Lemon Truffles

A little treat for Christmas...

The citric acid is essential to add a sharpness that balances out

the sweetness of the white chocolate and cream.

Makes 20 - 22 truffles

for the truffle:

360g good quality white cooking chocolate, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 large lemons 
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp whipping cream

for the coating:

½ cup granulated sugar
A few drops of yellow gel food colouring (optional)
½ - 1 tsp citric acid

1.  Melt white chocolate, cream and butter in a large bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir until a smooth runny ganache is formed.

2.  Add lemon zest and juice and stir well to incorporate.

3.  Allow the chocolate to cool until you’re able to roll spoonfuls into rough balls.

4.  Add a few drops of yellow gel food colouring to the sugar and blend well until the sugar is evenly coloured (optional).

5.  Prepare the coating by mixing the yellow sugar with citric acid in a wide flat bowl.

6.  Roll each lemon truffle in the sugar and transfer to a tray. Refrigerate overnight.

7.  Once the truffles are nice and firm, roll again in the palms of your hands to smooth into even balls.

Keep in a closed box in the fridge.

Caramelized Garlic & Goat Cheese Flan

This flan has a lovely, mellow flavour of sweet, caramelised garlic, pairing perfectly with tart goat cheese.

Serves 6

1 pkt of ready-rolled puff pastry

3 medium bulbs of garlic, cloves separated & peeled

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

250 ml water

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp chopped, fresh rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp salt

125g hard, mature goat or sheep cheese

125g Burgos soft cheese (or, if this is unavailable, you could use drained cottage cheese or Ricotta cheese)

2 large eggs

150 ml whipping cream (38% fat)

150 ml natural yoghurt

Salt and freshly-milled black pepper

You will need a loose-bottomed, 26 cm diameter flan tin

1. Roll out the puff pastry into a circle to line the flan tin, allowing a little to overlap the top edge of the tin, which will allow for shrinkage. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Put in the fridge to rest for 10 minutes.

2.  Preheat the oven to 180ºC and bake the pastry shell for 20 minutes. Remove the baking beans and paper, then bake for a further 10 minutes. Set aside.

3.  Meanwhile, prepare the garlic. Put the cloves in a small pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain well. 

4.  Return the cloves to the dry saucepan, add the olive oil and fry on a high heat for 2 minutes, stirring to prevent the cloves sticking. Add the balsamic vinegar and water, bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

5.  Add the sugar, rosemary, thyme and ½ tsp salt. Simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced and the garlic cloves are coated in a syrup. Set aside.

6.  In a bowl, whisk together the cream, yoghurt and eggs, seasoning with salt and plenty of black pepper. Set aside.

7.  Break the cheeses into chunks and scatter evenly into the flan case. Spoon the garlic and syrup evenly over, then spoon the egg mixture over, filling any gaps.

8.  Bake at 160ºC for about 45 minutes, or until the flan filling has set and the top is golden. Allow to cool before removing from the tin.

Serve warm or cold with a crisp salad.

Chimichurri Sauce

This fresh, vibrant sauce is delicious on grilled meats, fish, vegetables, pasta and salads.

1 cup of mild olive oil (not extra virgin) or sunflower oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 cup fresh parsley

½ cup fresh coriander

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp crushed chilli

1 tbsp salt

1.  Add all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor* and pulse blend until the herbs are well chopped.

2.  Allow to rest for at least an hour, then decant into a glass container and keep refrigerated for up to two weeks. Shake or stir well to blend before use.


*  Alternatively, chop everything very finely and combine.

Cottage Cheese Filo Pie

This layered pie is loosely based on a Serbian Gibanica.

Serves 6 - 8

2 small pkts chopped bacon, fried and drained of oil

3 tubs (approx 3 cups) cottage cheese

6 large eggs

1 bunch chives, chopped

½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp white pepper

3 cm cube cheddar cheese, finely grated

1 pkt filo (12 sheets) pastry

1.  Mix the cheeses together well.

2.  Beat the eggs, then add to the cheese mixture. Add chives, paprika and pepper and mix well.

3.  Spray a loose bottomed cake/flan tin (26 cm diameter) with oil spray, then place a sheet of filo over, pressing gently into the corners. Spray with oil, then place second sheet at angle to first. Spray with oil, add third sheet.

