CHEESE ONION AND BUTTERY HOMITY PIE

Never Underestimate A Simple Pie

This magnificent pie is such a treat, the gorgeous smell of the pie cooking is a teasing expectation of what’s to come, even harder is waiting the 20 minutes after the pie is cooked before eating, this is essential as the pie needs to rest and is best served warm not piping hot, as you will burn your mouth if you don’t wait!

 

Ingredients

(serves family 4 in my case 3!)

Old Fashioned Pastry

450g plain flour

110g cold lard

110g cold butter

1 tsp sea salt 

160ml cold water

Pie Ingredients

1kg King Edward or Yukon potatoes 

200g butter

pinch sea salt

1 pinch ground white pepper

4 white onions roughly sliced

500g old mature vintage cheese grated (local cheese is best)

2 sprigs thyme

100ml chicken stock

1 pinch sea salt

 

This pastry will yield two pies, therefore when you make the pastry cut in half and wrap one half in parchment and either keep in the fridge for use in the week or freeze for another time.

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees, peel and place your rough chopped potatoes in a pan of simmering water to boil for twenty to thirty minutes until fork tender then drain and mash with butter, salt and pepper, reserve to one side to cool down, meanwhile make the pastry, place the flour in your bowl or mixer and using a whisk fluff up and remove any lumps, this is the same a sieving, add the salt then the butter and lard, rub together roughly, you want large rubble not a breadcrumb consistency, this is what will create the flaky lift in your pastry, add the water and just bring together to a rough ball, press flat and wrap in parchment paper, pop in the fridge for twenty minutes or so to chill and rest while you prepare the filling.

Place the coconut oil and onions in a pan and gently soften the onions for ten minutes, add the chicken stock, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, fresh thyme and reserve to one side to cool.  Grate the cheese and place to one side.

Roll out 2/3 of your pastry in to a circle, reserving the rest for the pie lid.  Take your tin and grease the sides, place the pastry base in your greased tin and gently push into the sides, now take your cooled ingredients and layer, first put a thin layer of mashed potato on the base, then a third of the softened onions, followed by a generous handful of the cheese, repeat with onions and cheese and finish with a final thin layer of mashed potato, top the pie with the pastry lid, lightly score the lid in a lattice pattern and brush with either milk to be authentic, I did as the war time attitude was why waste an egg, or brush with egg wash for a more golden crispy finish.

Bake in your pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for approx 40-45 minutes until golden brown, take out and leave to slightly cool for 15 minutes, now this hard especially when not making this for the first time, as you know how good this is going to be, but it is sort of important, this is a pie that needs to be warm not piping hot for its best presentation and taste.

LOADED ICEBERG WEDGE

Creamy buttermilk sour cream blue cheese mayonnaise dressing drenched over a iceberg wedge loaded with crispy sweetcure bacon, cheddar cheese, red onion, cherry tomatoes and fresh coriander, a perfect meal on its own or as a side.

Being British I had never had a iceberg wedge salad before and was rather impressed with this when I ordered it, in fact I have been impressed with every salad I’ve ever ordered in America, always very large and well balanced with flavours and dressings, my first thoughts about eating a iceberg wedge salad were will it be all crisp and fresh crunch only and all iceberg in flavour, but I was pleasantly surprised, all the toppings were well distributed while eating.

Ingredients 

(serves 4)

1 large firm iceberg lettuce quartered

12 rashers crispy sweetcure bacon

200g shredded cheddar cheese

1 small red onion finely diced

12 cherry tomatoes quartered

1 lemon juiced

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander 

Blue Cheese Dressing

200g soft blue cheese like dolcelatte or Roquefort 

1/2 cup of mayonnaise 

1/2 cup sour cream 

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 large pinch garlic powder

1 large pinch onion powder

1 pinch Himalayan sea salt 

1 pinch ground white pepper

Place all the blue cheese dressing ingredients in a bowl and gently whisk or stir to combine until the blue cheese is equally incorporated.  Drizzle the lemon juice over the iceberg wedges, then the blue cheese dressing followed by scattering the cheese, bacon, onion, tomatoes and corinader over the wedge, that’s it enjoy.

