LOBSTER LINGUNE WITH ROASTED TOMATO AND MARSCAPONE SAUCE

 

SO SIMPLE AND SO MOORISH

INGREDIENTS

1 pre ordered/cooked lobster

2 shallots fine diced

1/2 tsp sugar

1 clove garlic fine diced

1 small medium red chilli diced

1 tin Italian plum tomatoes chopped

OR 8 fresh tomatoes, 3 garlic cloves & 2 shallots

1/2 tub marscapone cream cheese

Seasoning

8 basil leaves torn

2 portions linguine pasta

Dash ooil and a knob of butter

For the lobster knob butter and ooil to re heat

To roast the tomatoes, cut in half and toss in ooil, place in a roasting tin and throw in some whole garlic cloves in their skin, a couple of shallots just cut in half and season with salt and fresh black pepper.  Roast at 180 degrees for half an hour, then push the tomatoes through a sieve, take the garlic and squeeze it out of the skin into the tomato pulp and add one of the roasted onion, blend to a smooth consistency.

Take the lobster, cut in half and pull out the meat from each tail, keeping whole and put to one side, take the lobster claw and remove the claw meat whole, place in a frying pan with some ooil and butter to re-heat for two minutes when you are ready to serve the pasta.

To make the sauce, gently fry the shallots and garlic in a dash of ooil and butter for appox ten minutes, add the tomatoes and the sugar, simmer for another five minutes, using a hand blender puree the tomatoes until smooth in the saucepan, add the marscapone and red chilli then bring back to almost a simmer, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Put a deep pan of water, with a pinch of salt on to boil for the pasta, when just cooked, drain and return to the pan with a ladle of the sauce and coat the pasta, serve with more sauce and the butter warmed lobster, finish off with a little fresh parsley.

SUPER FAST CHEESE CAMEBERT & HAM ON TOAST

YUMMY DECEDENT PERFECT CHEESE ON TOAST

INGREDIENTS

French bread or any bread

1 slice of traditional ham

3 slices of le rustic Camembert

1 tsb flat leaf parsley

1 large knob of butter

Take the french bread, I like to remove some of the bread filling to create a more crispy toast with out too much bread, place under the grill to toast, mean while place the ham with the le rustic on top  under the grill for a few minutes to soften, spread the toast with lots of butter and place the ham and cheese on top and pop back under the grill to finish of melting, serve immediately. 

SPANISH TAPAS, JAMON SERRANO, MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE, CHORIZO IN RED WINE, MANCHAGEO CHEESE, SMOKED DUCK BREAST, SMOKED TROUT, CHICKEN LIVER PATE, FRESH BREAD AND MANTEQUILLA BUTTER

SO QUICK AND SIMPLE AND A WONDERFUL LUNCH THANKS TO ALL THOSE FABULOUS PRODUCERS THAT GIVE US WONDERFUL JAMON SERRANO AND CHORIZO FROM ESPANOLA WITH LOVE

MOST LOVELY PORK AND BEEF MEATBALLS IN A RED WINE TOMATO
SAUCE WITH ONIONS, GARLIC, PAPRIKA AND CAYENNE

CHORIZO PAN FRIED AND FINISHED OFF IN A RED WINE AND TOMATO REDUCTIONWITH SMOKED PAPRIKA AND CAYENNE

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MEATBALLS
225g twice ground chuck steak beef

225g twice ground prime pork belly

1 shallot fine diced

1 clove garlic fine diced

2 tins of Italian plum tomatoes chopped
100ml red wine

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 pinch cayenne pepper

ooil and knob of butter
Salt and pepper

To make the tomato sauce, take the onion and garlic and gently pan fry in some ooil and butter until soft, not coloured, add the red wine vinegar, red wine and the sugar, simmer and reduce a little now add the plum chopped tomatoes and simmer for five minutes, add the cayenne and paprika and season to taste, blend to a smooth consistency, take out half of the sauce and leave to one side, this is for the chorizo dish, leave ticking over just under a simmer.

To make the meatballs mix both meats together by hand, season well, with these cuts of meat no added flavour is needed, as the meat itself is full of flavour. Take a golf ball size of meat and firm together in to a ball, sear in batches the meatballs in ooil and add to the gently just simmering tomato sauce to cook for approx 20-30 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  The tomato sauce should be nice and thick and pulpy, if not remove the meatballs and reduce the tomato sauce till thick, re-add the meatballs and serve.

