NEIL'S RECIPES: ORGANIC ROOTS, BUCKWHEAT AND GOATS CURD

“I adore this goats curd. It becomes even more rich, creamy and smooth when whipped with an electric whisk for a minute or so. Use whatever veg you have in season. I love parsnips, carrots and beets, but it’s up to you.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 90 minutes; Cooking time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 large parsnip, peeled and washed

1 large carrot, or 2 or 3 small ones

2 to 3 small, different coloured beetroots

3 to 4 tablespoons of Errington’s goats curd (available from Edinburgh Farmers’ Market)

3 to 4 cloves of garlic, smashed

A few hard herbs like rosemary, thyme and bay

2 tablespoons of buckwheat

Good salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of cold-pressed rapeseed oil

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 C/Gas Mark 4.

Scrub the beetroots and wrap them in foil with a little oil and salt, then bake for about an hour and a half until cooked. Once cooked, remove from the foil, peel and cut in half. Set aside. Turn the oven up to 220C/Gas Mark 7.

Blanch the parsnip in boiling, salted water for 3 to 4 minutes. Scrub the carrots and blanch in boiling, salted water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Once cooled, cut the carrots in half lengthways, and the parsnip into quarters, or smaller.

Place the buckwheat in a pan with cold water and cook for 10 minutes on the hob. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, then add the buckwheat and fry until golden and crunchy. Season and set aside in a clean bowl.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil then add the carrots and parsnip and fry for a minute. Then add the garlic and beetroot, season with salt and pepper and cook for another minute. Keep an eye on them, don't burn them. Then add the herbs to the pan and roast in the oven for about 7 to 10 minutes.

Whip the goats curd with an electric whisk and place in a piping bag.

To serve, arrange the veg attractively on the plates and pipe small mounds of goats curd all around. Scatter over the toasted buckwheat and give each plate a final season.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ENDIVE, BACON, CHESTNUT, SOFT BOILED EGG AND WALNUT DRESSING

“This is such a classic pairing, made wintery with the chestnuts, but good all year round. It’s really simple to make, and the bitterness of the leaves works well with the egg, bacon and dressing. It’s so tasty.”

Serves 2

Cooking time: 15 minutes; prep time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 handfuls of curly endive, frisée, or whatever salad leaves you like, rocket would work

100g chunky lardons unsmoked bacon

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

100g vacuum-packed chestnuts, halved

2 soft boiled eggs (6 minutes in boiling water)

3 tablespoons walnut oil

1 tablespoon cider or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon grain mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Salt and pepper
METHOD
Wash and dry the salad leaves then arrange them nicely on two plates.

Next, place a frying pan on to the hob and add the rapeseed oil. Bring it to a moderate heat and add the bacon lardons. Fry them whilst stirring all the time (8 to 10 minutes) until golden brown.

Add the chestnuts to the pan for the last minute and turn the heat down if it’s too hot. Set to one side on kitchen paper.

Peel the still-warm boiled eggs and place in the centre of each salad.

Make the dressing by adding the mustard and vinegar to a bowl then whisk vigorously. Trickle in the walnut oil a little at a time and add the honey to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Next, arrange the lardons and chestnuts on top of the salad leaves then trickle the dressing all over. Cut the eggs in half and allow the yolk to become part of the dressing. Add a twist of pepper and serve.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BREAST OF PHEASANT WITH BACON, CHESTNUTS, FENNEL AND WALNUTS

“A lot of our game birds are sent overseas, as nobody can be bothered plucking or butchering them. I think that's madness. We should be eating more of these birds in season, for the sake of our health and our tradition. Pheasant is delicious, and a brilliant alternative to turkey or chicken, just be careful not to overcook it. It has a reputation as being dry, but wrapped in bacon it will remain moist. Here I’ve created a lovely dish with chestnuts, fennel and walnuts. Remember, the legs will take a little longer than the breast, so cook separately if roasting a whole bird.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 plump hen-pheasant breasts

4 long rashers of streaky bacon

1 head of fennel, peeled and cut into batons an inch or two long

A few baby onions, peeled

A handful of chestnuts, re-cooked vacuum-packed are fine

A handful of walnuts

A handful of thick-cut, dry-cured bacon lardons

A few sprigs of thyme

A knob of butter

50ml rapeseed oil

Good salt and black pepper

A few fennel fronds

METHOD

Lay a piece of streaky bacon (north to south) on a clean surface and place a pheasant breast in the middle (east to west) and roll the ends of the rasher around until the pheasant is covered. Repeat for the other three breasts.

Heat a frying pan on the hob and add half the oil. Fry the wrapped breasts in the hot oil until golden all over. This will take a few minutes. Then place the whole pan in a moderately-hot oven for 12 -15 minutes, until just firm. Allow to rest.

