Category: Seasonal

Ingredients

• 150 grams raw Devonshire beetroot
• 100 grams of carrot peeled and grated (on a fine grater)
• 80 grams of rolled oats
• ½ of pack finely chopped parsley
• ½ of pack of finely chopped dill
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Sunflower oil to cook the burgers

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.
2. To begin add your ingredients into a large bowl, mix with your hands, adjust the seasoning of the burger mix.
3. Shape into small balls
4. Lightly flour the outside
5. Allow to set in the fridge along with the flour this helps to ensure that your burgers don’t break up.
6. Place a large saucepan onto a medium heat, once the pan begins to lightly smoke add a dash of vegetable oil and allow to warm through.
7. Add your patties allow to colour on both sides until lightly golden brown and crisp place onto a lined baking tray.
8. Now place in the oven for 20 minutes until warmed through.
9. These burgers are a great healthy meal which are high in minerals and low in fat and most importantly VEGAN.

If you fancy something creamy to top it off…
Try my beer wholegrain mustard mayo:

Ingredients:

• 6 egg yolks
• A squeeze of lemon
• Cap of white wine vinegar
• 200 ml of cold pressed olive oil
• 200 ml of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of beer whole grain mustard

1. To begin separate your eggs into a large glass pyrex bowl, next add your lemon and white wine vinegar and a touch of sea salt, whisk to combine.
2. Next into a large jug add your olive oil and vegetable oil, whisk to combine again.
3. Now add this mixture into your eggs in a steady stream or otherwise you will oversaturate your yolks – if the mayonnaise becomes too thick either add some more lemon juice or ideally a little touch ofwater.
4. Taste and correct seasoning to your liking.
5. Decant into a clean jar and reserve in the fridge for up to three days if not for immediate use.

Proteins:

Free Range Chicken

1. Cut into sauté (a classical French cut for poultry made of 8 pieces) – leg, thigh, breast, wing, winglet x2 and French trim this means exposing the bone.
2. Place a large frying pan onto a medium heat, once the pan has began to lightly smoke add a little low flavoured oil.
3. Place your chicken into the pan away from you, I usually begin with the legs and thighs. Cook until golden brown and crispy, once at this point lay your chicken into a pre-prepared resting tray with fresh thyme and crushed garlic.
4. Repeat until you have coloured off your chicken pieces. For the breast, add a little crushed garlic and thyme, baste with foaming butter, once done lay under the breast to infuse and act as a trivet.
5. Place into the oven at 180 degrees and cook for 10 – 15 minutes, until cooked all of the way through and tender.

Roast chicken butter sauce:

1. To begin this sauce place your crown and under of the chicken into a baking tray, drizzle with a little low flavour oil and a touch of sea salt.
2. Roast on 180 degrees until golden brown and crispy, this is a great sauce to make use of the items which would otherwise go to waste.
3. Remove from the tray and place into a large saucepan. Deglaze the baking tray with a little white wine, once deglazed, add to the rest of the chicken into the saucepan.
4. Ensure that you cook off the wine or otherwise the wine will just take-over the sauce.
5. Once deglazed and ready, pass through a fine muslin and reserve in the fridge until you are just about to serve.
6. Reheat in a saucepan and emulsify with a little butter like you would as making a Beurre Blanc.

Pickled shallots:

1. In a small saucepan toast off 2 star anise and a teaspoon of mustard seeds. Once lightly toasted place into a pestle and mortar and crush lightly to release the essential oils.
2. Place this into 150 ml of white wine vinegar and bring to the boil, once at this stage add your peeled and sliced half moon shallots into the pickling liquor.
3. Cook until pickled and al dente.
4. Reserve in a sterilised jar until required later on at plating.

IPA braised shallot halves:

1. To begin this garnish sliced your shallots in half leaving the skin and root attached.
2. Place a large frying pan onto a medium heat once the pan has began to lightly smoke add a little low flavoured oil.
3. Next place your shallots cut side down and roast until lightly golden and brown.
4. Once at this point add half a bottle of IPA a reduce to glaze place a lid over the pan to create a little steam which in turn cooks your shallots.
5. Once ready remove the pan from the heat and bast over the reduced glaze.
6. Remove from the pan and place onto a large dinner plate to cool.

