Category: Everyday meals

Veggie Lasagne

on By

12e13659-715b-402f-854c-834eb2bdc6a180a8db28-6e8c-48f0-beb9-1f09902ac1a43695e188-a3b3-4d00-b6b0-d205ae23071531725461-e55e-41c0-b735-e6215474e3fdb7d39182-eaf2-408a-bfda-f7dbd6ac8cbe

Béchamel:

• 200 grams of plain flour
• 200 grams of softened butter
• 1 litre of infused milk

 

1. To begin place a medium saucepan onto the heat with your one litre of cold milk along with one sliced shallot, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 bruised bay leaves, white peppercorns toasted.
2. Allow your milk to come to a boil, allow to infuse for around 1 hour.
3. Once your milk has infused, pass through a sieve and a decant into a Pyrex jug.
4. To begin your roux in a medium saucepan melt your butter once the butter has melted add in your plain flour and allow to cook out a little begin to whisk with a balloon whisk and ensure that you cook out the flour otherwise the béchamel will just taste of flour.
5. Once the roux looks like dry sand add in your milk in a steady stream and allow to create your béchamel.
6. Carry on adding your milk till you have a thick a beautiful béchamel, season with a pinch of sea salt and white pepper and to test that the béchamel is ready, using a teaspoon draw a line using your finger if the line holds then your béchamel is ready.
7. Allow to cool in the pan till the béchamel is required later on in the process.

 

Fresh Pasta:

• 300 grams of 00 pasta flour
• 3 medium whole eggs
• A pinch of Maldon sea salt
1. To start the pasta dough place the OO flour and Maldon sea salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Create a volcano shape in the middle of the flour, as this is where you will crack your eggs into.
3. One by one crack your eggs into the centre of the flour, discarding of the shells using a metal fork whisk the eggs (you can do this before in a Pyrex jug) using a clean wooden spoon begin to drag the 00 flour in from the edges and begin to incorporate the eggs and flour.
4. Once the dough has reached a beautiful crumbly consistence start using your hands to pull the dough together, using your palms. Once the dough is ready and all of the flour and eggs incorporated tip out onto a floured service.
5. Begin to knead the dough as this builds the glutens up, after 10 minutes of kneading your dough it should be smooth and silky.
6. Once at this stage wrap your dough in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes as this allows the dough to relax.
7. Having rested the pasta dough it is now time to shape your dough you can either do this by using a rolling pin or using a pasta machine, as this will ensure that all of the pasta is even once it has reached your desired thickness. (On a pasta machine you have three settings as these enables you to work the dough down to the desired thickness)
8. After rolling the dough to fit to the machine, run the dough through the thickest setting, fold in half and then drop the thickness as this helps to ensure the dough is silky and glossy. The thickness you want to achieve is that of a pound coin (Run two)


Veggie Mince:

1. Sauté your mince off in a frying pan till they go golden and crispy as this allows them to carry the sauce better, as they want to absorb the flavours from the sauce and béchamel.


Roasted Courgettes:

1. To begin wash your courgettes under cold running water, once you have washed them top and tall your courgettes.

2. Next using a very sharp knife slice your courgettes very finely and place onto a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil
3. Roast in the oven at 180 or gas mark 6 until your courgettes are al dente and cooked through, by cooking your courgettes before they go into your lasagne you can ensure that they don’t loose their shape or go loose and sloppy.
4. Once they are cooked hit your roasted courgettes with a little sea salt and black pepper before you place them into the your lasagne as this forms a base of seasoning.
5. By salting your courgettes after they are cooked, this helps to ensure that they don’t steam or go wet in the oven as salt has a natural drawing elements which helps to remove moisture from the items let it be vegetables or meat.


Tomato Sauce:

• 1 large shallot peeled and finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves peeled crushed and finely sliced
• 2 large red chillies finely sliced
• 1 Pasatta container
• Touch of water to wash out your container.
• Cold press olive oil
1. To begin add your finely sliced base into the your medium saucepan along with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil.
2. As this helps to form a base seasoning for your pasta sauce base, allow your base to season and perfume the oil, ensuring that you don’t colour the base as this will make the oil taste bitter and you cant hide burnt garlic.
3. Next add your pasatta along with your touch of water, a twist of black pepper and black pepper and a little olive oil.
4. Allow to cook on a low heat for around as this enables the sauce to sit and marinate a little.