Meanwhile, cook your garnish. Heat another frying pan and add the rest of the oil, get it hot then sauté the bacon lardons with the baby onions and fennel.

After a couple of minutes, add the thyme, chestnuts and walnuts, tossing all the time. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Finish in the oven for a further 10 minutes or until the fennel is soft and the onions and bacon are cooked. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the fennel fronds.

To serve, divide the lardon mixture between four plates. Flash the pheasant under the grill to warm them back up before slicing and arranging on top of the garnish. Simple.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PARTRIDGE WITH BLACK PUDDING, KALE, MUSHROOMS AND BRAMBLES

“I adore partridge, and this is a lovely dish to eat. It’s also a beautiful to look at as the autumn colours are so wonderful. Be careful to not overcook the breasts, and give the legs a longer cook or they can be chewy and tough. This dish is brought together with the addition of the brambles and black pudding.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 30 minutes; cooking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

1 oven-ready partridge, legs removed

1 big sprig of thyme

A few sage leaves

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 slices black pudding

1 handful kale, blanched in boiling salted water, refreshed in cold water

A small handful of brambles

A small handful of wild mushrooms, or buttons would do

A glass of Madeira

250ml chicken stock

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil 

2 knobs butter 

Good salt and pepper 

50ml duck fat

INGREDIENTS

Firstly, heat the duck fat in a frying pan on the hob and add the garlic and half the thyme. Then add the partridge legs and a pinch of salt and cook for 1 hour. Set to one side in the oil.

Heat the oven to 180°C.

In a clean oven-proof frying pan, heat half the oil and sear the crown of partridge. Season with salt and pepper and add the remaining thyme. Add a spoonful of the duck fat from the leg pan and turn the crown in the hot fat, before placing the pan in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the crown from the plan and leave to rest in a warm place.

Add the Madeira to the pan from the oven and deglaze on a hot hob for 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the chicken stock and the sage leaves and reduce by three quarters. Whilst it’s reducing, add any juices from the resting crown. Once reduced, add the brambles.

Add the remaining oil to a fresh pan and fry the mushrooms and black pudding at a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes each side. Remove the mushrooms and black pudding and add the butter to same pan with the kale. Season and stir in a spoon of duck fat from the legs.  

To serve, place the kale in the centre of a plate and top with a piece of black pudding. Remove the breasts from the bone of the crown, and place on top of the black pudding with the confited leg. Arrange the mushrooms and brambles around the edge of the plate, trickling the sauce over them. Garnish with a few sage leaves. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH ELDERBERRY SYRUP

“It’s a sign Autumn is here when Ben our forager brings elderberries into the kitchen. Those vibrant, deep shades of reds and purples will stain anything within 100 yards, be warned! The flavour of the syrup is salty, sweet, earthy with a tang. Serve with any ice cream you like. I have used cinnamon, made at Cafe St Honoré with sticks instead of cinnamon powder as it has a finer, more refined flavour.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 1.5 hours

INGREDIENTS

300g peeled pumpkin flesh

4 tablespoons crowdie cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons caster sugar

4 digestive biscuits

1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds

40g unsalted butter, melted

A pinch of cinnamon

A pinch of mixed spice

2 scoops of ice-cream to serve, optional

Mint to garnish, optional

For the elderberry syrup:

250g elderberries, removed from their stalks with a fork, and lightly crushed

1/2 a lemon, sliced

1-inch piece of ginger

1/2 a cinnamon stick

Enough water to cover

200g caster sugar

METHOD

Begin by making the syrup. Bring all the ingredients to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or so on a moderate heat. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin, squeezing every last drop out. Be careful and wear an apron as the mixture may splash and stain your clothes. 

If you have 200ml of juice, add 200g of caster sugar to the liquid (if you have 150ml juice, add 150g sugar, etc) and bring to a gentle boil on a moderate heat and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve or muslin again, and leave to cool in a jar or container with a sealed lid. A sterilised jar is great.

Heat oven to 200°C / Gas Mark 7

To make the cheesecake, cook the pumpkin flesh in a hot oven for 30 to 40 minutes to ensure its soft. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 160°C. Place the pumpkin  in a bowl and smash with a whisk until smooth. As it cools, add the crowdie cheese, a pinch of mixed spice and cinnamon, and beat in the egg and sugar. Set to one side. 

Next, bash the biscuits and seeds until they have a very fine sand texture - use a processor if required. Add the melted butter, a pinch of cinnamon and mixed spice and combine. 

