Seasonal Recipe of the week

Leek and Potato Pie

with Roasted Beetroot V

For the Beetroot

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ Gas6

500g baby beetroot

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash the beetroot and place it in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes, add the garlic to the tin and cook for a further 15 minutes until tender. Leave to cool slightly before peeling.

For the pastry

225g plain flour

65g vegetable suet

65g unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

Dash of cold water

Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, add the suet, salt and a dash of water. Bring together to form a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and leave in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ gas 6

For the filling

2 shallots, peeled and chopped

3 medium leeks, washed and chopped

2tsp English mustard

125g mature cheddar cheese

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

150g new potatoes, cooked and coarsely chopped

75ml double cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 egg

25g butter

2tsp fresh Thyme, leaves only

Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the shallots, leeks and garlic, cook for 2 minutes to soften.

Add the mustard, Thyme, potatoes, cheese and cream, cook gently for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the filling in a pie-dish. Roll out the pastry and place it on top of the pie filling, leave the pastry hanging over the edges to trim when cooked.

Brush with beaten egg.

Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Serve with roasted beetroot.

Monkfish and Bacon Kebabs

Metal skewers are best for these kebabs. Thread the ingredients onto them several hours in advance and chill.

Ingredients

75ml olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

5ml lemon juice

1tsp dried Oregano

575g monkfish, cleaned, and cut into 2cm cubes

225g rind less streaky bacon

225g button mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish with lime wedges and watercress sprigs

Method

Combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and Oregano in a shallow bowl, large enough to hold the Monkfish cubes. Mix well, add the fish and marinate for 15 minutes.

Drain the Monkfish, reserving the marinade. Thread a rasher of bacon onto a metal skewer. Add a cube of fish, then a mushroom threading the bacon between them.

Continue to add the fish and mushrooms, each time threading the bacon between them until the skewer is full. Add a second rasher of bacon if necessary. Fill 3 more skewers and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the Monkfish kebabs under moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, basting frequently with the marinade. Serve the kebabs on a bed of rice. Garnish with lime wedges and watercress.

Meringues

with Raspberries and Vanilla Cream

Ingredients

Meringues

3 large egg whites

165g white caster sugar

125g fresh Raspberries

250ml Double cream

2tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 150C/ 300F/ gas 2

Line a baking tray with parchment paper

Place the egg whites in a large, clean, dry bowl.

Whisk with a hand held mixer, for two minutes at a low speed, turn the speed to medium and whisk for 1 minute.

Turn the speed to high and continue whisking until the stiff peak stage.

Add the sugar 1tbsp at a time and whisk at high speed between each spoonful, until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Spoon the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Form a hollow in the middle of each meringue. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 140C/ 275F/ gas 1.

Leave them for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave them to dry for 4-5 hours.

Whip the cream to form soft peaks, add the vanilla and mix to combine.

Spread each meringue with cream (on the flat side) top with raspberries.

Potted Prawns

225g unsalted butter

450g peeled cooked prawns

1/4tsp white pepper

1/4tsp mace

1/4tsp ground cloves

Dill to garnish

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the prawns and heat very gently, without boiling. Add the pepper mace and cloves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the prawns to small pots. Pour a little of the hot spiced butter into each pot.

Set the remaining spiced butter aside until the residue has settled, then pour over the prawns. Chill until the butter is firm. Store in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours. Garnish with Dill, serve with fingers of hot toast.

Spicy Spinach and Chick Peas

Ingredients

25g butter

1tbsp coriander seeds, crushed

1tbsp mustard seeds

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 x 15oz cans chick peas, drained

1tsp turmeric

1kg fresh spinach, wilted in 1tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the coriander seeds, cumin and mustard seeds and cook gently, stirring for about 3 minutes. Keep the heat low to avoid burning.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and continue to cook for 15 minutes, until the onion is softened. Stir in the chick peas and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes, until thoroughly hot.

Add the spinach to the pan and heat through.

Season and serve.

Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding

Autumn is almost upon us. I always make a few 'soup and pudding' dinners when the cooler weather starts, and bread and butter pudding is a great favourite in my house, especially when it is made with marmalade and served hot with cold creme fraiche.

Ingredients

6 slices of bread

2tbsp marmalade

75g caster sugar

50g butter

275ml milk

3 eggs, lightly beaten

60ml double cream

1 tbsp Demerara sugar

1tsp grated orange zest, (no pith)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180G/350F/ gas 4

Make 3 rounds (1 round = 2 slices bread) of butter and marmalade sandwiches, then butter the outside of each sandwich. Cut each round into quarters, diagonally, and arrange in an ovenproof dish.

