Nettle Soup

This really is a delicious soup. It is obviously very inexpensive and was always prepared as a spring tonic. Nettles are high in vitamin C and iron.

Method

• Use gloves to gather young nettles.
• Wash the nettles and blanch with boiling water.
• Wash the spinach and add to the nettles.
• Pour the hot stock over the nettles and spinach in a saucepan.
• Season and simmer for three quarters of an hour, adding more stock if needed.
• Leave soup to cool and blend in blender.
• Mix the flour to a smooth paste with some cold milk.
• Add this to the soup and bring back to the boil, stirring all the time.
• Chop the sausages into small rounds and add to the soup.
• Swirl in the sour cream just before serving.

Omelette Arnold Bennett

Gently poach the haddock in the milk in a covered pan until it begins to flake. Pick the meat from the skin and bones, sieve the milk and let it cool. In a saucepan, melt 1 1/2 tablespoon butter and add the flour. Whisk in the milk in batches and boil to form a creamy sauce. Turn off the heat and beat in the yolks and cheese (keep some extra to finish the dish). Finish with the fish flakes and cream, and season with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season lightly. Heat the remaining butter in a heavy-based omelette or frying pan and let it foam before adding the eggs. Stir them a bit and then let them set on the bottom. While the top is still creamy, pour the fish sauce over, sprinkle the rest of the cheese and place the pan under a hot grill until golden brown. Slide the omelette to your serving platter and sprinkle with fresh parsley or a herb of your choice.

Basic Vanilla Custard or Pastry Cream

Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape the seeds. Add both to the milk in a heavy based saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and creamy. Sift the flour and cornstarch and add to the egg mixture. Add 1/3 hot milk into the egg mixture bowl, while whisking well. Now, add the contents of the bowl back to the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Discard the vanilla pod, rub the butter over the top and either serve or leave to cool if using in another recipe

Creamy Spinach Soup

Fry the onion and garlic gently for 5-6 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the potato and continue to cook gently for 1 minute. Pour in the stock and simmer until the potato starts to cook. Pour in the milk and cream and bring to a simmer, then stir in half the spinach and the lemon zest. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the spinach has completely wilted down. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice and blend together with the remaining spinach. Reheat if needed. Whip the cream slightly and serve the soup with a dollop of cream.

Asparagus Soup

Remove the white part of the asparagus stems and peel them leaving the heads intact. Cook in boiling salted water just until soft. Remove and dip them in iced water to stop them cooking. Cut the heads off, reserve, and chop the stems coarsely. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Cook the flour until the mixture looks creamy, then add the chicken stock, a little at a time, mixing constantly. Bring to the boil and let it cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend with the chopped asparagus stems. Season with salt and pepper. Pass the soup through a sieve and take it to the heat again, without letting it boil. Mix in the cream and the asparagus tips just to reheat them. Serve.

Mushroom Soup

Sweat the onions and mushrooms in butter. Season with salt, pepper and some chopped parsley. Cover and let cook for approx. 15 min. Sprinkle with the flour, mix and add the stock and milk, a little at a time. Simmer for a further 15 min. Add the cream, lemon juice and adjust the seasoning to taste. Sprinkle with more parsley and serve with bread.

Cream Scones

Preheat the oven to 190C. Rub the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resemble breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, vanilla, lemon zest and cream, and add it to the flour mixture. Bring the mixture together by hand. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 4 cm thick and cut with a round pastry cutter. Brush with milk and bake in a greased tray for approx 20 minutes, until a cocktail stick comes out clean when inserted inside a scone. Leave to cool and serve with jam and clotted cream.

Baked Peaches with Rosewater Cream

Halve the peaches and remove the stones. Brush with a lemon wedge so that the cut surfaces don’t darken. Place them in a tray, flesh side up, sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with vodka. Bash the biscuits to crumbs and fill the cavities of each peach halve. Bake for approx. 20 min at 200C, until the flesh is tender. Add the sugar and rosewater to the cream, whip until firm and chill. Sprinkle the peaches with almonds and serve warm with the chilled cream.

Beef Stroganoff

Cut the meat into 1,5cm strips or cubes and mix with flour, salt and pepper. Brown the meat in a hot pan with butter in batches, if necessary, and set aside. In the same pan, fry the chopped onions until softened and sweat mushrooms cut into quarters. Add the meat back to the pan, pour in the vodka and flambé it. Stir in the cream and mustard, and bring to boil (if too thick, add a bit of water or white wine). Adjust the seasoning and serve with white rice, buckwheat or potatoes.

Berry Panna Cotta

Panna cotta: Dilute the gelatine in 3 tbsp water. Heat the milk with the sugar, but don’t let it boil. Add the gelatine and mix until fully dissolved. Add the cream, almond extract and keep mixing slowly, over low heat, until completely smooth. Fill individual moulds and refrigerate for 12 hs. To remove, dip the moulds in a tray of hot water for around 30 seconds. Serve with berry compote and flaked almonds.;Berry Compote: Put all the ingredients in a pan and let them simmer until the mixture reaches a jam like consistency. If it gets too stiff when cold, dilute with a bit of water.