NEIL'S RECIPE: WILD GARLIC GNOCCHI

“This dish is a great as a main or as a side. Gnocchi isn’t too difficult to make, and homemade is far better than shop-bought. If you do forage for wild garlic, make sure you have permission and always give it a very good wash.”

Serves 4
Prep time 40 minutes, cooking time 1.5 hours

INGREDIENTS

4 to 5 large, floury potatoes

250g plain flour, plus extra for rolling the dumplings

1 large egg

A handful of wild garlic, finely chopped

Good salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of hard cheese like a Mull or Barwheys, grated

A few knobs of butter

50ml extra virgin olive oil

1/2 bulb of fennel, shaved on a mandolin or thinly sliced with a knife

A few salad leaves

A few shavings of hard cheese like a good cheddar

A drizzle of garlic oil or pesto oil to garnish, optional

A few sliced radishes to garnish, optional

METHOD

Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6

Begin by baking the potatoes in their skins in the oven on a bed of salt until soft inside. This will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then scoop out the flesh and mash.

Mix 500g of the mashed potato carefully with the plain flour, then add the egg and combine. Add the chopped wild garlic, season with salt and pepper and add the grated cheese. Mix well but be careful not to overdo it.

Roll the dough in a dusting of flour to make a long sausage shape about the width of £1 coin. Cut the gnocchi into 1-inch pieces, pinching each one as you cut.

To cook, place into a pan of salted, boiling water and cook until the gnocchi rises to the surface on a rolling boil. This should take about 2 to 4 minutes, then remove from the water and place onto a cloth.

Heat a non-stick pan and add half the olive oil and add the gnocchi. Then add the butter and colour the dumplings until they are golden and almost crispy.  Remove from the pan and season.

To serve, place several pieces of gnocchi on warmed plates with a handful of good salad, some fennel and a few shavings of hard cheese. To finish, I like to use a drizzle of wild garlic oil or the oil from any pesto. Also use some sliced radish if you like.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ASPARAGUS WITH HOLLANDAISE

“An absolute classic combination especially with the asparagus season right now as good as it gets. Be careful not to overcook asparagus, but it shouldn’t be crunchy either. The butteryness of the sauce works so well. And please, please don’t buy anything other than British asparagus.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 spears per person

100ml white wine

100ml cider vinegar

4 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

1 shallot, peeled and finely sliced

3 egg yolks

150g to 200g unsalted and clarified warm butter

Juice of half a lemon

Good salt and pepper

Watercress and radish to serve with

METHOD

To prepare the asparagus, trim the bottom of each spear then blanch in salted, boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Refresh in cold water if you wish to chargrill or barbecue.

Add the wine, vinegar, bay, shallot, peppercorns and thyme to a small pot and bring to the boil on a moderate heat. Reduce the liquid until two tablespoons remain. Strain.

Place the egg yolks in a clean metal bowl and add a tablespoon of the reduced liquid and whisk.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and place the metal bowl over the pot, ensuring the water doesn’t come into contact with the bowl. Whisk quickly as the egg yolks gently cook. Use an electric whisk if you prefer. Increase the speed until the egg yolk mix is light, frothy and thick. This will take around 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and continue to gently whisk as you trickle in the warm, clarified butter in a steady stream. The volume will increase and it will start to resemble hollandaise sauce. Season with lemon juice and salt, and maybe pepper. This sauce will split easily, so don’t get it too hot or cold.

To serve, season the asparagus and divide between two warmed plates. Top with the hollandaise and garnish with a few watercress leaves and slices of radish.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

“We haven’t had this on the menu for a while but have brought it back due to popular demand. You would be forgiven for thinking it can’t be that simple to make, but it is. Enjoy a slice cold with a cup of tea, or warmed up as a dessert after dinner. Don’t overcook and it will always be moist. Top tip: take time to line your cake tin properly, it’s less likely to stick.”

Makes one cake

Prep time 4 hours 10 minutes, cooking time 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 large oranges

6 whole eggs

300g caster sugar

250g ground almonds

1tbsp baking powder

25ml Grand Marnier

50ml water

A small handful of hazelnuts

Another 75g caster sugar

1tsp icing sugar

Candied orange peel to garnish, optional

Ice-cream to serve, optional

METHOD

Line a 10-inch spring-form high-sided cake tin with oil and greaseproof paper.

