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Macerated Strawberries with Strawberry and Balsamic Ripple Ice Cream

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Ingredients

Red wine and thyme syrup

  • 500ml red wine
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • 10g thyme sprigs
  • 500g strawberries, hulled and halved

Balsamic syrup

  • 475ml balsamic vinegar
  • 4tbsp granulated sugar

Strawberry and balsamic ripple ice cream

  • 70g caster sugar
  • 500g strawberries, hulled and halved
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2tbsp strawberry liqueur
  • 100ml double cream

Method

Red wine and thyme syrup

  1. Place sugar and 125ml of red wine in a heavy based pan on a high heat. Boil until the mixture reaches a light caramel consistency (140°-150°), then add the remaining red wine and thyme; bring back to the boil again and reduce by one third.
  2. When reduced, leave to cool for five minutes before pouring over the prepared strawberries.
  3. Leave the strawberries to macerate for one hour before serving – do not leave any longer than this as the colour of the strawberries will deteriorate. Left over syrup can be reused.

Balsamic syrup

  1. Put the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a heavy based pan and place over a moderate heat; bring to a simmer and reduce by two thirds, until thick and syrupy.
  2. Leave to cool before transferring to a squeezy bottle.

Strawberry and balsamic ripple ice cream

  1. Place the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and liqueur into a food processor and blend until smooth; pass the puree through a fine sieve and mix with the double cream. Place in an ice cream machine and churn.
  2. When Ice cream is reaching freezing point, squeeze a little of the balsamic syrup while still churning to create a ripple effect (retain the rest for dressing salads and garnishing). When satisfied with ripples, immediately transfer the rippled ice cream to a plastic container with a sealable lid and place in freezer until required.
  3. Take out of the freezer 10 minutes before serving.

To serve, spoon the macerated strawberries into a glass dish with a ball of the strawberry and balsamic ice cream on top and finish with a tuile or sweet biscuit, white chocolate shavings and a sprig of thyme.

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Indian Spiced Potatoes and Asparagus

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Ingredients

  • 250g new potatoes (scrubbed and cut in half)
  • 6 spears asparagus (cut into 4cm lengths)
  • 120g Roscoff onions (peeled, halved and sliced)
  • 2 green chillies (split in half lengthwise)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 2 plum tomatoes (roughly chopped)
  • ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
  • 8 curry leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

 Method

  1. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan.
  2. Fry the curry leaves and mustard seeds in the oil until they start to pop.
  3. Sauté the onions, potatoes and chillies in the oil with the curry leaves and mustard seeds.
  4. Add turmeric and cook for a few minutes longer.
  5. Add the tomatoes, salt and enough water to cover the potatoes and place lid on pan. Simmer gently.
  6. When the potatoes are almost cooked (approximately 20 mins) add the asparagus.
  7. Simmer for a few minutes till the asparagus is just cooked.
  8. Serve with micro coriander leaves and a wedge of lime.

Jellied Tomato Consommé with Fennel and Affila Cress

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Ingredients

  • 800g tomatoes on the vine (retain 10 tomatoes for garnishing)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2.4cm ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • ½ bunch coriander leaves
  • 5 white Muntoc peppercorns
  • 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped (retain the fronds for garnishing)
  • 2 yellow peppers, roughly chopped
  • 50g sugar
  • 5 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to season
  • 5 leaves of gelatine
  • 1 punnet of Affila cress

Method

  1. Place the first eleven ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Line a colander/sieve or conical strainer with double-folded muslin cloth over a large bowl and pour over the blended mixture. Leave overnight for the liquid to strain through.
  2. When mixture has strained through it should be a clear yellow consommé. Transfer consommé to a pan and warm through gently.
  3. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water. When the leaves have jellified, take them out of the water, squeeze out excess water and place in the warm consommé, whisking in gently until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Taste and season if needed, then pass through the muslin once more and leave to cool.
  4. While the consommé is cooling, place a pan of water over heat and bring to a simmer. With the reserved tomatoes that are left for garnishing, make a small incision cross ways at the bottom of the tomato (this will help the removal of the skin). Place the tomatoes into the simmering water for 20 seconds before transferring to ice cold water. Once chilled, peel the tomatoes and slice in half.
  5. Place half of a tomato into a shot glass with a fennel frond and pour over the consommé. Repeat this for however many shot glasses you are preparing, then transfer to fridge and chill.
  6. Just before serving, garnish with Affila cress.

