Cod Cheeks; A Cheeky Sandwich

For the Crispy Battered Cod Cheeks

Mix the flour, cornflour, salt, egg yolk and ale into a smooth paste. Whip the egg whites until fluffy and stop just before the soft peak stage. Fold the egg whites into the batter and leave to settle for five minutes.

Remove the skin from the cod’s cheeks, wash and pat them dry on kitchen paper.

Heat the oil to 160ºC. Once it reaches the correct temperature, dip the cod cheeks in the batter and fry them for about 3 -4 minutes until golden brown all over. Cooking time will be dependent on the size of the cheeks. Drain the cheeks on kitchen paper and season immediately with salt and serve.

Fennel and Kolhrabi Slaw

Cut the tops from the fennel, finely chop. Use a Japanese mandoline to finely slice the fennel and kohlrabi, mix with the fennel tops. Season well and add olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

 

Aubergine Chips

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cut the aubergine in half scoop the inside flesh out leaving about 1 ½ cm thick white flesh attached to the skin. Cut it into long fingers about ½ wide. In a large mixing bowl mix the crushed garlic, aubergine fingers, ras-el-hanout and seasoning with the olive oil.

Spread the aubergine fingers on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until golden.

To Serve:

Cut a floury bap in half, toast the bottom and spoon the fennel and kohlrabi slaw on top. Arrange the crispy battered cod cheeks on top and serve with the aubergine chips on the side.

Serves 4

Crispy Cod Cheek Salad

Wash and dry the cod cheeks.

In a small bowl season the flour, in another bowl whisk the egg and in the third bowl place the panko and lemon zest, season lightly with salt and pepper. Dip each cheek in the flour then egg then roll in the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all the cheeks are done.

While the cheeks are resting in the fridge mix the salad, place the remaining ingredients in a bowl except the tartar sauce, season and lightly dress with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Heat a deep fat fryer oil to 160ºC. Once it reaches the correct temperature, fry the cheeks for about 3 -4 minutes until golden brown all over. Cooking time will be dependent on the size of the cheeks. Drain the cheeks on kitchen paper and season immediately with salt and serve on a bed of the mixed salad and tartar sauce on the side.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Dingley Dell Pig Art; Pig Hash

Dingley Dell Pig Art; Pig Hash

Heat a large non-stick frying pan with the oil, saute the diced onion and garlic until lightly caramelised, season to taste. Add the diced potatoes, saute until golden brown, add the flaked meats and saute for a further 2 mintues.

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the sliced spring onions, lemon juice and zest and chopped herbs. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Transfer the hash to a warm serving plate. In a separate clean frying pan fry the eggs "sunny side up".  Serve immediately.

Serves 2

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Mulberry and Adnams Gin Bakewell Tart

Mulberry and Adnams Gin Bakewell Tart

Sweet Pastry

Weigh the softened butter, salt, sugar and vanilla seeds in to the bowl of a mixer, use the flat paddle attachment and cream the sugar and butter until fluffy and pale in colour.

Crack the egg into a small bowl and lightly whisk. Slowly add the egg a bit at a time to the butter mixture, mix well.

Remove the mixing bowl and sieve the flour over the creamed butter, return to the mixer with the paddle, slowly mix the flour into the butter - do not over mix. Once the pastry comes together, stop.

Turn the pastry out on to a lightly floured work surface, divide the pastry in appropriate sizes - do not knead the pastry, just push it together in to flat squares.

This recipe makes approximately 2 x 240g blocks. Cover each piece with clingfilm and make it airtight. I like to make them into flat, square and even sizes so that they fit comfortably in to my freezer, nice and tidy.

This recipe will be sufficient for two tarts of this size.

Line a 10cm x 35cm x 2.5cm fluted oblong tart case with sweet pastry. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Bakewell Mixture

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, cream well after each addition. Add the zest and juice.

Fold in the ground almonds. Spread the jam at the base of the well rested pastry case, sprinkle over the remaining ground almonds followed by the batter, and lastly, scatter the mulberries and flaked almonds.

Bake for 45 minutes, leave to cool before pouring over the glaze.

Mulberry Jam

Weigh the mulberries, caster sugar, gin and water into a medium saucepan. Disolve the sugar over low heat, once dissolved increase the heat and boil vigorously until 107 °C, stir in the juice and leave to cool.

Glaze

Sift the icing sugar into a small bowl stir in the gin and lemon juice, adding bits of the juice at a time until the glaze has a drop but not too runny consistency. Pour the glaze over the cooled tart, leave to set.

Makes 1 tart = 8 portions

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Buckler Leaf Sorrel and Spinach Soup

Buckler Leaf Sorrel and Spinach Soup

Buckler Leaf Sorrel and Spinach Soup

In a large saucepan with rapid salted boiling water blanch the buckler leaf sorrel and spinach leaves, dunk them in ice water to cool rapidly and to ensure they keeps their colour.

In a another large saucepan sauté the potatoes, onion and crushed garlic in two tablespoon of olive oil, cayenne pepper and seasoning until lightly coloured, which will take about 2 minutes at high heat. Add the stock and bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Add the grated nutmeg and lemon juice and remove from the heat.

Drain the blanched sorrel and spinach. Add to the soup base and blend the soup until smooth, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and chill the soup over ice.

Sorrel Pesto

Toast the linseeds and pine nuts, set aside to cool completely. Place the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and let the flavours develop for about 20 minutes.

To Serve

Serve the soup either chilled or reheat and serve immediately with a splash of extra virgin olive oil, a few drops of crème fraiche and a few spoons full of the sorrel pesto; garnish with herbs and edible flowers.

Serves 6

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Strawberry Arctic Roll

Strawberry Arctic Roll

For the Strawberry Jam

In a medium heavy based saucepan sprinkle the sugar over the strawberries, followed by the lemon juice. Leave to marinade for 30 minutes. Dissolve the sugar over low heat, stop stirring once the jam starts to boil, cook the jam to 110°C, and transfer the jam to a clean container and leave to cool completely.

For the Strawberry Ice Cream

In a large container whisk the strawberry puree, milk, sugar and cream. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Churn the ice cream.

Once ready layer clingfilm on a clean chilled working bench, spoon the ice-cream on the clingfilm and arrange a row of the strawberry quarters, roll the ice-cream into a sausage 4cm in diameter and about 20cm long. Roll all the logs and place them in the freezer overnight to set.

The following day prepare the sponge and continue making the arctic roll.

For the Sponge

Pre-heat the oven the 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and doubled in volume. Fold in the sifted plain flour and lemon zest.

Using a pallet knife to spread the sponge about 0.5cm thick on the parchment paper using the whole size of the sheet, bake for 4-5 minutes in the preheated oven and once cooked immediately sprinkle the brown side with caster sugar, keep the paper on and roll the cake up like a Swiss roll. Leave to cool completely. Do so with the rest of the sponge mix. Each sheet of sponge should cover at least two strawberry ice cream logs.

Assemble the Arctic rolls: spread strawberry jam on the white side of the sponge, unwrap the strawberry ice cream log and place it on one side, roll it up tightly and cut the sponge where the two edges meet. Wrap it again in clingfilm and return to the freezer to set. Repeat the processes with the rest of the ice-cream logs.

To Serve:

Slice the arctic roll into serving size portions, spread some of the strawberry jam on the plate, arrange the arctic roll and serve with a small portion of goat milk panacotta topped with strawberries macerated with thyme and balsamic. Garnish the plate with hydrated strawberry crisps and strawberry sherbet.

Makes 12 - 16 portions

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Posh Doggy Biscuits

Posh Doggy Biscuits

Sutton Hoo Chicken Liver, Carrot and Oaty Biscuits

Make the dough one day in advance, let it absorb the liquids.

Use a blender to blend the carrot, oil, water, chicken livers and 1/3 of the oatmeal until a fine puree.

Stir in the remaining oatmeal, oats and sunflower seeds.

Divide the dough into 4 even size sausages, roll the dough in clingfilm. Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Cut the biscuits in 1/2 cm thick pieces. Remove the clingfilm and transfer them to a baking tray.

Bake the biscuits for 20 -25 minutes, let them cool on a cooling rack.

Keep them in a air tight container.

Makes approximately 40 biscuits

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Dingley Dell Smoked Ham Scotch Egg

Dingley Dell Smoked Ham Scotch Egg

Dingley Dell Smoked Ham Scotch Egg

Mix the cooked flaked ham knuckle meat with the sausage meat, seasoning, crushed garlic, ground fennel seeds and the chopped herbs. Peel the soft-boiled hen’s eggs.

Pack the meat around the soft-boiled eggs; leave them to set in the fridge.

Panée the eggs: roll the Scotch egg in the flour, then the whipped egg and then lastly in the panko breadcrumbs.

Heat a deep fat fryer to 160°C, fry the eggs until golden brown, drain them on kitchen paper.

To Serve:

Serve the Scotch egg on its own or with a seasonal salad of artichokes, broad beans and nasturtium leaves and flowers.

Serves 4

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Asparagus, Keens Cheddar Brûlée

Asparagus, Keens Cheddar Brûlée

Keens Cheddar Brûlée

Place 12 15cl glass jars on a tray in the fridge.

Cut the cheese in four even size pieces. Secure the lid on the thermomix, lock and turn the speed dial to 10, carefully drop the cheese onto the blades and grind the cheese for 10 seconds to a powder. Use the build in weighing scales and weight the rest of the ingredients into the bowl.

Set the timed for 14 minutes at 90°C, speed 3. Once cooked immediately turn pour the brûlée mixture into the chilled serving jars, carefully retrun to the fridge and leave to set over night.

When ready to serve sprinkle demerara sugar onto the cheddar brûlée and use a blow touch to caramelise the sugar, serve immediately.

Conventional Method:

Use a use a double boiler. Finely grate the cheddar cheese, mix with the rest of the ingredients, pour the mixture into the top part of the double boiler. Return to the heat and stir for approximately 14 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the eggs are cooked. Do not over heat the mixture as it will separate and curdle. Continue the recipe above once the mixture is cooked.

Makes 12

Sorrel Pesto

Toast the linseeds and pine nuts, set aside to cool completely. Place the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and let the flavours develop for about 20 minutes.

To Serve: Blanch 8 fresh asparagus spears per person in salted rapid boiling water, refresh in ice water once tender to the knife point. Toss the chilled drained asparagus in a dressing of your choice, I have used a sorrel pesto for this dish. Serve one jar of the Keens cheddar brûlée per portion and a decent helping of fresh bread.

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Sutton Hoo Chicken Escalope; New Season English Asparagus Salad

Sutton Hoo Chicken Escalope; New Season English Asparagus Salad

Butterfly the chicken breasts, place each in a small sandwich bag and use a mallet or rolling pin to flatten slightly.

Mix the ingredients for the crust: the parsley, oregano, breadcrumbs, lemon zest and grated cheese, and season lightly.

In a small saucepan melt the butter and olive oil. Once melted add the crushed garlic, lemon juice and seasoning.

Dip each piece of chicken into the melted butter the roll it in the crumb mixture. Use your hands to press the crumbs on firmly.

Heat a non-stick frying pan with oil and pan-fry each chicken escallop until golden on each side and cooked all the way through, drain on kitchen paper.

While the chicken drains, return the pan to the heat and saute the new potatoes until golden brown in a dash of olive oil.

Serve the chicken escalopes with new season English asparagus, broad beans and watercress.

Serves 2

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Pickled Eggs and Pork Scratchings

Pickled Eggs and Pork Scratchings

Spiced Pickled Eggs

In a medium saucepan bring the vinegar and spices to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Sterilise one large glass jar, pour the cooled pickling liquid into the jar.

Boil the eggs for 9 minutes, cool in ice water and peel immediately, place the cold boiled eggs in the slightly cooled vinegar solution in the jar, ensure the eggs are completely covered with the vinegar, seal and refrigerate for two weeks.

Makes 20 pickled eggs

Pork Scratchings

Remove as many hairs as possible from the pork skin.

Grind the star anise, peppercorns and coriander seeds using a pestle and mortar. Rub this into the pigskin.

Spread a layer of salt on a plastic tray, lay the bay leaves out, lay the pig skin on top and cover with more salt. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 5 days.

Once time is up wash the salt off and soak the pig skin in clean cold water over night. The following day, drain and pat the pig skin dry.

Place it on a deep over tray and cut the lemon in half, rub both halves on the skin, pour the duck fat over to cover.

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Cook the pig skin for 2 1/2 hours. Cool and remove the skin from the duck fat.

Lay the pigskin on a cooling rack over a baking tray, return to the preheated oven until golden brown, crisp and puffed. Keep a close eye so that it does not burn.

Leave to cool, use a sharp knife to cut it into bite size pieces or simply snap using your bare hands and enjoy!

Keep the remaining pork scratchings in an air tight container.

Makes plenty!

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An Elegant Tea Party for The Royal Wedding

An Elegant Tea Party for The Royal Wedding

Royal Wedding Blend of White Earl Grey & Rose Victoria Sponge

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line and grease two 2 x 18cm cake tins.

Use a mixer to cream the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Blend in the rose water.

Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.

Sift the flour and fold it into the cake mixture; add a few tablespoons of the tea to let the batter down.

Divide the cake batter between the two cake tins and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

Let the cake cool on a cooling rack.

Once completely cold (leave for an hour or so), transfer the cake to a plate, spread raspberry jam on one side, and place the second half on top.

White Tea and Rose Glaze:

Mix all the ingredients well; add more of the tea to make a runny glaze. Pour it over the cake and dust with rose petal sugar.

Twinings Royal Wedding Blend of White Earl Grey & Rose, Rhubarb Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

(makes 12)

Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and place 12 cupcake cases into a muffin tin.

