ROAST BREAST OF LAMB & RICH PORT GRAVY

THE ROAST

2 Breasts of lamb, boned out by the butcher

King Edward potatoes

Seasoned flour

RICH PORT GRAVY

100ml port

200ml Lamb stock from freezer

50g butter

1 tbsp flour

Salt & pepper

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

200g plain flour

200g beaten eggs

200g milk

Salt & pepper

YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS
Whisk the flour with the salt and pepper, beat in the eggs, then whisk in the milk,  pour into a jug and leave to rest for approx 20 minutes.  Pre heat the oven to 220 degrees, place half a teaspoon of beef dripping in each well in the batter tin and place in the oven till smoking hot, take out and immediately poor the batter into each well and return back to the oven, this should be done in under 30 seconds, don't bash and bang the batter and don't slam the oven door, do not open the oven door until 20 minutes has passed and the puddings are cooked, they will be light, crispy, tall and golden, just perfect.  You can freeze any you don't need and just re-warm them for 5 minutes in a moderate oven when needed.

ROAST BREAST OF LAMB
I love to cook this high and fast, for a crispy skin and juicy lamb that has been basted in rendered down in its own fat, helping to keep the meat really moist and tender.  Pre heat oven to 200 degrees, place the breasts of lamb open flat on a flat baking tray, season with salt and place in the oven for approx 45 minutes.  Take the pan and pour of any lamb fat, reserving, making sure you don't pour off any meat juices.

RICH PORT GRAVY
With the roasting tray, scrap off all the caught meat bits and any juices into a pan, if there is not a lot of fat add a teaspoon from the reserved, bring up to a heat and stir in the flour to make a loose roux and cook out gently for a few minutes, add the lamb stock and port and bring to a simmer, this will thicken in a few minutes, taste and adjust season to your taste.

LOVING MY NEW FIND A SMALL DRESSER FOR ALL MY SPICES, JAMS, CHUTNEYS & PICKLES

WONDERFUL SMOKED HADDOCK, PRAWN & SWEETCORN CHOWDER WITH LAVANDER

 

PAN FRYING PRAWN SHELLS WITH SHALLOTS FOR ADDED FLAVOUR TO THE CHOWDER

MILK ADDED TO THE STOCK TO MAKE THE CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS
Raw prawn shells
1 shallot fine diced
1 clove garlic diced
Dash of ooil and small knob of butter
1 large King Edward potato fine diced
1/2 can sweetcorn
Cod fillet
Smoked haddock un-dyed fillet
Raw peeled prawns
Small amount of poached salmon optional
Salt & pepper
Chicken stock concentrated jelly 100ml
100ml double cream
500ml milk

Peel the prawns & set aside, in a pan gently fry the prawn shells, shallot and garlic in ooil and butter for 5 minutes, add the milk and just lightly simmer for five minutes, remove the prawn shells and add the chicken stock, double cream & the diced potato and simmer gently for 15 minutes.  Add the raw fish & sweetcorn, simmer for 5 minutes when the fish should be cooked & the chowder should be a nice texture, season to taste.  I placed some home dried lavender on the top for presentation and a hint of flavour.

BEAUTIFUL GLORIOUS SMOKED HADDOCK & FRESH PRAWN MORNAY FISH PIE WITH A PUFF PASTRY TOP

PAN FRIED PRAWN SHELLS IN OOIL & BUTTER WITH ONION, LEEK & GARLIC, MAKING DEEP BASE FLAVOURS FOR THE STOCK

POACHING LIQUOR READY FOR THE FISH

BEAUTIFUL ROUX COOKING OUT THE FLOUR

GLOSSY BECHAMEL SAUCE MADE NOW READY FOR THE MORNAY

RAW PEELED TIGER PRAWNS, POACHED SALMON, UN-DYED OAK SMOKED HADDOCK & COD FILLET

PERFECT MOLLET EGGS

INGREDIENTS

Un-dyed smoked haddock

Cod fillet

Poached salmon

Raw shell on prawns (shelled)

1 shallot fine diced

1 half a leek fine sliced

1 garlic fine diced

100g mature cheddar grated

ooil & butter

3 just set boiled eggs

600ml milk

50g butter

50g plain flour

1 knob of concentrated chicken jelly stock

1 tin sweetcorn

Salt, black & white pepper

1 pack puff pastry

1 beaten egg wash

TO MAKE THE STOCK POACHING LIQUID

Take the prawn shells and gently pan fry in the ooil and butter with the shallots, leeks & garlic for 5 minutes.  Add the milk and bring up to a very low simmer for 5 minutes, gently add all the raw fish and poach, the fish will only take approx 3 minutes to cook, don't be tempted to stir the stock, as the fish will flake up too fine.  Once cooked remove the fish with a slotted spoon and place on a warm plate in a warm oven, just to keep the fish warm while you make the roux.

