Recipe Corner

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Click here to visit the 2009 Recipe Archive

From Mary Berry's Cookbook 3rd February

Recipes:

Spiced Lamb Shanks

Serves 4

2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 small lamb shanks
2 carrots, diced
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
45g plain flour
2 tsp five-spice powder
500ml lager
200ml beef stock
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp tomato purée
1 tbsp brown sugar
salt and black pepper
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large flameproof casserole and brown the lamb shanks over a high heat until golden on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pan, and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the vegetables and garlic, and fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and five-spice powder, and fry for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the lager and stock, whisk over a high heat until boiling and smooth, then add the soy sauce, tomato purée, and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Return the lamb to the pan, cover, and bring to a boil.
Cook in a preheated oven at 160° degrees for 2-2 ½ hours until the lamb in tender and just falling off the bones. Check the seasoning before serving.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Makes 15

375g plain flour
60g cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g soft butter
200g light muscovado sugar
1 large egg
300ml soured cream
FILLING
125g soft butter
250g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
TOPPING
125g icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 ½ tbsp cold water
coloured sprinkles to decorateLine 2 baking trays with baking parchment. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
Put the butter, sugar, egg, and soured cream into another bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until evenly combined and smooth. And half of the flour mixture, and beat until smooth again, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until the mixture is very thick and smooth.
Divide the mixture in half, and put 15 rounded spoonfuls on each baking tray, leaving room between them for the cakes to spread during baking.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180° for 15-20 minutes until risen and firm to the touch – they will be cracked a little in the middle. Leave to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Make the filling: put the butter into a bowl with half of the icing sugar and beat with an electric whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining sugar and beat again, then stir in the vanilla extract.
Make the topping: sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the water, and mix to a smooth, spreadable icing. Sandwich the pies together with the filling, spread the icing on top, and scatter with coloured sprinkles.

Friday 13th January 2012

Rozanne Stephens

Venison Steaks Serves 4
450g loin of venison, cut into steaks
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T light olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 T port
2 T butter
1 T redcurrant jelly

Method:
• Coat the venison steaks very well in the olive oil, garlic and thyme. Cover and leave to marinate for at least an hour.
• Season the steaks with salt and pepper.
• Heat up a heavy based pan and cook the steaks to your liking-see tips below.
• Allow the steaks to rest while you deglaze the pan with the port, scraping off any caramelisation. Bubble up for 3 minutes.
• Add the butter and redcurrant jelly to the pan. Melt, season and spoon over the steaks.

Top Tips For Pan Frying Steak
• Take the steak out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking to take the fridge chill off
• Never put salt in any marinade or basting sauce you use
• Coat the steak in sunflower oil, olive oil or canola/rapeseed oil, don't pour oil into the pan
• Season the steak well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a non stick pan to high
• Place the steak on the pan, do not move it around
• Allow the steak to caramelise and seal well on that side before turning over with a pair of tongs
• Allow the steak to seal on the second side, if needed, tun once more
• This is as far as you go for a rare steak. For medium rare, turn down the hob a little and cook for a little longer on each side
• Use the finger/thumb pinch test to test for 'doneness'
• For medium or well done steaks, place on a baking tray and finish off in the oven for 8-12 minutes at 180°C until cooked to your liking
• Allow the steak to rest for a few minutes on a warm plate, loosely covered with foil

Creamy Fudge

Makes 1 tray

All the ingredients, including the liquids are measured in grams. So just place a jug or bowl on your measuring scales and measure as normal. You will also need a sugar thermometer to tell when the fudge is ready. These are available online and in most good kitchen departments.
225g butter
450g milk
225g cream
710g sugar
2 t vanilla extract or other flavour of your choice

Method:
• Place all the ingredients in a large pot. This is important as the hot liquid bubbles up.
• On a medium heat, melt all the ingredients together, while stirring continuously.
• Bring up to a vigorous bubble, keeping and eye on the temperature using a sugar thermometer, stirring all the time.
• Once it reads 115°C, pour the fudge into a large mixer and beat for 5 minutes.
• Then pour out onto a lined baking tray and allow to set for 12 hours.

Anni's Beetroot Superfood Salad Serves 4

4 fresh beetroot
2 T olive oil
4 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
150g watercress
50g sunflower seeds
100g feta cheese, crumbled
Seeds of half a pomegranate
100g alfalfa shoots
2 T fresh dill, finely chopped

Method:
• Peel and dice the beetroots into bite size pieces. Coat well in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast in the oven at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes until just tender. Allow to cool slightly.
• Place cooled beetroot on a bed of watercress, scatter over the pomegranate seeds, sunflower seeds, crumbled feta cheese, alfalfa shoots and dill.
• Drizzle over the roasting juices from the baking tray and a little extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar if desired.