In a small sauce pan mix the rhubarb, sugar and infused tea, dissolve over low heat, bring to the simmer for 1 minute, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Mix the yoghurt, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in bowl. In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and almonds, make a well and pour the liquid in the centre, mix until blended - do not over work the batter.

Spoon a tablespoon of the mix into each muffin case, drain the rhubarb and divide it amongst the cases. Top with the remainder of the cake batter.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

Let the cupcakes cool on a cooling rack before applying the frosting.

White chocolate Frosting

Cream the butter and half the icing sugar, add the melted white chocolate and the remainder of the icing sugar and continue creaming. Leave to set for a few minutes.

Use a butter knife to spread the frosting over the cupcakes, garnish with sugar roses and edible glitter.

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Pan-Roasted East Coast Skate, Anchovy and Broccoli Pickle

Pan-Roasted East Coast Skate, Anchovy and Broccoli Pickle

Pan-Roasted Skate

Season the skate wings on both sides. Heat a non-stick frying pan - once warm but not smoking hot add the butter, when the butter starts to foam add the fish presentation side down first, pan-fry for 3 -4 minutes, turn the fish over and continue cooking for a further 3 – 4 minutes on the reverse side. Once cooked let the skate rest for 2 minutes, transfer to a serving plate and serve with the anchovy and broccoli pickle.

Anchovy and Broccoli Pickle

Roughly shred the blanched broccoli and kale. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and season to taste, leave to marinade for 20 minutes. Serve the pickle with the pan-roasted skate wing.

Serves 2

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Rhubarb, Pecan and Buttermilk Pudding; Buttermilk Ice Cream

Rhubarb, Pecan and Buttermilk Pudding; Buttermilk Ice Cream

Rhubarb and Buttermilk Pudding

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C and grease 12 x 8cm in diameter rubber muffin moulds.

Cream the butter, vanilla and sugar until pale and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Stir in the buttermilk.

Sift the flour, bicarb of soda, ground ginger, salt and baking powder over the creamed butter mix, and fold in using a large metal spoon.

Wash and cut the rhubarb into slices and mix with the pecan nuts. Spoon a bit of the batter into the moulds followed by a few bits of the rhubarb and pecans, and fill the mould with more batter. Divide the remaining rhubarb and pecans between the moulds and place them on top.

Bake the Puddings for 25 – 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Let them cool before removing from the moulds.

Serve slightly warm with the buttermilk ice cream.

Buttermilk Ice Cream

Mix all the ingredients, refrigerate and rest for 1 hour.

Churn the ice cream using an ice-cream machine. Please read the manufactures instuctions to use.

Keep the ice-cream frozen until needed.

Makes 12 puddings

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Morston Mussels with Leeks, Smoky Bacon and Aspall Cyder

Morston Mussels with Leeks, Smoky Bacon and Aspall Cyder

Thoroughly wash the mussels, remove the beards and discard any that are heavy, broken or that remain open when tapped.

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion, bacon, and leek with the bay leaf and garlic.

Add the cider to the pan and bring it to a gentle boil. Add the mussels, cover the pan tightly with a lid and steam for 2 minutes, or until the mussel shells start to open. Add the cream, bring to the boil and remove from the heat. (Discard any mussels whose shells remain closed).

When ready, toss in the chopped herbs; serve in a bowl and grate over fresh horseradish to taste, serve with plenty of fresh bread.

Serves 1

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Roasted Woodcock, Truffled Jerusalem Artichokes and Boulangere Potatoes

Roasted Woodcock, Truffled Jerusalem Artichokes and Boulangere Potatoes

Roasted Woodcock

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Remove the head and truss the birds with the slices of bacon. Roast the birds in the preheated oven for 14 minutes, rest for 10 minutes. Remove the legs and breast; return the legs to the oven to continue roasting for a further 10 minutes.

Remove the guts which should have turned into a soft pate, and stir into a boiling hot game sauce.

Remove the breast from the crown and crisp the skin in a hot pan with foaming butter.

Serve immediately.

Truffled Jerusalem Artichokes

Peel and slice the Jerusalem Artichokes into ½ cm thick rounds. Heat a non-stick frying pan with half of the butter, once it starts to foam add the sliced artichokes, then season and sauté until they start to colour. Once they are golden brown deglaze the pan with the wine and cover with a lid to cook until tender.

Once cooked add the truffle oil and set aside until needed.

Boulangere Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 140°C and grease a 25 x 15 x 5cm baking tray with butter.

Sweat the shallots in the butter, season with salt and pepper and cook until transparent and tender, stir in the thyme leaves.

Bring the stock to the boil and remove from the heat. Using a mandoline to slice the potatoes, dip them in the hot stock, drain and layer them in the greased tray, alternate with a layer of the cooked shallots, stock and sliced potatoes, season as you go along, continue until the tray is full. Cook the potatoes in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Leave to cool, press overnight.

Cut the potatoes out and place in the serving containers. Reheat the potatoes in the oven.

To Serve

Serve the roasted woodcock on a plate with Jerusalem Artichoke puree, purple sprouting broccoli, the truffled artichokes and the Boulangere potatoes. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve and serve separately in a sauce jug.

Serves 2

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Turnip, Bacon and Aspall Cyder Gratin

Turnip, Bacon and Aspall Cyder Gratin

Peel the turnips and slice them 3/4mm thick.

Slice the bacon into thin slices, and sauté until crispy, remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the same pan to the heat, melt the butter and sauté the finely sliced shallots with seasoning until golden. Deglaze the pan with the cider, add the horseradish and mustard; cook until the cider thickens. Add the stock and cook until the stock is reduced by half. Add the cream, bring the sauce back to the boil, taste and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and half the crispy bacon. Remove from the heat.

Mix the sliced turnips with the mixture and layer the turnips in a baking dish, pour over the creamy mixture. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25 – 30 minutes, garnish with the crispy bacon, finely shredded fresh parsley and golden toasted sour dough breadcrumbs, before serving finely grated fresh raw horseradish over the hot gratin to serve.

Makes 8 small dishes, serving 2 people as a side.

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Pan-Seared Scallops with Cauliflower, Horseradish and Apple

Pan-Seared Scallops with Cauliflower, Horseradish and Apple

Cauliflower, Apple and Horseradish Puree

Prepare the apples and cauliflower. Heat a large saucepan, melt the butter, once it starts to foam add the apple, cauliflower and seasoning. Saute until the cauliflower and apple starts to take on a bit of colour, reduce the heat and add the milk. Cover the pan with a lid and gently simmer until the cauliflower and apple is tender, add the freshly grated horseradish and blend until smooth, taste and adjust the seasoning if need.

Apple Crisps

Preheat the oven to 100 °C.

Dissolve the sugar in the water and lemon juice, bring it to the boil and simmer for two minute, leave to cool until needed.

Wash the apple and remove the core with a apple corer, slice the apple finely using a mandolin approximately 2mm thick slices. Dip each slice in the cooled suryp and lay it flat on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Dry the apple crisps in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, keep a eye on it so that it does not brn however the crisps must dry and be crisp once cooled.

Cauliflower Beignets

Mix the flour, cornflour, salt, egg yolk and sparkling water into a smooth paste. Whip the egg whites until fluffy and stop just before the soft peak stage . Fold the egg whites into the beignet batter and leave to settle for five minutes.

Cook the cauliflower in salted boiling water until tender, refresh in ice water and drain well.

Mix the two table spoons of extra flour with a some of the curry salt.

Heat the oil to 160ºC. Once it reaches the correct temperature, toss the cauliflower in the seasoned flour, dust off the excess and then dip each florette in the batter and fry them for about two minutes until golden brown all over. Drain on kitchen paper and season immediately with salt and serve immediately.

Curry Salt

Mix the ingredients and keep in a air tight container until needed. This salt is handy and makes a lovely seasoning for white fish such as cod, skate, halibut.

To use season the fish or scallops with the curry salt as per normal salt seasoning and cook immediately. Do not leave the fish or scallop to sit with the salt as it will draw out moisture and make the fish dry, rubbery and tasteless.

Pan-Seared Scallops

Heat a non-stick frying pan with the oil, season the scallops of both sides with the curry salt, once the pan is hot enough place the scallops presentation side down into the pan for 2minutes, the scallops will caramelise and turn golden, flip it over and continue cooking for a further 1 minute on the reverse side. Drain and plate the dish up immediately.

To Serve

Heat the puree and spoon it onto the plate, arrange the cauliflower beignets and serve three scallops per portion, arrange the apple crisps and garnish lightly with herb cress leaves.

Serve immediately

Serves 4

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My Treacle Tart Recipe

My Treacle Tart Recipe

Maddy’s Best Ever Treacle Tart Recipe

Whizz the fresh breadcrumbs as finely as possible. I use my Thermomix - rip fresh bread into chunks, let the blades run at speed 10 and drop the torn bread onto the running blades.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the egg and cream together. Gently heat the golden syrup to make it runnier and easier to mix - do not exceed 37°C. Whisk the golden syrup, lemon juice and zest  into the egg mixture, and stir in the ground almonds and breadcrumbs.

Let the mixture rest over night in the fridge.

The following day preheat the fan assisted oven to 160°C. (If the oven is too hot the tart will burn easily and stay raw inside)

Line a 10cm x 35cm x 2.5cm fluted oblong tart case with sweet pastry. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Whisk the treacle tart mixture and pour into the raw lined pastry case.

Carefully transfer the tart to the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 - 45 minutes. It will still have a gentle wobble in the center but will firm up once cooled.

Leave the tart to cool at room temperature.

Once cold remove the over hanging pastry with a sharp small serrated knife, then remove the tart from the case and cut it into slices. Serve with whipped Chantilly cream, mascarpone or vanilla ice cream.

Makes approximately 6 slices

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Bitter Chocolate and Rendelsham Forest Chestnut Truffle Cake

Bitter Chocolate and Rendelsham Forest Chestnut Truffle Cake

Bitter Chocolate and Chestnut Cake Base

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 28cm x 18cm x 4cm rectangular cake frame with parchment paper. In a small saucepan bring the rum and fresh peeled and roasted chestnuts to the simmer; remove from the heat and leave to soak for 10 minutes.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Whilst the chocolate is melting separate the eggs, whisk the whites with the sugar until a soft peak meringue.

Once the chocolate is melted remove from the heat and stir the soaked chestnuts, rum and egg yolks into the melted chocolate. Fold the ground almonds and whipped egg whites into the mixture.

Spoon the cake mixture into the lined metal ring. Bake the cake for 20 – 22 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Once cooked, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool completely, using the back of a spoon to press the cake down. Make the mousse part.

Bitter Chocolate and Chestnut Mousse

Weigh the chestnut puree and rum into the bowl of a thermomix, set the timer for 6 minutes at 80°C, speed 4. Once heated turn the speed dial to 10 for 20 seconds to smoothen the puree, add the chocolate and stir to melt. Add the egg yolks and blend till smooth.

Whip the egg whites with the sugar till soft peaks can be formed, and whip the cream till a soft ribbon stage. Fold the whipped egg whites and cream into the chocolate mixture.

Spread the mousse over the cake, level out and refrigerate until set completely before glazing the cake with the glaze. This normally takes 6 hours.

Bitter Chocolate Glaze

Soak the gelatine in cold water. In a small saucepan bring the water, cream and sugar to the boil, remove from the heat and add the drained soaked gelatine leaves, stir to dissolve, sift in the cocoa powder and mix well, pass the glaze through a fine sieve and leave to cool to 18°C before pouring the glaze over the set mouse.

Candied Chestnuts

Cut the fresh roasted peeled chestnuts into quarters. Heat a medium non-stick saucepan with the sugar, butter and chestnuts, let the sugar start to dissolve and stir continuously to cause crystallisation whilst the sugar turns to caramel. Boil until a dark caramel colour, pour the candied crystallised chestnuts out onto a lined baking tray. Leave to set and cool. Chop the candied chestnuts into smaller pieces for serving.

To Serve

With a warm sharp long bladed knife cut the cake into 2cm wide slices. Place one slice on a serving plate garnished with chocolate sauce, spoon the candied chestnuts over the top and sprinkle chocolate cookie dust as garnish over the cake.

Serve 10 - 12 slices of cake

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Red Wine Poached Quince and Goat’s Cheese Filo Tart

Red Wine Poached Quince and Goat’s Cheese Filo Tart

Quinces Poached in Red Wine

Place all the ingredients apart from the quinces in a deep saucepan, dissolve and bring it to a gentle simmer, for 5 minutes.

Peel and core the quinces. Place the prepared quinces in the simmering liquid, place a piece of grease proof paper on top (cartouche) and gently simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the quinces are tender.

Let the quinces cool completely in the liquid.

Spiced Filo Sheets

Preheat the oven to 180 °C, convection oven (turn the fan off).

Melt the clarified butter and brush each sheet of filo with butter, sprinkle the ground star anise, place another sheet on top and continue the process until all five sheets are on top of each other, use a sharp knife to cut the filo in 5 cm x 12 cm rectangles.

Make four long sausages with foil and place it on a baking tray with 10 cm gaps in between, drape the buttered and spiced filo over the foil to create waves.

Bake the filo in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, check if it's golden and crisp, and continue to bake for a further 5 minutes until the filo is crisp and golden.

Let the filo waves cool completely, keep them in an airtight container until needed.

Whipped Goats Cheese

Using a machine with a balloon whisk attachment whip the goats cheese, mascarpone, cinnamon and seasoning until creamy.

Add the cream and whip further until a thick ribbon stage.

Transfer the whipped cheese to a container and refrigerate  until needed.

