Cooking with Paula McIntyre

Recipe1 onion, finely chopped 1 stick celery, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 50g butter 1 medium potato, peeled and diced 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock 1 head broccoliHeat the butter in a saucepan and add the onion, celery and garlic. Add a lid and cook on gentle heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the stock and potato and simmer until the potato is soft. Separate the florets from the broccoli and finely shred. Finely dice the stalks as finely as to you can and add to the pan while the potato is cooking. Add the shredded florets and cook for 2 minutes. Blend to a smooth puree and check seasoning. ½ soda farl, cut into 1cm dice 2 tablespoons oil 15g butter Heat the oil in a pan and add the diced farl. Cook until golden then add the butter and continue to cook until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives 2 tablespoons sour cream Spoon the soup into bowls, drizzle over some sour cream, scatter over the croutons and chives.

RecipeApple sponge puddings with clotted cream 125g soft butter + extra for greasing 50g castor sugar 1 large egg 125g self raising flour 100ml apple juice 2 red eating apples 2 dessertspoons Demerara sugar Butter 4 individual pudding moulds or ramekins and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and set oven to 190oc. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy – will take about 5 minutes at full speed with an electric mixer. Fold in the egg then the flour and juice. Peel, core and dice the apples and toss in the Demerara sugar. Butter a piece of foil on the unshiney side and place loosely on top of the puddings. Place in a baking dish and fill the dish half way up with boiling water. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a dish apple side up. Serve warm with a teaspoon of clotted cream for each pudding.

RecipeChocolate cracknell 150g golden syrup 75g butter chopped 30g cocoa powder 100g chopped dark chocolate 150g cornflakes Line a cake tin with parchment paper. Place the syrup, butter and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the chocolate and turn off the heat. Stir until the chocolate is melted and mix in the cornflakes until completely coated. Press into the cake tin and level off the top. Cool and then chill to set. Remove from tin and cut into pieces.Whiskey custard cream 300ml whole milk 50ml whiskey 3 egg yolks 100g castor sugar 10g plain flour 15g cornflour Place the milk and whiskey in a saucepan and heat until simmering. Whisk the yolks with the sugar, flour and cornflour until well combined. Pour half the milk mixture onto the yolk mixture and whisk well. Pour back into the remaining milk and stir gently over low heat, constantly until the mixture thickens. Pour into a clean bowl and cover the surface with cling or parchment paper. Cool and then chill.250ml double cream Whisk the cream to stiff peaks and fold into the chilled custard. Spoon or pipe onto the cracknel.

Damson Cheesecake Cream Damson Puree 500g damsons 200g granulated sugar Place the damsons and sugar in a pan and allow to gently simmer until the fruit is pulpy and any fruit removed from the stone. Scoop out the stones with a peascoop or a slotted spoon.Blend the pulp and then pass through a sieve. Store in sterilized jam jars. 250g mascarpone 150ml double cream 1 teaspoon vanilla paste 2 tablespoons icing sugar 150ml natural thick yoghurt 200g damson puree Whisk the mascarpone and cream until thick. Fold in the vanilla, icing sugar and yoghurt. Ripple the damson puree through the cream. Spoon into 4 bowls and drizzle more damson puree on top.Blackberry thumbprint biscuits Blackberry jam 750g blackberries 350g granulated sugar If you don’t have a temperature probe place a saucer in the freezer. Place blackberries in a heavy based saucepan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and bring the mixture to the boil then turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until the mixture reaches 105oF on a probe or add a little to the chilled saucer and it should set straight away. Should take about 10 minutes of simmering to get to this stage. Spoon into sterilized jam jars and seal. 250g plain flour 150g butter, diced 75g castor sugar 2 egg yolks Blackberry jam ( or jam of your choice) Rub the flour and butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugar and then add the egg yolks. Bring together. Line 2 trays with parchment paper and set oven to 180oc. Make small balls of the mixture ( around 25g each) and place on trays. Press your thumb into the middle of each biscuit and add some jam. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Roast Apricots 8 apricots 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon light brown sugar Cut the apricots in half and place cut side up in a baking dish. Mix the honey with the sugar and drizzle over the top of the fruit. Place in a 180oc oven for 15 minutes.Coffee Cream 50ml espresso 275ml double cream 75g chopped white chocolate 250g mascarpone 2 tablespoons icing sugarWarm 75ml of the cream with the espresso and add the white chocolate. Stir over a low heat until chocolate is melted. Whisk the remaining cream with the mascarpone and icing sugar and mix in the chocolate mixture. Nut Crunchies 380g mixed nuts ( I used almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios) 165g castor sugar Set the oven to 180oc and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scatter over the nuts and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Bash the nuts and sugar together in plastic bag to coarse crumbs. 75g egg white 85g sugar Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and add the sugar in a steady flow. Fold in the nut mixture. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Take a tablespoon of the mixture, roll with wet hands and place on the trays. Bake in a 180oc preheated oven for 30 minutes or until crisp. Allow to cool. Will keep in an airtight container for a couple of weeks. Spoon the apricots into 4 glasses, top with the coffee cream and serve the crunchies on the side.

