truffle by name...

I feel no guilt whatsoever about diving straight into Chocolate and dragging you carelessly with me.

With origins dating as far back as 1900BC the significance of chocolate worldwide is beyond question.  Maya and Aztec cultures used cacao as gifts and beverages for royalty and religious events and later some parts of the world even used cacao beans as a form of money.  Today two thirds of the world’s beans are produced in Western Africa but the chocolate we know (confectionary) was first created in 1849 by the Chemist John Cadbury through development of an emulsification process to solidify cocoa into a bar.

Dark chocolate is well documented for both psychological and emotional benefits.  Chocolate contains flavonoids which are pigments found in plants that act as antioxidants and it stimulates endorphin production – and these things make you feel good!  If all that were not enough to convince you why you should eat chocolate the Latin name for the cacao tree is Theobroma Cacao meaning ‘Food of the Gods’.  Surely that can’t be bad?

Chocolate Truffles with Hazelnut Praline

100g Hazelnuts (skinned and roasted)

1 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Water

200g Milk Chocolate (high cocoa content)

1/2 cup Double Cream

Place the hazelnuts on a greased tin or piece of silicon matting.

To make the praline place the sugar and water in a saucepan and melt over a low heat until it turns golden amber.  Do not stir the caramel as this will make it crystallise, if you need to move it around just swirl the caramel around the saucepan by tipping it slightly.

Pour the caramel over the roasted hazelnuts and leave to set.  When it has hardened break up the praline.

Place into a food processor and grind.  It will turn firstly to a powder and then to a paste as the oils are released from the nuts.  Place in an airtight container until you need to use it.  It will keep for several weeks.

Place the double cream in a saucepan and heat to boiling point.  Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate pieces.  Leave for 30 seconds and then stir to combine, the chocolate should melt into the cream and you should end up with a thick glossy chocolate sauce. 

Add half the praline paste (more or less dependent on how nutty you want the truffles) and stir to combine.  Place in the fridge and leave to set for a couple of hours or overnight.

To make the truffles, take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a ball (it gets messy from here).  Place on a piece of greaseproof paper or silicon matting and put back into the refrigerator.


You can either coat in cocoa or chocolate.  To coat in chocolate, melt slowly in a bain-marie and dip the truffles into the chocolate coating thoroughly allowing the excess to drip back into the melted chocolate.  Place on a greaseproof sheet and put them back in the refrigerator to set.  Dust with cocoa just before they set.  


Send any friends and family out and indulge... this is no time to share.

Celebrating the Great Chieftain o’ the Pudding Race

When you enter into a friendship with a Scot you become ingratiated into a world of traditions incorporating both the bizarre and the wonderful.  No one would assume that a group of friends arranging what can only be called a dinner party to celebrate the life of one their own in 1802 would today be such a worldwide calling.  Such is the story of Burns Night.

I can talk about this with authority.  I have been welcomed into the world of Robert Burns through many friends over the years and can attest to the sometimes strange and random occurrences these particular celebrations involve.  They also seem well able to always deliver the ‘I’m never going to recover’ hangover the next day.  I am currently reflecting on the most recent.

Each year on the 25^th January people all over the world celebrate the life of Robert Burns and Scottish heritage, (it is apparent that you do not need this to participate).   

It is on this evening that you will eat foods you would never normally consider eating, drink whisky with your meal (supposedly just a wee dram – don’t believe it!) and eat more oats in one meal than you would normally eat in a year’s worth of breakfasts.

Many of the traditions suggest you know the people you are dining with very well and are not in the least bit surprised by their behaviour during the evening. 

Welcomed into the home with the first ‘wee dram’ of Whisky from a friendship goblet this tradition assumes you already know what ailments your friends currently have and intend to share with you or you really are such a good friend that you don’t mind in the slightest. 

