King Charles Steak Sandwich

I came up with this one after trying a "Fillet Steak King Charles" in a brasserie not far from where I live. The original meal seemed unusual at the time but I had to try it, only to find it was one of the best flavours ever. So then came the sandwich....

Ingredients:
slice of steak - You choose your favourite
A piece of french stick or baguette
Blue Stilton cheese (or similar blue cheese)
A little oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Apricot jam (optional)

Brush the steak with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steak evenly on both sides under a fairly high heat until cooked to your liking. In the meantime, very slowly melt enough cheese to cover the steak fairly thickly (it takes more than you'd think). Slice the bread lengthways, leaving one side still joined together. Place it under a hot grill, open side up to toast it slightly. (You can add the Apricot jam to the toast and continue heating a little longer at this point if you wish.) Once the steak is done and the cheese melted, pour the cheese into the bread, followed by the steak. (You can add a little apricot jam now if you wish, really wild!) Eat heartily!

Cheese Thing

Excellent! Takes about 15 minutes to make but the wait is well worth it. I tried a similar dish in Switzerland years ago with slightly different ingredients, also excellent.

Ingredients:
Medium to strong flavoured grated cheese
2 large, thick slices of fresh bread
(not from a sliced loaf)
1 egg
Butter
Dry white wine
Silver skin cocktail onions

Take an ovenproof dish and add a large glass of wine. Lightly spread butter on the bread slices and place them into the dish allowing the bread to soak up the wine. Beat the egg and spread over the bread slices. Cover both slices liberally with the grated cheese and cook in a fairly hot oven until really sizzling. Eat straight from the dish together with some cocktail onions.
Be careful not to burn yourself.

Cucumber and Onion Sandwich

Another sandwich I've eaten since I was a young child. Different, but very tasty and addictive! NOTE: You need to prepare the ingredients at least 6 hours beforehand.

Ingredients:
Cucumber
Onion
Salt
Vinegar
Bread
Butter

Take the cucumber and slice an equal amount to what you have of onion. Place the sliced cucumber in a bowl. Sprinkle salt all over it quite freely, cover and leave it standing for 3 hours. Rinse off all the salt and any liquid which has formed. Peel the onion, half it, then slice it. Add it to the cucumber, cover with vinegar and leave for a further 3 hours. It's now ready to eat. Spread your bread with butter and liberally cover the slice with the cucumber and onion. Add another buttered slice on top and press down a little. Cut as you like it and eat. Moreish!

Banana & Orange Pancakettes

A great hot snack which you can eat at any time, as a snack, a dessert or a late night, after club, need food. It doesn't take long to make either and it's another, "once you're hooked, that's it", type of food.

Ingredients:
2 Bananas
8oz of self raising flour
2 eggs
1/2 a pint of milk
Vegetable oil
2 Oranges
Sugar
Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream

Take the bananas, first slice them in half, widthways, then slice into quarters, lengthways. Next, mix together the flour, the eggs and the milk and whisk or beat thoroughly until smooth. Heat a small frying pan and add a little oil. Spoon in a tablespoonful of the pancake mixture and allow to brown lightly underneath. Using a spatula, turn the pancake over and lightly brown the other side. Remove to a plate and put it under a warm grill. Continue until enough pancakes have been made for each slice of banana. Next, roll each piece of banana into a panckake, squeeze the orange and sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over it, then serve with scoops of ice cream. Yum!

Pizza Toast

Like a pizza - but made with toast! Great even for breakfast! You can put lots of different things on it to suit your own taste. This is my favourite.

Ingredients:
Baguette or French stick
Butter
Mozzarella cheese
Crushed tinned tomatoes
OR sliced fresh tomatoes
Pineapple slices (diced)
Home cooked sliced ham (cut up)
Oregano or Italian mixed seasoning
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

OK. Cut a couple of pieces of the french stick or baguette and slice them down the centre. Spread them with butter and put them under the grill. (If you're using tinned tomatoes, now is the time to season them with salt and pepper). Take out the bread when the slices have turned slightly golden and cover them with either slices of fresh tomato and a good sprinkling of salt and black pepper, or spread liberally with the crushed tomatoes. Add pieces of the sliced pineapple, then the ham and 0regano. Cover with slices or grated Mozzarella cheese and place under the grill once again. When the cheese is fully melted and bubbling, remove and allow to cool for a few seconds before eating. Mmmm! Nice!

Toffee Apple Sandwich

If you've got a sweet tooth, this one is really perfect for you. I first tried these when I was about five years old. Once eaten, you're hooked! Wonderful!

Ingredients:
Sliced Bread
Butter
1 Apple - peeled, cored and sliced
Lyles Golden Syrup

All you have to do now is spread a slice of bread with butter, then with a generous layer of syrup, and finally cover with slices of apple. Now place another slice of buttered bread on top and push down slightly. Cut into halves or quarters and enjoy!