Boil the oranges whole for 4 hours then halve, remove any pips and blitz to a pulp in a food processor – this will take about 2 to 3 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Make a praline by adding 75g of caster sugar to a pan and melting gently, allowing it to become dark and caramel in colour. This should take 3 to 5 minutes. Then stir in the hazelnuts and pour onto an oiled, clean surface like a non-stick, heat-resistant mat or a marble work surface. Once cooled, blitz in a food processor or crush with a rolling pin.

Use an electric whisk to mix together the eggs, ground almonds, 250g of sugar and the baking powder. Then add 300g of the orange pulp and whisk again.

Pour the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour. It’s cooked when a cocktail stick comes out clean. Allow the cake time to rest in the tin.

Meanwhile, make a syrup by boiling the Grand Mariner with the remaining sugar and water and reduce by half. Prick the top of the cake with a cocktail stick and pour over the syrup using a pastry brush to ensure it fills the holes. Allow to cool.

To serve, place a slice of cake on a plate and dust with icing sugar. Place a large tablespoon of praline next to the cake and top with a scoop of ice-cream. Garnish the ice-cream with a piece of candied orange peel. We serve this in the restaurant with a delicious whisky ice-cream.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH BOULANGÈRE POTATOES

“This dish has a simplicity about it and, if careful, not a lot can go wrong. Always buy good, local, traceable lamb and use vegetables in season. Let the lamb rest and do not be too eager to carve when it comes out of the oven.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 leg of excellent lamb, bone in

1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 bulb of garlic, halved

A sprig of rosemary

4 or 5 medium-sized potatoes, washed, skins on  

2 leeks with outer layer removed, cut into 2-inch pieces

500ml good chicken or lamb stock

A few knobs of butter

25ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat your oven to 200°C.

Firstly, rub the leg of lamb with half the rapeseed oil and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Place about 1/3 of the onion on a roasting tray with the half bulb of garlic and the rosemary. Place the lamb on top and add a small glass of water (c100ml) to the tray.

Place the tray in the oven and roast half an hour, then turn the heat down to 150°C and cook for a further 45 minutes to an hour. After about 15 minutes add the leeks, season again and baste with the juices. Cook until the leeks are just soft (about 45 minutes), basting as you cook. Once it’s ready, remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Whilst the leg is roasting, fry the rest of the onion in the remaining oil for about 20 minutes on a low heat until softened and starting to brown. Season and keep warm.

Next, slice the potatoes. You want them to be very thin, so use a mandolin or slicer if you have one. Then start to assemble the boulangère. In an ovenproof dish, layer up the slices of potato and onion, pouring over the stock and seasoning each layer as you go. Add a few dots of butter on top and place in the oven for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Long enough for the potatoes to soften and soak up all the stock.

To serve, place the dish of boulangère potatoes on the table and carve the meat at the table, placing some leeks on each plate as you carve, and top with the cooking juices.

A wee tip: if you like garlic, squeeze the cooked, roasted garlic bulb onto the lamb as it is resting, before you carve.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SEABUCKTHORN POSSET

"Classically, a posset would be made from a citrus fruit like a lemon for its acidity and ability to assist in the setting of the cream. It still mystifies me as how the cream sets like it does! It is such an easy recipe and is quite simply cream and sugar boiled together with the addition of sea buckthorn juice for flavour. I use quite a lot of sea buckthorn as I adore that salty, tropical flavour. A really good dinner party pudding, made the day before so you don’t have to worry about it on the day you are cooking."

Makes 4
Prep time 5 minutes, cooking time 3 minutes

INGREDIENTS

450g double cream

110g caster sugar

4-10 tablespoons of sea buckthorn juice, which you can find in delis and health food shops

Mint to garnish

Shortbread to garnish

METHOD

This is a very easy recipe, simply bring the cream and sugar to the boil in a pan and cook for 3 minutes precisely. Set a timer.

Then when boiled, add sea buckthorn juice to your taste and pass through a fine sieve into a jug. Decant into glasses or tea cups for serving, and chill in the fridge - ideally overnight.

