Category: Recipes

Recipe: Baked Kenniford Farm Cranberry and Rosemary Sausages with Piri Piri and Thyme

This delicious recipe uses Kenniford Farm’s Taste of the West Gold Award winning sausages and is packed full of flavour – great for enjoying in the garden in the sunshine or for a warming supper in the cooler weather. Recipe from Love Pork – http://www.lovepork.co.uk

Cooking Time: 40 Minutes

Cooking Skill: Easy

Serves: 4 People

 

Ingredients

450g (1lb) Gold Taste of the West Award Kenniford Cranberry and Rosemary pork sausages

3 large sprigs fresh thyme

4 cloves garlic, peeled

Seasoning

15ml (1tbsp) olive oil

45ml (3tbsp) sweet chilli sauce

1 red chilli, deseeded and cut into large pieces

½ lemon, cut into wedges

2 large sprigs, vine on, cherry tomatoes

 

Method

Preparation: Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4, 180ºC.

  1. Place sausages into a small baking pan or tin.
  2. Mix together in a bowl or jug the thyme, garlic, seasoning, oil and chilli sauce. Pour over the sausages and roll them to coat. Add the red chilli and lemon, squeezing and leaving wedges in the pan.
  3. Place in the pre-heated oven and cook for 35 minutes, then add tomato sprigs and cook for a further 5 minutes to soften slightly.
  4. Serve with mini roasted new potatoes tossed in thyme and drizzled with piri piri juices.
Wilde 460
Photo Copyright of Love Pork

Visit Kenniford Farm:

Website            Twitter          Facebook

 

Advertisements

Summer Lamb – Recipe from Jamie Coleman, Overall South West Chef of the Year & SW Professional Chef of the Year 2016

Earlier this month, Jamie took up the position of head chef at the prestigious Michelin-starred Masons Arms at Knowstone, near South Molton, working under highly respected chef and South West Chef of the Year judge, Mark Dodson.

At the time of entry into South West Chef of the Year, Jamie was head chef at the Saunton Sands Hotel in North Devon.  Twice a finalist, Jamie took the title of South West Professional Chef of the Year in his final, going on to win the overall title of ‘South West Chef of the Year 2016′.

Jamie says that this recipe is “A great crowd pleaser, excellent for a summer version of a Sunday roast with family and friends.  Just plate on a platter, to be enjoyed with a good bottle of wine or a G ‘n T, with lots of mint and cucumber. Let everyone dive in. mmm yummy!!!!”

Slow-Cooked Lamb with Caeser Salad
(serves 4)

Caesar dressing

2 anchovy fillets

1/3 tsp English mustard

1 1/4 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic, finely chopped

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 tsp lemon juice

10g of Parmesan, grated

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of black pepper

120ml of vegetable oil
Slow-cooked lamb

1 leg of lamb

2tbsp mustard

1tbsp honey

1 bulb garlic crushed

1 lemon

2 sticks of rosemary
To serve

2 gem lettuce

30g parmesan shavings

6 anchovy fillets

crispy streaky bacon

croutons

4 boiled eggs
For the lamb

Rub all the ingredients over the lamb. Marinade over night. Pre-heat oven to 160c.

Place lamb on a tray, cover with foil and cook for around 4 hours until tender.

On a preheated BBQ place some Applewood smoking chips.  Once it is smoking, place the lamb leg on the BBQ and colour until well roasted and falling off the bone – it is then ready for serving!

For the Caeser dressing

In a blender add all the ingredients except the oil, turn on blender and blitz until smooth, then add the oil slowly until emulsified.

To finish, dress the leaves in the Caeser dressing and place on a serving platter with the other ingredients.

Serve with a cold glass of white wine.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget! Entries for this year’s South West Chef of the Year close Monday 31st July – read more about it here and get entering! There are amateur and professional categories!

Heritage Tomato Salad courtesy of Timothy Kendall, South West Young Professional Chef of the Year 2016

Timothy is the Senior Chef de Partie at The Idle Rocks Hotel in St Mawes, Cornwall, working under Head Chef, Guy Owen. At the time of entry into South West Chef of the Year, Tim was working at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow.

As South West Young Professional Chef 2016, Tim went on to compete in the semi-final of the Craft Guild of Chefs National Young Chef of the Year competition last month.

Of this delicious salad recipe, Tim says “this is a great recipe which transports you to the Mediterranean. The tomatoes are amazing this time of year as they are so sweet, the watermelon and cucumber give it freshness and the feta gives the dish a great fat coating. For someone who doesn’t like tomatoes I would eat this dish all day long with a nice Pinot Grigio!”

Heritage Tomato Salad – Watermelon, Pickled Cucumber, Shallot and Feta Pannacota

Ingredients

Mixed heritage tomatoes – skins removed

Watermelon balls

Pickled cucumber balls

Pickled Shallot

Sliced radish

Micro red basil

Borage

Feta Pannacota

100g Soya milk

100g Double cream

100g feta

½ lemon zest and juice

Salt

1 ½ gelatine leafs

Method

  • Bring the soya and double cream to the boil
  • Take off the heat and add the feta, gelatine leaf and lemon
  • Place the liquid into a blender until smooth
  • Pour in to your mould and place into the fridge until set

Pickling liquor

50g white wine

50g white wine vinegar

50g sugar

Method

  • Place all of the ingredients into a pan and bring to the boil
  • Remove from the heat and cool slightly
  • Pour over your ingredients

 

Tim Kendall Salad 3

Don’t forget! Entries for this year’s South West Chef of the Year close Monday 31st July – read more about it here and get entering!

