ROUGH PUFF SUET CRUST PASTRY

This is much easier to make than you think and well worth the effort, a gorgeous light flakey melt in your mouth buttery rich pastry that enhances any pie crust or beef Wellington.

Pre time 30 minutes / Chilling resting time 30 minutes

This is roughly how your rough puff pastry will look inside, all the layers of butter are what will melt and make your rough puff, puff up and become light, melt in the mouth pastry.

First make the rough puff pastry, place all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl and bring together to a rough ball, roll out to a 1/2 " thick rectangle, slice the butter into 12 slices, place 3 butter slices on the top first half of the rolled out pastry and fold up the bottom half covering the butter, turn the folded pastry 90 degrees and roll out to rectangle again, repeat 3 more times, wrap in parchment paper or cloth and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes, ta da your done! 

BEEF WELLINGTON HOW TO COOK PERFECT EVERYTIME

This is a guaranteed fool proof perfect cook every time! 

This is my first time cooking Beef Wellington...I Know...But I Followed This Method... 

As I always say the proof of a brilliant recipe is in the method and enhanced with the animal welfare of the ingredients along with the experience of the cook, well yes the more you know the better you can navigate those Ops! what do I do now or should I have done this moments, but information like that comes from experience and while your still learning that Ops is still a variable that can cause you a wobble!  So this cooking method is for those of us who do not cook these meals very often and need a fool proof cooking method that will deliver perfection without fail for the most glorious results for that special family or friends dinner!  

The Secret is in all the 2's, 220C for 20 minutes, 200C for 20 minutes, rest for 20 minuets 

DO NOT DEVIATE FROM THIS COOKING SCHEDULE 

Prep time 30 minutes / Cooking time 40 minutes / Resting time 20 minutes

Ingredients 

(serves 6-8)

The Rough Puff Pastry

330g self raising flour

130g suet

150g water

1 pinch Himalayan sea salt 

200g butter

The Wellington 

1kg centre cut fillet steak

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

200g chestnut mushrooms finely chopped

1 small onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 pinch Himalayan sea salt 

1 pinch black pepper 

6 slices Parma ham optional 

1 beaten egg for wash

First make the rough puff pastry, place all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl and bring together to a rough ball, roll out to a 1/2 " thick rectangle, slice the butter into 12 slices, place 3 butter slices on the top first half of the rolled out pastry and fold up the bottom half covering the butter, turn the folded pastry 90 degrees and roll out to rectangle again, repeat 3 more times, wrap in parchment paper or cloth and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while you make the mushroom pate.

This is roughly how your rough puff pastry will look inside, all the layers of butter are what will melt and make your rough puff, puff up and become light, melt in the mouth pastry.

The Mushroom Pate

Heat a skillet medium hot, add the butter and olive oil, add the onions and garlic and soften for five minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for a further five minutes, remove from the pan and leave to one side to cool, meanwhile place the skillet back on the heat, turn up to hot, sear the fillet steak until browned all over, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

The Wellington 

Pre heat your oven 220 C degrees

Roll out your pastry to a large thin rectangle, that will cover the beef fillet when wrapped up, you do not want any excessive overlapping, maybe a centimetre or so as to much overlapping will cook soggy, trim off as much excess as you dare.  If using the Parma ham lay a blanket over the pastry then  spread the mushroom pate on the pastry up to a inch or so away from the edges of the pastry, place the fillet of seared beef in the centre of the pastry and bring the left and right side up and over the fillet to cover, now hug the ends of the pastry parcel around the end of the beef fillet, trim off as much excess pastry as you dare, turn the parcel over so that the Wellington is now sitting seam side down and using your hands hug/tuck the minimal excess pastry back under the Wellington parcel.  

The Key To Success is all in The 2's ...

220 C 20 minutes, 200 C 20 minutes, 20 minutes resting ...

Place your beef Wellington parcel on a baking sheet, egg wash generously all over and place in your pre heated hot oven, once in do not touch or open that door!  After a further 20 minutes turn the temperature down to 200 degrees C and quickly turn the Wellington 180 degrees in the oven, next as soon as your 20 minute timer alerts you take your Beef Wellington out of the oven and leave to rest on the side for 20 minutes, this gives you time to fuss with any side dishes you want to serve with this dish.  Resting is as important as cooking.

 That's it, you Beef Wellington is now ready to carve and serve perfectly rare medium and juicy to your family or guests.  It really is a beautifully simple dish when you have the perfect cooking method.

