It’s Real Bread Week so here are a few of our delicious bread recipes for you to try at home…

Wholemeal Oat Topped Loaf

• 30g fresh yeast
• 600ml water @ 37C
• 550g strong white flour + extra for dusting
• 550g strong wholemeal flour
• 20g Maldon sea salt flakes
• 100ml orange juice
• Rolled oats for coating
• Vegetable oil

Method

1. Whisk the yeast with the water then add 225g of the strong white flour. Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes it will be foamy when ready. Meanwhile prepare your tin by brushing with oil and coating with oats.

2. Put all the remaining dry ingredients into large bowl along with the remaining white flour; add the yeast mix along with the orange juice. Mix all the ingredients with a dough scraper. Transfer to a floured surface and work to a smooth dough, make sure the bowl is clean. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover with cling film and leave to prove until doubled in size.

3. Remove from the bowl to a lightly floured surface, divide into 2 pieces and shape into 2 loaves. Carefully place into the tins and cover with a clean damp cloth, leave to double in size. Pre-heat the oven to 220c. Put a small roasting tray into the bottom of the oven.

4. When the loaves have proved check the by poking with a finger it will come back slowly when ready. Boil the kettle and add around a cup of hot water to the tray in the bottom. Add the loaves to the oven, shut the door directly behind them. Bake for 7 minutes then turn the oven to 180c bake for a further 40-50 minutes the loaves will be golden and have a crisp crust, remove from the tins and tap the bottom to hear a hollow sound. Cool on wire racks.

Stilton + Walnut Soda Bread

• 200ml buttermilk
• 150g plain flour
• 125g wholemeal flour
• 30g butter
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 50g stilton, crumbled up
• 30g toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. Rub all dry ingredients with butter, add milk and mix to a wet dough. Add in your stilton and walnuts until it is mixed thoroughly.

2. Generously flour a work surface and begin to shape bread into a rough loaf shape.

3. Transfer to a non-stick or greased tray and bake for approximately 20-22 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 190c fan assisted.

Garlic Focaccia

• 450g strong flour
• 150g plain flour
• 50g fine polenta
• 30g fresh yeast or 1 x 7 g sachet dried yeast
• 450ml warm water @ 35°C
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp maldon sea salt

Method

1. Measure 450ml of warm water and put into a jug, sprinkle over the yeast and add the sugar, whisk to dissolve. Add a handful of the plain flour and whisk to a smooth paste this is called a biga, cover with cling film and leave to ferment for around 30 minutes.

2. Mix the 2 flours, semolina and salt together and gently pour onto your clean workbench, use the bowl to make a well then pour in your biga mix. Slowly start to mix in the flour from the edge taking care not to burst the dam, continue to mix until it starts to thicken.

3. Once the mix is nearly incorporated clean off the sticky hand with flour and start to gently work the dough together. The dough needs to be well combined but not smooth, make sure all the residual dough is bought together from the work surface, rub your fingers and hand with a little flour to get clean then kneed into your dough. Place in a large bowl cover with a damp cloth and put into a warm place to prove for one hour.

4. We are now going to do three book folds to work and generate elasticity into the dough. After the first hour take the dough, scrape onto a lightly floured bench, and using floured hands gently flatten the dough to an inch thickness in the shape of a long rectangle. Fold each end in on its self a third of the length then fold over to form a pillow repeat and return to the bowl for 1 hour. Shape or roll to the size required this is when you would add your desired flavours. Once shaped or rolled and flavoured generously drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with Maldon sea salt then prove again until doubled in size and bake for 30 minutes at 180c.

Focaccia Bread Flavours

• Fresh tomatoes or sun dried
• Thinly sliced black or green olives
• Caramelised red onions
• Grilled courgettes
• Roasted peppers
• Homemade pesto
• Freshly chopped rosemary, thyme or basil
• Confit garlic

elebrate National Curry Week with our delicious three course menu:

Goan Prawn Skewer

• 12 tiger prawns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds1 star anise
• 1 red chilli½ tsp turmeric1 tsp palm sugar
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 3cm root ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped4 tsp coconut cream

Method

1. Lightly toast the coriander, cumin, and star anise until fragrant. Grind in the mortar and pestle until fine.
2. Place all ingredients except the coconut cream in the food processor and pulse to a fine paste. Remove from the processor and mix in the coconut cream. Remove the shells from the prawns, the heads can stay on if you prefer. Mix in the marinade and chill for up to 1 hour.
3. Skewer the prawns so they are flat and even. Turn on your grill or BBQ and cook for two minutes on each side.

