My Kitchen

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Introduction

Spring

Spring onion potato cakes with fried duck eggs

Cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup with bacon

Frisée, radish and orange salad

Bibb lettuce salad with radishes

Montgomery cheese balls with rosemary

Seared sea bass with blood orange and spring onion salad

Dill-marinated salmon with lime and rhubarb salad

Grilled halibut with champ and lemon caper butter

Mackerel with caramelised radishes

Cod with clams, curly kale and wild garlic

Trout with green beans and almonds

Wok-fried chicken with ginger, chilli and wild garlic

Sautéed chicken livers and mushrooms on toast

Rack of lamb with vegetable broth

Lamb, mint and Little Gem salad

Côte de boeuf with watercress and black beer mustard

Black beer mustard

Juniper-pickled cucumbers

Sliced Yorkshire ham with poached leeks and spring onions

Scotch eggs with curried salad cream

Pressed ham terrine

Rhubarb and ginger syllabub

Orange cheesecake with roasted rhubarb

Crème caramel with strawberries

Pancakes with pistachio gremolata

Baked Alaska with elderflower meringue

Elderflower fritters with maple syrup

Elderflower and lemon cordial

Summer

Pea soup with Little Gem and marjoram

Sweetcorn soup with crab and basil cream

Deep-fried tomato fritters with red onion salad

Tomato, basil and mozzarella pizzas

Slow-roasted tomatoes with Worcestershire sauce

Soused herrings with red chilli and chive cream

Smoked haddock, globe artichoke and lemon risotto

Scallop and squid salad with fennel and rocket

Spicy crab linguini

Grilled sardines with panzanella

Classic chicken chasseur

Sticky chicken wings

Cold chicken breast with warm red onion and grape salad

Chicken with peach and watercress

Beef and fennel koftas

Lemon and rosemary lamb with tahini aubergines

Marinated loin of lamb with warm figs, coriander and honey

Potted salt beef with gherkins

Spatchcock duck with spicy tamarind glaze

Chargrilled rabbit loin with sweetcorn and chilli relish

Pork spare ribs with coleslaw, star anise and whisky glaze

Pan-fried pork fillet with smoky tomato sauce

Poached cherries with almond glaze

Black cherry brownies

Eggy croissants with fresh raspberries and zabaglione

Oven-roasted apricots with honey madeleines

Lemon verbena cake with strawberries and cream

Teacakes with warm strawberries and clotted cream

Spiced redcurrant jelly

Sweet and sour pickled plums

Autumn

Pumpkin soup with chestnut cream

Hazelnut-coated goat’s cheese with lemon and beetroot salad

Cromer crab toastie

Scrambled duck eggs with crispy bacon and watercress

Marinated mackerel with horseradish and crusty bread

Pan-fried lemon sole with clams, coriander and tomato

Herb-crusted cod with spicy cauliflower cheese

Smoked haddock, leek and mascarpone tart

Salmon and pumpkin risotto

Pot-roasted chicken with pumpkin, sage and star anise

Pan-fried chicken with Waldorf salad

Fillet of beef with beetroot and parsley

Rib-eye steak with stick fries and Chateaubriand sauce

Pan-fried calf’s liver with cider-battered onion rings

Roasted grouse with potato, celeriac and parsnip rosti

Roast duck breast with sherry vinegar plums

Rabbit casserole with white wine and grapes

Venison with parsnip purée and roast beets

Pheasant breasts with onion purée and sautéed greens

Pork escalopes with wild mushrooms, juniper and mash

Swiss-style hazelnut meringues with coffee cream

Welsh cakes with poached pears

Baked custard tart with mulled spiced plums

Damson clafoutis

Pistachio coffee cake

Sloe jam

Winter

Chunky vegetable soup with cheesy herb toasts

Leek and potato soup with smoked salmon and poached eggs

Onion soup with Lincolnshire Poacher

Gnocchi with winter pesto

Scallops with black pudding and apple puree

Spicy mussels with coconut and lime

Deep-fried cod cheeks in beer batter

Pigeon with fried green cabbage and almonds

Roast turkey with Guinness glaze

Breaded turkey with spinach, walnuts and honeyed parsnips

Beef fillet with bacon, cep purée and Jerusalem artichokes

Braised oxtail with beer and red wine

Beef and shallot hotpot