Quince Chutney

Place the chopped onion, garlic and ginger with the sugar, vinegar, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and orange juice in a large saucepan. Over low heat dissolve the sugar and bring the mixture to the boil, add the prepared quinces and cook rapidly until the sugars start to thicken and the quinces are softening.

Stir occasionally to prevent the chutney form sticking and burning, and once you're happy with the thickness of the chutney, add the orange zest and juice.

Transfer the chutney to sterilised jars and leave to cool completely.

To use for this recipe blend a few tablespoons of chutney into a smooth puree.

Salted Caramel Walnuts

  • 200g walnuts
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 25g Malden Sea Salt
  • 1tbs unsalted butter

Heat a frying pan with the butter, nuts, sugar and salt, heat until the sugar has melted, cook until the sugar caramlises to golden brown.

Transfer the caramelised salted walnuts to a line tray, leave to cool. Break the walnuts into pieces for serving.

To Serve

Spread the pureed quince chutney onto the plate, sprinkle some crumbed goats cheese over and place a wave of filo on top. Cut the quinces poached in red wine and arrange them on top. Place a quinelle of the whipped goats cheese on top of the filo wave, scatter more crumbed goats cheese, scatter the salted caramel walnts and garnish the plate with fine herbs and or cress leaves.

Serves 6/8

Chef's Tips

Once your quince stash runs out use pears instead. Alternatively, replace the goat's cheese with a creamy blue cheese.

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Cranberry, Orange and Port Sauce

Cranberry, Orange and Port Sauce

Peel and finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and fresh ginger and mix it all together.

Place all the ingredients apart from the orange zest into a medium size saucepan and season lightly with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Over a low heat, bring to the simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook the sauce until a thickened but drip consistency this takes about 20 minutes, add the orange zest, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Don’t forget it will thicken as it cools, so don’t let it get too thick.

Pour the cranberry sauce into a sterilized jar and seal.

Makes roughly 250 - 300ml cranberry sauce

Chef's Tips:

Use the left over cranberry sauce on cold Turkey or Goose sandwiches lathered with cranberry sauce and plenty of watercress. Or stir a spoonful of cranberry sauce into a casserole especially lamb or game, it enriches the flavour. Enjoy!

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Iron Bark Pumpkin and Chestnut Soup

Iron Bark Pumpkin and Chestnut Soup

Iron Bark and Pumpkin Soup

Heat a large saucepan and melt the butter. Add the diced pumpkin to the melted butter with the ras-el-hanout and a small amount of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Cook until the pumpkin starts to soften; this should take about 5 minutes. As soon as the pumpkin starts to colour, deglaze the pan with the wine, cook until the wine is absorbed by the pumpkin, add the stock, bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the soup for 20 minutes.

Add the cheese and half of the chestnuts to the soup and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Blend the soup until very smooth. Pass the soup through a sieve, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning and thickness if needed.

Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Wash the pumpkin seeds and remove as much of the pumpkin membrane as possible. Mix the seeds with the rest of the ingredients, season with salt and spread onto a baking tray. Roast the seeds in the oven, starting with 5 minutes, stir and continue with nominations of 5 minutes until the seeds are golden. Let the seeds cool completely - once cold they will crisp.

To Serve

Serve the boiling hot soup with a few drops of pumpkin oil, the candied pumpkin seeds, a sprinkle of sumac and use a micro plane to grate the remaining roasted chestnuts over the soup.

Serves 6 - 8

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Wild Rabbit Terrine with Quince Chutney

Wild Rabbit Terrine with Quince Chutney

Wild Rabbit Terrine

Cook the ham hocks and make the jelly: Place the hocks in a deep saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil, removing the impurities. Top the water up and add the carrot, leek, celery, two sprigs of thyme, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Simmer for about 3 hours until the ham is cooked. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and measure 1L of the cooking liquid. Soak the gelatine in cold water and add it to the 1L of warm stock. Flake the ham meat from the bone and remove the fat.

Cook the rabbit legs: Remove the rabbit back and front legs, remove the loins and set aside. Place the legs with 1tbs of olive oil, salt and the remaining thyme and one garlic clove in a vacuum bag, seal and cook them in a preheated water bath at 83°C for 12 hours. Flake the cooked meat.

Wash and sauté the Trompette de la Mort mushrooms in butter, season and drain. Remove only the very green leaves of the cabbage, shred and blanch in salted water, refresh and drain.

Cook the rabbit loins in a non-stick frying pan with butter for about 5 – 6 minutes until slightly pink, rest the loins for 5 minutes before assembling the terrine.

Heat the stock and pour some of the hot stock over the cooked ham and flaked rabbit meat.

Line a terrine mould with clingfilm; build the terrine starting with the ham and some stock, followed by the cabbage and mushrooms, season after every third layer. Follow with the flaked rabbit meat, more mushrooms and cabbage, place the loins in and add more stock. Complete the terrine layer by layer until the mould is packed, make sure the last layer is a layer of ham, close the clingfilm over the terrine and place a heavy weight on top. Place the terrine in the fridge and leave to set over night.

Quince Chutney

Peel and dice the quinces into 1cm diced pieces.

Place all the ingredients with seasoning in a large saucepan over low heat to dissolve the sugar.

Once the sugar has dissolved bring the mixture to a rapid boil and simmer until the chutney becomes thick. You will notice that the bubbles become laboured and heavier. Stir regularly to prevent the chutney from sticking.

Cook until the chutney is the right consistency.

To Serve

Slice the terrine 1.5cm thick, glaze with truffle oil and season if needed with sea salt flakes. Serve the terrine with a light salad and the quince chutney along with toasted brioche or sour dough bread.

Serves 8-10

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Medlar and Quince Jelly, Quince Curd and Garibaldi Biscuits

Medlar and Quince Jelly, Quince Curd and Garibaldi Biscuits

Medlar and Quince Jelly

Wash and peel the quinces, cut them into smaller pieces. Wash and chop the very ripe medlars into quarters, place the quinces and medlars in a saucepan with the juice of one lemon and cover the fruit with cold water.

Bring the fruit to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Pass the cooking liquid through a jelly bag and leave to hang overnight.

Measure 10 parts of the cooking liquid with 7 parts of caster sugar, melt the sugar and bring the liquid to a rapid simmer. Skim the impurities from the surface and cook the jelly to 107°C.

Let the jelly cool slightly and then pour the jelly into chosen moulds and leave to set. This normally takes about 12 hours.

Quince Curd

Pre-heat the oven to 110°C. Peel the quinces; place them in a vacuum bag with the 50g of sugar and seal on hard vacuum. Place them in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes, cool.

Cut the soft quince flesh into smaller pieces and place it in a Thermomix bowl with the remaining sugar and blend until smooth. Add the eggs and lemon juice, set the timer for 12 minutes at 90°C, speed 4. Once the time is done turn the speed dial to 10 and blend for 1 minute, adding the cold butter pieces at a time.

Transfer the curd to a container to cool.

Crème Fraiche Espma

Soak the gelatine in cold water until completely soft, squeeze to remove the excess water.

Place the cream, soaked gelatine and caster sugar in a metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water, stir until the sugar and soaked gelatine dissolve. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the crème fraiche and mix.

Pour the mixture into a clean 1Liter cream gun, secure the lid and charge the cream gun with two gas charges. Shake vigorously and place the cream gun in the fridge to chill.

It will need about 2 hours to chill completely.

When you are ready to use the espuma shake the cream gun vigorously to loosen the mixture.

Garbaldi Biscuits

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until creamed.

Sift the flour over the creamed butter mixture and add the currants, mix it all together but do not over work the mixture.

Spoon the mixture onto clingfilm and roll it up in cylindrical shapes or sausages. Refrigerate for 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Cut the biscuits 1/2 cm thick slices, remove the clingfilm and space them evenly on the baking tray. Bake the biscuits in the pre-heated oven for 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. As soon as you remove them from the oven sprinkle with caster sugar and leave to cool completely.

To Serve

Pipe the quince curd onto the jelly, followed by a squirt of the crème fraiche foam. Garnish with a light sprinkle of sumac or freeze dried raspberries for a dash of colour. Serve immediately with a couple of the garibaldi biscuits.

Serves 6 -8

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One Bite Luxury Mince Pies

One Bite Luxury Mince Pies

Luxury Sweet Mincemeat Mixture

  • 175g seedless raisins
  • 120g sultanas
  • 120g currants
  • 50g cut mixed peel
  • 50g chopped dried prunes
  • 175g soft brown sugar
  • 225g cooking apples - peeled, cored and grated
  • 115g shredded suet
  • 1 orange zest and juice
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • 25g chopped almonds
  • 25g chopped pecan nuts
  • 10g mixed spice
  • 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 75ml brandy

Mix all the ingredients together (use only half the brandy) in a large deep baking tray and cover and leave to stand overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 120°C, cover the tray with foil and place in the oven for about 2 hours.

Leave the mixture to cool slightly, then mix in the rest of the brandy.

Sterilise clean glass jars in the oven and spoon the warm mincemeat into the sterilized jars, seal and leave to mature.

Makes 1.3 kg

Chef's Tip:

 

This mincemeat needs to mature for at least two weeks before using. Once sealed, it can keep for at least 6 months.

Make the perfect  gift: Fill clean sterilized glass jars with 300g mincemeat and attach a recipe to the side for the pastry and baking method for making mince pies at home.

Sweet Pastry

  • 460g plain flour
  • 280g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 160g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Rub the butter and vanilla seeds into the flour and sugar, add the eggs and bring the pastry together without over-working the pastry.

Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide the pastry into appropriate sizes. Do not knead the pastry, just push it together into flat squares.

Refrigerate the pastry for at least a half an hour before rolling the pastry out.

Preheat the oven to 160 °C.

Line the chosen moulds and spoon the sweet mincemeat mixture into the line pastry. Decorate each pie with either another piece of pastry on top or alternatively place one pecan nut on top. Bake the pies for 25 - 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Transfer the cooked pies to a cooling rack and leave to cool.

Serve them slightly warm.

Brandy Cream

  • 200ml double cream
  • 1 shot of brandy (25ml)
  • 50g icing sugar
Mix the cream, brandy and icing sugar, and using a balloon whisk, whip the cream till ribbon stage.
Keep refrigerated until needed.

Makes at least 65 one bite mince pies

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Venison Burger with Roasted Parsnip Straws

Venison Burger with Roasted Parsnip Straws

Venison Burgers

Heat a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil and saute the diced onion, grated carrot and celery with seasonig until soft. Do not colour - when the onions turn transparent then it's ready. Leave to cool completely and add the roasted mashed garlic.

Measure all the ingredients including the cooked onion mixture into the bowl of a mixer, attach a dough hook and kneed the meat until all the ingredients are well mixed. I prefer to use a mechanical form of mixing for burgers as it tightens the meat and prevents it from falling apart when cooking.

Test a small amount in a hot pan and taste, adjust the seasoning if needed.

Shape the burgers approximately 175g and compress into a patty shape. Let the burgers rest in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Cook the burgers 5 - 6 mintues on each side in a hot griddle pan, alternativley brown the burger in a hot pan and transfer it to a preheated oven at 200°C and cook for a further 5 - 6 mintues.

Serve the burger patty on a bun with a spoonful of the beetroot relish, slices of tomato and salad leaves. Garnish with home made onion rings and chips of your choice. For this recipe I have chosen roasted parsnip straws.

Roasted Parsnip Straws

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Peel the parsnips and cut them length ways, toss them with the oil and lightly season them with salt and pepper. Roast the parsnips in the preheated oven until tender and golden brown.

While the parships are roasting prepare the salt: Using a pestle and mortar crush the coriander seeds, add the maldon salt and the chopped thyme, and mix.

Once the roasted parsnips are done, drizzle over the honey and season with the thyme and coriander flavoured salt.

Serve immediately.

Beetroot and Red Onion Relish

Coarsely grate the peeled raw beetroot and finely slice the red onions.

Heat a medium saucepan with butter and sweat the onions, garlic, chilli flakes and beetroot with seasoning until it starts to caramelise. This should take about 10 - 15 minutes.

Add the sugar and cook until dissolved. Deglaze with the vinegar and cook for a further 20 minutes.

Once the relish is done stir in the chopped thyme, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Transfer the relish into sterilised jars and keep refrigerated until needed. The longer you let the relish mature the better the flavour, however you can use it straight away as it's equally as delicious.

Serves  6

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Slow-Cooked Pheasant, Pink Fir Fondant Potatoes and Celeriac Cream

Slow-Cooked Pheasant, Pink Fir Fondant Potatoes and Celeriac Cream

Slow-Cooked Pheasant

Prepare the pheasants by plucking the birds and remove as many of the feathers as possible. Remove the legs from the crowns. Use the legs for the recipe below.

Remove the breast meat from the crowns. Season the breast with salt and pepper, and place the seasoned breast in a vacuum pouch and add the rapeseed oil, thyme and garlic. Seal the bags on full vacuum.

Cook the pheasant breast in the preheated water bath till 58°C, core temperature, it takes about 28 minutes.

Chill the pheasant breast in iced water and refrigerate until needed.

To serve the pheasant: brown the pheasant breast on the skin side in the hot pan with butter, until golden brown.

Transfer the pheasant breast to an oven tray and roast the breast for about 6-8 minutes, let the breast rest for 8 minutes once roasted.

Pheasant and Prune Sausages

Preheat the water bath to 83°C.

Place the prepared legs in a vacuum pouch with two tablespoons of rapeseed oil, garlic and thyme, lightly season the legs. Seal the bag and cook the pheasant legs for 12 hours.

Once cooked, flake the meat and mix 200g of flaked pheasant meat with the sausage meat, season to taste add nutmeg and stir in the chopped herbs and prunes.

Shape into 30g sausage shaped balls and wrap each sausage in a rasher of the smoked streaky bacon.

