Soda Bread
Baking soda, reacting with buttermilk, provides the leavening agent in this quick bread, an Irish staple. Cutting a deep cross in the top of the dough allows the bread to expand during baking, although some would say it is so the fairies can escape.
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- 2 cups white flour, plus extra for dusting
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2 cups wholemeal flour
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2 teaspoons baking soda
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1 teaspoon salt
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2-2¼ cups buttermilk |
Preheat oven to 200°C. Sift the flours, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add any remaining bran flakes from the sifter to the bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and gradually pour in buttermilk, mixing with a wooden spoon. The dough should be soft but not sticky (you may need to add a little extra buttermilk if the mixture is too dry).
Transfer dough to a floured surface and shape into a round about 4cm in thickness. Place the bread on a floured baking tray and cut a deep cross through the top.
Bake 30 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack covered with a clean tea towel. Serve the bread with Oysters Kilpatrick (recipe follows) or on its own with butter. Soda bread is best eaten on the day it is baked. Makes 1 large loaf.
Oysters Kilpatrick
Even if your guests are oyster wary, this classic dish, in which the oysters are served cooked, should win them over.
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- 24 oysters in the half-shell
- About 4 cups rock salt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely crushed
- Worcestershire sauce
- 4 rashers streaky bacon, cut into 2cm pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Lime wedges to serve
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Preheat grill to medium high. Arrange oysters on a bed of rock salt in an ovenproof serving dish. On to each oyster place a little crushed garlic, a couple of shakes of Worcestershire sauce and a piece of bacon. (Oysters can be prepared several hours before guests arrive and placed, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to grill.)
Place oysters under grill for about 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Serve sprinkled with parsley and garnished with wedges of lime. Makes 2 dozen.
For all the recipes pick up the March 2010 issue, on sale Feb 22.
