Preparation time 10 minutes the night before, 30 minutes on the day of cooking. Cooking time approx. 4 hours

Ingredients: (serves 4)

3 whole oxtails (ask your butcher to trim the fat from the tails)
225g medium sized red onion, chopped
200g stalks of celery, chopped
200g leeks chopped with 1 clove of garlic
100g beef dripping
400g tomatoes, chopped
A sprig of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf and a good tablespoon of chopped parsley
600ml red wine
1000ml good beef stock

Method:

1. The night before the dish is to be cooked, separate the tails by cutting through the digits (only use the thick ends of the tail as the thin ends can be frozen for the day you want a homemade oxtail soup).
2. Marinade the pieces of tail in the red wine and some of the stock to cover it all. Cover with cling film and leave in a fridge overnight.
3.The next day pre-heat your oven to 200C.
4. Remove the tails from the marinade and season well with freshly ground black pepper.
5. In a large pan, fry the tails in the dripping on both sides until golden brown, then drain.
6. Fry all the vegetables in the same pan with the tail residue until soft.
7. Add the tomatoes and the herbs and cook at a simmer.
8. Replace the tails and the rest of the stock and cover with a lid, braise for three hours.
9. Remove the tails from the sauce and rest to one side. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a separate pan to keep warm.
10. In the original pan reduce the marinade down to about a pint then add it to the sauce.
11. Remove any residual fat from the surface by skimming, and test for flavour and consistency.
12. Replace the tails and simmer gently (when the meat is falling away from the bone, it’s ready to serve).

A serving suggestion would be to place two tail pieces on each plate with some of the sauce, some crushed buttered potatoes and roasted root vegetables.

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Sea Bass is at its best in the spring months, and line-caught off the west coast will be the best; however it does come at a
cost. So, if you can, get your fishmonger to fillet and pin bone two sea bass weighing in at about 700g each, which have come from a farm.

This dish should only take 5-7 minutes to cook through. Very quick and very simple with all the ingredients complementing one another.

Ingredients: (serves four)

2 fresh sea bass, filleted and pin boned
Half tsp shallot purée
100 grams unsalted butter
100 mls Ricard or Pernod
Half tsp caraway seeds
Olive oil, salt and pepper
12 poached asparagus spears
12 roasted cherry tomatoes

Method:

1. In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the butter with a little olive oil
2. Place the fillets in the butter, skin side down for about three minutes
3. Turn the fillets (be very careful) onto the flesh side for a further three minutes
4. Remove the fish and keep warm
5. Add the asparagus to the butter and heat through
6. Present the fillets to the centre of a dinner plate with the asparagus tips
7. Add the shallot purée to the butter and cook for one minute
8. Add the Ricard. Be very careful as it is very flammable
9. Burn off the alcohol and add the caraway seeds
10. Place the roasted tomatoes on the plate
11. Pour the butter sauce over the fillets and serve

A top tip when cooking fish like this would be to keep the pan moving in a circular motion when the fillets go in. This will prevent the fish from sticking. This could be served with crushed Jersey Royal potatoes. Enjoy.

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Ingredients:

The tart:
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
200g pot of ricotta cheese (drained of its water)
1 crushed clove of garlic
Cracked pepper and coarse salt (to taste)
1 small egg
1 bunch of basil

The glaze:
Fresh ground nutmeg (1 pinch)
1 pkt of ready made filo pastry (there are some things we simply have to cheat with!)
100g of melted butter

The rocket salad:
1 bunch of good peppery rocket
1 pre- roasted red pepper
5 roasted baby tomatoes
Fresh parmesan shavings
Virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

1. Coat inside of ring mould or quiche ring approx 9-10cm diameter with butter.
2. Using two pages of the pastry, gently push into the ring, leaving rough edges protruding. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Cover bottom of small pan with water and steam spinach until soft. This will take only seconds.
4. The spinach must be cooled very quickly with ice; this will help keep its vibrant green colour.
5. With a blender, whizz the ricotta cheese and cooled spinach until soft. Add the egg and whizz again. Add all the other herbs and seasonings, ensuring all ingredients are bound together.
6. With a spoon, push the mixture into the pastry case taking care not to break the protruding pastry. Paint the pastry with a little butter.
7. Place the tart into a preheated oven at 190C (Gas mark 5) for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, the salad can be rolled in a bowl using all the ingredients except the balsamic vinegar glaze.
8. Place the salad in a neat pile on a plate to one side.
9. When your tart is just beginning to brown, it can be removed from the ring and served alongside your salad. Finish with parmesan shavings and a drizzle of the balsamic glaze.

