the romance of a steak tartare, no really

It all sounds terribly romantic, but when I’m stuck and can’t come up with anything to prepare for a meal at home, I often turn to what has now become the reliable steak tartare. Well, that is on the abnormally rare occasion where the charm of instant noodles don't overwhelm me. This is a no cook piece of genius that is both simple and elaborate. It holds a lot of ingredients but can easily impress through the lack of cooking. The only thing to be careful about is the quality of the ingredients, spanking fresh beef and good eggs kind of speak for themselves really.

Steak tartare

Serves 4

1 large onion
5 cornichons
1 tablespoon capers
2 sprigs Italian parsley
1¼ pounds sirloin steak, preferably organic and grass-fed
4 very fresh organic egg yolks
Tabasco sauce to taste (lots)
Ketchup to taste (more than you think)
Fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper

Finely chop the onion. Separately do the same to the cornichons, capers, and parsley. Place them in small serving bowls and set aside.

Using a very sharp knife, trim the sirloin, removing as much fat as possible. Cut the meat into ¼-inch dice.

Divide the meat among 4 individual serving plates. Shape the meat into a dome, make an indentation in the centre, and nestle the egg yolks in it.

Serve with the onion, capers, cornichons, parsley, Tabasco, ketchup, fleur de sel, and pepper on the side for each guest to season the tartare according to their taste. Serve with a green salad and chips, should the occasion merit a fryer on the go.

 

Mushrooms on toast

Serves 4

The mushrooms are out! I picked a couple of handsome puffballs tucked under the safety of a huge yew tree this morning, and I just feel there's a huge season just about to explode. This really is the time of year when nature shows off some of her more wonderous creations.

A terrific Sunday brunch number here, and with the addition of a poached egg, an awesome start to a lazy day. I love this as it is, but if you’re at the right time of the year when wild mushrooms are in season, or your farmers market has some interesting varieties, do not hold back. Otherwise, good firm all year round varieties will hold up well enough.

Remove the bread element and throw the remainder of this recipe through hot pasta and there’s another dish to add to your repertoire too. Take the same ingredients and throw over a couple of cups of hot stock, cook for another 5 minutes then liquidise and you've got soup!

12 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tblsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

Few thyme sprigs, leaves only

1 garlic clove (unpeeled)

lightly crushed sea salt and black pepper

1 tsp caster sugar

14 oz sliced mushrooms

Few knobs of butter

Splash of sherry vinegar

Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

4 thick slices of rustic white bread

Sauté the shallots in a pan over medium heat with the olive oil, thyme, garlic and seasoning for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften. Add the sugar and increase the heat to high. Stir and cook for a few more minutes until the shallots are lightly caramelised.

Add the mushrooms and butter. Fry for a couple of minutes until lightly browned, then splash in the sherry vinegar and add a little more seasoning. Cook for a minute or two until the liquid has evaporated. Toss in the parsley.

Toast the bread and place a slice on each warm plate. Spoon the shallots and mushrooms on top and drizzle with a little more olive oil to serve, if you like shave over some Parmesan too. I'm actually now pretty freezing, so the soup version gets the nod for lunch...

Imam Bayildi

Serves 4

This aubergine dish is said to have been named after the priest, the Imam, who first tasted it and swooned at the flavour and amount of olive oil in it. Here, I have created a much lighter effect, but it’s still bursting with spice and Middle-Eastern promise. Simple to make and great served with warm pitta bread and pre dinner drinks in the garden. Made in exactly the same way but stuffed into some little baby aubergines for a bit more fancy pants stuff is exactly how dinner began at the Embassy this evening. There's been some thunder in the air these past few days, so this tropical feeling we're experiencing made this dish work all the better.


1 aubergine
Olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 large vine tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced
2 tsp cumin
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g sultanas
Handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Trim the ends from the aubergine, then cut lengthways into 1cm slices. Stack the slices together and cut into long strips, then cut across the strips to create neat, even dice, about 1cm in size.

Take a large frying pan and pour in olive oil to a depth of 1cm. Heat the oil and, when hot enough to turn a small piece of bread instantly golden, add half the aubergine cubes. The aubergine will quickly absorb most of the oil. Stir with a metal spatula and continue to fry until the aubergine is golden brown.