Friday 25th November 2011

Christmas Cooking with Catherine Fulvio

Christmas Pudding

Serve with homemade custard or some Rich Orange Cream (yummy!)

For steeping
100g raisins
100g sultanas
75g currants
75g mixed peel
50g dried apricots, finely diced
25g candied ginger, finely chopped
65ml Guinness
65ml Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur or brandy)
75g dark brown sugar

To complete the pudding
45g caster sugar
30g flaked almonds
75g fresh white breadcrumbs
50g plain flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
¼ lemon, zest and juice
½ orange zest
75ml freshly squeezed orange juice
1 egg, beaten
75g suet

Combine all above listed steeping ingredients, cover and leave in a cool place for up to 3 days.
To make the pudding, mix the caster sugar, almonds, breadcrumbs and flour together into a large bowl. Stir in the soaked fruit.
Add the juice and zest of the lemon and oranges. Stir in the beaten egg. And finally, gently mix in the suet.
Spoon the mixture into a 2 pint pudding bowl. Then cover the bowl tightly with a well-fitting lid or a layer of baking parchment and aluminium foil. Secure with some string, ensuring to cross the string over the top of the bowl. This forms a handle (otherwise it is difficult to lift the steamed pudding from the saucepan later). Place the bowl in a saucepan of hot water. The water should reach a level, just below the lid of the bowl. Cover and simmer very gently for 4 hours. Keep topping up the water as required
Then allow to cool and store in a cool dry place.
On Christmas day, reheat by steaming again for up to 2 hours.
Turn out the Christmas pudding and dust with icing sugar. Decorate with redcurrants and mint and serve with the Rich Orange Cream

Catherine’s Tip: Instead of suet, it is possible to add cold grated butter

Hot Port Christmas Cake

We Irish love our Hot Port and whilst you may have intended to enjoy yours as a nightcap, toasting your toes by the log fire, here is another suggestion… for a rich, moist fruit cake.

For the hot port infusion
550ml port
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 thin slices of lemon
5 whole cloves

250g sultanas
250g raisins
100g currants
250g dried figs, chopped
100g mixed peel
100g red glace cherries, roughly chopped
200g butter
200g soft brown sugar
Large pinch of ground cloves
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp mixed spice
4 eggs
250g self raising flour

20cm square cake tin

Bring the port, sugar, lemon slices and cloves to the boil. Remove from the heat. Leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Remove the lemon and the cloves. Add the sultanas, raisins, currants, figs, mixed peel and glace cherries. Leave to infuse for 1 day.

To make the cake, heat the oven to 160ºC/ Gas 3. Line the cake tin with buttered baking parchment. Wrap a further two layers of baking parchment around the outside of the tin and secure with twine.
Soften the butter and beat with the sugar together until creamy. Beat the eggs and add one at a time. If the mixture starts to curdle, add in a tablespoon of the flour.
Strain the fruit from the hot port mixture, discarding the liquid. Fold the fruit and the remainder of the dry ingredients into the cake mixture. Put the mixture into the prepared cake tin, levelling the surface.
Place in the oven. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 150ºC / Gas 2 and continue to bake for a further 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours. To check for doneness, insert a skewer, which should come out clean.
Allow to cool in the tin, then wrap in more parchment paper until ready to decorate.

Catherine’s Tip: When it is time to decorate the cake, don’t be afraid to cut the cake into a fun shape. I have made a Christmas stocking here. It is really easy to do. Just draw the shape on baking parchment and cut the cake to fit. Then lightly cover the cake with jam. Roll out the marzipan and cover the cake. Lightly brush with egg white. Then roll out the royal icing and place over the marzipan. Soften some remaining icing and colour to your choice – I used red and green. Then decorate.
To have some texture on the white icing for the sock, with a rolling pin, I pressed a new kitchen cloth over the icing. Then I proceeded to place it on the cake.
To keep decorations in place, I use egg white as a “glue”.

Christmas Cookies

Good basic recipe for the children to use. Colourful sprinkles and white or green royal icing looks great.

