Recipe Category: Favourites

Preheat the oven to 250°C/Gas mark 9

Snip the rosemary and thyme into small sprigs. Using a small knife, pierce six or seven holes in the lamb and stud with the rosemary, thyme and garlic.

Season the lamb with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for approximately 1 hour or until cooked to your liking.

Towards the end of the cooking time, cook the Jersey Royals in boiling salted water with three of the mint stalks, for 10 – 15 minutes or until tender.

Place the frozen peas in boiling water and bring the water quickly back to the boil. Cook for approximately 2 – 5 minutes or until just tender.

Chop the remaining mint and mix together with the warm Jersey Royals and butter.

Carve the lamb and serve with the potatoes, peas and a scattering of fresh honeycomb.

Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce, using the juice from the lemon and 1 tsp of the zest and set aside.

Toss the chicken with the flour, salt and pepper, until chicken is fully coated. Set aside.

Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add one tablespoon of oil. Cook the green beans, stirring often, until starting to blister, 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve on a plate.

Add the second tablespoon of oil to the pan.  Add the chicken, but do not overcrowd the pan.  Cook in two batches if necessary.  Cook chicken 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Add the green beans back to the pan with the chicken.  Pour in the sauce.  Stir, scraping up and browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, until chicken and green beans are fully coated and sauce has thickened. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve over rice if desired.

In a medium sized pan or wok over medium high heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add the peppers and cook 1-2 minutes until tender.  Remove and set aside on a plate.

Turn the heat to high and add the steak and cook on each side to sear the beef and reduce heat to medium high and continue to cook until no longer pink and brown on each side. 

In a small bowl, whisk the garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and flour.  

Add the peppers back to the pan and add the sauce. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. 

Serve over rice.

Turn your slow cooker on to high.

Heat 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan and add the sausages, cook them over a medium heat until they are browned. Drain and remove them from the pan and set to one side.

In the same frying pan, add more rapeseed oil and gently fry the chorizo, onions and garlic together until just soft and the chorizo has started to release its oils. Add the red pepper and cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Remove the mixture from the pan and spoon it into the slow cooker.

Put the mixed beans into a bowl and add the barbecue sauce, mix well. Pour the barbecue beans into the slow cooker and mix them with the onion mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the sausages by placing them on top.

Replace the slow cooker lid and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or on medium for 5 to 6 hours.

Soak porcini in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Strain and reserve soaking liquid. Roughly chop porcini.

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot. Brown beef all over in batches and set aside. Turn heat down to med-low. If looking dry, add more oil. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add finely chopped carrots and celery, cook for 6 minutes or until softened. Add carrot chunks and cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir through.

Add ale, beef stock, and stir to dissolve the flour. Add thyme, bay leaves, porcini, reserved porcini soaking liquid (don’t tip in gritty bits settled at bottom) and cooked beef. Turn heat up slightly, mix, bring to simmer, then cover. Adjust heat so it is simmering gently. 

Cook for 1 hr 45 minutes or until beef is tender. 

Meanwhile, cook bacon over high heat until golden. Remove and reserve bacon fat. Add button mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Return bacon to mushrooms, give a stir together then add to the beef stew. 

Simmer stew, uncovered, for 15 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Then remove from stove and cool.TO COOK: Preheat oven to 200C/390F. Top with puff pastry and brush with egg yolk. Cut a few slits in the surface then bake for 30 – 35 minutes until deep golden and the filling is piping hot in the middle. Rest for 5 minutes before serving!