Recipes

  • Chinese New Year – Mapo Tofu, pork mince, chilli, Sichuan peppercorn by Matt Burgess

    Chinese New Year – Mapo Tofu, pork mince, chilli, Sichuan peppercorn by Matt Burgess

    500g pork mince 

    250g firm Tofu

    1 tbsn Sichuan peppercorn

    1 tbsn dried chilli 

    1 tbsn soy

    1 tbsn ginger 

    3 cloves garlic grated 

    2 tbsn spicy bean sauce (dobanjang)

    1 tbsn sesame 

    1 tbsn brown sugar 

    1 bunch spring onion 

     

    Method

    In a dry pan, toast the Sichuan peppercorns over medium heat until fragrant. Grind them into a powder using a mortar and pestle.

    Cook Pork Mince: In a large pan, heat a tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork mince and cook until browned.

    Add the grated ginger and garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

    Stir in the chopped tofu, soy, ground Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili, and spicy bean sauce. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, ensuring everything is well combined.

    Sprinkle in the brown sugar and mix well, adjusting seasoning to taste.

    Finally, add the chopped spring onions, reserving some for garnish.

    Serve immediately, garnished with remaining spring onions.

    Continue reading
  • Avgolemono Soup - Greek Lemon Soup with Free-range Chicken, Rice, & Eggs by Matt Burgess

    Avgolemono Soup - Greek Lemon Soup with Free-range Chicken, Rice, & Eggs by Matt Burgess

    This is a take on a traditional Greek soup which is the definition of food for the soul. This light and nutritional winter warmer will have you feeling ready to fight the cold. In this recipe Matt uses a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken which you can find in our Notting Hill, Chelsea and Wimbledon locations. Otherwise you can use leftover chicken or boil your own chicken.

    This includes a handy broth recipe that you can use after you've cooked a whole chicken and stripped off the meat to give it a second life and reap the benefits of broth.

    Ingredients:

    200g shredded rotisserie, free-range chicken or pre-cooked (traditionally boiled), chicken

     8 cups rotisserie carcass chicken broth (see recipe for broth below)

    100g finely chopped carrots

    60g finely chopped celery

    80g finely chopped onions

    2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

    2 bay leaves

    1 cup rice

    90g fresh lemon juice

    2 large eggs

    2tbsn fresh parsley  chopped fine (optional)

    Salt and pepper

    Extra Virgin Olive Oil

      

    Method 

    1.     Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. Sauté carrots, celery, onions, and garlic briefly.

    2.     Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and rice. Simmer for 20 minutes until tender.

    3.     Stir in cooked chicken.

    4.     In a bowl, whisk lemon juice and eggs. Temper with 2 ladles of broth.

    5.     Add the egg-lemon sauce to the soup and stir. Remove from heat.

    6.     Garnish with parsley (optional). Serve hot with bread.

     

    Carcass broth 

    1 Carcass / bones / skin

    1 Carrot

    2 cloves Garlic

    1 stick Celery

    2 tbsn chicken stock powder / oxo

     

    Method:

    Put the carcass, carrot, garlic cloves, and celery stick in a large pot.

    Pour enough water into the pot to cover all the ingredients.

    Stir in the chicken stock powder or oxo for added flavour.

    Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.

    Remove from heat, strain the broth using a fine-mesh sieve to remove solids, and let it cool.

    Continue reading
  • Guinness & Oxtail Stew by Matt Burgess

    Guinness & Oxtail Stew by Matt Burgess

     

    Grass-fed Ox tail 1.3 kg

    Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting the vegetables

    1 onion, chopped

    1 large carrot, chopped

    1 celery stick chopped

    3 whole cloves garlic, peeled

    1 bay leaf

    Pinch fresh thyme

    475 ml beef stock

    475 ml Guinness

    2 parsnips, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise

    Chopped parsley optional

     

    Method

    Start by preheating your oven to 175°C

    Season 1.3 kg oxtail with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Chop 1 onion, 1 large carrot, and 1 celery stick. Peel 3 whole cloves of garlic.

