Method

For the Duck:

1.  Trim and excess fat from the breast and score the skin, season with smoked malden salt, set aside 
2. In a warm pan, place the duck, skin side down and gently render the fat, while crisping the skin, increase the heat slightly, should not be searing hot
3. Lifting to remove the fat from the pan occasionally, seal the flesh side before returning the skin and placing the oven at 180c for 6 minutes
4. Remove from oven, and pan, rest on cooling wire, skin side down.

For the Quinoa:

1. Warm pan, add a little olive oil, gently warm almonds until they begin to colour, remove almonds, add in the quinoa, toast in the pan until you can smell the grain (a little like popcorn)
2. Add in the stock and bring to the boil
3. Reduce to a simmer and add back in the almonds at this stage. Place a lid on top
4. Cook for 10 mins, break down the grain with a fork
5. Finish with seasoning and olive oil

For the Sprouting:

1. Trim the sprouting down
2. Sauté in the pan the duck was cooked in

For the Sweet Potato:

1. Peel sweet potato, cut in to 1cm dice
2. Place in pan with the butter, place on heat with a lid
3. When butter is melted and turning nut brown, add in the milk, replace lid, bring to the boil
4. Reduce to a simmer for approx. 10 mins until sweet potato is soft
5. Remove from heat
6. Strain through a chinois but retain the liquid. Place the potato in a food processor with 50% liquid and hot Blitz
7. Check for consistency and seasoning, should be velvety smooth. Pass through a sieve and use a spoon to place on the plate, or funnel it in to squeezy bottle and do artistic dots.

For the Sauce:

1. Peel and slice the shallots, garlic, star anise and carrots. Remove the stone from 1 peach
2. Caramelise in a pan until golden brown, deglaze with white wine, reduce to virtually nothing
3. Add in the stock at this point, bring it back to the boil and reduce to a simmer for roughly 12 minutes (or until the sauce is the thickness you require. Strain this through a sieve

For the Peach: 

1. Place sugar and vinegar in a pan and warm to dissolve sugar, when dissolved, bring to the boil then remove from the stove.
2. Remove the stones from 2 peaches and place them flesh side down in the hot pickling liquor for 2 minutes.
3. Remove peach and sear at high temp (in a pan with no oil) or blowtorch, until caramelized

This month’s recipe by our own Wayne Sullivan during one of his former working lives and it’s is with the kind permission of Meze Publishing, check out the cookbook here - http://mezepublishing.co.uk/product/the-cotswolds-cook-book/ - regional, seasonal, fresh and delicious... similar to everything we strive to achieve!

Method

1. For the granola, melt the coconut oil with the maple syrup, salt and spice, stir through the oats, nuts and dried fruit and spread on a greaseproof paper covered tray. Place in a low heat oven (90ºc) for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes,
2. When it’s cooked, allow to cool and break up in to smaller pieces. Place some of this in a food processor with half of the melted butter and blitz. When blended, place a heaped tablespoon full in to ring moulds and press down to level, set in a fridge.
3. While this is setting, follow the next steps carefully.
4. Add Gooseberries and sugar to a saucepan and cook on low heat until soft, remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Add Chocolate, Double Cream & Vanilla to a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil whisking continuously until all has incorporated, remove from the heat,  then finely grate in zest of one orange, mix thoroughly.
6. Pour the chocolate mix in to the ring moulds and leave to set in the fridge or Blast Chiller for 1 Hour 
7. To dress, place a spoonful of crushed biscuits on a plate, remove the chocolate from the mould and set atop, with a spoonful of the gooseberries either on top or around. 

In the image is a sugar tuile. To achieve this, slowly melt 100g sugar in a pan with a teaspoon of water, when the sugar is melted and starts to colour, pour on to a greaseproof lined tray and allow to cool, break up and garnish as you want.

Method

1. Peel the kiwi and cut in to 6 wedges.
2. Remove the stork from the strawberries and cut lengthways in to quarters.
3. Slice the watermelon around 1” thick across so you have a nice circular slice.
4. Now, place 1 heaped spoon of yoghurt on top and spread evenly, adding a little more yoghurt if needed.
5. Now arrange the cut kiwi and strawberry on top and place the blueberries in the middle.

