Welsh Recipes for St Davids Day (March 1st)
In Wales we celebrate the life of our patron saint on March the 1st. We celebrate the life ofSaint David and try to do what he taught us
"Do the little things."
So I thought I'd include some recipes that you could cook to celebrate St Davids Day. I will also include some craft activities that you can do with family members too about Saint David.
Traditional Welsh cakes recipe
A delicious little cake flavoured with spice and dried fruit, baked on a griddle and best served warm and sprinkled with sugar. A real Welsh treat.
Welsh cakes ingredients
225g/8oz plain flour
100g/4oz butter
75g/3oz caster sugar
50g/2oz currants
tsp baking powder
tsp mixed spice
1 egg
A pinch salt
A little milk to bind
How to make Welsh cakes
Homemade Welsh cakes by you can
Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, mixed spice) together into a mixing bowl. Cut up the butter and rub into the flour. Stir in the sugar and fruit, pour in the egg and mix to form a dough, use a little milk if the mixture is a little dry. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a biscuit. Use a pastry cutter to cut out rounds. Cook the cakes on a greased bake stone or griddle until golden. The heat should not be too high, as the cakes will cook on the outside too quickly, and not in the middle. Once cooked sprinkle with caster sugar and serve with butter.
As an alternative you can try mixed dried fruit or tropical fruit. Some grated lemon or orange rind is also good. An unusual but delicious addition is 1 teaspoon of lavender flowers with some citrus zest. Add a little orange juice, zest and icing sugar to some soft butter to serve with the Welsh cakes.
Cawl can be made with beef or ham too. It depends on which meat you prefer
Traditional Welsh Cawl recipe
Cawl is a traditional Welsh stew and depending on your location in Wales, Cawl will be made in many ways. If you are inland or up in the hills you will get served lamb or mutton cawl where as on the coast you will get seafood cawl. Here is our recipe for a traditional lamb Cawl.
Welsh Cawl ingredients
To serve six
6 x small Welsh lamb shanks
1.2L/2pts water
225g/8oz potatoes, peeled and diced
225g/8oz swede, peeled and diced
225g/8oz onion, peeled and chopped
225g/8oz carrots, peeled and diced
225g/8oz leek, cleaned and sliced thin
A bunch of herbs: Bay, thyme, rosemary and parsley
a small Savoy cabbage
2tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
How to make traditional Welsh Cawl
A bowl of lamb cawl
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan, season the lamb shanks add to the pan together with the onion and brown all over (you may have to do this in batches if your pan is not large enough. Pour over the water and add the bunch of herbs. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Add all the vegetables except for the cabbage, bring up to the boil again, reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 40 minutes. Shred the cabbage and add to the cawl, cook for about 5 minutes, then serve.
Cawl can be made throughout the year, just adjust the vegetables according to the season. Chopped runner bean, broad beans and peas are wonderful during early summer, add a little chopped mint at the end of cooking.
During cooking the stock will reduce somewhat, so top up with more water, or some wine. You may also wish to add pulses such as lentils, or beans, pearl barley is also good during the winter months.
Substitute lamb with a piece of gammon, just make sure you soak it before cooking. The broth will make an excellent soup, add peas and fresh mint.
Serve the gammon with creamed potatoes, broad beans and parsley sauce.
Find out more about traditional Welsh food
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Bara brith is a traditional cake recipie which is eaten with a cup of tea.
Here is a link to the recipie http://www.visitwales.com/explore/traditions-history/recipes/bara-brith
