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.