Sunday 27 March 2011

Seared Ridleys roe venison striploin with Bluebell beetroot rosti and hawthorn jus

6 roe venison striploins (from Ridley’s Fish and Game)
6 tablespoons sloe gin
2 sprigs sage, bruised
2 tablespoons Yellowfields rapeseed oil
50g butter, in small pieces
1 heaped teaspoon Vallum Cooking hawthorn jelly
Salt and pepper
2 large potatoes, whole, unpeeled (from Bluebell Organics)
2 beetroots, whole, in their skin (from Bluebell Organics)
100g plain flour (you may not need it all)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon dried or fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons Yellowfields rapeseed oil
50g butter

Marinade the venison in the sloe gin and sage for 20 minutes.
To make the rosti, boil the potato and beetroot for 8 minutes. Peel and grate, and squeeze out any excess moisture by wrapping in a cloth and twisting.
Place the potato and beetroot in a bowl, mix in the sage, salt and pepper, and enough flour just to bind it all together. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the oil and butter. Press six ½ cm thick rounds of rosti mixture into the frying pan, and fry on each side for 5 minutes until golden.
While the rosti are cooking, preheat a griddle pan until very hot. Remove the venison from the marinade, and pat dry. Brush with oil, and place in the griddle pan. Fry for only 1-2 minutes each side, depending on thickness. The venison should be crispy on the outside, and cool in the middle. Just as the venison is cooked, strain over the marinade and set it alight. As soon as the flames go out, remove the venison to a warm plate. Add the hawthorn jelly and butter to the pan juices, and melt. Stir once, season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
Slice the venison into 1cm slices, place each sliced striploin on a rosti, and pour over some of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Sticky Chinese-style Kielder Organics pork (serves 2-3)


400g Kielder Organics diced pork, sliced thinly
½ jar (125g) Northumbrian Soup Co plum sauce
¼ jar (55g) Northumbrian Soup Co chilli jam
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2cm cube fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
1 tablespoon Yellowfields rapeseed oil, for frying
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a large bowl, marinade the pork with the plum sauce, chilli jam, garlic, ginger, soy, oil and five spice powder, for 10 minutes to 1 hour.
Place a large wok over a high heat, and add the rapeseed oil. Remove the pork from the marinade, drain, and fry until almost cooked. Add the marinade, and reduce until really sticky. Throw in the sesame seeds, stir and serve with plain boiled rice (see recipe).

Askerton mutton koftas

900g minced Askerton mutton
2 onions, finely grated
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons chopped chilli (or dried flakes)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or half parsley, half mint)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Yellowfields rapeseed oil (for brushing)
200ml greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons chopped mint

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water. Pre-heat a heavy griddle pan.
In a large bowl, mix (with your hands) the mince, onions, egg, garlic, chilli, parsley, cumin and seasoning until all bound together. Divide into 8, and mould round skewers into sausage shapes (or form into small balls if you don’t want to use skewers.
Brush the kofta with oil, and griddle over a medium heat (or a barbecue), turning occasionally, until golden.
Serve with a yoghurt and mint dressing (it’s just yoghurt, and mint)

Bluebell spicy parsnip soup (with or without apple)

(All vegetables from Bluebell Organics)

1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Yellowfields rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
500g parsnips, peeled and cubed

1/2 a cooking apple, peeled and cubed (optional)
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
100ml double cream (optional)

In a large saucepan, fry the onion until glossy in rapeseed oil. Add the curry powder, and fry for 1 minute.
Add the parsnips (apple) and stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat, liquidise until creamy, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and serve.

Chirnells pain perdu with Bywell bacon (serves 2)

 4 slices Chirnells fruit bread (or brioche)
1 egg
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons white sugar
A pinch of salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons SR flour
150ml milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Leave the slices of bread on a wire rack for an hour, to dry a little.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a pan, and allow to cool. Whisk the egg in a bowl. Whisk in the sugar, salt and spices. Add the melted butter, whisking all the time. Add the flour gradually, whisking to form a smooth paste. Add the milk and vanilla gradually, to thin the batter.
Heat the remaining butter in a large frying pan. Dip each slice of bread into the batter for no more than 30 seconds, allow it to drain, and put it in the frying pan. Cook until golden, then flip and cook the other side.
Serve with crispy Bywell Smokery bacon and maybe a little honey.

Devilled Ravensworth kidneys (serves 2)

4 Ravensworth rare breed pigs kidneys, skinned and cleaned, and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons tomato puree
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
½ teaspoon cayenne or dried chilli
Salt and pepper
2 slices toasted Chirnells bread

Pre-soak the kidneys in a little milk, for 10 minutes. Pat them dry, and trim them.
In a hot frying pan, fry the kidneys in the butter until brown. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and pour over the kidneys. Add a little water, if the sauce is too sticky. It should just 'run' in the pan. Cook for a further minute. Serve on toast.

Parsonby rarebit with Allendale ale (serves 2-4)

1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon butter
150ml milk (you may use less, as the sauce needs to be thick)
175g Wardhall Parsonby cheese (or cheddar), grated
150ml Allendale (or other) bitter
1 teaspoon English mustard (or ½ teaspoon mustard powder)
2 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
4 slices toasted Chrirnells (or other) bread

Toast your bread, and leave it to cool. Reduce the beer and mustard until sticky.
Make a thick white sauce with the flour, butter and milk, and stir in the cheese. Leave to cool.
Add the reduced beer to the sauce.
Stir in the egg yolks, and season to taste.
Spoon/spread onto the toast, and grill until bubbling and golden brown.

Thursday 10 March 2011

Vegetarian wellington

100g basmati rice
½ teaspoon turmeric
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
500g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped (or a mix of chestnut, shi-take and oyster)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
2 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
Salt and pepper
500g puff pastry (choose ‘all butter’ pastry)
Egg to glaze

Cook the rice with the turmeric and lemon zest (see recipe) and allow to cool.
Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
In a large frying pan, gently fry the onion and mushrooms in the oil until soft (about 10 minutes). Stir in the cooked rice, herbs, cranberries and eggs. Season well.
Roll the pastry into a large rectangle, about 3-5mm thick. Put the filling mixture down one long side of the rectangle, in a big sausage. Moisten the edges of the pastry with a little water. Fold over the ‘flap’ of the rectangle, into a big parcel, trim, and crimp the edges with your thumb. Brush with beaten egg, and place uncovered on an oven sheet in the oven for 30 minutes until golden. Serve in thick slices.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Cider gammon



1.5kg unsmoked gammon joint (tied, but with rind still on)
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
10 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1L good cider*
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon English mustard powder (or 1 tablespoon ready-made mustard)

Place the gammon joint in a very large pan. Add the onions, carrots, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cider. Add cold water until the gammon is covered by 2cm. Bring to the boil, then put on the lid and let it simmer gently for 2 hours.
Stand the pan off the heat for 30 minutes (or an hour, if you can wait) for it to cool. Leaving the gammon in the liquid, as it cools, keeps it moist.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Remove the gammon from the liquid**, and trim off the rind, leaving ½-1 cm of fat. Score the fat, lightly, into diamonds. Mix the sugar and mustard in a bowl, and pat it onto the fat of the gammon (or spread it on, and press it in, if you used made mustard).
Place the gammon in a baking tray, fat upwards. Protect the bare meat sides with a double layer of foil. Wedge the gammon with skewers or forks, if it might fall over. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the skin starts to colour but not burn (check after 20).
Serve immediately, or when cold.

* You can use 3 cans of coke, instead. Yes, really. The meat will be dark, but taste amazing.
**Don’t try using the stock for soup – it will be really salty.