20. Black tar duck legs

Ingredients

rind of 1 orange, sliced into matchstick strips
1 star anise pod
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp chestnut honey
1 tbsp tamari, (wheat-free soy sauce)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp black molasses sugar
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
8 duck legs
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

2. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Throw in the orange shreds and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Crush the star anise with the garlic, using a pestle and mortar. Mix in the olive oil.

4. Put the honey, tamari, sesame oil, sugar and vinegar in a bowl and mix well to form a glaze.

5. Stir the garlic mixture into the glaze. Season with salt and pepper, then add the orange shreds.

6. Place the duck legs in a roasting pan. Pour the glaze over them, turning to coat.

7. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn legs over and baste with the glaze. Roast for another 20 minutes.

8. Remove the duck from the oven and leave to cool. Scrape the glaze into a bowl and set aside.

9. Light the barbecue about 1 hour before you want to eat. The fire is ready when the coals are uniformly covered with pale grey ash - about 35 minutes.

10. Brush the reserved glaze over the duck legs and finish cooking them on the barbecue - about 20 minutes. Turn them halfway through and brush with the glaze.

21. Barbecue sauce spare ribs

Ingredients

1.8kg pork spare ribs
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 Onions, peeled and chopped
4 garlic clove, crushed
2 red chillies, finely chopped
2 tsp Fennel seeds, crushed
115g dark brown sugar
100ml dark Soy sauce
600ml tomato ketchup
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Place the spare ribs on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.

2. While the ribs are cooking heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the chilli, fennel seeds and sugar and cook, stirring often, until sugar melted. Add the soy sauce and tomato ketchup. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3. Once the ribs have cooked through, remove them from the oven and brush liberally with half the barbecue sauce, leaving half for later. Return the ribs to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes to glaze the ribs. Serve with the remaining barbecue sauce on the side.

To enjoy these ribs at a barbecue, follow the recipe as above the end of step two. Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce and cook over a preheated barbecue until glazed, then serve.

22. Beef stroganoff

Ingredients

500g beef, fillet, trimmed of fat and cut into strips
2 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp sunflower oil
45g Butter
350g button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml Soured cream
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 pinch Paprika, or cayenne pepper


Method

1. Heat half the oil in a wide, heavy frying pan over a high heat and fry half the beef for a few minutes until lightly browned.

2. Scoop out into a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef, adding a little more oil if necessary.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add half the butter to the pan, and when foaming, add the mushrooms. Fry until tender and browned. Scrape out into the bowl.

4. Next, melt the remaining butter in the pan and add the onions. Stir them around and cook gently until soft and golden.

5. Return the mushrooms and beef to the pan. Sprinkle over the flour, stir well and fry for a little longer.

6. Finally add the soured cream, salt and pepper and cook gently for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is rich and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Spoon into a serving dish, and dust lightly with paprika or cayenne.

Cook's Notes: This method of preparing beef takes its name from one of the members of the famous Stroganov family of Imperial Russia. Although this dish has, in the West, almost come to symbolise the cooking of Russia, it is, in fact, extremely rarely prepared in Russian homes today. Mostly, it appears on the menus of high-class restaurants for foreign tourists.

23. Sirloin steak with green peppercorn sauce

Ingredients

2 x 225g thick, well marbled sirloin steaks
25g Butter
2 tsp green peppercorns, in brine
1 small garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
1 tbsp Cognac
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
100ml whipping Cream

Method

1. Heat a heavy-based frying pan until very hot. Generously season the fatty edges of the steaks with salt. Pressed together as one double thickness steak, put them fatty-edge down into the dry pan. Turn down the heat to medium and cook until they have crisped up and exuded their fat into the pan.

2. Once the fat is crisped, lay the steaks flat in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes each side, or until cooked to your liking. Lift out and keep warm on the plate whilst you make the sauce.

3. Tip up the pan and remove the pool of fat with kitchen paper, but do not wipe out the crispy bits. Add the butter. When it froths add the green peppercorns and squash some of them into the butter using the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the garlic and cognac and bubble for a few moments.

4. Whisk in the mustard and cream. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce has a good consistency. Serve with the steaks.

24. Chicken kiev

Ingredients

2 x 75g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
40g unsalted Butter, at room temperature
4 tbsp chopped Parsley
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Parmesan, freshly grated
1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the butter bean purée:
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
400g can butter beans, drained
75g mature Cheddar cheese, or Gruyère, finely diced
knob Butter
2 tbsp chopped Coriander, (optional)
a few drops Tabasco sauce, or other hot chilli sauce
salt and pepper
lemon wedges, and green salad, to serve:

Method

1. Using a small knife, horizontally cut a pocket into each chicken breast. Mix together the butter, parsley, garlic and plenty of salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the pocket of each chicken breast. Stir together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Dust the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour then the beaten egg and finally, roll in the breadcrumb mixture. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.

