currant

Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta recipe | Epicurious.com

kefir (cultured milk) or plain whole-milk yogurt

(lightly packed) dill fronds with tender stems (about 1 large bunch), divided

garlic cloves, divided

unsalted butter

pine nuts almonds

currants

kosher salt,

Tbsp. cumin

1½ tsp. black pepper

lb. ground lamb

lb. orecchiette or other short pasta

lemon

A low, steady simmer makes this braise a great pork ragù to pour over your cavatelli.

Cavatelli with Pork Ragù

pork

salt and black pepper

olive oil,

½ medium onion, finely chopped

carrot, peeled, finely chopped

celery stalk, finely chopped

garlic clove, finely chopped

rosemary

oregano

bay leaf

tomatoes

dry red wine

black peppercorns

nutmeg

cloves

pasta

Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed, torn into 2” pieces

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

Parmesan,

Bon Appétit

Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat ¼ cup oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook meat, turning occasionally, until browned, 10–15 minutes; transfer to a large plate.

Drain all but 2 Tbsp. fat from pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Tie rosemary, oregano, and bay leaf into a bundle with kitchen twine; add to pot along with pork, tomatoes, wine, peppercorns, nutmeg, and cloves. Add water just to cover meat and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, adding more water as needed, until meat is very tender, 1–1½ hours.

Discard herb bundle. Using 2 forks, shred meat in pot; cook, uncovered, over medium heat until sauce is thickened, 8–10 minutes.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.

Add currants, if using, and kale to ragù; cook until kale is soft, about 4 minutes. Add pasta; cook, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta. Mix in butter and ½ cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Serve pasta drizzled with oil and topped with more Parmesan.

DO AHEAD: Pork can be cooked (do not shred) 2 days ahead. Let cool in braising liquid; cover and chill.

For best results, bake these loaves in metal loaf pans.

Raisin Loaf

(scant) raisins (about 4 ounces)

(scant) currants (about 4 ounces)

active dry yeast

flour

unsalted butter, room temperature,

fine sea salt

The bakers at London's St. John Bakery shape these loaves into free-form bâtardes. For the best results in your home kitchen, set them up and bake them in metal loaf pans.

Place raisins and currants in a medium bowl; add 1 1/2 cups hot water. Cover and let soak overnight. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup soaking liquid.

Pour 1 cup warm water (105°1-15°) into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; let stand until dissolved, about 10 minutes. Place 2 3/4 cups flour and 2 Tbsp. butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Mix on medium speed until butter is blended, about 2 minutes. Add yeast mixture and reserved soaking liquid from raisins and currants; beat on low speed for 4 minutes. Add raisins, currants, and salt; mix for 5 minutes.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface (dough will be very soft). Form into a ball, adding just enough flour (about 2-4 Tbsp.) to prevent dough from sticking to your hands. Transfer to a bowl; dust top with additional flour, cover with a kitchen towel, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Transfer dough to work surface; shape into a ball. Return to bowl, sprinkle with flour, and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 3 hours.

Butter two 8x4x2" metal loaf pans. Transfer dough to work surface. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a loaf shape and place in a prepared pan. Dust dough with flour, cover with kitchen towels, and let rise until dough reaches tops of pans, about 2 hours.

Place one rack on bottom shelf of oven and another on middle shelf; preheat to 400°. Add water to an 8x8x2" metal pan to a depth of 1"; place on bottom rack. Bake bread on middle rack for 40 minutes. Carefully remove pan with water. Remove bread from pans. Lay loaves on sides on a baking sheet; bake 5 minutes. Turn loaves onto other side; bake 5 minutes. Turn right side up and bake until done, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Pice ar y maen, a Welsh teatime treat passed on through generations and still as popular as ever. Perfect for making with the children

Welsh cakes

plain flour

caster sugar

½ tsp mixed spice

½ tsp baking powder

butter,

lard,

egg, beaten

splash milk

Tip the flour, sugar, mixed spice, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Then, with your fingers, rub in the butter and lard until crumbly. Mix in the currants. Work the egg into the mixture until you have soft dough, adding a splash of milk if it seems a little dry – it should be the same consistency as shortcrust pastry.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of your little finger. Cut out rounds using a 6cm cutter, re-rolling any trimmings. Grease a flat griddle pan or heavy frying pan with lard, and place over a medium heat. Cook the Welsh cakes in batches, for about 3 mins each side, until golden brown, crisp and cooked through. Delicious served warm with butter and jam, or simply sprinkled with caster sugar. Cakes will stay fresh in a tin for 1 week.

