PICKLING LIQUID IN FOUR EASY STEPS

This really simple method for preserving veg is a must at this time of year when there’s often just too much good stuff to eat. It’s the perfect way to store beetroots (cook, peel and quarter them first), shavings of carrots and courgettes, blanched onion slices, cauliflower florets, sliced radishes, green beans - the list goes on! You’ll also have a lovely display of colourful veg in your kitchen to admire, and of course - to eat!

STEP ONE

Gather your ingredients: 150ml water, 150ml vinegar, 150g sugar, a teaspoon of salt plus herbs and spices like peppercorns, star anise, thyme, bay leaves, mustard seeds. Experiment!

STEP TWO

Add all the ingredients to a pan and bring to the boil.

STEP THREE

Boil until all the sugar has dissolved.

STEP FOUR

Pour into a clean jar. No need to wait until it’s cooled down to add the veg. If storing out of the fridge, sterilise the jar first.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BRIOCHE WITH ASPARAGUS AND WILD MUSHROOMS

“This dish is simply divine. I love a charred slice of rich brioche, as it lends the bread another flavour. Served here with a sauté of the last of this season’s asparagus and some wild mushrooms. If you can’t get hold of wild mushrooms, button mushrooms would do the trick.”

Serves 2
Prep time 10 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 slices of pre-made brioche (see recipe below)

4 spears British asparagus

A small handful of brushed wild mushrooms

A knob of butter

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil

1 tablespoon chopped parsley and chives

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Begin by blanching the asparagus spears in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes. Refresh under cold running water. Cut into thirds.

Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed frying pan and add the oil. Once at a moderate temperature, fry the mushrooms for a minute or two to add a little colour.

Then add the add the asparagus spears and mix. Season and add the parsley and chives. Check the seasoning and add more if necessary.

Toast or char on the brioche slices on a griddle and rub with a little butter.

Top the toasted brioche slices with asparagus and mushrooms and serve at once.

BRIOCHE LOAF RECIPE

Makes one loaf
Prep time: 2 hours; cooking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

100g milk
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
7g salt
10g sugar
10g fresh yeast
330g strong bread flour, I only use organic
Zest from half a lemon
100g unsalted butter, softened
75g unsalted butter, melted

METHOD

Warm the milk with the sugar, yeast and lemon in a pot.

Place the flour, salt, eggs and egg yolks in a food mixer with a dough hook, then add the milk mixture and mix until a good dough is produced. You can also do this by hand.

Place the dough clean, oiled bowl to prove in a warm place for 2 hours until it doubles in size. Then return the dough to the mixer and add the softened butter and beat until all the butter is incorporated.

Press the dough into a buttered and floured terrine mould or bread tin and prove again until the dough reaches the top.

Bake at 185°C for 45 minutes then reduce the temperature for a further 25 minutes to 150°C. Remove from the oven and carefully remove from the tin. Brush all over with the melted butter as it cools.

NEIL'S RECIPES: GRATED POTATO CAKE, FRIED ORGANIC EGG, ARRAN MUSTARD DRESSING

“In essence, this is a rosti potato. I don’t cook the potatoes first and haven’t added onion or bacon, but you can if you like. I use a great variety called Rooster as it has good flavour and keeps the potato cake crispy. I serve it with an Arran mustard dressing and a big salad but it’s equally good with some wilted spinach or greens from the garden.”

Serves 1
Prep time: 10 minutes; cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 medium sized potato, peeled. I like a Rooster.
30g butter, melted
A few sprigs of thyme
1 organic egg
1 teaspoon Arran mustard
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2-3 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil
A few salad leaves 
Good salt and pepper

METHOD
Grate the potato onto a clean cloth and squeeze out the excess water over the sink. Place the potato in a bowl, add half the melted butter and season with salt, pepper and a few thyme leaves. Mix well.