Cook them in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 12 – 15 minutes, until golden and cooked all the way through.

Herbed Pearl Barley

Cook the pearl barley in salted boiling water with a few aromatics such as carrots, celery, thyme, garlic and leeks, once cooked drain and refresh.

To reheat warm the pearl barley through in a pan with the shallot confit and rapeseed oil, season to taste and stir the herbs through just before serving.

Pink Fir Fondant

Scrub the pink fir potatoes and dry.

Heat a non-stick frying pan with a bit of the butter, brown the potatoes all over, and season lightly. Once the potatoes are golden add the remainder of the butter with a dash of water, place a cartouche on top and transfer the potatoes to a preheated oven at 180°C. Cook them for about 15 - 20 minutes (the time depends on the size of the potatoes) until tender.

Celeriac Cream

Peel and finely slice the celeriac, place it in a vacuum bag, add the butter and seasoning. Seal on hard vacuum.

Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan and place the vacuum bag in the water, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to simmer for 40 minutes.

Puree the celeriac in a blender until very smooth, add the cream, and if it’s still too thick then add more cream.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if need.

To Serve

Spoon the celeriac cream onto warm plates; place the drained fondant potatoes in position along with the cooked pheasant sausage. Spoon the warm pearl barley onto the plate and place the sliced pheasant breast on top. Serve with blanched purple sprouting broccoli and a drizzle of pheasant Madeira sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

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A Tasting of Game

A Tasting of Game

Wild Rabbit Rillette

To braise the rabbit legs: Pre-heat the oven to 160 °C. Heat a medium oven proof casserole dish with the oil, season the legs lightly and brown them in the dish, add the prepared onions, leek, carrot, crushed coriander seeds, one sprig of thyme and crushed garlic, brown until golden then add the stock. Cover the dish with the lid and once the stock is starting to boil transfer the dish to the oven and braise the legs for 1 hour, until they are tender. Let the rabbit legs cool slightly, drain them from the liquid and flake the meat.

Heat a small frying pan with 1 tbs of the duck fat and saute the chopped banana shallots until tender, add the flaked rabbit meat and add another 80g of the duck fat, stir in the chopped herbs, capers and gherkins. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Spoon the rillette into the serving jars, leave them to cool, melt the remaining duck fat and pour it onto the surface of the rilette and set them in the fridge.

Game Terrine

Cook the ham hocks, flake once cooked and pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve. Soak the gelatine leaves and dissolve, mix the gelatine with 500ml of the ham stock.

Cook and flake the duck and rabbit legs. Prepare the mushrooms and saute them in butter. Blanch the shredded cabbage in boiling water, refresh in ice water, drain and set aside.

Pan-fry the duck breast and cook them for about 6 - 8 minutes, until medium rare. Let them rest and once rested cut them into strips.

Line a small terrine mould with cling film and layer the terrine with the different components, pour the stock in between each layer.

Press and leave the terrine to set over night in the fridge.

Venison Scotch Egg

Mix the cooked venison meat with the sausage meat, seasoning and the chopped herbs. Cook the eggs and peel once cold.

Pack the venison sausage meat around the cooked, soft boiled egg, leave them to set in the fridge.

Panée the eggs: roll the scotch egg in the flour, then the whipped egg and then last in the panko breadcrumbs.

Heat a deep fat fryer to 160°C, fry the eggs until golden brown, drain and serve them immediately.

Partridge, Prune and Smoked Streaky Bacon Sausages

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Season the partridge and rub the oil over the bird. Roast it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, leave to rest and flake the leg and breast meat.

Mix the cooked partridge with the soaked prunes, sausage meat, shallots and chopped shallots, season to taste.

Shape 25g  sausages and wrap one slice of smoked streaky bacon around each sausage.

Cook the sausages in the preheated oven for 12 - 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

To Serve:

Cut a generous slice of the terrine and garnish it with mixed cress. Place the rabbit rillette on the plate along with the venison scotch egg and the partridge sausages. Serve with a jar of home made piccalilli.

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Truffled Parsnip and Pickled Girolle Salad with Shipcord Cheese and Toasted Hazelnuts

Truffled Parsnip and Pickled Girolle Salad with Shipcord Cheese and Toasted Hazelnuts

Truffled Parsnips and Borlotti Beans

If you are using fresh borlotti beans: Cook the borlotti beans in seasoned water with the sprig of thyme until tender; drain and set aside. Alternatively use tinned borlotti beans or use dried borlotti beans that have been previously soaked in cold water and cooked until tender.

Peel and dice the parsnips into 1cm cubes. Heat a large non-stick frying pan with the butter - once it’s foaming sauté the parsnips with seasoning until they turn golden brown, reduce the heat and leave the parsnips until golden, caramelised and tender but not mushy.

Add the cooked borlotti beans and truffle oil and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Set aside until needed.

Thyme Roasted Parsnips

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a roasting tray with parchment paper.

Peel the parsnips and cut each into 6 long wedges. Lay the parsnips on the tray, season and add the oil, mix.

Roast the parsnips for 10 – 12 minutes, until golden, once cooked chop the thyme and scatter over, set aside until needed.

Parsnip Puree

Peel and dice the parsnips into 2cm dice, heat a saucepan with the butter and sauté the parsnips until they start to turn golden, season as you cook. Once the parsnips are nearly tender enough add the milk and continue cooking until soft.

While the parsnips are still hot puree until a smooth but thick puree, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Pickled Girolles

Clean the girolle mushrooms and cut them into smaller pieces if needed. Heat 1tbs of oil in a medium non-stick frying pan, sauté the girolles with seasoning for two minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the mustard, thyme, hazelnut and the rest of the rapeseed oil and sherry vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Let the mushrooms mature for a day before using.

To Serve

In a small saucepan reheat the truffled parsnips and borlotti beans with a few spoons full of the pickled girolles. Heat the puree and the thyme roasted parsnips.

Spread the puree on a warm plate; arrange the truffled parsnips and the thyme roasted parsnips on top. Scatter chopped roasted hazelnuts over with a few slithers of Shipcord cheese shavings. Toss a few watercress sprigs and mixed cress with a drop of truffle oil and vinaigrette to garnish the dish. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Chef's Tip:

Use haricot or butter beans instead of borlotti beans.

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Roasted Butternut Squash, Pomegranate and Chickpea Salad

Roasted Butternut Squash, Pomegranate and Chickpea Salad

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Preheat the oven to 200°C and lightly grease a large oven roasting tray.

Wash the butternut skin and pat dry, cut the butternut in half and remove the seeds. Cut the butternut in even size slices and or wedges and arrange them on the roasting tray, drizzle over the olive oil, season and sprinkle over the ras-el-hanout. Roast them in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until tender when you  stick a sharp knife into the flesh. Once cooked remove the tray form the oven and drizzle over the pomegranate molasses and let the butternut cool in the tray.

Once cooled, wash and shave the fennel using a sharp mandolin, scatter it over the roasted squash, scatter the drained chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, chopped coriander  leaves, sliced salad onions and salad leaves.

Drizzle the tahini lemon yoghurt and serve.

Tahini Lemon Yoghurt

In a small bowl mix the yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice and zest. Season to taste and if the dressing is a touch too thick add a few drops of cold water to thin it down to a dripping consistency.

Serves 4-6 people

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Partridge, Fig and Salted Caramel Walnuts

Partridge, Fig and Salted Caramel Walnuts

Partridge

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Prepare a saucepan filled with water, one sprig of thyme, coriander seeds and peppercorns, bring it to the boil.

Remove the legs from the partridges; roast them in the preheated oven with olive oil and seasoning for 25 minutes. Flake the meat whilst hot. Heat the olive oil with the shallots and seasoning, cook until transparent and add the cooked flaked leg meat, cook until the shallots are tender, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Poach the partridge crowns in the boiling water for 3 minutes, leave to rest for 5 minutes and remove the breast from the bone. When ready to serve heat a frying pan with butter and caramelise the partridge breast in the foaming butter skin side down, caramelise the fig in the same pan. Serve immediate.

Lentils

Heat a saucepan with the butter and sauté the trompette de la mort mushrooms for 2 minutes, add the leg meat, lentils and 1 tbs of the damson vinaigrette. Cook for 5 minutes, adjust the seasoning if needed and add the thyme leaves.

Salt Caramelised Walnuts

Heat a frying pan with the butter, nuts, sugar and salt, heat until the sugar has melted, cook until the sugar caramlises to golden brown.

Transfer the caramelised salted walnuts to a line tray, leave to cool. Break the walnuts into pieces for serving.

Damson Vinaigrette

Blend all the ingredients until emulsified, season and set aside until needed.

To Serve

Spoon the lentils onto a warm plate, arrange the partridge breast and figs on top of the lentils, arrange the rest of the figs on the plate and drizzle the damson vinaigrette round the plate. Scatter the walnuts and garnish with cress. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Pan-Roasted Teal and Pearl Barley Salad; Damson Vinaigrette

Pan-Roasted Teal and Pearl Barley Salad; Damson Vinaigrette

Teal

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Prepare a saucepan filled with water, one sprig of thyme, coriander seeds and peppercorns, bring it to the boil.

Remove the legs from the teals; roast them in the preheated oven with olive oil and seasoning for 25 minutes. Flake the meat whilst hot. Heat the olive oil with the shallots and seasoning, cook until transparent and add the cooked flaked leg meat, cook until the shallots are tender, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Poach the teal crowns in the boiling water for 2 minutes, leave to rest for 5 minutes and remove the breast from the bone. When ready to serve heat a frying pan with butter and caramelise the teal breast in the foaming butter skin side down for about 2 minutes, cut the teal breast on an angle and serve immediately.

Pearl Barley Salad

Cook the pearl barley in plenty of water until tender.

Once cooked drain and add the rest of the ingredients, season to taste.

Damson Vinaigrette

In a small saucepan bring the damsons, sugar and water to the boil and cook until the damsons are soft.

Blend the damsons until smooth and add the rest of the ingredients, blend until emulsified, season to taste and set aside until needed.

To Serve

Spoon the warm pearl barley salad onto a warm plate, arrange the teal breast top. Serve the teal with a few sauteed girolle mushrooms, pea shoots and drizzle the damson vinaigrette round the plate. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Roasted Heritage Squash and Salt Baked Beet with Soft Boiled Hens Egg and Rosehip Elderberry Vinaigrette

Roasted Heritage Squash and Salt Baked Beet with Soft Boiled Hens Egg and Rosehip Elderberry Vinaigrette

Oven Roasted Heritage Squash

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Wash the squash, cut into pieces, mix with the oil and seasoning and ras–el-hanout. Place the squash on a baking tray and roast the squash in the oven until tender and golden brown. Leave to chill

Salt Baked Beetroot

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Wash the beetroots and place them in a deep oven tray and cover the beetroots with the salt.

Bake the beetroot in the preheated oven for 3 hours, until tender. Leave them to cook and peel.

Keep the beetroot refrigerated until needed.

Pickled Cauliflower

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Cut the cauliflowers into small florettes.

Mix the cauliflower with the oil, ras–el-hanout and seasoning, spread on a baking tray.

Roast the cauliflowers in the oven for 10 minutes, chill.

Rosehip and Elderberry Vinaigrette

Cut the rosehips in half, remove the seeds. Place the rosehips, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan, dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil. Reduce by half, add the elderberries, and remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 2 hours.

Season to taste and stir in the olive oil.

Chill until needed.

To Serve

Soft boil two eggs, pee,l and cut them in half. Arrange the squash, beet and cauliflower with the egg on the plate, season and drizzle the vinaigrette over, place a few sprigs of baby cress leaves and serve.

Serves 4

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Honey, Plum and Blackberry Jelly with Plum Sorbet

Honey, Plum and Blackberry Jelly with Plum Sorbet

Honey Plum and Blackberry Jelly

Wash the plums, remove the stones and cut into quarters. Place the plums, blackberries, water, vanilla seeds, sugar, lime juice and honey into a vacuum bag and hard seal.

Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan and place the vacuum bag in the water, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the bag from the water and leave to cool and infuse overnight.

Pass the cooled syrup through a fine sieve or hang it in muslin for one hour to drain.

Discard the fruits and keep the juice. Measure the juice and for a turn out jelly soak 6 leaves of gelatine per 600ml of juice and soak 5 leaves for 500ml, If you set the jelly in glasses then use 5 leaves of gelatine per 600ml of juice and 4 leaves for 500ml.

Soak and once soft, melt the gelatine and add it to the plum and blackberry juice.

Pour the jelly into 8cm x 3cm size moulds and set in the fridge.

Plum Sorbet

Wash the plums, remove the stones and cut them in quarters. Freeze them individually until hard frozen. It is important that the frozen plums must be kept separated in their individual pieces.

Place a clean container in the freezer and chill the thermomix bowl in the fridge.

Weigh the sugar into the thermomix bowl. Grind the sugar and spice for 30 seconds on speed 10.

Add the frozen plums and lemon juice. Insert the thermomix spatula. Gradually turn the speed to 9 and blend the plums for 1 minute.

Scrape the sides down and repeat this process until the plums are smooth.

Add the egg white. Blend for 30 seconds on speed 8.

Scrape the sides down and insert the butterfly whisk and whisk the sorbet on speed 4 for 30 seconds.

Scoop the sorbet in to the cold plastic container and store in freezer until needed.

To Serve

Turn the jelly out onto a chilled plate, place a teaspoon full of chopped pistachio nuts on top and place a small quenelle of plum sorbet on top. Garnish the plate with fresh blackberries.

