Summer BBQ recipes

With summer finally upon us (with the exception of today's stormy conditions!) it's time to dust down the BBQ and do some cooking alfresco! This year we've upgraded to a gas BBQ which in my humble opinion is easier to cook on than charcoal as you can maintain and regulate the heat a lot easier. Below are some easy to follow recipes that definitely have the 'wow' factor and will impress your guests should you be having any round!

Charred asparagus with lemon and sea salt

Ingredients (serves 4)

16 asparagus spears

2 lemons

Sea salt crystals

Splash of olive oil

This dish is as simple as it sounds. Simply chop the wooden bit off the asparagus spears put them in a dish cover with the juice of the lemon, olive oil and salt. Leave for about 30 mins then grill them on a hot BBQ turning frequently to ensure they get an even colour. When they look a bit like the picture above they're ready to serve!

Rib-eye steak with a Dijon mustard and garlic herb glaze

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 rib-eye steaks

4 tsp Dijon mustard

4 garlic cloves crushed

1 small bunch of flat parsley chopped

4 sprigs of thyme

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Olive oil

In a bowl mix together everything but the steaks. Mix well then brush it onto the steaks and leave to marinade. If you can give it 12 hours great, if not then a minimum of 30 minutes will do. Make sure your BBQ is nice and hot then start cooking your steaks. Blue-1 minute each side, rare-1 1/2 minutes each side, medium rare-2 1/4 minutes each side and medium-well done 2 1/2-3 minutes each side. Leave to steaks to rest for a couple of minutes then serve!

King prawn and chorizo kebabs marinaded in olive oil, garlic and parsley

Ingredients (serves 4)
8 large king prawns de-veined (trail of nastiness along it's back)
8 thick slices of chorizo
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves crushed
Splash of olive oil
4 wooden skewers

Again another simple one! Mix together the garlic, olive oil and parsley and pour over the prawns and leave to marinade. Like with the steaks 12 hours is great but if not then 30 minutes will do. To stop the wooden skewers from burning let them soak in water over night. If that can't be done then pour boiling water over them leave for 15 minutes then repeat with another lot of boiling water. Skewer the prawns and chorizo and start cooking. Be careful not to burn them with the oil that the chorizo will release. When the prawns are pink they're ready, time to serve!

Lamb kebabs with a Greek yogurt and Harissa marinade

Ingredients (serves 4)
4 lamb steaks diced
200g Greek yogurt
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
2 tsp Harissa paste
2 cloves of garlic crushed
Salt and pepper for seasoning.
4 wooden skewers

Mix together all the ingredients except the lamb and then mix the lamb in. Again a long period of marinading would be good but not absolutely necessary. Thread the lamb onto the pre-soaked skewers and then straight onto a hot BBQ. If your BBQ has a lid then close it for 5 minutes to get it extra hot. When the lamb feels firm to touch (after about 5 minutes) then it's ready. Serve it with tzatziki and enjoy!

Easter recipes #2

Roast leg of lamb

With Easter on the horizon it's time to get thinking about Sunday lunch. The last blog was a relatively easy recipe allowing you to spend time with your family, this one is a bit more 'hands on' but the rewards are worth it. A roast dinner is a simple dinner to put together as long as all the prep work is done in advance. Below is a step by step guide that will hopefully make things run smoothly.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 leg of lamb

1 bunch of rosemary

3 garlic cloves peeled

6 medium sized maris piper potatoes

Vegetables of your choice

Goose fat

Good quality gravy thickener

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Olive oil

Splash of red wine

Method

First get your oven to 220C and start peeling your vegetables (this can be done a few hours before) and keep the peelings. Put all the peelings and any bits of root vegetables (not the potatoes) you're not using in a sauce pan with a splash of oil and fry for a minute then add the red wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Pour in some water (to fill about 2/3 of the pan) and leave to simmer (this will be the stock for the gravy). Peel the potatoes and cut them into roast potato size and leave them in water. Put the leg on lamb in a roasting dish, pour on a little of the olive oil. Make a few cuts into the meat and stuff them with the garlic cloves, season then place some sprigs of rosemary over the meat.

