West Ham United F.C. ~ Sir Geoff BratHursts with Sauerkraut

Introduction: Sir Geoffrey Charles “Geoff” Hurst MBE (born 8 December 1941) is a former England international footballer. A striker, he remains the only man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final as England recorded a 4–2 victory over West Germany at the old Wembley in 1966. He made many Germans very sour.

I met Sir Geoff a while ago at a Teenage Cancer Trust fund raising event, I am probably the only Englishman since 1966 who failed to recognise him.  Sorry Stevie…

Preparation time: 10mins

Cooking time: 20 + 10 mins

Home kit: large saucepan, colander and grill

Away kit: 4 plates

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 6 fresh bratwurst
• 2 (440 ml) cans beer/lager
• 6 soft hot dog buns, split and toasted
• English mustard

Sauerkraut Relish:

• 3 Tbs. vinegar
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1 tsp. pickling spice
• 1 tsp. caraway seed
• A can sauerkraut, drained
• ¼ finely chopped red pepper

Method: Preheat the grill to medium heat

First half

Prick several holes in the skin of each sausage. Put the bratwurst and beer into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until no longer pink. Drain into the colander and set aside to cool.

Now, in the same pan stir together the vinegar and sugar, cook until sugar is dissolved. Add the pickling spice, caraway seeds, drained sauerkraut and pepper. Stir again briefly, cover and allow to cool.

Second half

Grill the bratHursts under the medium heat, turning frequently until the skins are golden brown. This will take between 5 and 10 minutes.

Full time results

Serve in the buns with mustard and the relish while watching international kickball on the tele between Germany and England.

Cardiff City F.C. ~ Bluebirdy Rarebit

Introduction: Cardiff have been called The Bluebirds since sometime between 1909 and 1911.

You might be interested in the connection with the children’s play called The Blue Bird, written by the Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck in 1909. The bird, a symbol of happiness, is pursued by children who want to imprison it in a cage and the play’s theme urges us not to try to hoard happiness for ourselves.

It came to the New Theatre in Cardiff in late October 1911. The publicity surrounding the play’s arrival and then Maeterlinck’s Nobel Prize for Literature combined with the new blue strip led to a mystery Cardiff City supporter deciding to call the team ‘The Blue Birds’. Gradually, it emerged as the favoured nickname before being adopted officially by the club.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Home kit: small mixing bowl, large toaster and a grill.

Away kit: 1 serving plate, napkins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 free-range egg yolk
• 85g/3oz Danish blue cheese, crumbled
• 3 tbsp. double cream
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• A dash Worcestershire sauce
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 slices crusty white bread

Method: Preheat the grill to medium

First half

Vigorously mix the egg yolk, cheese, cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in the bowl until well combined.

Second half

Stick two slices of bread in one toaster slot so you only toast one side of each. Top the un-toasted side with the egg and cheese mixture and slap onto a baking sheet and slide under the grill for 3-4 minutes, until golden-brown and bubbling on top.

Full time results

Stick on the serving plate and eat immediately.  Well not immediately as you will burn the roof of your mouth, but you know what I mean.

Queens Park Rangers F.C. ~ Queens Pork Bangers with Terry Vegetables

Introduction: Queens Park Rangers Football Club were founded in 1886 after the merger of Christchurch Rangers and St. Judes Institute. Their traditional colours are blue and white. In the early years after the club’s formation in their original home of Queen’s Park, games were played at many different grounds until finally the club settled into their current location at Loftus Road. Owing to their proximity to other west London clubs, QPR maintain long-standing rivalries with several other clubs in the area. The most notable of these are Chelsea, Fulham and Brentford, with whom they contest what are known as West London Derbies.

The stylish pre-2008 badge

Terence Frederick “Terry” Venables (born 6 January 1943 in Dagenham), often referred to as “El Tel”, is an English former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England and he managed Queens Park Rangers as well as being a director of the club.

El Tel has also co-authored four novels with writer Gordon Williams and is the co-creator of the ITV detective series Hazell, about a fictional private detective named James Hazell.

Preparation time: 10mins

Cooking time: 30ish mins

Home kit: large frying pan, large saucepan, medium saucepan and a colander (it’s the bowl with holes in it)

Away kit: 4 warmed plates, knives and forks

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ½ tbsp. vegetable oil
• 8 good-quality pork sausages
• 900g (2lb) Désirée potatoes, cut into chunks
• 40g (1½oz) butter
• 1 large leek, thinly sliced
• 3tbsp milk
• 1tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 4tbsp red onion marmalade

Method: Preheat the oven to 90^oC and put in the plates

First half

Heat the oil in the large frying pan and quickly brown the sausages over a high heat, turning often. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and leave to cook gently for 20 to 30 minutes until cooked through, turning every so often.

While you keep an eye on them, put the potatoes into the large pan with salted water, cover, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20min until tender. Shove them in the colander and leave to steam dry for a couple of minutes – this stops your mash turning watery.

Second half

Now concentrate here; in the medium saucepan melt half the butter and fry the leek over a gentle heat, covered, for about 25mins until softened.

Melt the remaining butter in the now empty potato pan and add the milk. Add the potatoes and mash until creamy. Stir in the leek and mustard.

Full time results

Slop the mashed spuds onto the warmed plates, I  like to stick the sausages into the mash and spoon on the red onion marmalade.

[There are not too many Terry Vegetables I hope you agree.]