Recipe: Fillet of Venison, Pomegranate and bean Cous Cous

Ingredients

One red pepper, diced
Two diced shallots
1/2 Red onion diced
75g Cous Cous
Up to 1/2 litre vegetable stock
Two 200g Venison Fillets, loins or Haunch, marinated in a glass of red wine, Thyme, Rosemary and garlic for 8 hours
1/2 tin mixed beans
One pomegranate, seed capsules removed
Chopped chives
Oil and butter
Seasoning

Method

Heat a large sauce pan, saute the red pepper, shallot, red onion in a little oil and butter until soft
Stir in the cous cous and enough stock to cover, bring to the boil, remove from the heat and cover with cling film or a lid
Remove the venison from the marinade and season them
Heat a frying pan, add a little oil and fry the Venison, 15 minutes at a medium heat should mean they will be medium rare.
Ensure the Venison is allowed to rest
Add the beans, pomegranate and chives to the cous cous
Place the cous cous on the serving dish, slice the venison and place on top, reheat the juices in the venison pan add a little butter, shake until the sauce is thick and glossy, spoon the glaze over the Venison

Recipe: Northsea lemon sole

Ingredients

50g unsalted butter
Chopped dill or parsley
Two lemon sole
Flour for dusting
Olive oil
One shallot diced
Juice of one lemon
150ml white wine
100g samphire

Method

Make a herb butter by softening the butter, mix the chopped herbs
Pre-heat the oven to 200c
Heat a large oven proof frying pan. Dust the fish with a little flour, add a little olive oil to the pan and seal both sides of the fish.
Add the shallot, lemon juice and white wine to the pan and place in the oven for ten minutes or so depending on the size of the fish.
When cooked, remove the fish from the pan and keep warm.
Heat the juices in the pan and drop in butter cut into cubes, constantly shaking the pan until the butter is melted and the sauce is shiny.
Drop in the samphire to warm through, remove and place onto warm serving plates with the fish on top and the sauce spooned over the top

For this dish fresh fish is always required, here in the Northeast we can buy fansastic produce, Myself, Zoe and the kids love Latimers of Whitburn, once you have visited this fish counter you will never go anywhere else.

Recipe: Baked Seabass

Ingredients

60g softened butter
Two whole prepared seabass
One large sprig of Thyme
30g Black olives
40g sun-dried tomatoes
15g wild mushrooms
Four slices of lemon
Two sprigs of parsley
Olive oil
Seasoning

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200c
Place two pieces of double foil on the kitchen bench, rub the foil with half the butter and place the fish on top.
Stuff the cavity of the fish with the Thyme, olives,tomatoes and mushrooms. smear the fish with the rest of the butter, season and place the lemon and parsley on top, drizzle with a little olive oil.
Fold the foil and crimp it tightly all around to make a well sealed parcel, when doing this ensure there is space for the steam to circulate.
Place the parcels on a baking tray and bake in the oven for twenty minutes.
Once cooked open the parcels and serve the seabass.

Recipe: Sardines, parmesan salad

Ingredients

Olive oil
Eight cherry tomatoes on the vine
Maldon sea salt, Ground black pepper
Balsamic reduction
Butter
Four sardines
One diced red onion
One handful Black olives
Diced cucumber
One handful rocket
One handful red chard
One handful Endive
Fresh Parmesan

Method

Heat a frying pan, add a little olive oil, add the tomatoes and season. gently colour the tomatoes and add a little balsamic reduction, remove from the heat
Heat a second pan and add the olive oil, add the sardines and fry, when nearly cooked add a little butter and remove from the heat, this will allow the sardines to finish cooking in the natural juices.
In a bowl mix the red onion, garlic, cucumber and leaves, dress with a little olive oil and season.
Shave the fresh parmesan on to the salad and finsh with the roast tomatoes.
Top the salad with the sardines and pour over some of the cooking juices, finish with a wedge of fresh lemon.

Recipe: Crab and Tomato Tart

Ingredients

One handful of diced red onion
Two handfuls of washed and chopped leeks
Two handfuls washed and chopped spinach
Olive oil
Two handfuls of washed rocket
One cup of crab meat
A small carton of double cream
Two hens eggs beaten
A handful of sun-dried tomatoes- chopped
Seasoning

Method

Bake four tart cases ( please see blog for pastry recipe)
In a saucepan gently saute the onion, leek and spinach in a little olive oil for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
Remove from the heat and add half the crab and rocket, with enough cream to bind the mixture together, then mix in the beaten eggs.
Spoon the mix into the pastry cases and bake in the oven until set.
To serve, mix the tomatoes crab and remaining rocket together, place the salad on to the plate and put the baked tart on top

Recipe: Peas Pudding

Ingredients

350g split peas
100ml walnut oil
4tbls Tarragon vinegar

Method

Soak the peas overnight, drain and place in a pan
Cover with cold water
Cook until tender
Drain and blend, adding the oil and vinegar

place in a container, store in the fridge for upto three days

Recipe: Crab Cannelloni, Lemon and Vine Tomato

Ingredients

4 sheets fresh egg pasta
50g salmon fillet
2 scallops
2ooml double cream
100g white crab meat
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
Seasoning
8 blanched and deseeded diced tomatoes
4 lemons segmented
Chooped tarragon

Method

Puree the salmon and scallops, add the cream and place the mix in a bowl over ice
Fold in the crab meat and add the herbs
Place the pasta sheets onto cling film, place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the mix onto the pasta
Roll the pasta in cling film and allow the cannelloni to chill in the fridge
Mix the tomato with the tarragon and season well
When you are ready poach the cannelloni for five minutes
Once cooked allow to rest for 1 minute, remove the cling film
To serve place the tomato salad on the plate and top with the cannelloni
Spoon over a little balsamic syrup and finish with fresh herbs