160g white flour
120g butter
60g caster sugar

Royal icing or edible glue
Christmas Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 180°C / Fan 160°C / Gas 4.
Put the flour and sugar into a bowl and rub in the butter.
Gather the mixture together and knead lightly.
Roll out to 7mm thick. Cut into rounds with a cutter.
Bake in the oven until pale brown, approximately 15 minutes.
Brush the biscuits with icing or glue and carefully spread the sprinkles over.
Allow to dry.

Mince Pies
Makes 12

Short crust pastry:
350g plain flour
pinch of salt
200g butter
2 egg yolks
4 tbsp cold water, to mix
¼ tsp cinnamon
grated zest of 1 orange (lemon)
milk or beaten egg, to glaze
icing sugar, to serve

First make the pastry. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add in the grated orange zest and cinnamon. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix the egg yolks with the water and add to the flour mixture. Mix to a firm dough. It may be necessary to add more water, but the pastry should not be too damp.
Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Then, preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5.
Divide the pastry in half and roll one half out thinly and use it to line tartlet tins.
Fill each tartlet case with enough mincemeat to come about three-quarters of the way up the pastry.
Roll out the remaining pastry and either stamp into shapes, such as stars, dampen lightly with water and press firmly but gently on top of the mincemeat or cut into circles to fit the tarts as lids. Dampen the pastry edges and press the tops down lightly, sealing the edges carefully.
Brush your chosen glaze on the lids. The milk will give a matt finish, and the beaten egg a shiny finish.
Gently make a small slit with a sharp knife in each pie for the steam to escape.
Bake for 20 minutes until light golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack.
Serve warm sprinkled with icing sugar. Once completely cold mince pies can be frozen in an airtight container

Mincemeat
Makes 2kg

300g sultanas
300g raisins
300g shredded suet
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of ½ orange
250g soft brown sugar
80g mixed peel
Good grating of nutmeg
1 large cooking apple grated
100ml Amaretto

Put all the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until softened. Cool and use or spoon into sterilised jars and keep refrigerated until needed.

Raspberry Marshmallows
Makes about 30

These make a great gift for a foodie friend, just ensure that you have sufficient cornflour and icing sugar around the marshmallows so that are not too sticky.

450g caster sugar
200ml water
2 large egg whites
9 sheets gelatine, soaked in 150ml water
1 tsp vanilla extract
100ml raspberry puree (seeded removed)

Cornflour for dusting
Icing sugar for dusting

1. Prepare a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment and dust with cornflour and icing sugar.
2. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and continue cooking over a high heat until it reached 115°C on a sugar thermometer – taking care as this is very hot.
3. In the meantime, whisk the eggs whites with an electric whisk, using a metal bowl.
4. Add the gelatine sheets, just be very careful and swirl them around in the very hot sugar syrup.
5. Pour the syrup into a metal jug
6. Continuing to whisk, slowly pour the syrup until the mixture becomes shiny and starts to thicken. Add the vanilla extract, and continue to whisk for about 6 to 7 minutes until the mixture becomes thick enough to hold its shape on the whisk.
7. Fold in the raspberry leaving a marbling effect.
8. Spread the marshmallow mixture into the tray, using a spatula spread the mixture out even.
9. Allow to cool and set overnight. Dust with cornflour and icing sugar before covering with plastic wrap. Store in a cool place – do not place in fridge.

Gingerbread Loaf with Ginger and Orange Drizzle
Make 2 loaves (900g loaf tins)

If you are baking ... you may as well make 2 – give one loaf to a friend or freeze it!

500g plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bread soda (bicarbonate of soda)
4 large pieces of stem ginger, roughly chopped
½ orange, zest
250g golden syrup
220g golden caster sugar
180g butter
120ml milk
2 eggs, beaten

200g icing sugar
1 orange, juice and zest
A few slices of ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan160C/Gas 4.
2. Line and butter the 2 loaf tins with baking parchment.
3. Sieve the flour, ginger, baking powder and bread soda into a bowl.
4. Place the stem ginger, orange zest, syrup, caster sugar and butter into a saucepan and gently melt, stirring from time to time. Allow to cool until warm to the touch.
5. Stir the beaten eggs into the melted butter and sugar, ensuring that they are well incorporated.
6. Pure the melted butter, sugar and egg mixture into the bowl of flour, ground ginger, baking powder and bread soda and fold in. Stir in the milk.
7. Divide the mix between 2 x 900g lined loaf tins.
8. Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes until golden and that the skewer comes out clean.
9. Place on a cooling rack.
10. In the meantime, combine the icing sugar and orange juice, whisk until smooth.
11. Drizzle the orange icing over the cooled loaves, decorate with orange zest and ginger.