PERFECT CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH TIMING GUIDES

Easiest Ever Christmas Day Turkey Step by Step Timmings

What a wonderful day and what a wonderful meal that brings everyone who celebrates Christmas the whole world over together all on this day sharing great food and creating more family memories making this day quite magical indeed.  There is no need to be shackled to the kitchen cooker all day, you can easily navigate your cooking times around a slow roasting long resting turkey that means you can serve a most moist perfect turkey with all the trimmings and have still spent your day with everyone too.

Easiest Ever Christmas Cooking Guide Below...

Prep ahead time 30 minutes / On the day oven cooking time 4 hrs / 1 hr hands on/off for the trimmings

Ingredients 

(Serves 8)

1 8kg / 19lbs  high animal welfare bronze turkey

10 mins per lb cooking time + 11/2 hrs resting time

(lots for left overs)

2 packs butter

1 set of giblets

(for the gravy)

Serve with all the usual trimmings

Cooking The Perfect Turkey 

The night before Christmas take your turkey and carefully using the back of a spoon or your hand lift the skin away from the meat, be extra careful not to tear the skin, slice the butter in to half inch thick slices and place the slices of butter under the skin all over the turkey breasts.  Keep in the fridge until ready to cook.

Christmas morning bring the turkey out of the fridge for a couple of hours before ready to start cooking to come up to room temperature, this lowers the cooking time and encourages a juicy turkey.  Pre heat your oven to 200 C, place the turkey in a deep roasting tin and place in the oven in covered for 30 minutes to brown off the skin, once browned cover the turkey well in foil, turn the oven down to 150 C and leave the turkey to cook for the remainder of the cooking time, around 3 hours in total.  Once your turkey has reached 65 C remove from the oven and leave covered to rest. 

That's it turkey done!

The Christmas Dinner Cooking Schedule

Serving Dinner at 4pm

10am Turkey out to come up to room temperature

11am Pre heat oven 200 C

11.30am Turkey in to brown off for 30 minutes 

12pm Turn oven down to 150 C, Cover turkey in foil 

2.30pm TURKEY OUT leave covered to rest

2.30pm Par boil potatoes 15 minutes only, drain and fluff up

3pm Roast potatoes tossed in goose fat in to oven

3.30pm Pigs in blankets in to roast

3.30pm Sausage meat stuffing balls in to bake

3.40pm Brussels sprouts on to boil

3.45pm Pour of turkey resting juices add to gravy stock bring to simmer

3.55pm Carve turkey, serve up platters of roast potatoes, sausages, stuffing and sprouts, mugs of gravy.

Check list

Turkey, Roast Potatoes, Pigs in Blankets, Stuffing, Sprouts, Gravy

THE MOST AWESOME GRAVY

Christmas Eve Prep Ahead

1 knob of butter

1 dash of olive oil 

1 onion chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 sticks celery chopped

Turkey giblets

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

200ml dry white wine

2 ltrs water

In a large pan melt the butter and olive oil together, soften the onion, carrot and celery then add the giblets, bay and peppercorns and cook for 10 minutes then add the wine and reduce by half.  Add 2 litres of water and simmer for an hour or so until the stock has reduced by half.  You should be left with approx 1000ml.  This is your base for the most awesome gravy.

On the day pour off all the resting juices from the turkey pan, leave to settle and remove most of the top fat layer, add to your prepped ahead gravy stock above, place in a saucepan and bring to a simmer reducing to thicken, if you want a thicker gravy whisk in some equally smushed together flour and butter roux to thicken, check for seasoning and serve.

ORANGE BRAISED CHRISTMAS CARROTS

This recipe is based on Tom Kerridges Christmas carrots but twisted with my own recipe for orange braised carrots.  These went down a treat on our family Christmas dinner table elevating the carrots to one of those special Christmas Day dishes.

Prep time 5 minutes / Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients 

(serves 4-6)

12 whole carrots peeled

4 oranges juiced

1 pack salted butter

4 whole star anise

2 tsp Himalayan sea salt

150g light brown sugar

300ml water

Place all the ingredients except the carrots in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, place the carrots in and gently simmer for 40 minutes until the carrots are fork tender, remove the carrots and place to one side turn up the heat and reduce the cooking liquid until syrupy, take off the heat, pop the carrots back in to coat in the syrup and serve with a drizzle of the syrup.

GOOSE FAT

Crispy Crackling Flavoured Goose Fat

How to render your own...

Old fashioned simple methods that produce the cleanest tastiest healthiest lower saturated cooking fats and by roasting the skin along with the goose fat you add that honest extra layer of flavour to your cooking, something commercially produce fats cheats you out of.  Really simple to make and one batch should last around six months.

