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Pickled St George's mushrooms with asparagus and garlic sauce

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:41:39 +0100

Pickle the mushrooms the day before serving.

Pickling:

a thumbnail sized ginger root finely diced

2 shallots finely diced

3 garlic cloves finely sliced

Fry all the above gently in a little rapeseed oil until softened and add:

50g sherry vinegar

125ml water

75ml rapeseed oil

20 tarragon leaves

Bring to the boil and add:

500g cleaned St George’s mushrooms

2 tsp salt

Mix and put into a sealed container.

Garlic Sauce

300g milk

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

Pinch of salt

Bring to the boil and process with a hand blender until frothy

To serve

24 asparagus spears

pea shoots (if available)

Cook asparagus until just al dente. Place six pieces in the centre of four warm plates, sprinkle with the pickled mushrooms, put the frothy sauce over the top and garnish with pea shoots.

Vanilla poached white peach tart

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:25:44 +0100

Although I love making puff pastry (or croissants for that matter), I tend to struggle to find the patience for it – I don’t mind doing a lot of work in one go, but I often get bored when it comes to the lengthy waits involved… So I need to be in the right mood to get started, but it makes it all feel worthwhile when I taste the hot, buttery, flaky pastry fresh from the oven – it’s such a rewarding moment :)

I had bookmarked some of the dishes from Essence by David Everitt-Matthias – a beautiful book with many interesting recipes. (Although I must say that there are quite a few ingredients you can’t easily find even in the UK. Oh and Joycelyn created a gorgeous chocolate délice from this book here) I wanted to use the puff pastry for his fig tatin with browned butter ice-cream and burnt orange syrup – and I have tried making it – the browned butter ice-cream was delicious, the caramel and rich butter flavour was somewhat addictive and it certainly made me hopeful for the final dessert. Then I made the fig tatin – when I peered into the oven, the rich caramel bubbling down from the side of the ramekins, looked enticing and smelt lovely. But when I actually tasted it, my initial thought was just ‘OK’... maybe my execution wasn’t good enough, but I wasn’t that mad about it, especially the slightly soggy texture.

I still had some pastry dough left, so I moved onto a simpler recipe using my all time favourite fruit, peaches. I adapted a tart recipe that I found in Elle à Table Japan (issue 32) and I was happy with the result, another summery dessert for our non-summer here in the UK…!

I made a similar peach tart last summer – in that recipe, peaches are poached in spicy syrup and baked with the pastry. I love both of of them, but this one is slightly ‘juicier’ especially if you serve the peaches in halves (pictured above) rather than smaller slices.

For the pastry cream, I added some crème fraîche into the custard this time, but you can serve as it is if you would rather, or add mascarpone, ricotta etc. You can use other stone fruit instead of peaches too. For the pastry, make sure to use best quality butter you can find. If your dough gets too soft to handle, don’t carry on, you don’t want the butter to melt out of the pastry – chill in the fridge for a while before continuing. I adapted the pastry recipe from the Eric Kayser book – I’ve tried some other tarts from this book and they have turned out lovely. I’ll try to write more next time.

Vanilla poached white peach tart

For the puff pastry

240g unsalted butter
100ml water
1 tsp white wine vinegar
250g plain flour
1 tsp sea salt

For the peaches

4-5 white peaches
180g caster sugar
150ml white wine
150ml rosé wine
1 vanilla pod (cut lengthwise and seeds scraped out)
200ml water

For the pastry cream

200ml milk
50g caster sugar
1/2 vanilla pod (cut lengthwise and seeds scraped out)
2 egg yolks
10g plain flour
10g corn flour
Crème fraîche

For the puff pastry, melt 50g of the butter and cool. In a food processor, sieve in the flour, salt, melted butter, vinegar and water then mix thoroughly (but don’t overmix it). Roughly shape into a rectangular block, cover with cling film and rest for an hour or so in the fridge (or you can leave overnight).