CHORIZO IN RED WINE & TOMATO SAUCE
Take the chorizo and gently pan fry both sides, no ooil needed as the chorizo has plenty once both sides are seared, add to the tomato sauce that you have left to one side from the meatballs recipe, I do like to add any of the left over cooking juices too for extra flavour.

JAPANESE SOY CHILLI SCALLOPS AND TEMPURA OYSTERS, SCALLOPS, PRAWNS, AUBERGINE

FANTASTIC FRESH ROCK OYSTERS, SO FRESH, CLEAN AND A BEAUTIFUL TASTE

SEARED SCALLOPS SERVED IN A LIGHT SOY SAUCE WITH FRESH

GREEN CHILLI'S, GINGER, LEMONGRASS AND FLAT PARSLEY

 

 

INGREDIENTS

Fresh scallops on the shell

100ml light soy sauce

1 drop of sesame oil

5 ml mirin (Japanese)

1 inch fresh ginger fine chopped

1 red chilli fine diced

1 clove garlic fine chopped

1 tsp flat leaf parsley chopped

1 tsp ooil and a tiny pinch butter

Add to the soy sauce, the ginger, chilli and garlic, place in a pan and very gently warm through.

Heat a non stick pan really hot, add the ooil and butter, as soon as it's bubbling place the scallops in the pan, sear for one minute and then turn, and sear the other side for approx one minute or until you feel a nice springy bounce when you touch the scallop, take off the heat immediately.  Meanwhile place the soy sauce in a pan and warm through.  Place the scallops in the shells and pour over the warmed soy sauce and infused ginger, chilli and garlic.

 

 

SUCCULENT TEMPURA AUBERGINE

INGREDIENTS
TEMPURA BATTER

1/2 egg beaten

125ml cold beer

pinch of bicarbonate soda

salt and white pepper

50g plain flour

1 aubergine sliced

1 ltr veg oil for frying

Heat the oil in a pan to 190 degrees, mean while slice the aubergine.  To make the tempura batter take the flour, bicarbonate, seasoning and mix together with the egg, then add the ice cold beer and mix roughly with chopsticks, leaving lumps, this is the way to perfect tempura, the lumps of flour will burst in the oil creating crusty off spurs, fantastic. 

Once the oil is up to heat, dip you aubergine in the batter and drop into the oil and fry for approx 2-3minutes until crispy golden, drain on paper roll and serve immediately.

 

 

SUMPTUOUS JUICY FRESH PRAWNS IN TEMPURA BATTER

INGREDIENTS

6 large fresh raw prawns

1 portion of tempura beer batter

(see above for recipe)

Prepare the raw prawns by taking the tail end and peel the shell off the body only, leave the tiny tail fins on and the head, for presentation and for great flavour if you like to suck the juices from this.

Bring your pan of vegetable oil up to heat approx 190 degrees and dip the prawns one at a time into the tempura batter and then lower gently into the hot oil, holding on for just a second before letting go, this just helps seal the first touch of tempura so that it won't sink to the bottom of a shallow pan and stick.

Fry for couple of minutes and drain on paper roll before serving with the dipping sauces above.

SUCCULENT TEMPURA SCALLOPS

INGREDIENTS

6 fresh scallops with shells preferably

1 portion of tempura batter (above)

To prepare the scallops, gently take the scallop in your hand and pull off the roe in the direction of the membrane it is attached to the scallop with, you will then find that the thin little slightly

discoloured membrane is also attached to the foot, this is the little extra white flap of scallop meat on a scallop that anchors it to it's shell, peel this off with the membrane and discard, (or cook for the cat)

pat each scallop dry with paper roll and leave to one side.  When the tempura is up to temperature dip each scallop in the tempura batter and drop into the hot oil,holding on for just a second to seal.  Fry for a couple of minutes and then drain on paper roll and serve immediately.

