Goings on at The Cookshop
It’s been quite a hectic couple of months here at The Kitchen Range and Cookshop. We’ve just had our website completely re-designed and we are absolutely thrilled with the result. We hope all our regular visitors will love the new look site and we extend a very warm welcome to all.
We’d love to know what you think and if you’ve not found what you’re looking for, then please let
us know, as we are constantly continuing to develop our range and naturally enough, we want to be stocking things that you’re all looking for!
Drop an email to chris@krcookshop.com with your thoughts and suggestions.
Currently we only have quite a small selection of our entire stock on the website, and a few of the categories still remain empty. But over the next few weeks we will be busy adding more and more of the products from our ‘bricks and mortar’ shop.
Here’s a picture of Chris putting the finishing touches to the Christmas ham.
Best wishes, and welcome again to all those visiting for the first time,
26th December 2020
Chris and Trisha Plant
Christmas Past
Christmas was always an exciting time when I was growing up in the sixties. It was the only time I would receive presents, with my birthday on the 23rd December gift givers would always say that they spent a bit more on my Christmas present. At the time I believed them, not now though. Mum and Dad would always buy presents that we could all play with, like Ker-Plunk, Buckaroo and my favourite, Mouse trap. Christmas was always the time for playing cards, with Newmarket being the most popular for us kids, while the grown-ups would play Kitty Nap and 3 card Brag for pennies. The festive season was also defined by the food we had in the house, food that was never eaten at any other time of year. Tangerines (no mandarins and clementines then), nuts, candied figs and dates were only eaten at Christmas. As a treat Mum would bring out a tin of chocolate biscuits on Christmas Eve, and Dad always had a box of Black Magic chocolates, if us kids wanted sweets we were allowed to have some of the foil wrapped chocolate coins off the tree. Christmas breakfast would consist of chocolate bars from the selection boxes we received as presents. One of my most lasting memories was visiting Nana and Grandad on Christmas morning where Grandad would give us children a good slug of whiskey in our tea, I’ve always wondered if that was just a Suffolk thing.
In the sixties the classic drink at Christmas was the iconic Snowball, my Mum loved them, but only over the festive period.
Snowball Cocktail
Ingredients
100ml Lemonade
Juice of ½ lime
60ml Advocaat
Method
Pour lemonade and lime juice into an ice filled tumbler. Then add Advocaat and stir. To be authentic, spear a Maraschino cherry with a cocktail stick and balance on the glass.
Steiff Christmas Elephant Ornament
With only 2,000 of these adorable Steiff Christmas elephant ornaments made, we are very lucky to have one right here in Framlingham! This is the perfect gift for any collector of Steiff or for the elephant fanatic.
He measures 10cm in size, has beautiful soft velvety grey fur, a swish red and gold felt saddle, and the essential gold plated “Button in Ear” with an elephant instead of the usual Steiff bear stamp. There is a thin red ribbon attached so you can hang him on your tree for all to admire.
Steiff was founded in 1880 by Margarete Steiff, and although we often think of the classic Steiff teddy bear being one of the first pieces she created, it was actually the Steiff elephant design that started it all. The teddy bear was later introduced in 1902 and was designed by her nephew Richard Steiff. In 1904 the “Steiff – Button in Ear” was born and remains the guarantee of excellent craftsmanship and the quality Steiff are famous for.
We only have one available so please give us a call on 01728 723757 or email chris@krcookshop.co.uk if you would like to make him part of your collection. We can arrange for pick up from the shop or offer free delivery throughout the U.K. The Steiff elephant costs £88.00.
Product Spotlight – Dishcloths Categories: Kitchen, Cleaning.
Is it wrong to get excited about dishcloths? No, definitely not when they are Swedish dishcloths from Iris Hantverk.
We have stocked these household cloths for many years and they always get rave reviews from anyone who tries them (although we must admit they have occasionally been mistaken for a pair of socks!) We personally use these at home all the time, and have a loyal following of customers who come into the shop to pick them up from time to time.
There are no less than TEN vibrant colours to choose from. They’re hardwearing, washable, really absorbent and have a good ‘wipe’ to them – for want of a better word. The best dishcloth you will ever buy – and made from all natural materials. Woven in Sweden from 55% linen and 45% cotton.
*Cleaning will be an absolute pleasure and everyone will be fighting to do the washing up! (*Not an official guarantee 😊)
Hotties Heatlogs and Ignite Firelighters
Updated: December 2020
We have just started stocking these fantastic products. Tried and tested by us, we just had to share.
We don’t sell these from the website, because the cost to ship is just too expensive compared to the price of the product, but please call in for supplies.
