Roast Stuffed Pork
Pot roast beef with root vegetables
Venison Casserole with Beer
Pan fried Pheasant with Salsa Verde and Saffron Mash
Game Pâté
Braised Lamb Shank with Mashed Potato
Coq au Vin
Barbecue Ribs
Grilled Lamb chops with Thyme & Crushed Jersey Royal Potatoes
Loin of Pork with Spiced Apple Sauce
Roast Duck Breast with Fresh Summer Cherry Sauce
Roast Pheasant
'When I visit Henley, I indulge myself by sauntering along to Gabriel Machin, the town's last surviving butcher, purveyor of top-grade local meats, game, fish and, above all, smoked products. Rarely do I leave without a packet of bacon, some salmon, eel, halibut and other goodies, all lovingly cured out the back.'
(Matthew Fort)
Recipes
Roast Stuffed Pork (
download as pdf)
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20-30mins Cook time: 2 1/2 hours
2-2.5kg blade or sparerib of free-range pork, boned
(loosely tied, as you will have to re-roll and tie up)
75g fresh breadcrumbs
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2tbsp each chopped fresh sage and parsley
1 large red skinned apple, finely chopped
50g ready-to-eat dried cranberries or blueberries
1⁄2 tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and black pepper
1 small egg, beaten
Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450C/230F/gas Mark 8. With a sharp knife cut away the rind and most of the fat so you can cook the crackling separately. On a chopping board slash the rind with a sharp knife and place on a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes whilst preparing the joint.
Mix together the crumbs, onion, herbs, apple, cranberries, seasonings and beaten egg to bind it. Lay the joint out flat on the rind side. Have ready several pieces of string, cut in 12in/30cm lengths. Spread evenly over the pork, roll up from one long side and tie evenly, at 1”/2.5cm intervals quite tightly.
Make sure all the ties are on the underside and place the pork in a roasting dish. Rub with a little oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Place on the shelf beneath the crackling, or in the middle of the oven.
Roast for 30 minutes, turning the tin round once. Then reduce the heat to 180C/350F/gas Mark 4 and allow a total of 30 minutes per .5kg. Turn the tin round in the oven again once, and when cooked through, turn the heat off and leave to stand 20 minutes before carving.
Serve with roast potatoes, your favourite fresh vegetables and why not try the Rum Plum Sauce for a delicious alternative to (or as well as) your gravy?
Pot roast beef with root vegetables ( download as pdf)
A one-pot main course just right for weekend eating. Simply put all the ingredients into a casserole dish and leave to cook gently. It needs little attention and makes its own gravy while it cooks!
Cook time: Approx. 4 hours
Serves: 6
2-2.4kg rolled brisket
2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
6 shallots peeled and left whole
1 large carrot cut into chunks
4 celery stalks cut into chunks
300g swede cut into chunks
300g potatoes cut into chunks
300ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Beurre manié made with 1 tbsp flour and 25g softened butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Venison Casserole with Beer ( download as pdf)
Serves 4
900g boned venison shoulder
2 tbsp oil
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
150g piece smoked streaky bacon or Pancetta diced
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml beef or venison stock
300ml brown ale
2 tsp soft light brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1-2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
Roasted baby carrots to serve
Preheat the oven to 130C/Gas Mark 2.
Cut the venison into 3cm cubes, discarding any gristle and sinew. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a flameproof casserole dish. Fry the venison in batches for 5-6 mins until browned on all sides, adding a little extra oil as necessary. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Add onions to the casserole and fry for 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, add the bacon and fry for a further 2 mins. Return all the meat and any accumulated juices to the pan. Add the garlic then stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the stock and ale scraping up any juices stuck to the bottom of the pan. Heat, stirring until simmering. Add in the sugar, bay leaves and thyme and season with freshly ground black pepper. Cover the casserole with a tight fitting lid or foil and cook in the oven for at least 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve with roasted baby carrots.
Pan fried Pheasant with Salsa Verde and Saffron Mash
( download as pdf)
Serves 4
4 pheasant breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Salsa Verde:
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp capers left whole
4 pickled gherkins,
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
Small bunch flat leafed parsley
Small bunch basil leaves
Small bunch mint
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
6-7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper
700g potatoes
Saffron mash:
Milk
Salt & pepper
Knob of butter
Few saffron strands
To make the salsa put the garlic, capers, gherkins, anchovy fillets, herbs, mustard and about 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar into a food processor.
Whizz together until roughly chopped.
Stir in the remaining vinegar, oil, season to taste. Cover the dish and leave for the flavours to develop.
