WHAT TO DO WITH CELERIAC?!

Similar in taste and texture to parsnip but with a prominent flavour of celery, many

of us are unsure what to do with them which is a shame when they are so easy to grow.

Celeriac can be cooked and mashed with potato, diced and added to stews and soups,

chipped or roasted like a spud or grated in coleslaw.

Here however, I  have made a cheesy gratin with poppy seeds and roasted pumpkin that you can 

eat on its own or as a side dish. 

Ingredients

One Celeriac - peeled, quartered and thinly sliced

1 tsp chopped chili

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp cream cheese

250ml single cream

Roast pumpkin (optional)

Grated Cheddar for topping

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the chili and let it sizzle for a few seconds.

Add the sliced celeriac and salt and pepper and fry for about 5 minutes turning regularly.

Add the poppy seeds and the cream cheese and continue to stir carefully until the

cheese has melted.

Stir in the single cream and bring to a gentle bubble before tipping into a gratin dish.

Place into a preheated oven (180 degrees) for about half an hour.

Five minutes before the end, grate on a generous helping of Cheddar cheese

and place back in the oven to melt.

(We also added some left over roast pumpkin which was a delicious addition but you can leave this out) 

Absolutely delicious

So next time you walk passed them in the supermarket, drop one into your trolley

and have a go at this!

GAME ON AT AUTUMN FEAST

Another fabulous evening at Baker & Baker, courtesy of Mark David of The Cookery Exerience

Once again, Mark gave a fun and informative demonstration on our three oven Aga, showing just how versatile this iconic range is.

With a ‘Game’ theme, the evenings recipes included partridge, pheasant, pidgeon and rabbit as well as the classic apple crumble and other autumn dishes using seasonal produce.

‘Thank you again for a lovely evening. Can’t wait for the next!’ Miss K

‘Thank you for a lovely evening. Superb venue with a very engaging chef who took the time to explain the finer details. Recommend to all. See you in November!’ Mrs W

‘Great night tonight at Baker & Baker food demo.’ Mrs H

‘I have to say I had a really great time last night at your food demo. I didn’t even realise I liked game or dare I say it……rabbit! Our rabbit ran away a few months back so hope the one I ate last night wasn’t white and fluffy! Anyway just wanted to say thanks for such a lovely time and look forward to your next one on November 28th.’ Mrs S



SPICY BUNNY BURGERS WITH SUN DRIED TOMATO MAYO

Best burgers ever or so my sons says, and I have to agree!

Made with rabbit shot and prepared by my own fair hands but

you can buy yours from your local butcher for around £4 each.

 Pile high with salad, cheese, home-made tomato sauce in a freshly baked bun

and serve with home made chips

Ingredients

1 Rabbit (once boned, about 600g)
300g of pork belly (optional)
1 onion (chopped)
Free herbs (rosemary,chive,thyme,marjoram or any you have) chopped
1 chopped chilli
Salt & Pepper

Tomato mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
3 Sun dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon of tomato puree
dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)

To Dress
Tomato
Salad leaves
Gherkin
radish
red onion
Cheese

First, skin and bone out your rabbit (or buy ready prepared from your butcher)
along with the pork belly to add some fat to an otherwise very lean meat.
This will make the burger moist and more flavour but can be left
out for a healthier option.

Mince the meat together in a Kenwood mixer with attachment 

or similar gadget.

Bind the mincemeat, herbs, chilli, salt and pepper together and make into good sized burgers.

Do this by taking the meat and rolling into a ball roughly the size of a peach.
Press flat between your hands and lay on a board.
Shape the edges round while flat if required.

Fry the burgers on a high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes a side.

Once you turn the burger put the cheese on top

so it can melt while the second side cooks

We made fresh bread rolls with dough from our superb bread maker.

A Panasonic that we've had for over two years now and couldn't do without.

I can count on my hand the number of times we have bought bread since buying it.
These were made with wholemeal flour and were delicious with the rabbit.

For the spicy tomato mayonnaise

simple chop the sun dried tomatoes,

add to the mayonnaise along with the

tomato puree and Tabasco sauce and mix together.

Build your burger.

Start with the salad, red onion and tomato,

then the spice mayonnaise and burger,

topped off with the Gherkin and sliced radish

Dig in!

SMOKED MACKEREL, LENTIL & ASPARAGUS SALAD

Smoke mackerel is dead cheap, versatile and incredibly flavoursome

and we usually have a pack in the freezer on standby.