Method

1. ¼ the new potatoes, place in a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil, allow to boil for 90 seconds before reducing the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Warm 50 ml oil, mix in crushed garlic. Remove the potatoes from the pan, drain well and mix with the garlic oil, set aside.
2. To make the dressing, heat the oil up in a pan and add the mustard seeds and heat until they start to pop. Set aside to cool. 
3. While the mustard seeds and oil are cooling, mix together all of the other dressing ingredients with a whisk and add the cooled oil and seeds. 
4. Prepare the salad by carefully deseeding the cucumber and dicing (roughly .5cm), removing the core from and then dicing the tomato, quartering the radishes and finely slicing the onion.
5. Toss the salad with the dressing roughly 10 mins before serving.
6. Season the salmon and warm the remaining oil in a non stick pan. When the pan has reached a medium heat, place the salmon in away from you and cook for 90 seconds on all 4 sides, taking care not to overheat the oil in the pan.
7. After 6 minutes of cooking in the pan, the salmon will be cooked and remain pink in the centre, if you prefer it cooked more, simply turn the heat off and leave in the pan until ready to eat it.
8. Assemble the dish by placing a few of the potatoes on one side of the bowl, a couple of tbsp of the salad on the other side and then simply laying the salmon across the top.

Method

1. Sit the ham hock in cold water in fridge overnight beforehand to help draw out the salt. 
2. Boil the ham hock in just enough water to cover the meat, along with 2 of the carrots cook for 3 hours or an extra 20 mins per extra ham hock. (top water up if necessary)
3. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over a medium heat until they are dark golden brown in color but not burnt.
4. Put the basil, 2 cloves of garlic, 100ml olive oil, half the pine nuts and parmesan into a blender and pulse until finely chopped and combined.  
5. Chop onion, carrot and celery into 1cm dice and sweat off in a splash of oil with 1 crushed garlic clove until cooked but still firm. Then add the white wine and beans and cook until the veg is softened
6. Thinly slice an onion into rings, coat in flour and deep fry until crispy and golden then leave to drain on some paper kitchen towels.
7. Shred the cooked ham and stir through the bean ragu season with some of the cooking liquid from the ham add salt if required and add black pepper to taste 
8. Heat a pan with a little oil and place the halibut in, caramelize on medium heat for around 2 minutes then flip over and add a knob of butter and cook in the oven for 6 minutes. Remove and allow to rest.
9. Place the ragu in the bottom of a bowl and top with the fishthendrizzle with the pesto and garnish with the onion rings and remaining pine nuts. 

Method

For Smoked Aubergine:

1. Place the aubergine in a 250c over for 15 minutes (until cooked through)
2. Once cooked and cooled slightly peel off the charred skin and place the flesh in a food processor, along with the Moroccan spice mix and salt, blitz to a fine paste.
3. Remove from processor and add half the crème fraiche and mix thoroughly, set aside.

For Roast Red Pepper:

1. Heat oven to 250c, then place the 2 whole red peppers on a roasting tray drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.
2. Keep in oven for 10 minutes, or until skin starts to blister. Remove from the oven and put in a mixing bowl cover with cling film.
3. Set aside for 8 minutes until the red pepper starts to soften, remove the skin and seeds.
4. Slice into strips and season with 100ml of olive oil, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of parsley.

For Lamb Rack:

1. In a smoking hot pan, seal the lamb (fat side down) until golden brown, then brown rest of rack.
2. Place into a 190c oven for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and cover in foil to rest.

Coucous:

1. Bring chicken stock to the boil. Once boiling, pour over the couscous in a bowl and cover in Clingfilm.
2. Once cooled, add the remaining ingredients into the bowl and mix gently through the couscous.
3. Add 400ml of olive oil and season to taste.

For Pickled Cucumber:

1. Slice the cucumber into thin discs and place in a bowl.
2. In a pan, add 3 parts water to 2 parts sugar, to 1 part vinegar and bring to the boil.
3. Once boiling, take off the stove and allow to cool slightly.
4. Once cooled add the cucumbers.