A really cold crisp Chardonnay will be delicious with this dish to go with the green earthy taste of the spinach and to cut through the creamy cheese.

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Make some interesting salads in the morning to save time later.

Creole mint cabbage salad

Very finely sliced white cabbage with thin batons of celery, finely sliced green pepper, a couple of teaspoons of mint sauce with a pinch or two of sugar. If you like a kick add some Tabasco and cayenne. All mixed together in a bowl, covered and in the fridge. Easy.

Roasted vegetable and blue cheese pasta salad

This can be vegetables of your choice but Mediterranean veggies are best. Sweet pepper, aubergine, courgette, red onion, tomato and garlic, all chopped and mixed with some olive oil, then roasted in a hot oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool, and mix in a bowl with cooked pasta (penne is good) blue Stilton, salt and pepper and a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Put plenty of freshly chopped parsley on the top. Another salad sorted!

Tomato and mozzarella salad with avocado

Use the best plum tomatoes you can find. English are fantastic from June to September. Slice them and arrange them on a large plate. Along the centre of the salad arrange slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella with torn basil. Peel and dice the avocado then roll it in a separate small bowl with lemon juice, then cover. At serving time you can place the avocado on the salad with some good olive oil.

A couple of meaty ideas

If you’re using wooden skewers soak them in water over night. This will stop them from burning.

Marinade some chicken breast meat in sweet chilli sauce. Add to your skewer with some cherry tomatoes and lime wedges. Try to cover most of the skewer.

Mix pork fillet with soy, ginger, garlic, five spice, soft sugar and hoisin. Cooked slowly wrapped in foil over the cool side for about 15 minutes. Then unwrap and colour for a further five minutes. Slice it thinly. This goes well with the cabbage salad.

Finally, try to cook for longer and more slowly than you think. Don’t keep moving the food about; just turn it once or twice. Never buy food that appears to have come from Mars. Remember – anything can be done on the barbecue. You can get a solid iron plate for eggs, you can wrap fish cakes in foil. Just use your imagination but, more importantly, be safe.

Happy barbecue-ing.

To Feed 6:
2 cupped handfuls of arborio rice
1 handful of squid rings
1 small onion
1 handful of clam meat
3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 handful of mussel meat
1 thinly sliced red & green pepper
2 handfuls of tiger prawns
Approximately 1 ltr of fish stock
3 shredded chicken legs
Pinch of paprika, salt and pepper

To Start:
Allow your pan to warm gently on the stove while softening the onions, garlic and peppers.
Add the chicken and sear the edges.
Add the rice and coat with all of the “so far” ingredients.
Add the stock in dribs and drabs, so the rice can absorb it in its own time. Don’t rush this part.
When the rice is coming together, much like a risotto, it is time to add the fish.
Stir until the fish has lost its crunch. Add any seasoning.
Turn off the heat. Open some more wine and ask your guests to help themselves.

This is a very social and very easy dish, and involves little preparation with a great end result. However, as with any rice dish, it must be treated with the utmost respect; if you forget the rice while it needs you, it will punish you.

Sangria: 1 bottle of rioja + half a bottle of soda water + 1 cut orange +some brandy + some grand marnier.

Cheers ... now where’s the cheese board?

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This should feed four hungry people.
4 lamb shanks
8 baby carrots
4 sticks of celery (peel the outside)
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
150g Swiss chard (or spinach)
4 baby leeks (or spring onions)
2 small cups of raw fresh peas
4 anchovy fillets
2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary
A half-bottle of drinkable dry white wine
Half a litre of chicken stock

Using a thick bottomed casserole pan, heat it gently on top of the stove.
Dice the carrots, onion, garlic, celery and leeks very finely.
Roll the shanks in a little olive oil and brown them all over in the pan. Add the diced vegetables and soften.
Pour in enough wine to cover the vegetables, add the same amount of stock. Add the herbs with some salt and pepper, and also the anchovy fillets. Add the peas.
Place the lid on the pan and cook at 175C (Gas mark 3/4)for two-and-a-half hours.