Leg of lamb ready for the oven

Place the lamb in the oven, after 10 minutes take it out, cover it in foil then put it back in the oven for an hour and a half or 2 hours if you prefer it cooked through. In the mean time start cooking the potatoes in boiling water. When you can put a knife easily through them drain them into a colander or sieve and leave to dry out, then 'rough' them up a bit by shaking whatever you have them in. The more edges the potatoes have the more 'crispier' they will be at the end. Heat up the goose fat in an oven tray in the oven until the fat starts to smoke a bit. Pour a little olive oil over the potatoes, season and carefully place them on the oven tray being careful not to splash your self with the oil. Using a spoon cover the potatoes with the goose fat and put them back in the oven. They should take just under an hour to get nice and golden. Every now and then take them out of the oven and turn them over so you get a nice colour on all sides. Get your preferred vegetables cooked, to make things easier you can cook them in advance and heat them up in the microwave if you have one.

Lamb ready to eat!

When the lamb is cooked take it out of the oven put it on a chopping board and cover it in foil to let it rest. Get as much fat out of the roasting dish as you can and place it on the heat, pour the stock from the peelings through a sieve into the roasting dish and get it on the heat. Using a wooden spoon scrape up all the residue left over from the lamb and let it simmer for a few minutes. Pour this mixture back through a sieve into a sauce pan and return it to the heat. Thicken with the gravy thickener and leave to simmer gently. When the lamb has rested carve it up, heat the vegetables and serve! ENJOY!

  

My little family about to enjoy a roast!

Individual Beef Wellingtons

The Beef Wellington (not named after the 1st Duke of Wellington, it was apparently invented for a civic reception in Wellington, New Zealand) is a very famous and decadent dish. There are many variations and mine is an adaption of Gordon Ramsey's where he uses Parma ham around the fillet opposed to a crepe, which helps to keep the moisture away from the puff pastry. Instead of using a whole fillet of beef (a bit expensive and you'd need 8 hungry mouths) this recipe is for individual steaks. It's quite a simple recipe so give it a go you'll be glad you did! I served mine on dauphinoise potatoes with purple sprouting broccoli and a red wine reduction.

Ingredients (serves 4)
For the Wellingtons:
4 8oz fillet steaks
250g ready made puff pastry
6 chestnut mushrooms
1/2 red onion finely diced
Handfull of washed spinach
2 gloves of crushed garlic
4 slices of Parma ham
1 sprig of thyme
1 egg beaten
For the dauphinoise potatoes:
4 maris piper potatoes
1/2 red onion sliced
1/2 pint double cream
1 garlic glove crushed
For the red wine reduction:
1/4 of an onion chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1 pint quality beef stock, thickened
1 glass of red wine
2 tbsp red currant jelly
12 purple sprouting broccoli stems

Method
First take your steaks out of the fridge and let them get to room temperature. Splash a bit of olive oil into a frying pan and get smoking hot, seal the steaks and set aside. Pour some of the red wine into the pan to
de-glaze it and lift up the intense steak flavours left over from the sealing process, keep this liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms and fry them in a pan with the onion, thyme and garlic, when it's cooked (after 2 mins) add a splash of red wine and the spinach and keep cooking until the spinach has wilted, season. Roll out or unroll the pastry on a floured surface and let it get to room temperature (makes it easier to work with). Instead of covering the entire steak in pastry we're going to make a lattice effect with the pastry. You can buy a small roller that does it for you but it can easily be done with a knife:

 
Using a knife measure out the width of each steak and measure it out on the pastry and cut it into a rectangle. Then with a sharp knife cut through the pastry like the picture above. When you've done this gently stretch out the pastry like the picture below:

Top each steak with the fried mushroom and onion mixture (duxelle) and wrap them in the Parma ham. Then carefully lay the pastry over each steak and tuck the pastry underneath and brush with the beaten egg:

