Category: Everyday meals

Wednesday Granola

on By

27046296_2024352594475325_2080403380_o26972676_2024352524475332_880716524_o27018683_2024352687808649_1164112930_o27018038_2024352591141992_1873638514_o26972288_2024352631141988_1227592924_o27018388_2024352541141997_841128746_oIngredients: 

  • 10 grams of grated nutmeg
  • 250 grams rolled porridge oats
  • ½ Maldon sea salt
  • 20 grams toasted sunflower seeds
  • 20 grams chopped almonds
  • 20 grams flax seeds
  • 20 grams poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Runny Honey (extra for drizzling)
  • 10 grams crystalized ginger – roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp. of coconut oil
  • 10 gram sultana
  • 1 egg white
  1. To begin this healthy vitamin packed snack pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees and weigh and prepare all of the ingredients as stated above.
  2. Next gently heat your runny honey and organic coconut oil in a small saucepan, pour into a large mixing bowl along with the oats, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, Maldon sea salt, cinnamon and flax seed.

Fact: Flax seeds are packed full of important vitamins and minerals, which help the growth of healthy hair and nails, also flax seed is known to be an ancient grain which is linked with well being.

  1. In a separate glass bowl using a balloon whisk, meringue your eggs whites until they achieve stiff peaks, add to your oat mixture.
  2. Now place your mixture into a pre-lined roasting tray, which has been lined with baking parchment, place into your oven for 45 minutes.
  3. Once cooked give your granola a quick mix, at this point add your dried fruit, cook for further 15 minutes until the oats have gone a light golden brown.
  4. Turn down the oven and allow it to cool, as you want your oats to cluster together, offering both texture and crunch.
  5. You can mix this up your own way and explore with new flavour combinations!

Featuring local honey from The Beehouse Honey Company, sourced from Richmond’s Farmer’s Market, get in touch beehousehoney@gmail.com

The GG

Lemon Tagliatelle with Antipasti and stone baked baguette

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Clean, elegant and beautiful celebrating the essence of fresh pasta.

Lemon Tagliatelle:

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.

While the pasta rests its ANTIPASTI TIME:

For my antipasti I wanted to celebrate the freshness that grilled peppers and sundried tomatoes, with a little lemon can give to a dish. Although this is not a seasonal dish the beautiful thing about using jarred grilled peppers and sun dried tomatoes is you can use them all year round.

Ingredients:

the zest of 1 lemon

8 sundried tomatoes – (julienne cut)

2 grilled bell peppers – (julienne cut)

6 basil leaves – (chiffonade cut)

10 grams of toasted pine nuts – chopped roughly

2 raw garlic cloves – pureed

1 glug of olive oil

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 glug of sundried tomato oil

You want your ingredients to be relatively rough as they offer both different textures and dimensions to the dish, but most importantly if you are going to be eating these with a warm artisan loaf you want a more rustic antipasti.

  1. To assemble place all your prepared ingredients in to a large artisan bowl, muddle with a little olive oil and sundried tomato oil again. The amount you choose to use comes down to personal preference, as some people prefer looser or thicker antipasti.
  2. Place into the fridge until it is required later on (allowing time to infuse)
  3. To transform this antipasti you can add a little grated hard Italian cheese of your choice as this delivers both a creamy texture but also acts as a subtle seasoning.

Time to cook the tagliatelle:

Just before cooking your pasta place your sourdough baguette, into a pre-warmed oven of 180 degrees, to form that crust gently spray the bread with a little cold tap water, as this helps to the build up a little moisture.

  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. As this is a beautiful light and subtle dish with hints of lemon, infuse your cooking water by placing half a lemon into the water, as the lemon comes up to the boil it will infuse and perfume the cooking water. The starchy water forms the base for the moist sauce.
  3. Once the water is boiling add your tagliatelle, 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.
  4. Cooking time should roughly be 5 minutes.
  5. Once the pasta is cooked drain off the water ensuring you keep some of the cooking water back.
  6. To form your sauce in the pan add a good glug of olive oil, 25 grams of grated parmesan, the juice and zest of one lemon and of course the star of the show; the cooking water, as this gives the sauce a beautiful depth and silkiness.
  7. Bowl off into pre-warmed artisan bowls, to garnish add a fresh basil leave, serve and enjoy with family and friends.

