Fennel, Orange and Mint Salad with Squid.

This is a wonderful salad that is full of fresh flavours and could be served on its own, or with any white fish or prawns.
First peel your oranges with a knife removing the skin and pith. do this over a bowl to reserve any orange juice.
Finely slice half a red onion and add to a separate bowl with a couple of tea spoonful's of capers, a glug of good oil and half of the orange juice.
Clean and prepare your squid. Dry off on a clean tea towel and dress in a little oil and a good grid of salt and pepper.
Remove the tough outer part of the fennel blub and slice as finely as possible and place in a bowl.
Peel and de-seed a small cucumber, removing some, but not all of the outer green skin, slice and add to the fennel.
Roughly tear up a small handful of mint leaves, add to the fennel and cucumber and then dress with the onion and caper dressing.
Heat a glug of good oil in a frying pan to a very high heat. Add you squid and flash fry until just cooked.
Add the remainder of the orange juice and allow a few seconds too reduce to a glaze, then remove from the heat giving a few stirs as you do to slightly cool it.
Plate the salad and add the squid and orange glaze and serve.

Asparagus, Pea and Parsley Soup.

Cut the woody end off the asparagus stalks and discard.
Chop the stalks but reserve a couple of dozen tips. Place in a pan with slightly salted water and a couple of large handfuls of frozen or fresh peas and chopped parsley.
Bring to the biol and reduce to a simmer until asparagus is cooked, about 15 mins.
Place in a blender and blitz.
Push through a fine sieve to remove any pulp and return to the pan. heat gently, check and adjust the seasoning if the soup needs it.
While it warming through steam the remaining asparagus tips and roll in melted butter.
Serve the soup with the tips on top along with some freshly chopped parsley.

Cauliflower Four Ways.

This is a wonderful starter, but each of these ways of cooking cauliflower would work as a starter or side in their own right.
Get a whole cauliflower, strip off the leaves (you could take the leaves off the stalks and wilt them down for an extra element to the dish), cut the stalk off so the flower sits on a chopping board.
Cut a 2cm wide strip right through the middle of the cauli - this is your steak.
Set a side for cooking later.
Break off the smaller florets and put in a steamer.
Steam for five mins until par cooked and leave to cool.
Finely slice the larger florets - you should get a good three or four slices from the centre of the florets.
Dress them with white balsamic and some good oil.
Add capers and and some chopped parsley. Leave to marinade.
Gather together all the off cuts and left over cauli and place in a saucepan with a little slightly salted water, boil for a few mins until the cauli is cooked through and drain off the cooking liquid.
Add grated  parmesan and blitz until smooth - return to the pan and keep warm.
Make a spice mix by crushing a teaspoon of coriander seeds, a tea spoon of cumin seeds, a quarter of a tea spoon of celery seeds, 3 or 4 pepper corns, a quarter of a tea spoon of fennel seeds, a dash of cayenne pepper (or dried chilli flakes) and a dash of celery salt in a mortar and pestle (your spice mix can be all or some of these or different spices of your choice).
To cook the cauli steak pre heat the oven to 180 degrees, melt a knob of butter in a oven proof pan and fry the steak on one side until coloured.
Flip it over and put in the oven for 10/12mins or until it is soft, but retains its shape.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan heat some oil.
Toss the steamed florets in the oil until coated the add the spice mix and cook until  crispy on the outside.
Plate up the warm puree, serving the spiced cauli, roasted steak and cauli salad around it.

Lamb Neck Fillet with Asparagus, Watercress, Fennel and Raddish Salad & Mint and Parsley Dressing.

Season the lamb and marinade in a little olive oil and lemon juice for a few hours or over night.
For the dressing and chopped mint, parsley, a good quality vinegar, halve a clove of garlic and oil in a blender and blitz.
Griddle the neck fillet on a high heat caramelizing the out side but leaving the inside blush pink.
While the meat is cooking cut the woody ends of the asparagus and peel off the the outer stringy bottom ends of the stems. Steam for around 8 mins depending on the thickness of the stalks.
Roll in melted butter and a grind of pepper.
While the lamb is resting add the dressing to a small saucepan and put on a gentle heat.
Finely chop the fennel and radishes add to the watercress and dress lightly with oil a bit of lemon juice and a little salt.
Plate up the lamb on the dressed salad drapping the asparagus over the top and drizzile with the parsley and mint dressing.
Serve.

Asparagus with Tarragon, Chive and Mustard Dressing.

Warm some good quality oil in a sauce pan and add a squeeze of lemon.
Add finely chopped chives,  tarragon and a teaspoon of good mustard.
Keep warn while you cook the asparagus and spoon over the top before serving.

Chilli Sauce.

This is my recipe for classic kebab shop chilli sauce.
Its very easy to make and tastes authentic.
You can use any colour or type of chilli's you like, but I find adding a green one add a slight sourness to the sauce rather like gazpacho.
If you want a milder sauce leave out the seeds and take away the white parts of the chilli's as this is where the heat is.
Place half a roughly chopped small onion, three de-seeded chopped tomatoes, two red chilli's seeds removed, one green chilli, a splash of lemon juice, a squeeze of tomato puree and a glug of sherry vinegar in a blender
Blitz all the ingredients and push through a sieve into a saucepan.
Gently heat and cook off any excess moisture, or add a squeeze more tomato puree to get the desired consistency.
Allow too cool and use.

You can also thin down the sauce with oil and lemon, add some chopped  garlic and use as a marinade for lamb or chicken.

Wild Garlic Oil.

You can use this method to make any flavoured oil using any combination of herb / flavouring and oil. Use it in salad dressings, for marinades, as a dipping oil or spread on good quality bread after it has been griddled for garlic bread.
Roughly chop two large handfuls of wild garlic leaves and place in a saucepan.
Cover with rapeseed oil and gently heat.
Remove from the heat and leave to infuse as the oil cools. You can repeat this process a few time to increase the flavour of oil if desired.
When the oil is cool place in a blender and blitz.
Strain through a fine sieve or muslin.