Foodsnaps

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the sauce vierge 

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 garlic clove
• sea salt
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large ripe tomato
• handful fresh tarragon
• handful fresh basil
• handful fresh coriander (you can substitute mint if you like)
• ½ lemon, juice only

For the scallops

• 8 large diver-caught scallops, roe attached
• olive oil, for drizzling
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

To serve

• lemon quarters

How to:

1. For the sauce vierge, dry-fry the coriander seeds in a hot frying pan until they release their aroma. Place them in a pestle and mortar and crush.
2. Peel the garlic clove and mash to a paste with the tip of a knife and some sea salt. Add the garlic paste to the pestle and mortar.
3.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the garlic and coriander and stir.
4. Remove the core and seeds of the tomato. Chop the flesh roughly and add to the pestle and mortar.
5. Roughly chop the herbs and add them to the pestle and mortar. Crush all the ingredients together well to form a sauce. Allow the flavours to infuse while you prepare the scallops.
6. Trim off any tough, sinewy flesh and remove any black veins from the scallops, but keep the roes intact.
7.  Heat a frying pan or griddle pan until hot. Drizzle some olive oil over the scallops and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Place the scallops on the hot pan or griddle and cook until they're just cooked through, about 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on size. They'll feel firm to the touch when cooked. (If the scallops are very large, you can finish them in a preheated oven for a few minutes.)
9. Finish the sauce vierge by adding the lemon juice (don't do this until just before serving or the herbs will turn black). Adjust seasoning and stir well.
10. To serve, spoon the sauce vierge over the scallops and garnish with the quartered lemons.

Recipe via the BBC

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Ingredients (serves 2)

For the sauce

• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 small red chilli, de-seeded and chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon white wine vineger or rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar

For the kebabs

• 500gr lean minced lamb
• 1 small onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to:

1. Soak 10 bamboo skewers in a bowl of water for at least 10 min to prevent them from burning under the grill
2. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the sauce ingredients in a small screw top jar, add a tablespoon of water and shake well.
3. To make the kebabs, put the kebab ingredients in a food processor, season well and combine until it comes together into a ball.
4. Divide the mixture into 10 and use your hands to shape the meat into "sausages". Put the skewers through the middle of the sausage shapes.
5. Preaheat the grill to high. Grill for 10 min turning occasionally until browned all over and cooked through. Serve with the dipping sauce and salad.

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Ingredients (Makes 12)

• 350gr high quality mincemeat, preferably homemade
• 200gr plain flour, sifted
• 40gr golden caster sugar
• 75gr ground almonds
• 125gr unsalted butter, diced
• 1 large free-range egg, beaten
• milk, to glaze

 How to:

1. Lightly butter a 12-hole pie or patty tin. Tip the mincemeat into a bowl and stir so that the liquid is evenly distributed.
2. Place the flour, sugar, almonds and butter in a food processor and process briefly until resembling breadcrumbs, then slowly add the egg through the feeder tube. (Or rub the butter into the dry ingredients by hand and stir in the egg.)
3. Bring the mixture together with your hands, wrap in clingfilm and chill for an hour or so. Thinly roll out the pastry on a floured surface. Cut out 12 circles with a fluted pastry cutter, large enough to fill the base of the prepared tin. Press gently into each hole, then fill with the mincemeat.
4. Cut out another 12 slightly smaller discs (or stars) and use to cover the mincemeat. Press the edges together to seal. Make a small slit in the top of each, then brush lightly with milk. Chill for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. 5. Bake the pies for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and dust them with icing sugar.

Recipe slightly modified from the BBC

*If you prefer to make your own mince meat there is a fantastic recipe on Delia online.

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 200 gr chorizo, sliced
• 3 tsp Harissa paste
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 orange
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 450gr bay potatoes
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbs coriander, finely choped
•  Mint leaves, to garnish
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

How to:

1. Fry the chorizo in 1 tbsp oil until crisp. Drain, reserving the oil.
2. Mix together the Harissa paste, juice and grated zest of lemon, grated zest of an orange and 4 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Cook 450gr baby potatoes until tenter. Drain and mix with the dressing, the reserved chorizo oil and the sliced red onion. When cool stir in the chorizo slices, coriander leaves, mint leaves and serve.