Win a Wagamama Cookbook!

Inspired by the delicious dishes sampled at wagamama? Enter our competition to win the wagamama cookbook which includes fresh and nutritious recipes suitable for meat-eaters, seafood lovers and vegetarians alike. There are 120 recipes to choose from, all made with fresh, flavoursome and nutritional ingredients. Perfect for cooking for one person, or friends at a dinner party.

For your chance to win the wagamama cookbook, simply enter the competition as below.

Terms & Conditions

  • In order to enter, retweet the pinned post on Twitter or like, share and comment on the pinned post on Facebook
  • Closing date midnight 31.07.2017
  • Prize is the wagamama cookbook
  • Open to residents of the UK aged over 18
  • Prize is non-transferable or amendable
  • No cash alternative
  • Additional costs incurred are payable by the winner
  • Winner will be required to collect the prize from a given location in Exeter

Good luck!

Recipe: Favis of Salcombe Summer Crab Burger

In this warm weather, we find we’re still pretty hungry, working hard to stay cool! But the last thing you want is a hot and heavy dinner – thanks to Favis of Salcombe for sharing this lovely and easy crab burger recipe.

Favis of Salcombe have been fishing the waters off the South Devon coastline since 1972. Their hand-picked crab meat has won a series of awards and is delicious, fresh, easy to cook and good for you too! 

BBQ Crab Burger with Pickled Cucumber & Lime Mayo

Serves 4

For the cucumber

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 small cucumber, cut into thin ribbons

For the burger

454g (1 tub) Favis white crabmeat

50g fresh white breadcrumbs

Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon

1 large egg

Plain flour, for dusting

4 ciabatta buns, toasted

Small handful rocket

For the mayo

4 tbsp mayonnaise

Finely grated zest of 1 lime

Juice of ½ lime

Pinch of salt

  1. For the cucumber, pour the vinegar into a shallow dish. Add the sugar and stir together until the sugar dissolves. Add the cucumber and toss to coat. Leave to stand while you make the burgers.
  2. For the burger, place the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, lemon zest and egg into the bowl of a food processor and pulse together until mixed. Season with crushed sea salt and ground black pepper
  3. Divide the mixture into four and shape into burgers about 9cm in diameter. You can either do this by hand or press the mixture into a 9 cm round cutter or chefs ring to help shape. Place the burgers on a plate lined with greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat the grill to high and cook the crab burgers for 4 minutes on each side. To barbecue, place each burger on a double thickness sheet of foil and cook for 8 minutes, turning half way through cooking.
  5. For the mayo, mix the mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice and salt together in a small bowl.
  6. To serve, drain the cucumber in a sieve. Split the buns (toast or griddle them if preferred) and spread the top and bottom with the lime mayo. Put some rocket on the bottom then sit the crab burger on top. Top with the cucumber, then the bun lid.

 

For more information or ideas, visit Favis of Salcombe’s website

Credit – Becca Watson Food Styling

Strawberry Roulade courtesy of Sue Stoneman, South West Home Cook of the Year 2016

Over the next few weeks we’ll be presenting a series of exclusive recipes from South West Chef of The Year past contestants.  The South West Chef of The Year is the competition to get yourself in to if you reckon you have what it takes to go up against some of the best in the region.  Entries close 31st July.

Previous winners have included Jamie Coleman, Simon Hulstone and Dean Westcar to name a few in the Professional Category.  Read our account of the 2015 competition.

We asked Sue Stoneman, winner of the 2016 South West Home Cook of the year, to give us a recipe to kick us off.  A perfect sweet dish for a summer’s day!

This recipe reminds me of my Mum who taught me how to cook and inspired me to follow my passion in cooking and it was also the start of the cooking adventure that has brought me to where I am now.

My Mum always made a wonderful pavlova, it was always crunchy on the outside and had that lovely marshmallow chewy middle. I made a meringue roulade for my first cookery competition a few years ago, using mango and passion fruit, making a passion fruit curd for the filling as well.  Making a roulade is quick as you don’t need to cook it for an hour in a very low oven like you would for a normal pavlova.  This only takes 20 minutes to cook. Everyone who has eaten my roulade says it’s the best they’ve ever tasted!  I then started making the roulade with seasonal fruits – strawberries go very well and are of course in season and taste delicious.  It’s quite quick and easy to make and is a great dessert to serve up for alfresco dining. It looks fantastic, it is lovely and light and tastes of summer. There is “always room for roulade!”

Strawberry Roulade

3 large egg whites
175g caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp malt vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml double cream
Icing sugar for dusting
300g strawberries