Pan seared fillet of Hake served with aromatic pay lentils, toasted walnuts, rosemary pesto and honey roasted heritage beetroot and carrots

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Serves Four People:

For the Vegetable stock:

  • 1 white onion – peeled, fine dice
  • 1 large carrot – washed, peeled and fine dice
  • 1 Celery stick – washed, peeled and fine dice.
  • Rosemary stalks
  • 1 bay leave bruised
  • White pepper corns
  • 150 ml White Wine
  • 5 litres of cold water

To begin the  beautiful aromatic vegetable stock, weigh out and prepare all of the ingredients as stated above.

  1. In a large heavy based pan add a dash of olive oil, once the oil has came up to temperature add your vegetables, sauté until golden brown as when making any stock base colour equals flavour.
  2. Next add your herbs, for this I am also using the stalks from the rosemary as they release a beautiful perfume to the stock, this woody herb is the star ingredient in this classic dish.
  3. Along with your white pepper corns, add your white wine as this deglazes the pan, removing all of that cooked on goodness which will enrich and flavour the stock, cook the wine off a little as otherwise all your stock will taste of will be alcohol.
  4. Add your cold water, and allow to come to the boil, once you have reached this stage, allow to stand for a minimum of 2 hours to allow all of the ingredients to infuse.
  5. To finish the stock pass through either fine muslin or Chinoise, skim off any excess fat and reserve to one side for later.

For the base of pay lentils:

  • 500 grams of pay lentils
  • 1 banana shallot diced
  • 1 white onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves fine diced and then pureed
  • Fresh thyme (5 sprigs)
  • Dash of olive oil
  • Knob of softened butter

To begin the Pay Lentils weigh and prepare all of the ingredients as stated above.

  1. To begin this classic French dish of braised lentils, in a heavy based range master pan add a dash of olive oil along with a knob of softened butter, once the butter is lightly foaming add your shallot, garlic, onion and thyme, reduce the heat and allow to sweat until they go soft and translucent, this will take roughly 30 minutes.
  2. Once the base is ready add your 500 grams of lentils and cook them off a little, then add enough of your vegetable stock just to cover, as you can add more later on if needs be.
  3. Place on a medium to low heat with the lid on and allow to cook, what you are looking for is a beautifully cooked lentil which is tender and al dente.

Honey Roasted Vegetables:

  1. I chose to use heritage varieties of carrot and beetroot as they offer a different dimension to the dish in both flavour and colour. To celebrate these beautiful legumes I decided to roast them in a little olive oil, thyme and of course locally sourced sustainable honey.
  2. In two heavy based trays drizzle lightly with a little olive oil, and place into the oven to warm, when preparing fresh vegetables most of the important vitamins and minerals can be found in the 4 mm thick skin, so don’t peel them as you are effectively loosing this. Now wash them under cold water, dry the beetroots and cut into quarters, leaving the baby carrots whole. Place into the tray with 4 sprigs of oiled thyme.
  3. Cook for 30 minutes first at 180 degrees celcius, then remove from the oven drizzle with honey along with a little Maldon and black pepper, return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
  4. To check if they are cooked pierce with a paring knife, there should be a little resistance but the knife should easily go all of the way through.
  5. Make sure to check how your lentils are getting on.

Roasted walnuts:

  1. Place a heavy based frying onto a high heat, once the pan is up to temperature add 12 walnuts to the pan, roasting for about five minutes.
  2. Then remove from the heat and whilst they are still warm decant into a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skin.
  3. Put aside the peeled walnuts into a little bowl until they are needed later.

Rosemary and walnut pesto:

  • 60 grams of picked rosemary
  • 60 grams of roasted and peeled walnuts
  • Dash of olive oil
  • 20 grams of grated parmesan
  • Pinch of Maldon
  1. To begin this fresh pesto, weigh and prepare all of the ingredients as stated above.
  2. Then into a marble pestle and mortar, add your walnuts and crush, at this point it really comes down to personal preference; as some people prefer a chunky pesto or a fine pesto.
  3. Add your rosemary and bash to release the natural oils.
  4. If needed add a little olive oil
  5. Add your Parmesan and mix together, season and reserve to one side until it is required later on.
  6. Check your carrots, Beetroots and Lentils:

Don’t Hake the P@£%

4 fillets of sustainable Hake:

To ensure that the fish is beautifully cooked, cook it for 80% of the time on the skin and 20% on the top flesh and now allow for resting.

  1. Place a heavy based frying pan onto the heat, add a little olive oil and a knob of softened butter.
  2. Allow the butter to colour and foam a little, then place the hake portions into the pan away from you, ensuring you leave a gap between each as this allows the pan to regain its temperature resulting in even cooking.
  3. To ensure that your fish is cooked perfectly the Gent uses the 12 o’clock rule; think of the pan as a clock and place each hake fillet clockwise around the pan this way you know which order they entered the frying pan.
  4. Ensure that the skin is golden and crisp, flip over to quickly cook the top flesh, remove from the pan and allow to rest in a warm place.