To assemble…

1. Add in your veggie mince to the base of fired earth dish, top with a couple of spoonfulS of your béchamel, then marble with your tomato sauce and top with your lasagne sheets.

2. Next top with your roasted courgette slices and season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.

3. Then add more béchamel and tomato sauce, ensure you leave some béchamel to go on top as this forms the best part of lasagne, the crispy top.

4. Pace into a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees and bake till golden and bubbly, as each of the elements are cooked and the fresh pasta will take seconds to cook.

Courgette, pistachio, almond and lemon cake topped with thick lemon and bay icing

on By

IMG_3414IMG_8331IMG_6717IMG_4243IMG_3588IMG_1019IMG_3976IMG_5782IMG_1784IMG_1015Thick set lemon and bay icing:

• 500 grams of sieved icing sugar
• 3 lemon juice passed through a sieve
• 3 lemon zests
• 2 bruised bay leaves which have been lightly washed
• Touch of cold water

1. To begin in a large Mason and cash sieve your icing sugar, then add your lemon juice and long with your bruised bay leaves as this gives the icing a beautiful earthy note which helps to cut through the sweetness of the icing sugar.
2. Using a whisk bring your icing together don’t worry about the bay leaves as you can remove these once the icing is made and infused.
3. Once your icing has began to come together add in your lemon zest along with a touch of cold water if it is required, then place a teaspoon into the icing, you want your icing to have the dropping consistency.

 

The Gourmet Gent Courgette, pistachio, almond and lemon cake:

• 2 large washed courgettes (coarsely grated)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste
• 150 ml of cold pressed olive oil
• 250 grams of self rising flour
• 50 grams of roughly chopped pistachio nuts
• 50 grams of flaked almonds
• 3 large free range eggs
• 150 grams of golden caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon of Bicarb
1. To begin pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4 or 180 degrees, then grease and line two loaf baking tins, to make the baking parchment stick use a little olive oil or dairy free butter as this cake is diary free.
2. Next grate your large courgettes on the course side of your box grater, to begin the cake in a large mason and cash mixing bowl add your olive oil, sugar and whisk till light and fluffy as this helps to impart air to the cake batter.
3. Once the sugar has melted away into the olive oil add one large egg at a time and whisk the eggs in, then add your vanilla paste.
4. Then using a fine sieve in your self raising flour and bicarb by sieving your bicarb in with your flour this ensures that the bicarb is equally mixed through the flour and cake mix.
5. Using a spatula fold in your flour as this is where the air is incorporated into the cake,
6. To finish add your flaked almonds, pistachio nuts and lastly your grated courgettes do this in three stages as this helps to ensure that your courgette is properly mixed through the cake mixture.
7. Decant your cake mix into the lined moulds and then place in the oven and bake for one hour till the cake is golden brown and baked through to check that the cake is perfectly cooked through use either a sharp paring knife or cake spike to check that the cake is baked equally thoroughly if you find the cake baking uneven or taking to much colour.
8. Cover with tin foil half way through.

Fridge Raider

on By

IMG_3239IMG_4628IMG_5058IMG_7410IMG_6836Baked free range eggs and sautéed charlotte potatoes, served alongside Portobello mushrooms and leeks:

The baked free range eggs and sautéed charlotte potatoes:
Ingredients:
500 grams of Charlotte potatoes
6 eggs

1. Clean your Charlotte potatoes removing any mud or grit, once washed place into a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil along with a pinch of natural sea salt.
2. Once the water has reached a boil the potatoes should take around 8-12 minutes the way to test is using a paring knife once the knife can easily cut the potatoes they are ready for this recipe you want your potatoes part boiled.
3. Next drain your potatoes and place in a colander to steam a little, once they have steamed and cooled to touch, slice slices them up as you want to sautée them off in hot olive oil.
4. Place a large range master pan onto a medium heat once the pan has come up to temperature, add a drizzle of olive oil add in your sliced charlotte potatoes and cook until crispy and golden.
5. Once ready decant into a large roasting tray and season with a pinch of black pepper and sea salt.
6. Once all of your potatoes are cooked off add back into the oven as you want it screaming hot to welcome your eggs.
7. Once at this point using a small spoon make some wells and crack your eggs in, the hot tray will instantly cook your eggs and place back into the oven until cooked through.
8. For me I like me eggs semi hard with just a little runniness, if you like yours runny then only place back into the oven for just a matter of minutes.
9. To test that the eggs are perfectly cooked you should have a little wobble with the egg white cooked through.
10. Once cooked remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes.