In a medium sized skillet, toast pine nuts over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until they are browned and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes (be careful not to

Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken with Rice, Currant, and Pine Nut Stuffing

chicken

olive oil

allspice

coriander

cinnamon

garlic, chopped

salt

pepper

rice

pine nuts

mint

whole chicken, giblets removed (about 5 pounds)

carrots, peeld and cut into 1" lenghts

onions,

turnips,

chicken broth

A no-bake icebox cake with fresh raspberries and smooth caramel cream to help you beat the summer heat.

Ginger-Raspberry Icebox Cake With Caramel Cream

raspberries

Tbsp. (63 g) sugar

Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger

cornstarch

(200 g) sugar

heavy cream, divided

ginger cookies (such as Anna's Ginger Swedish Thins)

raspberries,

currants (for serving; optional)

“This icebox cake is perfect for summer because you don’t have to turn on your oven,” says baker and recipe developer Samantha Seneviratne. Store-bought ginger cookies soften into layers of tender cake surrounded by loads of raspberries and lofty caramel cream. We prefer thin ginger cookies, but almond cookies or thicker shortbread would be just as tasty.

Cook raspberries, sugar, and ginger in a medium saucepan over medium heat, crushing with a potato masher, until softened and some of the liquid evaporates, 6–8 minutes.

Transfer 3 Tbsp. cooking liquid to a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Stir slurry into sauce in pan and cook, stirring, until thickened to about the consistency of jam, about 2 minutes; let cool.

Cook sugar and 3 Tbsp. water in a small saucepan over medium heat, without stirring, until mixture starts to darken in spots. Carefully swirl pan to evenly cook sugar but do not stir it. Cook, swirling occasionally, until caramel is a deep amber, about 8 minutes. Immediately stir in 1 cup cream. Cook until no streaks remain, about 30 seconds. Let cool.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat remaining 2 cups cream in a large bowl to medium peaks. Add cooled caramel and beat to stiff peaks (a few swirls of caramel are okay).

Line an 8x8" baking dish with 2 sheets of parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on all 4 sides. Cover bottom with a single layer of cookies, breaking to fit as needed. Top with about ½ cup raspberry sauce and spread evenly to corners and edges. Top with ¾ cup raspberries, then spread 2 cups caramel cream over berries. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 6 hours.

To serve, top with more raspberries and currants (if desired) and slice, wiping knife between cuts.
Do ahead: Icebox cake can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Roast pears and chicken liver pate make a gourmet starter which will impress even the toughest food critics.

Chicken liver and port pate with roasted pears

ruby port

garlic, peeled, bruised

unsalted butter, softened, chopped

chicken livers,

eggs, lightly beaten

tsp powdered gelatine

(60 milliliters) balsamic vinegar

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

tbsp caster sugar

When you're looking for light, effortless but impressive, you can't go passed this grilled calamari.

Grilled calamari with grape and currant dressing

squid, tentacles attached, cleaned

each green and red seedless grapes, halved crossways

eschalots, finely chopped

(100 grams) baby capers, rinsed, drained

(50 grams) currants

(60 milliliters) apple cider vinegar

(125 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil

Baby chives and baby parsley, chopped, to serve

You will have more than enough of the cauliflower purée and the salsa. Use the leftovers as a dip or swirl into vegetable soups.

Cauliflower Steaks and Purée with Walnut-Caper Salsa

walnuts

drained capers, patted dry

Fresno chile, seeds removed, finely chopped

parsley

sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

lemon zest

Kosher salt

cauliflower

garlic clove, finely grated

lemon juice

tahini

Lemon wedges (for serving)

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 7–10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425° for roasting cauliflower.

Heat oil and capers in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until capers burst and are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour oil and capers into a small heatproof bowl; let cool.

Mix in walnuts, chile, parsley, currants, vinegar, and lemon zest; season with salt.

Do Ahead: Salsa can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Remove only the toughest outer leaves from cauliflower (leave on any tender inner leaves). Trim stem to create a flat base. Resting cauliflower on stem, cut in half from top to bottom, creating two lobes with stem attached. Trim outer rounded edge of each piece to create two 1½"-thick "steaks" (the stem should hold the florets together); set steaks aside. Very coarsely chop remaining florets.

Cook florets in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, 6–8 minutes. Drain well, then process in a food processor with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and 1 Tbsp. water until smooth; season with salt. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add butter and swirl until melted, then add cauliflower steaks, oregano, and lemon zest. Cook, gently lifting up cauliflower occasionally to let hot fat run underneath, until steaks are deep golden brown (if oregano or lemon start to burn, place on top of steaks). Turn steaks and season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until cauliflower stems are fork-tender, 10–15 minutes.