Perfect in pasta, I often make a mackerel carbonara which I will add to the blog soon.

In a sandwich with lashings of mayo or in crunchy salads like this lentil one.

The Salad

2 smoked mackerel fillets

6-8 asparagus - blanched 

1 red onion - sliced

1 tin of green lentils - rinsed

2 handfuls of rocket leaves

1 tomato - sliced

2 free range eggs 

The French dressing 

1 tbsp olive oil, 

1/2 lemon juice 

1tsp Dijon

Pinch of sugar

Serves 2

Cook the asparagus for 3-4 minutes and plunge straight into cold water.

Boil  the eggs for 5 minutes and again plunge into cold water.

In the meantime, skin the mackerel removing any large pin bones and

break up in to large pieces.

Slice the onion and the tomato and throw into a mixing bowl along with the lentils, 

asparagus, rocket and mackerel.

To make the dressing

Put the Dijon mustard into a small bowl and spoon on the olive oil a little at a time,

 stirring well to combine before you add more.

When all the oil is combined add the lemon juice and sugar.

Stir and leave to sit for a few minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve.

Drizzle the dressing over the prepared salad and toss

Serve the salad onto two plates, half the eggs and place them on the top

PORK TENDERLOIN, CHORIZO SAUSAGE & BEAN STEW

This recipe uses an organic, free range pork tenderloin.  

I cooked this slightly pink which is fine just as long as you are using good quality pork.

Ingredients

Pork tenderloin

6 chorizo sausages 

2 tins of beans (flageolet & cannelloni)

2 sticks of celery - sliced

1 red pepper - sliced

1 yellow pepper - sliced

1 onion - sliced

3 cloves garlic - chopped

4 ripe tomatoes - chopped 

lovage 

tomato puree

paprika

pinch of chilli powder

salt & pepper

200ml water

Cut the sausages in to large chunks and fry 

When brown on all over, put to one side

Using the same frying pan, add the peppers, celery, garlic, onion, tomatoes and lovage 

and fry for a few minutes until softened.

Rinse the beans and add to the vegetables with the chorizo sausage.

Squeeze in a good desert spoon of tomato puree and stir in, continue to fry for a few more minutes.

Add the water, stir the pot and cover with a lid.

Simmer for 15 minutes

In the meantime, prepare the tenderloin by lightly coating with the paprika and chilli powder and 

fry off in a hot pan to brown the outside.  

Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 5-10 minutes until core temperature is 60 degrees.

If you prefer your pork well done, then cook for 20 minutes until the core temperature is 70 degrees. 

Thickly slice the tenderloin

Spoon the sausage and bean stew on to a plate and place the sliced meat on top

Serve with green beans or curly kale

MUST TRY FISH PIE

A fish pie to die for, hence the 'must try' title.

One helping just isn't enough!

You know me by now, I will always recommend you use the best ingredients and in this case, your local 

fish mongers.  We are lucky enough to have Mr Turner but if your only option is the supermarket,

make sure it's as fresh as possible; it will make all the difference.

Ingredients

250g salmon

250g smoked haddock

150g cod

100g peeled prawns

3 soft boiled eggs

750g potatoes - cooked and mashed with 40g of butter and a grating of nutmeg

Half glass white wine (optional)

300ml water

200ml milk

75g Parmesan

Salt & Pepper

Sauce

75g butter

75g plain flour

100ml double cream

Serves 6

Poach the fish for 10 minutes in a saute pan with a lid.

Do this by simmering on a low heat in the milk, water and white wine 

Take off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes 

Remove the fish from the saute pan onto a plate and allow to cool further.

Save the liqueur , you will need this for the sauce.

When the fish is cold enough to handle, flake, removing the skin and bones.

Place the flaked fish in a deep baking dish 30cm x 40cm and scatter over the prawns

Grate over half of the Parmesan.

Soft boil three eggs for 5 minutes and plunge into cold water (to stop the egg cooking any more)

Quarter and lay on top of the fish.

Now for the sauce....

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and allow to cook on a medium heat while stirring.

Add the liqueur from the fish, a little at a time, stirring until combined before you add more.

Add a little water if the sauce is too thick - it should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon

Remove from the heat and stir in the cream 

Pour evenly over the fish and egg

Fork over the prepared mash potato and grate on the rest of the Parmesan

Bake in the oven for half an hour at 190 degrees or until the top is golden brown and the sauce 

is bubbling up, as shown.

Serve with green beans or vegetables of your choice.