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle (about 7-8 mm thick). Place the remaining butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper and roll into a rectangle slightly smaller than two thirds of the dough. Place the butter on the dough, leaving one third of the dough free; fold this third onto the butter, and fold the other end of the dough (with the butter) on top. Be sure all the edges are sealed and that the butter is completely enclosed.

Roll the dough out into a long strip of about 7-8 mm thickness. As before, fold one third of the strip into the middle, then the other end on top of that. Roll into a strip again, at 90 degrees to the original strip; fold again as above and cover with cling film then chill for an hour.

Repeat the above procedure twice more, so that the pastry has been rolled and folded a total of six times. The pastry is now ready (after chilling another hour) to roll out and use as you need to (you can freeze this for later use).

For the poached peaches, place the sugar, both types of wine, vanilla seeds (with pod) and water in a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes on a gentle heat.

Cut a small cross in the bottom the peaches and cook in the syrup for 7-8 minutes, making sure to turn them so they cook evenly. Take out the peaches from the pan, and peel the skins when cool. Simmer the syrup down to two thirds of its original volume.

For the pastry cream, place the milk, half the sugar and vanilla seeds (with pod) in a pan then bring to the boil. Whisk the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar in a bowl, then sieve both types of flour into the yolk mixture and lightly mix.

Take the vanilla pod out from the pan and pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture (keep stirring!). Sieve this custard back into the pan and put on a medium-high heat, constantly stirring until it thickens enough to bubble (it’s important to do this quickly, if you cook the mixture too long the gluten becomes too thick). Remove from the heat and place the pan into the ice-cold water to stop it cooking further.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Roll the pastry on a floured surface to a thickness of 2-3 mm (always make sure to use as little flour as possible), rest for a half an hour in the fridge.

Cut into your desired shapes (I used shallow round tart cases this time). Cut some baking paper to fit the bases of the tarts and weigh down with ceramic baking beans to stop the base rising.

Bake for about 10 minutes, carefully remove the baking paper (and beans) then bake another 6-7 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Mix some crème fraîche into the custard. Spoon into the tart cases, place the peaches on top, then pour over the wine syrup. Serve immediately.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEIKO OIKAWA

Say Cheese!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:49:16 +0100

Serves 12-14

250g digestive biscuit crumbs

3tbsp melted butter

Filling

1kg cream cheese at room temperature (Philadelphia style works best)

4 Eggs

300g caster or granulated sugar

1tbsp lemon extract

2 tsp vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pan. Combine the crumbs and melted butter. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan (or slightly up the sides if desired). With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth add the eggs, sugar, lemon and vanilla. Beat thoroughly, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Spoon the mixture over the crust and set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool in an area free from draughts and then refrigerate until completely cold until serving.

Rich Chocolate Torte

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:59:25 +0000

A rich chocolate treat Morston Hall style. Galton Blackiston suggests an indulgent chocolate torte, perfect for dinner parties after a hearty main course.

Galton's Chocolate Torte

Serves 10

ingredients

melted butter, for greasing

For the chocolate

truffle filling

75g caster sugar

250g good-quality dark chocolate

5 egg yolks

425ml double cream

For the sponges

6 eggs, separated

110g caster sugar

50g cocoa powder, sifted, plus extra for dusting

4 tbsp Tia Maria liqueur

Your choice of garnishes to serve

Method

Lightly brush the base and sides of two 20cm sandwich tins with melted butter and line the base with greaseproof paper.

For the chocolate truffle filling, put the sugar in a pan with 7 tbsp cold water and heat gently until dissolved. Bring to the boil, being careful not to allow the liquid to colour. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a food processor and quickly blitz to crumble. Then, with the motor running, pour in the hot syrup followed by the egg yolks. Process until you have a really smooth mixture and then scrape out into a large bowl.

In another bowl, whip the cream to form a soft trail. Quickly fold this into the chocolate mixture until thoroughly amalgamated and smooth. Refrigerate to firm up a little. Pre-heat the oven to 180c.

To make the sponges, place the egg yolks and sugar in a food mixer and whisk on high speed for about 5 minutes until pale and doubled in volume. Carefully whisk in the cocoa powder.