Strawberry Roulade 1

  • Quantities above are for a standard swiss roll baking sheet
  • Oven on at 140C.
  • Line baking sheet with baking parchment/silicone sheet.
  • In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until doubled in size.  Slowly whisk in sugar until thick and shiny.  Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract and whisk again.  Spoon into the prepared tin and spread out with pallet knife.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. You are looking for a soft, marshmallowy meringue with a light, thin and crispy top. (While this is in the oven, get on with the filling).
  • Wash and cut the strawberries.  Leave some whole for decoration.  Whip the cream.
  • When the meringue is baked, remove from oven, place over a sheet of damp greaseproof paper. (Tear off a sheet larger than the baking tin, put it under the cold tap and wring it out). This helps to keep the meringue soft and cracks the top which gives a lovely texture and helps the icing sugar to stick to it later on. Leave for a few minutes.
  • Remove the damp greaseproof paper and carefully turn the tin (with the baked meringue still in it) upside down onto some parchment paper dusted with icing sugar.  Carefully peel off the paper you used to line the tin. This is the surface you are going to put the cream on – the marshmallowy side – spread over the whisked double cream, followed by the cut strawberries.  Then use the paper to help carefully roll up the roulade. (start rolling at the short side and make sure the join is on the underside).  Don’t worry if it cracks, this gives it the homemade look.
  • Carefully transfer onto a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and decorate with the leftover strawberries.
  • Serve with a strawberry puree – put a punnet of cut up strawberries into a saucepan with a tablespoon of caster sugar and a drop of vanilla exact. Cook over a medium heat until the strawberries are soft (about 5 minutes).  Cool a little and put into a blender or use a stick blender to puree.  Pour into a jug.  Serve this with the roulade and with extra cream if you like.You can use any seasonal fruit.

Follow Sue on Twitter

All photos are courtesy of Sue

Recipe: Hanlons Port Stout Chocolate Cake

Our second recipe from Hanlons Brewery, using their Port Stout.

Hanlons Port Stout Chocolate Cake Recipe

Cake

250 ml Hanlons Port Stout

250 g Unsalted Butter

80 g Cocoa Powder – Green & Blacks is best

400 g Caster Sugar – Golden best for flavour

2 large eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract – not Essence!

140 ml buttermilk – use the rest to make scones or tenderise chicken pieces

275 g Plain Flour

2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

½ tsp Baking Powder

Icing

50 g Unsalted Butter

250 g Icing Sugar, sifted

125 g Philadelphia Cream Cheese – Full fat

Preheat oven to 160 C Gas Mark 3.

Grease with butter and dust with flour a 9 inch / 23 cm spring-form cake tin and cut a circle to line the bottom with baking parchment.

Melt together the stout and the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder and sugar, stirring well until dissolved. In a jug, mix together the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Mix thoroughly with the above mixture.

Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and add to the mixture. Mix thoroughly so that everything is well amalgamated. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes or until the cake starts to pull from the sides of the tin and a skewer emerges with just a little stickiness from the centre of the cake. Set aside to cool and remove from the tin to your serving plate.

To make the icing, mix together the butter, sugar and cream cheese until light and smooth. Top the cake with the icing and enjoy!

If you want to find out more about their beers, events or foodie pop ups visit www.hanlonsbrewery.com/

hanlons Cake

Recipe: Hanlons Steak and Port Stout Family Pie

hanlons

Our next couple of recipes are from the lovely Hanlons Brewery who are based in Newton St Cyres, Exeter.

A family brewery producing some fab ales and also having pop up foodie nights – if you want to know more you can read Chris’ review here.

Even though Summer is just about upon us, what more could you want than a hearty meal with family or friends after an active day out!

Hanlons Steak and Port Stout Family Pie

This is great to prepare ahead for a family feast, after a bracing walk or watching the Rugby. Go Chiefs!

1.5 kg lean braising steak, excess fat trimmed off, cut into fat cubes

2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

Rapeseed or other flavourless oil

1 large or 2 smaller onions, peeled, halved and sliced

200ml beef stock made from half a cube or homemade

150 ml Hanlons Port Stout – use the rest for the recipe below or Chef’s treat!

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

A 375 or 450 g pack of all butter puff pastry

1 small or medium egg, lightly beaten

Sea salt and freshly milled pepper for seasoning to taste

Preheat the oven to 160 C Gas Mark 3.

Toss the beef cubes in the seasoned flour. Heat a good slug of oil in a large frying pan and brown the meat in batches, adding oil as you go. Do not crowd the pan or the meat will steam and not brown. Transfer the browned meat to a large casserole dish.

Add some more oil to the pan and sweat the onions with generous seasoning until soft. Stir in any leftover flour and cook off for a minute or two, stirring from time to time. Slowly add the stock and the stout, stirring in any caramelised bits, until smooth. Add the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 3-5 minutes. . Check for seasoning before pouring over the beef, stirring, covering and cooking on the oven for 2 hours. Transfer to a large pie dish and cool completely.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 220 C Gas Mark 7.

Roll your pastry out quite thickly to cover the dish with some overhang and bits for decorating if you wish. Place some dampened strips of pastry brushed with water around the rim of the pie dish. Lower the pie lid over the pie and stick down or crimp the edges to seal. Make a slit in the top for steam to escape and decorate with scraps of pastry if you wish. Just before placing in the hot oven brush on the beaten egg as an egg wash to make the pie shiny and golden. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes then lower the oven to 190 C Gas Mark 5. Bake for another 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling under the pastry.

Allow to stand for a few minutes and Enjoy!

Visit their website for events and beer sales: www.hanlonsbrewery.com

hanlons pie

Chorizo Meatballs with Tomato Sauce, Greens and Dirty Rice by Anna May

Our recipe of the week comes courtesy of Anna May from her fantastic blog, Anna May Everyday – All content and images belong to Anna.  It originally appeared on the 28th March 2017. Please subscribe to her excellent blog with some really delicious recipes!

Do you ever wonder what to cook for supper?  Despite spending a considerable number of my waking moments thinking about food I do struggle to come up with new recipes to present to my family.  Just as I get bored of cooking the same things I’m sure they tire of eating they same old same old.  I have never been one for Monday means roast chicken, Tuesday means sausages etc although I’m sure it can make life easier to fall into such a routine.

