EXCELLENT BBQ ROASTED SIRLOIN SERVED BLUE WITH SIMPLE BUTTERED SALTED JESERY POTATO'S AND HOMEMADE AIOLI MAYONAISE

FLAMING HECK!!!  THAT'S THE FEAR I FELT THE VERY FIRST TIME I SET FIRE TO A COUPLE OF WEEK'S WORTH OF MEAT! 

THIRTY MINUTES LATER THE STEAK IS ONLY SLIGHTLY CHARRED ON THE SURFACE AND BEAUTIFUL COOKED, THE BURNT ENDS BEING RARE/MEDIUM AND THE REST OF THE MEAT IS A FABULOUS BLUE/RARE

ESSENTIAL TEN MINUTES RESTING WRAPPED IN FOIL ALLOWING ALL THE JUICES TO FLOOD BACK THROUGH THE MEAT

 SO SIMPLE YET SO SUMPTUOUS

INGREDIENTS
3 kg Sirloin steak
1kg Jersey Royal potatoes
50g butter
1 bunch chopped flat leaf parsley
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

THE SIRLOIN (Sir Loin)
A King knighted this piece of meat with his sword and that is why this Loin of Beef is known as the Sirloin, fabulous piece of history!

Light your BBQ and let the coals glow white before you start to cook, this is really important.  At this stage take your sirloin and place fat side down, now this will ensure flames as the fat melts and drips over the coals, Do Not Panic, well maybe just a little!  After approx 5 minutes turn the sirloin over and the flames will die down and relax, cook this side for approx 5 minutes, then take the sirloin and place on one of the side edges for 3 minutes, then turn over and repeat on the other side edge for the same.  Now once again place the fat side down on the bbq and be ready to relax as the flames get really intense for approx 3-5 minutes, then turn over to the under side and cook again for the same 5 minutes once again now turn over onto the sides giving each side approx 3 minutes each side, then to finish off a 3kg sirloin, ensuring blue 2/3 through and rare/medium on the outside (enough to feed, med/rare only for two guests) give the fat side 2 more minutes and the under side the same.  If you wish for  more rare to medium finish then I suggest cooking on for another 10-15 minutes and rotate every 5 minutes in order not to over char the outside and for more medium plus then I would leave the sirloin on the bbq for another 20,minutes, but keep turning every 5minutes to lessen the burnt ends.

Once you have charred your fabulous sirloin, wrap it well in tinfoil for approx ten minutes to rest, and allow all the juices to flood back into the meat and keep it moist and juicy.  Meanwhile finish off your side dishes.

JERSEY ROYAL POTATOES
I love to part boil and part steam these most fabulous soft gentle and creamy potatoes, Just boil/steam in 1/2 salted water in a sealed saucepan and lid, till tender in salted water and drain, then toss in lots of butter and salt.

HOMEMADE AIOLI MAYONNAISE
3 organic egg yolks
50ml double cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch sea salt
200ml approx light olive oil

In a blender place all the ingredients, except the olive oil, pulse, then very slowly drizzle in the olive oil, check the consistency after 150ml, and add more if needed, you may need to add more than the 200ml, this part is a judgement on the desired consistency required.

SIDE ORDER EXTRAS
COLESLAW
100g grated carrots
100g fine sliced white cabbage
100g fine sliced Spanish onion
Portion of homemade ailoi or mayonnaise

Quick and easy, mix all the ingredients together and season to taste, if not quite right, then adjust with seasoning or the homemade ailoi.

CREAMED CORN
2 cobs of corn off the kernel
1 small onion fine diced
1 clove garlic fine chopped
10 jalapenos fine chopped
300ml double cream
Big handful chopped coriander
Season to taste

One of my most favourite side dishes, saute off the onion, garlic, for five minutes, add the jalapenos & corn and saute for another 10 minutes, add the cream, reduce just slightly, taste and season to taste, add the coriander.

GLORIOUS CULLEN SKINK WITH OAK SMOKED HADDOCK

CREAMY CULLEN SKINK

INGREDIENTS

300ml chicken stock

1 tbsp butter

Dash ooil

1 onion fine diced

1 potato

1 corn on the cob

200ml milk

100ml double cream

Pinch white pepper

Pinch sea salt

300g oak smoked haddock

Melt the butter and ooil in a saucepan, gently fry the onion and potato for 10 minutes, slice the corn off the cobb and add to the onions and cook for another 5 minutes, add the chicken stock, simmer for a few minutes until the potato's are tender, meanwhile poach the haddock in the milk and cream, as soon as the milk is at a simmer, turn of and leave the haddock to rest, if it is a thick fillet then cook on for a couple of minutes, take out the fish and remove the skin and leave to one side, add the milk and infused cream to the  saucepan and bring upto a very gently simmer, as you don't want to split the milk, once just upto a simmer add the fish and take off the heat, taste and adjust seasoning as required.  I like some dried chilli flakes to finish off my dish.