In a spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold them into the egg and cocoa mixture. Divide the mixture between the sandwich tins and bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes (by which time the sponges should be just coming away from the sides of the tins and be springy to the touch).

Remove the sponges from the oven and turn out on to a wire rack. Trim the edges and place 1 sponge layer in the bottom of a deep-sided 20cm springform cake tin. Drizzle over 2 tbsp Tia Maria.

Remove the truffle filling from the fridge and spread it on to the sponge in the cake tin. Add the second sponge layer and drizzle the remaining Tia Maria on top. Place the torte in the fridge, or freezer, for at least 4 hours to firm.

Remove the torte from the fridge and take it out of the tin 20 minutes before serving. Dust with cocoa powder and serve with your favourite accompaniments - we like a little cool custard sauce and raspberries.

Chef-proprietor of Morston Hall with his wife Tracy, Galton Blackiston sources superb local produce for their charming Michelin starred country house hotel-restaurant. Pick up one of Galton's cookery books. Morston Hall, Morston near Holt. T: 01263 741041

W: morstonhall.com

Coney Cuisine

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:51:48 +0000

If you want to appreciate rabbit's mild gamey taste, then choose recipes that avoid strong flavours or robust cooking liquor. A light casserole such as the cider and mustard based one featured doesn't overwhelm the delicacy of the meat. On the other hand if you want to go ethnic where the meat is more a texture rather than a flavour in the end results. Great success can be had currying and

stir-frying rabbit meat quickly with suitably exotic additions - sweet'n'sour Szechuan Chinese style, tagine with ras-el-hanout Moroccan spices and cous cous, Bhajiman Indian jalfrezi with capsicums and green chillies, Thai green curry, even Japanese tempura battered goujons with sushi ginger, wasabi and soy to dip them in. So rather than thinking of specific rabbit dishes, think of your favourite chicken recipes and substitute rabbit. It is at its tenderest if cut small and prepared quickly over a high heat, ie stir-frying and sautéing or slow cooked in joints through long braising. Two favourite recipes overleaf.

Preparing the bag

If you haven't bought or been given an oven ready rabbit, it is not hard or time consuming to skin and paunch a rabbit for the kitchen. First ensure the rabbit has been urinated, by holding it up outside by the shoulders and pushing the flat of your hand firmly down its belly down to the back legs, this will empty the bladder. Next on a table (in a well ventilated room for novices!), with the rabbit on its back, take a sharp knife or pair of game shears (heavy duty scissors) and holding the belly fur, make a shallow careful incision just below the ribline through the skin, avoiding puncturing the intestines. Once in, use rubber-gloved fingers to enlarge the cut to let you see inside. Pushing the intestines down with your other hand, cautiously cut through the skin along the length of the belly from the rib cage down to the back legs. Pull out all the intestines and discard. After rinsing your fingers, delve under the rib cage through the diaphragm to remove the lungs and heart. Now cut the fur all the way around the rabbit's midriff so it is then in two halves. Pull the bottom half downwards and by bending the back legs up to towards the body, you can push them through the fur like turning coat sleeves inside out. Peel the fur back to the attached tail and cut it off where it joins the spine. Next split the flesh and bone between the back legs and pull out any tubes inside. The lower fur will now be detached. Moving onto the top half, pull the fur back to the front legs and ‘unpop' them similarly, pull the fur back to the ears and chop off the head at the neck. Wash the animal thoroughly and remove any unsightly bits. You now have an oven-ready carcass for jointing.

Jointing a rabbit

In less than a minute, the easy task of jointing a rabbit can be done ready for the pot.

