You have in your hands something rather tasty. So why not roll up your sleeves and bring a bit of Accent flavour to your kitchen.Paul Merry - Executive Chef

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The delicious, fragrant, Yorkshire Curd TartYorkshire Curd Tart was a happy by-product of the cheese-making process. From a time when most smallholders would keep a cow and produce a few small cheeses, inevitably there would be some leftover curds and, well, in true Yorkshire style, ‘waste not, want not’.

Joan Poulson’s book Old Yorkshire Recipes tells of them being traditionally served at ‘Whitsuntide’. Thanks to PCD Beard’s book The Gentlewoman’s Kitchen – Great Food in Yorkshire 1650-1750, I learned of Mrs Tasker who took the trouble to write down her recipes. Her notebook is annotated to show she lived in Brayton near Selby, close to the north-east coast of Yorkshire.

The pastry should be a fine shortcrust, the filling dominated by the soft, pillowy curd - not the egg - and the fruit should be currants. You will need much more nutmeg than you may think, unless you choose to add rosewater too – balance is all. Some recipes call for breadcrumbs and, if your curd is very loose, I can see why but I prefer not to use any. If preferred, the addition of a little melted butter helps the tart

acquire that rustic browning on top. The following recipe is as near as I can get to doing justice to this singular tart.

Some people believe in substituting ‘cottage cheese’ for curd. Do not be tempted as the result will be nothing like intended. Fromage frais is perhaps nearer to the texture. The curd consistency is best when fresh (2-4 days old). If you buy them from a cheese-maker the texture of this natural product will, of course, vary. You could make your own curds, or do as I did and get to know an artisan cheese-maker. Now, just as way back then, they’ll have an amount of surplus curd just crying out to be made into a delicious, fragrant Yorkshire Curd Tart.

Yorkshire Curd Tart

For the pastry:• 100g (3½oz) butter, diced• 200g (7oz) plain flour• 30g (1oz) caster sugar• 1 medium egg yolk

For the filling:• 250g (8oz) curd cheese• 2 medium eggs, beaten• 75g (2½oz) caster sugar• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon• 60g (2oz) currants• 1 tsp finely chopped mixed peel• 1 tbsp. brandy• Freshly grated nutmeg• Icing sugar, for dredging

To make the pastry:1. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar, then mix the

egg yolk with 2 tablespoons cold water, add to mixture and stir with a round-bladed knife to make a firm dough. Knead dough lightly to a disc shape, wrap in cling film and chill while the oven heats up. Set oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180°C.

2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, fairly thinly (in 2 batches is easier) and cut out rounds to line the patty tins.

To make the filling:1. Soften the curd cheese in a bowl, then beat in the eggs with the sugar, and stir in the lemon

zest, currants, peel and brandy.2. Spoon cheese mixture into the pastry cases and grate a little nutmeg on top.3. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned and the filling set.

Dust with icing sugar. Serve warm or cold, with cream, if you like.

Makes 24 tarts

Yorkshire Ginger Parkin Yorkshire Parkin, (originally known as Perkin) is the north England form of gingerbread. Parkin is closely associated with Yorkshire but is, in fact, eaten all over the north, most of the south, and Scotland as well, it is so loved.

The cake originated centuries ago and originally was reserved for high days and holidays as the spices, treacle and sugars used were prohibitively expensive for every day eating. It was (and still is) the cake eaten on Bonfire Night (November 5th).

Parkin is now a sticky, sweet ginger cake but before the advent of the modern cooker (circa the mid-19th century) the cake would have more resembled a biscuit as it would be cooked on the hearthstone.

The finished cake would then be stored in a wooden box for anything from a few days up to a couple of weeks to ‘mature’ and become moist and sticky; this method of storing is still the best to get a true moist and sticky cake. As the boxes are hard to come by, wrapping in a little greaseproof will suffice – avoid airtight as the cake will not mature properly.

Parkin is so easy to make and takes very little time. You will need to plan in the time for a cake to mature (from a few days to two-three weeks) but even if you don’t have the time to wait for the cake to become

moist, it will still taste fantastic!