Recipe: Celeriac puree

Ingredients
1kg Celeriac
2 Garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
Milk
Salt
Butter

Method
Peel the celeriac & cut into 1" dice
Cover with milk and add the garlic and bay leaf
Season lightly, bring to the boil and simmer until soft
Drain & remove the bay leaf, keep the cooking liquor to one side
Blend the celeriac until smooth, add a little butter, re-season if required
Blend once again, add the left over cooking liquor to thin the mix if required

You can store the celeriac puree in the fridge in an air tight container for upto 3 days

Recipe: Sweet onion Soup

Serves four
One tablespoon olive oil
50g butter
Six large red onions – peeled and sliced
One clove of garlic – peeled and crushed
Two sprigs of thyme – leaves picked off and chopped
Two sprigs of rosemary – leaves picked off and chopped
30g plain flour
One litre of beef stock
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Four slices of white bread – torn into lumps
100g smoked cheese – grated

Method

In a large pan, melt the butter in the olive oil, add the onions and gently fry until they’re soft and tender – probably about 15 minutes – but be careful they don’t burn. Add the garlic and chopped herbs and gently cook for another couple of minutes before sprinkling in the flour and stirring to combine with the onions. Pour in the stock, a little at a time at first whilst stirring until all the flour is combined and the rest can be poured in without making lumps. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for around 20 minutes before adjusting the seasoning to taste.
To serve, first, pre-heat the grill. While it’s heating, pour the soup into warmed bowls (or, for a difference, large coffee cups as we have here) making sure you get lots of the onion in each. Top each one with the lumps of bread, sprinkle on some cheese and place the bowls or cups under the grill until the cheese is melted.

Recipe: Gluhwein (mulled wine)

When we lived in Germany winter for me was the best time of the year.
My Mam and Dad ensured we enjoyed the local culture and we experienced alot of different foods at local Markets and festivals, this was fantsatic especially in the snow as Dad made me and my Sister Mandy bespoke sledges, these turned out to be some of the fastest sledges in the camp and they went everywhere with us.

Anyone that knows me will tell you i love the simple things in life and have done since i was little, Bockwurst, Bratwurst, Currywurst and Frikadeller are what i would call the foods of my childhood.

Winter for most people is dull, wet and depressing. For me its about bringing back memories that i love. If you have ever been lucky enough to experience a German market you will understand what i mean.

When i was young we used to hang around wooden huts in a market squares, watch the man cook sausages over open coals and smell the most amazing smells on a winter evening, a child eating a Bratwurst with semi stale bread and mustard out of a cardboard take away tray was nothing unusual, even more special when you got Paprika chips to go with them.

Now a grown man life has moved on and changed in so many ways, My family are growing up and lifes busy!

One thing that has never changed is my love of Gluhwein and speciality sausages. Zoe my wife being half Swiss shares my passion and its great that i can share my childhood memories with her.

Today i would like to share a recipe that i have used for many a year, on a winters evening we enjoy lighting the wood burner roasting chestnuts and sharing a Gluhwein

This recipe is one that has been used, adapted and we like the balance of flavours it delivers, although it may not be to everyones taste. The good thing about this is you can alter the recipe until it is right for you.


1 bottle red wine
1 cinnamon stick
Fresh grated nutmeg
75g brown sugar
1 orange, sliced
1 dried bay leaf
Four cloves
Pour the wine in a pan and add all of the ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer.
Pour the Gluhwein into glasses and serve.

Recipe; Beef Wellington

Serves two
Two 175g fillets of beef
100g mushrooms  chopped very finely, possibly in a food processor
Two shallots chopped very finely
Two cloves of garlic crushed
Two slices of Parma ham
One packet of frozen puff pastry defrosted
Half a bottle of red wine
One litre of good beef stock Vegetable oil for frying
One egg
Butter straight from the fridge
Pre heat the oven to 230C (gas mark 8).

Method

Heat a medium saucepan and, in a little vegetable oil, sweat the shallots and garlic until soft. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and what you are left with is your duxelle.
While the mushrooms are cooking, heat a frying pan and, in a little vegetable oil, sear the fillets of beef on all sides and remove.
Place half the mushroom duxelle on top of each steak and wrap each one in a slice of Parma ham.
Roll out the puff pastry into two pieces and wrap each fillet leaving the folds underneath to make it look neat. In a small bowl, beat the egg and, with a pastry brush, coat each parcel.
Place the parcels on a baking tray and place in the oven on the top shelf for 15 minutes.
Remove and allow to rest for five minutes before serving.
Once the pastry is cooked, this will give you a steak cooked rare.
If you wanted it cooked more like a medium steak, take longer over the sealing, possibly doing it for a total of five minutes before wrapping.
While the fillets are cooking, bring the red wine to the boil in a large saucepan and reduce by two thirds.
Add the stock and reduce until you have a light sauce consistency.
Add a few cubes of butter and shake the pan or stir with a fork whilst it melts, which will result in a slightly thicker, shinier sauce.
This dish goes well with a few roasted new potatoes and some green beans.
Serve the potatoes in the centre of the plate, place the Wellingtons on top and the beans alongside.
Pour the sauce around and serve.

Recipe: Gnocchi with beef

Serves two
2 fillets of local beef
2 handfuls of gnocchi
2 handfuls of rocket
60g chestnut or button mushrooms - sliced
1 onion - peeled and sliced
2 tablespoonfuls of peppercorns - lightly crushed
1 glass of white wine
One tablespoon of pesto - let down with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil Seasoning Cooking oil and butter for frying

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C (gas mark 6).
Place the crushed peppercorns on a plate and press the fillets into them to produce a layer of peppercorns on both sides of the meat.
Add a little cooking oil to a hot frying pan, seal the meat on all sides and place in the oven for about 20 minutes for a medium steak.
Remove and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute the onion and mushrooms in a little oil and butter until soft.
Add the gnocchi and the white wine, cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes until the gnocchi is cooked.
Remove the lid, add the rocket and one tablespoon of the pesto mix, stirring gently.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Spoon this gnocchi salad on to two warmed plates, place the meat on top and drizzle a little more of the pesto around.

Recipe: Baked Asparagus with goats cheese

Serves two
10 asparagus spears
4 slices of Parma ham
200gm of goat's cheese ( sliced
150gm of black pudding ( sliced
8 baby tomatoes on the vine
Sunflower oil
A couple of handfuls of salad leaves
Pesto thinned with a little olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 230AC (gas mark 8).
With a sharp knife, cut the woody tough end off the asparagus. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the asparagus until just cooked but don't over-cook. Remove and refresh in cold water.
Roll five spears of asparagus, half the goat's cheese and half the black pudding in two of the slices of Parma ham to make open-ended parcels. Repeat with the rest. Heat a frying pan, add a little sunflower oil and seal the parcels on all sides, placing half the tomatoes on the vine in with them.

Recipe: Chocolate pot, Berry compote

Serves six
For the chocolate pot:
400ml milk
250ml double cream
200gm chocolate
Four egg yokes
45gm caster sugar
A few drops (half a teaspoon) of vanilla essence – not vanilla flavouring

Method
For the blueberry compote:
200gm blueberries
Juice of one lemon
20gm caster sugar
One whole vanilla pod
Pre-heat the oven to 140°C (gas mark 1).
To cook and serve the chocolate pot you will need six ramekins. First, in a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence until creamy. Gently heat the milk and cream together in a pan until boiling. Reduce the heat and add the chocolate until it melts. Immediately, pour the milk and cream onto the eggs and sugar, whisking as you do so.
Divide the mixture equally into the ramekins and place them in a roasting dish into which you then pour hot water, half way up the ramekins. Place the roasting tin in the oven and bake until set. How long? It depends on a number of factors but probably around 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
To make the blueberry compote, place all the ingredients into a pan and, stirring, bring to the boil. Remove the vanilla pod and allow to cool.
To serve, place the chocolate pot onto a plate with, perhaps, some fresh fruit (strawberries are sublime with chocolate) and serve the blueberry compote alongside.

Recipe: slow roast pork, braised red cabbage

Recipe: Lillies Pumpkin soup

On the last night of my holiday myself and my daughter Lillie decided we had to have a night in the garden.

By 4pm the log burner was up to temperature and we were ready to go.

Lillie and i spent the evening carving Pumpkins and catching up about what she had been upto over the week she has been off school, She does make me Smile as her stories and opinions are great.

Once Lillie had finished she decided that Pumpkin soup was going to be made from the trimmings for her Mam, this recipe was what she came up with and the results turned out well.

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin

550ml Chicken or vegetable stock

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

Sea Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Peel the pumpkin and dice

Peal the onions and roughly chop

Peal the garlic and leave whole

In a bowl coat the pumpkin, onion and garlic in enough olive oil to glaze and season

Place the mix onto a baking tray and put it in the oven, bake it until the pumpkin becomes soft

Once soft add the mix to the stock and boil for 5 minutes

Blend the mix, if it’s too thick add more stock until you achieve the consistency you require

Check for seasoning and serve

Recipe: Duck liver salad

Ingredients

500g Duck livers
500ml Whole milk
200g Belly bacon, diced
20g Butter
20g Lard
125ml Sherry
60ml Olive oil
1 Frisee lettuce picked
2 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 Loaf sourdough croutons

Method

Soak the livers for 30 minutes in the milk, drain and dry

Heat a non-stick frying pan and fry the bacon, once cooked remove from pan and set to one side

Add the lard and butter to the pan and fry the livers, ensure these are cooked medium rare,
remove from pan and rest

Deglaze the pan with the sherry and 2 tbsp of sherry vinegar, reduce by half

Pour the reduction into a bowl and add the olive oil to make the dressing

Build the salad with the lettuce, bacon and chives

Slice the liver on top and finish with the croutons and dressing

Pigeon shooting

Last month i went to Northern Ireland with my wife, kids and my crazy 10 month old black Labrador.
After a long day at work Zoe and i packed the car and set off to catch the ferry from Scotland, this ended up being an eight hour trip, it was good crack, the kids loved the adventure.

On arriving in N Ireland we visited Auntie Vi, East Belfast has never changed and Aunti Vi's baking gets better every time we see her, a traditional cook with a recipe collection i would love to own.

After a long day we finally arrived at My father in laws house, it was great to be home, as always Sepp's allotment was full of produce and the dinner that evening was perfect.

As we all do when we are away on holiday i started to plan what we wanted to do, then a phone call from Barclay my brother inlaw changed things, in a good way!

" I will pick you up at 6am in the morning, we are going shooting"

Even though i had drove through the night and not had much sleep You wouldnt believe how excited i got, Fantastic a day sitting in a field with no one to talk to is just what i needed, the shooting was a bonus.

As arranged Barclay arrived at 6am with a cup of coffee and a roll up in his hand , dressed like a tree, this lad takes things very seriously and always has all the gear. "All right love, what about ya", he never fails to make me smile, hes a great lad to be around.

After a short drive along the country roads and a quick catchup we  arrived at the freshly cut cornfield, the decoys were put out, the hide was set and the day began.

The view from the hide was good, the pigeons were perfect and the mornings shooting was amazing, although i was slightly out of practice. After not shooting for a while i was pleased with my efforts and 15 birds came home with us. As usual when we arrived back at Sepps the preperation and cooking bebate began, whole bird or just the breasts? "Just the breasts, what a waste".

After a period of time the whole bird won the day, the plucking began, the prep was messy but the end product was fantastic.

Five hours after shooting the birds the cooking began, i roasted the bird with a little olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper, when produce is five hours old i dont see why you need to over do the method of cooking, simply let the produce speak for its self. The birds were cooked medium rare, i served them with fresh boiled potatoes, a large mixed salad, toasted pitta bread and a blackberry dressing finished with crushed nuts and thyme.