So I made a list of all the things my lot love, took note of what some of them really don’t like (a list whilst not long, is certainly frustrating) and came up with various new ideas.  These chorizo meatballs are one such.  The whole family love meatballs but I wanted to jazz my usual recipe up and this was the route I took.  The spices add a pleasing warmth and the combination of the greens, pilaff and tomato sauce just work really well.  Blob a little yogurt and chilli sauce over the whole if you like and some toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds are another welcome touch.

Make a big pile of this, however much I rustle up, it all goes everytime…

Chorizo-meatballs-2

I stick with the two paprikas in this and add a little chilli sauce separately if the mood takes me but do by all means add some cayenne pepper or similar if your family like heat.  Should you have minced beef and pork left over may I point you in the direction of my Meatloaf, Sliders and Meatballs (November 2015).  You can use all pork mince if that is what you have, just as delicious.  I know this looks like a great long list of ingredients but many will be in your cupboard and remember, it is essentially, four different recipes – just make as many as you want (although the combination of all is fantastic!)

1 tablespoon olive oil plus a little extra
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
50g breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
250g minced beef
250g minced pork

Tomato sauce –

1 tin chopped tomatoes or similar amount of passata
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
Kale or Spring greens finely shredded
Knob of butter
200g rice
400ml chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Chopped parsley/coriander, yogurt, chilli sauce or toasted seeds to serve (optional)

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and gently cook the onion until soft then add the garlic.  Stir for a couple of minutes but don’t let the garlic colour, tip it all into a bowl along with the breadcrumbs and milk.  Add  the mince, both the paprikas and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and mix well.  Divide into small balls approximately the size of a walnut.  Add a small amount of oil to a large frying pan and cook the meatballs, turning gently to colour all the sides.

Meanwhile for the tomato sauce put the second tablespoon of oil into a small pan with the garlic, heat gently and as soon as it sizzles add the tinned tomatoes, sugar and a good pinch of salt.  Let this simmer for twenty minutes.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the rice, cumin and salt followed by the stock, stir well.  Simmer gently for 4 minutes then remove from the heat, put a tea towel under the lid to absorb the steam and leave for a further 20 minutes then fluff up with a fork and check the seasoning.

Wash the greens and put into a large pan, cover with a lid and cook gently – the water left from rinsing them will be enough for them to cook in.

When you are ready to serve tip the rice into a warm bowl, top with the greens followed by the meatballs, then the tomato sauce.  Finally sprinkle over some parsley or coriander if using and the yogurt and seeds.  Serves 4.

Recipe: Baked Shellfish with Bucatini, Whole Roasted Garlic and Thyme by Mitch Tonks

The third recipe in a series from Mitch Tonks.

Baked Shellfish with Bucatini, Whole Roasted Garlic and Thyme

 

Serves 3 -4, you will need 

8 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled

100ml olive oil

Salt

A splash of good white wine

A handful of mussels

6 raw shell-on prawns

3-4 langoustines

50g squid

A handful of clams

A handful of cooked bucatini pasta

A pinch of chilli flakes, or 2 very tiny hot red, dried chillies

250ml home-made tomato sauce or passata (use the rustic, chunky variety)

3-4 sprigs thyme

To Make

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.  Put the cloves of garlic into a roasting tray with the olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roast in the preheated oven until softened, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.  Raise the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Lay out a square of tinfoil, large enough to hold all the ingredients and to be folded and sealed tightly into a parcel.  Cut a piece of baking parchment the same size as the foil and lay it on top so you have a double layer.  Add a splash of wine to the garlic in the roasting tray and add the shellfish, pasta and chillies.  Toss everything together, place in a heap on the baking parchment, pour over the passata or tomato sauce, and lay the thyme sprigs on top.  Fold it up to make a tightly sealed parcel, place on a roasting tray and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

To serve, place the whole thing in the middle of the table, get your noses round the top of the parcel as you open it up, pull the sides of the foil apart, give it a mix around, put a few wedges of lemon ton top and get stuck in.

© Mitch Tonks

bucatini shellfish pete cassidy

 

Recipe: A Whole Oven Poached Brill with Tomatoes, Thyme and Saffron by Mitch Tonks

Our second post in a series of recipes from Mitch Tonks.

A Whole Oven Poached Brill with Tomatoes, Thyme and Saffron

 Serves 4 – you will need 

Olive oil

1 brill weighing about 1.5 kg / 3lb

4 ripe tomatoes

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 small dried birds eye chilli – optional

Good pinch of saffron

A splash of Pernod or aniseed flavoured alcohol – optional – but if you are worried about the flavour of aniseed, don’t.  It doesn’t take over the dish but really adds a wonderful depth.

A glass of dry white wine

A small handful of finely chopped parsley

To Make

Pre heat the oven to 200c.

In a roasting dish large enough to take the fish and a pint or so of liquid add a few tablespoons of olive oil and gently fry the shallot and the garlic until softened.  Squeeze in the tomatoes, add the thyme, saffron and crumble in the chilli.  Mix all those flavours together well, then add a splash of Pernod and allow to boil until the all the liquid has evaporated.

Then add the wine and boil for a further minute, then lay the fish into the pan and a cupful of water.  Sprinkle in some sea salt and place in the oven for about 30 minutes.  Check regularly to ensure there is still enough liquid in the pan and baste the top of the fish which will be starting to roast, if you think you need more liquid add a little water.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle in the parsley and taste the juice.  You should be able to taste everything separately within the sauce but all at once.  I find that proper seasoning helps to bring these flavours out.  I think this dish is fine to serve from the pan in which it was cooked.

