Picture the scene: all the family sitting around the fire, all the presents wrapped up nicely and sitting on the window sill (there was no tree - hurumph) and I start explaining how Delia really doesn't do it for me. I believe I said something about her being quite scary and her recipes not working for me. And then, lo and behold, what do I find upon opening my Christmas present from my dearest grandmother? Why, it's Delia's Happy Christmas. Aaargh! I wasn't disappointed by the book - I'm always willing to give a chef another go, but I just WISHED I hadn't said that. Hence the new-found determination to only praise on Christmas Eve. In fact, I think the same could go for the week or so preceding one's birthday, actually, just on the off-chance.
Anyway, from the moment I saw the book, I knew the best way to save the situation was to cook something from the book and write my grandmother raving about my conversion to Delia's camp. And shamefully, it's taken me until March to do it. But at least I chose something seasonal - Irish soda bread. I'm submitting it to The Daily Spud's Paddy's Day Food Parade in time for St Patrick's Day on Wednesday.
I'm sure there'll be plenty of soda bread around blogsville this week, but for me, it's the highlight of visiting my relatives in Belfast. Well, that and the scones. (Though scones can be a little stressful - I have been told off by my grandfather for toasting the butter side first!) And this recipe was fab - stupendously easy and tasty. It had a good crunchy crust (make sure your bread knife is ready for the challenge!) and made the best toast ever. Most of the work was in finding buttermilk (Sainsbury's) and pinhead oatmeal (a health food shop).
275g wholemeal flour
75g plain flour, plus a little extra
50g pinhead oatmeal
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 egg
1 284ml carton of buttermilk
a little milk
1 tbsp rolled oats
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas mark 5. Grease a baking tray. Put the flours, oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl and mix. Beat the egg and buttermilk together and add them. Mix with a fork and then your hands to form a smooth dough. Shape the dough into an oval, add a dusting of flour, brush with milk and sprinkle with oats. Use the blunt side of a knife to make indentations diagonally across the bread.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, then put on a wire rack to cool.
So, have I been won over to Delia? Well, almost. There's just one niggly thing. What kind of cookery book index files soda bread only under I for Irish? (Am I just being too fussy?!)
Go ahead be fussy! But yay for making your grandmother happy! I hope you find more recipes in there that you like!
ReplyDeleteThat looks great. I have been battling with soda break recently. Every time I make it something seems to go a little bit wrong. Going to have to give this one a go.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in on the fun, Nora. I know that there will be a lot of soda bread popping up around the place this week, but that's for a very good reason - it's bloody good stuff!
ReplyDeleteHow embarassing! My grandma always bought me the latest Delia book and one year I asked for Jamie Oliver but I think the name "Naked Chef" was too off putting for her. Instead I received an old Reader's Digest number from the late 80s in black and white complete with Edwina Currie egg warning in the foreword.
ReplyDeleteYour loaf looks super. Wish I'd made one.
Nora, that bread looks great! I've yet to make Soda bread but I'll be making it soon.
ReplyDeleteMaria
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ooh that sounds just like the sort of thing I'd do, how embarassing! I hope you find something in Delia's book to make, I made quite a few of the recipes for this Christmas and enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteSoda bread looks great, I love it fresh from the oven.
I love Irish soda bread. My mom always bought some from a local bakery near our home when we were kids. I have years to enjoy some.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I must admit I have put my foot in it before about presents too. Maybe if you bake your granmother a cake from a delia recipe all will be forgiven. The soda bread looks lovely
ReplyDeleteVery similar to the recipe I submitted for the parade except mine has honey instead of sugar. I love the oats sprinkled on top too, makes it even prettier! Yummy! Happy St. Patrick's Day :-)
ReplyDeleteThat bread looks so tasty - especially with that lovely smoked salmon!! Food porn!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on Delia!
This looks great Nora. I made it for the first time myself a few weeks ago and was well impressed.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, you do make me laugh! Lovely looking bread too.
ReplyDeleteYour bread looks lovely Nora, I've used that Delia recipe quite a few times now, and it always seems to work well. I usually make it as a tin loaf so it's easier to slice.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about comments and presents - sounds like a good resolution to only praise, think I'll have to try and remember to join you in that!