NEIL'S RECIPES: CARAMELISED ONION AND CLAVA BRIE TARTS

“This is a delicious way of doing something a bit different with a good, ripe brie. I adore Clava brie—it’s made just outside Inverness using organic milk and has a wonderful flavour. I always buy my cheese way before I need it as to ensure it’s at its ripe best. Great served here in a tart.” 

Makes 4 small tarts

INGREDIENTS

250g plain flour

125g unsalted butter, diced small

Cold water to bind the pastry

12 slices Clava brie

2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

A good handful of purple sprouting broccoli, woody stalks removed

Good salt and pepper

50ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A few sprigs of thyme

METHOD

To make the pastry for the tart cases, add the plain flour and the diced butter to a mixing bowl and rub together until they resemble breadcrumbs. Then add a pinch of salt and trickle in enough cold water to make a good pastry dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for an hour or so to rest.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and flour 4 small tart tins. Remove the chilled dough from fridge and flour the work surface. Cut the pastry into four evenly-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Then roll each ball into 2mm-thick circles and place into the cases, trimming off the edges of any excess pastry. Blind bake with greaseproof paper (or 3 layers of cling film) and baking beans for 40 to 50 minutes - until the tarts are crisp and golden brown.

To caramelise the onions, heat 25ml of oil in a pot then add the sliced onions. Season with salt and pepper then put the lid on and cook on a medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The onions should be golden and caramelised. Remove from the heat and stir in a few sprigs of thyme.

Divide the onions between the 4 tart shells, then lay 3 slices of Clava brie on top of each tart and trickle with a little oil. Top with some thyme leaves and season again. Gently warm the tarts under the grill or in the oven.

Next, bring a pot of water to the boil and blanch the purple sprouting broccoli for 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Remove from the water and season.

Divide the broccoli between 4 warmed plates and place the tarts on top. Trickle any remaining oil all over the tarts and broccoli. Serve immediately.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SEAFOOD PLATTER

“If you like, you can add lobster to this dish, but just don’t eat it every week as lobster is at threat if we eat it too much. Same goes for langoustines. We love using them at Cafe, but not all the time. It’s good practice to change your fish species around, seasonally of course. Go online and research sustainable fish available locally to you.”

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 handful of mussels, beards removed

2 scallops, hand-dived and out of the shell

1 squid, prepped and scored

1 fillet of grey mullet

A few radicchio leaves

A handful of watercress

Half a lemon

Good salt and pepper

1 tablespoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A knob of butter

A clove of garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon of curly parsley, chopped

METHOD

Find your biggest frying pan and get it hot on the hob. Add the rapeseed oil. Season the fish and shellfish and add to the pan. Keep an eye on the temperature as you don’t want the pan to get too hot. And be aware that each fish will have different cooking times. The mullet will take a little longer to cook than the scallops for example.

Season the fish and shellfish again in the pan and add the smashed garlic clove, the parsley and the butter then cover the pan with a lid (if you have one) so the mussels can open up, and the squid should start to curl. Add some lemon juice and season again. Turn the scallops and fish as required, the whole process should only take 3 to 4 minutes. Try not to over cook the fish.

Once ready, remove the fish from the pan and place onto a warm platter. If you have the scallop shells, use them to display your scallops. Add the lemon to the pan cut-side down and cook until it starts to blacken then add to your platter. Enjoy with a salad and a glass of fizz!

NEIL'S RECIPES: RHUBARB AND APPLE CRUMBLE

“Who doesn’t like a crumble. The addition of rhubarb in this apple classic is delicious, especially as there’s so much of it around right now. It’s a great time for garden-grown rhubarb. I have so much I sent some to the in-laws, who made crumble with no sugar! It didn’t work, and lashings of custard was required to compensate. Serve this pudding with whatever takes your fancy, even good old pouring cream is wonderful.” 

Serves 2

Prep time: 30 to 45 minutes; cooking time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 large or 2 smaller British Bramley apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 large stalk of garden rhubarb, washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
75g plain flour
175g caster sugar
35g unsalted butter
50g pinhead or porridge oats
A touch of ground ginger if you like it
Some good vanilla ice cream, custard or whatever you fancy

METHOD

Heat the oven to 160°C / Gas Mark 3
Firstly ensure the fruit is washed thoroughly and place into a pot with 100g of the sugar, add some ginger if you like. Add a tablespoon or two of water and cook gently for about 10 to 15 minutes until the fruit is just about soft. Turn off the heat and leave for 15 minutes, then place the cooked fruit in an oven-proof dish.

Next, make the crumble topping by rubbing the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Be careful not to over mix. Add the remaining sugar and oats and mix well. Scatter the crumble mix over the warm fruit and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown. Some people add more sugar onto the top of the dish, but I think it’s sweet enough.

Serve warm with either ice-cream or cream or custard.