PAN SEARED LIVER & BACON WITH A PORT AND CREAM STOCK SAUCE

MOST WONDERFUL PAN SEARED PINK LOCAL FRESH LAMB'S LIVER WITH CRISPY OAK SMOKED BACON, WITH SWEET POTATO MASH & A RICH PORT & CREAM SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

2 large pieces fresh lambs liver

4 rashers back oak smoked bacon

Dash ooil

1 onion fine sliced

4 tbsp butter

1 tbsp sugar

Salt & pepper

200ml port

100ml double cream

3 sweet potato's

Firstly I like to make the sweet potato mash, bring a pan of water to a boil, add the potato's, cook until tender and drain, add 2 tbsp butter, the sugar, seasoning and mash well.  Sometimes I love to add some brown sugar, a glug of Jack Daniels and a squeeze of lime juice.  Place the cooked sweet potato mash in a small roasting tin and place in a pre heated oven 170 degrees while you cook the liver.  Not only will this keep the mash warm for the next 10 minutes while you cook the liver and bacon, but it makes the mash really light and fluffy.

Place the bacon on a flat baking tray and place on the top shelf in the oven to cook, the bacon will take approx 10 minutes, so do this just as you are about to mash the sweet potato and add to the oven so everything will be ready to serve at the same time.

TIP:  If you are worried about the bacon or sweet potato mash over cooking or drying out you can turn the oven off after approx ten minutes and this will buy you a few more minutes to finish off the liver and sauce.

Pan fry the onions on a moderate heat in the ooil and 1 tbsp butter for five minutes until soft, remove from the pan and leave to one side.  Crank up the heat add the last tbsp of butter and sear both sides of the liver for a couple of minutes, add back the onions and pour in the port, bubble for a minute to reduce very slightly and then add the cream and turn the heat down, bring to a simmer and taste the sauce for seasoning.  Take the mash and bacon out of the oven and serve.

AMERICAN CORN DOGS STATEN ISLAND FAIR STYLE

INGREDIENTS
6 100% meat hot dog sausages
150g polenta fine ground
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Large pinch of mustard powder
Large pinch of salt
Small pinch of sugar
1 beaten egg
Water
Veg oil for frying

In a bowl mix the flour, polenta, salt, baking powder, sugar and mustard together, make a well in the centre and pour in the beaten egg, add approx 100ml of water and whisk well, add more water if needed, you want the batter to be quite thick, like porridge.

Take the hot dogs and place a large skewer of chopstick through the sausage, don't pop out the end, roll the hot dogs in some of the dry polenta, this will help the batter to stick to the sausage.  There is an art to getting the corn batter to stay on the hot dog, if you make extra batter it is easier to place the batter in a tall pint glass and then dip the hot dog into the batter and straight in to the fryer, this is the easiest and most successful way, however if like me you only make up the one batch of batter I rolled the hot dog in the batter and used a spatula to trowel on extra batter and then fry for approx 5 minutes at 375 degrees turning regularly, drain and serve hot with ketchup and mustard.

BUTTER PAN FRIED PRAWN AND PORK STUFFED PANCAKES

SUCH A FABULOUS TASTY STUFFED PANCAKE, ONE BITE AND

SUDDENLY YOU HAVE EATEN THREE!

INGREDIENTS

For the Dough

450g strong white flour

240ml water

4 tbsp vegetable oil

Sea salt & black pepper

FOR THE FILLING

300g minced pork fillet

150g raw prawns minced

2 tbsp fresh ginger grated

4 spring onions fine chopped

1 clove garlic grated

Handful chopped coriander

1 tsp harissa paste

1 tbsp kenjap soy sauce

1/2 lime juice

1 tsp ground szechuan pepper

Salt

THE DIPPING SAUCE

Kenjap soy sauce

Drizzle of sesame oil

Make the dough, this is so fast and simple just add all the ingredients together in a bowl and bring to a tight dough, knead for a couple of minutes until smooth and divide into eight balls, toss in flour, cover with a cloth and leave to rest while you make the filling.

Mince or finely chop the prawns add to the pork mince, add all the other ingredients and mix well. 

Take one of the dough balls and roll into a circle approx 6" wide.  Place a tablespoon of the meat mixture in the centre and fold over the edges into the centre.  Pan fry in some butter and ooil, place the pancake sealed side face down and fry until golden on both sides.  Serve warm with dipping sauce.