Remove the aubergine from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Add more oil to bring the level back to 1cm and repeat with the rest of the aubergine.

Place the onion in a large bowl and add the tomatoes, cumin and lemon juice. Season well. When the aubergine has cooled, add it to the bowl along with the sultanas and basil. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavours to infuse.

Pan fried mushrooms with toasted bread and parsley

Serves 4

Lunch at the Embassy today was a take on this recipe, with the addition of some sweet little sauteed goujons of John Dory, all tossed through a bowl of just picked garden leaves, including the very first tender courgette flowers of the season. These additions to the dish just seemed to make it all the more complete. The mushrooms as they are stand up well enough for something lighter should the fish and the salad leaves be a chore too far. The weight of mushrooms you need here will depend on the variety you choose. The softer, tenderer mushrooms such as chanterelles and oysters will need less cooking time than firm cultivated fungi. We seem to be blessed here in DC to have a handful of farmers marketers who seem to show up with just enough mushroom varieties to keep it interesting. Apologies for the picture, this was basically what didn't make it onto the plates, I need to eat too you know.

400g mushrooms
80g butter
2 medium sized cloves garlic
a handful of parsley
a lemon
a small ciabatta loaf

Sort the mushrooms into those that are thick fleshed (such as field or chestnut varieties) and into more fragile types such as chanterelles and oyster mushrooms.

Cut the sturdier varieties into large bite-size pieces. Leave the more fragile ones whole. Carefully remove any growing medium, but don't wash them.

Melt 50g of the butter in a shallow pan together with the peeled and crushed garlic. As soon as the garlic is soft and fragrant, add the prepared mushrooms, (firm ones first, tender ones later).

Let them soften and colour for a few minutes then add the parsley and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, melt the remaining butter, tear the bread into bite-sized pieces, and fry till golden. Toss with the mushrooms and serve.

Dill pickled salmon with mustard mayonnaise

Serves 8

This recipe serves tangy marinated salmon with a rich, homemade mustard mayonnaise, a reliable yet winning combination. Although it seems a lot of ingredients, the assembly is actually very straight forward.

Pickled salmon

900g salmon fillet, skinned and boned

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Lemon wedges, to serve

Rye bread, to serve

Marinade

1 bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped

2-3 strips of lemon peel

5g flat leaf parsley leaves only

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 carrots thinly sliced

2 bay leaves

25g mixed peppercorns

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

400ml clear malt vinegar

400ml dry white wine

Mustard mayonnaise

2 egg yolks

1 tblsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp sugar

5 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp white wine vinegar

8 tblsp dill leaves, finely chopped

Slice the salmon fillet into 4 cm thick slices. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar and lemon juice.

Mix all the marinade ingredients, apart from the malt vinegar and white wine together in a mixing bowl and stand for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and wine, mixing well.

Pour the marinade into a large sealable container. Add the sliced salmon, seal and refrigerate overnight. To make the mayonnaise, whisk together the yolks, mustard and sugar in a bowl. Add the oil in a steady trickle, whisking until blended thoroughly. Once the oil has been added, mix in the vinegar and the dill.

Serve the pickled salmon with lemon wedges, mustard mayonnaise and sliced rye bread.

Lobster salad with matcha green tea and soya

Serves 2-4

This may not look award winning on the plate, but trust me on this, the flavour combinations are just outstanding, and is simply a lovely summery way to treat lobster. Alternatively use big prawns or even chunks of steamed white fish, but the key here really is in the balancing of the key flavours.

1 freshly cooked lobster, weighing 1lb/500g, with the meat removed and chopped

1 bunch of baby leeks, trimmed

A small bunch of spinach leaves

A small knob of fresh horseradish

For the dressing

Best quality olive oil
Fine powdered matcha green tea
Soy sauce

Warm the lobster gently in a saucepan with a little of the olive oil, throw the leeks in too to warm them through also. Scatter on a plate making sure to use all the pan juices as the base of the dressing, throw over a few spinach leaves at this stage. Sprinkle over a little soy sauce, dust with the matcha green tea powder and finish with a generous but very fine grating of fresh horseradish. At this point a touch of salt and pepper may be added.

