Whole Roast Cauliflower

Cauliflowers are fantastic at this time of year, and I’m lucky to live close to Lincolnshire, a county with rich, alluvial fenland soil ideal for growing this wonderful vegetable.

I cook cauliflower many ways but this is as simple as it gets and always looks impressive, either served to the table as a whole or sliced thickly and served as one slice on the plate as a side dish.

Ingredients (will serve 4 as a side depending on the size of the cauliflower!)

1 Cauliflower

1 tsp paprika (optional)

1 lemon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 180C. Trim the outside leaves from the cauliflower to leave just the curds, but do not separate into florets.

2) Place the cauliflower on a sheet of tinfoil, anoint with a little olive oil, squeeze over the juice from the lemon, season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle with paprika (if using).

3) Wrap the foil tightly around the cauliflower and place on a roasting tin in the centre of the oven.  Cook for 60-90 minutes.

Unwrap and serve.  How simple is that?  The cauli should be lightly browned and still quite firm in the centre.  The beauty of roasting is that the flavour isn’t diluted with any water, I urge you to give this a go!

Orrechiette with broccoli and chorizo

Not a classic Italian dish but a twist on the Puglian original.  If making your own pasta seems a little arduous feel free to buy in some orrechiette and adjust the cooking times according to the packet.  This pasta shape is named after its resemblance to ‘little ears’ and its slightly tougher texture (due to the lack of eggs in the dough) makes it perfect here.  The olive oil becomes part of the sauce and so I tend to use the best that I have.  For a pescatarian alternative see my previous blog using anchoviesand garlic in place chorizo and onions.

Ingredients (to serve 2)

200g pasta, or strong bread flour

1 large head of broccoli

1 large onion

Olive oil

1 lemon

100g chorizo sausage

Directions

1) Add enough water to the flour to form a very firm paste (just enough to bring it together) and work until you feel a change of texture, this should take 5-10 minutes. Allow to rest for 1 hour in the ‘fridge.

2) On a lightly floured surface work your pasta dough into a long thin sausage and cut into small rounds (about the size of a £1 coin), squash these flat with your thumb to give the ‘little ear’ appearance.

3) Bring a large saucepan of very well salted water to the boil.

4) Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan, cut an onion in half and then thin semi circles, add to the pan to soften. Season well with pepper and a little salt.

5) Cut the chorizo into thin circles and add to the onions, allow the fat to render and then turn up the heat to brown a little.

6) Divide the broccoli into bitesize florets and add to the boiling, salted water.  Once the pan has returned to the boil wait 2 minutes and then add the pasta.

7) As the pasta cooks (2-3 minutes) add the juice of half of the lemon to the chorizo pan and lower the heat.

8) Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the frying pan, combine all of the ingredients, taste and check for seasoning before serving with a lemon wedge.

The pasta should have a nice bite to it and the broccoli should be almost totally soft but still beautifully verdant.  I never serve this pasta with cheese, it clashes with the lemony, chili based sauce, if you’re a fan of spice a pinch of chili flakes is a welcome addition. 

Cauliflower and Leek Gratin

This is lovely, simple main dish to warm the cockles on these cold autumn / winter nights.

Ingredients

1 small cauliflower

3 leeks

100ml whole milk

100ml stock (meat or veg)

Tblsp butter

Tblsp plain flour

100g strong cheese (I like to use a mixture of stilton and Lincolnshire Poacher)

2 tblsp breadcrumbs (optional)

Salt and pepper

Directions

1) In a large heavy based saucepan melt the butter and flour together to form a roux (paste) over a medium heat, cook out for 2-3 minutes but do not allow to colour.

2) Add half of the milk and stir continually until a thick sauce is formed before adding the other half and then the stock, stirring all of the while to prevent lumps from forming.  Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary.

3) Clean and cut the leeks into small rounds, and separate the cauliflower into florets, add both to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until all are tender.

4) Transfer the sauce / vegetable mixture to an ovenproof dish, scatter with breadcrumbs (if using) and grate the cheese(s) over the top.

5) Place in a high oven or under the grill until the cheese is browned and bubbling.

I love this served with simple steamed veg, or even with a jacket potato for a hearty supper, it’s well worth the effort of making that white sauce…

Pork and stilton sausage rolls

I apologise for the blurred photo but these never hang around long enough to be photographed carefully...

Sausage rolls are an indulgent treat and have always been a celebration staple in my house, usually served warm and in vast quantities courtesy of my mother.

I've included the pastry recipe as I love homemade and it's really not too difficult to make.  In reality shop bought is almost as good so feel free to substitute.