To plate: 

Pre- heat an artisan plate, onto which lay a bed of the bruised lentils, next place your fillet of hake on top, then add 4 quarters of the your honey roasted beetroot along with 6 whole baby carrots garnish with the roasted walnuts and lastly drizzle the pesto over the skin of the fish.

Serve and enjoy with a glass of good white wine..

Sauvignon Blanc

Pinto Blanc

White Rioja

Burgundian Aligote

Gypsy Eggs

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Ingredients:

  • 1 banana shallot finely sliced
  • 1 white onion finely sliced
  • 1 punnet of chestnut mushrooms – half finely sliced, the other half quartered
  • 500 grams of jersey royals –part boiled and then finely sliced
  • 4 sun dried tomatoes
  • 1 large roasted bell pepper
  • 4 medium free range eggs
  • Olive oil

To begin this versatile dish weigh and prepare all of the ingredients as stated above.

  1. To begin this dish part boil your new potatoes, to test whether they are cooked, pierce with a paring knife, drain and allow to steam.
  2. Heat a large frying pan, once up to temperature add your new potatoes along with the finely sliced onion and shallot. Cook until they are lightly golden, as colour equals flavour.
  3. Next add your mushrooms, for an extra mushroom hit use the stalks, slice in half and add in as well.
  4. Allow your mushrooms to cook until they are just tender, season with freshly ground black pepper and Maldon sea salt.
  5. To finish, crack four eggs into the pan and place under the grill to cook, once cooked add your tomatoes along with your pepper.
  6. Quickly flash the pan on the hob.
  7. To serve, portion up onto pre-warmed plates ensuring that you don’t break the yolks, enjoy with a mug of freshly ground coffee and buttered sourdough toast.

Hail Caesar

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Chicken Caesar Salad:

Ingredients:

Mayonnaise:

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 heaped teaspoons of Dijon mustard
  • ¼ pint of veg oil
  • ¼ pint of olive oil
  • Dash of white wine vinegar
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Freshly cracked white pepper
  1. To begin the mayonnaise, crack four eggs into a clean bowl and separate the yolks from the white, discard the whites and the shells. Next add four heaped teaspoons of Dijon mustard and a dash of white wine vinegar.
  2. In a separate jug mix together the vegetable and olive oil, add to the egg yolk mixture in a steady stream ensuring that you whisk constantly or otherwise the mixture will split. The secret to a silky mayonnaise is to take your time.
  3. To finish the mayonnaise, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and season to taste with a pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper.
  4. Reserve in the fridge until it is required later on in the process.

Caesar Dressing:

  • 2 ml of semi skimmed milk
  • Your freshly made mayonnaise
  • Six anchovy fillets finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic pureed
  • 5 grams of freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • White pepper
  1. To create the best Caesar dressing, into your freshly made mayonnaise from earlier, add the semi skimmed milk, finely chopped anchovy fillets and the pureed garlic cloves. (To puree the garlic cloves finely dice the cloves of garlic, next using the back of your knife and a little sea salt to create an abrasive surface press down ensuring that you mind your fingers and rub to create a white paste) by pureeing the garlic it helps to release the natural oils and helps to give a smooth consistency.
  2. To finish the dressing, add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and if needed a little more seasoning although, Parmesan is a very salty hard cheese so season accordingly.

To create the classic Caesar:

By purchasing a whole free range chicken firstly you are able to complete the quality control checks which consist of dry skin to touch, no aroma and lastly the chicken skin should be firm and pulp.

Prep and French trim a chicken breast, the term French trim means to expose the bone offering a more appealing product once plated. (Find the step-by-step photos of me breaking down the free-range chicken for sauté as I didn’t want to waste the other cuts, classily this will consist of two breasts, two thighs, two legs, and two wings.)

How to cook the perfect chicken breast every time:

  1. Firstly place a heavy based frying pan onto a medium heat once the pan is up to temperature, add a generous amount of creamery butter. Allow the butter to colour a little as this helps to deliver a beautiful nutty flavour.
  2. On a separate plate or ideally a red raw chopping board, season all over with freshly cracked white pepper and sea salt. Add the chicken breasts skin side down and allow to cook until a beautiful golden brown, as colour equals flavour. To finish the chicken place into a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes until the core temperature has reached 75 degrees.