First of all dislocate the back legs by pushing them up towards the spine. Slice around the flesh of each leg, using the line of the muscles and cut through the opened joint between the bone socket at the spine. Next trim away the pointed end of the spine where the legs came off. By cutting across the spine by the start of the ribcage, you will detach the loin section, trimming away the spare skin from the stomach cavity. Next remove the front legs by again dislocating them and follow the natural line of the shoulder blades cutting underneath them. This will give you six joints of rabbit meat, though the ribcage and front legs are not particularly large - the sheer majority of the meat is on the loins and haunches (back legs). The best eating is from three-quarters grown young summer rabbits, a brace of these are good feeding for four hearty adult eaters. But with lots of root vegetables, pearl barley and mounds of potatoes, a single casseroled rabbit will nourish a family of four easily. Just don't mention it's rabbit to the kids until after they have decided they like it. Children do surprise me at how unsqueamish they actually are if they taste game first.

For her masterclass in coney cuisine, Liz prepared a hearty casserole...

Fricassée of rabbit in cider and mustard (feeds 4 - 6 people)

INGREDIENTS

2 young rabbits, jointed

sea salt and black pepper

6 tbsp plain flour

2 tsp mustard flour

1 tsp dried thyme

3 tbsp calvados or brandy

4 tbsp goose fat, lard or olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

2 medium leeks, cut into 1cm slices

500ml strong dry cider, we like Aspall's organic

few sprigs of thyme

3 bay leaves

1 or 2 tsp smooth mustard or 1/2-1 tsp dry mustard

1 tbsp cider vinegar

good game or chicken stock 3 Cox apples

100g butter

caster sugar

120ml double cream

handful of soft prunes

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 160c.

Make a seasoned flour with the flour, a good lot of salt and black pepper, the mustard flour and the thyme. Place in a double plastic bag with the rabbit, tie tightly at the top of the bag and gently toss together. Heat a large heavy frying pan until hot, add the fat or oil and gently put in the jointed rabbit, knocking off excess flour as you remove it from the bag. Once all the meat is lightly browned on both sides, remove with a slotted spoon to a warm plate. Put in the onions and leeks and brown similarly over a high heat. Return the rabbit and taking pan off the heat, pour in the brandy or calvados at arms length. Back on the hob and away from over-hanging objects and faces, ignite the liquor with a match. After a minute, pour in the cider and bring to the boil, stirring in the thyme, bay leaves, mustard and vinegar. Decant the contents into a warmed deep casserole dish and add enough hot stock to just cover the rabbit and vegetables. Put on the lid on top of a double sheet of foil over the casserole and put into the oven for 2 hours approx or until the back legs are tender. Meanwhile peel and cube the apples and pan fry in hot butter until just softening and finish by caramelising them with a little sprinkling of sugar stirred in. To finish the dish, strain off the juices and reduce at a boil until well thickened. Stir in the cream, apples and prunes. Return to the oven for 20 minutes before serving or if not consuming until the next day, cool and refrigerate at this point. To reheat, cook for one hour at 180c the next day, checking it is bubbling before serving. To eat with this dish, we served honey glazed roast parsnips, simple root vegetable mash and buttery wilted kale - perfect wintry accompaniments.

cook's tip

As with all stews, this eats best if cooked the day before, properly cooled and refrigerated overnight and then reheated for an hour to serve.

One of my favourite dishes, based around a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall River Cottage recipe is crispy rabbit fritters. Best done with leftovers from a pot roasted carcass or gently poached fresh cuts, it would work with any meat I imagine but I tend to just use it for poultry or light coloured game. Making a thick white sauce (a béchamel if being pedantic) with seasoned milk - I add a sprinkling of mace or nutmeg, mustard flour, bay leaf, lots of seasoning, dried thyme and a handful of shredded parsley leaves - you need to be able to stand your wooden spoon up in it! Taking your shredded rabbit and other additions - we like crispy lardons of smoked bacon, softened shallots, leeks or spring onions and defrosted petit pois peas - mix in enough of the sauce to bind well and refrigerate in a wide tray to cool.

Then using two tablespoons, make shapes of the mix as best you can, (smooth quenelles if you're adept, rough lumps if you're not) and then coat them in flour, beaten egg, stale white breadcrumbs, then egg again, finishing in the breadcrumbs once more. (Purists look away now - it actually works very well if you replace the breadcrumbs with dry sage‘n'onion stuffing mix). Once coated, deep fry the balls carefully in medium-hot vegetable or corn oil until golden brown. Alongside a good dollop of buttery mash and a warm wintry salad of roasted root vegetables and crisp leaves, they go down a treat for a weekday supper, oozing the creamy sauce as you split them.