Ingredients (to make a celebratory quantity);

500g plain flour
250g lard
250g butter
Cold water
1kg good quality chipolatas (my favourites are obviously from Lincolnshire)
250g stilton or other strong cheese
1 egg

Directions

1) Ensure that the butter and lard are straight from the 'fridge, pinch off pound coin sized pieces of each and add to the flour in a mixing bowl.

2) Add just enough cold water to bring together and then work lightly until you have pastry, try to keep everything cold as the fat should not melt at this point (it should still be present in large lumps).  Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the 'fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3) On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of around 1cm and then fold both ends into the middle.  Turn through 90 degrees and repeat.  Repeat this step 7 times, giving the pastry layers.  Wrap in cling film and Leave to rest in the 'fridge for a further 30 minutes.

4) Cut the pastry in half (for ease of working) and then roll out into a strip about 10 cm wide, repeat with the other half of the pastry. Crack the egg and mix with a fork in a bowl.

5) Skin the sausages (cut with a small knife and then simply squeeze the meat out) and lay the meat along the middle of the pastry.  Crumble the cheese over the top and fold over the pastry, sealing with the egg wash and crimping.

6) Place the sausage rolls on a greased baking tray and egg wash, cook at 180C for around 30 minutes or until golden.  Take out of the oven and re egg wash half way through cooking for a professional, shiny finish!

Try to allow the sausage rolls to cool before you tuck in (this rarely happens in my house).

Pumpkin soup

A simple soup using the best that the season has to offer...

Ingredients;

Pumpkin or squash, enough to yield around 750g of flesh once prepped (equivalent to the 3 small ones pictured above)
1 large onion
2 cooking apples
1 litre of stock (vegetable or chicken)
2 tsp of cumin seeds
2 tsp of coriander seeds
Olive oil salt and pepper

Method;

1) Slice the onion and sweat with a tbsp of olive oil in a large thick based saucepan whilst you prep the pumpkins.

2) Discard the pumpkin seeds (or wash and toast in a little oil to use as a garnish) and peel the pumpkins cutting it into large cubes before adding to the sweated onions.

3) Grind the spices and add to the saucepan, allowing to toast for a minute or two before adding the stock along with the peeled, cored and chopped apples.

4) Bring to the boil and simmer until the pumpkin is totally soft (20-30 minutes), the stock should just cover the rest of the ingredients.  Taste as the soup simmers, the amount of seasoning will depend heavily on the stock (cubes tend to be very, very, very salty).

5) Once the pumpkin's soft, blitz with a stick blender unit completely smooth.  Add a little water if too thick and taste to adjust the seasoning.

This is a lovely warming taste of the season.  You can experiment by leaving out the apple or sweetening it by using apple juice instead of stock.  Cinnamon, chilli and paprika or cayenne are all good additions too...

Fig Chutney

Ok...  So it started out being quite amusing, a glut in my new garden of probably the most elusive (and most expensive) of fruits... Rarely found at all in the supermarket aisles.  To that end, this recipe as it stands is probably only for those with a fig tree, but the principles of chutney making are easily transferrable to any fruit.  At this time of year pear and apples are both fantastic in the UK and work well with this recipe.

I always find chutney making hugely therapeutic, putting something in the cupboard for the winter and making the whole house smell incredible at the same time.  This recipe is never the same twice, the spicing and the sweet / sour balance vary with my mood, so consider the one below only an example of what you may do!

As ever all quantities are extremely approximate (I never measure anything when cooking at home, life's just too short) and feel free to experiment, taste and adjust the spicing and sweet / sour balance.

Ingredients

For 1kg fresh figs (a little under ripe works ok for this recipe)
1 large onion
4 cm piece fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried red chili
1 tablespoon veg / olive oil
Approx 5 tablespoons brown sugar
Approx 125 ml cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
Enough jars to store the finished chutney, cleaned and either rinsed with boiling water, heated in a 100C oven or sterilised by other means...

Method

1)  Over a low heat soften the sliced onion for 5-10 minutes until sweet and soft and then grate in the ginger and add the spices (crumbling the chilli), cook for a further 5 minutes until fragrant.

2) Chop the figs into bite sized pieces (see above) and add to the pan with the sugar and vinegar, season.  Bring to the boil and allow to simmer slowly, reducing to the required consistency (add a lid or some water if you feel that it's getting too thick).

3) Ensure that the jars are suitably sterilised and taste the chutney after around 30 minutes.  The fruit should be soft and the vinegar and sugar mellowed, it will mellow further in the jars but if not to your taste now's the time to adjust.  If more sugar or vinegar are added, simmer for 5 minutes more to combine fully.