Braised Fennel Bulbs:

1. To begin slice two large fennel bulbs into 8
2. Place into a large baking tray and add sliced lemons, a little white wine, along with a little cold water.
3. Cook for 30 minutes with foil on top, until al dente or can be pricked with a paring knife. Once at this point remove the foil from the top and place in a hotter oven of 190 degrees to lightly colour until a little golden on the ends.
4. Reserve in the pan until required later on in the process.

Pescatarain option:
For the protein, re-place the chicken with sustainable sea bass

1. To prepare your fish using a sharp knife make small cuts along the back of the fish as this helps to impart heat and flavour ensuring you achieve the perfect crispy skin.
2. Place a large frying pan onto a medium – high heat, once lightly smoking and up to temperature add a little oil and place into the frying pan away from you (so that you don’t get splashed)
3. Cook until lightly golden and crispy (around 70 % of the cooking time)
4. Once cooked flip and baste with thyme infused butter.
5. Remove and place onto a piece of J –cloth as this helps to absorb any excess cooking oils or butter.

To plate:

1. Onto pre-warmed artisan plates lay your fennel to the left of the plate
2. Next add your IPA braised shallot and then lastly your perfectly pan seared fillet of sea bass.
3. For your chicken carve with the grain and lay onto the right of the plate, to finish add your chicken butter sauce and serve.
4. Offer your guests some bread as that butter sauce is just to0 good. GG
5. Serve with a cold crisp bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

For your base:

• Slice 2 carrots 
• Peel and slice 2 onions
• Slice 2 celery sticks
• Bay leaves 
• Peppercorns 
• Star anise 
• Coriander seeds 
• White wine to deglaze 

When purchasing Pork ensure that you buy British, sustainable, free-range pork – not only for animal welfare but most importantly the British farmers, which rear and look after these animals.

1. In a large saucepan add a drizzle of olive oil, once the pan has began to lightly smoke add in your vegetables allow to softened and colour a little as this will help to impart flavour and depth to the stock. 

2. Once the vegetables have cooked through, deglaze with a little white wine. Once deglazed add in your aromats and allow to infuse – you want to cook out the alcohol from the white wine or otherwise this will taint the taste of cooking liquor. 

3. Before cooking your ham hock, wash the ham to remove any excess salt or debris. Ham hocks are known as a lesser cut of meat, also going by the name of pork knuckles. 

4.Place your Ham Hock onto the base of your vegetables this is also known as a trivet, this helps to impart the flavours into the ham hock whilst it is cooking. 

5. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil, then allow to simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes until the ham hock is cooked all of the way through; the way to tell, is that the bone should pull away with no resistance. 

6. Once the ham hock is cooked allow to cool in the liquor. 

7. You can keep the stock from the ham hock to make a delicious onion and bacon soup. 

For a pescatatrian option serve with a fillet of sustainable pan served Cod, once the fish is pan seared, baste with lemon thyme infused butter. 

Creamed Leeks and three corned garlic leaves:

• 5 large leeks washed and trimmed – finely sliced 
• 60 ml of double cream 
• 2 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard 
• Black pepper 
• Pinch of sea salt 

1. To begin place a medium sized pan onto a low heat. Add a dash of olive oil, once the pan is up to temperature add in your leeks and allow to sweat a little with the addition of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. 
2. Once the leeks are cooked through and soft, add in your cream along with two heaped teaspoons of wholegrain mustard. 
3. Allow the cream to reduce a little as this helps to coat the leeks. 
4. Once the leeks are cooked through and ready, serve into a pre-warmed bowl. 
5. Creamed leeks are a great addition to this dish as they are classic with both pork and pomme puree. 

Pomme Puree:

1. Peel 800 grams of red ruby mashing potatoes, place into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. So that the potatoes cook quicker and more evenly, ensure that you cut them into equal pieces and add a pinch of salt. 
2. Place onto a high heat, once the pan has come up to a boil, reduce to a simmer and poach for 12 minutes, until they can be pricked with a paring knife. 
3. Once the potatoes are cooked and ready drain and allow to steam, as this helps to ensure for a smoother silky pomme puree. 
4. Return back to the pan add butter and milk, now mash until you have a smooth mash potato, for best results you can use a drum sieve as this helps to remove any lumps from your potato. 
5. But don’t over work the potatoes are otherwise they will be gluey. 

To plate serve onto a pre-warmed artisan plate, begin with the pomme puree, then top with the creamed leeks and to finish add your ham hock and serve with a crisp glass of pinot. 

