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Category: Pasta

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 320g Spaghetti
• 6 Egg Yolks
• As required Salt
• 150g Bacon
• 50g Pecorino
• As required Black Pepper

Instructions:

STEP 1
Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.

STEP 2
Finely chop the 100g pancetta, having first removed any rind. Finely grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.

STEP 3
Beat the 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little freshly grated black pepper. Set everything aside.

STEP 4
Add 1 tsp salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).

STEP 5
Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it.

STEP 6
While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic.

STEP 7
Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard.

STEP 8
Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don’t worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don’t throw the pasta water away yet.

STEP 9
Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later.

STEP 10
Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn’t scramble, and everything is coated.

STEP 11
Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don’t want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.

STEP 12
Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

Category: Pork

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 8 sausages
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 100g plain flour
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tbsp grated horseradish
• 225ml milk
• 200g cherry tomatoes

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. fry sausages in a non-stick pan until browned.
Drizzle vegetable oil in a 30cm x 25cm x 6cm deep roasting tray and heat in the oven for 5 minutes.
Put the plain flour in a bowl, crack in the medium free-range eggs, then stir in the grated horseradish. Gradually beat in the semi-skimmed milk. Season.
Put the sausages into the hot roasting tray and pour over the batter. Top with cherry tomatoes on the vine and cook for 30 minutes until puffed and golden.

Category: Seafood

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 450g Potatoes
• 2 tblsp Olive Oil
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tbls Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 tblsp Capers
• 50g Sunflower Oil
• ½ Red Onions
• 100g Spinach
• 400g Tuna

Instructions:

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Toss the potatoes with 2 tsp oil and some seasoning. Tip onto a large baking tray, then roast for 20 mins, stirring halfway, until crisp, golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, put eggs in a small pan of water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 8-10 mins, depending on how you like them cooked. Plunge into a bowl of cold water to cool for a few mins. Peel away the shells, then cut into halves.
In a large salad bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, red wine vinegar, capers and chopped tomatoes. Season, tip in the onion, spinach, tuna and potatoes, then gently toss together. Top with the eggs, then serve straight away.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 175g/6oz plain flour
• 75g/2½oz chilled butter
• 2-3 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp raspberry jam
• 125g/4½oz butter
• 125g/4½oz caster sugar
• 125g/4½oz ground almonds
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 50g/1¾oz flaked almonds

Instructions:

To make the pastry, measure the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water, mixing to form a soft dough.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and use to line a 20cm/8in flan tin. Leave in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan).
Line the pastry case with foil and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for about 15 minutes, then remove the beans and foil and cook for a further five minutes to dry out the base.
For the filing, spread the base of the flan generously with raspberry jam.
Melt the butter in a pan, take off the heat and then stir in the sugar. Add ground almonds, egg and almond extract. Pour into the flan tin and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.
Bake for about 35 minutes. If the almonds seem to be browning too quickly, cover the tart loosely with foil to prevent them burning.

Category: Seafood

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 300g Smoked Haddock
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 300ml Milk
• 4 Eggs
• Handful Parsley
• Handful Coriander
• 2 tbs Vegetable Oil
• 1 chopped Onion
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 2 tsp Curry Powder
• 300g Rice

Instructions:

For the rice, heat the oil in a large, lidded pan, add the onion, then gently fry for 5 mins until softened but not coloured. Add the spices, season with salt, then continue to fry until the mix start to go brown and fragrant; about 3 mins.
Add the rice and stir in well. Add 600ml water, stir, then bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover for 10 mins. Take off the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 10-15 mins more. The rice will be perfectly cooked if you do not lift the lid before the end of the cooking.
Meanwhile, put the haddock and bay leaves in a frying pan, cover with the milk, then poach for 10 mins until the flesh flakes. Remove from the milk, peel away the skin, then flake the flesh into thumbsize pieces. Place the eggs in a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Leave for 4½-5 mins, plunge into cold water, then peel and cut the eggs into quarters. Gently mix the fish, eggs, parsley, coriander and rice together in the pan. Serve hot, sprinkled with a few extra herbs.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 175g Butter
• 175g Caster Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 250g Self-raising Flour
• 3 tbs Milk
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• To Glaze Mixed Peel

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 18cm/7in round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling.
Sift the flour and gently fold in, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
To serve, decorate the cake with the candied peel.

Category: Pasta

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 320g Spaghetti
• 6 Egg Yolks
• As required Salt
• 150g Bacon
• 50g Pecorino
• As required Black Pepper

Instructions:

STEP 1
Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.

STEP 2
Finely chop the 100g pancetta, having first removed any rind. Finely grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.

STEP 3
Beat the 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little freshly grated black pepper. Set everything aside.

STEP 4
Add 1 tsp salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).

