STODGY STEAK AND KIDNEY PUDDING
A pub favourite, this hearty English dish is just the sort of good comfort food Agatha loves to tuck into.
INGREDIENTS
675g/1½lb chuck steak, cubed
225g/8oz ox kidney, cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and
finely chopped
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp plain flour
2 bay leaves
150 ml/¼ pint beef stock
FOR THE PASTRY
400g/14oz self-raising flour
200g/7oz beef or vegetarian suet
290m1/½ pint cold water
To make the pastry, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Mix in the suet using a knife. Then add a few drops of water and continue to blend. Keep adding water until you have a sticky dough.
Knead the dough with your hands and form a ball.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is approx 1cm (½ inch) thick.
Cut off a quarter of the dough and use the rest to line a 3-pint (175ml) pudding basin, with a decent overhang.
Now mix the meat, onion, bay leaves, salt and flour together and place in the bottom of the basin.
Add the beef stock.
Roll the remaining dough out to form the pastry lid, place on top and then fold the overhang on to it, pressing together to seal.
Grease a double length of foil to go over the top, creased in the middle to allow it to expand. Tie this on with string.
Place an old plate, upturned, in a saucepan of water and put the pudding on top.
Steam for five hours, making sure you don’t let the saucepan run dry.
ICKY STICKY PUDDING
This pudding originated in the Lake District but is a popular choice in many restaurants in the Cotswolds and is a particular favourite of Agatha’s.
INGREDIENTS
340g/12oz dates
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
125g/4oz diced butter
340g/12oz brown sugar
4 eggs
400g/14oz self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
500ml water
FOR THE SAUCE
340g/12oz soft brown sugar
250ml/8fl oz whipping cream
250g/8oz unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla essence
Chop the dates and put into a saucepan with the bicarbonate of soda and water.
Boil for five minutes and allow to cool until it is just warm.
Add the butter and sugar and stir well until dissolved and melted.
Lightly beat the eggs and add to the warm pan, then mix in the flour and vanilla essence.
Pour into a greased 24 cm/9-inch cake tin and bake in a moderate oven at 160°C (320°F, gas mark 3) for an hour.
When the pudding is ready to serve, make the toffee sauce by putting all the ingredients in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened and darkened in colour.
Spoon over the pudding to serve.
MRS BLOXBY’S TERRIFIC TEACAKES
INGREDIENTS
450g/1lb plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
100g/4oz currants or mixed dried fruits
25g/1oz yeast
300ml/½ pint milk
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add salt, sugar and currants.
Warm the milk and use a little to cream the yeast.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour milk and yeast mixture in, then scatter some of the flour over the top and leave in a warm place for ten minutes.
Add the remaining milk and knead into a dough.
Cover with clingfilm or a cloth and leave in a warm place for at least an hour to rise.
Divide into eight balls and flatten to make teacake shapes.
Place on a greased baking sheet, prick with a fork and leave for a further 30 minutes.
Brush with egg or melted butter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 220°C (425°F, gas mark 7).
Serve warm with butter.
SPINACH QUICHE TO DIE FOR
(No cowbane included)
This recipe uses frozen spinach, so it cannot be easily mistaken for deadly plants.
INGREDIENTS
300g/10oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
250g/8oz Cheddar cheese, grated
175g/6oz Feta cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
100g/3oz butter
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 eggs, beaten
250ml/½ pint milk
FOR THE PASTRY
175g/6oz plain flour
75g/2¾ oz butter
290ml/½ pint cold water
(If you want to cheat, as Agatha almost certainly would, buy ready-made shortcrust pastry instead.)
Make the pastry by sifting the flour into a large bowl, then rub in the butter until you have a crumbly mixture. Slowly add enough cold water so that you have a firm dough, then place in the fridge for half an hour.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and line a 22cm/8-inch greased flan dish leaving the extra pastry hanging over the side.
Chill in the fridge.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the onion until lightly browned. Stir in the spinach, thyme, Feta cheese and half the Cheddar cheese.
Spoon into the chilled pastry case.
Whisk together the eggs and milk and pour over the spinach mixture in the pastry case.
Bake at 190°C (375°F, gas mark 5) for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for another 35-40 minutes.
Allow to stand before serving hot or cold.
