Recipes

serves 4 

Ingredients: 

1kg pork belly

500g puy lentils (rinsed)

2 carrot 

2 onion

2 stick of celery 

125ml white wine

500ml chicken stock 

250ml water

4 banana shallots (peeled and halved with the core left on)

250ml veal jus

250ml beef stock

Small bunch of sage

2-3 tbsp of good olive oil

3tbsp sherry vinegar 

50g unsalted butter 

Salt and pepper 

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 190 degrees C

Roughly chop 1 carrot and 1 onion and 1 stick of celery and add the to a roasting tray. Season the pork all over and place on top of the vegetables.

Roast in the oven for 20 mins, then reduce heat to 160 and cook for around 1½ - 2 hours.

Put a large pot on a medium heat, finely chop the remaining carrot, onion and celery and add to the pan with a little oil. Sweat the vegetable for 3-4 mins to soften. Add the lentils to the pot and then the white wine. Reduce the wine and add the chicken stock and water, cover with greaseproof paper and cook on a low heat until most of the liquid has gone and the lentils are tender. Don’t season at the start as it will hinder the lentils breaking down and becoming tender.

Now put a medium size frying pan on a high heat and add the butter. When foaming add the halved shallots and cook on the high heat to get some colour, add the beef and veal jus and a few leaves of sage and some salt and pepper. Turn down to a  medium heat and cover with greaseproof paper. Cook until shallots are soft and stock has reduced to a sticky sauce. 

When the lentils are cooked season them and add the good olive oil and vinegar.

By this time the pork belly should be cooked. Take out of the oven and rest. Serve with a portion of lentils, 2-3 slices of pork and some of the braised shallots. Spoon over some of the shallot braising sauce to finish. 

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

4 x boat cut marrow bones 

1-2 tsp of Demerara sugar

1 jar of CHIMI sauce (or make your own) see recipe here.

Chargrilled Sourdough to serve.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.

Season the bones with salt and pepper. Put them on an oven tray and roast for 8-10 mins.

When cooked, remove from the oven and sprinkle over the sugar. Blow torch or grill the bones to caramelise the sugar.

Top with the CHIMI sauce and serve with chargrilled sourdough bread.

Makes 1 pie

Ingredients: 

Pie Crust:

110g flour

15g sugar 

90g butter 

 

35ml ice water 

Pumpkin Filling:

225g pumpkin puree 

90ml double cream 

60g light brown sugar 

1 tbsp melted butter

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp mace

¼ tsp ground cardamom 

 

Pecan Topping:

125g pecan nuts (toasted)

1 tbsp light brown sugar 

1 egg white 

½ tbsp maple syrup

½ tbsp melted butter

Pinch of salt

Method:

Start by making the pastry, in a bowl add the flour, sugar, salt and butter and rub together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Gradually add the water little by little to bring it together to form a dough. Don’t mix too much as this will tighten the gluten and make the dough tough.

Cover in cling film and place in the fridge for at least a half hour.

Next make the pecan topping by adding everything to a bowl and mixing well.

Now for the filling; add all the filling ingredients to a bowl and whisk together very well until it’s all combined.

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

Next you need to blind bake the tart case, take a fluted or disposable pie crust tin and grease and flour it.

Roll out the pastry and place into the tin, making sure to press it into the edges and flutes of the tin.

Put a cartouche of greaseproof paper and place on top of the pastry, add some rice or baking beans or dried beans on top of the greaseproof and bake for 10 mins. Afterwards remove the paper and beans, brush with a little egg white and return to the oven and bake for further 7 mins to fully cook the pastry.

When that’s done and while it’s still hot add the filing mixture and reduce the heat to 160 and bake for 35-40 mins. The middle of the pie should have a slight wobble.

Straight after it's been in the oven, pour over the pecan topping and bake for another 10 mins and then remove and allow to cool.

When cool, slice into 8 slices and serve with a healthy dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 4-5 

Ingredients: 

5-6  boneless skinless chicken thighs

500g orzo pasta 

1 large onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1ltr of chicken stock (true foods)

100g cherry tomatoes

1 bag of baby spinach

125ml of white wine

100ml double cream

50g grated parmesan

25g butter

Salt & pepper

 

Spice rub for the chicken:

1 tbsp of dried oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp chilli flakes (you can leave out if you're cooking for the children)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180 deg C.

Start by mixing all the ingredients for the spice rub for the chicken together and rub all over the chicken thighs.

Put a large pan on a medium heat and add a little olive oil. When hot, sear the chicken all over. Once they get colour all over, remove the chicken thighs and put them in an oven tray and bake in the oven for 15 mins.

At the same time put the cherry tomatoes in a small oven tray covered with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and roast in the oven for the same amount of time as the chicken.

With the same pan that you used for the chicken, add the butter and add the finely chopped onion and garlic and a pinch of salt and cook on a low heat for 5-10 mins.

Then add the orzo pasta and coat in the oil, add the stock and a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a medium heat and cook for 7-8 mins. After this time add in the cream, parmesan, roast tomatoes and spinach and stir together, check for seasoning and then place the cooked chicken on top and leave to simmer for another 5 mins until most of the moisture is gone. Turn off the heat and leave to rest for 5-7 mins.

Serve with some more grated parmesan and chopped parsley.