Sausage Cassoulet

Ingredients
5mlsp (1tsp) Oil
6 Pork and herb sausages
450g (1lb) Pork shoulder, cubed
4 Garlic cloves, crushed
300ml (1/2 pt) Pork stock
410g Can butter beans, drained and rinsed 
410g Can flageolet beans, drained and rinsed 
3x15mlsp (3tbsp) Tomato purée
1 Yellow pepper, diced
Parsley, chopped 

Picture

 
Serves: 4-6
Cooking Time: Approx 2 hours
Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170 ̊C, Gas Mark 3.
  2. In a large casserole dish, heat the oil and brown the pork sausages and cubed pork for 3-4 minutes. 
  3. Add the garlic, stock, beans, tomato purée and pepper, stirring thoroughly.
  4. Cover the casserole dish and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 -2 hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. 
  5. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving. 


Serving Suggestion:

Serve with mash potato and steamed green vegetables or crusty bread.

 

Smoky Bacon and Fruity Seeded Flapjack

Serves 6 Dairy Free

INGREDIENTS

  • 500g porridge oats (not jumbo!)

  • 120g plain flour

  • 200g Red Tractor smoked bacon lardons

    (or chopped Red Tractor smoked streaky bacon)

  • 300g mixed dried fruit

  • 75g pumpkin seeds (or mixed seeds such

    as pumpkin, sunflower and hemp)

  • 250g dairy-free spread

  • 150g golden syrup

  • 200g light brown soft sugar

Preheat the oven to 160 ̊C (fan oven) /325 ̊F/Gas Mark 3.

Grease a 30cm x 20cm deep baking tray and line with baking parchment.

Mix together the oats, flour, fruit and seeds in a large bowl.

Place the bacon in a pan with a little of the margarine or butter and cook lightly. Add the rest of the margarine or butter, golden syrup and brown
sugar to the pan over a low heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.

Pour the syrup into the oats and stir until thoroughly combined, there should be no dry patches at all.

Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out level and press down firmly until well compacted

Bake for 20-25 minutes until set and golden (they will still be a little soft to the touch and will firm up a lot as they cool).

Leave to cool for 10 minutes then cut into slices with a sharp knife while still in the tin. Leave to cool completely then turn out and re-slice. Cut into 24 slices in the tray and then cut each slice into 3 to serve to visitors.

 

PULLED PORK/Hog Roast at Home

Perfect for ‘feeding the 5000’ with minimal effort and maximum taste.  Using the Pork Shoulder joint, use a paprika rub (or salt and pepper) and slow cook for at least 5 hours for a succulent hog roast at home.  A great alternative to the traditional BBQ!

Pork Crackling Masterclass

Time to prepare: 10 mins Time to cook: 20 mins + 35mins/lb

Ingredients

  • Loin, Leg or Shoulder of East Riding Country Pork
  • Vegetable/Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt

Recipe

The most important part of good crackling starts with the type of pork you buy – you won’t get good crackling from processed, cling film wrapped joints.

The joint will be scored but for this masterclass it’s essential to add extra grooves where you can. Using the point of a sharp paring knife make long even lines through the skin halfway into the fat, don’t go right down into the meat as this will dry out the meat during cooking.

Boil the kettle and pour boiling water over the rind/skin of the joint, this opens up the score.

Pour a small amount of cooking oil into the palm of your hand and rub this all over the surface and into the scored lines. It should only be enough to moisten the surface for the salt to stick.

Rub crushed sea salt all over the joint, making sure you rub enough into the grooves as this will create “bubbling up” of the crackling later.

Roast the joint in a roasting tin with space for air to circulate.  Do not put anything round th joint or any foil on top and never baste it, just leave it to crackle on it’s own.

It needs a high heat for the first 20 mins 470F/240C/Gas 9/Top of top oven Aga, then turn down the heat for the rest of cooking for 35 mins/lb at 375F/190C/Gas 5/Middle of top oven Aga.  I always use a meat thermometer – when it gets to 70C core temperature it’s done, you can then get the crackling the exact colour you want by leaving it in a little longer if it needs it.

Alfresco Beef

An elegant spring or summer twist to the traditional Sunday roast, silverside, topside or sirloin joint marinated in rose wine and herbs and served with roasted garlic and red onions for a special family lunch

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 5 minutes Avg. cooking time for 3lb: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 x 1.3kg/3lb lean topside, silverside or sirloin joint
  • Salt and freshly milled black pepper
  • 3 large sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into smaller sprigs
  • 300ml/½pint medium rosé wine
  • 4 fresh bay leaves, torn
  • 30ml/2tbsp olive oil
  • 2 whole unpeeled garlic bulbs, cut in half horizontally
  • 2 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges

Cooking Times

Rare

20 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 20 minutes

Medium

25 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 25 minutes

Well done

30 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 30 minutes

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 4-5, 180-190°C, 350-375°F.
  2. Place the joint on a chopping board and make several slashes over the surface with a sharp knife, taking care not to cut any butcher’s string or meat bands. Season on both sides and push the rosemary sprigs into the slits.
  3. Place the beef in a strong, large plastic freezer bag and add the wine, bay leaves, oil and garlic. Seal the bag, place on a large plate and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
  4. Remove the garlic and bay leaves from the beef marinade (reserve the marinade) and transfer to a large non-stick roasting tin with the onions. Place the beef on top of the onions, pour over the marinade and open roast for the preferred, calculated cooking time, basting occasionally with any rich meat juices. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
  5. Transfer the beef to a large warm plate, cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
  6. Slice the beef and serve with the pan juices, red onions, a new potato salad and corn on the cob.

Beer-can chicken and chips

Ingredients

  • One whole chicken
  • One can of beer
  • 30g butter
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 500g Potatoes, scrubbed and cut into thick chips
  • 2tbsp rapeseed oil

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180/gas mark 4
  2. Butter the chicken and season
  3. Open the beer and remove about half of the contents
  4. Sit the chicken on the upright beer can on a large roasting tray and ensure that it is steady before placing upright in the oven
  5. Roast for 20 minutesper 450g plus 10-20 minutes extra.  Check the chicken is cooked by piercing with a fork and ensuring that the juices run clear before serving
  6. Once the chicken has been cooking for about 30 minutes tip the potatoes into a roasting pan.  Add the rapeseed oil, season and roast for 45minutes, turning once.

Braised Shoulder of Lamb

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1 x 1.8kg/4lb lean shoulder of lamb
  • Salt and freshly milled black pepper
  • 30ml/2tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2  medium onions, peeled and quartered
  • 2  large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2  sticks celery, roughly chopped
  • 30ml/2tbsp runny honey
  • 300ml/½pint good red wine
  • 150ml/¼pint good, hot lamb stock
  • 10 sprigs fresh rosemary

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 3, 170°C, 325°F.
  2. Place the joint on a chopping board and season on both sides. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
  3. Cook the lamb for 3-4 minutes on both sides until brown and transfer to a 2.8L /5pint casserole dish with a lid or a large non-stick roasting tin.
  4. Add the vegetables to the frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until brown. Transfer to the casserole dish or roasting tin.
  5. Add the honey, wine, stock and rosemary. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover (with a large sheet of foil if using a roasting tin) and transfer to the oven for 2½-3 hours. Turn the lamb over half way through the cooking time.
  6. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Notes

Use a large roasting tin if your frying pan is not large enough. If preferred halve the recipe and use 1 x 900g (2lb) lamb half shoulder joint instead.