SLOW BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Autumn Comforting Spoon Food

Gorgeous slow braised beef short ribs in roasted marrowbone beef stock giving these ribs the best gravy and dipping au jus, such a simple dish to cook with the most delicious results.  The tender braised beef just falls off the bone and melts in your mouth served either stuffed in to bread rolls as French dip or my favourite with rich buttery Yukon mashed potato this is a winner winner dinner all round.

Slow Cooking Time 3-4 hours

Equipment:  Roasting tin, parchment paper and tin foil.

Ingredients 

(serves 4-6)

6 short ribs

1 marrow bone

Olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 onion finely diced

2 carrots finely diced

4 cloves garlic bashed

1 leek finely sliced

1 rib celery finely diced

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs thyme

1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt 

10 whole peppercorns 

2 ltr beef stock

1 ltr water

Best Mashed Potatoes Ever

1 kg Yukon or King Edward potatoes peeled and quartered

250g salted butter (I know!)

15ml apple cider vinegar

Himalayan sea salt 

White ground pepper

Pre heat your oven to 200 C / 400 F.  Toss the marrow bone in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, roast in the oven for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Place a deep braising/roasting tin on the stove medium heat, add a glug of olive oil and tbsp of butter, brown off the ribs in batches and remove reserving to one side while you add all the other ingredients except the stock and seasoning, soften for 15-20 minutes.  Next add the stock and seasoning and the reserved short ribs along with all the resting juices, lay a rectangle of parchment paper on top of the ingredients then cover the tin with tin foil.  

Place in a pre-heated oven 160 degrees for 3-4 hrs or until the meat is tender falling off the short ribs.  

While the ribs are cooking peel the potatoes and place in a large pan of water, when 30 minutes from serving the short ribs bring the potatoes up to a boil and cook until fork tender, drain and leave to steam dry for a few minutes, add the butter to the pan and leave on a very low heat to melt, add back the potatoes and mash, season with the white wine vinegar and salt and pepper.

Remove the ribs from the oven and drain off all the braising liquor and vegetables through a sieve, using the back of a spoon push some of the braising vegetables through the mesh of the sieve, this will not only deepen the flavour of your gravy further but help to thicken it with out compromising the flavour.   You can add some of the vegetables to the stock and blitz with a hand blender instead of pushing through a sieve.  At this point you can also reduce the stock a little to intensify the flavour, then season to taste.

To serve place the rich buttery mashed potato in the centre of the plate and lay a short rib across the mash and pour lashings of the rich braised gravy over the rib, allowing the juices to ooze all over the mash, enjoy.

SLOW BRAISED SHORT RIBS

This recipe is just too good not to repost!  Gorgeous beef short ribs, slowly braised in beef roasted marrowbone stock and mirepoix releasing all their gorgeous flavours into the au jus, this is such a simple dish to cook with the most outstanding results.  The tender braised beef just falls off the bone and served with rich and butter creamy Yukon mashed potato this is a winner winner dinner all round.

Slow Cooking Time 3-4 hours

Ingredients 

(serves 4-6)

6 short ribs

1 marrow bone

1 onion finely diced

2 carrots finely diced

4 cloves garlic bashed

1 leek finely sliced

1 rib celery finely diced

1 bay leaf

Pre heat your oven to 200 C / 400 F.  Toss the marrow bone in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, roast in the oven for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Place a deep braising/roasting tin on the stove, add a glug of olive oil and tbsp of butter, brown off the ribs in batches, add all the other ingredients and soften for 15-20 minutes.  Add the  Cover the tin well, lay a rectangle of parchment paper on top of the ingredients then cover the tin with tin foil.  

Place in a pre-heated oven 160 degrees for 3-4 hrs or until the meat is tender falling off the short ribs.  While the ribs are cooking peel the potatoes and place in a large pan of water, when 30 minutes from serving bring the potatoes up to a boil and cook until fork tender, drain and leave to steam dry for a few minutes, add the butter to the pan and leave on a very low heat to melt, add back the potatoes and mash, season with the white wine vinegar and salt and pepper.

Remove the ribs from the oven and drain off all the braising liquor and vegetables through a sieve, using the back of a spoon push the braising vegetables through the mesh of the sieve, this will not only deepen the flavour of your gravy further but help to thicken it with out compromising the flavour. 

To serve place the rich buttery mashed potato in the centre of the plate, lay a short rib across the mash and pour lashings of the rich braised gravy over the rib, allowing the juices to ooze all over the mash and enjoy.