4) Spoon the hot chutney into the jars to within 1cm of the top and screw the top on tightly whilst still piping hot, this will help the chutney keep and also make the anti tamper button go back down on the jars (sad, but I always find this very exciting).

This chutney should store well without refrigeration for 6-12 months but is good to enjoy straight away, don't be scared now, give it a go!

Lincolnshire Poacher and spinach tortilla

Bring a little Spanish sunshine to the ‘shire!  This is a great way of combining seasonal ingredients with one of my favourite cheeses.  This tortilla can be served hot or at room temperature, it’s a great picnic staple.  Lincolnshire Poacher’s a wonderful unpasteurised hard cow’s milk cheese, it has a delicious, mature nutty flavour.  If you can’t get hold of Poacher you can substitute a mixture of mature cheddar and parmesan.

Ingredients (to feed 4)

8 eggs

2 onions

1 handful of new potatoes

Large bag of spinach

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Large handful of grated Lincolnshire Poacher cheese

Directions

1) Wash the spinach and then add to a lidded pan over a medium heat with a good seasoning of salt and pepper, as soon as the spinach starts to wilt remove from the heat, squeeze out as much liquid as you can and put aside to cool.  Once cooled squeeze into a ball, draining any residual liquid and shred finely.

2) Cut the potatoes into 1 cm dice and slice the onions, add to a 24cm non stick frying pan with a tablespoon of olive and cook over a very low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not coloured, this will take 10-15 minutes.  The pan may seem a little crowded at this stage but don’t worry, it gives the tortilla real substance!

3) Combine eggs, cheese and spinach together and use a fork to break up the egg yolks.

4) When the onions are sweet and the potatoes are softened add the egg mixture and stir through positioning the ingredients in one even layer.

5) Leave the pan over a low heat and cook for 10 minutes or so until the egg has set and you can smell a gentle nutty browning. 

6) Place a plate over the frying pan and then turn upside down, turning out the tortilla (you may have to loosen gently with a fish slice), before sliding back into the pan, now upside down, to brown on both sides.

7) Cook for a few more minutes until browned underneath and then allow to cool and set a little longer in the pan before turning out.

I prefer to serve this dish at room temperature.  This is another recipe that’s very easy to adjust, modify and make your own, enjoy!

North African flavoured broad bean dip

My supply of broad beans are coming to an end and are now a little large and tough, this recipe was an attempt to use these up (thrifty as ever) but actually tasted delicious and is well worth a go.

Ingredients (for a ramekin sized quantity)

2 large handfuls of broad beans (still in their pods)

1 garlic clove

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Paprika (to garnish)

Directions

1) Add the podded broad beans to boiling well salted water and boil for 5 minutes until tender, immediately place in cold water and then remove the tough skins and allow the bright green beans to dry and cool.

2) Add the broad beans to a blender along with all of the other ingredients except the paprika, blitz until an absolutely smooth paste.

3) Taste and adjust seasoning as you feel necessary (this is a very personal thing, but try to balance lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

4) Spoon the dip into a serving vessel and garnish with a little more olive oil and a shake of paprika.

Serve this dip at room temperature with bread or raw vegetables.

Barbecued whole sea bream

This is one of those simple recipes with which to impress (as you can see in the photo the other 3 on the plate had disappeared before I could even photograph them!).  Farmed sea bream is readily available from the supermarkets these days, it is fairly inexpensive and nicely portion sized, you could substitute for mackerel or even sea bass or red mullet / snapper here if you’re feeling rich and would like to experiment!

The flavour combination is classic and simple, very similar to those served in many a taverna around the Ionian.  The only skill here is in the cooking, you’re looking for a nice, crisp skin and moist flesh underneath, don’t be tempted to use your barbecue whilst there are still any flames in sight.  This recipe also works well in a griddle pan or under a hot grill.

Ingredients (to serve 1)

1 single portion sized fish, gutted and scaled but otherwise intact

1 garlic clove

1 slice of lemon and a wedge to serve

1 teaspoon oregano

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

1) Remove your fish from the ‘fridge at the same time as lighting the barbecue, you need your fish to be room temperature and have a brief cure / marinade.

2) Liberally oil the fish and rub all over (inside and out) with oregano lots of course salt and pepper.

3) Insert a lemon slice and a lightly crushed (but not peeled or chopped) garlic clove into the body cavity of the fish.

4) Leave well alone out of the ‘fridge for around 1 hour whilst the barbecue gets to the ‘glowing coals’ stage!