Oil two 4-inch metal ring and spoon in half the base mixture into each, pressing down firmly. Next, top each base with the cheesecake mix and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until just cooked. Allow to cool and be careful when removing the metal rings. Run a small, hot knife round the edge of the cheesecake before attempting to remove the ring. 

Serve with your favourite ice cream and a trickle of elderberry syrup and crumble any leftover biscuit base over the top and top with a sprig of mint.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SEARED SCALLOPS WITH GAZPACHO SAUCE

“The flavour of a scallop with a kick of salt and lemon is simple but sensational. Here I have added a gazpacho with a good amount of olive oil. Easy to make and serve. A few sprigs of dill help bring the taste together. Remember to always buy hand-dived scallops and ask your fishmonger to take them out of the shell for you.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6 hand-dived scallops, removed from shell­­—get your fishmonger to do this

3 very red tomatoes, washed, cored and roughly chopped

1/3 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

1/2 red pepper, roughly chopped

1/3 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 slice good sourdough, roughly chopped

2 basil leaves

50ml olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Good salt and pepper

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

A knob of butter

Lemon juice

A few dill sprigs

METHOD

To make the gazpacho sauce, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, pepper, onion, bread, basil, vinegar and half the olive oil together in a bowl. Season and leave to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to macerate.

Next, carefully blitz the mixture in a food processor or blender for 2 to 3 minutes until a smooth consistency is achieved. A bit more oil may be required. Taste and season again if required. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and keep cool.

Rinse the scallops and dry on a cloth. Season. Then place a non-stick frying pan on the hob and take to a moderately high heat. Add a tablespoon of rapeseed oil and add the scallops carefully to the hot oil.

Cook on one side for a minute or two; do not be tempted to overcook them. Then turn the scallops and add a knob of butter, basting as you go for another minute or two. Season again and turn off the heat. Squeeze over a little lemon juice.

To serve, spoon the scallops onto warmed plates and spoon over the sauce. Decorate with a few sprigs of dill. Trickle over the remaining olive oil and eat at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: VENISON SHOULDER AND AUTUMN VEG PIE

“Most of us love pies. They come in all shapes and sizes. I put my love of pies down to homemade pastry. Proper pastry with butter, or in a pork pie, a hot water paste. And using lard, or fresh beef fat or suet, can take a pie to a new level. Including animal fat in pastry (and cheap cuts in the pie) makes sense to me, ensuring the whole animal is used. 

That first sight of the cooked pie approaching the table can have an emotional effect on people. It’s that warming, homely experience that we all love. And of course, a pie must be served with a buttery mash, always buttery!”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

400g diced venison shoulder, or you can use beef or lamb

A little beef fat, or oil

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1/4 turnip, peeled and diced

2 sticks celery, peeled and diced

500ml leftover gravy or very thick reduced game or beef stock

Good salt and pepper

Pre-made rough-puff pastry – to cover your dish

1 egg beaten in a cup with a little salt

A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf

METHOD

Fry the venison dice in the beef fat or oil in a thick-bottomed pot a hot hob. Be sure to get some good colour on the meat before adding the vegetables. Get a good colour on the veg before adding the thyme and bay leaf.

Season the pot with salt and pepper then add the leftover gravy or reduced stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and place a lid on top. Place in a low oven (150°C) for 2 to 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat and vegetables are soft and tender.

Pour the stew into a pie dish (I like Falcon Enamelware) and chill for an hour by an open window so it’s cold when you add the pastry lid.

Roll out your rough-puff pastry on a floured surface, to the same size as the dish top, and lay on the pie. Trim the edges and score a design on top, then brush the egg wash all over.

Cook in the oven at 200°C for 1 hour or until the pastry is cooked and the meat inside is piping hot. Glaze again on exit from the oven with more egg wash, and take to the table with lashings of buttery mash. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: OXTAIL CROQUETTE WITH BEETROOT

“I adore oxtail and I have been cooking it for nearly 40 years. It has a richness that you don’t get from any other cut. Cooked on the bone and flaked off after long and slow cooking makes these delicious croquettes with a delicious, moist interior and a crunchy, golden exterior.”

Serves 4

Prep time: 40 minutes; cooking time 4 to 6 hours; cooling time: overnight

INGREDIENTS

1 large oxtail, cut into segments, get your butcher to do this as it’s quite tricky

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 stick celery, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

A few peppercorns

1 large glass of red wine

2 litres good beef stock

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Pickled beetroot for garnish

Salad leaves for garnish

Caper mayonnaise, optional

METHOD

Heat the oven to 140°C.

Heat the oil until very hot in a thick-bottomed pan. Add the oxtail and cook carefully until golden brown all over—this will take 5 to 10 minutes—take your time.