Oven rendering time 40 minutes

Ingredients 

(makes approx 800ml)

1 whole goose or fat and skin of a goose

Pre heated oven 200 C

There is plenty of obvious white fat pockets on your goose, but if you want to roast and eat the goose as a whole bird you can still render down a lot of roast goose flavoured fat and enjoy the bird too.  To do this prick the goose skin all over, this will allow more of the fat to render out, place the goose on a trivit in a deep roasting pan and place in the pre heated oven for 12 minutes per lb, once cooked leave to rest for 20 minutes, drain off all the fat into a ball mason jar and leave to cool.  Enjoy your juicy moist goose and once the fat has cooled place on the screw lid and keep in the fridge.

If you just have the fat and skin from a goose, place in a deep roasting tin and roast in the oven for the 40 minutes, remove and pour off all the rendered down fat as above into a ball mason jar and store in the fridge.  

That's it gorgeous crispy crackling flavoured goose fat for cooking perfect roast potatoes.

BEST EVER CHRISTMAS GRAVY

THE MOST AWESOME GRAVY

1 knob of butter

1 dash of olive oil 

1 onion chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 sticks celery chopped

Turkey giblets

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

200ml dry white wine

2 ltrs water

In a large pan melt the butter and olive oil together, soften the onion, carrot and celery then add the giblets, bay and peppercorns and cook for 10 minutes then add the wine and reduce by half.  Add 2 litres of water and simmer for an hour or so until the stock has reduced by half.  You should be left with approx 1000ml.  This is your base for the most awesome gravy.

I do this stage on Christmas Eve so on the day all I have to do is add some seasoned flour to my turkey pan, let it melt into the fat, you can always add a little more fat if needed, cook out for a minute or so and then add your stock and whisk to a smooth gravy, taste and season well.

GET AHEAD GRAVY

This is something you can do the day before and keep in the fridge ready to go on the day.

12 chicken wings

2 carrots rough chopped

1 onion quartered 

3 sprigs thyme

1 bulb garlic halved

Glug olive oil

2 ltrs water

Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees C 392 F, place all the ingredients in a deep roasting tin and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the skin on the wings is crispy.  Add 2 ltrs of water to the roasting tin and cook for a further 10 minutes so that the water can de-glaze all the lovely caramelised bits on the bottom of the roasting tin.  Remove the tin from the oven and then using a potato masher crush all the wings, garlic, onions and carrots in to the water creating the most wonderful flavours.

Drain in to a large bowl through a sieve and push all that wonderful liquid through the sieve.  That is your fabulous base gravy made for the big day, just add this to your cooking juices on the day and following the gravy making tips above.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

Chocolate Ganache Cake

Oh boy!  The king of deserts rich sumptuous decedent velvety chocolate heavenly ness that will leave you feeling totally satisfied, rich deep chocolate ganache filled chocolate pastry topped with thick double cream finished off with a rude amount of chocolate flakes, this is a real pleasure to eat.

Prep time 15 minutes/ Baking time 45

Ingredients

(Serves 8-10)

The Pastry
225g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
140g butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp water cold

 Chocolate Ganache Filling
175g butter
350g soft brown sugar
4 eggs beaten
4 tbsp cocoa powder
150g 70% plain chocolate
300ml single cream

Topping
600ml double cream
4 cadbury's chocolate flakes

To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, stir in the cocoa powder and sugar and bring together with your hands to form a soft ball of chocolate dough, you may need to add the water just to bring it all together.  Wrap and rest the pastry in the fridge for half hour, when ready to use roll out and line your cake tin, cover with a sheet of baking paper, add baking beans and blind bake for 15 minutes at 190 degrees C.  Remove from the oven and discard the baking beans, pop the chocolate pastry back in the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes.  Remove the pastry case from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 160 degrees C.  Now to fill the pastry case with the ganache.

To make the filling beat the butter with the sugar until soft and creamy, add the eggs one at a time and slowly beat in.  Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, once melted take the bowl off the heat, stir in the cream and cocoa powder, pour your ganache into the pastry case and pop back into the oven to bake for approx 35 minutes until the ganache is still a little wobbly but almost set, remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before topping with the double cream.

Whip the double cream to a really thick consistency, if you over whip you will make butter!  Top the ganache with the cream and sprinkle with crushed cadbury's flakes to decorate.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE POTS

To Good To Be True!