Serve with This Glorious Mashed Potato

1 kg peeled halved potatoes

250g butter

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Sea salt and white pepper

Simple method to ensure the best fluffy mashed potatoes, rinse the potatoes and then place in a large pan with cold water and a good pinch of salt, bring to a rolling simmer and cook until fork tender, the reason to boil potatoes from cold is to ensure the potatoes cook all the way through evenly, if you add potatoes to boiling water the outside cooks quicker than the centre which leads to soy wet mashed potatoes!  Drain and leave the potatoes to steam dry in the colander for a few minutes, meanwhile place the saucepan back on the lowest heat, add the butter to slowly soften, add back the potatoes along with the vinegar salt and pepper, mash to your choice of consistency, I’m super smooth but my husband likes lumpy!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER FRIED RICE

What a winning recipe, my whole family finally likes cauliflower rice, I have tried several unsuccessful attempts to win them over!  My failures have been too soft, mushy or flavourless.  This firm roasted cauliflower rice adds great texture and the rice is layered with so many flavours it’s a sure winner dinner!  This recipe is easily cranked up from a side dish to a full meal by adding left over chicken, vegetables and stir fry sauce.

Prep Cooking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients 

(serves 4 as side dish)

1 large cauliflower 

2 tbsp sriracha 

1 tbsp olive or coconut oil

1/2 juice of lime

Sea salt & black pepper

Ingredients

1 glug olive or coconut oil

1 red onion finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

4 rashers bacon chopped (optional)

4 mushrooms chopped

1/2 red pepper chopped

1 courgette diced

4 heads of broccoli sliced

8 spears asparagus 

1 cup of peas

2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped

1 tbsp ginger diced

2 spring onions sliced on the diagonal 

1 lime juiced

50 ml Tamari soya sauce or coconut aminos 

1 tbsp mirin

1 tsp sesame oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional Extras

Left over roast chicken or pork

Egg omelette ribbons

Pre heat your oven to 200 C / 400 F.  In a bowl rub the cauliflower with the ingredients all over and roast in the oven for 30 minutes until tender but still a little firm.  Meanwhile heat the olive oil medium hot in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and soften for 10 minutes, next add the broccoli, asparagus, courgettes and sear for a further 5 minutes, next add the bacon and sear slightly crispy, the bottom of the pan will start to brown up but that’s good as this will add another layer of flavour. turn the heat down slightly, add the mushrooms, red pepper, ginger and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, next add the peas, lime juice, soya sauce and mirin, stir to combine and leave on a low heat to tick over while you turn your attention to the roasted cauliflower.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven and blitz on pulse in a food blender until course grains, add to the saucepan along with the sesame oil and stir to combine, sprinkle over the coriander, taste and if needed adjust the seasoning with more soya sauce and mirin or salt and pepper.  

To ramp this up for a full meal on its own, add left over roast chicken or pork and a rolled egg omelette sliced in to ribbons.

PALEO PHILLY STEAK WRAPS

STRICTLY PALEO !

Ok before you read any further this is not a paleo perfect recipe, but I don’t want to be paleo perfect all the time, 95% is good enough for me, it gives me that tiny little window for something I now consider a decedent luxury!  I mean a tbsp of soft cream cheese I now see as a off grid moment is way better than falling face first in to a 14” all sweet BBQ meat and cheese double decedent stuffed crust pizza that takes me 3 days to eat, which I did every week until my health told me no more!  126lb lighter and loving my fresh is best paleo lifestyle six years on I have been able to allow that tiny indulgent moment and that’s the key it is only a indulgence and portion is the key to remaining successful.

Seared organic grass feed steak tossed in a philly cheese sauce with roasted peppers and onions served wrapped in garden grown rainbow chard, spinach and kale leaves.

Ingredients 

(serves 2)

6oz fillet steak

1 glug coconut or olive oil

1red or green pepper sliced

1 white onion sliced

1 red onion sliced

2 heaped tbsp Philadelphia cheese

1 spring onion chopped

1 tbs chives chopped

2 large chard leaves

1 handful spinach leaves

2 kale leaves

Sea salt

Black pepper

Heat a skillet medium hot, meanwhile layer the chard with kale the spinach on top on your plates.  Rub the olive oil salt and pepper all over the steak and place on the skillet, sear for 2 minutes each side, turning only once and then holding with tongs sear each end for another 30 seconds, this will be rare, cook longer for medium, remove from the pan and leave to rest on the side.  Add the peppers and white onion to the pan and sear for a few minutes until charred but still a little crunchy.  Remove from the pan and reserve to one side.  Now add the Philadelphia cream cheese to the pan off the heat to warm through, stir in the spring onions and chives.