Five minutes before the lamb has finished cooking, wilt the chard or spinach in some salted water. This can go to the plate with a little cracked pepper with one of the shanks.

Then correct the consistency of the broth remaining in the pan. It should resemble a thick soup. Pour the vegetables over the shank and serve to those hungry mouths.

Some of you may think that the anchovy is a strange thing to add to a dish like this but it is an integral part of the seasoning and will dissolve during the cooking process. This adds a very Italian quirk to the dish.

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The Pastry (you will need a 20cm flan ring)
500g sieved plain flour
200g sieved icing sugar
250g diced butter
Two egg yolks
Grated zest of one lemon
Splash of water

MIX the flour and sugar, then gently rub in the diced butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and zest. Make it into a dough-like consistency (add water if need be). Leave in the fridge for about one hour.

Roll out the pastry to about 1/2 cm and large enough to fill your flan ring. Push the pastry well into the ring and flute, but do not trim the top edges. Line the ring with greaseproof paper and add some baking beans or rice kernels.

This will need to baked blind for about 10 minutes in an oven set at 180C (Gas mark 4). This is when you would trim the edges of the pastry.

The Filling
Eight eggs
Three large lemons (200 ml juice required)
350g caster sugar
1 tbsp double cream

BREAK the eggs and mix with the sugar, then whisk until smooth. Finely grate the lemons into the mix. Add the juice and the cream, keeping it smooth.Pour the mixture into the pastry case and cook for about 20-25 minutes at about 200C (Gas mark 6).

The tart should be removed while it is still slightly soft in the centre. Allow to stand and cool. Dust with some icing sugar and caramelise with a blowtorch when serving. Always serve it at room temperature.

I promise this will be one of the best desserts you will have created.

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Ingredients (serves four)
500g venison saddle (have your butcher trim any fat or sinew)
Half butternut squash (peeled and thinly sliced)
3 King Edward potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced)
Half an onion finely chopped
250g kale (blanched and refreshed)
40g garlic butter
20g goose or duck fat (lard can be used )
500ml good chicken stock
200g mixed wild mushrooms
150g finely chopped onion, celery and carrot
Sprig thyme and 1 garlic clove
250ml red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of nutmeg

Method
Mix the stock and garlic clove with the thyme leaves. Layer the potato with the squash in a small but deep roasting tin. Pour over the stock until just covered, season and cover with tin foil and bake for about 1 hour (until soft) 175ºC /gas 3-4.

Meanwhile, season the meat and brown in a hot pan with a little of the duck fat. Remove from the heat and allow to rest with the remaining duck fat. With the garlic butter, gently sauté the wild mushrooms then add the kale with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Keep this warm.

The sauce can now be made by sweating the chopped onion mix until golden brown in a little olive oil. Add the red wine and reduce until the mix is just covered. It should be slightly sticky. The meat should go into the oven for about 10 more mins. At the same time the foil should come off the potatoes and the butter put in blobs over the top of them.
Return the potatoes to the oven with the meat (10 mins) Gently warm the kale and mushroom mix. Strain the sauce into a jug.

The meat will come out to rest while serving the potato onto the plate with the kale and mushroom beside. Slice the venison neatly onto the potato in a fan. Carefully spoon the sauce around the dish and serve.

Top tip: This dish is all about the timing – be careful. The potatoes can take up to an hour and a half while the venison will only take about 20 mins (don’t forget the resting times as it is very important). The kale and mushroom will take 10 mins as will the sauce.

Good luck as this is a fantastic autumn dish.

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Ingredients
2 fresh rabbits (ask your butcher to clean and cut the rabbits
into 6 pieces)
2 medium sized carrots
1/2 head of celery
1 large onion
1/2 leek
2 bay leaves and sprig of fresh thyme
2.5 litres good chicken stock
50 gms plain flour
1/4 jar thick-cut orange marmalade
1 tablespoon butter

Method
First of all turn your oven on to 175˚C / gas mark 4. Place the rabbits into a roasting tin and roast until golden
brown. You may use a little oil to help this process along. It takes about 25-30 minutes.