Ignite Firelighters are the natural choice for your fire or stove.
Made from renewable, untreated wood shavings dipped in wax they are easy to use and it only takes one firelighter to get your fire or stove going.
Suitable for all stoves, open fires, campfires, pizza ovens, firepits and chimineas
Easy to light
Odourless
Long Burn
Clean and convenient
Made in the UK
FSC® Certified
50Â per pack
Hotties Heatlogs are manufactured in the UK from renewable clean wood residues.
Easy and clean to handle, easy to stack/store
Suitable for all stoves, log burners, firepits and chimineas
Reliable flame with assured warmth: once you use them, you’ll always want to use them
Easy to light, burn well, throw off great heat, safe (no expansion during burning)
Low ash residue (0.5-0.7%), no soot, keep stoves, cassette fires and chimneys clean
Low moisture content – normally less than 5% (average wood log moisture content is between 25 and 50%)
No spitting or sparking
Great used alone or mixed with regular fuel type
Log dimensions: 70mm x 200mm length
The BBQ season arrives early!
Even though us hardened pit masters have been cooking outside throughout the winter, the coming week-end offers some spring like weather for the seasonal BBQ’ers. Now is the time to hone your grilling skills for the coming year. Learn how to make and control a charcoal fire and add wood chips for extra flavour. Perfect the two heat system – direct heat for burgers,sausages,steaks and for searing and colouring meat; indirect heat for larger and thicker cuts of meat. Make your own burgers and kebabs, use chicken thighs instead of drumsticks, make you own rubs and sauces. The more you practise basic grilling skills the more you will be confident and relaxed cooking for your family and friends. I am always happy to pass on tips and skills gained from over 40 years of BBQing, just pop in the shop or phone me. Two tips that I can pass on to make your BBQ gathering go smoothly are, firstly, buy a temperature probe, a cheap one will do, this will take the guesswork out of cooking meat, especially chicken ( at least 75C ), and will negate the need for you to use the kitchen oven (this is frowned upon in BBQ circles!). Secondly, if somebody asks for a ‘well-done’ steak, ask them politely, but firmly, to leave!
Recipe of the Week
Pheasant Forestiere
Serves Eight
2 or 3 plump pheasants
1oz butter for sauce – plus extra butter for browning pheasants.
Six shallots, sliced
8oz chipolata sausages
12oz unsmoked bacon, chopped
2-3 glasses of red wine
8fl oz stock
12oz button mushrooms
1 bouquet garni
Brown pheasants in hot butter in a large casserole. Remove pheasants and brown shallots, bacon and sausages. Remove sausages and add pheasants, wine and bouquet garni, cover and simmer for 30-40 mins.
Add quartered mushrooms and return browned sausages and cook for a further 7 mins.
Remove pheasants, carve and set the meat aside. Remove sausages and reserve with pheasant meat. Remove and discard bouquet garni.
Knead 2oz butter and 1oz flour into a paste.
Add stock to the casserole, then simmer and whisk in butter paste. Re-boil to thicken and return the carved pheasant meat and  sausages.
Perfect served with creamy mashed potato and seasonal vegetables.
Sunday 28th October.
This is the most fantastic and easy Christmas Cake recipe ever, tried and tested over many years. Given to me by a very dear Australian friend, way back in the ’70’s. I’m afraid it’s all in imperial measurements, and I really didn’t want to risk converting to metric in case it didn’t work!
Helen’s Christmas Cake
Before you start, soak the fruit overnight in brandy (about half a cup)
Ingredients:
2lb mixed dried fruit (it’s best to mix your own from raisins, sultanas and currants)
2oz ground almonds
3oz glace cherries
4oz mixed peel
1/2 lb self raising flour
1/2 lb butter
1/2 lb dark brown sugar (Muscovado if possible)
1 tablespoon of black treacle
Grated rind of one lemon
Grated rind of one orange
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
A few drops of vanilla essence
4 eggs
Method:
Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs, then add all the other ingredients.
Line a cake tin very well with 3 or even 4 layers of newspaper on the outside and then greaseproof paper on the inside. Cook for 3-4 hours.
350 degrees for one hour, then turn down to 300 deg.
Lamb Shanks and Apricots
Serves 6
50g butter
6 lamb shanks
1 onion, finely shopped
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp paprika
4 cloves
115g ground almonds
3 large strips of orange rind
225g dried apricots
115g dried prunes (pitted)
115g raisins
Melt the butter in a large casserole. Brown the lamb shanks
all over, three at a time, then transfer to a plate. Stir the onion and spices
into the pan juices and cook for 5 minutes to release their aroma, and soften
the onion. Add ½ tsp salt and plenty of pepper, then stir in the ground
almonds.