Serves 6

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3 Michelin Star Evening at The British Larder, Suffolk

3 Michelin Star Evening at The British Larder, Suffolk

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Smoked Bacon, Artichoke and Hen’s Egg Tart

Smoked Bacon, Artichoke and Hen’s Egg Tart

Short Crust Pastry

Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the water and mix until the pastry comes together. Do not over work the pastry, wrap it tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate for one hour.

On a lightly floured work surface roll the pastry out until 1/2cm thick and line one 10cm x 35cm x 2.5cm oblong tart case.

Let the pastry rest for half a hour.

Preheat the oven to 170°C, line the tart case with blind baking beans and blind bake the pastry for 20 - 25 minutes until it's cooked. Leave to cool slighty, brush the inside with a beaten egg yolk and return the case to the oven for one minute before pouring the filling into the warm tart case.

Smoked Bacon and Egg Custard

Preheat the oven to 130°C.

Heat a non-sick frying pan with the butter, once melted saute the bacon and onion until golden brown.

Add the mustard, seasoning and the cream. Bring the mixture to the boil, simmer for 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

Whisk the eggs and add to the cream, mixing well.

Dice the cheese and scatter over the warm blind baked tart case, ladle in the egg mixture and arrange the baby artichoke quarters on top.

Carefully place the tart into the preheated oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until just set.

Once cooked leave the tart to cool at room temperature before cutting the tart into even sized pieces.

Artichokes

Turn the baby artichokes; place them in ice-cold water, lemon juice and vitamin C powder to prevent them from discolouring.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the shallots, garlic and drained artichokes until they start to take on some colour. Season and add the herbs.

De-glaze the pan with the wine and add the stock. Cover the artichokes with a kartouche and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the artichokes are tender, remove from the heat and leave to cool in the liquid.

To Serve

Cut the tart into 6 even size portions. Serve the tart either slightly warm or at room temperature. Cut each artichoke into 4, heat a frying pan with olive oil and saute the artichokes until lightly golden. Serve the warm artichokes with a light herb and garden pea salad.

Serves 6

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Camomile Smoked Pear Pastilles

Camomile Smoked Pear Pastilles

Place the fresh camomile, 30g of caster sugar and water into a small saucepan over low heat. Dissolve the sugar and bring the syrup to the boil. Cook for 2 minutes.

Peel, core and cut the pears into quarters. Place the pear with the camomile syrup into a vacuum bag, seal on hard vacuum. Let the pears infuse over night.

Drain the pears, keep the syrup. Place the pears on a cooling rack. Mix half of the camomile tea with 30ml of cold water, leave to soak for 30 minutes. Spread the soaked tea over a roasting tray and mix the rest of the dry tea in with the wet tea. Place the cooling rack over the tea. Cover the tray with foil, place the tray over a naked flame, the tea will start to smoke, once you have a sufficient amount of smoke remove the tray from the naked flame, set aside for 30 minutes so that the pears take on the flavour of the smoke.

Line a Line a 14cm x 21cm x 1.5cm tray with a double layer of cling film. I found these exact trays at Muji and they are perfect.

Place the pears and the retained liquid into the bowl of the thermomix and blend for 5 minutes on speed 10.

Place 500g of the pear puree and glucose in a medium size saucepan, bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook till the puree reach107°C.

Mix 300g of caster sugar with the pectin and add the mixture to the boiling pear mixture, melt the sugar and bring the mixture back to the boil and cook till the mixture reaches 107°C for the second time.

Immediately pour the boiling hot mixture into the lined tray and leave to set completely at room temperature.

Cut the pear pastilles into squares and roll each square in golden caster sugar.

Makes 24 pieces

Food Fanatics Tips
Do not keep the pastilles in the fridge as they will start to dissolve. Keep them in a air tight container in a dry cool place. Cut and roll them in the sugar as needed.

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Oven-Roasted Rump of Lamb with Baby Artichokes, Beet and Fennel Puree

Oven-Roasted Rump of Lamb with Baby Artichokes, Beet and Fennel Puree

Artichokes

Turn the baby artichokes; place them in ice-cold water, lemon juice and vitamin C powder to prevent them from discolouring.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the shallots, garlic and drained artichokes until they start to take on some colour. Season and add the herbs.

De-glaze the pan with the wine and add the stock. Cover the artichokes with a cartouche and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the artichokes are tender, remove from the heat and leave to cool in the liquid.

Fennel Purée

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan. Once the butter starts to foam, add the sliced fennel and seasoning, place the lid on top and sweat the fennel until it starts to turn transparent.

De-glaze the pan with the wine and cook until the wine is reduced to syrup. Add the stock and cook until the fennel is tender, then reduce until the stock is completely cooked away.

Purée the fennel until smooth, and chill.

Baby Beets

Remove the tops of the beetroots and boil them, until tender, in salted water. Once cooked, refresh and peel the beetroots.

Place the beetroots, oil, sherry vinegar, crushed coriander seeds and garlic, thyme and bay leaf in a vacuum bag and seal on hard vacuum. The beetroots are best left to mature for a day before using.

Oven-Roasted Rump of Lamb

Heat a frying pan, season the lamb rumps and brown with the butter; place the lamb rumps in a preheated oven at 200°C for 8 minutes.

Let the lamb rumps rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.

To serve

Prepare the artichokes: drain them from the liquid, cut them into quarters and remove the furry bits from the inside. Heat the butter in a frying pan and cook until golden brown, drain.

Heat the baby beetroot, broad beans, lamb sauce and fennel purée.

Arrange the vegetables and purée on the plate and slice the rested lamb and place on the plate. Spoon the hot sauce over, arrange the buckler sorrel leaves and baby beetroot tops. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

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Herring Escabeche Salad

Herring Escabeche Salad

Herring Escabeche

Prepare the fish; remove the pin bones, wash and pat dry. Cut the herrings to the desired size and lightly score the skin. Place the herrings in a wide, shallow container and glaze the fish with half the oil, add the bay leaf and summer savoury, set aside.

Heat a medium saucepan and toast the coriander seeds and star anise in the warm dry pan, remove from the heat.

Return the pan to the heat with the remaining oil and sweat the onions, fennel, garlic, carrot and toasted spices until it turns transparent with no colour, lightly season and add the sugar and saffron.

Add the white wine and vinegar, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.

Season the herrings with the Malden sea salt and ladle the pickling liquid over. Allow the herrings to cool completely. It’s best to leave them in the fridge for 12 hours for the flavour to develop.

Pickled Green Beans

Top and tail the beans and slice at an angle.

Bring the salted water to the boil in a large saucepan and blanch the beans for 1 minute, refresh in icy cold water.

In a separate medium saucepan mix the malt vinegar and cornflour till smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the refreshed blanched beans; bring the mixture back to the boil for 1 minute.

Transfer the pickled beans to a sterilised clean container, cool and refrigerate. Refrigerated they will keep for up to 2 months, if unopened.

To Serve

Serve the herring escabeche and pickled green beans on a plate, garnish the plate with some of the pickled vegetables and juices, and add a few sprigs of watercress.

Serves 6

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Salted Peanut Brittle Biscuits

Salted Peanut Brittle Biscuits

In a food processor or thermomix grind the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, peanuts and the vanilla seeds till it represents coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the butter, egg and peanut butter and blend until the mixture becomes a paste.

Turn the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and push it all together, do not knead the the dough. Divide the mixture in two and roll each into a sausage about 5cm in diameter and wrap it tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate over night. It's very important that the mixture rests well, if not the biscuits will bake unevenly, spread a lot with the potential for the edges to burn. I made the mistake once as I was in a rush and so the next time I allowed the  proper resting time and made the most delicious and beautiful biscuits.

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line two baking trays with either parchment paper of silpats.

Remove the clingfilm from the well rested biscuit dough sausages and slice them into 1/2 cm thick slices, place these on the baking trays, leave plenty of room for them to spread. Bake the biscuits for 12 - 14 minutes. Once baked let them rest on the baking tray for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat the process and bake the rest of the biscuits.

Makes 40 biscuits

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Set Goat’s Milk Pudding With Cherry Sherbet Dusted Doughnut

Set Goat’s Milk Pudding With Cherry Sherbet Dusted Doughnut

Set Goat's Milk Pudding

Choose the serving glasses, wash and polish them, and place them in the fridge to chill.

Split the vanilla pod, and heat it with the cream, sugar and milk. Leave to infuse for 6 minutes. Drain the soaked gelatine, add to the warm milk and stir to dissolve. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and pour it into the chilled glasses.

Cherry Compote

Place the stoned cherries and sugar in a small saucepan and leave for 30 minutes.

Gently heat the cherries, dissolve the sugar and once it comes to the boil increase the heat and boil rapidly. Remove the impurities and cook the compote until it reaches 102°C. Remove the pan from the heat, add the juice of half a lemon, and leave to cool.

Cherry Sherbet Sugar

In a food processor blend the dried cherries, citric acid and bicarbonate of soda to a fine powder. Stir it into the caster sugar, so it's ready for the fried doughnuts.

Doughnuts

Mix both flours and rub in the fresh yeast so the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Heat the milk, butter, sugar and salt until the butter is melted; leave to cool until it reaches 37°C.

Add the egg yolk to the milk mixture. Make a well in the centre of the flour; pour in the mixture and blend to form dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then leave until double in size. Divide the dough into 15g balls, roll until smooth and leave to prove until double in size.

Heat the oil to 160°C, deep fry the doughnuts until golden brown, drain and roll each in the cherry sherbet sugar and serve immediately.

Cherry Salad

Wash and stone the cherries, cut them into quarters, add the lemon zest and mix.

To serve

Serve the set goat's milk pudding with a spoonful of the cherry compote and cherry salad. Skewer the doughnut, balance it over the pudding and serve immediately.

Serves 6

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The Bakers Blessing by Peter Reinhart

The Bakers Blessing by Peter Reinhart

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Lavish Lobster Macaroni Bake

Lavish Lobster Macaroni Bake

Lobster Bisque

First cook the lobsters to obtain the meat. Bring a large pan of water to a rapid boil. Put a knife through the brain of the lobster to ensure it's put to sleep humanely. Remove the tails and claws.

First cook the tails for 3 minutes and refresh in ice water. Then cook the claws for at least 7 minutes, depending on the size of the claws, refresh in ice water. Remove the meat from the tails and claws, refrigerate.

Roast the heads along with the rest of the shells at 220°C for 30 minutes, Crush the shells.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot, sauté the shallot, fennel, carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns and coriander seeds until golden brown. Add the herbs, cayenne pepper, tomato purée, diced tomatoes and roasted crushed lobster carcasses.

Deglaze the pan with the brandy, cook until sticky, add the vermouth and cook until it becomes syrupy.

Add the fish and veal stock, bring the bisque to a gentle simmer for 40 minutes, and remove the impurities as necessary.

Blend the bisque using a Thermomix and pass through a fine sieve.

Bring the bisque to the boil and reduce until it is the correct consistency. Add the cream and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Lavish Lobster Macaroni

Cook the macaroni in a large pan of salted boiling water, drain and refresh.

Mix the cooked macaroni with the lobster bisque; you will need to judge how much bisque you require, you will not need it all. Mix in 100g of the mascarpone, half the Parmesan, sliced spring onion, egg yolks and add the chopped herbs and lobster claw meat. Season to taste.

Spoon the lobster macaroni into a lightly greased serving oven proof dish, spoon the rest of the mascarpone on top in small dollops and scatter the remaining Parmesan over.

To Serve

Bake the lobster macaroni until hot and the top has caramelised, heat the lobster tails, slice and arrange on top with the semi-dried tomatoes, fried basil leaves and a lobster claw. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

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The Doors Are Open

The Doors Are Open

I know you’re all hungry to see an example of our menu at the British Larder, Suffolk, so I have posted one here…

British Larder Suffolk

Dinner Menu 05th Augusts 2010

To Start…

Bread Basket & Slightly Salted Butter £2.00

Spinach and Garden Pea Soup; Goats Cheese and Thyme Cigarillo (V) £4.75

Warm Mackerel and New Potato Salad with Creamed Horseradish and Radishes £5.75

Upside down Beetroot Tart, Broad Bean Cream (V) £5.50

Pinney’s of Orford Smoked Salmon Plate, Capers and Lemon £8.50

To Share …

The Orford Smoke House Experience: Smoked Prawns; Smoked Salmon with Capers and Lemon; Smoked Trout Pate £10.00 per plate

To follow…

East Anglian Cauliflower Cheese with Roasted Vine Tomatoes (V) £11.00

Slow Cooked Bramfield Reared Shoulder of Lamb; Hill Farm Rapeseed Oil Mash; Salt Baked Beetroot and Griddled Leeks £15.00

Oven Roasted Sutton Hoo Chicken with Crushed New Potatoes; Sautéed Savoy Cabbage and Pancetta £14.50

Pan-Fried East Coast Line Caught Hake with Clams Cooked in Aspal Cider and Buttered Spinach £14.50

Bramfield-Reared Rib Eye Steak, Crispy Onion Rings, Chips & Béarnaise Sauce £19.00

Lavish  Mersea-Landed Lobster Macaroni Bake £23.50

To accompany…

All £2.50

Rosemary and Sea Salt Roasties / Pan-fried leeks, Peas and Wilted Spinach/ Leafy Summer Salad/ Glazed Carrots with Garden Herbs

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Malted Prune Loaf

Malted Prune Loaf

Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease a 2lb loaf tin and dust it with rolled oats.

Weigh the flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice into the bowl of a mixer and attach the paddle attachment, mix for a few seconds, add the diced prunes and egg whilst preparing the liquids.

In a small saucepan heat the butter, golden syrup and malt until the butter is melted, remove from the heat and stir in the ale.