Garnish and salad:

  1. 6 Cos leaves
  2. Four anchovy fillets
  3. Grated parmesan
  4. Freshly made croutons
  5. Caesar Dressing

To create the perfect croutons, firstly select the correct bread, for me it has to be a sourdough loaf, slice into equal squares or for a rustic feel rip it up, to transform these into the perfect croutons add a little sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, garlic cloves, lastly lemon thyme and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tip into an oven proof dish a cook until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately whilst warm and crisp.

Salad time:

  1. Wash 6 cos salad leaves, under cold water, pat dry to remove a little of the water or otherwise this will result in a watery Caesar dressing. Next add two heaped tablespoons of the freshly made Caesar dressing onto the leaves and don’t be shy to use your hands, as they are a chef’s best tools!
  2. Once all of the leaves are liberally coated, arrange on an artisan plate. To finish the salad, slice your chicken breast into three pieces and place on top whilst warm. To garnish add some anchovy fillets a little sprinkle of grated parmesan and lastly freshly made bad boy croutons.
  3. Serve and enjoy with family and friends.

The GENT.

Honey Roasted pumpkin, ricotta cheese ravioli with toasted walnuts, pumpkin pieces, and sage beurre noisette, finished with truffle oil hints.

on By

23897272_1998298913747360_462201462_o23847755_1998298903747361_897929930_o23897265_1998298907080694_741059471_o23897197_1998298873747364_1174849548_o23960744_1998298800414038_820584347_o23847791_1998298847080700_1913553721_o23897044_1998298783747373_1569840283_o23960907_1998298860414032_757721707_o23848006_1998298797080705_1610650065_o23848063_1998298790414039_2003964097_o23847747_1998298823747369_1548397260_o23874189_1998298840414034_843348046_o23847050_1998298837080701_1496621642_o23897448_1998298960414022_1752524924_o23847992_1998298947080690_1781026292_o23848142_1998298933747358_1950054204_o23897246_1998298923747359_999204769_oIngredients needed for the pasta dough:

  • 300 grams of OO 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.
  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 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, 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 enable 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.
  9. Once you have reached this stage allow to air for a minute. Using your cutter cut out the shapes once cut place onto a floured large dinner plate as this helps to stop them from sticking together.
  10. Wrap with cling film and rest until it is time to fill.

Honey roasted pumpkin, ricotta cheese ravioli filling:

  • 1/8 pumpkin peeled
  • 15 grams of drained ricotta cheese
  • Little salt
  • Freshly cracked black Pepper
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees.
  2. Weigh out 15 grams of ricotta cheese (to remove the excess moisture from the cheese, place into a fine sieve over a bowl and reserve in the fridge) the excess moisture can ruin the mixture and also make your pasta parcels explode.
  3. To prepare the pumpkin remove the skin, seeds, membrane and white piff as this is bitter and not very nice to eat, once the pumpkin has been prepared cut into equal size chunks, as this will ensure for even cooking.
  4. Place into an oiled ovenproof Pyrex dish and place in the oven for 30minutes.
  5. Once the pumpkin has been cooking for 30 minutes, season with sea salt, pepper and add a drizzle of honey reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees and cook for a further 30 minutes until the pumpkin is golden brown, sweet and tender.
  6. To check the pumpkin pieces are cooked grab a knife and if you can easily pierce them remove from the oven.
  7. Using a potato masher mash the pumpkin, allow to cool, once cooled add your ricotta cheese and mix to incorporate.

Honey roasted pumpkin pieces:

  • 1/8 pumpkin which has been peeled, sliced and deseeded
  • Olive oil
  1. To begin place a large frying pan onto a medium heat.
  2. Slice each pumpkin piece to the thickness of your thumb, as they cook they will reduce in size so want them to still have structure and offer a different texture dimension.
  3. Once the pan is up to temperature add a little olive oil and allow to heat, the secret to achieving the perfect roast is a very hot pan.
  4. Place each of the pumpkin slices into the pan and allow to cook on one side until they are a beautiful golden brown, this should take thoroughly around 10 minutes, but just keep checking.
  5. Once golden and beautiful place onto a large baking tray and drizzle with runny honey and reserve to one side until they are required later on in the process.

Time to fill:

  1. Remove your cut pasta pieces from the fridge.
  2. For this dish each person will have three portions of ravioli, place your pasta pieces out onto a pre-floured service.
  3. Using a small teaspoon fill each of pasta parcels, ensure that you don’t over fill them or otherwise they can break or explode once they hit the water.
  4. To seal pinch the centre of the pasta so that the filling stands proud, gently press the edges down with your finger to seal you may require a little cold water to do this.
  5. Once filled reserve in the fridge until later.
  6. For this dish you will need 20 individual ravioli portions.

