Lamb Loin Steak with courghette puree & cabbage & smoked bacon

This dish provides a year round availability of ingredients, and versatility that can be utilised for other meats such as pork or even duck. Aside from this recipe being very flavoursome and hearty, its also healthy and if you shop around for your ingredients it wont break the bank.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

4 Lamb Loin steaks or chops (alternatives pork loin, pork chops, duck breast, chicken thighs, turkey steak)
6 Leaves savoy cabbage (or seasonal variant)
100g Smoked bacon (chopped) (You can get bacon trimmings or cooking bacon for cheapness)
3 Courghettes
6 Cherry tomatoes
100g smoked ham
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch mace (optional)
Half a handful fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic crushed
Sea Salt
Cracked black pepper or crushed peppercorns
100g butter

Preparation (2 or 3 hours before eating):

Courgette Puree

Chop off the tops and bottoms of the courgettes and cut lengthways. Put on baking tray and season with olive oil, and salt and pepper. Throw the tomatoes into the same tray, then put grill on moderate heat (not too hot) and grill until courgettes begin to brown at the edges. Turn them over at this point for about 4 minutes then remove from heat and allow to cool.

While the courgettes are grilling chop the ham into small pieces and put in food processor with about a teaspoon of the rosemary and a garlic clove, and the butter, along with the cinnamon, nutmeg and the mace. When the courgettes have rested put them in also and allow the food processor the mulch it down to a puree. Taste at this point and season if necessary with salt and pepper. Remove from food processor and into a pan for reheating later. For added freshness you can add lemon juice and / or zest to the puree, but this is purely optional. This will work with all of the meats mentioned above however. Lamb and lemon are indeed best of friends.

Take the lamb chops (or other meat) and crush the cooked tomatoes, garlic and rosemary into a paste and smear it onto the lamb. Don't worry about it being a unfiorm paste, keeping the crushed appearance of the tomatoes will add the rustic element to the dish, and give an embellishment and charm. Season the other side of the lamb first with salt and pepper first though. Put into a container or wrap in cling film to marinade for about 2-3 hours to absorb the flavours for when we cook it later. Dont worry about refrigerating it either. Given that our Lamb is a red meat, helping it to age at room temperature will develop its flavour also. In the case of turkey pork or chicken however, keeping it cool is prudent.

Chop and wash the cabbage as finely as you are happy with, then cook the cabbge for 3-4 mins in boiling salted water until bright green. Strain and cool down in cold (or ice) water as quickly as possible for later use.

Put your feet up for a few hours and take time to reward yourself with a hot beverage.

Service:

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan and set your grill to the same setting as when you grilled the courgettes earlier. add some olive oil to the pan (tsp) and sear the bottom (non tomato side) of the lamb. take the pan and put it under the grill. When the lamb is done to your liking (nice and pink for me) remove from grill and allow to rest for a few minutes. Putting a lid on the pan as it cools gradually will help keep the meat moist.

Put a fire under the puree pan to reheat. Stir occasionally until piping hot.

In a separate pan sear off the chopped bacon then add the cabbage, season well and add the remaining 50g of butter just before serving.

Et voila. Serve quickly and devour.

Aromatic Mackerel Open Sandwich

More of a main course really, and ideally would be labelled as "Mackerel Fillet with rhubarb & ginger compote, on sour-dough roll garnished with truffle oil dressed rocket, & raspberry balsamic vinaigrette". Either way you wish to describe the dish, here it is. 

Posted specifically for Ben Haslehurst, appeasing his love of mackerel, here we present the dish. I have fond memories of this dish form last year, It is ideally a pleasant  lunchtime dish (as availability of rhubarb  is somewhat scarce during some periods of the year, have a look around before buying fresh rhubarb - it can be expensive if imported). That said, due to its growing in greenhouses commercially, you can probably get it at any time, especially in a can. You are aware of course, i'm not fond of the idea of using rhubarb from a can. Yet when needs must...


Ingredients:


1 large mackerel fillet (raw), bones removed.
100g butter
Salt & Pepper
Sour-dough roll
Rhubarb & Ginger Compote (see recipe)
Handful rocket
Truffle Oil
Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (see recipe)


Cut the sour-dough roll in half horizontally. Dress the rocket in a mixing bowl with the truffle oil and leave to sit whilst you are busy with the next bit. 


In a frying pan add the butter and bring up to temperature (enough for the butter to melt). Season the butter with the salt & pepper, & when butter begins to brown (only begins, mind) turn pan down to simmer. Here we are simulating the butter to look like "buerre noisette". Add the mackerel to the pan and allow to sit there sizzling away for about 2 minutes. It wont be far off cooked already, & if you wish, put a lid on the pan (ensures the fish stays moist).


Toast the sour-dough roll, either in a toaster or under a grill. keep your eye on it though.  