Remove the oxtail from the pan onto a plate. In the same pan, cook the roughly-chopped veg until golden—you may need to add more oil.

When browned, return the oxtail to the pan, then the red wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the by half then add the stock.

Next, add the bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper.

Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid, discarding the greaseproof paper.

Place the pan in the oven to cook slowly for 4 to 6 hours until the meat is falling off the bone with ease. Check after 3 hours.

When cooked, remove from the oven, and place the oxtail on a tray. Once cooled enough to touch, pick all the meat off the bone and keep it warm.

Pass the stock through a fine sieve into a clean pan and reduce until just a small cupful remains—this will take 20 to 30 minutes. Pour this liquid into a bowl and add the oxtail meat. Season and mix well.

Press this mixture into a clingfilm-lined container or terrine mould and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove from the fridge and cut into chunky slices, about an inch thick. Run these slices through the plain flour, then the beaten eggs, followed by the panko breadcrumbs, and deep fry until golden brown—this should take 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve with pickled beetroot, caper mayonnaise and a few salad leaves.

NEIL'S RECIPES: CURED TROUT WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER AND HORSERADISH

“Trout is similar to salmon but more sustainable. Here I have cured the raw fish in salt and sugar in the same way you would gravadlax—so flavoursome and fresh. It keeps well and looks great on a white plate with some good radishes and pickled items. Horseradish is good from a jar but try making your own with crème fraîche and some acidity from the juice of a lemon to give a nice kick to the fish.”

Serves 10, if using a whole side

Cooking time: 20 minutes; prep time: 30 minutes, plus three days

INGREDIENTS

1 side of trout weighing around 800g, skin on and pin-boned

For the cure:

175g coarse salt

75g good, light brown sugar

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

3 star anise

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the cucumber pickle:

1/2 a cucumber, halved and seeds scraped out

100g caster sugar

200ml cider vinegar

200ml cold water

2 star anise

Pinch salt

For the horseradish:

1 heaped tablespoon freshly grated horseradish, or a tablespoon from a jar

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

Juice of half a lemon

To garnish:

A few radishes, quartered

A few salad leaves, like lamb’s lettuce or watercress

METHOD

To make the cure, combine all the ingredients. Spread half in the centre of a sheet of greaseproof paper. Lay the trout on top and rub the remaining mixture over the top. Press it down and wrap the fish up in the paper. Place on a tray in the fridge for three days.

After three days, remove the fish from the paper and run it under a cold tap for a minute, then pat dry with a clean tea towel. Mix the chopped dill with the olive oil then rub it all over the fish. Wrap in cling film and leave aside for 3 to 4 hours. After this the trout will be ready to be sliced for serving using a sharp serrated knife.

To make the pickled cucumber, slice the cucumber into half-moon shapes and add to a pot with all the other ingredients and bring to the boil. Allow to cool and set to one side. This will keep well in an air-tight jar.

To make the horseradish, mix all the ingredients and give it a little whisk so it stiffens slightly. 

To serve, arrange slices of trout on a plate and then decorate with a few radishes, some lamb’s lettuce or watercress, pickled cucumber, and the horseradish. Perfect with some toasted rye bread.

NEIL'S RECIPES: WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH CHERRIES

"Simple and delicious, a cheesecake needn’t be overly fancy. The little kick of orange zest in the mix is lovely. Try to buy British cherries as our orchards are disappearing every year and it would be a shame to lose them forever. Use a different alcohol if you prefer, or none at all, but use the sugar as it helps to cut through that rich cheese cake." 

Makes one 10” cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

150g digestive biscuits

50g unsalted butter, melted

400g white chocolate

100g caster sugar

Zest of 1 orange

350g cream cheese

3 eggs

100ml double cream

A large handful of cherries, pitted and halved

50ml Cointreau

50g caster sugar for the cherries

Edible flowers for garnishing

METHOD

Blitz the biscuits to crumb stage in a food processor. Thoroughly mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter and half the orange zest in a bowl, then press this mixture into a loose-bottomed 10” spring-form cake tin lined with greaseproof paper.

Next, cream the sugar and cream cheese to a loose consistency then add the remaining orange zest before beating in the eggs one at a time. Then fold in the cream.

Heat the chocolate very gently in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Once melted, combine with the cream cheese mix and spread it over the biscuit base. Tap the cake tin on your work surface to remove any air bubbles.

Place into the oven to bake for 45 minutes at 150°C until set. Remove from the oven and place in the fridge until cold.

To make the cherry topping, put the fruit in a pot and place on a medium heat on the hob. Add the Cointreau and sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes then allow to cool before topping the cheesecake. When serving, garnish with edible flowers from the garden. I like calendula and borage just now.