Toasted walnut Halves:

  • Walnuts
  1. Place a large frying onto a medium heat, allow to get hot.
  2. Once up to temperature add your walnuts keep them on the move as nuts and seeds catch very easily. By warming the walnuts you help to reseal their beautiful natural perfume and essential oils.
  3. Once roasted carefully decant into an artisan bowl until required later.

Action Stations – Multi tasking to the max:

Ingredients breakdown:

Wilted Spinach

  • Washed baby spinach
  • Softened Butter
  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • Grated nutmeg

Sage Beurre Noisette

  • Picked sage leaves
  • Knob of softened butter

Cooking of the Pasta

  • Sea salt
  • Boiling Water

Heating the pumpkin pieces.

  • Runny Honey

Method: 

  1. Place a heavy bottom range master pan onto a medium heat, once warm fill with cold water add a pinch of sea salt and allow to boil.
  2. Drizzle the pumpkin pieces with a little more honey, place into a pre-warmed oven of 150 until they are warm and caramelised.
  3. In a fine colander wash half a bag of baby spinach, place into a salad spinner to dry.
  4. Pick the leaves from the sage stalks.
  5. Place two large frying pans onto the heat allow to warm, once warm add your pasta to the pan of boiling water, cook for 10-15 minutes or until they float to the surface.
  6. In this time you can make your sage beurre noisette and wilt your spinach.
  7. Once the pans are warm add your butter allow to melt a little; add your spinach to it’s pan as the heat will wilt the spinach naturally.
  8. In the other pan now for the beurre noisette; allow the butter to colour a little until a light golden brown, add your sage leaves allow to fry and go crisp once at this stage remove from the heat.
  9. Season the spinach with sea salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
  10. Pre-warm 8-10 artisan bowls.
  11. Remove the pumpkin pieces from the oven; along with the pasta ensure that the pasta is al dente and beautifully cooked reserve on a j-cloth until service.

SERVICE!!!!

To plate lay out the artisan plates on each of the plates lay a bed of wilted spinach in the centre of the plate. Next lay on three pieces of roasted pumpkin so that it makes a star; and now lay three beautiful ravioli’s on top of the wilted spinach. In the gaps lay a roasted walnut. Pour over your sage beurre noisette and to finish drizzle over the white truffle oil along with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

The beautiful aspect of this dish is that each of elements compliments the next ensuring you receive a dish of varied textures which come together to create a picture of a fresh cold autumn day.

Wine Pairing: due to the rich complexity of this dish I would pair it with a red from Bordeaux as this is the home of the Truffle.

The Gent.

Beef Chuck Casserole

on By

23379562_1991372674439984_2074668326_o23423714_1991372667773318_1999698323_o23432386_1991372677773317_2131279299_o23432639_1991372664439985_1460988346_oThe cut of meat which I chose for this winter warming dish, is the chuck, which is a primal cut from the forequarter of the cow and includes the shoulder, neck and upper arm muscles. As this is a piece of meat which requires a lot of slow cooking to release its goodness and become more tender.

The difference between a stew and casserole is easy to distinguish, a stew is cooked on the stove, whereas a casserole begins on the stove and finishes in the oven to complete its cooking.

 The stock: For those of you who live busy lives and don’t have the time to make this stock you can alternatively use 1 litre of boiling water from the kettle and three OXO Cubes.

  • Veal bones roasted in the oven for an hour
  • Carrots roughly chopped
  • White onions roughly chopped
  • Celery roughly chopped
  • Red wine
  • Cold water
  • Black pepper corns
  • Bay leaves
  • Thyme sprigs
  1. To begin the stock, place the veal bones into a large roasting tray and roast in a hot oven for one hour, as you want to make a dark stock in this case colour equals flavour.
  2. Whilst the bones roast, in a large range master pan heat a little olive oil once the pan is up to temperature add your roughly chopped vegetables and leave them to catch on the bottom of the pan. Ensure that you move them a little as you don’t want to burn them but caramelise and release their natural sweetness.
  3. Once the vegetables have reached a beautiful golden brown, deglaze the pan with one third of a bottle of red wine add this in gradually over the caramelising process, this way it means the alcohol burns off leaving a beautiful rich flavour begin.
  4. Remove the bones from the oven and carefully place into the pan, ensuring you don’t allow any of the fat to enter the stock. Give the bones and the vegetables a quick 15 minute blast on a high heat. Deglaze with a little more red wine. Add the bruised bay leaves along with the thyme sprigs and whole black pepper corns.
  5. Then add cold water to cover, then bring to the boil and leave for as long as you possibly can as this way you extract all of the goodness from both the bones and vegetables. As you will not be eating the vegetables afterwards.
  6. Once boiling reduce to a rolling boil for at least 2 hours.
  7. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  8. Once cool remove the bones and discard of them, then drain the stock once through a very fine sieve and then a second time through muslin as this ensures all of the impurities are removed leaving behind a beautiful rich stock.
  9. As for this recipe you only need one litre of stock, place the strained stock back onto the heat and allow to reduce. By completing this reduction you just increase the flavour.
  10. Once reduced remove from the heat decant into a glass pyrex jug, and reserve for later on in the process.

