Our Recipes

inspired by Australian Masterchef, season 8, episode 37, I decided to attempt my version of Beet Wellington. It took me a few goes and there were some tears and some swearing until I got it right.

One key lesson from my fails is that instead of spreading the mushroom mixture (known as duxelles) on the pastry and then attempting to roll the Wellington, it is way more prudent to stack the filling up high 2 thirds down the sheet of pastry and fold the pastry tightly over it. It works a treat and if you get a helping hand at that stage to ensure that there is no slack in the pastry, you’ll end up with a neat parcel of plant-based goodness wrapped up in a crispy puff pastry shell.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup walnuts
• 4 medium-large (the same size!) beetroots
• olive oil
• 10 shallots, finely diced
• 8 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 kg / 2 lb chestnut mushrooms / cremini 1 chia or flax egg
• 500 g / 1 lb (weight assumes leaves only) spinach
• salt and pepper
• 3 tsp dried rosemary
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• approx. ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 sheet frozen (vegan!) puff pastry*, defrosted
• 1 tbsp soy milk mixed with 1 tbsp of reduced aquafaba**, to glaze
• coarse sea salt (I used black), poppy or sesame seeds, to decorate

BALSAMIC REDUCTION

• 240 ml / 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• about 100 g / ½ cup sugar (I used raw cane)

Preparation

Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.

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This recipe is taken from Gordon Ramsay.

Ingredients:

Beetroot for Wellington

• 500g raw crapaudine beetroot (buy the most cylindrical one you can - this will improve the shape of your Wellington)
• 200ml red wine vinegar
• Sherry vinegar
• 200g caster sugar
• 20g star anise
• 20g mustard seeds
• 200g spinach (to wrap the beetroot in)

Duxcelle

• 500g finely chopped chestnut mushrooms
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 10ml vegetable oil
• 150g blanched and finely chopped chestnuts
• Truffle oil to taste

Crepe

• 250ml almond milk
• 50g flour
• Tarragon
• Salt and pepper

Pastry

• Vegan puff pastry
• Chickpea water

Beetroot Gel (Garnish)

• 400g red beetroot juice
• 4g agar agar
• pinch of salt
• 8g red wine vinegar

Garnish

• Thinly sliced beetroot
• Thinly sliced Breakfast radishes
• Thinly sliced black truffle
• Extra virgin rapeseed oil
• Mixed salad cress
• Freshly grated horseradish

Vegan Jus

• 500g sliced white onion
• 500g sliced carrots
• 500g beetroot trimmings
• 500g leeks chopped into chunks
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 10ml vegetable oil
• 30g corn flour
• 100ml water

Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.

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This one has a different stuffing, based on chestnuts and comes with a lush cider gravy. Like most dishes of this type it is a bit more time consuming to make but it’s worth it, I promise! You won’t have anyone complaining if you serve them a slice of this golden pastry-wrapped plant goodness with a velvety umami-filled gravy.

Ingredients:

• 15-20 cm / 3-4″ neck of butternut squash*
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1¼ tsp salt flakes, adjust to taste
• 3 escallion shallots (or 6 small shallots), finely diced
• 20 fresh sage leaves, chopped finely
• 4 thyme leaves, leaves picked
• 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 Bramley (sour) apple, finely diced
• ¼ tsp black pepper, adjust to taste
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, adjust to taste
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 300 g / 2 cups ready roasted chestnuts
• 100 g / 1 cup toasted pecans
• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce or oven roasted cranberries
• 1 sheet vegan puff pastry**
• 1-2 tbsp soy milk, to glaze

CIDER GRAVY

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 escallion shallots, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly diced
• 2 celery sticks, roughly diced
• a good pinch of caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp mushroom soy sauce or vegan Worcester sauce
• 20 g / 7 oz dry mushrooms (I used a mixture of porcini and shiitake), well rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• 240 ml / 1 cup vegan cider
• salt, to taste
• 1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or sugar
• 1-2 tsp cornstarch / cornflour

Preparation

Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.

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This is a traditional Scottish soup of onion, potato and undyed smoked haddock. Here it is given a upmarket twist by adding quails’ eggs and scallops.