When you have added your fish to the pan, and are letting it simmer turn your attention to the rhubarb & ginger compote. Add it to the pan with the mackerel, and when heated through, remove from the pan and  place on top of the toasted sour-dough roll, then the mackerel on top of this. 


Garnish the open sandwich with the dressed rocket on top (see picture), and drizzle balsamic vinaigrette either over the salad or around the outside.


Devour, mercilessly.

Baked Yellowfin Sole with Lemon & Vanilla Risotto

This dish provides fresh & clean flavours to allow the subtleness of the yellowfin sole to shine through. A good recipe for springtime, this comforting dish provides mellow textures & clean flavours to excite and smooth the palate.

Ingredients (serves 1)

For the fish:

2 yellowfin sole fillets

50g butter

Pinch salt & pepper

For the risotto (serves 1):

300ml chicken stock

80g butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery chopped

100g arborio rice

1/22 lemon, rind finely grated

Salt & freshly ground pepper

1tbsp fresh rosemary

1tbsp fresh thyme

1 vanilla pod, seeds extracted

Method

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion & herbs, and vanilla seeds. Cook for about 3 minutes or just until soft. Add the rice and stir until well coated in the butter.

Add 1 cup of the hot stock and cook, stirring often, until the stock is absorbed. Continue adding the hot stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring until the stock is absorbed and the rice is just tender.

Stir the lemon rind through the risotto and then season to taste. Season with freshly ground pepper & Serve immediately as a base for the fish to sit on.

For the fish:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade. Line a baking tray with greased, greaseproof paper, put the fish on here and season with the salt & pepper, & butter. Cook in the oven for about 10 mins until fish is cooked. Serve on top of risotto & garnish with fresh rosemary & parsley.

Confit belly pork with crushed parsnips & caramelised apples, & rosemary & honey jus

This dish is quite elegant and contains a myriad of complimentary flavours which work well anytime from early winter to late spring. Its combination of earthy & sweet flavours, and the utilisation of spices give a balanced yet fragrant approach to this hearty dish.

Currently featured on our table d'hote menu at the Foxlowe Hotel in Leek, Staffordshire, this is a hospitable meal which would also be ideal for dinner parties or as a treat for a hearty family meal. The cooking time is indeed lengthy, yet well worth the wait.

Ingredients (serves 1):

Piece of belly pork with the fat still on (about 300g)

5 soft roasted parsnip chips (made from one whole parsnip & roasted in advance)

1 granny smith apple

250g Lard

1 tbsp dry confit seasoning

1 vanilla pod.

For the jus:

250ml Chicken or veal stock

1tbsp honey

large spring of rosemary

50ml red wine

1 - Confit the belly pork

Preheat oven to approximately 150 degrees centigrade. In a roasting tin, place the belly pork, lard & confit seasoning. Open the vanilla pod & add to the mix. Cover the mix with greaseproof paper and foil the tray (so no moisture can escape). Cook in the oven for approximately 6 hours.

Upon service:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade.

When the belly pork is cooked remove from the lard (be sure to retain the lard for future use once cooled) and add glaze with honey & butter in a saute pan. Chop the apple into slices & add to the pan. Crush the parsnips then also add to the pan, and cook until piping hot. Carve the belly pork into slices (lengthways) and sit upon the parsnip & apple mash.

For the jus:

In a saucepan combine red wine and rosemary, then bring to the boil. Reduce wine by 2/3, then add the stock. Reduce liqour by half, and stir in the honey to finish. Serve jus seperately or as a garnishing liqour around the central plouche. Garnish with fresh rosemary or thyme.

Pan roasted chicken with sea salt & thyme, with crushed "champ" potatoes and sage cream

This dish is inbeliveably simple but hearty and pleasant. During the cloder months from late autumn to early spring, this dish will bring a smile to the faces of its audience. It utilised the more pungent flavours that the colder months provide, from the fragrance of sage and the punchy flavour of the onions, the thyme sits amongst it all adding further fragrance and flavour which goes perfectly with the chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken breast, skinned and deboned

1 tbsp fresh thyme

1 sprig of fresh thyme (garnish)

4 whole spring onions, washed & chopped into 1/2 centimetre echelons

4 cooked salad new potatoes

50 ml dry white wine

50 ml double cream

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh sage, torn into equal size pieces.

1 tsp butter

Pinch black pepper.

Method:

Season the chicken with the sea salt & thyme both sides.

In a large saute pan, add the butter, sear the chicken until golden brown on one side, then turn. Saute the spring onions until bright green. Crush the salad potatoes and stir into the spring onions. Put the whole pan into the oven to cook (approximately 10 minutes at 200C.)

For the sauce, in a sauce pan combine the wine and sage, and bring to the boil. Reduce liquid by half then add the cream. Add the pinch of black pepper, then reduce the volume by half once more (until sauce is thickened).

When chicken is cooked, cut in half lengthways and serve on top of the champ potatoes. Use the sprig of thyme to garnish, and decorate with sage cream. Serve.