5) Place directly onto the barbecue grill, or in one of those fancy ‘fish cages’ if you have one, and leave undisturbed until the skin is well crisped.  It’s impossible to give a timing for this, I usually replace the barbecue lid and check after around 5 minutes.  Turn the fish over (it shouldn’t stick if you’ve left it long enough) and repeat to crisp the other side.  By the time that the skin’s crisped the fish should be cooked through, but if you’re unsure just check that the flesh peels away from the bones easily.

6) Serve with a lemon wedge and some salad leaves simply seasoned with good olive oil and lemon juice.

Don’t be afraid to try this, it’s very simple and makes a great change from bangers and burgers!

Strawberry and vanilla sponge

This is a cake that I produced in a mad rush as my Mother was coming around and I'd just finished a night on call...  It's maximum effect for minimum effort (believe me, I'm no great cake baker!) and it tasted great, although won't keep due to the fresh strawbs, so snaffle soon after cooking.

Ingredients

For the sponge;
175g self raising flour
175g caster sugar
175g soft unsalted butter
3 medium eggs
Tsp vanilla extract

To decorate;
4 tblsp strawberry jam
100g icing sugar
50g soft unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanila extract
Fresh strawberries (to decorate)

Directions

1) Preheat your oven to 180C and line a 20cm cake tin (I usually just liberally butter and then flour).

2) Cream together your butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, I used to do this by hand but life's too short, use a mixer!  Add your eggs one at a time whilst still mixing, along with the vanilla extract.

3) Fold your flour into the mix, being careful not to overwork it, then gently spoon into your cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

4) Remove your cake and allow it to cool on a wire rack whilst you make your buttercream and warm your jam.

5) Combine the icing sugar, butter and vanilla extract to make a vanilla buttercream.

6) Once the cake has cooled carefully cut in two with a bread knife and fill with the warmed jam.

7) Liberally cover in vanilla buttercream!

8) Slice your fresh strawberries thinly and use to decorate.

The cake went down well (my Mum's a WI cake judge so there are always a few quibbles...) and looked stunning with minimal effort.  Knock one up to impress whilst it's still strawberry season!

Asian flavoured 'veg box salad'

It's been a while since I blogged and this is very much a work day tea...  I buy a weekly vegetable box from Woodlands Farm, a business local to me that provide organic and often locally grown veg, as I'm sure that you all know schemes like this exist nationwide.  Yes, the cost is possibly more than a trip to the greengrocers, but the convenience is good, the quality is great and they often supply inspiration for my recipes.  This is just such a recipe, with a few bits from a garden, a few from the storecupboard and lots from the box!

Ingredients (quantities not included as you can vary them any way that you like!)

Rice noodles, fresh or dried
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Radish
Peppers
Carrot
Fresh mint and coriander (equal quantities)

For the dressing;
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or 1 soy and 1 fish sauce)
Juice of 1 lime (or 2 tblspoons cider or rice wine vinegar)
1 red chilli (deseeded and chopped very finely)
1 garlic clove (crushed or chopped very finely)
1 teaspoon caster sugar

Directions

1) Prepare your noodles as per packet instructions and run under cold water to cool and then drain thoroughly.

2) Chop the other salad ingredients as you desire, into bitesize chunks (the carrots are quite nice in ribbons) and finely shred the herbs.

3) Combine all of the dressing ingredients, test for balance of flavour and then toss the dressing into the salad.

I find that this salad tastes better after an hour or so in the 'fridge to allow the ingredients to get to know each other.  If you have some lying around crushed peanuts or roasted rice are a fantastic crunchy topping.

Please use this recipe as a base, modify it to your tastes and share!

Spiced pineapple and rhubarb Eton mess

Well, I've eaten a lot of rhubarb crumble and custard, the English rhubarb season's still going strong and I had a lot of egg whites hanging around as a consequence.  I also had a stray pineapple kicking around (it arrived unannounced in my fruit and veg box) and so I decided to attempt to combine the two incongruous ingredients.  

I quite like a little spice with both rhubarb and pineapple, vanilla's a must and star anise is a favourite so they made the mix.  The egg whites obviously become meringue (I had a new mixer to use) and from there it was a no brainer, I was two thirds of the way to an Eton mess!

Ingredients

For the meringue;

4 egg whites

200g castor sugar

For the compote;

1 small pineapple

5-6 stalks of rhubarb

3 star anise

1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp extract

Sugar to taste (but you will need quite a lot, rhubarb's very sharp!)

For the mess;

600ml double cream

Directions

1) To make the meringue;  Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks then add the sugar a little at a time and continue to whisk until silky.  I like my meringues gooey in the middle so I cook at 150C for around 45 minutes, but go lower and longer if you like them crisp.  Just splodge the mix onto baking parchment and then put into the pre heated oven, they don't have to be pretty you're going to crumble them anyway!  Allow to cool and steal one or two (chef's perks).