FRESH TEMPURA OYSTERS

INGREDIENTS

12 fresh rock oysters shucked

1 portion of tempura batter

To shuck the oysters take a tea towel and place the oyster dish side in the palm of your hand and with the tip of a strong thin tipped knife, pry the top flat lid off, as soon as you have got the tip of the knife in a gap twist the knife this will generally pop open the lid, run the blade around the rest of the oyster and pull off the lid.  Take the knife and gently run under the oyster to loosen and free the oyster from is foot that is anchored on the shell.  Once the oil is to up to temperature, gently dip the oysters, one at time into the tempura batter and drop gently into the hot oil holding onto the oyster for a few seconds before letting go, fry for approx 1-2 minutes, drain on kitchen roll and served immediately.

MOULES A LA CREME SO SIMPLE SO YUMMY

IN MY TOP TEN DISHES THAT I LOVE, SUCCULENT JUICY FRESH MUSSELS STEAMED IN WHITE WINE AND FINISHED OFF WITH A GENEROUS SPLOSH OF CREAM

INGREDIENTS

1 kilo fresh mussels cleaned

1 small onion fine fine diced

1 clove garlic fine fine chopped

1 tbsp ooil

1 tsp butter

200ml dry white wine

150ml double cream

1 small bunch flat leaf parsley

First fill your sink with cold water and add the mussels, pull off any beards and discard any mussels that are open and do not close when tapped.

In a deep pan melt the butter and ooil and gently fry the onion and garlic for two minutes, now turn up the heat to max and add the mussels, toss and pour in the wine, place the lid on and leave to steam for approx 3-5 minutes, don't be tempted to take the lid and loose the steam.  Once all the shells are open add the cream and replace the lid and bring back to a simmer for one minute, pre heat your serving bowls and serve immediately, sprinkle over some chopped flat leaf parsley.  Serve with fresh warm french bread to mop up all the sauce or with thin crispy fries.  A side bowl for the shells and a small finger dipping bowl with a good wedge of squeezed lemon.

FABULOUS CHARRED CHICKEN SATAY AND COCONUT BRAISED RICE

ROASTED CRUSHED PEANUT CHICKEN SATAY WITH COCONUT AND

CORIANDER FRAGRANT RICE

INGREDIENTS

2 large chicken breasts

2 cans of coconut milk

1 inch of lemongrass fine chopped

1 shallot fine chopped

1 tsp palm sugar

2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 red chilli fine chopped

2 tsp Thai red curry paste

100g peanuts crushed

1 handful of rough chopped coriander

Take the chicken and slice length ways into fingers and place in a bowl, rub thoroughly with 1 tsp of the red Thai curry paste and rest in the fridge for half hour, if you leave for 3-4 hours even better. 

In a hot dry non stick pan toast the crushed peanuts till golden, leave to one side.

To cook the coconut rice, it is the same as the usual absorption method, take 1cup of rice and 2 cups of coconut milk, plus another 50ml for luck.  Place together in a pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, leaving the lid on take the pan off the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes, now your rice will be perfectly cooked and ready to serve.

While the rice is cooking, soften the shallot and lemongrass in a dash of ooil for a few minutes, add the palm sugar and caramelise.  Pour in 2/3 of a tin of coconut milk, add the peanut butter, tamarind, Thai red curry paste and simmer for a few minutes till everything has melted together.  Taste and adjust the flavour by adding a touch more of any of the ingredients.

To cook the chicken skewers, I like to cook these on a hot coal BBQ, but you can cook them on a griddle or plancher indoors, these will cook really quickly in a couple of minutes, and try to let some of the chicken to catch and burn slightly, this will add another great depth of flavour to the dish and I feel makes it so much tastier.

To serve, the choice is yours, leave the chicken on the skewers and pour over the satay sauce, finish off  with some of the toasted crushed peanuts, chilli and coriander, and serve the rice on the side, OR tear the chicken off the skewers and place on top of the rice in your serving dish, pour over the sauce and sprinkle the top again with crushed peanuts, chilli and coriander.

