Recipe

Italian Three Cheese Meatballs.

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Italian Three Cheese Meatballs with Linguini.

 Meatballs

700grms Lean Mince Beef
1 Onion Grated
1 Carrot Grated
2 Cloves of Garlic Crushed
2 Tablespoons of Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 Teaspoon of Chopped Fresh Oregano
1 Egg
Salt & Pepper

 Sauce

500ml Passata
1 Onion Finely Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic Crushed
100mls Red Wine
20mls Sherry Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Salt & Pepper

 Cheeses

1 Buffalo Mozzarella
75grms Fontina
25grms Fresh Parmesan

 

·      Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together, dice up the Fontina cheese into 1cm cubes. Shape the meatballs and put a cube of cheese into the center of each meatball.

·      Cook the meatballs in an oven on lightly greased tray at 180° for appox 20 minutes or until the cheese starts to burst out from the meatballs.

·      To make the sauce, gently cook the onion and garlic in a little olive oil, add the red wine and sherry vinegar and reduce slightly. Add the tomato pasatta, sugar, salt and pepper and cook for a further 10mins.

·      Place the meatballs in the sauce, rip the mozzarella into pieces and dot around the meatballs. Return the meatballs to the oven and cook until the mozzarella starts to melt.

·      When cooked, grate some fresh parmesan and tear some basil leaves over the top.

·      Serve with Linguini dressed in olive oil.

 

 

Teriyaki Salmon with a Mango and Papaya Rice Noodle Salad.

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Ingredients for the Salmon

600grms Salmon Fillet cut from the middle of the fish with the skin left on.
4 Tablespoons of Teriyaki Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dry Sherry
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
1 Clove of Garlic Crushed
2cm of Root Ginger Grated

Method

To make the Marinade put the Teriyaki sauce, sherry, oil, garlic and ginger into a bowl and whisk. Transfer the marinade to a shallow container big enough to marinade the salmon.
Cut the salmon fillet into 16 thin strips then take four pieces and thread them onto 2 bamboo skewers, repeat this until you have 4 equal portions
Put the salmon portions into the marinade skin side up and leave in the fridge for 30minutes.

Ingredients for the Dressing

4 Tablespoons of Ground Nut Oil
1 Tablespoon of White Wine Vinegar
¼ Teaspoon of Wasabi
½ Teaspoon of Toasted Sesame Seeds
½ Teaspoon of Black Onion Seeds
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Coriander
Pinch of Caster Sugar
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients for the Salad

300grms of Cooked Rice Noodles
½ Ripe Mango cut into small dice
½ Ripe Papaya cut into small dice
1 Shallot finely chopped
100grms Mixed coloured peppers cut into small dice
4 Chicory Leaves

Method

Mix the noodles, peppers, shallot, mango and papaya together then pour the dressing over and toss. Serve in a bowl garnished with the chicory leaves.

To Serve

Remove the salmon from the marinade and fry skin side down in sunflower oil until the skin is crisp. Turn the salmon fillets over and continue to fry until completely cooked. Take the marinade and transfer to a pan and bring to the boil. Place the cooked salmon onto a plate, spoon a little of the hot marinade over the fish and serve with the salad.

Saturday Night Curry

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Chicken Tikka Masala, Serves 4

Ingredients

Groundnut Oil
1 Large Onion Peeled and Chopped
1 Fresh Green Chilli de-seeded and Chopped
1” Piece of Ginger Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves Crushed
½ tspn Red Chilli Powder
1 tspn Turmeric
2 tspn Garam Marsala
1 tspn Curry Powder
2 tbsn Soft Brown Sugar
2 tbsn Tomato Puree
1 Knorr Chicken Stock Cube
200ml Water
400grms Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
4 Chicken Breasts
Handful of Chopped Fresh Coriander
100ml Double Cream ( add more if you like it creamy )

Method

Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil and slowly fry the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger until soft.

Add the chilli powder, turmeric, garam marsala, curry powder and sugar and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, water and stock cube and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes.

