Pâté de Champagne with Armagnac and dates. Serves
8
500g pork leg, diced
180g pork belly, skin removed, diced
80g smoked bacon, roughly chopped
5 bay leaves
15 thyme sprigs
2 tsp salt
12 juniper berries
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30g butter
150g onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
150ml Armagnac
70g dates, roughly chopped
1 egg
15 red or green peppercorns
50ml double cream
10 twists of black pepper
12 smoked bacon rashers
1 Put the pork leg, belly and chopped bacon
into a large bowl. Add 2 bay leaves, 5 thyme sprigs,
1 tsp salt, all the juniper berries and the olive oil.
2 Mix well and cover with cling film. Leave to
marinate in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
3 Melt the butter in a small saucepan and sauté
the onion and garlic for 15-20 minutes until the
onion has become slightly brown. Set aside.
4 Pour the Armagnac into a separate saucepan
and heat until it reduces to one third - around 50ml.
Leave to cool and keep in the fridge until needed.
5 Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
6 Remove the bay leaves, thyme sprigs and
juniper berries from the marinade, and mince
the meat mixture in a food processor.
7 Transfer the mince to a large bowl and add
the thyme leaves from the remaining 10 stalks, the
cooked onion and garlic, reduced Armagnac, dates, egg, peppercorns
and double cream.
8 Add the black pepper and mix thoroughly with
your hands.
9 Place 3 bay leaves at the bottom of a
medium-sized loaf tin, and line the bottom and sides with
8 bacon rashers.
10 Spread the mixture over the bacon and top
with the remaining 4 slices of bacon to seal.
11 Place the loaf tin inside a roasting tray
filled with 2cm of hot water. Cook in the oven for 2
hours. Leave to cool and serve.
Harissa rack of lamb with puy lentil pilaf. Serves
4
For the lamb
2 shallots, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
6 dried chillies, de-seeded
½ tbsp ginger, chopped
1-inch cinnamon stick
½ tsp cumin
2 dates, roughly chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp rapeseed oil
10 twists of black pepper
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Rack of lamb (700-800g)
2 tbsp olive oil
For the pilaf
8 shallots, thinly sliced
½ tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp groundnut oil
20g butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
300g basmati rice
150g cooked puy lentils
½ tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp sea salt
350ml chicken stock
3 dates, finely chopped
Handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
For the lamb
1 Add all the ingredients apart from the lamb
and olive oil to a food processor and mix.
Use this to marinate the lamb. Cover and place in the fridge for
4-24 hours.
2 Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
3 Remove the meat from the marinade and rub it
with the oil. Cook the lamb for 25-30
minutes for medium rare or a further 5-10 minutes for well
done.
For the pilaf
1 Cook the shallots and sugar in the oil on a
low heat for 20 minutes until the shallots are crispy.
2 Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the garlic
and cook for a few minutes.
3 Once the garlic is slightly coloured, add the
rice and fry for 2 minutes.
4 Add the cooked lentils, cinnamon, salt and
chicken stock. Stir and cover.
5 Cook on a high heat until you see steam
rising from the gap between the lid and the pan.
6 Reduce the heat to its lowest and cook for a
further 10 minutes.
7 Add the dates and parsley. Season and cover
again, leaving for another 10 minutes. Serve.
Beef tagine with couscous. Serves 4
For the beef tagine
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, cut into wedges
800g beef brisket, cut into chunks
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
½ stick cinnamon
60g dates, finely chopped
450ml beef stock
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
500g butternut squash, cubed
400g tinned cooked chickpeas
12 dried apricots
50g toasted almonds
For the couscous
30g butter
150g onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
300g couscous
450ml chicken or beef stock
10 twists of black pepper
A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Zest of half a lemon
Seeds of one pomegranate
For the beef tagine
1 Heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic and fry
for 3 minutes until slightly browned, then add
the onion and cook for a further 3 minutes.
2 Add the beef and fry until it changes colour,
then sprinkle in the cumin, coriander and
cinnamon. Cook for a few minutes.
3 Add the dates, beef stock and chopped
tomatoes, and cover with a lid. Once boiled,
reduce the heat and cook for up to an hour.
4 Add the butternut squash, chickpeas and dried
apricots, and continue to cook for
30 minutes until the squash is tender.
5 Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve with
the couscous (below).
For the couscous
1 Melt half the butter in a pan. Add the onion
and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes.
2 Transfer the onion and garlic to a bowl and
add the couscous.
3 Cover with hot stock, add pepper and cover
with cling film. Leave for around 10 minutes.
4 Add the remaining butter, and fluff up the
couscous with a fork. Add the parsley, mint,
coriander, lemon zest and pomegranate seeds.
Sticky toffee pudding. Serves 8
For the sponge
200ml orange herbal tea
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g dates, roughly chopped
60g butter
100g golden caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
170g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
For the sauce
80g butter
100g light muscovado sugar
140ml double cream
A splash of Grand Marnier
2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped pistachios
200ml crème fraiche
For the sponge
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2 Prepare a weak orange herbal tea and add the
bicarbonate of soda and chopped dates. Soak the
dates for 20 minutes.
3 Pour the date mixture into a small pan and
bring to the boil. Once boiled, puree the mixture in a
blender. Leave to cool.
4 Put the butter and golden caster sugar into a
large bowl and beat until pale and creamy.
5 Add the date mixture and eggs, and mix
thoroughly.
6 Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon
into the bowl and mix thoroughly.
7 Line the bottom of a 20 x 20cm cake tin and
pour in the mixture. Cook for 30-35 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
For the 1 Place the butter and muscovado sugar into a
small
pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
2 Gradually add the cream, and stir until well
mixed. Season with a pinch of salt.
3 Once the sponge is cooked, dab a little Grand
Marnier on top using a pastry brush, before leaving
to cool slightly on a wire rack.
4 Pour the warm sauce over the top to serve.
Decorate with orange slices and chopped pistachios,
and serve with crème fraiche.