NEIL'S RECIPES: ASPARAGUS, WHIPPED CROWDIE, OVEN-DRIED TOMATO

“This is a great combination of flavours. I like to whip the crowdie cheese to make it creamier and smoother, and the oven-dried tomatoes give it a rich burst of flavour.”

Serves 2

Prep time 20 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes, plus 2 hours for drying the tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

26 spears of British asparagus

10 mixed cherry tomatoeS

A few thyme leaves

2 heaped tablespoons of crowdie

A few salad leaves like mustard or watercress

A tablespoon each of dill, tarragon, parsley and basil

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 anchovy fillet, optional

Good salt and pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra for cooking the tomatoes

METHOD

Heat the oven to 100°C. Place the tomatoes in an oven-proof dish and trickle over a little olive oil, salt, pepper and few thyme leaves. Cook for around 2 hours.

Prepare the asparagus by removing an inch from the bottom of each spear, then peel as if sharpening a pencil.
If you have an electric hand-held whisk, use it to whip the crowdie. If not, just use a normal metal whisk. Once smooth and silky, place into a piping bag.

Make a green sauce by pulsing the dill, tarragon, parsley, basil, mustard, vinegar, anchovy and 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a liquidiser. Season if required.

Next, blanch the prepared asparagus spears in boiling, salted water for 1 minute to take the rawness off them. Then place onto a chargrill pan with a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes until slightly charred.

To plate up, pipe the crowdie in to 3 spaced-out mounds on each plate, then lay the asparagus on top, and dot the tomatoes around the plate. Top with some green sauce and decorate with a few salad leaves. Serve at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: FLAPJACKS

“Flapjacks seem to be one of those sweet treats that we all know, but no-one really talks about. I adore their sweet oaty taste. Perfect served with a cuppa.”

Makes 18 finger-sized bars

INGREDIENTS

500g porridge oats

250g jumbo oats

375g unsalted butter

375g dark brown soft muscovado sugar

10 tablespoons of golden syrup

Nuts, seeds or dried fruit as desired

METHOD

Heat oven to 180°C.

Melt the butter over a very low heat then slowly stir in the brown sugar until dissolved.

Add the oats and give it a good mix. You may need to do this in a large mixing bowl.

Add nuts and fruit, stir.

Line a baking tray with a smear of oil and then a layer of greaseproof paper. The oil helps to stick the paper in place.

Spread the mix into the tray, pressing it down firmly with a palette knife. It can be thick or thin, depending on the size of your tray.

Bake for around 20 minutes, or until it begins to turn golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Then turn out of the tray, remove the paper, and cut into desired shapes.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ENDIVE, PEAR, BLUE CHEESE AND WALNUT SALAD

"I adore this dish. It is simple, tasty and one I come back to again and again. The bitter salad leaves cut through the rich pear. And the sweet, candied walnuts are a joy with the rich, creamy Lanark Blue. Add a few watercress leaves for a peppery kick and serve in the middle of the table for everyone to share."

Serves 4 in one big bowl
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time : 1.5 hours including poaching pears

INGREDIENTS

2 red and 2 white endives, chicory or witloof, leaves removed and washed
2 conference pears
200g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split
Good salt and pepper
1 star anise
1 lemon
100g of good blue cheese, I like Lanark Blue
A handful of Californian walnuts, shelled
A few watercress leaves
Sunflower oil for shallow frying
Cold-pressed rapeseed oil for dressing

METHOD

Begin by poaching the pears. Remove the peel from each and rub with a halved lemon. Then bring a litre of water to the boil in a pan. Add half the sugar, the star anise, the split vanilla pod, the juice of half a lemon then plonk the pears into this stock syrup and poach for about an hour on a gentle boil covered with a greaseproof paper cartouche so the pears don’t oxidise during poaching. The harder the pear, the longer it will take to cook. Allow the pears to cool in the syrup. Remove the stalk and any seeds, and dice. Set to one side. 