Please see my recipe bank for the recipe.

Recipe: Wheaten Bread recipe

Ingredients

1 cup bread flour

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons white sugar

1/4 cup margarine

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon buttermilk

1 teaspoon white sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare a shallow baking pan with cooking spray.`
Sift together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and 2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl.
Cut the margarine into the flour mixture, rub until a crumb is achieved
Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the oil and buttermilk.
Stir with a spatula until dry mixture is completely moistened.
Move the dough to a lightly-floured surface. Lightly knead the dough for no more than 1 minute.
Place the dough into the prepared pan; pat down and around to form a round loaf.
Cut a cross into the top of the loaf with your finger.
Brush the top with 1 tablespoon buttermilk; sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over the top of the loaf.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C); rotate pan and bake another 30 minutes.
Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Recipe: Tomato and mint soup

Ingredients
125 g Butter
500g Onions
1700G Tomato
170ml Dry sherry
2 tbls caster sugar
3 tbls chopped mnit

Method
sweat onions in butter untill soft
Add the tomatoes, sherry, sugar, mint & seasoning
Stir and cover, cook for 45 minutes
Liquidise untill smooth, pass through sieve
Add a little stock to balance out thickness of soup
Serve with cream

Recipe: Hazelnut and Almond praline

Ingredients
300g Flaked almonds
300g Hazelnuts
200ml Water
600g Sugar

Method
place the hazelnuts on a tray and roast in a hot oven until well browned
Remove from the oven and rub off the skins
Place the almonds under the grill until lightly browned
Place the sugar and water in to a heavy based pan, bring to the boil ensuring the sugar is desolved
cook until the sugar turns golden brown (do not stir at this stage)
Remove from te heat and add the nuts, turn out the mix on to a piece of silicone, allow to cool
Store in an airtight container until required

Recipe: Basic Brulee

Ingredients
1 Ltr Double cream
12 Egg yolks
150g caster sugar
2 Vanilla pods

Method
Place the double cream in a pan & add the two vanilla pods that have been split, Bring the cream to the boil, remove from heat and allow to infuse for two hours
Pass the cream and re-boil
Mix the egg yolks & sugar in a bowl, whisk until white and fluffy
Pour on the cream & whisk well
Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water and continuously whisk until the cream reaches the ribbon stage
Pour into moulds and chill over night

Recipe: walnut and sultana bread

Ingredients list A
200g Fresh yeast
720ml Milk
150g Clear honey
700g Strong flour
200g Molasses

Ingredients list B
4 Kg Wholemeal flour
500g Butter
120g Salt
2 Ltr Warm milk
500g Chopped walnuts
500g Sultana
10 Eggs

Method
Mix all ingredientsof A for the forment, leave for at least 15 minutes, but preferably overnight
Combine all dry ingredients of B apart from walnuts ans sultanas in a mixing machine
Add enough of the ferment liquid to create a dough.
Ferment the dough for 30 minutes, then add the walnuts and sultanas
Knock back the dough, cut to size
Bake at 425f with steam and dampers closed for ten minutes, open dampers and finish cooking without steam

Recipe: Pickled mushrooms

Ingredients
400 ml white wine
200ml white wine vinegar
2 shallots diced
2 Garlic cloves crushed
400ml Olive oil
1 Bay leaf
500g Wild mushrooms

Method
Wash and dry the mushrooms
Add the wine to the vinegar and bring to the boil
Add the mushrooms and simmer until tender
Drain and leave the liquid to one side, once cooled slightly add the olive oil
Sweat the shallots and garlic, remove from heat
Place the mushrooms in a jar, add the bay leaf, shallot and garlic.
pour over enough cooking liquid to cover
Store in the fridge
Remember to season as you go!

Recipe: Cheese cake filling

Ingredients for the filling
1/3 pint of flavouring (this can be any flavouring you like)
170g sugar
350g Mascapone
500ml cream
4 sheets gelatine

Method
Mix the cheese and sugar together
Dissolve the gelatine in the filling
Add the flavouring to the cheese mix
Lift in the whipped cream
Spoon the mix in to a ring, already set with a base
Chilli for 4 hours

This mix makes one 10" ring.

Recipe: Strawberry and Raspberry jelly

Ingredients
500g fresh picked raspberries
500g Home grown Strawberries
180g sugar
1 lemon, zest
2 star anise
4 sprigs mint
2 vanilla pods
250g water

Method
Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and cover with cling film
Place the bowl over a hot water bath and allow the juices to extract from the berries
Pass the mix through a cloth, all you require is the liquid
Measure out the liquid, you will require 500ml, add 3 leaves of softened gelatine
Pour the liquid into service glasses and set in the fridge over night.

I like to serve the jelly with lemon Thyme custard, fresh cut berries and pistachio crumble.

Lillies and Fynns home grown strawberries, balsamic reduction, Vanilla pod ice cream

Ingredients
For Two

2 cups of ripe strawberries
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic
2 scoops Vanilla bean ice cream

Method
Pick, wash and dry the berries
When you are ready to eat half the berries
Sprinkle the berries with the sugar, mix and allow to sit for a few minutes
Place the berries in bowls and top with the icecream
Pour over the balsamic

If you dont grow your own as Lillie does at home, Pick your own farms are a handy ways to find locally grown produce at a good price, end of season picks are good for cheap berries, great for jam making.

Recipe: Pear Jelly, vanilla bean ice cream, ginger syrup

Ingredients

375ml sweet pear wine
150ml stock syrup
5 leaves gelatine
3 pears chopped

Method

Bring the wine and the stock syrup to the boil and remove from the heat
Add the chopped pears and infuse for an hour
Pass the mix through a fine sieve
Place the liquid back on the heat
Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft
Squeze the water from the gelatine and add to the pear liquid
Whisk and ensure the gelatine is desolved
Pour the mix into glasses and set over night in a fridge

This is a very simple and full of flavour, i like it served with a good Vanilla bean icecream and a thick ginger syrup.

