Plum & Star Anise Chutney
MAKES 2 X 500ML JARS
600g plums, stoned and quartered
2 Spanish onions, peeled and finely diced
2 cooking apples, peeled and grated
150ml cider vinegar
100g sultanas
150g soft brown sugar
4 star anise
200ml water
Equipment
2 x 500ml preserving jars
Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until the chutney is thick and pulpy. Stir regularly with a wooden spoon throughout the cooking to make sure the chutney does not catch on the bottom of the pan.
To sterilise the jars, place them in a pan that is just large enough to hold them and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and then allow the jars to cool in the water. Using clean tongs, remove the jars from the pan of water and dry with a clean dish towel.
Remove the star anise from the chutney. Spoon the chutney into the sterilised jars and seal. The chutney will last for up to two weeks when stored in a jar and kept in the refrigerator. Alternatively, store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to six months.
Tomato & Red Pepper Chutney
MAKES 1 JAR OR ENOUGH FOR 10 SERVINGS
10ml vegetable oil
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
2g table salt
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
400g canned tomatoes, drained and juice reserved
200ml white wine vinegar
400g caster sugar
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped into 1cm dice
Equipment
1 x 500ml preserving jar
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat for 1 minute then add the onion, salt, chilli and garlic and cook while stirring for 5 minutes until soft. Do not allow the onions to colour but turn down the heat if necessary. Add the tomato juice, vinegar and sugar and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
Add the tomatoes, nigella seeds and peppers and cook for 1 hour on a very low heat until the chutney is well thickened and glossy.
Meanwhile, sterilise the preserving jar. Place the jar in a pan that is just large enough to hold it and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and then allow the jar to cool in the water.
Using clean tongs, remove the preserving jar from the pan of water and dry with a clean dish towel. Fill the jar with the chutney, seal and leave for at least one day before using. The chutney will last for up to two months when sealed in the jar and stored in the refrigerator.
Piccalilli
MAKES 4 X 500ML JARS
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped into 2cm chunks
1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 onions, roughly chopped into 2cm chunks
200g green beans, cut into small batons
1 red pepper, cut into 2cm dice
1 green pepper, cut into 2cm dice
300g table salt, for salting
For the piccalilli mixture
350ml cider vinegar
200ml water
3 tablespoons hot mustard powder
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
3 tablespoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Equipment
4 x 500ml preserving jars
Place the fennel, cauliflower florets, onions, beans and peppers in a large bowl. Heat 3 litres of water in a large pan with 300g table salt and whisk until just dissolved. Pour the hot salted water over the vegetables and leave to salt for 4 hours.
Meanwhile, sterilise the preserving jars. Place the jars in a pan that is just large enough to hold them and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and then allow the jars to cool in the water.
After the vegetables have been salting for 4 hours, drain the vegetables and then rinse in cold running water. Leave to drain well.
Meanwhile, make the piccalilli mixture. Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and, whisking slowly, cook over a low heat until thickened. Add the drained vegetables to the piccalilli mixture and stir to mix well.
Using clean tongs, remove the preserving jars from the pan of water and dry with a clean dish towel. Fill each jar with the piccalilli, seal and leave for at least one day before using. The piccalilli will last for up to two months when sealed in the jars and stored in the refrigerator.
Clockwise from top left:
Piccalilli, IPA Wholegrain Mustard, Plum & Star Anise Chutney, Green Sauce, Tomato and Red Pepper Chutney
Old-School Mint Sauce
MAKES 1 X 250ML JAR
100g mint sprigs
750g caster sugar
50ml white wine vinegar
25ml red wine vinegar
10ml water
pinch of salt
Equipment
1 x 250ml preserving jar
To sterilise the jar, place it in a pan that is just large enough to hold it and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and then allow the jar to cool in the water. Using clean tongs, remove the preserving jar from the pan of water and dry with a clean dish towel.
Pick the mint leaves from the stalks and set aside. Put the stalks in a small saucepan with the sugar, vinegars, water and salt. Bring to a boil over a high heat and remove the stalks, then add the mint leaves and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the leaves have softened and are well cooked.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse until the mint leaves have broken down but are not completely blended. Set the sauce in a bowl above iced water and stir until it has cooled.
Spoon the sauce into the sterilised jar and seal. The sauce will last for up to one week when stored in a jar and kept in the refrigerator.
