Beef and Mushroom Pies

Ingredients

750g chuck steak, diced into 1cm cubes.
100g flour.
500ml beef stock.
500ml stout beer.
½ onion, finely diced.
200g mushrooms, chopped.
50g tomato puree.
50ml Geo. Watkins’ Mushroom Ketchup.
50ml Worcestershire sauce.
1 tblsp English mustard.
1 sprig thyme.
1 sprig parsley.
Puff pastry.
1 Egg, beaten with a dash of water.

Method

Season flour heavily with salt and pepper.
Toss beef through flour, to coat.
Over moderate heat in a heavy-based casserole, sauté floured beef pieces for 2 minutes in batches with a touch of butter.
Return beef to casserole, add tomato, and cook for 1 minute.
Add other ingredients, except pastry, to casserole, and bring to boil.
Reduce heat, cover with perforated baking paper and cook for 1 ¾ hours.
Season.
Heat oven to 220°C
Spoon pie mixture into individual ramekins.
Top each ramekin with puff pastry, brush with egg wash.
Bake pies for 20 min, until browned.

Leeks a la Greque

Ingredients

2 – 3 leeks, white part only, cut into batons.
60ml olive oil.
30ml white wine.
30g tomato paste.
½ teaspoon white sugar.
1 bay leaf.
1 sprig thyme.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
6 coriander seeds, crushed.
8 black peppercorns.
Juice ½ lemon.
1 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.

Method

Combine all ingredients except leeks, lemon juice and parsley in a large frypan.
Bring to the boil, stirring.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add leeks, cover, and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes, until leeks are soft.
Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, sprinkle with parsley.

Scallops with Mornay Sauce

Ingredients

12 scallops, roe on, in half-shells.
1 ltr court-bouillon.
300ml milk.
100g Gruyère, grated.
50g butter
50g flour
2 eschallots, finely diced.

Method

Warm milk.

In a heavy based saucepan, melt butter, add shallots and soften for 3 minutes, without browning.
Add flour to form a roux, cooking for 2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat.
Gradually add milk, stirring constantly.
Return to the heat stirring constantly, bring to the boil, reduce heat and cooked until thickened to make a white sauce.
Stir through cheese, and season with salt and white pepper.
Place aside sauce.
Remove scallops from shells, cleaning and keeping aside shells.
Bring the court-bouillon to the boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
Poach scallops in court bouillon for 2 minutes.
Place one scallop on each shell, spooning sauce over each scallop.
Grill under salamander for two minutes, until lightly browned.

Roast Poussin with braised lettuce and spock

Ingredients

For the chicken:
1 chicken or poussin.
½ onion.
Garlic cloves.
Thyme.
Parsley.
For the lettuce:
½ cos lettuce.
200g speck, chopped into small batons.
500ml chicken stock.
100ml white wine.

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°C.
Clean and trim the chicken.
Stuff the chicken with salt, pepper, onion, thyme, parsley and garlic.
Truss chicken legs and tail.
Season chicken skin with salt and pepper, and dob generously with butter.
Roast chicken on an open rack.
Roasting time: 18 minutes plus a further 18 minutes per 500g.
For the lettuce
Sautee speck with a touch of butter in heavy-based pan until browned.
Add stock and wine, bring to the boil, reduce heat, and reduce by ¾ until thick.
Add lettuce leaves, braising for 4 – 5 minutes until soft.
Carve chicken into breast, thigh and leg, and serve over lettuce and speck, drizzling with braising liquids.

Pan-Fried Duck Breast

Trim and score duck breasts, before seasoning with salt, pepper, and a tiny touch of ground nutmeg and cinnamon.
Fry the breasts over moderate to high heat for 5 – 6 minutes each side, turning once, and beginning with skin-side downwards.
Deglaze the pan with cognac, reduce, season and serve with sautéed spinach and pommes boulangerie.

Pommes Boulangére

Ingredients

Desiree potatoes, sliced to 3mm thickness with a mandolin.
½ onion per 250g potatoes, sliced to 3mm thickness.
Chicken stock, about 300ml per 100g potatoes.
Butter.

Method

Preheat oven to 350°C.
Grease a lidded casserole dish with butter.
Arrange the potatoes in dish in layers, adding a thin layer of onion to every three or four potato layers.
Bring the stock to boil in a saucepan.
Pour enough hot stock to completely cover potatoes into dish.
Bake for 1 hour, or until potatoes are cooked.

Braised Beef Cheeks

Ingredients

3 or 4 (600g) beef cheeks.
100g bacon or speck.
500ml beef stock.
300ml red wine.
½ onion, chopped.
2 garlic cloves, chopped.
1 celery stalk, chopped.
1 orange zest.
1 bay leaf.
1 sprig parsley.
2 cloves.
50g butter.


Mash.
Baby carrots, sautéed in butter and seasoned.

Method

Marinate the beef cheeks overnight with the onion, celery, red wine, garlic, orange zest, cloves and herbs.
Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry.
Season cheeks well.
Strain the marinade, reserving liquid and solids.
In a casserole over moderate to high heat, sear the beef cheeks with butter for 2 minutes on each side.
Deglaze the casserole with a touch of marinade liquid.
Add marinade solids, and soften for 5 minutes.
Add beef cheeks, bacon and remaining marinade.
Season well.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 2 ½ hours.
Remove the cheeks, wrap in foil, and keep aside.
Strain the braising liquids, discarding solids.
Return liquids to pan and reduce until thick.
Warm the foil packets in oven for 5 min at 350°C.
Serve with mash and sautéed carrots, finishing with reduced sauce.