Brussels sprout and goat’s cheese souffles

Serves 4

Sprouts aren't just for Christmas don't you know, and if you still have a few knocking around in the fridge, I strongly suggest a bash at this recipe. There may also be some reminders of vast clumps of cheese still hogging fridge space sinse the festive season, so for a bit of glam with leftovers, this is as good a place to be. This is for a twice-baked soufflé, which is a good starting point if you haven’t made many soufflés before. The sprout flavour is really nice and subtle and blends in beautifully with the goat’s cheese.
 

25g softened butter, plus extra for greasing
225ml milk
Half a small onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
4 cloves
25g plain flour
175g Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 eggs, separated
100g soft goat’s cheese, cut into cubes
1 tblsp finely grated Parmesan
½ tblsp Worcestershire sauce
200ml double cream
50g Emmenthal or Gruyère cheese, finely grated

Preheat the oven to 170c/Gas 3. Brush the insides of four 150ml ramekins evenly with the extra softened butter, in upward strokes. Chill until ready to use. Pour 200ml milk into a pan and add the onion, bay leaf, star anise and cloves. Heat to scalding point, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse until cold. Strain into a clean pan and discard the aromatics.

Meanwhile, mix the butter and flour into a paste and chill for about 30 minutes. Cook the Brussels sprouts in a pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes until tender, then drain and refresh in ice-cold water. Drain again, blend in a food processor with a splash of the remaining milk until smooth and set aside.

Place the pan of infused milk on the heat and gradually whisk in the butter paste, adding small pieces at a time, until you have a thick sauce. Season, then leave to cool for 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks, goat’s cheese, Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce. Fold in the sprouts and check for seasoning. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and leave to cool.

Bring a kettle to the boil and have ready a deep roasting tray. Whisk the egg whites to medium-stiff peaks, whisk a third of them into the sprout mixture to loosen, then carefully fold in the remainder. Fill the prepared ramekins with the mixture and gently level the tops with a palette knife.

Immediately stand the ramekins in the roasting tin. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up their sides and bake the soufflés for 25-30 minutes. Remove the dishes from the water and leave to cool.

Just before you are ready to serve, heat the oven to 230c/Gas 8. Run a knife round the inside of each ramekin to loosen the soufflé. Turn them out upside-down on to individual ovenproof serving dishes and drizzle the cream around. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and bake for about 8 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately.

Smoked salmon

Serves 4-6

I hear that Christmas is on the horizon, and with the sight of the rather predictable over priced and sweaty packets of smoked salmon flying off the supermarket shelves already in mind, why not do yourself a favour and give some thought to making your own this year... It is labourious, fiddly and can get messy, but as with many small things in life, personal triumph outweighs almost everything. I miss Christmas at home and will go to all lengths to make the big day as close to the real thing as possible, so indulge me why don't you...

10g fresh dill, chopped
2kg fine sea salt
1kg caster sugar
1 side good quality organic salmon, pin-boned and trimmed
1 litre (or enough to completely cover the salmon) good-quality olive oil (not extra virgin)

Mix the dill, salt and sugar together well. Using either a plastic container that is longer, wider and deeper than the salmon, or a piece of tin foil twice the length and width of the fish, sprinkle the base with a handful of the salt mix in a thin and even layer. Place the salmon on top, and then cover completely and evenly with the rest of the mix to ensure an even cure.

If you’re using a plastic container, cover it well with cling film or tin foil. Otherwise, fold your piece of tin foil around the salmon, covering it neatly, then wrap the whole thing in another sheet of foil. Leave to cure in the fridge for 36 hours.

Rinse the salt mix off the salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Then put the fish into a plastic container or a large, sealable plastic bag. Pour over the olive oil, completely covering the salmon, and carefully seal to prevent oxidisation. Leave for 24 hours.

Take the salmon out of the oil and wipe off any excess. Take 2 saucepans or loaf tins, put 40g of wood chips and 1 tea bag in each, and set alight. Once the wood chips have taken on a good flame, extinguish them by covering with a lid.