To serve, spoon about ⅓ cup cauliflower purée onto plates and place steaks on top. Spoon salsa over and sprinkle with salt. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Do Ahead: Purée can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface, and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

This fresh side is a delicious alternative to cranberry sauce.

Quince and Currant Chutney

apple cider

red onion

apple cider vinegar

(packed) golden brown sugar

ginger

orange peel

star anise*

black mustard seeds

red pepper

cardamom

Epicurious

Mix all ingredients in heavy large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 45 minutes. Discard star anise. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover; chill.)

*A brown star-shaped seedpod; available in the spice section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Asian markets.

This traditional cake has been jazzed up with lots of ginger - you'd never know it's gluten-free and dairy-free. Perfect for weddings and Christmas

Gingered rich fruit cake

each dried currant, sultanas and raisins

tub crystallised ginger

stem ginger

tbsp stem ginger syrup

Cointreau

tsp each ground ginger and mixed spice

lemons

light muscovado sugar

eggs

gluten-free flour

gluten-free baking powder

apricot jam

mixed fruit, including figs, prunes, date and apricots

Heat oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Lightly oil a 71⁄2cm deep, 25cm round cake tin, and line it with a double layer of baking parchment.

Mix the dried fruits, ginger and syrup, Cointreau, spices and lemon zest. Put the olive oil, sugar and eggs in a bowl, whisk together until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and tip in the fruit. Fold and stir together well.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2-21⁄2 hrs, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover with foil if the cake begins to over-brown. Take from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Remove, leaving the baking parchment in place until you decorate.

For the topping: warm the jam and Cointreau together until the jam is liquid, allow to cool. Arrange the fruit on the cake and brush with the jam.

While my mother-in-law's rugelach were filled with cinnamon-sugared nuts, mine also include a slick of jam, some currants and a handful of chopped chocolate.

Rugelach

cold cream cheese,

(8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

all-purpose flour

raspberry jam, apricot jam

sugar

chopped nuts (I prefer pecans, but you can use walnuts

plump, moist dried currants

bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 2/3 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

water

sugar, preferably decorating (coarse) sugar

Sometime during the first year of my marriage, I visited my mother-in-law in her kitchen. There she was, listening to the radio, whistling (she is a formidable whistler) and rolling cream cheese dough around raisins and nuts to form the crescent-shaped cookies known as rugelach. I was spellbound—I'd had no idea that rugelach could be made at home. As far as I knew, rugelach, like ketchup or ships-in-bottles, were only made in laboratories. But here was my mother-in-law shaping the cookies with ease. And a short time later, there I was, eating them with ease. These cookies weren't like the rugelach my mother bought every week at the local German bakery—they were much better. I was so excited I asked for the recipe.
My mother-in-law wrote it out in her precise hand on a 3-x-5 index card. And, as she wrote, she told me that this recipe was not exactly the same as the one her mother used, that it had come from Mrs. Strauss, her next-door neighbor, and that she was sure I'd have no problem making the cookies as long as I didn't overmix the dough.
She was right. I was a newcomer to the world of baking, but I had no problem with the dough, the only potentially tricky part of the process.
Since then, I've made rugelach countless times, but nowadays my dough is even more foolproof because I make it in a food processor. I've also made a few other changes to the recipe. While my mother-in-law's rugelach were filled with cinnamon-sugared nuts, mine also include a slick of jam, some currants and a handful of chopped chocolate. This is a very old recipe, and I have no doubt that everyone who has made it has added or subtracted a little bit to make it her own—and my mom-in-law, Mrs. Strauss, and I expect you to do the same.

Let the cream cheese and butter rest on the counter for 10 minutes-you want them to be slightly softened but still cool.

Put the flour and salt in a food processor, scatter over the chunks of cream cheese and butter and pulse the machine 6 to 10 times. Then process, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, just until the dough forms large curds-don't work it so long that it forms a ball on the blade.

Turn the dough out, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day. (Wrapped airtight, the dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.)

Heat the jam in a saucepan over low heat, or do this in a microwave oven, until it liquefies. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.

Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (Silicone baking mats are great for rugelach.)

Top 15 currant recipes from across the web

The most viewed currant recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta r...

Cavatelli with Pork Ragù

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Traditional mincemeat

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Top 15 currant recipes from across the web

The most viewed currant recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta r...

Cavatelli with Pork Ragù

Raisin Loaf

Welsh cakes

Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken with...

Ginger-Raspberry Icebox Cake With C...

Chicken liver and port pate with ro...

Grilled calamari with grape and cur...

Cauliflower Steaks and Purée with W...

Quince and Currant Chutney

Gingered rich fruit cake

Rugelach

Spiced hot cross buns

Traditional mincemeat

Summer pudding

The most viewed currant recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine