Everyone’s favourite Thai curry reimagined as a fried rice, infused with the smokiness of a hot wok – quick, simple and easily adaptable for meat eaters.
INGREDIENTS
- 220g jasmine rice (uncooked weight), cooked and cooled
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 160g green beans, sliced into quarters
- 50g Blue Dragon green curry paste
- 100ml Blue Dragon coconut milk
- 80g bean sprouts
- 1tsp Blue Dragon light soy sauce
- 2tsp vegetable oil
- 1 lime, cut into 2-3 wedges
- crispy fried onions or shallots
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced
METHODS
- Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the curry paste and fry until it starts to separate, and then add the coconut milk, green beans and 50ml of water. Stir to combine, then cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half and the beans have softened slightly.
- Uncover, and then add the rice, bean sprouts, peppers and soy sauce. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until the rice is warmed through, the bean sprouts and peppers have softened slightly, and the curry sauce has been fully absorbed into the rice.
- Serve with a sprinkling of crispy fried onions, sliced chilli and a wedge of lime on the side.
Marks & Spencer is to launch an online grocery shopping service this autumn as it looks to cash in on the success of its food halls.
The retailer confirmed that a team of executives was currently drawing up a battle plan ahead of trials this autumn, allowing M&S customers to order food online and have it delivered to their home.
While Britons may have fallen out of love with the M&S clothing ranges in recent years they have been heading in droves to its food aisles as they opt to pick up food for an evening meal rather than do a big weekly shop.
Until now selling food online has not made business sense for M&S as its customers do not typically spend enough on groceries on each visit to make the service profitable.
But the retailer has concluded it can no longer ignore what is the fastest growing section of the UK’s £180bn grocery market as new delivery services, such as AmazonFresh, which allows shoppers to order groceries at lunchtime and get the delivery in time for dinner, revolutionise the way Britain buys food.
Senior executives were informed of the plan at a meeting at Wembley, north-west London, on Wednesday.
“We continue to review food online carefully,” said Steve Rowe, chief executive of M&S. “It has not cost us anything over the last five years by not being online with food. Our customers haven’t moved yet, but they will and we need to ensure that we are ready with the right response. There are unanswered questions over what this means for M&S and we have a team looking at this now with a view to undertaking a soft trial in the autumn.”
M&S already sells a limited selection of party food and alcohol on its website but this would be the first time its wider grocery offer would be made available online.
The high-street store is different from other food retailers as it stocks just 7,000 products compared with 40,000 at most Tesco shops. It also focuses on exclusive own-brand products with only a limited number of household brands available in its stores. It is not clear how the retailer would overcome these hurdles if it were to offer customers a full grocery outlet.
“The economics of food online are not straightforward and it is not something that we are going to rush into until we have substantial customer insight and a better understanding of what is right for M&S and right for our customers,” Rowe added.
Tony Shiret, an independent retail analyst, said Rowe was finally “biting the bullet”. Shiret added: “If they don’t do food online they stand to lose market share to people who do. It’s become a basic expectation from customers.”
However, the analyst said the retailer would face a big challenge trying to make the service profitable. “It is going to be tricky for them because their shopping baskets are small as people use their stores to buy bits and pieces.”
Rowe, who began his retail career aged 15 as a Saturday boy at the M&S Croydon store in south London, and took over as chief executive last April, is seeking to revive the declining profits of the 132-year-old retailer. His biggest job is turning around its clothing arm which under his predecessor, Marc Bolland, relied on heavy discounting to attract shoppers. Rowe is also keen to exploit the success of its food arm.
Last year Rowe announced plans to shut 30 UK stores and convert 45 more into food-only shops as part of a business overhaul that would slash the amount of shopfloor space devoted to clothing and face the challenge posed by online shopping.
M&S confirmed the location of six of the affected stores, which included four large “full-line” stores – which sell clothing, homeware and food. They are in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in Slough, Berkshire, Warrington in Cheshire, and Wokingham, Surrey. The retailer also unveiled plans to open another 34 food shops in the next six months.
Finely chopped and sautéed, chard stems make a delicious addition to a stuffing for cannelloni or pancakes. They also work in dumplings.
INGREDIENTS:
spring onions 4
garlic 2 cloves
chard stalks 75g
groundnut or vegetable oil 2 tbsp
button mushrooms 75g
sake a little
gyoza wrappers 18
For the dip:
sesame seeds 15g
mirin 2 tbsp
rice vinegar 2 tbsp
caster sugar 1 tsp
soy sauce 3 tsp
sesame oil ½ tsp
METHODS:
Finely chop the spring onions, discarding any very dark green leaves. Peel and crush the garlic and add to the spring onion. Finely chop the chard stalks and add them to the onion. Warm the oil in a saucepan then stir in the chard stalks, spring onion and garlic and let them cook for 10 minutes, partially covered by a lid, until all is soft and sweet.
Finely chop the mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms into the vegetables and let them cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
Fill the wrappers as in the recipe above. You should make about 18 little parcels. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.
To cook, warm a little oil in a heavy based, shallow pan. Place the gyoza flat side down and leave them for 7-10 minutes or so, until the base is golden and lightly crisp. Pour a few splashes of sake into the pan, then cover with a lid on top so the sides of each parcel cook, but without colour.
Make the dip. Toast the sesame seeds for a couple of minutes in a dry, shallow pan. When deep gold in colour, tip them into a small bowl, add the mirin, rice vinegar, sugar, soy and sesame oil and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Serve the gyoza, hot from the pan, together with the dip.
The thickest chocolate mousse with a fine layer of crisp chocolate and praline on top. The trick is not to let the mixture get too hot, and to fold the egg yolks in quickly but lightly.
Here are the complete recipe for chocolate hazelnut mousse
INGREDIENTS
- dark chocolate 250g
- butter 40g
- hot espresso 3 tbsp
- eggs 5, separated For the praline:
- hazelnuts 50g
- caster sugar 75g To cover:
- dark chocolate 100g
METHODS
- Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the butter and stir, lightly, to mix. Add the espresso.
- Separate the eggs, then beat the whites until they are almost stiff. Remove the mixture from the heat, then fold the egg yolks in. Work quickly, stirring gently and firmly. Fold the egg whites into the mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl, approximately 20-22cm in diameter, or into four small dishes. Place in the fridge, covered with clingfilm, for at least 4 hours, to set.
- Meanwhile make the praline. Toast the nuts in a shallow pan until golden. Scatter over the sugar and leave to melt. When the caramel is golden, pour on to a baking sheet and leave to cool. Process to coarse crumbs.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Scrape out of the bowl with a rubber spatula, smoothing it over the surface of the cold, set chocolate mousse. Scatter with the hazelnut praline and return to the fridge until the chocolate has set.
- double cream 500ml
- blood orange 2 short strips of peel
- cloves 4
- star anise 2, whole
- nutmeg ½
- cinnamon stick whole
For the praline:
- almonds 50g, skinned
- golden caster sugar 75g
METHODS
- Butter a 2-pint pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base to stop the top of the pudding sticking. Put the butter and soft brown sugar in the bowl of a food mixer and cream together until pale and fluffy. Mix together the flour, ground almonds and cocoa. Break the eggs in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. With the beater still turning, add the eggs, a little at time.
- Put a large, deep pan of water on to boil, just enough to come half way up the sides of the pudding basin.
- With the machine on low speed, fold the flour, almonds and cocoa into the butter and sugar mixture, then the milk. When there are no signs of flour left, transfer to the pudding basin, gently smoothing the surface.
- Enclose the top with baking parchment then foil (ideal to use clingfim, enclosing the entire bowl) then lower into the simmering water. Cover the pan with a lid and leave to steam for 90 minutes. Check the water level from time to time and top up if necessary.
- To make the praline, toast the almonds in a dry pan until golden, turning them regularly. Add the sugar, evenly sprinkling it over the pan. Leave, without stirring, until the sugar has melted. As soon as they turn deep gold, tip the nuts and caramel on to a non-stick baking sheet or piece of baking parchment. When the nuts are cool enough to handle, process two-thirds of them to coarse crumbs in a food processor.
- To make the infused cream, pour the cream into a small saucepan. Remove a couple of strips of orange peel and add to the cream, together with the cloves and star anise. Grate a little nutmeg over the surface. Drop in the cinnamon stick. Bring almost to the boil, then remove from the heat, cover and set aside.
- When you are ready to serve, remove the pudding from its water and leave for 10 minutes to settle. Remove the paper and foil, slide a palette knife around the sides, and tip upside down on to a plate.
- Scatter the surface with the crushed praline and pour over the infused cream. Break the remaining caramel nuts into pieces and offer them round for those who wish.
Here are the complete recipe for Chorizo chicken with preserved lemon yoghurt and Cavolo Nero.
INGREDIENTS:
1. 100g butter, softened
2. 1½ tbsp garam masala
3. 2 tsp amchur
4. Zest and juice of ½ lemon
5. Juice ½ lemon
6. Salt and black pepper
7. 1 whole chicken
8. 100ml water
9. A pinch of saffron
10. 150ml white wine
11. 150g cooked chickpeas
12. 5 tomatoes, chopped
13. 4 chorizo, chopped
For the yoghurt
1. 1 tbsp finely sliced preserved lemon
2. 250g Greek yoghurt
To serve
1. 400g cavolo nero, stalks removed
2. 2 tbsp coconut oil
3. 1 small knob ginger, minced
4. 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5. ½ red chilli finely chopped
METHODS
1. Combine the butter, garam masala, amchur, lemon zest and juice and ½ tsp salt. Rub the mixture over the chicken. Put in a roasting tin, pour in the water and cook at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes.
2. Mix the saffron and wine together. Rinse the chickpeas, drain, then add to the chicken along with the tomatoes, chorizo and saffron wine. Return to the oven for 20 minutes per 450g of chicken, plus an extra 15 minutes or so.
3. Meanwhile, mix the preserved lemon into the Greek yoghurt, season to taste and set aside.
4. Melt the coconut oil in a heavy pan large enough to hold the cavolo nero. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and gently fry for a minute, then add the cavolo nero. Stir well, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender. Season to taste.
5. Once cooked, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the cavolo nero.
Here are the complete recipe for yogurt and cardamom sorbet with brown butter and poppy seed biscuits.
INGREDIENTS:
For the sorbet:
- golden caster sugar 100g
- runny honey 4 tsp
- cardamom pods 6, bruised
- orange ¼, pared zest
- plain natural yogurt 600g
For the shortbread:
- unsalted butter 150g
- golden caster sugar 75g, plus extra for sprinkling
- plain flour 150g
- cornflour 75g
- pinch of salt
- poppy seeds 1 tbsp
METHODS
- To make the sorbet, place the sugar and honey in a pan with the cardamom pods, the zest and 4 tbsp of water. Place over a low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the syrup begins to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Put the yogurt in a mixing bowl. Strain the syrup through a sieve on to the yogurt and whisk thoroughly. Pour into an ice-cream machine and churn until soft set. Transfer to a plastic container, cover and place in the freezer until frozen (about 3-4 hours).
- To make the shortbread, heat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Place the butter in a pan over a low heat. Shake the pan once in a while to stop the butter spitting. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until the butter smells fragrant and nutty and you see the solids browning on the base of the pan. Skim any foamy bubbles from the top. Place the sugar in a bowl, then pour over the butter, leaving the solids in the base of the pan. Mix well. Combine the flour, cornflour and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the butter and sugar mixture. Use a spatula to bring everything together to a soft dough. Spread the dough evenly over a nonstick 25 x 15cm baking tray. Press it level with a spatula.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with caster sugar and the poppy seeds. Use a knife to score the biscuit into rectangular fingers. Allow to cool.
- Remove the sorbet from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Give each person a spoonful with a crumbly biscuit alongside.
This makes such a good supper. It is so much more than fish and potatoes. You can take out the dried salted fish and on the surface it would look much the same, but underneath the crisp and caramelised potato topping it wouldn’t have the extraordinary intensity that the salted pollack brings. To make your own salted fish, cover a large fillet of very fresh pollack, cod or other white fish in fine salt and leave it in the fridge for 48 hours. Wash the salt off the fish and hang it to dry somewhere cool and airy (a porch, lean-to or shed is perfect). It will hang for many weeks, even months. When you’re ready to use it, soak it for 12 to 18 hours in several changes of fresh cold water.
INGREDIENTS
- white floury potatoes 1kg, such as Désirée or Maris Piper
- onion 1 large, thinly sliced
- garlic cloves 4-6, peeled and thinly sliced or chopped
- marjoram 2 tbsp, plus a couple of stems for topping (optional)
- double cream 500ml
- salted pollack or cod fillets 300-400g, thoroughly soaked, skinned and sliced into small pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHODS
- Heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 2-3. Peel and slice the potatoes thinly into 2-3mm rounds. Place the slices in a large bowl with the onions, garlic and marjoram, and plenty of black pepper (it may not need salt as the fish will bring this to the mix). Place the cream into a small pan over a medium heat and bring it up to a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the potatoes and turn well to combine.
- Place a relatively neat layer of overlapping potatoes in the bottom of a large round dish, about 20-25cm in diameter and 5cm deep. Scatter over some of the sliced fish, then make a second layer of overlapping potatoes. Continue until you have used up the fish, finishing with a layer of potato on top. Pour over all the remaining cream from the bowl. Top with a couple of marjoram flower stems, which I think look lovely, dry and brittle as glass in the oven – but of course they’re not essential.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake the layered potato and fish pie for 1 hour, pressing the potatoes down firmly once or twice during cooking using a spatula, until the potatoes are tender, the top layer is golden and the sauce is bubbling. Remove the dish from the oven and allow it time to settle. It will be much better, and still nice and hot, after 30 minutes of sitting. Serve with a green salad or steamed, lemony purple sprouting broccoli.
This is a classic way to prepare and cook squid and also, quite possibly, the most delicious way to eat it. Smaller squid work best.
INGREDIENTS
- cornflour 50g
- plain flour 50g
- whole squid 500g, cleaned, body cut into 1cm rings, tentacles left whole
- sunflower oil 500ml, for deep frying
- extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
- flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp, chopped
- garlic clove ½ , peeled and grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- lemon wedges to serve (optional)
METHODS
- Combine the cornflour and plain flour in a bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Pour the sunflower oil into a wok or large saucepan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the pan, then place the pan over a medium-high heat. If you’re using a thermometer, heat the oil to 180C. If not, you can check the oil is at the right temperature by dropping in a small cube of bread: after 1 minute, it should turn golden and crisp.
- Take a handful of squid rings and tentacles and turn them through the flour to coat. Then place them in a sieve and shake off the excess flour so it falls back into the bowl.
- When all the squid pieces are coated, gently add them a handful at a time to the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes, until they’re golden and crisp, then lift them out with a slotted spoon on to kitchen paper. Allow the oil in the pan to heat back up again and repeat with the remaining squid, until all the rings and tentacles are cooked. Combine the olive oil with the chopped parsley and garlic and mix well.
- Heap the squid into a large bowl, or divide it between several smaller plates. Spoon over the parsley and garlic dressing and serve sprinkled with salt and with some fresh lemon wedges for squeezing, if you like.
It’s difficult to explain just how brilliant the combination in this sauce is. It’s big and totally rounded. When you eat it, it is as if the ingredients were invented only for this dish.
INGREDIENTS
brill fillets 5, or 120-150g in total, skin on
extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
anchovies in oil 8-12
dried chillies 1-2, deseeded and sliced
garlic cloves 8, peeled and thinly sliced
rosemary sprigs 4-6, leaves only
thyme sprigs 2 (optional)
double cream 75ml
salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHODS
Season the brill fillets well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium to high heat. When it’s hot, add the brill skin-side down. Fry for 4-5 minutes, or until the fish has cooked at least three-quarters of the way up its edge.
Remove the pan from the heat and use a spatula to remove the fish to a plate. Return the pan to the heat and add the anchovies, chilli, garlic and rosemary, and the thyme, if using.
Use a spatula to move the ingredients around the pan for 2-3 minutes, until the anchovies start to break down and the garlic and rosemary smell fragrant, then return the brill to the pan, this time skin-side up. Give the pan a shake, then add the cream along with 2 tbsp of water and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until the sauce is thick and bubbling. Give the sauce a taste and adjust the seasoning if you need to. Remove from the heat.