Now just to assemble the wraps, slice the steak and layer in the wraps, top with the warm Philadelphia cream cheese, seared peppers and onions, then finish of with the red onion and enjoy.

CHEESE STUFFED JALAPEÑOS BACON CHUCK STEAK BURGER

I love a cheese stuffed burger, a Juicy Lucy or Lucifer with hot sauce, it is the hot gooey melted cheese oozing out equally in every bite followed by the juiciest flavoured chuck steak minced with fried onions, garlic, jalapeños and sweet cure bacon that sends my taste buds into a frenzy, just don’t judge me while I’m stuffing this into my face.

Prep time 15 minutes / Cooking time 6 minutes

Ingredients 

(makes 4 burgers)

500g twice minced chuck steak

1 glug olive oil

1 tsp butter

1 small onion finely diced

1 clove garlic finely diced

1/3 cup pickled jalapeños 

12 rashers sweetcure bacon

4 slices of favourite burger cheese

Salt and black pepper

Ice berg lettuce

Red onion rings

Sliced tomatoes 

Tomato ketchup

Fire up your coals, wood fired bbq, or a skillet in the kitchen to cook the burgers on. In a pan heat the olive oil and butter medium hot, gently soften the onions and garlic for around ten minutes until translucent, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

In a mincer or food processor place the chuck steak mince, softened onions, garlic, jalapeños, 4 rashers of bacon, salt and pepper and run once through the mincer to combine.  Divide the mix into 4.  Take each portion and form into a ball, press your thumb into the center to make a well, fold the cheese slice in half the half again and place in the center of the burger, gently fold up and over the chuck mince encasing the cheese totally in the chuck mince.

Cook the burgers and bacon on the grill or skillet to medium for around 3 minutes each side only turning once and serve this awesome burger in a grilled toasted buttered bun topped with ice berg lettuce, onion, tomatoes and ketchup.

ST LOUIS BBQ BASTED RIBS

No Smoker or Fire Pit...

Not a problem, I have the fire pit, smoker and wood fired oven but living in the UK what I don’t have is the weather !  It’s grey, gloomy, very wet and windy all weekend and my family wants ribs.  Well the kitchen oven will just have to do.

Liquid Smoke!

To or not too is the question ?  I was quite anti liquid smoke, the purest in me would rather go without than FAKE IT!  However after realising that my assumption it was a chemical concoction was based on my own uneducated opinion I decided to learn about how liquid smoke becomes liquid smoke.  Not all liquid smoke originally know as “Wood Vinegar” are created equally.  In 1885 E H Wright  inaugurated the distribution of wood vinegar under the new name WRIGHTS LIQUID SMOKE.  Made from the ancient methods of collecting condensation vapour via the thermal decomposition of wood in a low oxygen manor while making charcoal means this is a true natural product that has further been proven so in a US Government court case the Wright’s won on the labelling of liquid smoke, it is just liquid smoke (wood vinegar).  Whereas the commercial industry production of liquid smoke is often forced to speed up the mass production used by the commercial food industry with the addition of food additives.

These dry rub BBQ ribs are fall of the bone succulent tender and smokey, slathered with a Southern sweet BBQ sauce with just a touch of Carolina vinegar based BBQ sauce, these will render your family and friends silent...well apart from the glorious lip smacking these are so good sounds!  

Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 4 hrs

Ingredients 

(serves 4-6)

4 St Louis cut whole ribs

25 ml liquid smoke (optional)

100g BBQ dry rub spice mix

(homemade recipe below)

2 ltr coke a cola (or water)

(homemade recipe below)

1 bottle sweet BBQ sauce

1 bottle Carolina vinegar based BBQ sauce

(homemade recipe below)

Pre heat your oven 160 C / 320 F.  Turn the ribs over and peel of the silver skin lining that covers the back of the ribs.  This is not essential but makes the ribs more pleasurable to eat.  Using a small pointed knife at the bottom left corner of the first rib bone, slip the knife under the skin on the bone, lift up so you have a lip and the using your hand peel the skin off the ribs, the skin should just peel away like a piece of paper.