Melt the butter in a heavy based frying pan add the oil and heat until almost sizzling. Season the pheasant breasts with salt and pepper. Put in the frying pan and fry for about 2-3 minutes on either side.
Infuse a few saffron strands in 1 tablespoon of hot water.
When the potatoes are cooked, drain well. Mash with enough milk to make the potato creamy. Season to taste and stir in the saffron and water.
Serve the pheasant breast with some of the salsa and mashed potato.
Game Pâté ( download as pdf)
The perfect dish to make for the Christmas break. Can be made in advance and frozen.
240g streaky bacon
350g pheasant minced or blitzed
in a food processor
675g fatty pork, e.g. belly, minced
1 pheasant breast, diced
2 tbsps brandy
8 tbsps wine
1 clove garlic, crushed
6-8 juniper berries, chopped
2 tbsps fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsps fresh thyme, chopped
Small bunch fresh coriander, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bay leaves for decoration
Chop half the bacon into small squares, reserving the other half, and mix together with the other ingredients. Allow to stand for an hour for the flavours to develop if time allows. Put into a terrine or large oven-proof baking dish, smooth the top and arrange the remaining bacon slices diagonally across. Decorate with the bay leaves. Place, uncovered, in a baking tin of hot water to come half way up the sides and cook in a slow oven (150C, 300F, Gas Mark 2) for 2 to 2½ hours.
The pâté is cooked when it starts to come away from the side of the dish and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the middle. Remove from the oven and weight down (use a similar sized dish with kitchen scale weights or even a brick covered with tinfoil). Allow to cool then refrigerate overnight before cutting into slices. Serve with crusty bread.
Braised Lamb Shank with Mashed Potato ( download as pdf)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves 4
4 lamb shanks
1 carrot, diced finely
1 medium onion, diced finely
2 celery sticks, diced finely
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Few sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 garlic loves, finely chopped
1 tbsp concentrated tomato purée
½ bottle white wine
250ml lamb stock (or water)
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped
In a casserole dish, sweat the diced vegetables in some of the olive oil until tender. Add the thyme, bay leaves, garlic, tomato purée, wine and lamb stock or water. Bring to the boil and lower to a gentle simmer. Heat a little more olive oil in a separate pan and brown the lamb shanks on all sides, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Transfer the shanks to the casserole dish and cover with its lid. Cook in a preheated slow-moderate oven (about 150C/300F/Gas 2) until the meat is completely tender and coming off the bone. Remove the shanks from the pan and keep warm while you finish the sauce. Skim off some of the fat, taste for seasoning, boil to reduce if you think it needs it. Serve one lamb shank on each warmed plate with a generous amount of sauce spooned over. Sprinkle each shank with a little parsley and serve with mashed potato and green beans or mange tout.
Coq au Vin ( download as pdf)
Serves: 4
8 chicken joints, on the bone
150g shallots, peeled and left whole
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
25g butter
sprig of fresh thyme
150g streaky bacon, cut thickly
350g button mushrooms
500ml oz good red wine
500ml oz chicken stock
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and crushed black pepper
Heat a thick-bottomed casserole dish on the stove, add almost all the butter, shallots and garlic and cook gently until just browned. Add the bacon and thyme and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, turn up the heat and add the red wine, chicken stock and vinegar. Add the chicken pieces, bring the sauce to the boil and then simmer gently for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the parsley, together with a knob of butter. Correct the seasoning and serve with a little dressed green salad and olive oil mash or good bread.
Barbecue Ribs ( download as pdf)
25g butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 60ml peanut oil
600ml tomato puree, 400g brown sugar
120ml Worcestershire sauce
30ml white wine vinegar
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp paprika
Heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. The butter should begin to bubble and foam as it heats. Once the foam subsides, add onions and sauté over medium heat for five minutes, until just soft. Add garlic and sauté for one minute.
Add tomato puree, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, white wine vinegar, chilli powder and paprika and bring to a simmer. Cook on a low heat uncovered until thickened, (about one and a half hours). Remove from heat, let cool and separate 240ml of sauce to be used to baste and 720ml to be served as sauce on the side. Refrigerate until ready to use. This sauce will be used to baste the ribs during the final 10 minutes of cooking time on the barbecue.
Dry Rub for Barbecue Pork Spare Ribs
2 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper, 3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp chilli powder, 3 tbsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp English mustard powder
Combine all ingredients and set aside.