Recipe: Braised feather blade of beef

Ingredients

2 kg featherblade of beef
3 carrots
2 sticks celery
1 onion
Beef stock
4 potatoes
1 courgette
4 small carrots
6 pieces tenderstem
4 2" marrow bones

Method

Cut the celery, onion, 3 carrots and saute until tender, add the stock and boil.
Slice the blade of beef in half lengh ways and roll in cling film to create perfect tubes of beef.
Place the beef in the hot stock and cover with a lid, braise the beef for 4 hours at 160c
Once the beef is cooked, remove from the stock and chill over night, reduce the stock and make a gravy.
The following day slice the beef in to healthy portions
With the potatoes, make chunky chips
Slice the carrots, courgette, tenderstem, put to one side
Bake the bones in a hot oven until the marrow is cooked, reheat the beef in its own juices, pan fry the vegetable garnish, reheat the chips.
To serve, place the vegetable garnish on the plate, place the beef on top, spoon over gravy, put the chips in a basket and season with Rosemary salt, place a spoon in the morrow bone and put on the plate.

Recipe: Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon shortening

Method

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nuts.

Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead 15 times until smooth. On ungreased cookie sheet, shape half of dough at a time into 10x3-inch rectangle.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center  comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet 15 minutes. Cut rectangle crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheet.

Bake about 15 minutes longer, turning once, until crisp and light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds or until melted; stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over biscotti. Place on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

Recipe: Pear and Almond Frangipane

Ingredients

For the pastry
100g Butter
Two eggs
two drops of Vanilla extract
175g Sifted plain flour

For the frangipan
200g unsalted butter
200g sugar
Four eggs
100g ground almonds
50g plain flour
One pear-peeled, halved lenghways

Method

For the pastry
Pre-heat the oven to 150c
ina mixing bowl, cream the butter with the eggs until smooth. Gently fold in the flour and vanilla extract. Wrap in cling film and rest for 45 minutes. Roll out and line an eight-inchpastry ring or flan dish. To bake blind, cover the pastry on th bottom and sides of the flan with foiland wieght down with a handful of dried beans or pasta and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, remove from the oven, lift of the foil and allow to cool.

For the frangipan
pre-heat the oven to 180c
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar , then beat in the eggs individually using a metal spoon, gently fold in the ground almonds followed by the flour

Half fill the pastry case with the mix and fan the pear slices on top. Then fill the pastry case with the remaining mix. place in the oven and bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean- about 20-25 minutes

Serve with Mascarpone and fresh berries

The homemade Tandoor oven.

Today myself and The kids went to our local DIY store, we are going to make a Tandoor oven.
This idea came from a friend and it works really well.

Buy three pots and some gravel

.
Place the smaller one in side the large one and fill with gravel

Ensure it's not full at this time as you need to place the lid on

Place another small pot on top and fill with the rest of the gravel, grind the lid off.

This is the complete Tandoor oven ready to go.

Light the oven and wait for the coals to go white, marinate your meat and skewer while you wait

Place the skewers into the oven and cook with the lid on, ensure the oven stays hot at all times, my results have been fantastic, the kids love the skewers. 

Recipe: Goats cheese custard

Ingredients
70g Ticklemore goat cheese
60ml double cream
2 egg yolks

Method
Melt the cheese in the cream, do this slowly, stir as you go
Remove from the heat and allow to cool
Whisk the egg yolks over a water bath until thick and creamy
Mix the cheese mix with the eggs
Allow to chill for 24 hours

After the custard has chilled i like to serve it with a salad made from some of my favourite produce, Poached baby beetroot, White Asparagus, Broad beans, Golden beetroot, Peashoots, Walnuts and Orange segments. The salad is simply dressed with Rapeseed oil and seasoned.

Recipe: Hand picked wild Nettle Cordial

Ingredients
500g freshly picked nettles, use only the tops
2kg granulated sugar
100g citric acid
1500ml boiling water

Method
Wash the picked nettles and drain
Place the sugar, water and citric acid into a pan and heat to 60c
Remove the pan from the heat and add the nettles, allow the mix to cool
Store the mix in the fridge for 6 days, stiring daily
After six days strain the liquid and pour into sterile bottles with lids
Keep the cordial in the fridge.

Recipe: Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1 large orange
1 lemon
80ml olive oil
4 basil leaves
3 coriander leaves
Seasoning

Method
Zest and juice the citrus fruit
Place in a pan and boil
Remove from the heat and add the olive oil
Tear in the herbs and blend with a stick blender
Pass the dressing through a fine seive
Season and serve warm

Recipe: River Wear Picked Wild Garlic Pesto

While I was out with Belle today I came across new season wild garlic on the banks of the River Wear the leaves are small at the minute but over the next few weeks the will grow to a good size.

This pesto is a very simple recipe but one I love, it's fresh! full of flavour and for me announces that spring is on its way.

Ingredients
I large cup of wild garlic leaves
150g nuts
250 ml olive oil
60g grated Parmesan

Method
Toast the nuts in a pan
Add the nuts into a jug once toasted with all of the other ingredients
Blitz with a hand blender until smooth.

Recipe: Braised Oxtail

Ingredients

4 nice sized pieces of Oxtail

2 carrots chopped

2 sticks of celery chopped

2 shallots diced

2 cloves of garlic crushed

2 sprigs of Thyme picked

1 litre reduced beef stock

Method

Place a frying pan on the stove and heat, seal the oxtail until golden brown, set to one side

In a deep roasting tray sauté the vegetables and the herbs, this can be done over a low heat, continue this for as long as possible to increase the flavour of the produce, be careful not to burn.