Sliced duck breast with winter stir-fry

Honey-glazed quail with beetroot, apple and hazelnut salad

Breaded pork chops with celeriac purée and herb spätzle

Pork loin with sherry-roasted parsnips and chestnuts

Mango, coriander and apple chutney

Spiced apple chutney

Caramelised pear and almond strudel

Caramelised quince and Cox apple tart

Christmas pudding ice cream with satsumas and caramel sauce

Four-minute figgy pudding with custard

Hot spiced cranberry punch

Stocks, sauces and dressings

French dressing

Vinaigrette

Mint sauce

Creamed horseradish

Mayonnaise

Quick Hollandaise sauce

Tartar sauce

Chicken stock

Fish stock

Vegetable stock

Supplier list

Acknowledgements

Index

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

“It’s all in a season.” That’s what my granddad used to say to me. A keen gardener, he would to take me to his allotment and greenhouse whenever I went to visit. That was my first real insight into fresh food and where it comes from – before that it had just been microwaved jacket potatoes or steak with onion rings from a Berni Inn. So, I’m sure it was there – right there – aged five, that the seeds were planted in my mind, and I knew I was going to be a cook.

Many people in the UK grow up in urban areas with little or no awareness of where their food comes from and when it is actually in season. In my opinion, this is mainly down to the supermarkets offering the same food week-in, week-out. But the seasons are the planet’s natural cycle and they exist for a reason, so it makes no sense to try and beat them. Think of each changing season as ‘out with the old and in with the new’, welcome the next lot of produce and don’t go searching for out-of-season food. There are so many good reasons to eat what we produce locally, the obvious ones being to support the British farmers, to reduce CO2 emissions from transport, and above all else to get the best possible taste. You only have to try Jersey Royals or British strawberries to understand what I mean.

In a country obsessed with cheaper and cheaper food, we should take a step back and re-assess. If we want great food on our plates we have to be willing to pay for it. I’m not saying it has to be expensive – we’re still talking pence, not pounds and, in fact, food is at its cheapest when in season – even luxury foods like asparagus. Things are already changing for the better, with people learning more about food from books and TV programmes and paying closer attention to what they are eating. But more can still be done. We just need to get out of the habit of expecting what we want whenever we want it. It has always been my mission to champion the food that’s on our doorstep, and this is exactly the food I cook at home, in my own kitchen.

Those who have their own garden or allotment will always have access to the utmost in fresh produce. They will also know that it’s a great teaching tool for young and old alike, and that growing your own food can be a source of much satisfaction. Most importantly, if we eat seasonal food it will be at its cheapest because of its abundance, and the flavour will be at its best. This book is all about celebrating this island of ours, and the food that grows on it, and the best way I can get you excited about cooking this way in your own home is to give you the recipes I cook in my own throughout the year.

Enjoy,

James

Spring

Radishes • Asparagus • Spring onions • Leeks Jerusalem artichokes • Spinach • Elderflowers Rhubarb • Parsley • Lamb • Sea bass • Salmon

Spring brings a garden to life with the promise of delicious crops to come. In Britain we can enjoy seasonal produce such as wild garlic, Jerusalem artichokes and watercress. Radishes and spring onions push up through the soil and elderflowers fill the hedgerows. Sea bass and salmon are a real treat for seafood lovers, while for meat eaters the end of the season brings with it succulent spring lamb. And I wouldn’t be a true Yorkshireman if I didn’t mention the best bit of all – rhubarb! Harvest from the garden or enjoy the tender pink forced variety, still available at this time of year.