Mix together the milk, eggs, cream, sugar and orange zest and pour the mixture over the bread.

Sprinkle the Demerara sugar over the pudding and bake for 35-40 minutes until puffy.

Serve with creme fraiche or ice-cream.

Nectarine Upside-Down Cake

40g butter

275g caster sugar

175g unsalted butter, softened

3 eggs, beaten

225g plain flour

2tsp baking powder

75ml milk, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 180C /gas 4

Butter a 22cm cake tin

Put 100g caster sugar and 2tbsp water in a small saucepan over a low heat and allow the sugar to dissolve. Bring to the boil and continue to cook, without stirring,until the sugar has turned a deep caramel colour. Add 40g butter and swirl round to mix evenly. Pour immediately into the cake tin, cover the base with an even coat of caramel. Leave to cool.

Peel the nectarines, cut off the flesh and cut into wedges, slice the rest of the flesh and arrange in the cake tin over the caramel.

Cream the softened butter and the remaining caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Sieve the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together and incorporate into the cake mixture using a metal spoon. Add the milk and mix until smooth.

Spoon the cake mixture over the nectarine slices and smooth over. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a serving dish.

Serve with chilled double cream.

Spaghetti Amatriciana

Ingredients

150g spaghetti

1 clove garlic, crushed

Small bunch Parsley, chopped

3 rashers smoked bacon, cut into strips

400g tinned tomatoes

1tbsp olive oil

1 pinch chilli flakes

Method

Fry the onion, garlic and bacon in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes, simmer for 20 minutes.

Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water, drain and add to the sauce, mix to combine and top with chopped Parsley.

South East Coast Seafood

This week I headed down to the coast for some fresh seafood. Whitstable has it in abundance. Crabs, Winkles, Mussels, Oysters, all fresh from the sea, The choices were almost too much for me. Should I make a late summer Paella, some lovely Crab cakes, Skate in batter? I plumped for some juicy Mussels and made the following, delicious soup.

(To be honest, I also made late summer Paella, Crab cakes and Skate in batter)

Mussel Soup with Saffron

Ingredients

120g butter

2tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 carrot , finely diced

1/2 leek, finely diced

1 small bunch Parsley

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1tbsp dried Tarragon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1ltr Mussels

1 bottle dry white wine

400ml double cream

A good pinch Saffron

1tbsp Chives, finely chopped

Method

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large frying pan and saute the diced vegetables until soft.

Add the Parsley, Tarragon and garlic, with a little salt and plenty of pepper, and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring well. Remove from the heat.

Clean the Mussels and remove the beards.

Pour the wine into a large saucepan and throw in the mussels. Cook until they open and leave to cool.

Strain, reserving the liquid and remove the mussels from their shells.

Sieve the liquid and discard the sediment.

Pick out a few plump mussels and set them aside.

Place the remaining mussels in a pan containing the vegetables. Pour in the strained wine and simmer for 20 minutes.

Sieve and press well to extract all the juices.

Return the liquid to a clean pan, add the cream, bring to the boil and add the Saffron.

Simmer for a few minutes, stirring well and skim off any scum which may rise to the surface.

Add the reserved Mussels and sprinkle with the Chives.

Quick and Easy Dessert

Apple Snow

With Cinnamon Tuile

Apple Snow

500g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

3tbsp caster sugar

2 egg whites, whisked to stiff peaks

284ml double cream. softly whipped

Cook the apples with a dash of water until soft, add the sugar, stir to combine and leave to cool.

Fold in the rest of the ingredients, pour into stemmed glasses and leave in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Cinnamon Tuile

4tbsp butter, softened

2 egg whites

115g plain flour

115g caster sugar

1tsp ground Cinnamon

1tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180C

Line two baking trays with parchment paper

Beat the butter and egg whites together until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture, add the vanilla, mix until smooth.

Place mixture, 1 tbsp at a time onto the baking tray and spread out to a circle around 6" diameter, repeat until the mixture is used up.

Bake each tray separately for 6-8 minutes until beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and work quickly, draping each biscuit round a rolling pin. Leave until cool.

Potato, Pea and Leek Soup

With Halloumi Cheese Cubes

Ingredients

2tbsp olive oil

25g butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped

200g potatoes, peeled and diced

100g leeks, white only, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

300ml chicken stock

100g Halloumi cheese, diced

In a large heavy saucepan, heat 1tbsp olive oil and 25g butter, saute onion and garlic for two minutes.

Add the diced potatoes and leeks and fry for a further 4 minutes.

Add peas and stock, simmer for 12 minutes.

Taste and season.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and fry the Halloumi cheese until golden.

Serve in warm bowls and top with Halloumi cubes.