NEIL'S RECIPES: GOAT'S CURD AND STEM GINGER CHEESECAKE

“I always associate stem ginger with the autumn or winter.  You could use ginger snap biscuits if you prefer. It’s a lovely and light cheesecake made with a curd. I get mine from Errington’s Cheese, but they sell it fast when they have it. This recipe is nice and simple, just be careful with the very hot sugar, and take your time.. I’ve added nasturtium flowers for a bit of fun as they carry on into the autumn in my garden.”

Serves 8 to 10

Prep time: 30 minutes; setting time: 2 to 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

15 digestive biscuits, smashed 

125g unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground ginger

500g goats curd

500g cream

150g sugar

8 egg yolks

6 leaves of gelatine, soaked in cold water for 2 mins

3 small balls of jarred stem ginger finely diced

2 tablespoons of syrup from the stem ginger jar

A few pieces of poached apple or pear as a garnish (optional)

A few nasturtium flowers as a garnish (optional)

METHOD

Prepare a bottomless, 10-inch cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Make the base of the cheesecake by combining the biscuit crumbs, ground ginger and melted butter. Press into the cake tin and place in the fridge to set for 15 minutes.

Make a syrup with the sugar and 100ml of water in a pan on the hob. Use a thermometer to take the mixture to 121°C.

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl whilst slowly trickling in the hot syrup. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth.

Semi-whip the cream to ribbon stage and add it to the egg yolks and syrup mixture. Also add the goats curd. Whisk again.

Add the gelatine to the now empty syrup pan and melt gently over a low heat. Once melted, add to the cheesecake mix and whisk. Stir in the ginger and ginger syrup.

Pour the mixture onto the chilled cheesecake base and leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Serve with some poached apple or pear and few nasturtium flowers if you have them.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BLACK PUDDING, SPINACH, POACHED EGG, MUSTARD HOLLANDAISE

“This is a classic, and a real crowd-pleaser. If you have folk staying over it makes for a good and hearty brunch dish. Don’t be afraid to poach your eggs the day before and even blanch your spinach in advance, anything to make it easier for you.” 

Serves 4

INGRDIENTS

8 slices of black pudding

4 organic free-range eggs

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

4 large handfuls baby spinach

40g butter

Good salt and pepper

For the hollandaise

3 organic free-range egg yolks

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

150ml warm, clarified butter, unsalted

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

METHOD

Firstly, to make the hollandaise, whisk the 3 yolks in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water, whisking all the time until they expand. Add the vinegar and whisk again.

Then trickle in the clarified butter a little at a time whilst continuing to whisk. It should still be warm. Continue to mix and stir until all the butter is added and there’s no milky liquid. Next, add the mustard, mix and set to one side in a warm place.

Place the black pudding on a tray then grill or oven cook until it’s hot, has a crust, and some texture on the top - about 7 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a clean pot, add the 40g of butter and melt. Then add the spinach and cook for just a couple of minutes, continuing to stir. Season with salt and pepper then squeeze out any excess moisture and keep warm.

Next, poach the 4 eggs in simmering water with a little vinegar, for about 4 to 5 minutes. They should be soft.

To serve, place the spinach in the centre of 4 warmed plates and place the black pudding on top. Then gently remove the eggs from the water and place on top of the black pudding slices.

To finish, spoon over the buttery hollandaise

NEIL'S RECIPES: QUEEN OF PUDDINGS

“A well-deserved title and rarely seen on a menu these days. This recipe is a fabulous way to use up leftover cake. I love that phrase - leftover cake. Is there such a thing? But replacing cake crumbs with breadcrumbs is equally delicious. It’s also a brilliant way to clear the cupboard of old jam. This proper pudding is best served warm so make it and let it sit for a bit before serving. Try serving this one for friends on a bleak, wintery day.”

Makes one pudding

INGREDIENTS

Half a loaf of good bread, and/or cake crumbs, 200g in total

Zest of one lemon

A pinch of nutmeg

220g caster sugar

A knob of butter

4 eggs, separated

2 large tablespoons of any jam you like, I like bramble but raspberry is good

350ml milk

350ml double cream

METHOD

Firstly, mix the cake and bread crumbs into the milk and cream then add the nutmeg, lemon peel and half the sugar. Give it a good mix then add the egg yolks and mix again. Place into a butter-lined ovenproof dish.