For Yoghurt:

1. Mix yoghurt, Moroccan spices and lemon zest and set aside.

To Serve:

Place lamb onto a bed of couscous and strategically place the cucumbers around the lamb. Dress with red peppers, yoghurt and aubergine puree.

Method

For the scones:

1. Warm the milk and mix in the sugar, baking powder, giner and rhubarb, allow to cool.
2. Rub the butter into the flour until it forms crumbs, add the milk mix and combine gently.
3. Roll out to 1” thickness, use a cutter to cut out and place on a baking tray. Brush with milk, bake in the oven at 180c for 14 minutes.
4. Place onto to wire racks to cool.

For the fudge:

1. Place unrefined sugar, golden syrup, clotted cream and vanilla extract in a thick bottomed pan.
2. Boil until the mixture reaches 116c
3. Remove from heat and mix with a wooden spoon until creamy and thick (usually takes around 6 minutes).
4. Pour into greased tin and leave for 30 minutes
5. When set, cut the fudge.

For the preserve:

1. Peel the oranges and finely slice the peel, set aside.
2. Fill a large pan with the water. Juice the oranges and lemon into a sieve and place the squeezed fruits in to a muslin and tie up tightly. Place this in the water with the sliced peel and leave to sit overnight.
3. The next day, place the pan on the stove and bring to the boil, and simmer for 1 hour until the liquid has reduced by one third and the peel is translucent. Remove the muslin bag and allow to cool for 10 mins before squeezing the contents back in to the pan.
4. Add the sugar and dissolve on a low heat, then bring back to the boil. Boil for 10 mins until large bubbles begin to form, then settle down. Take off the heat.
5. Allow to cool slightly before pouring in to a sterilised jar. Allow to cool and set.
6. Place scones onto plate serve with Clotted Cream and the homemade fudge and marmalade enjoy with a cuppa!

Method

1. Take off both breasts from guinea fowl removing legs, and leave a small bone for presentation on breast
2. Place the legs & bones in a high oven for 20 minutes to brown
3. Place browned legs, bones and stock ingredients into saucepan with 2 litres of cold water. Bring to boil and skim any residue from top.
4. Simmer stock for 30 minutes, strain, and reduce by a third.
5. Combine all ingredients in a greased 2-quart casserole dish.
6. Combine artichokes, cream, garlic and salt & pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and golden.
7. Heat pan and flame with Lyme Bay Port and reduce stock by half. Then add zest juice, pomegranate, season and keep warm.
8. Oil and season guinea fowl breast, and place onto smoking hot griddle, 12-15 minutes, cover and rest
9. Oil and season curly kale and purple sprouting broccoli florets, and cook 5 minutes each
10. Cut out Dauphinoise with circular cutter
11. Ladle sauce around Dauphinoise 
12. Carve guinea fowl breast in half diagonally
13. Decorate with vegetables
14. Drizzle with truffle oil, and serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. In a small bowl, combine beer, mustard, maple syrup and salt.
3. Place streaky bacon between two sheets of baking parchment between 2 heavy trays and cook until crispy. Pat dry with kitchen roll removing all excess grease, and place to one side to cool.
4. On a large cast iron pan or high-sided skillet over a medium heat, cook bacon lardons until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
5. In the same pan or skillet over medium heat, sear sprouts cut side-down until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir in prepared beer mixture, thyme and bacon. Transfer skillet to the oven and roast until sprouts are tender and liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, blitz the cooled crispy bacon in a food processor. In a heavy based saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in panko and parmesan and toast until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the bacon crumb.
7. To serve, transfer sprouts to a large serving platter or bowl and sprinkle with toasted bacon and parmesan crumb.

Method

1. Peel and finely slice the onion, peel and finely chop the carrots and beetroot, then trim and finely chop the celery. Peel and crush the garlic.
2. Tip the chopped tomatoes into a large pan and stir in the onion, carrots, celery, beetroot, garlic, veg stock, tomato purée and sugar.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
4. Very finely shred and add the cabbage. Simmer for another 30 minutes, or until very soft.
5. Blend the soup until smooth, or leave it as is.
6. Serve hot with swirls of the sour cream and a little finely chopped dill sprinkled over.