Monday 31st October 2011

Slowcookers or Crockpots

With Rozanne Stevens

The Benefits of Using a Slowcooker:

• Very simple to use: all you need to do is chop up your vegetables and meat, add your flavourings like dried or fresh herbs, cover with liquid (stock, wine, tinned tomato), and leave to murmur away till tender and unctuous.
• A great time saver: put on your meal before you got to work or even overnight, when you get home, a wonderful winter warmer will be waiting for you.
• Ideal of tough cuts of meat: tough cuts of meat contain for connective tissue and gristle. These can only be broken down through low and slow cooking. A slowcooker is ideal for this and the gentlt, moist environment turns the meat from tough and inedible to melt in the mouthThese cuts are often more economical and a perfect base for a family winter meal.
• Less washing up: There is only one ceramic pot to wash, which is very easy to clean.
• Easy to cook large quantities: A large slowcooker, eg:7litre capacity, is big enough to cook enough for 10 portions. Great for entertaining or if you want to freeze some portions.
• Energy efficient: slowcookers use less electricity than a conventional oven
• Can be plugged in anywhere: if you don't have space in your kitchen, you can plug it in in the utility room and leave it to simmer away.
• It doesn't need minding: you don't need to stand over the pot and stir
• Almost impossible to burn anything: The temperature is so low, but I do say ALMOST
• There is latitude in the cooking times: as the heat is so gentle, an extra hour or two in the cooking times wont make much difference
• Vegetables retain their nutrients: as the slowcooker is so gentle, veggies retain their nutrients and all the goodness is caputured in the pot

Top Tips For Using Your Slowcooker for Best Results and Food Safety
• Your slowcooker should be at least half full of food, preferably three quarters full.
• Don't lift the lid in the beginning of the cooking process as it takes a while to heat up
• It's not vital, but brown meat before adding to the slowcooker for extra flavour.
• If using fatty meat like lamb, trim off the excess fat as it settles on top of the juices.
• Use half the liquid you would normally use if you are adapting a traditional recipe.
• Root vegetables can take much longer, so cut into smaller pieces and place at the bottom of the slowcooker or around the sides.
• For very crunchy green vegetables, blanch them first and only add at the very end to heat through.
• For food safety, only ever cook meat in the slowcooker that has been completely defrosted
• Never use the ceramic dish after it has been frozen or refrigerated as it may crack
• Never cook dried kidney beans in a slowcooker, as dried kidney beans contain a natural toxin that requires 30 minutes of rapid boiling to neutralise. Tinned beans, however, are fine.

Beef, Barley and Root Vegetable Stew 8 Servings

300g stewing beef, diced
Olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 sticks of celery, finely diced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme ot 1tsp dried
2 litres beef stock
75g barley
75g green lentils
2 carrots, large dice
1 parsnip, large dice
1 small turnip, large dice
2 leeks, thickly sliced and washed
2tbls chopped fresh parsley

Method:
• Heat a little oil in a large pot and sweat the onion, celery and thyme for 10 minutes.
• Add the beef, barley, lentils and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for an 30 minutes.
• Add all the root vegetables and leeks and simmer for an hour.
• Stir through the parsely, adjust the seasoning and serve hot with brown soda bread.

Thursday 27th October 2011

Hallowe’en Recipes

Rozeanne Stevens, Cook's Academy

Baked Stuffed Mini Pumpkins Serves 4

4 miniature pumpkins
225g baby spinach leaves
2tbls sunblush tomatoes
200g feta cheese, crumbled
200g chorizo sausage, diced
1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Bake pumpkins in the oven and bake for about 30-45 minutes at 180°C until tender. Check by prodding with a dinner knife. Pumpkins should be tender but not collapsing.
2. Fry the chorizo until crispy in a non stick pan.
3. Add the chickpeas, sunblush tomatoes and spinach and heat through in the chorizo oil. Season.
4. Slice the 'lid' off the pumpkin. Scrape out all the seeds very well with a spoon.
5. Spoon in the filling and sprinkle with feta cheese.
6. Replace the 'lid' and serve with extra filling on the side.

Pumpkin and Spicy Sausage Bake Serves 4-6

8 large spicy sausages
600g pumpkin, peeled and cut into wedges
3 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
3tbsp olive oil
1tbsp caraway seeds
salt and pepper
450ml chicken gravy (shop bought)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Mix the squash, olive oil, salt and pepper and caraway seeds in a large roasting tin.
3. Add the sausages and roast for 20 minutes until the sausages are browned and the squash is softened and starting to crisp. Turn half way to make sure the sausages are evening browned.
4. Stir in the gravy and return to the oven for a few minutes until the gravy starts to bubble.