Honeydew Melon & Parma Ham

My favourite way to eat this is to let the melon ripen well before using it. Very juicy, sweet and refreshing! Imagine eating this on a hot summer evening out in the garden with a group of good friends and drinking a nice, chilled, dry white Bordeaux.

Serves 4 to 8

Ingredients:
1 Honeydew Melon
16 slices of Parma Ham
Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Red Wine Vinegar

The melon needs to be sliced into 8 pieces lengthways. Next cut the flesh of the melon down as far as the hard skin in a checker board pattern (mouthsized pieces). DO NOT remove the pieces from the hard skin. Cut each slice of Parma Ham in two, widthways and use four of these pieces to drape over each slice of melon. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top followed by a good sprinkling of fresh ground black pepper and a little drizzle of red wine vinegar. Fabulous!

Country Pate

I love most styles of pate, but I always seem to come back to this one. It's something you recognise every time, and let's face it, everyone has their favourites.

Serves 10 - 12

Ingredients:
12 ounces of lean minced beef
1 pound of fat belly pork
8 ounces of pig's liver, minced
10 ounces of lean bacon, chopped small
1 rounded teaspoon of salt
A quarter teaspoon of ground mace
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
20 black peppercorns
15 juniper berries
4 fluid ounces of dry white wine
1 fluid ounces of brandy
A 2 pound loaf tin or terrine

If your butcher has not minced your meats for you, use a medium blade of a mincer, or chop them in a food processor.

To make the pate, place the meats and bacon in a large bowl and mix them together thoroughly. Add the salt, mace and garlic. Crunch the peppercorns and juniper berries on a flat surface with a tablespoon, then add to the meat. Now pour the wine and brandy over and mix in well. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave in a cool place for a couple of hours.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 2, 300 degrees F, 150 degrees C. Pack the mixture into the loaf tin or terrine, and then place that in a meat roasting tin, half filled with hot water. Bake for about 1 hour 45 mins. The pate will have shrunk quite a lot by the time it's cooked. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool without draining off any of the juices. (When cold, the fat will keep the pate moist.)

When the pate is cold, place a double strip of foil across the top and put a few weights on top to press it down for a few hours. This isn't essential, but it helps to make the pate less crumbly if you want to serve it in slices. Serve with hot toast, fresh crusty bread, or French bread.

Smoked Salmon

There are various ways for you to enjoy fine smoked salmon. The way I prefer it is as I used to eat it in Switzerland. Although it was originally served with Melba Toast, I like it this way, but that is purely my own preference.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 (or more) slices of Granary bread.
A 500 gram pack of Scottish smoked salmon
2 or 3 medium onions
A jar of Capers in brine
4 fresh lemons
Freshly milled black pepper
Butter

Open the smoked salmon and arrange the slices in the centre of a large serving dish or tray. Slice the onions into rings and place them at one end of the dish. Drain the capers and tip them onto the other end of the serving dish. The bread should then be lightly toasted and then buttered straight away so the butter melts in. Slice the lemons into wedges and arrange around the dish. Arrange the toast around the edge of the dish also. Serve.
The best way to eat this is to arrange a few onion rings on a slice of toast with some capers within them. Add a few slices of salmon to cover the toast. Squeeze a wedge of lemon over the salmon and sprinkle black pepper to taste.

Fresh Fruit & Mint Vinaigrette

This was apparently Peter Langan's recipe. Quite unusual really, it's sharp and creamy all at once. I think you'll like it, I do.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 dessert apples, red and green, cored and chopped into half inch chunks, skin left on.
2 medium sized pears, cored and cut into half inch chunks, skin left on.
The juice of half a lemon
4 ounces of grapes, red and green, halved and de-pipped.
2 oranges, peeled and de-pithed and cut into chunks. 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped mint.

For the dressing:
1 level teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
6 tablespoon of olive oil
4 tablespoon of double cream

Dice the apples and pears into a bowl and pour the lemon juice over them to stop discolouring. Stir gently to coat all the pieces, then add the grapes and orange chunks, stir in the chopped mint, cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.

To make the dressing, place the salt and wine vinegar in a bowl, leave for a few minutes for the salt to dissolve, then add the olive oil. Whisk well to blend then gradually stir in the double cream.
When you're ready to serve, divide the fruit among six glasses, pour the dressing over and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Instant Salmon Pate

This recipe can also be found on the Christmas page and had to be included here as it really is that good for a quickie.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound of cold cooked salmon without skin or bone, or alternatively, 1 16 ounce can of red salmon.
5 tablespoons of softened, unsalted butter.
1 tablespoon of sherry.
Half a teaspoon of bottled anchovy sauce.
A pinch of ground mace.
Salt and pepper.
4 thick slices of cucumber.

