Currantcatsup Recipes

CURRIED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

CURRY KETCHUP

Steps:

• Cook 1/4 cup minced onion in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon butter until soft, 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each curry powder and paprika and a pinch of cayenne; cook until toasted, 1 minute. Add 1 cup ketchup and 1/2 cup water; simmer until thick, about 25 minutes.

CURRANT KETCHUP BASTE

Steps:

• Place the currants, water, sugar, vinegar, shallot, ginger, mustard, cinnamon, cayenne, cloves, allspice, salt and freshly ground pepper into a heavy-based saucepan.
• Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
• Cool slightly and then blend in a food processor or jug blender, adding a little water if required. Transfer to a warm, sterilised jar, cover with a waxed disc, cool and cover tightly.
• To use the currant ketchup, simply baste the lamb, pork or chicken during the last few minutes of cooking.

CURRANT CATSUP

Steps:

• The currants should be washed and picked over. Leave on the stems, but remove any leaves.
• Boil them with the vinegar until all are 'popped'.
• Strain well; discard seeds and stems. You should get about 5 cups of juice.
• Put the juice in a pot and add the spices mixed to a paste with a little of the currant juice.
• Bring to a boil and add the sugar.
• Boil hard for about 10 minutes.
• Start testing for "gel".
• There are several ways to do this, but the easiest is to put a drop on a frozen surface (like an ice cube) and see if it will wrinkle when pushed with your finger. Alternately, keep dipping you spoon in the mixture as it boils. Once it starts running off in two streams, keep careful watch: when it runs off in multiple streams, or in a sheet, it is done.
• When this is achieved, ladle into sterlized jars and seal with sterilized lids.
• The original recipe did not call for this, but I pop them back in the boiling water bath for 5 minutes just for safety sake.

RED CURRANT CURD

Steps:

• Place currants in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Cook, crushing with a potato masher, until berries are completely soft, about 15 minutes.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Do not force fruit through strainer; discard pulp. There should be about 1 cup juice. Measure and set aside 1/2 cup juice. Reserve remaining juice for another use.
• Combine 1/2 cup currant juice, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
• Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until smooth.
• Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Let cool; refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 1 hour.

MOM'S CURRANT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat. Stir in molasses. In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Stir in the cream mixture, then the currants. Add the dry ingredients and beat to combine.
• Pour into prepared pan, and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

CURRANT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Lightly dust a flat baking tray with flour.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.
• Rub the margarine or butter into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sultanas or raisins and mix through.
• Finally, add the egg and sufficient milk to make a soft dough, not too wet or sticky! Turn onto a lightly floured board and gently knead, just enough to bring the dough together.
• Transfer to the prepared baking tray and shape into a round 1 1/2” deep. Cut a cross on top and bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown.

RED CURRANT PIE

Steps:

• To Make Dough: In a medium bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Mix in butter, sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest until mixture forms dough. Let rest in cool place for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roll out dough and put into a springform pan.
• Bake in oven for 25 minutes, or until golden yellow.
• To Make Filling: In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually stir in sugar and cornstarch; beat for 5 minutes. Fold currants into mixture and pour into pie crust.
• Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.