To  remove the flesh from the fish just take a spoon and cut the soft fish from the head to the tail down the middle, you can then with 2 spoons lift the fish off in chunks when all the fish from the top is gone simply lift out the backbone and you’ll be left with the boneless underside of the fish.

If you are a shellfish lover you could add a few mussels, or clams or cockles during cooking.  A good accompaniment with this would be some aioli, some good bread and some spinach.

© Mitch Tonks

brill with tomatoes

Recipe: Mussels with Chilli, Wine and Bay by Mitch Tonks

As well as dining out and attending events to see what local restaurants, suppliers and businesses have to offer, we do cook at home. Some nights are simpler affairs, with repetitive or traditional favourites like anyone enoys. Occasionally, some inspiration is needed!

With spring showing it’s face (sort’ve)  and the fact we are surrounded by beautiful coastlines, we thought something a bit lighter and fishy would give enough inspiration yet still a bit of comfort in the seasonal transition. So we asked Mitch Tonks for a couple of recipes and here is the first of 3 which will be live on a Wednesday for you to enjoy and perhaps plan a suprise meal for yourself or a loved one, or even take the pressure off entertaining some weekend guests. Enjoy – LH

Mussels with Chilli, Wine and Bay

A huge favourite at The Seahorse and Rockfish. I’m not a fan of cream in mussels just their own juices and a splash of wine is good for me. Try mussels from a few different places you will be amazed at how different they can taste and eat depending on the environment from which they are harvested. I prefer those grown at sea with small shells and big silky meats.

Serves 2 to start; you will need – 

Allow 350gm per person, ensure they are washed and beards pulled off

2 bay leaves

2 small dried birdseye chillis

1 shallot very finely chopped

Good knob of butter

Handful finely chopped parsley

Splash of wine

Clove garlic finely chopped

Tablespoon of Olive oil

 To Make

Melt the butter and olive oil in a pan and add the shallots and garlic to soften. Add the parsley and bay and crumble in the chilli.

Add the mussels and toss in a pan to coat the shells well. Add the wine, cover and allow the mussels to steam open, discard any that don’t. Pour into a bowl and serve with crusty, grilled or fried bread.

© Mitch Tonks

2016-10-05-ROCKFISH-food-47

British Leeks are in Season: Beef Wellington with Leek Mousseline Recipe Review – by Lauren Heath

Once again, thanks to the power of the internet, I randomly came across British Leeks’ mission of trying to get more people cooking and eating leeks.

At their best from November to April, these winter veggies are in season right now and can be used in a whole host of ways, kept fairly crunchy or cooked right down. A good choice during the ‘vegetable shortage’ the shops are claiming is upon. If you can, remember to buy local and seasonal, and you’ll find plenty of veg in abundance.

They have quite a host of inspiring recipes on their website including Leek and Butterbean Soup, Pan Roasted Chicken with Leeks, Cider and Chorizo and even Hot Smoked Salmon and Leek Chowder to name just a few.

I eventually settled on one of my favouritre meals –  Beef Wellington. Yes it’s not strictly a fully fledged leek-based recipe, but instead of the usual mushroom duxelle or pâté coating, it contains leeks and horseradish which sounded great. So the lovely people at British Leeks kindly sent me some goodies to knock up a fabulous meal for myself and some guests! I am generally more of a freestyle cook, so it was good to have some inspiration, and I usually have wellington made for me so for once I was going to make it; to add to my pressure, I was cooking this straight after work on a Friday evening and for some foodie guests.

Here’s the recipe, with my some of my own tips below it:

Individual Beef Wellington with Leek Mousseline

Prime fillet of beef topped with a leek and horseradish mousseline, wrapped in Parma ham and puff pastry. This is a special occasion dish and an ideal choice for the festive table.

Serves 4 – Prep 30 minutes – Cook 15 – 20 mins – Oven Temp 220ºC / Gas Mark 7

Ingredients

500g Leeks, finely chopped
1 Bay leaf
25g Butter
4x 15ml tbsp Water
2 x 15ml tbsp Creamed horseradish
Generous pinch Ground black pepper

4 Slices Parma ham
500g Tail end fillet of beef
500g Puff pastry
1 Egg for glazing

Method:

Gently sweat the shredded leek and bay leaf in the butter for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the water, cover and cook gently for a further 2 — 3 minutes. Stir in the horseradish and pepper and whiz in a processor until smooth. Set aside until cold.

c360_2017-02-04-14-48-52-912

Divide beef fillet into 4 even pieces. Spread the cooled leek mixture onto the Parma ham slices and wrap one around each beef fillet.

Divide pastry into four. Roll each out into an oblong about 2 times the size of the beef fillet. Brush with egg glaze and bring pastry up over the beef and seal neatly into a parcel. Place sealed side downwards onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Chill for 30 minutes. Cook 15 – 20 mins – Oven Temp 220ºC / Gas Mark 7

It is a fairly simple yet indulgent meal to make actually, and whilst the leeks are sweating down you can cut your beef, sear it, and roll your pastry out (searing seals in the juices). To speed up the cooling of the leek mixture, I popped it into the freezer for 10 minutes or so. Make sure your pastry isn’t too warm as when you are sealing up the wellington, it can ‘melt’ and slide off a bit. If this happens to you, cut a slither of the pastry from the edges and use as a glue/join on top. I also laid the parma ham and leek mixture onto the pastry then folded over the meat.

c360_2017-02-04-14-51-04-270

It was absolutely delicious and I was so pleased! Definitely give it a go for a Valentine’s meal this February, or for a treat with friends. You could prepare this the day before, and keep it in the fridge ready to cook; just bring it out to room temperature before cooking in the oven.  I managed to make it within an hour of getting home and guests arriving.