Pan-fried Mackerel with Summer Bean Salad

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Ingredients

  • 4 fresh mackerel fillets trimmed and pin boned

Salad

  • 250g runner beans
  • 4 breakfast radishes
  • 50g fresh peas (shelled)
  • 50g fresh broad beans (shelled and peeled)
  • 50g pickled shallots
  • 10g broad leaf parsley (picked and washed)
  • 10ml Grossane extra virgin olive oil
  • Squeeze fresh lemon juice
  • Freshly ground salt and pepper

Shallots

  • 150g banana shallots (peeled and sliced into rings)
  • 20g caster sugar
  • 100ml Golles plum vinegar
  • 1 Thiercelin star anise

Red pepper dressing

  • 125g roasted red peppers
  • 2 cloves roasted garlic
  • 75ml strong shellfish stock
  • 50ml Golles apple vinegar
  • 1 ¼ tsp soya lecithin

Method

  1. For the pepper dressing, blitz the red peppers, garlic, stock, seasoning and vinegar in a food processor or with a stick blender then pass through a fine sieve twice.
  2. Add the lecithin and stir until completely dissolved and leave to stand.
  3. For the pickled shallots, heat together the sugar, vinegar and star anise until the sugar is dissolved.
  4. Add the shallots to the sugar mixture and warm gently for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, transfer to an airtight jar and leave to cool. Tip: these can be stored for weeks in a fridge and will improve with age.
  5. For the salad, wash, trim and cut the runner beans into 6cm long matchsticks. Blanch very quickly in boiling salt water then refresh in ice water to retain their colour and crunch.
  6. Blanch the broad beans and peas in the same way.
  7. Remove stalks from the radishes and wash and slice very thinly lengthwise.
  8. Mix the peas, beans, shallots, parsley and radishes together in a large bowl, season and dress with the lemon juice and olive oil.
  9. Brush the skin side of the mackerel fillets with a little olive oil and fry in a hot, dry non-stick pan until crispy and golden. Turn and continue frying until just cooked and moist.
  10. Pile the bean salad on to four plates and top each salad with a mackerel fillet.
  11. With a stick blender or an electric whisk, beat the pepper dressing until foam appears on top. Spoon off the foam and dress the fish and plate with it. Repeat as necessary.

Asparagus Ravioli with Chargrilled Asparagus, Taleggio and Proscuitto

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Ingredients

Ravioli

  • 1kg prepared fresh filled asparagus ravioli
  • 100g salted butter
  • 8 sage leaves

Chargrilled asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto

  • 12 jumbo asparagus spears, de-eared and woody stalk removed (when in season, use English for a supreme flavour)
  • 80g Taleggio, cut into 5cm (20g) strips
  • 4 slices of Prosciutto
  • Olive oil for brushing and pan frying

To finish

  • 8 sage leaves
  • Rapeseed oil for frying
  • Salt and pepper
  • Parmegiano reggiano shavings

Method

  1. Make the wrapped asparagus in advance by brushing the asparagus with olive oil and chargrilling for 3 minutes, ensuring that they are turned throughout. Leave to cool before adding the Taleggio. For one portion take 3 spears and place a strip of Taleggio in between the base of the spears. Wrap Prosciutto around base of spears and chill until needed.
  2. For the sage butter, melt the salted butter and separate the clarified butter from the milk, discarding the remaining milk. Gently warm the clarified butter with the 8 sage leaves to infuse the sage flavour. Remember to remove the sage leaves before serving.
  3. To build the dish place the ravioli in salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, add a little olive oil to a large frying pan and place over a high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, pan fry the wrapped asparagus on all sides until the prosciutto is golden brown and the taleggio is starting to ooze out. Alternatively, place in a hot oven (approximately 220°C) for 3-5 minutes.
  4. When the ravioli is cooked, drain and toss with the sage butter before placing into serving bowls. Place the wrapped asparagus on top and finish with deep-fried sage crisps, parmesan shavings, salt, pepper and drizzle the remaining sage butter over the top.

Hints and tips – for vegetarians, replace the Prosciutto with chargrilled aubergine tongues, and replace the Taleggio and Parmigiano Reggiano with vegetarian hard cheese shavings.