Spring onion potato cakes with fried duck eggs

Serves 4

Vegetarian

4 large floury potatoes, peeled and quartered

½ bunch of spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped chives

110g (4oz) flour, for dusting

150ml (5fl oz) olive oil

110g (4oz) butter

4 duck eggs

200g (7oz) watercress

50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

20ml (¾fl oz) white wine vinegar

Salt and black pepper

Potato cakes are excellent as a starter or as a filling snack. They can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge until needed. Duck eggs are a Saturday Kitchen favourite. Cook them just like hens’ eggs; however, they’re too rich to use in baking.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 20–25 minutes, then drain and return to the pan. With the pan on a heatproof surface, mash the potatoes well, then transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the spring onions and chives and divide the mixture into eight balls.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour, place a potato ball on it and shape into a round, flat cake about 1cm (½in) thick and 5cm (2in) wide. Repeat with the rest of the potato and place the finished cakes in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.

Add the olive oil to a non-stick frying pan, dust the potato cakes with flour and fry over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes on each side. Depending on the size of the pan, you may have to cook them in batches.

While the potato cakes are cooking, melt the butter in another non-stick frying pan, set over a medium heat, and once it is hot and bubbling, crack the duck eggs into the pan and cook them until the edges are crispy but the centres remain soft.

Dress the watercress with the extra-virgin olive oil and the vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Place 1–2 potato cakes on each plate, top with a fried egg, drizzle with the leftover butter from the egg pan and serve with some watercress on the side.

Cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup with bacon

Serves 4

300g (11oz) Jerusalem artichokes

1 large shallot

1 small potato

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

500ml (18fl oz) Vegetable Stock (see page 218)

3 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

110ml (4fl oz) double cream

Salt and black pepper

Crusty bread, to serve

Jerusalem artichokes are the roots of a plant related to the sunflower. They come into season very early in spring, sometimes even earlier, at the tail end of winter. Despite having the same name, the globe artichoke comes from a completely different plant and isn’t in season until the summer. Jerusalem artichokes make excellent soup; I also love them in purées, salads or simply sautéed.

Peel the artichokes, shallot and potato and chop into 1cm (½in) cubes. Set a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Tip in the vegetables and fry gently for 2–3 minutes, without browning.

Add the garlic and pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and cook for 8–10 minutes or until the artichokes and potato are cooked through and soft.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to high and grill the bacon on both sides until crispy, then set aside. Once cool, cut into pieces.

Add the cream to the soup, bring back up to the boil and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, then pour the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively, puree the soup using a held-held blender.

Return the soup to the pan, reheat gently and add salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the soup into bowls and sprinkle with small pieces of the bacon. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve with fresh crusty bread.

Frisée, radish and orange salad

Serves 4

Vegetarian

3 oranges

½ head frisée lettuce

4 radishes, sliced

½ bunch of chives, in 2.5cm (1in) lengths

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper

This refreshing salad makes a great accompaniment to fish, especially smoked salmon. The outer leaves of frisee lettuce can be bitter, so use the inner leaves only.

Zest two oranges, then peel and break the segments into a large bowl. Add the lettuce leaves, radish slices and chives.

To make the dressing, put the zest in another bowl with the juice of the third orange and the vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad, toss the leaves to coat evenly and serve immediately.

Bibb lettuce salad with radishes

Serves 4

Vegetarian

4 heads of Bibb lettuce

6 tbsp chopped mixed

fresh herbs

2 shallots 8 radishes

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

5 tbsp rapeseed oil

Salt and black pepper

A simple salad, ideal with grilled chicken or fish. If you can’t get Bibb lettuce, use Little Gem instead; and feel free to replace the rapeseed oil with a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Cut away the base section from each lettuce and place the leaves in a large bowl. Add all the herbs to the bowl and mix well together. Peel and thinly slice the shallots, slice the radishes and layer both with the salad leaves onto plates.