Pressed terrine of pigs cheek

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:19:54 +0000

Norfolk chef Dan Savage of Norwich’s St. Giles House Hotel cooks up an earthy winter starter.

Pressed terrine of pigs cheek

INGREDIENTS

I large onion
3 celery sticks
5 medium carrots
1kg pigs cheeks
3 large shallots
1 leek
50g butter
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp thyme, chopped
1tsp good English mustard
Sea salt and black peppermill

METHOD

Roughly chop the onion, celery and two of the carrots and place with the pigs cheeks in a large deep saucepan. Cover with water, bring to the boil and allow to simmer very gently for 4 hours. Remove the pigs cheek carefully. Strain and reserve the stock, discarding the solids. Boil the stock quickly until reduced to a third of its volume. Set aside.

Finely dice the remaining carrots, leek and shallots. Melt the butter in a hot frying pan and cook until softened without colouring. Set aside to cool and add the herbs.

Once cooled, shred the pigs cheeks using your finger tips, removing any skin or tough bits. Mix the meat, vegetable-herb mix and mustard thoroughly and season to taste.

Moisten with enough of the reduced stock to bind the mixture into a ball when pressed. Taking a clingfilm-lined terrine or other individual moulds, fill with the mix and then refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

At St. Giles, we like to serve the terrine with dressed leaves, walnut toast, mustardy piccalilli and a tangy apple jelly.

Chef's tip
Order the pigs cheeks from your good local independent butcher well in advance.

ST GILES HOUSE HOTEL & ELDERTON LODGE
St. Giles House Hotel, the impressive Edwardian pile at the heart of St. Giles Street, is the sister property to the more countrified Elderton Lodge, up at Thorpe Market, near North Walsham in North-East Norfolk. With St. Giles House’s Parisien style terrace, structured columns, beautiful townhouse architecture and Art Deco feel, new owner Rachel Roofe and her dedicated team have strived to ensure that newcomers aren’t faced by barriers of pretension or formality.

Meanwhile Elderton Lodge, surrounded by a vista of deer parkland and accessed down a long wooded drive, naturally relaxes visitors and the elegant comfort within adds to the restful ambience. One main focus of both hotels is the quality of the cooking and in passionate head chef, Dan Savage there is another common link. His busy schedule sees him running both kitchens, ably supported by equally keen sous chefs in his absence. Asking how he manages to keep the quite different cooking styles as separate identities to each hotel, he explains that St. Giles calls for city cooking, smartly presented and a bit funkier in style, whilst Elderton’s fare is more rustic, hearty and simpler, though both places are embedded with the same passion for seasonal local ingredients. At this time of year Dan loves cooking Gunton venison, grazing literally a few hundred yards from his kitchen door in the country, perhaps casseroled haunch bourguignon style with autumnal wild mushrooms or as pan fried fillet with curly kale and thyme boulangère potato. The deer, mostly fallow, are expertly butchered by the gamekeeper James Ellis, who keeps back the liver for Dan, great in a parfait style paté. Other favourite Norfolk foodstuffs for Dan at this time of year include Brancaster mussels, Swannington pork direct from farm to plate, Letheringsett flour used in their home-made bread and excellent foraged wild greens from Accent Fresh.

St. Giles House Hotel, 41-45 St Giles Street, Norwich, Norfolk
T: 01603 275180 W: stgileshousehotel.co.uk

Elderton Lodge Hotel, Gunton Park, Thorpe Market, Norfolk
T: 01263 833547 W: eldertonlodge.co.uk

Fillet of beef with rosemary and black pepper butter

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:36:00 +0000

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.

Game time

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:31:51 +0000

Being a chef, the game season is eagerly anticipated and it kicks off in August with grouse being in season, followed by partridge and ducks in September and pheasants in October through to February 1st. In my opinion there is really nothing to touch the flavour of a roasted young grouse. I do stress that for roasting game you need a young bird and therein can lie a problem.

