ginger cake

Based on Felicity Cloake's recipe in the Guardian, where she tried making a range of recipes by different authors before coming up with this.  The different types of ginger bring different qualities of heat, flavour and texture to create 

... the perfect ginger cake!

• 100g butter, soft
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• pinch salt
• 175g self raising flour
• 4 tsp ground dry ginger
• 175g golden syrup or agave syrup or 50/50 syrup and ginger syrup
• 1 tbsp ginger wine or ginger juice 
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1  thumb sized piece fresh giner, finely grated
• 150g candied/crytallised ginger, finely chopped

Her recipe tops the cake with icing, and I don't believe this is necessary, but if you do:

• 75g icing sugar
•  2 tbsp ginger wine of ginger juice

Oven at 180C 
23cm loaf tin, greased and lined

• Cream together butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy
• Pour in the syrup and ginger wine/juice
• Beat in the eggs, a little at a time 
• Sift together the flour and ground ginger, then add bit by bit to the mixture
• You should have a smooth, easily beatable mixture by now ('dropping consistency').  If it is stiff add another tbs of ginger wine/juice.
• Stir through the fresh and candied ginger.
• Spoon into the prepared tin.
• Level the top in the tin.
• Bake for about 60 minutes.  At this point the top should be golden brown and well risen, and a knife/skewer inserted to the bottom should come out clean.  Bake a little more if not.
• Allow to completely cool in the tin.  
• For the icing, mix the icing sugar and ginger wine/juice together and drizzle over the cooled cake.

 

pear tart

Use a 23cm/9in loose-bottomed tart tin

400g/14oz sweet shortcrust pastry
1 free-range egg, beaten
4 ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
2 lemons, juice only
75g/2½oz softened butter
75g/2½oz golden caster sugar
75g/2½oz ground almonds
1 free-range egg yolk
2 tbsp pear liqueur or brandy
3 tbsp apricot jam

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
2. Line the tart tin with the pastry, cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans (or a plate can work). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking beans and paper, brush the pastry with the beaten egg and bake for a further 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. To make the filling, toss the pears in the lemon juice to stop them from going brown. Beat together the butter, sugar, ground almonds, egg yolk and pear liqueur (or brandy) until smooth. Spoon into the pastry case, then spread out in an even layer. Arrange the pears in overlapping rings, starting from the outside edge of the tart and working inwards.
4. Bake for 30 minutes and then set aside to cool. As the tart cools, heat the jam in a small saucepan until loosened, then pass it through a sieve into a bowl.
5. Carefully remove the tart from the tin and brush the top generously with the jam. Leave to cool before slicing and serving.

vegetarian bolognese

For 4

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stem celery, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped 
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 250g Puy lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 x 200g tin tomatoes
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 1 dstsp balsamic vinegar - optional 
• 200g dried pasta
• Parmesan cheese, to serve
• Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• green salad, to serve
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan or casserole dish until medium hot. Add the onions, carrots celery and red pepper and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. You want them to soften but not colour – you can put a lid onto the pan to help keep the moisture in and steam the vegetables at the same time.

2. Add the thyme and garlic and cook for another minute then add the tomato purée and turn the heat up. Stir well so that the tomato purée goes all through the vegetables then add the Puy lentils and mix once more.

3. Tip in the tinned tomatoes and the vegetable stock, stir well and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender and the sauce reduced slightly. Add the balsamic vinegar if used and season with salt and pepper.

4. When the sauce has only 15 minutes left to cook, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to packet instructions, then drain, reserving some of the cooking water.

