Lancaster's Bakery, Harrogate

Throughout this blog we hope to show you the food we are cooking and eating at home, but we also hope that we can share more than that. We want to share all our foodie experiences, whether that be our own cooking, eating out at restaurants, coming across interesting food articles and anything and everything else food related. With that in mind, I want to tell you about a lovely family run business called Lancaster's Bakery in Harrogate.

Liz and I only moved to Harrogate a few months ago and so we are still exploring the eating options on offer, in what is a very food-conscious town. I was advised to go to Lancaster's by a work colleague who assured me that they serve the ''best sausage rolls in the world''. Upon entering the bakery, it appeared to just be quite a standard bakery, nothing too much different to any other bakery you can go to. We chose a wide selection of baked goods, including the sausage rolls, pepper steak slices and a chicken pie. Although the appearance was all very familiar and probably quite ordinary, the taste and flavours really were exceptional. The sausage rolls were indeed very good but it was the pepper steak slices which unanimously took all the greatest compliments.

I will certainly be a regular customer to Lancaster's and look forward to trying everything from their extensive range. Don't be put off by the average appearance of the place - they really are producing baked goods of an unparalled standard.

Aubergine (Eggplant) Souffle

 

Aubergine, or eggplant as it is known outside of the UK, divides opinions in our home. Liz, as a former vegetarian, really loves it but I am a little unsure. I find it can be a little flavourless and perhaps a little watery. But I was determined to find a way in which I could really enjoy this ingredient. By making a rich egg mix flavoured with the aubergine and then baking it to make a souffle I think I achieved my aim. By baking the souffle in the shell of the aubergine this ensured very little food was wasted and it makes for an interesting looking accompaniment to any meal.

Potato Peeling Crisps

When making a fish pie recently, I had to peel a lot of potatoes and made a large heap of potato peelings. Usually these just get thrown in the bin and are forgotten about but I decided to put them to some use this time. Very simply, preheat the oven to 200C and heat some oil in a baking tray. When smoking hot, put the peelings in the pan and toss them in the oil with some salt, pepper and some paprika. I am sure other seasoning options could be used such as cumin, chilli and garlic. Then bake in the oven for around 20 minutes or until they are nice and crispy.

A nice little snack from something we usually throw away.

Chicken with Rhubarb

 

Our house is full of cookbooks, but one which has caught my attention more than most is the Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit - www.flavourthesaurus.com It gives a comprehensive guide to how different flavours can work together. These are very often quite strange pairings but it has started to make me think I should be a little more experimental in the kitchen. So last night for tea, we made a rhubarb sauce to go with our roast chicken.

Hearty Fish Pie

Food doesn't get much more British than a hearty fish pie. It is believed that it was brought to our shores by the Romans, who would prepare a similar dish when they were on a fast day (for example during Lent when they could not eat meat). A variety of poached fish and seafood, covered in a white sauce and topped with mashed potatoes (the original versions probably had a pastry lid), it is an easy and simple way to enjoy fish.