Heat a blini pan on the hob, add a splash of oil, then add the grated potato mix, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Add a little more oil if needed to prevent it sticking. But don’t worry if it does stick, as the longer it cooks, the easier it will be to loosen. After 5 minutes, turn the potato cake over and press down with the back of a spoon again and cook for a further 5 minutes until golden. Season again and set aside.

Fry the egg in a little oil and the remaining butter. Season and cook until the yolk is just set.

To make the dressing, simply mix the mustard with the honey and vinegar and as you whisk trickle some oil in, a little at a time. It may need more oil if you like a runnier dressing. Season and use to dress the salad.

To serve, place the potato cake on a plate, top with the egg and garnish with the salad.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ASPARAGUS WITH HOLLANDAISE

“Is there anything finer or more elegant than steamed asparagus spears with warm butter and salt? I think not. But this recipe adds a little more flavour to this classic dish in the form of hollandaise sauce. It can be a bit tricky to master, but well worth the effort. If you can whisk cream, you can make hollandaise! It’s a temporary emulsion - unlike a mayonnaise that’s a permanent emulsion - so it mustn’t get too hot or too cold. Don’t buy the jars or packets, have a go at this.”

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: JANSSON'S TEMPTATION

“A Swedish dish, consisting of potatoes, onions, pickled sprats and cream. Some add breadcrumbs and I’ve added some parsley and boiled my cream with garlic. If you can’t find smoked sprats then anchovies give a very good flavour, just watch the salting of the dish. I’ve used Mr Little’s Yetholm Gypsy potato as the flavour is so good. I buy from Carroll’s Heritage Potatoes. If you haven’t tried their spuds, do. They grow some wonderful old heritage varieties.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled. I like Yetholm Gypsy, but Maris Piper or Rooster are good

1 smoked sprat or 4 to 6 anchovies, roughly chopped

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon rapeseed oil

150ml double cream

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 sprig thyme

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon parsley, roughly chopped 

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.

Heat the oil in a small pot and caramelise the onion with a little salt by cooking gently with the lid on, stirring occasionally.

Add the cream, garlic, thyme and a little salt and pepper to a small pot and bring to the boil then simmer gently for 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve and set to one side.

Cut the potatoes into thin strips, then layer in an ovenproof dish with the onion and sprats (or anchovies) until the dish is filled. Add a little seasoning as you go. Then pour the creamy mix all over and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it just starts to turn golden.

Top with the breadcrumbs and bake for a further 5 minutes.

Serve hot with a chopped parsley garnish.

NEIL'S RECIPES: HAND-DIVED SCALLOP WITH A SWEET WINE AND CARROT BUTTER SAUCE

“I remember making this sauce at Kinnaird House years ago, and I’ve been making it ever since. The jus de nage is so important. It involves a lot of veg chopping but the stock can be left in a Kilner jar in the fridge for a few weeks and will be perfect to poach fish in, to use as a base for a cream sauce, or even to add to a gravy on Sunday. It’s full of flavour.”

Serves 4

Prep time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 large hand-dived scallops, cleaned and left in their shell with the roe attached 
1 medium organic carrot, peeled and cut into very small dice
1/2 glass sweet wine, like a Sauternes
100ml jus de nage (veg stock)
25ml double cream
100g cold unsalted butter, diced
Good salt and pepper
1 teaspoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil
A few drops of lemon juice
Chervil to garnish

For the jus de nage 

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
1 stick celery, cut into small dice
1/2 bulb fennel, cut into small dice
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into small dice
1 leek, cut into small dice 
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 pinch saffron
Peel of 1 lemon
500ml water
500ml white wine
A few peppercorns
A sprig of thyme
Good salt and pepper

METHOD

To make the jus de nage. Add all the ingredients to a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Strain off as much stock as you need and retain the rest for something else.

