English Journal, Part 6

Thatched cottage in Finchingfield.


Duck Inn Mill; Finchingfield

Excerpts from an English Journal,
Part Six

March 12: Awakened by bright sunshine again! It’s gorgeous outside. We had a leisurely breakfast of fresh raspberries, bananas, grapefruit, cereal, tea for me and hot chocolate for Richard. We’re going out for a while after he finishes washing the kitchen floor and gets some other light household chores done. (It’s always nice to watch a man work.) I love the laidback style here. It’s so peaceful and relaxing when you’re not rushing about all the time. (You know you’re not in a hurry any time it takes an hour to finish breakfast.)

Afternoon: We took a ride in the countryside after lunch. We drove from Chelmsford through Great Dunmow to Little Easton where we saw Little Easton Church. It’s a beautiful old church that dates back to the 12th century. This church also has an American Memorial Chapel devoted to honoring the airmen who helped defend England during World War II.

We were a little disappointed that The Gardens at Little Easton had not opened for the season yet but we took the opportunity to walk down to Horse Pond where we saw fisherman who had braved the chilly nights to camp and fish. There was also a flock of noisy Canadian geese clamoring for attention and/or scraps from the anglers. Across the road from Horse Pond were Great Pond, Church Pond and Long Pond. And lots and lots of ducks everywhere. After a short walk the opposite way to see the church cemetery and across the valley to other horizons, it was back to the car to drive a little further.

From there, we drove through Great Bartfield, ending up at Finchingfield where we parked in a public car park and walked through the village to historic Duck Inn Mill, a post mill from the 18th century. The windmill, located in an area known as "Duck End," is classified as a post mill because the mill pivots on a central post so that the entire thing can be turned to face the wind regardless of the direction from which it is blowing. Although the mill is operational, it is not in use but the workings and internal space are open for public viewing on selected Sundays throughout the summer.

There has been a settlement at this site since records began and in the time of William the Conqueror, it was called Phincingfelda. Finchingfield is the quintessential English village whose attractiveness lures sightseers and has helped it win prizes for “prettiness.” The centerpiece of the village is a landscaped green containing a picturesque pond filled with a variety of ducks and a gaggle of geese with attitude. The Norman tower of St. John the Baptist Church, the windmill and an array of thatched cottages and buildings from centuries past are also visible from the green.

Finchingfield is frequently referred to as the most photographed village in England and images of its well-known green, pond, cottages and church are often found on calendars, chocolate boxes, tea towels, postcards, jigsaws and other souvenir-type items. It has been used as a backdrop in print and video commercials, featured in the television series "Somebody" and hosted the BBC Breakfast program in a piece about the importance of village greens. Last but not least, it was the home of the late Dodie Smith, author of The Hundred and One Dalmatians.

Before leaving, we stopped at Bosworth’s Tea Room for cream tea where we had real British (and delicious) currant scones served with butter, clotted cream and jam. They also serve chips, freshly cut and double cooked the traditional way, so we shared an order with malt vinegar: Unique, but surprisingly good.

We drove through Stebbing, Little Dunmow, Felstead and other scenic areas on the way back to Chelmsford. All these historic little villages have wonderful stories of their own but one particular one I heard about Dunbow stands out in my memory. They still observe an ancient custom where married couples enter an annual competition in which they attempt to prove they haven’t had a row all year. The winner gets a flitch (side) of bacon. I’m still wondering how they can prove they haven’t argued the entire past 12 months. Or if the prize is worth the effort!

Evening: Stan and Sheila picked us up in their gorgeous Jaguar promptly at 7:00 p.m. and we drove to the Duck Inn at Newney Green. It’s outside the little hamlet of Writtle, a part of Chelmsford, but if I had any doubts that we were in the sticks, they were quickly erased when we turned down a road called Cow Watering Lane. It was a pleasant, bucolic setting and the inn even had open fireplaces but surprisingly, there was a talented jazz trio playing and the menu was quite sophisticated.

I had chicken liver salad again but this time it was pâté and not nearly as good as the one I had at Waterfront Place. Tasty sea bass in saffron sauce made up for it though as did the fresh potatoes, carrots, broccoli and red cabbage served with it. They also had a nice selection of desserts; however, I opted for simple but delicious chocolate ice cream. If I keep this up, I’ll have to book an extra seat back to Atlanta or go on a fast for several days before departure.
The evening was great as was the whole day even though it was really full. Today is Red Nose Day too but more on that later. Much too tired tonight!

