8 Cosy Recipes that Will Really Keep You Warm this Winter

• 1 kg cooked pork belly cut into small pieces
• 1.5 ltr pork stock
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 x 250g pack soba noodles
• 50g peeled ginger, diced
• 4 peeled garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 4 sprigs coriander
• 2 limes, zested and squeezed
• 200g oyster mushrooms, pulled into strips
• 100g shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 600g shelled and de-veined tiger/king prawns sliced into pieces or halves
• 1 green chilli, diced
• 2 red onions, diced
• 1 bunch pak choi, shredded
• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp shaoxing vinegar

1. Warm the sesame oil in a large pan
2. Add the red onion and half of the garlic and ginger, lightly brown
3. Add the pork stock and bring to simmer
4. Add the noodles (you can either leave whole or break down)
5. After 5 minutes, add the mushrooms and peanut butter
6. Added the pork belly into the pan (for extra flavor, saute the pork belly separately then add to the pan)
7. Once the noodles are nearly cooked, stir in all the remaining ingredients
8. Garnish with glazed pancetta if desired.
9. Taste, season, serve and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole best end of lamb
• 2 carrots
• 2 shallots
• 1 leek
• 2 stick of celery
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon tomato puree

1. Chine the lamb to separate the best ends. Skin the best ends. Chop the bones and roast at 177C till dark brown.
2. Prepare the vegetables into mirepoix, take a little of the rendering lamb fat and place in a saucepan and heat up. Colour the mirepoix to dark brown in this pan.
3. Once the lamb bones are roasted combine with the mirepoix and cold water to cover to make a light stock. Be sure to retain the lamb fat.
4. Cut the best ends into six by three bone racks.
5. French trim one bone on each of the six racks leaving the other bones intact.
6. Score the fat on the racks and set aside.
7. Strain the lamb stock after 2 hours and reduce to 200ml – keep warm.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 2 mace blades
• 1 teaspoon piece of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed rose petal
• 1 teaspoon black onion seeds

1. Method:
3. Dry roast the spices over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, allow to cool.
4. Place in spice grinder and take down to ground, store in Kilner jar.

Ingredients

• ¾ pint goats milk
• ¾ pint jersey whole milk
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon onion seeds
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon of onion powder
• Maldon sea salt to taste
• Flour, egg and crumb for pane

Method:

1. Bring the milks together and take to simmering point, remove from heat.
2. Add the lemon juice and stir in. Leave for 10 minutes.
3. Line a colander with muslin cloth. Pour the mix in to strain the liquid away. Fold over the remaining cloth. Place in the fridge and either hang or place a heavy weight on it so to allow the cheese to expel its liquid.
4. Once done, toast the onion seeds and let cool. Crush the garlic. Put the cheese in the food processor and mix with remaining ingredients. Pipe onto lined sheet into 2 sticks, cover and freeze.
5. Once frozen, cut to size, pane twice and return to freezer.

Ingredients:

• 8 medium carrots
• 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
• 100g of unsalted butter
• 3g of Essential Cuisine vegetable stock powder made with 250ml water
• 20ml olive oil

Method:

1. Peel, trim and cut the carrots into even sized pieces about 1cm chunks,
2. Toast and grind the cumin.
3. Melt the butter in the pressure cooker, add the cumin and allow to combine.
4. Add the stock and the carrots. Add a pinch of Maldon sea salt. Place in the pressure cooker and cook on high for 7 minutes then on medium for 9 minutes.
5. Release the steam, transfer the carrots to the food processor and puree them till smooth with the olive oil. Pass through a sieve. Set aside.

Ingredients:

• 150g Lamb meat trim
• 2.4g of Essential Cuisine lamb stock combined with 200ml water
• 50g pomegranate molasses
• 1 small pomegranate
• 1 shallot
• 7 courgette flowers

Method:

1. From the lamb trim, take 150g of meat and finely dice. Seal in a hot pan and drain.
2. Prepare the pomegranate and set aside
3. Return pan to stove and add shallot with a little lamb fat, cook till softened. Add the lamb and the stock and cook down by two thirds. Add the molasses and half of the pomegranate and slowly cook till thick and syrupy.
4. Season with Maldon sea salt and set aside.
5. Carefully open the flower, remove the inner stems, fill the flowers with the mix and lightly twist the top.

Ingredients

• 300g Albert Bartlett rooster potatoes, boxed off and cut into dice
• 150g dried beluga lentils
• 4.8g of Essential Cuisine lamb stock combined with 400ml water
• 2 teaspoons of ras el hanout

Method

1. Wash the lentils well and drain, check for any foreign bodies
2. Place lentils in a pan with potatoes and cover with stock, bring to simmer and skim frequently. Add a 2 pinches of Maldon sea salt.
3. Add the ras el hanout, stir in. make sure the lentils do not boil dry, add stock as required, cook for approx. 20 – 25 minutes, spread on a tray and chill.

Allow 100ml per person

Combine 7g of Essential Cuisine lamb stock with 580ml of water – set aside.