While these are cooking; the vegetables can be roughly chopped.

Remove the rabbits from the oven and allow to cool. Take a large cooking pot (one that can take 3.5 litres). With the butter, cook the vegetables in the pot until golden brown. Remove the vegetables and add the flour, enough to make a paste. Cook until the flour and butter (roux) is golden brown. Very gradually add the stock to the pot keeping a low heat.

Finely chop the cooked vegetables (or blitz) and add to the stock. Pick the rabbit meat from the bones and add to the stock. Stir in the marmalade, as little or as much as you wish. Now add the herbs and correct the seasoning.

This can be served straight away or cooled and kept in the fridge for up to three days.

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To start: Smoked salmon and sea kale
Smoked salmon is widely available these days and very affordable, and sea kale can be ordered from a good greengrocer; it is similar to asparagus, just trim the ends off and blanch. It is in season between January and March.

Once you have blanched the sea kale just toss in a little lemony olive oil, lay 3 or 4 pieces on a plate then drape as little or as much smoked salmon as you like over it. Sprinkle with a little cracked pepper and some rocket leaves. Easy!

Method
Lamb seems, so far, to have escaped the recent price increases while the price of beef has rocketed due to the Brazilian endemic foot and mouth situation.

Ask your butcher to “French trim” the lamb racks and to separate them into three bones per portion.
Select whatever vegetables you prefer including potatoes. My suggestion would be carrots, courgettes, tomatoes, red
onion, garlic and sweet peppers. Parboil about four new potatoes per portion.

Roughly dice all of the vegetables and the potatoes then roll them in a little olive oil with a sprig of rosemary and thyme. Place the vegetables in a roasting tray. Lay the lamb racks on top of the vegetables which have been lightly seasoned. All of this preparation can be done in advance.

Just before you prepare the salmon starter for your guests you can, to coin a phrase, “Slam in the lamb” with the vegetables obviously, and cook in the middle of your oven at about 180° – 200°C, gas mark 6 or 350°-400°F. This will only take about 25 – 35 minutes.

You could have a sauce or gravy with this dish but why complicate things? Maybe a little homemade mint sauce.

If I was going to take wine with this dish I would suggest a very cold Riesling to cut through and yet complement the salmon. Then a Pinot Noir from any region, but, Tasmanian is my current favourite. This isn’t as overpowering as some and will work well with the fattiness of the lovely lamb cutlets.

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Ingredients
500-750g mixed fish (tuna, cod, mackerel, salmon, whatever)
250g bag mixed pre-cooked seafood (prawns, mussels,
clams etc. or lobster !)
1/2 litre fish or chicken stock
1 good glass white wine
800g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato puree
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 large chopped onion
2 large chopped carrots
3 chopped sticks celery
1 medium chopped leek
2 bay leaves, a good handful of basil, a good handful of chopped flat leaf parsley.
1/2 tsp saffron threads. These can be expensive so are not always included.

Method
Firstly allow your fish to defrost overnight in the fridge.

Slowly sweat down all the chopped vegetables in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the wine, tomatoes, stock and purée. Allow this to simmer slowly. Add the herbs (save some parsley for the garnish). This should now be taking you back to the south of France with its fabulous flavours.

It’s now that you can add the fish (not the already cooked shellfish). This will take about 10-15 mins at a slow simmer.
Now you can add the seafood cocktail and cook for a further 2 mins.

Check for salt and pepper and serve into a terrine. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley, then everybody around the table can eat Provençal style with big chunks of white bread rolls.

If you fancied a little drop of the old vine? Some may say a powerful drop to match the strong flavours of the Provençal,
but I feel a refreshing wine would work very well and be a perfect partner to the bouillabaisse. Try a Spanish Torres
Rosé, that’s my tip.

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Ingredients
Take 1 trimmed lamb loin
Cracked black pepper and sea salt
1 pinch of chilli flakes
About 6-8 chopped black olives
4-5finely chopped anchovy fillets
A good pinch of thyme, rosemary and oregano (mixed together)
1 large glass of red wine 250ml

Method
Place all the ingredients into a large freezer bag and gently massage everything into the lamb. Allow to marinade for 20 minutes or so.

