NEIL'S RECIPES: HAM HOCK TERRINE WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER

"There are two elements in this recipe. The salted hock, or knuckle, from the pig, and the pickled cucumber. Together they are astonishingly good. The sharp, sweet vegetable does its job so well to cut through the rich, salty meat. I like to add other seasonings to the flaked meat like Arran mustard and lots of curly parsley. This is where you can have fun and do your own thing. Try different herbs that you may be growing, or play with different veg to go with it. Remember to keep the stock from cooking the hocks as it makes the best soup in the world. Just add a handful of peasemeal or red lentils."

Serves 6 to 8
Cooking time: 4 hours plus overnight; Prep time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 unsmoked ham hocks

1 stick celery

2 carrots, peeled 

1 onion, peeled and halved

6 peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

2 spring onions, finely chopped

125g unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons curly parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon Arran mustard, or any grain mustard will do
 

1 cucumber

500ml good cider vinegar

500g caster sugar

500ml cold water

2 star anise 

Good salt and pepper

A few mustard seeds

A few handfuls of salad leaves

A few radishes, sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Arran mustard 

A splash of vinegar

METHOD

Place the hocks in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add the celery, carrots, onion, peppercorns, bay and thyme and bring to just below a rolling boil and simmer for 4 hours, skimming off any residue and adding more water if required. Don’t over boil. 

Once cooked and the meat is falling off the bone, remove the hocks from the pot and allow them to cool slightly, before flaking all the meat off the bone. Retain the celery, carrots and onion. Keep the fat for another dish and retain the stock for soup. 

Roughly chop the carrots, onion and celery from the stock pot and add them to a bowl with the flaked meat, melted butter, mustard, spring onions and parsley.  Mix thoroughly and check the seasoning. 

Line a terrine mould or plastic tub with oiled cling film - oiled side down. Pack the terrine mix into the mould and fold over the cling film so it covers the terrine entirely. Place something heavy on top to press it down and refrigerate overnight. 

To make the pickled cucumber, bring the water, sugar and vinegar to the boil then add the mustard seeds, star anise and a teaspoon of salt. Add the cucumber to the pot - you may have to halve the cucumber if it’s too long - that’s fine as it won’t affect the final taste. Cover with a lid and simmer for about an hour until the cucumber is just soft. Then turn off the heat and leave it to cool in the pickling liquid. Once cooled, cut into slices and set to one side.

Make a dressing by mixing 4 tablespoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of Arran mustard and a splash of vinegar.

To serve, place a slice of the terrine in the centre of a plate and arrange the pickled cucumber around or on top. Garnish with a few salad leaves and slices of radish trickled with the dressing. Serve at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: STRAWBERRY TART

“This dish is pretty and easy to make if you buy in puff pastry. I’ve used rough puff in the recipe. The custard is heavenly on top of the cold, buttery pastry with the thinly-sliced strawberries. Woodruff flowers make a very pretty garnish.”

Serves 1
Prep time: 1 hour; cooking time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 puff pastry disc, 6-inch diameter

300ml double cream

35g caster sugar

5 egg yolks

1/4 vanilla pod, seeds scraped, pod retained

4 to 6 strawberries, thinly sliced, at room temperature

A dusting of icing sugar

A few wild woodruff flowers, optional

1 egg yolk, seasoned with a pinch of salt and sugar

METHOD 

Heat the oven to 190°C

Begin by laying the pastry on a sheet of non-stick ovenproof silicon or grease-proof paper. Be careful to buy the right stuff.

Then mix up the seasoned egg yolk with a pastry brush, and brush over the pastry disc and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Ensure the pastry is cooked all the way through and isn’t raw in the middle – there’s nothing worse! Remove from the oven and glaze again with the egg yolk and allow to cool.

Next, make the custard. Begin by whisking together the 5 egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Then place the cream, vanilla seeds and pod in a pot and bring to the boil on the hob. Turn off the heat and leave for a moment or two to allow the cream to take on the vanilla flavour, then pour this mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks and sugar and whisk well.  