8 Brix Suckling Belly of Pork Cooked Sous Vide Served with Bramley Apple Mash and a Warm Winter Slaw

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Ingredients

Suckling belly pork

  • 1kg suckling belly pork (whole belly/ribs removed and fat taken off)
  • 4 tbsp 8 Brix verjus
  • 50g carrots (fine dice)
  • 50g onions (fine dice)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 4g fennel seeds (freshly ground using pestle and mortar)
  • 2g Sel de Guerande (salt)
  • 2g white Muntoc pepper (freshly ground)

For the crackling

  • 4g Sel de Guerande (salt)
  • 10ml rapeseed oil

Bramley apple mash ingredients

  • 2 Bramley apples (scored around the middle of the apple and cored)
  • 800g Mayan gold potatoes (peeled and diced)
  • 80g salted butter
  • 2g Sel de Guerande (salt)
  • 2g white Muntoc pepper (freshly ground)

Winter slaw ingredients

  • ½ Savoy cabbage (finely shredded)
  • 1 medium carrot (fine julienne)
  • 1 red onion (finely sliced)
  • ½ fennel bulb (finely sliced)
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 50g salted butter
  • 2g Sel de Guerande (salt)
  • 2g white Muntoc pepper (freshly ground)

Garnish

  • Bramley apple crisps
  • micro fennel cress

Method

Method for 8 Brix suckling belly of pork

  1. Preheat a water bath to 80°C and an oven to 200°C.
  2. Prepare the pork belly by boning out the ribs (roast these in an oven till golden brown and then transfer to a pan ready for the juices to be added) and removing all of the skin (reserve the skin for crackling). Slice the Belly into two even pieces and place into one large sous vide pouch with the carrots, onion, crushed garlic and rosemary.
  3. Prepare the seasoning for the pork by combining the freshly ground fennel seeds, salt, pepper and 8 Brix verjus and then pour into the pouch along with the pork. Hold the bag tight and shake the seasoning to ensure total coverage of the pork.
  4. Vac pack the pork and place in the preheated water bath. Cook for 8 hours.
  5. Meanwhile prepare the crackling by scoring the skin and place in a colander. Pour boiling water over and drain completely before transferring to a greased tray. Then rub salt into the skin, place greaseproof on the top and place a weighted tray on top to keep it flat. Refrigerate overnight to allow the skin to dry out.
  6. When ready to cook, brush the skin with vegetable oil and replace the greaseproof and tray to help the skin retain its flatness. Transfer to a preheated oven and cook at 200°C for 8 minutes and then turn it down to 180°C for 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.
  7. After 8 hours carefully open the pouch and pour the juices and vegetables into the pan with the roasted bones and reduce the jus by 1/3. Strain through fine chinois or muslin cloth and retain for service.
  8. Take the two pieces of pork out and place one on top of the other on a greaseproof lined tray. As with the crackling, place another piece of greaseproof on top and a weighted tray to press the two pieces of pork together. Then leave in the fridge overnight.
  9. The next day when ready to serve, pre-portion the pressed belly pork and reheat in a pan with a knob of butter and some more of the 8 Brix verjus. For the crackling, cut into the same size shape as the portions of belly pork, brush the crackling with some vegetable oil and reheat under a grill or in a hot oven until well golden and at crackling stage. Serve with the Bramley apple mash, warm winter slaw and finish with the Bramley apple crisps and 8 Brix jus.

Method for Bramley apple mash

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C and a steamer to 100°C.
  2. Place the diced potatoes into a sous-vide pouch along with the butter and seasoning and seal in a vac packer. Place the potatoes into a steamer for 40 minutes.
  3. Place the scored and cored Bramley apples on a tray into the preheated oven and cook for 25 minutes until apple is bursting through the scored skin.
  4. After the apple has cooled, remove the skin and place into a bowl large enough for the potatoes to be added and mashed.
  5. When potatoes are cooked (squeeze whilst still in the pouch to check density), open the pouch and add the potatoes to the cooked apple, then mash. For brilliantly smooth Bramley apple mash push the mash through a sieve with a flexible spatula.

Method for warm winter slaw

  1. Prepare vegetables ahead and cook to order to maintain maximum freshness and colour.
  2. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok and add all of the vegetables. Toss the vegetables to ensure consistent cooking throughout the mix.
  3. Add the butter, fennel seeds and seasoning and continue to toss until the Savoy cabbage has softened but ensure that it has kept its vibrant green colour.