Place one piece of fish on each plate, spoon over some sauce and serve straight away with good rustic bread and a dressed green salad, or with buttery mash and steamed purple sprouting broccoli.
Here are complete recipe for chocolate rye brownies with bay and almonds.
- INGREDIENTS
- dark chocolate 200g, good quality, at least 70% cocoa solids, broken in pieces
- unsalted butter 180g, cubed and chilled, plus extra for greasing
- fine sea salt 2 pinches
- eggs 4
- golden caster sugar 100g
- soft brown sugar 80g
- light rye flour 150g , plus extra for dusting
- almonds 100g whole, skin-on
- orange finely grated zest of ½
- golden granulated sugar 50g
- bay leaves 6-8
- Heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 2-3.
METHODS
- Grease and lightly flour a medium baking tin (about 20 x 30cm). Melt the chocolate pieces and butter, with 1 pinch of the salt, in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of very gently simmering water for 6-8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chocolate is smooth and delicious-looking. (Don’t let the bowl touch the water.) Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
- Separate 1 egg. Divide the white in half as best you can. In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the remaining eggs, as well as the yolk and ½ egg white of the separated egg, with both the sugars until light, airy, pale and fluffy. Reserve the remaining ½ egg white.
- Beat the whisked egg into the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in the rye flour until the batter is fully combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
- To make the topping, whisk the reserved egg white in a bowl until light and airy, then fold in the almonds, orange zest, granulated sugar and remaining pinch of salt. Tumble together until the almonds are well coated and the mixture is fully combined. Spoon the almond topping evenly over the brownies, then dot the bay leaves over the top, pushing the base of each leaf a little way into the batter.
- Bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes, until they are cracked and firm on top, but gooey in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin, then cut into squares. Serve individually with cream, ice cream or thick, plain yogurt – or as they are with a cup of tea or coffee.
Here are the complete recipe for Rabbit with pappardelle
INGREDIENTS
- extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
- smoked streaky bacon 6 thick rashers, cut into lardons
- celery sticks 2, trimmed and finely diced
- onion 1, finely chopped
- garlic 4 cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- bay leaves 2
- thyme sprigs 6
- rosemary sprig 1
- wild rabbit 1 , jointed
- chicken or vegetable stock
- pappardelle pasta
- salt and black pepper freshly ground
METHODS
-Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium casserole over a medium heat. When it’s hot, add the lardons and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon has given up a little fat. Add the celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and rosemary sprigs.
- Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and just beginning to colour.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the rabbit pieces and season them all over with salt and pepper. Fry the rabbit for 6-8 minutes on each side, or until lovely and golden all over.
- Transfer the rabbit and any pan juices to the casserole of softening vegetables. Pour over the stock and bring up to a very gentle simmer. Place a lid on the casserole, leaving it just ajar, then cook over a low heat for 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until the meat is completely tender and comes easily away from the bone. If the pan looks a little dry during cooking, add a splash more stock or water.
- When the rabbit is ready, remove the casserole from the heat and use a pair of tongs to transfer the rabbit pieces to a large plate.
- When the meat is cool enough to handle, pick it off the bone in shards and shreds and add it back to the pan. Stir everything well, and return the pan to the heat. Bring the sauce back up to a simmer and continue simmering until it has reached a consistency you’re happy with (I usually leave it bubbling away for about 15-20 minutes). When it’s ready, season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water (3-6 minutes if fresh, a little longer if dried), drain, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Place equal amounts of pasta on each of 4 plates, then spoon over generous amounts of the sauce and serve.
Here are the complete recipe for samphire and prawns with butter and mace
INGREDIENTS
- marsh samphire 250g, coarser stems trimmed
- butter 1 knob
- extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
- garlic cloves 2, peeled and thinly sliced
- chilli flakes ½ tsp
- lemon zest of ½, juice of 1
- ground mace ½ tsp
- cooked or live prawns or shrimps 400g
- salt and black pepper freshly ground
METHODS
- Bring a medium pan of water to the boil. Drop in the samphire and cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When bubbling, add the garlic, chilli flakes, lemon zest and mace. Cook, stirring regularly, for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is just beginning to colour. Add the drained samphire to the pan and toss well.