Make the carrot butter sauce by placing the finely-diced carrot in a small pot with the sweet wine, and cook until half the wine has evaporated. Next add the jus de nage and reduce by half. Then add the cream and reduce by half again. As this is bubbling away, swirl in the cold butter. Season and add a few drops of lemon juice. Continue stirring until all the butter emulsifies. Don’t over heat the sauce or it will split, so do this gently off the heat. 

Season the scallops with a kick of salt and pepper, then sear them in the oil in a hot, non-stick frying pan, flesh-side down. Cook for 3 minutes then remove from the pan and flash them under a hot grill, or in a hot oven, in their shells.

To serve, trickle the butter sauce over the scallops and garnish with chervil.

NEIL'S RECIPES: OX TONGUE, WATERCRESS, RADISH, SAUCE GRIBICHE

"I’m choosing this forgotten cut of meat because it is truly delicious, and very sustainable. It’s an old-school part of an animal that’s often discarded – an ingredient from our parents’ and grandparents’ generations. I love it. In this recipe it’s simply brined overnight then gently simmered in a rich veg stock and served with the piquant gribiche. Order the tongue ahead of time from your butcher."

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 6 to 8

Brining time: overnight; prep time: 40 minutes; cooking time: 4 to 6 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 organic ox or field-raised ruby veal tongue, rinsed

400ml red wine

2 sprigs of thyme

3 cloves

200g brown sugar

1 clove of crushed garlic

200ml water

250g salt

1 large carrot, peeled

1 large onion, peeled

1 stick of celery

A few parsley stalks

6 peppercorns

2 bay leaves

2 hard boiled eggs, yolks and whites chopped separately

2 tablespoons cornichons, chopped

2 tablespoon capers, chopped

2 to 3 shallots, chopped

2 tablespoons curly parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons tarragon, chopped

6 to 8 tablespoons mayonnaise

Good salt and pepper to season

2 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A few handfuls of watercress and red chicory

A few radishes, sliced

METHOD

Make a brine by adding the red wine, thyme, cloves, brown sugar, garlic, water and salt to a pot and bringing to a gentle simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved, leave it to cool completely for a few hours. Once cold, submerge the ox tongue in the brine and leave in the fridge or in a cool place overnight. 

Remove the tongue from the brine and give it a rinse under a cold tap. Place the tongue into a clean pan and cover with cold water. Add the carrot, onion, celery, parsley stalks, peppercorns and bay leaves and cook on a low simmer for 4 to 6 hours until tender when pierced with a skewer at the thickest point. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly then remove the skin. Either press into a terrine mould or wrap in cling film and leave to cool thoroughly.

To make the sauce gribiche, combine the eggs, cornichons, capers, shallots, parsley, tarragon and mayonnaise in a bowl and mix well. Season to taste and stir in a little rapeseed oil. 

To serve, carve a few slices of tongue per person and top with the sauce gribiche. Garnish with salad leaves and radishes, then trickle over the remaining oil or your favourite dressing and season with a little more salt and pepper.
 

NEIL'S RECIPES: BREAST OF DUCK WITH ASPARAGUS, RADISH AND NEW POTATOES

"I remember one of my first jobs as a young commis chef was to pluck hundreds of game birds after a shoot on the estate I was working on. I looked like something out of Ghostbusters with a hoover on my back, goggles, and a bandana to cover my mouth from all the dusty feathers. Oh, the fun I had in the plucking shed! This dish is very simple to cook. Make sure you season the meat before, during and after cooking, and crisp the skin by cooking mainly skin-side down in a heavy pan alongside the potatoes with some thyme and garlic. Use whatever veg you like. Kale, spinach or cabbage are all excellent, but remember to use any fat rendered from the duck when you season the veg before serving."

