NEIL'S RECIPES: TREACLE TART

“A classic British dish which needs no introduction, and a best-seller of ours at the Edinburgh Farmers’ Market. It’s deliciously simple served warm with either clotted cream or thick double cream. The kick of lemon in the recipe helps to cut through the richness.”

4 portions

INGREDIENTS

1 blind-baked 10-inch sweet pastry case

750g golden syrup

300g bread or cake crumbs

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 egg, whisked

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.

Mix all the ingredients well and spread into the sweet pastry case.

Place on a tray in the middle of the oven (for even cooking) and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the tart is golden brown on top.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature. Serve with clotted cream or custard.

Perhaps best eaten warmed up the next day as the mix soaks up all the syrup.

NEIL'S RECIPES: COQ AU VIN

“This makes a nice change from a roast chicken on Sunday. Flavourful and easy to make. Use good red wine and use a quality stock for the the sauce to make everyone’s lips deliciously sticky. It’s worth it in this classic.”

Makes 4 portions

INGREDIENTS 

4 organic free-range chicken legs

A handful of mushrooms

150g piece of bacon, cut into cubes

8 small shallots, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

½ bottle good red wine

A few sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

1 litre beef or chicken stock reduced to 500ml

50ml rapeseed oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD 

Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed casserole dish with a lid and fry the chicken legs until just coloured. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, fry the bacon and mushrooms. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, fry the shallots and garlic until golden, then add the red wine, thyme and bay leaf.

Return the chicken to the pot and add the stock.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and bacon to warm through. Season and serve with buttery mash.

NEIL'S RECIPES: GINGER SPONGE

“I make this pudding in a large tray in the restaurant, but at home I make and serve it in a dish that goes from oven to table. If there are any leftovers, keep and eat it cold with a cup of tea and your feet up.”

INGREDIENTS

250g unsalted butter

140g dark brown sugar

330g golden syrup

2 eggs

200ml milk

6 pieces of stem ginger, roughly chopped

A pinch of salt

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

1.5 teaspoons ground ginger

1.5 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

420g plain flour

METHOD

Line a deep, 12-inch square baking tray with silicone paper. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in the syrup, eggs, salt and sift in the flour, bicarb, cinnamon and ground ginger. Mix gently. 

Slowly pour in the milk - you may not need it all - then add the chopped stem ginger with a little syrup from the jar.

Combine and scoop the mix into the prepared tin and bake at 180°C for 35 to 45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

Serve with lashings of custard and ice cream.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SCOTCH BEEF CARPACCIO

“Grass-fed organic Scotch Beef contains significantly more vitamins and minerals than non-organic, grain-fed beef; and its fat has a higher content of Omegas which are crucial for our health. Hung correctly and matured for further flavour and tenderness, it is almost effortless to prepare and cook with beef of this standard. This dish is named after a Venetian painter and is usually served with a little olive oil, lemon and white truffle or Parmesan. It’s totally raw, truly delicious and perfectly safe to eat. Serving raw beef is a real test of the quality of the meat and the provenance of the cattle. I’ve made this dish using many different cuts of beef for this in the past, but here I’m using fillet. It is expensive, but consider this a special dish to be savoured.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

250g piece of fillet of Scotch Beef, trimmed and silver skin removed

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil

1 large tablespoon Arran mustard

Good salt and pepper

250mls cider vinegar

250mls water

250g unrefined caster sugar

400g mixed veg for picking e.g. cauliflower, carrot, onion, courgette, red pepper

A few aromas like star anise, cinnamon or thyme for flavouring your pickles

A few salad leaves

A few shards of Corra Linn or Bonnet cheese

METHOD

Firstly bring the vinegar, water and sugar to the boil on the hob with your chosen aromas and simmer for 3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Blanch the pickling veg in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes until just starting to soften, then refresh under cold, running water. Then place them into the hot pickle liquor. Once done these can be stored for weeks in a sterilised jar.

Season the beef all over with salt and pepper then get a heavy frying pan very hot and add half the rapeseed oil. Then very quickly sear the beef all over for a couple of minutes maximum. This is just to remove the raw outer layer of the beef.

Make a paste with the mustard and the remaining oil, then season with salt and pepper. Rub this paste all over the just-seared beef and wrap it very tightly in cling film until it resembles a sausage. Make sure it’s firmly secured and tie the ends so it won’t unravel. Then place the beef in your freezer for about an hour. You don’t want it to be frozen solid, just to be firm.

To serve, simply remove the beef from the cling film and slice very thinly with a very sharp knife and arrange on a plate. Season with salt and pepper, then some salad leaves and some pickled veg. Lastly, add the shards of cheese and a final seasoning.

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL IN 5 EASY STEPS

Get in the mood for Christmas with this simple, seasonal cocktail. Fresh and elegant, it's a perfect way to toast the festive season.