Heat a pan with a little oil and sear the lamb for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer into a pre heated oven fat side up at 190ºC/375ºF/ gas mark 5 for about10-12 minutes. Allow to rest for a further 5 minutes (resting the meat is very important as it allows it to relax)

During the resting period put the pan back on the heat and reduce most of the wine (I always like a little for tasting
purposes obviously). This in turn will start to resemble a thin sauce with all the meat juices.

Slice the lamb into small medallions and arrange onto a plate, the sauce can then be dressed onto the lamb. Serve with a few warm new potatoes with lots of butter and fresh spinach turned into them. Fantastico!!

Primitivo classico will give a soft yet spicy red wine to compliment the gorgeous tender lamb with the spinach.

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Method
First, pull any remaining meat from the carcass and place to one side. Place the carcass in a large saucepan and fill with water (2 litres). Bring this to a simmer with 8 peppercorns, 2 carrots, 1 leek, 2 bay leaves, 1 bunch of parsley (this is making the stock).

Peel and dice 1 large onion, 2 large potatoes, 4 sticks of celery, 2 carrots. Gently sweat the diced vegetables in a separate large pan with a little butter until soft. Add the stock through a sieve to the vegetables. Simmer
for 1 hour.

The vegetables will slowly thicken the soup giving it the correct consistency. This is where you can season the soup
to your own preference, also adding some chopped parsley at this stage, along with the meat from the carcass.
How simple was that?

This can be enjoyed by everybody at any time of the day. I like to take it in a flask as an alternative at a picnic, but I am a touch mad.

To “wine” on about the soup, it’s always a grey area as to which wine to drink. I would always go for a very cold Riesling, nothing too dry, or even a fortified wine, such as a chilled medium sherry. Give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised!

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Ingredients
4 blade steaks (8oz / 200g)
½ bag baby spinach
1 pint (500ml) good beef stock
3 large carrots
1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf
3 large parsnips
½oz plain flour
1 tbs honey
½oz butter
1 tbs grain mustard
1 tsp tomato puree
Glug of olive oil
4 large potatoes (mashed)
1 large glass red wine

Method
One full blade will feed up to 10 people, so ask your butcher to cut you as many steaks as you need. This recipe will feed
four people. The blade is cut from the flank.

Place the seasoned steaks into a hot ovenproof dish so they are seared on both sides. This can be done on the stove top. Pour the stock and the herbs on to the steaks, so they are covered by the liquid. This can now be covered by a lid or foil and placed in a moderate oven at 175C/350F/Gas 3-4 for three hours.

During this time, you can peel the vegetables and cut them into chunky fingers; this helps to give the dish a rustic feel. Season well. Roll the veg in the mustard, honey and oil. Place in a separate oven dish ready for later.

When the beef has become tender and falls away quite nicely (approx 2½ hours) it is time to put the vegetables into the oven for about 20-30 minutes, depending on how well cooked you want them. Now the mashed potato can be made and kept warm. Remove the beef and allow to rest in its juice.

A quick sauce can be made by gently mixing the flour and butter in a thick bottomed pan until there are no lumps (it should resemble putty). Remove this from the pan and add half the wine (you might want to drink the rest). Reduce the wine by about half and slowly whisk in the putty mix. Now add the tomato purée. Next gradually add some stock from the steak dish until the required consistency is achieved. This is a very basic red wine gravy.

Now it’s time to dish up. Stir the spinach into the root vegetables then place on the plate with a serving of potato.
The beautifully tender steaks can now go at the side carefully dressed with the gravy. Served with a good glass of full strength French Fleurie.

This is an affordable and conscience-free meal for you to enjoy with your friends and family alike.

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Method
Take one tail end of fresh salmon and the same of white fish (haddock or cod). Place the fish on a baking sheet with a small diced onion, half a teaspoon of crushed garlic and a pinch of black pepper. Bake in a moderate oven 175C/350F/gas 3-4 for about 15 minutes.

Remove the fish and allow it to cool in a large bowl. At this stage, add 150g/5oz of either fresh crab meat or a small tin of crab meat. Then add a good handful of chopped coriander and a diced cooked pepper. (Tinned peppers are ideal for this job.) Add a tablespoon of Thai sweet chilli sauce. Gently fork all these ingredients together with a whole egg and two tablespoons of breadcrumbs.

