Chicken Poule Au Pot

Recipe for: CHICKEN POULE AU POT

Ingredients:

• 1 free-range chicken, 3-4 lbs (or you can use chicken joints)
• 1 large white onion, peeled & left whole
• 3 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 star anise
• 6 peppercorns
• 2 large carrots, peeled & cut into large chunks
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 celery sticks, trimmed and sliced into large pieces
• 1 large leek, trimmed, washed and quartered
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 10g parsley leaves

 Method:

1. Trim chicken of excess fat and place in large casserole
2. Stud the onion with the cloves and place in the put
3. Add the rest of the herbs and vegetables
4. Cover the contents with water and add pinch of salt
5. Bring the pot to the boil, then cover and reduce to a gentle simmer, skimming off any scum
6. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, checking that the chicken & veg are cooked
7. Remove the chicken and carve into large pieces
8. Strain the rest of the contents into a large bowl, retaining the broth
9. Cut the onion into four pieces and remove the cloves
10. Share the strained vegetables and chicken pieces between serving bowls
11. Taste the broth and season to taste, adding the lemon juice
12. Pour ladlefuls of broth into the bowls
13. Grind some pepper onto each bowl & top with parsley

Roasted Pork Belly with Orange & Star Anise

Recipe for: PORK – ROASTED BELLY with ORANGE & STAR ANISE

Ingredients:

·        5 oranges, halved

·        Bunch thyme, leaves picked, roughly chopped

·        Bunch rosemary, roughly chopped

·        Head of garlic, cloves peeled & chopped

·        100ml olive oil

·        2-3kg pork belly joint, rind on

·        Coarse sea salt & black pepper

·        2/3 bottle of white wine

·        For the star anise reduction:

o   500ml orange juice

o   180ml balsamic vinegar

o   160g honey

o   10 star anise

Method:

1.      Heat oven to highest

2.      Arrange orange halves on a baking tray, cut side up

3.      Put herbs, garlic and oil in food processor and blitz roughly

4.      Lay pork on top of oranges, skin side down

5.      Sprinkle with salt and pepper

6.      Using your hands spread the herb mixture evenly all over the upward-facing side of the joint, pressing so it sticks

7.      Turn the joint over so it’s now skin-side up

8.      Wipe skin dry with kitchen towel and sprinkle with sea salt

9.      Roast at full blast for 60 minutes, turning the tray round half way through

10.   Turn heat down to 160C

11.   Pour white wine into base of baking tray

12.   Roast for another 60 minutes

13.   If skin begins to blacken, cover with foil

14.   Turn oven right down to 110C

15.   Roast for another hour, uncovered until skin has crackled & thoroughly dried

16.   Meanwhile prepare the star anise reduction:

a.      Put ingredients in a small pan & stir over medium heat

b.      Simmer for 45-60 minutes until sauce is thick &reduced to one third

c.      Remove from heat & keep warm

17.   Remove meat from the oven and allow to rest before carving into chunks

18.   Dot with oranges & star anise, pouring on a little of the reduction

Beef in Guinness

Recipe for: BEEF IN BEER/ GUINNESS

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1½ kg shin of beef, cubed (or use chuck or stewing beef)
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 2 tblsp sunflower oil and/ or butter
• 50g seasoned flour
• 500-700ml good strong dark ale or Guinness (NEVER use lager)
• Sprigs of thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives, tied together in muslin to form a bouquet garni
• 1 tblsp tomato puree (optional)
• Salt & pepper
• 2 bay leaves

 Method:

1. heat the oven to 140C/ fan 120C
2. toss the cubed meat in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess
3. in a large flame-proof casserole put the oil and/ or butter, then brown the meat all over in batches – do not over-crowd the pan, or it will steam rather than fry.  Set the beef aside.
4. add more butter and/ or oil to the pan, then fry the onions until lightly browned – about ten minutes
5. add any leftover flour from coating the meat, stirring around frequently
6. add the beer or Guinness to the pan , stirring to incorporate all the leftover scrapings from frying the meat.  The onions & flour should thicken the liquid slightly.
7. add the tomato puree, if using, and the bouquet garni, bay leaves & salt & pepper
8. return the meat to the casserole & stir to incorporate, then bring back to a low simmer
9. cover tightly & transfer to the oven, to cook for 2-3 hours
10. check occasionally to make sure it’s not drying out or cooking too quickly
11. when it’s ready, fish out the bouquet garni & discard

Cornish Nasty

Recipe for: CORNISH NASTY (PASTY)

Ingredients:

• For the pastry:
• 125g butter, chilled & diced
• 125g lard, diced
• 500g plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
• For the filling:
• 350g beef skirt or chuck steak, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into small dice
• 175g swede, peeled & cut into small dice
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper

 Method:

1. rub the salt, butter & lard into the flour using fingertips or processor until you have fine breadcrumbs
2. blend in 6-8 tablespoons of water to make a firm dough
3. cut into four pieces, cover & chill for 20-30 minutes
4. heat oven to 220C/ fan 200C/ gas 7
5. mix together the filling ingredients + pinch salt
6. roll out each piece of dough into a circle or an oval
7. spoon a quarter of the filling into the middle of the dough, leaving a pastry margin all the way around
8. brush the pastry around the open edge
9. either fold over to seal the pastry at one side (Cornish), or else gather up both sides to meet at the top (Yorkshire).  Make sure the pastry is sealed all the way round.
10. brush the pastry with beaten egg
11. pierce the pastry at the top with a fork to allow steam to escape
12. lift onto an oiled, non-stick baking sheet
13. make the other three pasties the same way
14. bake in the oven for ten minutes, then lower temperature to 180C/ fan 160C/ gas4 and cook for another 40-45 minutes until golden brown

 What else you need to know:

1. can be eaten immediately, cooled & re-heated or frozen
2. serve with LOTS of gravy & a green veg

Monkfish with Chorizo, Fennel & Chickpeas

Recipe for: MONKFISH with CHORIZO, FENNEL & CHICKPEAS

Ingredients:

·        250g – 500g monkfish tail, filleted from bone and cut into 8 – 12 pieces

·        50g plain flour, seasoned with salt & pepper

·        75g butter

·        Small head fennel, core removed, very thinly sliced

·        50g – 100g chorizo, cut into very thin slices, or very small dice

·        1 tin chickpeas, drained & rinsed

·        Dash of olive oil

Method:

1.      Roll the monkfish pieces in the seasoned flour to coat

2.      Melt the butter in a frying pan until it almost colours, then gently cook the monkfish pieces for three to five minutes (depending on size & thickness).  Ensure fish is cooked through, and nicely browned on outside.

3.      Remove fish from pan & keep warm in a dish for a few minutes

4.      Add olive oil to the butter in the pan, and sauté the fennel for a few minutes until softened

5.      Remove the fennel and keep warm in another dish

6.      Add the chorizo and cook for a few moments until the fat begins to run

7.      Add the drained chickpeas and warm through

8.      Return the fennel to the pan, and mix everything together

9.      Plate up by spreading the mixture onto two plates

10.   Serve the monkfish fillets on top.

What else you need to know:

1.      This is a really tasty combination, which works really well.

Courgette Fritters

Recipe for: COURGETTE FRITTERS

Ingredients:

·        500g courgettes, coarsely grated

·        50g plain flour (or gram flour if you want pakoras)

·        4-6 spring onions, finely chopped

·        3 eggs, beaten

·        90g feta cheese, crumbled

·        Small handful mint, finely chopped

·        Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

·        1 garlic clove, finely minced

·        Zest of one lemon, finely grated

·        Salt & freshly ground pepper

·        Green chillie, finely chopped (optional)

·        Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1.      Put the grated courgettes in a bowl, and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.  Only the solid matter is required.

2.      Add in all the other ingredients, except for the vegetable oil, mixing thoroughly.  You should end up with a fairly thick batter/ dough.  If it’s too sloppy, add a little more flour.

3.      Heat 3mm of oil in a frying pan, and ensure that it is hot enough by dropping in a small bread cube, which should brown in about 10 seconds.

4.      Ladle in large tablespoons-full of the batter, flattening each fritter with the back of a spoon.

5.      Do not overcrowd the pan – cook the fritters in batches & keep warm.

6.      Cook fritters each side for 3-4 minutes, until nicely browned, then carefully turn over and cook the other side for the same amount of time.

7.      Drain the fritters on kitchen paper and eat immediately.

What else you need to know:

1.      These are really easy to do & delicious

2.      You can vary the ingredients with different herbs, parmesan, more onion etc, or add a little chillie to make a kind of pakora

3.      Great as a vegetable side dish, or on their own with dipping sauces

4.      Best eaten fresh, but you can keep them in the fridge & reheat under the grill or in the toaster

Cornish Nasties

Recipe for: CORNISH NASTY (PASTY)

Ingredients:

• For the pastry:
• 125g butter, chilled & diced
• 125g lard, diced
• 500g plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
• For the filling:
• 350g beef skirt or chuck steak, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into small dice
• 175g swede, peeled & cut into small dice
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper

 Method:

1. rub the salt, butter & lard into the flour using fingertips or processor until you have fine breadcrumbs
2. blend in 6-8 tablespoons of water to make a firm dough
3. cut into four pieces, cover & chill for 20-30 minutes
4. heat oven to 220C/ fan 200C/ gas 7
5. mix together the filling ingredients + pinch salt
6. roll out each piece of dough into a circle or an oval
7. spoon a quarter of the filling into the middle of the dough, leaving a pastry margin all the way around
8. brush the pastry around the open edge
9. either fold over to seal the pastry at one side (Cornish), or else gather up both sides to meet at the top (Yorkshire).  Make sure the pastry is sealed all the way round.
10. brush the pastry with beaten egg
11. pierce the pastry at the top with a fork to allow steam to escape
12. lift onto an oiled, non-stick baking sheet
13. make the other three pasties the same way
14. bake in the oven for ten minutes, then lower temperature to 180C/ fan 160C/ gas4 and cook for another 40-45 minutes until golden brown

 What else you need to know:

1. can be eaten immediately, cooled & re-heated or frozen
2. serve with LOTS of gravy & a green veg