Great Cricket Tea Challenge: the show stealers

Posted in Cricket, Great Cricket Tea Challenge.

Our Great Cricket Tea Challenge is searching for Britain’s tastiest cricket tea – and so far we’ve sized up some cracking cakes and some scrumptious sandwiches.
Round three is all about the “show stealers” – that special signature dish that makes for a really talked-about spread of food.
Our four finalists made some lovely stuff, like smoked bacon quiche, cheese and onion pie and chicken and mandarin salad.
The winner, though, was Rocklands Cricket Club’s fantastic “Egg Before Wicket”, a homemade Scotch Egg.
All the recipes are below, and you can catch up on all our Great Cricket Tea Challenge episodes here.

Rocklands’ winning Scotch Egg, aka Egg Before Wicket

Ingredients:
10 free range locally-sourced eggs, the smaller the better
450-500g good quality sausage meat (ours is from our local butcher)
2 tsp Colman's mustard
Bunch chives - chopped finely
Bunch flat leaf parsley - chopped
Salt and pepper
Pinch cayenne
1 egg, beaten
Wholegrain freshly made breadcrumbs
Plain flour and beaten egg for coating
Vegetable oil for frying
Half jar good quality mayonnaise
Tsp Colman's mustard

Method:
Boil the eggs for just under 2 mins and then plunge them into ice water
Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the sausage meat and then mix in the egg to bring all together. Make into 10 small patties and then put in the fridge to set.
Peel your eggs and dry them.
Pour your beaten egg and flour into separate flat dishes.
Pour your breadcrumbs into a flat dish also.
Wrap the individual patties around each egg making sure they are sealed and set aside.
Roll the completed eggs firstly in flour then in egg and then lastly into the breadcrumbs.
Deep fry 2 eggs at a time for 2 mins at 190 degrees.
Once cooked place on an absorbent cloth to cool down
Once cut, the eggs should be slightly runny inside add a good dollop of mayonnaise mixed with a teaspoon of mustard, et voilà!


Corbridge’s Cheese and Onion Pie

Ingredients:
225g (8ozs) homemade shortcrust pastry (made with 225g flour and 115g fats)
200g mature Cheddar cheese (grated)
2 onions (peeled and grated)
4 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp English mustard powder
6 to 8 tbsp cold cooked mashed potatoes (or about 4 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 free-range egg (beaten)

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6. Grease a 20cm/8" pie dish/tin.
Mix the grated cheese, grated onion, cream cheese, English mustard powder and cold mashed potato together, and make sure they are well combined. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and set to one side.
Roll out three quarters of the pastry on a lightly floured surface, until it’s large enough to line the pie dish/tin, with a little excess that hangs over the edges.
Spoon the cheese and potato filling into the lined pie dish.
Roll the remaining pastry so it sits over the filling. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, and then lay the pastry over the top. Nip the edges together and trim with a knife. Crimp the sides with your fingers or with a fork, and brush the top of the pie with some beaten egg.
Cut out the letters, bat, stumps and ball. Brush with more egg and then place the pie on a baking sheet, and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave the pie to rest for 5 minutes or so, and then cut it in slices to serve.


Hyde’s Chicken and Mandarin Salad

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp veg oil, divided
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 chicken stock cubes
1/3 - 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced parsley
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion
Torn lettuce
1 can drained mandarin oranges
1 cup chow mein noodles
1 green onion thinly sliced
2 tbsp sliced almonds

Method:
Combine chicken, water, vinegar, brown sugar,1 tbsp oil, soy sauce and stock cubes. Cook and stir on medium heat for 15-20 mins or until chicken is tender and liquid has evaporated.
For the dressing, whisk mayo, honey, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, onion and remaining oil until blended.
Arrange salad greens on plate, top with oranges, chicken mixture and chow mein noodles. Sprinkle with green onions and almonds and serve with dressing.

Great Habton’s Smoked Bacon Quiche

Ingredients:
1/2lb shortcrust pastry
8oz smoked bacon lardons
1/2 pint milk
4 eggs
2 tbsp of double cream, pepper to season

Method:
Roll out the pastry and line a 20cm flan tin. Leave in fridge to rest for about 20 mins.
Prick the base all over with a fork and then line the pastry with some baking beans.
Bake the pastry case for 20-25 mins at 180c until cooked but not golden.
Heat a frying pan to medium heat and add lardons. Fry until golden brown then drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool.
Whisk the eggs together with the milk and seasoning.
Remove the paper and baking beans from the tart case and scatter over the bacon lardons.
Carefully pour the egg/cream mix into the caseband then place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and slightly puffy.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

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