Before you actually eat a number of things will happen.  Firstly, a cacophony of ear burning sounds will resonate throughout the house as the bagpipes are played in honour of the Haggis being transported to its final resting place.  At this point one should be appreciative of the difficulty in playing this instrument if not of the sound itself.  Secondly, the latent inner thespian of one of your party will recite an ode to Robbie Burns by way of an ‘Address to the Haggis’.  Now suddenly faced with a close and personal friend dressed in a kilt and showing an alarming amount of knee whilst talking passionately to a less than tempting lump of meat on a plate can only make you wonder if you have wandered into the wrong house.  You can muse over this while trying to understand what exactly is being said to the aforementioned dish. 

Then we come to the food itself.  It is at this point that, if you started to consider what you were eating, you may well put on a serene smile and explain that you have recently turned vegetarian.  You should not do this.  Not only is it rude but you would be missing out of one of the great (if somewhat unexpected) dishes out there. 

Let’s be honest... the Haggis itself is no beauty.  Although it is known as the ‘Great Chieftain o’ The Puddin-Race’, it does in fact look exactly like the ingredients it is.  So, in the name of continuous development of your inner gourmet, see if for a moment you can imagine a dish made from sheep’s heart, liver and lungs not so subtlety flavoured with lashings of spices, suet, oatmeal and stock encased in a sheep’s stomach and cooked for several hours.  I know what you're thinking but it really is very good.

Accompanying this alien style of food will be Tatties and Neeps (or mashed potatoes and turnips to the uninitiated). 

For those who have a penchant for sweet things, pudding usually comes in the form of more oatmeal.  Clootie Pudding (made from suet, oatmeal, fruit and spice) or Cranachan (oatmeal, double cream and Drambuie) are the preferred options should you have any room left for more food.

More whisky ensues (assuming generous hosts) followed by laughter, merriment and after a few drams, some quite interesting dancing which everyone will later agree is best forgotten. 

Far from the traditional dinner party, Burns Night offers gourmet experimentation, theatre, full stomachs and plenty of laughter – definitely something to try. 

Like I said... from the bizarre to the wonderful all in one evening, how can you possibly resist?

Beef Wellington

Writing for the February edition of a magazine, the thought process was Shrove Tuesday.  A tenuous link admittedly but the dish does have pancakes in it...

Shrove Tuesday is historically a day of feasting before Ash Wednesday and the period of Lent.  Pancakes are a tradition on this day (being one to eat lots of fat in preparation for fasting) and personally I can think of nothing better than feasting on a lovely Beef Wellington.  If you make plenty of pancakes (or buy them), you can always do the Pancake Day thing as well and serve them as pudding with oranges and sugar.

1.5kg Beef Fillet (trimmed, left whole)

3 thin Pancakes

250g finely chopped Mushrooms (shitake, oyster and chestnut work well)

2 Shallots (finely chopped)

1 tsp Thyme

2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)

6 Juniper Berries

Sea Salt & Pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley

1 pack Puff Pastry

10g Butter

Olive Oil

1 tbsp Crème Fraiche

1 tbsp Marsala Wine or Dry Sherry

Egg Wash (for glazing)

Marinade the beef.  In a pestle and mortar, grind the juniper berries with the salt, pepper, thyme leaves, parsley and garlic.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and mix to a thick paste.  Rub over the entire beef fillet and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.

Sauté the shallots in the butter and a drizzle of olive oil until softened but not brown.  Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.  Add the marsala wine and cook until evaporated, add the crème fraiche and season to taste.  Cook until you have a thick pate like consistency.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Take the beef and brown all sides in a frying pan quickly (you are not trying to cook it at this stage).  Place in the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes covered with foil.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

When all the ingredients have cooled to room temperature, assemble the wellington.

Roll out the puff pastry to a size which will cover the entire fillet.  Brush the edges with egg wash and lay the pancakes down the middle of the pastry.  Spread the mushroom mixture over the pancakes and the pastry leaving a 2 cm edge all around.  Place the fillet of beef on top in the centre and roll up the pastry around the fillet and seal.  Up end the wellington so the seal is underneath and brush all over with egg wash.  Place on a baking tray and refrigerate until ready to cook or for at least 1 hour.

