chef by Merrilees Parker
Coq au vin
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs, quartered
- 100g/3½ oz bacon pieces or pancetta
- 8 button onions, halved
- 100g/3½ oz button mushrooms
- 2 tsp of tomato purée
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 300ml/10fl oz red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation method
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy saucepan.
- Season the flour with salt and pepper and toss the chicken in.
- Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to brown.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate to keep it warm.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and fry the pancetta until it starts to brown.
- Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato purée, stir well and cook through for 30 seconds.
- Return chicken to pan and add brandy, red wine and herbs. Bring liquid to boil, reduce and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until chicken is tender and the liquid is thickened.
- Serve with mash or rice.
chef by Michael Caines
Roast pheasant with braised chicory, quince purée, caramelised walnuts and wild mushrooms
This heartily autumnal roast pheasant supper will make you yearn for even more cold nights.
Ingredients
- For the quince purée
-
- 110g/4oz sugar
- 500ml/18fl oz water
- 40g/1½oz butter
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 500g/1lb 2oz quince, peeled, cores removed, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the caramelised walnuts
-
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 100g/3½oz caster sugar
- 100ml/3½fl oz water
- handful walnuts, shells removed
- sea salt flakes (preferably Cornish sea salt), to taste
- For the braised chicory
-
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 15g/½oz salt
- 70g/2¾oz butter
- 1 litre/1¾ pints water
- pinch chicken bouillon powder (or pinch chicken stock cube)
- 20g/¾oz sugar
- 1 bouquet garni
- 4 large chicory, any discoloured outer leaves removed
- 110g/4oz finely sliced smoked bacon lardons
- 50g/2oz garlic purée (made by pounding 50g/2oz garlic to a paste in a pestle and mortar)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the pheasant
-
- 4 x 175g/6oz pheasants breasts
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- 110g/4oz unsalted butter
- 200g/7oz wild mushrooms, washed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 2-3 tbsp water, as necessary
Preparation method
- For the quince purée, heat the sugar, water, butter and lemon juice in a non-reactive saucepan until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Add the quince and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering and continue to simmer until the quince has softened. Strain off the liquid, reserving a little of it.
- Transfer the drained quince to a food processor and blend to a smooth purée. Pass the purée through a fine sieve, loosening the strained mixture with a little of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary.
- Place the quince purée into a clean saucepan, season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cover with cling film until required.
- For the caramelised walnuts, preheat a deep fat fryer to 190C/375F.
- Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until dissolved.
- Add the walnuts and bring the mixture to the boil. Continue to cook until the temperature of the sugar syrup reaches 110C/225F (use a sugar thermometer to check this).
- Remove the walnuts from the syrup using a slotted spoon and carefully lower them into the deep fat fryer. (CAUTION: The walnuts are coated in a liquid that may spit upon contact with the oil. Stand well back and keep your face and hair away from the deep fat fryer.) Fry the walnuts until golden-brown, then remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- For the braised chicory, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Place the onion, salt and 50g/2oz of the butter into an ovenproof saucepan. Fry the onion, stirring well, until softened.
- Add the water, chicken bouillon, sugar, bouquet garni and chicory and bring to the boil.
- Cover the pan with aluminium foil and transfer to the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tender and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Once cool, drain the braised chicory and slice into thin strips. Squeeze out any excess water.
- Heat the remaining 20g/¾oz butter in a separate frying pan over a medium heat. Add the lardons and fry until browned, then add the cooked chicory and continue to cook until the water has evaporated.
- Add the garlic purée, stir well, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.
- For the pheasant, increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Season the pheasant breasts with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat the oil and a knob of butter in an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat. Add the pheasant breasts, skin-side down, and fry until golden-brown.
- Turn the pheasant breasts over and transfer the pan to the oven. Continue to cook the pheasant for 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan, leaving behind the pan juices, and set aside to rest.