The leeks and the horsereadish gave a lovely sweet and tangy flvour together. I loved it and I don’t eat horseradish (apparently I do now)!

British Leeks – Healthy Facts

The Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptions valued leeks for their therapeutic properties and Roman Emperor Nero ate large quantities to improve his voice. From soothing sore throats to helping keep gout and kidney stones at bay, leeks are packed full of health benefits and are commonly used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments. Easier to digest than onions, leeks have laxative, antiseptic, diuretic and anti-arthritic properties.  And, if eaten regularly, here are some of the ways leeks can help you to stay healthy:

Efficient functioning of the kidneys

Containing the equivalent of one eighth of an adult’s daily potassium requirement, leeks encourage the efficient functioning of kidneys and are effective as a diuretic.

Leeks for a healthy heart

Eating lots of leeks has been shown to reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol – and at the same time increase levels of ‘good’ cholesterol.  This is important for preventing the build up of blood vessel plaques that are found in some types of heart disease.  If the plaques grow too large or rupture, they can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Allium vegetables including leeks can also help to lower high blood pressure – another factor that can contribute to heart attacks and strokes.

Leeks for combating cancer

Research has shown that eating leeks regularly can help protect against cancer, particularly, prostate, colon and stomach cancer.  Quercetin, an antioxidant present in the Allium family, is recognised as a cancer-blocking compound.

Leeks for stabilising blood sugar

Leeks are a very good source of manganese and vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate and iron.  These nutrients all work together in the body to stabilise blood sugar by slowing down the absorption of sugars from the intestinal tract.

 Leeks for expectant mothers

Leeks are a good source of the B vitamin folate, containing between 15% and 49% of the RNI for an adult.  Folate is important for pregnant women as it can help reduce the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida.   One portion of cooked leeks contains almost a third of an adult’s recommended daily intake.

Leeks for a healthy diet

Leeks are a great choice for those following a healthy diet as they are very low in calories and packed full of vitamins and minerals.

An average serving of leeks (80g or 1 leek) contains:

  • 17 calories
  • 1g protein
  • 0.6g fat
  • 2.1g carbohydrate
  • 1.4g fibre

Leeks are also a good source of Iron, Vitamin C and Folate.

Get cooking, in season and it’s good for you!

You can follow British Leeks on Twitter and Facebook

Season’s best… Recipe inspirations from Exeter Cookery School

Located on the city’s picturesque quayside, Exeter Cookery School courses take great inspiration from south west France, where founders Jim and Lucy Fisher used to run a residential cookery school. For a tempting seasonal treat, try out the following classic recipes from the Dordogne.

Confit de Canard

Sarlat, a beautiful medieval town near to where we lived in the Dordogne, SW France, has around 60 or so restaurants. Confit – a dish of salted duck legs cooked and preserved in duck fat – is served in every single one of them.

Ubiquitous to the point of obsession, it just happens to be one of the tastiest and most gratifying dishes of the region. Packed into sterile jars along with its cooking fat, Confit will keep in a cool place for up to a year.

We serve Confit, as the Dordogne locals do, with Pommes Sarladaises, a dish of sliced potatoes and garlic fried in – surprise, surprise – duck fat! 

dsc040751

Ingredients (Serves four)

  • 4 duck legs, skin on
  • 4 tbsp sea salt
  • 1.5 ltrs duck or goose fat (use lard or even vegetable oil at a push) 

Method

Rub the salt into the duck legs. Place them in a glass or stainless steel bowl, cover with clingfilm and allow to cure overnight in the fridge.

Drain the legs, discarding the liquid left behind, and rinse well in plenty of clean water.  Pat dry.

Gently melt the duck or goose fat in a large saucepan and immerse the legs in the fat. Simmer very, very gently for three hours, checking them every hour to make sure they aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. When fall-off-the-bone tender, turn off the heat and remove the legs (at which point you can pop them under the grill to crisp the skin and serve straight away) allowing them to cool to room temperature.

When cool, place in plastic containers. Keep in the fridge for up to a month or freeze them.

To serve, allow the Confit to soften to room temperature, then remove them to a roasting tray. Re-heat gently in a medium-hot oven (170°C), then grill the skin until brown and crisp.

shutterstock_230234023

Pommes Sarladaises
(pronounced “Pom Sarladez”)

The ‘mashed potato’ of south west France, Pommes Sarladaise is served in every one of Sarlat’s sixty or so restaurants.  Ubiquitous to the point of exhaustion this filling local staple is, nevertheless, fantastic if made well.

Basically, the dish is just potatoes and garlic sautéed in duck or goose fat, but of course you could use olive oil for a healthier alternative.

My version contains sautéed onion and some parsley, or basil.

Ingredients (Serves four)

  • 1 to 1.5kg potatoes, peeled and sliced to the thickness of a Pound coin
  • 1 onion, peeled, halved and finely sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • handful of roughly chopped parsley or basil
  • 3 tbsp duck or goose fat or olive oil

Method

Heat the olive oil in a roomy non-stick frying pan, then throw in the potatoes, onion and garlic. Fry over a low to medium flame for between twenty and thirty minutes, tossing every five minutes or so until the potatoes are tender.

Season well, then toss with the parsley or basil.