Place in a liquidizer and puree.

Cut the chicken into large pieces and fry in 2 tablespoons of oil.

Add the blended sauce and simmer gently for a further 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

Add the cream and coriander and simmer for 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Soup

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Makes 6

250ml Milk
1 ½ Leaves Gelatine
1 Vanilla Pods
40grms Caster Sugar
150ml Double Cream

Method

Soften Gelatine in Cold Water.

Boil Milk with Vanilla, add Sugar and Gelatine add Cold Cream and Set.

Rhubarb Soup

Ingredients

150ml Water
110grms Caster Sugar
75ml Grenadine
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 Star anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
175grms Rhubarb

Method

Boil the water, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Star Anise and Cinnamon stick together.

Remove the cinnamon stick and Star Anise.

Add the Grenadine and Rhubarb.

Simmer for 5 minutes until the Rhubarb is tender.

Liquidise and pass through a course sieve.

Bread and Butter Pudding

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Ingredients

4 Slices of Thick White Bread
30grms Butter
300 ml Milk
300ml Double Cream
4 Eggs
50grms Caster Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
60grms Sultanas
50grms Apricot Jam

Method

  1. Butter the bread, cut off the crusts and cut each slice into 4 triangles.
  2. Sprinkle the bottom of an earthenware dish with the sultanas and arrange the bread over the top.
  3. Heat the cream and milk together with the split vanilla pod.
  4. Whisk the eggs and the sugar together.
  5. When the cream and milk comes to the boil pour onto the egg mixture whisking to form a custard.
  6. Pour over the bread and place the dish in a bain marie.
  7. Cook at 140c for 45-50 mins until the custard feels firm.
  8. Heat the apricot jam in a saucepan with a little water and brush over the surface of the pudding.
  9. Serve at room temperature with vanilla scented whipped cream and stewed apricots.

Sticky Braised Belly Pork

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Sticky braised belly pork with a Granny Smith apple puree and a black pudding fritter.

Ingredients for 4 persons

800grms belly pork, boned and rind removed
400grms in total of roughly copped onion, carrot, leek and celery
1 sprig of thyme
4 cloves of garlic
6 star anise
8 cardamom pods
8 peppercorns
2cm of fresh root ginger
100ml of dry white wine
1 litre of chicken stock

Method

Put all the ingredients into a heavy based casserole dish that has a tight fitting lid.

Bring to the boil and place in a pre heated oven at 120oC for 2 ½ -3 hours.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Remove the pork from the cooking liquor and place on a tray lined with a piece of greaseproof paper, place another piece of greaseproof paper on top, then another tray and weigh down with a heavy weight. Leave in the fridge over night.

Strain the cooking liquor and reduce down with a large tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of soy sauce until to have a thick glaze.

Apple Puree

3 Granny smith apples
250ml apple juice
1 teaspoon of caster sugar

Method

Chop the apples without peeling and place in a sauce pan with the juice and the sugar. When the apples are cooked pass through a sieve.

Black pudding fritter

110ml milk
28grms butter
50grms strong flour
1 egg
50grms black pudding
4 sage leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

Method

Cut the black pudding into 1cm pieces and fry in hot oil until crisp, drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

Put the milk and butter into a heavy based pan and bring to the boil.

When the milk and butter is boiling, add the flour and beat in fast to avoid lumps.

Allow the paste to cook out over the heat for 1 minute then remove from the heat.

Add the egg and beat in. Season with salt and pepper and then fold in the black pudding and the chopped sage.

Mould the fritter mix between 2 spoons to form a quenelle and cook in a fryer or a pan filled with sunflower oil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

To Serve

Cut the belly pork into 4 even pieces and place on a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Sprinkle with a little water and heat gently in the oven. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the pork with the glaze every few minutes until the pork is golden brown. Place a spoonful of the chilled apple puree on the plates, top with the belly pork and the fritter and garnish with some cracking and chervil leaves.

