NEIL'S RECIPES: BRAISED OXTAIL

“I remember cooking oxtail years ago at Kinnaird House. We braised them for hours, flaked the meat off and filled a cabbage leaf with a rich mixture of the meat, perfectly diced vegetables and bacon. It was a beautiful dish, but took days to make. With this recipe you can have it on the table in time for supper. The joy of oxtail is the sticky fingers you get from picking up the pieces and chewing them to get all the flavour off the bone.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 oxtails, get your butcher to cut them into segments, this will easily feed 4

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 large carrot, washed and roughly chopped

1 stick celery, washed and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 sprig of thyme

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil for frying

1 large glass of good, red wine

1 litre very good beef or chicken stock

Good salt and pepper

Chopped parsley to garnish

4 large tablespoons of diced carrot, turnip, celery

4 scoops buttery mash, to serve

METHOD

Heat the oven to 130°C.

Fry the oxtail pieces, a little at a time, in a tablespoon of oil in a heavy frying pan until golden all over, seasoning with a little salt and pepper as you do so. Take your time doing this as the browner the meat, the more flavour. Then add the meat to a deep stewing pot or oven-proof casserole dish.

In the same pan, add the remaining oil and fry the roughly chopped vegetables and garlic until golden. Then add to the stew pot, along with the thyme, bay leaves and red wine.

Place on the hob and bring to the boil, reducing the wine by half, before adding the stock. Season and bring to just below the boil. Cover the pot with a lid and place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours. You will know it is ready when the meat is falling off the bone.

Remove the oxtail pieces from the pot and keep in a warm place. Pass the cooking liquor through a fine sieve into a clean pan and reduce, removing any impurities that rise to the top. If you need to thicken the sauce a little, add some cornflour. One the sauce is at the desired consistency, add the diced carrot, turnip and celery to cook. Once the veg is cooked, add the oxtail to the pan to warm through.

To serve, place a scoop of buttery mash in the centre of a warmed plate, adding the oxtail stew on top. Then garnish with a little chopped parsley. Serve piping hot.

NEIL'S RECIPES: CALIFORNIAN WALNUT AND BRAMLEY APPLE CAKE

“If, like me, you have a productive apple tree then a warm cake is a change from crumbles and pies. I like the flavour of many varieties and you can always swap with a neighbour.”

Serves 6
Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

250g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced

150g Californian walnuts, roughly chopped

250g self-raising flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

150g light brown sugar

150g soft unsalted butter

2 eggs

100ml whole milk

Extra sugar for topping

Vanilla ice-cream to serve

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C

Line a baking dish or tin (about 20cm) with parchment paper, or butter and flour, to stop the cake from sticking.

In a food processor, cream the butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, then carefully whisk on a low speed. Add the flour, then cinnamon, walnuts and diced apple. Add enough milk so the mixture falls easily off a spoon.

Add the mixture to the prepared tin and smooth over the top with a wet palette knife. Sprinkle extra sugar for a final topping. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until cooked and golden brown. Allow to cool.

Serve with butterscotch sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Butterscotch Sauce

100g unsalted butter

100g dark brown soft sugar

140ml double cream

A handful of diced Californian walnuts

Add the butter, sugar and cream to a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer until all ingredients are melted and combined. Add a handful of walnuts and serve. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: PAIN PERDU

“It means ‘lost bread’ in French, which I think is so sad. A good loaf of bread should never be lost or forgotten, but used until it is gone. You all know I adore my sourdough. If you can’t make it or buy it, then a loaf of yeast bread will do. Try to find a local baker who makes good bread; there are many around nowadays. But please stop buying industrial loaves, it is not bread and has no benefit for our health.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 medium slices of good homemade or bakery-bought bread, yesterday’s is perfect

4 free-range eggs

25g unsalted butter

50g unrefined caster sugar

2 pinches of cinnamon

A dollop of crème fraîche, honey or jam (optional)

METHOD

Crack the eggs into a bowl and give them a good whisk. Add half the sugar and a wee pinch of cinnamon.

Submerge the bread slices (I like to keep the crusts on) in the mix and completely soak the bread for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, put a frying pan on the stove on a moderate heat. Add the butter and allow it to froth then swirl it around the surface of the pan. Add the bread, allowing any excess egg mix to drip back into the bowl.

Fry on one side for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn each slice over and repeat for a further couple of minutes. It must be golden brown on both sides. Remove the slices from the pan and pat dry on kitchen paper.

Place the remaining sugar on a plate with another pinch of cinnamon and mix. Dredge the bread slices in this mix before serving with crème fraîche and some honey and jam. Lovely.

NEIL'S RECIPES: HAND-DIVED ORKNEY SCALLOPS WITH GRAPE AND CALIFORNIAN WALNUT SALSA

“The scallops being delivered from our fish merchants are huge. I love cooking scallops either in or out of the shell. Here with a simple salsa using walnuts and seedless green grapes. Don’t overcook your scallops, and please only ever use hand-dived—dredged are awful for the biodiversity of the seabed.” 