Method

The Soufflé

1. Slice the beetroot as thinly as possible and place on a wire rack in a hot cupboard for a day or so to completely dry out, until very crispy. Once dried out blitz down to make a powder.
2.  Place the peeled apricots in a pan with a bit of sugar and water and simmer down to make a compote.
3. Once the compote is made place into a buttered coffee cup and leave to cool.
4. In a pan place some butter and flour to make a roux. Once cooked add some milk to make a thick béchamel sauce. Once slightly cooled, beat in the egg yolks.
5. Whip the egg whites to the consistency of soft peaks and slowly combine with the béchamel (so as not to knock all the air out), place into buttered cups and put into the oven at 200°C. Once cooked give a generous dusting of the beetroot powder and serve with the shortbread spoon on a saucer.

 Shortbread Spoons

1. Roast off the fennel seeds, then smash to bits in a pestle and mortar until a fine powder is achieved.
2. Rub your butter and flour together to make a crumble mix, add a little bit of milk and a pinch of salt and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
3. After 20 mins roll out the pastry, sprinkle with the fennel powder and fold over once. Roll out to the desired thickness, cut to the shape of a spoon, then cook on a baking tray at 165°C.
4. Serve the soufflé immediately with the shortbread, and enjoy. Keep some spare spoons to hand as they go down so well!

Method

Puff Pastry  

1. Mix the flour with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in a bowl, then cube and rub in the lard with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Slowly add 100ml of ice-cold water and mix it until you have a smooth dough (add extra water if needed). Take care not to not overwork. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3. The butter needs to be cold but soft enough to be malleable. Remove it from the fridge and place it between two sheets of greaseproof paper. Using a rolling pin, roll it out to about 14cm x 16cm.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface to 16cm x 30cm – a little wider than the butter block.
5. Place the butter on one half, then fold over the other half to cover it, pressing the edges together to seal, and roll back out to 16cm x 30cm. Keep flouring the surface to stop the pastry sticking.
6. Now fold it into three – fold up one-third from the bottom, then a third from the top over it, using a pastry brush to remove excess flour.
7. Reseal the edges, turn 90 degrees and repeat the roll and fold. Chill for 20 minutes.
8.  Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times, then chill for 20 minutes. If the butter seeps out while you’re rolling, it’s become too warm, so pop it back in the fridge for 20 minutes – but no longer, as it’ll become too hard.
9. Remove from the fridge and repeat the rolling and folding two more times, until it’s had six rolls and folds in total. Chill for a final 20 minutes, then it’s ready.

Tarte Tatin

1. Cut a 24cm circle in the pastry, using a plate as a guide. Lightly prick all over with a fork.
2. Heat oven to 180°C. Peel, core and quarter the apples. Put the sugar in a flameproof 20cm ceramic Tatin dish or a 20cm ovenproof heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook the sugar for 5-7 minutes to a dark amber caramel syrup that’s starting to smoke, then turn off the heat and stir in the 60g diced chilled butter.
3. To assemble the Tarte Tatin, place in the cinnamon stick and star anise, arrange the apple quarters very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in a similar fashion. Gently press with your hands to ensure there are no gaps. Brush the fruit with the melted butter.
4. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and place the disc puff pastry on top. Tuck the edges down the inside of the dish and, with a knife, prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for a further 40-45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
5. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the dish and inverting it onto a large serving plate that is deep enough to contain the juices. Serve with the Cornish Cream.

Method

1. Brown meat in 2 tsp of oil. Add water, potatoes, carrots, pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
2. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.
3. Add chopped tomatoes.
4. Wash pumpkin and cut 6 – 8 inch circle around top of stem.
5. Remove top and set aside.
6. Discard seeds and fibers from inside.
7. Place pumpkin in shallow baking dish. Spoon stew into pumpkin and replace the top.
8. Brush with oil.
9. Bake for 2 hours at 180°C.
10. Serve stew from the pumpkin.