JAMON, CHORIZO AND CAMEMBERT STUFFED CHICKEN WITH JACK DANIELS TENNESSEE SWEET POTATO MASH

SUCH A UNDER RATED DINNER I JUST LOVE THIS DISH, SUMPTUOUS MOIST CHICKEN, WRAPPED IN CRISPY JAMON SERRANO, INFUSED WITH CHORIZO OILS AND OOZING SOFT GOOEY CAMEMBERT

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken breast

4 slices of jamon serrano

1 cooking chorizo fine chopped

2 rashers of pancetta fine sliced

1 shallot fine diced

1 red chilli fine diced

1 tbsp chopped coriander

1/2 of le rustic Camembert

2 sweet potatoes

50g butter

1 tbsp palm sugar

50ml Jack Daniels bourbon

1 small squeeze of lemon and lime juice

1 dash ooil and knob of butter

Make the sweet potato mash first, as this will bake at the same time as the chicken.  Peel and chop into equal sizes, place in a pan of boiling water until soft.  Drain and gently mash through a ricer.  Add the butter, sugar, lemon and lime juice and Jack Daniels and mix well, the original recipe I followed also added marshmallows to this, but that is a little too sweet for my tastes.  Place the sweet potato (Tennessee Mash) into a baking dish and dot the top with a few small pieces of butter, place in a pre heated oven for approx 20 minutes.  This will dry out the mash a little and make it really light, airy and fluffy, like candyfloss that melts on your tongue.

Meanwhile while the sweet potato is boiling, make and stuff the chicken so that it is ready to cook in the oven for the same time as the baked mash. In a pan gently fry the shallot for a few minutes to soften, do not colour, add the pancetta and chorizo and fry for approx 5 minutes, leave to one side.  Take the chicken breast and lay on your chopping board, to make a pocket for the filling, make an incision in the side of the breast, approx 3 inch's long and push the knife into the centre without piercing the top or bottom to the breast, keeping the knife where it is now gently move the tip of the knife 3/4 of the way up to the top and down to the bottom, try not to make the actual incision whole any bigger, basically you are carving out a cave inside the breast to stuff.

Season the inside of the chicken breast and stuff in some of the cheese, then the chorizo and pancetta mix, some red chilli and some coriander, and repeat till it is packed tight and bursting out.  Lay flat the jamon serrano on a sheet of cling film, slightly overlapping and place the chicken breast 1/3 of the way in and wrap the jamon around the chicken keeping the join side on the back of the chicken.

Heat the ooil and butter to a moderate heat and seal the chicken, seal the joined side first and then place in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for approx 15-20 minutes until cooked, cover in tin foil and rest for 5  minutes before serving.

OSCAR'S HOMEMADE CHICKEN AND OATMEAL DOG BISCUITS

OSCAR'S DOG'S LOVE THESE TREATS AND THEY ARE GREAT FUN, QUICK SIMPLE AND PENNIES TO MAKE

INGREDIENTS

500g wholemeal flour

1 jar peanut butter (optional)

300g milk powder

225g minced chicken

500g rolled oats

1 ltr chicken stock (approx)

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, except the chicken stock, and mix well, pour in enough liquid to bring to a firm dough, turn out onto a floured worktop and roll out to approx a inch thick, using any cookie cutters, or like we have a bone shaped cutter cut out and re-roll left over pastry until you have used it all up.  Bake in a pre heated oven 180 degrees for approx 10-15minutes or until brown and firm.  Leave to cool and then let your pets enjoy.

QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE STREET PARTY

WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THE QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE, I REMEMBER MY FIRST JUBILEE STREET PARTY IN 1977, SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED FOR MY SON AS THIS WAS HIS FIRST STREET PARTY, SO I WENT ALONG THE TRADITIONAL AND REGAL THEME, WE MADE OUR OWN BUNTING AND FLAGS AND HAD A VERY BRITISH TEA PARTY WITH CORONATION CHICKEN, AND CUCUMBER SANDWICHES, ROAST BEEF AND YORKSHIRE PUDDING SANDWICH, GOOSEBERRY TRIFLE, ELDERFLOWER AND PINK CHAMPAGNE JELLY, SUMMER FRUIT PUDDING WITH CLOTTED CREAM AND BAKEWELL TART

 

 

 

 

 

SCRUMMY ALMOND AND FRESH RASPBERRY CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

4oz caster sugar

4oz stork

2 free range eggs

4oz supreme self raising flour

200g fresh raspberries

2 tbsp homemade raspberry coulis

5ml vanilla extract, (not flavouring)

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees.  Cream the sugar and stork together till pale in colour and fluffy, beat in one egg at a time slowly, then fold in the flour and vanilla, beat for one minute and then take 2 tablespoons of the raspberry coulis and swirl through the cake batter, don't mix it in just do a couple of figures of eight, so that your cake will have wonderful raspberry swirls through it.

