Fay Good - 65 Years of Cooking

Fay Good

65 YEARS OF COOKING

RECIPES WAYNE GOOD | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

The two recipes I am sharing with you in this issue were my dear mother’s. Sadly, Mum passed away on November 5th last year, a few weeks shy of her 90th birthday.

Fay – Mum – came from a line of very strong women, who were all fantastic cooks, and I could comfortably say that these recipes probably came from the generation before her, perhaps with Mum putting her own mark on the recipe. I have Mum’s cookbook, with many little pieces of tatted, browning paper and very scant instructions to make a fruit loaf, a pie or whatever, that had been collected over a lifetime, no doubt, from one of her many friends in the Women’s Institute or wherever. To me, cooking and good hospitality is about not just sharing good food, but ideas and recipes. I was very lucky from a very young age to be encouraged to go into her kitchen and help, and later, when I got older, create in the kitchen under my own steam. I have two older brothers, one sadly passed away 15 months ago, and they too were taught the basics by Mum, so that when we left home, we had the skills to be able to provide ourselves with a wholesome meal. I fear that many a younger generation are missing out on this blessing.

RHUBARB AND CARAMEL MERINGUE FLAN

Rhubarb is definitely not one of my favourite things, especially stewed with apple … gag! However, teamed in a good pastry with the caramel and meringue, it’s delicious. We were served this with good old Tip Top Vanilla ice cream, but I rather like a good dollop of créme fraîche.

1 quantity of sweet short pastry (I used Panetone available from Vetro) 2 eggs, separated 2 cups caster sugar 175g butter 2 tbsp flour 2 cups rhubarb, chopped

Roll out your pastry on a floured board and line a wellgreased, loose bottom, shallow flan tin with the pastry. Place baking paper on top and then ceramic baking beans. Bake at about 190°C for approximately 20–25 minutes. Take out of the oven and remove the baking paper and baking beans. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. While this is happening, pour boiling water over the chopped rhubarb and leave for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

In a mixer, cream the butter with 1 cup of the caster sugar until pale. Add the egg yolks and continue to beat for another minute. Finally add the flour and mix. Place the rhubarb into the pastry case and top with the batter.

Place into a pre-heated oven of about 160°C and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the batter is set.

Place the egg whites into a mixing bowl and beat until stiff. Gradually add the remaining caster sugar and beat until dissolved.

Remove the flan from the oven and immediately place the meringue on top. Turn the oven down to 130°C and return the flan to the oven. Cook until the meringue is firm to the touch and slightly golden – approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with either vanilla ice cream or cream fraiche.

Note: The batter turns into a gooey caramel, so don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t set firmly! I wouldn’t recommend cooking the base/batter in advance as the butter in the caramel can split.

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FAY’S BEST EVER SEAFOOD PIE

When I was young, this recipe was quite an ordinary, yet delicious dish. I’m talking 50 years ago, when getting a whole smoked snapper at the fish shop was like buying a packet of sausages now, readily available and cheap. As the years have gone on, this has changed, with smoked fish becoming more of a treat. Mussels and oysters would also have been added, and there is no reason why you can’t do that now. A great dish to feed a crowd.

100g butter 2/3 cup flour 300ml milk 200ml cream 2 tbsp parsley, chopped 1 onion, diced ¾ cup sour cream 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp capers 500g firm white fish, cubed 500g smoked fish, broken up 250g scallops, cut in half 250g green prawns, shelled salt and pepper to taste 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs 50g butter

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion and parsley. Cover and cook out for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onion is clear. Do not allow it to brown.

Add the flour and cook for a few minutes, again not allowing the flour to brown. While this is happening, place the milk and cream into another pot and heat until just under boiling. Gradually add the milk and cream to the butter and flour, stirring all the time, until you have a nice thick, creamy roux. Add the sour cream, Dijon mustard, capers, fish and seafood. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to your taste. Pour this into a large ceramic oven dish. This makes quite a large pie and could easily be split into two dishes, one for the freezer and one for dinner!

In the frypan, melt the last 50g of butter and add the fresh breadcrumbs, tossing until all the butter is absorbed. Place on top of the seafood pie. Place into a pre-heated oven at 180˚C. Cook until the pie is bubbling, and breadcrumbs are golden, about 30–40 minutes. Serve warm new potatoes and salad, or in the season, roasted asparagus.

Wayne Good

Wayne Good is a chef, interior designer and travel guide. Renowned for his hospitality, Wayne’s cooking classes and tours of France are hot tickets! Discover more at www.arkanda.co.nz