The Gents Classic Chuck beef casserole:

Ingredients:

  • Chuck beef Diced
  • 1 large turnip – Washed , peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 large parsnip – Washed, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 large carrots – Washed, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 large white onion – peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 large red onion – peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 punnet of button mushrooms – stalks removed and halved
  • 1/3 bottle of good quality drinking red wine
  • 2 sticks of celery – washed, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 leeks – washed peeled and roughly chopped
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
  • Tablespoon of plain flour
  • 2-3 Bay leaves bruised
  • Thyme sprig
  • Dash of medium quality of olive oil
  • 1 litre of the freshly made stock.

For this dish it is tricky to portion control but roughly it should feed 4 – 6 people but it can feed one man for a week! To begin this winter warmer of a dish prepare all of the ingredients as outlined…

  1. Place a large cast iron pryex casserole pan onto a medium heat with a little olive oil, whilst the oil warms in a clean bowl place your diced chuck beef along with one tablespoon of plain flour, freshly ground black pepper and sea salt use your hands to combine ensure that all of the meat is covered as this acts as a natural thickener along with the gelatine from the bones.
  2. Pre- heat your oven to 150 degrees, as you want it to be piping hot when the casserole enters.
  3. Once the all of the meat is covered place it into the casserole dish and allow to cook until coloured and caramelised once at this point remove from the pan and place into a clean artisan bowl until required later.
  4. Deglaze with a little of the red wine, to remove all of the cooked on goodness as this theatrically forms the base for your rich intense gravy.
  5. Now add all of the vegetables along with the bruised bay leaves apart from the button mushrooms as you will add these just before it goes into the oven. Allow them to colour a little and release their natural sweetness. Once again deglaze with a little more red wine and allow the alcohol to cook off.
  6. At this point add the seared chuck back into the casserole dish and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add your bad boy stock so that it just covers the contents of the casserole pan, add your mushrooms and allow the content of the pan to come up to the boil before placing it into the oven.
  7. Season with freshly cracked black pepper, a little sea salt and lastly add your fresh thyme sprigs place on a tight fitting lid.
  8. Place into a pre-heated oven at 150 degrees for roughly 1 hour and a half. To test if the casserole is ready test each piece of vegetable along with a piece of chuck to make sure that it is beautiful and tender.

To serve: Ladle into pre-warmed artisan bowls, serve with sea-salted butter and a fresh loaf of bread. Enjoy in front of an open fire with a good quality glass of red wine.

The Gents Recommendation: Go for a bottle of red Burgundy wine from Bordeaux.

Roast Fillet of Cod with a three bean Tuscan casserole garnished with micro herbs and garlic and lemon thyme croutons

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Ingredients:

  • 6 Large Tomatoes concasse
  • 1 Punnet golden cherry tomato’s
  • 1 Cap of white wine vinegar
  • 1 Large Shallot diced fine
  • Dash of olive oil
  • 10 basil leaves siffonde
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Zest of one Lemon
  • Cod Loin portioned into 4 equal portions (you can ask your fish monger to pin bone and portion this up for you)
  • 2 tins of mixed beans – for the best results soak your own bean mixture ideally overnight so that they are ready to go.
  • Garlic Cloves
  • Lemon Thyme
  • Sourdough Bread

For the Tomato Concasse:

  1. To begin the Tuscan beans, start by making a tomato concasse. To do this place a pan of lightly salted water onto the heat. To prepare the tomatoes remove the stalk and make a small cross in the base of each of the tomatoes as this enables even cooking but also gives you a lip to peel back once the tomatoes are ready.
  2. Next fill a large glass bowl with cold water, then add some ice cubes as you want to stop the cooking of the tomatoes as soon as they leave the pan or otherwise they will be overcooked.
  3. Once the pan is up to temperature, gently place the tomatoes into the water using a slotted spoon ensure that you do this away from you or otherwise the boiling water can splash up and burn you.
  4. Cook the tomatoes for 10 minutes or until the skin has just began to pucker and blister. This indicates that they ready to be removed from the water.
  5. Plunge into the bowl of cold water to refresh.
  6. Once cool working tidily, remove the skin and deseed the tomatoes disposing of any waste. Once all of the seeds have been removed, slice first into a juilienne and then a brunoise the key of a tomato concasse is to deliver a subtle tomato freshness.
  7. Place into a clean bowl and reserve in the fridge until required later.

