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Wednesday 24 August 2016

Tenderstem with Chilli, Roasted Garlic and Garlic Sauce.

First roast your garlic - cover whole cloves with the skin on in olive oil and place it in a ramekin. Cover with foil and place in an oven set at 180 degrees and roast for 15 - 20 mins depending on amount and size of the cloves  - be careful not to burn it. You can also do a whole bulb by covering oil and wrapping it in foil but this will take a lot longer but is less likely to burn.
When cooked the garlic will be sweet and you will be able to squeeze it out of the skin like a paste - keep warm.
Blanch the tenderstem in unsalted water for about two minutes (it must still be firm and only part cooked). Reserve the cooking water to make the sauce.
Squeeze half the garlic cloves into a saucepan with enough cooking water from the tenderstem to loosen it into a sauce and warm through.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and add the tenderteam. Season with salt & pepper add some finely chopped red chilli and saute until cooked through.
Serve with the garlic sauce and the peeled whole roasted cloves.

Thursday 18 August 2016

Pickled Cod Cheeks and French Bean Salad.

Though called pickled fish this is more of a long term marinade based on a recipe given to me by a Portuguese chef. You could also use the same recipe for fillets of cod or other firm white fish.

Add enough olive oil to cover all the ingredients in a saucepan and add sliced garlic, thyme, a few bay leaves and some pepper corns. Heat for a few mins and then leave to cool and infuse.
Remove any sinew from the cod cheeks and lightly cook on both side and place in a bowl. Add sliced carrot, celery and spring onion, a few lemon slices and a little lemon juice and  a slpash of good quality white wine vinegar.
Add the infused oil and the thyme, garlic, peppercorns and bay then cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours to pickle.
Remove the celery, spring onion and carrot and reserve. Boil a bunch of french beans in slightly salted water drain and leave to cool slightly. While the beans are cooking warm the cod cheeks in an oven proof dish in the oven with all the other ingredients.
Add the celery, carrot and spring onion to the beans with some chopped parsley and use a little more oil if needed and dress with a little lemon juice.
Plate the beans and use them as a bed for the cod cheeks.

Razor Clams with Choritzo, Spring Onion and Parsley.

Clean the clams in cold water and place in a large sauce pan with a tight fitting lid and a glass of white wine - cook on a high heat for about a minute until the clams open. remove from the heat.

Remove the meat from the clams and cut away the dark sack in the centre. Rinse where the sack was to remove any sand and cut the clams into three pieces.
Heat a little oil in a pan and add chopped cooking choritzo cook on a medium heat for a few minutes. When the choritzo is releasing its oils add chopped spring oinion and the clams and reheat for a couple of minutes.
When cooked transfer back into the clean shells and scatter with chopped parsley.

Sunday 19 June 2016

Squid with Choritzo and Chickory.

Clean the squid and dry with a kitchen towel.
Place a large knife inside the squid tube and with another knife slice across, giving a concertina effect.
Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Slice the cooking choritzo and quarter.
Place a small amount of oil in a oven proof frying pan and put on a low heat - add the choritzo pieces and cook until they begin to release their oil.
Turn up the heat and turn the choritzo.
Add the squid tubes cook for a minute and turn.
Then add the squid tentacles, splash with balsamic vinegar and stir.
Add the red chicory and place in the oven for a few mins until the squid is cooked and the chicory has wilted slightly and serve.

Jersey Royals, Broad Beans, Mint Dressing and Comte.

Boil the potatoes in salted water.
A few minutes before they are cooked add the broad beans.
Leave to cool.
Finely chop up the mint leaves and add to olive oil and a dash of white wine vinegar.
When the potatoes and beans have cooled but are still warm dress with the mint vinaigrette.
Serve with shavings of comte cheese.
Pecorino or any other good quality hard cheese would also work well.

Sunday 12 June 2016

Self Saucing Asparagus.

Break off the woody end of the stalks and discard.
Pack the spears into the bottom of a saucepan and half cover with boiling water - put on hob and steam until cooked.
Remove the spears and keep warm.
Add a knob of butter and a dash of Sherry vinegar (balsamic also works well) to the water and boil to reduce.
When it is a sauce like syrup poor over the spears and serve.

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Pork Steak with Cider Sauce and Broadbean Puree

Use young new season beans for this recipe as its the pods that are used to make the puree.
Season the steak with salt and pepper and rub in with a little oil. Leave covered until it comes up to room temperature.
Top and tail the pobs and remove any black spots etc. an cook in slightly salted boiling water until they are tender.
Cook the steak and leave to rest covered in foil. De-glaze the pan with cider burning off the alcohol. Add a knob of butter and reduce to a sauce.
Blitz the cooked pods with a little of the cooking liquor in a blender  and pass through a fine sieve back into the sauce pan. Add a knob of butter and some chopped parsley and return to the heat to cook off any excess liquid.
Add any resting juices back to the sauce and serve the steak with the sauce puree and broad beans.


Fennel, Pear, Radish and Dill.

A starter salad or tapas dish which is also great alongside smoked salmon.
Peel core and finely slice the pear and roll in lemon juice.
Finely slice the fennel and do the same.
Quarter the radishes and finely chop the dill and  put all the ingredients in a bowl with the lemon juice season with salt and pepper and dress with olive oil.
Serve.


Saturday 2 January 2016

Artichoke with Shallot, Lemon and Herb Vinaigrette.

Cut the base and stalk off the choke, rip off the tough outer leaves and plunge into a pan of water with a squeeze of lemon juice - this stops the choke flesh discolouring.
Cut in half and and run a sharp knife along the bottom of the choke and then scoop it out of both halves, rinsing clean with the lemon water.
Place in a lidded sauce pan with about an inch of salted water and bring to the boil - then lower to a simmer and cook for about ten mins depending on the size of the choke (when a sharp knife slips into the flesh and back out again easily its ready).
While the choke is cooking soften a finely chopped shallot in olive oil.
Remove from the heat and add a good squeeze of lemon juice, a small dollop of Dijon mustard,  more oil and a selection of finely chopped herbs.
Season and blitz in a blender. Return to the saucepan and keep warm on a very low heat.
Ladle a little vinaigrette onto a plate place one half of the choke upright on it.
Rest the second half against it, cavity upwards and fill the cavity with more vinaigrette and serve.