BY PETER BROOK A forgotten fruit of the country-house kitchen There are few fruits so old-fashioned, and so richly evocative of the English winter, as the medlar. Once found in every English rectory orchard and manor garden, its curious brown fruit was prized long after apples and pears had disappeared from the shelves. Today, the medlar is enjoying a quiet revival — a reward for … Continue reading The Medlar’s Reward
BY JOHN NASH To cook one badger you’ll need: Ingredients: 1 badger 1 glass of pig’s blood 1 small glass of armagnac 1 ginger root 1 bottle of dry, sparkling white wine 2 eggs 1 pot of crème fraîche salt and pepper 500g forest mushrooms OR chestnuts to accompany 100g butter oil Instructions: Eviscerate and skin your badger, and soak it in a fast-flowing river … Continue reading Badger Stew
BY JOHN MACNAB This is the second in my series of recipes using fox meat as the main ingredient. Inflation is rising, energy and food prices are going up and people are looking for cheaper alternatives to butcher meat. What better than the ready supply of free meat available from our burgeoning urban fox population? Each recipe provides a different way of obtaining your fox … Continue reading Braised Leg of Fox
BY JOHN MACNAB NSFW This is the first in a series of recipes using fox meat as the main ingredient. Inflation is rising, energy and food prices are going up and people are looking for cheaper alternatives to butcher meat. What better than the ready supply of free meat available from our burgeoning urban fox population? Each recipe will provide a different way of obtaining … Continue reading A Recipe for Urban Fox Lovers
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH Ingredients: Crabs, ( 500 gm) cut into pieces 2 Potatoes, cut into halves Onion paste 1 teaspoon Garlic paste 1-1/2 teaspoon Ginger paste 1-1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Red chili powder 1 tsp Cumin powder 1-1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder Salt , as per taste 1/2 teaspoon Sugar 2 tbsps tomato puree 2 Green chilies 2 Cardamom pods 2 Cloves 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder 3 tbsp Mustard oil Method: Clean the crabs with … Continue reading Crab Curry
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH For spice powder: Cinnamon – 1 inch 2 sticks Green Cardamon – 3 pieces Cloves – 1/2 teaspoon Whole black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon Whole fenugreek – 1/2 teaspoon Whole coriander – 1/2 teaspoon Whole cumin – 1 teaspoon For the curry: Duck – 1.5 kg boneless and skinned Plain yogurt – 1/2 cup Ginger paste – 2 teaspoon Garlic paste – 2 teaspoon Cumin paste – 1 teaspoon Coriander powder – … Continue reading Delectable Duck Curry
Ingredients: For the granola 30g duck fat or beef dripping 150g toasted chopped hazelnuts 200g toasted linseed 150g pumpkin seeds 90g jumbo oats For the cassoulet 4 duck legs, salted overnight or for a few hours (see tips) 600ml duck fat, melted 6 fresh thyme sprigs 2 small onions, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 celery stick, diced 8 garlic cloves, chopped 600g dried haricot beans, … Continue reading Duck & Hog’s Pudding Cassoulet
Ingredients: 2 onions ½ a bunch of fresh sage, (15g) 6 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon olive oil 200 g vac-packed chestnuts , roasted and peeled (shelled weight) 1 kg Brussels sprouts 2 large knobs of unsalted butter Method: Peel and chop the onions, then pick and finely chop the sage leaves. Place a large pan on a high heat to get nice and … Continue reading Brussels with Chestnuts
Ingredients: 175g fresh cranberries (or frozen, thawed) 1 tbsp icing sugar 2 tbsp cranberry sauce or jelly 300g self-raising flour , plus extra for dusting 140g dried suet 85g caster sugar finely grated zest 1 orange 175-200ml milk custard , to serve Instructions: To make the filling, warm the cranberries and icing sugar together in a saucepan until the fruits begin to soften. Increase the … Continue reading Steamed Cranberry Roly-Poly
Ingredients: 300g leftover dried fruit , like raisins, sultanas, currants 2 eating apples or pears, cored and grated 50g demerara sugar , plus a little extra to decorate 100g leftover marzipan , grated ½ tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground cinnamon 500g block puff pastry little flour , for rolling 1 egg , beaten Instructions: STEP 1 Mix the dried fruit, grated apple or … Continue reading Marzipan Eccles Tarts