Rub the bbq spice all over the ribs, lay the ribs meat side up in a large deep roasting tin, side by side, I use two roasting tins for 4 ribs.  Pour in the liquid smoke and coke a cola fill only to half way up the ribs, ensuring that the top meat side of the ribs is not in the liquid, cover well with tin foil and cook in the oven for 3-4 hours, checking the ribs at 3 hours to see if the are tender.

Drain off the bbq coke a cola rib stock into a saucepan, this can be used to make a gorgeous bbq sauce, recipe below.

Warm the store bought sweet bbq sauce with a dash of the thin Carolina vinegar bbq sauce to your taste and generously baste the ribs all over cover and pop back in the oven at 120 C / 240 F to keep warm and infuse the flavours for 15 minutes.  Serve whole or if individual ribs baste again with the warm bbq sauce all over.

  If your going to make your own bbq sauce from the stock then keep the ribs warm while you make the bbq sauce.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

500ml coke a cola rib stock

1 1/2 cup tomato ketchup

1/4 cup soft brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp chipotle powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan combine and bring to a simmer, adjust the seasoning and chilli powder to taste.  If you feel the sauce is to thin, a little corn starch slurry will thicken the sauce further.

Homemade BBQ Dry Rub

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp chipotle powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp mustard powder

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp celery salt (optional)

Combine all ingredients together.

SLOW BRAISED PORK CHOPS IN CREAM DIJON APPLE CIDER BRANDY

One Pot Autumnal Cooking

A perfect autum hearty and comforting dish, melt in the mouth tender succulent pork chops braised in apple cider and brandy with Dijon mustard, caramelised apples and onions then finished off with a dash of cream, served on buttery mashed potatoes and when I say buttery I mean 250g salted butter to 1kg of mashed potatoes, it is food law!  Truly spoon food.

Prep 10 minutes / Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients 

(serves 4)

40g butter

1 glug olive oil

Himalayan sea salt 

Fresh ground black pepper

1 onion sliced

5 tsp Dijon mustard

4 pork chops

1 apple sliced

500ml dry cider

100ml-200ml double cream

25ml calvados apply brandy

3 sprigs of thyme

1/2 tsp turmeric 

Pre heat your oven 180 C / 356 F.  Heat a skillet medium hot, add the olive oil and butter and onions, cook for 10 minutes caramelising the onions, move the onions to the side of the skillet   Making room for the pork chops.   Spread 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard on each side of the chops and season generously with salt and pepper, sear the pork steaks each side for one minute including the edge with the rind on.  Pour in the apple calvados brandy to deglaze the pan for just a few seconds then add the the cider, last tsp of Dijon, the sliced apples and thyme sprigs, pop in the oven for 25 minutes.  

To finish the sauce serve the pork chops on your plates, spoon over the onions and apples, then return the skillet to the heat and bring the sauce to a rolling simmer, add the cream and turmeric then reduce the sauce for a minute to slightly thicken, serve over the chops and serve with buttery mashed potatoes.

FLAX AND CHIA SEED TURMERIC BLACK PEPPER CRACKERS

PALEO

Salmon Avocado Cream Cheese.

A cracking cracker !  Super tasty and soo good for you, there are not many paleo substitutes for a great cracker that I have loved as much as these crackers, loaded with flax, chia and sunflower seeds, brazil, hazel, almond and walnuts, psyllium husk, turmeric and black pepper which is essential to aid the absorption of curcumin from the turmeric, seasoned with Parmesan, sea salt and then depending on what I want to eat with them a choice of spices for example a savoury cracker for cheese would have nigella onion seeds, fennel seeds and maybe black mustard seeds to complement the cheddar cheese toppings.

The main ingredients for these crackers can be in any quantities providing you follow the magic formula!  For example all flax, chia, psyllium and Parmesan and no nuts.  

Recipe 360g of seeds and nuts including the psyllium husk to 500ml of water, then add spices.

Geeky Nutritional Science Bit...