2. To make the butter bean purée heat the olive oil in a small pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Add the beans to the pan and cook gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Add the cheese to the pan with the butter stirring until melted. Using a hand blender, whiz the mixture until smooth and creamy. Stir in the coriander, if using, and add salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste. Spoon the purée onto serving plates and top with the chicken Kiev. Serve with lemon wedges and crisp green salad.

25. Lobster thermidor

Ingredients

1 Lobster, about 750g, cooked
25g Butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
285ml fish stock, tub, fresh
50ml White wine
100ml double cream
0.5 tsp English mustard
2 tbsp chopped parsley
0.5 lemon juice
1 pinch freshly ground salt and black pepper
20g Parmesan, grated

Method

1. Cut the lobster in half and remove the meat from the claws and tail. Leave to one side. Remove any head matter and set aside. Cut the meat up and place back into the shell.

2. For the sauce, put the butter in a pan, add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the stock, wine and double cream and bring to the boil. Reduce by half. Add the mustard, parsley and lemon juice and season to taste.

3. Pre-heat the grill and spoon the sauce over the lobster meat. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Grill for three to four minutes, until golden brown.

26. Avocado and prawn salad

Ingredients

1 heaped tbsp Soured cream
1 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco
anchovy essence
juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 tbsp tomato ketchup
salt and fresh ground black pepper
a splash of brandy

For the salad:
1 large avocado
handful of mixed salad leaves
4 cooked jumbo prawns
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp freshly chopped chives
2 slices of lemon, to garnish

Method

1. Spoon the soured cream mayonnaise into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add a generous dash of Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and anchovy essence. Add the Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Stir to combine.

3. Gradually stir in the ketchup bit by bit, stop when the mixture is pale pink. Season to taste then stir in a splash of brandy.

4. Cut the prawns into fairly large chunks and thoroughly coat in the sauce.

5. Slice the avocado down the middle, remove the stone and scoop the flesh out into a bowl being careful not to tear the avocado shell as you do so. Put some salad leaves onto each serving plate and place an empty avocado shell on top of each bed of salad. Spoon the prawn mixture evenly between the two shells.

6. Drizzle olive oil over the avocado flesh and add the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper before sprinkling on the chopped chives. Gently mix together until fully coated and then place back into avocado shells on top of the prawn mixture.

7. Garnish with slices of lemon and serve.

27. Glossy chocolate profiteroles

Ingredients

For the choux balls:
100g unsalted Butter, plus extra for greasing
150g plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
4 medium Eggs, beaten
300ml double cream, whipped

For the chocolate sauce:
250g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
50g unsalted Butter
3 tsp golden syrup
3 tbsp double cream

Method

1. Lightly grease two baking sheets with butter and line each with greaseproof paper. Switch the oven on to 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas 6. Stick the butter and 250ml water in a saucepan, bring to a bubble, then remove from the heat. Tip in the flour, sugar and ½ tsp salt, beating at the same time: it will start looking like a massive glob of roux at this point. Keep beating away until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and goes into a ball.

2. Now beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Then using two teaspoons, form the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Or pipe them for a pointy top effect. Bake the choux balls for about 45 minutes - check up on them after 30. If they're golden, puffed and crisped, then they're ready. Transfer them to a wire rack, then slice them almost half way through, to allow the steam out. You don't want them chewy. You can store them in a tin for a day or two - but if doing this, pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to make sure they've crisped up and not lost all their moisture.

3. For the sauce, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then mix in the butter, golden syrup and cream, and remove from the heat. This can be reheated - just put it back over the water pan. Near to when you want to serve, whip the cream into soft peaks, then stuff or pipe a blob into each profiterole. Serve them doused with the chocolate sauce.

28. Chocolate brownies

Ingredients

200g best quality bitter chocolate
125g unsalted Butter, softened
225g vanilla caster sugar
2 Eggs
1 egg yolk
4 tbsp freshly made instant coffee
150g plain flour
1 tsp Baking powder
pinch of Salt
handful of broken walnuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4.

2. Line the base and sides of a 30 x 22cm roasting pan with foil.

3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over, but not touching , hot water.

4. While the chocolate is melting, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the whole eggs and yolk with the beaters still going.

5. Stir in the chocolate and coffee.

6. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Fold into the mixture together with the walnuts.

7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the mixture comes out a bit sticky. The interior should resemble fudgy goo, not a sponge.

8. Leave to cool in the pan, then cut into squares.

29. The ultimate chocolate cake

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate, about 60% cocoa solids
200g Butter, cut in pieces
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
85g self-raising flour
85g plain flour
0.25 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
200g light muscovado sugar
200g golden caster sugar
25g Cocoa powder
3 medium Eggs
75ml Buttermilk
1 handful chocolate curls, or grated chocolate, to decorate

For the ganache:
200g dark chocolate, about 60% cocoa solids, as above
284ml double cream, (pouring type)
2 tbsp golden caster sugar

Method

1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas 3. Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on medium about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.

2. While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.

3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes - if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the ganache: chop the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan, add the sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

5. Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.