Lamb Rogan Josh

Paste

• 1 small bunch coriander
• 1 red chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, roughly ground
• 2 tsp paprika1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp tomato purée

Lamb

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 1 white onion, roughly chopped
• 600g diced lamb fillet
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 small piece ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 100g natural yoghurt

Method

1. To make the paste, in a mixer, blend together the coriander stalks, red chilli, ground spices and salt. Mix in the tomato purée.
2. To cook the lamb, heat the oil in a large heavy-based casserole. Fry the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaves and cloves for 2 minutes. Add the onion and lamb and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the spice paste and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add 400ml water, then cover with a lid and simmer for 40-50 minutes, until cooked. Stir in the yoghurt and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Serve garnished with the fresh coriander leaves.

Coconut Panna Cotta with Caramelised Pineapple

• 250ml coconut milk
• 250ml double cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• 70g castor sugar
• 3 sheets gelatine, soaked in cold water until soft

Method

1. Pour the coconut milk and cream into a saucepan, and then add the sugar. Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds, then add to the pan with the empty pod. Bring to the boil, and then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 5 mins.
2. Pour the hot mixture into a bowl. Squeeze the soaked gelatine of any excess water and put into hot mixture. Stir until the gelatine is all dissolved, pour through a fine strainer into a suitably sized jug and leave to cool.
3. Once mixture has cooled down pour it in to your desired moulds and set in fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.

For the Caramelised Pineapple

• ½ pineapple, peeled and cored
• 200g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• Juice of 1 lime

Method

1. Put the sugar and water and bring to the boil, cook the syrup on a high heat until in turns to a dark caramel colour remove from the heat add the lime juice.
2. Slice the pineapple and lay in a serving dish pour over the caramel and allow to marinate until cool.
3. Arrange caramelised pineapple to the aise of coconut panna cotta and serve.

Burger

Ingredients

• 500g beef mines (best quality you can afford)
• 4 shallots finely diced
• 1 teaspoon English mustard
• 1 egg yolk
• 25g panko breadcrumbs
• Freshly chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper
• Smoked bacon
• Good quality cheese
• Gherkins
• Mayonnais
• Burger buns

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix toegther the beef mince, shallots, mustard, egg yolk and breadcrumbs until well combined. Divide into 4 rqual portions an shape into burgers. Cover and chill the burgers in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (you can prep these up to 2 days ahead)
2. Pop burgers on a hot barbecue for about 12 minutes, turning regularly. Always check burgers are cookied through before serving. Alternatively, heat a griddle pan until hot and coat the burgers in oil. Leave to rest on a plate under some foil. Cook the bacon in the pan until really crisp, then set aside with the burgers. Place the cut side of the buns onto the griddle to toast slightly.
3. Serve and garnish to your preference.

Smokey Mushroom Burger and Garlic Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• 4 large flat mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Chopped fresh thyme
• 50g panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 chopped roasted red peppers
• 3 chopped red onion
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 50g quality mayonnaise

Method

1. Heat up the barbecue. To make the garlic mayo, wrap the garlic cloves in a foil parcel, position on a hot spot of the barbecue and cook for 20 minutes until really soft. Alternatively, bake in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes. Leave to cool, then squeeze the cloves out of their skins and mash with a fork. Mix the garlic puree with the mayonnaise, then chill until ready to servce.
2. Remove the stalks from the middle of the mushrooms and finely chop them. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan (on the barbecue or hob), add the stalks and fry for a few minutes until golden and soft. Cook for 5 minutes more, then set aside to cool a little. Rub the mushroom caps with a little oil, season, then top each one with 1/4 of the mixture. Can be chilled for up to 1 day.
3. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in another frying pan (on the barbecue or hob), and add the onions. Cook for 15 minutes until soft and golden, and then add the sugar, vinegar and some seasoning. Cook for 5 more minutes until caramelised and sticky. Can be chilled for up to 2 days.
4. Put the mushrooms on the barbecue (stuffed side up), close the lid or cover with foil, and cook for 20 minutes until soft and cooked through. Be sure to keep an eye on the heat and move to the upper shelf if the bottoms of the mushrooms start to burn. Split the rolls and heat these on the barbecue too. Spread each roll with some garlic mayo, top with salad leaves, a filled mushroom, some sticky onions and a grating of cheese.