Now let the potatoes sit in the pan on the heat until brown and crisp on the bottom.

Serve spooned into a warmed serving dish with the browned bottom uppermost.

Inspired to find out more? Why not book onto one of Exeter Cookery School’s fab cookery courses, many of which take inspiration from Jim and Lucy’s time in the Dordogne. You can learn how to make the confit duck dish – as well as a melt in the mouth leg of lamb and sensational steak frites – on their French Bistro Mains cookery course.

Southcombe Farm – Devonshire Grass Fed Lamb by Caroline Gee

I recently bought some reasonably priced British lamb chops from a supermarket and enjoyed them simply pan fried. Then I got a chance to sample some North Devon lamb chops that come direct from the farm and the difference in taste was incredible – not to mention actually cheaper per kilo than the supermarket. You can taste the different grasses, wild flowers and herbs that the lambs graze on their whole life.

lamb1

Southcombe Farm near Holsworthy is nearly 50% lush Devon Culm, which is managed traditionally and non-intensively.  No chemicals or artificial fertilisers have been used on the meadows for well over 18 years.

lamb2

I’m a fan of reducing air miles where possible and therefore find it incredible the amount of New Zealand lamb that is stocked in the supermarkets, regardless of the air miles.  We do lamb so well in this country!

If you want to try out some Devonshire lamb (and not forgeting Hogget or Mutton), click on the link below, which includes details of a special offer on half or whole lambs with free delivery between Bude and Exeter, that works out around £8/kg – offer until the end of October 2016.

Also available from the deep freeze at the farm: Individual lamb chops, shanks, cutlets, mince, neck, liver and mutton sausages.

http://www.southcombe.net/farm_produce.htm

lamb3

My leftover lamb tips:

Chops/steaks/shoulder etc – chop it up and mix with fresh mint and mayo for a super tasty sandwich filling. Also tasty cold with a salad/couscous for lunch

Sausages – take the meat out of the casing and fry with onions then add tomato pasta sauce/make one up and serve with pasta – a little goes a long way

lamb4

Written by: Caroline Gee, Exeter dweller who can’t go 5 minutes without thinking about food. Hugely into local produce; talking about food for hours; taking a recipe and making it my own; reducing food waste and regularly doing a ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ style session in my kitchen.

Hornbrook Kitchen’s Venison Ragu

Life is busy at the moment for Hornbrook Kitchen, but Chef Tom Allbrook has brought us another delicious Recipe Of The Week!  I love venison, and this recipe really brings out of the best in this rich meat.

Ingredients: (Serves 5 people)

1x carrot
1x red onion
3x garlic cloves
2x celery sticks
½ beef tomato
120 ml cooking red wine
Good grating of fresh nutmeg
1x tin of plum tomatoes
300ml beef stock
400g venison mince
Splash balsamic
75 ml extra virgin olive oil

dsc_0503

Method:

Finely dice the carrot, onion, garlic and celery and sweat them off in a little oil on a medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Whilst you are doing this you will want to add the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

After the veg is nicely sweated and has become transparent it’s time to turn up the heat and add the mince. Fry this off until golden brown before adding the wine and balsamic to de-glaze the pan; cook this out for a couple more minutes before turning the heat right back down. Add your stock, tin tomatoes and beef tomato and allow this to simmer away for about 25 to 30 mins.

You can serve this dish with whatever pasta you like best. For this recipe I have chosen penne as it has to be one of my favourites along with pappardelle. I cook my pasta for about 7 mins with a pinch of salt and then drain it and leave to stand for 1 minute before adding the ragu.

Simply mix the ragu through your pasta serve in a deep pasta dish with a grating of parmesan and a few crispy breadcrumbs and you will be well away.

Serious Citrus Sea Bass from Hornbrook Kitchen

This week’s recipe of the week is a fishy affair with Hornbrook Kitchen’s Seriously Citrus Sea Bass.  I can’t wait to give this a try with the citrus fruit adding an extra dimension to the palette!

For more information follow HornBrook Kitchen on Twitter and Instagram.  Tom recently answered a 10 Questions Interview for Eating Exeter, read it here!

You can also follow Tom’s personal accounts on Twitter and Instagram too.

Serves 2

Cost: £5.65

Great as a light lunch to impress a friend.

fish

Ingredients:

1xwhole sea bass
½ orange
½ lemon
½ lime
25g chopped parsley
25g chopped chives
25g unsalted butter
4 Tbsp.olive oil
8 x new potatoes
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Start by putting on the new potatoes on to boil as these will take the longest, they will
need about 20-25 minutes in salted boiling water.

Slice the citrus fruits into rings and leave to one side.

Now it is time to clean and gut your fish. Remove the guts from the bass by cutting down the middle of the belly and pulling them out. Cut off the fins with a pair of scissors and use the back of the knife to remove any scales, then wash the bass under a tap. If you are not happy about doing this then ask your fish monger to do it for you.

When the fish is clean, stuff with half of the fruit and herbs. Then place the fish on to
the remaining fruit on a grease proof oven tray. Season with herbs, salt, pepper and a good glug of olive oil. Use 12.5g of butter split in to small knobs, and dot this around the fish. Cook for around 10-12 minutes at 200’c.

Drain of the potatoes and add the rest of the herbs, butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve the whole fish on a plate, with the potatoes and a few dressed leafs.

Jerk Salmon with Pineapple Salsa courtesy of Turtle Bay

Rum, reggae and jerk is coming to Exeter!