Place in a hot oven (210 degrees) for 25 minutes (rare) to 35 minutes (medium) or until golden brown and risen.  Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving.  

The resting is important as it will allow the meat to relax and the juices to go back into the beef and tenderise the meat.

Chorizo and Prawn Jambalaya

This January I am working through my freezers rather than buying food (the meat and fish variety).  Madness you may think (and be correct) but this started as a bit of a competition with some friends and seems to have turned into a personal mission for me.  Given there is enough in my freezers to keep going for several months this should not be a problem.

So this dish started off as a Paella but due to not having clams and mussels in the freezer and not being able to find the chicken until I get further down (at which point I suspect I will find the equivalent of a chicken farm’s worth), I have quickly transformed this into a Jambalaya.  Ah, such versatility...

1 cup of Long Grain White Rice

8 uncooked Chorizo and Pork Sausages (cut into 1” pieces)

200g Tiger King Prawns (cooked)

1 tbsp Paprika

1 tsp dried Oregano

400ml Chicken Stock

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

1 glass Dry Sherry

1 thinly sliced Red Onion

1 clove Garlic

200g Bacon (diced)

Olive Oil

Pinch of Sumac (optional)

Chopped Parsley to finish

Start off by sautéing the onion and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil until translucent but not browning. 

Add the bacon and sausage followed by the oregano, sumac and paprika. 

Add the tomato puree and stir to combine. 

Add the sherry and cook until it has almost evaporated then add the rice and stir into the other ingredients to coat. 

Add the stock, bring to the boil and then place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through (this will depend on your rice).

Add the prawns.  Season to taste and stir through the chopped parsley. 

Serve this beautiful dish with great aplomb suggesting to others that you have been slaving away for hours!

Live Life, Love Food

Whether you are an all-round Francophile or just have a long-standing love affair with food, there is something about France that evokes desires for long lazy lunches.  Add to that colourful market stalls piled high with seasonal produce, narrow streets, culinary genius’ expounding their skills to tempt you to their restaurant, powerful cheeses and earthy wild mushrooms and you can practically change nationalities (at least when on holiday).  And that’s before we start discussing wine choices...

In France, the three designated timeslots for eating are not to be messed with and are an integral and readily adopted part of life.

With an early morning call beckoning, breakfast in France is usually quite simple.  Freshly baked breads, croissant, fruit and newly ground coffee (strong enough to stand your spoon in) is the only really civilised start to the day.  Lunch provides a break from the proceedings of the day and the opportunity to relax, chat and partake in a couple of hours of fine food and anything up to three courses.   Dinner is usually even grander.  Surely it would be rude to refuse getting involved in such fine local traditions?

As a nation how many times during the week do we British run to ‘grab a sandwich’, eat it while doing the other ten things we need to do and then wonder why we suffer from indigestion?  And if you thought about it, what would be the average length of time we spend at the table eating our dinner... 30 minutes? 20?

The French take their eating very seriously and, while some will inevitably take the indigestion route, in the main the French take time to enjoy their food and the traditions that go with it.  No matter where you go in France you will always be able to find a veritable feast within a few hundred metres (but don’t forget that the shops will likely be closed at lunch time!).  From the beautiful patisseries and boulangeries, to local restaurants offering a vast array of traditional, modern and classic French fare there is something to suit almost every taste and budget.

With all the choice and commitment to food I used to wonder how on earth the French are not high ranking on the obesity polls.  The simple truth seems to be not about eating huge or unhealthy meals.  It’s the complete opposite.  For the French it is all about the event itself; taking the time to digest food properly, making the most of the fresh ingredients and catching up with friends, colleagues and family.

It seems only right to test this theory to the full and see how beneficial this way of life is.  Next step, indulge in some French themed food and wine, understand a little bit more of the traditions and methods and relax with close company.  I feel better already...