The mixture can now be patted into the size that you require (squash ball size for a starter or scotch egg size for a main,
whichever you like.) These can go back in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes or even the microwave for a while (different power microwaves have different cooking times, so consult your instructions).

Meanwhile “back in the kitchen”, take a carrot and cut it into matchsticks, and half a red pepper, half a courgette, four baby corns, a quarter of a leek and eight mushrooms. All the vegetables should be cut the same way as the carrot. Stir fry all of these vegetables, keeping them crunchy (this will only take about two minutes in a hot wok).

Add to the vegetables approx. 300g/10-12oz of ready cooked noodles stirring gently, a good handful of bean sprouts and two tomatoes cut into four. Now finish with the zest and juice of a lime, a good handful of coriander, a tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce and a splash of soy sauce.

Serve this immediately in an attractive pile next to your fish cakes and garnish with a decent wedge of lime.

I think that a really cold bottle of Thai beer goes well with this as it has a very dry finish to it, helping with the strong coriander and chilli combination.

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Ingredients
1 fillet of natural smoked haddock (finnan is the best if you can get it)
2 free range hen’s eggs
2 bay leaves
4 black peppercorns
Half a chopped onion
500 ml (18 fl oz) milk
50g (1.75 oz) butter
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp grain Dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
Seasoning to taste

Method
First cut the haddock in half and place into a sauté pan with the milk, bay leaves and peppercorns. Scatter the onions in, cover with a lid and bring to a gradual simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

Carefully remove the fish and keep warm on a plate On the back of the stove have a small pan of water with a
splash of vinegar in it slowly simmering. Remove the bay leaves and the peppercorns from the milk. In a separate thick-bottomed saucepan slowly melt the butter. Add the flour and make a basic roux.

On a slow heat stirring continuously, gradually add the warm poaching milk until a smooth silky sauce is achieved
Add the mustard, parsley and season to taste (be careful not to add too much salt as the fish will be naturally salty)
Pour the sauce over the fish.

Whisk the pan of water to create a vortex and crack into it the egg. It will sink to the bottom and then wrap itself in its own white. This will cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Place the egg on top of the fish and serve immediately. Add a touch of cracked pepper and a show of chopped parsley.
What more can be done to this perfect meal on a cold wet morning, afternoon or evening?

The best accompanying drink to go with this dish in my opinion is a steaming hot mug of tea. Marvellous.

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Ingredients (serves 4):
2 tbsp vegetable oil
900g (2lb) trimmed and diced lamb shoulder
2 onions chopped
5 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground chilli
1 tbsp plain flour
6 large tomatoes (chopped)
1 x (400g) can coconut milk
550 ml (1 pint) chicken stock
300g (10oz) baby spinach leaves
200g (7 oz) plain yoghurt

In a large thick-bottomed pan heat half the oil and sear the lamb until brown. Place in a bowl to one side
Add the remaining oil with the onions, garlic, spices and flour. Mix well and cook for about three minutes.

Add the milk and tomatoes with the lamb and enough stock to cover the meat. Cover and cook gently for about one hour, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. When the meat is tender, skim off any excess fat from the surface and stir in the spinach, then add enough of the yoghurt to give the correct colour and consistency.

This can now be served immediately with a little basmati rice. A fantastic idea is to let it cool for 24 hours and to reheat it slowly in a pan, as this allows all the spices to work and mature and the meat to soften.

This is one of those meals that can be enjoyed with an icecold beer, or a fantastic white Rioja which always goes well
with a spicy dish.

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Cheers and Bon Appetit!

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 duck legs (French trimmed)
1 tin goose fat (450g) or 1 bar lard
1 head red cabbage (3lb/ 1.4kg)
1 tbsp salt (15ml)
2 tbsp butter (30ml)
1 tbsp veg oil (15ml)
1 large red onion sliced thinly
1 bay leaf and three cloves
1 pinch allspice
1 good glass red wine (250ml)
50 ml red wine vinegar
50 ml cola
3 tbsp white sugar

Method
Firstly, the duck legs need to be rubbed with the salt and left for four hours then washed with cold water Now melt the fat in a large pan and immerse the legs until covered. Slowly poach the legs for about two hours and allow to cool. When cool, take the legs and leave them in a container with the fat in the fridge. This will keep for three to four days like this.

