In 2010 we were asked if we could put on a demonstration at the county showground in Stafford. For his live performance Chef Daniel did a main course and a dessert. Today, we would like to bring you the video of the dessert:

Chocolate Truffle with fresh Raspberries & vanilla flecked cream

If you want a copy of the recipe then right click here to dowload the PDF copy of the show handout

In 2010 we were asked if we could put on a demonstration at the county showground in Stafford. For his live performance Chef Daniel did a main course and a dessert. Today, we would like to bring you the video of the main course dish:

Rack of New Season Lamb, with a warm salad of new potato’s &
asparagus with a mint & red wine dressing

If you want a copy of the recipe then right click here to dowload the PDF copy of the show handout

This Christmas we thought we would treat ourselves with a different bird and something that we could see all year round. So, on the 23rd of December, we went down to visit our pals at Brown and Green in Trentham to pick up Finbar (the cockerel reared by Packington Poultry). After getting him home and looking at the recipe, I just knew I had to tinker and come up with something quick, easy and stress free for the day itself. So after a little thought, this is what we came up with:

Ingredients

1 Cockerel approx 7 1/2 pounds (or 3.5kg)
1 Very large leek, cleaned and chopped
3 Carrots, washed, topped and tailed, but not peeled, chopped
1 Bulb of garlic, cloves removed and slightly crushed to split the skin
1 Twig of rosemary
1 Bunch of thyme
Water
Oil, salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to GM9 (250C/475F).

Put chopped leeks and carrots in base of large roasting dish. Top up with water to height of veg only. Place bird on top, gently wipe with oil or butter and then a dash of salt and ground black pepper.  Place tray in oven for about 20 mins (larger bird maybe 30 mins). This stage is to get some colour and crunch on the surface of the bird.

Remove from oven, drop temperature to GM6 (200C/400F) and leave oven open a couple of mins to help it get down a few degrees.
Add the loose garlic cloves, some on the bird, some in the water, thyme and rosemary. Baste the bird and then cover with a doubled over layer of foil.  Put back in oven for 75-80 mins.

The ideal, overall cooking time  is 12 – 15 mins per pound. If you are doing any form of stuffing, cook it seperately, different cooking properties from the bird and the result would be inconsistent if cooked as one.

Test the cockerel with a skewer in the thickest part of the breast to make sure that the juices coming out are clear. If they are pink or red, put the bird back and keep checking every 10 mins.  If you have a probe thermometer then look for 180F of 80C as a guideline.

Once you are happy the cockerel is ready, allow to rest for about 20 mins. During this time, take the juices from the roasting dish and make gravy. The garlic cloves can be taken out and squeezed as a side treat or into softened butter for a flavoursome spread. If you seperate the fat then all the better, but try not to add any additional salt until you know it is cooked down enough. A quick glug of wine is always helpful, even if you put some in the gravy pan.

This recipe was inspired by a German recipe that was inspired by my dear friend Rob Watson, who has spent a large part of his life working and living in Germany. This particular recipe is ideal as something to go alongside a rich game dish.

Ingredients

1 knob of Butter
1 Red cabbage sliced
2 Dried juniper berries – crushed
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
1 small glass red wine
1 cooking apple (cut to dice)
Salt

Method:

First melt the butter in your pan and add the red cabbage and apple to soften up slightly. By the time the apple is started to take on a slight brown tinge, add the red wine, juniper berries and pepper corns. Check the seasoning and add salt if needed. When cabbage has a soft feel to it, but is not mush, this is the time to serve. This dish can be used hot or cold. If you want to add a further piquancy, you can substitute about a tablespoon of your wine with some cide vinegar.

The parsnip is just coming into season and by this we mean they are available domestically from the ground in peak condition. Many parsnips arrive in large plastic storage bags and these cause the vegetable to sweat and like other roots, this limits their useful life. A freshly pulled parsnip can be stored in the dark and dry for months. This is a perfect winter veg and can be used in many other ways than being roasted. As a rule of the thumb, the larger the parsnip, the tougher it can be.

