Spiced Mussel and Potato Broth

Spiced Mussel and Potato Broth
Feeds 2

1 onion, chopped
1 thumb size of ginger, grated
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
Half tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 large potato, peeled and diced
500g fresh mussels, washed and beards removed, discarding any that do not close after a sharp tap
500ml water
Fresh coriander
Salt and pepper

1 - In a large pan, heat up the oil then add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes until softened and slightly coloured then add the ginger, garlic and spices. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
2 - Stir in the potatoes and stir for 1 minute until covered in the spice mixture. Pour in the water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are softened.
3 - Tip in the mussels, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4 - Taste for seasoning. It may not need salt due to the mussels. Remove any mussels that have not fully opened.
5 - Serve in bowls with lots of fresh coriander and a spoonful of fresh yoghurt. A squeeze of lime juice benefits.

Cranberry and Chilli Relish

This pickle, or relish, is one I turn to every year. We all reach for the cranberry sauce or jelly on Christmas Day, but I find them a little too sweet on a savoury plate for my palate. And once you have had a spoonful on your plate, it tends to sit in the fridge, slowly making its way to the back until discovered the following Christmas. I prefer something sharper, which means it can be used over the Christmas fallout with cheese and cold meats or even stirred into a soup. Packed with spice and fruit, it improves with age and makes that leftover plate a little more classier.

Cranberry and Chilli Relish
Makes 1 large jar

2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
50g demerara sugar
250g cranberries, washed
Zest and juice of 2 satsumas
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
150ml cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

1 - Heat up the oil in a large pan then add the onions and garlic. Soften for 5 minutes, then add the sugar. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes until golden
2 - Tip in the spices, then stir in the cranberries, zest and juice and finally the vinegar. Bring to the boil then turn down and simmer with the lid half on for 30-40 minutes until everything is well reduced and the cranberries have completely burst and released their juices. You are looking for a thick, jammy texture.
3 - Remove the cinnamon stick. Grind in a little salt and pepper. Pour into a sterilised jar. This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months, if it lasts that long.

Spicy Italian Sausages with Braised Red Cabbage and Borlotti Beans

Spicy Italian Sausages with Braised Red Cabbage and Borlotti Beans
Serves 4

For the red cabbage
1 red cabbage, washed, cored and sliced thin
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
3 tbsp muscovado sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch of cloves
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Butter

A dozen top quality spicy Italian sausages, or your sausage of choice
2 tins of borlotti beans
1 lemon
Olive oil
Fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

1 - To make the braised red cabbage, put all of the ingredients in a large casserole dish, season and mix well. Dot the top with a few pieces of butter, put the lid on and place in the oven for 2 and a half hours, stirring every now and again. Once cooked, this will keep well in an airtight container for a few days in the fridge or could be frozen.
2 - Cook the sausages either in a large frying pan or under the grill.
3 - Warm the beans in a pan and squeeze in the lemon juice, a glug of olive oil and a grinding of salt and pepper.
4 - To serve, place a pile of beans onto a plate, followed by some braised red cabbage and finally the sausages and a scattering of roughly chopped fresh parsley. Delicious.

Spiced Poached Pears

Spicy Poached Pears
Serves 4

4 'not too ripe' pears (I use Conference) peeled
1 bottle of red wine
6 tbsp honey
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 orange, punctured a few times with a sharp knife

1 - Put all of the ingredients into a large pan. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer with a lid on for 45-60 minutes. Test the pears with a knife, it should glide in easily.
2 - Remove the pears and cool down. Remove the spices and orange, squeezing every last drop as you go.
3 - Take a small amount of the wine and reduce in a pan until you have a thick syrup. Serve the pears with a drizzle of syrup and a spoonful of yoghurt or cream.

These will keep nicely covered in the fridge for a couple of days. Make extra and you have a quick, classy dessert waiting for you.