Your side of sautéed Portobello mushrooms and leeks:
Ingredients:

  • 500 grams of large Portobello mushrooms (peeled back and brushed)
  • 2 large leeks
  • 1 large banana shallot
1. Slice your mushrooms and leeks into fine strips, as you want them cook quickly.
2. Slice your banana shallot, peel and crush two cloves of garlic, finely puree with the back of your knife and add a little course pink sea salt.
3. Now place a large range master pan onto a medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, once the pan has come up to temperature add in your garlic shallot and leeks along with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper as this helps to form a base layer of seasoning for your mushrooms and leeks.
4. Cook with no colour for 5-6 minutes until soft, then add in your leeks and mushrooms turn up the heat and begin to sauté your mushrooms and leeks when you cook Portobello mushrooms like this you get a great rich underlying rich dark chocolate note.
5. Once ready serve along side your baked eggs and potatoes and enjoy.

Fresh Pappardelle ft. yesterday’s green pesto

on By

 

Pappardelle:

  • 300 grams of 00 flour
  • 3 whole eggs
  • Sea salt
  1. To start the pasta dough place the OO flour and Maldon sea salt into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Create a volcano shape in the middle of the flour, as this is where you will crack your eggs into.
  3. One by one crack your eggs into the centre of the flour, discarding the shells. Use a metal fork to whisk the eggs (you can do this before in a Pyrex jug) Now using a clean wooden spoon begin to drag the OO flour in from the edges and incorporate the eggs and flour.
  4. Once the dough has reached a beautiful crumbly consistence start using your hands to pull the dough together, press with your palms. Once the dough is ready and all of the flour and eggs incorporated tip out onto a floured service.
  5. Begin to knead the dough as this builds the glutens up, after 10 minutes of kneading, your dough should be smooth and silky.
  6. Once at this stage wrap your dough in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes as this allows the dough to relax.
  7. Having rested the pasta dough it is now time to shape it. You can either do this by using a rolling pin or using a pasta machine, as this will ensure that all of the pasta is even once it has reached your desired thickness. (On a pasta machine you have three settings as these enables you to work the dough down to the desired thickness)
  8. After rolling the dough to fit to the machine, run the dough through the thickest setting 10 times, ensuring that you fold in half each time as this helps to ensure the dough is silky and glossy.
  9. Once you have achieved this, run the dough through the same setting two more times, but this time without folding. Then drop the machine down a stage and on each run the dough through two times.
  10. If the dough gets too tricky to handle section it off into more manageable lengths the aim is to be able to read a newspaper through the dough.
  11. IMPORTANT TIP – also ensure that you flour both the surface and the pasta machine itself or otherwise your dough will stick, be careful not to pull the dough, instead gently guide it out of the machine, this way you don’t reshape or stretch the dough.
  12. Once you have reached this stage, drape the pasta over your airer, and then you have two choices you can either use the tag attachment or roll the pasta and then slice it using a sharp knife. This way the result is more rustic, but it all depends on the look that you are going for.
  13. Once you are happy with your pasta drape over your airier until it is required later.

Time to cook your pasta:

  1. Place a heavy based pan of hot water onto the heat, add a good pinch of sea salt as this will season the pasta while it cooks.
  2. Once the water is boiling add your pappardelle, to tell when it is cooked the pasta will rise to the surface and of course feel free to taste to see if it has reached that beautiful al dente state, where the pasta has a little bite left within it.
  3. Cooking time should roughly be 5 minutes.
  4. Once the pasta is cooked drain off the water ensuring you keep some of the cooking water back.
  5. Stir in some healthy spoonfuls of your three cornered garlic pesto, portion off into pre-warmed artisan bowls, serve and enjoy with family and friends.

