HOW TO CHOP AN ONION IN 6 EASY STEPS

Ever wondered how chefs manage to chop onions so quickly and effectively? We have decided to share the secret. Follow our 6 easy steps...

STEP ONE

Remove the top and bottom of the onion, keeping the root intact.

STEP TWO

Remove the skin and the outer papery layer.

STEP THREE

Cut the onion in half, through the root. 

STEP FOUR

Cut vertically down, towards the root, but not slicing though it.

STEP FIVE

Cut horizontally, 2 or 3 times depending on the size required, again keeping the root intact.

STEP SIX

Now you're ready to dice, until just the root remains.

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.

NEIL'S RECIPES: FILLET OF HALIBUT WITH SAMPHIRE AND CHANTERELLES

"Get your fishmonger to do the hard work and fillet the fish for you. As an alternative to halibut, try hake, or smoked haddock works well. Fish goes really well with chanterelles and it’s the start of the mushroom season here in Scotland, so these vibrant orange fungi are easily foraged. If you do go picking, be careful and make sure you know what you are doing. Salty samphire brings all the flavours together nicely. It grows wild on coastal marsh areas in East Lothian but you should get permission from the landowner before any form of foraging."

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 175g halibut fillets, farmed Gigha Halibut is great
1 handful of British samphire, washed
2 handfuls of chanterelles mushrooms, cleaned
A few flowers from the garden, I like nasturtium leaves and flowers, borage is pretty too
2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
150g butter
Juice of a lemon, some fennel fronds, optional
Good salt and pepper

Season the fish all over. Heat a frying pan and a pot on the hob, bringing both to moderate heat. Add the oil to the frying pan and leave for a couple of minutes. Then add half the butter and the mushrooms to the pot, followed by the samphire and season. Keep tossing being careful not to burn the butter.

Meanwhile, check the fish. It should be starting to turn golden brown on the underside. Once it is, turn each fillet over and continue cooking. Add the remaining butter to the frying pan. It will start to froth and become lovely and nut brown in colour. Season the fish again and squeeze in the lemon juice, a few drops at a time. If you like, add some fennel fronds at this stage, as they will flavour the butter well.

When the mushrooms and samphire are just soft, season again and spoon into the centre of four warmed plates. Place the fish on top and decorate with the flowers and a few more drops of lemon.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ICED CROWDIE AND RASPBERRY PARFAIT

"The taste of this parfait is similar to a frozen cheesecake with the slightly salty, textured crowdie mixed with the sweetness of Angus raspberries. It just knocks me for six every time I eat it. Scattering a few oats as a tiny crust is great, or have it on its own, in a glass, bowl or plate, it doesn’t matter. Once it’s made, it’s in your freezer for a good few weeks until it’s all eaten! Do give it a go, maybe ask for help as there are a few stages to go through. Come on, I did give you an easy starter and main course to cook!"

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

This will make 2 terrine moulds (classic le Creuset style) or ice-cream tubs rubbed with oil and lined with 2 sheets of cling film. Very importantly, before lining with oil and cling film, add a strip of triple layered tin foil so you can lift the parfait out of the terrine when it’s frozen. Allow for an overhang of the tin foil and the cling film.

INGREDIENTS

350g raspberries, chopped plus extra for garnishing

Roasted pinhead oats, toasted as a garnish, optional

coulis:
150ml water
140g sugar
175g raspberries

creamed crowdie:
300ml double cream
600g crowdie

meringue:
4 egg whites
250g sugar
pâte à bombe

110 ml water
150g sugar

8 egg yolks

METHOD

Begin by making a coulis. Boil the coulis ingredients together until syrupy then blitz and pass through a sieve. Keep to one side. 

Next make the crowdie cream, by whisking together the cream and crowdie until smooth. Keep to one side. 

To make a classic meringue mix, whisk the egg whites until 3/4 whisked then add the sugar a little at a time as you continue to whisk. Use a mixer for this if you have one. Keep to one side.