5. Serve the sauce on top of the pasta, top with cheese and sprinkling of parsley. Serve straight away. 

whole roast indian cauliflower

serves 6

• you can also break up into florets if you prefer

1 large cauliflower
1 small onion, sliced
dressing ingredients:

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ginger (or fresh ginger equivalent)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 lemon - zest only

coriander (or flat parsley)
freshly ground pepper

1. Oven at 190C.
2. Remove and retain the cauliflower leaves, and cut out the solid stem, leaving the head whole.
3. Mix the dressing ingredients together.
4. Place the head in the centre of a baking dish, arrange the onion and cauliflower leaves around it.
5. Brush most of the dressing mixture over the head, leaves and onion.
6. Cover with foil.
7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the foil, brush over the remaining dressing.
9. Bake for a further 15 minutes until just tender crisp, and just starting to char.  You may wish to (carefully) use the grill to finish off.  
10. Dress with the parsley and freshly ground pepper

porchetta

(serves 6-8)

• A rectangular piece of boneless pork belly and a piece of pork loin of roughly the right size to be rolled up inside, skin left on (how much each piece weighs depends on the shape, but aim for a total weight of about 3.5-4kg)
• 50g garlic, crushed (about 10 cloves)
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, toasted
• 30g sea salt flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp lard or olive oil, at room temperature
• 200ml white wine (optional)

1. Combine the seasoning ingredients into a smooth paste. Place the pork belly on a clean, flat surface, score the flesh, then rub the paste into the meat with your hands. Sit the loin long-side parallel to the shorter side of the belly, and then roll up tightly.
2. Tie up tightly with butcher’s string at about 5cm intervals, and leave to sit, uncovered in the fridge, for at least 8 hours. Bring back to room temperature before cooking.
3. Heat the oven to 160C. Pat the meat as dry as possible with kitchen paper and put on a rack in a roasting tray. Roast for 4 hours, then turn the oven up as high as it will go and roast for another 30 minutes, or until the crackling is golden brown (keep an eye on it).
4. Remove from the oven and allow to rest, uncovered for 30 minutes. If you’re making gravy, remove the meat and rack from the tray and skim off the fat. Return the rest of the juices to the pan along with the wine and put on a medium heat. Stir well and season to taste.

two types of cheese biscuits

These are derived from the cookbook produced by the good people at Doune, a remote guesthouse on the Knoydart peninsula.  Timings are very precise and the biscuits are liable to burn if in too long on a high heat so watch carefully.  The biscuits need to be rolled very thinly so be very generous with the amount of flour you use on the board, and sprinkle more on top and on the rolling pin at regular intervals.
They will both remain crisp for a few weeks if kept in an airtight container.

1. knäckebröt (Swedish crispbread)

• 140ml whole milk (or milk with a little cream added)
• 70g rye flour
• 85g strong white flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 heaped tsp dried yeast
• Optional: sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds

1. Heat the milk to blood temperature.
2. Mix together the flours, salt and yeast, then gradually stir in the milk until well combined.
3. Leave in a warm place for 20 minutes.
4. Turn onto a well floured board and knead until a soft dough is formed.
5. Cut into six and roll each piece into a ball.
6. Leave for a further 15 minutes.
7. Set the oven to 220degC and place a large baking tray in the oven to pre-heat.
8. Firmly roll out each ball to produce a round as thin as possible (should be about 100mm across).*
9. If used, sprinkle with the seeds and roll again to make them stick.  Prick them with a fork - this helps to stop the layers separating.
10. Line the hot tray with baking paper and slide the rounds onto the tray.
11. Bake for 5 minutes - they should bubble slightly - then turn over and bake for 3 minutes more.  By then they should just be turning brown here and there. 
12. Leave the tray in the oven with the heat turned off and the door slightly open.  Leave in until the oven has cooled down.  By then, they should be fully crisp.  If not they may need another few minutes in a hot oven before eating.

* NB you can leave the rounds whole, to be broken up randomly when used, or you can score into 6 wedges with a knife after placing them on the baking paper, so that they can be snapped (knäcke!) easily after cooking.  In practice it can be difficult to roll out a perfect round, so instead you could roll out more of the dough and use a 100mm pastry cutter, or bowl of same size as a template.  Another option is to use a smaller say 60mm pastry cutter to produce lots of small round crispbreads.

