vegan moussaka (Musaqa'a)

echoes of the Greek dish moussaka are correctly heard here, both in the name and the feel of the dish. It's a vegetarian take on the hearty, humble, healthy and completely delicious traybake.

Serves four as a main or six as a side

• 5 medium aubergines (1.25kg)
• 120ml olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped (160g) 
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp chilli flakes crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 11⁄2 tsp tomato purée
• 2 green peppers, deseeded and cut into 3cm chunks (200g) 
• 1x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (240g) 
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 11⁄2 tsp caster sugar
• 15g coriander, roughly chopped, plus 5g extra to serve
• 4 plum tomatoes, trimmed and sliced into 12cm-thick rounds (350g)
• Salt and black pepper 

Getting ahead: You can make and bake this in advance: it keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, ready to be warmed through when needed.

Aubergines:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to peel away strips of aubergine skin from top to bottom, leaving the aubergines with alternating strips of black skin and white flesh, like a zebra. Cut widthways into round slices, 2cm thick, and place in a large bowl. 
3. Mix well with 75ml of oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper and spread out on two large parchment-lined baking trays. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until completely softened and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan.

While the aubergines are roasting, make the sauce:

1. Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat. 
2. Add the onion and cook for about 7 minutes, until softened and lightly browned. 
3. Add the garlic, chilli, cumin, cinnamon and tomato purée and cook for another minute, or until fragrant. 
4. Add the peppers, chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, sugar, 200ml of water, 1 1⁄4 teaspoons of salt and a good grind of black pepper. 
5. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 18 minutes, or until the peppers have cooked through. 
6. Stir in the coriander and remove from the heat.

Assemble and bake:

1. Spread out half the plum tomatoes and half the roasted aubergines on the base of a large baking dish, about 20 x 30cm. 
2. Top with the chickpea mixture, then layer with the remaining tomatoes and aubergines. 
3. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil, then cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 
4. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the tomatoes have completely softened. 
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 20 minutes. 
6. Top with the remaining coriander and serve either warm or at room temperature.

winter gratin

 "let them eat turnips" as Therese Coffey didn't quite say.

a great seasonal side dish for 4+ with a Sunday roast

• ~850g winter root vegetables, peeled: eg

  • 1 large turnip

  • 1 parsnip

  • ½ celeriac or any combination

• 100ml crème fraiche+100ml milk, mixed, or 200ml double cream

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped

• 100g cheddar cheese, grated

• 100g parmesan, grated

• 50g/1¾oz salted butter, plus extra for greasing

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Slice the root vegetables very thinly, preferably with a mandoline, and place in a large bowl.

Season with salt and pepper and add the cream, garlic and rosemary. Add all of the cheddar and half of the parmesan and mix well.

Lightly grease a 30x20cm/12x8in baking dish with butter. Tip the contents of the bowl into the dish and press down. Scatter the remaining parmesan over and dot the butter on top.

Cover with kitchen foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender (a knife can be easily inserted through the layers) and the top is golden-brown.

cocktails

Negroni

Negroni is traditionally made with gin and Campari.  Japanese Roku with its herbal/bitter notes seems particularly well suited, but for a lighter taste you could use vodka.  I prefer Martini bitter to Campari.  

It is essential to serve this very cold.  Serve in tall, well chilled glasses and include a few ice cubes.

for 2: 

Third fill a 2 serving shaker with ice.  Add:

• 1.5 jiggers Roku gin
  
• 1.5 jiggers Martini rosso (or similar sweet vermouth)
  
• 1.5 jiggers Martini bitter (or similar bitter vermouth)

Shake vigorously until chilled

Orange slice for garnish  

Lights out

Imagine a classic cosmopolitan cocktail bar in a power cut: this is the idea behind this midnight blue cocktail. I've suggested Icelandic Reyka vodka, with its hint of glaciers and slight floral notes that complement the cordial, but other smooth, clean vodkas will be fine.  Curaçao with the lime juice and cranberry cuts through the sweetness of the cordial.  It is derived from bitter oranges that evolved on the Caribbean island of that name - and therefore appropriate for this evolution of the classic cosmo.