Next, dot wee knobs of butter over the top of the mix. Place the dish in a roasting tin half-filled with hot water and bake at 180°C for 40 to 45 minutes, until just firm to the touch. The deeper the dish, the longer it will take.

Allow to cool slightly then whisk the egg whites until stiff then add gradually add the remaining sugar, a little at a time to make a meringue. Pipe or spoon the meringue in small circles around the edge of the bread pudding (to resemble a crown) and glaze under the grill.

Melt the jam in a pot on the stove and spoon into the centre of the crown of meringue. Serve warm.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SALAD OF LANARK BLUE CHEESE, ENDIVE, CANDIED CALIFORNIAN WALNUT AND POACHED PEAR

“These ingredients on their own are lovely, but combined they transform into something wonderful. Poach the pears the day before as they need time in the stock syrup. A great dinner party starter or served from a big bowl in the middle of the table.”

Serves 4
Cooking time: 20 minutes; prep time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 pear

2 tablespoons of blue cheese, I like Lanark Blue, diced into cubes

2 tablespoons Californian walnuts

Juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

2 heads of endive or chicory, leaves separated and washed

A few watercress leaves

A few radish slices

A dressing made by mixing walnut oil with grain mustard and honey

Salt and pepper

METHOD

Peel the pear and poach in water, a tablespoon the sugar and the lemon juice for about 20 minutes. Leave to cool. Once cool, cut into a dice.

To make candied walnuts, place the walnuts in a small pot and just cover with water and a tablespoon of sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes on a low heat. Let it sit for half an hour then drain the liquid away. Place on a tray to dry for a few hours, then fry in rapeseed oil until golden. This will take 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

To assemble the salad, add the pear, cheese, endive, watercress, candied walnuts, radish and a little dressing to a bowl. Season and mix. Serve on a plate with a drizzle of dressing around the edges. Enjoy at once. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: WARM STRAWBERRIES, VANILLA, ORANGE AND CRÈME FRAÎCHE

“This is a great way to use up old berries; almost a compote but not quite. Take the chill off the fruit, add a shaving of orange peel, vanilla seeds, a kick of sugar and a splash of Grand Mariner. The dollop of crème fraîche melts into the warm fruit and creates a delicious, rich and sweet berry sauce. Simple and elegant.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 minutes; cooking time: 3 minutes

INGREDIENTS

12 strawberries

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon Grand Mariner

2 thumb-sized pieces of orange peel

1/3 vanilla pod, seeds scraped and pod retained

2 big dollops of crème fraîche

2 sprigs of mint, optional

METHOD

Give the strawberries a gentle wash under a tap, then remove their husks. Cut the bigger ones in half and leave any smaller ones whole.

Place them in a pot with the Grand Marnier and put on a moderate heat. Add the sugar as the liquid comes to the boil, then add the vanilla seeds, vanilla pod and the orange peel.

Stir gently in the pot, and be careful it doesn’t get too hot. Make sure the vanilla seeds are distributed by pressing them with the back of a spoon. After a minute or two, once everything is warm, spoon the berries and juice into a bowl.

Serve with the orange peel, vanilla pod and garnish with a sprig of mint, and a big dollop of crème fraîche.

NEIL'S RECIPES: LANGOUSTINE, MACKEREL, HERITAGE POTATOES AND SPINACH

“I love the taste of bang-fresh mackerel, and a fresh-off-the-boat prawns. Don’t worry if you can’t get either fish, supplement them with hake, cod, scallops or squid.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 fillets of mackerel, bones removed
4 to 6 heritage potatoes, skins left on, boiled until just cooked and sliced
3 to 4 handfuls of baby spinach
4 langoustines, or large prawns, blanched and cut in half
A few sprigs of thyme
Juice from half a lemon
A splash of rapeseed oil for frying
Good salt and pepper 
125g butter
METHOD
Place a non-stick frying pan on the hob. Heat the oil. Ensure the fish is dry by patting with kitchen paper, then cook skin-side down for 2 to 4 minutes before turning over and cooking for further one minute. Remove the mackerel from the pan, season and set to one side.