THE ROUX SAUCE

Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and stir well, cook out the flour for 5 minutes gently.  Start adding the poaching stock a ladle at a time, stirring well, once you have a medium thick sauce, very gently simmer on for approx 10 minutes, taste and season with salt and pepper, add the poached fish & poached salmon and leave to tick over gently warming the fish up to 75 degrees.  Meanwhile cut the puff pastry into four and roll out to a A5 size, score the edges and brush with egg wash and bake for 10 minutes at 190 degrees.

Boil the eggs for 6 minutes adding the eggs to the pan when it is at a simmer to boiling and as soon as  the timer beeps do not take your time immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking process, peel and slice into quarters. 

Heat the sweetcorn in a pan with a knob of butter and some pepper, then when ready serve the fish pie mix on a plate, add four quarters of the boiled eggs and top with the puff pastry lid, and a side of buttery peppery sweetcorn.

PAN SEARED LAMB'S LIVER WITH A RICH BUTTER PORT SAUCE

PAN SEARED LIVER & BACON

1 large piece of lambs liver, sliced into steaks

6 rashers of local back bacon

Dash ooil & butter

Slice the liver on the angle into 3 or 4 steaks, pre-heat a non-stick frying pan to moderate heat, place the liver in the hot pan, sear each side for 1 minute of so so that it browns well, turn heat down and cook on for another 2 minutes or so for pink.  FOR THE SAUCE add the port and simmer, add the butter till melted, taste and season with salt and pepper, then add the cream and stir in well, taste and adjust seasoning if required, take off the heat and cover the pan with a lid and leave to rest.  Stir well just before serving to mix in the rested meat juices.  Meanwhile finish off the mashed potato ready to serve.

MASHED POTATO

King Edward potatoes

50g butter

Double cream or milk, warmed

Salt & white pepper

RICH BUTTER & PORT SAUCE

100-200ml cockburns port

Large knob of butter

50-100ml double cream

Salt and pepper

WONDERFUL GLORIOUS BOILED EGGS...

OUR BOBBELINAS GIVE US GLORIOUS EGGS

THE VERY FIRST EGG FROM THE LADIES

SOFT RUNNY BOILED EGGS

SOFT RUNNY BOILED EGGS
In a deep saucepan bring salted water up to a rolling boil and gently drop the eggs in, set the timer for 4 minutes, drain and serve immediately as the eggs will continue to cook on, you can stop this by running them under the cold tap for a couple of seconds.

JUST SET SOFT BOILED EGGS
Drop the eggs into a rolling boiling salted water and cook for 6 minutes, take out and run under the cold tap to stop the cooking process.  These eggs will have a soft almost set yolk which will move a little but not run.

HARD BOILED EGGS
As the above photo shows, drop the eggs into the rolling boiling salted water for 6 minutes, take out and just rinse under the cold tap for a second, then leave on the side to cool down, they will continue to cook on a little just setting the soft yolk, this is such a nice boiled egg to eat warm or cold or a fantastic egg mayo sandwiches.

CHICKEN GOSHT ROGAN JOSH CURRY WITH SAFFRON RICE, TARKA DAL & POTATO & CAULIFLOWER BOMBAY ALOO

ON THE BONE CHICKEN GOSHT ROGAN JOSH CURRY

SAFFRON RICE

BOMBAY POTATO & CAULIFLOWER ALOO

TARKA LENTIL DAL

CHICKEN GOSHT ROGAN JOSH

5 tbsp natural yoghurt

2kg approx chicken thighs

100ml ooil

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 tsp sugar

1 tin chopped tomato's

2 tbsp tom puree

2 tbsp chopped coriander

1 inch grated ginger

450ml chicken stock or water

WHOLE SPICES

1 bay leaf

5 cardamon pods green

1 cinnamon stick

1 clove

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

GROUND SPICES

2 tsp chilli

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp coriander powder

11/2 tsp fennel

1 tsp ginger

Make the marinade first with the yogurt, 1/2 tsp of the garam masala and some salt and pepper, mix well and coat the chicken thighs thoroughly, leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Heat the ooil over a medium heat and add all the whole spices and dry fry for approx 30 seconds, add the garlic and fry for another minute, then add the marinated chicken thighs and cook moderately for 15-20minutes, this is when the oil should start to separate from the meat.