To make the raspberry coulis, take four tablespoons of raspberries, place in a sauce pan and add two tablespoons of water, and two again of icing sugar, bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Pass through a sieve, job done.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake case's, place one dessert spoon in the bottom of each case, (this recipe will make approx 10), place two or three raspberries on top of the cake batter, top off with another dessert spoon of cake batter, at this point you could add a chunk of white chocolate.   Bake for 15-18 minutes.

To top the cupcakes, I mixed butter with icing sugar and then topped with jubilee red, white and blue sprinkles, I also used coloured sugar paste and rolled out the union and jack flag in strips. 

GREAT BRITISH BAKEWELL TART

INGREDIENTS
For the short crust pastry
225g plain flour
115g butter diced
55ml chilled water
pinch of salt

Place the flour and salt in a bowl, rub in the butter to resemble bread crumbs,  add the chilled water and bring to a dough.  Do not over work, wrap in cling film and rest for thirty minutes in the fridge.

FOR THE BAKEWELL
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
115g caster sugar
115g melted butter
50g ground almonds
5ml almond extract
3 tbsp raspberry jam
200g icing sugar
2-6 tbsp water
30g chocolate
10ml double cream
1 skewer

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees, roll the pastry and line the tin, spread the jam over the base of the pastry.  Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar till light pale and fluffy, gently stir in the melted butter, ground almonds and essence, pour over the jam and bake for approx 30 minutes until the filling is just set.
To make the icing topping, mix the icing sugar and water to a thick smooth paste and pour over the cooled bakewell cake, then melt the chocolate and cream together gently, take a skewer and dip the end in the chocolate and draw lines every inch apart sideways across the white icing topping, then with a clean skewer drag the skewer length ways gently to the top, this creates the famous decorative pattern on the top of Bakewell tarts.

GOOSEBERRY AND AMARETTO TRIFLE

INGREDIENTS

500g fresh gooseberries

100ml water

4 tbsp icing sugar

300ml double cream whipped

6 boudoir (sponge) biscuits

50ml amaretto

70%-100%  cacao chocolate

FOR THE CUSTARD

3 egg yolks

200ml double cream

200g caster sugar

5ml vanilla essence

Make the custard first, whisk the egg yolks, and sugar until light, pale and fluffy, heat the cream until almost boiling, add the vanilla and then pour the hot cream over the egg mix, whisking all the time, return to the pan and on a very gently heat cook till the mixture thickens, at this point take off the heat immediately, as you don't want the mix to curdle.

Take all the gooseberries and place in a saucepan with the watter and icing sugar, bring to a simmer and melt for just a couple of minutes, take off the heat and leave to cool.  The point is to keep the gooseberries whole, and just sweeten the coulis.

This is such a treasure of a dish, so easy to assemble and yet a really welcoming dessert, take the boudoir biscuits and place in your trifle dish, pour over the amaretto, add some of the gooseberries, then mix some off the gooseberries in some of the whipped cream, and layer on top, then add some of the custard, now add some more gooseberries, then more whipped cream and dust the top with some grated chocolate, I love that some of the best desserts are what we loved as children, simple...

GROWN UP JELLY, PINK CHAMPAGNE AND ELDERFLOWER JELLY

WITH FRESH RASPBERRIES

INGREDIENTS

420ml pink champagne

100ml boiling water

1 pack raspberry jelly or

3 gelatin leaves

150g fresh raspberries

50ml elderflower cordial

RASPBERRY COULIS

100g raspberries

1 tbsp icing sugar

30ml water

To make the coulis, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer till the raspberries can't hold their shape.  Push through a sieve and leave to cool.  Place the jelly in the boiling water and once dissolved top up with the pink champagne and elderflower, OR soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes, then bring up to heat the pink champagne and add the gelatin leaves and stir till dissolved, then add the cordial, water and raspberry coulis.  In some pretty glasses add some raspberries, pour over some of the jelly, if you want the raspberries to be set in the jelly and not just in the top, place the jelly in the fridge to 3/4 set, then repeat the process two or three times, or place the raspberries in the glass and fill with the jelly, the raspberries will float to the top and set there.  Decorate with a edible flower from the garden.