To prepare the candied walnuts, make a stock syrup using the remaining sugar and 100ml of water and bring to the boil. Cook the walnuts in this solution for 5 to 7 minutes and allow them to cool in the syrup. Once cool, remove and drain on kitchen paper. Next, heat the sunflower in a deep frying pan and fry the walnuts until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. 

To assemble the salad, add the endive leaves to a large mixing bowl and crumble in the blue cheese. Then sprinkle over the walnuts and the diced pear. Season with good salt and pepper and a drizzle of cold-pressed rapeseed oil and a little of the syrup from the pears. Mix gently.

To serve, place the salad into a serving dish and decorate with watercress, a little more oil and syrup, a squeeze of lemon juice and a final sprinkling of salt.

NEIL'S RECIPES: LEEK AND POTATO SOUP, MULL CHEDDAR BISCUITS

“This soup is so tasty and easy to make. You don't even have to blitz it in the liquidiser, as it is delicious chunky. The crème fraîche adds a rich, creaminess that I love in a soup. Enjoy the cheese biscuit, it is rather tasty and easy to make.”

Serves 4

Prep time: 50 minutes; cooking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

1 large leek, topped and root removed, split and washed then roughly chopped, washed again

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 large or 2 small potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into 1cm pieces

1 litre good chicken stock, veg stock or water

1 handful spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon butter

Good salt and pepper

4 teaspoons crème fraîche to garnish (optional)

A few slices of radish to garnish (optional)

Chopped chives to garnish (optional)

METHOD

Melt the butter gently in a thick-bottomed pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and sweat without colour for 5 to 7 minutes until soft. Add salt and pepper, stir and add the potato and leek, stirring for a few minutes. Then add the stock, hot if possible, combine and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, skimming off any foam.

When the potatoes are cooked, season again and add the handful of spinach. Once wilted, blitz in a liquidiser for at least 2 minutes; always be very careful using a liquidiser as they can erupt and cover your kitchen with boiling soup, so be careful. It may be better to use a hand-held blender if you have one.

Once blitzed, pass the soup through a fine sieve. It’s hard work but it will make the soup super-smooth.

Serve in a warm bowl with a dollop of cold crème fraîche topped with some chopped chives and a few slices of radish. Enjoy with a few cheese biscuits.

MULL CHEDDAR BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS

100g unsalted butter, diced

100g plain flour, plus a bit more for dusting

A pinch of salt

50g Mull Cheddar, grated

A pinch of cayenne or paprika

1 egg

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

Combine the butter and flour then add the salt, cayenne and grated cheese. Try adding chives or grain mustard through the mix too. Add the egg and mix well. It will take around 2 to 3 minutes to mix. Prepare a rolling surface with flour and roll the mixture into a sausage shape the diameter of a £2 coin. Cover tightly in cling film and leave to rest for an hour.

Remove the cling film, cut into discs and lay them on baking parchment. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes but don’t over-cook or they will become bitter. Allow to cool and serve with the soup. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: LAMB WITH OLIVE, TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE

“This is a blast from the past for me as I hadn’t used this combination for years until recently. I almost forgot about it! Everything just works. I like to chop the basil very small and even infuse some in the sauce. Not too heavy with the tomato and olive giving it a hint of the Mediterranean. Those fat and juicy kalamata olives are superb with this dish.”

Serves 2
Prep time: 1 hour; cooking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

Half a loin of lamb from your butcher or market trader, skin removed, and fat scored so it renders more easily
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 tomato, cut into quarters, seeds removed and retained, flesh chopped
1 tablespoon kalamata olives, pitted
Good salt and pepper
A few basil leaves. chopped
500ml good, strong lamb or beef stock
1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
Half a celery stick, roughly chopped
1 rosemary frond
1 clove garlic
1 glass red wine

METHOD

To make the sauce, add the shallots and add a half teaspoon of oil to a small pot and fry. Add the celery and fry again until there’s a good colour. This will take 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the rosemary, garlic and wine. Reduce for around 4 minutes until the wine resembles a glaze. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes, skimming as you go. Add the tomato seeds. When simmered, pass the sauce through a fine sieve and reduce by at least half until the sauce is the consistency of double cream – about another 10 minutes. Add a leaf or two of basil and set to one side.

