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Asparagus, crème de Brie, sautéed apple, pine nuts
Braised fennel, olives, cannellini beans, lemon
Crispy smashed potatoes, avocado cream, whipped lemon ricotta, pine scented honey
Broadbean bulgar wheat, radish and mint salad
Green beans, sugar snap peas with Goma dare
Scallops with sauce Vierge
Cod goujons with green sauce gribiche, pangratatto
Strawberry, tomato and watercress salad with honey and pink pepper dressing
Rich ginger cake, Gorgonzola, caramel, walnuts, flaked salt
Eton mess with strawberries
Asparagus, crème de Brie, sautéed apple, pine nuts
ingredients:
8 stems of asparagus
2 apples peeled and divided into wedges
Half a cup of pine nuts
Butter to sauté apples
Olive oil to roast asparagus
For the creamy brie sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
6 oz brie cheese ripe, rindless
1 pinch salt to taste
Good pinch of nutmeg grated
1 pinch white Pepper to taste
Method:
- Trim and peel the woody bits of asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and either roasted in a pan or in the oven until lightly coloured but still retaining a good firmness.
- Peel and divide the apples into wedges. Saute in a pan with some butter and olive oil until golden.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan, paying attention not to burn.
For the sauce:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat and stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the milk.
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cut the rindless cheese into pieces and add to the sauce, stirring until melted. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
Assembly:
Arrange the cooked asparagus and apples on a serving plate. Spoon over some warm sauce. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Drizzle with some peppery olive oil. Serve immediately.
Braised fennel, olives, cannellini beans, lemon
Beautifully caramelised fennel on a bed of creamy white beans. A really simple meal to put together, but such a showstopper. I like to add fennel seeds to the bean base to really amplify the anisey flavour throughout.
ingredients:
1 large head of fennel, cut into 6-8 wedges, herby fronds picked off
1 large shallot, finely diced
A few sprigs thyme
1 tsp fennel seeds
60g pitted green olives, halved lengthways
A really good knob of butter
400g can of cannellini beans
1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
method:
- Place a cast iron pan over a high heat with a little oil. Add the fennel in a single layer. When the underside is coloured turn them, so that both sides are well coloured. Add the thyme, butter and salt to the pan and turn down the heat to low. Cook until the fennel is tender, turning from time to time. Add the olives to the pan to warm through
- Meanwhile sweat the shallots in a saucepan over a medium heat with a little oil. When starting to soften stir in the fennel seeds and cook out for 1-2mins. Stir in the beans and continue to cook, stirring regularly/ vigorously until they are soft and creamy – add a little water if the pan starts to dry out. Roughly chop half the fennel fronds and stir it in with lemon juice and salt to taste
- Spoon the beans into a bowl and top with the fennel, olives and remaining fronds.
Crispy smashed potatoes, avocado cream, whipped lemon ricotta, pine scented honey
ingredients :
For the Potatoes
500g baby potatoes
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
For the Avocado Cream
2 ripe avocados
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
Pinch of salt
For the Whipped Lemon Ricotta
250 g ricotta cheese
2 tbsp (30 ml) double cream
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
Pinch of salt
For the Honey Drizzle
2 tbsp (30 ml) honey (flavour to your liking)
Garnish
Fresh herbs (parsley or chives)
Flaky sea salt
Cracked black pepper
method:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Boil baby potatoes until fork tender, about 15–20 minutes.
- Place on a baking tray and gently smash each potato. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25–30 minutes until crispy and golden.
- Blend avocado with lemon juice and salt until smooth and creamy.
- Whip ricotta with cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt until light and fluffy.
- Spread avocado cream on a serving plate or lightly over the potatoes.
- Top with crispy smashed potatoes. Add dollops of whipped lemon ricotta.
- Drizzle honey over the top. Garnish with fresh herbs, flaky salt, and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Broadbean bulgar wheat, radish and mint salad
ingredients:
180g bulgar wheat
500g podded broad beans ( fresh or frozen)
1 clove garlic
Pinch of ground cumin
1-2 tbsp tahini
1-2 lemons
Good pinch of za’atar
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2tbsp chopped mint
8 small radishes finely sliced
1 small shallot , finely diced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
method:
- Wash the bulgar wheat, place in a large pan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer, cook until just tender and drain.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the broad beans to the pan. After 2-3 minutes, lift out around half the broad beans and refresh in iced or cold running water. Allow the rest of the beans to cook for a further 2-3 minutes and drain.
- Placed the more well-cooked beans in a blender with the garlic, cumin, juice of half a lemon, dash of olive oil, & tbsp water. Blend until completely smooth- if necessary add splash more water, scrape down the sides of the blender and continue. Add 1 tbsp tahini and blend until incorporated. If it’s still loose, add another tbsp tahini and blend again. Season to taste.
- Pop the remaining broad beans from their pods (optional)
- Place the bulgar wheat, radishes, shallot, mint and parsley in a bowl. Dress with olive oil, salt and lemon juice to taste.
- Spoon the pureed bean mixture onto a serving plate and top with the bulgar wheat mixture and za’atar.
Green beans, sugar snap peas with Goma dare
ingredients:
300g green beans trimmed and cut ih half
200g sugar snap peas
2 ½ tbsp tahini
3 tbsp mayonnaise, vegan or regular
60ml soy sauce
60ml lime juice
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, more for finishing
2 tbsp vegetable oil
50g mint leaves
3 spring onions
1-2 red chilis, thinly sliced
70g roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Fine sea salt
method:
- Bring a large pan of well salted water to the boil and prepare a bowl of iced water. Add the green beans to the pot and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas and simmer for a further minute; Refresh immediately in iced water, Drain and add to a mixing bowl.
