Whole Roast Cauliflower

Cauliflowers are fantastic at this time of year, and I’m lucky to live close to Lincolnshire, a county with rich, alluvial fenland soil ideal for growing this wonderful vegetable.

I cook cauliflower many ways but this is as simple as it gets and always looks impressive, either served to the table as a whole or sliced thickly and served as one slice on the plate as a side dish.

Ingredients (will serve 4 as a side depending on the size of the cauliflower!)

1 Cauliflower

1 tsp paprika (optional)

1 lemon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 180C. Trim the outside leaves from the cauliflower to leave just the curds, but do not separate into florets.

2) Place the cauliflower on a sheet of tinfoil, anoint with a little olive oil, squeeze over the juice from the lemon, season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle with paprika (if using).

3) Wrap the foil tightly around the cauliflower and place on a roasting tin in the centre of the oven.  Cook for 60-90 minutes.

Unwrap and serve.  How simple is that?  The cauli should be lightly browned and still quite firm in the centre.  The beauty of roasting is that the flavour isn’t diluted with any water, I urge you to give this a go!

Orrechiette with broccoli and chorizo

Not a classic Italian dish but a twist on the Puglian original.  If making your own pasta seems a little arduous feel free to buy in some orrechiette and adjust the cooking times according to the packet.  This pasta shape is named after its resemblance to ‘little ears’ and its slightly tougher texture (due to the lack of eggs in the dough) makes it perfect here.  The olive oil becomes part of the sauce and so I tend to use the best that I have.  For a pescatarian alternative see my previous blog using anchoviesand garlic in place chorizo and onions.

Ingredients (to serve 2)

200g pasta, or strong bread flour

1 large head of broccoli

1 large onion

Olive oil

1 lemon

100g chorizo sausage

Directions

1) Add enough water to the flour to form a very firm paste (just enough to bring it together) and work until you feel a change of texture, this should take 5-10 minutes. Allow to rest for 1 hour in the ‘fridge.

2) On a lightly floured surface work your pasta dough into a long thin sausage and cut into small rounds (about the size of a £1 coin), squash these flat with your thumb to give the ‘little ear’ appearance.

3) Bring a large saucepan of very well salted water to the boil.

4) Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan, cut an onion in half and then thin semi circles, add to the pan to soften. Season well with pepper and a little salt.

5) Cut the chorizo into thin circles and add to the onions, allow the fat to render and then turn up the heat to brown a little.

6) Divide the broccoli into bitesize florets and add to the boiling, salted water.  Once the pan has returned to the boil wait 2 minutes and then add the pasta.

7) As the pasta cooks (2-3 minutes) add the juice of half of the lemon to the chorizo pan and lower the heat.

8) Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the frying pan, combine all of the ingredients, taste and check for seasoning before serving with a lemon wedge.

The pasta should have a nice bite to it and the broccoli should be almost totally soft but still beautifully verdant.  I never serve this pasta with cheese, it clashes with the lemony, chili based sauce, if you’re a fan of spice a pinch of chili flakes is a welcome addition. 

Cauliflower and Leek Gratin

This is lovely, simple main dish to warm the cockles on these cold autumn / winter nights.

Ingredients

1 small cauliflower

3 leeks

100ml whole milk

100ml stock (meat or veg)

Tblsp butter

Tblsp plain flour

100g strong cheese (I like to use a mixture of stilton and Lincolnshire Poacher)

2 tblsp breadcrumbs (optional)

Salt and pepper

Directions

1) In a large heavy based saucepan melt the butter and flour together to form a roux (paste) over a medium heat, cook out for 2-3 minutes but do not allow to colour.

2) Add half of the milk and stir continually until a thick sauce is formed before adding the other half and then the stock, stirring all of the while to prevent lumps from forming.  Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary.

3) Clean and cut the leeks into small rounds, and separate the cauliflower into florets, add both to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until all are tender.

4) Transfer the sauce / vegetable mixture to an ovenproof dish, scatter with breadcrumbs (if using) and grate the cheese(s) over the top.

5) Place in a high oven or under the grill until the cheese is browned and bubbling.

I love this served with simple steamed veg, or even with a jacket potato for a hearty supper, it’s well worth the effort of making that white sauce…

Pork and stilton sausage rolls

I apologise for the blurred photo but these never hang around long enough to be photographed carefully...

Sausage rolls are an indulgent treat and have always been a celebration staple in my house, usually served warm and in vast quantities courtesy of my mother.

I've included the pastry recipe as I love homemade and it's really not too difficult to make.  In reality shop bought is almost as good so feel free to substitute.

Ingredients (to make a celebratory quantity);

500g plain flour
250g lard
250g butter
Cold water
1kg good quality chipolatas (my favourites are obviously from Lincolnshire)
250g stilton or other strong cheese
1 egg

Directions

1) Ensure that the butter and lard are straight from the 'fridge, pinch off pound coin sized pieces of each and add to the flour in a mixing bowl.

2) Add just enough cold water to bring together and then work lightly until you have pastry, try to keep everything cold as the fat should not melt at this point (it should still be present in large lumps).  Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the 'fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3) On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of around 1cm and then fold both ends into the middle.  Turn through 90 degrees and repeat.  Repeat this step 7 times, giving the pastry layers.  Wrap in cling film and Leave to rest in the 'fridge for a further 30 minutes.

4) Cut the pastry in half (for ease of working) and then roll out into a strip about 10 cm wide, repeat with the other half of the pastry. Crack the egg and mix with a fork in a bowl.

5) Skin the sausages (cut with a small knife and then simply squeeze the meat out) and lay the meat along the middle of the pastry.  Crumble the cheese over the top and fold over the pastry, sealing with the egg wash and crimping.