Turmeric gives anti inflammatory protection, is an antioxidant, speeds up wound healing and relieves arthritis, diabetes support by lowering blood sugar reversing insulin resistance, helps with depression and cholesterol.  Flaxseeds are loaded with omega 3 ALA fats, huge wallop of fiber and low in carbs, high protein along with vitamin B1, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and selenium which gives you healthy skin and hair, lowers cholesterol, supports digestive health and are highly antioxidant and finally Chia seeds super high in fiber, supports digestive and heart health, supports diabetes because their rich in alpha-linolenic acid which helps lower excessive fat in the blood and supports strong bones and teeth.

Ingredients 

(makes 40 crackers)

(can freeze spare dough)

The Magic Formula 

100g flaxseed ground

50g chia seeds ground or whole

50g sunflower seeds

100g mixed nuts ground to powder made up of...

(1 brazil, 10 hazelnuts, 8 almond nuts, 6walnuts)

60g psyllium husk

1 cup Parmesan grated

1 tbsp turmeric

1 tbsp Himalayan sea salt 

1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper

500ml water

Optional Spices

(roughly 1 tsp)

Nigella seeds

Fennel seeds bashed

Coriander seeds bashed

Cumin seeds bashed

Mustard seeds

Harissa spice mix

Fenugreek seeds bashed

Ground paprika/smoked

Dried chillies

Ground coriander 

Ground ginger

Ground cinnamon 

Mixed spice

Curry powder

Moroccan spice

Pre heat oven to 170 C  / 338 F.  Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and combine, add your extra choice of spices at this point if you want to, add the water and mix well, leave to stand for 30 minutes for the water to be absorbed into the seeds.  

Place a sheet of baking paper twice the size as your baking tray on your work top.  Take a quarter size ball of the dough and place in the centre of one half of the baking sheet, fold the other half of the baking paper on top of the dough and press down to flatten the dough out a little.

Take your rolling pin and roll the dough through the paper as thin as you dare, cracker thin.  Peel off the top baking paper and using a knife or pizza cutter score the dough in to your crackers, this can be triangles for corn chips style or long and thin for more fancy presentation or just your standard squares.

Slide your baking paper on to your baking tray and pop in the oven, these crackers will take 40-60 minutes to bake to perfection, they are cooked when dry and crispy to touch.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the paper, these will keep for a week plus in a air tight tin.

PALEO HOTDOGS WITH STRIPES

Who knew that hot dogs could be this good!  Organic smokey outdoor reared old spot hot dog sausages in natural casings, cooked in the same pan with butter softened fried onions then loaded in to ice gem, chard and kale leaves drizzled with stripes of American mustard, tomato ketchup and mayonnaise.  Lip smacking gorgeous and the kids loved them too, no one missed the bun!

Ingredients 

(serves 3-4)

 6 Helen Brownings Organic hotdogs
2 ice gems

6 chard leaves

6 kale leaves

2 spanish onions sliced

25g butter

1 glug olive oil

STRIPES

American mustard

Tomato ketchup 

Mayonnaise 

Heat the butter and olive oil medium hot in a saucepan, add the hotdogs and cook for 2 minutes before turning, add the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat, on your serving plates layer up 2 ice gem leaves, 1 kale and 1 chard leaf per hot dog, fill with the onions and one hotdog then generously drizzle over the stripes.

SMOKEY SWEET GRILLED MEXICAN STREET CORN (ELOTE)

Our home grown organic sweet corn stuffed with chipotle spiced butter and grilled in their husks on the BBQ until tender.  Then slavered with a zesty lime and chipotle Mexican crema sauce, fresh coriander and generously smattering of cotija cheese.  This is a glorious messy eat and perfectly acceptable in front of friends, family and strangers!

If you can’t get Mexican cotija cheese and Mexican crema (I can’t in the UK) you can use feta cheese instead, it is a little sharper so maybe a dusting of Parmesan too and as for the Mexican crema just use sour cream with a pinch of salt.

Grilling the corn in their husks adds a whole other depth of flavour.

