Tea smoked brined chicken thighs with Peri Peri and cucumber salad

Teasmoked brined chicken 8 boneless chicken thighs 500ml water 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 2 cloves garlic, smashed Few sprigs rosemary or thyme 20g seasalt 50g brown sugar 1 tablespoon cider vinegar Simmer the water with the mustard, garlic, herb, salt, sugar and vinegar until the sugar has dissolved. Cool completely and add the chicken. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Remove from brine and pat dry50g longgrain rice 25g Demerara sugar 1 dessertspoon tealeaves Line a roasting tray with foil and scatter over the rice, sugar and tea. Mix well. Place a rack on top and add the chicken. Cover tightly with foil and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes then turn heat off and allow to rest for a few minutes. Peri Peri sauce Roast garlic 1 bulb garlic broken into cloves Oil to coverPlace in a ramekin, cover with oil, cover with foil and bake in a 180oc oven until soft. Cool and peel the garlic and place back in oil 4 red chillis 50ml extra virgin olive oil 50ml red wine vinegar 4 cloves roast garlic 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ bay leaf, shredded Salt to taste Brush the chilis with oil and place in 180oc oven for 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes then peel and remove seeds ( keep them in if you want it hot). Blend with the garlic, oil, vinegar, paprika and bay.1 tablespoon maple syrup Place the chicken, skin side up, on a baking tray. Mix the maple with 2 tablespoons of the peri peri and brush all over the chicken. Cook for about 12 minutes or until cooked through. Remaining peri peri will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Cucumber salad 1 little gem Handful mixed leaves ½ cucumber 25ml balsamic vinegar 75ml oil Salt and pepper Peel and slice the cucumber. Break the gem into leaves. Drizzle the vinegar and oil all around a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the leaves and cucumber, toss around and serve.

RecipeLemon shortcake 200g soft butter 150g castor sugar 2 egg yolks 150g plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 50g ground almonds Zest of 2 lemons 4 tablespoons lemon curdBeat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, flour, baking powder, almonds and lemon zest ( keep the lemon juice for the syllabub) Wrap in cling and chill for an hour.Set oven to 180oc. Line a baking tin with parchment paper. Coarsely grate half the mixture into the tin and press around evenly. Spread over the curd. Top with the remaining grated mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and firm. Cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares. Lemon Syllabub Juice of 2 lemons 50g castor sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract 250ml double cream 100ml yoghurt Simmer the lemon juice with the sugar until the sugar dissolves. Cool. Whip the cream and fold in the lemon mixture. Fold in the yoghurt and vanilla. Spoon or pipe into glasses and serve with the biscuits. A few raspberries could be added on top.

Recipe Grilled leg of lamb with wild garlic and almond pesto 4 x 175g lamb leg steaks 1teaspoon fennel seeds ¼ teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon castor sugar 1 teaspoon seasalt 1 tablespoon oil Grind the fennel seeds as finely as possible and mix in with the oregano, sugar and oil. Rub all over the lamb and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Remove from fridge half an hour before cooking. Wild garlic and almond pesto 35g wild garlic leaves, washed in cold water, patted dry in kitchen paper and shredded 35g flaked toasted almonds 75ml olive oil Zest 1 lemon ( keep the juice for the skordalia) Salt and pepper to tasteBlend well and check seasoning.Carrot Skordalia 4 medium carrots – preferably local, scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise 1 tablespoon oil ½ teaspoon seasalt Juice 1 lemon 50ml good olive oil Take a sheet of parchment paper and place carrots on top. Drizzle over the tablespoon of oil and scatter over the salt. Gather into a parcel and bake in a 180oc oven until tender – about 40 minutes. Chop the carrots and blend with the lemon juice and oil and any cooking juices. Add a little water to loosen up if required. Check seasoning. To Cook Lamb Heat a large grill pan until smoking hot and add the lamb. Cook for 3 minutes then flip over and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side. Spoon some of the pesto over the top of each steak and allow to rest. Serve with the skordalia.