Thinly slice the red cabbage and place in a large pan with the oil and the onions. Slowly sauté the mix, adding the seasoning and the spices, for about three to five minutes. Then add the sugar and the liquid and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and slowly cook for about 50 minutes or until it becomes tender sweet. This can be served straight away or popped into the fridge.

Serving up
In a thick-bottomed pan, place the legs skin-side down (remove as much fat as you can) and pop into a hot oven for 10 minutes. Slowly warm the cabbage on the stove top. Turn over the legs for a further five to 10 minutes and allow to brown off. The cabbage can now be served on to plates and the duck legs can nestle on the top.

This is an alternative to the traditional but keeping to seasonal fare. You could serve potatoes or even noodles; it’s a very versatile dish. A good red Bordeaux would work well with this recipe.

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Cheers and Bon Appetit!

Ingredients (to feed one):
1 chicken supreme
3-4 rashers of streaky bacon
1 medium sized King Edward potato
1 medium sized carrot
1 medium sized parsnip
1 good sized glass of wine
Half a block of butter
1 pint of good stock (beef or chicken)
1 teaspoon of sugar

The Filling (all blended in a mixer): Egg yolk, chicken from the wing, fresh sage, two button mushrooms, salt and pepper, a handful of baby spinach leaves and a tablespoon of white breadcrumbs.

Trim the meat from the wing bone of the supreme and chop finely. Add to the filling. Peel the skin from the point to the bone. Massage the filling on to the meat and replace the skin over the filling.

Wrap the chicken with the bacon. Shape the chicken to a perfect supreme shape and refrigerate.

Peel a medium-size King Edward potato and trim the ends. Place in an oven tray and half cover with chicken stock. Put a large knob of butter on the top. Cover with foil. Cook at 200C (gas 4) for two hours.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the carrots and parsnips into rustic fingers. Gently shallow fry in a little butter and oil until soft to touch. Add a shake of sugar, season and place in the oven beside the potatoes. These should cook for about 30 minutes.

At this point the chicken can go into the same oven for 30 minutes with a little oil rubbed into the skin. In a small thick-bottomed saucepan, reduce half a glass of red wine with a splash of Worcester sauce until sticky (nearly gone). Add 125ml of good beef stock and reduce by half. It should resemble a thin but rich sauce.

Finish with a knob of butter by whisking. By now the veg will be done, the chicken should be cooked through and still moist. Remove them, then finish the potatoes by removing the foil for a further 10 minutes. (Baste with the chicken stock every couple of minutes.)

The dish can now be built however you see fit; the serving suggestion above is just the way we do it here. Bon appétit and enjoy.

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Anyway, going to different restaurants and sampling the new trends alongside the perennial favourites is something that I really relish. So allow me to bore you with one of my favourite restaurants dishes (I’m supposed to come and try different things but I can’t resist the black cod ...)

Rokka is a high street restaurant on Charlotte Street just off Tottenham Court Road. It’s a Japanese restaurant that punches way above its weight, albeit at a cost, but the reason I seem to find myself waffling on is that it is so perfectly simple. Just find the best fish that is possible, that’s all you need.

Not too far from here, Mill Road in Cambridge, one of our local secrets is an Oriental supermarket called Choi Mai. From here, buy some yellow miso paste, and a small bottle of rice wine.

With one tablespoon of the miso paste, mix in a little of the wine to give it a porridge texture plus a teaspoon of white sugar.

Marinade a thick piece of white fish – obviously cod is the best but halibut or haddock would be fine – for 36 hours.

Warm an oven-safe pan on the hob and put in the fish, skin side down, with a little of the marinade for about three minutes. Place the fish in a moderate oven (200C, gas 4) for a further 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. Serve flesh side up with a little steamed pak choi or a preprepared noodle salad.

Simplicity is the key here. Why do we need to mess about with the fruits we are given when it is staring us in the face? I would always accompany this with an ice cold Asahi beer, it’s wonderful. Kanpai!

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Cheers and Bon Appetit!