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 2
Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 free-range duck breasts
1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil
4 to 6 spears of British asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 to 6 radishes, quartered
4 to 6 new potatoes, little sweet ones are great, scrubbed, par-boiled and halved
2 tablespoons duck fat
1 sprig of thyme
1 clove of garlic, smashed
Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Season the breasts with good salt and pepper. Heat a pan on the hob then add the cold-pressed rapeseed oil and place the breasts skin-side-down in the pan, ensuring good contact is made between the skin and the pan. Turn over after cooking for 2 to 3 minutes and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn the breasts back to skin-side-down and add the thyme, garlic and potatoes to the pan and place in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the duck is cooked medium rare. The firmer the duck is to the touch, the more well-cooked it is. 

Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and season with salt. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes on a rolling boil. 

Remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the duck breasts to a warm plate to rest. Once rested, season.

Add the radishes and the cooked asparagus to the potatoes and stir in the duck fat. The pan should still be quite hot from the oven.

To serve, either slice the duck, or leave them whole as I prefer, and place on a plate with the asparagus, potatoes and radishes as a garnish on top.

HOW TO FILLET MACKEREL

Neil takes us through a step-by-step guide of how to fillet mackerel. In just four easy steps, he makes it look so simple! 

STEP ONE

Remove the head and guts.

STEP TWO

Insert knife just above back bone and remove the fillet.

STEP THEE

Using a filleting knife, remove the belly bones.

STEP FOUR

Using the same sharp knife, insert it either side of the central pin bone line and remove all bones in one.

VOILA!

The final boneless, skin-on fillet is ready for pickling, frying or grilling.

NEIL'S RECIPES: MALLARD WITH CLAPSHOT, BRAISED RED CABBAGE AND PARSNIP

"I adore this dish. The almost sticky red cabbage is not overly sweet and has just the right amount of sharpness. The mallard breast is cooked in a pan and shown the oven for just a minute or two. Served with a little garlic, thyme and clapshot - essential in these chilly months to warm the soul."

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 2

30 minutes prep time, 2 hours cooking time

INGREDIENTS

2 mallard or wild duck breasts, skin on

2 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed, Roosters are good

200g turnip, peeled, diced, boiled and mashed

1/3 small red cabbage, cut thinly with a sharp knife

1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly

1 cinnamon stick

A pinch of mixed spice

A small handful of Californian raisins

1/3 apple, grated

1 star anise

1 glass of red wine

2 tablespoons of bramble vinegar

Good salt and pepper

2 small parsnips, peeled and blanched in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes and refreshed in cold water

1 sprig thyme

1 clove garlic, halved

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil for frying

50g butter, diced into 1cm cubes

Around 100ml stock for reducing, chicken, game or beef will do

METHOD

Heat oven to 180°C

Begin by placing the shredded cabbage, jelly, cinnamon, spice, raisins, grated apple, star anise, red wine (leave a small amount in the glass for later) and vinegar into a large pot, season and place onto the hob on a moderate heat with the lid on. Leave for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Do not let it burn, if it looks like it’s getting too hot, turn down the heat and add a splash of water.

Prepare the clapshot by combining the mashed potatoes and turnip whilst they are still hot. Season with salt, a lot of pepper and nearly all the butter, leaving some for the mallard. Keep to one side in a warm place.

Heat the oil in an oven-proof frying pan and place the mallard breasts in the pan skin side down, alongside the parsnips, thyme and garlic and begin to caramelise the duck and parsnips together. Add a knob of butter and season. Turn the duck and parsnips over after a couple of minutes, then place the pan in the oven for a minute or two.

Remove from the oven and place the duck on a plate to rest. Continue to fry the parsnips if they need colour.

Deglaze the frying pan with the remaining red wine until it reduces and incorporates all the bits of roasting goodness from the pan. Then add some stock, and reduce again for a few minutes until the sauce is rich and dark. Add a knob of butter and incorporate.

To plate up, place a spoonful of red cabbage on each plate and add a dollop of clapshot alongside. Then carve the mallard on a slant giving 6 to 8 slices from each breast, and place that from the knife on to the plate. Lean the parsnip on the clapshot and garnish with a trickle of sauce.