Recipe Biscuit base 200g chocolate oaty biscuits, crushed 65g melted butter Mix together and press into a pie tin up the sides a bit and chill.100g chopped dates 50ml PX sherry Mix, cover and leave overnight.150g chopped dark chocolate 150g chopped milk chocolate 150ml double cream 25ml banoffee toffee 25g butter Place the chocolates in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream, butter and toffee in a pan until bubbling, pour over the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the dates and mix well. Pour into the biscuit base and smooth off. Chill for a few hours to set but take out of fridge at least an hour before serving. 250ml double cream whipped 25g dark chocolate Pipe the cream over the top and finely grate the chocolate all over.

RecipeCoconut Rice Pudding 100g pudding rice 450ml coconut milk – 1 tin 150ml whipping cream 25g honey 25g castor sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Rinse the rice pudding for a minute in a sieve under cold running water. Place the pudding rice in a pan with the coconut milk, cream, honey, sugar and vanilla and gently simmer for about half an hour or until rice is cooked through. Poached and caramelized pineapple 1 pineapple 350ml pineapple juice 25g brown sugar Peel the pineapple and remove the “eyes”. Quarter, remove the core and cut the pineapple into 3cm slices. Place in the pineapple juice and gently simmer until the pineapple is just done. Remove pineapple and add the sugar to the liquid. Boil until thick and syrupy and return the pineapple to the liquid and mix well. Candied puffed rice 50g castor sugar 2 teaspoons water 30g rice crispies 10g desiccated coconut Heat the sugar and water over high heat in a pan until the sugar turns to a golden caramel liquid – don’t stir. Remove from heat and mix in the crispies and coconut. Turn onto a sheet of parchment and cool.Spoon the rice pudding into bowls, top with some pineapple ( any leftover will keep in the fridge for a week) and scatter over some of the candied puffed rice.

Recipe Lemon Crunch Pie with blueberriesBase 200g oaty or digestive biscuits 75g butter Crush the biscuits to a fine crumb either in a food processor or place in a bag and bash with a rolling pin. Melt the butter and mix with the crumbs. Line a 20cm springform cake tin or 6 individual tins, with parchment paper. Press the biscuit mixture into the tin and press down. Chill in the fridge.Filling Zest and juice 2 lemons 150ml condensed milk 300 ml double cream, whipped Fold the condensed milk, lime zest and juice into the cream. Spoon onto the base and allow to chill in the fridge for a few hours.Blueberry compote 250g frozen blueberries 35g honey Mix in a pan and cook for 5 minutes. Cool.250ml whipped cream ( optional) Remove the tin from the pudding and spoon the blueberries on top. Pipe the cream on top and serve.

Shepherd Pie Jackets with fennel and feta salad Shepherd Pie Jackets 4 large baker potatoes, scrubbed 250g lamb mince 1 tablespoon oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 stick celery, finely chopped 1 small tin chopped tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato puree 250ml beef stock 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 50ml milk 125g finely grated cheddar Bake the potatoes in a 180oc oven for about 45 minutes or until cooked through. Heat a pan until smoking hot and add the lamb mince. Cook until sealed off well. Drain off the fat and add the onion, garlic and celery to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the tomato puree, tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Check seasoning. Cut the potatoes in half while warm and scoop out the flesh. Mash the flesh with the milk and season to taste. Place the shells in a baking tray and spoon the mince. Spoon or pipe the potato on top and then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake in a 180oc oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Fennel and feta salad 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 75ml olive oil 1 teaspoon honey Salt and pepper to taste 1 bulb fennel 1 little gem lettuce 75g crumbled feta Whisk the vinegar, mustard and oil together with the honey and season to taste. Cut the fennel in half and remove the core. Slice as thinly as you can and toss into the dressing. Toss in the feta. Shred the lettuce and mix in.

