January Recipes
Salmon, Leek & Potato Traybake
250g baby potatoes, thickly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, halved, washed and sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
70ml double cream
1 tbsp capers, plus extra to serve
75ml hot water
1 tbsp chives, plus extra to serve
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 8 mins. Drain and leave to steam-dry in a colander for a few minutes. Toss the potatoes with ½ of the oil and plenty of seasoning in a baking tray. Put in the oven for 20 mins, tossing halfway through the cooking time.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and fry for 5 mins, or until beginning to soften. Stir through the garlic for 1 min, then add the cream, capers and 75ml hot water, then bring to the boil. Stir through the chives.
Heat the grill to high. Pour the creamy leek mixture over the potatoes, then sit the salmon fillets on top. Grill for 7-8 mins or until just cooked through. Serve topped with extra chives and capers.
Mixed Berry Pudding
125g softened butter
100g cup sugar
125g sr flour
2 eggs
185ml milk
150g mixed berries
double cream
Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan)
Combine butter, sugar, flour and eggs in a large bowl and mix with electric mixer on high speed for about 2 minutes. Stir in milk.
Spray shallow pie dish or baking tray with canola oil. Pour in batter and top with fruit; the fruit will sink into the batter when cooking.
Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the batter, when ready the pie should spring back slightly when touched.
Serve warm with cold double cream.
Chicken Casserole in Lime Marinade
4 chicken breasts - no skin
2 limes zested and juiced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp ground cumin
250ml chicken stock
Thoroughly mix all ingredients except the chicken and stock and place in a large bowl.
Cut the chicken breasts into largish chunks and add to the marinade, then cover with cling film. Keep in the fridge for 6-8 hours (longer could spoil the flavours).
Once the marinade has done its job, remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Put all into a casserole dish, add the chicken stock, stir thoroughly and bake for about an hour at 17-180 fan.
Serve with cooked rice or mashed potatoes.
Pear & Chocolate Pudding
200g butter, plus extra for greasing
300g golden caster sugar
4 large eggs
​75g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
410g can pear halves in juice, drained
100g plain dark chocolate
25g flaked almonds (optional)
cream or ice cream to serve
Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lightly grease a roughly 20 x 30cm shallow ovenproof dish.
Put the butter in a large saucepan and place over a low heat until just melted. Remove the butter from the heat and stir in the sugar until well combined.
Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl. Gradually add the eggs to the butter and sugar, beating well with a wooden spoon in between each addition. Sift the flour and cocoa powder on top of the egg mixture, then beat hard with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
Pour into the prepared tin or dish and nestle the pears into the chocolate batter. Cut the chocolate into chunky pieces roughly 1.5cm with a large knife and scatter over the batter then sprinkle with almonds if using. Can be frozen at this stage.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 mins or until the mixture is crusty on the surface and lightly cooked inside. Try not to overcook, as the cake will become spongy rather than gooey in the centre. Serve warm with cream or ice cream
Pork Casserole
Olive oil for frying
1kg pork shoulder, cut into 2.5-3cm cubes
400g shallots, peeled
200g bacon lardons
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
Large knob of butter for frying
300ml medium-dry cider, plus an extra 1 tbsp and a splash
400ml chicken stock
1 tbsp cornflour
100ml crème fraiche
2 tbsp dijon mustard
Handful fresh chopped tarragon
Heat a glug of oil in a large pan. Add the pork in 2-3 batches and brown for 6-8 minutes per batch, transferring with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the whole shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned, then transfer to a plate.
Fry the bacon in a large flameproof casserole with a splash of oil for 4-5 minutes until crisp, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Put the onion and celery in the casserole with the butter, then cook for 6-8 minutes over a medium-high heat until softened.
Add the pork, bacon, cider and stock and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat. Partially cover the casserole, then simmer gently for 1 hour. Add the shallots, then cook for another 1-1½ hours until the pork is tender.
Mix the cornflour in a small bowl with the 1 tbsp cider, add to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to thicken the sauce. Stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and most of the tarragon, then season and add a splash more cider. Serve scattered with the remaining tarragon with crusty bread and potatoes or rice.