Curried Potato and Parsnip Soup

A recipe by Rosemary Conley

Serves: 4; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 25 mins

The delicious and subtle flavour of parsnips is really brought to life with a hint of curry flavour

Ingredients: 1 onion, chopped; 1 large potato, chopped; 8oz/225g parsnips, peeled and chopped; 1 tsp/5ml curry paste; 1pt/600ml vegetable stock; salt and pepper; 1 fl oz/25ml skimmed milk; 1 tsp/5ml dried parsley

Place the chopped onion, the chopped potato, the chopped parsnips, curry paste, vegetable stock and seasoning in a non-stick pan and bring the mixture to the boil.
Cover and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Liquidise in a food processor until it is smooth. Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the skimmed milk and the dried parsley. Heat through over a gentle heat and serve immediately.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Guinness

A recipe by Gary Rhodes

You can’t beat a drop of the Irish black stuff to add body and flavour to a simple roast lamb dish, says Gary Rhodes.

You’ll go a long way to find a richer gravy than this one, flavoured with Guinness and sugar to give it a lovely glaze. I often roast potatoes in with the lamb – you can imagine the flavours they pick up! Serve the lamb and potatoes with buttered spinach and the gravy.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients: 3 lb (1.5kg) leg of lamb, boned and rolled; salt and pepper; 1 tbsp cooking fat; fresh rosemary sprig; 10fl oz (300ml) Guinness; 2oz (50g) brown cane sugar; 10fl oz (300ml) gravy or 10fl oz (300ml Crosse & Blackwell Bonne Cuisine Madeira wine gravy

Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF, Gas Mark 6. Season the lamb with the salt and pepper. Place in a roasting tin with the cooking fat and brown the lamb on top of the stove. Add the rosemary sprig and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pour in the Guinness. Baste over the lamb. Return to the oven and continue to roast for 45 minutes, basting frequently.
Remove lamb from the oven, sprinkle the sugar on top and roast for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven, baste the lamb and roast for 10 minutes. The lamb should now have a rich glaze, and there should be some liquor in the pan for the gravy.
The total cooking time of around 1 hour 15 minutes will give you medium pink lamb. If you prefer your lamb well done, continue to cook the joint for a further 15-20 minutes.
Once roasted, remove the lamb from the roasting tin and leave to rest. Remove any excess fat from the pan juices, leaving the Guinness liquor. Add the gravy or Madeira wine gravy and bring to the boil. Season to taste then strain through a sieve.
The lamb is now ready to carve. Pour the gravy over the meat and serve with roast potatoes and buttered spinach.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Lamb recipes in the Lamb Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Peppered Tarragon Chicken

A recipe by Gary Rhodes

Create a culinary smash with stir-fried chicken on a bed of garlic mash.

This stir-fried dish, with its fiery flavour of black pepper, is slightly mellowed by the creamy garlic potatoes. The contrast of texture works extremely well and it can be enjoyed at any time of year – the stir-fry being light and summery, while the mashed potato adds a more warming element.

Serves: 4

Ingredients: Potatoes: 1 ½ lb (675g) potatoes, peeled and quartered (Maris Piper are great for mashing); salt and pepper; 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed; 3-5fl oz (85-150ml) double cream; knob of butter; splash of milk, optional

Chicken: 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil; knob of butter; squeeze of lemon juice; 1-2 tbsp chopped tarragon

To make the potatoes, boil in salted water until cooked. Drain and mash until smooth. Add garlic to cream (the more cream, the richer the finish) and warm through. Add garlic cream to potatoes with a knob of butter, then season. If you prefer potatoes to be looser, add a good splash of milk. Keep warm.
To make the chicken, season strips with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Heat oil, add the chicken and stir fry on a high heat to seal, giving a golden brown finish. Add the butter and fry for a further 2-3 minutes until chicken is cooked and tender.
Just before serving, add the lemon juice and tarragon to the chicken. Serve on a bed of garlic mash with the orange and mushroom salad.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Chicken recipes in the Chicken Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Apple Curd Sorbet

A recipe by Gary Rhodes

Here is a variation on a lemon curd using apples which I use to make a sorbet. You can even try the curd on its own spread over pancakes or scones.

Serves: 4

Ingredients: Apple Curd: 2 lb (900g) apples, peeled, cored and chopped; 8oz (225g) butter; 8oz (225g) caster cane sugar; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 egg, size 2; 3 egg yolks, size 2.