Slowly incorporate the liquid mixture into the flour mixture, mix until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle more rolled oats over the top, bake in the preheated oven for 40 - 45 minutes. Insert a metal skewer, if it comes out clean the loaf is cooked, if not then return the loaf to the oven and bake until cooked.

Leave the loaf to cool in the tin.

Serves 8 /10

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Orford-Landed Seabass with Crispy Potatoes, Bacon and Sea Purslane

Orford-Landed Seabass with Crispy Potatoes, Bacon and Sea Purslane

Warm Smoked Bacon, Broad Bean and Sea Purslane Salad

Cook the new potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, refresh and drain. Peel the potatoes and break them into bite size irregular chunks.

Wash the radishes, remove the leaves and slice the radishes finely using a mandoline.

Blanch and refresh the broad beans and remove the outer skins and finely shred the sea purslane.

Shred the smoked back bacon.

Broad Bean and Sea Purslane Tempura

Mix the flour, corn flour, salt, egg yolk and sparkling water into a smooth paste. Whip the egg whites until fluffy and stop just before the soft peak stage. Fold the egg whites into the beignet batter and leave to settle for five minutes.

Prepare the broad beans by removing the outer skin, rinse and drain the popped broad beans. Rinse the sea purslane and drain on kitchen paper.

Heat the oil to 160ºC. Once it reaches the correct temperature, dip the broad beans and sea purslane in the batter and fry them until golden brown all over. Drain the tempura broad beans and sea purslane on kitchen paper and season immediately with salt and serve.

Seaweed Vinaigrette

Weigh all the ingredients for the vinaigrette, apart from the oil, and put into a blender. Blend until smooth and then slowly incorporate the oil to form an emulsion. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

To Serve

Sauté the salad: When your ready to serve, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and sauté the potatoes and shredded bacon until golden brown, add the sea pusrlane and broad beans, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Pan-fry the sea bass: heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, season the fish with salt only and sauté the sea bass skin side down first for about 2 minutes until golden brown, but it does depend on the thickness of the fillet. Once golden turn the fish over for one minute on the flesh side, drain and gently place the sea bass on top of the warm salad. Garnish the sea bass with the broad bean tempura and the seaweed vinaigrette.

Serves 4

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Hitting The Ground Running

Hitting The Ground Running

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Elderflowers Crème Fraîche Tart with British Strawberries

Elderflowers Crème Fraîche Tart with British Strawberries

Sweet Pastry

To make the sweet pastry, cream the softened butter, salt, sugar and vanilla seeds until fluffy and pale in colour. Lightly whisk the egg and slowly incorporate, a bit at a time, into the butter mixture. Add the flour and mix until just combined.

Turn the pastry out on to a lightly floured work surface, do not knead the pastry, just push it together into flat square. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for three hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface, to about 4mm thick, carefully line the pastry ring, and leave the pastry hanging over the edges. Line a 10cm x 35cm x 2.5cm pastry case with blind baking beans and blind bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 150°C and continue blind baking until the pastry is cooked and crisp without any colour. While the pastry is blind baking, prepare the second stage of the elderflower and crème fraîche filling.

Elderflower Crème Fraîche Tart

To make the elderflower crème fraîche tart, prepare the crème fraîche one day in advance: weigh 600g crème fraîche into a sieve lined with muslin cloth, leave to drain overnight in the fridge.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla seeds until light and fluffy, stir in the lime zest, elderflower syrup and weigh 500g drained crème fraiche into the mix, mix well.

Preheat the oven to 110°C.

Once the blind baked pastry case is ready, pour the crème fraiche mixture into the tart case and bake the tart for 45 minutes or until just set. One wobble in the center is good. Carefully remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.

Strawberry Sorbet

To make the strawberry sorbet, weigh the sugar into the Thermomix bowl, secure the lid and blend on speed 10 for 10 seconds, add the frozen strawberries, lemon juice and liqueur.

Secure the lid and insert the Thermomix spatula, gently turn the speed dial to speed 10 and blend.

Scrape the sides down and repeat this process until the strawberries are smooth. Add the egg white. Blend for 30 seconds on speed 10. Scrape the sides down and insert the butterfly whisk and whisk the sorbet on speed 4 for 30 seconds. Transfer the sorbet in to the cold plastic container and store in freezer until needed.

Strawberry Pearls

To make the strawberry pearls, place the oil in the freezer to chill as cold as you possibly can get it.

Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft.

Blend the strawberries with the sugar until smooth, melt the soaked gelatine and add to the strawberry juice and pass it through a fine sieve.

Use a small syringe or pipette and drop small droplets of the strawberry mixture into the cold oil, leave them to set.

Once the pearls are set, carefully transfer them to a small sieve and lightly rinse them under cold running water, leave to drain. Keep the strawberry pearls chilled until needed.

Strawberry Sherbet

To prepare the strawberry sherbet, weigh 20g of the dried strawberries, citric acid, sifted icing sugar and bicarbonate of soda in a food processor and blend till a fine powder. Keep the sherbet in a clean airtight container of glass jar until needed.

Elderflower Macerated Strawberry with Summer Savory

For elderflower macerated strawberry with summer savory, wash and hull the strawberries, pat them dry. Cut the strawberries in half and slice each half keeping it together. Place the sliced strawberries in a small container and splash over the elderflower cordial and sprinkle the chopped savory. Leave to marinate for five minutes.

To Serve

cut a 4cm wide slice of the tart and position it on the plate. Position the elderflower macerated strawberry on the one side, spoon the strawberry pearls on the opposite side, place a quenelle of the strawberry sorbet in the middle. Garnish the tart with a dusting of the strawberry sherbet and a few of the elderflowers. Hydrated strawberry crisps are an optional garnish.

Serves 4

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Cranachan, Small Pots of Raspberry Pleasure

Cranachan, Small Pots of Raspberry Pleasure

Toasted Oat Wafers

Preheat the oven to 200 °C and spread the oats on a baking tray. Toast the oats in the preheated oven, keep an eye on it as it does burn easily, stir the oats once or twice to evenly toast , leave the oats to cool.

Place a silpat on a large baking tray before boiling the sugar.

Weigh the glucose and fondant into a medium non-stick saucepan, melt over a moderate heat, once melted increase the heat and boil till the sugar reaches 160°C.

Pour the boiling hot sugar onto the silpat and leave to cool at room temperature.

Once the sugar is cooled completely break it up using a rolling pin and then powder the sugar and toasted oats using a very powerful blender such as a Thermomix.

Reduce the oven heat to 160°C and turn the fan setting off.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper, use a cookie cutter and sprinkle the sugar powder evenly onto the parchment paper in the desired shapes, I used a 5cm diameter ring cutter.

Bake  in the pre-heated oven for approximately 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and forms a clear crisp disk.

Let the wafers cool completely, they will be super fragile.

Cranachan

Preheat the oven to 200 °C and spread the oats on a baking tray. Toast the oats in the preheated oven, keep an eye on it as it does burn easily, stir the oats once or twice to toast evenly, leave the oats to cool completely.

Select four serving glasses for serving, set aside on a tray.

Select the best raspberries, about half the amount, set them aside.

Lightly crush the remaining raspberries with a fork, do not mash  too much.

Soft whip the double cream, whisky and the icing sugar, fold the crème fraîche and the crushed raspberries into the soft whipped cream mixture.

Spoon half of the cream mixture in to the selected glasses, arrange a few raspberries, scatter a sprinkle of toasted oats and top with a little honey, repeat the process and finish each glass with the remaining raspberries, scatter the toasted oats and serve with a toasted oat wafer.

Serves 4

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Come along to our launch!

Come along to our launch!

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Chocolate Fudge Cake With Cherries In Red Wine

Chocolate Fudge Cake With Cherries In Red Wine

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease 6 8cm x 3cm size cake moulds and dust them with cocoa powder.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, once melted remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and stir till dissolved. Set aside to cool but not set.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the cooled melted butter and chocolate mixture and whisk well to incorporate.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt together.

Fold the sifted flour into the egg and chocolate mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared moulds and place them on a baking tray in the centre of the preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes. I like to just cook my cakes, to ensure a moist fudgy centre.

Leave the moulds on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cold and set, gently turn the cakes out from the moulds.

Original Beans Chocolate Ganache

In a small saucepan bring the cream to the boil, remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate, stir continiously until the chocolate has completely melted.

Pour smooth chocolate ganache into a small container and leave to cool, once cold, cover and refrigerate to set completely. I normally make this a day in advance to ensure that the ganache sets.

Cherries in Red Wine

Prepare the cherries, cut them in half and remove the stones.

In a small saucepan bring the wine, vanilla seeds and sugar to the boil over low heat. Reduce by half until syrupy.

Pour the hot syrup over the prepared cherries and leave to marinade. It's best to make this a day in advance.

To Serve

Select a serving plate or plates, arrange the cakes on the plates and add a spoonful of the cherries on top, place a small quenelle of the chocolate ganache on top of the cherries and drizzle with a little of the red wine syrup.

Serves 6

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Time To Confess

Time To Confess

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Fresh Buffalo Curd Summer Salad

Fresh Buffalo Curd Summer Salad

Fresh Buffalo Curd

Rinse a medium saucepan with cold water, measure the fresh buffalo milk, lemon juice and salt into the dampened pan and set aside for 20 minutes.

Over very low heat gently bring the milk to 80°C, stir only if you need to prevent the milk from burning. Do not disturb the milk too much. Once the milk reaches the temperature remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool at room temperature for 3 hours.

Line a sieve with muslin cloth and carefully pour the curdled milk through the muslin, leave to drain naturally for 1 hour. Hang the muslin in the fridge and leave to continue to drain overnight.

The following day, discard the whey and transfer the fresh curd cheese to a clean container, the fresh curd is now ready to use.

This quantity of milk makes approximately 750g of fresh buffalo curd cheese and will keep for 5 days in the fridge.

Summer Salad

Peel the kohlrabi, use a mandolin to finely slice and then cut into 1cm wide strips, dunk the strips in ice water to crisp.

Wash the courgettes and use a vegetable peeler to slice into long ribbons.

To slice the asparagus, remove the stalk and use a vegetable peeler to slice into strips.

Blanch the shelled fresh peas,  refresh and drain. Place the peas in a small bowl, add a teaspoon of the lemon oil and season to taste, lightly crush the peas.

Wash and drain the micro salad.

Lemon Oil

Measure the ingredients into a clean jar with a tight fitting lid, shake vigorously and adjust the seasoning if needed.

To Serve

Place the strips of drained kohlrabi, courgette and asparagus on a large flat tray, season and drizzle with the lemon oil, leave for 5 minutes to marinade.

Serve a quenelle of the fresh buffalo curd on a spoon, season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, add a few drops of the lemon oil and some of the picked purple thyme leaves, position the spoon on the plate.

Arrange the marinated vegetables on the plate; garnish each plate with the micro salad, a few drops of the lemon oil and a dusting of the wild sumac.

Serves 4

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The British Larder Is Taking Roots

The British Larder Is Taking Roots

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Chicken Caesar Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad

The Chicken

Remove the two legs and breast.

Use the legs for the potted chicken and the breast needs to be char-grilled or fried in a griddle pan when you are ready to serve the dish.

Parmesan Foam

First infuse the water: Bring the water, peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaf, crushed garlic and vinegar to the boil in a small saucepan. Simmer for 2 -3 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

Soak the gelatine in cold water, drain and squeeze to remove the excess water.

Pass the infused water through a fine sieve, keep the liquid and discard  the solids. Add the soaked gelatine to the liquid and melt over low heat, add the grated Parmesan. Blend until smooth, add the dijon mustard and yoghurt, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and transfer to a clean cream whipper and charge with two gas charges, refrigerate to set and chill.

Parsley Crumb

Place the parsley and crust- less bread in a blender and blend till fine bright green crumbs are formed.

Keep refrigerated until needed.

TIP: This crumb freezes well and make a great instant garnish for dishes such as shepherds pies.

Potted Chicken

Preheat the oven to 200°C, season the chicken legs and place them on a roasting tray in the preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes.

Cool and flake the meat from the bones, chop the skin if crisp and mix it through the chicken.

Place the chopped shallots, bay leaf, seasoning and half of the fat in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until transparent, cooked but not coloured.

Mix the cooked shallots, flaked chicken meat and the leaves of one of the thyme sprigs, divide the mixture between 4 small ramekins.

Melt the remaining fat, leave it to soft set,still spreadable but not runny, spoon the semi-set fat on top of the potted chicken. Garnish each pot with the leaves from the remaining sprig of thyme.

Refrigerate to set.

To Serve

Char-grill the chicken breast or use a griddle pan to cook the chicken breast till cooked but moist.

Soft boil the eggs, cool, peel and cut each egg in half. Dip each half egg in the green crumb, spoon a small amount of the parsley crumb onto the plate and place the half soft boiled egg on top.

Toast the bread, wash the gem lettuce and slice the radishes. Arrange this on the plate along with the sliced cooked chicken breast, serve half a breast per person. Place a pot of potted chicken onto each plate.

Shake the cream whipper vigorously and squirt the foam into a small glass jar, place it on the plate and serve the chicken Caesar salad.

Serves 4

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Quinoa Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

Quinoa Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

Quinoa Salad

To Cook The Quinoa: Fill a large pan with water and season with salt, bring the water to a rapid boil and add the quinoa and turmeric. Stir the quinoa regularly and ensure the water boils rapidly throughout the cooking process. Cook the quinoa like pasta until tender but still with a light al dente bite. Drain the quinoa using a fine sieve and refresh under cold running water. Leave to drain.

Mix the cooled and drained quinoa with the rest of the ingredients and add the vinaigrette to taste, do not add all the vinaigrette as it might drown the salad. I like to serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side so that guest can add more if they wish.

Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

Measure all the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a jug of a blender and blend until smooth, taste and adjust the seasonign if needed.

Keep the vinaigrette refrigerated for up to 5 days if you do not use it all at once.

Food Fanatics Tip

What is Tahini? Think peanut butter, only made with sesame seeds. Tahini is made by soaking sesame seeds in water for a day, then crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are put into salted water, where the bran sinks, but the kernels float and are skimmed off the surface. They are toasted, then ground to produce their oily paste. There are two types of tahini, light and dark, and the light ivory version is considered to have both the best flavour and texture. You can buy tahini from most good supermarkets, delicatessens  or health food stores. Tahini is most closely associated with the Middle East and is used to make hummus, baba ghanoush and halvah.

Serves 4/6

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Mango and Orange Blossom Pudding, Orange Polenta Biscuits

Mango and Orange Blossom Pudding, Orange Polenta Biscuits

Orange, Polenta and Wild Sumac Shortbread

Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy.

Add the polenta and cream the mixture for a further 1 minute.

Fold the flour and cornflour into the creamed butter mixture.

Transfer the dough onto clingfilm and form into a sausage shape about 3cm in diameter, refrigerate for 1 hour.

Unwrap the dough sausage, roll it in caster sugar and re-roll to the original thickness and shape. Refrigerate until hard, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Cut shortbread disks into ½ cm thick slices, remove the clingfilm and roll each slice in caster sugar, and place on baking tray, sprinkle on sumac.

Bake for 12 minutes, dust with more sugar once it comes out of the oven.

Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack and chill.

Makes about 22 - 24 biscuits

Orange Blossom Air

Soak the gelatine in cold water until completely soft, squeeze to remove the excess water.

Place the cream, soaked gelatine and caster sugar in a metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water, stir until the sugar and soaked gelatine dissolve. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the natural yoghurt, stir and add the orange blossom water to taste.

Pour the mixture into a clean 1/2 Liter cream whipper, secure the lid and charge the cream whipper with two gas charges. Shake vigorously and place the cream whipper in the fridge to chill. It will need about 2 hours to chill completely.

When you are ready to use the orange blossom air/ foam shake the cream whipper vigorously to loosen the mixture.

Mango Jelly

Blend the mango, sugar, cream and juice until smooth in a blender or food processor.

Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the soaked gelatine, sir and pass the mixture through a fine sieve.

Pour the mango into serving glasses, carefully transfer them to the fridge and leave to set completely.

Thermomix Method:

Weigh the sugar into the TM bowl, grind on speed 0 for 20 seconds. Add the mango, cream and juice and blend on speed 10 for 1 minute, scrape the sides down.

Set the timer to 8 minutes, 100°C speed 4.

Add soaked gelatine and blend for 20 seconds speed 10.

Pour the mango jelly into serving glasses, carefully transfer them to the fridge and leave to set completely.

To Serve

Dice the mango and cut the orange segments into smaller pieces, add a pinch of sumac and divide the mixture between the glasses.

Shake the orange blossom air vigerously, if it's too firm dip the cream whipper in hot water for a few seconds to loosen the mixture.

Squirt the orange blossom air on top of the mango and orange salad and garnish the air with a pinch of sumac and chopped fresh thyme.

Serve the puddings with a few orange, polenta and wild sumac short breads.

Serves 6

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Pickled Summer Carrot, Salmon Gravalax and Borage

Pickled Summer Carrot, Salmon Gravalax and Borage

Pickled Summer Carrots

With a mandolin slice the peeled carrots on an angle  about 2mm thick and lightly sprinkle with salt, set aside for 1 hour.

Place the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan, dissolve the sugar over low heat, turn the heat up and cook the syrup for 10 minutes.

Wash the carrots under cold running water to remove the salt and leave to drain.

Add the carrots to the boiling syrup; bring  back to the boil for 2 minutes.

Let the carrots cool for a few minutes then transfer to sterilized containers.

Either use immediately or let the pickled carrots mature for one week before using.

Fills three 250ml preserving jars.

To Serve

Choose 4 starter size serving plates, refrigerate them for 20 minutes before serving. The chilled plates will keep the salmon cool on a hot day. Divide the salmon between the 4 plates, laying it flat to cover the base of the plate. Arrange the drained pickled carrots, borage flowers and baby salad leaves. Drizzle with the pickling liquid and olive oil and serve.

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How to make Culinary Foams, Air and Espumas

How to make Culinary Foams, Air and Espumas

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The British Larder Waldorf Salad

The British Larder Waldorf Salad

Oxford Blue Dressing

Cream the egg yolk, mustard, cheese, lemon juice, sugar and seasoning until smooth. Slowly add the two oils while slowly whisking the mayonnaise to form an emulsion, if the mayonnaise become thick half way through add the water and continue adding the oil while whisking.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Chill the mayonnaise for 30 minutes, this will help the flavours to develop.

Waldorf Salad

Wash and peel the celery, cut into 5cm long batons x 2 -3 mm thick, keep them covered with damp kitchen paper until needed.

Lightly roast the walnuts in a preheated oven, cool completely.

Wash the watercress and apples.

When you are ready to serve, remove the core with an apple corer, then use a mandolin to slice the apples into 2 -3mm thick slices, keep the apples together to make them look as if they are whole again. Lightly dress each slice with  the dressing and place the apple in it's natural shape in the centre of the chosen plate. Arrange the celery batons, roasted walnuts and watercress round the apple, crumb the cheese and divide it between the plates and spoon on drops of the dressing and serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Chive and Sea Salt Short Breads with Pickled Pear and Montgomery Air

Chive and Sea Salt Short Breads with Pickled Pear and Montgomery Air

Chive and Sea Salt Shortbread

Preheat the oven to 160 °C.

Cream the soft butter, salt and sugar until pale in colour and light and creamy. Add the egg yolk and cream together.

Fold in the cheese, chives and sifted plain flour and mix until the dough represents coarse breadcrumbs. Do not over work the mixture as it will make the dough elasticated.

Push the dough together and wrap it in clingfilm, refrigerate for 1 hour.

Thermomix Method:

Weigh the butter, salt and sugar directly into the TM bowl, blend on speed 10 for 20 seconds. Insert the butterfly whisk and cream the mixture on speed 4 for 1 minute. Add the egg yolk and double cream and cream again on speed 4 for 30 seconds. The mixture will become light and fluffy.

Remove the butterfly whisk and add the chives and cheese, secure the lid, set the dial to lock position and press the "turbo" button a couple of times to incorporate the cheese and chives.

Add the sifted flour, secure the lid and turn the dial to the lock position and press the "turbo" button a couple of times to incorporate the flour, the mixture will look like coarse breadcrumbs. Do not over work the dough as the shortbread dough will become elasticated.


Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and push it together with your hands, do not kneed the dough. Wrap it tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll the shortbread out about 3mm thick on a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper. Cut into 1 1/2 " squares and line the inside of a miniature muffin tray.

Bake the shortbread in the preheated oven for 1 - 12 minutes, carefully turn them out and leave to cool and crisp up.

Once cooled keep the shortbread in an airtight container  until needed.

Bacon Dust

Preheat the grill, lay the bacon on a baking tray and grill the bacon until very crispy, turn it a couple of times during the cooking process to ensure the bacon is completely dry and crispy without it being burnt.

Let the bacon cool on a cooling rack, this will allow it to crisp up, pat dry with kitchen paper and remove as much fat as possible.

Once the bacon is cold break it into even size pieces. Turn the thermomix on with the blades running at speed 10, drop the bacon all at once onto the running blades and place the measuring cup in place, grind for 20 seconds or until you are satisfied with the bacon crumb texture. If you do not have a Thermomix you could use an ordinary blender or alternatively chop the cooked bacon by hand but the texture needs to be as fine as possible..

The bacon crumb is now ready to be used.

Montgomery Air

Bring the water and cream to 80°C in a small saucepan, add the cheese and drained gelatine and blend the mixture until smooth.

Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and pour it into a 1/2 L siphon bottle or cream whipper, secure the lid and charge with two gas pellets, shake the cream whipper vigorously and refrigerate to cool.

Pickled Pear

Peel the pear and remove the seeds, finely dice into about 2 - 3mm pieces.

Gently mix all the ingredients together and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

To Serve

Lay the shortbreads out on a tray. Drain the pickled pears and spoon a small amount into each shortbread cup. Shake the cream whipper vigorously, if the mixture has solidified, dip the cream whipper in warm water to loosen the contents. Squirt a small amount on top of the pickled pears and garnish each with the bacon dust, a sprinkle of chopped thyme and a dusting of paprika, serve immediately.

Serves 24

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Roasted Woodpigeon Breast with Pickled Morel Mushrooms and Watercress Emulsion

Roasted Woodpigeon Breast with Pickled Morel Mushrooms and Watercress Emulsion

Salt-baked Cheltenham beetroot

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Wash the beetroots, scrub the skin and remove the leaves, but leave a small piece of the leaf stalk attached to the beetroot. Cover the damp beetroot in the Fleur de Sel, lay them on a baking tray and place the tray in the preheated oven for one-and-a-half hours.

Let the beetroots cool and then dust off as much salt as possible. Cut them in half if they are small and quarters if they are larger. Brush the baked beetroots with oil and set aside until needed.

Spelt Salad

Mix the cooked spelt grains with the herbs, oil and vinegar, season to taste and leave to develop flavours for 10 minutes.

Pickled Morel Mushrooms

Clean the morel mushrooms and cut them into rings. Heat 1tbs of oil in a medium non-stick frying pan and sauté the morel mushrooms with seasoning for two minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat then add the thyme leaves, sherry vinegar and the rest of the oil. Let the oil heat through with the heat of the pan then set aside for 20 minutes.

Watercress Emulsion

Place all the ingredients, apart from the oil for the watercress emulsion, in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the oil slowly while blending to form an emulsion.

Roasted Woodpigeon

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan, season the pigeons and colour them golden brown for one minute on each breast, then transfer the pigeons to a roasting tray and place them in the preheated oven for four minutes.

Let the pigeons rest for six minutes, remove the breast from the carcase and serve.

To serve

Place three pieces of the salt-baked beetroots on the plate and spoon the spelt salad in the centre. Drain the morel mushrooms and place them on the plate, drizzle the watercress emulsion and place one pigeon breast on top of the spelt salad. Garnish the plate with fresh rosemary flowers and sprigs of fresh watercress.

Serves 4

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Orange, Polenta and Wild Sumac Shortbread

Orange, Polenta and Wild Sumac Shortbread

Orange, Polenta and Wild Sumac Shortbread

Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy.

Add the polenta and cream the mixture for a further 1 minute.

Fold the flour and cornflour into the creamed butter mixture.

Transfer the dough onto clingfilm and form into a sausage shape about 3cm in diameter, refrigerate for 1 hour.

Unwrap the dough sausage, roll it in caster sugar and re-roll into its original shape and thickness. Refrigerate until hard, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Cut shortbread disks ½ cm thick slices, remove the clingfilm and roll each slice in more caster sugar, and place on baking tray, sprinkle sumac.

Bake for 12 minutes, dust with more sugar once it comes out of the oven.

Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack and chill.

Makes about 22 - 24 biscuits

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Asparagus Soup with Crisp Asparagus Rolls

Asparagus Soup with Crisp Asparagus Rolls

Asparagus Soup

Heat the butter in a large saucepan  and sauté the onions and potato with seasoning until transparent, use a lid to help the softening process and to prevent the onions and potatoes from colouring.

De-glaze the pan with the wine and cook until the wine becomes sticky and reduced.

Add the stock, bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, add the cream, bring the soup back to the simmer for 5 minutes and transfer the soup to a blender.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan  and sauté the asparagus for 3 – 4 minutes with seasoning to soften them slightly.

Add the sautéed asparagus to the soup base and blend until smooth, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and serve immediately.

Food Fanatics Tip:
This asparagus soup is equally delicious served either hot or cold. If you would like to serve the soup cold then it ‘s very important to chill the soup as quickly as possible as it will discolour and lose it’s bright green colour, place the soup in a container into ice water, this way it will cool quickly.

Crisp Asparagus Filo Rolls

Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Prepare the asparagus: cut them into 8cm long spears and use the remainder of the stalk in the soup.

Cut the filo pastry into 6cm x 12cm strips, lightly brush with melted butter sprinkle with the sumac and ras-el-hanout.

Place an asparagus spear on one end, leave the head exposed and roll each spear up in the lightly buttered filo pastry.

Do the same with the rest of the asparagus spears.

Bake them for 15 – 18 minutes until crisp, serve immediately with the hot asparagus soup.

Food Fanatics Tip:
These crisp asparagus filo rolls can be made up to two days in advance but do not bake them until needed. They are also delicious served either hot or cold.

To Serve:

Serve the hot soup in a bowl and garnish it with teaspoons full of fresh curd cheese, olive oil and fresh thyme leaves and serve the crisp asparagus filo rolls on the side.

Serves 4/6

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Saffron Orange Soused Mackerel Salad

Saffron Orange Soused Mackerel Salad

Saffron Orange Vinaigrette (use half for the fish and the rest for the salad)

Place all the ingredients into a small jar with a tight fitting screw lid and season the vinaigrette lightly, as the soy sauce is salty. Shake the jar vigerously, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Leave the vinaigrette to infuse whilst preparing the mackerel and salad.

Saffron Orange Soused Mackerel

Wash the mackerel fillets under cold running water and pat the fillets dry with kitchen paper. Cut each fillet of mackerel on an angle to create 3 even size diamond shapes. Score the skin of each diamond several times; do not cut all the way through to the flesh just the skin.

Food Fanatics Tip: This will prevent the fish from curling up and allows the fish to cook evenly.