Tip the saucepan to one side to drain the oil to the edge and add the sugar into the oil, caramalize till a deep brown colour, still keeping the saucepan at a tilt and then return the saucepan back to flat and mix with the rest of the pan. Now add the rest of the ingredients, expect the remainder garam masala and approx 4 tablespoons of water, mix well and add the tomatoes and tomato puree and the chicken stock or water, cover and simmer for approx 30 minutes, stirring frequently as it will want to stick to the bottom of the pan, once you have a thick sauce finish off with the remainder garam masala and fresh coriander leaves.

TARKA DAL

200g red split lentils

4 cloves garlic sliced

1 onion diced

1 tbsp ghee

500ml chicken stock

1 tsp turmeric

SECOND STAGE

1 tbsp ghee

1 shallot diced

4 garlic cloves sliced

FINAL TOUCH

4 tbsp chopped coriander

In a saucepan melt the ghee and gently fry the onion and garlic till soft, add the lentils, turmeric and chicken stock and bring up to  a simmer, place the lid on and leave to simmer gently for approx 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the lentils. 

In a frying pan melt the ghee and sweat off the shallot and garlic, add to the lentils and stir in the coriander.

PERFECT FLUFFY RICE

1 cup of basmati rice

2 cups of water just

2 knob's of butter

Soak the rice in water of  10 minutes, drain and then place in a pan with the water to cook, do not stir the rice, ever, bring to a simmer with lid on and cook for 5 minutes, turn off the heat, add the knob of butter and leave alone to finish cooking for another 5-7 minutes.  Take off the lid and add another knob of butter and with a fork fluff the rice and serve.

BOMBAY POTATO & CAULIFLOWER ALOO

4 tbsp ooil

1 cauliflower steamed

3 King Edward potatoes cubed

1 tbs ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp black pepper seeds

1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tbsp concentrated chicken jelly stock

30 ml water

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp curry powder

FINAL TOUCH

chopped coriander

1/2 tsp garam masala

In a pan melt the ghee and toss the potatoes, stir cooking for approx 7 minutes, add all the spices and stir well, when the spices start to stick on the pan add the chicken stock and water, place on  a lid and turn down the heat and just simmer for 15 minutes, after 10 minutes add the cauliflower and gently mix in well, and cook on for the last 5 minutes.  Add the coriander and garam masala, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed to taste.

HOME MADE GARAM MASALA

GARAM MASALA
4 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
11/2 tsp black cumin seeds
11/2 ginger powder
3/4 tsp black cardamons
3/4 tsp cloves whole
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp crushed bay leaves

In a moderate non-stick pan warm the spices, (not the ginger or cinnamon), once the seeds start moving and popping turn the heat down and stir in the reserved powders.  Take off the heat, remove all the seeds from the cardamon pods and then put into a pestle and mortar, grind to an even powder and store in an air tight glass jar, or use immediately.

MEXICAN NIGHT WITH COCKTAILS, RUM DAIQUIRI, MARGARITA'S & CHICKEN & PRAWN FAJITAS

 

TEQUILA MARGARITA WITH TRIPLE SEC & LIME & CANE SUGAR

RUM DAIQUIRI WITH POUNDED CANE SUGAR AND LIMES

CHICKEN & PRAWN FAJITAS
10 fresh tiger prawns
8oz chicken breast sliced
20ml ooil
1/2 red pepper sliced
1/2 yellow pepper sliced
1/2 Spanish onion sliced
1 bunch coriander torn

DRY FAJITAS SPICE
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp corn masa flour
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp black pepper ground
1/4 tsp chilli pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cumin powder
Dash soy sauce
Squeeze of lime
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Mix all the dry rub ingredients in a bowl with the sliced chicken, add the ooil and mix well, leave to marinate for approx 1 hour in the fridge.  When ready to cook heat a wok to hot and throw in the chicken, don't let the spices burn, but it is ok for them to catch a little, when the chicken is 90% cooked add the prawns, when the prawns are just cooked add the peppers and onions stir well and serve on a sizzling platter with a good squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Serve with warm flour tortillas, set sour cream, home made salsa and guacamole, side of rice and some finely sliced crispy cold iceberg lettuce and green salad

RAW TOMATO SALSA
1 tin top quality plum tomatoes
1 lemon juiced
1 onion
3 tbsp tom puree
2 red chillies de-seeded
15 jalapenos
1 tsp salt
30 sprigs of coriander

In a blender blitz all the ingredients together, taste and add more seasoning and tomato puree if needed, leave in the fridge to chill before serving, this is great with corn chips and in wraps.