Sorbet: 4oz (100g) caster cane sugar; 8oz (225g) apple curd

To make the apple curd, place the apples in a large pan with 2 tblsp wate rand simmer for about 12 minutes until cooked through and soft. Pass the apple through a sieve.
Place the apple, butter, caster cane sugar and lemon juice in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the butter has just melted, mix together the mixture. Add the egg and the egg yolks and continue to cook and stir for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and cover with waxed paper. Allow to cool, then refrigerate.
To make the sorbet, mix the caster cane sugar with 10 fl oz (300ml) water in a pan and boil until you have a syrup. Mix 5 fl oz (150ml) of the syrup with the apple curd in a stainless-steel bowl, place in the freezer and whisk every 5-10 minutes until frozen. If you have an ice cream machine, process for between 20-30 minutes.
As an alternative to the sorbet, you can make apple curd ice cream, which is really rich and creamy. Instead of mixing the apple curd with the syrup, just add 2 tblsp crème fraiche and 1 tblsp natural yoghurt. Finish as for the sorbet.

Lemon Tart

A recipe by Robert Carrier

The wine growing village of Franschhoek is one of the most enchanting spots in South Africa. High on a hill overlooking their own vineyards is the Auberge de Chamonix, one of the Cape’s finest restaurants. here, three fresh young talents are spearheading a new movement of inspired minimalist cooking based on the ‘sunshine’ ingredients of the Cape. This classic lemon tart, which says lemon, lemon, lemon all the way, is a case in point. It is at its best eaten immediately – it does not keep well, but if your house is like my house you will not get the chance to find that out. Serve the tart at room temperature with cream, or creme fraiche, with slices of strawberry or plum, or verbena or cardamom-scented sorbet, or both.

Ingredients: Makes 1 27cm/10in Tart

For the Shortcrust Pastry: 1 egg, beaten; 50g/2oz caster sugar; pinch salt; 3 tbsp milk; 300g/10oz plain flour, sifted; 175g/6oz butter, slightly softened and diced

For the lemon filling: 8 eggs, beaten; 225g/8oz caster sugar; finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons; juice of 4 large lemons.

To serve: caster sugar; slices of strawberry or plum; 300ml / 1/2pt whipping cream, whipped

To prepare the pastry – In a mixing bowl, combine the beaten egg, sugar, salt and milk and mix well. Chill. In another bowl, combine the sifted flour and diced butter. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of wet sands. Pour the chilled egg and milk mixture into the flour mixture and knead quickly to a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm or foil and chill for 30 mins.

To roll out the pastry – remove the pastry from the refrigerator and discard the clingfilm or foil. Roll out the pastry carefully on a lightly floured surface to a round large enough to line a deep 27cm/10 in loose-bottomed tart tin. Place the pastry in the tin, gently pressing it into the corners and prick the base with a fork. Chill for 30 mins.

To bake the pastry blind – preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas 4. remove the pastry-lined tin from the fridge. Cover with foil and fill with dried beans or rice. Cook in the preheated oven for 10 min, or until the edge of the pastry case is lightly browned. remove from the oven, discard the foil and beans or rice. Reduce the heat of the oven to 170oC/325oF/Gas 3. Return the tin to the oven and continue to bake for another 10 mins until the base is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To make the Lemon Filling – In a mixing bowl, combine the beaten eggs and sugar, and beat until light and yellow. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice, and mix well.

To finish and serve: Fill the baked pastry case with the rich lemon filling. (Note any leftover filling will make delicious little lemon flans.) Cook the tart in the oven for about 30 mins or until the filling is set. Sprinkle the top of the tart with caster sugar, then caramelise under a preheated grill (or with a blowtorch). Decorate with the strawberry or plum slices and serve at once with dollops of whipped cream.

Serve with Tomato, mozzarella and basil stack with balsamic vinegar and lime dressing and Racks of lamb with green herb crust

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil stack with Balsamic Vinegar and Lime dressing

A recipe by Robert Carrier

This towering new age salad of tomato, mozzarella and basil leaves, served with a balsamic vinegar, lime and basil dressing, is at its best when large vine-ripened tomatoes are in season

Starter Serves: 4

Ingredients: 16 thin rounds fresh buffalo mozzarella; 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, chilled; 16-24 large fresh basil leaves. For the dressing: 150ml / 1/4 pt extra virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice; few leaves fresh basil, cut into thin slivers; salt and freshly ground black pepper; crushed dried chillies. For the garnish: 4 sprigs fresh basil; 10-12 black olives

To prepare the dressing the marinate the cheese – In a large wide bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, adding lime juice to taste. Add the slivered basil leaves and season to taste with the salt, freshly ground pepper and crushed dried chillies. Mix well, then add the mozzarella, spooning the dressing over the slices. Chill until ready to serve.