Season the mackerel lightly. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan  and place the mackerel diamonds skin side down in the hot but not smoking pan. Press down, with two fingers, on top of each piece for a few seconds to prevent it from curling up. Sauté for two minutes until crisp and the skin is golden brown. Flip the fish over and turn the heat off and pour over half the marinade into the warm pan.

Immediately remove the fish and reduced sauce from the pan, leave to rest whilst plating up the salad.

Raw Fennel, Kohlrabi and Chicory salad

Wash the fennel bulb, remove the outer layer and use a sharp mandolin to finely shave the fennel into a large mixing bowl.

Peel the kohlrabi and finely slice using the mandolin, then finely julienne by using a sharp knife, add the julienned kohlrabi to the fennel.

Wash the chicory, remove the root end and separate the leaves, add the chicory to the fennel mixture, add the orange zest, orange segments and chopped dill and season to taste.

Add the other half of the saffron orange vinaigrette to taste when you are ready to serve.

To Serve

Place three neat piles of the salad on the plate, top each with a diamond of mackerel and garnish the salad with the tahoon or mustard cress and drizzle with the reduced marinade from the pan.

Serves 4

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Warm Treacle Cider Ham Hock Spring Barley Salad with Rumpy Rolls

Warm Treacle Cider Ham Hock Spring Barley Salad with Rumpy Rolls

Woodbridge Mill Wholemeal Rumpy Rolls

In a cup mix the yeast with 60ml of  water until it's dissolved, leave for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl mix the two flours and salt and make a well in the centre. Add the yeasty water together with the rest of the water, use a spatula or pallet knife to cut the water and yeast into the flour, mix until it all comes together and knead the dough for 8 minutes to form an elastic and smooth bread dough.

Food Fanatics Tip: please note that wholemeal flour absorbs more water than white flour so if the dough feels slightly dry add a bit more water.

Place the bread dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to proove until double in size.

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, use your fingers to spread the dough into a large rectangle and then fold the two long sides inwards to form a long narrow log. Cut the log into 50g balls and roll them into smooth bread rolls. Place the bread roll dough on a lined baking tray with about 6 cm gaps between each, cover the tray with a clean tea towel and leave the to proove until double in size.

Use a very sharp knife to cut marks in the top of each roll and lightly dust with wholemeal flour. Place the baking tray into the preheated oven, pour 150ml cold water on the floor of the oven and quickly close the door. Bake the rolls for 12 - 15 minutes, until cooked with a crisp crust.

Let the rolls cool on a cooling rack.

Makes 12/13 x 50g rolls

Warm Treacle Cider Ham Hock Spring Barley Salad

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion, celery and garlic until transparent and it starts to take on colour, add the pearl barley and cook for 2 minutes.

Deglaze with the beer and cook until the pearl barley absorbs the beer, add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Food Fanatics Tip: do not add salt at this stage as it will make the barley tough, add the seasoning towards the end of the cooking time. Gently simmer the barley for about 30 minutes, add light seasoning after the first 20 minutes. Stir occasionally,  and keep the pan covered with a lid at all other times.

While the barley is cooking cut the chorizo sausage in 1cm slices and pan-fry until cooked and golden brows, set aside.

Once the barley is cooked remove the lid increase the heat to a rapid boil, add the ham, peas, asparagus and broad beans and cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes dryer and the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the butter, adjust the seasoning and add the lemon juice, zest and the chopped parsley. Stir in the cooked sliced chorizo sausage, serve the warm salad in a warm bowl, garnish the dish with fresh pea tops and serve with the warm freshly baked rumpy rolls.

Serves 6 as a starter portion or 3/4 for a main

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Richardson’s Smokehouse Smoked Mackerel Spring Salad with Ham Cakes and Dill Crème Fraiche

Richardson’s Smokehouse Smoked Mackerel Spring Salad with Ham Cakes and Dill Crème Fraiche

Smoked Ham and Rocket Cakes

Boil the potatoes in salted water, drain and mash.

Mix the mashed potatoes with the flaked smoked ham hock, finely sliced spring onions, egg yolk, chopped rocket, grain mustard and season to taste.

Shape 50g cakes 4cm round, the cakes will keep for up to two days in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

When you are ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a large frying-pan.

Pan-fry the cakes until golden brown on both sides, place them in the preheated oven for 8 minutes to make sure that they are cooked all the way through and piping hot.

Dill Crème Fraiche

Mix all the ingredients, season to taste and leave to infuse and develop  flavours for 10 minutes.

Smoked Mackerel Spring Salad

First caramelize the lemon slices: Cut each lemon into three even thick slices. Heat a non-stick frying pan and caramelise the lemon slices, without any oil, until golden, transfer them to a plate.

For the Spring Salad: Mix the blanched asparagus spears, podded broad beans, sliced radishes and chosen salad or cress leaves with the oil and season to taste.

For the smoked mackerel: Remove the bones, head and fins and cut the mackerel into 6 even size pieces.

To Serve

Cook the smoked ham and rocket cakes and serve two cakes per plate, spoon the dill Crème fraiche into small dipping pots and place it next to the cakes. Divide the spring salad between the plates, place a piece of smoked mackerel next to the salad and place a caramelized lemon slice on the other side.

Serves 6

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Pan-Fried John Dory with Cockles, Samphire and Cockle Velouté

Pan-Fried John Dory with Cockles, Samphire and Cockle Velouté

Steamed Cockles

Soak the cockles in fresh cold water overnight and then wash them under running cold water for 20 minutes to wash away all the sand. If there are any open cockles, discard them immediately.

Drain the washed cockles in a colander. Peel and finely slice the banana shallots and add these together with the whole sprigs of parsley to the cockles.

Heat a large saucepan over high heat and, as it approaches "smoking hot", add the cockles, sliced shallots and parsley. Shake the pan, add the wine and fit a tight fitting lid. Keep the pan on the heat and give it a gentle shake. Steam the cockles for two minutes.

Once all the shells have opened, remove the pan from the heat and immediately transfer the cockles to a fine sieve, lined with muslin, placed over a bowl to collect the cooking juices.

Pick the cockle meat from the shells and return to the passed cooking juices, then chill.

Cockle Velouté

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan. Once the butter starts to foam, add the sliced shallots and crushed coriander seeds and sweat until transparent with no colour.

Add 150ml of the cockle wine cooking liquid and reduce the liquid by half.

Add the fish stock, bring the sauce to the boil and cook until reduced by half.

Add the cream, bring the sauce back to the boil and pass the velouté through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Chill and set aside until needed.

Gnocchi

Preheat the oven to 100°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into large equal-size chunks. Boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked, drain and transfer them to the lined baking tray.

Place the tray into the preheated oven and dry the potatoes out for 10 minutes. This is to remove any excess water. Push the dry, warm potatoes through a ricer into a large mixing bowl, add the egg, pasta flour and seasoning and mix it all together until the gnocchi dough forms.

Wrap the dough ball in clingflim and refrigerate for two hours.

Once rested, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, divide into four equal pieces and roll each piece into 2cm thick sausages. Use a sharp knife and cut 2cm wide gnocchi pillows. Sprinkle the semolina over a baking tray and place the gnocchi pillows on the tray.

In a large saucepan, bring the salted water to a rapid boil, add the gnocchi all at once, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and bring the water back to the boil.

Blanch the gnocchi for four minutes. Once they all float, they are ready to be transferred to ice water to chill them immediately.

Drain the gnocchi, toss them in a splash of olive oil and transfer them to a clean, dry tray. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Pan-fried John Dory

While sauteing the gnocchi and samphire, heat some oil in a second large frying pan. Season the John Dory fillets with the salt and place the fillets presentation side down into the hot pan and add the knobs of cold butter. Pan-fry for one-and-a-half minutes before flipping the fish over, then continue cooking for a further one-and-a-half minutes. Drain the fish fillets on kitchen paper.

Sautéd Samphire and Capers

Wash the samphire and remove any brown dried-out stalks.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a rapid boil and blanch the samphire for one minute, refresh and drain.

Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Once the butter starts to foam, add the gnocchi and sauté until golden brown all over - about four minutes. Add the drained samphire, cockles and capers, sauté for one minute and add seasoning, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the parsley. It's ready to serve.

To serve

Bring the sauce back to the boil. On warm serving plates, spoon the samphire mixture, place a piece of pan-fried John Dory on top followed by more cockles and samphire. Froth the sauce using a hand-held blender and spoon the foaming sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Carpaccio of Suffolk Cod with Shallot, Ginger and Soy Vinaigrette

Carpaccio of Suffolk Cod with Shallot, Ginger and Soy Vinaigrette

Soy and Shallot Vinaigrette

Using a jar with a tight fitting screw top lid place all the ingredients in the jar, do not season, remember that soy sauce is salty, shake the jar vigorously, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Set aside and let the vinaigrette infuse for 1 hour before using.

Food Fanatics Tip

This vinaigrette is at it's best after a day or two as the flavours will develop. If you have leftovers of the vinaigrette stir it into a beef stir-fry with udon noodles, it makes a delicious stir-fry sauce. The vinaigrette will keep for up to 10 days refrigerated and works very well with various ingredients. These include  carpaccio of beef, raw wafer thin slithers of beef or tossed into a salad of char-grilled chicken breast, finely sliced pak-choy, sauteed shiitake mushrooms and bean shoots.

Fresh Cod Carpaccio

Place 4 serving plates in the fridge to ensure that they are very cold.

Slice the fresh raw cod into wafer thin slices using a sharp knife.

Place the wafer thin slices of cod on the chilled plate leaving 2-4 mm spaces between each slice for the marinade. I normally serve 60 - 80g of raw cod per portion for a starter.

Carefully brush a drop of the oil over the fish and season with the Maldon sea salt.

Stir the vinaigrette and use a teaspoon to spoon the vinaigrette around the cod on the plate. Garnish the cod with a scattering of freshly grated lemon zest, a sprinkle of wild sumac and a scattering of mustard cress.

Serve immediately with freshly baked rye or sour dough bread.

Serves 4

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A Macaron Frenzy

A Macaron Frenzy

Macaron Recipe

Preheat the oven to 150 °C.

Sieve the ground almonds and icing sugar, discard the impurities and hard lumps.

In a clean and grease free mixing bowl whisk the egg white until it starts to aerate and lightly foam, add the caster sugar and continue whipping until a soft peak meringue forms.

Add food colouring of your choice (optional) and the sifted almonds to the meringue and mix lightly until just incorporated. Do not over mix.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, I prefer using disposable piping bags however any type will be appropriate.

Cut a 1cm gap at the point of the piping bag.

Line two large baking trays with parchment paper, spread a dash of the mixture underneath the paper to stick it to the tray.

Pipe 2cm macaron droplets evenly sized and  spread with a 3cm gap between each.

Leave the macarons to form a skin, about 10 - 20 minutes.

Sprinkle on your chosen garnish, optional.

Bake the macarons for 12 - 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

Let them cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring  to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Dust each half macaron with edible glitter, optional.

Loosen the macarons carefully from the baking paper, pair them up in lines with  one half turned over so that the flat side points up.

Pipe the filling of your choice on the flat side of one half and then sandwich the two halves together.

Keep them in a airtight container for up to 5 days.

Macaron Flavourings and Fillings

Wasabi and White Chocolate Butter Cream

Cream the butter and icing sugar till pale in colour and fluffy.

Melt the white chocolate, cool and gently fold the cooled  chocolate and wasabi paste into the butter cream.

Transfer the butter cream to a piping bag and if its too soft , refrigerate to become firmer, about 30 minutes.Alternatively if it's the right spreadable consistency leave at room temperature until needed.

Makes approximately 60 finished macarons

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Baked Potato and Leek Soup With Roasted Chicken Cigarillos

Baked Potato and Leek Soup With Roasted Chicken Cigarillos

Baked Potato and Leek Soup

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Wash the potatoes, pierce them all over with a fork and rub the olive oil with seasoning over the potatoes. Place them on a roasting tray and roast them in the preheated oven for 1 hour, turning them once during the cooking time. Once cooked let them cool for 10 minutes, cut the baked potatoes in half, use a spoon to scoop the cooked potato flesh from the skins.

Rip the skin into pieces, place them on the oily roasting tray, turn the oven off and place the tray in the hot oven, they will become roasted and crisp.

Cut the leeks in 1cm rings, wash and drain.

Heat a large saucepan with the butter and saute the leeks, seasoned with salt and pepper, until the leeks starts to take on colour.

Add the cooked potato and stock to the sauteed leeks, bring the soup to the boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook the soup for 10 minutes, add the cream and blend the soup until smooth. It's optional to pass the soup through a fine sieve.

Return the soup to the pan, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Leek Garnish

Slice the leek into 1cm thick rings, wash and drain, try and keep them in one piece.

Heat a frying pan with the butter and oil, saute the leeks with seasoning until golden brown on both sides. Be gentle to prevent them from falling apart. Once golden on both sides add the water and bring the water to the boil, cook until the water has evaporated and the leeks are cooked.

Set aside until serving.

Roasted Chicken Cigarillos

Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Heat a frying pan with the butter and saute the sliced leeks with seasoning until soft.

In a mixing bowl mix the flaked roasted chicken leg meat, cooked leeks, 1 tbs chopped chives.

Cut the filo sheets in half and melt the 40g butter.

Brush each filo sheet lightly with butter and divide the chicken meat between the 8 pieces of filo pastry, scatter the remaining chopped chives and roll each cigarillo up tightly.

Place the cigarillos on the baking tray, brush each with more melted butter and bake them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Serve the hot soup with the sauteed leeks, crispy potato skins and chicken cigarillos.

Serves 4

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Cinnamon Orange Blossom Honey Buns

Cinnamon Orange Blossom Honey Buns

Sweet Dough