    In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the oxtail and brown it on all sides. Remove and set aside.

    In the same pot, add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent.

    Add 1 bay leaf, a pinch of fresh thyme, 475 ml beef stock, and 475 ml Guinness. Bring to a simmer.

    Add back the oxtail, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours or until meat is falling off the bone

     

    Continue reading
  • Chicken, Apricot, Orange & Almond Tagine by Sabrina Ghayour

    Chicken, Apricot, Orange  & Almond Tagine by Sabrina Ghayour

    Our good friend Sabrina Ghayour has exclusively shared with us three recipes from her cookbook Flavour. As the name suggests, these recipes are bursting with flavours from the Middle East and further afield, but with little effort and time. Wow your family and guests with these simple but seriously impressive dishes for hosting or for everyday meals.

     

    Tagines are that wonderful marriage of meat or vegetables with sweet and spiced flavour pairings.

    What you put into yours is entirely up to you and may be dependent on traditions, local and seasonal

    availability, and personal preference, of course. I like my tagines to have lots of texture and layers of deep

    flavour not just from meat but also from dried fruits, nuts and fresh herbs. This particular combination

    can perhaps be called the sweeter cousin of the classic chicken, olive and preserved lemon, turning away from

    the wonderfully sour character of the lemon to the more gently acidic profile of orange and that irresistible,

    almost syrupy, sweet chewiness of dried apricots, plumped from absorbing the broth of the tagine.

     

    SE RV E S 6 – 8

    vegetable oil

    2 large onions, roughly chopped

    1kg bone-in, skinless chicken thighs

    6 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced

    1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1 teaspoon paprika

    1 teaspoon ground ginger

    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

    finely grated zest and juice of

    1 unwaxed orange

    1 tablespoon clear honey

    150g dried apricots

    50g whole blanched almonds

    Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly

    ground black pepper

    1/2 small packet (about 15g) of flat leaf

    parsley, leaves roughly chopped,

    to garnish

     

    Method

    Place a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and fry the onions until

    softened and translucent. Add the chicken thighs and garlic and stir well. Mix in the spices, stir and cook for

    a few minutes before adding the orange zest and juice, honey and a generous amount of salt and pepper, then

    cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Pour over enough boiling water to just about cover the ingredients, reduce to a gentle medium heat and cook,

    uncovered, for 11/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the dried apricots and cook for a further 30 minutes.

    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), Gas Mark 7. Spread the almonds out on a baking tray

    and toast for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

    When the tagine is ready, serve scattered with the toasted

     

    YOU CAN FIND SABRINA'S COOKBOOK FLAVOUR FROM AMAZON HERE

     

    Continue reading
  • Slow-roasted Bone-in Pork Shoulder with a Miso & Stem Ginger Jam by Matt Burgess

    Slow-roasted Bone-in Pork Shoulder with a Miso & Stem Ginger Jam by Matt Burgess

    Ingredients:

    2-3kg bone-in pork shoulder, skin on and scored (ask our team to score it for you)

    Large thumb of ginger

    370g ginger stem (1 jar)

    1 tbsn chardonnay vinegar 

    2 tbsn red miso paste

    2 tbsn salt

    1 tbsn olive oil, extra virgin 

     

    Method:

    -       Pre-heat the oven to 200deg C.

    -       Score the pork skin (or ask your butcher to score it for you), and rub it with olive oil.

    -       Heavily salt the skin side of the shoulder.

    -       Slice the fresh ginger and lay out in a roasting tray placing the pork on top, skin side up 

    -       Place the tray into the oven and cook for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 180deg C and finish cooking the pork for another 35 minutes.

    -       In a blender place the stem ginger, vinegar and miso and blend until a smooth puree.