Barbecue Pork Spare Ribs
3.5kg pork spareribs, about 3 or 4 full racks
200g dry rub (from recipe alongside)
240ml barbecue sauce, with the remaining 720ml set aside (from recipe alongside)
Tin foil
Paper bags
Place a drip pan filled with water in the barbecue for the ribs to cook above. If using a gas grill, place the pan to one side and only light half of the burners. If using charcoal, get the coals hot and spread them out from the middle, creating a well for the drip pan to sit in. Rub pork spareribs with dry rub mixture. Check barbecue to see if it’s reached the proper temperature, 100C. Place ribs on grill over drip pan, close barbecue lid and cook for about 1½ - 2 hours at 100C. Turn ribs every 20-30 minutes, adding coals or adjusting gas to maintain a steady 100C. Some fluctuation is unavoidable, particularly if using charcoal, but the goal is to stay between 100 -110C. Begin basting ribs with sauce in the final 10 minutes of cooking time (after about 1½ hours). Any earlier and the sauce will simply dry out. Once the ribs are cooked, wrap them tightly in tin foil and place inside paper bags. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow them to steam and tenderize the meat further without overcooking. Remove and serve with remaining sauce on the side.
Grilled Lamb chops with Thyme & Crushed Jersey Royal Potatoes
( download as pdf)
Serves 4
4 lamb chump chops
125ml red wine
3 sprigs thyme, finely chopped
200g Jersey Royal potatoes, boiled until tender, drained, plunged into cold water and drained
60ml olive oil. Juice of 1 lemon
250g baby broad beans, shelled
35g unsalted butter. Handful of chopped chives
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Place the chops in a shallow dish. Mix together the wine, 2 tbsp olive oil and thyme. Pour the mixture over the lamb chops, cover and leave to marinate for up to 1 hour. Preheat a grill to medium. Remove the chops from the marinade and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill for 3-5 minutes each side, depending on thickness, basting occasionally with the marinade. Remove from grill and keep warm. Meanwhile, prepare the crushed potatoes. Heat 10g butter and olive oil in a frying pan. Lightly crush the potatoes with a fork and add them to the pan. Add in ½ the lemon juice, chopped chives and fry until warmed through. Season to taste. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 3-4 minutes until just cooked and drain. Return the beans to the pot and stir in the remaining butter. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Serve and enjoy!
Loin of Pork with Spiced Apple Sauce ( download as pdf)Serves 4-6
2kg loin of pork, on the bone (ask your butcher to chine the loin for you - this will make carving easier
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 glass of white wine, 2 tbsp olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable stock or water, for basting
For the spiced apple sauce
500g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
30g butter, 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, freshly ground black pepper
30g soft dark brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 5. Pour the wine into a roasting tin and place the pork in it, bones downwards. Rub the skin with the olive oil, season and roast for 1½ - 2 hours until cooked through. The juices will run clear when the meat is pierced with a skewer when cooked through. Remove pork from the oven and leave to rest in a warm place. For the sauce, put the apples in a pan with the butter, water, vinegar and spices. Cover and cook until softened but chunky. Add sugar to taste. Carve the pork, arrange the meat on a plate, cover and keep warm. Quickly put the roasting tin over the heat and bring to the boil, adding a little more stock or water if required. Pour into a jug and serve with the spiced apple sauce and a selection of roasted vegetables.
Roast Duck Breast with Fresh Summer Cherry Sauce
( download as pdf)
Serves 2
2 duck breasts, skin scored
For the cherry sauce:
6fl oz red wine
110g Fresh (with stones removed) cherries
6fl oz beef stock
3 tsp corn flour
Preheat a small, ovenproof frying pan.
Preheat oven to 250C/500F/Gas 9.
Place the duck, skin side down, in the frying pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the skin is crispy. Transfer the duck to the oven and roast for 6-8 minutes. Remove the duck from the oven and place on a warm plate to rest.
Place the frying pan back on the hob.
Pour in the red wine, cherries and stock and stir well to combine with the duck fat.
Leave the sauce to boil and reduce.
Add a little water to the corn flour and stir to make a paste. Add the corn flour paste to the sauce. Continue to stir the sauce until the corn flour has thickened the sauce.
Roast Pheasant
( download as pdf)
1 Pheasant
1 apple cored and chopped
½ onion chopped
2 lbs butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 slices dry cured streaky bacon
Game stock
Place the apple and onion inside the bird, together with 1 lb of the butter.
Pepper and a little salt over the bird and rub it over with the remaining butter
Cover the breast with the streaky bacon and place in a pre heated oven (about 180C/350F/Gas 4) baste the bird 2 or 3 times and cook for 1 hour.
The Pheasant is cooked when the juices run clear.
Allow the Pheasant to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Use the juices from the Pheasant and Game stock to make the gravy, a little Port in the gravy gives it a great flavour, serve with seasonal vegetables.