Ingredients: For the crust 250g light digestive biscuit 100g cornflake 85g butter , melted 140g caster sugar For the filling 1 large egg , plus 4 large egg yolks 397g can light condensed milk zest and juice 3 lemons zest and juice 2 oranges For the topping 150ml pot extra-thick double cream 100g 0% fat Greek yogurt 4 tbsp icing sugar more lemon and orange … Continue reading St Clement’s Pie
Ingredients: For the pastry: 3 cups (384 grams) all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (8 ounces/226 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold until ready to use 1/2 cup (118 ml) cold water 1 large egg beaten to brush on pastry For the filling: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 pounds (907 grams) beef chuck, cut into bite size cubes 1 … Continue reading Steak & Ale Pie
Ingredients: 140g butter, softened, plus extra for the tin 140g caster sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 140g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 very ripe bananas, mashed 50g icing sugar handful dried banana chips, for decoration Instructions: Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 2lb loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Cream 140g softened butter and 140g caster … Continue reading Banana Loaf
Ingredients: Stout Ice Cream 2 cups (a cup is 236.588 ml) heavy cream 6 egg yolks 1/2 cup (a cup is 128 g / 4.5 oz) sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 12 ounces stout beer Bittersweet Hot Fudge 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 percent cacao), rough chopped 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 3 tablespoons light corn syrup pinch sea salt Instructions: … Continue reading Stout Ice Cream
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH Ingredients: 750 gm mutton/lamb/goat’s meat 3 medium onions 1 1/2 spoons Meat masala 3 bay leaves 5 cloves 1 tsp sugar 3 medium potatoes halved 1 tsp garam masala powder Black pepper 4 green cardamoms 1/2-inch cinnamon stick 3/4 cup mustard oil For the Sauce: 8 garlic cloves 2 tsp turmeric powder. 1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder 4 tablespoon yogurt (curd) 1 … Continue reading Mutton Masala
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH Ingredients: For the dumplings 1 cup besan / gram flour ½ tsp coriander seeds, crushed ¼ tsp carom seeds/bishop’s weed ¼ tsp turmeric ¼ tsp red chilli powder A pinch of asafoetida ¼ tsp salt 2 tbsp ghee / clarified butter 2 tbsp curd / yogurt Water For the gravy 2 tbsp oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves 1 bay leaf ½ tsp fennel seeds A pinch of asafoetida 1 onion, finely chopped 1 tsp ginger garlic paste ¼ tsp turmeric 1 tsp red chilli powder ½ tsp coriander powder ¼ tsp cumin powder … Continue reading Gatte Curry & Dumplings
Ingredients: 4 x 150g fresh swordfish steaks, about 3cm thick 5 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp caster sugar 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp drained capers, roughly chopped if large ½ pack fresh oregano, chopped ½ pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped Salt Freshly ground black pepper Method: Place the swordfish steaks in a shallow dish and brush on both sides … Continue reading Sicilian Style Swordfish
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH Ingredients: 3-4 medium sized potatoes 5-6 pods of garlic Oil for cooking Salt as per taste Turmeric 1 pinch Chili powder ½ a tsp Water Method: Parboil the potatoes. After peeling them, cut them into medium sized pieces. Set aside. Chop the garlic pods finely. In a pan or wok heat the oil. After it gets hot add the garlic. Sauté. Next … Continue reading Spicy Garlicky Potatoes
Ingredients: 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 1 ripe papaya 1 ripe avocado 50g bag trimmed and washed watercress half small pack fresh mint juice of half lime 1 tbsp olive oil Method: Dry-fry the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan for a few minutes, tossing and turning them until they look toasted. Tip them out of the pan and let them go cold. Peel the … Continue reading Exotic Avocado Salad
Ingredients: 350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting ¼ tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 85g butter, cut into cubes 3 tbsp caster sugar 175ml milk 1 tsp vanilla extract squeeze of lemon juice 100g sultanas beaten egg to glaze jam and clotted cream, to serve Instructions: Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and … Continue reading Fruit Scones
