Peak

Food styling: Cassie Best
Prop styling: Sue rowlands

Roast chicken, squash and juniper one-pot

Juniper is a wild quarry that stubbornly continues to evade my capture. I've trudged through untold heaths in search of its dark, indigo-hued berries, but I fear the odds are against me. Juniper’s fruit ripens only once every two years, so even if I do ever chance upon one, it could be a lengthy wait. Juniper and Squash/Pumpkin work wonderfully well together, especially in this Wintry one-pot that uses up leftovers from a roast chicken.

200g Roughly torn roasted chicken
A medium-sized Butternut squash, skin removed, de-seeded and cut into 2cm cubes.
1 Onion, cut into wedges
1 Garlic clove
A dozen Juniper berries, crushed gently (but not too much)
A sprig of Rosemary, leaves stripped from the stalk
Bay leaves
About a pint of chicken stock

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. In an oven and hob-proof dish, Gently heat the garlic and rosemary in a splash of olive oil, before adding the onion. Stir through for a few minutes, then add the chicken, squash and juniper berries. Let everything get to know each other on the heat for a further 5 minutes, season, then pour in the stock.
2 Pop a lid on the dish and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife easily slips through a chunk of squash.

Mulled

Merry Christmas everyone, best wishes for 2013!

Coconut-ice marshmallows

Shot for BBC Good Food Magazine, January '13 issue
Recipe and food styling: Sarah Cook
Prop styling: Tony Hutchinson

Chestnuts in Cognac & vanilla syrup

Recipe & Food styling: Mary Cadogan
Prop styling: Stuart Ovenden

Find the recipe here

A Quick Sweet Chestnut Stuffing

I've spoken before about the giant Sweet Chestnut that arcs above my fellow Commuters and I as we wait for the train each morning. A light scattering of Chestnuts nestle among the briefcases and steaming coffees on platform one; I have just enough time to hunt around in the leaves and gather the best that have fallen the previous day before hopping on the train to Metropolis. By the time Friday arrives, I have a bulging pocketful, ready to fashion into something tasty at the weekend.

A coat pocketful of Sweet Chestnuts, roasted and shelled

1 Onion

2 Garlic cloves

About 8 Sage leaves

A pinch of dried Oregano

A thick slice of stale white bread (crust if you've got it)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blitz; the wetness of the chestnuts and onion helps bind the stuffing together without the need of egg. Roast in the cavity of your Sunday Chicken, or roll into Crab apple-sized balls, place on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 3o minutes (200C/fan 180C/gas 6) until golden.

Roast Mallard with sour cherry shallots

This feels about as Autumnal as things get. For the last few weeks I've been busy stocking the freezer with Pigeon, Pheasant and Wild duck; this recipe makes for a perfect Sunday lunch after a crisp, country walk. Serve with celeriac chips or mash.

1 Wild Duck (One Mallard will serve two, Teal and Widgeon are smaller so you’d need one each)

Salt and pepper

A large knob of soft butter

12 shallots, ends trimmed and peeled

Olive oil

A handful of dried sour cherries

A large wine glassful of sherry (not too dry)

1Tsp Honey

A few thyme sprigs

1 Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Rub the butter into the duck skin, season well then sit on a metal roasting dish. Toss the shallots in a little olive oil then arrange around the bird. Roast for 35 minutes, basting the duck and turning the shallots regularly.

2 Remove the duck from the dish, cover with foil and leave in a warm place to rest. Drain off any fatty juice into a bowl and put the metal dish onto the hob. Pour in the sherry, thyme, honey and cherries, then simmer with the shallots on a medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes, until the sherry has reduced and the cherries have swollen.