Nudi is a traditional Italian dish, which is taken from Northern Italy, Tuscany they are sometimes referred to as naked ravioli.

For your Nudi you will need:

• 1 kg of sheep’s milk ricotta cheese
• 70 grams of parmesan cheese
• Zest of one lemon
• Pinch of natural sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ freshly grated nutmeg

1. To begin your nudi, place the sheep ricotta into either a piece of muslin cloth or fine sieve and allow to hang for at least 30 minutes as this helps to remove some of the moisture from the cheese. But also helps the cheese to firm up a little. Allow to hang in your fridge over a metal Pyrex bowl.
2. Once the cheese has hung place it into a large fired earth bowl along with your grated Parmesan cheese, freshly picked lemon thyme, lemon zest, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and lastly your nutmeg.
3. Using your hands mix together until all of the ingredients have been combined, once at this stage TASTE.
4. To finish your nudi, decante 1/5 bag of semolina into a large bowl, also have a little bowl of warm water to wash and wet your hands, as this helps to form and smooth the edges of your nudi. You should have perfect round balls.
5. Form your balls of nudi into about the size of a cobnut, as you want them to be two mouthfuls at most.
6. Once you have shaped and coated your nudi balls allow them to rest on the semolina coated tray in the fridge for 2-3 hours. They can remain in the fridge for up to three days.

Sauce:

For your nudi you want to create a sage and butter emulsion…

1. Place a large saucepan onto a medium heat as you need a lot of room to warm these nudi up without breaking them.
2. Place half a packet of butter into the pan along with 200 ml of water as you want the water and butter to form your sauce.
3. To infuse the sauce break up sage leaves, for a difference of texture place a small pan of olive oil onto the heat.
4. Once hot and lightly smoking add your sage leaves, allow to crisp up for 10-15 seconds and place onto a j-cloth covered tray to drain.

To serve:
Place 6-8 of your nudi onto a pre-warmed artisan dish, to accompany this dish serve along side warmed olive bread, olives and balsamic vinegar.

To begin the remoulade…

Mayonnaise:

• 4 free range egg yolks
• 2 heaped tablespoons of wholegrain mustard
• ¼ pint of vegetable oil
• ¼ pint of olive oil
• Dash of white wine vinegar
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

1. To begin your mayonnaise separate 4 free range egg yolks, then add a heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and a dash of white wine vinegar.
2. Next add a squeeze of lemon juice and add your oils in one steady stream, if the mayonnaise gets too thick you can add a touch of water to let the mayonnaise down.
3. To finish, season with sea salt and black pepper and reserve in the fridge until required later on in the process.
4. For your heritage carrot and cumin remoulade wash and peel 3 large purple white and red carrots, top and tail them, then using the julienne attachment on your Japanese mandolin cut your carrots into long strips.
5. Place into a large serving bowl, gently season with sea salt as this helps to firm up the texture of your vegetables removing a little of the moisture.
6. Season with black pepper and freshly toasted cumin seeds, mix with a little of the mayonnaise just to bind and then finish with a squeeze and zest of lemon juice.

For your Mackerel:

1. For your mackerel, gut fillet and pin bone your mackerel, make small cuts along the back of the fish, as this benefits the fish in two ways; even seasoning and even cooking.
2. For even seasoning lightly season the fish in a three part brine, this is three parts salt to water. Rest in the brine for 15 minutes, wash the fish under cold running water to remove the brine as the fish will become to salty and over brined.
3. To cook your mackerel line a baking tray with tin foil, place your mackerel fillets facing up and griddle for 10-15 minutes until the mackerel is perfectly cooked and the skin a light golden brown.
4. Remove from the grill, to finish squeeze over a little lemon and some freshly cracked black pepper.

To Plate:

Lay a spoonful of your heritage carrot and cumin ramoulade onto the base, next top with your freshly grilled mackerel fillet and a drizzle of cold pressed olive oil.

‘I love this dish for two reasons the first being the array of textures which it delivers the fresh crunch of the carrot coupled with the soft flakes of gridled mackerel flesh’ – The Gourmet Gent

 To accompany this dish… the GG’S warming wholegrain fennel salad:

1. To begin this dish in a small saucepan of boiling water place ¼ of bag of wholegrain rice to three cups of water, allow to cook until the rice has absorbed the water, through cooking grains and pulses like this you ensure that they are perfectly cooked and tender.
2. Next add two cups of wholegrain couscous , into a bowl along with three cups of boiling water and a drizzle of olive oil and half a lemon. Once cooked season with a touch of sea salt and black pepper.
3. To lift this dish, using the Japanese mandolin finely slice your fennel bulbs reserve the shoots of the fennel as they give the dish a perfect fragrance and delicate notes.