Serve very cold in chilled martini glasses, with a twist of orange peel

for 2:

Third fill a 2 serving shaker with ice. Add:

• 1 jigger Reyka vodka
  
• 1 jigger blue curaçao
• 1/2 jigger elderberry cordial
  
• 1/4 jigger lime juice (or squeezed juice of a whole lime)
• Cranberry juice: fill up the shaker (about 3 jiggers)
  

Shake vigorously until chilled 

Orange peel twist for garnish

Miso tofu and mushroom ramen

 quantities are given for 2 or 4 as a main course

• 0.7 / 1.4 litres just-boiled water

• 1 / 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, plus extra to serve

• ½ / 1 vegetable stock cube

• 2 / 4 tbsp brown miso paste

• 100 / 200g/7oz medium dried egg noodles

• 200 / 400g pack firm tofu, drained, dried, cut into slices

• sunflower oil

• 2 / 4 large free-range eggs

• 75 / 150g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1 / 2 pak choi, roots trimmed, leaves separated and washed

• 1 / 2 carrots, thinly sliced lengthways

• 6 / 12 tiny tomatoes, halved

• 50 / 100g/3½oz fresh beansprouts, rinsed and drained

• 3 / 6 spring onions, trimmed, very thinly sliced

• 25 / 50g/2oz roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped

• mild chilli powder or smoked paprika

Possible substitutes:

lettuce heart for pak choi, peanuts for cashew nuts, other types of mushrooms, thinly sliced onion for spring onions

1. Prepare all the veg in advance: the main cooking process proceeds quickly.

2. Also in advance, place the eggs in a pan of boiling water and cook for 4.5 minutes. Plunge into cold water, allow to cool, shell and cut in half lengthways.

3. Put the 0.7 / 1.4 litres boiled water in a pan, add the soy sauce, stock cube and miso paste and stir until all dissolved. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, half-fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until just tender, stirring occasionally to break up the strands. Drain well, then rinse under running water until cold.

5. Heat a little of the oil (just enough to coat the surface) in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the tofu pieces and fry carefully for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until pale golden-brown on both sides. Turn off the heat but keep the pan on the hob so that the tofu stays warm. Sprinkle both sides with the chilli powder.

6. Stir the noodles into the broth and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, add the mushrooms, tomatoes and carrot and continue to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir in the beansprouts, pak choi and spring onions, remove from the heat.

7. Divide the broth, noodles and vegetables between serving bowls. Top with the tofu and eggs. Sprinkle over the cashew nuts and chilli flakes. Season with extra soy sauce.

chicken supreme

a very easy traditional chicken dish, with a tasty but light sauce

for 2

• knob of butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 chicken supremes *
  
• 50g smoked bacon lardons or roughly chopped smoked streaky bacon
• 1 medium onion, cut into 8ths
  
• 1 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100ml dry white wine
• 200ml double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

         * supremes are the breast with skin on, bone in and first wing tip

1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Season the chicken all over and brown on both sides. Remove it from the pan and set aside.

2. Add the bacon and onions to the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for a minute or so, then stir in the cream. Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side down, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Turn the chicken over, half-cover the pan and cook for 5–10 minutes more, or until the breasts are cooked through and the sauce has reduced to the consistency of thick cream. Season and serve.

    
   

beef bourguignon

 a comforting hearty stew for those winter evenings

For 4

• plain flour
• 500g braising steak
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 65g smoked bacon lardons
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot *
• ½ parsnip *
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 20cl red wine
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 beef stock cube
• fresh or dried thyme
• 12 pearl onions (or shallots or half an onion in chunks)
• 100g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
• salt and pepper
• sprigs of fresh parsley, to garnish

Serve with roast or mashed potatoes

*You could reduce the amount of meat and increase the amount of veg

Based on a Hairy Bikers recipe

Oven at 160C.

1. Cut the braising steak into chunky pieces, each around. Trim off any really hard fat or sinew.

2. Coat the chunks in well seasoned flour.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the beef in batches over a medium–high heat until nicely browned on all sides, turning every now and then and adding more oil if necessary. As soon as the beef is browned, transfer to a large flameproof casserole.

4. Pour a little more oil into the pan in which the beef was browned and fry the bacon for 2–3 minutes, or until the fat crisps and browns. Scatter the bacon over the meat.