Ingredients

(serves 4 -8)

4 whole corn on the cobs in husks

300g salted butter room temperature 

2 chipotle in adobo sauce chopped

1 clove garlic grated

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup crema or sour cream

1/2 lime zest and juice

1/2 lime in 4 wedges

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

100g crumbled cojita cheese or feta and Parmesan

2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander

Mix half the chipotle pepper in to the butter and divide by 6 in the mixing bowl gently peel the husks back to the stem on the cobs careful not to pull the husks off, season the corn with a little salt and pepper then cover generously with 4 portions of the chipotle butter reserving the last 2 portions (divide in half again so you have 4) for serving.  Wrap the cobs back up in their husks and place on the BBQ grill and cook turning periodically for 10-15 minutes until the corn is tender, peel back the husks and pop the corn back on the grill to char up slightly adding even more smokey BBQ flavour to the corn.

Mix the mayo, crema, chipotle pepper, garlic, lime zest and juice together.

Remove the corn from the grill, season with salt and pepper, toss in the remaining chipotle butter, then generously slaver the crema all over the cobs, sprinkle with the cojita cheese, fresh coriander and just dig in.

MUSTARD HOLLANDAISE POACHED EGGS WITH BUBBLE AND SQUEEK

One of my family’s most favourite breakfast brunches, crispy roasted goose fat potatoes topped with a poached or fried egg and served on top of some garlic butter sautéed garden greens.  This is a deconstructed take on my childhood bubble and squeek, which I still love, leftover roast potatoes, sometimes mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts pan seared with a crispy crust.

Ingredients 

(serves 4)

Bubble n Squeek 

1 kg King Edward potatoes peeled and halved

3 tbsp goose fat or schmaltz 

500g kale or chard

2 cloves garlic sliced

50g butter

Himalayan sea salt 

White pepper

Perfect Poached Eggs

4 eggs cracked into individual ramekins

30ml apple cider vinegar

Himalayan sea salt 

Mustard Hollandaise Sauce
2 egg yolks

150 - 200g melted butter

1/2 lemon juiced

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Himalayan sea salt 

White pepper 

Pre heat your oven to 200 C / 392 F.  Place the peeled potatoes in a pan of simmering water and part boil the potatoes until just fork tender, (10 minutes), drain, season with salt and leave to steam dry for 5 minutes.  Place your roasting tray in the oven with the chicken or goose fat for 3 minutes, then add the potatoes, toss to coat in the hot fat.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes turning once half way through until golden and crispy all over.  

Ten minutes before the potatoes are ready:

 Bring a large deep pan of water to a gentle simmer ready for the poached eggs.

At the same time heat a skillet pan medium add the garlic, butter and kale, sauté for two minutes, meanwhile...

To the simmering water for the poached eggs add the apple cider vinegar and mix to combine.  Gently slip in two of the eggs individually a minute apart folding the egg over as it leaves the ramekin and cook for around three minutes until soft but formed.  Remove from the pan and repeat with the final two eggs.

Hollandaise 

Now...I make this in a bowl situated on top of the simmering poached egg pan, using this as my Baine Marie or double boiler.  Place the egg yolks in the bowl with the lemon juice, start whisking and do not stop, once the egg yolks are thick and creamy start adding the butter 20-30ml at a time until you have a velvety rich sauce, mix in the mustard, season to taste and serve immediately over the poached eggs, on top of the garlic butter kale and crispy roast potatoes.

The Perfect Poached Egg

The Secret is in the Method

I have tried so many times to make the prefect poached egg, I whisked the vinegar water, cracked in the egg and more than often ended up with an egg white octopus and seperate yolk!  After watching a cooking program I saw that I was not using a bowl to slip the egg in the simmering water, I was cracking the egg in directly, turns out that is the secret! by pouring the egg in to the simmering vortex of water from a bowl your guaranteed a successful beautiful presentable poached egg...so simple when you know how.

Prep Time 5 minutes / Cooking Time 3-5 minutes

Ingredients

(one egg)

1 fresh egg cracked into a bowl

1 deep pan of simmering water

50 ml white wine vinegar

Bring the pan of water to a gentle simmer, add the vinegar and gently whisk to create a vortex in the centre and then pour in the egg from the bowl, the egg will swirl around gently with the vortex allowing the egg white to swirl around the yolk to create a perfect poached egg.  Cook gently for around 3-5 minutes depending on how runny you like your yolk,  

You can check the egg by removing with a slotted spoon and gently prodding to see how wobbly the egg is, the firmer the bounce back the more cooked the egg is.  Remember the poached egg will continue to cook for a minute once it is taken from the water and served.  

