Experiment with other flavour additions – a little chopped cooked ham or Parma ham, diced cooked mushrooms, a few herbs or some sliced artichoke heart can all go into the base before you crack in the egg. For a really extravagant addition, add a drop or two of white truffle oil over the cream.
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing
2 ripe vine tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
4 large eggs
4 tblsp cream
25g (1oz) mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 tsp snipped fresh chives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Griddled sourdough bread sliced into chunky fingers, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/gas mark 5).
Butter 4 blini pans or ramekins and scatter the tomatoes in the bottom.
Crack an egg into each blini pan and season with salt, then add 1 tablespoon of cream to each one and scatter the cheddar on top.
Arrange the blini pans in a shallow roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up the side of each pan.
Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the eggs are set and the cheese is bubbling.
Set each blini pan on a plate and scatter over the chives, then add the chunky bread fingers to serve.
Rachel Allen’s pan-fried fish with herb butter, asparagus, new potatoes.
Ingredients
Serves: 4-6
For the herb butter:
50g soft butter
1 tablespoon chopped herbs such as dill, fennel, chives, parsley
A squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
For the pan-fried fish:
4 fillets of flat fish, such as John Dory, plaice, sole, brill or turbot, or part of a round fish fillet, like salmon, cod, grey mullet, etc. (allow 175g for a main course and 75g for a starter)
Approximately 4 tablespoons flour
Extra virgin olive oil or soft butter
A pinch of sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Dry the fish fillets on kitchen paper.
Season on both sides with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a cast iron or non-stick frying pan on a high heat until smoking. Add a dash of olive oil and put in the fish fillets.
OR you can dust the fillets with seasoned flour then spread some soft butter over one side.
Place buttered side in the pan first. Turn when golden on one side, then cook again until golden on the other side.
Place a couple of slices of herb butter over each fillet and serve immediately with asparagus and boiled new potatoes.
550g (1¼lb) salmon fillet, skinned and boned (well chilled)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Wasabi paste
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tblsp seasoned flour
4 slices sourdough bread
4 Little Gem lettuce leaves
Handful of fresh coriander sprigs
Lime wedges, to serve
For the Roasted Red Pepper Salsa:
2 roasted red peppers, finely diced (from a jar is fine)
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 tblsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tblsp rapeseed oil
1 tblsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tblsp shredded fresh basil sea salt and freshly ground
Black pepper
Method
Using a sharp knife cut away any brown bits from the salmon fillet, then finely chop.
Place in a bowl, then stir in the spring onions, mustard and sesame seeds. Season to taste.
Divide into 4 portions, then using slightly wetted hands, shape into patties. Dust the patties in the flour, shaking off any excess. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
Meanwhile, make the roasted red pepper salsa. Place the red peppers in a bowl and stir in the tomatoes, lemon rind, sweet chilli sauce, oil and herbs. Season to taste and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavours to develop.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil to the frying pan and then add the salmon burgers. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until lightly golden but still slightly pink in the centre. Be careful not to overcook them or they will quickly become dry. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Add the slices of sourdough bread and chargrill for 1-2 minutes on each side, until nicely marked.
Arrange on warmed plates and top with Little Gem lettuce leaves and the burgers. Spoon over the roasted red pepper salsa, then scatter over the coriander sprigs and serve with lime wedges.
These Apricot Jam Breakfast Muffins can be prepared the night before and cooked to perfection in the morning – http://ow.ly/8e6w30fDtZV
These delicious treats can be prepared the night before and cooked to perfection in the morning.
Ingredients
2 large free-range eggs
150ml pot of natural low-fat yoghurt
50ml rapeseed oil
2 tblsp no added sugar apricot jam
1 ripe banana, mashed
4 tblsp clear honey
1 tsp almond extract
200g of wholemeal flour
50g of porridge oats, plus extra for sprinkling
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
2 tblsp mixed seeds
extra apricot jam
a handful of flaked almonds, for sprinkling
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 12 large muffin cases.
In a mixing jug, combine the eggs, yoghurt, rapeseed oil, Apricot Jam, banana, honey and almond extract.
In a large bowl, combine the wholemeal flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed seeds.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine until you have a smooth batter. Don’t over mix as this will make your muffins tough.
Divide the mix between the muffin cases and place about half a teaspoon of Apricot Jam on the top of each of the muffins. Sprinkle with the extra porridge oats and the flaked almonds.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden. Check that they’re cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle of one of the muffins. They’re done if it comes away clean.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. These will keep for 3 days in a sealed container but they taste best on the day of baking.
Neven Maguire’s mushroom & leek strudel with madeira wine sauce
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
For the strudel
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
225g mixed wild mushrooms roughly chopped
1 small leek, washed and finely sliced
2 tbsp double cream
2 tbsp Madeira Wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
4-5 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen (about 100g/4oz in total)
1 egg, beaten
salt and freshly ground black pepper
mixed salad leaves, to serve
For the madeira wine sauce
700ml beef stock
1 tbsp tomato purée
3 tbsp Madeira Wine
3 tbsp cream
Method
For the strudel
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ gas mark 5.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.
Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook over a medium to high heat for 2-3 minutes until almost tender.
Reduce the heat, add the cream and Madeira to the pan and cook for another minute.
Add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
Sauté for another minute until the spring onions are just tender and the liquid has almost completely reduced.
Allow to cool completely.
Unroll the sheets of filo pastry and place them all, one on top of the other, on a work surface.
Brush the top sheet of pastry with beaten egg and then spread over the mushroom mixture to within 4cm (1½in) of the edges.
Fold the short ends inwards a little to meet the mushroom mixture and then, starting with a long edge, roll up the pastry fairly tightly like you would a Swiss roll, keeping the mushrooms in place as you roll.
Place the strudel seam-side down on the parchment paper and brush it all over with the remaining beaten egg.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before carefully placing on a chopping board.
Cut the strudel into thick slices and arrange on warmed plates. Drizzle some sauce beside it and serve with some mixed salad leaves.
For the madeira wine sauce
Heat a heavy based saucepan, add the Madeira Wine and reduce by half.
Gradually whisk in the beef stock until smooth, followed by the tomato purée.
Simmer for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
Whisk in the cream, bring to the boil, season to taste and thicken with some diluted cornflower.
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