Seared Scallops wrapped in Prosciutto with Butternut Squash and Parmesan Risotto

I have an undying love for Scallops and in Scotland we’re lucky enough to have access to some of the best in the world!

In my latest invention the butternut squash compliments the sweetness of the scallops perfectly and the parmesan adds a slightly nutty edge to the dish, with the Prosciutto adding a hint of salt and added texture.  Finish this little bowl of luxury off with a very light drizzle of white truffle oil!

Ingredients

For the risotto: 

100g risotto rice
100g onions
100g butter
70g Parmesan, grated
1 litre chicken stock
1 tsp tomato puree
1 small butternut squash peeled and cut into 1cm thick cubes
Pinch of saffron
Splash of white wine to deglaze pan

For the scallops:

6 king scallops
3 slices of prosciutto
olive oil
25g butter
6 cocktail sticks

Garnish with Parmesan shavings and watercress and a light drizzle of white truffle oil.

Method

• Add the saffron and tomato puree to the stock and bring to the boil in a large saucepan.  Reduce to a simmer and add the diced butternut squash.  Simmer for around 10 minutes or until the squash is tender.  Remove the squash and set aside.

  

• In another large saucepan melt the butter and add the chopped onions.  Sweat the onions in the butter for around 5 minutes on a medium heat and then add the risotto rice and cook for a few minutes until shiny .  Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine.

  

• Start slowly ladling in the stock, stirring constantly and ensuring the rice is absorbing it.  This process should take around 20 minutes, depending on how you like your rice cooked.  When there’s just a little stock left add the squash and parmesan to and cook for a further 5 minutes on a low heat.  Season to taste.

  

• Pat the scallops dry and lightly season with salt and pepper. 

• Wrap each scallop in a strip of Parma ham and secure each with a cocktail stick

  

• Heat a glug of oil in a frying pan on a high heat and when almost smoking add the scallops.  Sear the scallops until they are a golden brown on one side, roughly 1 ½ – 2 minutes.  Add the butter and spoon over the scallops during the cooking process.  Now flip over and cook on the other side for a further 1 1/2 minutes.  Be careful with timing when cooking scallops, they should be springy to touch with a slightly translucent centre when cooked properly.

  

• Spoon  the risotto into bowls and add the scallops on top.  Garnish with Parmesan shavings, watercress and a very light drizzle of white truffle oil.

Chicken Pie

Ahhh, the humble chicken pie!  I have an undying love for this dish and the ingredients it contains!

I had a good look at a number of different chefs versions of this classic and most looked mouth-watering, but only very few combined all the ingredients that I would deem MUST go into a chicken pie – double cream, white wine, rich stock, bacon, leek and mushrooms!  So I’ve come up with my own version and combined them all!  Warning, your kitchen will never smell as good when cooking this dish!  ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• 400g of chicken
• 100g of leek, trimmed and sliced
• 2 rashers of smoked bacon
• 120g of mushrooms
• 25g of butter
• 250ml of chicken stock
• 125ml of white wine
• 300ml of double cream
• 1 tbsp of garlic infused olive oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• salt to season
• black pepper to season
• sheet of puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten

Method:

• Pre-heat an oven to 200c/Gas mark 6.
• Add 1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil to a frying pan and set to a high heat.  Cover the diced chicken in flour, season with salt and black pepper.  Dust of the excess flour and add to the hot pan.  Brown the chicken all over but be careful not to over cook.  Set aside.

• In a large saucepan, heat some olive oil and bring to a medium heat.  Add the leeks and bacon and cook for one minute.  Add the mushrooms and the butter and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Add the stock, wine, double cream, thyme & bay leaves and bring to the boil.

• Once reduced by around a third, reduce the heat and add the chicken and keep cooking.  Once the sauce has thickened slightly, remove the bay leaves and thyme (be careful not to reduce too much or the sauce will become too thick as it still has a further 20mins cooking in the oven).

• Add the contents to a pie dish.  Cut a piece of puff pastry so it covers the pie dish and trim the edges for a neat finish.

• Cook for around 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown in colour.
• Serve on it’s own or with green beans and new potatoes.

My rich, hearty, some what French, somewhat Scottish Venison pie!

So, I’ve been back studying the French classics again recently – the dishes of Robuchon and Roux etc, and what is always apparent is their love of hearty, wholesome, full of flavour dishes!

It’s been a while since I’ve cooked venison, so I thought I’d combine the passion of rich, hearty French cooking with some locally sourced Scottish produce!  So a wander round the Edinburgh farmers market and half a kilo of venison, some juniper berries and some goose fat later, I was ready to have a stab at my very own venison pie!

