Category: Seasonal

Flower power ready to drink

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As the season of elderflower is well and truly underway, it’s a natural paradise for gardeners and chefs alike – elderflower cordial is the perfect addition to a cocktail or soft summer drink. Also pictured is my elderflower vodka which has been infusing since last season!

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Fridge Raider

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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.

Roasted Courgette, Aubergine, Cavolo Nero and Mature Cheddar Frittata

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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.