Place the mixture in a clean pot on the hob and heat whilst whisking constantly until it reaches 86°C. This is important or it won’t set. If the custard curdles, place it in a liquidiser and blitz it for a few seconds, and it will come back to life.

Allow the custard to cool then spoon 2  tablespoons of it over the pastry. Arrange the strawberry slices in overlapping swirls on top and dredge with icing sugar. Garnish with a few woodruff flowers and serve. Summer on a plate!

NEIL'S RECIPES: CROQUE MONSIEUR

“Most people love this classic French bistro dish, found in little cafes dotted all over France. It is delicious, rich, creamy and fills you up. If you can make a sandwich and a simple béchamel, then you can create this.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

8 slices of good white bread, thinly sliced

4 thick slices of good, proper ham

200g Keens cheddar (or Emmental or Gouda), grated

50g plain flour

50g unsalted butter

500ml whole milk, heated

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Good salt and pepper

4 handfuls of salad leaves

METHOD 

Firstly make a white sauce by melting the butter in a pot with the flour and cooking on a low heat until it’s cooked through, just couple of minutes or so. Then gradually add the hot milk to the flour mix a little at a time. Stir continuously.

You should end up with a smooth white sauce (use a whisk if there are lumps!). Then add the Dijon mustard and half the cheese. Season to taste and set to one side.

Next make 4 cheese and ham sandwiches using the remaining cheese and the ham. Submerge the sandwiches in the white sauce for a few minutes until it is all absorbed. Grate a little extra cheese on top of the sandwich if required and bake in a moderate oven until the sandwich is golden and warm.

Serve with a simple salad tossed in a nice, sharp French dressing to cut through the richness of the sandwich.

NEIL'S RECIPES: CRÈME BRÛLÉE

“There is something wonderful about the simplicity of a brûlée. You can add fruit to the bottom of the ramequin, or an alcohol like eau de vie de framboise and a few raspberries, or diced apple and vanilla and calvados. Or just keep it simple. I like a piece of shortbread with mine.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

400ml double cream

1 vanilla pod, split length ways and seeds scraped

5 large egg yolks

50g unrefined caster sugar, plus extra for glazing

METHOD

Firstly, heat the cream with the vanilla until it just boils, then leave for a few minutes to infuse on a low heat. Meanwhile, combine the sugar with the egg yolk and whisk vigorously until it’s pale and creamy.

Next, pour the hot cream onto the egg yolk mix and whisk quickly to combine. Pour this mixture into a clean pan and heat to 86°C, stirring all the time.

Blitz with a hand-held blender to bring the fats together and to ensure it doesn’t split. Then pour into ramekins and chill for 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.

Once chilled, sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar onto each brûlée and glaze with a moderate blowtorch (or under the grill) until the tops are golden brown but not too dark or bitter.

Serve at once with some shortbread. Enjoy!

Get my shortbread recipe here.

NEIL'S RECIPES: TOASTED SOURDOUGH WITH CRUSHED BROAD BEANS AND PEAS

“This is a simple dish that doesn’t require much skill or time and makes a tasty lunch dish to be eaten al fresco in summer. You do need a good sourdough loaf, and the addition of mint gives it a vibrant lift.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 slices of good sourdough

500g broad beans in their pods

500g peas in the pod

4 tablespoons Katy Rodgers Crowdie

4 radishes, I like the French Breakfast variety

A small handful of mint

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Good salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Firstly, remove the broad beans and peas from their pods (discard the pods in a compost heap!). Blanch in a pot of boiling, salted water for a couple of minutes until they are tender, then gently refresh them under running cold water.

Place them into a food processor and blitz with half the olive oil, and some salt and pepper to taste. Aim for a pâté consistency - you may need to add a splash of water to help it to blitz.

Scrape the mix into a bowl. Rip half of the mint rip leaves and add to the mix. Taste and season as desired.