Index
Armitage, John ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Armstrong,Terry ref1
Barr, Mrs ref1
Binser, Richard ref1
Blockley ref1
Bloxby, Alf (Vicar of St Jude) ref1, ref2, ref3
Bloxby, Mrs ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12
Bourton-on-the-Water ref1
Carsely ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Chatterton, Paul ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Comfrey Magna ref1, ref2
Cotswolds ref1, ref2, ref3
Cummings-Browne, Major and Mrs ref1, ref2
Curious Curate ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Davenport, Mrs ref1
Day the Floods Came ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Deadly Dance ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Debenham,Olivia and George ref1
Dembley ref1, ref2 see also Walkers of Dembley
Dubois, Sylvan ref1, ref2
Evesham ref1, ref2, ref3
Fairies of Fryfam ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Felliat, Felicity ref1
Fitzpatrick, Sean ref1
Fletcher, John ref1, ref2
Fosse Way ref1, ref2
Fraith, Sir Charles ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref223
Freemont,Guy ref1, ref2
Fryfam (Norfolk) ref1, ref2
Gore-Appleton, Mrs ref1
Griggs, PC Fred ref1, ref2, ref3
Hardy, Mrs ref1
Haunted House ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Herris Cum Magna ref1
Hewes ref1
James, Miss ref1
Jessop, Jimmy (police chief) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Kissing Christmas Goodbye ref1, ref2, ref3
Lacey, James ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20
Laggatt-Brown, Cassandra ref1
Laggatt-Brown, Catherine ref1, ref2
Laggatt-Bro
wn, Jeremy ref1, ref2
Love from Hell ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Love, Lies and Liquor ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Lower Tapor ref1
Mason, Mrs ref1, ref2, ref3
Mason, Deborah ref1, ref2
McNally, Brian ref1
Mircester ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Moreton-in-Marsh ref1, ref2, ref3
Murderous Marriage ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Norfolk ref1, ref2, ref3
Pendlebury, Lord ref1
Perfect Paragon ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Peterson, Jason ref1
Potted Gardener ref1, ref2, ref3
Quiche of Death ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Raisin, Jimmy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Raisin Detective Agency ref1
employees:
Emma Comfrey ref1, ref2
Fred Auster ref1
Freedman, Mrs ref1
Harry Beam ref1, ref2
Patrick Mulligan ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Paul Kenson ref1
Phil Witherspoon ref1, ref2, ref3
Sharon Gold ref1
Simms, Miss ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Toni Gilmour ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Rasdall, Richard ref1, ref2 see also Stow-on-the-Wold
recipes ref1
icky sticky pudding ref1
Mrs Bloxby’s terrific tea-cakes ref1
spinach quiche ref1
stodgy steak and kidney pudding ref1
Selby George ref1
Silver, Roy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Simpson, Bert ref1
Simpson, Doris ref1, ref2
Smedley, Mabel ref1, ref2, ref3
Snoth-on-Sea ref1, ref2, ref3
Spoonful of Poison ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Stow-on-the-Wold ref1, ref2
Styles, Joseph and Margaret ref1
Swale, Archie ref1
Terrible Tourist ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
There Goes the Bride ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
Trixie ref1, ref2
Trymp, Bert ref1
Vicious Vet ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
victims
Andrews, Mrs ref1
Anstruther-Jones, Mrs ref1, ref2
Barry Briar ref1
Burt Haviland ref1
Concita Ramon ref1
Cummings-Browne, Major ref1
Darry Mrs ref1, ref2
Deborah Fanshawe ref1, ref2
Desmond Derrington, Sir ref1
Felicity Bross-Tilkington ref1, ref2, ref3
Francie Juddle ref1, ref2
Fred Instick ref1
George Bross-Tilkington ref1
Geraldine Jankers ref1, ref2
Harrison Peterson ref1, ref2
Harry Tembleton ref1
Helen Warwick ref1
Janet Purvey ref1
Janine Juddle ref1
Jeffrey Benson ref1, ref2
Jellop, Miss ref1
Jessica Bradley ref1, ref2
Jessica Tartinck ref1
Jessop, Mrs ref1
Jimmy Raisin ref1
Jimmy Tamworthy ref1
Joanna Field ref1
John Shawpart ref1, ref2
Josephs, Mrs ref1, ref2, ref3
Kylie Stokes ref1, ref2
Mary Fortune ref1, ref2
Melissa Sheppard ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Paul Bladen ref1, ref2
Paul Chambers ref1
Paul Redfern ref1
Peggy Slither ref1
Phyllis Tamworthy ref1
Robert Smedley ref1, ref2
Robert Struthers ref1, ref2
Robin Barley ref1
Robina Toynbee ref2
Rose Wilcox ref1
Sarah Selby ref1
Susan Mason ref1
Sybilla Triast-Perkins ref1
Terence ‘Tolly’
Trumpington-James ref1
Tristan Delon ref1
Wayne and Chelsea Weldon ref1
Witherspoon, Mrs ref1
Walkers of Dembley ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Wellspring of Death ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Wilcox,Trevor ref1
Wilkes, Detective Chief Inspector ref1
Witch of Wyckhadden ref1, ref2, ref3
Wizard of Evesham ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Wong, Bill ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
Wyckhadden ref1, ref2