 

2. water biscuits

You can make these up in the proving gaps while making the knäckebröt and cook later.

• 110g self raising flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 60ml cold water
• salt

1. Preheat the oven to 200degC.
2. Mix the flour, oil and water to make a stiff dough.
3. Allow to rest for a few minutes. 
4. Roll on a floured* board as thinly as possible.
5. Rest a few minutes again and roll some more!
6. Sprinkle with the salt and roll again to press the salt into the biscuits.
7. Cut into rounds with a 60mm pastry cutter and lay on a baking paper lined baking tray.  Prick each once or twice with a fork.
8. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned all over.  
9. Cool on a rack. 
10. Again, if not crisp enough when cooled, return to a hot oven for a few minutes. 

* Use the self raising flour; or if you want a little extra surface texture and making at the same time as the knäckebröt, you could use the rye flour.

roast loin of pork

classic juicy roast pork with perfect crackling

for 6

This is based on a Michel Roux recipe, which is the best I've found for classic juicy roast pork with perfect crackling. You will need a piece of loin from a good outdoor raised source. It should be chined and the rind deeply scored.

• serve with roast potatoes, kale and carrots (for colour), and gravy made as part of the recipe below

1. 1x 6-bone chined loin of pork, at room temperature (ask the butcher to chine it for you)
2. salt and pepper, to taste
3. filling, comprising (use fresh equivalent if available):

• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• zest only lemon

4. 2 carrots, peeled
5. 6 sticks celery
6. 1 large onion
7. 5 tbsp ground nut oil
8. 50ml madeira or similar
9. 75g quince paste, roughly chopped (or veg stock)

1. Mix together the filling ingredients to form a paste (you may need to add a little lemon juice or wine to bind them together).   
   With a sharp knife cut between the fat and the meat on both sides and insert the filling.  This can be done in advance (eg kept in the fridge overnight - but bring back to room temperature before the later actions).
2. Preheat the oven to 210C (fan).
3. Place the pork joint on a trivet or cooling rack set over a heatproof bowl. Carefully ladle or pour boiling hot water (about 500ml) over the rind of the pork, it should visibly shrink back. Pat the skin dry. Season the joint all over with salt and pepper on the flesh side.
4. Roughly chop the carrots, celery and onion into quarters and arrange in the bottom of a roasting tray.
5. Place the pork on a trivet over the vegetables.  Drizzle over a little oil.
6. Roast in the hot oven for about 10 minutes, or until the pork is coloured on the outside. Reduce the temperature to 170C and continue cooking for approximately 50 minutes, or longer if you prefer your meat well done.
7. When the pork has cooked, remove it from the oven and carefully cut off the skin and fat in one piece. Wrap the meat tightly in a double layer of foil and leave on a plate in a warm place until ready to carve and eat.
8. Place the skin on a small roasting tray and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes, or until it has become crisp and brittle.
9. To make the gravy, place the roasting tray that the pork and vegetables were cooked in over a medium heat. Spoon off any excess fat and discard. Add the madeira and scrape the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon to remove as much of the caramelised, cooked bits as possible. Add the quince paste/stock and pour in a splash of boiling water. Stir until dissolved.
10. To remove the vegetables, strain the gravy through a sieve into a clean pan. Really squeeze the veg as the small fibres that pass through will help thicken the gravy. Keep your gravy warm until ready to serve, adding the resting juices from the pork meat just before serving.
11. Unwrap the meat and carve a chop per person to serve with the crackling, potatoes, kale and carrots, and the gravy.

roast gammon with rhubarb chutney

spicy moist gammon perfect for a special dinner 

 

For 6 (or fewer with plenty left over for sandwiches, ham and eggs etc)

The roast gammon is based on several recipes including Mary Berry's and the Hairy Bikers'. This recipe also makes a great ham stock for use in soups later.