Serve with a few freshly-baked pieces of shortbread, and garnish with a bunch of fresh mint. For an extra kick, add a tablespoon of sea buckthorn juice to the top of each posset.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BLUE CHEESE & CARAMELISED ONION TART

“There is something special about proper pastry, homemade, flaky, crumbly and buttery, but if it is not for you, then use shop-bought pastry. I adore all blue cheese, and a gooey one like Arran Blue works well. Sweet onions are a perfect match with the richness of the cheese.”

Makes 4 small tarts

INGREDIENTS

100g plain flour

50g unsalted butter, diced

200g blue cheese – I like Arran Blue

2 large (or 4 small) onions, peeled and shredded

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

50ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil (Stark rapeseed oil is brilliant)

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

A few salad leaves

Good salt and pepper

1 egg yolk

METHOD

To make shortcrust pastry, place the flour and butter into a mixing bowl and rub between your fingers until it has a texture like sand. Then add the egg yolk and enough cold water (about 3 or 4 tablespoons) to make a ball of dough. Add a pinch of salt (as late in the process as you can) and divide the dough into 4 smaller balls and allow them to rest for 20 minutes.

Next, line four 4-inch tart shells with a rub of oil or butter and a sprinkling of flour to make them non-stick. Then, using a rolling pin, roll each ball of dough out to about a 1 to 2mm thick circle, and line the inside of each tart shell. Rest for 20 minutes.

Now, line the pastry in each tart shell with either a double layer of cling film or some greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake at 180°C for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown, removing the baking beans and cling film or paper towards the end of the bake. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, heat half the rapeseed oil in medium-hot pan and fry the onions with a little salt and pepper until just golden, then lower the temperature and cook for a further 45 to 50 minutes. They shouldn't be too brown, just a light colour, and soft.

Then, fill the tarts with the onion mix and top with slices of the cheese. Place under a low to medium grill until lightly melted and the flavour of the cheese is enhanced.

Whilst the tarts are under the grill, make a dressing by mixing the Arran mustard, honey, vinegar and the remaining rapeseed oil.

To serve, plate the tarts and drizzle over the dressing and add a little seasoning. Top with some crisp salad leaves.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

“A real crowd pleaser. It can be stodgy, so do not give too big a portion. Served with a light custard makes for easy eating. Use whichever dried fruit you like; apricots, dried figs or cranberries are great. The brush of apricot jam on top is a lovely touch.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 

Half a loaf of leftover bread, crusts removed. Panettone or brioche are also good.

250g unsalted butter, melted

500ml double cream

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out

3 egg yolks

150g sugar

1 whole egg

1 small handful of Californian raisins and mixed peel

2 tbsp jam or marmalade, warmed. I like home-made plum jam.

METHOD

Rub an ovenproof dish with a little of the melted butter.

Slice the bread 1cm thick and submerge in the melted butter. 

To make the custard, heat the cream and the vanilla pod on the stove until it comes to the boil, turn off the heat and leave to infuse for a few minutes. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy, and whisk into the cream. Whisk in the whole egg as well.

Layer the butter-soaked bread with the custard and raisins and mixed peel, repeating until you reach the top of the dish. Don't put fruit on the top layer as it will burn in the oven.

Bake in an oven at 180°C for 45 minutes until hot. Top with a few more raisins and mixed peel, then spoon warm jam over the top. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

NEIL'S RECIPES: WARM SALAD OF WILD WOOD PIGEON, BLOOD ORANGE, BACON AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS

“This is a cracker of a dish, great any time of year. Rich and earthy, with lentils and nuts adding crunch. Play around with different dressings, though classic hazelnut oil works beautifully. Keep the pigeon rare—overcooked, it turns into shoe leather.”

