NEIL'S RECIPES: ORGANIC CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

“It's everyone's favourite, but if you’re not careful, a lot can go wrong. The cooking time will vary dramatically depending on the oven you use, so be aware of this and don't over cook. Brownies are better soft and gooey than dry and overlooked. I love the addition of white chocolate buttons in this recipe, and try adding walnuts for some crunch. Serve them with a good vanilla ice-cream and a chocolate sauce for extra moisture, richness and gooeyness!” 

Makes one tray

INGREDIENTS

675g organic unrefined caster sugar

225g organic self-raising flour

125g organic cocoa powder

150g organic white chocolate buttons or 50/50 dark and white organic Montezuma pistoles

6 organic eggs, beaten

340g organic butter, melted

90g organic milk

A few organic chocolate buttons (for chocolate sauce)

A splash of cream (for chocolate sauce)

METHOD

Sift the flour and the cocoa powder together into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sugar, chocolate buttons then add the melted butter, milk and lastly the eggs. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.

Line a roasting tin (around 450 x 300mm) with greased baking parchment or grease-proof paper and pour in the mix. For a thicker brownie, use a smaller tray, but cook it for a bit longer.

Bake the brownie in a pre-heated med to low oven (160-170°C) for around 20 to 30 minutes. All ovens are very different so check every 5 to 10 minutes. Try the tip of a knife test - if it's still too wet inside the centre then cook longer. Don't over cook the brownies, keep it gooey!

To make a chocolate sauce, gently melt a few organic chocolate buttons with a splash of cream over a bain marie.

Serve with a good ice-cream and chocolate sauce.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PIGEON, BEETROOT AND CREAMY CELERIAC

“I’ve been making this dish for 30 years. It’s earthy, simple, and the flavours just work. I have tried growing celeriac, but they are tricky and don’t seem to grow very big—I’m not sure why. Pigeon is readily available most of the year, so try a good butcher or a farmers’ market for a local game dealer. They’re not expensive either. Remember to keep the breasts pink and quite rare otherwise they can be quite tough.”

Serves 4

INGERDIENTS

4 breasts wild wood pigeon

4 whole beetroots, scrubbed

1 celeriac, peeled and washed

A few sprigs of thyme

4 slithers of garlic

A handful of wild garlic

250ml double cream

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Place the scrubbed beetroots in a pot, season with salt and cover with water then bring to the boil and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. When they are cool, scrape away the skin and cut them in half. Next place a few sprigs of thyme on an ovenproof tray and lay the beetroot halves on top. Season them with salt and pepper and a wee squirt of rapeseed oil then bake for 25 minutes in a hot oven (200°C).

Dice the celeriac to 1/2cm cubes, place in a pot and cover with the cream. Add a few sprigs of thyme, 2 slithers of garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until just soft.

Whilst all this is happening, place a frying pan with the rapeseed oil on the hob and bring it to a moderate heat. Season the pigeon and add to the pan. Add a few sprigs of thyme and 2 slithers of garlic and colour the pigeon a 2 – 3 minutes each side, no longer. It should still be nice and pink inside. Remove the pigeon from the pan and leave it to rest in a warm place.

Add the wild garlic to the same pan, season it with salt and pepper, and cook until it wilts down in the pigeon juices.

To serve, spoon the creamy celeriac into the centre of each plate, then slice the pigeon breasts lengthways and arrange on top the celeriac. Arrange the beetroot around the plate and drape the wild garlic over the dish.

Finish with a wee pinch of good salt and serve.

NEIL'S RECIPES: OX TONGUE WITH WHITE BEANS AND GREEN SAUCE

“Not everyone’s favourite but it really is worth a try. Some older folk may not have eaten this for years and when they see it on the menu are delighted. The green sauce is absolutely delicious and keeps well in the fridge for a good week. If you don’t want to soak and cook your own white beans there are some brilliant tinned or pre-cooked packet ones available.”

Serves 4
Prep time: 1 hour, plus 4 days in a brine; cooking time: 3 to 4 hours

INGREDIENTS
1 ox tongue
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil for frying

For the brine:
200g caster sugar
300g sea salt
2 litres water
4 juniper berries, 4 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 4 bay leaves

For the braise:
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick celery, roughly chopped
1 sprig of thyme

For the beans:
200g white beans, haricot blanc or coco, soaked overnight in cold water
1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stick celery, 1 clove garlic, all chopped small
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 litre chicken stock
1 sprig of thyme, salt & pepper

For the green sauce:
Fresh mint, basil, parsley, tarragon and dill, about a tablespoon of each
4 anchovy fillets
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
75ml rapeseed oil
75ml olive oil

METHOD

To make the brine, bring all the ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil. Allow to cool then pour into a tub and add the ox tongue. Leave for 4 days in the fridge. Ensure the tongue remains submerged by using a plate to hold it down.

After 4 days, remove the tongue from brine and braise it in a pot of water on a moderate hob with the diced onion, carrot and celery and thyme for 3 to 4 hours. Leave to cool then remove the tongue and refrigerate.

To make the beans, fry off the onions, carrot and celery in the rapeseed oil then add the garlic and fry without colouring for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and the pre-soaked beans and stir. Then add the chicken stock and cook on a low hob until the beans are tender. This will take an hour or so. Season and keep warm.

The green sauce is made simply by adding all the ingredients to a liquidiser (or a hand blender) and whizzing until almost smooth. Add more oil if needed.

To cook the tongue, remove from the fridge and cut into 8 evenly-sized pieces. Fry in hot rapeseed oil until browned, about a minute each side. Serve on a spoonful of beans with a trickle of green sauce.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ORKNEY BROONIE

“Not a brownie, a broonie. It is a cross between sticky toffee pudding and a gingerbread sponge with lots of oatmeal through it and served with lashings of butterscotch sauce. It’s great to discover an old pudding. Noted first by F Marian McNeill in the 1920s.”

Serves 8
Prep time: 30 minutes; cooking time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs

350ml buttermilk

125ml milk

250g unsalted butter

250g light brown sugar

150g molasses

350g plain flour

350g porridge oats

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

5 tablespoons ground ginger

For the butterscotch sauce:

100g unsalted butter

100ml double cream

80g dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

METHOD

Heat the oven to 170°C / Gas Mark 5.
Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and milk. In a separate bowl, melt together the butter, sugar and molasses until combined. Add the dry ingredients to a clean bowl and mix in the egg and milk mixture, then the butter and sugar mixture and combine.

Line an oven-proof baking dish with oiled, greaseproof paper and pour in the mixture. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean after testing.

To make the butterscotch sauce, bring all the ingredients together in a pot and gently melt together on a low heat on the hob. Bring to a gentle simmer then pass through a fine sieve and keep warm.

To serve, cut the broonie into desired portion sizes and pour over the butterscotch sauce. A trickle of double cream works great as well.

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.