Simple Cheese Souffle

Serves 4-6

1 small onion, halved
6 cloves
600ml whole milk
3 fresh bay leaves
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
75g butter, plus extra for greasing
40g plain flour
5 large free range eggs
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
175g coarsely grated Gruyere
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
25g finely grated Parmesan

Stud the onion halves with the cloves and put in a non stick pan with the milk, bay leaves and peppercorns.  Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside for 20 mins to allow the flavours to infuse.  Strain through a sieve into a jug and wash out the pan.
Position the top shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 200, 180 fan, gas mark 6.  Lightly grease a shallow 2.25 litre, 5cm deep ovenproof dish.  Melt the butter in the cleaned pan, stir in the flour and cook over a low heat for 1 minute.  Gradually beat in the infused milk, return to a medium heat and cook, stirring all the time, until it comes to the boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins, stirring often.  Pour into a bowl and leave to cool slightly.
Separate the eggs, dropping the whites into another large bowl.  Stir the yolks into the milk sauce with the mustard, Gruyere, cayenne pepper, salt and some black pepper.
Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Take care not to get them too dry.  Slide them onto the top of the other mixture and gently fold in using a metal spoon.  Pour into the buttered dish and scatter with the Parmesan.  Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 30 mins until puffed up and golden.  Serve immediately.

Deep Filled Egg & Bacon Pie

Serves 10

300g rindless smoked back bacon rashers
25g butter, plus extra for greasing
2 bunches of spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
10 medium free range eggs
100ml double cream
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Pastry
350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
3/4 tsp salt
90g chilled butter, cut into pieces
90g chilled lard, cut into pieces

Put a heavy gauge baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 190, 170 fan, gas mark 5.  Stack up the bacon rashers and cut lengthways in half, then across into short strips.  Heat a large frying pan over a high heat, add half the bacon, then fry briskly for 3-4 mins until crisp and lightly golden.  Set aside with a slotted spoon, then repeat with the remaining bacon.  Clean the pan.
Lower the heat and add the butter to the pan.  When it has melted, add the spring onions and cook gently for 1 min.  Remove the pan from the heat, leave to cool slightly, then stir in the cooked bacon and herbs.
For the pastry, put the flour and salt in a food processor.  Add the butter and lard, then whizz briefly until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.  Tip into a bowl and stir in just enough cold water to bring the mixture together into a ball.
Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface, then cut off a 200g piece and set aside.  Roll out the remaining pastry and use to line the base and sides of a lightly buttered 5.5cm deep, 20cm loose bottomed round tin, leaving the edges overhanging.
Separate one of the eggs and set the yolk aside in a cup.  Lightly beat the egg white and another egg with the cream, nutmeg, a little salt and some pepper in a small jug.  Scatter two thirds of the bacon mixture over the base of the tin and drizzle over half the cream mixture.
Carefully break the remaining eggs one at a time into a cup and slide them side by side onto the top of the bacon mixture, taking care not to break the yolks.  Season them lightly, scatter over the remaining bacon mixture, then drizzle over the remaining egg and cream mixture.
Brush the overhanging pastry with a little water.  Roll out the remaining pastry into a round, carefully lay it over the top of the pie and press the pastry edges together.  Neatly trim back the overhanging pastry to 2cm, brush with a little more water, then roll it over on itself to form the edge of the pie.  Crimp it well between your fingers, lightly score the top in a criss cross pattern and cut a small slit in the centre of the lid.
Beat the reserved egg yolk with 1 tsp water and brush generously over the top of the pie.  Reknead and roll out the pastry trimmings, cut into leaves and use to decorate the top of the pie.  Brush them with a little more glaze, slide the pie onto the baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until the pastry is golden.  Remove from the oven and set aside for 30 mins.  Carefully remove from the tin and serve warm, cut into wedges.

Chicken Liver Pate

I'm not allowed to eat pate right now because I'm pregnant but this is one of the first things I'm going to make after giving birth in 5 and a half weeks.  I've craved pate all the way through my pregnancy, just because I can't have it!  The day I give birth I'm sending Steve to the Deli in Waltham to get me some pate - I CAN'T WAIT!