Return the lamb to the pan with the orange rind and cover
with 1.2 litres water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to very low. Cover
the surface with a sheet of crumpled baking parchment, then the lid (this will
prevent too much liquid escaping during the cooking process).
Simmer for 1 hour, Â then add the apricots, prunes and raisins,
stirring them into the liquid. Cover and simmer for another hour.
Ideally serve with couscous.
We often make these Cheese Sables in the shop on the ESSE cooker when we are demonstrating. They are so easy to make, and extremely impressive! There are only three ingredients, all equal quantities, so it’s really simple to double or triple the quantities for a crowd. Don’t forget to brush with beaten egg before baking, as this is crucial to success!
Cheese Sables
500g Butter
500g Plain Flour
500g Finely Grated Cheddar
Sift the flour into a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour and as soon as
the pieces are well coated with flour, rub in with fingertips until resembling
fine breadcrumbs.
Add the grated cheese and press the mixture
together to form a dough. Knead gently until
silky smooth and then chill in the fridge for about half an hour.
Carefully roll out the pastry into a fairly
thin oblong. Remember to flour the
rolling pin and table, as this mixture tends to stick!
Cut into 2″ wide strips and then into
triangles.
Brush with beaten egg.
Place sables on a baking sheet and bake for
about 10 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.
Eat immediately!
This is fish soup with a delicate touch, the pools of melted butter are an essential indulgence!
Cullen Skink
900g undyed smoked haddock
1 onion, finely sliced
450ml milk
450ml water
450g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
225g leeks, finely sliced
300ml single cream
1 large egg yolk
2tbs chopped fresh parsley
50g butter
Salt and ground black pepper
Put the haddock, skin side up, in a shallow pan and cover with the onion
slices, milk and water. Bring to just below boiling, turn down the heat and
poach gently for about 10 minutes until cooked.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water for 10-15
minutes, or until tender, then drain and mash. When the fish is cooked, strain the cooking liquid into a
pan and reserve. Flake the fish and set aside.
Whisk the mashed potato into the reserved fish liquid, stir
in the leeks, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the leeks are
tender. Whisk the cream and egg yolk together and stir into the
soup.
Reheat gently, without boiling, until slightly thickened.
Gently stir in the reserved flaked fish, taste and adjust the seasoning if
necessary, and heat through. Stir the chopped parsley into the soup and serve piping hot,
dotted with knobs of butter that will melt and run over the surface of the
soup.
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This creamless soup combines one of our favourite overlooked vegetables with pears and shallots to create a light starter that’s delicate and complex-tasting.
For the soup:
-
-
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup coarsely chopped shallots
- 1 1/2 cups peeled, coarsely chopped ripe pear
- 4 cups coarsely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cups water
-
For the garnish:
-
-
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
-
For the soup:
-
-
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter until foaming. Add olive oil, shallots, and pear, season well with salt and ground white pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add celery and thyme, season with more salt and pepper, and sweat until most of the liquid has evaporated and the celery has just started to soften, about 12 minutes.
- Add stock and water, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer until celery is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Using a blender, purée soup in batches until smooth. Return soup to the stove to reheat. Season well with salt and pepper.
-
For the garnish (optional):
-
-
- Heat olive oil in a small frying pan until bubbling.
- Add half of the shallots and fry until golden. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels, season with salt, and repeat with remaining shallots.
- Serve soup topped with fried shallots.
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Mandy Gooden at the Kitchen Range
This was Mandy on her first visit to us, back on Easter Saturday 2008 – and what a fantastic day it was. Mandy produced the most wonderful dishes from our Rayburn – and all so effortlessly at the drop of a hat!
Lemon drizzle cake – August 2008
We had a fantastic open day during August 2008, the weather was perfect and the cake was oh so scrummy!
Barbecue Tips
1. When making your own burgers, don’t make the mistake of using lean steak mince. The juiciest and most flavoursome burgers are made with beef having 20% fat content, usually chuck or braising steak. If you can’t buy it, get your butcher to mince some up fresh.
2. When using a charcoal BBQ, only cover half the grate with lit coals, that way you have two cooking zones, one hot zone for direct searing of burgers and steak etc., and a cooler side for indirect cooking of larger pieces of meat.
3. When using a tomato based BBQ sauce, only use it for the last ten minutes of cooking, as the sugars can blacken the food.
4. Invest in an instant read meat probe, to take the guess work out of cooking meat, especially chicken.