Blanquette of lamb

Serves 6

1kg boneless shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into chunks
1.25 ltrs water
8 button onions
2 large carrots, thickly sliced
2 bay leaves
juice of ½ lemon
salt and black pepper
250g button mushrooms
45g butter
45g plain flour
150ml single cream
1 egg yolk
chopped parsley to garnish

1. Put the chunks of lamb into a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Drain, then rinse the meat thoroughly to remove the scum.

2. Return the meat to the saucepan and pour in the measured water. Add the onions, carrots, bay leaves, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour.

3. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 30 minutes. Lift out the lamb and vegetables, reserving the liquid and keep hot.

4. Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the reserved cooking liquid, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer until the sauce thickens.

5. In a bowl, whisk together the cream and egg yolk. Blend in 2 tbsp of the hot sauce. Take the saucepan off the heat, stir the cream mixture into the sauce, then reheat very gently. Taste for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the lamb and garnish with parsley before serving.

(Mary Berry's - Complete Cookbook)

Blackberry curd tart

Serves 8

300g blackberries
1 lime, zested and juiced
3 egg yolks
397g tin condensed milk
350g shortcrust pastry
200ml double cream
icing sugar to sweeten

1. Cook the blackberries in a splash of water until they start to soften and give up their juices. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, pushing the juices out with the back of a spoon. You should end up with a thin purée. Add the lime juice. Beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk for 2-3 minutes, then beat in the backberry purée.

2. Heat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Line a 20cm tart tin with the pastry, rolling it out as thinly as you can. Bake blind for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Beat the blackberry curd again then pour it into the pastry case. Cook for 15 minutes and then cool. Dust with icing sugar and scatter over a few more blackberries. Beat the cream with a little icing sugar and the lime zest. Serve with the tart.

Nutrition per serving: 524 kcals, protein 8.5g, carbs 48.1g, fat 32.9g, sat fat 15.9g, fibre, 2g, salt 0.6g

(Olive magazine - September 2013)

Monkfish & scallop risotto

Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
100g arborio rice
salt & freshly ground black pepper
150ml dry white vermouth
450ml hot chicken stock
200g monkfish tail, filleted, membrane removed and cubed into bite size chunks
knob of butter
4 scallops, coral removed

1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over a low heat. Add the onions, cover and sweat for 5 mins over a low heat until the onion is softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains in the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Turn up the heat and add the vermouth. When reduced, add the stock a ladle at a time (keeping the stock warned in a saucepan over a low heat) until each is absorbed, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice sticking. When the last ladle of stock is added, stir in the monkfish.

3. Heat a knob of butter in a small frying pan and fry the scallops for a minute on each side until lightly caramelised.

4. Remove risotto from the heat and spoon into serving dishes, top with the scallops and serve with a handful of steamed samphire.

(©2013 Chez Dave)

Butternut squash and Gruyere pithivier

Serves 4

750g all butter puff pastry
olive oil
500g butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out and thinly sliced
12 sage leaves
150g Gruyere cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten

1. Heat the oven to 200­°C/fan 180°C/gas 4. Roll out the pastry and cut into 8 rounds, each roughly the size of a small side plate. Lay 4 on an oiled baking sheet and chill them while you make the filling.

2. Heat a pan of water and briefly cook the slices of squash, a couple of minutes will do. Drain and steam dry. Heat a little oil and fry the sage leaves until they crisp up. Crumble 4 leaves in to the grated cheese and mix.

3. Sprinkle the centre of each pastry circle with a little grated cheese. Layer slices of the squash with the grated cheese and plenty of seasoning. Make sure the piles of filling are roughly dome shaped and then wet the edge of the pastry circles. Drape another circle on top and press firmly to seal it. Brush the pastry tops with beaten egg and mark a spiral or criss-cross pattern into the pastry top. Bake for 30-35 mins or until the pastry is puffed and golden and cooked through. Serve with extra sage.

Nutrition per serving: 931 kcals, protein 23.8g, carbs 74.3g, fat 59.6g, sat fat 29.4g, fibre 2g, salt 2.2g

(Olive magazine - September 2013)

Mixed bean bake

Serves 6

2 tbsp olive oil
3 large leeks, trimmed and sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
250g mushrooms, sliced
1 x 400g can aduki or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 x 400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato purée
4 tbsp chopped parsley
salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the cheese sauce:
30g butter
30g plain flour
300ml milk
1 egg, beaten
125g Cheddar cheese, grated

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and cook gently, stirring, for a few minutes until softened but not coloured. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 mins. Add the canned beans, tomatoes, tomato purée, add 3 tbsp of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for 20mins.

3. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour, and cook, stirring for 1 min. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually blend in the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Simmer for 2 - 3 mins, then leave to cool slightly. Stir in the egg and cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the bean mixture to an ovenproof dish and arrange the leeks on top. Pour the cheese sauce over the leeks and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (170­°C fan , gas 5) for 30 mins or until the top is golden. Serve hot, sprinkled with the remaining parsley.

(Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook)

Salmon wrapped in filo

Serves 2

2 large handfuls of watercress
2 tbsp chicken stock
2 sheets of filo pastry
2 salmon fillets pieces, about 130g each
green salad, to serve
lemon wedges, to serve

1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Whizz the watercress with enough of the stock to make a paste. Lay out both sheets of filo and put a piece of salmon at the end of each sheet in the centre. Spread the watercress paste over the salmon, then fold and roll up the parcels and put them on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is browned and crisp. Serve with a green salad and lemon wedges.

Nutrition per serving:
kcalories 332, protein 32.9g, carbs 12.2g, fat 17.2g, saturates 3.2g, fibre 1.5g, salt 0.82g

(Good Food Magazine February 2007)

Brixham pollack with parsley, caper and egg sauce

Serves 4

400ml milk
800g pollack fillet, skinned
50g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2½ tbsp plain flour
1 tsp English mustard
Good handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
2 hard boiled eggs
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Pour the milk into a large saucepan, add the pollack fillets and poach very gently for 6-7 minutes, then remove from the heat.

2. Melt the butter in another saucepan, add the onion and fry gently until soft and translucent. Add the flour and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

3. While stirring, slowly pour on the milk that the fish was poached in until the sauce is the consistency of double cream. Stir in the mustard, then add the parsley, capers and flake in the fish.

4. Shell and slice the boiled eggs, add them to the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and serve with creamy mashed potato and freshly cooked peas or broad beans. A nice little twist on this dish is to add a few bits of bacon.

Tip: To enjoy this dish as a fish pie, you can just top it with mashed potato and grill it for a few minutes until crisp on top.

(Fish - the complete fish & seafood companion - Mitch Tonks)

Roasted squash, red onion, green leaf and cheese tart

Serves 6-8

2 small red onions
375g butternut squash, peeled abd cut into 2.5cm pieces
olive oil
300g chard or spinach leaves, large stalks removed and coarsely shredded
225 Gruyere or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
3 eggs
300ml double cream

Wholemeal pastry:
150g plain flour
75g stoneground wholemeal flour
65g butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
65g lard, chilled and cut into small pieces

1. To make the pastry, put both the flours into a food processor with the butter, lard and ½ tsp salt. Whizz until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs, then add 3 tbsp of cold water and blitz briefly until it comes together in a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a lightly buttered 23cm x 4cm deep, loose-bottomed tart tin. Lightly prick the base with a fork and then chill for 20mins. Heat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6.

2. Peel the onions, leaving the root end intact, then slice each one through the root into thin wedges. Put the squash and onion wedges into a raosting tin with 2tbsp of olive oil and some salt and pepper and toff together. Spread out in a layer and roast for 20-30 mins, or until just tender.

3. Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with a thin layer of baking beans. Cook for 15-20 mins until the edges are biscuit coloured. Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for 5-7 mins until the base is crisp and golden.

4. Meanwhile, heat a large pan over a medium-high heat, add the chard or spinach leaves and cook for 2-3 mins or until wilted. Tip into a colander and press out the excess liquid.

5. Remove the pastry case from the oven and lower the oven to 190c/fan 170c/gas 5. Arrange the roasted squash, onion, green leaves and cheese in the pastry case. Beat the eggs and cream with seasoning, pour over the filling and bake for 30-35 mins until set and golden on top. Serve just warm.

(Olive magazine - August 2013)

Bolognese sauce

Serves 4 - 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 slices pancetta
500g minced beef
100g closed cap / chestnut mushrooms, sliced (optional)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
dash Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery, cover and sweat for 5 mins.Add the pancetta and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes until the bacon starts to cook.

2. Add the minced beef and, when browned, add the mushrooms and cook for a further couple of minutes before adding the tomatoes, stock cube, 400ml boiling water, dash of Worcester sauce, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer for 45-60 mins.

3. Cook the pasta as per the pack instructions. When cooked, drain and stir in a heaped table spoon of the ragu per person and stir thoroughly to mix.

(©2013 Chez Dave)