If using a can of salmon, drain the can and remove any bone/skin you find. Flake the salmon and either pound it or beat with an electric mixer to reduce to shreds. (Don't use a food processor as it tends to reduce it to a puree.) Beat in 1-2 tablespoons of butter, then the sherry, anchovy sauce and mace; season very lightly. Beat in the remaining butter, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Turn into 4 individual pots or ramekin dishes, level the tops and chill to firm up. Meanwhile, salt the cucumber slices well and place on a tilted plate for 30 minutes. Pat dry with soft paper. Chop the slices finely and pat dry again. Sprinkle on the pate just before serving.

Watercress Cream Soup

This is a really nice soup and can be served hot, or if you prefer, for a summer dinner party, chilled.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 bunches of watercress, destalked and chopped.
(Reserve 4 sprigs for garnishing.)
The white parts of 3 large leeks
(approx 1 pound)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 ounces of butter
One and a half pints of very light chicken stock or water
5 fluid ounces of double cream
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Melt the butter in a thick-based saucepan, then add the prepared leeks, potato and watercress and stir them around so that they're coated with the melted butter. Add some salt, cover with a lid nd let the vegetables sweat over a low heat for about 20 minutes, giving the mixture a stir about half way through. After that, add the stock (or water), bring to simmering point and simmer, covered, for a further 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are quite tender. Remove from the heat and when cool, liquidise the soup, but not too vigorously. Return the soup to the saucepan, stir in the cream, season to taste and reheat gently. When serving, garnish each bowl with one of the sprigs of watercress you'd saved.

(This section is as yet incomplete - please be patient...)

East West Chicken

This is essentially a mix of Thai and European ingredients. It's surprising how many wonderful flavours can be mixed to produce fine and great tasting cuisine.

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 skinned chicken breast fillets
A bunch of spring onions, chopped
A small pice of stem ginger
1 red bell pepper, de-seeded & sliced
Light soy sauce
1/4 pint of creme fraiche
Dry white wine
Seasoned flour
Salt & freshly milled black pepper
2 ounces of butter
1 ounce of sugar
1 clove of garlic, chopped

Coat the chicken breasts with seasoned flour. Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan and add the chicken. Fry the chicken breasts for a few minutes until sealed and lightly browned. Remove the chicken pieces to a separate dish. Add the ginger, garlic and red pepper, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the saucepan and fry gently for a couple of minutes or so, stirring to prevent burning. Add 1/4 pint of dry white wine, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, the sugar and spring onions. Bring to the boil stirring continuously, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the chicken pieces and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Now remove the chicken and vegetables to a serving dish and add the creme fraiche to the remaining liquid. Stir whilst heating for a minute or so and then pour over the chicken and vegetables.

Serving suggestion
This dish goes well with boiled or perfumed rice. Any crackers are fine but not prawn ones. For some reason they don't seem quite right. Maybe it's me...

Chicken Ding

This originally started out as a joke.
Put the chicken in a microwave, turn it on, when it's ready it goes 'DING!'  Funny...
Now, however, it's been taken a bit further and a dish has actually been made starting with the name alone. All you need is a microwave with a combined grill. Read on...

Serves 4

Ingredients
12 chicken drumsticks
1/4 pound of strong cheese, grated
Made up English mustard
Dry white wine
Freshly milled black pepper
Green mixed salad
4 Sliced Tomatos
2 Small Chopped Onions

Everyone knows their own microwave and from what I've seen on my travels they all seem to operate differently so I'll leave the settings up to you here, O.K?

Place the drumsticks in a dish in the microwave and cook through. Grill them to make sure they are golden. Whilst cooking the drumsticks, mix the cheese, a teaspoon of made up mustard, a quarter pint of dry white wine and a good pinch of freshly milled black pepper. Once the chicken has finished cooking (Ding!) remove it from the microwave and put the mixture in and cook until bubbling well, about a couple of minutes or so. Remove halfway through this operation and stir before returning to the microwave. Once cooked, pour over the chicken drumsticks and serve with a green side salad mixed with sliced tomatoes and chopped onions, preferably with a good french dressing. (A good, chilled, white Bordeaux goes well with this.)

Fast-roast Chicken with Lemon and Tarragon

A "Delia Smith" recipe which I really like a lot. I'm absolutely positive you will too.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 x 3 lb French style traditional free range chicken
1/2 small lemon, thinly sliced and the slices halved, plus the juice of the remaining 1/2 lemon
21/2 level tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 oz softened butter
1 dessertspoon olive oil
10 fl oz dry white wine
salt and freshly milled black pepper

You will also need a solid-based, flameproof roasting tin measuring 9 x 11 inches , 2 inches deep.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450°F (230°C).