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Ingredients (serves2)

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 100g firm goat's cheese , such as Crottin de Chavignol
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus 2-3 sprigs
• 4 rashers streaky bacon , thinly sliced
• 2 courgettes , thinly sliced
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for drizzling
• 250g vine tomatoes , thinly sliced

How to:

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Split the chicken breasts almost in half from one long side and open them out like a book. Bat them out a little with a rolling pin to flatten them. Season on all sides. Put half the goat's cheese on each piece of chicken and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Fold the chicken over to enclose the cheese, then wrap each one in two slices of the bacon.
2. Lightly oil a shallow gratin dish, then arrange overlapping rows of courgettes and tomatoes over the base. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme sprigs. Sit the chicken on top.
3. Bake for 40-45 mins until the bacon is crisp and golden and the courgettes are tender. Serve straight from the dish with new potatoes or good bread.

Recipe via BBC Good Food

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Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 200gr pasta
• Florets of 1 small broccoli
• 1 small red chili, finely chopped
• 1 Italian sausage, sliced
• 6 sun blushed tomatoes, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

How to:

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. In the meantime bring a large pot of water to boil add the broccoli and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and the broccoli. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in large skillet. Add the garlic, chili, sausage and blushed tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the pasta and the broccoli and stir gently.

Season to taste and serve.

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Ingredients (serves 2)

• 4 slices parma ham
• 400gr pork tenderloin
• olive oil
• 2 red onions
• 50ml Marsala wine
• 200ml chicken stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to:

1. Cut your pork in two pieces. Lay the slices of Parma ham on a board and wrap both pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Put 1 tbs of olive oil in a lidded non stick frying pan, add the pork and cook over a high heat for 3 min, turning until golden all over. Remove to a plate.
3. Add the onions and stir fry for 5 minutes then return the pork to the pan with the Marsala and the chicken stock. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. To serve, slice the pork and arrange on plates with the onions and sauce.

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 duck breasts
• 1 tsp black peppercorns , crushed
• 600g cooked new potatoes , thickly sliced
• bunch flat-leaf parsley , roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove , finely chopped
• 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon , chopped
• 1 savoy cabbage , trimmed, quartered, cored and finely sliced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil

How to:

1. Lightly score the skin of the duck breasts, then generously season with the peppercorns and a sprinkling of salt. Lay the duck breasts, skin-side down, in a non-stick sauté pan, then place over a low heat. Leave the duck for 15 mins to brown and release its fat, then flip over onto the flesh side for 5 mins.
2. Remove the duck from the pan, then turn up the heat. Add the potatoes to the pan, fry until brown and crisp, then scatter over the parsley and garlic. Scoop out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, then season with salt.
3. Keep the pan on the heat. Fry the bacon until crisp, then add the cabbage. Cook for 1 min, add a splash of water, then fry for 2 mins, just until the cabbage is wilted. While the cabbage is cooking, whisk any juices from the duck with the vinegar and olive oil. To serve, carve the duck breast into slices. Fan out on large dinner plates, spoon a neat bundle of cabbage on one side, then pile a serving of potatoes on the other. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.

Recipe via BBC Good Food

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Ingredients (serves 2)

• 75gr puy lentils
• 2 lean lamb leg steaks (approx. 250gr each)
• olive oil
• 1 x 280gr jar silverskin onions in vinegar, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 75ml ruby Port
• 300ml lamb stock
• 1 tbs redcurrant jelly
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C / fan 140C. Put the puy lentils into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes
2. Meanwhile put the flour on to a plate and dust the lamb steaks in it, shaking off the excess. Heat a liddled ovenproof casserole dish, add 2 tbs of olive oil and cook the lamb for 5 minutes, turning until brown all over. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the onions, garlic and rosemary and cook gently for 3 minutes until starting to brown. Add the port, stock, redcurrant jelly and drained lentils and return the lamb.
4. Bring to the boil, cover and cook in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours until the juices have reduced and the lamb is tender.
5. Check the seasoning and serve.

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Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1kg mussels, cleaned and de-bearded (broken or opened ones discarded)
• 75ml dry white whine
• handful of parsley finely chopped, plus parsley for garnish

How to:

1. Heat a large, lidded saucepan and add the olive oil.
2. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, but not browned.
3. Add the mussels and pour in the wine. Mix through, turn up the heat and put the lid on. 
4. Cook, shaking the pan every now and again until all the mussels have opened and are cooked. Remove any mussels that remain closed.
5. Spoon into serving bowls with the juices, sprinkle with parsley and serve with rustic bread.

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