Migas with fried Quail's eggs

This is my take on the popular Spanish dish Migas. Recipes differ from region to region; more than often chorizo is used in addition to the bacon. I've tried to adhere to a breakfasty ethos with my ingredient selection here, but the dish can be easily adapted to include chorizo. Serves 2.

6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces

A large chunk of stale white bread

2 large garlic cloves, grated

2Tsp smoked paprika

1Tsp dried oregano

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Fresh parsley

6 Quail's eggs

1 Tear the bread into small pieces (alternatively, give the bread a brief whizz in a food processor - not too much though, you don't want fine breadcrumbs). 

2 Fry the bacon in a glug of olive oil until crispy, then add the garlic. After a minute or so stir in the bread (you might need an extra splash of oil at this point); fry until it starts to take on some colour, then add the paprika, oregano and some seasoning. Keep on the heat until the bread is golden.

3 Serve with fried Quail's eggs and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Pan-fried Venison with parsley polenta and red wine sauce

Although most game is a concern of the Autumn and Winter months, there are certain wild meats that can be enjoyed all year round. Wood Pigeon is great at this time of year, as is my old buddy-pal Thumper. A freshly killed Rabbit flashed above the hot coals of a barbecue is a rare treat. The venison season for certain species of deer can start as early as July (Red deer stags) and finish at the beginning of May (Fallow bucks), so the season isn't quite as brief as one might expect. Truly wild Venison can be trickier to find in the summer months, although farmed is readily available all year round. This recipe works equally well with beef. Serves 4.

4 Venison steaks

150g Quick cook polenta

1 Litre Chicken stock, plus an extra 150ml for the red wine sauce

100g Mature Cheddar cheese, grated

2 Garlic cloves, finely grated

A handful of flatleaf parsley leaves

A splash of red wine

3 Juniper berries

Olive oil

1 Cook the polenta according to the pack instructions, then stir in the Cheddar, garlic, parsley and season to taste.

2 Heat a splash of olive oil in a non-stick pan (you can cook the meat on the BBQ if the sun's out). Season the venison steaks, then sear for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the meat onto a plate to rest. 

3 De-glaze the pan with a generous slosh of red wine, then add the remaining 150ml of stock and the juniper berries. Keep the sauce on a quick bubble, until it has reduced and has thickened nicely.

4 To plate up, slice the venison steaks and arrange on top of a plate of polenta. Spoon over the red wine sauce and serve with a few sprigs of fresh parsley.

Garden herb trout

My son Rafferty was born a week ago today. He's a beautiful but somewhat nocturnal soul; in these sleep-deprived times the cooking is being kept quick and simple at Appledrane HQ. Heat an oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Wedge two large bay leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, parsley and some wild fennel fronds into the inner cavity of a rainbow trout, season well, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 2o minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, buttery Jersey royals and steamed asparagus spears. Time for an early night...

Griddled lamb cutlets with cannellini beans and baby leeks

It seems like a perpetual sneer of drizzle has trained itself against the kitchen window this morning. It paused briefly at about eleven, but resumed its sulk hastily when I dared step into the garden. The parsley is nonplussed; in fact it seems to be flourishing in this mild, wet weather. I use this yoghurty marinade for Lamb all year round - on the barbeque is best, but until that time arrives the griddle pan is a sturdy and reliable friend.

12 Lamb cutlets, French trimmed
8 Baby leeks
400g Tinned cannellini beans, drained
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Red onion, finely chopped
1 Red chilli, finely chopped
1 Garlic clove, finely sliced
Butter
Fresh parsley, to serve

FOR THE MARINADE
A small 170g tub of natural yoghurt
A small handful of chopped fresh mint
4 Large garlic cloves, finely grated
2Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1 The night before, mix the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish, then coat the cutlets in the mixture. Cover with clingfilm and pop in the fridge.
2 Melt a knob of butter in a saute pan on a low heat, then soften the onion, chilli, thyme and garlic for about 20 minutes. Add the leeks and keep everything on low for a further 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
3 Heat a griddle pan until scorching hot (brush with oil). Remove the cutlets from the marinade (spoon off any large blobs of yoghurty mixture), then sear for 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and leave to rest.
4 Stir the cannellini beans into the softening vegetables, season well and leave on the heat for a final 5 minutes. Add an extra knob of butter just before serving, for a bit of gloss and extra butteryness. Serve the cutlets and veg with a scattering of fresh parsley.

Roast guinea fowl, chicory and walnut salad

Winter’s boney fingers have felt their way through the garden. Mint’s on its last legs; the chives look set to follow suit in due course. Parsley that once spilled out of the herb beds onto the lawn looks austere, albeit with small flickers of new growth next to the wall. I’ll be damned if I won’t get one last hurrah out of these chaps, whether it’s a mixed herb pesto (see here), or this simple salad using the least-crestfallen of the remaining leaves.

1 Guinea fowl

Garlic cloves

4 Chicory heads (I used a mixture of red and green)

A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves

A bunch of chives, finely snipped

A handful of de-shelled walnuts

About 100ml sherry or port

A small handful of raisins

Olive oil

1 Large lemon

Salt and pepper

1 The night before, leave the raisins to soak and plump up in the sherry. Preheat the oven to 180c/fan160c/gas 4. Brush the guinea fowl with olive oil, then season. Use a knife to make a few holes in the breast and legs, then wedge in some garlic cloves. Cover with baking foil and roast for one hour (remove the foil 45 mins in to let the bird go golden). Allow to cool for a bit, then remove the meat with a pair of forks.

2 Pour 6tbsp olive oil into a jam jar, then squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Season well, pop the lid on and shake. Arrange the chicken and chicory on a large plate or platter. Scatter over parsley, chives and walnuts. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then spoon over the swollen raisins.

ANOTHER WALNUT RECIPE TO TRY:

Wild walnut, stilton and honey foccacia

Ossobuco alla Milanese

Shot for BBC Good Food Magazine October 2011 issue

Recipe: Anna del Conte
Food styling: Lizzie Harris
Prop styling: Arabella McNie

Chunky fish and potato stew

Circa 1987, having a food-based forename lent itself to some pretty

creative verbal roughhousing at school.

"Yeah? Well, why don't you make a stew, cook it in an oven, then

eat it in your den? With some art".

Or words to such effect. Even at the time it was amusing in it's absence of bite;

I just thanked my lucky stars that I wasn't Michael Pratt come morning break.

This week it's all about fish stew; complete with art (primitive chalk spoon),

briefly cooked in an oven and consumed in an impromptu residence under

the stairs. I lied about the stairs bit.

Serves 4

400g Skinless sustainable white fish (I used Coley)

400g Red skinned pototoes, cut into rough chunks

120g Chorizo, chopped into small pieces

1 Large red onion, sliced

1 Red chilli, chopped

1 Green chilli, chopped

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 Tomatoes, chopped

2tsp Smoked paprika

300ml Fish stock

1 Bay leaf

A few thyme sprigs, stalks removed

A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Briefly soften the garlic and chilli in a

pan on the hob before stirring in the chorizo; then add the onion, thyme and bay.

Sauté everything for 5-10 minutes on a medium heat. Tip in the potatoes,

sprinkle with paprika, then add the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for about

10 minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly, and the potatoes are nearly done.

Pour everything into an oven-proof dish, then carefully stir in the fish. Put the lid on

and pop into the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley

and crusty bread.

Barney's pigeon & hedgerow salad

One one my favourite recipes, created by the wonderful Barney Desmazery. Recipe here - it's a joy...

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12232/pigeon-and-hedgerow-salad