The Wellingtons are now ready for cooking and can be stored in the fridge for around 12 hours if needed to. Now it's time to make the dauphinoise potatoes, peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Fry the sliced onions in a little olive oil for a minute then add the garlic and double cream. Then add the potatoes and bake in an oven proof dish at 220C for half an hour or until a knife slides easily through the potatoes.
For the sauce fry the chopped onions for a minute in a little olive oil then add the garlic and red wine. Simmer this mixture for 3 minutes to burn off the alcohol then add the stock and redcurrant jelly. Leave to simmer until it reduces by half.
Cook each Wellington on a greased baking tray at 220C, when the pastry is golden brown then they are medium rare and ready! If you prefer your steaks cooked a little more turn the oven down to 175C and add a further 3 minutes for medium or 7 for well done. Boil some water in a pan and cook the broccoli, once it comes back to the boil add 2 minutes and it's cooked. Place the potatoes in a circular cake cutter in the middle of a plate, pour the sauce around the potatoes put the Wellington on top and place the broccoli on the plate. Now you're ready to impress! Good luck and have fun......

 

How to make a tasty burger

Homemade burger topped with Gruyere avocado and mayo served with fries. 

Since the horse meat scandal local butchers have seen a huge increase in sales with people not trusting the big super markets which is great news for local business. Ready made super market burgers have seen a big dip in sales for obvious reasons. Burgers are super easy to make and there are an unlimited variations all you need is a binding agent (egg and/or bread crumbs) and your'e off! The recipe below is one of my favourites and used to feature on the menu in various pubs I have worked in in the past.
Ingredients:
300g lean mince beef
1 egg
2 tsp ketchup
1 tsp mustard (I used Dijon but any will do)
1/2 red onion diced
1 garlic glove crushed
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Method:
First mix all the ingredients in a bowl, to mix really well squeeze it all through your fingers (if you wear a ring I'd take it off!). When it's all mixed really well shape them into patties, to do this form some of the mixture into a ball a bit smaller than a tennis ball then flatten it. Leave them to chill in a fridge for at least 20 minutes so they firm up. The longer you leave them the better as this allows the flavours to enhance. To cook get a frying pan hot with a splash of oil. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes then under a grill for another 5. You can use steak mince to make you burgers and if you do then you can have them medium rare or well done etc., which ever is your preference. Serve in a toasted bun with what ever topping you like. We had Gruyere cheese with avocado and mayonnaise and a side of fries. Enjoy! (No horse meat was used in the making of this burger)

Wiltshire food producers - Bush Farm Bison Centre

Local food producers are my heroes. It takes a lot of effort and determination to get a product out into the market when all the big corporations are swamping us with their cheap deals and special offers. (A short rant which is now over).
I recently paid a visit to Bush Farm Bison centre in Wiltshire (http://www.bisonfarm.co.uk/index.htm) where I met the very friendly and informative Colin Seaford and his wife Pepe. Colin has had an interest in Bison since a young age and now has over 74 on his secluded farm that is open to the public in the summer months. They also have elk, red deer and prairie dogs!

One of Colin's impressive Bison

Bison are big, big and fast. They are built more like a horse than cattle and on a sprint start they can out run a  horse. All the Bison were in from the fields kept in yards sorted by age, I was a little bit nervous when Colin suggested we go into one of the yards to get a better look. We toured round 3 different yards the last one containing the biggest Bison (not that my back catalogue of Bison is that big - my dad and I crept quite close to one to get a picture in Yellowstone Park in the US). He was massive towering over the rest of the Bison and apparently weighed in at over a ton. 'He's alright' said Colin 'but I wouldn't trust him. She's a nice Bison I can get quite close to her' pointing out a rather impressive female, 'That one however, I would trust her at all, she once chased me on my quad bike out of a field. She was gaining so much ground on me that when I got to the gate I had to jump off the bike straight over it!' Bison aren't for milking then? 'Why would you want to get near an armed animal?' Wise words indeed.

The one not to trust!