When game is ‘in feather’ there are one or two relatively easy ways to establish whether the bird is young or not. If you lift a hen game bird by the lower beak and it breaks then you have a young bird. A young cock pheasant has very short rounded spurs on its legs – while a real old grand daddy of a bird has very long and sharp spurs. To be honest once the bird has been plucked it is quite difficult to tell old from young and its best to ask as much as you can from the butcher or game dealer. The flesh on a young bird should be firm and plump.

Back to cooking. I started off by saying that as far as I was concerned there is no better way to cook a young bird than to roast it and this holds true whether it is grouse, pheasant or partridge, I like to cover the breast of the birds with bacon and sit them on a trivet in a roasting tin with the giblets and innards lying in the bottom of the roasting tin, this will all help to make a rich gamey gravy and roast for about 25 minutes for grouse and partridge and 15 minutes longer for the pheasants depending on the size at 200c.

The traditional accompaniments to roast game are in my opinion still the best, gravy made from the pan juices, bread sauce, fried breadcrumbs and maybe some game chips and lastly carved thinly at the table. If however you are not sure of the age of your bird then I would recommend that it is browned all over and then wrapped in bacon and very slowly casseroled to ensure the meat is tender. However you cook your game remember to use the carcasses to make a stock for soups or gravies later on. If you are lucky enough to be given or get hold of a brace of English (grey legged) partridge, then treat them with due reverence, they are difficult to come by and have a very delicate flavour. Some say they are best roasted and then eaten cold with brown bread and butter.

Finally to ground game, hare can be excellent and is best ‘jugged’ but it does have a fairly strong and distinctive smell when cooking and like wise is very gutsy in flavour. Venison from deer is the most commonly used ground game and that is why I have chosen this month to feature this recipe for loin of venison en croute. I always ask for a saddle cut from either a roe or fallow deer, as I believe the meat will be more tender and not quite so ‘gamey’ as the must larger red deer. Again this is down to personal preference and availability.

Chef-proprietor of Morston Hall with his wife Tracy, Galton Blackiston sources superb local produce for their charming Michelin starred country house hotel-restaurant. Pick up one of Galton’s cookery books. Morston Hall, Morston near Holt. T: 01263 741041 W: morstonhall.com

LOIN OF VENISON EN CROUTE (serves 4)

For Mushroom Duxelle

INGREDIENTS

50g salted butter
1 medium sized onion (finely chopped)
1 large fennel bulb (finely chopped in a food processor)
350g field mushrooms (finely chopped)
150ml red wine
150ml double cream
Sea salt and black peppermill

METHOD

Place the butter in a pan to melt on a medium heat, then add the onion. Cook without colouring until soft, then add in the fennel and mushroom together and continue cooking, turning up the heat fairly high. The mushrooms will produce quite a lot of liquid so when most of the juice has evaporated, add in the red wine and continue to reduce the liquid until the pan is almost dry. Finally add the cream and season to taste. Continue cooking until you have a fairly thick mixture. Allow to cool before use.

For Venison en Croute

INGREDIENTS

275g puff pastry
450g boneless venison loin, well trimmed
Sea salt & black peppermill
25g butter
1 egg, beaten
4 large parsley pancakes
6 tbsp of mushroom duxelles (see recipe)

METHOD

Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface into a rectangular shape (approx 25cm x 30cm). Place on a baking sheet and rest in the fridge. Season the venison well. Melt the butter in a hot frying pan and seal the venison loin until browned well all over. Remove from the pan and leave on a plate to rest and cool completely.

When ready to assemble, take the puff pastry from the fridge and lay on a lightly floured surface. Place two parsley pancakes on the top of the pastry so that they just about cover it. Place three tablespoons of mushroom paté in the centre of the pancakes and spread it in a line the same length as the sealed meat. Now lay the loin onto the paté and on top of this spread the remaining three tablespoons. Wrap the loin in the pancakes by enclosing the sides around the venison.

Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg and repeat the process of making a parcel by bringing the top and bottom over the top in turn. Fold in each side of the pastry to make a parcel, making sure that all the edges are sealed with beaten egg. Now turn the parcel over and place on a metal tray lined with greaseproof, leaving a smooth topped parcel with all the untidy edges hidden underneath. Brush completely with the egg wash. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 220c and cook for about 35 - 40 minutes until the pastry is golden all over. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Chefs Tip
Use your favourite pancake recipe, seasoning it well and adding lots of finely chopped parsley.

Pleasant pheasant

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:08:44 +0100

Mistley is smack in the middle of huntin’and shootin’ territory. After the new pheasant season starts on 1 October, there are numerous shoots taking place around us, some of whose spoils I am the happy recipient of. I still have a difficult time believing that people don’t make more of what is such a superb meat to cook, as easy and versatile as chicken and more flavoursome too. I am told that whilst it is a growing demand, there still isn’t much of a market for game birds, which is such a shame as they are all so delicious and nutritious! Once the season is well underway, come late November and into December, the price drops considerably making pheasant very economical for the cook.

Pheasant can be purchased ‘oven-ready’ from good butchers, farm shops and farmers markets and sold in a ‘brace’, a hen and a cock. Early in the season, pheasant is very tender, becoming more robust in texture as the season goes on. Because pheasant is extremely lean, I tend to cut the breast meat from the carcass and leave the rest for the stockpot. Call me a philistine, but I don’t like roasting a whole pheasant - I find it has a tendency to dry out and can be a pain to carve. One great way to serve pheasant is as a paillard which is a handy little cutlet that can be prepared ahead of time. Bathed in a sublime mustard sauce and served with kale, one of my favourite veggies and if cooked unconventionally, it makes a delicious autumnal supper.

Breaded Pheasant Paillard with Mustard, Cream, Capers and Kale
Serves 6-8

For the PHEASANT

INGREDIENTS

12 boneless, skinless pheasant breasts
Sea salt and black peppermill
150g plain flour
4 free-range eggs, whisked
450g fresh breadcrumbs

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the breasts singly between two sheets of clingfilm on a flat surface and pound with a kitchen mallet until they are an even one centimetre thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Take three wide bowls, and in each one separately place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs (do not mix together!). Arrange in a row - flour, eggs, breadcrumbs – and dredge each pheasant breast separately; first in the flour, shaking off the excess; then dip it in the egg mixture and then the crumbs. Keep one hand dry and one hand wet – alternatively use two pairs of tongs similarly – otherwise you will have to keep washing your hands. Make sure that the pheasant is completely coated. Set aside breaded pheasant breasts in the fridge until ready to cook – it can be done up to a few hours ahead of time.

For the KALE

INGREDIENTS

1 head of kale, picked over, rinsed and dried
Olive oil
Sea salt

METHOD

Place the kale leaves on a large baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the kale is golden brown and slightly crisped at the edges. Reserve and keep warm until pheasant has finished cooking.

For the SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 litre chicken or pheasant stock
250ml dry white wine
3 shallots, minced
500ml double cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 lemon
Sea salt and ground pepper

METHOD

In a large heavy saucepan add the stock, wine and shallots. Bring to a boil over heat and reduce the liquid by half. Add the cream and mustard and cook for a few minutes until it is slightly thickened. Complete the seasoning by adding lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Keep sauce warm while cooking the pheasant and kale.

To finish the PHEASANT

INGREDIENTS

125ml light olive oil
60g rinsed capers
150g piece of Parmesan cheese

METHOD

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over moderate heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, carefully add the pheasant breasts to the pan without crowding. Reduce the heat slightly and cook each breast about 4 minutes. Then turn each piece over and finish cooking for another 2 minutes, or until the breast is completely cooked through and golden. Place the kale on a warm platter and top with the pheasant breasts and mustard sauce. Scatter capers over the top along with shavings of Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

North Essex chef-restaurateur Sherri Singleton co-owns the Mistley Thorn dining pub/restaurant/hotel (T: 01206 392821 W: mistleythorn.co.uk) and the Mistley Kitchen cookery school (T: 01206 391545 W: mistleykitchen.com).