2) To make the compote;  Cut the rhubarb into chunks and add to a saucepan with a tablespoon or two of water and cook over a moderate heat, it'll release a lot of juice as it cooks.  Peel and core the pineapple and cut it into chunks, add to the pan along with the vanilla and star anise. Add sugar to taste, remember the meringues are very sweet so this compote should remain a little sharp.  Stew for around 30 minutes until the rhubarb has completely lost its texture.  Allow to cool completely.

3) To assemble;  Whip the double cream until stiff (but not butter) and then crumble in the cooled meringue and stir in the compote.  Aim for a ripple effect, don't over mix.

Serve chilled in a small portion, it's pretty stodgy stuff!

The compote's delicious on its own, I retained enough to go on top of my morning porridge for a treat..

My favourite way with asparagus

This really isn't a recipe.  Maybe more of a serving suggestion.  Perhaps a demystification.  Whatever it is it should encourage you to eat more wonderful British asparagus!

Really, don't bother buying imported, tinned, frozen or any other type, wait for the season and enjoy this wonderful ingredient for the few weeks of the year when it's at its best.

My favourite way of cooking asparagus follows....  Treat this wonderful flavour with respect and serve simply!

Ingredients

Asparagus
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Parmesan / pecorino shavings (optional)

Directions

1) Preheat a griddle pan or barbecue until smoking hot.

2) Snap off the tough asparagus stalks and discard (or keep for a stock / soup), there's no need to peel.

3) Place the asparagus on a plate to oil and season then put straight onto the griddle pan.

4) Leave the asparagus still until it has definite marks, you're looking for that charred flavour (see pictures).  Turn, char the other side and then place back on the seasoned oiled plate.

5) Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon, toss and add cheese shavings (if you're using them), eat immediately.

The asparagus should soften but still have a delicious bite and have its flavour amplified (not diluted by steaming or boiling).  This is pretty much the only way that I ever treat local British asparagus during the short season, simple but incredible!

Tandoori style spatchcock barbecue chicken

I find this the best way to cook a whole chicken on a barbecue, no real butchery skills are needed.  Careful cooking is still required, aim for the coolest part of the barbecue (obviously after the coals have burnt right down) I'm a big fan of the kettle types where you can put a lid down and part hot smoke the meat.

I find the flavour of the simple spicing here fantastic with the juiciness of a good quality chicken, you may add yoghurt to the marinade to smooth things out but I quite like this just the way that it is...  I usually serve this with a simple salad and new potatoes roasted whole on the grill.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
6 cloves of garlic
Large piece of ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp of chilli powder (to taste)
1 heaped tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder

Directions

1) First prepare your chicken.  Turn the bird breast side down and cut down both sides of the backbone and remove, flatten the whole chicken with the palm of your hand and slash the breasts and thighs/ legs down to the bone in several places.

2) Blitz or grate the ginger and garlic to a paste (I never peel my ginger but that's largely due to laziness) and combine with all of the spices, lemon juice and a good grind of salt and pepper.

3) Smear the spice mix all over the chicken and leave to marinade for as long as you have (overnight in the 'fridge or a few hours out of the fridge) ensure that it's up to room temperature prior to cooking.

4) Place the chicken breast side up on the barbecue keeping a close eye and moving regularly, you should cook it for most of the time this way up to avoid drying or burning the breasts.

5) Depending on the heat of your barbecue the chicken will take 20-30 minutes to cook and a further 10 minutes to rest.  You can check the cooking with a skewer or meat thermometer into the breasts and thighs, the juices should run clear.

I bring the chicken to the table whole and joint it for my guests, real finger food, with extra garam masala and a wedge of lemon for those who like a little freshness.

Don't be scared this is very achievable, and if you don't fancy the barbecue option it's great under a grill or in a hot oven!

Orange and fennel salad

Another quick summer salad post...

Another classic mix of ingredients...

Another recipe so simple that there's practically no excuse to not try it...

This is a lovely, crunchy, 'different' salad that's great with fish, cold meats or just on its own as a snack. I slice the fennel by hand, it has to be really quite thin so the brave amongst you may use a mandolin, I refuse to own one as I'm still mentally scarred by an incident akin to skin graft harvesting suffered when using one as a child (responsible 1980s parenting on display).