Get Ahead Eggs

You can poach your eggs ahead of time, once cooked, plunge the poached eggs in to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process, when your ready to serve gently place the eggs back into a pan of just simmering water for one minute to warm back through.

That's it Perfect...

BLUE VINNY CHEESE DIP AND GARDEN VEGETABLE CRUDITÉS

Simple blue vinny sour cream and buttermilk cheese dip with fresh organic home grown red and yellow beetroot, carrots, celery, fennel, green beans, courgettes and red peppers.  A great feel good snack and very moorish, the whole unexpectedly family devoured the plate.

Ingredients 

Crudités 

3 carrots scrubbed and quartered

4 beetroots peeled and quartered

1 red pepper sliced

1 courgette quartered

4 slices of fennel

4 sticks of celery

10 green beans

Blue Cheese Dip

250g blue vinny cheese crumbled

2 tbsp sour cream

2 tbsp buttermilk

2 tbsp double cream

Simply mix the blue cheese dip ingredients together using the back of a spoon to crush and cream the blue vinny in to the cream and milk.  Arrange the vegetables around the dip and enjoy.

DORSET BLUE VINNY GNOCCHI WITH A CREAMY WHITE WINE MUSHROOM BLUE VINNY SAUCE

Glorious light fluffy melt in your mouth buttery pillows of heaven tossed through a cream and blue vinny wild mushroom cream sauce.

If you’ve never had Dorset Blue Vinny cheese I urge you to either drive to West Dorset or order direct from the farm to be delivered to your door, (Dorset Blue.com).  It is a gorgeous creamy light blue cheese like no others that lends itself to complimenting all dishes without over powering in flavour.  Blue Vinny was once made in every farmhouse in Dorset until the 2nd world war, 40 years ago Woodbridge Farm resurrected a 300 year old recipe. Blue Vinny is traditionally eaten with Moore’s Dorset Knob Biscuits, these again are a old heritage tradition from Morcombelake West Dorset for the last 130 years a small family run business near Bridport makes two million of these three times baked crispy dry bread rolls only in January and February and when their gone their gone until next year!  This is due to the 10 hour process of baking makes these biscuits not financially viable to produce all the time.

West Dorset’s Treasure

Ingredients

(serves 4)

Gnocchi 

500g King Edward floury potatoes

240g 00 gnocchi Italian flour (caputo)

More flour for dusting 

1 egg beaten 

200g blue vinny cheese crumbled

Himalayan sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper 

Wild Mushroom Sauce 

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 small shallot finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely chopped 

100g wild ceps sliced

50g wild chanterelles sliced

100g chestnut mushrooms finely chopped

100g oyster mushrooms torn

1 lemon zest and juice

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

250ml white wine

600ml double cream

200g blue vinny cheese crumbled

Himalayan sea salt 

Fresh ground black pepper

Gnocchi 

Boil your potatoes with the skin on, drain and leave to steam dry in a colander, once cool enough to handle peel the skins off by hand, mash the potatoes then gently fold in the beaten egg, blue vinny cheese chunks, flour, salt and pepper until just combined.  Divide the slightly crumbled mixture into four on a lightly floured work top and mould, shape and roll each quarter of the mixture into a long sausage around the thickness of a ten pence coin.

Cut one inch sections off the gnocchi sausage, these then will need to be gently rolled on a gnocchi board or a butter pat or just a fork to create grooves in the gnocchi that will hold extra sauce.

Wild Mushroom Sauce 

Before you cook the gnocchi make the sauce, heat the olive oil and butter and lightly sear the sliced ceps, chanterelles and oyster mushrooms for 1-2 minutes, remove from the pan and reserve to one side.  Add the shallot and garlic to the pan, soften for five minutes, add the diced chestnut  mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, add the wine, deglaze the pan and reduce the wine by half, the add the cream, lemon zest and nutmeg.  Simmer until slightly thickened, add back the seared mushrooms and season with salt and pepper I like to add some lemon juice at this point to taste and that’s the sauce done!  Keep warm while you cook the gnocchi.

To cook the Gnocchi bring a pan of sea salted water to a gentle rolling simmer, drop in the gnocchi and cook for around two minutes, the gnocchi will float as soon as it’s cooked, remove from the pan with a sieve and add to your warm sauce, toss and serve immediately, finish the dish with a smattering of Parmesan shavings and sprinkling or rocket.