NEIL'S RECIPES: ROE DEER TARTARE

“This is a clean, simple and utterly delicious dish. It’s easy to prepare but it can be tricky to get the seasoning just right. Serve it with chopped shallots, cornichons and croutons or toast. And it’s great with an egg yolk added just before serving.” 

Serves 2

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

150g haunch or saddle of boned, sinew-free roe deer

½ a banana shallot, finely chopped

2  to 3 cornichons, finely chopped

1 teaspoon capers, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped parsley and chives

1 teaspoon tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcester sauce

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or less, up to you

3 teaspoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon butter

A few salad leaves, I like endive and watercress on this, nice and bitter to contrast the sweet tartare

A slice of good sourdough cut into 1-cm-sized croutons 

A few slices of radish

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, ensure your knife is good and sharp, then cut the roe deer into a smallish dice.  Not too small as you still want to taste the meat. 

Add this to a mixing bowl along with some of the shallot (you can add more if you wish), cornichons, capers, parsley and chives and mix. 

Use your taste buds and add as much or as little Tabasco, ketchup and Worcester sauce as you want. Give the mixture a good season with salt and pepper and add a wee squirt of rapeseed oil. Taste again to check the seasoning.

Make the croutons by frying the bread in a teaspoon of rapeseed oil and a teaspoon of butter until golden all over. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes on a low heat.

Dress the salad leaves and radish slices in a little oil and season.

To serve, rub a little oil inside a metal ring a place it on a plate. Fill with half of the tartare mix and repeat on another plate. Top each tartare with the dressed salad a few croutons.

NEIL'S RECIPES: LANGOUSTINES WITH SEAWEED AND HERB BUTTER

“You can’t beat a simply grilled langoustine with a hint of butter. Add a touch of garlic if you prefer, but seaweed is delicious, and very good for you as it’s packed full of minerals. Finish with a squeeze lemon and a pinch of good salt. Try charring the lemon on the griddle or pan - it gives the citrus fruit more flavour. Parsley is great but do replace it with your favourite herb if you prefer.”

Serves 4
10 minutes prep time, 10 minutes cooking time

INGREDIENTS

12 langoustines, if they are not alive and kicking, don’t buy them!

A small handful of lava seaweed, available online or from a good forager

A few sprigs of curly parsley

Half a lemon

1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)

200g unsalted butter

Good salt and pepper

2 lemons, halved

Sea purslane as a garnish, optional

METHOD

Place a large pan of water on to boil and season heavily with salt. When boiling, add the langoustines and cook for one minute, then remove and place into a bowl of ice-cold water until they are cold. This kills the prawns and just gently cooks them.

Next, cut the langoustines from head to toe on a chopping board. Start half way down the prawn where the tail meets the head then turn the langoustines around and do the same through the head. There will now be two halves of each langoustine. Place them on a grill tray.

Melt the butter on the hob on a low heat for a few minutes. Chop the seaweed and parsley and add it to the pan along with the garlic and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Combine with a spoon or pastry brush and season with salt and pepper.

Brush the flesh side of the langoustines with the prepared butter and cook under the very hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes until hot. Add an extra squeeze of lemon juice and place onto warmed plates. Place the lemon halves cut-side-down on a griddle or frying pan to char and serve alongside the langoustines. Add some sea purslane as a garnish. Eat at once.

NEIL'S RECIPE: WILD GARLIC GNOCCHI

"I really enjoy making these fluffy, light, little pillows of potato. The best way to make the mash is to bake the potatoes in their skins in the oven on a tray of salt. Cook until soft inside, half them, then run through a mouli or potato ricer. The mash must be dry. Don’t over work the dough or be tempted to add too much flour as they will become bullet hard after blanching. Keep them light and fluffy. I love them sautéed with butter to give a hint of texture on the outside."

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: CHOCOLATE FONDANT

"To guarantee a soft, liquid centre place a few chocolate buttons or a cube of chocolate into the centre of the mix you are using. I use a dariole mould - a metal bowl the size of a tea cup. I love Montezuma chocolate; use your favourite, but use dark. To add extra texture I’ve used a sprinkle of praline."

Makes 2 large or 4 small fondants

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon of plain flour

100g dark chocolate, plus a few extra buttons for the centre

100g unsalted butter, diced

65g caster sugar

A little melted butter for brushing

A little cocoa powder for dusting

A dollop of crème fraîche

A small handful of hazelnuts

Another 75g caster sugar

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Begin by making a praline. Add 75g of caster sugar to a pan and melt 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.

Next, prepare 2 large, or 4 small, dariole moulds by brushing with the melted butter then dust with a little cocoa powder. Knocking any excess powder out.