CREAMY GOOSEBERRY ICE CREAM

GOOSEBERRY ICE CREAM

FANTASTIC NOSTALGIC CREAMY JERSEY MILK

CUSTARD FOR THE ICE CREAM

MY FABULOUS ICE CREAM MAKER ALL IT TAKES IS 20 MINUTES TO HAVE PERFECT SOFT CREAMY ICE CREAM ANY FLAVOUR MY HUSBAND FANCIES

INGREDIENTS

3 egg yolks

300ml full cream milk

150g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod seeds scraped

250g gooseberries

Place the gooseberries in a pan with approx 50ml water & gently simmer for a few minutes add 50g of sugar, dissolve and take of the heat. 

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light and pale in colour, meanwhile gently heat the milk to just a simmer with the vanilla seeds and the pod.  Once at a simmer point take off the heat and pour over the egg yolks, whisking all the time, then return back to the pan on a low heat.  Keep stirring all the time and you are looking for a consistency that will coat the back of the spoon.  Do not rush this process, it takes approx 5 minutes to thicken just slightly, ready to use, if you turn up the heat too high the custard will split/curdle and will be ruined.

Pass the custard through a sieve and add the gooseberries, add the mixture to your pre-chilled ice-cream maker and let it do it's magic for 20 minutes, then enjoy.  To store in the freezer place in a air tight container and use within 3 months.

AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA

AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA

INGREDIENTS

4 aubergines

Ooil

2 balls of good quality buffalo mozzarella torn

50g parmesan finely grated

FOR THE TOM SAUCE

Dash ooil

2 onions fine diced

2 cloves garlic chopped

4 tins top quality plum tomato's

1 tbsp sugar

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

1 chicken jelly stock optional

Heat a non stick frying pan or griddle, meanwhile slice the aubergine length ways about the thickness of a pound coin, sprinkle both sides with salt and a drizzle of ooil, sear in the frying pan or griddle till coloured up on both sides.  Leave to one side and now make the tomato sauce, fry the onions for approx 5 minutes in the ooil, sometimes I add a knob of butter for extra richness, soften without colour, add the garlic and cook on for another 5 minutes, add the tomato's & chicken stock if using, if whole plum tomato's use a potato masher to break up, reduce on a medium heat for 10 minutes, add the sugar and taste, then adjust the season with salt and pepper.

Take a small deep roasting tin and place a layer of aubergine on the bottom of the tin, this is just like making a moussaka or lasagna in principle, pour over some tomato sauce, layer on some of the torn buffalo & a sprinkle of parmesan, repeat 3 times and finish off with extra cheese.  Bake in a pre heated oven 190 degrees for approx 30 minutes till bubbling.

POPCORN FABULOUS POPCORN POP POP POP

 

FABULOUS GREAT POPCORN MACHINE, JUST TURN IT ON & POP IN THE CORN & IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES POPPING CORN POPPED READY TO GO

TWICE BAKED STUFFED JACKET POTATO SKINS

SPANISH STYLE TWICE BAKED POTATO

INGREDIENTS

Large King Edward potato's

1 tbsp mayo

1 spring onion fine sliced

50g mature grated cheese

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

50ml double cream or butter melted

Sea salt & ground black pepper

1/2 small sweet pepper fine diced

1 tbsp coriander or parsley

1 tbsp fine grated parmesan

Wash and rub the potato's with salt and bake in the oven for 1 hour at 180 degrees, take out the potato's, leave the oven on, cut in half and scoop out all the potato into a bowl, leaving just the skins, place the skins back into the oven to crisp up, meanwhile with a fork mash the potato in the bowl and stir in mayo, sweetchilli, cheese, spring onion, cream and taste, adjust with season if needed.

Take the skins back out of the oven and spoon the filling back in and sprinkle with a hint of grated parmesan and pop back into the oven to brown off.  Take out the oven and sprinkle over some of the chopped sweet pepper and some coriander or parsley, I like a extra drizzle of sweetchilli.