Colcannon Serves 6

1tbls butter
½ head of sweetheart cabbage, finely chopped
2tbls strong tea
Salt and pepper
2tbls butter
1 tub Glenisk Crème Fraiche
6 large rooster potatoes, peeled and cubed
Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Steam the potatoes for 15 minutes until just tender. Allow to drain for a few minutes in a colander but don't allow to get cool.
2. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large pan. Add the shredded cabbage and wilt down slightly. Pour in the tea, season well and cook for 6-8 minutes until the cabbage is cooked to your liking.
3. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large pot. Add the crème fraiche, season and heat until bubbling.
4. Add the steamed potatoes to the hot butter and crème fraiche and mash until smooth and lump free.
5. Mix the cooked cabbage through the mashed potato, check for seasoning and serve piping hot.

Friday 14th October 2011

Rozanne Stevens, Cooks Academy

Pork Chops in Cider with Caramelised Apples

1tbls oil
4 boneless pork loin chops
Salt and pepper
Caramelised Apples:
1tbls butter
1tbls brown sugar
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 red eating apples, cored and sliced into wedges
Salt and pepper
Cider and Mustard Sauce:
250ml cider
1tbls wholegrain mustard
2 twigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Method:
• To caramelise the apples, melt the butter in a non stick pan and add in the shallots and apples. Sprinkle over the sugar and cook until golden brown, gently turning the wedges. Season well with salt and black pepper.
• To cook the pork chops, coat with sunflower oil and season with salt and black pepper. Heat up a heavy based non stick pan on the hob and brown the chops very well on both sides for 2-3 minutes.
• To make the sauce, remove the chop pan from the heat and add a splash of cider. Stir well to scrape the caramelisation off the bottom of the pan. Return to the heat, stir in the mustard and the rest of the cider. Season well and simmer for 10 minutes until the chops are cooked through and the sauce has reduced.
• Serve the pork chops with the caramelised apples, colcannon and the cider sauce.

Traditional Irish Apple Pie with Quick Magimix Pastry
Pastry-Make twice the recipe in 2 batches
225g plain flour
130g cold butter, cubed
2tbls cold water
1 egg, beaten with a little milk for eggwash
1tbls granulated sugar
Apple Filling:
6 cooking apples
2 lemons
½ cup sultanas
2tsp ground cinnamon
2tbls caster sugar
To serve:
Cream or custard

Friday 23rd September 2011

Chef Pádraic Hayden of the Camden Kitchen restaurant in Dublin,

These are seasonal recipes using great Autumnal produce that are bang in season this week.The venison season has just started and We get our first deer of the season this weekend from Wicklow.The Pears for this dessert were picked in Wicklow on Sunday and will be featuring on our menu for the coming weeks.

Pear poached in sweet wine set in its own jelly with pear mousse and vanilla.

Ingredients-serves 4

2 medium pears-we are using Williams pears but most pears will work well
200 ml sweet dessert white wine
3 leaves gelatine
1 fresh vanilla pod
100 ml whipped cream
150 g castor sugar
50ml water

Method:
Put the wine, split vanilla pod, sugar, water and castor sugar into a pot on a low heat and bring to the boil.

Peel the pears and split and deseed. Pop them into the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes until tender-they may take a little longer depending on their ripeness.

Soak the gelatine in enough water to cover them for 5 minutes until soft.

Remove the pears and set aside,

Take the liquor off the heat and whisk in the gelatine, split the liquor into two batches, cool this mixture down in the fridge whisking every now and again to stop it becoming lumpy, Pour half on top of the poached pears in a large mould or if you prefer into individual moulds and allow to set completely in the fridge-this usually takes around 3 hours.

Semi whip the cream and fold it into the remaining half of the chilled mixture taking care to keep the mix smooth.
Pour this Mousse on top of the pears that have been set in the jellied liquor and allow to cill for another 3 hours.