Chicken Liver Parfait with Roasted Pear Salad (serves 4)

300g (trimmed weight) Chicken Livers soaked in milk for 30 minutes
2 Shallots finely chopped
3 cloves Garlic finely chopped
3 tbsp Brandy
100ml Double Cream
1 rasher Bacon finely chopped
2 tbsp Butter
Clarified butter (optional)
Salt and Pepper
A handful of Flat Leaf Parsley (chopped)

2 large Pears
25g Butter
Sprig of fresh Thyme
Drizzle of Lemon Juice
Rocket or other lettuce leaves drizzled with olive oil
4 slices toasted Brioche (to serve)

Fry off the shallots and bacon until soft.  Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the chicken liver and cook until it starts to change colour.  Season with salt and pepper, add the brandy and cook for a few minutes then add the cream and parsley and cook for another 3 minutes.  Place all the ingredients from the pan into a food processor or blender and add the 2 tablespoons of butter and blitz until completely smooth.  Push through a sieve to ensure it is completely smooth and all sinew is removed.

Tip into a container or pot and cover with clarified butter or cling film.  Refrigerate overnight to set.

Core and peel the pears cutting into quarters, toss in the lemon juice.  Put in the oven with the butter and thyme and roast for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees until caramelising and just cooked through.  Set aside and leave to cool.

Remove the parfait from the fridge and serve with the rocket salad, roasted pears and toasted brioche. 

š

Duck Breast with Blackberry Sauce (serves 4)

4 Duck Breasts (Gressingham have great flavour)
225g Blackberries
1 tbsp Red Currant Jelly with Port
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
100ml Chicken Stock
½ stick Celery
½ Carrot
1 Shallot
1 clove Garlic
Drizzle Olive Oil
1 tbsp Whipping/Double Cream

Roughly chop the carrot, celery, shallot and garlic and sauté in the olive oil until the onion and garlic are going translucent but not browning.

Add half of the blackberries, the red currant jelly and balsamic vinegar and cook over a medium-low heat until the blackberries are broken down – around 15 minutes.  Remove from the hob and leave to cool slightly.  Pour into a liquidiser and blend.  Pour through a sieve (to remove any leftover bits, we only want the juices) and return to the pan.  Season and keep warm.

Prepare the duck by scoring the skin and seasoning with salt and pepper and a little fresh thyme.  Place skin side down in a hot (oven proof) frying pan and cook for 2 minutes each side.  Turn the duck breasts over so they are skin side up and place the pan in the oven at 180 degrees for 10-12 minutes (for rare to medium).  Leave in a few minutes longer if you want it better cooked.  Remove from the oven and the pan and leave the duck to rest while you finish off the sauce.

Bring the sauce back up to heat, stir in the cream and set aside keeping warm.

Slice the duck on an angle and serve with the sauce and a couple of whole blackberries for decoration.  

Serve with Celeriac and Potato Dauphinoise or mash.

š

Apple Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Cream (serves 4 with leftovers)

Apple Tarte Tatin was originally invented by two sisters in the town of Lamotte-Beuvron in Central France.  It is quite possibly one of the easiest and most famous French desserts dating back to 1898.

1 pack readymade Puff Pastry (life really is too short to make it from scratch)
4 eating Apples
25g Butter (melted)
25g Soft Brown Sugar (if using cooking apples double the sugar)
20ml Brandy or Calvados
Double Cream whipped and flavoured with Vanilla Seeds
Toasted Almonds (to serve)

Peel, core and slice the apples into 8 equal pieces.  Combine the melted butter with the sugar and brandy in a bowl and add the apple slices tossing them in the mixture so they are evenly coated. 

Lay the apple in the bottom of a cake tin or tarte tatin dish so the slices overlap close together and the bottom is completely covered by apples.  Pour over any remaining juices.

Roll the pastry out to a circle slightly larger than the tin and lay on top of the apples pushing the edges down around the edge.  Brush with egg wash and place in a hot oven (200 degrees) for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is risen and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before inverting onto a plate.  Serve with thickened cream flavoured with the seeds from a vanilla pod and a sprinkling of toasted almonds if desired.