4.  Sprinkle a third of the bacon over the pastry, then spoon over a third of the cheese & egg mix and spread evenly.

5.  Layer another sheet of filo over, spray with oil, add second sheet.

6.  Add a third of the bacon and a third of the cheese & egg mix as before.

7.  Repeat filo, bacon and cheese & egg layers for a third time.

8.  Top with a layer of filo, oil spray, second filo, oil spray, third filo, oil spray.

9.  Finish off by tucking in the layers to make a ruched top.

Bake at 220°C for 20 mins, then 180°C for 30 - 40 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

10.  Allow to cool.

Rabbit (or Chicken) & Garlic Stew

Serves 4

1 medium rabbit (OR 1 medium chicken), cut into pieces

500g shallots, peeled but whole

100g bacon bits

4 morcilla (OR chorizo) sausages, sliced

Small punnet button mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 heads of garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled

4 bay leaves

1 heaped handful chopped, fresh parsley

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

500ml chicken stock

salt and pepper

Olive oil for frying

1.  Brown the rabbit (OR chicken) pieces in a tablespoon of olive oil, then remove from the pan.

2.  Add more oil and fry the bacon and shallots, stirring occasionally, for 10 - 15 minutes.

3.  Add the morcilla (OR chorizo) sausage slices and the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.

4.  Add the rabbit, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaves and seasoning. Mix well. 

5.  Add sherry vinegar and chicken stock until the meat is covered. Bring to the boil, cook uncovered for 5 - 10 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 - 1½ hours until the meat is tender/falls off the bone.

Serve with wholegrain mustard mash and sliced green beans.

Tomato, Garlic & Rosemary Focaccia

(USING BREAD MACHINE TO MAKE DOUGH)

Makes a 30 cm diameter loaf

225 ml tepid water

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp sea salt + extra to top

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 sprigs + 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaves only) chopped

400g bread flour

1½ tsp dried active baking yeast

Punnet of Baby Plum Tomatoes, halved lengthways

1. Place the water, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, garlic, 2 sprigs-worth of rosemary, flour and yeast in the pan of a bread machine. Select Dough Cycle*.

2.  Remove the dough from the bread machine when ready. Press dough into a 30 cm cake tin or pizza pan, bottom lined with baking parchment. Dimple it deeply all over with your fingers.

3.  Brush the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over the dough and sprinkle on the remaining rosemary. Press the tomato halves into dimples, then sprinkle all over with some good pinches of salt (sea salt flakes give a nice finish).

4.  Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Cover the focaccia loosely with cling film while the oven heats.

5.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.

* (Check the dough halfway through the mixing stage and add a tbsp or so more water if it looks too dry - a wetter dough will give a lighter focaccia)

Sausage, Mushroom, Bacon & Egg Pie

Serves 8

for the pastry:

250g seeded flour

50g wholemeal flour

200g chilled butter, cut into chunks

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

75 ml chilled water

Salt and Pepper

for the filling:

450g pork sausagemeat

(I use good quality, skinless sausages)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Salt and Pepper

Grate of nutmeg

150g pre-packed sliced button mushrooms

(these are much drier and don't make the pastry soggy)

10 strips of streaky bacon, cut in half

5 large eggs

Milk to glaze

Sesame seeds to sprinkle

1.  To make the pastry, whiz the flour, butter, salt and pepper in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Mix the ketchup with the water and drizzle into the mix, whilst the motor is running, until it just starts to clump together. Press into a ball, cover in cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.

2.  Roll out two thirds of the dough to about 3 mm thick and use to line a 26-28 cm loose-bottomed flan tin, lined with baking paper.

3.  Mix the sausage, onion, mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg together in a bowl, then spread evenly over the bottom of the pie.

4.  Layer over the sliced mushrooms.

5.  Arrange the bacon slices in a wheelspoke pattern around the pie to completely cover the mushrooms.

6.  Make 4 slight hollows in the top of the filling with the back of a tablespoon, and break an egg into each hollow. Beat the remaining egg with a fork and fill in any gaps between the eggs.

7.  Roll out the remaining pastry to form a lid and press the edges well to seal. Trim the excess pastry. Brush the top of the pie with milk and sprinkle on sesame seeds. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

8. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for a further 30 minutes, until golden brown.

9.  Allow to cool in the flan tin. Serve cold.