Add the oxtail to the vegetables and cover with the beef stock.

Cover the tray with tin foil and bake the Oxtail for 5 hours at 160c or until it begins to fall from the bone.

To serve remove the Oxtail and place it on the service dish.

Recipe: Pigs Head Terrine

If you have a good butcher he will supply you with a whole or half pigs head at a very good price.
For this terrine i used a full pigs head.

Ingredients
One pigs head
One head of celery chopped
Three carrots chopped
One leek chopped
Two onions chopped
Water
1 Pint of cider

Method
Place the pigs head in a pan with all of the other ingredients, boil then simmer
Cook the pig for 5 hours or until the meat begins to flake
Remove the pig from the pan and allow to cool slightly
Pick through the meat thats on the head, remove the meat and place into a bowl
Shred the meat by hand and add 150g chopped capers, 1 small handful of chopped parlsey and two diced and cooked apples.
Place the mix into a terrine mould and pour over 1 ladle of the cooking stock
Chill until set
Once cold and set, this will be best left over night, slice and serve
Discard the left overs of the head.

Recipe: Wild Nettle soup

Nettles can be found from spring to early summer, they are a great source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, cobalt, copper, potassium, trace minerals, chlorophyll, the B-complex vitamins, and more.

Not only do they benifit your health they are also good fun to harvest and cook with. Ensure you follow two simple rules when harvesting, only pick the tender tops of the nettles and more importantly ensure you wear gloves, the nettles will carry the sting until cooked, remember this when you go to chop them for the following recipe.

Ingredients
1 200g packet of smoked Pancetta
1 white onion diced
4 leaves wild garlic
4 handfuls nettles (remove all stems)
600ml vegetable stock
4 small potatoes diced
2 TBSP double cream

Method
In a little oil pan fry the Pancetta
Add the onion and fry until tender
Add the potato and garlic and cook slowly
Chop the nettles and add to the pan, add the stock also
Bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes
Blend with a stick blender, Sieve the soup
Add the cream and serve.

Recipe:Wild Garlic Pesto

Wild garlic can be found from late January to late Spring.

As with all of my recipes i only pick what is required, ensure it is washed, drained and used as soon as possible after harvest, this will ensure the flavour is at its best when eaten.

For the pesto
ingredients
200g wild garlic
200g Basil/parsley
200g Parmesan cheese Grated
200g Hazlenuts
Rapeseed oil

Method
Pour all of the ingredients into a blender, blitz until a smooth puree is achieved
Add just enough oil wet the mix
Place the pesto in an air tight Jar until required.

The leaves are also fantastic deep fried in a tempura batter, these can be served and work well with Lamb and beef that has been chargrilled.

Recipe: sticky toffee pudding

Ingredients
250g stoned dates
2 rounded teaspoons baking powder
2 rounded teaspoons bicarbonate powder
150ml water
1 strong cup coffee, 100ml
250g unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
4 eggs
350g plain flour

Method
Pre-heat oven at 150c
Put the dates, water, baking powder, bicarb and coffee into a saucepan and bring to the boil
Remove from the heat and cool, pour the mix into a blender and blitz to a smooth paste

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together. Then add the eggs and flour. Stir in the date mix then spoon into a baking tray lined with parchment paper, this mix will fill a dish 8"x10"

Bake in the oven until set, check with a skewer, dont forget it will carry on cooking when it comes out of the oven, you dont want it to dry out.

To serve cut into portions and serve with icecream, clotted cream or you can make a salted caramel to serve with it.

Recipe: My Blackcurrant souffle

Ingredients
225g blackcurrants- frozen from last seasons Batch picked
150g granulated sugar
A knob of unsalted butter
3 egg whites
Some icing sugar

Method
Pre heat the oven to 200c
Liquidise the black currants and sieve into a saucepan with 50g of the sugar, bring to a simmer and reduce to a thin syrup, remove from the heat and allow to cool

Grease two ramikins with the butter. Then dust with the remaining sugar, ensuring an even covering.

In a bowl, whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak. Add the remaining sugar and whisk again until the mixture is glossy

Using a large spoon fold in the blackcurrant syrup, at this stage be careful not to beat the mix so the air stays in the egg whites

Spoon the mixture into the ramikins, bake for 20 minutes or until risen, remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediatly

Recipe: Swordfish, basil mash, lemon and tomato salsa

Ingredients
Three large potatoes
One finely diced red onion
Ten halved cherry tomatoes
One chopped red chilli
Juice and zest two lemons
A knob of butter
Milk for the mash
A handful of fresh torn basil
Two sword fish steaks
Olive oil
Seasoning

Method
Place the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook until they fall of a knife when pierced

Whilst they are cooking, place the red onion, cherry tomatoes and chilli in a bowl. Add the zest and juice of the lemons. Pour in olive oil and season to taste

Once cooked, drain the potatoes, return to the pan and leave on a low heat for a minute or so, Mash the potato with butter, milk and basil, cover and set to one side

Heat a frying pan, coat the fish with oil and cook for two to three minutes each side, to serve, spoon the mash onto the plate, top with the fish and finish with the salsa

Recipe: Balsamic reduction

In a pan, combine 100ml red wine vinegar, 100ml balsamic vinegar, 100ml white wine vinegar, 150g Brown sugar, one clove crushed garlic, one sprig of Thyme and one sprig of rosemary. Bring to the boil and allow to reduce by half. Pass through a fine sieve and store in a clean container, this can be stored for upto two weeks in a fridge.

This reduction is great on salads but can also be used with vanilla bean ice cream or strawberries.

Recipe: Basil oil

Take 100g Basil and plunge it into boiling water for ten seconds
Quickly remove it and plunge it into iced water
Drain and put it into a food processor with 150ml of light olive oil
Season to taste and process for a few minutes until the oil is green
Pass through a fine sieve and pour into a clean bottle and store in a fridge until required.

