All posts tagged: Dinner recipes

Rack of venison with black salsify salad recipe

Rack of venison with black salsify salad recipe

Published by skeptic

A rack of venison can be treated in exactly the same way as a rack of lamb; you can also cut the rack into cutlets to fry or grill. Depending on the size of the deer, you may need to allow 2-4 bones per person.  Black salsify (or scorzonera) isn’t produced widely in the UK (look to riverford.co.uk and finefoodspecialist.co.uk to buy online), but if you grow it yourself you’ll know that, like Jerusalem artichokes, you can leave it in the ground until you need it. Once dug, it will last a couple of weeks in the fridge in a ziplock bag or wrapped in a damp cloth. Peeled and cooked, it can be served like white asparagus, sliced in a salad, or teamed with other root vegetables. Timings Prep time: 15 minutes
 Cook time: 20 minutes Serves  4 Ingredients  4 black salsify sticks, trimmed and peeled juice of ½ lemon 1-2 racks of venison with 8-16 ribs, depending on size a little vegetable or corn oil 20ml cider 80ml rapeseed oil 4 handfuls of …

Pan-fried venison salad recipe

Pan-fried venison salad recipe

Published by skeptic

If I butcher my own venison I usually use the inner fillets from the back leg for this, but you can use the saddle fillet or loin too. My salad here is totally wild – pennywort, leaves of ox-eye daisies, wild chervil (cow parsley), wild chives and dandelion leaves that grow in the hedgerows around my house – but any combination  of salad leaves works well. I picked the sea buckthorn berries last October and froze them; you can use any small berries, such as redcurrants, for sharpness. Timings Prep time: 10 minutes
 Cook time: 5 minutes Serves  4 as a starter or light lunch Ingredients 400g venison fillet(s), from the leg, saddle or loin 200g venison kidney and/or any other offal (optional) a little vegetable or corn oil, for frying 4 handfuls of foraged edible leaves and/or herbs, or small cultivated leaves For the dressing 30ml red-wine vinegar 100ml extra-virgin rapeseed oil 50g sea buckthorn or other small berries Method Season the venison fillet and offal, if using.  Heat a little oil in a …

Venison pie recipe

Venison pie recipe

Published by skeptic

When buying the meat for this, it’s best if it comes from a single cut or joint, so that the pieces all cook in the same time. Shoulder or neck meat works well. If you are a fan of offal, you might like to add some pan-fried heart and kidney pieces to the meat once it’s tender, in the manner of a good old-fashioned steak and kidney pie. Timings Prep time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time
 Cook time: 2 hours  35 minutes Serves  4 Ingredients For the filling 1kg venison shoulder or neck, cut into rough 2-3cm chunks 3 tbsp plain flour vegetable oil, for frying 30g butter 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp tomato purée 200ml red wine 1.5 litres dark meat stock, such as beef 1 tsp chopped thyme leaves 10 juniper berries, crushed 1 small bay leaf 1-2 tsp cornflour (optional) For the pastry 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting 85g shredded beef suet 60g butter, chilled and coarsely grated 1 medium egg, beaten Method Season …

Venison keema recipe

Venison keema recipe

Published by skeptic

This is a great way to use up all of the belly and off-cuts of venison, or any game for that matter. It makes for a great sharing starter or main course, served with flatbread or poppadoms.  Timings Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes Serves  4 as a starter Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable or corn oil, for frying 500g coarsely minced venison 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fenugreek seeds 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds 1 tsp ground coriander the black seeds from 10 green cardamom pods 1 black cardamom pod (optional) 4-5 curry leaves 1 tbsp fenugreek leaves 1 tbsp ghee 1 medium onion, finely chopped 5 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed 30g root ginger, peeled and finely grated or chopped 4 medium green or red chillies, finely chopped 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 litre lamb, beef or game stock 1 tbsp tamarind paste To serve 20 or so fresh or dried curry leaves a little vegetable or corn …

Tinned tomato risotto recipe

Tinned tomato risotto recipe

Published by skeptic

Don’t immediately diss this because it’s made with tinned tomatoes. It’s a great dish and one of the most popular in my house (where it’s known as risotto margherita because it uses the same ingredients as the pizza). To get it done in 30 minutes you have to work fast at the beginning. After that, it’s just stirring. It’s up to you how far you go with the embellishments. Timings Prep time: 5 minutes  Cook time: 25 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 75g butter ½ medium onion, very finely chopped 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped 350g risotto rice 100ml dry white wine or dry vermouth 600ml vegetable stock (or chicken if you prefer) – you may need a little more, or you can use water once your stock has run out 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (I use Mutti) 75g Parmesan, grated Optional extras 8-12 little round balls of mozzarella (bocconcini) 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 6 anchovies, very finely chopped 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped Method Heat the olive oil and …