CURRIED PRAWN ALOO POTATO PARATHA

ALOO PARATHA - PAN FRIED POTATO FLATBREAD

225g wholewheat flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp ghee

125ml warm water

250g potatoes

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 onion fine chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tbsp melted butter for brushing

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, in the centre add the ghee, then pour in the water and mix to form a dough ball.  Knead for approx 10 minutes till springy.  Rest under a damp tea towel at room temperature for 60 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in their skins, drain and peel off the skins, mash with all the ground spices, lemon juice, onion, coriander and a pinch of salt mixing well.

Take the dough and knead again for 5 minutes, divide the dough into 10 equal balls.  Roll out a ball into a 6 inch circle and spread a portion of the mashed potato on half of the dough circle.  Fold the other half over to make a semi-circle.

Brush one side with melted butter and fold over again making a quarter, dust with flour and roll out again to double its size, pan fry in a hot dry non stick pan 2 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other then brush with 2 tsp melted butter each side and pan fry each side for 30 seconds.

CURRY PRAWNS

20 raw tiger prawns
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 small shallot fine diced
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam  masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp coriander powder
Fresh coriander chopped

In a moderate pan melt the ghee and fry the garlic and shallot, add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes, add all the spices and a dash of water only if the spices start to stick, but there should be enough ghee to stop this.  Place on top of the pan fired potato flat bread and sprinkle with chopped coriander.

ROASTED GARDEN TOMATO & BASIL SOUP WITH CIABATTA BREAD STICKS

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP
10 fresh plum tomato's
Half bulb of garlic
1 sprig thyme
ooil
10 basil leaves
1 onion rough chopped
Salt, white & black pepper

FINISHING TOUCHES
1 clove garlic diced
1 shallot fine diced
Dollop of double cream or creme fraiche
15g butter
Seasoning to taste
Sprinkle of torn coriander or basil leaves

In a roasting tin place the tomato's, herbs, onion & garlic, drizzle over the ooil and roast in a moderate oven for 45 minutes.  Push the cooked tomato's through a sieve which will release all the roasted flavour, keeping the pulp back.  Take the garlic bulb and squeeze out the nutty gooey garlic puree into the soup. 

In a saucepan pan fry the shallot and garlic till soft, add the roasted tomato soup, bring up to a simmer and add the cream, bring back to just a simmer and taste, season if required and finsh off with torn herbs.

HOME MADE POTATO, CAULIFLOWER & PEA CURRY SAMOSAS

WHOLE AND GROUND SPICES FOR THE CURRY POTATO, CAULIFLOWER AND PEA SAMOSA FILLING

HOMEMADE SAMOSA PASTRY

SAMOSA PASTRY
150g plain flour
40g ghee or butter
1 tsp salt
60ml water

Rub the ghee into the flour and salt, mix in the water to make a dough ball, on a lightly floured worktop kneed the dough for 5 minutes till soft and elastic.  Rest at room temperature for one hour. 

CURRY POTATO, CAULIFLOWER & PEA FILLING
2 King Edwards peeled and diced
1 shallot fine diced
1 garlic clove fine diced
1 tbsp ghee
3 cauliflower florets steamed
100g peas
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 chicken jelly stock cube
150 ml water

In a non stick frying pan toast off the mustard & cumin seeds, in a saucepan add the ghee, shallots, garlic & potato's cook for 10 minutes turning occasional add the toasted seeds and the rest of the ingredients except the peas and cauliflower, simmer on a very low heat for 5 minutes, fold in the steamed cauliflower & peas, then place a lid on and take off the heat and leave to steam.

To make the samosas cut the dough in half and each half into four, roll into balls, roll out the each ball into a thin circle, roll the pin over the ball once, turn 50% roll again then do 1/4 turns for each roll and this will give you a perfect circle. 

Cut the circle in half, with the cut side at the top take the left top corner and fold to the bottom centre of the circle, press the two edges together.  You now have a pocket to stuff, once filled take the top right corner and fold back over the samosa to make the triangle. 

Fry in ground nut oil at 180 degrees for 3-5 minutes and serve immediately with some mango dips.