Clever cooking in simple stages
His latest hands-on cookbook, Step by Step with Richard Hughes is born out of one Norfolk chef’s forty odd years’ experience at the stoves. A canny restaurateur (owner of three very different businesses in the county), Richard is a prolific magazine writer and growing author, having penned the successful Hughes Cooking? The Rants, Reflections & Recipes of Richard Hughes several years ago. He has also recently published The Pigs Book of Proper Pub Food, a collection of favourite recipes from The Pigs at Edgefield, North Norfolk, which he co-owns with Iain and Gary of Byfords’ fame in nearby Holt. Richard’s main restaurant is the beautiful Lavender House at Brundall, east of Norwich (headed up by his head chef Richard Knights) whilst another talented protégée Julia Hetherton runs his latest address, the Anna Sewell House Restaurant in Great Yarmouth.
Step by Step with Richard Hughes with a foreword by Tom Aikens (edited by Carolyn Bowden and photographed by Keiron Tovell) is priced at £20, available from Gladstone’s Cook Books, White Lion Street, Holt T: 01263 713733 W: gladstonescookbooks.com
Fillet of Beef with Rosemary and Black Pepper Butter
Richard says ‘this dish always goes down well during our cookery demonstrations as it’s quick and easy but also impressive. A lot of men come along to the demos and they tend to like the meat dishes. Serving it with pancakes as well makes a small amount of steak go a long way’.
INGREDIENTS
For the beef
500g trimmed beef fillet
125g soft butter
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 dsp olive oil
For the horseradish pancakes
125g plain flour
1 dsp horseradish cream
1/2 tsp baking powder
125ml milk
1 egg
Sea salt and black pepper
METHOD
1. Prepare the butter: Mix the rosemary and pepper with the softened butter.
2. Roll the mixture up in greaseproof paper and place it in the fridge.
3. Make the pancake mixture: Place the flour, baking powder, egg and milk in a bowl.
4. Whisk to form a stiff batter.
5. Add the horseradish as well as salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cut the beef into slices around 1cm thick.
7. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan then flash-fry the meat for a minute each side (or longer, depending on how you like it).
8. Place tablespoonfuls of the pancake mixture into another hot well oiled frying pan.
9. Cook for one minute on each side.
10. Stack up the pancakes and beef evenly on four warm plates, adding small spoons of the butter as you go.
Richard recommends his other recipes for cauliflower fritters, stuffed onions and a courgette, mozzarella and tomato bake as side dishes.