    -       Once pork is cooked, allow to rest at least 15 minutes. Carve off the bone and serve with a heaped spoon of the stem ginger jam on the side

     

    Suggestion: Serve with braised cabbage and carrots

     

     

    Continue reading
  • Ras el Hanout & Orange Lamb Cutlets by Sabrina Ghayour

    Ras el Hanout & Orange Lamb Cutlets by Sabrina Ghayour

    Our good friend Sabrina Ghayour has exclusively shared with us three recipes from her cookbook Flavour. As the name suggests, these recipes are bursting with flavours from the Middle East and further afield, but with little effort and time. Wow your family and guests with these simple but seriously impressive dishes for hosting or for everyday meals.

    Cutlets would be the cut of lamb (my favourite meat) that I would go for if I had to choose just one.

    They have the perfect amount of fat and bone and a wonderful eye of meat, which makes their

    proportions ideal for marinating, grilling, barbecuing and roasting. This is very much a complete meal

    of a recipe that needs little else. It feels almost celebratory, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying it

    whenever you like. The spiced components when brought together create a real explosion of flavour,

    one you’ll want to experience again and again.

     

    S E RV E S 3 – 4

    8–10 well-trimmed lamb cutlets

    3–4 tablespoons garlic oil

    2 tablespoons ras el hanout

    finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange and juice of 1/2

    Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

    For the potatoes:

    1.5kg potatoes, peeled and cut into

    about 4cm chunks

    3 tablespoons ghee (or vegetable oil if

    you prefer)

    8 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced

    2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves

    2 teaspoons cumin seeds

    2 teaspoons ground turmeric

    1 teaspoon chilli flakes (omit if you prefer)

    100ml cold water

    1 small packet (about 30g) of flat leaf

    parsley, leaves roughly chopped

     

    For the aubergines:

    3 small or 2 large aubergines, peeled, halved lengthways and cut roughly into 3cm chunks

    about 5–6 tablespoons garlic oil

    2 teaspoons paprika

     

    To serve:

    200g Greek yogurt

    sweet tamarind sauce, for drizzling

    75g pistachio slivers (or very roughly

    chopped whole nuts)

    75g pomegranate seeds

    Method: 

    Put the lamb cutlets into a shallow bowl or dish, add the garlic oil, ras el hanout, orange zest and juice and a generous amount of salt, then rub evenly all over them. Cover the bowl or dish with clingfilm and leave to marinate at room temperature while you cook the aubergines and potatoes.

    Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), Gas Mark 7. Line your largest baking tray with baking paper.

    Place the aubergine chunks on the lined tray and drizzle over the garlic oil. Sprinkle with the paprika and a good amount of salt, then use your hands to evenly coat the chunks in the oil and spice. Spread out in a single layer and roast for about 25 minutes until nicely browned and starting to char around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.

    Meanwhile, parboil the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes, then tip into a colander to drain. Return the pan to a low-medium heat, add the ghee (or vegetable oil), garlic slices, fenugreek leaves and spices and fry for a few minutes, ensuring they don’t burn. Pour in the water and stir, then add the parboiled potatoes with a generous amount of salt and pepper and mix until evenly coated in the spices and garlic.

    Cover the pan with a lid and cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

    Pop the aubergines back in the oven to reheat gently. Then check the potatoes, which should be a little browned when done and cooked through. Stir through the chopped parsley, reserving a little for a garnish.

    Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the marinated lamb chops for 2–3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and leave to rest while you get ready to serve.

    Transfer the potatoes to a very large serving platter, then add the aubergines and sprinkle over the remaining parsley. Arrange the lamb cutlets on top. Lastly, dollop with the yogurt, drizzle with sweet tamarind sauce and finish with the pistachios and pomegranate seeds. This needs no accompaniment.

     

    YOU CAN FIND SABRINA'S COOKBOOK FLAVOUR FROM AMAZON HERE

    Continue reading