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: 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: 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

Recipe: Brandy snap horns

For the brandy snap horns
Butter 9oz
Castor sugar 16oz
Flour 8 ozs
Golden syrup 8 oz

Method
Place the syrup, butter and sugar in a pan and mix over the heat
Once fully mixed together add the flour and beat until fully incorporated
Pour into a clean container
Store in refrigerator until required
To cook take the required amount and shape into a ball
Plaice on a silpat mat and cook at 180c for 6-8 minutes
Shape as required

Recipe: Chocolate ganache

For the Ganache
7 oz Chocolate
5 oz double cream
2 oz butter

Method
Grate or shave the chocolate
Boil the cream and butter, add to the chocolate
Mix until completely smooth
store in the fridge until required.

Recipe: Rich hot chocolate fondant

Serves six
For the fondant
250g of plain chocolate
250g of unsalted butter
Two eggs
200g of caster sugar
135g of plain flour
30g of cocoa powder

Method

Grease six ramekins with butter, dust them with some of the cocoa powder and chill them in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water in a pan . Once it's all melted, gently mix in the butter.

Sieve the flour and remaining cocoa powder into a bowl. Whisk the eggs and sugar in another bowl until pale and fluffy. Then, using a metal spoon, rather than stir gently fold in the butter/cocoa powder mix. Spoon the mixture into the ramikns until each is 3/4 filled. Tap each to remove air bubbles, cover with cling film and chill for at least a couple of hours.

This can be done well in advance, as you can do the final cooking after you've finished your main course. Heat the oven to 200c, bake the ramekins for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow them to cool for a couple of minutes and then turn them out onto the serving plates. You could serve them with a chocolate sauce, cream or ice cream.