IPA Wholegrain Mustard
MAKES 1 X 500ML JAR
100g brown mustard seeds
50g yellow mustard seeds
250ml IPA beer
150ml malt vinegar
2 teaspoons soft brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Equipment
1 x 500ml preserving jar
Place the mustard seeds in a container at least twice the volume of the seeds themselves as they will swell and expand during soaking. Pour the beer and vinegar over the seeds and leave to soak for 48 hours.
To sterilise the jar, place it in a pan that is just large enough to hold it and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and then allow the jar to cool in the water. Using clean tongs, remove the preserving jar from the pan of water and dry with a clean dish towel.
Place half the soaked mustard seeds in a food processor with the sugar and salt and blend until smooth. Transfer the smooth mustard mixture to a bowl, add the remaining whole mustard seeds and stir until well combined.
Spoon the mustard into the sterilised jar, seal and leave for a least one day before using. Ideally, leave the mustard in the refrigerator for two weeks to develop its flavour.
Mushroom Ketchup
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 10
30g dried porcini mushrooms
20ml vegetable oil
2 Spanish onions, peeled and sliced
300g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
250g button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
50ml malt vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon muscovado sugar
¼ nutmeg, grated
½ teaspoon table salt
Place the dried porcini mushrooms in 200ml of hot water and leave to soak for 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onions. Gently cook the onions for 10 minutes or until they soften and start to brown. Add the chestnut and button mushrooms to the pan and cook for a further 5–10 minutes or until the mushrooms start to colour.
Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the porcini to the pan with the other mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, including the reserved porcini soaking liquid, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and process to a smooth purée.
This ketchup will keep for up to one month when stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator.
Devilled Butter
MAKES ABOUT 250G
220g butter, softened
1 banana shallot, finely diced
a pinch of fine table salt
1 teaspoon English mustard
¼ bunch tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of ½ lemon
Warm 20g of the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the diced shallots and salt and, stirring continuously, cook for around 3 minutes or until soft. If necessary, lower the heat to stop the shallots from colouring. Transfer the shallots to paper towels and set aside to drain and cool.
Combine the remaining butter, mustard, tarragon and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and mix with a fork until well combined. Add the cooked shallots and stir through the butter mixture.
Shape the butter mixture into a log and wrap it tightly in clingfilm, firmly twisting the ends and chill in the refrigerator until needed. The devilled butter will keep for up to two weeks when wrapped in clingfilm and kept in the refrigerator.
Chipshop Curry Sauce
MAKES 500ML
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
10g butter
2 Spanish onions, peeled and sliced
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
½ teaspoon chilli powder
½ tablespoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin powder
500ml chicken stock
100ml double cream
25g natural yoghurt
juice of ½ lime
½ teaspoon table salt
Place a pan over a medium heat and add the oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, apple and chilli and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add the curry powder and other spices to the pan and, stirring continuously, cook for 2–3 minutes.
Pour the stock into the pan over the onion mixture and bring to a lively simmer. Leave to cook until the stock has reduced by one-third. Add the cream and continue to reduce the sauce until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Pour half the sauce into a blender and process until smooth and transfer to a clean pan. Repeat with the remaining sauce. Finally, whisk the yoghurt into the smooth sauce, add the lime juice and season with salt.
This sauce will keep for up to three days when stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator. Alternatively, it can be frozen for up to one month.
Green Sauce
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 4
3 salted anchovy fillets
50g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
25g basil, leaves picked
25g mint, leaves picked
15g capers, drained
zest of 1 lemon
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon table salt
Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Onion, Thyme & Stout Gravy
SERVES 8
1 litre beef stock
440ml stout
40g butter
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 Spanish onions, peeled and sliced
½ teaspoon table salt
15g plain flour
4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
Place a pan over a high heat, pour in the beef stock and stout and leave to reduce by two-thirds.
Meanwhile, melt the butter and oil in another pan and add the onions and salt. Gently cook the onions for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to brown. Do not rush cooking the onions; any water in the onions needs to evaporate fully in order for the natural sugars to caramelise. Add the flour and thyme to the pan with the onions and, stirring continuously, cook for a further 2 minutes.
Once reduced, gradually add half the stock to the pan with the onions. Stirring continuously, bring the stock with the onions back up to heat and allow it to thicken. Add the remaining stock to the pan and cook further until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If the gravy is too thick, add a splash of water. If the gravy is too thin, continue to reduce it for a little longer.
White Butter Sauce
SERVES 6
1 banana shallot, peeled and finely sliced
2 tarragon sprigs
1 bay leaf
100ml white wine vinegar
50ml double cream
400g cold butter, diced
½ teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon
Put the shallots, tarragon and bay leaf in a pan and pour over the vinegar and 100ml of cold water. Place the pan over a medium heat and leave to reduce by two-thirds.