Ingredients:

• 400ml/14fl oz milk
• 300g/10½oz undyed smoked haddock
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 50ml/2fl oz dry vermouth
• 250ml/9fl oz fish stock
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 queen or medium-sized scallops, shelled and corals removed
• pinch curry powder
• 6 soft-boiled quails’ eggs
• 2 tbsp snipped chives, to garnish

Preparation time:

less than 30 mins

Cooking time:

10 to 30 mins

Serves:

Serves 2-4

Preparation

Place the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the haddock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes, or until the flesh of the fish turns opaque. Once poached, remove the haddock and set aside in a warm place. Reserve the milk.

Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion and potato for 10 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook until reduced. Add the fish stock, cook until the volume has reduced by half and then add the cream and half of the reserved milk. Bring to the boil then carefully transfer to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and dust the scallops in the curry powder. Sauté the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side or until just cooked.

Put the quails’ eggs and scallops in warmed soup bowls and pour in the blended stock mixture. Flake in the smoked haddock and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.

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A luxurious fish pie, topped with velvety velouté sauce and creamy mashed potato.

Ingredients:

For the prawn stock

• 250g/9oz prawn shells
• ¼ onion, peeled and chopped
• ¼ carrot, peeled and chopped
• ¼ fennel, trimmed and chopped
• 1 star anise
• large pinch fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 75ml/2½fl oz white wine
• 750ml/1¼ pints fish stock

For the velouté sauce

• 60g/2¼oz butter, chilled and diced
• 60g/2¼oz plain flour
• 625ml/20fl oz prawn stock (see above)
• pinch of salt
• 6 grinds of black pepper

For the mashed potatoes

• 500g/1lb 2oz potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• salt

For the fish pie

• 120g/4½oz smoked haddock, skinned and diced
• 120g/4½oz salmon, skinned and diced
• 120g/4½oz large prawns
• 230ml/8fl oz velouté sauce (see above)
• 80g/2¾oz mushrooms, chopped
• 80g/2¾oz peas
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

Preparation time:

less than 30 mins

Cooking time:

over 2 hours

Serves:

Serves 2

Preparation

To make the prawn stock, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

Place the prawn shells, onion, carrot and fennel on a baking tray and scatter over the star anise, fennel seeds and tarragon. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.

Transfer the roasted ingredients to a saucepan and add the wine and fish stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Pass the stock through a sieve and set aside.

To make the velouté sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan until foaming but not browning. Stir in the flour gradually and mix until the flour is fully incorporated. Cook out until a roux is formed. Add the prawn stock a little at a time, mixing until smooth with no lumps before adding more stock. Season with the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, stirring continuously, and then simmer for 20–30 minutes or until a smooth sauce is formed. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Place the potatoes in lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15–20 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly. Add the egg yolks and nutmeg and mash together.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 3. Lay the fish and prawns in a deep baking dish and top with the mushrooms, peas and tarragon. Pour over the velouté sauce, top with the mash and bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes.

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This Lamb Shoulder Tagine with Herb Tabbouleh is an amazing dish. The key to this is a proper piece of British lamb, which is then covered with spices and roasted for 4 hours.

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 2 tsp gr cumin
• 1 tsp gr turmeric
• 2 tsp ras en hanout
• 1 tsp saffron strands
• 2 tbs veg oil
• 2k lamb shoulder

Sauce:

• 2 tbs veg oil
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 5cm ginger peeled and chopped
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 800g tins chopped tomatoes
• 800ml water
• 1 tbs honey
• 2 medium preserved lemons, chopped
• 1 tbs honey
• 100g apricots dried chopped
• 50g sultanas
• 1 small bunch mint, coriander and parsley, chopped

Tabbouleh:

• 200g bulgar wheat cooked as per pack instructions
• 50g shelled pistachios chopped
• 50g flaked almonds
• 50g pine nuts
• 50g dried apricots , chopped
• 1 latgel bunch mint, parsley and coriander, chopped
• 100g pomegranate seeds
• 1 lemon juice and zest
• 100ml olive oil

Preparation time:

less than 45 mins

Cooking time:

over 4 hours

Serves:

Serves 2-4

Method

Mix the oil and spices for the marinade coat all over the lamb and pop in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

Pre heat the oven to 200c.

For the sauce, heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and cinnamon, add the meat and tomatoes and water, bring to the boil then place in the oven for 4 hours.

Finish with the chilli, preserved lemons and half the herbs. Season.