The chutney (Gregg Wallace recipe) can be made in advance and makes about 2 full jam jars. You will only need half or less for 6 people but it can be stored in sterilized jars and kept in the fridge.

• Serve with the chutney, a reduction (see method) and roast potatoes and greens

For the gammon

• 1.5 kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint
• 1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 stems celery, finely chopped (about 150g in all)
• 1 tsp each powdered cloves, allspice, ginger (or fressh grated equivalent)
• 350 ml smooth orange juice (or Mary Berry recommends ginger beer but I haven't tried it yet)
• water
• whole cloves to decorate (optional)

For the rhubarb chutney

• 500g rhubarb cut into 3cm chunks
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 100g tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tbsp fresh, chopped)
• 200ml red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves

For the glaze

• 4 tbsp syrup
• 4 tbsp Dijon or grainy mustard
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1. Place the gammon joint into a heavy lidded saucepan not much bigger than the joint. Add the onions, carrots, celery, spices and orange juice and top up with water until gammon is covered.
2. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 1½ hours (30 minutes per 500g for other sizes). Turn the gammon over halfway through the cooking time.
3. Meanwhile, place the rhubarb, sugar and a splash of water in a pan and cook on a medium heat until the rhubarb is soft. Stir frequently. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, vinegar, lemon juice and zest and the spices. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally, then simmer for about two hours, stirring frequently, until the chutney is thick.
4. Remove the gammon from the water and allow to cool for 15 minutes (or you can do this well in advance and leave it resting in the stock for an even fuller flavour).
5. (Reserve the cooking liquid, taste and adjust. It makes a great stock for pea/lentil and ham soup. It can be strained or left with the reduced vegetables still in it – you can also add some of the leftover gammon, finely chopped.)
6. Preheat the oven to 180C Fan and line a large roasting tin with kitchen foil.
7. If the joint has rind still attached, remove it with a small knife leaving as much of the fat intact as possible. Score the fat in a diamond pattern, and push a clove into the centre of each 'X'.
8. Place the gammon into the foil-lined roasting tray, folding up to cover the meat but leaving the fat exposed, to contain any roasting juices.
9. For the glaze, mix the ingredients together and brush half of it evenly over the gammon, including sides of the joint. Roast in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes, then take the joint out and brush again with the rest of the glaze. Return the gammon to the oven for a further 10– 15 minutes, rotating the tin so that the opposite side of the gammon faces the back of the oven.
10. The gammon is ready when the fat on top is glossy and golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if the top begins to look too brown. Remove the gammon from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
11. Pour any juices that have collected in the kitchen foil into a small pan, and warm through gently, or make a reduction based on some of the stock, with red wine and a little vinegar.
12. Carve thick slices of the gammon and spoon over the reduction. Serve with the warm rhubarb chutney.

rhubarb fool

to make 5 or 6

• 700g fresh rhubarb, peeled
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger plus some to shake on the fool
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 500ml double cream
• 250g Greek-style plain yogurt
• 100g icing sugar, sieved
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For topping: anything you fancy, eg:

• Strawberry syrup, lightly toasted crushed almond flakes, dark chocolate shavings
• Ginger biscuit

Cut the rhubarb into roughly 3cm lengths.
Place in an open pan on the stove, add the sugar and spices,and a little water.
Bring to a gentle simmer. 
After about five minutes the rhubarb will have softened and some pieces will start to fall apart.  Remove about half from the pan (a mix of whole and broken down pieces) and set aside.
Continue to simmer until all the remaining rhubarb has broken down.  Allow to cool.

Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.
Whisk in the yogurt, icing sugar, and vanilla.  
Mix in the cooled broken down rhubarb from the pan.