Turtle Bay will open on 23 rd August in Exeter. Their first restaurant in Devon will be
bringing a brand new, blissful Caribbean dining and drinking experience to the
people of Exeter!

The concept celebrates the lively, colourful, soulful and, above all, delicious
experiences that the Caribbean has to offer – from explosive flavours to laid back
‘liming’.

As well as their famous jerk chicken, curried goat and gorgeous rum cocktails, dishes
like their Jerk Salmon are brimming with flavor as well as being a little lighter for a
summer’s evening…

Jerk Salmon
Photo Credit: Turtle Bay

Equipment:

Sharp Knife
Chopping Board
Mixing Bowl
None stick frying pan
Spatula or fish slice

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

For the Salmon:

2 x 6oz Salmon Fillet’s
30 gms Plain flour
25 gms Jerk Seasoning
25 gms Melted Butter
Pinch of Sea Salt
2 x Lime Wedges

For the Pineapple Salsa:

2 x Fresh Pineapple slices
1 x Spring Onion
150 gms Cucumber
¼ Scotch Bonnet Pepper -finely diced (optional)
3 x Mint Leaves
3 x Coriander Leaves

Method:

1. Place non-stick frying pan on the solid top & wait until pan is hot and slightly smoking, add a little oil

2. Place Salmon Fillets skin side down in Flour

3. Pat excess Flour off with your hand

4. Place the Salmon skin down into hot frying pan & leave it to cook for 30 secs

5. Brush Jerk Seasoning on the Salmon flesh

6. Place into oven & cook for 8-12 mins

7. Meanwhile, for the Pineapple Salsa, cut the Pineapple slices and cucumber into small chunks.

8. Finely slice the spring onion and place into a mixing bowl

9. Add the finely chopped scotch bonnet (optional) mint & coriander leaves and mix together.

10. Remove Salmon from oven & leave to rest

11. Brush the skin side of the salmon evenly with Butter

12. Sprinkle Sea Salt evenly over Salmon

13. Remove from pan using a spatula or fish slice and place onto a plate.

14. Serve pineapple salsa over the salmon and your choice of side salad, garnish & lime

Serve with salad and sweet potato mash.

Cheese and Pickled Onion Sandwich

We’ve been busy coming up with sandwiches for Burt’s Chips Ultimate Crisp Sandwich project. Some have been disasters (you won’t read about those!)  The second one we had great fun making was a classic with a modern twist.  Search for #ultimatecrispsandwich on Twitter and get the latest on this excellent summer campaign.

Yes, its a Cheese and Pickled Onion Sandwich.  The culinary heights we go to at Eating Exeter eh?!

This has a nifty trick in it though, where you marinate the onions in balsamic and sugar in a bowl. This adds a whole new onion based dimension to the recipe.  If you’re worried that Eating Exeter’s recipes are a bit weird, fear not! Tom Allbrook has created us a lush lamb recipe.

If you want to try these crisp recipes for yourself, head to the Burts website and take your pick! 

INGREDIENTS (makes 2 sandwiches)

  • 2 x 40g bags Burts Sea Salt and Malted Vinegar Crisps
  • ½ red onion peeled and sliced into rings
  • 2 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 ripe tomatoes sliced
  • 150g mature cheddar cheese grated or sliced
  • 2 tbs mayonnaise
  • 4 slices thick wholemeal bread buttered on one side

METHOD

  1. Place the onion rings into a bowl along with the vinegar and sugar and leave to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  2. Start to build the sandwiches by spreading the mayo onto two slices of bread, lay on the sliced tomatoes in a single layer then pile on the cheese.
  3. Divide on the red onions then finally add on loads of Burts Sea Salt and Malted Vinegar Crisps.
  4. Pop on the second slice of bread and steam in.

Flatbread Cous Cous and Spiced Lamb

Well the weathermen keep telling us we’re in summer, but with the grey clouds sitting outside and the distinctively wintry air, I’d beg to differ.  When we do get some sun, our resident Menu Master, Recipe Ninja, our tame chef Chef Tom Allbrook has another stonking recipe of the week which would be a perfect BBQ idea.

food lamb

Ingredients:

For the flatbreads

300g bread flour

5g yeast

Tsp. paprika chilli ginger garlic salt and pepper

220ml cold water or sparkling water

For the cous cous:

1 cup of cous cous

2 cups of boiling water

11 pieces dried fruit chopped

A mixture of char grilled vegetable’s

2 tbsp. spices of your choice for the lamb & 500g lamb mince

For the dressing:

2tblsp. Cream fraiche

1 BBQ cooked lemon

Sprig rosemary

Smoked paprika

Salt & Pepper

For this recipe I like to cook the veg and the lemon on the ashes of the BBQ to really bring the flavours out, but you can roast them in the oven or on a gas hob to burn the outside of the skins of the veg.

To make the cous cous, pour one cup of it in to a bowl with two cups of boiling water with the roughly chopped charred vegetables and fruit and leave to stand for about 12 minutes.

Fry the lamb off in all the spices and a little oil until crispy and cooked through. Should take about 10 minutes whilst, doing this make up the flat breads by mixing all the flour, spices, yeast and water together.  Roll them out and either cook in a floured pan on a medium heat or over the BBQ for a couple minutes each side.

Make up a tangy dressing to cool the dish down by mixing together 2 tbsp. cream fraiche, the juice of the lemon, sprig of rosemary and 1 tbsp. smoked paprika and serve this all on a nice board and enjoy with a cold beer in the sun, perfect for when you have friends around as it is quick and super tasty.