Ingredients

1 orange (blood oranges are great when in their disappointingly short season)
1 head of fennel
Good quality olive oil, salt and pepper

Directions

1) Remove the whispy herb top from the fennel and retain, remove the root / base and tough outer leaf. Slice the fennel very thinly (see above, try to avoid blood loss).

2) Segment the orange over the salad bowl (top / tail and slice down removing all peel / pith from the orange and then cut between each segment, squeeze the leftovers to extract any juice into the salad).

3) Season sparingly and then add a good glug of olive oil, taste for balance and adjust seasoning as necessary.  I like mine quite peppery, but that's a very personal thing.

4) Finely chop the fennel herb and sprinkle over the top of the salad in a vague attempt to make it look pretty.

This is another salad that's different but just as good after 24hrs refrigeration, another great reason to try it!

Enjoy and share...

Tomato, mint and caper salad

A nice straightforward summer salad using the best of what's in the garden (and the store cupboard).

I love this salad with barbecues, the mint and cider vinegar add a delicious garden freshness and cut through the richness of the meat.

As ever this is more of an idea than a recipe and can be used as a starting point to add to / substitute ingredients and make it your own (onions / olives / anchovies / garlic / lemon juice / olive oil all work well).

With a dish this simple it's really important that the tomatoes are super ripe and fresh, only make it in season and buy the best that you can afford.

Ingredients

Tomatoes to fill a dessert bowl
Tblsp capers (brined, salted or pickled are all OK here)
Small bunch of mint leaves (stalks discarded)
Tsp extra virgin rape (canola) oil
Tsp cider vinegar

Directions

1) Chop tomatoes to bitesize pieces, even if they're small cut them in two as it allows the dressing to coat / mix with the juices, add a little salt (but remember the capers will also season).

2) Finely chop the mint into ribbons (easier if rolled up into a 'cigar' first).

3) Add the tomatoes, mint and capers to the bowl with the vinegar and oil, combine well and serve.

The salad's delicious fresh but is also great the day after, the flavour will have changed and combined but not at all in a bad way!

Home cured salt beef

This is a firm favourite in our house and is another one of those homely recipes that requires a little planning ahead but little actual work.  

Salt beef / corned beef is a great first cure to try at home, it will always work, it's inexpensive and you can play adding ingredients and flavours to your heart's content.

I tend to use brisket as I think that it has a wonderful flavour and has not yet become 'trendy' enough to be expensive.

There are so many variations to the basic method here that I'll write my simple version with optional additions as we go...

Essential ingredients;

1 piece of brisket at least 1kg in weight

Around 200g salt (table is fine, we're looking for the chemical effect rather than delicate seasoning here)

Around 200g sugar, again any variety is fine, you can play with flavours.

Optional extras (for the cure);

Allspice

Cinammon

Black pepper

Coriander seed

Mustard seeds / powder

Bay

Rosemary

Thyme

Chilli

Cloves

Almost anything else that you'd like to try!

Optional extras (for the cooking);

2 carrots

1 onion

2 sticks of celery

1 tblsp english mustard

Beef bones

Directions

1) Mix together the salt /sugar and any other cure ingredients that you wish to try, they will only quite subtly flavour the meat.  Totally cover the meat in the cure (in a non-metallic dish) and refrigerate for 5-10 days.  You will notice water coming out of the meat and collecting in the container, strain this off and add more of the curing mix if you like a stronger flavour.

2) After 5-10 days your beef should resemble that pictured below, rinse off the salt and place in a pan with enough cold water to just cover.  If you add stock veg/bones at this point you end up with a delicious beef stock.

3) Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 hours skimming any scum that rises to the surface.

4) Remove the beef and strain the stock.

Variations

To serve warm;  I simply add mustard to the stock (taste, you made need to water down if too salty) and boil some potatoes and vegetables in the same stock until just tender, I then serve these with thick slice of the beef and a ladleful of the stock.

To serve cold;  I usually allow the beef to cool in the stock and then remove, chill and slice thinly with a salad or quick pickle.  Retain the stock, adjust the seasoning (again if it's too salty water it down) and use as you see fit, mine went to make the nettle soup on my previous post!

Not fancy or posh, this is just another example of the type of food that I love to cook and serve at home.

Nettle soup

I love this simple spring soup, it really is a 'something for nothing' dish.

To make this soup you need a good hearty stock base, you could use cubes but I like to make my own, it feels very virtuous.

My basic stock recipe is left over roast bones (I used the carcass from a  barbecued chicken here) 2 carrots topped and split, one onion split with the skin left on and a few sticks of celery, I add a bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme along with about 10 whole peppercorns and enough cold water to just cover the bones.  I bring to the boil, skim and then simmer for a few hours before straining, I never salt until I know how I'm going to use the stock and how much I'm going to reduce it, much more flexible that way...  For example, I used this stock to cook a piece of home cured beef before reserving it for this recipe, it added more flavour but I was very glad that I hadn't salted the stock before I'd started.