Recipe: slow hay-baked mutton

Ingredients
One 2.5KG leg of mutton
500g butter
Fresh chopped rosemary and Thyme
Hay
500ml red wine
250ml water
Handfull chopped parsley
Olive oil
Seasoning

For the Cassoulet
One chopped leek
3 chopped spring onions
Three leaves torn basil
Eight sliced mushrooms
80g chopped sun-dried tomato
One handful Cooked haricot beans
One red onion sliced

Method
Pre-heat oven to 160c
Heat the roasting tray and add a little olive oil
Seal the mutton to give a little colour
Remove from the heat
Smear the butter all over the meat
Spinkle over the chopped herbs and season
Wet the hay and line the tray with it, place the mutton on top
Add the wine and water to the tray
Cover with tin foil and bake for three hours
Once cooked remove the mutton and rest for 30 minutes, cover with a tea towel to keep it warm
Drain the liquid from the tray and discard the hay
Skim the liquid and set to one side
Heat a large pan and fry the Cassoulet ingredients for a few minutes
Add about 350ml of the stock and simmer
Taste and season as required
To serve place the cassoulet on a plate and add slices of the mutton, finish with fresh chopped parsley

Recipe: Stilton stuffed roast figs with Parma ham

Ingredients
Four figs
Four slices Parma Ham
60g Stilton
Mixed salad leaves
Balsamic reduction
Sun flower oil

Method
Cut the figs across the top and squeeze to open
place two figs side by side and wrap in Parma ham, skewer them to hold them together during cooking
Repeat the above for the second portion
Pre- heat your oven to 220c
Heat a pan and drizzle in the oil, seal the Parma ham and fig parcels, remove from the pan and place on a baking tray
Place some stilton on top of each fig and bake until cheese is melted and the Ham is crisp
Remove the skewers
Place the leaves in a bowl and season, remove from the bowl and present on your service dish
Place the figs on the salad and finish with balsamic reduction.

Recipe: Carpaccio of beef with figs

Ingredients
175g organic beef fillet
75g wild mushrooms
One clove garlic crushed
One chilli deseeded
One handful torn basil
A handful of wild rocket
Two figs- quatered
Four cherry tomatoes Halved
Five tablespoons olive oil

Method
Heat a frying pan until smoking and add one teaspoon of olive oil
Seal the beef for two-three minutes
Remove the beef and allow to rest
Add the wild mushrooms to the pan with a knob of butter and gently saute
Place the remaining oil, chilli and garlic in a blender and blitz until smooth
Remove from the blender and add the torn basil, season to taste
Slice the beef as thin as you can and spread the beef out with a knife until paper thin
Place the beef onto the service dish, season and top with the rocket, dress with the dressing.

Recipe: Roast Cod on creamed spinach

Ingredients
Two thick pieces of Cod
A glass of white wine
One onion diced
One medium leek diced
Four sprimg onions chopped
1/2 pint of cream
Heritage potatoes diced
Two chopped sprigs of Thyme
200g Washed spinach
Handful chopped parsley
Butter
Olive oil
Seasoning

Method
Heat oven to 200g
Pre-heat the pan and add oil then butter, fry the fish until the skin is crispy, add the wine and then put in the oven to finish cooking
Whilst the fish is cooking , saute the onion, leek and spring onion
Once the vegetables are tender add the cream and potatoes, reduce the cream for a minute or two
Add the Thyme, spinach and Parsley, season
Remove the fish from the oven
To serve spoon the cream mixture onto the service dish and top with the Cod

Recipe: Scallops with tomato salad

Ingredients
One Mango
200g Diced Pancetta
150g Salad leaves
12 cherry plum tomatoes
12 Scallops
1 Tablespoon sesame seed oil
1 Small diced chilli
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
Juice and Zest one lemon
Seasoning

Method
Peel the mango and dice
Shallow fry the Pancetta until crisp, drain on kitchen towel to remove excess fat
In a bowl mix the salad leaves, tomatoes and Pancetta
Season the salad remebering the Pancetta is salty already
Pan fry the scallops in the sesame oil
Add the chilli, juice and zest of the lemon and fish sauce
Remove the scallops from the pan
Bring the cooking juices to the boil
Place your salad on a plate and top with the scallops, dress with the cooking juices.

Recipe: pork pie

Savoury paste
300g flour
150g lard
2 teaspoons salt
75g boiling water

Method
place the water, salt and lard in a pan and bring to the boil
Add the flour to the boiling mixture and blend to a smooth paste
Use immediately while still hot

For the filling
330g lean pork
160g fat pork
60g white breadcrumbs
100g cold water
5g salt
Gernerous pinch fresh black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground Mace

Method
Mix all the ingredients together
Use approximately 180g of paste and form a ball, with the heel of the hand for a cup shape
Reverse the ball and press over a large jar
Pressing firmly, rotate the jar to raise the paste up its sides tapering off to the top
Allow the paste to set and remove from the jar
Fill with approximately 300g of meat, flatten the meat making sure there are no air spaces left
Roll out the remaining 60g of pastry for the lid and cut to the size required
Wash the top inside edge with water or egg, Place on the lid and press firmly into the sides, pinch with finger to seal, make a hole in the top
Wash the sides and top with egg wash
Bake at 200g for approximately one hour
After baking while still hot pour a good stock into the hole and allow to chill

