Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

This beautiful soft nougat will make a delicious gift for any sweet-tooth!

250g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
250g blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
200g honey
400g icing sugar
1 egg white
ground toasted hazelnuts to cover

Beat the egg white until very firm. Then gently add the honey and keep beating until light in colour. Stir in the sugar.

Cook on a low heat (this is best done in a copper pan) until it reaches a firm consistency.

Remove from the heat and add the roughly chopped nuts, stirring to mix well.

Sprinkle a cold surface with the ground hazelnuts. Pour the mixture over this, cover with more ground nuts and shape into a rectangular log.

Leave to cool, then cut into pieces.

200g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
3 eggs
300g granulated sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
125g plain flour
a pinch of salt
100g white chocolate chunks
40g walnut pieces
40g hazelnut pieces
40g almond pieces
100g dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 180C (gas mark 4). Grease a deep baking tray and line with greaseproof paper.

Break up the dark chocolate and place with the butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt gently, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract until thick and creamy. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture. Sift in the flour and salt then fold in gently. Add the white chocolate chunks, nuts and cranberries and mix gently.

Pour the mixture into the baking tin and cook for 20 minutes. The top should have a glossy film and the centre should still be slightly gooey. Leave to cool before cutting into squares.

2 whole red mullet
1 bunch of  thyme
2 oranges
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g butter
3tbsp white wine

Peel the oranges and slice into segments, reserving any juice. Use one bunch of thyme to stuff the fish, along with some of the orange segments. Surround the fish with the remaining slices of orange and pour over any reserved juice, along with the white wine.

Season the fish with sea salt and ground pepper and dot with butter. Bake at 200C, gas mark 6 for 20-25 minutes until the fish is flaky.

Serve with the orange slices and juice from the dish.

Celebrate Saint Andrew’s day with this meaty treat!

150g diced pancetta
6 borettane onions
400g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
1.5kg diced beef
4 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp plain flour
1 bottle red wine, Burgundy or Beaujolais work best
salt and pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 bunch thyme
1 bay leaf

Fry the pancetta until lightly browned, then add the onions and cook for around 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, then cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 150C (gas mark 2).

Heat more oil in the frying pan and brown the cubes of meat. Place in a casserole dish, then add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat. Place in the oven for 15 minutes without the lid, stirring occasionally. Then add the wine, herbs and season well. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender.

Remove from the oven and stir in the mix of mushrooms, onion and pancetta. Heat for a further five minutes.

Serve with boiled potatoes.

For the pastry:
170g plain flour
40g icing sugar
85g cold butter
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt
40g crushed pecans

For the pie filling:
1 pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into chunks
145g maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, beaten, plus 1 yolk
150ml double cream

Steam the pumpkin pieces until tender. Drain and then puree with a blender. Then put into a fine sieve over a bowl to drain any excess water. Leave for around an hour.

Now make your pastry. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt. Cube the butter then rub into the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Now stir in the icing sugar and the crushed pecans. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tbsp of cold water and add to the mixture, stirring with a knife until it forms a paste.

Bring together with your fingertips and roll into a ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes in clingfilm.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Once chilled, roll out the pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use it to line a 20cm tart tin. Then cover with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes like this, then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until pale golden.

Now to make the filling. Gently whisk the eggs and yolk in a large bowl.

Place the maple syrup, spices and cream in a pan and bring to simmer. Whisk. Then pour over the eggs and whisk again. Now add the 250g pureed pumpkin, whisking again to make sure everything is combined. It should form a creamy consistency.

Pour into the tart case and bake for 35-49 minutes, until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly in the centre. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving.

500ml whipping cream
100g caster sugar
125ml fresh clementine juice (from about 5 clementines)
10g freshly grated clementine peel
1 clementine, segmented (for garnish)

Bring the cream and sugar to the boil in large saucepan over a medium heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly and adjusting the temperature to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat.

Now carefully add the clementine juice and peel while continuing to stir. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. Stir again to blend, the mixture may begin to thicken.

Divide the mixture among six glass ramekins or any decorative cup, so that they are about 2/3 full. Chill over night to set and garnish with fresh clementine segments before serving.