STEP 5
Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it.

STEP 6
While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic.

STEP 7
Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard.

STEP 8
Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don’t worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don’t throw the pasta water away yet.

STEP 9
Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later.

STEP 10
Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn’t scramble, and everything is coated.

STEP 11
Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don’t want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.

STEP 12
Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

Category: Beef

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 1kg Beef
• 2 tbs Plain Flour
• 2 tbs Rapeseed Oil
• 200ml Red Wine
• 400ml Beef Stock
• 1 finely sliced Onion
• 2 chopped Carrots
• 3 sprigs Thyme
• 2 tbs Mustard
• 2 free-range Egg Yolks
• 400g Puff Pastry
• 300g Green Beans
• 25g Butter
• pinch Salt
• pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
Toss the beef and flour together in a bowl with some salt and black pepper.
Heat a large casserole until hot, add half of the rapeseed oil and enough of the beef to just cover the bottom of the casserole.
Fry until browned on each side, then remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef.
Return the beef to the pan, add the wine and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half, then add the stock, onion, carrots, thyme and mustard, and season well with salt and pepper.
Cover with a lid and place in the oven for two hours.
Remove from the oven, check the seasoning and set aside to cool. Remove the thyme.
When the beef is cool and you're ready to assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Transfer the beef to a pie dish, brush the rim with the beaten egg yolks and lay the pastry over the top. Brush the top of the pastry with more beaten egg.
Trim the pastry so there is just enough excess to crimp the edges, then place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through.
For the green beans, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender.
Drain and toss with the butter, then season with black pepper.
To serve, place a large spoonful of pie onto each plate with some green beans alongside.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 30g Mushrooms
• 240g Chestnuts
• 3 Challots
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 3 sprigs Rosemary
• 500g Wild Mushrooms
• 2 tblsp Soy Sauce
• 125ml White Wine
• 350g Lasagne Sheets
• 4 tbsp Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 handful Sage
• to serve Truffle Oil

Instructions:

Soak the dried mushrooms in 350ml boiling water and set aside until needed. Blitz ¾ of the chestnuts with 150ml water until creamy. Roughly chop the remaining chestnuts.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the shallots with a pinch of salt until softened, then add the garlic, chopped chestnuts and rosemary, and fry for 2 mins more. Add the wild mushrooms, 2 tbsp oil and some seasoning. Cook for 3 mins until they begin to soften. Drain and roughly chop the dried mushrooms (reserve the soaking liquid), then add those too, along with the soy sauce, and fry for 2 mins more.
Whisk the wine, reserved mushroom liquid and chestnut cream together to create a sauce. Season, then add half to the mushroom mixture in the pan and cook for 1 min until the sauce becomes glossy. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs, then set the mixture aside.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and get a large bowl of ice water ready. Drop the lasagne sheets into the boiling water for 2 mins or until pliable and a little cooked, then immediately plunge them into the cold water. Using your fingers, carefully separate the sheets and transfer to a clean tea towel. Spread a good spoonful of the sauce on the bottom two thirds of each sheet, then, rolling away from yourself, roll up the shorter ends. Cut each roll in half, then position the rolls of pasta cut-side up in a pie dish that you are happy to serve from at the table. If you have any mushroom sauce remaining after you’ve rolled up all the sheets, simply push it into some of the exposed rolls of pasta.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the pasta, then bake for 10 mins or until the pasta no longer has any resistance when tested with a skewer.
Meanwhile, put the breadcrumbs, the last 2 tbsp olive oil, sage leaves and some seasoning in a bowl, and toss everything together. Scatter the rotolo with the crumbs and sage, then bake for another 10 mins, until the top is golden and the sage leaves are crispy. Leave to cool for 10 mins to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce, then drizzle with a little truffle oil, if you like, before taking your dish to the table.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 175g/6oz digestive biscuits
• 75g/3oz butter
• 200g/7oz Bramley apples
• 75g/3oz Salted Butter
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 75g/3oz ground almonds
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 50g/1¾oz flaked almonds

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Put the biscuits in a large re-sealable freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin into fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the biscuit crumbs and stir until coated with butter. Tip into the tart tin and, using the back of a spoon, press over the base and sides of the tin to give an even layer. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can do this in a food processor if you have one. Process for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, then add the ground almonds and almond extract and blend until well combined.
Peel the apples, and cut thin slices of apple. Do this at the last minute to prevent the apple going brown. Arrange the slices over the biscuit base. Spread the frangipane filling evenly on top. Level the surface and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden-brown and set.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the tin. An easy way to do this is to stand the tin on a can of beans and push down gently on the edges of the tin.
Transfer the tart, with the tin base attached, to a serving plate. Serve warm with cream, crème fraiche or ice cream.