TRIPLE DECKED QUESADILLA WITH SMOKED CHICKEN, RE-FRIED BEANS, CHEESE, SWEET CHILLI SAUCE, PEPPERS & ONIONS

SUPER QUICK & SUMPTUOUS SMOKED CHICKEN QUESADILLA SUPPER

INGREDIENTS

3 10"-12" flour tortillas

1/2 tin re-fried beans

100g grated cheddar cheese

Drizzle sweet chilli sauce

1 cooked smoked chicken breast

( I use liquid smoke spray)

1/2 fine chopped pepper

3 spring onions sliced

3 tbsp chopped coriander

2 tbsp sour cream

1/2 lime

Heat a non stick frying pan or flat griddle to a moderate heat and for approx 30 seconds toast just one side of the tortillas. Take one of these tortillas and place on the griddle, paint with re-fried beans, sprinkle on half the cheese, pepper, onion & chicken, place the centre tortilla on top after 2 minutes turn the tortilla over so the raw side of the top tortilla is now on the griddle, as the cheese melts it will glue the quesadilla together.  Now sprinkle the remainder of the ingredients onto the top tortilla and add some coriander, place the last tortilla on top and when the bottom tortilla is crispy turn the queasadilla over again, I find the easiest way to achieve this is to use a frying pan and place a dinner plate on top and turn the quesadilla upside down onto the plate and then slide the quesadilla off the plate back into the frying pan.  Cook till the last tortilla is crispy and then serve in wedges with sour cream a sprinkling of coriander and a drizzle of lime and more sweetchilli sauce.

SIMPLE BASIL PESTO WITH PINE NUTS & PARMESAN, GOURGEOUS

SIMPLICITY FULL OF FLAVOUR

INGREDIENTS

2 portions of linguine or spaghetti

1 large bunch fresh basil

1 large handful pine nuts

200-300ml ooil

100g fine grated parmesan

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

Put the pasta water on to boil, when ready salt the water and add the pasta to cook according to the instructions, usually 12 minutes.  Meanwhile heat a non stick pan and dry roast the pine nuts, colour up just a little.  Place the pine nuts, basil in a blender, blend to a fine consistency, now start to add the ooil and pulse until you have a thick consistency, mix in the parmesan cheese and loosen the pesto with more ooil if it needs it, taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and toss in a dash of ooil, pour over the pesto sauce and serve with a extra dusting of parmesan and fresh basil leaves.

PRAWN & PORK THAI BURGER WITH CUECUMBER, MINT & LIME DRESSING & PICO DE GALLO

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BURGER

350g pork fillet mince or lean pork (makes4)

300g raw prawns fine diced or minced

1 tbsp fine chopped ginger

1 red chilli fine chopped

3" lemon grass fine chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3 spring onions fine chopped

1/2  lime zested & juiced

Salt & pepper

10"-12" flour tortillas

Some sliced iceberg lettuce

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO

1 large tomato de-seede & fine chopped

1/2 small onion fine diced

3 tbsp chopped coriander

1 red chilli fine chopped

1/2 lime juiced

Salt & pepper

FOR THE CUECUMBER & MINT DRESSING

1/8 of a iceberg lettuce torn

1/4 cuecumber rough chopped

2 tbsp mayo

12 mint leaves rough chopped

Seasoning optional

Take the minced pork & prawns and mix in a bowl with all the other ingredients except the last three.  At this point I take a small pattie from the mix and pan fry to check for seasoning.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Divide the mixture into three or four burgers and on a moderate heat, pan fry in ooil & butter for approx 10-15 minutes until cooked.

To make the cuecumber and mint dressing, blend the lettuce & cuecumber then stir in the mayo and mint, taste and season if needed, to thicken add more mayo.

To make the pico de gallo, mix all the ingredients together and season to taste.

Warm the tortilla for 30 seconds in a dry pan, place some iceberg in the wrap first, add a drizzle of the mint dressing top with with burger, pico de gallo & more mint dressing

FABULOUS APPLE & MAPLE PANCAKES WITH CRISPY SWEETCURE BACON

SWEET, SALTY & SAVOURY.  HITS ALL THE FOOD NOTES

BATTER INGREDIENTS

1 apple, peeled & grated

1 cup of self rising flour

1 cup of buttermilk

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 egg beaten

1 pinch salt

1 pinch cinnamon

Oil & melted butter for cooking

6 rashers sweetcure bacon

Maple syrup

Mix all the batter ingredients together well, leave to rest for 20 minutes if you can.  Meanwhile while the batter is resting grill the sweetcure bacon, if you cant get sweetcure, smoked streaky bacon will do. 

Heat a non stick frying pan or flat griddle and brush with oil & butter, add a ladle of the batter mix and allow to free form a circle, when you can see air bubbles appearing on the top side of the uncooked pancake it is time to flip.  It is law that the first pancake will stick and be terrible in appearance, so put this one on the bottom of your serving plate!  Oil each time you cook a pancake.

Brush each cooked pancake with some of the melted butter and place the pancakes in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest, this batter mix should make 6-8 pancakes. 

Serve stacked, and smothered with maple syrup on each layer and top off with crispy sweetcure bacon and more maple syrup.