Begin by taking the chicken from the fridge about an hour before you intend to cook it (obviously if it's a hot day give it about 30 minutes only), and remove the string that holds the legs of the bird together so that the joints are loose – this will take the chill off the bird and help it to cook in the shorter time. Now make a garlic and herb butter by placing the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the chopped tarragon leaves and the butter in a bowl and combine them with a fork, adding some salt and pepper. Then place the herb butter inside the body cavity of the bird, along with the halved lemon slices. Smear a little of the olive oil over the base of the roasting tin, place the chicken in it, then smear the rest of the olive oil all over the skin of the bird. Lastly, season well with salt and black pepper and then pop the roasting tin into the lower third of the oven. Now let it roast for 45 minutes without opening the oven door. When this time is up, remove the bird from the oven. Next put a wooden spoon into the body cavity and, using a spatula to hold the breast end, tip the chicken and let all the buttery juices and slices of lemon pour out into the roasting tin, then transfer the bird on to a carving board, cover with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, using a tablespoon, skim off the excess fat from the juices in the roasting tin, then place the tin over direct heat, add the wine and lemon juice and let the whole lot bubble and reduce to about half its original volume. Now add the remaining tarragon, then taste and check the seasoning. Carve the chicken on to warm plates and add any juices to the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This dish, which sounds remarkably Indian was actually thought up in England! It is now being exported in large quantities...
to India!!!

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
A 1 inch piece root ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chilli powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
300ml/10floz carton double cream
juice of ½ lemon
handful fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
pilau rice or table top naan bread, to serve

Place the chicken in a large bowl and mix with the ginger, garlic, chilli, salt, pepper, coriander, lime juice and one tablespoon of the oil. Set aside for 2 hours. Pre-heat the grill to high. Thread the chicken on to skewers and cook under the grill for 12 minutes or so, turning frequently until well browned. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large pan and cook the onion and chilli for 5-8 minutes until dark golden. Add the turmeric and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the cream and cook gently for a couple of minutes. Slide the chicken off the skewers and stir into the creamy sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through. Check the seasoning, adding some lemon juice to taste, and serve with rice or naan. Garnish with the coriander.

Baked Ham with Cider and Spices, Quince and Orange Sauce

This one is for those who like ham recipes. A couple of the nicer ones I've tried are here. Enjoy!

Serves 8

Ingredients
1 x 4lb gammon ham
cold water (enough to cover the ham in a pot)
2pt cider
1 x 1¾pt carton apple juice
1 large onion
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
2oz (50g) butter
4oz light brown muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
a few cloves

For the Quince and Orange Sauce:
3 tablespoons quince jelly
grated rind and juice of 3 oranges
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 easpoons whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
honey to taste
a little reserved stock

Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Soak the ham overnight in cold water. Drain and put the ham into a large saucepan with the cider and apple juice and top up with cold water until you just cover it. Add the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns and then bring up to the boil. Now skim the surface and reduce the heat. Simmer gently for 1½ hours. Remove the joint from the pan, peel off the skin and mark the fat into diamond shapes with a sharp knife. Reserve the stock for the sauce and for later if you want to make soup! Stand the gammon in a roasting tin. Mix the butter with the sugar, mustard and ground spices to a paste. Spread this over the fat. Press a clove into the middle of each diamond. Roast in the oven for about 15 to 30 minutes, or until the fat is crisp and golden. In the meantime make the sauce by melting the quince jelly in a saucepan, adding the orange and lemon rind and juice and stirring well. Stir in the mustard and vinegar and add the honey to taste. Add a little of the stock if necessary. To serve, slice up the ham, pour over a little sauce.

Country Ham Pie

If you're a ham afficionado, this recipe is a must.

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients
2 x 13oz packs chilled ready rolled puff pastry
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4oz unsalted butter, melted
6oz strong cheddar cheese, grated
4oz fresh white bread crumbs
3 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
12oz best quality cooked ham, roughly chopped
½pt soured cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
beaten egg, to glaze

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6. Cut just over half of one pack of the pastry and roll out to a rectangle about a 20p coin thickness and 11 x 11in on a lightly floured chopping or pastry board. Lay the pastry base onto a baking sheet and prick well with a fork. Bake the pastry base in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Melt the butter with the garlic and allow to cool slightly. In a medium-sized bowl mix the melted butter and garlic, cheese and breadcrumbs together. When the base is cooked and cool, scatter half the cheese mixture onto the base. Leave a border of at least 1in. Sprinkle over the chopped ham, soured cream and chives. Tip the remaining cheese mixture over evenly and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Roll out the remaining packet of pastry 2in larger than the base. Use the beaten egg to glaze the border and place the remaining pastry square over the top. Trim to fit and scallop the edges with a knife, glaze the top and decorate with any remaining pastry. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Serve with a selection of new season vegetables (beetroot, turnips, and carrots.)