5. Add a touch more oil to the frying pan and fry the chopped onion over a low heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir the garlic into the pan and cook for 1 minute more.

6. Add the onion and garlic to the pan with the meat and pour over the wine. Stir in the tomato purée and 100ml water. Crumble over the stock cube, add the herbs and bring to a simmer. Stir well, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1½ –1¾ hours, or until the beef is almost completely tender. Check and add more water if the sauce is starting to thicken.

7. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms, bring back to simmer then return to the oven for 45 minutes more, or until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce is thick. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

8. Sprinkle the casserole with parsley and serve.

mince pies

This recipe makes the most luscious deep mince pies for Christmas or any time. The mincemeat is based on Delia Smith's recipe but with a little less sugar and some possible variations on fruit: it's important to soak the dried fruit before using it. I use John Waite's sweet short pastry which is delightfully biscuity when cooked.

 

 

Equipment: You will need a pie dish with 12 holes: mine are about 70mm diameter x 25mm deep.

For 12 mince pies

Mincemeat

2 cups hot ginger and lemongrass (or similar) tea

600g fruit (before soaking – see method)

• I use a mix of currants and sultanas with about 50-100g of dried cranberries which gives a little tartness. Or you could substitute 200g cooking apples, finely chopped

65g 'suet'

• Vegetarian suet substitutes work fine

75g soft dark brown sugar

grated rind and juice of a satsuma or small orange

• I use a coarse grater so most of the thickness of the skin goes in

25g sliced almonds

1 to 2 tsp mixed spice

• can be a mix of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg

2 tbs marsala or brandy (optional)

Take the dried fruits including cranberries but not the apple, if used, and steep in the tea for at least 20 minutes. This plumps up the fruit.

Drain the fruit then mix together with all the other ingredients in a big bowl.

Leave covered with a cloth for 12 hours.

Cook in a very cool oven (120C) for three hours. This allows the suet to slowly melt and infuse the mixture.

The mincemeat can then be used as soon as it has cooled to room temperature, or put into sterilised jars while still hot, until needed.

Rich sweet shortcrust pastry

1 egg

125g golden caster sugar

1 tsp almond essence

250g plain flour

125g salted butter at room temperature, cut into cubes

• Yellow Flora works fine for a vegan alternative

Whisk together the egg, sugar and essance with a balloon whisk until the sugar is dissolved

Sift the flour bit by bit into the mixture and stir in with a wooden spoon until the mixture has a sandy texture. Scrape all round the bottom of the bowl to make sure thoroughly incorporated.

Add the butter, using a butter knife to cut in. Work quickly until smooth and no butter visible.

Knead gently by hand for a few seconds on a floured board.

Wrap in baking paper and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before using.

The mince pies

Egg wash (an egg yoke combined with a little water)

Oven at 200C.

Grease the pie dish.

Roll out half the pastry very thin – about 3mm – then use a pastry cutter to make rounds a bit bigger than each hole. Line each with the pastry patting it in so that there are no air voids underneath.

• This pastry is very forgiving and can be easily patched, and the offcuts can be rolled up and used again. Best to put the other half back in the fridge until needed. It's best to work quickly while the pastry is still cold and best to roll it on a marble slab or other cold surface, dusted with flour.

Fill up the cases with the mincemeat using a dessertspoon, so the filling is domed in the middle with a little of the pastry exposed at the sides.

Brush the edges of the pastry with the eggwash and cut out more rounds, this time the size of the holes (use a fluted cutter if you have it),

Push the rounds down so they adhere to the pastry base.

Prick each top with a fork to allow steam to escape and brush with more of the egg wash.

Place the pie dish in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes: they should be a light brown colour.

Allow the tray to cool for a few minutes. The pies should come out easily. Place them on a wire tray to cool.

chicken biryani

this is a great chicken biryani recipe - the rice lusciously moist and the chicken falling off the bone.