STEP ONE

PREPARE THE GARNISH

STEP TWO

SHAKE THE SLOE SYRUP AND GIN OVER ICE IN A COCKTAIL SHAKER

STEP THREE

SINGLE STRAIN INTO A CHILLED CHAMPAGNE FLUTE

STEP FOUR

TOP WITH CHAMPAGNE

STEP FIVE

TOP GLASS WITH GARNISH AND ENJOY!

For the Sloe Syrup:

500g sloe berries, 250g sugar, 250ml water

Bring to the boil together in a pan and simmer until glossy and reduce by a third. Cool. Strain the contents through a sieve.

For the Cocktail:

20ml sloe syrup, 20ml gin, champagne to top up, orange peel to garnish

NEIL'S RECIPES: ROAST CHICKEN AND SKIRLIE

“As you all know, I adore roast chicken, but try adding skirlie. It’s basically a stuffing, but you can easily serve it as a side dish. A delicious way to grace any table.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 free-range organic chicken – approx 1.5kg

4 onions peeled

1 sprig of thyme

1 organic Sicilian lemon

1 handful of sage

Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

A few knobs of butter

A glass of white wine

500ml good, dark chicken stock (ideally made from last Sunday’s roast chicken)

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 200 C

Season the bird inside and out with salt and pepper.  Place the thyme, sage and half a lemon in the cavity.

Slice the onions and place in a roasting tin.  Lay the bird, breast side down, in the tin and put in the oven for half an hour.

Remove from the oven and turn the bird over, season again with salt and pepper and return to the oven and cook for a further half an hour.  Remove and rest for 20 mins before carving.

To make gravy.  Remove chicken and leave somewhere warm.  Place the roasting tin on the hob and add the glass of wine.  Bring to the boil and reduce by half.  Add the chicken stock and boil for 10-15 mins and add a few knobs of butter whisking all the time.  Push through a sieve squeezing all the goodness out of the onions.  Season again with salt and pepper and more lemon juice.

Serve with roasted potatoes and lots of local, seasonal veg.

TO MAKE SKIRLIE

INGREDIENTS

1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

1 sprig of thyme

2 tablespoons of good beef fat

150g pinhead oats, soaked for a few hours in water, then drained

Good salt and pepper

METHOD 

Add the beef fat to a solid pan and melt over a medium heat. When melted, add the chopped onion and thyme and season. Fry until the onion is just starting to colour. I love this smell!

Add the oats and keep stirring as it all combines and you hear the skirl of the oats and fat. You may need to add a touch of water to prevent it sticking.

Check the seasoning and cook for around 10 minutes until it plumps up and takes on a light brown colour.

Let it cool slightly then use to stuff a chicken crop - the part between the wings - and roast the bird as normal allowing a little extra time.

Skirlie is great with gravy, as it soaks up all the chicken’s juices up during cooking and saves it for your plate.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ECCLEFECHAN TART

"Simple to make and utterly heavenly to eat. It’s Christmas in tart form! Have a go and try it with different flavours of creams like orange mascarpone, warm custard or a simple vanilla ice cream."

Sweet pastry tart case:

INGREDIENTS

200g plain flour

60g icing sugar

70g unsalted butter

1 egg

METHOD

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the butter. Beat until light and fluffy, then add the egg and combine. Sift in the flour and gently bring together into a ball.

Then press the dough into a round, flat shape and wrap in cling film. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out using a good amount of flour on top of some on cling film. That makes it easier to lift and lay the pastry into the tart case.

Butter a 10" loose-based round tart tin and dust with flour to make it non-stick. Then line with the rolled sweet pastry followed by 3 sheets of cling film. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes, then add baking beans and bake at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes until golden. Remove the baking beans, brush with an egg wash and the tart shell is ready for your filling.

Ecclefechan tart mix:

INGREDIENTS

120g melted butter

120g soft dark brown sugar

2 eggs

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cinnamon

470g Californian raisins

120g broken walnuts

Icing sugar to dredge

METHOD

Whip the melted butter and soft dark brown sugar together. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and add slowly to the butter and sugar. Mix in the raisins and walnuts, then add the lemon juice, zest and cinnamon and give another good mix.

Add the mix to the tart shell whilst it’s still warm, and smooth over using a wet palette knife. Bake in a moderate oven (around145-165°C) for 30 to 45 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Be careful of burning the raisins in the oven. Placing another tray on the shelf above the tart will help to stop the harsh heat burning them.

Remove from oven and leave to stand for half an hour. Then remove from the tin, dredge with icing sugar and serve.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ROASTED SQUASH, CROWDIE, ISLE OF WIGHT TOMATOES AND HAZELNUT PESTO

“This delicious, simple dish can be made as a vegetarian main course. If you can’t find crowdie, use goat’s curd or good cream cheese; and good vine tomatoes if Isle of Wight are not available. Roast the squash well as it gives loads more flavour.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into 1 to 2-inch pieces

4 Isle of Wight tomatoes, eyes removed and cut in half

4 tablespoons of Katy Rodger’s Crowdie

A handful of watercress

2 tablespoons of hazelnuts, toasted

A small handful of basil

2 tablespoons of hard cheese, grated - Isle of Mull cheddar or Anster are good

100ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

1 clove of garlic, sliced

A sprig of thyme

Good salt and pepper

Watercress to serve

Rapeseed oil for drizzling

METHOD

Heat oven to 180°C.