 

Mixed beans: you have two options using pre-washed and cooked tinned beans which is fine, but for the best results soak and cook your own. My three beans would be Butter, Borlotti, Cannellini and kidney beans.

Cod Time:

  1. For the Cod I’d recommend that you use sustainable line caught, Cornish if possible as you are getting a better quality product as well as supporting British fisherman.
  2. Using a sharp chef knife and blue chopping board portion up the cod, for this I brought a loin which was already pin boned. Portion the cod into equal portions as this helps with cooking times but also looks more presentable when you are serving to a large group of people.
  3. Once the cod is prepared reserve in the fridge until it is required later on in the process.

Additional Prep:

  1. Wash and halve the cherry plum tomatoes
  2. Finely dice the shallot
  3. Zest and Juice one large lemon
  4. Siffonade 10 washed leaves of basil with the stalks removed.
  5. Garlic and Lemon thyme sourdough croutons – to make these beautiful croutons tear up a loaf of sourdough, place onto a oil tray then hit it was crushed roasted garlic, lemon thyme, olive oil and lastly freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt.

Tuscan bean casserole:

  1. To begin the Tuscan Bean casserole, place a large pan onto a medium heat once the pan has come up to temperature, place a good dash of olive oil into the sauce pan and allow to warm for roughly 30 seconds. Then add your finely diced shallots allow to cook without any colour as you want them the perfume and flavour the oil so don’t BURN THEM.
  2. Next add the cherry tomatoes and allow to cook a little the most important aspect of this dish is that you want to be able to see the tomatoes, as they give a new dimension and texture.
  3. Deglaze with one cap of red wine vinegar allow the vinegar and alcohol to cook off once this has been achieved add your mixed beans along with a good glug of olive oil.
  4. The key now is to keep the beans ticking over whilst you finish off the other elements.

Cod Cooking Time:

  1. To cook the cod place a large frying pan onto the heat along with a knob of butter and little olive oil, once the pan is up to temperature and the butter turned a beautiful golden colour. Place your cod fillets in one at a time as this allows the pan to come up to temperature between each therefore offering equal cooking. When cooking fish to ensure that you don’t over cook it place them around the pan in a clockwork motion so that you can easily identify when each is ready.
  2. Once they have reached a beautiful golden brown and the skin crisp place them onto a lined baking tray to finish cooking in the oven for 5 minutes.
  3. At this time you want to place your croutons in and make the finishing touches to your three bean Tuscan casserole. With the addition of the juice and zest of one lemon a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, sea salt and lastly that beautiful fresh siffonade of basil as the heat from the pan will gently wilt releasing its natural oils perfuming the dish. Taste once ready remove from the heat.

To Plate:

Pre-heat some artisan Plates, Place a generous spoonful of the Tuscan bean casserole onto the plate next place the beautiful cooked fillet of Cornish Cod, lastly finish by placing four lemon thyme and garlic croutons onto the plate, with a drizzle of basil oil.

Serve with a cold bottle of Waitrose’s Perry cider and enjoy with family and friends

Lentil Spag Bol

on By

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Ingredients:

  • 1 punnet chestnut mushrooms – duxelle
  • 3 Carrots – washed, peeled, brunoised
  • 2 celery – washed, peeled , brunoised
  • 1 White onion – peeled, brunoised
  • 1 Shallot – peeled, brunoised
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • Tomato Passata
  • Tomato puree
  • Lemon Thyme
  • Fresh basil siffonade
  • 500 grams of Dried Green lentils – pre soaked and cooked
  • ¾ bag of Whole Grain Pasta
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Natural pink sea salt
  • 1 cap of red wine vinegar
  1. In a heavy based range master pan, add a dash of olive oil once the pan is up to temperature begin to gently cook off the finely diced shallots along with the mixture of brunoised vegetables consisting of finely diced carrot, white onion and celery, cook until a light golden brown.
  2. Roughly 15 minutes
  3. To deglaze and release all of that beautiful cooked on goodness, add one cap of red wine vinegar and allow both the alcohol and vinegar to cook off.
  4. Next add the finely chopped chestnut mushroom along with one teaspoon of tomato puree – ensure that you cook this out or otherwise it will make the whole dish taste bitter. The addition of the chestnut mushroom duxelle is to give the sauce a meaty consistency, but also helps to boost the level of protein and essential vitamins and minerals.
  5. Add one tin of chopped tomatoes and one carton of tomato passata, next add your 500 grams of green lentils and allow to simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.
  6. While that ticks over, cook the brown whole wheat spaghetti in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes.
  7. In which time the pasta will be al dente which means soft to eat, but it should still have a bite to it and a subtle firmness. Drain with tongs and add to the lentil mix ensuring you keep some of that lovely salty starchy water.
  8. Toss the lentil and pasta, mix together season generously with cracked black pepper and pink sea salt, loosen with cooking water if required.