Ingredients

1 litre of good strong stock
Equal volume of fresh stinging nettle tips (best in spring for flavour and avoiding stalks as they can be very fibrous)

Directions

1) Bring the stock to the boil and add the washed nettles, return to the boil and simmer a couple of minutes, no longer or you may lose the wonderful colour.  Blitz, strain through muslin if you want it to be posh, adjust the seasoning and serve.

That's it, nowt to it.

The flavour's wonderful, very green, a little like peppery watercress or rocket and quite herbal.  I'd urge anyone to try it, it will really surprise you, just take precautions and wear gloves when you're picking those stingers...

Please, enjoy and share!

Brûlée rice pudding

Tasty, warming, comforting etc. etc.  This was my planned dessert for the MasterChef quarterfinal (unfortunately I crashed out the round before cooking this).  Again put your own mark on this, I use just vanilla but you can add cardamom, the classic nutmeg even cinnamon to the rice. I put raspberry jam in the bottom flavoured with star anise and lime, but you can use fresh raspberries cooked down to a compote (with sloe gin for a cheffy touch), any other fruit, or indeed just leave this component out.  Apologies again for the photo as a friend pointed out last week, I REALLY need a food stylist!

Ingredients (4 large portions)

300g short grain rice (arborio, carnaroli or any other variety are fine)
450ml double cream
450ml full fat milk
4 tablespoons of white caster sugar (with extra for brûlée topping)
1 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of extract)
4 tablespoons of good quality raspberry jam
Juice of 1 lime
1 star anise

Directions

1) Add the rice, milk, sugar, split vanilla pod and half of the cream to a large saucepan and bring to a very gentle simmer stirring continuously.  Watch that you don't burn this mixture and add the reserved cream as necessary to achieve a loose texture.  Check the rice for tenderness and flavour after around 1 hour, it should be completely soft, there's no room for al dente here!

2) Heat the jam (or fresh raspberries if you're using them) with the lime juice and star anise warm gently, allow to infuse for around 1 hour.

3) Place the infused jam / berries in the bottom of individual ramekins or a large dish to share, spoon the rice on top and then sprinkle the reserved sugar to completely cover the top.  You must quickly place under a hot grill or blowtorch before the sugar dissolves and allow to caramelise until dark brown.

Allow the pudding to rest a little before serving so that the sugar sets hard and cools, boiling sugar in your mouth's not fun!  This dessert really needs no accompaniment and has converted many who weren't too sure about rice pudding....

Rhubarb crumble and custard

This is so simple as to hardly be a recipe. I've not included quantities just ratios where applicable as this really is a store cupboard / fruit bowl fave and works wonderfully with any fruit (or combinations).  This one definitely makes it onto my death row dessert list...

Ingredients

Rhubarb (or other fruit of your choice, I actually added orange and apple to the one pictured here) with sugar added to taste, rhubarb takes a lot!
Plain flour
Half the flour quantity of fridge cold salted butter
Equal quantity of caster sugar (brown or white) to butter

And for the custard...

4 egg yolks
1 pint of milk (ideally full fat)
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract / paste (it's the star of the show here so avoid nasty chemical essence if possible)
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
2 teaspoons of cornflour

Method

1) Prepare your fruit first, cut into chunks and add (raw) with an appropriate amount of sugar to an ovenproof dish, remember that you have sweet crumble and custard going on top and so depending on your tastes a little tart isn't the end of the world.

2) Preheat the oven to 180C.

3) Make your crumble topping by rubbing together the cold butter, flour and sugar until they resemble breadcrumbs (ie no raw flour but still some chunks of butter).

4) Add enough topping to cover the fruit completely and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning up the heat at the end if the top's not browning.

5) Whilst the crumble's in the oven make your custard.  Heat the milk and vanilla to almost simmering point and whisk together your egg yolks, sugar and cornflour.  Add the milk to the eggs, whisk to combine and place back on the heat until thickened (do not boil unless you like sweet scrambled eggs) as soon as the custard's thickened remove from the heat and strain into a bowl / jug to stop it cooking further.

6) Eat and enjoy.

I use salted butter in my topping as I like that slight seasoning, but use unsalted if you prefer.  Custard's an essential with crumble and I find the above method the easiest way to avoid disaster, purists would remove the cornflour and add extra egg yolks but this is less stable, scrambles very easily and frankly, life's just too short.