These are some serious chocolate puddings that are totally guilt free and good for you to!  Just four super good for you ingredients a couple of minutes and these sumptuous chocolate pots are made.  Diabetic friendly for my husband these will not spike your blood glucose and leave you questioning can I really eat these guilt free, Yes as always in moderation! 

My Geeky Good For You Food Science Bit...

CHOCOLATE 

Protection from disease causing free radicals, supports cellular protection that fights against environmental toxins, antioxidants rich due to the  flavonoids and polyphenols are compounds that are believed to neutralise free radicals and protect the body from their damage.  A cancer fighting and heart healthy food due to a rich supply of flavonoids.  Good for your cholesterol profile due to oleic acid a heart healthy monounsaturated fat.  A brain boosting food good for focus and memory from the cocoa flavanols, which can also help lower blood pressure, contains manganese, copper, iron, magenesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamin K, selenium and calcium.

COCONUT

Extremely healthy medium chain fatty lauric acids easily digested and almost immediately broken down in you saliva and gastric juices which means it is less likely to be stored as fat.  This means pancreatic fat digesting enzymes are not essential which supports and puts less of a strain on your liver allowing your liver to work more efficiently.  Anti viral, anti bacterial, anti bacterial, protects body from infections and viruses.  Regulates thyroid function and highly nutritious.

CINNAMON

Used for centuries, keeps sticky platelets from forming clots in your arteries, boosts metabolism and prevents candida.

EGGS GLORIOUS EGGS

Rich in protein, iron, B12, A, B2, B9, B6, CoQ10, (yolk D, E), lecithin, zinc, all essential amino acids, protein, retinal, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, omega 3fatty acids.

Daily allowance of cholesterol is 300mg a large egg yolk generally contains 220mg, however your body  when supported by a healthy low fat un-processed balanced diet may not absorb all this cholesterol, your body deals with healthy fats differently than fats from red meats.

Protects against heart disease, anti carcinogenic, significant amount of protein, choline, great for brain development.  Largest source of lecithin this is converted into TMAO a compound linked with heart disease, keep to max 7 eggs per week.  Contains all eight essential amino acids and essential nutrients, choline, your liver needs these amino acids to preform the detoxification process, choline and co enzyme are needed for metabolism, this is found in the egg yolk and protects your liver from a wide range of toxic substances while detoxing heavy metals.

Free range hens lay higher nutrient eggs, lower cholesterol and lower fat eggs, higher in omega 3 and vitamins.

Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

(makes four)

1 can organic coconut milk

150g 85% dark chocolate broken

3 egg yolks

1 orange zest grated 

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

This is super simple and quick to make put the coconut milk and orange zest in a pan and bring to almost just a simmer add the chocolate and using a whisk gently stir do not whisk, as soon as the chocolate has melted drop the egg yolks in one at a time whisking in quickly so that you don't end up with scrambled eggs and gently cook the yolks for a couple of minutes, take off the heat and add the cinnamon.  Pour in to your serving jars or glasses and set in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Why not top with some whipped thick coconut cream, fruit and grated chocolate shavings.

CHOCOLATE CINNAMON COCONUT POTS

To Good To Be True!

Guilt Free

This is a brilliant chocolate pudding and completely Guilt Free, only takes 5 minutes to make with just four ingredients that are really good for you, this is a superstar pudding you will love treating your family with.  Diabetic friendly that will not spike your blood glucose making these a sumptuous treat you can truly enjoy.

Prep & Cooking time 5 minutes / Fridge setting time 2 hours 

Ingredients 

(Makes 4)

150g dark 85% dark chocolate 

1 can coconut milk

3 egg yolks

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp xylitol (optional for sweetness)

(Xylitol is a natural sweetener that does not require the body to produce insulin to digest, diabetic friendly)

Place the coconut milk in a saucepan and bring up to a low low simmer, break the chocolate into pieces and add to the coconut milk along with the cinnamon, while the chocolate melts stir to combine, add the egg yolks and keep stirring for a couple of minutes to cook the egg.  That's it, pour into four serving pots and place in the fridge to set.

My Geeky Good For You Science Bit

COCONUT

Extremely healthy medium chain fatty lauric acids easily digested and almost immediately broken down in you saliva and gastric juices which means it is less likely to be stored as fat.  This means pancreatic fat digesting enzymes are not essential which supports and puts less of a strain on your liver allowing your liver to work more efficiently.  Anti viral, anti bacterial, anti bacterial, protects body from infections and viruses.  Regulates thyroid function and highly nutritious.

CINNAMON

Used for centuries, keeps sticky platelets from forming clots in your arteries, boosts metabolism and prevents candida.

