Category: Uncategorized

Category: Beef

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 400g mushrooms
• 1-2tbsp English Mustard
• Dash Olive Oil
• 750g piece Beef Fillet
• 6-8 slices Parma ham
• 500g Puff Pastry
• Dusting Flour
• 2 Beaten Egg Yolks

Instructions:

Put the mushrooms into a food processor with some seasoning and pulse to a rough paste. Scrape the paste into a pan and cook over a high heat for about 10 mins, tossing frequently, to cook out the moisture from the mushrooms. Spread out on a plate to cool.
Heat in a frying pan and add a little olive oil. Season the beef and sear in the hot pan for 30 secs only on each side. (You don't want to cook it at this stage, just colour it). Remove the beef from the pan and leave to cool, then brush all over with the mustard.
Lay a sheet of cling film on a work surface and arrange the Parma ham slices on it, in slightly overlapping rows. With a palette knife, spread the mushroom paste over the ham, then place the seared beef fillet in the middle. Keeping a tight hold of the cling film from the edge, neatly roll the Parma ham and mushrooms around the beef to form a tight barrel shape. Twist the ends of the cling film to secure. Chill for 15-20 mins to allow the beef to set and keep its shape.
Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to a large rectangle, the thickness of a £1 coin. Remove the cling film from the beef, then lay in the centre. Brush the surrounding pastry with egg yolk. Fold the ends over, the wrap the pastry around the beef, cutting off any excess. Turn over, so the seam is underneath, and place on a baking sheet. Brush over all the pastry with egg and chill for about 15 mins to let the pastry rest.
Heat the oven to 200C, 400F, gas 6.
Lightly score the pastry at 1cm intervals and glaze again with beaten egg yolk. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven setting to 180C, 350F, gas 4 and cook for another 15 mins. Allow to rest for 10-15 mins before slicing and serving with the side dishes of your choice. The beef should still be pink in the centre when you serve it.

Category: Side

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 50g Butter
• 1 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 kg Onion
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 4 sliced Garlic Clove
• 2 tbs Plain Flour
• 250ml Dry White Wine
• 1L Beef Stock
• 4 sliced Bread
• 140g Gruyère

Instructions:

Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently, until caramelised. The onions should be really golden, full of flavour and soft when pinched between your fingers. Take care towards the end to ensure that they don’t burn.
Add the garlic for the final few mins of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot stock. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins.
To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread. Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the cheese. Grill until melted. Alternatively, you can complete the toasts under the grill, then serve them on top.

Category: Pork

Area: Irish

Ingredients:

• 800g Floury Potatoes
• 50g Butter
• 3 chopped Garlic Clove
• 1 chopped Cabbage
• 8 Spring Onions
• 100ml Double Cream
• 2 tbs Mustard
• 180g Ham
• 4 Eggs

Instructions:

STEP 1
Peel and cut the potatoes into even, medium-sized chunks. Put in a large pan filled with cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 mins until a knife can be inserted into the potatoes easily.

STEP 2
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, cabbage, spring onions and some seasoning. Stir occasionally until the cabbage is wilted but still retains a little bite, then set aside.

STEP 3
Drain the potatoes, leave to steam-dry for a couple of mins, then mash with the cream, mustard and seasoning in the same saucepan. Stir in the cabbage and ham hock. Keep warm over a low heat.

STEP 4
Reheat the pan you used to cook the cabbage (no need to wash first), add a splash of oil, crack in the eggs and fry to your liking. To serve, divide the colcannon between bowls and top each with a fried egg.

Category: Side

Area: Irish

Ingredients:

• 1kg Potatoes
• 200ml Milk
• 50g Butter
• 2 tbs Mustard
• Bunch Spring Onions
• Bunch Spring Onions

Instructions:

STEP 1
Boil the potatoes for 15 mins or until tender. Drain, then mash.

STEP 2
Heat the milk and half the butter in the corner of the pan, then beat into the mash, along with the wholegrain mustard.

STEP 3
Gently fry the spring onions in the remaining butter for 2 mins until just soft but still a perky green. Fold into the mash and serve. Great with gammon or to top a fish pie.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 120g Plain Flour
• 60g Caster Sugar
• 60g Butter
• 300g Braeburn Apples
• 30g Butter
• 30g Demerara Sugar
• 120g Blackberries
• ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
• to serve Ice Cream

Instructions:

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until lightly coloured.
Meanwhile, for the compote, peel, core and cut the apples into 2cm dice. Put the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium heat. Cook for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel. Stir in the apples and cook for 3 mins. Add the blackberries and cinnamon, and cook for 3 mins more. Cover, remove from the heat, then leave for 2-3 mins to continue cooking in the warmth of the pan.
To serve, spoon the warm fruit into an ovenproof gratin dish, top with the crumble mix, then reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Category: Dessert

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 142ml Single Cream
• 25g Caster Sugar
• 100g Dark Chocolate
• 25g Butter
• drizzle Butter
• 50g Caster Sugar
• 175g Dark Chocolate
• 2 tbs Double Cream
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 5 Egg White
• 2 tbs Double Cream
• to serve Icing Sugar

Instructions:

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and place a baking tray on the top shelf. For the sauce, heat the cream and sugar until boiling. Remove from the heat, stir in the chocolate and butter until melted, then keep warm.
Brush 6 x 150ml ramekins with melted butter, sprinkle with the 2 tbsp caster sugar, then tip out any excess. Melt the chocolate and cream in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, cool, then mix in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until they hold their shape, then add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking back to the same consistency. Mix a spoonful into the chocolate, then gently fold in the rest.
Working quickly, fill the ramekins, wipe the rims clean and run your thumb around the edges. Turn oven down to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6, place the ramekins onto the baking tray, then bake for 8-10 mins until risen with a slight wobble. Don’t open the oven door too early as this may make them collapse.
Once the soufflés are ready, dust with icing sugar, scoop a small hole from their tops, then pour in some of the hot chocolate sauce. Replace the lids and serve straight away.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs Rapeseed Oil
• 2 finely chopped Leek
• 1 large Courgettes
• 1L Vegetable Stock
• 400g Cannellini Beans
• 200g Green Beans
• 3 chopped Tomatoes
• 3 chopped Garlic Clove
• Small pack Basil
• 40g Parmesan

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the leeks and courgette for 5 mins to soften. Pour in the stock, add three-quarters of the haricot beans with the green beans, half the tomatoes, and simmer for 5-8 mins until the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, blitz the remaining beans and tomatoes, the garlic and basil in a food processor (or in a bowl with a stick blender) until smooth, then stir in the Parmesan. Stir the sauce into the soup, cook for 1 min, then ladle half into bowls or pour into a flask for a packed lunch. Chill the remainder. Will keep for a couple of days.

Category: Seafood

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 6 large Prawns
• 3 tbs Olive Oil
• 150ml Dry White Wine
• 200ml Fish Stock
• 1 small finely diced Fennel
• 1 small finely diced Onion
• 3 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 1 large Potatoes
• 1 Orange
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 1/2 tsp Harissa Spice
• 2 tbs Tomato Puree
• 400g Chopped Tomatoes
• Handful Mussels
• 200g White Fish
• 2 Thyme
• to serve Bread

Instructions:

Twist the heads from the prawns, then peel away the legs and shells, but leave the tails intact. Devein each prawn. Fry the shells in 1 tbsp oil for 5 mins, until dark pink and golden in patches. Add the wine, boil down by two thirds, then pour in the stock. Strain into a jug, discarding the shells.
Heat the rest of the oil in a deep frying pan or casserole. Add the fennel, onion and garlic, season, then cover and gently cook for 10 mins until softened. Meanwhile, peel the potato and cut into 2cm-ish chunks. Put into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins until almost tender. Drain in a colander.
Peel a strip of zest from the orange. Put the zest, star anise, bay and ½ tsp harissa into the pan. Fry gently, uncovered, for 5-10 mins, until the vegetables are soft, sweet and golden.
Stir in the tomato purée, cook for 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 10 mins until the sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste. The sauce can be made ahead, then reheated later in the day. Meantime, scrub the mussels or clams and pull away any stringy beards. Any that are open should be tapped sharply on the worktop – if they don’t close after a few seconds, discard them.
Reheat the sauce if necessary, then stir the potato, chunks of fish and prawns very gently into the stew. Bring back to the boil, then cover and gently simmer for 3 mins. Scatter the mussels or clams over the stew, then cover and cook for 2 mins more or until the shells have opened wide. Discard any that remain closed. The chunks of fish should flake easily and the prawns should be pink through. Scatter with the thyme leaves.
To make the quick rouille, stir the rest of the harissa through the mayonnaise. Serve the stew in bowls, topped with spoonfuls of rouille, which will melt into the sauce and enrich it. Have some good bread ready, as you’ll definitely want to mop up the juices.

Category: Pasta

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 227g Clotted Cream
• 25g Butter
• 1 tsp Corn Flour
• 100g Parmesan Cheese
• Grated Nutmeg
• 250g Fettuccine
• Chopped Parsley

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, stir the clotted cream, butter and cornflour over a low-ish heat and bring to a low simmer. Turn off the heat and keep warm.
Meanwhile, put the cheese and nutmeg in a small bowl and add a good grinding of black pepper, then stir everything together (don’t add any salt at this stage).
Put the pasta in another pan with 2 tsp salt, pour over some boiling water and cook following pack instructions (usually 3-4 mins). When cooked, scoop some of the cooking water into a heatproof jug or mug and drain the pasta, but not too thoroughly.
Add the pasta to the pan with the clotted cream mixture, then sprinkle over the cheese and gently fold everything together over a low heat using a rubber spatula. When combined, splash in 3 tbsp of the cooking water. At first, the pasta will look wet and sloppy: keep stirring until the water is absorbed and the sauce is glossy. Check the seasoning before transferring to heated bowls. Sprinkle over some chives or parsley, then serve immediately.

Category: Side

Area: Turkish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Lentils
• 1 large Onion
• 1 large Carrots
• 1 tbs Tomato Puree
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Mint
• 1/2 tsp Thyme
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 4 cups Vegetable Stock
• 1 cup Water
• Pinch Sea Salt

Instructions:

Pick through your lentils for any foreign debris, rinse them 2 or 3 times, drain, and set aside. Fair warning, this will probably turn your lentils into a solid block that you’ll have to break up later
In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the olive oil and the onion with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes, then add the carrots and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir it around for around 1 minute. Now add the cumin, paprika, mint, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper as quickly as you can and stir for 10 seconds to bloom the spices. Congratulate yourself on how amazing your house now smells.
Immediately add the lentils, water, broth, and salt. Bring the soup to a (gentle) boil.
After it has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot halfway, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils have fallen apart and the carrots are completely cooked.
After the soup has cooked and the lentils are tender, blend the soup either in a blender or simply use a hand blender to reach the consistency you desire. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
Serve with crushed-up crackers, torn up bread, or something else to add some extra thickness. You could also use a traditional thickener (like cornstarch or flour), but I prefer to add crackers for some texture and saltiness. Makes great leftovers, stays good in the fridge for about a week.