Three cornered garlic pesto

on By
0ad938f0-35f8-4ddf-96e2-d3f62e0f5e73

bfe1e6f8-862b-4dad-8e7e-43c347f28d64

89c125ad-42a2-4d01-8296-f146ea182c04

65c04f71-4293-4a25-81c7-fdda37e4697f

72643c07-a0df-4e60-8cc4-460d27f971ca

c54034ff-274b-41b9-a40c-bde4d94153fa

Ingredients
• 300 grams of wild three cornered garlic
• the zest of 1 lemon
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 100ml of good quality olive oil
• 200 grams of veggie parmesan cheese (finely grated)
• 60 grams of lightly toasted pine nuts
• Pinch of natural sea salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed and finely sliced)

1. To begin pick out any stems of garlic that may have been eaten or gone yellow, wash under cold water and pat dry in between two clean tea towels.
2. Using a very sharp knife finely slice your three cornered garlic as this makes it easier for the pestle and mortar to break down the three cornered garlic when making the pesto.
3. Next toast off your pine nuts, till they go a beautiful golden brown, as this helps to release natural oils and aromas which will impart into your pesto.
4. Next grate your parmesan finely, as you want the cheese to melt into the pesto and really disappear as you use parmesan as the seasoning in this recipe.
5. Place a pinch of sea salt into the base of your pestle and mortar along with half the three cornered garlic and beat to make a fine paste, next add in half your cooled toasted pine nuts and beat to make a ruff pesto.
6. Dilute the pesto with a touch of olive oil and begin to muddle. Add another layer of seasoning along with your remaining three cornered garlic, and crush again before adding in the rest of your pine nuts.
7. Next, add in your grated cheese and muddle again to combine, to finish add in your lemon zest and juice and muddle again.
8. Prepare your jam jars with hot boiling water as this will help to kill any bacteria which can encourage mould spores and therefore making your pesto go bad.
9. Decant your pesto into the cooled jam jars and fill to the top of the jars, top your pesto with a little olive oil as this will help to form an air lock.
10. Once filled label and store in the fridge for up to three months, as this is a high risk food item containing dairy.

Roasted Courgette, Aubergine, Cavolo Nero and Mature Cheddar Frittata

on By

9634691d-6e00-4d0e-a50d-6336d40eb61b0ed2c4f0-2054-4861-9851-6092dffd2c8a2827ac95-8b31-4177-9ad9-95c436a17d60196bd621-de0d-423f-bd99-225050223f1b5c8ee3d0-3732-4cf7-a175-b3d58c815f9af35cb253-3957-4cbc-b688-96264b6bf5abca952d95-349e-4503-9ffb-98a340fc6080b557624e-1557-44bf-a8aa-ed629f65363fc5514949-55a8-4359-98cb-3be206ca6607

The filling:

  • 8 large free range eggs
  • 1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch of pink natural sea salt
  • 300ml of semi skimmed milk
  • 1 handful of grated extra mature cheddar cheese
  • 1 banana shallot

1. In a large mixing bowl add your 8 large eggs along with your milk. Using a large balloon whisk, whisk your eggs and milk together till you have a smooth mixture.

2. Next, season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, when adding salt don’t add too much as you will be using grated extra mature cheddar which is naturally very salty anyway .

3. When grating your cheddar ensure to grate the cheddar on the fine side of your box grater, as this will help to transfer the cheese evenly through the savoury custard mixture.

4. Decant your mixture into a large Pyrex glass jug and place to one side, you can keep this out of fridge if you are using this immediately, otherwise place in the fridge in a clean container and then use within the next 3 days.

Roasted aubergine and courgettes
1. To begin, preheat your oven to mark gas 6.

2. Prick your aubergines with a paring knife and lightly oil them with good quality olive oil, now place onto a lightly oiled baking tray.

3. Bake in the oven till roasted golden and gorgeous, you want a little bit of burn on the edges, prick them once more with a paring knife, then when aubergines are popping they are cooked.

4. Allow to cool on a cold service or cool baking tray.

5. Wash your courgettes and then slice them into rings, add into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of natural sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

6. Place them onto a lightly oiled baking tray and roast in the oven at gas mark 6 until the courgettes are lightly golden and a little crisp.

To assemble:
1. Lightly oil a large glass Pyrex dish and add your roasted vegetables along with your chiffonade Cavolo Nero (with the middles of the leaves removed)

2. Add your Cavolo Nero to the egg mixture, along with your cooled courgettes, finely sliced roasted aubergine, and now add a finely sliced banana shallot.

3. Give it another hit of seasoning and then decant your mixture into the oiled tray. You want to ensure that the vegetables are covered in the egg mixture as this ensure that they cook evenly.

4. Place into your pre-heated oven and bake until golden brown and little crunchy (should take 45 minutes).

5. To tell when the frittata is ready, use a paring knife like you would with a cake and when the knife comes out clean it is ready!

