Brown Sugar Toasted Fruit Loaf, Blackberry Cream, Poached Apples and Blackberries

Brown sugar toasted fruit loaf4 thick slices fruit loaf or barmbrack 75g soft butter 50g soft brown sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon mixed spiceSet oven to 180°c and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Mix the butter, sugar, vanilla and spice to a smooth paste. Spread over both sides of the loaf and place in oven for 20 minutes, turning over half way.Blackberry cream150g blackberries 75g castor sugar 200g mascarpone 250ml double cream Cook the blackberries with the sugar for 5 minutes then blend to a smooth puree and pass through a sieve to remove seeds. Cool.Whisk into the mascarpone and cream until thick. Poached apples 2 red eating apples 35g castor sugar 100ml water Juice 1 lemonPlace the sugar, water and lemon in a small pan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Quarter, peel and core apples. Slice thinly and place in hot liquid. Cook for 5 minutes then cool.Spoon some of the blackberry cream onto hot toast and add some poached apples and a few blackberries to garnish.

Pork belly salad with radishes, hot and sour plum sauce 750g pork belly slices 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons cider vinegar Mix the honey, soy and vinegar together and add the pork. Mix well and marinate for a few hours in the fridge. Set oven to 200oc and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the belly on top and cook for about half an hour, turning once. 12 radishes, halved Heat a pan and add the pork to crisp the fat. Add the radishes and juices from pork. Cook until golden. Add a couple of tablespoons of the plum sauce on top of the pork Hot and sour plum sauce250g plums, halved, stoned and chopped 1 tablespoon oil 1 red onion, chopped 100ml cider vinegar 2 star anise 2 cloves garlic, chopped 25g ginger root, chopped 1 red chilli chopped 25ml soy sauce 35g dark brown sugarCook the onion, ginger, chilli and garlic gently in the oil and then add the plums, vinegar, star anise, soy and sugar. Simmer until the plums are soft. Remove anise and blend to a smooth puree. Pass through a fine sieve2 little gem, separated into leaves 4 chopped scallions 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds Toast the seeds and coconut in a dry pan until the coconut is golden. Place the lettuce on a platter or plates. Add the pork, radishes, scallions and sprinkle the seed mixture onto the pork. Drizzle over a little more sauce and serve.

250g bite size pasta like macaroni, orzo 1 ham hock or 250g ham trimmings ( ask your butcher) 2 onions, coarsely chopped 1 stick celery, chopped 2 tablespoons oil 1 medium, leek, split washed and chopped 1 large courgette Bunch basil Bunch parsley 50g finely grated parmesanPour boiling water over the ham hock or ham trimmings and place in a pot. Add the onion and celery and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 2 hours for the hock ( less for the trimmings) or until fork tender. Remove ham from liquor and allow to rest for 10 minutes then shred the meat. Blend the cooking liquor. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the leeks and courgettes for 5 minutes. Add half the stock ( freeze the rest) and bring to a simmer. Cook the pasta, drain and add to the pan with the herbs and ham meat. Check seasoning. Remove the stalks from the basil and set aside. Chop the basil leaves and parsley and add to pan with half the parmesan and mix well. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle over the remaining parmesan.Tomato toasts 8 slices sourdough 8 medium local tomatoes Basil stalks from above 2 tablespoons olive oil or good local rapeseed oilCut the tomatoes in quarters and place in a baking dish. Finely chop the basil and sprinkle over with the oil and season with salt. Bake in a 180oc oven for 15 minutes. Grill the bread and spread the tomato on top. Serve with the pasta.

Chilled rice pudding with whiskey peach compote 200g pudding rice 400ml double cream 100ml whole milk 150ml Greek style yoghurt 1 teaspoon vanilla paste 100g castor sugar Place the rice, 300ml of the milk and sugar in a pan and cook, stirring frequently until rice is soft – about 25 minutes. Turn into a bowl and cover the surface with cling to prevent a skin forming. Cool and then chill. Whip the remaining cream and fold into the chilled rice with the yoghurt.Whiskey peach compote 4 ripe peaches 50g butter 50g soft brown sugar 75ml whiskey Bring a pan of water to the boil and have a bowl of iced water on the side. Score the top of the peaches and place in boiling water for 10 seconds and then transfer to the iced water. Peel the peaches, cut in half, remove stone and cut into 1cm dice. Cook the butter and sugar in a frying pan until the sugar starts to melt. Add the whiskey and peaches and cook until caramelized and coated with the sauce. Spoon the rice pudding into bowls and top with the peaches.

Harissa 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 shallots, chopped 1 tablespoon cooking oil Zest and juice 1 orange 50ml sherry vinegar Pinch cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 50ml good olive oil or good local rapeseed oilCook the chillis, garlic and shallot in the cooking oil until soft and golden. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Add the orange juice and zest and sherry vinegar and cook until it the liquid has evaporated. Blend with the olive oil to a smooth puree. Check seasoning. Carrot Quinoa 1 onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon oil 200g quinoa, rinsed in cold water 600ml vegetable stock 175g coarsely grated carrotCook the onion in the oil until soft and then add the stock. Bring to the boil and add the quinoa. Place a lid on top and gently simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Add the carrot and replace lid. Leave for a further 10 minutes. Mix up with a fork and add a couple of teaspoons of the harissa and any resting juices from the chicken.Grilled chicken 8 boneless chicken thighs, skin on Oil for brushing Salt for seasoning Heat a grill pan or barbecue until hot and brush the chicken with oil and season with salt. Place skin side on the grill and cook until golden and crispy. Flip over and cook on the other side until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a tray to rest for 10 minutes and brush the top with some harissa. Serve the chicken on the quinoa with more harissa on the side.