EGGS GLORIOUS EGGS

Rich in protein, iron, B12, A, B2, B9, B6, CoQ10, (yolk D, E), lecithin, zinc, all essential amino acids, protein, retinal, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, omega 3fatty acids.

Daily allowance of cholesterol is 300mg a large egg yolk generally contains 220mg, however your body  when supported by a healthy low fat un-processed balanced diet may not absorb all this cholesterol, your body deals with healthy fats differently than fats from red meats.

Protects against heart disease, anti carcinogenic, significant amount of protein, choline, great for brain development.  Largest source of lecithin this is converted into TMAO a compound linked with heart disease, keep to max 7 eggs per week.  Contains all eight essential amino acids and essential nutrients, choline, your liver needs these amino acids to preform the detoxification process, choline and co enzyme are needed for metabolism, this is found in the egg yolk and protects your liver from a wide range of toxic substances while detoxing heavy metals.

Free range hens lay higher nutrient eggs, lower cholesterol and lower fat eggs, higher in omega 3 and vitamins.

CHOCOLATE 

Protection from disease causing free radicals that support cellular protection that fight against environmental toxins.  Antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenols are compounds that are believed to neutralise harmful free radicals and protect our body from their damage.  A cancer fighting and heart health fighting food due to the rich supply of flavonoids.  Good for a cholesterol profile due to oleic acid which is a heart healthy oleic acid.  A brain boosting food good for focus and memory from the cocoa flavonoids which can also help lower blood pressure, contains manganese, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamin K, selenium and calcium.

CHIMICHIRRI GAUCHO COWBOY BBQ SAUCE

Wow what a fabulous simple quick sauce that packs such flavour, this zesty vibrant chimichurri will pep up a great barbecued steak, chicken or fish.  Chimichurri is a uncooked sauce, marinade or condiment, origins of this sauce are believed to come from the Basques who settled in Argentina in the 19th century, the Argentina word TXIMITXURRI translates as ingredients loosely mixed in no order, hodgepodge, which describes this sauce wonderfully.

The Chimichurri Sauce

200ml good olive oil

1 bunch/cup parsley

1/4 bunch/cup oregano

3 cloves garlic grated

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp red chilli flakes

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Blitz or finely chop the parsley, oregano and garlic to a fine blend, stir in the vinegar, chilli and olive oil, season to taste with the salt and pepper.  Keep in the fridge for up to a week, bring up to room temperature before serving

SLOW ROASTED SHOULDER OF LAMB

Succulent fall of the bone tender slow roasted shoulder of lamb with crispy crackling skin, sitting on a bed of sumptuous flavour infused roasted herbs and vegetables just for making the best gravy ever!  Love our slow Sundays where the family roast is a precious moment of time that we all cherish.

Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 3 hours

Ingredients 

(serves 2 generously 4 moderately)

1 whole shoulder high welfare lamb

2 onions halved

4 carrots peeled

1 bulb garlic cut in half

2 leeks halved

2 sticks celery halved

30 ml olive oil

Himalayan sea salt 

Black pepper

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 fresh bay leaf

1 bottle Beaujolais red wine optional

500ml lamb stock or water for the gravy

Splash of port or Madeira optional

1 tbsp red current jelly

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

The Lamb

Pre heat your oven to 170 degrees C, Heat a large skillet or frying pan to a high heat and place the lamb shoulder in skin side down, brown off, meanwhile place all the gravy vegetables and herbs in the roasting tin, place the lamb on top of the vegetable trivit, if using wine place about a third of the bottle in the frying pan to de glaze and scrape all of that flavour out in to the roasting tin along with the rest of the wine, half fill the wine bottle with water and add to the roasting tin, cover with foil and place in the oven to slowly work its magic, half hour before the lamb is ready remove the foil, this is to allow the skin to crisp up.  Your lamb is cooked when you can see the exposed bone and can pull it out with out any resistance.

To Make The Gravy

Leave the lamb to rest for 10 minutes covered in the roasting tin, this will allow any juices to infuse the pan further.  Remove the lamb and place the roasting tin on your hob on a low medium heat, add a tbsp of flour and stir in, mash the vegetables to a rough pulp, add water or stock and bring to a simmer stiring all the time, a splash of port or Madeira would not harm, pass the gravy through a sieve and return to the pan, add the butter and redcurrent jelly, taste for seasoning, that's it your good to serve.  Serve with glorious goose roasted potatoes and fresh garden vegetables.