To roast the lamb, get a frying pan moderately hot on the hob and add the remaining oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and fry fat side down in the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Roll the lamb over and continue cooking carefully for about 5 minutes until all the meat is coloured, seasoning as you go. Finally, add a little knob of butter and baste the lamb. The lamb should be just firm to touch. It may need to go in the oven (at 180°C) for 2 to 3 minutes. When ready, remove the meat from the pan and rest in a warm place.

Meanwhile, add the chopped tomato, olives and basil to the warm sauce and return to the heat.

To serve, carve the lamb and place on a warm plate. Spoon over the warm sauce, and serve with buttery mash and greens.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BEETROOT TARTE TATIN WITH A SALAD OF BLUE MURDER CHEESE, APPLE AND ENDIVE

"It’s a classic dish, normally made with apple or pear but why not a veg? This recipe calls for beetroot, but fennel or shallots work just as well. It’s essentially just a simple caramel with blanched veg on puff pastry - very simple, tasty and impressive. Serve with an apple and endive salad topped with crumbled Blue Murder cheese to add that creamy richness. Herbs like sage or thyme work well in the caramel. And have a go at rough puff pastry too, far better than any shop bought stuff!"

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 Arran 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.

NEIL'S RECIPES: TABLET

I don't have a sweet tooth, sugar just doesn't do it for me. But when I fancy a wee treat with my coffee, I tend to go for a tiny piece of tablet. It’s essentially fudge, just taken a little further in the cooking process. A centuries-old, traditional Scottish sweetie, in years gone by everyone's granny would have made it. Eating tablet reminds me of my gran and I love how it is locked into my food memories.

This should make plenty for a celebration, or for guests visiting

INGREDIENTS

120g unsalted butter

800ml whole milk

800g condensed milk or home-made milk jam

1.8kg unrefined caster sugar

METHOD

If you would like to make your own milk jam, start this recipe by mixing 800ml of milk and 800g of sugar in a pot, then boiling them together until a thick cream consistency is achieved. It can be flavoured with vanilla if you like.

Oil a large roasting tray with sides and lay on a sheet of silicone paper.

Melt the butter along with the condensed milk (or milk jam) and the milk on a medium heat in a large, thick-bottomed pot. Then dissolve in the sugar.

Bring it to the boil on a moderate heat and stir as often as you possibly can. Be careful as this gets very hot, so wear an apron and gloves if you need to.

After 10 minute or so you will see the colour changing to a light brown, this is a good thing. It must be kept on the boil, so use the thermostat on your appliance to keep a steady and quite vigorous boil.

After around half an hour the mixture will be quite caramel in colour and the texture in the pot will change. It will almost start to solidify on the edge of the pot.

Once it reaches around 114.5°C it should be fine to set.

When you think it’s ready, remove the pot from the heat and use an electric whisk to carefully whisk the mixture for at least 5 minutes. Beating the mix gives it the characterful texture and allows it to set better too.

Once beaten, pour into the prepared, lined tin, scraping the sides of the pot to get every last drop.

Allow it to cool slightly, then score the top of the tablet into 1-inch squares before cooling thoroughly near an open window.

Once cool, break into pieces and store in an airtight tub. Don't tell your dentist!

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

For this recipe it has to be a British leg of lamb. I would recommend buying from a farmers’ market or a good local butcher. Ask about the breed, whether its organic or even the name of the farm. It’s good to get to know what’s available and learn about the different tastes. At the restaurant we use Grierson Organic Perthshire lamb and Richard Briggs Native Shetland Lamb - both different but both delicious. Don't overcook the leg, simply rub with oil and salt and lay on a trivet of roots with garlic and rosemary before roasting. And make sure you allow it to rest properly. Bring the whole joint to the table to carve, you'll get lots of oohs and aahs!