To make the tabbouleh, add all the remaining ingredients to the bulgar wheat, stir and serve with the lamb tagine.

Spice up your life with this wonderful fish supper which marinates monkfish tail in a flavourful rub. The monkfish is served with a rich coconut sauce and spicy vegetables.

Preparation time

30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time

10 to 30 mins

Serves

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the marinade

• 2 tsp mild red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tbsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1 tbsp Kasundi mustard sauce or wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chilli
• 1 tsp chickpea flour
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for basting if needed

For the monkfish curry

• 2 x 250g/9oz pieces monkfish tails, trimmed
• ½ lemon, juice only

For the malai kory sauce

• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 green chilli, split
• 3 onions, roughly chopped, fried in vegetable oil and blended into a paste
• 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1 tbsp Kasundi mustard sauce or wholegrain mustard
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 100ml/3½fl oz fish stock
• 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
• ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
• salt

For the mushrooms and beans

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 10g fresh root ginger, peeled and julienned
• 10g fresh root turmeric, peeled and julienned
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 50g/1¾oz green beans, trimmed and blanched
• 100g/3½oz mixed fresh wild mushrooms
• 1 tsp medium curry powder
• small pinch ground timut pepper or ground Sichuan peppercorns
• salt
• To garnish
• handful samphire, sautéed
• finely chopped pickled silverskin onions
• edible flowers

Preparation

Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.

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This rather special smoked haddock omelette named after the writer Arnold Bennett is a classic restaurant dish and easy to recreate at home.

Ingredients:

This recipe for an Arnold Bennett Omelette was developed by the head chef at Gordon Ramsay's Savoy Grill restaurant.

• 400ml milk
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 300g smoked haddock (un-stained)
• 20g butter
• 20g plain flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Cheddar cheese
• Gruyere cheese
• Chopped chives
• Chopped parsley

Ingredients:

This recipe for an Arnold Bennett Omelette was developed by James Martin BBC.

• 300ml/10fl oz milk
• 200g/7oz un-dyed smoked haddock
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• 4 free-range eggs
• 40g/1½oz butter
• 15g/½oz plain flour
• 50g/1¾oz grated mature cheddar cheese
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Head Chef from Gordon Ramsay's

Directions

For the smoked haddock, bring to a simmer about 400ml of milk along with 3 crushed cloves of garlic and sprig of thyme.

Add the fish and cook for around 3 minutes or until the haddock starts to flake.

Be careful not to over cook as it will become dry.

Drain off the fish reserving the milk and flake up the fish into nice big pieces.

With the cooking milk from the fish make a white sauce with 200ml of the milk, 20g butter and 20g plain flour

Enhance the flavour with half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt pepper and a few scrapes of nutmeg.

Cool the sauce slightly and add the haddock flakes.

Stir lightly being careful not to break up the fish too much.

If the sauce is too thick, add a little more of the milk.

To cook the omelette, break 3 large eggs into a well buttered skillet pan, season and stir then let the egg cook out to form the omelette base.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle on grated cheddar cheese and gruyere cheese then add the haddock sauce mix to evenly cover the omelette.

Sprinkle with a little more cheese and then place under a hot grill until lightly golden and bubbling.

Finish with some chopped chives and parsley and serve from straight from the pan.

James Martin

Method

Pour the milk into a large shallow pan, then add the smoked haddock, bay leaf and peppercorns and bring to a simmer.

Cook for five minutes, or until the fish has just cooked through and flakes when pushed gently.

Lift the fish out of the pan and set aside to cool slightly before gently flaking, discarding the skin.

Meanwhile, strain the milk into a clean pan and beat the eggs together in a separate bowl.

Heat a frying pan until medium-hot, add 15g/½oz of the butter and the eggs and cook gently, stirring with a fork until they just hold together.

Add half the flaked fish to the top of the omelette, then roll out of the pan onto an ovenproof serving dish and top with the remaining fish.

Preheat the grill to hot.

Wipe out the omelette pan and add the remaining 25g/1oz butter and melt, then add the flour and cook stirring well for two minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking all the time until it forms a smooth sauce. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper. You can add a knob of butter at this stage too if you want to.

Pour the sauce over the top of the omelette, then scatter the grated cheese over the top and place under the grill for 3-5 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling.

Serve immediately.

Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.

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