6. Allow to stand for 10 minutes as this ensures that the cheese sets a little
and helps mould your frittata together.

Red Cabbage sautéed with yellow mustard seeds and brunoised apples:

  • 1 Bramley apple (washed and brunoised)
  • 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seeds
  • ½ of a red cabbage heart (washed and finely sliced)

1. To begin place a large saucepan onto a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil, once the pan has come up to temperature add your yellow mustard seeds.

2. Cook the yellow mustard seeds until they begin to pop and split as this perfumes the olive oil which the cabbage will be cooked in.

3. Then add in your brunoised apple and cook them out quickly, as you want to retain the juicy sweetness of the apple, which helps to cut through the creamy cheddar of the Frittata.

4. Next add in your red cabbage and allow to sauté on a high heat and until the cabbage is al dente, this will make for the best texture and flavour.
N.B. – by cooking a cabbage in this way you help to retain the colour, freshness and mostly importantly all the goodness.

5. Once the cabbage is ready and piping hot plate onto an artisan plate alongside your frittata and enjoy with a rich bodied Malbec or chianti.

The sautéed cabbage can accompany any meat or fish dish, it is of course entirely vegan perfect alongside pitta and hummus.

Enjoy stay safe and remain healthy
The Gourmet Gent.

Stay home and eat Ruby Murray

on By

ed88cb8a-d07c-4417-8a61-4ab7944925a3b493c829-22f8-4449-b389-42091cc3518abbcc6e43-f0d2-4d54-a0af-02432d90e90630b24cf5-0286-4c2f-8235-6a423eed9235a8ebbe51-713a-46e8-9eb7-a05d6b4e2a4838d26dc5-7aef-49b6-bc12-b38986823d82IMG_0903IMG_1204IMG_1530IMG_2881IMG_3691IMG_5327IMG_6803IMG_6861IMG_7118IMG_9761Coriander rice:
• 4 mugs of boiling water
• 2 mugs of brown rice
• Pinch of natural pink sea salt
• Coriander Stalks

  1. Ensure that you wash your rice before cooking.
  2. To begin place your two mugs of boiling water and brown rice into a medium saucepan, then add your pinch of natural pink sea salt along with your coriander stalks
  3. The method is called the absorption method, which means that you don’t have to drain any of the water out of your rice. The coriander stalks helps to perfume the rice lightly throughout.
  4. Remove the lid and allow the rice to steam gently once the rice is ready it should be al dente with a little bite to it, to finish the rice chiffonade your coriander leaves and stir through the coriander leaves.

Sautéed Red Cabbage with yellow mustard seeds:
• 2 heaped tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds
• Drizzle of olive oil
• ½ a red cabbage chiffonade
• 1 lemon Zest
• 1 lemon Juice

  1. In a medium saucepan add a drizzle of olive oil, then add your yellow mustard seeds allow them to pop and burst releasing their flavours and aromas.
  2. Next add your chiffonaded red cabbage with a pinch of natural sea salt to lay a base of seasoning, as this helps to release some of the cabbages liquid.
  3. Once the cabbage has softened and become al dente, add a touch of water to begin to lightly steam and cook your red cabbage till it becomes al dente.
  4. To finish add your lemon zest and juice to season.
  5. This cabbage dish is perfect to complement the curry and coriander rice as it is great carried of flavour.

Roasted broccoli and cauliflower vegan curry:
• 1 large onion (peeled and finely sliced)
• 2 banana shallots (peeled and finely sliced)
• 4 garlic cloves (crushed and peeled)
• A drizzle of olive oil
• Pink natural sea salt
• Leek Tops (finely sliced)
• Broc stalks (finely sliced)

Spices:
• 1 and ½ teaspoons of ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons of medium curry powder
• 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard seeds

Vegetables
  • 8 beef tomatoes (cut into quarters)
  • 2 heads of broccoli (cut into florets, roasted and charred)
  • 1 large head of cauliflower (cut into florets, roasted and charred)

Dried goods:

  • 1 can of cannelloni beans drained and washed
  • 1 can of green lentils drained and washed

Method:

 