To make the pâte à bombe parfait mixture, heat the water and sugar until it reaches 121°C. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and continue to whisk as you gently pour in the molten sugar. Use a miser for this if you have one. Keep whisking until the mix starts to cool slightly. This will take about 5 minutes.

To assemble, use a large bowl to fold the meringue into the pâte à bombe. Then fold in the coulis and crowdie cream, being very gentle as you go. And finally fold in the chopped raspberries.

Ensure all is combined and scoop into your prepared terrine moulds. Fold the cling film over the top and freeze overnight. The next day, remove the parfait from the moulds by lifting out using the tin foil handles.

Serve sliced with some toasted oats and fresh raspberries.

NEIL'S RECIPES: MONKFISH TAIL WITH SALSA VERDE AND SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES

It is a rare treat for me to use monkfish. Always ensure you buy from a sustainable source and it’s very fresh. Monkfish has a meaty texture with no small bones, just one central bone that can be left in if you want to cook it on the barbecue, or trimmed and the bone removed. Either way, don’t overcook the fish - keep it slightly underdone and allow to rest as it does go a bit dry if it’s over cooked. I’m serving here with salsa verde, a brilliant sauce a bit like pesto, but so much better.

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 large monkfish tail, either on or off the bone, get your fishmonger to help you trim it or remove the bone
4 large new season tomatoes, I like Isle of Wight organic tomatoes
A small handful each of fresh mint, parsley and basil, washed and dried
1 tablespoon of capers
1 tablespoon of anchovies, optional
1 tablespoon of good Dijon or wholegrain mustard
250ml extra-virgin olive oil, I use Palestinian organic olive oil, plus extra for roasting the tomatoes
A splash of red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic
A few sprigs of thyme
Good salt and pepper
A few edible flowers, optional
A splash of sunflower oil
Lemon juice for seasoning

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 130°C.

To make the semi-dried tomatoes, remove the eyes from the tomatoes and cut them half . Then cut each half into 4 wedges and place in an oven-proof dish. Trickle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle over the thyme leaves. Place in the oven for a few hours until just semi-dried.

To make the salsa verde, blitz the herbs, capers, anchovies, vinegar, garlic and mustard, and olive oil in a blender until a slightly chunky consistency is achieved. Taste and season as required.

Prepare the fish for cooking by patting it dry and seasoning. Then place a frying pan on the hob and add a splash of sunflower oil. Once the oil is very hot add the monkfish very carefully. Colour the fish on all sides then season again and place in a hot (180°C) oven for a few minutes until it is still slightly under cooked.

Remove from the oven and season with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper if required.

To serve, slice the fish and drizzle with salsa verde and serve with the tomatoes.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BREAST OF MALLARD WITH CHESTNUTS, CABBAGE AND POTATO

Mallard, or wild duck, is one of my favourite game birds and is a great alternative to turkey for Christmas lunch. They’re available from good game dealers – in Edinburgh I would try Crombie’s, George Bower or Saunderson’s. If you choose a whole bird, I would recommend removing the legs and cooking them separately for longer than you do the breasts or the crown. Cooking the breasts on the bone will lessen the shrinkage and keep it moist but you can cook single breasts in a pan if you prefer.

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 breasts of mallard

4 heritage potatoes or new potatoes, skin on and par-boiled - I like Pink Fir and Aura

1/2 a Savoy cabbage, stem removed and shredded

12 chestnuts

4 cloves of garlic

4 sprigs of thyme

Good salt and pepper

2 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

4 knobs of butter

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Add the oil to a large, hot frying pan, season the mallard and place each breast carefully, skin-side down in the pan. Season again.

Cut the potatoes in half and place them next to the breasts. Add the garlic and thyme. Once the mallard skin is golden, turn and add the chestnuts. Reduce the heat and cook for a minute or 2.

Place the pan in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes depending on how cooked you like your duck. Remove from the oven, add 2 knobs of butter to the pan and baste the mallard. Season again. Remove the mallard from the pan and allow rest on a plate in a warm place. Remove the potatoes from the pan and keep warm. Retain the juices in the pan.