Yorkshire Ginger Parkin

Makes: 1 large loaf

Ingredients:• 110g golden syrup• 25g black treacle• 75g butter• 75g soft brown sugar• 175g porridge oats (medium)• 75g self-raising flour• 1½ tsp ground ginger• 1 pinch of salt• 1 egg (small, beaten)• 1 tbsp milk

Method:1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F or 140°C. Grease and line a loaf tin.2. First weigh a saucepan on the scales and then weigh in it the syrup, treacle,

sugar and butter, place over a gentle heat and let the butter melt, don’t let it boil.3. Meanwhile in a bowl put the flour, porridge oats, salt and ginger. Once the

syrup mixture has melted stir into the dry ingredients. Once combined add the egg and milk.

4. Pour into the tin and cook for about an hour in the middle of the oven, or until the centre feels springy to the touch.

5. Let it cool for 30 mins in the tin before turning it out and allowing to cool fully before wrapping and maturing it. Enjoy.

Yorkshire Ginger Beer Pop open a bottle of ginger beer, and you may instantly embark on a mental vacation to the Caribbean, with dreams of steel drums and jerk chicken on a sandy, warm beach. Knowing the history of ginger beer, though, may make you rethink your vacation destination.

It all started with brewed ginger beer, which is said to have originated in Yorkshire, England in the late 1700s. The most basic ingredients of ginger beer include water, sugar, ginger and “ginger beer plant.” Ginger beer plant is a gelatinous substance made up of fungus, yeast and bacteria. The ginger beer plant helped in carbonation and fermentation. Modern variations replace the ginger beer plant with honey and spices for flavour, and use forced carbonation rather than relying on natural carbonation from the yeast. As a result, most ginger beers have no alcoholic content.

Modern ginger ales and ginger beers really only differ in flavour, but the origins of the two terms may stem from the brewing process. Beer can be brewed using any type of yeast and in just about any temperature. Ale yeast is more specific to temperature, and produces a particular flavour signature. Because most modern versions no longer contain alcohol, the one distinction between ginger ale and ginger beer is the degree of ginger taste. In beer, the ginger taste is pronounced and it may even appear cloudy. Ginger ale is generally clear with a softer ginger taste, often used as a mixer in cocktails.

Yorkshire Ginger Beer

Ingredients:• 140g fresh ginger• 4 tbsp muscovado sugar• 2-3 lemons• 1 litre soda water or sparkling mineral water• a few sprigs of fresh mint

Method:1. Grate the ginger on a coarse cheese grater – you can leave the skin on.2. Put the ginger with its pulpy juice into a bowl and sprinkle in your muscovado sugar.3. Remove the rind from 2 of your lemons with a vegetable peeler, add to the bowl, and

slightly bash and squash with something heavy like a pestle or a rolling-pin.4. Squeeze the juice from all 3 lemons and add most of it to the bowl. Pour in your fizzy

water or soda water.5. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then taste. Add a little sugar if too sour or add a little

more lemon juice if too sweet.6. Pass the ginger beer through a coarse sieve into a large jug and add lots of ice and

some sprigs of mint.

Rhubarb Triangle Chutney with WensleydaleIn 1877 the forcing of rhubarb began in Yorkshire. The Whitwell family of Leeds are generally regarded as being the first large-scale grower to cause significant damage to the London growers. It was the first place in the world that special sheds were erected just for the purpose of growing rhubarb out of season; the early basic technique was further developed and made their own by the Yorkshire growers.

The soil in the area proved perfect for growth of the substantial root systems necessary to produced sufficient yields of high quality sticks worthy of a premium price capable of covering the high production costs associated with this crop. As rhubarb’s popularity increased so did the producers in this area, numbering at rhubarb’s height in popularity well over 200.

The quality of the Yorkshire crop became renowned, and demand for it became so huge that eventually producers in other areas of Britain simply could not compete, and eventually stopped altogether.The producers were centralised between Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford, which became known worldwide as The Rhubarb Triangle, the centre for the world’s production of forced rhubarb.