1. Take lamb out of fridge 20 minutes before cooking is required. Ensure oven is hot and set at 180c.
2. Place carrot puree in pan on side of stove.
3. Keep a flat warm lined with jay cloth for lamb racks
4. Place a pan on the stove large enough to take the 6 racks,
5. Season the lamb with Maldon sea salt
6. Place the racks in skin side down till fat is rendered and golden, now seal remaining two sides, place in oven for approx. 15 minutes then check. Once doneness of pink is reached remove from oven and allow to rest.
7. Heat 100ml of double cream in pan and warm lentils through, add more ras el hanout if required to taste.
8. Place the flowers in the reduced lamb stock to heat through.
9. Deep fry the kebab from the freezer and keep warm.
10. Return the lamb to the oven to heat through.
11. Ensure main course plates are hot
12. Remove lamb from oven and place on pre-warmed flat
13. Begin to dress the plates with the garnishes.
14. Place the lamb pan back on the stove and add the pre-prepared stock to the pan and reduce, add 1 teaspoon of lamb jus
15. Remove the end cutlet from the rack – keep warm. Remove the remaining bones and trim the excess fat. Slice this piece into 3, dress with the cutlet on the plate.
16. Sauce the plate and dress with remaining pomegranate

• 16 small stems of lightly trimmed broccoli or 8 large ones blanched and cut down, you will be serving 4 pieces per person
• 1 pink grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
• 1 tablespoon of pine nuts, lightly browned in the oven or under the grill. Take care not to go beyond golden or your nuts will taste bitter.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons of Madeira
• 4oz chopped butter
• 4 tablespoons of double cream
• 1 tablespoon of smoked oil
• Smoked sea salt to season

Method

1. Reduce Madeira in pan by half
2. Add double cream bring to boil then reduce heat to low
3. Whisk in half the butter
4. Now whisk in rest of butter, when half melted remove from heat and continue whisking
5. Whisk in smoked oil, now taste it to judge how much salt you need
6. Keep in warm place, covered

1. Re-heat your broccoli in slightly simmering water for 10-15 seconds, remove and drain, keep warm.
2. Arrange the broccoli on the plate, with the grapefruit and the nuts, finish with the sauce and an extra drizzle of smoked oil, serve.

3 chickens

2 heads of garlic

3 sprigs of tarragon

200g butter

Coarse sea salt

1. Soften the butter, peel and chop the garlic with the tarragon, mix all together and rub all over the chicken, inside and out
2. Place the chickens on a tray and roast at 190c for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 150c for 50 minutes, take out of oven and leave to rest for 30 minutes covered loosely with tin foil.
3. Pick the meat from the bone leaving it in medium to large pieces into a mixing bowl, loosely cover.
4. Scrape the tray to combine all the juices, chop a little more tarragon and combine with the juices.
5. Pour over the meat and mix lightly, leave to cool slightly so the meat can absorb the juices.
6. Place the meat into a cling-filmed lined mould and press down, fold over the clingfilm to cover and press overnight.
7. The next day, slice and plate and finish as you please. This terrine goes great with a potato and caper salad with a chive mayo.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
• 300g chorizo – medium size dice
• 300g cooked ham
• 1 medium sized onion – chopped
• 2 cloves garlic – chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes  – peeled and diced
• 900g tinned, chopped tomatoes
• 1 small hot green chilli pepper
• 400ml water
• 2 400g tins of black beans – rinsed and drained
• 1 mango – peeled and medium diced
• 50g chopped coriander

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat, place the chorizo and the ham in the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Place the onion in the pot and cook till tender, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add in the sweet potato, pepper, tomatoes, chilli and water, bring to boil and reduce heat to low – cover and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
4. Stir the beans into the pot and cook uncovered until heated through, stir in the mango and coriander then serve.

250ml soya milk
100ml water
200g dates
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
115g vegan margarine
115g soft brown sugar
200g white self raising flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 100g golden syrup
  200g soft brown sugar
  150g vegan margarine
  100ml soya cream
  1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190c.
2. Line a 20cm x 20cm shallow cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Chop the dates in half and put them in a small saucepan. Cover with the soya milk and water then simmer until the dates are soft.
4. Take off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which will froth as you add it to the date mixture. Leave to cool.
5. Beat together the margarine and sugar until pale and creamy.
6. Add the date mixture and stir in.
7. Mix the spices into the flour. Sieve the flour and fold into the sponge mixture.
8. Spoon the sponge mixture into the prepared tin.
9. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked and the sponge bounces back when pressed.

To make the sauce:

1. Melt the syrup, margarine, sugar and vanilla essence in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. Leave to cool slightly then stir in the soya cream.
2. Prick the pudding all over and pour half the hot toffee sauce over the pudding.
3. Serve the rest of the sauce with the pudding and, if you like, a scoop of vanilla soya ice cream.

 

• 1 apple
• Cloves
• Orange peel
• 430ml Aspall’s Mulled Cyder
• 35ml Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack
• Toffee popcorn to garnish

1. Cut a wedge of apple and stud it with cloves.
2. Cut a string of orange peel (use a canelé cutter if you want to be fancy like a proper bartender).
3. Heat three-quarters of a pint (430ml) of Aspall’s Mulled Cyder and mix in a shot of Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack (35ml).
4. Pour into a glass of your choice and top with toffee popcorn.
5. Serve with a very large smile, toasty warm heart, and a spoon.

• 4 ltr red wine
• Caster sugar (amount proportional to quality of red wine, the worse the wine the more sugar you need. Add to taste, but start with about 2 cups)
• 6 – 8 cinnamon sticks
• Whole cloves
• 2 oranges
• Whole allspice
• 2 cups of orange juice
• Add brandy, sweet sherry or port to the mix for extra kick (optional but rather tasty)

1. Pour the red wine into a large pot and put it on the stove on a very low heat – don’t let the wine boil!
2. Cut the oranges into slices and put about 4 cloves into each slice then add them in with the wine.
3. Break the cinnamon sticks in half or thirds and put them in with the wine as well as 10 of the whole allspice.
4. Add in the sherry or port as well as 2 cups of orange juice.
5. Add in 2 cups of sugar and stir.
6. Stir on and off for about 30 mins to give the spices time to infuse with the wine and for the magic to occur, then taste it, and add more sugar as needed (possible up to 4 or 5 cups more in the wine is really bad).
7. Let it cook/infuse/whatever for about 30 mins more (again, not letting it boil).