Spring onion and goat’s cheese tart recipe

Spring onion and goat’s cheese tart recipe

Published by skeptic

Goat’s cheeses are at their best in spring. You could just serve a few instead of pudding, and a sauvignon blanc to go with them – or make this tart. This is better eaten warm rather than piping hot so allow it to cool before serving. Timings Prep time: 25 minutes, plus chilling time Cook time: 1 hour Serves 6 Ingredients For the pastry 250g plain flour 175g cold butter, cubed For the filling 10 spring onions 200g watercress 30g butter 155g chalky goat’s cheese 300ml double cream 2 large whole eggs, plus 1 yolk Method Whizz together the flour, butter and a good pinch of salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add about ½ tbsp cold water and blitz again. If it doesn’t come together, add another ½ tbsp water.  Whizz until the mixture does come together into a ball. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for an hour. Preheat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6 and put a metal baking sheet into it. Roll out the pastry and use it …

Roast leg of lamb with potatoes, pecorino, basil and garlic recipe

Roast leg of lamb with potatoes, pecorino, basil and garlic recipe

Published by skeptic

This came about after I cooked a Greek dish that had a stuffing made from a Greek cheese. I’d never thought about a cheese stuffing for lamb before, but this just came out of my kitchen for Sunday lunch one week: Italian ingredients, Greek-inspired. Timings Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 15 minutes resting time Cook time: 1 hour Serves 6-8 Ingredients 120g pecorino cheese, finely grated 6 garlic cloves, finely grated 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed leaves from 1 small bunch of basil, plus extra to serve (optional) 1.8kg leg of lamb 2 medium red onions, cut into wedges 600g small waxy potatoes, scrubbed, then halved or quartered, depending on size 350g red and yellow tomatoes, halved or quartered 250ml white wine Method Preheat the oven to 230C/220C fan/gas mark 8. Put the cheese, garlic and some salt into a mortar and pound to a rough purée, gradually adding the olive oil. Tear the basil leaves, add them to the mortar and pound them. Place the leg of lamb into a roasting …

Pan-fried chicken breast with green peppercorn sauce recipe

Pan-fried chicken breast with green peppercorn sauce recipe

Published by skeptic

I do love a green peppercorn sauce; you can serve it with any meat, such as pork, veal or venison, but it’s delicious with chicken. There are lots of brands of peppercorns out there, some better than others, or you can buy them fresh on the stalk from Asian supermarkets. You can serve this with simple steamed spinach, nice buttery mash or root vegetables. Timings Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 18 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 4 chicken breasts with the skin on a little rapeseed or vegetable oil, for frying a small knob of butter 2 shallots, finely chopped a couple of good splashes of cognac 200ml chicken stock 150g double cream 4 tsp green peppercorns, rinsed if in brine 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley Method Season the chicken breasts. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and pan-fry the chicken breasts for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through (the timing will depend on how thick the fillets are).  Once cooked, remove the chicken from the …

Pizza baked eggs recipe

Pizza baked eggs recipe

Published by skeptic

The base for these eggs echoes the flavours of a pizza alla marinara. I’ve added a few olives and anchovies at the end, partly because they go so well with eggs, but also because in my mind they’re the best pizza toppings. For the bread, anything you have will work (although note that toasted supermarket pittas do an excellent impression of leftover pizza crusts). Timings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves 2 Ingredients 1 x 400g tin finely chopped tomatoes (or passata) 1 garlic clove, finely sliced 2 tsp dried oregano 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 6-8 small olives (such as the Taggiasca variety) 1 basil sprig, plus a few extra leaves to garnish 2-4 medium eggs 2-4 salted anchovies in oil Parmesan, freshly grated warm bread, to serve (pittas or similar puffy flatbreads work well here) Method Empty the tomatoes into a 26-28cm sauté pan or low casserole dish with a lid and place over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic, oregano, olive oil, olives, basil sprig and a big pinch …

Ham hock and celery soup recipe

Ham hock and celery soup recipe

Published by skeptic

You can buy ham hocks smoked or unsmoked, and while the former will deliver more depth of flavour, either will work for this dish. If you can buy leaf celery, with its balance of small, tender stalks and leaves, it’s great here too. Timings Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 3 hours Serves 4-6 Ingredients For the ham hock 1 ham hock (about 1kg), soaked overnight 1 onion, roughly chopped 2 sticks of celery (the leafier the better), roughly chopped (leaves reserved) 10 black peppercorns 1 bay leaf a few thyme sprigs For the soup 30g butter 1 onion, finely chopped 20g plain flour 2-3 sticks of celery (the leafier the better), cut into rough 1cm dice (leaves reserved) Method Rinse the hock and place it in a pan. Add enough water to cover it well, plus the onion, celery, peppercorns and herbs.  Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 90 minutes, topping up with water if necessary, until the meat is falling away from the bone. Remove any fat from the surface with …