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Faux Clotted Cream

1 c. heavy (whipping) cream

1/4 c. confectioner's sugar

1/2 t. cream of tartar

1 t. vanilla extract
OR
1 c. heavy whipping cream

1/2 c. mascarpone or 1/4 c. softened cream cheese

1 heaping T. sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

The directions are the same for both recipes: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until stiff. Refrigerate until ready to use. It is best when served the same day it is prepared. Makes 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups.

Clotted cream is a thick yellow cream made by heating unpasteurized cow's milk and leaving it in shallow pans for several hours. The cream content will rise to the surface and forms 'clots'. It is available at some supermarkets and specialty stores as well as online. You can also substitute one of these lightly sweetened substitutes if desired but I would prefer to use heavy cream as clotted cream is unsweetened and they are nearer the same texture.

Basic Scone Recipe

8 oz. self-rising flour
Pinch of salt

2 oz. butter

1 oz. caster sugar

5 oz. whole milk

Preheat oven to 220°C/428°F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking tray and set aside.Mix flour and salt together, then rub in the butter. Stir in sugar and add milk to form a soft dough. Move dough to a floured surface and knead very gently. Pat gently into a 2cm (20mm) round. Using a 5cm cutter, cut into rounds and place on the baking sheet.

Lightly knead together remaining dough and make more scones to use it all up.Brush the top of each scone with a dash of milk and bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden. Typical British scones are light and flaky but not sweet, and they go perfectly with butter, cream and/or jam.

Variations:
· Dried Fruit Scones: Fold 1/2 c. raisins, currants, cranberries, or chopped dried apricots into flour and salt just before rubbing in the butter.
· Spiced Scones: Add enough cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to the dry ingredients to total 1/2 teaspoon.
· Walnut Scones: Add 3/4 c. finely chopped walnuts.
· Lemon Scones: Add the juice and zest of one (1) lemon and 1 T. sugar to the basic scone recipe.

Almond-Crusted Fish with Saffron Sauce

2 sea bass fillets, about 175g/6oz each
A little softened butter
2 rounded T. toasted, flaked almonds
1 shallot, finely chopped
150ml(1/4 pt.) fresh fish stock
Small pinch saffron strands
3 T. crème fraîche*

Heat oven to 190ºC/374Fº/170ºC/gas 5. Season fillets and and spread a little sofened butter over the fleshly side of each one. Lay in a shallow, buttered, ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the flaked almonds, lightly pressing them on. Bake for 12-15 mins until the flesh flakes easily.

While fish is cooking, make the sauce. Gently sauté shallot with a small knob of butter in a small pan. Add stock and saffron, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by about two-thirds. Stir in crème fraîche and bubble for a minute or so until slightly thickened. Pour a little sauce around each portion of fish and serve with tiny, buttered new potatoes and green beans, or a fresh green salad.

* Crème fraîche is a slightly tangy, slightly nutty, thickened cream, similar to but thinner than sour cream in the U.S. Before the age of pasteurization crème fraîche made itself as naturally occurring bacteria in the cream fermented and thickened it naturally. It is widely available in Europe, but much less so in the United States where almost all cream is pasteurized, therefore has to be fermented artificially.

There are commercially produced versions available in gourmet shops, but it can be hard to find and fairly expensive. You can make a facsimile by adding a tablespoon of buttermilk to a cup of whipping cream, heating it gently to 110°F (45°C), pouring it in a loosely covered bottle in a warm place and letting it sit from 8 hours to a couple of days or however long it takes to thicken. Store it in the refrigerator where it will continue to thicken. It will keep about three weeks if kept cold. You can also whip it like whipping cream if desired.

I also re-discovered how much I like currants. The jam is really good but unfortunately is pretty expensive here. I found a simple recipe for it if you can just find the currants! This recipe will work with similar fruits also.

Black Currant Jam

4 lb. black currants
3 pts water
6 lb. sugar

Combine cleaned fruit with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until soft and stir in the sugar. Boil rapidly until setting point is reached, remove from the heat, skim, pour into covered jam pots or seal in jars and label.