Here is another way to use this versatile veg, as parsnip puree. This makes a great accompaniment to any roast or even on it’s own as a comfort dish.

Ingredients
Parsnips
Milk
Salt
Ground black pepper
Butter

For an additional warming touch:
Onion seeds (pinch)
Mustard seeds (pinch)
Curry leaves (1 or 2)
Asafoetida (a quick dash)
Vegetable oil (or ghee) a tablespoon

Method

Peel, top and tail the parsnips. Cut the thin section off the front as one piece and section the large end lengthwise. If the parsnip is tough slice out the centre and discard with peel to compost.

Put into pan and just cover with milk. Bring milk to a simmer, season to taste. When the parsnips ar soft to a fork, they are ready. Put to one side. Blend till smooth and add a dot or two of butter to preference.

In another pan, heat oil. Add the warming ingredients until the seeds pop and then pour over the parnsip puree and serve.

If you have ever tried to make a white sauce or a cheese sauce, then the chances are good you have made a roux at the beginning of your recipe. A roux is a base made from equal quantities of butter and flour. Into this liquids, such as stock or milk, are added to create the final sauce. How hard can this be? Many people suffer lumpy and watery sauces as a result of not following a few basics.

1 Grab a wooden spoon. This is the ideal ingredient for stirring and testing a roux and any sauces. Metal spoons are not great for prolonged stirring in pans for one thing and certainly don’t scratch.

2 Use a low heat. The object is to melt the butter, add the flour to combine the ingredients and then to get to the desired colour of roux. If you knock the heat up too high, you well fry the flour and will need to start again.

3 Add fluids a little at a time. The initial roux may seem quite light, but the first few drops of milk or stock will suddenly firm it up into almost a dough. The key is to add fluid, stir until combined and then add more until the roux is completely amalgamated.

4 Cheese? If adding cheese, remember that when it melts it becomes fluid and could over dilute your sauce. If you are using cheese, remember that the bits that stick to the side of the pan are the cooks perk.

Why a roux? One of my favourite home recipes includes a cheese sauce and that is going to be published here very soon.

Happy cooking

Another of my favourites, originally based on an Italian recipe from a deli that used to be owned by our friends Lee and Mimo. This can be used to make a burger or sausage, it’s up to you.

5 lb minced pork
3 ts Fennel seed
2 ts fresh ground Pepper
1 1/2 ts Sage Leaves
5 Cloves pressed garlic
3 ts Salt
1/2 pint  red wine

For sausages you can add 1/2lb of fresh bread crumbs and soak in the wine before combining. The traditional italian sausage would possibly not use any bread crumbs as it is a coarser, more “burger like” consistency.

Mix well and stuff into sausages casing or press into burgers. If making sausages, this is best produced unlinked and portioned into 2lb rings. The rings can be cooked just as well in one piece in a frying pan or, crossed through with skewers, on the barbecue.

Any hearty red wine works well with this and possibly a bit of homemade chilli sauce.

This weekend we had the in-laws over to stay. They live in Yorkshire but there is Welsh ancestry on my father in laws side. The weather was good, so we got the barbecue fired up for the first time this year. On the spur of the moment, we created this new burger recipe to celebrate, part Welsh, part Yorkshire, all Great and British.

500g minced beef (try not to get extra lean as you need the fat to bind)
500g minced pork
1 medium onion, chopped and processed in blender till fine
2tbs Henderson’s Relish (The Yorkshire ingrredient)
1tsp Red Welsh Mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

This is very easy to do, can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge until ready.

Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and work together by hand. You will know when you have blended everything together as the mixture will be a constant off red colour, the mustard creates that. Take a handful and press together like a snow ball, press flat to about 1/2 inch on a clean board. Lift with pallet knife onto a plate. Repeat until you have used all the mixture up.

All you have to do it is put them on the white hot barbecue, let them cook and enjoy