Divide the first rhubarb between small glasses, one for each serving.
Pile in the fool mixture on top.
Dust the top with ginger powder.
Finish with the topping.
Refrigerate until 10 minutes before serving.

ginger biscuits

Makes about 16

Oven at 180C fan

• 125g butter (softened)
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp syrup
• 250g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped stem ginger

Cream the butter and sugar together untli light and fluffy.
Stir in the egg and syrup.
Add the flour, baking powder, ground and stem ginger and mix until fully combined.
Roll out on a floured board and using a pastry cutter, cut out rounds.
Place these on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Allow to cool and harden. 

roti prata

quick to make - but benefits from a long rest before cooking

• Plain Flour 600g
• Water 300m
• Salt 1 teaspoon
• Sugar 1 tablespoon
• Oil 15 ml
• 1 egg

Put all the ingredients into a food processor with the dough blade attached. 

Blend for 20 seconds until all the flour and water are mixed and the dough looks like a shaggy mass.

Rest the dough for 20 mins then turn on the processor for 30 seconds followed by 2 min rest and another 30 seconds. This makes the dough easier to process. 

Divide into balls and rest the dough: minimum 50 mins, longer if possible.  Overnight allows a slight fermentation and improved flavour.  

Roll each ball in flour and, using a rolling-pin, roll into a thin round approximately 15cm/6in in diameter. 

Heat a large dry frying pan over a medium heat and cook each roti for 30 seconds on one side, to set the dough. 

Turn over, and cook for another minute, until small bubbles appear on the top and light brown spots appear underneath. 

Turn over again and cook for a further 30-40 seconds. The dough will start to puff up so press down with a rolled-up tea towel to force steam to escape. Each time you press with the towel, rotate the roti in the pan to keep it moving on the hot surface (to avoid burnt spots). 

figgy cake (or apple or fruit cake)

"O bring us a figgy pudding - and a cup of good cheer"

a lighter alternative to Christmas cake or pudding, with a hint of festiveness about it from the peel and spice, but good at any time

• 170g salted butter at room temperature
• 170g light muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs
• 170 g plain flour
• peel of half a tangerine/clementine/lime, chopped finely
• 280g fruit*
• 85g pine nuts or flaked almonds
• 2 tsp mixed spice/nutmeg/dry ginger (your preference)
  

*This is largely based on a recipe by John Whaite for a prune cake.  These options have worked for me:

1. a jar of figs in courvoisier, chopping finely and drying them out in a low (150C) oven for about 15 minutes.  (fresh figs should work too). 
2. grated apple adding a teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
3. sultanas/currants, steeped in lemongrass/ginger tea for 20 minutes then drained.  

      I am told this is also similar to recipes for banana bread.

• Oven at 150C.  
• Grease and line a small loaf tin (mine is 20cmx10cm).
• In an electric mixer (using the paddle attachment), cream together the butter and sugar until paler, smooth and light in texture.
• Keep the mixer going on a slow beat and add the eggs plus one tablespoon of the flour, then the orange peel, until well mixed in.
• Now add the rest of the flour a few spoons at a time, again until uniformally mixed.
• Finally fold in the fruit and nuts and spice.
• Spoon the mixture into the lined bread tin and level the top.
• Bake in the oven for 60-65 minutes or until a skewer come out clean.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.

Tofu and mushroom ramen

Japanese style vegan dish with a very rich, distinctive flavour

for 2 as a main course dish (or 4 as an appetiser)

The quantities can be varied.  You could also add chopped pak choi

• 700ml boiled water
• 1 dstsp dark soy sauce, plus extra to serve
• 1 mushroom (or vegetable) stock cube
• 2 tbsp brown miso paste
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 100g medium dried egg noodles (or rice noodles)
• 200g firm tofu, drained, cut into 6 rectangular slices
• groundnut oil
• 2 large eggs
• 100g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 75g fresh beansprouts, rinsed and drained
• 3 spring onions, trimmed, very thinly sliced
• 25g roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
• dried flaked chillis

Prepare and have to hand all the components.  The actual cooking is very quick once you have all the ingredients ready.

