In the spirit of Show and Tell at Work Day, we’d like to share a few recipes from our Berghahn staff.
Listen to to latest episode of the Salon B Podcast on “Intimacy” for culinary tips, tricks, and a bit of cheer as we brave the long winter months ahead.
Lorna’s Mulled Wine
Ingredients
4 cloves
3 whole star anise
3 cinnamon sticks (extra for garnishes)
1 bottle dry red wine (I use an inexpensive Merlot)
2 oranges, sliced & zested
1 cup of orange juice
1 small sprig rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish
A pinch of nutmeg
1 cup of cranberries
1 cup of chopped strawberries (optional)
Directions
You’ll need cheesecloth and a crockpot to make it.
Put all the loose ingredients (other than the fruit) in the cheesecloth.
Combine the wine, fruit, orange zest, juice, and the spice pouch in the crockpot. Cook on medium heat until hot, about 30-40 minutes, then put the crockpot on low and let simmer for an hour. Serve in a mug with a cinnamon stick and a rosemary sprig garnish. Enjoy!
Ben’s Sourdough
Ingredients
250g active sourdough starter*
475g white bread flour
240ml water
10g salt
Equipment
Large bowl
Dutch oven or large oven proof pot
Banneton (proving basket)
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl
Wet hands and stretch and fold the dough, working round the bowl and stretching/folding in on itself in at least four directions
Cover and rest for 10 minutes. Then repeat the stretch/fold process. This should be done at least 3 times, and up to 7 if time allows
Cover and let the dough rest till it doubles in size. Depending on temperate this can take anywhere between 2 to 6 hours
Prepare banneton with liberal dusting of flour to prevent sticking
Tip dough onto well-floured work surface
Shape into a ball using the stretch and fold method, bringing the edges into the centre to trap air and create a seam in the centre
Gently place the dough in the banneton, seam side up
Sprinkle with flour
Cover and let the dough rest in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours
Preheat oven with Dutch oven inside to 2300C
Transfer dough to greaseproof paper by placing greaseproof paper on a chopping board, placing on top of the banneton and inverting, so the dough ends up seam side down on the paper
Score the dough deeply with a sharp knife
Remove Dutch oven and carefully place dough on greaseproof paper inside
Drop 3 or 4 ice-cubes under the paper
Replace lid on Dutch oven and return to the oven for 30 minutes
Remove the lid after 30 minutes of cooking and cook for a further 20-25 minutes. Check near the end to bake crust to your liking
Lift out of Dutch oven to cool on wire rack
Enjoy first warm slice with butter after 20 minutes of resting!
* Active sour dough starter: if you do not already have a starter on the go, you will need to create one from scratch or find someone who will share theirs with you.
Once you have your sourdough starter, in order to activate it for use you will need to feed it the day before. This involves weighing out the whole starter, then mixing it with its weight in white bread flour and water, so it triples in weight. Replace the original weight in your starter jar and return to the fridge. Leave the remainder in a separate jar and place somewhere warm till it doubles in size. It is then ready for use.
Salon B is an aural gathering of scholars across disciplines, hosted by Berghahn Books. Historically, salons followed Horace’s aim of poetry “either to please or to educate”, and we hope to do both as we bring you a gathering of academics and writers from a wide range of disciplines to discuss their work, read extracts, and talk about their academic life, all tied to a different monthly theme. Learn more here.