With the pan still hot, add the langoustines, a knob of butter and the thyme. Season and cook for 3 minutes.

In a clean pan, heat the remaining butter until frothing then add the sliced potatoes. Season then add the spinach - it will wilt down quite a bit. Once cooked through, season again. Squeeze the lemon over everything.

To serve, divide the potatoes and spinach between four warmed plates, and arrange the mackerel and langoustine on top. Garnish with thyme sprigs and any butter left in the pans.

NEIL'S RECIPES: DARK CHOCOLATE NEMESIS & CARAMEL SAUCE

“This recipe is inspired by River Cafe, one of my favourite places to eat. Read the recipe a few times before making it and take your time. Never rush cooking, it should be fun!” 

Makes 10 portions

INGREDIENTS

325g 70% dark chocolate, I use Montezuma organic, broken into pieces

125g unsalted butted, diced and softened

125g unrefined caster sugar

5 whole eggs

100ml water

A little oil for greasing

For the caramel sauce:

200g unrefined caster sugar

100ml double cream

A tiny pinch of salt

METHOD

Line a bottomless 10-inch springform cake tin with 4 layers of cling film so it reaches the corners of the tin and is watertight. Rub with a little oil.

Heat the oven to 170°C and whisk the eggs with half the sugar until very voluminous.

Mix the remaining sugar and water in a pot and heat on the hob until it reaches a syrup consistency. This should take a couple of minutes. Remove and add the chocolate and soft butter and combine with a whisk or spatula.

Add the chocolate mix to the whisked egg, and using a whisk, mix to create the cake mix.

Add this mix to the prepared tin and cook in a water bath with a tight tin foil lid on for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature.

To make the caramel sauce, melt the sugar in a thick-bottomed pot until it’s quite dark and brown. This will take a few minutes and don't be tempted to stir it too much or it may crystalize. And never leave boiling sugar unattended. Then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly before whisking in the cream. Add a pinch of salt and pass through a sieve and into a serving jug.

When ready to serve the nemesis, remove it from the tin by placing a plate, or board, on top of the tin (foil removed) and turning it upside down so the cake falls out. Cut into portions using a very clean, hot knife. Clean the knife in hot water after every cut and serve with the caramel sauce and either some ice cream or crème fraîche.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PICCALILLI

“This quintessentially British condiment is simple to make, bursting with flavour, and stores perfectly in sterilised jars. Avoid storing it in plastic containers to prevent staining from mustard powder and turmeric, which can turn it bright orange!”

Makes 4-6 Kilner jars
Cooking time 20 minutes; Prep time 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

500g small pickling onions, peeled

1 large or 2 small cauliflowers

2 red peppers, I like the Ramiro variety

2 carrots, peeled

2 courgettes, scrubbed

15g English mustard powder

1 large red chilli, finely sliced

500ml cider vinegar

15g turmeric

170g caster sugar

2 tablespoons cornflour

A few sprigs of thyme

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Fill a large pan with water and a small handful of salt and bring it to the boil on the hob. Meanwhile, cut the veg into bite-size pieces and place in the pot to blanch for 1 minute. Remove from the pan and refresh in cold running or iced water. Drain the veg when cold and place into a large bowl with the thyme and chilli and season with salt and pepper.

Place the vinegar in a large pan with the sugar. When just about to boil add the turmeric, mustard powder and cornflour. To thicken, the flour must come to the boil, then carefully simmer for a minute or so. Keep an eye on this. Season and add this thick yellow paste to the veg and mix thoroughly. Place into sterilised jars and serve with your next ham, pie or terrine. It also tastes great with toasted sourdough and a good salad.

NEIL'S RECIPES: HAM HOCK TERRINE WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER

"There are two elements in this recipe. The salted hock, or knuckle, from the pig, and the pickled cucumber. Together they are astonishingly good. The sharp, sweet vegetable does its job so well to cut through the rich, salty meat. I like to add other seasonings to the flaked meat like Arran mustard and lots of curly parsley. This is where you can have fun and do your own thing. Try different herbs that you may be growing, or play with different veg to go with it. Remember to keep the stock from cooking the hocks as it makes the best soup in the world. Just add a handful of peasemeal or red lentils."