HOLIDAY CANAPÉS PORK AND GINGER DIM SUM

A first for me and WoW what a fabulous gluten free find, the beancurd skins are brillantly crispy with lots of layers that add great texture and extra flavour.  These feel like your eating party food and there is a good reason for that feeling, this is a classic dish of the Swatow people from Shantou and this dish is often cooked as a festive offering during Taoist festivals, a truly local dish that is seldom found anywhere else.

Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 10 minutes in total

Ingredients

(makes 12)

1 pack bean curd wraps

600g fine organic pork mince

1 small carrot finely chopped

2 spring onions finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp fresh grated turmeric

1 tsp dried red chillies

1 tbsp mirin

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 pinch Himalayan sea salt 

1 ltr ground nut oil for frying

Dipping Sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp wasabi

1 dash of sesame oil

1 pinch dried red chillies

Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together and serve in a small shallow bowl.

Put the ground nut oil in a deep frying pan or skillet and bring the oil up to 170 -180 degrees C.  Take your beancurd skins out of the pack and run under the tap for just a second, this is to ever so slightly soften them as they can be a little dry and brittle.

Place the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with your hands.  Take a beancurd skin and lay it out flat next take a third of the mince and make a long sausage on the bean curd skin about two inches from the top of the skin and stopping two inches from either side.   

To wrap the beancurd fold the top over the sausage meat the gently roll all the way down, placing seam side down.  To cook place the whole dim sum in the hot oil and cook for around 1-2 minutes turning over half way so it's golden and crispy all over, remove from the oil and leave to drain on paper roll for a couple of minutes.  To serve cut on the bias to the length you want and serve with your dipping sauce.

WOOD FIRED OVEN AUTHENTIC DOP SAN MARZANO MARGHERITA PIZZA

SIMPLICITY AT IT'S TASTIEST 

One Of The Best Pizza's You Will Ever Eat...I love my wood fired pizza oven and it is the best thing I have ever built!  Check out my easy step by step build instructions, search bar on the right, clay oven builiding your wood fired pizza oven.

There is good reason this pizza has a DOP, not just for the most gorgeous San Marzano a heirloom plum tomatoes that grown on the slopes opposite Mount Vesuves in Valle del Samo Italy, but also for the romantic history of the origion of how this pizza was created.  I get my DOP tomatoes through google and I treat each can like gold...

So it goes...In 1889 Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples, a local pizza chef, Dom Raffaele Esposito was asked to prepare a special dish in the Queens Honour, alone with his wife he created this pizza using the very best and most honest local San Marzano tomatoes, buffallo mozzarealla cheese and fresh basil, the colours of the Italian Flag, named after the guest of honour and representing the Italian Flag that is how this pizza was born,

San Marzano tomatoes are a thicker plum tomato with fewer seeds, a lower acidic level which means a sweeter juicier tomato, great for sauces.  San Marzano tomatoes can be grown anywhere but it is only the the ones grown and canned in Valle del Samo, Italy that can be classified with the EU DOP stamp.

Prep Time 15 minutes / Proving Time 1 hr / Cooking time 2-3 minutes

Ingredients

(makes 6)

Authenic Italian Pizza Dough

500g 00 Caputo flour

50g cold pressed olive oil

10g Himalayan sea salt

15g yeast, keep away from the salt

320g water

San Marzano Tomato Sauce

1 tin DOP san Marzano tomatoes

1 glut olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 clove Italian garlic grated

1 pinch Himalayan sea salt 

San Marzano Toppings

3 balls DOP buffalo mozzarella 

1 handful fresh basil leaves torn

This is a brilliant old fashioned honest pizza dough, you can prove this dough for a minium of one hour and up to four hours after mixing on the side or once made pop in the fridge and prove for 24hrs so it is ready for the next day, just leave to come up to room tempretaure before use and even more helpful after proving on the side for one hour you can portion up the dough and freeze, then when needed defrost, leave to come up to room tempreature, roll out and use.  These also make great flat breads, roll out and dry pan fry for a minute on each side and you will have gorgeous flat breads great for stuffing with salad, meats and kebabs...

Place all the ingredients in your mixer and using a dough hook knead for seven minutes, if doing by hand which I often do, bring all the ingredients together to form a sticky dough and turn our on a barely floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and springy around 7 minutes, try not to add in any extra flour, dough loves to be wet and will come soft, dry and smooth just keep kneading !  Leave to prove for one hour covered at room temperature.

Next make the gorgeous San Marzano tomato base sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and onions on a medium heat soften for around ten minutes, add the tomatoes crushing them with your hands, leave to gently simmer for five minutes, blitz to a smooth sauce and season with sea salt.