Coconut Crusted Barramundi with Curried Squash, Mango & Spinach

Barramundi, also known as Asian Seabass, is found in the Indian Ocean (more specifically the Indonesian Archipelago) and for this dish it adopts an Indonesian style in the form of a Rendang curry.


It is easy to make Rendang paste should you wish but just as easy to buy it from the supermarket for a quick alternative. The addition of fresh mango to the curry gives it a fruity flavour to compliment the heat of the dish. If preferred the fish could be cooked in the curry rather than separately.

Barramundi has quite a firm meaty flesh which makes it robust enough to handle these types of flavours.

You will need:
1 jar Rendang Curry Paste
1 tin Coconut Milk
1 fresh Mango (peeled and cut into pieces)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 large Squash (cut into ½" pieces)
1 large handful of fresh Spinach
4 Barramundi fillets
1 tbsp of desiccated Coconut
3 tbsp of wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 handful of unsalted Cashew Nuts (optional)
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Handful of fresh Coriander (chopped)
Cucumber ribbon garnish
½ Lime – juice
Basmati rice to serve

Combine the breadcrumbs with the coconut and coat the fish on both sides. Place in the fridge until ready to cook.

Lightly sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft and turning translucent. Add the squash and mango followed by the curry paste, stock and coconut milk. Cook in the oven for around 40 minutes until the squash is cooked through but still holding its shape. Add the fresh spinach and stir through (the heat in the dish will cook it through). Keep in a warm place while you cook the fish.

To cook the fish, drizzle a little olive oil in a pan and cook briefly on both sides to brown the crust. Place in the oven for 7-8 minutes at 190 degrees until cooked through.

When ready to serve, add the cashew nuts, coriander and lime juice to the curry and stir through. Place the curry into a dish and top with the fish and cucumber ribbons.

Serve with rice on the side.

Devilled Kidneys

I may be biased but this dish is wonderful (assuming of course you like eating Kidneys). I first tasted them in France after a lengthy non-verbal conversation with a Frenchman over his dish of the day. My language skills could not translate what he was trying to tell me so we resorted to pointing to areas of the human body to assist us. It worked perfectly.


This is not his recipe (I think that may have been a step too far given our language barrier) but my interpretation of it. See what you think.


Serves 4

Drizzle of Olive OilSmall glass of Port Wine
8 Kidneys (white area in the middle removed)
1 tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Red Currant Jelly
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Hot (Chilli) Sauce
1 heaped tsp English Mustard
1 tbsp Soured Cream
Salt and Pepper
Chopped fresh Parsley

Heat a pan with the olive oil and sauté the kidneys until browned.
Add the port wine and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the cider vinegar and the red currant jelly followed a few minutes later by the hot chilli sauce, mustard and soured cream.
Sauté for a few more minutes, season to taste, garnish with parsley and serve on toasted ciabatta and a green salad.

Quite Simply Wonderful White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake

I did this for a Charity Event this weekend and by far it seemed to be one of the favourite desserts if people asking me for the recipe was anything to go by.  It is an adaptation from a recipe by Claire Clouting and is very indulgent and worth every subsequent bit of exercise needed afterwards.


For the base:

150g digestive biscuits (crushed)

75g butter melted

For the filling:

600g White Chocolate, broken into pieces

65g Butter

2 tsp Vanilla Extract or the seeds from one Pod

500g Cream Cheese (I like half Ricotta and half full fat Cream Cheese such as Philadelphia)

50g Caster Sugar

180 ml Double Cream

1 ½ punnets of Raspberries

First of all make the base by combining the melted butter and the crushed biscuits and pressing in to the bottom of a cake tin with a removable bottom lined with either greaseproof paper or cling film.  Place the tin in the fridge to set - it should only take 10 minutes.

For the filling, melt the white chocolate, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl over simmering water until it has all melted and combined.  

Whisk the cream cheese, caster sugar and double cream together then fold in the white chocolate mixture.  Fold through the raspberries and pour into the tin on top of the biscuit base.