Lamb Steaks with Orange and Mint

This recipe came from the Shetland Agricultural Marketing people. Pretty good too!

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 lamb steaks
2 oranges, juice only
1 teaspoon mint sauce
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 clove of garlic, crushed
dash of tabasco sauce
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon oil
I teaspoon cornflour mixed with a little water

Put orange juice, mint, mustard, garlic, tabasco and salt in a bowl. Dip steaks in sauce to coat. Add oil to frying pan and fry steaks over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Add rest of sauce to pan, bring to simmering point, then thicken sauce with cornflour and serve. Yhis goes very well with saute potatoes, peas and button mushrooms.

Rack of Lamb

A rtaditional recipe with a difference. Quite spectacular. Serve it with roast potatoes, broccoli, garden peas.

Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients
2 pound rack of lamb
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 ounces orange marmalade
2 ounces lemon juice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Rinse lamb. Pat dry. Rub lamb with salt and pepper. Wrap tip of each bone in aluminum foil, to prevent burning. Put lamb on rack in roasting pan, fat side up. Roast for 30 minutes, uncovered. Combine marmalade and lemon juice. Brush some glaze on lamb. Continue roasting lamb for 30 minutes more. Brush lamb with remaining glaze. For medium lamb, roast another 15 minutes. For well-done lamb, roast about 30 minutes more. Before serving, remove foil wraps from tips. For more elegant presentation, add paper frills to tips when serving.

Roast Leg of Lamb

A very traditional recipe for lamb, commonly seen at Sunday lunchtimes across England

Serves 4

Ingredients
Leg of lamb (about 6 pounds)
8 cloves garlic
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp rosemary
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Mint Sauce:
2 ounces chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 fluid ounces of boiling water
6 fluid ounces of cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 325F. Cut eight shallow slits in the surface of the lamb and insert a clove of garlic in each slit. Brush the lamb with lemon juice, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast so the bulb reaches the center but does not touch a bone. Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes per pound or until the thermomoeter reaches 150F. Remove from oven, and let the leg stand uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Place the mint in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over it. Crush mint and sugar together with the back of a spoon. Pour in boiling water and let mint steep for five minutes. Add vinegar to mint and water mixture. Taste the sauce and add more sugar if needed. Heat before serving.

Lamb's Liver with Onions

A very traditional recipe found all over the U.K.

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients
2 ounces of Butter
2 fluid ounces of Vegetable oil
2 large Onions, skinned and sliced
6 Fresh sage leaves
4-6 slices Lambs liver
1/2 fluid ounce of White wine vinegar
Fresh sage leaves and lemon wedges

Heat butter and oil in a frying pan. Add onions and cook gently for 20 mins. stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in sage and cook for a further 2 mins. Add liver to pan. Increase heat and fry for 2-3 mins. on each side. Season liver and transfer to a serving dish with the onions. Cover and keep hot. Add vinegar to pan and boil rapidly for 1-2 mins. stirring. Pour vinegar mixture over the liver and garnish with sage leaves and lemon wedges. Serve with creamed potatoes.

Crisp-crumbed Pan Pork Escalopes

A very pleasant pork recipe to try. This goes exceedingly well with a saffron mushroom risotto - believe me!

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound pork fillet or boneless loin chops
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons seasoned flour
2 eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil
Lemon wedges, to serve

If using pork fillet, cut into 3/4 inch slices. Place a piece of sliced pork or a chop on a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap, cover with a second sheet and using a rolling pin or meat mallet, flatten to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Repeat for the remaining meat. Mix together the garlic, mustard, cayenne or chili powder, and a littie salt and spread over the pork. Stir together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Toss the pork in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, dip in the beaten egg and then into the cheesy breadcrumbs, to coat. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and stir fry in batches for 3 minutes on each side until brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Sweet And Sour Pork Spareribs

The tangy spareribs will work as an appetizer when served alone or as a main course when served with a vegetable and a fruit or rice salad.

Serves 6

Ingredients
2 ounces peanut oil
3 pounds spareribs, cut small - 1-inch
2 ounces onion, chopped
2 ounces red pepper, chopped
6 fluid ounces of pineapple juice
6 fluid ounces of water
6 fluid ounces of cider vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 ounces brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Put oil in skillet and heat till sizzling. Add spareribs and brown. Remove spareribs. Set aside. Drain skillet except for 2 tablespoons of drippings. Add red pepper, garlic, and onion to skillet and brown. Add pineapple juice, water, vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce to skillet. Stir well. Add brown sugar to skillet. Mix cornstarch with remaining ¼ cup of pineapple juice until it makes a thin, smooth paste. Add pineapple-cornstarch mixture to skillet. Stir well. Bring skillet mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Add meat to mixture and reduce heat. Cook uncovered over low heat until meat is tender, about 1 hour, stirring often.