Muesli

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Swiss Style Muesli

Part of my early training was at the five star Atlantis Hotel, in Zurich Switzerland. The Swiss are famous for their cold buffet work, mouth watering chocolates and distinctively flavoured stringy cheese that gives the Swiss fondue its unique taste and texture.  The culinary traditions of Switzerland have not changed since I worked there in the 1980’s. In fact, when I Captained the Welsh Culinary Team to gold at the World Championships in 1998, the same dishes I was trained to cook were still on the menu’s in the restaurants!  Dishes such as  Raclette (melted cheese served with new potatoes and pickles) Bratwurst mit Rosti, (veal sausage and potato cake)  and Engadiner Nusstorte  (walnut and honey tart), were proudly displayed. However, one recipe I did bring back and continue to use  is Birchermuesli, a Swiss style muesli vastly different from the dried, saw dust type we can buy here. The Swiss eat their muesli at any time of day and when you have tried it you will understand why. The recipe contains fresh fruit, berries, and nuts which are laced with double cream. All the ingredients are left to stand over night to allow the ingredients to release their flavours.

Ingredients

100grms Oats
25grms Caster Sugar
25grms Sultanas
25grms Chopped Mixed Nuts
50grms Chopped Dried Apricots
300ml Milk
300ml Cream or Yogurt
2 Grated Apples Skin On
2 Grated Pears Skin On
100ml Orange Juice

Any soft fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, bananas, plums, peaches etc.

Method

Place all the ingredients into a bowl and leave overnight in the fridge.

Next Day add the soft fruits.

Mussel Recipe

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Ingredients for 4 People

2 Kg of Mussels
2 Large Shallots
1 Clove of Garlic
100ml Dry White Wine
200ml Double Cream
25grms Chopped Fresh Parsley

Method

  1. Clean the mussels by removing all the barnacles and the beards from the outside of the shells in plenty of cold running water.

  2. Discard any mussels that are damaged or ones that are fully open and don’t close if you give them a squeeze.

  3. Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic clove.

  4. Heat a heavy based sauce pan that has a tight fitting lid.

  5. Add the mussels, shallots, garlic and the white wine to the pan, cover with the lid and cook until the mussels open. This should take only 2-3 minutes.

  6. When the mussels are open remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.

  7. Reduce the cooking liquor by half then add the double cream.

  8. Bring the sauce back to the boil and add the chopped parsley.

  9. Drop the mussels back into the sauce to re-heat.

  10. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve with crusty white bread.

Pan seared scallops with a butternut squash risotto and parmesan crackling

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  • 12 Scallops Cleaned
  • 1 Medium Butternut Squash
  • 250 grms Risotto Rice
  • 1 Large Shallot Finely Chopped
  • 1 Clove Garlic Crushed
  • 600 ml Chicken Stock
  • 50 grms Butter
  • 50 ml Double Cream
  • 60 grms Grated Fresh Parmesan
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Nutmeg
  • Micro Greens
  • Basil Oil

Method

  1. Peel the butternut squash and cut out 16 cubes. Roughly chop the remaining squash and cook separately in salted water.
  2. Refresh the cubes in cold water and keep to one side.
  3. Drain the roughly chopped squash in a colander and place in a food processor with a good knob of butter and puree. Season with salt pepper and nutmeg.
  4. Sprinkle half of the grated parmesan into small circles on a non stick baking sheet and bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes until crisp.
  5. Sweat the shallot in a little butter with the garlic until soft, add the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  6. Slowly add the hot stock a little at a time letting the rice absorb it before adding more, keep adding the stock until the rice is almost cooked.
  7. Add the butter, the remaining parmesan, double cream and some of the squash puree. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Heat a cast iron or non stick frying pan and lightly rub with a little oil, pan fry the scallops on both sides for 2-3 minutes.

To Serve

Place the risotto onto the plates and dress with a little puree and some squash cubes. Place the scallops on top of the risotto and garnish with the parmesan crisps and some micro cress and basil oil.