The Butterfly Book of Kentish Recipes

‘The Butterfly Book of Kentish Recipes’  by Susan Hibberd. ISBN 978-1847780089  Soon to be available as an e-book - download it directly to your Kindle or PC !

Kent is well known for having a wide range of produce. It has its own named varieties of livestock, fish, fruit and vegetables many of which have been grown since before Roman times and with a diversity of environments, boasts a choice of traditional dishes from land, sea and river.

Susan has chosen the recipes in this book to highlight Kentish ingredients, and traditional recipes have been updated to fit today’s busy, health-conscious lifestyle. Within its pages, traditional recipes such as those for Kentish Huffkins and Folkestone Pudding Pie lie next to modern favourites like Gypsy Tart and Harrison Oysters.

Each recipe is accompanied by a short history of the ingredients, and is beautifully illustrated with pen and ink drawings from Colin McGowan.

“I’ve only lived in Kent for fifteen years,” said Susan, “ and sometimes I still feel like a bit of an newcomer!. Lots of my friends can trace their families back through generations of Kentish men and women. Kent is a very special place, with a fabulous history, and the food we eat reflects this. Everyone should understand where they come from, and what their roots are, and I hope that this book will help people to do that.”

The recipes have been collected from library archives, vintage cookery books, and from local people themselves. “People have been ever so helpful,” said Susan, “I think they are pleased to know that their heritage is important enough to be recorded. I hope The Butterfly Book of Kentish Recipes will find a place on many kitchen shelves, not just as a piece of history, but as a real working cookbook”

Available from http://www.amazon.co.uk/ or by emailing locus_arts@yahoo.com

Here is a sample of some of the recipes:

Watercress Soup

The historical importance of watercress as a crop in Kent is still reflected in some of the older place names. Ashford has an area called Watercress Fields, which forms part of the Ashford Green Corridor and Wingham has a Watercress Lane.

 Maidstone has its own version of this soup, made with potatoes and chicken stock.

8oz watercress
2oz butter
2 leeks
2oz plain flour
1 pint milk
½ pint vegetable stock
¼ pint crème fraiche
2oz pine nuts 

Heat the butter in a big saucepan, add the leek and soften slowly for about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook over a low heat for one minute. Gradually add the milk and stock. Bring the mixture to the boil slowly and continue to cook until the ingredients thicken. Remove the pan from the heat, and leave it to cool slightly.  Add your watercress to the soup, blend it in a food processor and return it to the pan Cook over a moderate heat for four minutes.  Add the crème fraiche and sprinkle pine nuts on top. Serve immediately with crunchy rolls and butter.

Whitebait

This is a traditional dish, available in restaurants all along the Thames Estuary. Cheap and cheerful, it was served as a quick supper in pubs on both sides of the river.

1lb whitebait

½ pint milk

4oz flour

Salt and pepper

Soak the whitebait in milk for five minutes. Drain it and toss it in the seasoned flour.  Deep fry for three minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with lemon wedges and bread and butter. Delicious! For the more adventurous, a dash of Tabasco adds an extra dimension of flavour.

Medlar Jelly

Medlars are not ready to eat until they turn a dark reddish brown and become soft and juicy. Leaving them outside until they reach this stage is known as “bletting".

4lb of fruit

1¾ pints water

Sugar

Put the fruit and water into a preserving pan and simmer until soft. Tip the whole lot into a jelly bag and allow to drip for 6 hours or overnight. Return it to the preserving pan, with 12oz sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice for each pint of liquid. Boil rapidly until the setting point is reached. Start testing after 7 minutes. Pot into warm jars and seal.