NEIL'S RECIPES: MUSSEL AND LEEK BROSE

“This dish has so much flavour and is easy to make. Oats have been a staple in Scotland for centuries, and this mussel and leek dish ticks a box for historical accuracy. I like using Shetland Blue Shell mussels as they’re very sustainable.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 large leek, halved, washed and chopped

2 big handfuls of Shetland Blue Shell mussels, beards removed and cleaned

1 shallot, roughly chopped

1 sprig of thyme

1 clove of garlic

A splash of white wine

200g pinhead oats, steeped overnight in water

100g butter

Blanched baby leeks and seaweed for garnish

1 tablespoon chopped curly parsley

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Place a large pot with a lid on the hob and get it quite hot. Throw in the mussels, thyme, garlic and shallot then add the wine. Give the pot a shake and put the lid on.

Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Remove half of the mussels from the shells and reserve the remainder.

Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and reserve.

Add half the butter and two thirds of the leeks to a clean pot and cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until they are nice and soft.

Drain the oats and add them to the leeks, followed by the mussel stock. Season. Keep stirring the oats as they will tend to stick a bit to the bottom of the pot.  You may need to add a glug of water. Cook until the oats begin to resemble cooked porridge, about 15 minutes.

Next, add the remaining leeks, and the other half of the butter, stir and cook until leeks are soften. Check the seasoning and add the parsley.

Stir through the shelled mussels and divide between four warmed bowls. Garnish with the mussels in shells, and some blanched and seasoned baby leeks and seaweed.

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: SMOKED TROUT WITH DILL SCONE AND PICKLES

“I adore the smoked fish from our friends at Belhaven. The taste is just right. It’s a simple flavour and one that goes with a huge array of ingredients. Here I have given a few ideas but have a play around. Remember it is a rich fish, so it needs something to cut through that richness. Think capers, cornichons and pickles.”

Serves 4 to 6

Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Allow about 75g to 100g of smoked trout per person, I like to buy unsliced and slice it myself but sliced is good from Belhaven

1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and sliced

Half a red onion, peeled and sliced in to rings

100g caster sugar

100g cider vinegar

100ml water

A few mustard seeds

1 sprig of thyme

200g plain flour

Half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

10g chopped dill

Half a teaspoon fennel seeds

25g unsalted butter, cubed

150ml milk

Pinch of salt

A few radishes

Crème fraîche, optional

Twist of black pepper

METHOD

Heat the oven to 200°C / Gas Mark 7

To make the scones, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, dill, fennel seeds and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter to breadcrumb stage, then add the milk until it becomes a soft dough.

Dust a surface with flour and push the dough into a flat shape about 1-inch thick. Use a floured cutter, about a 2-inch diameter, to cut out the scones and place them on a greased baking tray. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

To make the pickles, boil together the water, sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds and thyme then add the sliced cucumber. Turn off the heat and leave to cool.

To make the pickled red onion, place the onion slices in a bowl and pour over boiling water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes, then drain and pour over some of the pickling liquid.

To serve, simply arrange the smoked trout on a plate with a scone, the pickles, some halved radishes, a twist of black pepper and maybe some crème fraîche.

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: STEAK AND ROAST GARLIC BUTTER

“It is tricky to get a good steak right. But if you do cook a steak at home, you should choose your steak from your butcher, ask where it’s from, the breed, and how long it was hung. Keep things simple. Try not to overcook and always ask how people want it cooked. Well done is always a waste of a steak in my view.”

Serves one 

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour for roasting garlic
Cooking time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 really good steak of your liking, I’m enjoying flat irons just now

1 sprig thyme

1 bulb garlic 

1 knob butter, for frying 

100g butter, softened

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon beef fat

1 handful of good salad leaves

A few red onion rings

1 teaspoon grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon apple vinegar

2 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C / Gas Mark 4

Remove the steak from the fridge.

Wrap the garlic bulb in foil with a little oil and salt. Bake for 1 hour.

Remove the garlic from the oven and turn up the heat to 200°C / Gas Mark 6.

To make the roast garlic butter, simply remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze the roasted flesh into a bowl. Add 100g butter, the parsley, season with salt and pepper and mix. Roll the butter mix up in a sheet of greaseproof paper like a sausage and refrigerate. Once firm, cut into discs the size of a pound coin.

Make a salad dressing by adding the honey, mustard and vinegar to a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper then whisk whilst trickling in the rapeseed oil. Set to one side. 

Place a good frying pan on the hob and take it to a moderate heat, then add the beef fat. Season the steak and add to the pan with the thyme. Turn the heat up a bit if needed, then add the knob of butter and continue to cook on each side until it begins to caramelise. This should take about one minute on each side. Season again and place in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and rest on a plate in a warm place. Just before serving place a disc of garlic butter to the still-warm steak to melt.

Mix the red onion with the salad leaves and toss with the dressing. Season and place onto a fresh plate with the steak.