GLORIOUS DIAMOND AND GOLDEN CORONATION CHICKEN FINGER SANDWICHES AND SIMPLE EGG MAYONNAISE AND CRESS

 OLD FASHIONED YORKSHIRE PUDDING SANDWICH, LAYERED WITH RARE BRITISH SALTED ROAST BEEF, WATERCRESS AND A CREAMED HORSERADISH DRESSING FINISHED OFF WITH FRESH SEASONED FRIED ONION RINGS

TRADITIONAL SALT & DILL HOME CURED WILD SALMON WHOLEMEAL FINGER SANDWICH, CLASSIC CUCUMBER FINGER SANDWICH ON WHITE AND THEN A OPEN WHOLEMEAL SANDWICH WITH MATURE CHEDDAR GORGE CHEESE FROM PAXTON AND WHITFIELD WITH HOME BAKED HAM AND WATERCRESS FINISH

INGREDIENTS
Fresh white and wholemeal bread, crusts off
100g soften salted butter
1 bunch water cress
1 tray cress
100g mature cheddar cheese
1 cucumber, peeled and shaved
1 bunch of dill
4 eggs just boiled
100g ham on the bone
FOR THE MAYONNAISE
150ml light olive oil
3 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of lemon
FOR THE SALT CURED SALMON
1 fillet of wild salmon
300g sea salt
1 bunch dill fine chopped
FOR THE YORKSHIRE SANDWICH
250g plain flour
4 free range eggs, (our girls)
550ml whole milk (not our cow)
1 pinch salt & pepper
6 slices of rare beef salted
100ml creme fraiche
4 tsp horseradish sauce
1 onion fine sliced in rings
100g flour seasoned
500ml oil for frying the onion rings
FOR THE DIAMOND AND GOLDEN JUBILEE CORONATION CHICKEN
For the marinade
1 lemon juiced
1 lime juiced
6 chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp curry paste
100ml yogurt
FOR THE CURRY SAUCE
6 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp curry paste
1 lemon juiced (as needed)
Salt and pepper
1 bunch fresh coriander chopped
Seasoning to taste
To make the a corrination chicken, take the thighs and rub in all the ingredients, leave in the fridge for a couple of hours if you can, to develop the flavours.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes on 200 degrees, leave to cool and take off the skin, pull off all the meat and mix with all the curry sauce ingredients and season to taste, adjust seasoning as required.
To make the mayonnaise for the egg mayonnaise, take the egg yolks and place in a blender, turn on and add the olive oil in a slow drizzle until nice and thick, then add some lemon juice and season to taste.
To boil your eggs, (I use fresh eggs from the girls in the garden), I wait till the water is boiling, add my eggs and then time for six minutes, take off the heat immediately and run cold water over the eggs, this stops the cooking progress, if you don't do this the eggs will overcook and go rubbery.

To make the cucumber sandwich, I peeled the cucumber, then using a peeler, peel off slices, making care not to go deep enough to revel the seeds.  Sprinkle with a tiny dash of salt and layer on your white bread.
To make the cured wild salmon, take the side of salmon and rub well, covering with the salt and dill, place on a board with a bed of salt and then cover with cling film, place a second board on top of the salmon, place in the fridge for 24hrs.  Now the salmon is ready to be served, brush off the salt and dill and slice finely.

To make the beef and Yorkshire pudding sandwich, take the eggs and milk, whisk really well add a good pinch of salt and the flour and whisk well again.  Place in the fridge overnight if you can, a few hours will be fine, but it is better rested overnight.  Bring the batter back up to room temperature and whisk before use.  In a pre heated oven 200 degrees place your batter tin with a tsp of oil in each well, place back in the oven till smoking hot, approx ten minutes.  Really quickly and gently take the batter tin out of the oven, close the door, pour in the batter and place back in the oven as fast as possible trying not to knock the tin, close the door and set the timer for approx 20-25 minutes, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!  These are not as robust as what I cook for a Sunday roast, these are softer which makes then more suited for use as a sandwich.
Using scissors cut open your Yorkshire puddings and layer with some watercress, rare seasoned beef, horse radish creme fraiche and finish of with the fried onion rings, these only take a couple of minutes, dust the sliced onions in the seasoned flour and fry at 180 degrees for a couple of minutes.

