Traditional English Dinner for French Students

Prep Time:Variable depending on methos used

Cook time:As above

Serves:4-5 people

Description
This is an English dinner that we had to prepare at my French/English Cooking Group. It consists of Homemade Vegetable Soup, Main Meal of Chicken Pie, Jacket Potatoes with a Green Veg and Apple Crumble with Homemade Custard. Made (almost) totally from scratch

Ingredients

 * Chicken
 * FOR THE SOUP
 * 1/2 kilo Vegetables in season (i.e, swede, parsip, etc)
 * Bouquet Garni
 * Water
 * FOR THE MAIN MEAL
 * Shortcrust Pastry
 * Puff Pastry
 * Flour
 * Butter
 * 1/2 each Red & Green Peppers (optional)
 * 3 or 4 Mushrooms (optional)
 * 1 Onion
 * medium sized Potatoes (1 per person)
 * enough Green Veg for 4-5 people (e.g. Sprouts/Peas/ etc)
 * FOR THE APPLE CRUMBLE
 * 1/2 kilo Cooking Apples
 * 1/2 Lemon
 * Sugar to taste
 * Plain Flour
 * Butter
 * Brown sugar (to sprinkle over crumble)
 * FOR THE CUSTARD
 * 3 large Eggs
 * 1/2 litre Milk
 * Sugar to taste
 * a few drops of Vanilla Essence

Directions
I was asked to produce an English, 3 course meal for our Cookery Group. This is what I came up with. All ingredients are approx as we were cooking for 15 people

Put the chicken in a large pan and cover with water.

Boil chicken until bones and meat seperate (overnight if poss)

Strain, reserving the liquid.

Re-boil the bones, skin, giblets in the reserved liquid. Once boilling well turn down to a slow heat and simmer until required. Top up with more water if neccessary. Put the meat to one side for later.

Peel and chop the soup vegetables into smallish pieces.

Prepare the green vegetables for the main meal and leave standing in cold water.

About 1hr 15mins before the meal is due to be served strain the soup liquid and discard the bone, giblets and skin.(Reserve approx 1/2 litre of liquid)

Add the soup veg and bring to the boil.

Once boiling turn down and simmer until ready to serve

Wash and prick over the potatoes. Bake in a hot oven for 3/4hr - 1hr depending on size

Line a pie dish with the shortcrust pastry.

Chop and lightly fry the onion.

Prepare the red and green peppers and mushrooms (if using)

Make a roux with the flour and butter. Gradually add the reserved liquid, stirring continuously. Gradually stir in the onion, peppers and mushroom (if using).

Chop the chicken and fill the pie dish with this.

Cover with the roux mix (any roux sauce or liquid left over can be added to the soup)

Top with the puff pastry, glaze and put into the oven to cook.

As soon as the pie goes into the oven strain the green veg, put into a saucepan with fresh water and bring to the boil. Cook as you would normally.

Grate the lemon and squeeze the juice.

Peel, core and chop the apples

Put into a pan with the lemon juice and peel. Add sugar to taste.

Simmer gently until the apples are just soft but not falling to pieces.

Make a crumble with the flour and butter

Turn the apple into a deep pie dish and cover with the crumble. Sprinkle with some brown sugar and bake until golden on top.

Bring the milk to the boil then stand to one side to slightly cool.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat well.

Add the Vanilla Essence andsugar as required. Mix well.

Pour into the milk and gently heat until thickened to requirement (some people like it thicker than others)

(Hopefully) everything will finish cooking about the same.

I think I've added everything. If not then somebody buzz me and I'll amend what I've missed