In a separate bowl, mix together the mustard and vinegar and slowly add the rapeseed or olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper, drizzle the dressing over the salad leaves and serve.

Montgomery cheese balls with rosemary

Serves 4

Vegetarian

450ml (16fl oz) milk

125g (4½oz) Montgomery’s Cheddar or any good-quality, mature Cheddar cheese

20g (¾oz) butter, plus extra for greasing

150g (5oz) plain flour

2 whole eggs, beaten

6 eggs, separated into whites and yolks

2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves

300g (11oz) dried breadcrumbs, such as Japanese panko

1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Salt and black pepper

These are excellent as canapés, as a starter or, in larger quantities, as a vegetarian main course. Serve simply with salad, such as the Bibb Lettuce Salad with Radishes (see page 13).

Gently warm the milk in a small saucepan over a low heat – do not let it boil. Grate the cheese into a bowl and set aside.

Place the butter, flour, beaten eggs and the six yolks in a large saucepan, add the grated cheese and set over a low heat. Gradually add the warm milk, stirring continuously with a whisk to prevent lumps. Once all of the milk has been added, keep stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.

When the mixture starts to come away from the sides of the pan, season with salt and pepper and pour out on to a greased baking tray to cool. Once cool, mould the mixture into balls each about the size of a golf ball and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

Beat the egg whites in a bowl and mix the rosemary and breadcrumbs in another bowl. Dip the cheese balls first into the egg white, then the rosemary breadcrumbs and either cook straight away or return to the fridge and cook later.

If using a deep-fat fryer, heat the vegetable oil to 190°C (375°F). Alternatively, fill a deep, heavy-based frying pan to a depth of 2cm (¾in) with oil and use a sugar thermometer to check that it has reached the correct temperature.

Remove the balls from the fridge and lower into the fryer or pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes until golden brown, then carefully lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and serve.

Seared sea bass with blood orange and spring onion salad

Serves 4

4 blood oranges

1 bunch of spring onions, cut into 2.5cm (1in) lengths

200g (7oz) mixed salad leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

4 × 125g (4½oz) sea bass fillets, all bones removed

1 bunch of basil, leaves only

Salt and black pepper

For the dressing

25ml (1fl oz) white wine vinegar

Pinch of caster sugar

110ml (4fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

Farmed sea bass has become widely available in recent years, but if you can get hold of line-caught bass it’s definitely worth the extra cost. Blood oranges are a beautiful deep red colour and have a much more distinctive flavour than regular oranges (although you could use these as an alternative). They go well in savoury dishes and salads.

Peel three of the oranges and break the segments into a large bowl along with the spring onions. Season with salt and pepper, then add the salad leaves and toss together. Set aside.

To make the dressing, squeeze the juice from the remaining orange into another bowl and mix with the vinegar and sugar. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil until fully incorporated. Drizzle a little of the dressing over the prepared salad and toss together to coat.

Pour the olive oil into a non-stick frying pan set over a high heat. Place the sea bass fillets in the pan, skin side down, and sear for 3–4 minutes or until the sides of the fish start to brown. Turn over, cook for 1 more minute, add half the basil and remove from the heat, keeping the fish in the pan to allow them to carry on cooking in the residual heat. Set aside.

Divide the salad between plates, then lift the sea bass fillets from the pan and place on top of the salad. Scatter with the remaining basil, drizzle over the rest of the dressing and serve.

Dill-marinated salmon with lime and rhubarb salad

Serves 4

2 sticks of rhubarb, any leaves removed

25g (1oz) pickled ginger, finely chopped, and juice

Zest and juice of 1 lime

50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

15g (½oz) chives, chopped

2 × 250g packets of dill-marinated salmon or smoked salmon

Salt and black pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Crusty bread, to serve

My chef, Chris, came up with this idea while experimenting in the kitchen. I liked the combination of these ingredients so much that I put it on the menu at my bistro. If you can’t find dill-marinated salmon, just use regular smoked salmon instead.