Recipes
A selection of recipes using British Sheep Dairy Products. The selection is changed regularly.
Index
Tips
Yogurt Borsch
Blue Cheese Soup
Feta in Herby Oil
Tzatziki
Deep Fried Sheep Cheese in Batter
Lamb with Yogurt and Coriander
Turkish Baked Chicken
Courgette and Tomato Lasagne
Gordon Ramsay's Scallops with halloumi, caper and raisin vinaigrette
Creme Caramel au Lait de Brebis
Brown Bread Yogurt Ice
The Properties of Sheep’s Milk
Sheep milk appears naturally homogenised with a high protein content and easily digested fat. It makes an ideal substitute for light cream in recipes, particularly sauces, baked or caramel custards and other puddings. It is important never to boil the milk unless fortified or it will become like “egg custard”. A good tip is to heat the milk in a microwave oven. Delicious over cornflakes, porridge or in coffee, it is the perfect alternative milk for people who are not allowed “dairy products” usually only meaning no cow milk products.
The yogurt is naturally thick and can vary between being very bland to quite acid according to the recipe and starter culture used. British Sheep Yogurts contain no additives nor stabilisers and unless stated clearly on the label are guaranteed to be unadulterated by other milks. Yogurt can be used extensively in cooking either as a low fat substitute for cream or sour cream or quark or as a base for many famous Continental recipes. When used in cooking it always needs fortifying with a little flour or similar. Added to sauces it makes them very tasty and interesting and ideal with add grated sheep cheese.
Sheep cheeses come in a wide variety as the milk by itself is bland and can be adapted to many recipes. The harder cheeses also grate well as they get older. The soft cheeses are delicious spread on crusty bread, sweet Digestive biscuits or Water biscuits. There are also Blue cheeses not unlike the famous Roquefort, mould ripened cheeses like Brie, but even more delicious and Fromage Frais ideal with fresh fruit or in a wide range of cooking. After cheese making Ricotta is often made from the whey proteins, this delightful light textured, low fat, pure protein food is highly prized all over the Mediterranean in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Sheep milk products are the perfect alternative for people who are allergic to cow or goat milk. They are very healthy with high, easily absorbed calcium and zinc with a Calcium/Phosphorus ratio that is ideal for human health and well being.
Tips
British Sheep Yogurt added to soups and stews make them very rich tasting and yet very refreshing. Used instead of sour cream in some soups makes them special.
- Try making any white sauce with British Sheep Yogurt as well as British Sheep Milk, it will take away the sweet taste of flour and milk.
- When making a Greek salad with Feta cheese, try it grated on top rather than in slices
- Pasta cooked to the exact point can be served with a light sauce made from British Sheep Milk, a little flour, grated blue cheese or Feta cheese, salt and pepper. Served with leaves of basil.
- Slightly drain some British Sheep Yogurt, season as one of the accompaniments when serving curry, or any spicy food
- Flavoured/fruit British Sheep Yogurts can be whipped up, frozen and eaten as iced yogurt.
- British Sheep Yogurt can be placed in lolly forms with sticks and frozen. Ideal for children. Sheep milk, either plain or flavoured frozen this way is enjoyed in hot weather.
Yogurt Borsch
INGREDIENTS
1 litre chicken stock
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 medium beetroot, raw
1 tbs dill weed
2/3 tbs lemon juice
500 ml British Sheep Yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Boil up the stock with onion.
Grate the beetroot into a bowl containing the lemon juice. Add to
boiling stock. Add garlic and dill and simmer until the beet is soft,
but not mushy.
Allow to cool, add yogurt, whisk well and serve.
Can be eaten hot, warm or chilled.
Blue Cheese Soup
INGREDIENTS1 litre chicken stock (2 cubes)
180 g British Blue Sheep Cheese
1 large onion
4 sticks celery
45 g plain flour
45 g butter
Little olive oil
Fresh thyme to taste
METHOD
Finely slice the onion and soften in butter and oil. Add chopped
celery and sauté a little more. Add flour and mix well, add stock with
the thyme, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 15 minutes, then add cheese broken up into small pieces.
Simmer a further 5 minutes and liquidise Serve with toast.
Feta in Herby Oil
INGREDIENTS2 tbs chopped parsley
2 tsp chopped thyme
450 ml best green virgin olive oil
575 g British Feta Cheese
6 green olives
6 sprigs each of: thyme, marjoram and rosemary
8 black peppercorns
Few pieces of tinned pimento
METHOD
Grind the parley and thyme into a paste with a little oil with pestle and mortar.
Add the rest of the oil and store in an airtight jar at room
temperature for 2 weeks, shaking daily Then cut the Feta cheese into
small squares. Line a sterilised open necked jar with herbs, olives etc.
Put in the Feta pieces and cover with well strained olive oil. Leave 2 weeks and serve with drinks or on top of salads.
Tzatziki
This is the famous Greek dip which can be eaten in many waysINGREDIENTS
225 g British Sheep Yogurt Curd/Labna
80 g cucumber, peeled and deseeded
5 g crushed garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
Salt to taste
METHOD
Take about 500 ml yogurt and drain overnight through a muslin cloth until firm, (yields about 225 g).
Grate the cucumber and dry on a paper. Mix the drained yogurt with the
cucumber, garlic and mint. Add salt and leave in the fridge overnight.