Scoth Eggs

A great easy meal and one of my favourites. Excellent with chips and a green side salad

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 lb. pork sausage
all-purpose flour for coating
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 egg, beaten
salt & pepper
1-1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
8 hard boiled quail's eggs (or vegetable oil for deep frying 4 chicken eggs)

Mix sausage with chives, salt and pepper. Divide into 8 equal portions (or 4 if you're using chicken eggs). On floured surface, flatten each piece into a 2-inch (or 4-inch) circle. Shell eggs and dust with flour. Put beaten egg into one dish and bread crumbs into another. Place egg on a circle of sausage and mould it around the egg, sealing seams well. Roll each in beaten egg first then breadcrumbs. Heat vegetable oil to 360 degree. Deep fry eggs 3-4 min. (or 5-6 min. for chicken eggs) until golden brown. Drain well on paper towels until cool.

Pork Pie

The first time I've ever seen a recipe for this. Generally, you go to the supermarket or the butchers and buy them ready made! Seriously, it isn't quite the same but it's a great pie, I was impressed.

Serves 4

Ingredients
3/4 lb flour
5oz lard
3/4 teaspoon salt
About 5 fl. ozs. water or milk and water mixed

Filling for pie:
1-1/2 lb pork
1 tablespoon water
1/2 oz salt
1/4 oz pepper
1/2 teaspoonful sage may be added if liked.
Cut the meat up finely and mix well with seasoning and water.

Boil lard with water then stir into flour gradually and knead to a smooth light paste, cut off about 1/4 of it and set to keep warm. Make the remainder into a ball, then gradually work out the centre, getting the sides as high as possible up the sides of a tin with a loose bottom. Fill with pie-meat and wet the inside of the upper edge of the case. Roll out the remainder (make a hole in the middle) and cover pie, press edges together and pinch them all round. Decorate the top with shapes of pastry. Brush over with beaten egg and bake 1-1/2 hours. Before quite cold fill up with seasoned gravy.

Baked Gammon In Cider

A very pleasant recipe for gammon which you should really enjoy.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 middle gammon
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of cloves
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
2 tablespoons of demerara sugar
1/2 pint of cider
1 tin of peach halves
1 chopped chives

Total cooking time: allow 20 minutes per pound plus 20 minutes extra. Wash the joint, place in a saucepan, cover with water, add the bay leaves and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for half total cooking time. Remove from the pan and discard liquid. Set oven to 375/F or Mark 5. Remove the skin from joint, score the fat and press in the cloves. Place in a roastina tin, pour the syrup over the fatty sides and sprinkle with the sugar. Add 1/2 pint cider to the tin and bake for remainder of cooking time. Baste with the liquid 2 or 3 times. Twenty minutes before the end of cooking time add the peach halves, reserving the juice, and sprinkle with chopped chives. When cooked, remove the joint and the peaches. Add the peach juice to the tin and boil rapidly to reduce to make a sauce; serve separately.


(More recipes to follow soon)

Tournados Steak Chasseur

My favourite steak dish of all time. The first really excellent restaurant I ever took a girl out to for a meal was the "Old Mill" at Stoke Holy Cross just south of Norwich when I was eighteen. A wonderful old converted water mill run by an Italian family which is still there today, long after many other 'lesser' restaurants have closed their doors once and for all. This was the dish I had that day and have had many times since. Maybe the recipe isn't exact but it's pretty close. Try it.

Serves 4

Ingredients
Four pieces of Tournado or Filet Mignon Steak
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of diced shallots
4 tablespoons of diced mushrooms
4 fluid ounces of white wine
8 fluid ounces of demi glaze
2 pinches of tarragon
Salt & freshly milled black pepper
6 tablespons of tomatoes (peeled, seeded and small diced)
4 slices of bread

Remove all the crusts from the bread and toast. Place one piece on each of 4 plates. Grill the steaks in a pan until browned on both sides in the olive oil. Ensure the meat is raw in the middle by using a fairly high heat. Finish the steaks on a grill tray in the oven at 175c until medium/rare. (The time varies per oven.) Deglaze the original pan with the white wine then add the shallots and mushrooms. Reduce the wine until scant. Add the demi glaze and tarragon. Add salt & pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes at the last minute to ensure a certain crunchiness. When ready, place each of the steaks on top of a piece of toast and pour the sauce over the steaks. Serve with croquette potatoes, fresh peas and broccoli. At this point a good St.Emillion wine or a Pinot Noir would go down a treat.