I’ve gone full on with the meaty flavours, using beef stock and port to compliment the rich, punchy flavour of the venison!

The addition of redcurrant jelly and juniper berries adds a zing and fruity notes to the dish!

Ingredients

2 shallots finely chopped
500g venison shoulder
2 garlic cloves crushed and chopped
75g wild mushrooms
1 carrot finely chopped
1 stick celery finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
small handful of juniper berries (caution, they’re strong)
100g pancetta
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml beef stock
250ml port or red wine
1 sheet of rolled puff pastry
1 egg beaten
goose fat (for cooking)

Preheat oven to 180c/Gas 4

1. Heat some oil in a pan until very hot then brown the venison in batches (be sure only to brown and not overcook).  Transfer to a plate or bowl and allow them to cool in their own juices.
2. Heat the goose fat in a large flameproof casserole dish.  Add the shallots and brown slightly.  Add the garlic, celery, carrot and pancetta and fry till soft and slightly browned.
3. Add the mushrooms, juniper berries, thyme and bay leaf and cook for 3 minutes. Add the flour and  allow the ingredients to thicken slightly.  Now add the redcurrant jelly.
4. Start adding the stock then the port and bring to the boil.  Now add the meat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly then cover and add to the preheated oven for 1 – ½ hours.  Keep an eye on the liquid level, you still want to maintain a good level of liquid to stop the meat drying out.
6. Remove from the oven and turn the temperature of the oven up to 200c/Gas 6
7. Transfer the contents of the casserole to a pie dish and cover with the pastry.  Crimp the edges and/or add your own design to the pastry then brush with egg mix.  Score a small cross in the middle of the pastry and insert a small chimney of greaseproof paper.  Transfer back into the oven and cook for around 30 minutes or until the pastry is a golden brown colour (I advise to overcook the pastry slightly rather than undercook.  The last thing you want is soggy pastry).
8. Steam or boil some sliced runner beans and serve alongside some parsnip puree or mash and a quenelle of redcurrant jelly.  Enjoy!

Celeriac Soup with Pan Fried Scallops, Black Pudding and Pancetta

Scallops are one of my very favourite foods and in some Scotland we really get the pick of the bunch, so tonight i decided to serve them up pan fried with a slightly spicy celeriac soup along with black pudding and pancetta, which both compliment the scallops perfectly!

The ginger and nutmeg in the soup gives this a slightly wintery feel – perfect for the freezing evenings!

Serves 4:

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 celeriac (about 500grams), peeled and cut into cubes
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small piece of ginger, peeled and grated
100ml white wine
0.75l chicken stock
good pinch of nutmeg
100ml double cream
50g black pudding
12 scallops (coral removed)
50g butter
4 rashers of smoked pancetta

Method:

1.    Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and add the celeriac, shallots, garlic and ginger. Gently fry for a few minutes, until they soften slightly but don’t brown.
2.    Add the white wine, bring everything to the boil and reduce the liquid by half. Add the chicken stock and ground nutmeg and bring to the boil again, then reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 minutes until the celeriac has softened enough to blend.
3.    Transfer the soup to a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pan, add the cream and generously season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Reheat when you’re ready to serve
4.    In a large frying pan, fry the black pudding until crisp. Set aside on kitchen paper to soak up any fat (be careful not to overcook). Crumble into small crumbs.
5.    In the same frying pan, fry the strips of pancetta until crisp and remove and place on kitchen paper.
6.    Season the scallops with salt and black pepper. Heat the frying pan again until very hot and add the butter. When the butter’s foaming, add the scallops and sear for 1 min on each side
7.    Heat the soup and serve in a shallow bowl.   Place 3 scallops each in the middle of the bowl, place a crisp pancetta rasher on top and garnish with the black pudding pieces.]

ENJOY!!!

My Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

I conjured this recipe up a good 5 years ago and they’ve gone down an absolute treat every time i’ve cooked them!  I urge you to try these – they’re a perfect mix of the fresh flavours of Italy (tomato, mozzarella, basil) and the smokey flavour of Spanish chorizo with some added paprika!

It’s well worth investing in good quality meatballs (or make your own) and a good quality chorizo ring (you won’t need much oil for frying – the oil in the chorizo will more than suffice – in fact you may have to drain some off before adding the sauce contents)

Perfect for feeding a crowd!