To assemble the cheese & ham open sandwich, butter your wholemeal finger with Dijon mustard and butter, then place a slice of mature cheddar almost the same size as the finger, wrap your ham around the finger leaving a larger loop on the top and place your watercress or rocket salad in the loop.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

ALMOST TRADITIONAL SAUSAGE ROLLS, THESE ARE LOCAL PORK WHICH I SEASONED WITH SALT, PEPPER, THYME AND SAGE, THEN ADDED SOME CAMEMBERT CHEESE AND RASPBERRY COULIS

INGREDIENTS

1 pack of puff pastry

500g sausage meat

2 sprigs fresh thyme

4 fresh sage leaves

Salt and black pepper

200g le rustic Camembert

100ml raspberry coulis (see above)

1 egg beaten for glaze

Roll out your puff pastry to approx 30cm x 20cm, cut into approx 5" wide strips, place some of the sausage meat just off centre in a long line, place the Camembert along one side of the meat and drizzle over a little raspberry coulis.  Egg wash the far side of the pastry, roll over the sausage meat and place the sealed side of the pastry on the bottom.  Score the top of the sausage roll and cut to the size you want, from mini rolls to large ones, egg wash and bake for approx 20 minutes till golden brown.

FANTASTIC SUMMER FRUIT PUDDING STUFFED WITH FRESH HEDGEROW BERRIES AND CLOTTED CREAM

INGREDIENTS

White bread, crusts off

500g  mixed hedgerow berries

30ml water

2 tbsp icing sugar

1 tub of Devon clotted cream

Take a pudding basin or glass bowl of medium size or make smaller individual puddings and line with cling film, cut out a circle of bread to fit the bottom of the bowl and then cut the slices of bread in half to line the sides of the bowl, then a larger circle to fit the top of the bowl.  Take half of the berries and place in a saucepan with the water and icing sugar and bring to just a simmer, once soft pass through a sieve and place the berry sauce in a wide bowl.

Take the bread and dip it into the berry sauce and cover completely then place the round disk in the bottom of your bowl, line the sides, you can overlap a little, making sure there are now gaps.  Place some of the reserved fruit in the pudding, top with clotted cream and finish off with the rest of the berries, right to the top, pour over any left over berry sauce and place the bread lid on, wrap over the hanging clingfilm and place a plate on top with a weight. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour, bring out half hour before serving and once turned out onto your serving plate finish off the dish with some extra berries on the side and some more extra clotted cream, naughty...

TRADITIONAL BUTTERMILK SCONES SERVED WITH DEVON CLOTTED CREAM AND HOMEMADE DAMSON JAM

INGREDIENTS

500g plain flour

70g caster sugar

2tsp baking powder

70g milk powder

60g butter

250ml buttermilk

1/2 tsp salt

1 beaten egg to glaze

Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees, place in a large bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder, milk powder and butter, rub together to a fine breadcrumb consistency, add the salt and butter milk and bring together gently with your hands to a dough, do not over work this mix as it will encourage you scones to be heavy and flat. 

Without any flour, push the dough out with the heel of your hand to approx 4cm thickness, using a scone cutter cut out your scones, don't turn the cutter, the straight lines from the cutter encourage your scone to rises straight up in the oven, paint the tops only with the egg wash and bake for approx 15-20 minutes.  Serve with Devon clotted cream and homemade jam, as for Devon scones, the jam must always be served on the bottom, where over the border in Cornwall it must have the clotted cream on the bottom and the jam on the top.

THE ROYAL CORONATION COCKTAIL

FABULOUS PINK CHAMPAGNE SERVED IN MY NANS BABYCHAM GLASSES WITH CHAMBORDE LIQUOR AND A FRESH BLACKBERRY

PRINCESS LOTTIE

PRINCE CHILLI DOG

HOMEMADE BUNTING FOR THE DIAMOND JUBILEE

HOMEMADE RAG WREATH FOR THE JUBILEE

HOMEMADE FABRIC BUNTING AND A WONDERFULLY BRITISH DECORATED HOME AND GARDEN FOR THE DIAMOND JUBILEE