200g Self raising flour
150g Golden caster sugar
75g Unsalted butter
125ml Whole milk
About a dozen plums, cut in half and stoned
The zest of half a clementine
A good squeeze of honey
1/2Tsp Ground cinnamon
A handful of roughly chopped mixed nuts (I used brazil, hazel, almond and walnuts)
1 Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Tip the plums into an ovenproof dish, then cover with with the honey, zest, cinnamon and 50g sugar. Give it all a quick stir, then pop in the oven.
2 In a large bowl, mix together the flour and the remaining 100g of the sugar. Grate in the butter, then use your fingertips to gently rub everything together into a fine, breadcrumb-like mix. Stir in the milk to form a thick, doughy batter.
3 Take the fruit out of the oven. Spoon large blobs of the cobbler mix on top, scatter with nuts and bake for 30-40 minutes (or until browned and a skewer comes out of the topping clean).
Saturday 31 December 2011
Plum cobbler
Wednesday 28 December 2011
Tuesday 27 December 2011
Sunday 18 December 2011
Jewelled dukkah crusted lamb shoulder
I first tried dukkah a couple of years ago. In that instance it played part of a Maria Elia recipe; juicy watermelon wedges plunged into a bowl of dukkah as a canape - very much a ‘YES’ moment. Traditionally hazelnuts are used in this Egyptian dip, but this morning I raided the Christmas nut bowl in a gesture of ‘Renegade spice assemblage’.
For a small jar of dukkah
2Tbsp Sesame seeds
2Tbsp Chopped mixed nuts (I used a blend of hazel, almond, walnut & brazil nuts)
1Tbsp Cumin seeds
1Tbsp Coriander seeds
1Tsp black peppercorns
1Tsp Sea salt
1/2Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2Tsp dried mint
Toast the sesame seeds, nuts, cumin seeds and coriander seeds in heavy pan until they’ve toasted lightly. Allow to cool, then tip into a coffee grinder with the peppercorns, salt, cinnamon and mint. Blitz until fine.
Jewelled dukkah crusted lamb shoulder
(I used) 0.75kg Rolled lamb shoulder (cooking times will vary depending on the size of your meat)
2Tbsp Olive oil
6Tbsp Dukkah
1 Pomegranate
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Rub the lamb with olive oil, then place in an ovenproof dish. Gently sprinkle the dukkah over the meat (you may have to fill in gaps here and there with your fingers), then roast for just under an hour until the lamb is blushing. To serve, scatter pomegranate seeds over the meat (a good squeeze of juice over the top is a good thing too).
Friday 16 December 2011
Gluten-free stollen
Monday 12 December 2011
Rabbit, mushroom and ramson bulb pate
200g Rabbit livers
200g Chicken livers
100g Chestnut mushrooms, roughly torn
100g butter
3 bacon rashers, chopped
4 Large ramson bulbs
Fresh thyme leaves
Bay leaves
A splash of sherry
Salt and pepper
Fry the bacon in an oiled pan until crispy, then add the mushrooms to soften. Stir in the livers, brown for a few minutes (try not to cook them all the way through) then add the thyme, bay, chopped garlic and butter. Season, get a splash of sherry on the scene and stir through until the butter has melted. Spoon into a food processor, give it a brief blitz (I don’t like it too smooth), then spoon into ramekins. Create a seal with some clarified butter and a couple of bay leaves.
Friday 9 December 2011
Monday 5 December 2011
Membrini
Monday 28 November 2011
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Gingerbread houses
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Sunday 20 November 2011
Sunday 13 November 2011
Roast guinea fowl, chicory and walnut salad
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:
Saturday 12 November 2011
Sunday 6 November 2011
Saturday 29 October 2011
Monday 17 October 2011
Pumpkiny chilli with saffron rice
FOR THE CHILLI
A small piece of root ginger, grated
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 Red chilli, chopped (remove seeds if you don’t want it too hot)
1 Star anise
1 Large onion, finely chopped
1tsp Fennel seeds
500g Minced beef
1 Tin of chopped tomatoes
400ml Beef stock
2tsp Paprika
1tsp Ground cumin
1 Tin of kidney beans
A large handful of chopped mushrooms
200g pumpkin, cut into small cubes
Cayenne pepper
Chopped parsley
Feta cheese, to serve
FOR THE SAFFRON RICE
240g Basmati rice
A pinch of saffron strands
1 Soften the ginger, garlic and chilli in a pan with the star anise, then stir in the onion and fennel seeds. After a few minutes add the mince; once it has browned get the mushrooms on the scene.
2 Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stock, then stir in the pumpkin and kidney beans. Season, then finally add the paprika and cumin before simmering for a good 20-25 minutes. If your chilli’s a bit on the mild side sprinkle some Cayenne in for extra fire.
3 To make the saffron rice, first rinse the rice a few times in luke warm water to get rid of some of the starch. Cover the rice in a pan with cold water (so that the level is approximately 1cm above the rice), sprinkle in the saffron and place on a medium heat. Avoid the temptation to stir. When the water has reached a fast bubble, turn down to low for 5 minutes. You’re on the right track if little holes start appearing on the surface of the rice. Kill the heat and put a lid on the pan; fluff the rice occasionally with a fork.