Flatbread dough 200g plain flour 200g spelt flour or medium wholemeal 7g instant dried yeast ½ teaspoon salt 25ml good local rapeseed oil or olive oil 75ml buttermilk 150ml lukewarm water Mix the flours with the yeast and the salt and make a well in the middle. Add the oil, buttermilk and water and mix to a dough – add a little more water if necessary. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover for an hour.Chorizo and onion topping with scarmorza cheese 100g sliced chorizo 1 tablespoon oil + more for cooking the flatbreads 4 onions, finely sliced 125g coarsely grated scarmorza cheese or substitute cheddar Heat the oil in a pan and add the chorizo. Cook for a minute then add the onions. Cook gently until golden and soft. Divide the dough into 4 and roll each piece into a thin circle. Add a tablespoon of oil to a large frying pan and when hot add the flatbread. When bubbles appear flip over, lower the heat and spoon over a quarter of the chorizo mix and scatter over a quarter of the cheese. Place a pan on top and cook for about 4 minutes or until cheese has melted and bottom is cooked. Smoked paprika dressing 150ml sour cream 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika Salt and pepper to taste Whisk together and drizzle over the hot flatbreads.

Oat shells 75g rolled oats 50g plain flour 75g soft brown sugar 50g cold butter diced 1 teaspoon honey 1 egg yolkRub the oats, flour and butter together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the sugar, honey and egg yolk and mix to a dough. Lightly butter a 12 hole tartlet tray and set oven to 180oc. Divide the mixture into 12 pieces – you can eyeball this or weigh the mixture and divide by twelve. Take pieces of the dough and roll into a ball with wet hands then flatten to fit into the hole. Repeat with all the mix and then bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool in the tray for 10 minutes then remove.4 red eating apples 1 dessertspoon honey 25g castor sugar Juice half a lemonPlace the lemon juice in a bowl. Cut the apples in quarters, peel and remove the core and then cut into small dice. Toss in the lemon juice. Place the honey, sugar and apples in a pan and cook until apples have softened but still intact. Drain the apples and place in a bowl. Boil the liquor to a thick syrup and add to the apples. Cool.250ml double cream 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 dessertspoon whiskey – optionalWhip the cream and fold in the sugar and whiskey. Spoon the apple mixture into the oat shells. Pipe or dollop the cream on top.

275g coarsely grated courgette 1 onion finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 egg 75g plain flour 75g chickpea flour 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli paste ½ teaspoon seasalt Oil for cooking Mix the courgette, onion and garlic with salt. Add the egg, flours and chilli and mix to a batter. Cover the bottom of a frying pan with oil and when medium hot add tablespoons of the batter. Cook for about 2 minutes each side or until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve.You can cook them in batches and keep warm in the oven until all are cooked. Tomato Salad 350g local tomatoes, halved or larger ones quartered 1 small red onion or 2 shallots finely sliced 150g olives ( I used tinned anchovy stuffed green olives) cut in half 1 teaspoon capers finely chopped 1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar 50ml good olive oil Handful basil leaves Salt and pepper to taste Place the tomatoes in a bowl and mix in the onion, olives and capers well.Season with salt and pepper. Mix the balsamic with the oil and toss into the mixture with the basil. Leave for 15 minutes before serving.

RecipeHomemade mayonnaise 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar 200ml light vegetable oil or good local rapeseed oil Juice of 1 lemon ( keep the zest for the crab) Salt to taste Blend the egg yolk, mustard and vinegar together for a minute then slowly trickle in the oil,blending as you do. When fully incorporated add the lemon juice and check seasoning. This is more than you need for the crab but store in the fridge for up to a week.Crab salad 200g white crab meat 100ml of mayonnaise 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill – keep a few fronds for on top Zest of lemon from above Salt and pepper to taste Pick through the crab in case there’s any rogue shells. Mix in the remaining ingredients and check seasoning.Pickled radish 10 radishes, finely sliced 2 shallots, finely sliced 50ml cider or white wine vinegar 50ml water 2 teaspoons castor sugar ½ teaspoon salt Place the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a pan and cook until sugar has dissolved. Mix the radishes and shallots in a bowl and add the pickle liquor. Chill for a few hours, giving the odd stir. What you don’t use can be stored in the fridge in a clean jam jar. Savoury French toast 1 brioche loaf cut into rectangles ( make breadcrumbs from trimmings) 2 eggs 100ml milk 50g butter Whisk the eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper. Dip the bread in ensuring its covered. Melt the butter in a pan ( you might want to do this in two batches and keep cooked warm in the oven). Fry the bread until golden all over.Spoon the crab mixture on top and garnish with the pickled radish and shallots. Add a few sprigs of dill.

RecipeAlmond crumble 25g soft butter 30g plain flour 25g finely chopped almonds nuts 30g castor sugar Rub the butter and flour together to coarse crumbs. Rub in the sugar and nuts.Raspberry Clafouti 300g raspberries, tossed in 25g castor sugar and 3 tablespoons brandy or whiskey 30g melted butter plus more for greasing 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar 3 eggs 40g castor sugar 250ml whole milk 75g plain flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extractBrush a baking dish with butter and scatter over the Demerara sugar. Set oven to 180oc. Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and creamy – will take about 8 minutes at full speed with an electric mixer. Sieve in sugar and add the milk. Whisk to a smooth batter and then whisk in the vanilla, flour and melted butter. Spoon the raspberries and any juices into the dish and pour the batter on top. Scatter over the crumble and bake for about 25 minutes. Serve straightaway from the oven.White chocolate cream 250ml double cream 50g white chocolate finely grated Whisk the cream and fold in the chocolate.