- To make the Goma dare sauce, in a bowl whisk together the tahini, mayonnaise, 1 tbsp each of soy sauce, lime juice and rice wine vinegar with ½ a tbsp of maple syrup.
- For the vinaigrette in a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tbsps. of each of soy sauce, lime juice with 1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup, the sesame and vegetable oils.
- Toss the green beans and peas with the mint, spring onions, peanuts and chili in the vinaigrette.
- To serve, spread the goma dare onto a plate, top with the salad and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil.
Scallops with sauce Vierge
ingredients:
1/3 cup plus 6 tbsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 cup fish stock
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped into ½-in dice
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
Coarse sea salt and pepper
4 extra large scallops
1 tsp butter
method:
- To Prepare the Sauce: In a large sauté pan, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil over low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until the shallots are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the fish stock and reduce the liquid by two-thirds. Once the stock is reduced, add 1/3 cup of olive oil, the tomatoes, and the lemon juice and allow the sauce to simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the basil, chives, and tarragon. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- To Prepare the Scallops: While the sauce is simmering heat the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add the scallops and cook for 1 minute on each side, then add the butter and toss the scallops in the butter until they are golden all over.
- To Serve: cut the scallops in half, place the on a plate and spoon the sauce over them. 4
Cod goujons with green sauce gribiche, pangratatto
ingredients:
2eggs
1 cup of green herb infused oil or sunflower oil
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp of cider or red wine vinegar
2 tbsp of capers
4 gherkins
1 tsp of chives or tarragon
1 tbsp of parsley
Salt and pepper
method:
- Cook the eggs in a saucepan of boiling water for 9 minutes. Immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process.
- Peel the eggs and cut them in half. Remove the yolks and place them in a small mixing bowl. Roughly chop the egg whites and set aside.
- Add the mustard to the egg yolks. Season with salt and pepper. Mash everything well to form a paste, then slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking continuously to create a mayonnaise.
- Add the chopped egg whites, capers, finely chopped pickles, and the chopped chives and parsley.
- Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serve with fish goujons, panfried fish, or asparagus and topped with pangratatto for added texture.
Strawberry, tomato and watercress salad with honey and pink pepper dressing
ingredients:
300g strawberries
250g mixed tomatoes
100g watercress,woody stalks discarded
For the dressing:
1 tbsp pink peppercorns
2 strawberries (about 40g), chopped
½ tbsp honey
½ lemon, juiced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
method:
- For the dressing, toast the peppercorns in a dry frying pan for 1-2 mins until fragrant, then bash briefly using a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt to break up the skins. Add the 2 strawberries and smash them to a paste.
- Stir in the honey and lemon juice. Tip the dressing into a large bowl, and whisk in the olive oil. Check for seasoning, then add a little more salt or lemon juice, if you like. To assemble the salad, cut the strawberries into quarters or slim wedges, and roughly chop the tomatoes, slicing some and halving others so you get lots of different shapes. Mix with the watercress in the bowl.
- Pile onto a platter. Spoon over any dressing left in the bowl.
Rich ginger cake, Gorgonzola, caramel, walnuts, flaked salt
ingredients:
200 g plain flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
100 g butter
100 g golden syrup
140 g treacle
100 g dark soft brown sugar
2 eggs
80 ml milk
50 g crystallised ginger
method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4
- Line the loaf tin with a liner or baking parchment.
- Chop the crystallised ginger into small pieces and set aside.
- Mix all the dry ingredients into a bowl and make a well in the middle for the liquid.
- Put the syrup, treacle, butter and sugar into the saucepan over a low to medium heat and stir using a wooden spoon until the ingredients melt together. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the syrup mix into the well in the flour and stir from the middle to make a batter. Stir in the ginger pieces.
- Beat the eggs with the milk and stir in.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake rest in the tin for 10 minutes, and then lift the cake out to cool on a rack.
- Allow it to cool completely before slicing. Serve with creamy Gorgonzola, walnuts, caramel sauce and flaked salt on the side.
Eton mess with strawberries
ingredients:
600g/1lb 5oz strawberries, hulled
2 tbsp icing sugar
600ml/20fl oz double cream
200g/7oz seasonal berries (such as raspberries, cherries, currants, or more strawberries)
5 readymade meringue nests or 1 batch of the homemade meringues (below)
For the homemade meringues
2 large egg whites
120g/4¼oz caster sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
method:
- If you are using homemade meringues, make these first. Preheat your oven to 110C/100C Fan/Gas ¼ and line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
- Put the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form when you lift out the whisk. Whisk in the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is really thick, glossy and will hold in a stiff peak. Briefly whisk in the vanilla.
-
Place 5 large dollops of the meringue on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space in between. Bake on the lowest shelf of your oven for an hour, or until the meringues easily peel away from the paper. Cool and keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days before using.
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For the mess, put 150g/5½oz of the strawberries into a blender or food processor with ½ tablespoon of the icing sugar. Pulse to form a smooth purée. Halve or quarter the remaining strawberries into bite-size pieces.
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Whip the double cream and remaining 1½ tablespoon of icing sugar together until soft peaks form when you remove the whisk (they should almost hold their shape).
-
To assemble, crumble 4 of the meringues and add to the cream along with all the berries. Fold in lightly, then very briefly stir in the strawberry purée to make swirls in the cream (as you spoon the mess into bowls it will ripple more). Divide between 8 bowls or glasses, crush the final meringue over the top and eat immediately.