- Add the mushrooms to the same pan the pheasant was cooked in and fry in the resting juices until softened, adding a splash of water to deglaze the pan if necessary. Stir in the chopped parsley, then stir in the remaining butter until melted. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- To serve, place some of the braised chicory into the centre of each of four serving plates. Smear a line of quince purée alongside using the back of a spoon. Place one pheasant breast on top of each portion. Spoon over the mushroom, in their sauce. Garnish with the caramelised walnuts.
chef Mike Robinson recipes
Baked lamb with herbs and peppers
Ingredients
- 1 lamb shoulder, boned but with the knuckle left in
- bunch of rosemary, oregano, thyme, marjoram
- 2 bulbs fat garlic
- olive oil
- sea salt
- black peppercorns
- 2 red peppers, sliced
- new potatoes
- carrots
- parsnips
- more garlic
- 2 lemons
- 30g/1oz flour
- 30g/1oz butter
- red wine, to taste
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
- Pound all the herbs, garlic and a few drops of olive oil into a mortar until you have a coarse paste, then add salt and peppercorns.
- Lay the lamb skin side down. Slash the meat deeply with a sharp knife. Rub the herb paste into the cuts then lay the peppers on top. Roll the lamb up and tie with two or three pieces of cotton string (you don't have to do this). Rub any remaining paste on the outside. Roll into 3 or 4 layers of foil and bake for 1½ hours
- After 30 minutes cooking, put the potatoes in. Lay a big sheet of foil down and place the new potatoes, parsnips, carrots, garlic, olive oil, lemon slices and any herbs left. Season well and seal up. Bake with the lamb for 1 hour.
- Make the gravy mix the foil bag juices from the lamb with some flour and butter, add a little red wine, then whisk. Serve.
chef by Mitch Tonks
Spaghetti with lobster and basil
Spaghetti with lobster and basil
Ingredients
- For the lobster
-
- 1 x 750g/1lb 11oz live lobster or 1 x 750g/1lb 11oz ready-cooked lobster
- For the pasta and sauce
-
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- sea salt
- 250g/9oz ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- splash dry white wine
- handful fresh basil leaves
- 250g/9oz spaghetti or linguine, cooked al dente, rinsed with cold water in a colander
- To serve
-
- lemon wedges
- fresh basil leaves
Preparation method
- If cooking a live lobster, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. (If using a ready-cooked fresh lobster, proceed to the next step.) When the water is boiling, place the lobster into the water head first and bring back to the boil. Cook for 10-12 minutes. The lobster will change colour from green-brown to bright red as it cooks. Remove the lobster from the water and allow to cool.
- Remove the meat from the lobster, reserving the shells. First remove the large claws by twisting and pulling the front legs where they connect to the body. Then break the leg away from the claw.
- Use a sharp knife to split the claw shell, then remove the claw meat. Repeat with the other claw.
- Using the handle of a fork or spoon and a sharp knife, remove the nugget of meat from the legs.
- To remove the meat from the body, stretch the lobster out full length on the chopping board. With a sharp knife, split the lobster shell in half down the middle.
- With the handle of a spoon or fork, lever out the tail meat in a single piece. Repeat with the other side of the tail.
- Scoop out the meat from the head (including any red or green 'coral' or any brown meat). If there's a black line running down the outside of the tail, remove it with the tip of a knife.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Chop the lobster tail meat into bite-sized pieces, but keep the claw pieces whole.
- Add the lobster shells to the pan with the hot oil and fry for a minute or two.
- Add the garlic to the pan and fry until it just begins to colour.
- Add the lobster meat to the pan and season to taste with sea salt. Stir well.
chef by Beeton (Mrs
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp grated horseradish
- 1 tsp pounded sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½pepper
- 2tsp mustard, made
- vinegar
Preparation method
- Grate the horseradish, and mix it well with the sugar, salt, pepper and mustard.
- Moisten it with sufficient vinegar to give it the consistency of cream, and serve in a tureen.