4 Just before serving, stir some chopped parsley into the chilli. Serve with feta cheese crumbled on top.
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Quinces roasted in Pineau des Charentes
Remember the opening credits to Quincy M.E.? A recurrent clip is interspersed throughout episode footage (mostly snippets of Quincy in a blind rage, shouting at someone); we’re led to believe that it shows him inspecting a dead body on a post-mortem table. But wait! The camera zooms out to reveal our hero ‘examining’ a bikini-clad lady’s shoulder on a yacht, moored up in a posh harbour! The cad! They toast a pair of gin & tonics - I swear that hers is laced with anaesthetic snaffled from the lab though. He’s not quite right that Quincy is he?
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click here
Reader, I apologise. I feel that I’ve lured you here under the pretence of offering warming autumnal sustenance, only to digress with talk of a 1970s American TV series*. Many thanks to the lovely Silvana de Soissons for a bagful of gorgeous Quinces - I plan on making a batch of membrillo with the remaining fruit, but couldn’t resist roasting a few up on Sunday for dessert. It’s really worth trying to track down a bottle of Pineau (to drink as well as to cook with); I had the good fortune to visit the Charente Valley in the summer, but Oddbins stock it. Serves 4.
*Which was never a patch on Columbo, I might add.
4 Quinces, quartered and cored
1 Wine glass of Pineau des Charentes (use port or sherry if you can’t get hold of this)
Zest and juice of 1 orange
4Tbsp Honey
6 Cloves
2 Star anise
1 Cinnamon stick, broken up
Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Arrange the quinces in a large baking dish, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook in the oven for about an hour, turning the quinces regularly and spooning the juice over the softening fruit. Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Thursday 6 October 2011
Chunky root vegetable soup with cheesy pesto toasts
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Mushrooming at Ardanaiseig
Sunday 25 September 2011
Monday 12 September 2011
Five spice duck with damson relish
Autumn abounds; sepia tendrills creep through trees and hedgerows. The dichroic blur of a dragonfly glances across river surface as I fill the basket with damsons, wild carrot heads twisting themselves into forlorn curls along the muddy track. The countryside is contemplating the onset of winter. Serves 4.
4 Duck breasts, skin on
Chinese five spice powder
200g Damsons
A small piece of fresh root ginger, grated
1/2 Red onion, thinly sliced
4Tbsp Caster sugar
A splash of rosehip vinegar
The zest and juice of 1 orange
1 Star anise
Groundnut oil
1 Gently soften the ginger, onion and orange zest in a small pan while you de-stone the damsons. Stir in the fruit, sugar, star anise, orange juice and vinegar, then cook for a further 10 minutes (if your damsons are a touch astringent you may have to add a little extra sugar along the way). Leave to cool.
2 Spoon 3 tablespoons of five spice onto a large plate, then add salt and pepper. Roll each breast in the powder, then put to one side. If you like your duck skin extra crispy, score a criss-cross pattern into the skin with a sharp knife before seasoning.
3 Fry the duck breasts skin side down for 7-10 minutes until the skin is crispy. Turn the breasts over and cook for a further 5-7 minutes. Rest (the duck breasts - not you), slice, then serve in warm tortillas with spring onions and a good dollop of the relish.
ALSO GOOD TO MAKE NOW
Monday 5 September 2011
Beetroot crisps with fennel salt
Thursday 1 September 2011
Ossobuco alla Milanese
Food styling: Lizzie Harris
Prop styling: Arabella McNie
Sunday 28 August 2011
Green tomato ketchup
700g Green tomatoes
1 Green pepper
A small piece of root ginger, grated
2 Large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely sliced
A small handful of chopped carrot tops (optional)
100ml White wine vinegar
75g Light muscovado sugar
1Tsp Cumin seeds
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Groundnut oil
Salt and pepper
1 Finely chop the tomatoes and green pepper. Simmer the garlic, ginger, onion and cumin seeds in a shallow pan with some oil, then stir in the toms and pepper. Keep on the simmer for 10 minutes or so, stirring regularly.
2 Pour in the vinegar, then add the sugar, carrot tops, cayenne and some seasoning. Keep on the heat until everything has become soft and pulpy, then blitz in a food processor and squash through a sieve into a bowl. Pour the ketchup into sterilised bottles.
Monday 15 August 2011
Blackberry cheesecake mini-pots
6 Hobnob biscuits, crushed
20g Melted unsalted butter
150g Blackberries
2Tbsp Caster sugar
A squeeze of orange juice
250g Mascarpone cheese
6Tbsp Double cream
4Tbsp Icing sugar
1 Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin, pour the crumbs into a bowl and stir in the the melted butter. Divide and squash the mixture into the bottom of each pot. Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
2 Heat the Blackberries, caster sugar and orange juice in a pan for a few minutes; until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have softened and released some of their juices.
3 Whisk the cream until it starts to thicken, then fold in the mascarpone and icing sugar.
4 Add a layer of blackberries to the bottom of each pot, then fill with the creamy cheesecake mix. Top with more blackberries and a drizzle of juice.