Serves 4

• 8 chicken thighs (about 375g) , skin on, bone in, halved along bone   
• 1 medium onion, halved and finely sliced 
• oil, for frying 
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads

• 0.5 cup coriander, chopped

• 30g ghee or unsalted butter, melted

• plain yogurt

Marinade:

• 75 ml yoghurt, plain
• 62.5 ml water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or other plain oil)
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (adjust spiciness to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp garam marsala (Note 2)
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika , sweet / ordinary (not smoked)
• 1 tsp salt

Par Boiled Rice:

• 1 tbsp salt
• 5 cloves
• 2.5 dried bay leaves
• 0.5 star anise
• 3 green cardamon pods
• 225g uncooked basmati rice

METHOD

Marinade:

• Mix all ingredients in a large pan (big enough to take all the chicken in one layer, and suitable for stove top cooking).
• Add chicken and coat well. Marinade as long as possible, preferably overnight.
  

Par boiled rice:

• Bring 1.5 litres water to the boil, add salt and spices.
• Add rice, bring back up to the boil then cook for 4 minutes, or until rice is just cooked but still a bit firm in the middle. Rice will taste salty at this stage, disappears in next stage of cooking.
• Drain immediately. Set aside.

Crispy onions:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Cook onion, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Don't burn - they become bitter.
• Remove onto paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining onion.

Saffron:

• Place in a bowl with 2 tbsp warm water, to infuse for 10 minutes+.
  

Biryani:

• Place pot with chicken in it onto a stove over medium heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove lid. Cook for 15 minutes more, turning chicken twice.
• Remove from heat.
• Turn chicken so skin side is down - it should cover most of the base of the pot.
• Scatter over half the onion then half the coriander.
• Top with all the rice. Gently pat down and flatten surface.
• Drizzle saffron and its water across rice surface in random pattern, then drizzle over ghee.
• Place lid on. Return to stove over medium heat.
• As soon as you see steam, turn down to low then cook for 25 minutes.
• Remove from stove, rest with lid on for 10 minutes.

To serve:

• Aim to serve it so you get nice patches of yellow rice, white rice, the curry stained rice + chicken (rather than all mixed up). To do this, use a large spoon and dig deep into the pot, and try to scoop up as much as you can in one scoop.
• Turn out into bowl - or onto platter. Garnish with remaining onion and coriander.
• Serve with yogurt on the side.

chicken cordon bleu

 for 2

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or supremes)
  
• 30g gruyere cheese (2 half matchbox sized chunks)
  
• 2 slices smoked ham or 6 thin slices salami (roughly 65g)
  
• 2 tsp tomato chutney orcranberry sauce
  
• plain flour
• 1 medium free-range egg
• 100g breadcrumbs
• sunflower oil
• salt and pepper

1. Put the chicken breasts on a board. Using a sharp knife, remove the mini-fillet (the small flap to one side - if not present, cut a small sliver from one edge about 1.5cm side) and reserve to one side. Carefully cut horizontally through each breast from the straighter side almost all the way through to the other side and open out like a book.

2. Place each breast and its mini fillet and place between two sheets of cling film. Flatten both by bashing with a rolling pin until around 5mm thick all over. Remove the top layer of cling film and cover the flattened breast with ham/salami. Place a teaspoon of the chutney/sauce in the middle, then the cheese chunk and top with the mini fillet.

3. Carefully wrap the chicken breast up to cover the filling and fillet, using the bottom layer of cling film.  Roll the breast up tightly with the cling film to create a parcel. CHill in the fridge for at least an hour.
   

4. Prepare three plates: 

   Sprinkle the flour onto the first and season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. 

   Whisk the egg and pour onto the second plate. 

   Scatter the breadcrumbs onto the third.

5. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Heat the sunflower oil in a large non-stick frying pan and start to coat the fillets:

   Dust thoroughly in the seasoned flour and pat lightly to remove any excess. 

   Roll the floured chicken in the egg and give it a light shake. 

   Place the chicken on the plate with the breadcrumbs and turn a couple of times, pressing with the breadcrumbs until well coated.

