to almost fill the pastry cases. Place into the oven and bake until the pastry is cooked, (and as was often the case until the jam was slightly caramelised and dark brown) 

Remove and allow to cool before serving (remember the jam will be very hot!)

                                                                                                                                              

recipe - cheffie's jam tarts
225 gm flour   (plain)
125 gm butter (unsalted - freeze overnight )
050 gm sugar  (castor)
050 gm sugar  (icing)
001 pc  egg
001 jar  jam    (strawberry or raspberry) 
001 cup frozen berries

recipe - method of preparation
Pre-heat oven to 170C and lightly butter tart cases or Yorkshire pudding moulds.

Grate the frozen butter into the flour, and lightly rub together with the fingertips only until it forms a breadcrumb like texture. note - this stage is important, the frozen butter keeps the mixture well chilled, and using finger tips only prevents the dough becoming heavy. 

Sprinkle in the sugar and combine together with a table knife. Add the beaten egg and with the knife, combine together to form a soft dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and quickly knead to bring it all together. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for an hour, this allow the pastry to rest and helps prevent it shrinking when cooked.

Remove from the fridge and allow to come back up to room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Unwrap and rill out. Cut appropriate sized circles for your moulds and line them with the pastry.

Combine the jam with the berries in a bowl and spoon into the pastry cases, almost to the top. Bake until the pastry is cooked  with the jam. 

Roll the pastry until a few millimetres thick (do not roll too thin). Cut into appropriate sized rounds that will fit the moulds. Line the moulds with the pastry and spoon in sufficient jam to almost fill the pastry cases. Place into the oven and bake until the pastry is cooked.

Remove and allow to cool before serving (remember the jam will be very hot!)

next time - Mamon Wellman's love of steak .......

chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 15

sunday roast meats - lamb
"it's amazing what we take for granted is what we miss the most. Now that your no longer with us, I miss your Sunday roast"

Like our Sunday roast beef, in the Wellman household it was always the cheaper cut of rolled roast; that mum would cook to an inch of its life, just the way she loved it and always served with lashings and lashings of mint sauce.

Just like with beef, the same rules apply to the various cuts and joints (cuts are boneless, joints have bones)

These cheaper (yet tougher) cuts of meat tend to be the cuts from either the front of the animal or the lower half of the beast. The more work the muscle needs to do in the animal, the tougher the joint. But with that comes more flavour as more blood is needed to be pumped to it. The most tender cut for example; the fillet or tenderloin, is simply a protective internal muscle. Hence it does little to no actual work and therefore most tender, but does lack a depth of flavour.

lamb dressed as mutton? 
Lamb is the animal up to 1 year old, although the meat from anything up to 8 months is better and more tender. After one year old the met is known in NZ as 'hogget', it has a stronger flavour and is not as tender. After 2 years old the meat is known as mutton; the flavour of which tends to be quite robust and almost gamey. It usually requires a moist method of cookery such as post roasting for large joints, and is great for stews with strong flavoured ingredients such as Rogan Josht.

During my many years living in New Zealand, needless to say I came to appreciate a good roast leg of lamb. Hugely expensive her in the UK, in NZ they were readily and cheapily available; 3 million people - 30 million sheep! This was one my favourite way of cooking it, along with creating a boiled 'mutton ham' and Colonial goose, the recipes for which I will post on a later blog.

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recipe - cheffie's roast leg of lamb
001 pc lamb leg (full leg with bone in) 
001 pc garlic clove
001 pc lemon
            rosemary sprigs 
100 gm butter
001 tsp seeded mustard

recipe - method of preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 180C

Using a small, sharp, pointed knife, make eight deep cuts in the leg (each cut no wider than the width of the knife blade), the cuts should be evenly spread all over the leg. Into each hole place a a slice of peeled garlic and a sprig of rosemary; pushing each deep into the cut.

Beat together the butter with the mustard and grated lemon zest. Smear the leg all over with this butter and season well with salt and freshly milled pepper. Place into a roasting tray with a few tablespoons of water 

Place into the oven and roast for approx. 2 hours (if the leg is browning too quickly, loosely cover with a sheet of lightly oiled or buttered tinfoil. The only way to truelly test if it is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. If this is not possible, after 2 hours pierce the leg with a long bladed knife right to the centre and push down on the flesh, the juices should run clear. If there is any sign of blood, place back into the oven. 

When the leg is cooked, remove from the oven and place onto a clean tray, cover with a clean tea towel and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This resting allows the meat structure to relax, the internal juices to be absorbed evenly and will make for juicier and more tender slices of meat. 

next time - Mamon Wellman and jam tarts ....... 

chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 14

sunday roast meats - beef

"it's amazing what we take for granted is what we miss the most. Now that your no longer with us, I miss your Sunday roast"

Roast beef in the Wellman household, was always the cheaper cut of rolled roast; probably a bolar roast or similar, that mum would cook to an inch of its life, just the way she loved it. To this day I prefer a good pot roasted cheaper cut to any of the premium cuts. I love a good rare roasted sirloin, but there is nothing like the more flavourful cheaper cuts.