As ever with my food, this may not win any beauty pageants or be particularly "cheffy" but it's simple and delicious!

My focaccia

This is a big dinner party hit and great with a glass of fizz as guests arrive, it's also fool proof and infinitely variable.  The picture's of a puttanesca version (shamelessly stolen from Gino D'Acampo) but salt and rosemary's the classic, olives / capers sundried tomatoes also all work well.

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour
7g sachet dried yeast
Olive oil
Warm water
A piece of old dough / spoonful of sourdough starter if you have either to hand
Toppings of your choice (anchovies, passata, olives, oregano, chilli flakes for above version)

Directions

1) Mix together the flour, yeast and olive oil with a good tsp of salt and enough warm water to form a dough slightly loser than normal bread dough, knead for 5 minutes and then form into a ball, oil place back into the bowl and cover, allow to rise until doubled in size (around 1 hour).

2) Knock back the dough and place on a well olive oiled baking tray, push into the corners so that it forms a thin sheet, push dimples into the top, cover and allow to prove for 30 minutes.

3) Preheat your oven to 250C, add your chosen topping to your focaccia adding more oil if it appears dry.

4) Cook at 250C for 10 minutes until puffed and risen and then give a further 10-20 minutes at 200C until golden brown.

5) Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire cooling rack, serve whilst still warm (although it will keep well for a few days).

Toad in t'hole

This is a simple family midweek tea...  Nothing fancy but truly delicious and very comforting (very much the kind of food that I was raised on).

Lots of people seem to get freaked out by making yorkshire pudding but so long as the oil and the oven are really, really hot then you can't fail...

Ingredients (serves 4);

1lb (1/2kg) of good quality butcher's sausage
200g plain flour
2 eggs
250ml milk (any will do, but if you're using full fat add 150ml and 100ml water)
2 tblsp vegetable or groundnut oil

Directions;

1) Put the oven on and set to 250C, pour oil into a large roasting tin and place in the oven to heat.

2) To make the batter combine the eggs, milk and flour and whisk, it should form a smooth mix of double cream consistency, add milk or flour if the batter appears too thick or too thin.  Season well.

3) When the oven reaches around 150C add the sausages and allow to colour as the oven continues to heat to 250C.

4) When the oven's up to temperature quickly turn the sausages and pour the batter into the roasting tray (speed is everything here, you do not want the oil to cool), be very careful of splashes.

5) After 10-15 minutes, once the yorkshire pudding's risen and started to crisp, turn the oven down to 180C and allow to cook for a further 20 minutes until the sausages and batter are cooked through.

It's as simple as that!

I serve this with onion gravy (sweat down 1 small onion per portion in butter until they're sweet, add a tablespoon of flour and then stock, stir until thickened) and green veg.  This dish isn't cheffy or pretty, but it's bloody tasty and I'd urge you to try it and make it your own, add onions to the sausages, herbs in the batter, try different sausages etc etc...

Gnocchi with a sage butter

Yet another left over dish...  I used the left over sage butter from the roast chicken dish and baked some potatoes in the oven as it roasted, this is then a lovely quick supper dish.  I sauteed the reserved chicken liver and topped my gnocchi with it but have left it out of the recipe here as I know that liver can be divisive (and I promised a vegetarian post!).

Ingredients (for two)

3-4 large floury potatoes depending on size

1 egg

Approx 250g '00' pasta flour

Large knob of butter

Small bunch of sage

Salt and pepper

1 clove of garlic finely sliced (think "The Godfather" and razorblades again)

Nutmeg 

Parmesan to serve

Directions

1) Bake your potatoes in the oven and allow to cool completely.

2) Scoop out the cooked potato and add mash thoroughly with a fork or potato masher.

3) Add an equal amount of pasta flour to the potato along with an egg, season with pepper and nutmeg, mix and knead until you have a firm dough adding more flour if required, you do not have to work as much as you would a bread or pasta dough.

4) Roll the dough into thin sausages and cut into gnocchi sized pillows, rolling along a fork to add grooves.

5) Put a large saucepan of very well salted water on to boil and place a large frying / saute pan over a medium heat.

6) Add the butter, sage (leaves whole) and garlic to the saute pan and allow to infuse, cook and the butter to just start to brown (a pale 'noisette' if you like to be cheffy), at the same time add the gnocchi to the pan of boiling water.

7) As soon as the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water they are cooked, drain and add to the saute pan.

8) Serve with a good grating of parmesan and enjoy!

This dish looks impressive but is really quick and easy.  Don't ever buy pre-packed gnocchi, they're nothing like the real thing...  Try this, enjoy and please share it!