An interesting article from the Observer

The ultimate Ethical Meal: Grey squirrel

It's low in fat, low in food miles and completely free range. In fact, some claim that Sciurus carolinensis - the grey squirrel - is about as ethical a dish as it is possible to serve on a dinner plate.
The grey squirrel, the American cousin of Britain's endangered red variety, is flying off the shelves faster than hunters can shoot them, with game butchers struggling to keep up with demand. 'We put it on the shelf and it sells. It can be a dozen squirrels a day - and they all go,' said David Simpson, the director of Kingsley Village shopping centre in Fraddon, Cornwall, whose game counter began selling grey squirrel meat two months ago.
At Ridley's Fish and Game shop in Corbridge, Northumberland, the owner David Ridley says he has sold 1,000 - at £3.50 a squirrel - since he tested the market at the beginning of the year. 'I wasn't sure at first, and wondered would people really eat it. Now I take every squirrel I can get my hands on. I've had days when I have managed to get 60 and they've all sold straight away.'
Simpson likens the taste to wild boar. Ridley thinks it is more a cross between duck and lamb. 'It's moist and sweet because, basically, its diet has been berries and nuts,' he said.
Both believe its new-found popularity is partly due to its green credentials. 'People like the fact it is wild meat, low in fat and local - so no food miles,' says Simpson. Ridley reckons that patriotism also plays a part: 'Eat a grey and save a red. That's the message.'
A glut of back-to-the-wild TV programmes featuring celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has also tickled the public's palate, but squirrel is still unlikely to be found in the family fridge. The Observer's restaurant critic, Jay Rayner, said he had never tasted squirrel, but if he did have it for dinner 'it would have to be a big, fat country squirrel and not one of the mangy urban ones you see in cities'.
'People may say they are buying it because it's green and environmentally friendly, but really they're doing it out of curiosity and because of the novelty value. If they can say, "Darling, tonight we're having squirrel", then that takes care of the first 30 minutes of any dinner party conversation. I see it remaining a niche. There's not much meat on a squirrel, so I'd be surprised if farming squirrel takes off anywhere some time soon.'
Kevin Viner, former chef-proprietor of Pennypots, the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Cornwall, who now runs Viners bar and restaurant at Summercourt, believes it will remain a niche market. But with a plentiful supply of meat - there are estimated to be almost five million grey squirrels in Britain - there is room for the market to expand.
Viner - who comes from a rural 'if you shot it, you ate it' background - said the trick was to serve squirrel fresh and not to leave it hanging like other game. 'It looks a lot like rabbit, though it is a drier meat and slightly firmer. Most of the meat comes off the rear leg. The loins are so thin they need much shorter cooking time,' he said.
'A large squirrel would be enough for one-and-a-half people. The public really are being drawn to it. I think that it's because it is being perceived as a healthy meat. Southern fried squirrel is good. And tandoori style works. It is especially tasty fricasséed with Cornish cream and walnuts. But the one everyone seems to like is the Cornish squirrel pasty.'
And his own favourite recipe? 'I must admit, I'm a beef man myself,' he said. 'But my huntsman swears by squirrel with sausage meat and bacon.'
How to make squirrel pasties
Kevin Viner's recipe for two pasties
140g squirrel meat cut into 1cm cubes;
100g sliced potato; 100g sliced swede; 50g diced onion; 30g smoked bacon;
15g chopped hazelnuts; 75g butter;
5g chopped parsley; a good pinch of salt and pepper
Method
· Egg wash edges of pastry circles.
· Place the potato, swede, hazelnuts, parsley and seasoning on to each circle followed by the bacon, squirrel meat and, finally, the onion.
· Place butter in each pasty, then fold over the pastry and crimp the edges.
· Put the pasties on to a greaseproof baking tray, egg wash both pasties well, place in a pre-heated oven at 180C or gas mark 5.
· Bake for 45-50 minutes. The juices should start to boil and the pasties should be able to move on the tray with ease.

Recipe: Blueberry compote

Ingredients
500g Blueberries (Frozen during the summer)
50ml lemon juice
70g sugar
1 vanilla pod

Method
Place all the ingredients into a pan, stir and allow to come to the boil
Remove the vanilla pod and allow to cool
Serve with natural yoghurt as a breakfast treat.

Recipe: Italian Meringue

Ingredients
4 egg whites
200g sugar

Method
Place the sugar into a pan with enough water to dissolve it
Bring to the boil
Once boiled do not stir
cook the sugar to soft boil(116c)
Place the whites on the machine to whisk and whip to full peak
When the sugar reaches temperature, pour onto the whipped whites
continue whipping until cold and use as required

Recipe: Cheese Fondue

For the Fondue

200g Swiss Emmental, grated coarsely
400g Swiss Gruyere, grated coarsely
1 clove garlic
1 tsp corn flour
300ml white wine
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Small glass of kirsch
Pinch of nutmeg
Pepper
Cubed crusty bread

Method

Mix the Emmental and Gruyere in a bowl and set to one side
Rub the Fondue dish with the garlic
Add the white wine to the fondue dish
Heat the wine until simmering
Add the lemon juice, this will help when adding the cheese as it helps it amalgamate
Stir in the cheese mix and melt, once melted add the kirsch and thicken with the corn flour
Reduce the heat and cook out the mix for a few minutes, season with the nutmeg and pepper
Share the bread, skewer and enjoy.

Recipe: Raspberry Bavarois

Ingredients
800g Raspberries
(during the summer we put freshly picked berries in the freezer, you can defrost and use these for the dessert)
10 leaves gelatine
150g sugar
500ml cream half whipped
1 mix Italian meringue

Method
Put the raspberries and the juice in a blender and blitz.
Pass through a fine sieve
Place the puree and sugar in a pan and warm to blood heat.
Add the soaked gelatine and stir until desolved
Remove from the heat and allow to cool
When the mix has cooled carefully fold in the halfed whipped cream and the italian meringue, place in moulds and chill

Recipe: Sable Biscuits

Ingredients
240g soft flour
180g butter
120g caster sugar
2 egg yolks

Method
Beat the sugar and butter to a cream
Add the egg yolk and beat into the cream
Add the flour and beat to a smooth paste
Transfer to a clean piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe into a silicone lined tray
Bake in an oven at 380c until golden brown in colour, allow to cool then store in an air tight container