Lay the cubes of squash on an oven-proof tray and drizzle over 10ml of rapeseed oil. Season with salt and pepper and rub it into the squash. Sprinkle over some leaves of fresh thyme and roast in the oven for around 45 minutes until soft and golden.

Place the tomato halves on an oven-proof tray and drizzle with 10ml of rapeseed oil. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle over some fresh thyme leaves and half garlic slices. Place on the bottom shelf of the oven for 3 to 4 hours at 140°C until soft and semi-dried.

To make the pesto, add the toasted hazelnuts, cheese, basil, 80ml of oil, the remaining garlic and some seasoning to a blender and blitz until a smooth paste is achieved.

To plate up, dot some Crowdie around the plate, then add the squash, a few tomatoes fresh from the oven and drizzle over the pesto. Then add a few leaves of watercress and a trickle of cold-pressed rapeseed oil.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PEARS POACHED IN RED WINE

“I love the texture of a pear, and it’s something we grow well here. Try a Packham or a Conference, and always buy British when you can. They’re delicious ripe, served with a strong cheese and oatcakes, but I'm suggesting you poach yours in red wine with sugar, cinnamon, star anise and thyme. The aromas will fill the house for days. The trick is to leave them in the cooking liquor and not to be tempted to remove them. This way they will soak up all the syrup. Serve them hot or cold with a dollop of ice cream or crème fraîche.”

Makes 4 portions

INGREDIENTS

4 firm pears (if too soft, they’ll turn to mush)

1/2 bottle of good red wine (a nice claret is perfect)

180gm dark brown sugar (or if you prefer white, that’s fine)

3 or 4 star anise

1 vanilla pod, split and scraped seeds out

A piece of cinnamon bark

A small sprig of thyme

A big dollop of ice cream or crème fraîche

METHOD

Firstly, wash and peel the pears and place in a pot large enough to hold them. Pour over the wine.

Add the sugar and place on a medium heat, bringing just to the boil before adding the spices and flavourings. I love star anise, cinnamon and vanilla here, but do experiment with other flavour combinations!

When it’s just about to boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer. Long and slow wins this race with this dish.

Poach the pears for 2 to 3 hours, keeping them warm on the back of the stove. Taste as you go, as it may need a little more sugar, or even a spoon of redcurrant jelly - it’s up to your tastebuds!

Serve the pears warm, drenched in the syrup, with some ice cream or crème fraîche on the side. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: BEEF SHIN WITH HORSERADISH DOUGHBALLS

“Hearty and warming, rich and decadent, this truly is a dish to serve straight from the casserole dish at the table. Full of Omega 3, beef shin also has the wonderful ability of enrichening a sauce with its incredible inter-muscular fat; and it’s just so very tasty. The doughballs are always a hit in our house, with the horseradish adding a nice kick. Serve it with mash too (why not?) and some all-important roots. Search your local butcher or farmers’ market for organic, grass-fed, pure-bred beef.”

Serves 2
Prep time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 3 to 4 hour

INGREDIENTS

250g shin of grass-fed beef, 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon beef fat or cooking oil

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 stick celery, roughly chopped

1 sprig thyme

1 clove garlic

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon tomato purée

1 litre good, strong beef stock

1/2 glass good, red wine

1 teaspoon flour

2 large carrots, scrubbed – one diced and one cut into thick strips

1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into thick strips

50g celeriac, peeled and cut into thick strips

1 knob of butter

100g self-raising flour

50g suet

Good salt and pepper

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Fresh horseradish, grated (optional)

METHOD

Heat the oven to 170°C / Gas Mark 3

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the beef fat in a casserole dish, add the beef and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until all the meat is caramelised. Remove the beef from the pot, leaving the heat on. Add the onion and fry for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring continually to give a good colour. Add the thyme, bay, garlic clove, celery and diced carrot.

Colour the veg until browned then add the tomato purée and the teaspoon of flour, and cook for a minute or two. Next, add the red wine and bring to the boil. Reduce until just a little is left, then add the stock. Return the beef to the dish, season and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover with a lid and cook in a medium to low oven for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. It’s ready when the meat is so tender it could fall apart.

Blanch the remaining carrot, parsnip and celeriac in boiling, salted water for 4 minutes, then refresh under cold water. Add to a pan with a knob of butter and fry until they just start to colour. Keep in a warm place. 

Twenty minutes before the stew is ready, combine the suet and flour in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley, some grated, fresh horseradish and mix with enough cold water to make a wet dough.

Add the dough to the stew in 4 to 6 dollops, and place the lid back on and cook for a further 20 minutes or so.

Spoon the sauce over the dough balls and set to one side to rest for 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with a grate of fresh horseradish and a sprinkle of parsley and serve with the root veg.