Serves 6 to 8
Cooking time: 4 hours plus overnight; Prep time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 unsmoked ham hocks

1 stick celery

2 carrots, peeled 

1 onion, peeled and halved

6 peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

2 spring onions, finely chopped

125g unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons curly parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon Arran mustard, or any grain mustard will do
 

1 cucumber

500ml good cider vinegar

500g caster sugar

500ml cold water

2 star anise 

Good salt and pepper

A few mustard seeds

A few handfuls of salad leaves

A few radishes, sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Arran mustard 

A splash of vinegar

METHOD

Place the hocks in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add the celery, carrots, onion, peppercorns, bay and thyme and bring to just below a rolling boil and simmer for 4 hours, skimming off any residue and adding more water if required. Don’t over boil. 

Once cooked and the meat is falling off the bone, remove the hocks from the pot and allow them to cool slightly, before flaking all the meat off the bone. Retain the celery, carrots and onion. Keep the fat for another dish and retain the stock for soup. 

Roughly chop the carrots, onion and celery from the stock pot and add them to a bowl with the flaked meat, melted butter, mustard, spring onions and parsley.  Mix thoroughly and check the seasoning. 

Line a terrine mould or plastic tub with oiled cling film - oiled side down. Pack the terrine mix into the mould and fold over the cling film so it covers the terrine entirely. Place something heavy on top to press it down and refrigerate overnight. 

To make the pickled cucumber, bring the water, sugar and vinegar to the boil then add the mustard seeds, star anise and a teaspoon of salt. Add the cucumber to the pot - you may have to halve the cucumber if it’s too long - that’s fine as it won’t affect the final taste. Cover with a lid and simmer for about an hour until the cucumber is just soft. Then turn off the heat and leave it to cool in the pickling liquid. Once cooled, cut into slices and set to one side.

Make a dressing by mixing 4 tablespoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of Arran mustard and a splash of vinegar.

To serve, place a slice of the terrine in the centre of a plate and arrange the pickled cucumber around or on top. Garnish with a few salad leaves and slices of radish trickled with the dressing. Serve at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: STRAWBERRY TART

“This dish is pretty and easy to make if you buy in puff pastry. I’ve used rough puff in the recipe. The custard is heavenly on top of the cold, buttery pastry with the thinly-sliced strawberries. Woodruff flowers make a very pretty garnish.”

Serves 1
Prep time: 1 hour; cooking time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 puff pastry disc, 6-inch diameter

300ml double cream

35g caster sugar

5 egg yolks

1/4 vanilla pod, seeds scraped, pod retained

4 to 6 strawberries, thinly sliced, at room temperature

A dusting of icing sugar

A few wild woodruff flowers, optional

1 egg yolk, seasoned with a pinch of salt and sugar

METHOD 

Heat the oven to 190°C

Begin by laying the pastry on a sheet of non-stick ovenproof silicon or grease-proof paper. Be careful to buy the right stuff.

Then mix up the seasoned egg yolk with a pastry brush, and brush over the pastry disc and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Ensure the pastry is cooked all the way through and isn’t raw in the middle – there’s nothing worse! Remove from the oven and glaze again with the egg yolk and allow to cool.

Next, make the custard. Begin by whisking together the 5 egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Then place the cream, vanilla seeds and pod in a pot and bring to the boil on the hob. Turn off the heat and leave for a moment or two to allow the cream to take on the vanilla flavour, then pour this mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks and sugar and whisk well.  

Place the mixture in a clean pot on the hob and heat whilst whisking constantly until it reaches 86°C. This is important or it won’t set. If the custard curdles, place it in a liquidiser and blitz it for a few seconds, and it will come back to life.

Allow the custard to cool then spoon 2  tablespoons of it over the pastry. Arrange the strawberry slices in overlapping swirls on top and dredge with icing sugar. Garnish with a few woodruff flowers and serve. Summer on a plate!