Refreshments
My take on a Saint Clement’s…

1. In a large jug squeeze and zest three lemons and limes
2. Add crushed mint leaves and the bruised stalks as this helps to refresh your taste buds and compliments the dish.
3. To finish add some ice cold lightly carbonated water and pour into chilled glasses.

Serve and enjoy with family and friends.

Basic Mayonnaise:

• 4 egg yolks
• 2 heaped teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• ¼ pint of vegetable oil
• ¼ pint of olive oil
• Dash of white wine vinegar
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Lemon Zest
• 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.

To finish off your Tartar sauce, add 1 finely diced banana shallot, 150 grams of curly chiffonade parsley, 2 crushed garlic cloves that have been pureed, add all this to your basic mayonnaise and stir to combine.

Next warm through an artisan loaf of olive bread, wash and dress lambs lettuce with a little twist of lemon, olive oil and sea salt.

To star of the show… for this open chefs sandwich, when buying fresh fish ensure that you buy local and sustainable.

1. For your mackerel, fillet and pin bone two large mackerels. Using a sharp knife make small incisions along the back of the mackerel as this helps to open up the fish to even cooking and seasoning.
2. Place onto a foil lined tray and then under the grill for 10 -15 minutes, until the skin has gone a beautiful light golden brown and the fish is perfectly cooked.
3. To serve slice your olive bread into three, spread the tartar sauce onto the base of your sandwich and top with the lambs lettuce.
4. Then remove the skin from your mackerel and break on top.

This is a quick and easy dish is ideal for lunch or a light dinner.
Featuring bespoke GG printed tea cloths kindly gifted from my Auntie!

Cornish Cod Al Forno, blackened tomato and basil sauce, garnished with finely chopped chives.

For the sauce you will need:

• 80 grams of finely chopped rosemary
• 80 grams of finely chiffonded sage
• 2 large banana shallots finely sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves crushed
• 8 grams of vine tomatoes
• Olive oil
• White wine
• Finely chopped chives for garnish

1. To begin this dish place your cherry tomatoes into a large gastro tray, drizzle with olive oil.
2. Then season with sea salt and black pepper, roast in the oven until softened and golden. By cooking them on the vine you maintain that greenhouse note to the dish.
3. Next place a heavy bottomed pan onto a medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, once the pan is warm add your sage, rosemary and allow the essential oils to perfume the oil.
4. Next add your crushed garlic and finely sliced shallots, cook until soft, tender and a little golden.
5. Next add a small glass of white to deglaze, ensure you cook out all of the alcohol, use a wine which compliments the dish such a pinot, or Sauvignon Blanc with their light citrus notes.
6. Remove your tomatoes from the oven, click them off of their vines and add to the sauce. You can blend the sauce at this point but I like the rustic chunkiness as it gives the sauce both body and texture.
7. To finish the sauce, adjust the seasoning, add a little more olive oil for gloss and shine. Allow to cool then decante into four fired earth dishes ready for your cod.

The Cod

Always try and buy sustainable line caught fish when possible, for this dish you will need 4 perfect 80-gram portions.

1. For even seasoning and to firm up the fish a little brine the fish in 100 grams of Maldon with crushed bay leaves.
2. Once brined fro 15 minutes, wash off the brine under cold running water pat dry and place into the four fired earth dishes with the skin facing up.
3. The way to tell when they are ready is that the skin will just peal off or using a cocktail stick it should come off with no resistance at all.
4. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes at 180 degrees, once cooked remove from the oven place onto a wooden board.
5. Sprinkle over finely chopped chives as they give the dish a light onion note, enjoy with rosemary crusty bread and a glass of White Wine.

Hasselback potatoes

1. Wash 16 Charlotte potatoes
2. Put 8/9 vertical cuts into the potato, only slicing half way into the potato
3. Place onto a tray, drizzle with olive oil, crush 8 cloves of garlic and strip 2 sprigs of rosemary
4. Season with salt and black pepper, rubbing this into the cuts of the potato, the salt will draw out a little moisture making them more crispy
5. Place in the oven and roast for 10/15 minutes until golden brown, pierce with a cocktail stick, if it glides in they are done!