• Boil the eggs for 5 minutes, drain and peel when cooled.
• Briefly fry the sliced mushrooms in a little oil in a saucepan.  
• Prepare the beansprouts and spring onions,and nuts.
• Prepare the tofu, dry it, and sprinkle both sides with the flaked chilli

Now the cooking:

• Add the soy sauce stock cube, miso paste and soy sauce into the boiling water in a saucepan.
• Add the noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until just tender.
• Add the mushrooms and lime juice. 
• (Add the pak choi at this point if used, giving them about 3-4 minutes cooking time).
• Just before the tofu is ready (below) add the beansprouts and spring onions for the final minute.

In parallel:

• Fry the tofu pieces and fry carefully for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until pale golden-brown on both sides. 

Taste and adjust the ramen (add extra soy sauce, lime juice and chilli to suit your taste) then pour all into two deep bowls.
Transfer the fried tofu to the bowls along with the boiled eggs, halved. 
Sprinkle with the chopped cashew nuts and more chilli if you fancy it.

spanish chicken and chorizo

Simple and comforting!

for2

Can be served with a salad and if you think it needs more liquid, a jus.

• olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs (bone in, with skin)
• 250 g chorizo sausages, cut into 4cm pieces
• 300g new potatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, chopped
• flat parsley
• zest of a lime

Heat oven to 200C.
Spread a shallow baking tin with the oil, rub the chicken all over in the oil, leaving skin side up.
Add the chorizo and potatoes to the tin.
Sprinkle the onion and parsley over, and then the lime zest.
Put in the oven and cook for 1 hour 10 mins.
Half way through, baste the mixture with the liquid in the tin.

Salad, eg:

• Cos lettuce, shredded 
• Spring onions (matchsticks)
• Tomatoes
• Sliced radishes
• Dressing: olive oil, lime juice, mustard, salt+pepper, garlic

Jus:

• Fry a chopped onion: fry in a liberal amount of butter.
• Add a jigger of sherry and reduce until it thickens.
• Add a glass of wine and continue to reduce.
• Add a mugful of beef stock and continue to reduce.

 l

indian style lamb cutlets and salad

worth splashing out on really good quality meat such as salt marsh lamb for a very tasty meal

for4

Could be served with daal, lime pickle and/or naan

lamb:

• 8 large (but not too thick) lamb cutlets (or 12 small ones)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves 
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 garlic clove
• ground nut oil

salad:

• 500g  mushrooms, chopped into large 2.5cm pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• knob of butter
• ground nut oil 
• 50g sultanas
• 1 tsp wine vinegar
• salad leaves, eg rocket, pea shoots, chopped cos
• 50g pine nuts

For the salad:
Just cover the sultanas in boiling water.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry medium heat frying pan (keep shaking so as not to burn, it will only need a couple of minutes).
Fry the mushrooms in a little butter on a low heat in a lidded pan.  They should produce liquid as they soften.  Remove lid and keep simmering until the liquid is absorbed.
Allow the mushrooms and sultanas to cool, squeeze out excess water from sultanas, mix together.
Mix in the spices and salt.
Put the leaves in a bowl and mix in the mushroom/sultana mixture.
Toss the pine nuts over the top.

For the lamb:
Mix together the spices and salt and spread over a plate or wide dish.
Dip the lamb chops into the mixture, covering well all over.
Heat the oil to a medium heat, then fry the cutlets for around 3 minutes each side.  The y should be well browned but still pink inside.
 