Tip the smoking wood chips into a deep metal tray and cover with a perforated tray, followed by a wire rack, upon which you place your salmon. For the smoker to work, all the smoke must be contained. To do this, cover and wrap the whole thing in tin foil. Leave until the smoke has died. Remove the fish from the smoker, have a little feel, check the smell and slice a little off if still unsure - it may need a second smoking, if so repeat the whole process once more. The reason we don't put more chips and smoke heavier in one hit is that we do not want to cook the fish with excessive heat.

Remove the salmon from the smoker and wrap in muslin cloth, and then leave in the fridge for 24 hours to mature.

When you are ready to serve, slice the salmon lengthways and serve it with soda bread and pickled cucumber, drained of juice and sprinkled with a little dill and fleur de sel.

Mushrooms stuffed with figs and Gorgonzola

Serves 4

Now we're into the second half of Summer, we should start seeing the surplus of the Italian fig season coming our way. Normally they should be beautifully plump with a dark purple skin and, when ripe, as sweet as honey, a far cry from the green varieties available. You need really ripe figs for this recipe so it’s a good way to use any you may have left in your fruit bowl.

4 large flat or portobello mushrooms

1 tblsp olive oil

125g mascarpone

125g Gorgonzola, crumbled

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ripe purple figs

Drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar or Marsala

1 tblsp thyme leaves

Sourdough bread, to serve

Wipe the mushrooms with a piece of damp kitchen paper or use a soft brush to remove any dirt or grit. Cut out the stalks. Brush a large sheet of foil with the olive oil and place the mushrooms, stalk-side up, in the middle.

Mix the mascarpone with the Gorgonzola and season with plenty of black pepper. Fill the mushrooms with the cheese mixture. Quarter the figs and press on top of the cheese mixture, skin-side facing down. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or Marsala and scatter the thyme leaves over the figs.

Bring the ends of the foil together to meet in the middle and scrunch together to seal. Place on the edge of the barbecue and cook for 15 minutes (or in the oven at 180c/gas mark 4) until the mushrooms have cooked and the figs are soft. Serve with sourdough bread to mop up the juices.

Artichoke, asparagus, tomato and onion tart

Serves 6

A little fiddly and complex, but should you be in the mood for it, this has got to be a blow you away starter for entertaining at home this weekend. Take the time to make everything way in advance, leaving only the quail eggs to cook and the finishing assembly part to do at the last minute.

Onion purée
6 onions, peeled and finely chopped
4 tblsp single cream

Tart
500g puff pastry
150g asparagus tips
12 quail eggs
150g ready-cooked artichoke hearts, cut into wedges
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
½ small red onion, peeled and finely sliced
Small handful of chives, chopped
3-4 tblsp vinaigrette
Few rocket leaves, to garnish
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 200°c/gas mark 6.

To make the onion purée, heat a little olive oil in a pan, add the onions and season well. Cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until the onions are very soft.

Roll out the pastry thinly and cut out six discs, using a saucer as a guide. Place the pastry rounds on a large baking sheet and prick all over with a skewer. Place another heavy baking sheet on top of the pastry discs to weigh them down. Bake for 15 minutes until brown and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Add the cream to the onions and bring to a simmer. Tip the mixture into a blender or food processor and whiz to a fine paste and leave to cool.

Blanch the asparagus tips in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes until tender and refresh in a bowl of iced water, drain and tip into a large bowl. Carefully fry the quail eggs in some hot oil - the white should be set but the yolk should still be runny. Rest on kitchen paper once they’re cooked to absorb any excess fat.

Add the artichokes, tomatoes, red onion and chives to the asparagus, drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to mix.

Spoon a little onion purée over the centre of the pastry discs and pile the vegetables on top, arrange the quail eggs over the vegetables. Scatter a few rocket leaves on top, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and serve with much pride

Chicken liver parfait

Terrine making is a huge labour of love, one which I'm fixated with, and when in the mood have assembled some great combinations to last through the week. Late night munchie snacks have never been more rewarding than a slab of pâté, fridge cold, spread onto a thick wedge of hot toast. This wonderfully rich chicken liver version is delicious with a sprinkling of rock salt and black pepper, on fresh hot toast of course. Please don’t baulk at the amount of booze used in this recipe. It makes a big difference to the end result - and all the alcohol boils away in the cooking.