- If you have live prawns or shrimps, blanch them in salted boiling water for a few minutes until they have lost their translucency and are cooked through.
- Scatter over the cooked shellfish, add the lemon juice, season well with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat as soon as the prawns or shrimps are warm. Divide the mixture equally on to 4 plates and serve straight away with good bread and butter.
Here are the complete recipe for spring cabbage salad with honey and sprounted lentils.
This salad is all about the crunch and bite of raw ingredients, and the honey-sweet warmth of the punchy dressing that brings it all together.
INGREDIENTS
- hispi cabbage 1, firm (about 400g)
- white or red spring onions 4, thinly sliced
- sprouted lentils and/or beans 150g
- sesame seeds 2-3 tsp, toasted
For the dressing:
- ginger 20g, peeled and finely grated
- garlic 1 clove, peeled and finely grated
- orange ½, juice and finely grated zest
- tamari or soy sauce 2 tbsp
- dried chilli flakes 1-2 tsp
- honey 50g, runny
- coriander seeds 2 tsp, toasted and crushed
- sesame oil 2 tsp
METHODS
- To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, whisk and set aside.
- Trim off any rough or discoloured outer leaves from the cabbage. Slice it in half from top to bottom, then remove the thickest part of the stem from within each half. Slice each half into thin ribbons, no thicker than 1 cm wide. Wash the cabbage and drain well. You can spin it dry briefly if you have a salad spinner.
- Scatter the cabbage over a large serving platter, or on to smaller individual plates. Spoon half the dressing over the cabbage, then scatter over the spring onion.
- Place the sprouted lentils and/or beans in a small bowl. Drizzle 3 tbsp of dressing over it and tumble everything together. Scatter the lentils and/or beans over the plated cabbage and spring onions.
- Scatter over the toasted sesame seeds and finish by drizzling over the remaining dressing. Serve immediately.
Here are the complete recipe for cheese, pickle & potato pie
INGREDIENTS
- 50g chilled butter, plus extra for greasing, chopped
- 500g shortcrust pastry block
- 600g King Edward potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 3 tbsp Branston Original Pickle
- 150g Pilgrims Choice Mature cheese, cubed
- 1 egg, beaten
- Ground white pepper
- Serve with salad or steamed green veg
METHODS
- Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease a 26cm x 20cm pie dish with butter, then on a lightly floured surface, roll out a third of the pastry to the side of the top for the pie, using the dish as a guide and going a little larger, then chill. Roll out the remaining pastry and line the dish with it.
- Make a few pinpricks in the bottom with a fork. Chill, cling filmed, for 15 mins, and then bake for 5 mins, covering just the bottom with an oval of tin foil.
Here are the complete recipe for steak and stout pie
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for brushing
- 12 shallots, peeled and trimmed
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 900g chopped chuck or stewing steak
- 2 sticks of celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400ml stout
- 1 tsp Worcester Sauce
- 2 tsp Sarson’s Malt Vinegar, plus extra to dress
- 200ml beef stock
- 320g sheet of puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- Vegetable oil, for deep fat frying
- 4 parsnips, trimmed and chipped
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- Pink peppercorns, for garnish
METHODS
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the shallots for 2 mins, before mixing in the sugar.
- Add the steak and stir, sealing on all sides, then add the celery and carrots.
- Cook, stirring, for 3 mins, then stir in the flour and tomato purée and cook for 1 min.
- Pour in the stout, Worcester Sauce, vinegar and beef stock, and bring to the boil.
- Simmer, covered, for 1 hour 30 mins, until tender.
- Allow it to cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6.
- Either using one large pie dish or four single ones, cut the pastry lid/s out of the pastry sheet, then fill the dish or dishes with the steak mixture and top with the pastry.
- Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 10-15 mins on the middle shelf until puffed up and golden.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, pour the vegetable oil one-third of the way up and heat to around 180C (or add a small piece of a chip and if it sizzles, the oil is ready).
- Fry the parsnips in small batches for 5-6 mins, or until golden, and then drain on a plate lined with kitchen roll. Serve, dressed in pink peppercorns and Sarson’s vinegar, with the pie.