Blanch the cabbage in boiling, salted water and drain, and add the remaining butter. Season and stir in any juices from the pan. Duck fat is delicious in cabbage! You can also add any resting juices.

To serve, slice each breast into long slithers and arrange on a wooden board or 4 individual, warmed plates. Arrange the cabbage, chestnuts and those golden brown potatoes and garnish with the garlic cloves and thyme stalks. Add a pinch of good salt and serve at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SCOTCH LAMB FILLETS WITH TAPENADE

I remember clearly the first time I ate lamb with tapenade. It was over twenty years ago at Alastair Little’s restaurant in Soho. I was blown away by the flavours of salty olives, capers and anchovy which cut through the richness of the lamb. It was sublime. Don’t overcook the lamb for this recipe, keep it nice and pink please!

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 fillets of Scotch Lamb

4 Pink Fir Apple potatoes, cooked and cut into thick slices

1 large handful mini plum Isle of Wight tomatoes

3 tablespoons pitted black Kalamata olives

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon capers

3 to 4 anchovy fillets

75ml organic olive oil

Some fennel herb

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

To make tapenade, add the olives, capers, garlic, anchovy, and half the olive oil to a food processor. Don’t season with salt, but add a little pepper. Blitz to a rough paste.

Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and bring to a high heat, but not smoking or the oil will burn. Season the lamb and add it to the pan with the potatoes and cook until nicely browned all over. Be careful not to overcook the lamb – it will cook in 3 to 4 minutes.  

Then add the mini plum tomatoes and season the entire pan with salt and pepper. Remove the lamb from the pan and allow to rest for 3 minutes.

To serve, slice the lamb into bite-size pieces. Place the potatoes on warmed plates along with the tomatoes and slices of lamb. Garnish with dots of tapenade and decorate with fennel herb. Drizzle any remaining olive oil all over the dish. Perfect.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM WITH SPINACH, WHITE SAUCE AND HERB CRUMB

Such a good dish to eat, a joy to cook and a test of skills! For me it's rare for a dish to be so long in prep. You can simplify this by removing the chard or the white sauce, but I encourage you to make this delicious and classic sauce. The onion cloutie, studded with bay and clove, gives this humble and versatile sauce its edge. Don't rush it, take your time and enjoy beating the hot milk into the butter and flour. 

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

A big handful of rainbow chard, washed and dried, roughly chopped

A shallot, peeled and finely chopped

2 bay leaves

A few sprigs of thyme

3 tablespoons organic olive oil

A splash of white wine

250ml double cream

500ml full fat milk

150g butter

50g plain flour

1 small onion

3 cloves

4 cloves of garlic

4 large handfuls of baby spinach, washed and dried

4 field/ flat or Portobello mushrooms

A small handful of herbs you like, tarragon and parsley work well

A handful of breadcrumbs

A few chanterelle mushrooms

A knob of butter

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, prepare the chard.  Sweat the shallot in a tablespoon of olive oil with a bay leaf and a sprig of thyme. Add the chard and cook on a medium heat until soft. Season. Next add the white wine to the pot and cover with a lid. Add a little water or stock if you prefer. Let the chard braise for about an hour. Remove the lid and allow some of the liquid to evaporate for a few minutes whilst keeping the heat on medium setting. Then add the cream, bring to the boil and reduce until a sauce consistency. Season to taste and leave to one side in a warm place.

Make an onion cloutie by attaching a bay leaf to the onion with the cloves. To make a white sauce, heat the milk with the onion cloutie. Be careful not to boil. In another pot, melt 50g of butter and stir in the flour until you achieve a texture like wet sand. Cook the flour through for a minute or two, but don't burn it. Keep it on a low heat and add the milk a little at a time, continuing to stir. When all milk has been added, you should have a rich, glossy sauce. Add the onion to the sauce and cover with a lid. Keep warm.