One thing Colin was adamant about is that Bison meat does not fall under the 'exotic meats' category. Bison once roamed all over Europe and when Britain became an island they were hunted to extinction. The meat itself has a sweeter flavour than beef, it's not gamey or wild tasting. Bison carry very little fat and the meat has no marbling unlike beef or lamb, it is very high in protein and lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than most other meats. With less than 50 calories per ounce Bison meat has been used by several weight loss programmes.

I came away with two sirloin steaks and really wanted to do them justice and rather than have steak and chips. So after racking my brain I came up with a dish that would compliment the Bison.  

Sirloin of Bison

The Bison meat doesn't take much cooking and we had ours rare. I served it on sweet potato mash with wilted spinach, caramelized baby beetroot, oven roasted baby carrots, parsnip crisps and a red wine and redcurrant jus. It was without doubt one of the tastiest steaks I've ever had (on par with kangaroo fillet) and now I'm a big fan. I would definitely recommend a trip to Bush Farm Bison centre and whilst you're there get some meat. All purchases come with a leaflet with Bison cooking tips and some information about the animals, their sirloin is so good that it won the Guild of fine foods three star award in 2011 and 2012. Just don't get too close to the Bison!

Private dining - a selection of starters

Some of our most popular starters, bespoke menus are designed for each and every function

• Malaysian style squid satay with chilli sauce
• Wiltshire goat's cheese tart with red pepper confit
• Smoked mackerel and horseradish parfait with melba toast
• Pan seared scallops in their own shell with a chive cream glaze
• Chicken liver and port pate with melba toast
• Warm salad of black pudding with smoked bacon and poached egg
• Seared pigeon breast with garlic croutons and raspberry vinaigrette
• Thai style chicken satay with a spicy coconut and peanut dip
• Tempura king prawn tails with a pineapple and coriander jam
• Salmon and coriander fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce
• Rope grown Scottish mussels steamed open in a garlic and white wine cream
• Classic Caesar salad with parmesan croutons
• Cornish crab and lobster salad with vegetable juliennes, coriander, chilli and lime dressing.

Email us to discuss your requirements

Canapes

Mozzarella with Chorizo, basil and olive 

As the Wiltshire Chef I get asked to cater for many functions/dinner parties and a lot of people like to start things off with a few canapes. I recently catered for a wedding at the Inner Temple in London for 160 people where instead of a starter they wanted canapes. The 10 canapes they chose looked very impressive as the waiters and waitresses circled the 'Parliament room.' The canape that was the most well received was my chicken liver and port parfait (see below).

                                                                     

So if you're thinking of having a fine dining evening at your own home and would like to get your guests appetites going with an assortment of canapes then please get in contact at www.thewiltshirechef.com

You could chose from the list on the website or we could have a consultation and design a more bespoke menu. I hope to be cooking for you in the near future!

Visit our full website for more canapé ideas

Smoked salmon and chive cream cheese roulade

Baked Alaska with an industrial blowtorch

A few years ago, as a single guy, I discovered that one the best and easiest crowd pleasers is to produce Baked Alaska at the end of a meal, or a just a surprise addition to few mates getting together for a few drinks. The wow factor is huge, and people who are resolute in 'no dessert for me' quickly change their minds.

The recipe is pretty simple too;

Make a simple sponge
Whisk egg whites in a very clean bowl until it starts turning white, then add sugar
Continue to which until peaks start to form or until you can turn the bowl upside down without the contents falling out (!)
Spoon a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream onto the sponge, cover completely with the egg-white mixture
Blow torch gently until it starts to brown, and serve!

Serve, and enjoy!

Garlic and ginger king prawn stir fry with a timbale of coconut rice topped with tempura tiger prawn

I grew up in Hong Kong so Oriental food has a very special place in my heart. The smell of onions, garlic and ginger frying take me right back to my childhood for me there is no better smell! The idea behind stir fry's is that they are cooked very quickly at a high heat. When they are served they should have a 'breath of the wok'. 