Refrigerate overnight for best results.

A touch of Morrocco

Lamb Tagine with Couscous Salad (Serves 4)

I know it looks like a lot of ingredients but it is very simple to prepare.  This is a real crowd pleaser, perfect for a supper party with friends and even better prepared up to 2 days in advance allowing the flavours to develop.

For the Lamb Marinade:

1 tsp Sundried Tomato Paste/Puree

1 tsp ground Coriander

½ tsp ground Ginger

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

Pinch of Saffron

300g diced Lamb

For the Tagine:

1 medium Carrot (finely diced)

5 Shallots (peeled and quartered)

3 cloves Garlic

30g chopped ready to eat Apricots

2 tbsp Plain Flour

Small glass Sherry (dry)

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

500g Chicken Stock

1 tbsp Clear Honey

1 tin Chick Peas

Handful chopped fresh Coriander

Handful chopped fresh Mint

Olive Oil

For the Couscous Salad:

400g Couscous

4 Spring Onions (finely sliced)

1 can Chickpeas (drained and cooked)

Large handful each of fresh Parsley, Mint and Coriander (roughly chopped)

½ Cucumber (deseeded and finely diced)

Make the couscous salad ahead of time (excluding the herbs); it will sit quite happily in the refrigerator for a day.  Make the couscous according to the packet instructions and then add the chickpeas, onions and cucumber using a fork to combine and break up any lumps. 

To make the tagine, firstly marinade the meat.  Mix the saffron in a couple of tablespoons of boiling water.  Combine all the ingredients with a little olive oil to make a thick paste and rub into the lamb.  Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight. 

Sauté the carrots, shallots and garlic in a little olive oil for 3-4 minutes being careful not to brown the vegetables.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Heat a little more oil in the sauté pan and brown off the lamb (including the marinade).  Add the carrot mixture back to the pan, then the tomato puree and flour and stir to combine.  Next add the apricots, sherry and stock.  Cook in the oven for 2.5 hours at 160 degrees until the lamb is tender.  Remove from the oven, stir in the honey and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add the coriander and mint.  Season to taste.   

Fork the fresh herbs through the couscous and serve.  

Honeyed Fruits with Blue Cheese

Serves 2

While looking for a simple starter for a supper party I started to develop a hankering for baked fruit with cheese.  Don’t ask me why I guess it’s just one of those strange food occurrences which cannot be explained but stay with you until you have satisfied the itch (or rather stomach grumbling).  Fortunately I happened to have a lovely chunk of smelly Gorgonzola cheese in the fridge (which was threatening to leave the fridge on its own account if I did not eat it soon) that would be perfect – strange how these things work out isn’t it? 

It sounds strange but baked peaches served with a ripe blue cheese are a marriage made in heaven.  This dish combines the sweetness of a dessert with the tangy flavours of a cheeseboard.  It also makes for a wonderful light lunch.

The French are well known for eating blue cheese with a drizzle of honey.  This dish takes it one step further and with peaches in season this month it’s the perfect dish to make when you are fed up with just eating them straight out of the fruit bowl.

4 ripe Peaches or Pears
4 tablespoon of Runny Honey
50g Butter (unsalted)
3 small stems fresh Thyme
50g Walnut pieces
4 slices of ripe Gorgonzola Cheese (or other Blue varieties) – quantity to suit you

Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones.  Place in an oven proof dish and drizzle with knobs of butter and 2 tablespoons of the honey.  Place 2 of the thyme stems on the dish and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cooked through but still holding their shape.  They should have slightly caramelised.  Remove from the oven and the dish and set aside.

In a saucepan heat the remaining honey and thyme together until just coming to the boil.  Take off the heat and set aside to infuse.

For each serving, place a slice of gorgonzola on a plate with the two peach halves, drizzle over a little of the honey/thyme infusion on the peaches and gorgonzola.  Sprinkle with a few of the walnut pieces and serve.

For best results this dish is served at room temperature.