Toast the sourdough and top each slice with some of the bean and pea mix. Add dots of crowdie over the top, along with some slices of radish and a few sprigs of mint. Drizzle with the remaining oil and serve.

NEIL'S RECIPES: STRAWBERRIES AND CRÈME FRAÎCHE SORBET

“It’s wise not to play around too much with our brilliant strawberries. Keep them at room temperature and just a rinse under the tap before eating. With this cracking crème fraîche sorbet, they’re perfect on a hot day.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 

1 to 2 punnets of strawberries, husks removed, gently washed and at room temperature

750g crème fraîche, I use Katy Rodger’s

375g unrefined caster sugar

325g water

50g glucose

Juice of half a lemon

A few sprigs of mint or sweet cicely

METHOD 

To make the sorbet, start by making a stock syrup by bringing the water, sugar and glucose to the boil and simmering for 3 minutes. Allow to cool and retain a little for a coulis. Whisk in the crème fraîche then add lemon juice to taste. Chill and freeze in an ice-cream machine following the manufacturers instructions. Keep in the freezer until required.

To make a coulis, take a handful of strawberries and place into a liquidiser with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little of the stock syrup and blitz until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a squeezy bottle for ease of serving.

Before serving, ensure the berries are room temperature, as they taste so much better. Fill 4 bowls with halved strawberries and squeeze over the coulis then top with a ball of sorbet. Garnish with some fresh mint or sweet cicely. 

NEIL'S RECIPES: TROUT WITH SEA ASTER, SHRIMPS, NEW POTATOES AND TOMATOES

“A perfect dish, cooked over coals or at home on the stove. The sea aster can be replaced with spinach if you prefer. If cooking on the beach take everything ready-cooked with just the trout to cook on the BBQ. These little shrimps are quite expensive, but they are truly delicious, and they freeze well if you have any left over.”

Serves 2
Cooking time: 45 minutes; Prep time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 sea trout fillets, scaled and pin-boned, about 30 to 40g each is ample
1 small handful of sea aster, or spinach will do
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, skin removed, de-seeded and diced
1 tablespoon cooked shrimps
2 to 3 small new-season potatoes
1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil
1 teaspoon chopped chives and parsley
1/2 spring onion, chopped
25g butter
Juice of half a lemon
Good salt and pepper
METHOD
Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just soft, about 30 minutes on a rolling boil, seasoning halfway through. Or use leftover tatties. When cooked, drain and allow to cool before cutting into quarters.

Use a non-stick pan to cook the fish. Add the rapeseed oil and warm on a moderate heat. Season the fish and place carefully into the pan skin-side down and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Once done, turn the fish back to skin-side-down and turn off the heat. Leave it in the pan for a minute as you prepare the garnish.

In a fresh pan, gently heat the butter then add the sea aster, potatoes, spring onion, herbs and the diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and add a dash of lemon juice. Then add the shrimps and cook until all the ingredients in the pan are warm.

Spoon the garnish onto a warm plate. Remove the fish from the pan and place alongside the garnish. Add a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of salt over the fish before serving.

NEIL'S RECIPES: LEMON CURD, RASPBERRY AND MERINGUE TARTS

“This is a real crowd-pleaser that sells well at Cafe St Honoré when we make them in summer. The raspberries make this dish sing as the sharpness cuts through the rich lemon filling. Perfect as a treat with a lovey cup of tea on a fine sunny day.”

Makes six 5-inch tartlets

To make the sweet pastry:

300g plain flour, sifted plus extra for lining tart cases

90g icing sugar

105g butter

1 and a half eggs

Melted butter for brushing

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, then gently fold in the flour a little at a time. Carefully mix in the eggs until you have a dough. Chill for half an hour then roll out to fill your tart shells. They shouldn't be any thicker than a couple of millimetres.  Brush the pastry with melted butter and sift a little flour over before blind baking with baking beans for 35 to 45 minutes at 180°C. Remove and allow to cool.