These cheaper (yet tougher) cuts of meat tend to be the cuts from either the front of the animal or the lower half of the beast. The more work the muscle needs to do in the animal, the tougher the joint. But with that comes more flavour as more blood is needed to be pumped to it. The most tender cut for example; the fillet or tenderloin, is simply a protective internal muscle. Hence it does little to no actual work and therefore most tender, but does lack a depth of flavour.

What differentiates a pot roast to a normal roast? A normal roast is normally completed with fat only, is cooked on a higher heat foe a shorter amount of time and for the most part uncovered. A pot roast on the other hand is completed with butter and a liquid (a good stock is best), it is slowly cooked at a low temperature and is cooked using a tight fitting lid.

Don't freak out about the anchovies. This will not leave a fishy flavour, but the natural glutemates in them really brings out the flavour of the beef.

Can of course be served with all the usual roast dinner trimmings; potatoes and of course Yorkshire puddings : http://cheftallyrand.blogspot.co.uk/, but I personally prefer a beef pot roast with buttery mash potatoes or crisp saute potatoes and seasonal boiled vegetables.


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recipe - cheffie's beef pot roast
001 pc bolar roast
002 pc onions (small)
001 pc sprig of thyme 
002 pc anchovy fillets
001 tsp Lea and Perrins 
200 ml beef stock 
050 gm butter

recipe - method of preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 140C

Peel and cut the onions in half and place into a casserole dish, along with the sliced garlic clove and bruised thyme sprig. Season the beef with salt and pepper all over and place on top of the onions. Smear with the anchovy fillets and butter. Pour in the stock (or 2 oxo cubes mixed with water) and the Lea & Perrins

Place on a tight fitting lid and place into the oven and cook until the meat is cooked and tender (approx 3-4 hours). Remove from the oven, remove the onions and roast and allow to rest, while making the gravy. Pour the remaining liquid into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, thicken with a little flour mixed with water. taste and season 

next time - Mamon Wellman and roast lamb ....... 

chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 13

sunday roast meats - chicken

"it's amazing what we take for granted is what we miss the most. Now that your no longer with us, I miss your Sunday roast"

I used to love getting up on Sunday mornings as a kid and smell that oh so familiar aroma of a chicken roasting away. Probably my favourite of my mother's Sunday roast dinners. Mum normally timed our roast Sunday "dinner's" to be ready around noon. She loved to eat her lunch as close to mid-day as possible.

We would be called to the table, and always sat in anticipation as we watched mum cut up the chicken, finish off the gravy and pull the roast potatoes out of the oven and often swear at the Yorkshire puddings for not being quite ready. Needless to say there was always a fight for the skin, we all loved the roast chicken skin

A lot is written and talked about in regards to chickens; free range, corn fed, battery etc etc. Free range and corn fed are all well and good if your budget allows, and the corn fed ones really have a superb flavour. But for those that can't afford them, then all well and good. They may be rather bland and watery in flavour, but that is nothing that can't be fixed with the tips and ideas that follow.

From this basic method and idea, the possibilities are endless. To the butter you could add

• your favourite herb
• your favourite pre-made Indian spice paste
• orange, lemon or lime zest 
• pesto
• etc

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recipe - cheffie's buttered roast chicken
001 pc chicken
002 pc large potatoes
100 gm butter
003 pc  garlic cloves 
or
001 pc sage leaf bunch 
or
1/2 cup corn kernals

recipe - method of preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 200C

If the chicken is trussed with that elastic band string stuff, cut it off and discard it. 

Chop the garlic finely, shred the sage leaves or blitz the corn in a food processor and beat together with the salted butter 

From the cavity end of the chicken, carefully work your fingers between the skin and the breast to loosen it up and form an air pocket. Being careful not to rip the skin. Carefully push the herbed butter under the skin; as the chicken cooks the butter will melt and keep the breast moist and flavourful and the herbs will permeate the all chicken. 

Cut the potatoes on half lengthways and place (flat side down) into a roasting tray and place the chicken on top. This will prevent the chicken from burning to the bottom, allows air to circulate and the potatoes can be served as part of the meal. Season  the skin with salt and pepper. 

Place into the oven and reduce the heat to 180C and allow to cook for approx 45 minutes (cover with lightly buttered tinfoil if needed to prevent burning). Remove from the oven and carefully cut the skin that connects the legs to the breast and push the legs down to expose the thigh joint(this is the last part of the chicken to cook, so if it is still pink, place back into the oven until fully cooked and blood free) By cutting and exposing at this stage, allows the heat to penetrate and finishes it off without overcooking and drying out the breast. 

Remove from the oven, cover lightly with tin foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving. 

next time - mum's pot roast beef .......