Clean the Portobello mushrooms with a wet cloth and season all over. Place them on a roasting tray and dot over with the remaining butter. Season again. Gently bash the garlic, and rip a few sprigs of thyme. Add these to the roasting tray and place in a hot oven (180°C) for 20 to 30 minutes until just soft. Remove from the oven (leave the oven on). Leave the mushroom on the try and keep warm.

To wilt the spinach, heat a little olive oil in a pot with the juices from the mushrooms. Cook the spinach until wilted and season.

Make a herb crumb by mixing the herbs with breadcrumbs in a food processor.

Top each mushroom with some spinach, then one or two tablespoons of white sauce, finished off with the herb crumb. Return to the oven and bake at 180°C for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the knob of butter in a medium hot frying pan and cook the chanterelles for a couple of minutes, or until cooked.

To serve, place two tablespoons of the creamed chard on each plate and top with a Portobello mushroom. Arrange the chanterelle mushrooms in a circle around the plate. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: HERRING ROLL MOPS

"People have been pickling herring since medieval times. In Old Norse ‘herring’ means ‘army’. These vast silver shoals were on the move and needed to be contained and conquered! Pickled herring makes a refreshing change from smoked trout or mackerel and is low in fat and high in Omega 3. It’s easy to make at home and will keep the fridge for weeks. Pack some for a picnic or be brave and put one in the kid’s packed lunch box!"

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 fillets of the freshest herring your can buy

2 shallots, peeled and sliced into rings

1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin slices

A few peppercorns

A small sprig of thyme

1 tablespoon of salt

200ml cider vinegar

200ml water

50g sugar

1/2 bulb of fennel, shaved thinly on a mandolin

1 radish, sliced

1 apple, cut into matchsticks

Salt and pepper for seasoning

METHOD

Make the pickle liquor first by bringing the vinegar, water and sugar to the boil with the carrot, shallot, peppercorns, thyme and pinch of salt. Remove from the heat as soon as it reaches boiling point and allow to cool in the fridge, it must be cold.

Meanwhile, rub the salt into the herring fillets and leave them to cure overnight. The next day, rinse them well, then roll them up from tail to head and secure with a cocktail stick.

Submerge the fillets in the chilled pickle liquor and leave for 2 to 3 days before eating.  

To serve, slice the roll mops and arrange them on a plate, with some of the carrot and shallot from the pickling liquor, and top with a few slices of radish, the apple matchsticks and some shaved fennel. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

NEIL'S RECIPES: GRILLED LAMB CHOPS WITH YOGHURT AND CUCUMBER

This recipe is inspired by a recent family holiday to the wonderful sun-baked island of Crete. I'm using best end of lamb here but you can use gigot chops. I'm going to suggest you cook it a little more than medium. I usually like my chops rare but to be true to Crete, I think a more well-done chop works better with the tzatziki. It's good idea is to marinade the lamb in a little olive oil with thyme and fennel seeds the night before cooking.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Allow for 3 to 4 chops person - ask your butcher or stall-holder to French trim them

A few sprigs of thyme and marjoram

400g 10% full-fat natural Greek yoghurt - try Total, it’s very good, but a organic one is would be even better

1 medium-sized cucumber

1 small clove garlic, crushed

Good salt and pepper

A drizzle of olive oil – from Crete if you can

Half a lemon

METHOD

Place a griddle on the hob to heat whilst you marinate the chops in olive oil, thyme and marjoram (reserve some of the herbs for garnish). Aim to get the griddle to a moderate heat.

Grate the cucumber into a bowl. Squeeze the water out of the cucumber and mix in the yoghurt and crushed garlic. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Remove the excess oil and herbs from the chops and place onto the griddle and cook for around 5 to 7 minutes on each side in total - check them as you go and turn frequently. Don't cook to well done stage, but don't cook too rare either.

At the end of cooking, season the chops and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon. Serve with a huge dollop of the yoghurt mix and garnish with some marjoram and thyme.