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: BREAST OF PHEASANT, CHESTNUT, ORANGE, BACON, SPROUTS AND THYME

“This is a delicious dish. The sprouts are quartered which stops them being overcooked and brown, or worse, undercooked and crisp. I use vac pac chestnuts as they are good, tasty and easy to use. If you have time on your hands, roast whole chestnuts on an open fire. The addition of orange and thyme gives a sense of Christmas. Just be careful not to overcook the meat as it can easily become dry and tough.”

Serves 1

Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 breast of pheasant, skin on

1 tablespoon of chestnuts, halved

1 tablespoon of bacon lardons, cut chunky

1 teaspoon of chopped orange zest and thyme 

3 or 4 sprouts 

1 tablespoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A knob of butter

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat the oven to 220°C / Gas Mark 7

Cut the sprouts into quarters and blanch in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes, then refresh in cold water.

Heat the oil to medium heat in a large, oven-proof frying pan and add the pheasant skin-side-down, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn and continue to cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add the bacon lardons to the pan and cook until golden. This should take 4 to 5 minutes whilst the pheasant is cooking.

Place the pan in the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and add the butter, chestnuts, zest of orange and thyme, and sprouts and give the pan a toss to combine everything.  

Remove the pheasant and let it rest for a few minutes in a warm place before giving it a final season. 

To serve, arrange the garnish around the pheasant on a warm plate and serve with gravy if you like, or a cream and tarragon sauce would work too.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PORK BELLY, CHAMP, CRISPY SAGE, FENNEL AND LEMON BUTTER

“We often use this classic way of cooking pork belly at Cafe St Honoré. It’s simple: skin removed, boned out, seasoned, rolled, tied, braised, chilled, then cut and pan fried. The process creates a wonderful taste that’s not fatty, with the fennel seed and lemon helping to cut through the richness. Buttery champ is so good with the pork, and the addition of sage is classic, but optional.”

Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 45 minutes; cooking time: 4 hours

INGREDIENTS

750g rare-breed organic pork belly, skinned and boned

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 carrot, scrubbed and halved

1 onion, peeled and halved

1 stick celery, halved

A few sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

A few peppercorns

Zest of 1 lemon

Good salt and pepper

400g good mash made with lots of butter

3 or 4 spring onions, finely chopped

A small handful of sage leaves, gently shallow-fried until just crisp and dried on kitchen paper

2 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

75g unsalted butter

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.

Firstly, lay the pork belly out on a board and season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle over half the fennel seeds and half the lemon zest. Roll the belly up like a swiss roll and tie with butchers twine, or string, but not too tight. 

Next, place the pork in a pot and cover with hot water. Add the carrot, onion, celery, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring the pot to the simmer then cover with a lid or foil and place into the oven for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is very tender. 

Remove from the oven and allow the pork to cool in the liquid for about an hour or so, no rush. Once cooled, remove the pork from the liquid and drain on a tea towel to make sure it’s dry.

Then line your work surface with 4 layers of clingfilm about 6 inches wider than the belly and place the pork onto the cling film. Remove the string with scissors and discard, then roll the pork in the clingfilm very tightly and refrigerate overnight. 

To cook, preheat the oven to 180°C, then cut 4 slices of pork about an inch or so thick, and fry in the rapeseed oil for 3 to 5 minutes each side. Then place the pan in the oven for 5 minutes to ensure the pork is hot and coloured. It should be a lovely golden colour. 

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pot, and add the remaining fennel seeds and lemon zest to it. Season.

Just before serving, add the chopped spring onions to the mash to make champ, and place some in the centre of each plate. Top with the sliced pork and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with crispy sage leaves. Serve at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SCALLOPS, STORNOWAY BLACK PUDDING, CEPS AND BUTTER SAUCE

“I put this dish on at Cafe St Honoré when we receive a hoard of ceps. It always sells well and is delicious. Cook the ceps, black pudding and scallops in the same pan as all the flavours marry well, and the fat released from the black pudding adds extra flavour to the ceps and shellfish. Don’t be afraid of the butter sauce, or beurre blanc as we chefs call it. A little splash of cream stabilizes the reduction and prevents the sauce from splitting.”

Serves 1
Prep time: 15 minutes; cooking time 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 hand-dived scallops, coral left on

1 slice of Stornoway black pudding

A small handful of ceps, lightly washed

2 peppercorns

1 sprig thyme 

1 sprig tarragon

100ml white wine

100ml white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon double cream

75g unsalted butter, 1cm cubes

A few wood sorrel leaves, optional

Good salt and pepper

Juice from half a lemon

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

1 knob butter

METHOD

Prepare the ceps by cutting in half and scoring a criss-cross pattern on the cut sides.

Make a butter sauce by adding the wine, vinegar, peppercorns and herbs to a small pan and reducing to a couple of tablespoons. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan and add the cream. Whisk together and bring to just below the boil. Then add the butter one cube at a time until emulsified. Season with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Keep at a steady temperature until needed.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in large non-stick frying pan on a high heat on the hob. Once hot, add the black pudding, scallops, ceps, Thyme and tarragon. Season the scallops and ceps. Cook everything for 2 minutes before turning. Once turned, season the scallops and ceps again with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Ensure the black pudding has a nice crust all over.