- 3 or 4tbsp of cream added to the above very much improve the appearance and flavour of this sauce.
- To heat it to serve with hot roast beef, put in a bain marie or a jar, then place in a saucepan of boiling water; make it hot, but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle.
chef by Nathan Outlaw
Cornish salt pollack, squid and mussel stew
Ingredients
- For the pollack
-
- 4 x 200g/7oz pollack fillet, skin removed
- 2 tbsp Cornish sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 110g/4oz cooked potato, cut into 1cm/½in pieces
- 1 leek, cut into 1cm/½ in slices and blanched in boiling water for one minute and refreshed in cold water
- 110g/4oz cooked butternut squash, cut into 1cm/½ pieces
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 garlic cloves
- For the saffron sauce
- To serve
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- For the shellfish stock, roast the prawns on a baking tray in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile for the pollack, place the pollack onto a plate and sprinkle over the sea salt. Chill in the fridge for one hour
- Heat a large non-reactive frying pan until hot, add the remaining shellfish stock ingredients, except the orange juice, and fry gently for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Add the roasted prawns, the orange juice and enough water to just cover the pan contents. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for one hour.
- Strain the stock through a sieve; reserve the liquid and discard the rest. Heat the strained liquid in a saucepan until boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by three-quarters.
- When the pollack has chilled, remove from the fridge and rinse the pollack until all the salt is removed. Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper.
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Place the pollack, skin-side up, into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish is a light golden-brown, then add the potato, leek, butternut squash, thyme and garlic.
- Cook for a further 3-4 minutes then turn the fish over and cook for a further minute, or until the fish is cooked through. Set the fish aside and allow it to rest for 1-2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the saffron sauce, place the shellfish and fish stock, tomatoes, tarragon sprig and saffron into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the volume of the liquid is reduced by three-quarters.
- Place the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a large, clean, lidded saucepan and return to the boil.
- Add the mussels, cover with a lid and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the mussels have opened. (Discard any mussels that have not opened.)
- Stir in the butter and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chopped tarragon and chervil and mix until well combined.
- To serve, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the squid for 1-2 minutes until cooked through. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place some of the vegetables into the bottom of each of four serving bowls and top each with a piece of pollack. Spoon the mussels, squid and sauce around the fish. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
chef by Neil Perry
BBQ barramundi in a Thai marinade
This recipe originally uses Australian measurements. Equivalent measurements are as accurate as possible.
Ingredients
-
- 1kg/2¼lb barramundi fillet, trimmed, cut into 4 pieces (or similar firm, white fish)
- 160g/5½oz Thai marinade paste
- Vegetable oil
- For the nam jim
-
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
- 4 coriander roots
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 red chillies, seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 2 green chillies, seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 2 wild green chillies
- 2 tbsp palm sugar
- 40ml/1fl oz fish sauce
- 80ml/2¾fl oz fresh lime juice
- 6 red shallots, sliced thinly
- For the salad
-
- 100g/4oz green pawpaw, sliced thinly
- 60g/2¼oz beansprouts
- 1 large Lebanese cucumber, cut in half, finely sliced
- 40g/1½oz roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
- 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 red shallots, finely sliced
- 2 red shallots, finely sliced, fried in oil until golden
- Small bunch Thai basil, leaves only
- Small bunch coriander, leaves only
- Small bunch mint, leaves only
Preparation method
- Cover the barramundi fillets in the marinade and leave for 1 hour.
- Heat the BBQ or grill to medium. Brush the barramundi lightly with oil and grill until just cooked.
- To make the nam jim, pound the garlic, coriander roots and sea salt in a mortar and pestle until well crushed. Add the chillies and crush lightly.
- Stir in the palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and shallots.
- For the salad, mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Add the nam jim and mix gently.
- Divide the salad between four serving plates, arrange the grilled barramundi on top and drizzle over any remaining nam jim.