Here’s the recipe:

12 beef meatballs
1 chorizo ring (chopped)
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves
2 x tins of chopped tomatoes
1 jar of sweet peppadew peppers (i also highly recommend el Navaricco piquillo peppers)
2 tablespoons of ketchup
1 mozzarella ball (chopped)
Handful of fresh basil
Splash of red wine
1 teaspoon of paprika
10-12 drops of tabasco
1 garlic bread (i urge you to use a £1 supermarket baton (don’t go all focaccia)

1. Finely chop the onion, garlic and chorizo
2. Heat oil to a high temperature and fry the meatballs, onions and garlic until brown.  Add the chorizo and fry for a further 5 to 6 minutes (you may need to drain some oil as the chorizo will give off some excess)
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped sweet peppers, ketchup, tabasco, paprika and red wine.
4. Bring to the boil then lower to a medium heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Put the garlic bread in a pre-heated oven.
6. When the sauce has reduced slightly, add the chopped mozzarella ball and melt through the sauce.
7. Simmer the meatballs for a further 3 to 4 minutes until reduced to a nice thick and rich sauce.
8. Serve the meatballs in a bowl and garnish with some fresh basil.
9. Season to taste

My Teriyaki Salmon (Quick and perfect for a small dinner party)

I’m a relative newcomer to cooking Far Eastern cuisine, but this dish always goes down a treat and is quick and simple to make!  I would really urge you to give this a go.  The classic combination of soy sauce, ginger and lime makes for a truly perfect marriage with the salmon!

Teriyaki Salmon:

2 Salmon fillets
60ml Mirin
60 ml dark soy sauce
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 red chilli finely chopped
Grated ginger (medium chunk)
2 Spring onions sliced and some reserved and cut into thin strips for deep frying (keep some of these strips raw)
2 tablespoons rice wine
40g dark brown sugar
Noodles to serve

1. Combine the mirin, soy sauce, lime (juice and zest), chopped spring onion and chopped chilli in a medium sized bowl.  Add the salmon and marinade on each side for 5 minutes.
2. Heat a good glug of sunflower oil in a small saucepan and deep fry the thin strips of spring onion until lightly crisp.
3. Remove salmon from the marinade and fry dry or with a small amount of oil on a high heat for 2 minutes on the bottom side.
4. Flip the salmon, add the combined ingredients from step 1, and fry for a further 2 minutes.
5. Remove the salmon and place on warm serving plates.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of rice wine to the sauce and reduce to a syrupy consistency.
7. Remove the sauce and set aside.  Add the noodles to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Pour the sauce over the plated salmon, garnish with the deep fried and raw spring onion strips and serve with the noodles and a wedge of lime.

Braised shin of beef

The shin is absolutely full of flavour and is a really under-rated cut of beef. Keep it simple and slow cook in a rich beefy sauce for best effect!

You’re definitely best heading to a reputable local butcher to source the meat!  I can highly recommend George Bower in Stockbridge, Edinburgh.

Here’s my recipe:

2kg shin of beef, trimmed and filleted into roughly 5/6cm chunks
1 bottle of dry red wine
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium onion diced
1 bay leaf
1-1.15 litre of rich beef stock

1 litre of chicken stock
2 or 3 sprigs of thyme
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste or a few sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
30g plain flour
1 sprig of rosemary

Place the beef fillets and bone into a dish and cover with the bottle of red wine.  Marinate for 24 hours.

Remove the meat from the wine, season, and brown on all sides on a high heat in an oven proof pan.  Remove the meat when browned and add the onion, carrot and celery.  Brown the vegetables and place the meat back in the pan along with the reserved red wine.

When the wine has a slightly syrupy consistency, add the plain flour. When the flour is mixed in start adding both the chicken and beef stock then add the remaining ingredients.

Transfer to a pre-heated oven at around 160 degrees and cook for around 3 hours.

Strain the sauce (it should have a nice syrupy consistency) through a fine sieve and pour over the beef.

Serve with baby carrots or mashed potatoes.

My Steak Tartare

Here’s my recipe for the classic Steak Tartare! An amazing combination of flavours with some added heat to bring out the best in a well aged fillet! Serve with some rustic bread toasted for a starter or an evening snack!

1 Fillet of beef, carefully trimmed of all surfaces (bacteria can harbour on the meat surface)
1 small shallot, very finely diced
3 cornichons, very finely diced
1 tsp capers, very finely diced
1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp ketchup
Tabasco (15/20 drops to taste)
Salt & black pepper (season to taste)
1 egg

1. Start by finely chopping the fillet into very fine 2/3mm chunks and place in a mixing bowl
2. Add the cornichons, capers, parsley and shallot to the beef and mix well.
3. Add the ketchup and tabasco then season with salt and pepper to taste,
4. Fill a chefs pastry cutter with the tartare and add the egg yolk and a sprig of parsley.