  1. To begin prep your cauliflower and broccoli into florets and place into a pre-heated oven at 180 degree, drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
  2. Next in a medium saucepan add a drizzle of olive oil, once the pan has come up to temperature add your sliced onions, shallots and garlic to the oil. Alongwith a pinch of sea salt.
  3. Once the onion base is soft and see through, add your yellow mustard seeds, curry powder and turmeric, ensure that you cook the spices out, as they can taste bitter.
  4. Once the spices are all cooked out add your leek tops and broccoli stalk ensure that you cook the leek and broccoli stalk until al dente.
  5. Next to remove the cooked on flavour add your quartered tomatoes and allow them to cook down as they help to remove and deglaze the bottom of the pan, as this helps to impart another level of flavour.
  6. Increase the temperature a little and allow the tomatoes to gently cook and split.
  7. Check on your cauliflower and broccoli by roasting the cauliflower and broccoli with a little olive oil as this helps to give the vegetables a light nutty flavour.
  8. To finish your curry add your lentils and cannelloni beans to the curry as the curry is nearly ready and the beans are already cooked, allow the pulses to warm through along with your charred cauliflower and broccoli florets.
  9. To finish the curry add your trimmed green beans as they only take a couple of minutes to cook through, add your beans to your curry and allow the green beans to cook through.
  10. Cook the beans till they are al dente.

Serve along side your coriander rice and braised red yellow mustard seed cabbage, this is a great meal to prepare in advance as you can freeze and pack this curry away.

Meal Three: Potato, Leek and Broccoli Soup

on By

91889870_216114239483538_3029353666386591744_n91811168_1384010168467935_1463378705882546176_n90924816_769804590093844_6195915509062434816_n90942052_528495821198121_3660142885946261504_n90974628_144053503689567_5143390759080165376_n91493296_1051596828560753_8922329592870469632_n91191584_2776431365766953_8140965258069016576_n91208501_1049349382130493_2892026244625334272_n91370539_217162999346295_8811353685255782400_n91829780_221897375686784_6296194530043494400_n91421666_824233974756256_3032432363368873984_nVegetable stock:

  • 1 half of an onion (peeled and sliced)
  • 2 carrots (sliced)
  • 2 celery sticks (sliced)
  • Mushroom stalks and peel (from the Risotto dish)
  • Onion peel
  • Leek tops
  • 2 bruised bay leaves
  1. To begin place a large saucepan onto the heat, add your vegetables into the pan and lightly colour, as this results in deeper flavour and colour stock.
  2. Next cover with 2 litres of cold water along with some peppercorns bring the stock up to the boil. Then reduce a little.
  3. Allow your stock to simmer for at least 2 hours, this is quite a light stock as I didn’t want this to overpower the soup, rather carry subtle flavours.
  4. Then pass through a muslin and use accordingly as stated below in the recipe.

Potato, Leek, Broccoli soup
Base:

  • 1 Large white onion (sliced and peeled)
  • 3 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)
  • 1 large green chilli (sliced with the seeds left in)
  • 1 large banana shallot (peeled and sliced)
  • 2 celery sticks (washed, peeled and sliced)
  • 3 large carrots (peeled and sliced)
  • Broccoli stalk (washed and sliced

The main part of the soup:

  • 8 large organic potatoes
  • 3 large leeks (washed and sliced)
  • 1 head of broccoli (finely chopped)
  1. To begin place a large saucepan onto a medium heat, once the pan has began to gently warm add a drizzle of olive oil. Then add your base ingredients and allow them to steam and soften for a while.
  2. Add a pinch of natural sea salt and pinch of ground black pepper to form a base layer of seasoning for your soup.
  3. Once your base has softened and taken a little colour, add your peeled and sliced potatoes and cook them out, as these are the items which will thicken and add velvet texture to your soup.
  4. Add a little stock to deglaze the pan and to remove any of the cooked on goodness, which will help to enrich your soup, as well again adding another layer of flavour.
  5. Next add your finely chopped leeks and broccoli to the pan, increase the heat and cover with your vegetable stock. Cook until the vegetables are al dente and the potato slices have gone see through.
  6. Turn off the heat and taste to ensure that the seasoning is right. Then use a hand blender to blitz up, and now season, at this point to your personal taste, blend depending on how thick or thin you like your soup. You can always correct this by adding more or less of your vegetable stock.
  7. One last check to ensure the seasoning is correct, taste and pre-heat a fired earth bowl and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
  8. Serve alongside a selection of breads and thick organic butter, with a little pinch of pink sea salt.

Stay safe, relax and enjoy!
GG