Method for Bramley apple crisps

  1. To prepare Bramley apple crisps slice the apple laterally using a mandolin or slicing machine and lay on a greaseproof lined tray. Brush with stock syrup/sugar solution and slow bake in an oven at 100°C for 2 hours or until golden and crisp.

Roasted Leek and Swede Tart with Mozzarella

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Ingredients 

Swede puree

  • 1 Swede
  • 80g butter
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • 1g course black pepper

Roasted leeks

  • 1 leek
  • 10g olive oil

Tart

  • 300g ready-made puff pastry
  • 125g mozzarella ball

Method

  1. Peel the skin off the swede and cut into rough cut dice.
  2. Boil or steam the swede until soft and cooked.
  3. In a blender, place the diced swede with 2 tbsp of the water that the swede was cooked in. Add the butter and blend until smooth.
  4. Check the seasoning. Pass through a sieve to make sure that you have a smooth puree.
  5. Cut the leeks into 5cm pieces and then cut them in half (lengthways).
  6. Add the olive oil to a frying pan and fry the leeks until golden brown. Place to one side to cool.
  7. Heat the oven to 180°C.
  8. Using ready-made puff pastry, cut the pastry into a rectangle shape measuring 6cm x 30cm.
  9. Place onto a baking tray that is lined with grease proof paper.
  10. With the excess pastry, cut 1cm wide strips the same length as the rectangle to form a border. Brush the rectangle edges with water and add the strips.
  11. Inside the puff pastry rectangles, add piece of the grilled leek, then about a tablespoon of the Swede puree, repeat this process until the whole pastry is full.
  12. Cut a mozzarella ball into 1cm thick slices and place on top of the leek.
  13. An optional extra is to chop some flat leaf parsley and sprinkle down the middle.
  14. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 35min or until the pastry is golden brown in colour. Make sure that the bottom of the pastry is cooked.
  15. Cut into three even portions and serve with a simple salad of your choice.

Patatas Bravas with Jersey Royals

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Ingredients 

For the patatas bravas

  • 500g Jersey Royal potatoes (quartered)
  • 50ml olive oil
  • Good pinch of sea salt

For the sauce

  • 50ml olive oil
  • red onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 200g vine tomatoes (roughly chopped)
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
  • 50ml red wine
  • Salt and pepper

Method

For the sauce

  1. In a heavy based pan, sweat the onion in the olive oil until soft.
  2. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 3-4 mins.
  3. Add the tomatoes, wine, puree, paprika, sugar and seasoning, and simmer slowly for approximately 30 minutes until soft and pulpy. Check seasoning and place aside until required.

For the patatas bravas

  1. Heat the oil in a roasting tray and add the Jersey Royal potatoes. Season with salt.
  2. Roast at 200C until golden, crisp and cooked through.
  3. Place in serving dish and top with the sauce.

Hasselback Jersey Royal Potatoes with Marjoram

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Ingredients

  • 500g Jersey Royal potatoes
  • ¼ bunch marjoram
  • 100g goose fat
  • Coarse sea salt

Method

  1. With a small sharp knife make cuts in the potatoes, approximately 3mm apart, cutting ¾ of the way through.
  2. Melt the goose fat in a roasting tray and roll the potatoes in it. Arrange the potatoes in the tray so that the sliced sides are all facing up.
  3. Place the marjoram amongst the potatoes and sprinkle with the salt.
  4. Roast the potatoes at 200°C until crisp, golden and cooked through.

Rhubarb Cordial

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Ingredients

  • 700g forced rhubarb
  • 250g light brown sugar
  • 500ml water
  • Juice ½ lemon
  • 1 vanilla pod, split in half and scrape out the seeds

Method

  1. Cut the rhubarb into approx. 2 – 3 cm pieces and wash very well.
  2. In a pot bring to the boil the water, sugar, rhubarb, vanilla and lemon juice.
  3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes until the rhubarb has turned to mush.
  4. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  5. Leave this mixture to stand overnight before straining, this will allow all the ingredients to infuse.
  6. Pass it through a sieve, taking care not to force it through the sieve.
  7. This will make approx 400 – 450ml and keeps in the fridge.