Serving

The jellied pears and pear mousse will be split in two layers-this makes a great contrast in textures and flavour.We serve this dessert with home made cinnamon shortbread but any good shop bought shortbread would do,and some chocolate sorbet/ice cream complements the flavours perfectly-ENJOY

Venison Saddle, Autumn Vegetables /Spiced Pureed Beetroot

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 200 g Venison saddle portions-deboned and butcher ready. Coarse sea salt
2 large carrots-diced,1 turnip-diced,1 celery root-diced,1 clove garlic, sprig thyme
4 beetroot,1 Shallot,1 clove garlic,1 pinch ground Szechwan peppercorn, 50ml fresh cream
knob of butter

Method
Season the Venison with coarse sea salt and pop onto a hot pan with a splash of sunflower oil and a knob of butter-hot enough to be foaming but not smoking. Allow each side to colour a deep mahogany brown bating all the time with the butter.5 minutes on this medium heat will bring the meat to rare-another minute will bring it up to medium-take it off the heat and set aside.

In a medium heat heavy based pan melt a small knob of butter and a clove of garlic and sprig of thyme. Add the turnips, celery root and carrots and season with salt, gently cook until just soft to the touch and shiny and glazed, remove from the heat.

For the puree
dice the shallot and garlic and cook in a heavy based pan-again on a medium heat until just soft and cooked-add the Szechwan pepper and grate the beetroot and pop in as well. Mix all the ingredients together-continuing to cook for a further 5 minutes, add the cream and bring to the boil. Take this mixture and whizz it in a food processor or with a hand blender until smooth. Check the seasoning and maybe add a squeeze of lemon juice if it suits our taste.

To Serve:
ut the venison into a preheated oven-180 c for 3 minutes until piping hot.
Warm up the root vegetables on a medium heat and heat up the beetroot puree.
Assemble on the plate as you wish-We accompany this dish with a potato gratin but a good quality mash would work a treat for a simple autumn meal that is flavour packed and wholesome-ENJOY

Monday 5th September 2011

Catherine Fulvio

Farfalle with Walnuts and Goat’s Cheese

Serves 4

300g farfalle
100g soft goat’s cheese
4 tbsp mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes, chopped
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Caramelised pear slices to serve (optional)

1. When straining the cooked pasta, retain 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water.
2. Place the reserved water, cheeses, sundried tomatoes, nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir over a low heat.
3. Add the drained pasta and walnuts to the pan, stirring to coat the pasta well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with caramelised pear slices.
4. To caramelise pears, halve, core and slice pears into wedges about 2cm in their thickest part. Heat a frying pan and add 50g butter and 2 tbsp brown sugar. Add the pears and sauté over a low heat, turning when browned on one side.

Mini Chocolate Pots

Serves 10 (espresso cups) or 4 (ramekins)

200g dark chocolate
100g butter
2 eggs
2 medium egg yolks
4 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp ground almonds, plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp Bailey’s Irish cream (optional)
Icing sugar to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Butter 10 espresso cups or 4 ramekins and dust with ground almonds. Shake out excess.
2. Place the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to melt.
3. Melt the butter separately and pour over the chocolate. (This will ensure the chocolate melts quicker).
4. Whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until light and pale in colour. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture, ground almonds and Baileys (optional).
5. Divide the mixture between the espresso cups or ramekins filling until they’re three-quarters full. Bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and just set (allow longer if using ramekins). Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Tip: The pots can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance and kept uncooked in the fridge but a few extra minutes will need to be added to the cooking time.

Curried Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup

Serves 4-6

This recipe is from our Vietnamese class in our cookery school and has become a firm favourite in the Fulvio household. It is so hearty that it is wonderful as a main supper in the evening.

Vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp curry powder
800ml – 1 litre chicken stock
1 x 400ml tin of unsweetened coconut milk
100ml water
6 thin slices of fresh ginger
1 stalk of lemongrass, the woody top section discarded and the remainder minced
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
2 chicken breasts
130g medium Asian egg noodles
3 tbsp lime juice (about 1 ½ limes)
3 tbsp Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
1 sprig of fresh coriander, chopped

1. Heat a saucepan over a moderately low heart. Add some oil and the garlic and stir for 1 minute, until it’s fragrant. Add the curry powder and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the stock, coconut milk, water, ginger root, lemongrass and the peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the chicken and poach it for about 20 minutes, or until it is cooked through.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir it back into the broth.
4. Add the noodles to the soup, stir to soften and simmer for about 3 minutes, taking care not to overcook.
5. Add the lime juice and the Thai fish sauce. Taste for seasoning, adding more Thai fish sauce or lime juice as required.
6. Using a tongs, divide the noodles among the bowls, and ladle the soup over them. Sprinkle the soup with the coriander.

Tip: If freezing this soup, omit the noodles as these can be added in when reheating. They only take a few minutes to cook in the broth