Deep Fried Sheep Cheese in Batter
INGREDIENTS125 g self raising flour
150 ml beer or lager
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
Flour for coating
Oil (Sunflower) for deep frying
British Sheep Cheese cut in small cubes such as Hard cheese, Feta or Brie - type
METHOD
Sift the flour and salt. Add caraway seeds and egg, beat lightly in a food processor, add the beer and beat well. Leave to stand for half an hour before use. Coat the little cubes of cheese in flour and dip in batter. Fry in very hot oil and dry on kitchen paper. This light batter can be used for such things as mushrooms, slices of cold meat, courgettes or anything that may be improved by being fried in batter.
Lamb with Yogurt and Coriander
INGREDIENTS500 g lamb loin fillet
150 ml British Sheep Yogurt
2 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp sugar
3 tbs fresh coriander, chopped
Juice of 1 lime or 1/2 lemon
METHOD
Marinate the meat in a mixture of yogurt, oil, garlic, sugar, lime juice and coriander.
Season with salt and black pepper. After a few hours remove the meat
from the marinade and cook under hot grill for 10 minutes, turning and
basting frequently.
Serve cut in thick slices nicely garnished.
Turkish Baked Chicken
INGREDIENTS1 chicken of 2 kg weight
300 ml British Sheep Yogurt
1/2 tsp each of ground ginger, turmeric and cumin
Good pinch powdered chilli
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp tomato puree
2 bay leaves
Grated rind of 1 lemon
METHOD
Joint the chicken and place in a bowl.
Put the yogurt in another bowl and add all the ingredients except the
paprika. Mix well and pour over chicken pieces. Allow to marinate for
24 hours.
Put the chicken pieces on a trivet on a baking tray sprinkle with
paprika and bake at 180°C (360°F, Gas Mark 5) for 90 minutes until
tender and golden brown. Season with salt, black pepper and paprika.
Serve with rice and a green salad.
Courgette and Tomato Lasagne
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
175 g wholemeal or white lasagne, pre-cooked
1 tsp vegetable oil
175 g Soft British Sheep Cheese
50 g Hard British Sheep Cheese
For Sauce:
1 tbs oil
1 onion sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
450 g courgettes, finely chopped
400 g tin of tomatoes
1 tbs tomato puree
1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano
1/4 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
For the topping:
150 g Sheep Yogurt
2 eggs
25 g hard Sheep Cheese
METHOD
Heat oil in a large pan and sauté onion and pepper for 5 minutes.
Add garlic and courgettes and cook further 5 minutes. Stir in tomato
puree, canned tomatoes and their juice. Add herbs, salt, pepper and
sugar. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
Mix the soft and hard cheeses. In a greased 2 litre ovenproof dish,
layer the sauce, pre-cooked lasagne and cheeses, finishing with a thin
layer of sauce.
For topping:
Beat the yogurt, eggs and cheese together. Season and pour over the lasagne.
Cook for 30 minutes until brown and bubbling.
Serve immediately with fresh crusty bread and a green salad.
Gordon Ramsay's Scallops with halloumi, caper and raisin vinaigrette
Sweet scallops and salty halloumi create the perfect balance for a delicious and light seafood dish on the F Word, using Boydells Dairy Farm sheepmilk and High Weald Dairy's halloumi made by Gordon in December 2009 (further details).
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
250g halloumi (preferably made from sheep’s milk)
8 large fresh scallops, roe removed
50g plain flour, seasoned with a little salt and black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
150g panko breadcrumbs
1-2 tbsp olive oil for frying
For the vinaigrette:
120ml water
100g capers, rinsed and drained
100g golden sultanas
1 tsp white wine vinegar
To garnish:
Mixed salad leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
1. To prepare the vinaigrette, pour the water into a small saucepan, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil briefly. Add the capers and sultanas to the pan and return to the boil. Tip into a blender or food processor, add a teaspoon of white wine vinegar and blend to a puree. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Cut the halloumi into thin slices (approximately 1cm thick). Select a round cutter that is a slightly smaller than the size of the scallops and use to cut out 16 rounds of halloumi.
3. Slice the scallops horizontally into 2 equal disks (approximately 1cm thick). Select three similar sized shallow dishes. Transfer the seasoned flour into one, the beaten eggs into another and the breadcrumbs into the last dish. Dip the scallops first into the seasoned flour, then the egg and lastly into the breadcrumbs, ensuring that they are evenly coated.
4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the halloumi to the pan and season with black pepper. Cook for a minute before turning. Add the scallops to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side (the breadcrumbs help prevent the scallops from overcooking).
5. Remove the scallops and halloumi from the pan and drain off the excess oil by resting on kitchen paper. The halloumi should be crisp and a light golden brown with a melting centre.
6. To serve, divide the scallops between four plates. Top each scallop with a small spoonful of caper and raisin dressing and then top with a round of halloumi. Arrange the mixed salad leaves in the centre and serve immediately.
Creme Caramel au Lait de Brebis
This recipe is famous in the area of Millau on the Tarn.INGREDIENTS
90 g sugar
3 tbs water
600 ml British Sheep Milk
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
METHOD
To make the caramel, melt the sugar in a heavy saucepan, stirring
all the time. When it becomes light brown take off heat and add water,
stir well.
Beat eggs into milk, add vanilla and pour over caramel in pie dish.
Place in a bain marie in a medium oven and cook until firm, about 1
hour.
When cool, ease round edges and turn out on to a serving dish.
Brown Bread Yogurt Ice
INGREDIENTS5 slices Hovis brown bread
120 g muscovado sugar
500 ml British Sheep Yogurt
METHOD
Make fine bread crumbs and add sugar. Spread on an oiled baking try
and bake until sugar combines with crumbs and is slightly caramelised.
Stir and cool.
Combine crumbs with yogurt and freeze in shallow tray.