Texture Time !!!!!

  1. Before serving quickly make a beautiful breadcrumb consisting of fresh lemon thyme, freshly grated vegan hard cheese and cracked black pepper. To make this gently heat a little oil in a medium sauce pan, once the pan is ready gently toast off two handfuls of bread crumbs until they are light and golden while they are still warm, hit them with fresh lemon thyme hints and grated cheese decant into an artisan bowl ready for serving.
  2. Portion off into pre-warmed bowls and sprinkle over the beautiful herby, cheesy breadcrumbs offering a different dimension in terms of texture.

 

Eggs Florentine topped with cheese and mustard Mornay sauce

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Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs per person
  • Three quarters of a bag of spinach
  • 1 ½ pint of semi skimmed milk
  • Five pepper corns
  • Two bay leaves bruised
  • One shallot halved
  • Sea salt – pinch
  • Freshly cracked black pepper – 2 turns
  • English Mustard – two teaspoons
  • Grated Cheddar cheese – 10 grams
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • White wine vinegar

Equipment:

  • Medium pan
  • Large pan
  • Measuring jug
  • Teaspoon
  • Cheese grater
  • Zester
  • Whisk
  • Sieve
  • Spider
  • Large bowl filled with ice water
  • Le creuset dishes
  • Chopping board
  • Chefs knife
  • Bread knife

Serves 4

For the wilted spinach:

  1. First wash three quarters of a bag of British spinach. Place into a salad spinner to remove the excess water.
  2. Now put a heavy bottomed pan onto the heat once up to temperature then add a knob of softened butter, once the butter has melted and gently foaming add the bag of freshly washed spinach, leave on the heat for roughly one minute remove from the heat and allow the residual heat from the pan to gently wilt the spinach.
  3. Toss with your hands to wilt further, once cool strain any excess moisture from the spinach season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
  4. Place in individual oven proof dishes, ready for the next steps

Caution the pan will be very hot so please be careful.

For the Mornay Sauce:

  1. Start to make a basic béchamel by placing a heavy based pan onto the heat add two pints of milk half an onion, 2 bay leaves, cloves and lastly black peppercorns, bring up to a rolling boil once boiling remove from the heat, allow to cool and infuse.
  2. Strain the milk, and return into a clean Pyrex jug.
  3. Next for the roux, start in a heavy based pan melt a knob of softened butter and add 2-heaped tablespoons of plain flour and mix. Ensure that you cook out the flour from the roux mixture.
  4. Add the milk in a gentle stream, whisk until the béchamel is lump free and creamy, and season with sea salt and white cracked pepper.
  5. To transform this béchamel to a Mornay sauce add a good handful of rich mature cheese and two teaspoons of Colman’s English mustard, return back to heat to melt the cheese so that it is pale and creamy.

Time To Poach!!!!

  1. Fill a medium saucepan up with cold water add a cap of white wine vinegar and place onto the heat.
  2. Once the water has reached a rolling boil place a teaspoon into the water to produce a twister, once this has been achieved crack two medium free-range eggs into the pan. (N.B. You should aim for a teardrop shape, as this looks more professional making sure the egg yolk is soft and creamy.)
  3. Poach for roughly 2.5 minutes is being served immediately but 1 – 2 minutes if being served later
  4. Then using a spider remove the eggs and place into cold water to refresh and stop the cooking process.
  5. Next remove the eggs from the cold-water cut to shape and then place on top of the wilted spinach in your individual ovenproof dishes.
  6. Lastly pour over the Mornay sauce so that it coats the poached eggs and evenly sprinkle over a little extra mature cheddar cheese.
  7. Place under the grill to melt the cheese but also allow the Mornay to go a golden brown (gratinate).

The great aspect of this dish is if you are busy all day just prepare it in the morning leave it in the fridge, and once your home you have your own Gourmet meal.

Serve with fresh warm artisan bread.