Whisk the egg, yolks and flour in a bowl and set to one side.

Place the chocolate, butter and sugar in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and melt gently whilst whisking to combine. When it reaches room temperature, add the egg and flour mix to the chocolate mix. This is a basic fondant recipe.

Next, spoon the mixture into the moulds until they are half full, then add the buttons, then fill the moulds to the top. If there’s any mix left over, it will keep well in the fridge for another day.

Bake the fondants in the oven for 9 to 11 minutes, and then let them sit for a minute outside the oven before carefully turning them out onto warm plates. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of praline.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PIGEON WITH BEETROOT AND ORANGE

“This looks pretty and tastes great. Pigeon is widely available and a great source of protein. Top tip here is to marinate the raw beetroot for as long as you can, as the vinegar breaks down the slices as though it is cooked. Also try to toast the hazelnuts just before you use them, the difference in taste is astonishing.”

Serves 1

Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 2 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 breast of wild wood pigeon, skin off

1 smallish red beetroot, peeled and washed

1 orange, peeled and cut into small segments

A few watercress leaves

4 to 5 peeled hazelnuts, crushed on the side of a knife, carefully

1 tablespoon good extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife cut the beetroot into very thin slices and marinate in all of the vinegar and half of the oil. Season with salt and pepper and set to one side.

Season the pigeon with salt and pepper. Add half of the remaining oil to a frying pan and take to a moderate-to-high heat. Cook the pigeon for 1 minute each side, no more. Remove the pigeon from the pan and set to one side to cool.

Toast the hazelnuts in the same pan and keep warm.

To serve, arrange the beetroot into a fan shape on a plate. Slice the pigeon very thinly lengthways and lay on top of the beetroot. Season the watercress with salt, pepper and a little oil and arrange on top of the pigeon. Scatter over the hazelnuts and orange segments. Add a final sprinkle of salt and eat at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: MUSSELS WITH GARLIC, SHALLOTS, CREAM AND TARRAGON

“I've said it for years, mussels are the perfect fast food. They don't take long to cook, are tasty and healthy, and are a great base to add different flavours to. Here I've opted for the classic garlic, shallots, wine and cream combo, but have chosen tarragon as the finishing herb. I love it in this dish. Try this using the Shetland blue shell mussels - they work a treat as they’re big, fat and so sweet.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1kg Shetland blue shell mussels

1 large banana shallot, finely chopped

100ml white wine

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

250ml double cream

A small handful of chopped fresh tarragon

A squeeze of lemon (optional)

METHOD

Clean the mussels and remove the beards, then place them in a large pot with a lid on a very hot stove. Add the shallots, wine and garlic.

Cook with the lid on for a few minutes until the mussels start to open then add the cream. Continue to cook until all the mussels open. Any that haven’t opened, either discard or check to see if they are good by prising them open.

Next add the chopped tarragon and a squeeze of lemon (if you like). Don't mix them too much, just give them a shake in the pot. Serve at one whilst they’re steaming and hot. Enjoy with a glass of the same wine you used to cook them. And remember those finger bowls!

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.

SOURDOUGH STARTER IN SIX EASY STEPS

We bake and serve fresh sourdough every day at Cafe. Mornings always begin with bread-making – as we believe no good meal is complete without a proper sourdough!

It’s easy to start making sourdough at home with these 6 easy steps from Neil.

“Whenever you make a sourdough loaf, try to use your sense of touch. It is a science, but it’s always a good idea to employ your senses and intuition. It may take a while to get the dough started, but your starter will never die, it will just lie dormant in the fridge if you’re not using it. Otherwise, feed it every day with equal quantities of water and flour. Great if you have the time, but as sourdough lasts so well, you may only need to bake a loaf once or twice a week.”

Keep scrolling for our sourdough recipe.

STEP ONE

Add 200g strong, white organic flour and 200ml warm tap water to a bowl.

STEP TWO

Combine into a thick paste using a wooden spoon. Don’t use any antibacterial chemicals to clean any of your utensils as this kills the good bacteria you need to make a natural yeast.

STEP THREE

Pour the mix into a plastic, ceramic or glass container and leave to ferment for 2 days in a warm, or room-temperature, place. Cover with a lid or cling film, and give it a stir every day. It’s important that the starter isn’t in contact with anything metal.

STEP FOUR

After 2 days fermenting, feed the starter by adding 100g strong, white organic flour and 100ml of warm tap water. Mix and replace the lid and leave again for a further 2 days. Repeat this method after another 2 days.

STEP FIVE

The starter is ready to use (see recipe below). If using again the next day, leave it on the countertop. If not, place in the fridge where it will lay dormant until you start to feed it again.