Now your ready to rock and roll, divide the dough into 6 portions roll out each dough ball into a thin pizza base, spread a ladle of the San Marzano sauce over the base, top with torn pieces of the buffalo mozzarella, place on your pizza stone or in your pizza oven and cook until bubbling, remove and leave to rest for a minute then add the torn fresh basil leaves, that's it Ta da done...

CHRISTMAS HAM HOCK BAKED HAM

I love baking a Christmas ham, this is extra special for me as I raise my own organic outdoor rootling tootling loved hugged and pampered pigs, knowing where my food comes from, what a free and fabulous life the pigs have had and what the pigs have eaten makes every mouthful taste so much better, it was a shock when I first started as all our meat tasted quite different, it took me back to my early childhood and each mouthful makes me think of my nan and grandad who I spent a lot of time with and good old fashioned values of use everything, re use everything, only use what you need in the moment, grow what you can and really enjoy life and family.

Brine Time 10 days in the fridge

(If not concerned with nitrates use a butchers gammon no need to brine, start from soaking time)

Soaking time 24hrs / Cooking time 1hr / Roasting time 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

For The Brining

1 hock or gammon of ham

4 ltr water

1 ltr real ale 

5 cups Himalayan sea salt approx

10 black peppercorns

1 cup brown sugar

2 bay leaves

Soaking The Ham

1 large pan or bowl

Water

Poaching The Ham

1 large pan of simmering water

1 tbsp black pepper corns

1 tsp sea salt

2 bay leaves

Cooking the Christmas Ham

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Himalayan sea salt 

1 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp Dijon or Colmans English mustard

1 cup dark brown sugar

20m whole cloves

First if you are going to brine your own hock or gammon joint, this means you will not have the preservative nitrates which also creates nitrites, this is in all commercially produced brined pork, by doing this stage yourself (this is personal), your pork can be nitrates free, I take a honest clean joint of pork and brine myself to avoid these preservatives.  If you are buying a brined gammon joint go straight to the soaking instructions onwards.

To make your brine, bring the water up to a simmer, add the salt, bay leaves and peppercorns, take off the heat once all the salt has dissolved, add the sugar and real ale and leave to cool.  Once cooled add your hock or gammon to the liquid, place in a air tight container in your fridge for the next 10 days to brine and cure the pork.

Soaking Your Ham To Be...

Once your brined ham or gammon joint is ready to be soaked place in a large saucepan of freshly filled cold water and leave to soak in the the fridge, change the water a couple of times over the next 24 hrs.

To Poach / Cook The Ham 

Bring a deep fresh pan of water to a simmer, add the ham hock/gammon and cook for 1 hour or until the centre is at 75 degrees C, minimum, (cooked).  Remove from the water at this point and get ready to bake the Christmas Ham, you can leave the the ham or gammon hock in the fridge for a couple of days before you need to cook the Christmas Ham! Any extra ahead help over the busy Christmas Holidays is always a help.

To Cook The Christmas Ham

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees C, remove the skin from the ham hock or gammon, but keep a decent amount of fat on the joint, score the fat on the diagonal from left to right creating a diamond pattern across the surface of the ham, place the whole cloves in to the ham on the cross lines of the diamond pattern scored on the surface of the ham to be.  Drizzle the hock or gammon with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper, mix the mustard and brown sugar together and rub pat all over the surface of the ham creating a crust.

Place the ham in the oven to bake the glaze for 30 minutes, a couple of times during the cooking take the ham out and spoon over all the basting juices and glaze that has run down in to the bottom of the pan.  This really does make a difference in the finished flavour of the ham.  To check if your ham is cooked the ham should have a prob centre temperature of 80 degrees C or the tip of the metal skewer should be uncomfortabley hot on your upper lip or tip of your nose!

Remove from the oven and leave to cool, basting again with the gorgeous cooking juices and glaze that are running off, this just adds so much more flavour to your Christmas ham.

Place in the fridge and once cooled, get ready to carve away on your gorgeous Christmas Ham.

HOLIDAY CANAPÉS PHILLY CHEESE POPPERS

These are my top top favourite buffet party food, I just love them, crisp fresh hot jalapeños stuffed with a cool sharp cream cheese and coated in light crispy fresh fried panko breadcrumbs these go down to well.  A huge hit in my family home these are always asked for at any of our family gatherings.