Original Swiss Cheese Fondue

Fondue is a discovery you must make if you haven't already. Below, you'll find out how to prepare and enjoy a true Swiss Cheese Fondue, plus experience the fun and flavour that goes with it.

Equipment you will need
You will need a fondue set. This consists of a "Caquelon", a special cheese saucepan which fits on a spirit burner. These can be bought as a set together with cheese forks from most good kitchen utensil outlets.

What to drink with Fondue
White wine or hot tea are the most suitable drinks. "Coup de Milieu" - "half-way drink" is the fondue expert's term for a small glass of Kirsch, taken during the fondue.

To accompany Fondue
Fondue is a main course in itself. If you must have an hors d'oeuvre, restrict it to a little air-dried beef (bundnerfleisch / viande sechee des Grissons). For dessert, nothing is better than fruit salad, or perhaps a light cake with cofffee.

How to eat Fondue
Everyone eats directly from the "Caquelon". An important point here, the heat of the spirit stove must be constantly regulated so that the fondue just simmers and bubbles gently. Spear a cube of bread through the crust with your cheese fork so that it holds firmly. Then stir the piece of bread in the fondue until it is entirely covered with cheese. Stirring is the first rule as it keeps the fondue smooth and creamy to the end.

The Penalties!!!
If your bread comes adrift in the fondue, a penalty is involved: the men are 'fined' a bottle of wine, while the women get off lightly - with a kiss for each man in the party!

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 clove of garlic
7oz swiss Emmental cheese, grated
7oz Swiss Gruyere cheese, grated
4 level teaspoons of cornflour
1/2 pint of dry or dry, sparkling wine
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
A small glass of Kirsch
Pepper
Nutmeg
Baguette Bread cut into cubes

Rub around the inside of the saucepan with the clove of garlic. Put the cheese in the saucepan and add the cornflour. Add the dry white wine and lemon juice. Cook the fondue on a stove over a high heat, stirring constantly until the cheese has melted and the fondue is smooth and creamy. A small glass of Kirsch (or any other clear spirit such as "eau-de-vie" or "schnapps"), a pinch of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg should be added when the fondue is nearly ready. After cooking for a short while longer, the fondue is ready to serve and can be transferred to the spirit stove on the dining table.

Bear in mind that if you like more pepper, you can add it to the fondue or if no-one else wants it, sprinkle some on your plate and dip your bread into it after coating it with cheese.



(More fondues to come!)

Fondue Bourgignon

This is a fondue where the sauces that accompany it are the main part of the dish. The meat is cooked in hot oil and dipped in the various sauces on your plate.

Equipment you will need
A fondue set, usually a metal one especially for this type of fondue. This consists of a "Caquelon", a special saucepan which fits on a spirit burner. These can be bought as a set together with forks from most good kitchen utensil outlets.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 lb of tenderloin beef
1 pint of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons of red wine vinager


For the sauces
Dijon Mustard
Mayonnaise
Horseradish Sauce
Sour Cream / Yoghurt
Olive oil
Red Wine Vinager
Capers
Anchovy paste
Parsley
Garlic
Curry Powder
A small onion
butter
Oxo chicken stock
Apricot Jam
Lemon juice


Mix the pepper, salt, red wine vinager and Worcestershire sauce and 2 fluid oz of the cooking oil together in a mixing bowl. Cut the meat into 1" cubes and add to the mixture. Mix the meat well so that it is all covered in the marinade and then put the bowl in the fridge for at least an hour.

Next, make up the dipping sauces:

Dijon Mayonnaise Dipping Sauce: Whisk 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard into 2 fluid oz mayonnaise.

Horseradish-Sour Cream Sauce: Stir 2 fluid oz prepared horseradish into 8 fluid oz sour cream.

Piquant Parsley Dipping Sauce: Combine 4 fluid oz olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, 1 bunch finely chopped parsley, and 1 clove of garlic (put through a garlic press).

Curry Dipping Sauce: Sauté some finely chopped onion in a little butter until soft. Add some good quality curry power. Fry for a couple of minutes. Add a little chicken stock and reduce. Mix in a little apricot jam and some lemon juice. Let cool. Stir in equal parts of sour cream (or yogurt) and mayonnaise. Adjust seasoning.

Now place the remaining cooking oil into the saucepan and heat to 360f, 180-5c, gas mark 4. Transfer the saucepan carefully to the spirit stove. Arrange the sauces around the stove. To eat, skewer meat w/ a fondue fork, dip into hot oil for 1-3 minutes(depending on how well you like your meat cooked), and then dip into selected sauce. This can be served with chips or French bread and a side salad.

