Parkin Recipe James Martin Food

YORKSHIRE PARKIN

Steps:

• Generously grease an 8x8 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place the medium oatmeal in a large bowl along with the flour, spices, salt and baking powder.
• In a medium saucepan add the brown sugar, black treacle, golden syrup, butter and lard (if using). Heat the mixture until the sugar is melted (don't boil it) and remove from the heat. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour the hot mixture into the dry mixture and stir well to combine. Add the candied ginger, egg and milk and stir well to combine. The batter will be liquid and sticky.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. The cake should be fairly firm but springy. Let the cake cool in the pan. Invert the cake onto a platter. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the parkin into squares.Place the squares into an airtight container and let it sit for at least 3 days before eating. This is critical (see blog post).

PARKIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a deep 22cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment. Beat the egg and milk together with a fork.
• Gently melt the syrup, treacle, sugar and butter together in a large pan until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Mix together the oatmeal, flour and ginger and stir into the syrup mixture, followed by the egg and milk.
• Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 mins - 1 hr until the cake feels firm and a little crusty on top. Cool in the tin then wrap in more parchment and foil. Keep for up to five days before eating if you can - it'll become softer and stickier the longer you leave it, up to two weeks.

YORKSHIRE PARKIN & BLACKBERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Start by making the parkin. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking parchment and grease well with butter.
• Put the butter and syrup in a small saucepan and heat gently until melted. In a large bowl, tip in the flour, sugar, ginger and bicarbonate of soda, then slowly pour in the butter and syrup, stirring all the time. Add the beaten egg and milk, then mix until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for about 1 hr or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Make the compote while the parkin is baking. Put the blackberries in a food processor with the sugar and lemon juice and blitz until smooth. Push the mixture through a sieve into a jug to remove the seeds, then stir in the amaretto. Put in the fridge until needed.
• Next, make the custard. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and cornflour until smooth and pale. Put the milk, cream and vanilla seeds into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring regularly.
• When the milk and cream mixture is hot but not yet boiling, pour a little onto the egg mixture and whisk it in, then pour the lot back into the pan with the rest of the milk and cream. Continue to heat very gently, whisking all the time, until the mixture is glossy and is starting to thicken. Pour the custard through a sieve and cover with cling film to stop a skin forming while it cools.
• Once the parkin is cooked, turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• You can now assemble the trifle - cut the parkin into 16 squares and crumble or slice a few of these to fit the base of a large trifle bowl. Add just less than half of the compote and a few whole blackberries, then pour over half the custard. Give the dish a gentle shake to level the mixture, then repeat the layering process once more, reserving a few cubes of parkin. Pour a spiral of compote over the top of the final layer of custard, then use a skewer to drag spokes out from the centre to create a marbled effect. Scatter over a few whole blackberries, then chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the reserved parkin and the crystallised ginger, then dust with icing sugar.

JAMES MARTIN'S YORKSHIRE PUDS

Steps:

• Put 200g plain flour and some seasoning into a large bowl, stir in 3 eggs, one at a time, then slowly whisk in 300ml milk until you have a smooth batter.
• Chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins or up to a day.
• Heat oven to 220C/180C fan/gas 7. Pour 4 tbsp vegetable oil into the holes of a 12-hole muffin tin, then heat the tin in the oven for 5 mins.
• Carefully ladle the batter mix into the tin, then bake for 30 mins until well browned and risen.