Sauteed Potatoes and Choritzo.

First peel the potatoes and slice into thick slices.
Par boil in salted water and leave to cool.
Cut the potatoes into chunks and slice the choritzo.
Put a good glug of good oil in a saute pan and start to fry the potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika, saute, turning occasionally.
When the potatoes are half cooked add the choritzo slices, cook together until the potatoes are golden and the choritzo has been cooked on both sides.
Remove from the heat and add a glug of sherry vinegar, stir in chopped parsley and serve.

La Poule Au Pot.

Place a whole chicken into a sauce pan that is just large enough to hold it with the following veg - 4 peeled banana shallots, 2 leeks - tough outer leaves and most of the green discarded, cut in half length ways and tied back together, 4 carrots peeled and quartered, 6 sticks of celery cut into portions - you want the veg to be of the right size to all cook at the same time.
Cover with water and bring to the boil.
Skim off any scum that rises to the surface and turn down to a simmer.
Add a bouquet garni containing three bay leaves, four spring of parsley, two of thyme, one of rosemary and one of tarragon, 6 whole cloves of garlic peeled, eight black peppercorns and season with salt.
Place a lid on the pot and cook for 50mins - 1 hour - to test if the chicken is cooked push a sharp knife or skewer into the thigh and the juices will run clear.
Portion the chicken and place in bowls with the veg and stock.
Take a small amount of stock and reduce it in a saucepan with a knob of butter until it is a syrup and sprinkle over the top and serve.

Warm Salad of Potatoes, Baby Leeks and Stilton.

Cut your potatoes into wedges and boil in well salted water. when the potatoes are half cooked put the trimmed baby leeks into a steamer and place above.
When both are cooked drain the potatoes add the leeks to the pan and allow to cool a little.
While they are cooling mix up a dressing from olive oil, sherry vinegar and seasoning and dress the veg.
Decant to a serving dish and add crumbled Stilton cheese.

Breast of Lamb with Onions.

Preheat your oven to 120/150 Degrees depending on the size of your joint of lamb (look up cooking times - I found these temps fine for a small and large joint on a 2/3 hour roast.
Season your lamb breast, which should be rolled and tied with string with salt and white pepper.
In a casserole heat a couple of table spoons of oil until hot and colour the lamb breast on all sides until golden.
Remove the casserole from the heat and spoon almost all of the oil and fat released by the lamb out of the dish.
Cover the base of the casserole with finely sliced onions and place the lamb breast on top, tucking a bay leaf under the breast.
Surround the breast with more onions, cover with a piece of wet grease proof paper if you wish, greased side down, put on the lid and place in the oven.
After an hour check and slide any onion sticking to the side down into the base of the casserole, repeat this again after two hours.
The breast is cooked when you can slide a sharp knife or skewer into it with little resistance.
When cooked remove from the casserole and place in a baking dish, cover with foil and return to the oven with the heat turned off to rest.
Strain the liquid from the onions into bowl and reserve.
After discarding the bay leaf return the onions to the casserole then spoon any fat from the surface of the liquid and return the liquid to the casserole.
Add a dash of red wine vinegar and a finely chopped anchovy fillet (or a teaspoon of anchovy essence).
Place on the hob and simmer until the cooking liquor has reduced by half then stir in a handful of finely chopped parsley and any juices from the resting meat.
Chop the lamb into think slices and serve on a bed of onions.

Pea Salad.

A great spring salad or light starter that uses several members of the pea family and includes shoots and flowers if you can get them.
Anyone can grow pea shoots in a tray or pots on a window sill.
If using very fresh from the garden pick the tenderest pods so no cooking is required, if using shop bought and not so fresh just steam the peas, mange tout and sugar snaps for a few mins to tendersise and let cool.

First make the dressing.
Combine a good oil, a mix of white wine and sherry vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and some chopped mint in a container and leave to marinade for at least a few hours.
Slice the sugar snaps in half length ways and place in a bowl with the mange tout and peas.
Discard the mint leaves from the dressing and pour over.
Add the pea shoots and flowers if using and scatter with torn mint leaves.
Toss to dress the shoots etc and serve.

Mushrooms with Potatoes and Sage.

A great little dish that makes a great starter or good side for meat. It is even better if you can get ceps or other similar mushrooms.
First boil your potatoes in salted water then leave to cool.
When cool enough to handle slice into reasonably thick slices.
In a frying pan heat a gulg of good oil and add your sliced potatoes with some shredded sage (reserve a hand full of sage leaves), and fry for a few minutes.
Then add your sliced mushrooms and season.
Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes then add a little more oil if needed.
Just before the mushrooms and potatoes are ready clear a little space in the pan and fry the reserved sage leaves whole in a little more oil.
When the leaves are crispy serve.

Salad Armenienne. (Mushroom Salad)

A really surprisingly nice french salad lifted from an Elizabeth David book.
Fry sliced mushrooms with a few slithers of garlic and bacon cut into small pieces.
Add a small glass of red wine boil for a minute then reduce the heat and simmer for another two or three.
Take off the heat, stir in chopped parsley and leave to cool, but do not refrigerate as really cold will kill the flavours.
Dress chopped celery and red pepper in a good oil, seasoning and some white wine or tarragon vinegar and spoon the mushroom mixture on top before serving.