Strain the reduced liquid into a bowl, discarding the shallots, tarragon and bay leaf. Return the liquid to the pan and add the double cream. Place it back over the heat and continue to reduce the sauce for a further 2 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat. Add a handful of the diced butter to the sauce and whisk until fully incorporated. Put the pan back on the heat to get a little warmth back into the sauce, then take it off again and add another handful of butter and whisk again. Repeat until all the butter is emulsified into the sauce.
Add the salt and juice of half the lemon to the sauce. Check the seasoning and adjust by adding a little more lemon juice to taste.
Do not store this sauce in the refrigerator. Like hollandaise sauce, it will split when it becomes too cold.
Mango Salsa
MAKES 400G
1 large ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 red onion, finely diced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
20g coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the diced mango in a bowl and then add the lime zest and juice. Add the onion, chilli, coriander and olive oil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Clockwise from top left:
Hollandaise Sauce, Onion, Thyme & Stout Gravy, Mushroom Ketchup, White Butter Sauce, Old-School Mint Sauce, and Mango Salsa
Hollandaise Sauce
SERVES 6
1 shallot, peeled and finely sliced
20ml white wine
20ml white wine vinegar
5 black peppercorns
a large pinch of table salt
300g butter
3 egg yolks
a pinch of cayenne pepper
½ lemon
Put the shallot, wine, vinegar, peppercorns and salt into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat and leave to reduce by half. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the wine and vinegar reduction through a sieve into a metal bowl.
Melt the butter in a microwave until it turns liquid. Pour the golden liquid butter into a small jug, leaving the white fats in the bottom of the microwave container. These can be discarded. Alternatively, heat the butter in a pan over a medium heat, allowing the white fats to separate and sink to the bottom, then pour off the golden liquid butter for using later.
Add the egg yolks to the metal bowl with the slightly cooled wine and vinegar reduction. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is airy and slightly thickened.
Place the metal bowl over a small pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sauce is well thickened. You should be able to see drag marks from the whisk in the sauce. The moment that the egg turns from raw to lightly cooked (but not scrambled) is quite a small window of time, so it is important to pay attention as you don’t want scrambled eggs.
Remove the metal bowl from the heat and sit it on a damp dish towel for support. Gradually pour in the liquid butter, whisking continuously to incorporate it into the sauce. Add the cayenne pepper and then a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
Do not store this in the refrigerator as it will split when it becomes too cold.
Mayonnaise
MAKES 250ML
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
a pinch of salt
100ml vegetable oil
150ml olive oil
½ teaspoon English mustard
1 tablespoon hot water
Combine the egg yolks, vinegar and salt together in a metal bowl. Place a damp dish towel underneath the bowl for support, then whisk the ingredients together. Slowly pour in both of the oils, whisking continuously and stopping every so often to make sure everything is well combined. Add the mustard and hot water, and continue to whisk until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt if necessary.
Caper Mayonnaise
MAKES 200G
75g capers, drained
25g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
¼ quantity Mayonnaise
Crush the capers with a rolling pin and then chop them finely. (Crushing the capers first makes them much easier to chop.) Combine the capers and the chopped parsley, then stir through the mayonnaise. The mayonnaise will keep for up to three days when stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator.
Custard
SERVES 4
1 heaped tablespoon cornflour
50g caster sugar
2 large egg yolks
350ml semi-skimmed milk
100ml double cream
½ vanilla pod
Whisk together the cornflour, sugar and yolks in a bowl.
Gently heat the milk, cream and vanilla pod in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat until just about to simmer, whisking constantly to stop it catching on the bottom and to allow the vanilla seeds to loosen from the pod.
Allow it to sit off the heat for a couple of minutes to infuse with the vanilla and then discard the pod. Bring back to a simmer and slowly pour the liquid over the contents of the bowl, whisking the mix all the time.
Pour the mix back into the saucepan and warm over a low heat until it thickens enough to coat a spoon, stirring all the time with a spatula (do not boil it hard!). Serve it immediately, pouring the biggest portion for yourself.
Frangipane
MAKES ENOUGH TO FILL 1 TART
225g butter, softened
225g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, deseeded, seeds retained
5 medium-sized eggs
225g ground almonds
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla seeds together until the butter has turned pale and creamy. Add one egg at a time, whisking until each is fully incorporated before adding another.
Once all the eggs are incorporated, use a large metal spoon to fold in the almonds until well mixed. Use as directed in the recipes.