Geographically centrally positioned in Great Britain, coincidentally where railroads crossed, gave the producers a transport system to any corner of the country, so that the days harvest could be in the market the next morning. Special trains left the area nightly, mostly bound for the old Covent Garden market, and from there large amounts were sold on into Europe. The trains became known as the Rhubarb Express trains as they rushed to get their valuable cargo to market, carriage after carriage containing only rhubarb.

During the Second World War the government controlled the price of Yorkshire forced rhubarb at one shilling per pound to keep it financially within the means of the ordinary people. Rhubarb became part of the staple diet of war time Britain, and Yorkshire forced rhubarb became almost a national institution. Family secrets of production and each families individual much prized strains were handed down from generation to generation. Family names such as Cartlidge, Wade, Asquith, Smith, Dobson, and Oldroyd became synonymous with Yorkshire rhubarb, and growers “fought” to gain the much prized awards for their own particular strains at the annual rhubarb show.

Wensleydale cheese has been made in Wensleydale since 1150, when the Cistercian monks first settled

in the dale, and established a monastery at Fors, just four miles from Hawes. Some years later the monks moved, because of hostile natives and inclement weather, to Jervaulx in Lower Wensleydale. These French Cistercian monks brought with them their special recipe for the making of cheese, which continued to be produced at Jervaulx until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1540.

The cheese was made originally from sheep’s milk but over time cows’ milk was also used. The art of making fine cheese, which the monks had developed, was passed from the monks to local farmers’ wives who, for more than three hundred years, produced the cheese in their own farmhouses. Often the cheese came out as a blue cheese – as it matured so cracks in the coat would allow naturally occurring blue mould spores (from leather harnesses often found in the barns where the cheese was stored) into the cheese to create the blue veining.

Rhubarb Triangle Chutney with Wensleydale

Ingredients:• 2lbs/900g rhubarb• 2lbs/900g sugar• 1lb/450g sultanas• 1 pint vinegar• 1oz./25g salt• 1oz./25g powdered ginger• 1 onion – finely chopped• ½ tsp cayenne pepper• ½ tsp ordinary pepper

Method:1. Bring all the above to the boil. Reduce heat.2. Let it plop away till thick and dark brown.3. Stir now and then.4. Pour into clean sterilised jars, put lid on and store. Has a long store cupboard life.

Notes:• I recommend making the chutney in a large non-reactive or stainless steel pan, keep an eye on the

chutney to make sure it is not burning at the bottom.• This amount takes about an hour to cook and fills 6 1lb jars.• The rhubarb chutney will keep for several months in sealed jars kept in a cool place but it is not necessary

to put it in the fridge.

Makes 6 jars

Wensleydale goes well with fruit cake, apple and is a perfect accompaniment during lunchtime or tea time. It also tastes delicious with hot desserts like

fruit pies and crumbles. It is the king of the cheeseboard where its fresh, milky sweetness and robust flavours rule the roost.

Yorkshire Pikelets withWhitby SalmonPikelets are a regional version of crumpets, these are a savoury snack which are usually served with butter. Quite often pikelets will be served for breakfast or they are perfect for a light snack.

Rather than looking like a traditional crumpet Yorkshire pikelets are usually flatter and thinner; this is due to them being cooked without a ring. The snack is a very popular food and many people enjoy them with a cup of tea. They are served extensively throughout Yorkshire and most cafes offer them.There are many different ways to make pikelets and the ingredients required vary. Usually the ingredients include self-raising flour, caster sugar, milk, egg and butter. Generally the recipes to make pikelets are very simple and most novice cooks can make them with ease.

Situated on the glorious Yorkshire coast, the town of Whitby offers the best of both worlds - rolling countryside and a stunning sandy Blue Flag beach. The history of Whitby dates back to the 7th Century, when a settlement was founded under the name Streanæshealh by Oswy, the Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria.

Today, Whitby is a famous tourist destination and active fishing port. The skyline is dominated by the proud ruins of Whitby Abbey, and the restaurants in the area are famous for their fine, fresh fish. Situated at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby harbour is owned and managed by Scarborough Borough Council. It is thought that fishing has taken place here since the 12th century.