Offering authentic wood-fired pizzas, Italy has now come to East Anglia with Lucca, their new restaurant now open on Manningtree High St. (T: 01206 390044).

Bacon wrapped redleg partridge crown

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:34:59 +0100

A smart autumnal dinner party main course from David Butterfield of the Camelot Restaurant at Five Lakes Hotel, Tolleshunt Knights, Essex.

Bacon wrapped redleg partridge crown with confit leg,
madeira game gravy and bread sauce (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

2 litres game or chicken stock
4 whole partridges (with legs cut off)
Duck or goose fat
12 thin slices streaky or pancetta bacon
Unsalted butter
200g button mushrooms, sliced
4 large shallots, sliced
500ml dry white wine
500ml medium madeira
100ml double cream
Sea salt and black pepper
Thyme sprigs
1 large shallot, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
600ml whole milk
8 slices stale white bread, crusts removed
75g butter

METHOD

The day before, bring the stock to the boil, add partridges and gently simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, decant contents and allow to cool down for an hour together. Meanwhile cover the legs in a small but deep dish or roasting tray with the fat and cook in a pre-heated 130c oven for 35 minutes. Leave legs in the fat to cool. Refrigerate the submerged crowns and legs overnight.

The gravy can also be made in advance. Put a good knob of butter into a hot frying pan and sauté the mushrooms and sliced shallots until brown. Add wine and madeira and boil vigorously until reduced to a syrup, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and boil fiercely until evaporated to a sauce consistency, stirring periodically. Add cream and bring back to a boil while whisking. Strain through a sieve and allow gravy to cool, discarding vegetables. Refrigerate until required.

Drain off the stock from the crowns for the gravy. After drying with kitchen paper, butter and season each bird well. Wrap each with three rashers of bacon and tie with clean string.

Pre-heat the oven to 200c. Seal the partridge in hot olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan and then put on top of thyme sprigs, add legs skin side down and cook for 15 minutes or until well browned.

Make the bread sauce by gently frying the diced shallot with the thyme, garlic, star anise and bayleaf in unsalted butter until soft. Add milk and simmer, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes. Meanwhile blitz the bread in a food processor until rough breadcrumbs.

Sieve the milk and then pour sufficient milk into the food processor while it is running until you reach a good thick consistency. Decant into a warm bowl and whisk in the remaining butter. Keep hot.

Reheat the gravy gently. Once rested for a few minutes, serve the partridge crowns and legs with the bread sauce and gravy on the side.

Accompany with your favourite seasonal vegetables. As pictured, David suggests swede and carrot puree, roasted shallots and wild girolle mushrooms.

FIVE LAKES HOTEL, GOLF, COUNTRY CLUB & SPA
Undoubtedly the most impressive resort in the whole of East Anglia, Five Lakes is set in no less than 320 acres of lush Essex countryside. Purpose built from scratch, it is a golfers paradise, with two 18 hole golf courses including one to PGA Championship standard.

The extensive conference facilities are impressive, 18 banqueting and exhibition spaces accommodating up to no less than 3000 guests. But private guests need not fear its size, this AA Four Star quality hotel offers the expected variety of leisure and eating opportunities with a well equipped country club and spa to relax in. In the evenings diners can indulge in the international cuisine of the Two Rosette awarded fine dining Camelot Restaurant - a typical meal might start with seafood cassoulet with toasted parmesan ciabatta and truffle oil, a main course of seared scallops, steamed clams, galic, pancetta, black linguine and petit pois sauce, perhaps ending with white chocolate and vanilla pannacotta with cherry compote and amaretti.

Part of the AB Hotels Collection, Five Lakes’s sister hotel is Sopwell House at St. Albans, Hertfordshire and will also be joined by a Georgian London townhouse hotel called the Arch in Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch W1 opening in 2009.

Colchester Road, Tolleshunt Knights, near Tiptree, Essex
T: 01621 868888 W: fivelakes.co.uk