Rabbit with Cider, Mustard and Prunes

Rabbit with Cider, Mustard and Prunes
Serves 2

1 rabbit, skinned and jointed (ask your butcher, and ensure that you keep the livers, heart and kidneys. The livers, mashed, will help thicken and richen the sauce and the heart and kidneys make for a delicious 'chef's treat, quicky fried in olive oil)
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper
3 rashers of un-smoked streaky bacon, chopped
1 carrot, cubed
1 onion, cubed
1 stick of celery, cubed
1 tbsp dried or fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
500ml good dry cider
A handful of dried prunes
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
100ml double cream
The rabbit livers, mashed with a fork

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C, GM3.
2 - In a flame-proof casserole dish, heat up the oil. Season the rabbit portions then quickly brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
3 - Add the bacon, carrots, onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes until softened and just beginning to colour. Stir in the thyme and bay leaves.
4 - Return the rabbit portions to the casserole dish then pour over the cider. Bring to the boil, cover, then place in the oven. Cook for 45-50 minutes.
5 - Remove the rabbit and keep aside. Pour the sauce through a sieve into a clean pan, pushing the vegetables through the sieve which will help thicken the sauce. Bring to the boil, then simmer whilst you remove the rabbit meat from the bones.
6 - Stir in the cream, mustard and mashed rabbit livers. Taste for seasoning. Return the rabbit meat to the sauce along with the prunes and heat through.
7 - Serve with mashed potato and seasonal greens such as sprouts or savoy cabbage.

Tuna Loin with Sautéed Potatoes and Leeks with Roast Pepper Sauce

Tuna Loin with Sautéed Potatoes and Leeks with Roast Pepper Sauce
Serves 3

4 large seasonal potatoes such as Maris Piper, skinned, cubed and par-boiled.
2 leeks, halved and sliced
Butter
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 pieces of tuna loin
Salt and pepper

For the sauce
2 red peppers
1 tsp paprika
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

1 - To make the sauce, hold the peppers over your hob flame with a pair of tongs and turn until completely black. Put into a plastic food bag, seal and leave to cool. If you do not have gas, rub the peppers with olive oil and bake in a hot oven until black.
2 - Remove the peppers from the bag, peel and de-seed. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blitz to a fine purée.
3 - Push through a sieve into a pan and then reduce until thickened. Taste for seasoning. Reserve what you are using for the meal and put the rest into an ice-cube tray.
4 - Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Add the leeks and cook gently until softened and slightly coloured. Remove.
5 - Add the potatoes and cook until crisp and golden. Add the leeks and taste for seasoning.
6 - Season the tuna pieces. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the tuna. Cook to your liking.
7 - Serve on top of a bed of potato and leeks with some of the sauce on the side.

Shoulder of Lamb Stuffed with Anchovies, Rosemary and Walnuts

Shoulder of Lamb Stuffed with Anchovies, Rosemary and Walnuts

1 shoulder of lamb, boned out and weighing approximately 1.5kg-2kg
2 handfuls of walnuts
A small tin of anchovies, approximately 10
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 tbsp English mustard
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Olive oil

For the gravy
1 glass of cider or white wine

1 - Pre-heat the oven to GM7/220C.
2 - On a chopping board, roughly chop the anchovies, walnuts and rosemary then add to a bowl. Add the mustard and vinegar and a little olive oil until you have a good thick 'paste'. Season with salt and pepper.
3 - Lay out the shoulder and massage into the flesh. Roll and tie with string then season the skin.
4 - Heat up some oil in a baking tray on the hob and quickly brown the fat all over. Place into the oven for 20 minutes then turn down the heat to GM4, 180 degrees C. Cook for 10 minutes per 500g for rare, 15 minutes per 500g for medium, 20 minutes per 500g well done.
5 - Pour on the cider or wine with a little water halfway through cooking to make a gravy.
6 - Take out and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Carve into thick slices and serve with seasonal roast root vegetables and borlotti beans.