Ingredients(serves 2)

18 tiger prawns shelled and de-veined (keep one back for the tempura prawn)

1 cup of rice

1 tin of coconut milk

1 chilli seeded and finely chopped

4 garlic cloves crushed

25g of ginger finely diced

2 tbsp of oyster sauce

1 red onion finely diced

8 pieces of mange tout

8 baby corn sliced in half

4 florets of broccoli

1/2 a red pepper finely sliced

4 spring onions sliced

1/2 cup of chopped corinder

Oil for deep frying (for the tempura prawn)

1 egg

1 cup ice cold water

1 cup of all purpose flour sifted

Method

Cook the rice in a sauce pan with the coconut milk, add some water if it starts to dry out during the cooking process. 

To make the tempura batter beat the egg in a bowl, add the iced water and flour and mix lightly be careful not to over mix. Heat the oil for deep frying.

Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a wok and get smoking hot. Add the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger, fry for 30 seconds. Add the prawns and all vegetables except the spring onions and coriander. Deep fry the tempura prawn until it floats, then remove and leave on some kitchen paper. Add the spring onions, coriander and oyster sauce to the stir fry mix and stir well. Place the cooked rice in a timbale and turn onto a plate and top with the tempura prawn. Divide the stir fry mix between 2 plates, serve and enjoy!

Full list of dishes and more...click to visit our website

Fillet of Haddock with cauliflower puree, dauphinoise potatoes and an oyster and chive cream

This recipe is a bit more hands on, but well worth the effort. Make sure your fish and oysters are nice and fresh.

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

2 fillets of haddock

4 live oysters

1 red onion diced

8 florets of cauliflower

500ml double cream

2 garlic cloves crushed

250g butter

200ml white wine

2 spring onions sliced

Salt and pepper

Flat parsley leaves

Method

Firstly trim your haddock into nice sized fillets. Place the trimmings in a pan with water, skin of the onion and any other bits you may have lying around that would be good for the fish stock. General rule for stocks are vegetables that grow under ground are good. Simmer the stock VERY gently otherwise it will become cloudy. Simmer for no more than an hour then strain through a fine sieve.

Slice the potatoes quite thin, put them into a sauce pan, cover with cream add 1/2 the onion and some garlic. Season and simmer gently for 10 mins (this gives the dauphinoise a head start before you put them in the oven). Pre heat your oven to 220c and put the potatoes in (make sure your sauce pan is oven proof!)

Bring the cauliflower to the boil in some salted water and continue to boil till tender. Drain then put them in a blender with a nob of butter and a splash of cream, season then blend till fine. Pass through a fine sieve and return them to the sauce pan.

In another sauce pan melt a knob of butter and add the other half of diced onion. Fry for a minute then add the garlic and shucked oysters. Fry for 30 seconds then add the white wine, simmer the wine until the alcohol burns off (about a minute) . Add the double cream, season and leave to simmer very gently.

Now would be a good time to check the potatoes, if a knife sinks through them then they're done. Cover with foil and leave them on the side, they will retain their heat.

Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil and a knob of butter. Season the haddock and fry skin side down for 30 seconds, carefully turn over fry for another 30 seconds then into the oven for 5 minutes.

While you're waiting heat up the cauliflower, check the sauce for seasoning and get your garnishes ready (sliced spring onion and parsley leaves). Arrange as per the photo, serve and enjoy!

Scallops wrapped in Parma ham with Chorizo and Watercress salad

For me nothing says Spanish food more than Scallops and Chorizo. The two were made for each other, wrapping the Scallops in Parma ham keeps the Scallops nice a moist and adds a bit of saltiness to them, the peppery watercress give some natural goodness and balance to the dish.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

6 Scallops with the roe removed

6 slices of Parma ham

6 slices of Chorizo

Handful of washed watercress

Pepper for seasoning

Method

Wrap each scallop in Parma ham, one layer of ham will do so it cooks evenly. Heat a small splash of olive oil in a pan and when hot add the sliced chorizo, turn after a minute then add the scallops. Cook the scallops for 30 seconds each side and remove from the heat. Dress the watercress in a little olive oil and arrange on the plate. Season the scallops with cracked pepper and place on the plate on top of the chorizo. Serve and enjoy!

More canapé ideas at our main website, or give us a call visit our website