600g pumpkin, diced
400g parsnips, diced
170g lentils
1 red pepper, halved
1 tsp olive oil
1 small bunch fresh coriander
1 onion, diced
1 thumb ginger root, finely diced
1 ltr water
1 ltr vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 bunch of parsley

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the diced pumpkin on a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes, then add the parsnip and peppers. Roast for a further 30 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.

In a large pot, heat the oil. Cook the spices for two minutes, stirring constantly, then add the onion and ginger and cook for two more minutes.

Add the water and lentils, cook until the lentils are soft (check instructions on the packet). Add the roasted vegetables and cook for ten more minutes. Then purée with a hand held blender, decorate with fennel seeds and parsley leaves, and serve immediately.

For the next 2 weeks we will be celebrating the rich flavours of the game season. National Taste of Game Fortnight is launched this Sunday and it’s a wonderful excuse to indulge in great seasonal game meats like partridge, grouse and venison.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR GAME

Did you know…There are strict shooting seasons for wild game?
This is to ensure that these valuable birds are not over-hunted and continue to flourish. That’s why this is the best time of year to enjoy these amazing birds – make the most of the season while it lasts!

Pheasant: October 1st- February 1st
Partridge: September 1st – February 1st
Grouse: August 12th – December 10th
Duck and Goose: September 1st – January 31st

Recipe: Roasted Partridge with Rosemary and Brandy Sauce

Serves 2

2 partridges
60g slightly salted butter
2 sprigs rosemary
freshly ground black pepper
fine sea salt
1.5 tbsp. brandy
3 tbsp. water

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Season the birds with salt and pepper. Truss them and set aside.

Melt the butter in a cast iron casserole dish. When it stops foaming, lay the partridges on their sides and brown for a couple of minutes on a low heat, basting all the time. Then do the same on their backs for another couple of minutes.

Put the rosemary in the pan and bake for 10 minutes without the lid, basting regularly.

Remove from the pan and put the partridges in an oven proof dish. Cover with the buttery cooking juices and put the lid on. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Take out of the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

While they are resting, make the brandy sauce. Add the brandy to the cast iron pan where you seared the birds, add the water and bring to the boil. Scrape the pan to get all those lovely juices. Season and leave to simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.

Then remove the trussing and serve with the brandy sauce and some seasonal vegetables.

This recipe traditionally uses Radicchio Tardivo but it is also delicious with Trevisano Precoce.

4 heads of Radicchio Precoce (or Tardivo)
1lt water
1 glass red wine vinegar
1 glass dry white wine
1 tbsp. coarse sea salt
salt and pepper
fresh thyme leaves
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
100ml balsamic vinegar

Prepare the marinade by mixing the balsamic vinegar, oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and the thyme  leaves.

Wash and cut the radicchio lengthways, making sure to split it from the root (so that the leaves will stay together) in 4 to 6 pieces depending on size.

Boil the water with the wine, wine vinegar and salt. Dip the radicchio and blanch for two minutes. Transfer in a pasta drainer to remove excess water.

Lay on a plate and drizzle with the marinade. Leave to rest in the fridge for at least a day, mixing occasionally.

Serve as a starter, with or without the juice.

This Saturday is bonfire night so what better excuse than to try making your own delicious toffee apples. These have a bit of a nutty twist which works well with the fragrant Chantecler apples, but you can also use any other eating apple.

8 Chantecler apples
8 wooden lolly sticks
300g caster sugar
145ml of water
40g butter, cubed
2.5 tbsp golden syrup
5 tbsp finely chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Wash your apples, then push in the wooden lolly sticks at the stalk end. They should go roughly halfway into the apple. Line a baking tray with non-stick paper ready for the apples.

In a thick-bottomed pan, dissolve the sugar and water over a low heat. You can shake the pan gently to help but do not stir. Then add the butter and syrup and bring to the boil.

Continue boiling, still without stirring, until the mixture reaches 140C (using a sugar thermometer).

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nuts (if using). Then carefully dip each apple into the toffee, coating well. Set aside on the baking tray to harden.