 

beef and mushroom pie

delicious comfort food for a stormy night

for 4
you will need a heavy bottomed, lidded saucepan, and a pyrex or tin pie dish

700g stewing steak, in chunks
1 large onion, chopped
2 handfuls mushrooms, sliced
ground nut oil
vegetable or beef stock
1 dstsp soy sauce
1 dstsp worcester sauce
oregano (or your choice of herb)
salt and pepper
1 tbsp/15g butter at room temperature
1 tbsp/8g plain flour
600g puff pastry (shop bought or make it yourself - here's Paul Hollywood's recipe)

1.  In a large lidded saucepan, fry the onion in the oil until soft.
2. Add the steak and fry until nicely browned all over.
3. Add the stock (enough to generously cover the meat) and the soy and worcester sauces and bring to the boil.
4. Add 2 tsp oregano and a generous milling of pepper.
5. Put on the lid and simmer for 1 hour.
6. Add the mushrooms, bring back to the boil and simmer for a further hour.
7. Allow to cool.  Taste and add additional sauces, herbs and salt if you think it needs it (the soy sauce will add salt so it may not need additional salt).
8. Make a beurre meuniere to thicken the liquid: using a fork, in a ramekin or small bowl, mix together the flour and butter to form a paste; add a few spoons of the liquid from the pan, bit by bit, until you have a smooth liquid, about the consistency of cream.  
9. Add this to the pan and stir in.
10. Set the oven to 200C (390F).
11. When cool, transfer pan contents to the pie dish and add the puff pastry on top, sealing well down at the edges.  Make a few holes in the pastry with a fork.
12. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 35 minutes.

festive apple preserve

A good accompaniment to Christmas pork or any roast meats

 

to make 2 jars

1 kg (after peeling and coring) cooking apples
1 tbsp lime juice
350g sugar (eg mix of muscovado and golden caster sugar)
600ml water
zest of 1 orange
spices, eg:
- cinnamon - 2 sticks
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 dstsp ginger finely grated
- 10 cloves
- 10 cardamoms, crushed

1. Chop the apple flesh finely, place in a bowl and add lime juice, stirring to cover the apple and prevent browning.
2. Put the sugar and water in a thick based saucepan, and heat until the sugar is dissolved, bring to the boil.
3. Add the chopped apple, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Pour the contents through a sieve into a boil.  Retain the apple.
5. Return the liquor to the the saucepan to thicken, adding half the orange zest and all the spices.
6. After about 20 minutes, remove the woody remains of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.  Taste the liquor - it shoud already be spicy, but adjust with more powdered spice if needed.
7. Continue to boil the liquor until it thickens, over a low heat, stirring frequently (it can boil over easily so keep a watchful eye).  Use the 'jam test' to establish if it is the correct consistency (put a spoon in the freezer for a few minutes, then drop a little of the liquor on the spoon: if it is viscous and jam-like when cool it is the correct consistency.
8. Add back the cooked apple to the saucepan with the rest of the orange zest, and combine (don't overdo, the apple pieces should retain their shape and not be mushy).
9. Fill your sterilized jars (as full as possible) and screw up the lid.   Should keep for months in the cupboard (fridge once opened).

lemon and ginger iced tea

refreshing in hot weather when served ice cold

to make 2 litres

• 2 spice tea bags (eg Pukka star anise & cinnamon)
• 2 large lemons (or about 125ml shop bought juice)
• 5 tbsp cordial (eg equal parts Bottle Green elderflower/ginger & lemongrass)
• 50g brown caster sugar (or muscovado)
• water

Note quantites are flexible: taste as you add the cordial and add more or less to taste

Place the tea bags in 1 litre boiling water for 5 minutes.

Remove bags and add sugar, stir to dissolve.

Squeeze lemons, pass juice through a sieve and add to the tea.

Add cordial and stir.

Top up to 2 litres with cold water.

Refrigerate when cold.

seared chicken salad (or courgette salad)

a light summer salad using fresh seasonal ingredients

• juice of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp wine vinegar
• 20g muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp paprika or chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• salt and pepper
• 6 skinless uncooked chicken breasts*
• 2 small fennel bulbs, or 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 15g flat parsley or coriander leaves
• 15g mint leaves
• 50g mushrooms, thinly sliced ¶

* You can use cooked breasts, in which case omit the oven cooking after they are seared.