Serves 8 - 10

300g unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 unsmoked streaky bacon rashers, chopped
450g chicken livers, trimmed of sinew and fat
2 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
crusty bread to serve

First clarify some butter.  Put 100g of the butter in a heavy based pan over a low heat until it has melted and the milk solids begin to sink at the bottom.  Set aside for a few minutes, then strain off the golden butter at the top and reserve.  Discard the solids.  In a separate pan, slowly melt the remaining butter.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion for 5 mins until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the bacon and chicken livers, then cook for 4-5 mins until browned but still soft.  For the last minute, add the brandy and bubble to reduce by half.  Spoon the mixture into a food processor bowl and blend until smooth.  Add the melted butter in a slow, steady stream.  Once it's incorporated, stir in the chopped tarragon and some seasoning.
Pass the pate through a sieve to make it even smoother, then spoon into a dish (or divide among ramekins for individual portions).  Smooth the top and pour over the clarified butter.  Leave to set for at least an hour in the fridge.  Serve with crusty bread.

My Substantial Salad

I've just made this for my dinner as I was feeling summery with all this nice weather, it was fab and pretty damn healthy too.

Romane lettuce
cherry toms
cucumber
spring onions
avocado
beetroot
sun dried tomatoes
lambs lettuce
Lakeland Herb Sea Salt
black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan
extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice
small chicken breast
2 x rashers bacon
Cajun spice

Wash and slice/chop all the salad ingredients and present them nicely on a plate.  Season, drizzle with the olive oil and a bit of lemon juice and freshly grated Parmesan.
Grill or griddle the chicken breast and bacon covered in the Cajun spice.  Once the meat's cooled, chop it up and place it on top of the salad.
DELICIOUS!

Chorizo, Butter Bean & Tomato Stew

Serves 4

150g basmati rice
2tbsp olive oil
1 pinch of cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 onions, chopped
200g chorizo sausage, sliced
2 x 400g can tomatoes
400g roasted peppers (jarred)
1tsp paprika
800g canned butter beans, drained if in liquid
salt and pepper
coriander, to serve

Cook the rice according to packet instructions.  Meanwhile, take a large saucepan and add the olive oil.  Add the cumin and cook for 2 mins until it smells fragrant.  Add the garlic and onions, reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid.  When the onions have softened (around 5 mins), remove the lid, add the chorizo and turn the heat up stirring continuously.
Once the chorizo begins to crisp, lower the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, roasted peppers, paprika and butter beans.  Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 10 mins, then add coriander just before serving.

Butternut Squash with Spinach & Bacon

I made this for tea tonight, it was flaming gorgeous.  Steve was sulking thinking 'er butternut squash' and he thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was really tasty and extremely filling.  I served it with some crusty bread.  Scrumptious!

Serves 6

3 x butternut squash, halved lengthways, seeds and fibres discarded
2tbsp olive oil
150ml water
salt and pepper to season
200g smoked bacon lardons
2 leeks, sliced
250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
100g baby spinach
100ml double cream
75g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200, gas mark 6.  Put the squash cut side up in a large roasting tin and drizzle over the oil.

Pour the water around them, season, and roast in the oven for 45 mins or until the flesh is soft.  Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, dry fry the lardons over a medium heat, stirring until the fat comes out.  Add the leeks and cook slowly for 10 mins or until soft.  Add the mushrooms and spinach and stir over a high heat for 10 mins or until the spinach has wilted and the mushrooms are nearly cooked.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, some salt and pepper, and 1/2 the cheese.  Scoop out some of the cooked squash, leaving a 2cm border inside each squash case, and stir into the spinach mixture.  Spoon some mixture into the squash cases and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden on top and heated through.  Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and serve.

Homemade Chicken Stock

This is the recipe I always follow for my chicken stock, it makes whatever you cook with it sooooo tasty!

1 cooked chicken carcass
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
3 - 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
a few leek tops, roughly chopped
a few black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a sprig of thyme or dried thyme
a glass of white wine
star anise
2 chicken stock cubes
lots of salt and pepper

1. to make the stock, after you've picked every last scrap of meat off the carcass, break it up into fairly small pieces and pack into a medium saucepan or stockpot, plus any bits of skin or gristle or jellied juices left from your roast - anything that's not actually meat.
2. add all the chopped vegetables, peppercorns and herbs, plus the wine.  Cram everything down with a wooden spoon so you won't need too much water to cover it all - the stock will be much tastier as a result.
3. now pour over enough cold water to cover the whole lot - you should need no more than 1.5 litres.  Bring to a very gentle simmer, then cover and cook, just barely simmering for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours.  Strain the stock through a colander and then through a sieve.  Leave to cool completely, then store in the fridge.  If there's a significant layer of fat on top, you can scrape it off once it's chilled.