Prep time 15 minutes / Cooking time 5 minutes per batch / 4 batches

Ingredients 

(makes 20)

10 green or red whole fresh jalapeños

2 tubs Philadelphia cream cheese

1 box panko breadcrumbs

3 eggs beaten

300g plain flour

1 tsp Himalayan sea salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 ltr vegetable oil for frying

First set up your dipping station, three bowls one for the eggs, one for the panko and one for the flour, salt and pepper.  Halve the jalapenos, scoop out the seeds and place in a large bowl, add the cream cheese to the seeds and mix well.  Using a teaspoon fill each half jalapeño with the cream cheese mix. 

Now your ready to coat the poppers, keeping one hand for wet and one hand for dry, dip the poppers in the egg mix first then in to the seasoned flour, back in to the egg mix and finally into the panko breadcrumbs, place on a plate while you finish the rest.  If you are having trouble with the second coating of egg and panko breadcrumbs coating staying on the popper, place the poppers in the fridge after the first coating of egg and flour, once chilled they accept the second coating easier.  The first time I made these thats what happened, but not anymore.

Heat your oil to 180 degrees C, fry the jalapeños in batches of five so as not to over load the fryer, this will zap the heat from the oil and the poppers will absorb more of the oil giving them a greasy not crunch crisp flavour.

Drain on paper roll for a couple of minutes then serve warm, these are just perfect all on their own.

HOLIDAY CANAPÉS BUFFALO BLUE CHEESE SCOTCH EGGS

Oh boy...these are way to good just more than a mouthful these perfect full of flavour canapés will zing up your Christmas holiday celebrations and give your taste buds that hot buffalo fire that we love.

Prep time 30 minutes / Cooking time deep fry 10 minutes / Oven bake 30 minutes

 

Ingredients 

(makes 10)

1 kg herby sausage meat

150g Stilton blue cheese

1 box panko breadcrumbs

1 bottle hot buffalo sauce

10 quail eggs

1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper

50ml olive oil

2 ltr oil for frying

First mix the Stilton and one tbsp of the hot buffalo sauce into the herby sausage meat, season with the salt and pepper then divide into ten equal ball shape portions.  Meanwhile bring a pan of water to a rolling simmer and gentle put the quail eggs in to boil, set your timer for 3 minutes.  It is important that when the timer goes off you immediately remove the eggs and plunge in to cold water, this will ensure the eggs stop cooking and you will have a soft almost set yolk.

Peel the quail eggs once cooled, take a ball of sausage stilton meat and pressing your thumb in to the centre push the meat out into a pattie, place a quail egg in the centre and form the meat up and around the egg encasing the egg completely.  

In two dishes place the buffalo sauce and bread crumbs.  Roll your sausage ball in the hot sauce then the breadcrumbs.  If you are deep frying bring your oil up to 180 degrees C and fry the scotch eggs for around 5 minutes, remove from the oil and leave to rest on some kitchen paper before serving.  If your oven baking, heat your oven to 180 C, place the scotch eggs on the baking tray drizzle with the olive oil and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

HOLIDAY CANAPÉS CARAMELISED SWEET ONION TARTS

SOooooo Gorgeous...

These melt in your mouth fine crumbly buttery pastry tarts filled with a wonderful sweet caramlised onion marmalade are just divine and a great canapé for guests this up and coming holiday season.

Prep Time: 30-45 minutes / Cooking Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

(makes 24)

Pastry

450g plain flour

110g butter

100g lard

180ml cold water

1 tsp sea salt

Caramelised Onions

Good glug olive oil

1 tbsp butter

4 large Spanish onions sliced

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 pack sharp cream cheese

2 tbsp fresh chopped chives

First get the caramelised onions on to cook, melt the butter and olive oil on a medium heat, add the onions and leave to caramelise stirring occasionally for around 30 minutes, you may need to turn the heat down a little.  When the onions have gone a golden brown and have reduced down to a almost jam consisting add the brown sugar and stir in until dissolved, remove from the heat and leave to one side to cool.

Meanwhile make the pastry, place the flour and salt in a large bowl, grate the butter and lard in to the bowl, using a chopping action mix the fat in to the flour roughly, add the water and bring the mixture together to form a rough ball.  Chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees C.  On a dusted surface roll out half the pastry as thin as you dare, the remains half is spare, wrap up and freeze or keep in the fridge and use within a couple of days.  Using a scone cutter cut out 24 circles and place in a shallow Yorkshire pudding tin, spoon in the caramelised onion, bake the tarts in the oven for 15-20 minutes, remove from the oven allow to cool slightly and top with a dollop of cream cheese and a sprinkling of fresh chopped chives.