Method

1. Place the whole pork fillet into a food bag and add 2 tbsp olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Tie the bag closed and mix well. Leave to marinade in the fridge for at least an hour or preferably overnight.
2. Prepare the slaw; finely slice the red cabbage and place in a bowl with the grated carrot. Peel and finely slice the onion. Place in a colander and pour a kettle of boiling water over the onion. Run under cold water to refresh. This helps remove the effects of lasting aftertaste from the raw onions. Add to the cabbage and carrot. Mix together with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Prepare the Chimichurri Sauce; roughly chop the herbs together. Deseed and finely chop the red chilli. Peel and finely chop the shallot. Mix together with lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp vinegar and some salt and pepper.
4. Heat a chargrill pan until smoking hot. Then using tongs place the pork fillet onto the pan and seer all sides. 
5. Place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 12 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and place the pork on a chopping board to rest.
7. Cut the pretzel roll open and spoon some of the slaw onto the base of the roll.
8. Slice the pork approximately ½ cm thick and place 3-4 slices onto the slaw.
9. Top with a tablespoon of chimichurri and the lid to the roll.

Method

1. For the buttermilk pannacotta, heat the double cream in a small saucepan with the split vanilla pod.
2. Remove from the heat once it has boiled, and add the condensed milk.
3. Gently squeeze dry the gelatine leaves, and add to the hot cream. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved.
4. When the cream mixture has cooled to near body temperature, add the buttermilk, and stir gently to mix in.
5. Remove the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the cream mixture.
6. Carefully pour the mixture into four 8-10cm/3-4in ramekins, making sure that each mould has a good amount of the vanilla seeds in it.
7. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
9. Halve the apricots, stone them, and gently roll them in the lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
10. Place 50ml/1¾oz water in an ovenproof dish with the remaining lemon juice, the orange juice, and the lemon peels, add the apricot halves skin side down. Sprinkle the sugar over them.
11. Cover entirely, but loosely with foil, and bake in the hot oven for approximately 10 minutes, the exact time will depend on size and ripeness of fruit.
12. When cooked, the tip of a knife should easily pierce the flesh of the fruit with no resistance. The juices of the fruit will blend with the liquids in the dish.
13. Reduce this liquid by removing the fruits carefully with a slotted spoon, and pour the juices into a small pan.
14. Boil down to a syrup like consistency. Return the fruit to the syrup off the heat, and allow to cool.
15. To serve, dip the pannacotta moulds into hot water for a few seconds, then gently turn out a buttermilk pannacotta in to the centre of a soup plate. Surround with two halves of apricots and a spoonful or two of the syrup. Garnish with a piece of the vanilla pod.

Method

1. Firstly sliced the top off a garlic bulb then drizzle with olive oil and roast whole for around 20-30 minutes at 160c. When very soft remove from oven and allow to cool. Squeeze out the puree from each clove or squeeze entire bulb but remove any skin. If you batch cook the garlic this can be kept in puree form in the fridge, and used in future dishes and dressings.
2. Prepare broccoli into small florets and blanch in boiling, salted water for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, then refresh immediately in ice cold water. Allow to completely dry then toss in half the olive oil, coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper.
3. Heat up a griddle pan until very hot then grill the broccoli in batches until they are slightly charred (do this in small batches to avoid steaming) then place in a bowl.
4. In a small saucepan gently heat up the oil with capers and sliced chillies (do not let the chilli burn). Once the chilli begins to colour, remove from heat and place to one side.
5. Toss Broccoli with the caper and chilli oil, add lemon rind, half the lemon juice, and 2 tsp of garlic puree (garlic will be mild and sweet, so add depending on your taste).
6. Serve topped with Toasted Almonds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200Oc.
2. Season the lamb & rub with a little of the olive oil.
3. Heat an ovenproof frying pan on high, add the lamb in batches & cook for 2-3 minutes until seared all over.
4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes dependant on how rare you like your lamb, or for 18-20 minutes if you prefer your lamb a little less pink.
5. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes.
6. Tear or dice the Rustic baguette into pieces around 1 inch square and scatter onto a baking tray. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and season with the cracked black pepper and sea salt, gently tossing to coat the bread.
7. Place the cherry tomatoes on another baking tray.
8. Bake the bread and tomato trays for around 10 minutes or until the bread is crisp and golden and the tomatoes are soft.
9. Place the rocket, mixed salad leaves, diced feta cheese, tomatoes and bread croutons in a bowl and toss to combine.
10. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
11. Slice the lamb, add to the salad with the dressing to combine, and serve.