6. After coating plunge the chicken breasts into the hot oil for about 3minutes on each side, or until golden-brown.

7. Transfer the chicken to a baking tray and finish cooking in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is hot and thoroughly cooked - there should be no pinkness remaining. Serve immediately so that the cheese oozes out as it is cut.

coq au vin

For 4

Ingredients

• 250g baby shallots, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme, tied together with string
• 2 bay leaves
• 500ml/20fl oz red wine
• 600g skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces (3 or 4 per thigh)
• olive oil
• 50g butter
• plain flour
• 75g lardons
• 250g mushrooms, sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• savoy cabbage (shredded)
• 6 juniper berries (optional) crushed and chopped

1. Put the shallots in a large bowl with the garlic, herbs and wine. Mix, then add the chicken, season with salt and black pepper and marinate for at least 1 hour. 
   
2. Sit a colander over a large saucepan and strain the marinated chicken, reserving the wine and separately the shallots, bay leaves and thyme.
   
3. In a small bowl, lightly coat the chicken pieces with the flour.
4. Heat the oil and 2/3 of the butter in a deep casserole. Add the chicken breasts and fry on a medium-high heat, for 5–10 minutes each side, or until browned all over – you may need to do this in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
5. Meanwhile fry the bacon separately over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until browned. Add the reserved shallots and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until they start to soften.
6. Add the wine to the casserole, reserved bay leaves, thyme, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Add the browned chicken, lardons and shallots.  Reserve the fat fron the bacon. Bring back to the boil, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat or bake for 20–25 minutes at 160C, or until cooked through.
7. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a medium pan and fry the mushrooms over a medium heat for 5–10 minutes, or until just cooked. Add to the chicken casserole just before serving. Remove the bay leaves and thyme from the casserole.
8. For the cabbage, heat the bacon fat (or use olive oil) in a lidded pan, add the shredded cabbage and juniper berries and cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes.
9. Serve the casserole hot with mashed potato and the cabbage. 

slow cooked sausage casserole (Adam Handling)

for 6

• 9 sausages (any good sausages – can be more than 1 type e.g. chorizo, Italian)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 7 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 bunch picked thyme
• 5 fresh tomatoes, peeled
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 500ml chicken stock
• 2 tins mixed beans
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 pinch table salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

To finish

• 50ml soy sauce
• 50ml rice wine vinegar
• 1tbsp caster sugar
• 1 bunch fresh parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 250°C and roast the sausages for 5 minutes. Pan fry the onions, garlic, chilli and thyme in olive oil, until golden. Add rock salt to release the moisture from the onions. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Once boiled, add the roasted sausages and mixed beans. Season with paprika, salt and black pepper. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and let it sit on medium heat for approximately 4-5 hours or until it thickens. In a separate bowl, mix the soy sauce with the vinegar and sugar. Take the casserole off the heat and add the soy sauce mixture, to give the casserole a sweet and sour flavouring. Finish with chopped fresh parsley.

korean crispy chicken (Adam Handling)

for 5                                             for 2

FOR THE STICKY SAUCE

• 30g unsalted butter             12g
• 1 onion, finely chopped       1/4
  
• 30g grated ginger.               12g
  
• 110g white sugar                 40g
  
• 50ml soy sauce                   20ml
  
• 50g Gochujang                    20g
  
• 50ml rice vinegar                 20ml
  

FOR THE CHICKEN

• 500g chicken thighs             200g
  
• deboned, cut into pieces (leave the skin on)
• ½ tablespoon black pepper  1tsp
  
• 50ml soy sauce                     20ml         
  
• 70g potato starch                  30g
  
• (N.B. can use corn flour or tapioca flour)

FOR THE GARNISH

• Fresh coriander leaves (optional)
• Fresh lime

Method

For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and ginger and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until they’re softened. Pour in the sugar and dissolve. Add the Gochujang, vinegar and soy sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes on a low heat, until the liquid has reduced. You want to achieve a spicy, sticky sauce.

For the chicken, add the pepper and soy sauce to the chicken and leave to marinate for a few hours (it’s not essential but it adds to the overall depth of flavour).

Cover the chicken in the potato starch, this will ensure a crispy texture. Fry the meat in a hot pan of oil. Remove almost all of the chicken and add 2 large tablespoons of sauce to the pan. Stir the sauce – the small amount of oil should loosen the sauce. Add the chicken and stir until all the pieces are evenly covered in sauce.

For serving, arrange the sticky chicken on a plate and serve with some fresh coriander leaves scattered on the top and lime wedges on the side.

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.