Nursery Foods Part 2: Sausage & Mash and Raspberry Rice Pudding Meringues

Now the winters are drawing in I want cosy foods. The sort of food that is like a warm hug on a plate. I think all of us secretly like to be looked after and these are the foods that give you that feeling of being a child and make you feel secure. Sausage and Mash, a humble meal, but for me it can be fit for a king or at least my 3 Princes! ( I use that term loosely as I'm sure no Prince would leave every light on in the house and wet towels all over the floor).

I start with(Per Person):
3 sausages 
Half a peeled red onion 
Half a garlic head

Prick the sausages, chop the red onions into quarters and leaving the garlic in it's skin just chop straight down the middle. Place in a large baking tray but don't oven crowd as you want a nice baked rather than boiled dinner. Drizzle with some Olive oil. I use some thyme infused oil that I make up myself or sprinkle over some thyme leaves. Bake in a hot 210c oven until well baked. You may need to finish the onions off on their own. Whilst my sausages are cooking I peel and boil my potatoes, add a large pat of butter and some cream, mash, then add a tablespoon of creamed  horseradish. Whip in with a wooden spoon. Move all of the sausages, garlic and onions to a serving plate to keep warm. Sprinkle some gravy granules into the baking tray then add a splash of water and whisk making sure to mix in all the lovely crispy bits that are stuck to the pan. Plate up and serve.

For the Raspberry Rice and Meringue Pud
Years ago I saw this idea on TV. I'm not sure but I think it could have been James Martin. Anyway I've wanted to try it but you know how it is. I just cooked and baked in my comfort zone, mainly doing the same stuff week in week out. If I found a thing that cleared the plates I did it until my lot moaned, that is the wonderful thing about the last year I have experimented. It has given my the ability to try and experiment and you know what my lot love it. I so wish I'd tried more ideas on them all years ago. For this pudding I know it seems a little amount of sugar in the rice but it really is sweet with the jam and meringue so please trust me.

For the rice pudding

Cover a pyrex dish base with pudding rice

Fill 3/4 full with milk about 2 pints

Add a knob of butter

Quarter of a cup of caster sugar

Cover with a lid.

Put into a preheated oven 220 for 30 mins

Turn the oven down to 100 and bake for 2 and a half hours

Stir in some extra milk if it needs to be loser and the zest of an orange

For the Meringue

4 egg whites 

200g caster sugar

150g raspberries

In a clean bowl of a freestanding machine whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, slowly add the caster sugar little by little.

Reserving 6 firm big raspberries pass the rest through a sieve, discard the pips and put the puree to one side. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle. Now divide the rice pudding between 6 ramekin dishes, spoon half a teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the centre of each, then stud with a fresh raspberry, pipe a swirl of meringue onto the top, drizzle with the raspberry puree, bake in a preheated oven for about 18-22 min. Serve with some fresh raspberries