Serves 2 
Cooking time: 3 minutes; prep time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6 hand-dived Orkney scallops

6 white seedless grapes, halved

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped chives

2 tablespoons chopped Californian walnuts

75ml olive oil

1 knob of butter

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

A few watercress leaves

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon sunflower or rapeseed oil for frying

METHOD

Remove the scallops from the shell. Remove the frill, then rinse and dry on kitchen paper.

To make the salsa, mix the walnuts, grapes, shallots, chives, and vinegar. Then add the olive oil and taste. Set to one side.

Next, place a pan on the hob and bring to a moderate heat. Add the rapeseed oil. Season the scallops and add the to the pan. Cook for about a minute on each side. Add butter and baste in the pan. Season again.

To serve, place onto a plate, add the salsa and add a few watercress leaves.

NEIL'S RECIPES: LAVENDER CRÈME BRÛLÉE AND RASPBERRIES

“Brûlées are one of our most popular puddings. I would be in big trouble if I ever took them off the menu! But I do always change the way we serve it according to the seasons. With wonderful lavender in abundance throughout summer, it’s a shame to keep these vibrant purple flowers in the drawers with your smalls! In the Med, these delicate flowers are used widely in cooking, and I love their distinct taste and smell.”

Makes 12 ramekins

INGREDIENTS

1.25 litres double cream

140g caster sugar, plus extra for glazing

17 egg yolks

A handful of lavender flowers, plus a few sprigs for serving

A punnet of raspberries

Extra sugar for glazing

METHOD

In a thick-bottomed pan, bring the cream to the boil and add the lavender flowers, set to one side.

Combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until pale and light. Pour the lavender cream mixture in and stir well. Return to a clean pan and stir/whisk gently until the mix reaches 86°C. If you don’t have a probe thermometer, cook the custard for a minute or two longer than ordinary custard, until thick. Strain into a jug.

Place a few raspberries in the bottom of your ramekins and pour the custard over. Leave to set overnight in the fridge.

Just before serving, dust the surface of each ramekin with sugar and glaze with a blowtorch, or under a very hot grill.

Serve with a few scattered raspberries and a sprig of lavender.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ROAST GROUSE WITH SQUASH, RED ONION AND THYME

“I look forward to cooking game birds after the glorious 12th. Readily available at farmers’ markets and good butchers, or even online delivered to your door next day! Here it’s served very simply with some summer squash and red onions that are a fine flavour roasted.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 whole, oven-ready young grouse

½ a medium-sized butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and seeds retained for another day

2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped

1 small handful of spinach leaves

4 large sprigs of thyme

½ bulb of garlic, cloves smashed

100ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

1 handful heritage potatoes, washed and par-boiled

1 tablespoon duck fat

Good salt and pepper

50g butter

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Firstly, remove the legs from the crown of grouse. Next, heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the legs with some salt and pepper. Once they are browned, place them in a warm oven to cook for 45 to 50 minutes. They take a bit longer than the breasts to cook due to the sinews.

Next, dice the squash into 1-inch chunks and place in a roasting tin with the red onion pieces, half the thyme and half the garlic. Drizzle with half the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast alongside the legs for 40 to 50 minutes until soft and browned.

Roast the grouse crowns on the bone. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and get it quite hot. Then fry the crowns with some salt and pepper before adding the potatoes, the remaining garlic and thyme, and the duck fat.

Ensure you turn the potatoes and the grouse all the time whilst colouring on the hob. Once browned, add the butter and place in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. No more. Grouse should always be quite rare and never over cooked. Remove from the oven and allow them to rest before removing the breasts from the carcasses.

Remove the squash and onion from the oven and add the spinach to the roasting tin, allowing it to wilt in the residual heat. Add the potatoes, the garlic cloves and the thyme. Mix and place into the centre of warmed plates.

To serve, either slice the grouse breasts into smaller pieces or place a whole one on each plate. Place the leg on top and trickle each dish with the pan juices. Serve immediately.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PEACH MELBA & VANILLA ICE-CREAM

“This is a classic dish made with just a handful of good quality ingredients resulting in a show-stopping dessert that your guests will oooh and aaah at. Or simply eat it by yourself in front of a good movie, or in the garden after a light lunch. Either way, give this one a shot.”

Serves 2
Cooking time: 1 hour; prep time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 really lovely, not-too-ripe peach
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
150g caster sugar
750ml water
1 punnet of good raspberries
Squeeze of lemon
2 scoops vanilla ice-cream (recipe below if you would like to make your own)

METHOD
Make a stock syrup by combining the water with 125g sugar, star anise and bay in a small pot. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer.

Cut the peach in half, add it to the syrup (including the stone) and leave to poach for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To make the raspberry coulis, bring half the raspberries and the remaining sugar to the boil in a pot with a 2 tablespoons of the stock syrup. Then blitz in a liquidiser for 1 minute and add lemon juice to taste. Pass through a fine sieve and allow to cool.

Remove the peaches from the stock syrup and pinch the skin gently to remove it. Or use the tip of a knife, being careful not to damage the fruit.