¶ Instead of mushrooms you could use green beans or broad beans, in which case boil them for a few minutes rather than searing

1. Heat oven to 180C fan.
2. Put the orange juice, sugar and vinegar in a small pan and simmer until thickened.  This should give you about 3 tbsp of a thick syrup.
3. Heat a ridged griddle pan until very hot.
4. In a small bowl put half the olive oil and some salt and pepper, then coat the breasts and place them in the griddle pan.  Sear until they have clear char lines, about 2 minutes each side.
5. Transfer the breasts to the oven and bake until cooked, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Throw the mushrooms into the griddle pan and sear briefly, until softened.  No need to add more oil.
7. When the chicken has cooled, tear it into chunks and place in a large mixing bowl, with the mushrooms.
8. Pour over half the orange paste and mix well.  (Keep the other half for other uses - it will keep a few days).
9. Add the leaves, lemon juice, garlic and chilli and mix well.
10. Transfer to a clean bowl and top with the fennel or leek slices.

For the courgette alternative to chicken, slice the courgettes diagonally and sear for 5 minutes each side (they do not need time in the oven).  You could also add lightly baked tomatoes and walnuts to the mix instead of mushrooms.
 

croissants

lovely and light, buttery but not greasy: that's the ultimate goal!

500g strong white flour
- plus extra for dusting
1 ½ tsp salt
50g sugar
14g dried yeast
300g butter, at room temperature
vegetable oil, for greasing
1 egg

• Put the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Measure 300ml cold water into a jug, add the yeast and stir. Make a well in the flour and pour in the liquid. Mix, then knead on your work surface for 10 mins. Shape into a ball, put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hrs.
• Put the butter between 2 sheets of baking parchment. Using a rolling pin, bash and roll it into a rectangle about 20 x 15cm. Leave wrapped in the baking parchment and chill.
• Transfer the chilled dough to a floured surface and roll into a 40 x 20cm rectangle. Place the unwrapped slab of butter in the centre of the dough, so that it covers the middle third.
• Fold one side of the dough up and halfway over the butter.
• Fold the other side of the dough up and over the butter in the same way, so that the two edges of the dough meet in the centre of the butter.
• Fold the dough in half so that the point where the ends of the dough meet becomes the seam. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Repeat the rolling, folding and chilling process (steps 3-6) twice more in exactly the same way – rolling the pastry while it’s still folded – without adding more butter. Wrap and chill overnight.
• The next day, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle, measuring about 60 x 30cm. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim the edges to neaten.
• Cut the dough in half lengthways so that you have 2 long strips, then cut each strip into 6 or 7 triangles with 2 equal sides.
• Take each triangle in turn and pull the two corners at the base to stretch and widen it.
• Starting at the base of each triangle, begin to gently roll into a croissant, being careful not to crush the dough.
• Continue rolling, making sure the tip of each triangle ends up tucked under the croissant to hold in place. If adding any fillings (see tips, below), place across the widest part of the triangle before rolling up.
• Bend the ends of the croissants inwards, then transfer to baking trays lined with baking parchment, spaced well apart. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and use to generously glaze the croissants. Bake for 15-18 mins until risen and golden brown, then cool on wire racks.

tomato chutney

600g tomatoes, quartered (you can blanch* and remove skins if preferred)
1 dessertspoon tomato puree
150ml white wine vinegar
1 shallot, peeled, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped
2cm/¾in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, finely grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped or 1 tsp paprika
125g sultanas
100g light brown sugar

• To blanch, steam over boiling water for about 5 minutes.  When the skins split, you can lift them out and remove the slins easily with a knife and fork.
  Put all ingredients into a lidded pan, adding the sugar last and stirring until it dissolves in the juices, and bring the mixture to the boil. 
  Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, or until the chutney has thickened and you can draw a wooden spoon across the base of the pan so that it leaves a channel behind it that does not immediately fill with liquid.
• Spoon the chutney into sterilised jars.