STEP SIX

The finished loaf, made with nothing but flour, water and salt. I use Mungoswells flour, Isle of Skye sea salt and good old tap water. Invest in a proving basket to achieve a lovely shape.

NEIL’S SOURDOUGH RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

500g organic, strong white flour, grown and milled in Scotland ideally

285ml warm, tap water (you may need more water, a wetter dough is better than a dryer dough)

135g starter 

15g good sea salt, I like Isle of Skye

Semolina for dusting

METHOD

Add all the ingredients to a mixer and beat on a slow, low speed. The longer the better. 

If the dough is looking a bit dry, add more warm water. The texture of the dough is dependent on the temperature and moisture in the air, and I would always suggest making a slightly wetter dough than normal. I have very rarely failed with a sloppy, wet dough!

Once all the ingredients are incorporated, place the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl or tub with enough room for it to double in size. Cover with a lid. Leave for around 3 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let it reach room temperature before shaping gently into a ball.

Once shaped, place the dough into a semolina-dusted banneton or proving basket. If it’s a wet dough be careful and not to over-prove at this stage. Keep it somewhere cosy but not too hot for an hour or two and it’ll prove beautifully. 

Heat the oven to 200°C and turn the loaf out onto a tray, tucking it in underneath just before it goes in the oven. 

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150°C and continue to bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling wire.

NEIL'S RECIPES: MACKEREL, SAGE AND HORSERADISH

“I adore mackerel and I eat it lot smoked, or in pâté, but when it’s super-fresh there is nothing better than to enjoy it grilled. Here, I am serving it with a clever garnish of fried sage leaves in a simple batter with some sharp and creamy horseradish to bring out the flavour and cut through the richness of the fish. Serve it with a big green salad for a great lunch dish.”

Serves 1

Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 mackerel, as fresh as possible, butterflied and bones removed

4 sage leaves

1 tablespoon self-raising flour

Half a teaspoon fresh or dried yeast

1 tablespoon creamed horseradish

1 splash fizzy water

Good salt and pepper

Half a lemon

Half a cup sunflower oil

1 teaspoon grated fresh horseradish

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

A big green salad

METHOD

Begin by making a batter for the sage crisps by mixing the flour, yeast and enough fizzy water to make thick double cream consistency. Season and mix in a little creamed horseradish.

Heat the sunflower oil to 160°C then place the leaves in the batter before submerging in the hot oil. Gently shallow fry the leaves for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and keep on kitchen paper somewhere warm.

Bring the grill to a high heat. Meanwhile, rub the mackerel fillets with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Lay the fish flat on a metal tray and place under the hot grill for 3 to 4 minutes until just cooked. Remove, season again with some salt and lemon.

Toss the salad leaves with some creamed and grated horseradish, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Season.

To serve, place the salad and fish on a plate and decorate with the sage leaves. Dot the remaining horseradish on the leaves and finish with a trickle of olive oil.

NEIL'S RECIPES: CRISPY ERRINGTON’S ELRICK LOG GOAT'S CHEESE WITH SALSA ROSSA

“The light crispness comes from the flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs that coat creamy slices of Selina Errington’s fine cheese. The piquant addition of salsa rossa makes this dish a great starter or main. The use of fresh mint, parsley and basil is essential here. Do not use dried herbs please.”

Serves 2
Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking  time: 5 minutes plus 1 hour to roast the peppers

INGREDIENTS

1 Errington Elrick Log, cut into 6 slices, available from IJ Mellis or George Mewes or online from Errington
1 red pepper
2 tomatoes, quartered, seeds removed and diced
Quarter of a radicchio lettuce, washed and diced into small cubes
Half a small red onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped mint
1 teaspoon chopped basil
1 teaspoon capers
1 tablespoon good red wine vinegar, I like Forum Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar for its sharp but subtle sweetness
2 to 3 tablespoons good olive oil
Good salt and pepper
2 eggs, whisked with a little milk, salt and pepper
2 tablespoons plain flour
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs, Panko are good to use here
A handful of ground almonds
A few radish slices to garnish
500ml rapeseed oil

METHOD 

Heat the oven to 180°C and roast the pepper for an hour. Allow to cool, remove the skin and seeds, then dice.

Make the salsa rosso by mixing the onion, radicchio, parsley, mint, basil, capers, diced tomatoes, diced peppers and vinegar together in bowl and trickling over a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the rapeseed oil in a fryer or small pot to 180°C.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the ground almonds. Dip the goat’s cheese in flour, then the egg wash and then the breadcrumbs to give them a good coating. Fry in the hot rapeseed oil until golden - about 1 to 2 minutes.

Plate this dish up simply. Add the salsa to the plates and place the crispy goat’s cheese on top. Add a few slices of radish for a crunchy garnish.