The commercial fishing fleet now consists of a variety of vessels, ranging from large trawlers to smaller day boats. Due to conservation measures taken to keep fishing sustainable, the Whitby fishing fleet has been reduced by half in the last ten years. This means that the remaining skippers are able to ensure that their catch is of the highest quality.

Yorkshire Pikelets

Ingredients:• 450g plain white flour• 350ml warm milk• 350ml warm water (approximately)• 5g powdered dried yeast• 10g salt• 1 tsp baking powder• A little sunflower or vegetable oil

Method:1. In a bowl, whisk the flour, milk, water and yeast into a rather runny

batter the consistency of single cream. Cover with cling-film and leave for an hour until really bubbly (or three to four hours, if need be).

2. Heat a heavy-based frying pan or flat griddle over a medium-high heat.3. Whisk the salt and baking powder into the batter. Lightly grease the

rings and pan.4. Put one ring in the pan, fill to just below the top – the batter should stay

in the ring and lots of holes should appear on the surface after a minute or two. (If it dribbles out underneath, it is too thin, so whisk a little more flour into your batter mix. If lots of holes don’t form, it’s too thick, so whisk in some water).

5. Assuming your test pikelet is OK, after five minutes or so, when the surface is just set, flip it over, ring and all. (If the cooked base seems too dark, turn down the heat.) Cook for two to three minutes, until golden on the other side.

6. Repeat with the remaining batter in batches. Butter and eat at once, or cool on a wire rack for toasting later.

Top these Yorkshire classics with a variety of flavours… Sweet works just as well as savoury. We have chosen to use the award winning Staithe’s smoked salmon from Whitby, finished with sliced crisp English radish and a squeeze of lemon,

perfect for breakfast or even as a canapé pre-dinner.

Fat Rascals The origin of the name is unknown, but they are thought to have been made since the mid-19th Century under the name of Fat Rascals, although the original recipe is thought to be Elizabethan.

They originate from Yorkshire and are very popular in most bakeries in the North East of England. Other names for Fat Rascals are thought to be ‘North Riding Turf Cakes’, little cakes made with the leftovers of dough or pastry at the end of the day and cooked over turf fires.

Fat Rascals, whatever their composition, do not appear to have been known outside the Yorkshire region until the 1980s. The original recipe uses lard, probably where the word “Fat” comes from – but I am not a lover of lard, so I have specified butter in my recipe below. The Fat Rascals are decorated with two glacé cherries for the ‘eyes’ and almonds for the ‘mouth’ which is described as a ‘gnarl’ - a cross between a grimace and a snarl!

A widely recognised version of the Fat Rascal was introduced by Bettys Café Tea Rooms in North Yorkshire in 1983. Developed by Helen Frankel, then a buyer and marketing assistant at Bettys. Following its launch, the Fat Rascal quickly became Bettys’ best known and best-selling bakery product.

These tasty fruit and citrus peel buns are wonderful with a cuppa, to take on a picnic or to tuck into a lunch box.

Fat Rascals

Ingredients:• 125g plain flour• 125g self-raising flour• 1 tsp baking powder• 100g unsalted butter, softened• 85g caster sugar• 2 tsp ground cinnamon• 1 tsp freshly grounded nutmeg• 120g mixed dried fruit• 60g mixed peel• Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon• 1 egg• 80ml soured cream or double cream• (to decorate) 1 beaten egg, glacé cherries and blanched whole almonds to serve

Method:1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.2. Sieve the flours into a nice large bowl and stir in the baking powder.3. Dice the softened butter and rub into the flours with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine

breadcrumbs.4. Add the sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, spices, dried fruit, peel and mix until well combined.5. Stir in the cream and the beaten egg until the mixtures comes together as a dough. Using your hands

form six rascals from the dough and place on the baking tray.6. To decorate: Brush the second beaten egg over the top of the rascals and top with the glacé cherries and

blanched almonds.7. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden-brown.

Makes 6 Fat Rascals

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