To serve, spoon the coulis into the centre two plates. Place a scoop of ice-cream in the centre of the coulis and arrange a few raspberries around. Place the peach half on top of the ice cream, serve and enjoy the just-warm fruit with the cool ice-cream.

Makes just over a litre of vanilla ice-cream
500ml double cream
500ml whole milk
10 egg yolks
225g unrefined caster sugar
1 vanilla pod

Split the vanilla pod lengthways and discard the seeds.

Place the milk and cream in a thick-bottomed pan and add the vanilla pod. Bring to a high heat but do not let it boil. Turn off the heat for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy. Then gently pour in the hot cream/milk mixture, stirring all the time. Give the mix a good whisk.

Pour into a clean pot and place on a low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon for 5 to 7 minutes until it coats the back of the spoon and resembles a light custard. It shouldn’t taste overly sweet.

Pass through a fine sieve. Allow to cool, then churn in an ice-cream machine.

NEIL'S RECIPES: REAL ALE RAREBIT

“I adore this dish as it’s so easy to make and can be kept for ­up to a week in the fridge. Use as good a proper real ale as possible. Choose your favourite mustard, and whatever your favourite-tasting cheddar is. But proper sourdough is a must here.” 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 slices of good sourdough

250ml any good, proper ale

1 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon of flour

1 handful of grated Isle of Mull cheddar, or any good cheddar

1 heaped teaspoon of Arran mustard, wholegrain will do

Good salt and pepper

A splash of Worcester sauce, optional

METHOD 

Melt the butter in a pot and add the flour to make a roux. Cook this for a couple of minutes then add the beer a glug at a time until the mix is nice and thick. Add the mustard and bring to the boil, stirring continually. You may need a whisk.

Add the grated cheese and a splash of Worcester sauce and taste for seasoning whilst the cheese is melting in the sauce.

This mixture keeps well for a few days in the fridge in an airtight container.

Toast the bread on one side then spread the cheese sauce onto the untoasted side and grill until golden brown and bubbling.

Serve with some endive leaves coated in a sharp dressing.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SUMMER BERRIES WITH SABAYON

“I buy fruit from various Scottish farms, and with this dish I’m keeping it simple. It’s essentially just berries with some whisked up egg yolk and sugar. Arrange the berries artfully on the plates before adding the sabayon for greatest impact.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 large handfuls of strawberries, raspberries, brambles, blueberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and cherries

3 egg yolks

50g unrefined caster sugar

A splash of your favourite liqueur, like Cointreau or kirsch

1 tablespoon of double cream

A few sprigs of sweet cicely

METHOD

To begin, make a small amount of coulis. Simply add a few of each fruit to a liquidiser with a splash of liqueur and blend until smooth. Add a little more liquid to the jug if it doesn’t blend well. Pass through a sieve and reserve.

Next, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and a splash of liqueur in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water with an electric whisk. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes until it increases in volume and turns pale. Then gently fold in the cream.

Arrange the remaining berries on four plates then spoon over the sabayon and glaze under the grill, or with a blow torch on a low setting.  Add a few sprigs of sweet cicely, a drizzle of the coulis, and serve to your guests whilst still warm. Ice cream is optional.

NEIL'S RECIPES: WHOLE PLAICE WITH CAPERS, LEMON AND PARSLEY

“Whenever I see a whole fish like sole or plaice on a menu, I will usually order it. I find it’s a true test of the skill in the kitchen as it can go quite wrong. But when cooked well, a whole fish is a delicious, elegant and classic. The simplest of things, not over-worked or over-thought, just a fish cooked well in butter, on a plate. Ask your fishmonger to help removing the skin and the frills around the sides of the fish as they contain lots of little bones that you don’t want to eat.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 whole plaice, top skin, frills and head removed - get your fishmonger to do this for you

A little plain flour for dusting

4 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

200g unsalted butter

4 tablespoons miniature capers

1 handful curly parsley, freshly chopped

2 lemons

Good salt and pepper

Crispy celery leaves and organic tomatoes (optional)

METHOD

If you are cooking 4 fish you may not have a big enough pan - who does? - so cook one at a time and keep warm, they will be fine.

Season the fish all over with salt and pepper, and dredge in a little flour. Bring a heavy-based frying pan to a medium heat and add a spoon of rapeseed oil. Place the fish in the pan ‘skinned’ side down. Then add 50g of butter. Be careful not to get the pan too hot.

Baste the fish as you cook, and after a couple of minutes turn the fish over carefully and keep basting. After a 3 – 4 minutes, the fish will be nearly cooked but if it’s a big one, place the pan under the grill for a few minutes as well. Repeat for the other fish.

Remove from the heat and add the capers, chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add a touch more salt and a wee twist of pepper. Remember to check the fish is just cooked and if it needs cooking a bit longer then do so, but don’t over-cook it.

The flour gives the fish an almost protective coating and adds a little texture to the outside of the fish and helps to thicken the butter a bit for the sauce. The resulting sauce should have a nutty colour.

Remove the fish from pan and serve on a warmed plate with the parsley, caper and lemon butter spooned over the top. Give an extra squeeze of lemon and serve.