To prepare the tomatoes – Cut the tomatoes, one by one, into 6 mm / 1/4 in slices, including the tops and bottoms. Re-assemble each tomato.

To assemble the stacks – With a slotted spoon remove the marinated mozzarella from the dressing (reserve the dressing). Alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella to crease a stack on each plate, garnishing each slice of cheese with a basil leaf or two, and topping each stack with a tomato ‘cap’. Spoon the dressing over. Garnish each plate with a sprig of basil and a few black olives. Serve immediately.

Serve with : Racks of lamb with green herb crust and Lemon Tart

Racks of Lamb with Green Herb Crust

A recipe by Robert Carrier

Racks of young lamb are needed for this brilliant party dish. The secret is to roast the lamb in two stages. First an initial roasting for 20 mins, before patting on the buttery crust of breadcrumbs, watercress, parsley, green peppercorns and mustard powder. Then, just before serving, simply roast the crusted meat in a hot oven until the lamb is ready and the crust is crisp.

Main course Serves: 4-6

Ingredients: 2 racks best end of neck baby lamb, each with 6 cutlets (ask your butcher to skin and chine the racks) salt and freshly ground pepper; cayenne pepper. For the Green Herb Crust: 1 tbsp mustard powder; 4 tbsp softened butter; 6 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs; 6 tbsp finely chopped watercress; 6 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tbsp green peppercorns, crushed; 2 tbsp melted butter

To prepare the lamb – Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas Mark 6. With a sharp knife, remove all but a very thin layer of fat from the meaty side of the racks of lamb. Score the remaining layer of fat diagonally in both directions to make a close-knit lattice pattern: this will hold the herb crust during the final roasting. Season the racks of lamb generously with salt, freshly ground pepper and a hint of cayenne, then roast them on a baking tray in the hot oven for 20 min. Remove from the oven and leave at room temperature to cool.

To prepare the Green Herb Crust – Combine the mustard powder and softened butter to form a paste. Spread this oven the meaty side of the lamb. Combine the breadcrumbs, finely chopped watercress, parsley and garlic and the crushed green peppercorns; pat this mixture over the buttery side of the lamb. Drizzle the melted butter over the lamb, and keep at room temperature until ready for final roasting.

To finish and serve – Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas Mark 6. Roast the butter, crusted lamb for 20 mins. To carve, hold the exposed end of the bones while cutting gently between them, releasing the 12 chops (cutlet frills, should you have them, will prevent fingers getting greasy as you work). Serve immediately, with 2 or 3 chops per person.

Serve with Tomato, mozzarella and basil stack with balsamic vinegar and lime dressing and Lemon Tart

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Lamb recipes in the Lamb Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Pork Escalopes with Parmesan, Anchovies & Olives

A recipe by Gary Rhodes

“These Pork escalopes are pan-fried in my special breadcrumbs, and finished with a tangy garlic and lemon butter. You can also serve them with spaghetti, tossing the pasta in the butter and adding lots of chopped basil and parsley.”

Serves 4

Ingredients: Garlic butter: 4 oz (100g) butter; 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed; ½ onion, chopped; zest and juice of 1 lemon

Pork: 10 slices white bread, crusts removed, crumbed; 8-10 anchovy fillets finely chopped; 2 oz (50g) fresh Parmesan, grated; 2oz (50g) black olives, chopped; 8 x 3 oz (75g) slices pork loin; 2 tblsp plain flour; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1 tblsp olive oil; Knob of butter

For the garlic and lemon butter, melt 1/2oz (15g) of the butter and fry garlic and onion for about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and juice, cool. Beat the mixture into remaining butter and wrap in clingfilm. Roll the butter into a cylindrical shape and then refrigerate.
For the pork, mix breadcrumbs with anchovies, Parmesan and olives. Season with pepper, put to one side. Place pork slices between 2 sheets of clingfilm, flatten with a rolling pin. Season pork, dust with flour, Dip in egg, coat in breadcrumbs. Criss cross with a knife to make grill-like markings.
Heat oil and butter, fry pork for 2-3 mins on each side until golden. Top with a slice of garlic and lemon butter.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Pork recipes in the Pork Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.