Chocolate-crunch Torte with Pistachios and Sour Cherries

This is the easiest chocolate recipe ever invented – the joy of its simplicity and the fact that no cooking is required make it a real winner for busy people

Serves 12

Ingredients
8 oz dark chocolate (75 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces
4 oz unsalted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
2 oz dried sour cherries
2 oz raisins
3 tablespoons rum
2 oz butter
5 fl oz double cream, lightly whipped
8 oz sweet oat biscuits, roughly chopped

To serve:
a little cocoa powder, to dust
crème fraîche, whipped cream or pouring cream

You will also need a loose-based cake tin with a diameter of 8 inches, 11/2 inches deep, lightly greased with a flavourless oil.

Begin this the day before by soaking the dried cherries and raisins in the rum overnight. When you are ready to make the torte, place the broken-up chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl, which should be sitting over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Then, keeping the heat at its lowest, allow the chocolate to melt – it should take about 6 minutes to become smooth and glossy. Now remove the bowl from the pan, give the chocolate a good stir and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Next, fold in the whipped cream, followed by the soaked fruits in rum, the pistachios and chopped biscuits, and give it all a good mix. Finally, spoon it into the cake tin as evenly as possible, cover with clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 4 hours. To serve, dust the surface with a little cocoa powder, cut the torte into wedges, then serve with crème fraîche, whipped cream or pouring cream.

Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake with Fruit and Nuts served with Crème Fraîche

This is quite simply a chocolate cheesecake to die for. If you like chocolate, if you like dark chocolate with fruit and nuts, and if you like luscious, velvet-textured mascarpone.

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

For the filling:
31/2 oz dark chocolate, with 75 per cent cocoa solids
1 x 9 oz tub mascarpone
2 oz raisins
4 oz whole hazelnuts
1 x 200 g tub fromage frais (8 per cent fat)
2 large eggs
11/2 oz caster sugar

For the base:
2 oz whole hazelnuts
4 oz sweet oat biscuits
1 oz butter, melted

For the chocolate curls to decorate:
31/2 oz dark chocolate with 75 per cent cocoa solids

To serve:
crème fraîche or pouring cream
1 level teaspoon cocoa powder

You will also need a 7 inch cake tin, preferably springform, with a depth of 3 inches; if shallower than this, line the sides with silicone paper (baking parchment).

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C). First of all, place all of the hazelnuts for the base and the filling into the oven and toast to a golden brown; use a timer and have a look after 5 minutes, giving them 5 extra if they need it. Then remove them from the hot tray to cool. Set aside 4 oz (110 g) for the filling. Meanwhile, make the base of the cheesecake by crushing the biscuits in a polythene bag with a rolling pin – not too finely, though, as it's nice to have a fairly uneven texture then chop the remaining 2 oz (50 g) toasted hazelnuts. Tip all the crushed biscuit crumbs into a bowl, then add the chopped nuts and melted butter and mix everything very thoroughly before packing into the base of the cake tin, pressing it very firmly all over. Now place the tin in the oven and pre-bake the crust for 20 minutes. Then remove it and let it cool while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C). To make the filling, first place 2 inches (5 cm) of water into a saucepan, then put the saucepan on to heat and, meanwhile, break the chocolate into small squares and place this into a basin. As soon as the water is boiling, remove the pan from the heat and place the bowl on top until everything melts. Don't be tempted to put the bowl on top of the saucepan while the water is still boiling – because of the high cocoa solid content, this chocolate mustn't get overheated or it will separate. Now spoon the mascarpone and fromage frais into a large bowl and whisk them together until smooth, preferably with an electric hand whisk. Then add the eggs and sugar and give it another good whisking before adding the melted chocolate – use a rubber spatula so that you get every last bit of chocolate from the basin – and then lightly fold the chocolate into the egg mixture. Finally, add the raisins and toasted hazelnuts. Now pour the mixture into the tin, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon, then place it on the centre shelf of the oven and bake for 11/4 hours. After that, turn the oven off but leave the cheesecake inside until it's completely cold. To make the chocolate curls: melt the chocolate as before, then pour it on to a flat, smooth surface. The underside of a large plate will do. It should form a circle of about 6 inches diameter (15 cm) and 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Place the plate into the fridge to chill for 45 minutes. What you want is the chocolate to be set hard enough so that if you press the surface of the chocolate it doesn't leave an indentation. Now take it from the fridge and use a cheese slicer, otherwise a sharp knife will do if you hold the blade in both hands. Just pull it all along the chocolate towards you and it should curl up. What is very important to know here is that if it doesn't curl and you end up with a pile of chocolate shavings they'll look just as nice – either way, place them in a rigid plastic container and then put this in the fridge until you need them. To serve the cheesecake, sprinkle the surface with chocolate curls, dust with a sprinkling of cocoa powder and serve in slices with crème fraîche or cream, handed round separately.