JC's Gastroblog

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Put a roasting pan, one that will hold the chicken comfortably, into the oven to heat, also.

Pick the best young leaves from the tips of the tarragon stalks and reserve them to add to the sauce when it’s made. Cram the remaining tarragon (whole, no need to chop) along with 100g of the butter into the cavity of the chicken.

When the roasting pan is hot, add the remaining 25g butter so that it melts then put the chicken into the pan. Season the skin of the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and return it to the oven to roast. While the chicken is roasting, chop the reserved tarragon leaves. Cooking time will naturally vary depending on chicken size but 50 minutes to one hour 10 minutes usually does it; check using the tried and trusted thigh-piercing technique and make sure the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken from the oven. The butter will have been well flavoured by the tarragon and most will have flowed from the body cavity into the pan. Tilt the chicken to encourage the remaining juices out, then keep it warm while you make the sauce.

Put the roasting pan with the tarragon-flavoured butter onto a gentle heat and stir in the flour. Cook the butter in the flour for a couple of minutes. Now you are essentially making a white sauce but with water. (I was tempted to use chicken stock once. Don’t – it’s better with water.) Add the water gradually, stirring between additions to avoid lumps. When all the water is added, increase the heat slightly and bring to simmering point. Simmer for a couple of minutes to cook out any raw flour taste. Season with salt, papper and the reserved, chopped tarragon.

Collect any juices running from the chicken while resting and when you carve it and stir them into the sauce.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

Add the bay leaf and white fish to the milk and bring it to simmering point. Poach the white fish very gently until barely cooked. Remove the fish and let it cool; leave the bay leaf in the milk cooling as well.

When the fish is cool, remove any skin and bones and flake it coarsely into a bowl. Add the prawns and the sliced hard-boiled eggs.

Make the crumble mixture. Rub or process together 2 oz of the plain flour and 1½ oz of the butter until you get the famed bread-crumb stage. Stir in the grated Cheddar and some salt and pepper. Set the mixture aside.

Make a thin white sauce with the poaching liquid. Strain the milk into a jug and sprinkle in the pinch of nutmeg. Melt the remaining ½ oz butter in a small saucepan over low heat. When the foam subsides, stir in the remaining ½ oz plain flour and cook gently, stirring frequently until the mixture is pale (2-3 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the reserved poaching milk, beating vigorously between additions to ensure a smooth consistency is achieved. Return the pan to the heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly. Gently cook out the flour taste for a couple of minutes, then stir it gently into the fish, prawn and egg mixture.

Assemble the crumble. Tip the fish mixture into an appropriately sized dish. Cover it with the crumble mixture and bake it in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Method

Melt the butter in a suitable saucepan over moderate heat and, when the foam subsides, sweat the onion in it for about 5 minutes without colouring. Add the chopped celery and sweat, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes also without colouring. Add the light chicken stock, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to simmering point and cook gently uncovered for 30 minutes. Liquidize the soup and return it to the saucepan.

Now it’s time to add the cheese. Since Stilton cheeses vary greatly both in strength and saltiness, I suggest that you treat the cheese as a seasoning and add it in stages to avoid over-doing it. Start with about a half (30 g). While gently reheating the soup, add the crumbled Stilton cheese stirring constantly so that it dissolves (this may take about 5 minutes). Taste the soup and try to balance the flavour of both the celery and the Stilton; neither should dominate. Add as much of the cheese as is necessary to achieve this balance.

Finally, adjust the seasoning to taste bearing in mind that you may not need any salt because of the salty Stilton.

Method

Blanch the garlic cloves in boiling water for three minutes. Drain them, let them cool a little, then mince/chop them very finely.

Cut the potatoes into even, large chunks before bringing them to the boil in a pan of salted water and simmering them until tender.

While the potatoes are simmering, make a garlic white sauce. Melt the butter over gentle heat and add the finely minced garlic. Cook the garlic gently in the butter, without colouring, for two or three minutes. Stir in the flour and continue cooking gently for another two or three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually beat in the milk avoiding any lumps (other than the bits of garlic, of course). When all the milk is incorporated, return the pan to the heat and bring to simmering point whilst stirring. Simmer the thickened sauce for two or three minutes to cook out any raw flour taste.

When the potatoes are tender, mash them and beat in the garlic white sauce.

Be prepared to wish you had made a larger quantity.

Method

First, with a gloved hand, pick only the fresh, young tops of the nettles. Remove the leaves from the stems and wash them. Blanch the leaves in boiling water for 10 – 15 seconds then drain and refresh them in cold water to arrest their cooking. They are now safe to handle without the gloves. Drain the leaves once again, gently squeeze out excess moisture and dry them as best you can in a clean kitchen towel. Roughly chop the leaves and set them aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a frying pan large enough to hold the gurnard fillets. Season the fillets well with salt and pepper, and, when the foam subsides, add them to the frying pan. Cook the fillets for 2 – 3 minutes on each side, depending upon their thickness, turning once. Remove the gurnard fillets to warmed serving plates while you finish the nettle butter.

Stir the chopped garlic and nettles into the butter and cooking juices. Fry these gently for a minute or two before spooning the mixture over and around the gurnard fillets.

(Some boiled new potatoes – though it’s probably a bit too early for Jersey Royals – and tenderstem broccoli would be perfect accompaniments.)

Method

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry in to a round large enough to fit a 25cm/lOin loose-bottomed flan tin about 4cm/1½in deep. Prick the base here and there with a fork and chill for 20 mins.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan, add the leeks and some seasoning and cook gently, uncovered, for 15 mins, stirring occasionally until they are very tender. Bring some water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Add the haddock and simmer for 4 mins, until just cooked. Lift out onto a plate and leave until cool enough to handle, then break the fish into flakes, discarding any skin and bones.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking parchment and baking beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake blind for 15 mins. Remove the paper and beans, and return the empty case to the oven for 5 mins until cooked and lightly golden. Remove from the oven. (The pastry case, leeks and haddock can all be prepared up to a day ahead to this stage. When cool, store the pastry in an airtight container, and the leeks and fish in the fridge.)

Turn oven down to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Snip the chives into the leeks and scatter them over the base of the pastry case. Scatter the flaked fish over the top. Beat the eggs with the cream, parmesan and some seasoning, then pour over the leeks and fish. Bake for 30-35 mins until just set and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving.

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and spring onions, then cook over a medium heat for 5 mins until the onions have softened.

Add the thyme, artichokes and peas, stir to combine. Tip in lemon juice, then cook for 5-10 mins until the peas are just done. Stir in lemon zest, butter and parsley, season to taste, then serve.

Method

Sift the flour, salt and caster sugar (if using) into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter, margarine and lard with the finger tips to the fine breadcrumb stage.

Add the egg yolk and enough milk to mix to a pliable dough using a round bladed knife.

Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and kneed lightly until smooth and even. Chill wrapped for 30 mins before using.

Method

Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse together until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs (or make pastry the traditional way, rubbing in the butter by hand). Stir in 1½-2 tbsp of water with a round-bladed table knife until the mixture starts to come together into a ball. Turn pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Cover and allow to rest for 20 mins in the fridge before using in y9ur chosen recipe.

Method

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, stir in the onions and the thyme and let them soften for about 10 minutes. Now add the wine and vinegar, bring it to a gentle simmer and add a little salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook gently, uncovered, for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the liquid has evaporated. You are aiming for a jam-like consistency.

This works warm or cold, depending upon what it is accompanying.