Here's the perfect pancake batter mix recipe. It's simple, inexpensive and delicious way to make.
INGREDIENTS
- 250ml milk
- 120g flour
- 1 large egg
- 1tsp caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
METHODS
- Vegetable oil for frying - always ask an adult to help with this bit.
- Whisk all the ingredients together with one third of the milk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining milk, then strain if necessary. Heat a good non-stick frying pan, rub with a little vegetable oil, then pour in a little pancake mix, and immediately tilt the pan so that the mixture spreads evenly. Turn after one minute with a spatula or palette knife – or if you’re feeling confident, flip it!
-If you need to make a large quantity of pancakes, make them in advance and stack them up between squares of greaseproof paper. When you’re ready to serve them, re-heat in the oven for a minute or so.
Storage: Batter keeps in the fridge for up to two days; just re-whisk it before using.
Here are the complete recipe for cranberry pudding with butterscotch sauce
INGREDIENTS
- dried apricots 180g
- cranberries 50g, fresh or frozen
- boiling water 200ml
- butter 100g
- light muscovado sugar 100g
- egg 1
- plain flour 150g
- baking powder 1.5 tsp
For the sauce:
- light muscovado sugar 100g
- double cream 125ml
- butter 70g
- maple syrup 1 tbsp
- cranberries 100g, fresh or frozen
METHODS
- Cut the apricots into small pieces and put them in a heatproof mixing bowl. Add the 50g of cranberries and pour the boiling water over. Set aside while you make the pudding.
- Butter the pudding bowl with a small knob of butter. Sieve together the flour and baking powder. Put the rest of the butter into the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a flat beater. Add the sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes till soft, pale and creamy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Make the sauce by putting the sugar, cream, butter and maple syrup in a saucepan and bringing to the boil. Let it simmer for 2 minutes, roughly chop the 100g of cranberries (if using frozen fruit, this is easier in a food processor) then add to the sauce.
- Break the egg into a bowl, beat lightly, just enough to mix white and yolk, then add, with the beater still turning, to the butter and sugar.
- When the egg is fully incorporated, stir in the flour and baking powder mixture, turning slowly until there is no visible trace of flour left. Fold in the apricots and cranberries, and the water they are in. Transfer the mixture to the buttered bowl, smooth the surface lightly then bake for 30 minutes until pale gold and lightly firm. Remove from the oven, pour over half of the cranberry butterscotch sauce and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Serve hot together with the remaining sauce.
Here are the complete recipe for oyster sauce chicken with citrus mint salad
INGREDIENTS
For the marinade:
- garlic 3 large cloves
- onion 1, medium sized
- oyster sauce 100ml
- light soy sauce 4 tbsp
- honey 3 tbsp
- chilli sauce 3 tbsp
For the salad:
- fish sauce 2 tsp
- caster sugar 1 tbsp
- lime juice 2 tbsp
- mint leaves 10
- coriander leaves a large handful
- chilli 1, medium-sized
- pink grapefruit 1
- cashews 2 handfuls, roasted and salted
METHODS
-To make the marinade peel the garlic then crush the cloves to a paste using a pestle and mortar and a pinch of salt. Put the paste into a large mixing bowl. Peel the onion, cut it in half and chop it very finely. Combine with the garlic.
- Put the oyster and soy sauces, the honey and the chilli sauce into the mixing bowl and stir thoroughly. Push the chicken pieces into the marinade, turn them over and leave in a cool place for an hour or two.
- Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Place the chicken pieces into a nonstick roasting tin, spoon over half the marinade and place in the preheated oven. Roast for 45 minutes, basting once or twice with the remaining marinade, and regularly checking their progress. Cover the roasting tin with foil if necessary.
- To make the salad, combine the fish sauce, caster sugar and lime juice in a small bowl. Roughly chop or tear the mint leaves and add to the bowl, together with the coriander leaves. Finely chop the chilli and add to the dressing.
- Slice the ends from the grapefruit, place it flat on the chopping board then slice away the peel and white pith a sharp kitchen knife. Remove the segments of flesh from the skin. Put the grapefruit into the dressing and leave for 10 minutes before adding the cashew nuts and serving.
