The Retro Recipe Society celebrates Briony’s passion for retro cuisine and timeless classics with some 50 irresistible recipes all packed with nostalgic flavours, each one given the signature Briony-style twist. These are the dishes we grew up with, reimagined for the contemporary kitchen – and here we serve up four of our favourites from the book, which, by the by, will make a cracker of a Christmas present.
Quiche Lorraine
Ready in 60 minutes
Serves 12 people
The word quiche comes from the German word ‘Kuchen’ meaning cake and this tasty buffet staple originates from the Lorraine border region hence the name (I always thought it was frst made by a nice lady called Lorraine but that clearly isn’t the case!). The first versions of the dish used bread dough as the crust and the addition of bacon didn’t come until the 19th century giving it that distinctive taste we know and love.
Ingredients
- 1 x 375g pack shortcrust pastry
- 12 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg for egg wash
- 300ml milk
- 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180oC fan/200oC. Line a quiche/pie dish with the shortcrust pastry and prick the base with a fork. Leave the excess hanging over the sides. Place on a baking tray and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the pastry case from the oven and trim any unwanted pastry using a serrated knife (feel free to eat the offcuts as a mid-bake snack!).
- Break one of the eggs in a mug and beat. Use a pastry brush to wash the pastry in egg.
- In a pan, fry the chopped bacon until crispy then transfer to a plate. In the same pan, add a tablespoon of butter then the sliced onion. Cook for 5 minutes until softened then add the sugar and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until browning.
- In a jug, mix together the remaining 2 eggs, milk and cheese. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the bacon and onion over the base of the pastry then pour in the egg mixture.
- Carefully transfer the quiche back to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
Toad-in-the- Hole
Ready in 45 minutes
Serves 4 people
Giant Yorkshire pudding filled with sausages…umm yes please! This classically British dish dates back to the 1700s and was originally made with a cheap cut of beef as a way of preserving the meat. It isn’t known as to why there is mention of toads in the name but it was initially called “meat boiled in a crust” so maybe they just wanted to be a bit more creative with the title!
Ingredients
- 8 pork sausages
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil/beef dripping
- 100g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 140ml milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200oC fan/220oC. Place the sausages in an ovenproof dish roughly 20 x 30cm with the oil/dripping and bake for 10-15 minutes until the sausages are browning.
- Beat together the flour, salt, eggs and milk until completely smooth (you can do this in a blender). Set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
- Retrieve the sausages, pour the batter over then return to the top half of the oven for 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.
Waldorf Salad
Ready in 20 minutes
Serves 2-4 people
Created for a charity ball at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City, in 1896, this salad started out with apples, celery and mayonnaise then the nuts were added in around 1920. Perfect for any time of the year and great for using up leftover apples, this is a delightful starter or add some protein (grilled chicken/tofu/halloumi) and you have yourselves a balanced, tasty meal.
Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce leaves
- 2 sweet apples, cored and chopped
- Lemon, juice and zest
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 50g walnuts, chopped
- 100g seedless green grapes, quartered
- 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
Dressing
- 4 tbsp salad cream
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
- Dash lemon juice
Method
- Wash and tear the lettuce leaves, place in salad bowls. Toss the chopped apples with the lemon juice to stop them browning then sprinkle over the lettuce. Top with the celery, walnuts and grapes.
- Mix together the salad cream, Greek yogurt and a dash of lemon juice. Drizzle over the salad and add the chia seeds if using.
Strawberry Cheesecake Mini Pavs
Ready in 90 minutes
Makes 10
What’s better than 1 pavlova? 10 pavlovas! Granted, they are mini BUT they still pack just as much punch with the cheesecake filling and a somewhat leftfield flavour combo with the balsamic addition to the strawberry jam. These are ideal for sharing and brighten up any table setting.
Ingredients
Meringue
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 225g caster sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cornflour
Filling
- 300ml double cream
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 3 tbsp strawberry jam
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 250g fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- Handful fresh mint, finely chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 120oC fan/140oC. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Make the meringue. Place the egg whites into a bowl then add the cream of tartar and salt. Using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites until foamy and doubled in size. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each spoonful. Once all the sugar is incorporated, whisk until thick, glossy and you can tip the bowl upside down over your head without it falling out.
- Divide the meringue into 10 dollops on the prepared trays a few centimetres apart then use a teaspoon to shape into round nests.
- Bake for 20 minutes then turn the oven down to 80oC fan/100oC and bake for a further 40 minutes. Once baked, turn off the oven and prop open the door with a wooden spoon then leave to cool in there for a few hours or overnight.
- Make the filling. Whisk the double cream, cream cheese and icing sugar until spreadable. Mix the jam with the balsamic vinegar.
- Fill each meringue nest with a generous spoonful of the cream cheese mixture, top with the jam, strawberries and mint.
Images: (c) Cíara Hillyer
The Retro Recipe Society (Found, £24.99) is set for publication on 20th October 2025 and is available online at Amazon, TikTok Shop, Found.us and all good e-Book Shops (£10.99).