To serve, place the black pudding, scallops and ceps on a warmed plate. Spoon over the butter sauce and decorate with the zesty wood sorrel.

How to decant a bottle of wine, and why we should all be doing it

Our wine-loving general manager James Mackenzie explains why decanting helps enhance the taste of all wines. 

Let's be honest, many of us have a decanter of some sort. Often given as a 21st birthday, wedding or retirement gift, many find their way to the back of a cupboard, or for the more imaginative amongst us, are used as a flower vase. Yet they possess a secret power - they can make cheap wine taste good, and good wine taste excellent!

Like most aspects of wine appreciation, decanting is often seen as just another one of those ceremonious and pompous activities undertaken by wine snobs (smelling the cork after opening the bottle tells you nothing about the wine, btw). These people inhabit films, sometimes fine-dining restaurants, and have managed to make the subject of wine seem impenetrable.

Whilst many traditions surrounding the service and consumption of wine seem can seem a little intimidating, decanting wine is something I urge the everyday wine drinker to try for these three reasons: the first is to remove sediment from the wine; the second is to expose the wine to oxygen, allowing it to breathe; and the third is a bit of both (read on).

Decanting to remove the sediment

The first reason, to remove the sediment, is quite important if you have an older wine, or you’ve aged a special bottle. As wine ages, natural molecules in the wine bind together and fall to the bottom of the bottle forming a sediment. This is more common with red wines, but can also occur with some whites and rosés. Sediment is completely fine to consume, but if you like drinking wine without a muddy texture, it’s best to try to get rid of most of the sediment. 

To do this you’ll need a decanter and a candle. Before you begin, leave the bottle in the same position for a day or two - either standing up or lying down. If it’s lying down, make sure you don’t rotate the bottle during the decanting process. When you’re ready to decant, open the bottle as gently as possible so as not to undo the settling process. Then, with a lit candle positioned so you can see clearly through the neck of the bottle (do not place it too close to the bottle or you will heat the wine), begin to slowly pour the wine into the decanter. As you pour, keep the candle shining directly through the neck of the bottle until you start to see the ‘smoke’. This is the precursor to the sediment proper and looks a bit like, well, smoke. At this point, you need to slow the speed of pouring. Now, the next bit is up to you. Either stop immediately or chance your arm and continue until the smoke becomes slightly denser and then stop. It's your choice, but if you get greedy you run the risk of ruining the whole process, ending up with a lovely mix of sludge and wine. Leaving a little bit in the bottle may seem a like a waste, but read Aesop's fable, The Dog and The Bone, and the reasoning will become apparent.

Decanting to expose the wine to oxygen

It’s the second reason applies young wines bought for almost immediate consumption. Throughout much of the production and bottling process, wine spends most of its time in a fairly oxygen-free environment, often developing unpleasant aromas that can be expelled on contact with oxygen. Many wines under screwcap are bottled with a small amount of gas between the wine and the seal which can also result in an 'off' smell when the bottle is first opened. Decanting is the perfect solution to get rid of these odours and is a very easy process. 

All you need to do in this scenario is pour the wine - quite vigorously - into the decanter. The aim is to introduce as much oxygen as possible to the wine. Then let the wine sit in the decanter for a while. Any length of time is good, but an hour or longer is best. Just as we need oxygen to live, so does wine. The interaction between the wine and the air will bring out its best.

Decanting to remove sediment and expose wine to oxygen

And finally, the third reason. Some wines are produced with as little intervention as possible. In
particular organic, bio-dynamic and natural wines, that producers choose to bottle without much
filtration, meaning bits of grape and dead yeast are purposely left in when bottled. Many producers
argue that continued contact with these sediments give their wines fuller character and style. And who are we to argue. When decanting these wines, employ the same technique as with older wine – let the wine settle, decant it gently and don't be greedy. Decanting these wines also achieves the aim of exposing them to oxygen and letting them fully open up.

Wine will forever be a topic that divides opinion, but that should never stop us from enjoying it. If decanting a bottle of cheap plonk heightens our enjoyment, then why not do it. Whether you spend £5 or £500 on a bottle of wine, it’s always worth considering decanting before drinking. 

No decanter? Decant the wine into a clean jug before pouring it back into the original bottle using a funnel. Do not do this with older wines though, as it will cause too much contact with air.

No candle? Use the torch on your phone. 

Can't be bothered doing the whole waiting for the smoke thing? Place a coffee filter paper and a funnel into a decanter or jug then pour the whole bottle through slowly. The wine snobs will never agree with this one but it works, and works well!

When somebody opens a bottle of wine and smells the cork? Ask them why they are doing it.

Dining at Cafe St Honoré, or anywhere else? Do not hesitate to ask for your wine to be decanted.