Pastry 225g plain flour 100g chopped cold butter Pinch salt 1 egg Rub the flour and butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the salt. Mix in the egg to dough, wrap in cling and chill.Filling 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs Oil for brushing 25g butter 1 large leek, split, washed and chopped 25g plain flour 150ml chicken stock 1 tablespoon cream 1 teaspoon Dijon mustardBrush the chicken with oil and cook on a hot grill pan for about 4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Allow to rest. Heat the butter in a pan and add the leeks. Cook until wilted down and mix in the flour well. Add the stock and mix to a stiff smooth sauce. Add the cream and mustard and check seasoning. Add any resting juices from the chicken and then cool and chill. Chop the chicken and mix into the sauce.To assemble 1 egg yolk. Divide the pastry in half and roll to fit a buttered pie dish. Trim off the edges and keep in cling. Line with foil and fill with baking beans. Chill for an hour then bake in a 180oc oven for 12 minutes. Remove beans and foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Fill with the chicken mixture. Roll out the remaining pastry and cover the chicken mixture. Crimp the edges and brush with egg yolk. Roll out the ends of pastry and make leaves. Place on pie and cover with more egg yolk. Bake in a 180oc oven for 30 minutes.Broccoli with pickled shallot 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced 25ml white wine or cider vinegar 25ml water 1 teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon mustard seeds Salt to taste 350g tenderstem broccoli 1 tablespoon oilPlace the vinegar, water, sugar, turmeric and mustard seeds in a pan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Check seasoning and pour over the shallots. Leave for an hour to pickle. Blanch the broccoli in salted boiling water for a minute and then drain, place on kitchen paper and top with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a frying pan until smoking add the broccoli. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the shallots ( not the liquid) and warm through.

Buttermilk breadrolls 450g bread flour 7g dried yeast 190ml buttermilk 60ml local rapeseed oil 1 heaped tablespoon castor sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder Egg yolk for brushing Stir yeast and 35ml of lukewarm water in a large bowl and leave for 10 minutes. Warm the buttermilk to blood temperature gently and add to the yeast mixture with the oil and sugar. Mix in the flour and baking powder to a soft dough and transfer to a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes and place in a clean bowl rubbed with oil. Cover with cling or a damp tea towel and leave at room temperature for an hour. Knock back and divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll into balls and place on baking trays lined with baking paper - don’t have them too close together as they’ll rise. Leave for 30 minutes. Set oven to 200°c. Brush rolls with egg yolk and then bake for about 20 minutes or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cook on a wire rack. 500g rump steak 1 tablespoon oil for rubbing Seasalt Freshly ground black pepper 150g mayonnaise 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard 1 tablespoon finely chopped gherkin 200g raclette slices or thin slices of cheddarRub the oil all over the rump and season with salt. Heat a pan until smoking and seal on both sides for two minutes. Lower the heat and cook to desired temperature. Season with pepper and rest for 5 minutes and slice thinly. Mix the mayonnaise with the mustard and gherkins Split the rolls and spread the mayo on to the surface.Arrange the beef over the top and then cheese. Bake in a 180oc oven until cheese has melted – about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Caramel pecan pancakes3 large eggs1 dessertspoon golden syrup200ml buttermilk300g plain flour1 teaspoon baking soda50ml bannoffee toffee75g chopped pecansOil for cookingWhisk the eggs, syrup and buttermilk in a bowl.Sift in the flour and baking soda. Whisk to a thick batter.Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Wipe a medium hot pan with oil and add a tablespoon of batter – don’t over crowd the pan. Drizzle some of the bannoffee toffee and add a sprinkle of pecan nuts on the surface. Spread over some more pancake batter to enclose the nuts and sauce. When bubbles appear, flip over and cook on the other side for a couple of minutes to cook through. Repeat with the remaining batter.Rum candied bananas50g butter50g soft brown sugar50ml rumPinch cinnamon4 bananas, peeled and choppedHeat the butter and sugar in a large pan and spread to fill the surface. Add the rum and toss for a minute. Flame carefully with the rum, add the cinnamon and serve with the pancakes.