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: ASPARAGUS, SOFT-BOILED EGG, WATERCRESS AND RADISH

"Asparagus always tastes best when treated simply. Just blanched in boiling salted water and dipped in melted butter is delightful. But here I have added a soft-boiled organic egg, some watercress and radishes. We grow wonderful asparagus here in Scotland, so please try to avoid Peruvian asparagus, it’s been over-farmed and damages the ecosystem due to the irrigation required."

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Allow 4 spears of asparagus each person
4 organic eggs, a few days old are easier to peel
A big bunch of British watercress
A few radishes
4 tablespoons of organic extra-virgin olive oil
Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, bring a pan of water to the boil, then add the eggs and cook on a rolling boil for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and refresh under cold running water. Whilst they are cooling peel them carefully.

Remove the bottom of the asparagus spears, roughly the last inch or two. Then peel two inches at the bottom of each spear to remove any woody parts. If it’s young asparagus, this may not be required.

Bring a pot of seasoned water to the boil and blanch the spears for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the water and season.

To serve, arrange the asparagus on plates and garnish with a trickle of extra-virgin olive oil. Place an egg on top and cut to reveal the yolk. Garnish with a few watercress leaves and some slices of radish.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BEEF BOURGUIGNON

“It is a classic here at Cafe St Honoré. We must sell thousands of portions every year and we can never take it off the menu for long. It’s a classic for a reason, like a classic car or motorcycle it will never go out of style. Rich and decadent beef with bacon, mushrooms and onions in red wine…yes please.”

Serves 6 to 8

Cooking time: 4 to 5 hours; fridge time: 6 hours minimum; prep time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

1.5 - 2 kg Scotch beef feather blade 

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 stick celery, roughly chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1 bulb garlic, split down the middle

2 bay leaves

A good bunch of thyme

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 bottle good red wine, Burgundy is favourable

2 litres good beef stock

4 tablespoons rapeseed oil

A little knob of butter

200g bacon lardons

200g mushrooms, chopped 

A large handful of small pickling onions, peeled and blanched in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, set to one side

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on a moderate heat in a frying pan or oven-proof pot big enough to take the feather blade. Season the beef and fry until golden brown all over, this should take 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the beef from the pot and add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme and bay leaves and fry until all well coloured. You may need to add more oil, but do aim to get lots of colour on the veg.

Next, add a tablespoon of tomato purée and fry this off in the veg mix. After 2 minutes of frying and again, give it lots of heat and colour, add the bottle of wine, scraping all the lovely bits off the bottom of the pan, this is flavour.

Heat the oven to 140-50°C.

Add the beef back to the pan and reduce the wine by half. Then add the stock so it is just covering the beef and bring to a low simmer. Season again with salt and pepper. Add a sheet of greaseproof paper to the top of the pot and place a lid on top. Place the pot in the oven for 4 to 5 hours until the beef is tender and soft. You will know it is done when the tip of a knife enters the beef easily. Remove the lid and greaseproof paper from the pot and leave to sit for an hour or two.

After an hour or two, carefully remove the beef from the stock and place it on a tray and leave to cool for about half an hour.

Next, lay several sheets of cling film on a work surface and roll the beef up, sealing it well. Leave this to cool overnight in the fridge or for a minimum 6 hours.

Meanwhile, take the stock and pass it through a fine sieve into a pot and reduce by three quarters, skimming off any impurities as you go. Set to one side.

Heat the remaining oil in a pot and fry the mushrooms, bacon and blanched onions. Fry them for about 6 to 8 minutes, tossing all the time and adding a little nob of butter to give them some colour. Drain off any excess fat and set to one side to keep warm.

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Remove the beef from the fridge, and with cling film on, cut into pieces about 2 to 3cm thick. Remove the cling film and lay the beef in an oven-proof dish big enough to take the sauce. Add the sauce and place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes until hot, then add the bacon, mushrooms and onions and reheat for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve on a nice plate and with some very buttery mash and perhaps some parsley.