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