100g shallots, peeled and finely diced

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

1 bunch thyme (6-8 sprigs), tied

150ml dry Madeira

150ml ruby port

75ml white port

50ml brandy

400g chicken livers

1½ tsp sea salt

4 eggs

400g unsalted butter

Place the shallots, garlic, thyme, Madeira, ruby port, white port and brandy in a bowl. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 24 hours. Place the livers in a bowl of milk, cover and leave in the fridge overnight to reduce the bitterness.

The following day, bring the marinated shallot mixture to the boil, then reduce it until there is no liquid left; do not let it catch or burn.

Preheat the oven to 150c/gas mark 2. Drain the chicken livers, rinse and pat them dry. Trim them, place in a bowl and add the salt. Put the livers on a plate and leave to warm to room temperature. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, cover with cling film and, again, leave to warm to room temperature.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan. Remove the thyme from the warm shallot reduction, and place the reduction, together with the chicken livers, in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the eggs and blend again. With the food processor still running, gradually pour in the hot melted butter. Keep processing for a good five minutes for a smooth pâté.

Pass the blended liver mix through a fine-mesh sieve and pour into a terrine dish that comfortably holds 500ml. Place on an oven tray with high sides and pour hot water into the tray until it reaches the same level as the liver mixture in the terrine dish. Cover the terrine with foil and place the tray in the oven.

After 20 minutes, check the parfait by carefully agitating the terrine: it should be set at the edges, but still wobble slightly in the centre. If it is not ready, put it back into the oven and continue to check regularly. (If you have a probe, the internal temperature should be 65c)

Once ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Leave to set for about half a day in the fridge before serving.

Red mullet with grilled peppers

Serves 4 as an appetiser, 2 as a main course

The shellfish, almost gamey like quality of red mullet is perfect with robust flavours like charred peppers and just cooked garlic. You could add prawns or even lobster if you feel like a special treat to really bring this dish up a notch, but the core flavours here are full on and intense already.

2 large red peppers
2 large yellow peppers
4 small red mullet, filleted
2 tblsp olive oil for cooking
2 cloves garlic
Half a glass of rosé wine
2 ripe tomatoes
Small handful fresh oregano or marjoram
Salt and extra virgin olive oil to taste

Char the peppers over a gas flame or under a very hot grill, until the skin is darkened on all sides. Allow them to cool, covered, so that they steam themselves a little. Then push the skins off with your thumb and forefinger. (Don’t be tempted to do this under running water, as you will lose those vital juices and flavours. A hint of charred flavour is ideal for this dish anyway)

Cut the peppers into fairly fine strips. Set them aside. Place the mullet fillets on a chopping board, skin side down. Run your finger gently along the flesh and pull out any small bones you find with tweezers or nail scissors.

Heat the oil in a wide-bottomed frying pan and, when it is almost smoking add the fillets, skin side down. Let them cook briskly for at least two minutes. As soon as you turn them, add the garlic and, a minute later, the pepper strips.

Now add the wine and turn the heat up until the juices go bubbly and glossy. Remove from the heat immediately and season to your liking. Scatter the herbs on top of everything and swirl a reasonably generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over the whole dish.

Serve with little slices of toast for mopping up the oily juices. Don’t give people lemon on the side or the harsh acidity will take over.

Trout tartare

Serves 4

This makes a stunning starter or light summer lunch, it has everything that says sunshine about it; however, it is imperative that you use super fresh fish. Do not be tempted to substitute any poor relation. If you can push the boat out, topped off with a generous spoonful of caviar makes the world of difference.

450g skinless fillets of fresh salmon trout
About 115 g sea salt
8 asparagus spears, trimmed
½ good deep green cucumber, halved lengthwise and deseeded
Freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade
500ml olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Good handful of chopped mixed herbs, such as basil, tarragon, lemon balm
1 head of garlic, halved

For the anchovy mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
1 tblsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp grainy mustard
5 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
5 basil leaves, chopped
200 ml olive oil
1 tblsp hot water

To serve
4 large sprigs of chervil
Some good bread

The day before put the trout to marinate. Cover the trout completely on both sides with the sea salt. Chill for 1 1/2 hours. Rinse the salt from the trout, drain well, pat dry and place in a bowl. Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a separate jug or bowl and pour over the trout, leave in the fridge overnight.

Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water until just tender, refesh in cold water and drain. Then cut it into pieces the same size as the asparagus. Chop the cucumber into pieces the same size as the asparagus.

Put all the ingredients for the anchovy mayonnaise except the olive oil and hot water in a blender or food processor and whiz together. Add the olive oil, drop by drop, continuing to blend and gradually increasing the addition of the oil to a trickle, then add the hot water until you have a thick, smooth mayonnaise. Season with pepper to taste and reserve.

Just before serving assemble the tartare, remove the trout from the marinade, cut it into cubes of a similar size to the asparagus and cucumber, and combine all three together in a bowl. Add the anchovy mayonnaise and season with pepper, mix thoroughly.

To serve either pile the mixture into shallow bowls or plates or, for a neater presentation, place a medium sized pastry cutter in the centre of each bowl or plate. Pack each ring with the trout and asparagus mixture, pressing down as you do so. Neaten off the top, and then carefully slide off the pastry rings. Garnish each serving of tartare with a good sprig of chervil and serve with the bread.

Crab, pea and broad bean risotto

Serves 4 as a starter

We got our first new season's peas from France a couple of days ago, and apart from podding them straight into your mouth and eating without delay, I can think of fewer better ways to enjoy them than folding them into this gorgeous risotto just at the last minute. By boiling the rice to begin with speeds up making a risotto. This doesn't make it any less authentic and cuts the stirring time down significantly.

650ml light chicken or vegetable stock
200g risotto rice
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
3 tblsp olive oil
50ml dry white wine
1 tblsp crème fraîche or mascarpone
1 tblsp freshly grated Parmesan
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tblsp brown crab meat
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful of basil leaves, shredded
150g mix of peas and broad beans
100g white crab meat
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Aged balsamic vinegar, to serve

Pour about a third of the stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Tip in the rice and blanch for 4 minutes. Drain well, then tip onto a tray. Spread to an even layer and leave to cool. Transfer to the fridge and chill until ready to use. Reserve the remaining stock.

In a medium saucepan, sweat the onion gently in 3 tblsp of oil for 5 minutes or until softened without browning. Pour in the wine to deglaze and cook until the alcohol has evaporated and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Meanwhile, bring the reserved stock to a simmer. Stir the blanched rice into the onion and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the stock to the rice, a ladleful at a time, stirring well between each addition.

Once the rice grains are almost cooked through but still retain a bite, beat in the crème fraîche or mascarpone, Parmesan, lemon zest and brown crab meat. Remove from the heat, check for seasoning and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes with the lid on.

When you are ready to serve, stir in the basil, peas and broad beans and check for seasoning. Divide among warmed plates, sprinkle the white crab meat on top, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, followed by a few drops of balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper.

Caramelised onion, rocket and goat’s cheese tartlets

Serves 4

Onions are one of the few things that improve in flavour the more you cook them. When caramelising, use very low heat and stir frequently to draw out their natural sugars. If cooked properly, you won’t need to add any sugar to help with the process

300g shortcrust pastry
Flour, for dusting
25g unsalted butter
6 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tblsp sherry vinegar
150g goat’s cheese, preferably a thin log
100g rocket
Squeeze of lemon juice
Drizzle of olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the pastry into four even pieces and roll each one out on a lightly floured board as thinly as possible, without tearing. Use to line four 10cm tartlet tins and leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides. Place the tartlets on a baking sheet and line them with foil and baking beans. Chill for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Bake the pastry cases for 15 minutes, then remove the baking beans and foil and return to the oven for another 5 minutes until the pastry is crisp. While still hot, trim the pastry to the rim of the tins with a sharp knife. Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a pan and add the sliced onions. Cook over a very low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and caramelised. Drain off any excess liquid from the onions and add the sherry vinegar. Put the pan back on the heat for 10 more minutes until the vinegar has cooked off. Season well and leave to cool.

Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Place the tartlet cases on a baking sheet and spoon in the caramelised onions. Cut the goat’s cheese into 8 thick slices and place two on each tartlet. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is golden and the tart has warmed through.

Dress the rocket with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper and serve with the warm tartlets.