Serves 2
Cooking time: 7 minutes; prep time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 to 4 breasts of wild wood pigeon, skin on
2 blood oranges, cut into segments
A small handful of peeled hazelnuts
2 large handfuls of mixed salad leaves. A mix of organic mustard leaves, watercress and rocket is good.
3 to 4 rashers of bacon, cut into lardons
4  tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon of your favourite vinegar, like a cider or a Beremeal
1 teaspoon runny honey
1 teaspoon grain mustard
A few chives, cut into small batons
Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Toast the hazelnuts in a good frying pan on a high heat for a minute or two, moving them all the time as they brown. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add a tablespoon of oil and bring to a moderate heat. Fry the bacon until crispy, but not overly so. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil and add the pigeon breasts, skin-side down. Season and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook or it will be well done. The meat needs to be rare and pink inside. Remove from the pan and allow to rest with the bacon.

In the same pan, off the heat, add the remaining oil and stir vigorously to combine the remaining delicious bits of goodness. Then add the vinegar, honey and mustard. Stir well, season and taste, then add the chives.

To serve, arrange the salad leaves onto plates. Slice the pigeon into thin slices and arrange over the salad. Then scatter over the bacon, toasted hazelnuts and segments of blood orange. Spoon over the dressing and eat at once. This dish is great served on a big platter in the centre of the table with sautéed potatoes.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PRUNE & ARMAGNAC PARFAIT

“Staff love this one. It has to be boozy, but alcohol doesn’t freeze, so the balance is crucial. Add too much and it won’t set; get it right and it works beautifully. Big, plump prunes are a hit, warm and full of flavour.”

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

4 egg yolks

125g caster sugar

100ml water

500ml double cream

3 generous tablespoons of Armagnac

A handful of Agen (or any other type) of prunes, stones removed

An extra 50g caster sugar and 75ml water to make a syrup

METHOD

Bring 100ml water and 125g sugar to the boil in a pot then boil gently until it reaches soft-ball stage, or becomes syrupy and clear. This should take about 5 minutes.

Whilst the sugar is boiling away, whisk the egg yolks trickling the syrup in slowly and carefully – maybe get someone to help you. You want this mix to become very fluffy and increase in volume. It can take a good few minutes to do this.

Once this is achieved, leave it for a moment and whisk the cream to ribbon stage in a clean bowl. Then combine the cream and egg mixtures together, a little at a time. This is the base for the parfait.

Chop two thirds of the prunes and add them to the mixture alongside two tablespoons of Armagnac. Fold in gently - try not to let any air escape.

Line a terrine mould or ice cream tub with cling film or parchment paper and fill with the mixture. Cover with film and freeze for at least 6 hours.

Whilst the parfait is freezing, make a syrup with the remaining Armagnac, sugar and water by bringing them to the boil on the hob. Allowing the syrup to cool then add the remaining prunes, whole, to the syrup.

This dish is best made the day before so the prunes really absorb the syrup and the parfait is properly frozen.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BEETROOT TART TATIN WITH BLUE CHEESE, APPLE AND ENDIVE

“A big seller at the restaurant and now in season. Beetroot can be overly sweet at times, but here the bitter leaves and blue cheese cut through. It works well as a main course alternative to meat or fish. Try shallots, red onions, or other roots for variation.”

Serves 1
Prep time: 0.5 hours; Cooking time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 large or 2 small beetroots, scrubbed and cooked in water on the hob for 1 .5 hours until tender, peel skin off under running water

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 tablespoon of butter

1 sprig of thyme

1 disc of puff pastry, 1/2 cm thick cut to the same size as the blini pan

1 endive, cut into leaves and shards

A few toasted nuts

A few radish slices

A few slices of apple, cut into sticks

A few cubes of Blue Murder cheese or any other blue cheese of your liking

1 teaspoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, make a caramel by melting the sugar and butter together in the cast iron blini pan until it’s golden and caramelised. Then take the sprig of thyme and place it into the centre of the caramel. Next cut the beetroot into chunky pieces, and place onto the thyme and caramel. Cover the beetroot with the disc of pastry and prick a hole into the top and bake into a hot oven 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and cooked.

Leave the tart to cool slightly otherwise it will fall apart. Whilst it’s resting, make the salad by adding the cheese to a bowl with the endive, apple, a few radish slices and some toasted nuts. Make a dressing by mixing together the oil, honey and mustard and drizzle over before giving it a season with salt and pepper.

To serve, carefully tip out the tart out of the pan and onto the plate and garnish with the salad. Serve immediately.