Caramelized cherries 250g cherries, stoned and halved 75g castor sugar 125ml boiling water 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract Cook the sugar in a non stick pan until it forms an amber liquid. Carefully add the water as it will spit and cook until thick and syrupy. Add the cherries and vanilla and toss for a couple of minutes to glaze.Chocolate granita 450ml water 2 teaspoons glucose 75g castor sugar 25g cocoa powder 75g chopped dark chocolate Place the water, glucose and sugar in a pan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate and cocoa powder until chocolate has melted. Cool and pour into a plastic tub. Place in freezer for a couple of hours then fork up the mixture to form crystals. Repeat a couple of times until frozen. 200g crème fraiche Spoon the cherries into bowls and top with granita and a dollop of crème fraiche.

Brined pork chops 4 x 200g pork chops 500ml water 20g seasalt 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 25g light brown sugar Few sprigs thyme or rosemary 1 clove garlic, smashed Place water, salt , mustard seeds, sugar, rosemary and garlic in a pan and simmer until sugar and salt have dissolved. Cool completely. Place pork chops in a container and cover with brine. Leave for 24 hours then pat dry and brush with a little oil. Grill the chops for about 5 minutes each side and half way through the cooking brush with the barbecue sauce to glaze. Give a final brush of the sauce to finish and rest. Any remaining sauce can be placed in a jar and will keep in the fridge for a month.Barbecue Sauce2 tablespoons oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 stick celery, finely chopped 2 shallots finely chopped 2 tablespoons tomato puree 200ml tomato ketchup 200ml water 100ml white malt vinegar 2 tablespoons treacle 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauceFry the garlic, celery and shallot gently in the oil until golden and add the tomato puree. Cook for 30 seconds then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer gently, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Blend to a smooth sauce then pass through a fine sieve. Corn and potato salad 1kg new potatoes, scrubbed cut to roughly the same size 2 ears corn in their husk if possible 125ml sour cream 100ml buttermilk 75g mayonnaise 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon gochujang or any chill paste 4 scallions chopped 1 tablespoon chopped chives Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water and bring to a gentle simmer. Place the corn directly on grill and cook until black on outside all over. Remove husk and cut the niblets from the corn and place in a bowl. Drain when just done and cut into bite sized pieces and mix into the corn with the remaining ingredients. Toss well and check seasoning.

Herb rice salad 200g basmati rice, boiled for 10 minutes in salted water, drained and cooled 4 scallions, finely chopped Zest from 1 lime Chopped soft herbs like mint, coriander, parsley and chives 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 50ml olive oil or good local rapeseed oil Salt and pepper to tasteMix the scallions, lime zest, herbs, vinegar and oil into the rice. Check seasoning. 1kg frozen raw prawns or scampi, defrosted and patted dry on kitchen paper 2 tablespoons oil 1 bulb fennel 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 shallots, finely chopped Juice of lime from above 50g butter Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Cut the fennel in half and remove the core, slice the fennel as thinly as you can and add to the pan. Cook for a minute then add the shallots, garlic and chilli and half the butter. Cook until golden then add the prawns. Cook for about 2 minutes, season with salt and add the juice of the lime. Dot the remaining butter around the pan and stir until melted. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve with the rice salad.

Garlic pork pintxos 8 wooden skewers 600g trimmed pork fillet cut into thin slices 2 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons oil Salt Mix the honey, vinegar, garlic and oil in a bowl. Mix the pork into the marinade and then thread onto the skewers. Place on a hot barbecue or grill pan and season with salt. Cook for about 2 minutes each side or until cooked through. Patatas Bravas Tomato sauce 2 shallots chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons oil 300g new season local tomatoes, halved ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ¼ teaspoon good quality dried oregano 25ml sherry vinegar Cook the onions and garlic in the oil until golden. Add the tomatoes and spices and cook for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for 5 minutes. Season to taste then blend to a smooth sauce. It’s more than you’ll need for the recipe but will keep in the fridge for a week. 1kg new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2cm dice 2 sprigs rosemary Oil for cooking Salt to season Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water and add the rosemary. Cook on a gentle simmer until just done – drain well and pat dry on kitchen paper. Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with oil and heating until hot. Add the potatoes and cook until golden and crisp. Add half the sauce and cook for a minute to coat.

Meringues 4 egg whites 225g castor sugar 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon cornflour Set oven to 120oc and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Whisk the eggs in a clean bowl to stiff peaks and fold the sugar in slowly, whisking all the time. Add the vinegar and cornflour and whisk for a minute. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe mounds onto the parchment. Take the back of a teaspoon and make a dent in the middle. Bake for about an hour or until set. Turn off the oven, open the door ajar and allow the meringues to cool. White chocolate cream 500ml double cream 175g white chocolate chopped Take 125ml of the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the white chocolate and stir until melted. Cool for 20 minutes. Whisk the rest of the cream and fold in the cold white chocolate mixture.Gooseberry compote 350g gooseberries, topped and tailed 75g sugar 2 tablespoons elderflower cordialPlace the gooseberries, sugar and cordial in a pan and cook gently until gooseberries are just cooked. Remove gooseberries and boil the remaining liquid to a thick syrup and add back to the gooseberries. Cool.Spoon some gooseberry compote into the dents in the meringue and then pipe or scoop some cream on top. Serve.