To make the lemon curd:

¼ pint lemon juice

2 eggs

170g caster sugar

17g cornflour

35g butter

Place a bowl over a pot of water on the stove that’s just under boiling point and pour in the lemon juice. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients gently and slowly until it starts to thicken and becomes a lemon curd. This may take 20 minutes or so. Be careful not to over-boil the water or let the pot boil dry. Allow to cool.

To make raspberry coulis:

1 punnet of raspberries

2 tablespoons caster sugar

A few drops of lemon juice

In a small pot on a low heat, bring the fruit, sugar and lemon juice to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Blitz in a liquidiser then pass through a fine sieve. Allow to cool.

To make the meringue:

3 egg whites

150g caster sugar

Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks appear then add the sugar 50g at a time whilst continuing to whisk. Place the mix into a piping bag and pipe small circles with peaks onto a lined baking tray and bake in a low oven (110°C) for 4 to 5 hours. Allow to cool.

To assemble the tart:

I punnet of raspberries for garnish

Make a pool of the coulis in the centre of a plate. Place the tart shell on top, then spoon in about 1 tablespoon of curd. Garnish with fresh raspberries and meringues.

NEIL'S RECIPES: HAND-DIVED SCALLOPS AND PANZANELLA

“This is delicious, and a perfect al fresco dish to share with friends. The panzanella can easily be made in the morning and kept cool, but the scallops should be cooked just before serving.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

A chunk of leftover bread, crusts removed and cut into 1cm cubes

12 hand-dived scallops, removed from the shell and cleaned

A handful of red and yellow tomatoes, halved and quartered

A few mint and basil leaves

1tbsp capers

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 cucumber, cut into 1cm cubes

50ml bramble vinegar

50ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A few radishes, sliced

A few salad leaves

Good salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Knob of butter

METHOD

Firstly, make the croutons by frying the bread in butter for a couple of minutes, tossing all the time.

Next, heat 25ml of rapeseed oil in a pan. Season the scallops and fry them for a few minutes on each side.

Make the Panzanella by combining the croutons, tomatoes, herbs, capers, red onion, cucumber, vinegar, remaining oil and radishes in a bowl. Season to taste and mix well.

To serve, arrange the salad and scallops between 4 plates and dress with a few salad leaves.

NEIL'S RECIPES: CONFIT DUCK LEG WITH PEAS, BROAD BEANS, RADISH AND SNOWBALL TURNIPS

“If you like duck, but not in a cassoulet or with lentils, then try this recipe using delicious new season veg from your veg box or the market. Duck is such a flavoursome bird, but if cooking confit is not for you, pan-fry a breast, then carve and serve in the same way.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 duck legs

300g coarse sea salt

100g sugar

4 peppercorns

4 cloves of garlic, bashed

A few sprigs of thyme

500ml duck fat

1 handful of peas, podded

1 handful of broad beans, podded

8 snowball turnips

4 radishes, quartered

1 tablespoon butter

4 scoops buttery mash (optional)

Salt and pepper for seasoning

METHOD

Firstly, make a cure by combining the coarse salt, sugar, peppercorns, garlic and thyme and mix well. Rub this mixture all over the duck legs and leave in the in the fridge overnight.

The next day, remove the garlic and thyme from the cure then rinse the duck to remove all the salt. Place the duck fat, along with the garlic and thyme from the cure, in an oven-proof dish and bring this to a moderate heat on the hob.

Pat the duck dry and submerge the legs into the warm fat. Don’t worry if each leg isn’t completely covered, as they will crisp up.

Pre-heat oven to 130°C

Heat the fat to just below boiling point then cover with a lid and place in the oven for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the duck is almost falling off the bone but still intact. Remove from the oven and leave the duck resting in the fat whilst you prepare the garnish.

Blanch the peas, broad beans and turnips in boiling, salted water. The turnips will take around 10 minutes, so put them in first. Drain and scrape the skin from the turnips. Heat the butter in a clean pan and add the veg. Stir and season.

Remove the duck legs from the fat and crisp the skin under the grill or in a very hot oven.

Serve each leg on top of a scoop of buttery mash, and garnish with the vegetables.