6) Place the sausage rolls on a greased baking tray and egg wash, cook at 180C for around 30 minutes or until golden.  Take out of the oven and re egg wash half way through cooking for a professional, shiny finish!

Try to allow the sausage rolls to cool before you tuck in (this rarely happens in my house).

Pumpkin soup

A simple soup using the best that the season has to offer...

Ingredients;

Pumpkin or squash, enough to yield around 750g of flesh once prepped (equivalent to the 3 small ones pictured above)
1 large onion
2 cooking apples
1 litre of stock (vegetable or chicken)
2 tsp of cumin seeds
2 tsp of coriander seeds
Olive oil salt and pepper

Method;

1) Slice the onion and sweat with a tbsp of olive oil in a large thick based saucepan whilst you prep the pumpkins.

2) Discard the pumpkin seeds (or wash and toast in a little oil to use as a garnish) and peel the pumpkins cutting it into large cubes before adding to the sweated onions.

3) Grind the spices and add to the saucepan, allowing to toast for a minute or two before adding the stock along with the peeled, cored and chopped apples.

4) Bring to the boil and simmer until the pumpkin is totally soft (20-30 minutes), the stock should just cover the rest of the ingredients.  Taste as the soup simmers, the amount of seasoning will depend heavily on the stock (cubes tend to be very, very, very salty).

5) Once the pumpkin's soft, blitz with a stick blender unit completely smooth.  Add a little water if too thick and taste to adjust the seasoning.

This is a lovely warming taste of the season.  You can experiment by leaving out the apple or sweetening it by using apple juice instead of stock.  Cinnamon, chilli and paprika or cayenne are all good additions too...

Fig Chutney

Ok...  So it started out being quite amusing, a glut in my new garden of probably the most elusive (and most expensive) of fruits... Rarely found at all in the supermarket aisles.  To that end, this recipe as it stands is probably only for those with a fig tree, but the principles of chutney making are easily transferrable to any fruit.  At this time of year pear and apples are both fantastic in the UK and work well with this recipe.

I always find chutney making hugely therapeutic, putting something in the cupboard for the winter and making the whole house smell incredible at the same time.  This recipe is never the same twice, the spicing and the sweet / sour balance vary with my mood, so consider the one below only an example of what you may do!

As ever all quantities are extremely approximate (I never measure anything when cooking at home, life's just too short) and feel free to experiment, taste and adjust the spicing and sweet / sour balance.

Ingredients

For 1kg fresh figs (a little under ripe works ok for this recipe)
1 large onion
4 cm piece fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried red chili
1 tablespoon veg / olive oil
Approx 5 tablespoons brown sugar
Approx 125 ml cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
Enough jars to store the finished chutney, cleaned and either rinsed with boiling water, heated in a 100C oven or sterilised by other means...

Method

1)  Over a low heat soften the sliced onion for 5-10 minutes until sweet and soft and then grate in the ginger and add the spices (crumbling the chilli), cook for a further 5 minutes until fragrant.

2) Chop the figs into bite sized pieces (see above) and add to the pan with the sugar and vinegar, season.  Bring to the boil and allow to simmer slowly, reducing to the required consistency (add a lid or some water if you feel that it's getting too thick).

3) Ensure that the jars are suitably sterilised and taste the chutney after around 30 minutes.  The fruit should be soft and the vinegar and sugar mellowed, it will mellow further in the jars but if not to your taste now's the time to adjust.  If more sugar or vinegar are added, simmer for 5 minutes more to combine fully.

4) Spoon the hot chutney into the jars to within 1cm of the top and screw the top on tightly whilst still piping hot, this will help the chutney keep and also make the anti tamper button go back down on the jars (sad, but I always find this very exciting).

This chutney should store well without refrigeration for 6-12 months but is good to enjoy straight away, don't be scared now, give it a go!

Lincolnshire Poacher and spinach tortilla

Bring a little Spanish sunshine to the ‘shire!  This is a great way of combining seasonal ingredients with one of my favourite cheeses.  This tortilla can be served hot or at room temperature, it’s a great picnic staple.  Lincolnshire Poacher’s a wonderful unpasteurised hard cow’s milk cheese, it has a delicious, mature nutty flavour.  If you can’t get hold of Poacher you can substitute a mixture of mature cheddar and parmesan.

Ingredients (to feed 4)

8 eggs

2 onions

1 handful of new potatoes

Large bag of spinach

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Large handful of grated Lincolnshire Poacher cheese

Directions

1) Wash the spinach and then add to a lidded pan over a medium heat with a good seasoning of salt and pepper, as soon as the spinach starts to wilt remove from the heat, squeeze out as much liquid as you can and put aside to cool.  Once cooled squeeze into a ball, draining any residual liquid and shred finely.

2) Cut the potatoes into 1 cm dice and slice the onions, add to a 24cm non stick frying pan with a tablespoon of olive and cook over a very low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not coloured, this will take 10-15 minutes.  The pan may seem a little crowded at this stage but don’t worry, it gives the tortilla real substance!

3) Combine eggs, cheese and spinach together and use a fork to break up the egg yolks.

4) When the onions are sweet and the potatoes are softened add the egg mixture and stir through positioning the ingredients in one even layer.

5) Leave the pan over a low heat and cook for 10 minutes or so until the egg has set and you can smell a gentle nutty browning. 

6) Place a plate over the frying pan and then turn upside down, turning out the tortilla (you may have to loosen gently with a fish slice), before sliding back into the pan, now upside down, to brown on both sides.

7) Cook for a few more minutes until browned underneath and then allow to cool and set a little longer in the pan before turning out.

I prefer to serve this dish at room temperature.  This is another recipe that’s very easy to adjust, modify and make your own, enjoy!