Pea & Bacon Risotto by Gordon Jones

Ingredients

1 onion
6 rashers streaky bacon chopped
300g risotto rice
1l hot vegetable stock
100g frozen peas
Salt & Pepper
Grated Parmesan

Directions

Finely chop the onion.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter in a pan, add the onions and fry until lightly browned (about 7 minutes).

Add the bacon and fry for a further 5 minutes, until it starts to crisp.

Add the rice and stock, and bring to the boil. Stir well, then reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes until the rice is almost tender.

Stone bass with new potatoes, tomato concasse and chives By Gordon Jones

Ingredients

For the potatoes and tomato concasse
4 tomatoes
1kg/2lb 2oz new potatoes
25g/1oz butter
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
For the fish
4 x 150g/5½oz stone bass fillets (or similar white fish), with skin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
splash white wine
1 lemon, quartered, juice only
25g/1oz butter
1 small handful baby leeks, chopped into rings
2 bunches asparagus, woody ends removed
2 shallots, peeled, sliced into rings
1 handful fresh tarragon, roughly chopped

Directions

For the potatoes and tomato concasse, cut a small cross into the bottoms of the tomatoes with a small, sharp knife and blanch them in a pan of boiling water for about ten seconds, then drain and plunge into ice-cold water. Peel the tomatoes and discard the skins.

Cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds. Pat the tomato pieces dry with a clean tea towel and cut into small dice.

Cut the new potatoes into barrel shapes using a small, sharp knife. Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add a knob of the butter. Stir in the finely chopped tomatoes and the chives and set aside.

For the stone bass fillets, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Lay two layers of foil long enough to fold over to enclose the fish fillets onto a work surface, shiny-side up. Lay a slightly smaller piece of parchment paper on top of the foil, place a fish fillet on top then fold over the edges of the foil to secure the parchment. Repeat until you have four parcels.

Season the fish with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a splash of wine (about one tablespoon), a squeeze of lemon and top with a small knob of butter. Place the baby leeks and a few asparagus spears on top of the fish. Scatter over the shallot rings and the tarragon.

Fold up each package and seal it on top, leaving some gaps for the steam to escape. Place the foil packages on a flame-proof baking tray, then place the tray on the hob over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Carefully remove the tray from the hob and place into the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

To serve, open the packets and carefully transfer the fish and vegetables to serving plates. Drizzle over any of the juices left behind in the packet, and serve with the new potatoes and tomato concasse alongside.

Twice-baked spinach, parmesan and goats' cheese soufflé By Gordon Jones

Ingredients

70g/2½oz butter, plus extra, melted, for brushing
40g/1½oz plain flour
250ml/8½fl oz semi-skimmed milk
2 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
200g/7oz soft goats' cheese
500g/1lb 1oz baby leaf spinach, washed
pinch sea salt, to taste
pinch freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
6 free-range eggs, separated
½ lemon, juice only

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Melt 40g/1½oz of the butter in a pan over a medium heat and stir in the flour until smooth and well combined. Slowly add the milk to the mixture, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps from forming. Cook over the heat for a few more minutes, or until thickened, then stir in the grated parmesan cheese and the goats' cheese until both are melted.

Add the remaining butter to a separate pan and melt over a medium heat until foaming. Add the baby leaf spinach, a pinch of salt and a pinch of nutmeg and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer the spinach to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Whisk the egg yolks into the cheese sauce until smooth and creamy, then stir in the spinach purée until well combined. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt, to taste. Set the pan aside to cool.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed, then fold into the cooled cheese and spinach mixture until just combined.

Brush the insides of eight ramekins with the melted butter and lightly dust with grated parmesan. Fill the ramekins to about three-quarters full with the cheese and spinach soufflé mixture.

Bake the soufflés in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until risen. Remove from the oven, cover and place in the fridge until cooled.
(The soufflées can be prepared a day in advance and reheated just before serving.)

To serve, sprinkle more grated cheese over the soufflés and place into the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until warmed through and golden-brown on top. Serve immediately.

Mushroom ravioli with a white wine, spinach and tarragon cream sauce By Gordon Jones

Ingredients

For the pasta dough
250g/9oz '00' flour, plus extra for dusting
3 free-range egg yolks, lightly beaten
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water

For the mushroom filling
1 tbsp olive oil
100g/3½oz chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh picked thyme leaves
100g/3½oz skinless, boneless chicken breast, chopped
1 free-range egg
30ml/1½fl oz double cream
pinch grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
2 shallots
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
125ml/4½fl oz white wine
150ml/5fl oz double cream
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

For the spinach
1 tbsp butter
spinach
pinch grated nutmeg

Directions

For the pasta dough, tip the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Add some of the beaten egg yolks, all of the olive oil and the water and slowly mix the ingredients together, adding more beaten egg as necessary to make a smooth dough (you may not need all of the egg).

Shape the dough into a ball and turn out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball, cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for one hour.

For the filling, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic over a medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown. Add the mushrooms and the thyme and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside until needed.

Place three-quarters of the chopped chicken breast meat into a food processor along with the egg and cream and blend until smooth to make a mousse. Add the chicken mousse to the bowl with the mushrooms and remaining chopped chicken and mix well to combine. Set aside.

Remove the pasta dough from the fridge and divide into four equal pieces. Cover the other three pieces with a clean, damp tea towel and dust the fourth piece in flour.

Flour the pasta machine. Starting at the lowest (thickest) setting, feed the dough through the machine, turning the handle with one hand and holding the dough as it comes through the machine with the other. Change the setting on the pasta machine to the next-thickest setting, flour it again and feed the pasta sheet through the machine again, as before, until the dough has reached the desired thickness (about 1-2mm thick). Repeat with the remaining dough until you have four sheets of thin pasta.

Lay one sheet of pasta on a floured work surface and place spoonfuls of the filling on top, ensuring there is at least an inch of space between and around each spoonful. Lay a second sheet of pasta on top and seal the edges, making sure that there are no air bubbles trapped in between the layers. Cut out the individual ravioli with a pasta wheel. Place on a floured tray, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pasta and the filling until all are used up.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onion for 10-15 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add the chopped shallots, garlic and wine and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until some of the alcohol has evaporated. Stir in the cream and add the tarragon, then remove from the heat.

For the spinach, melt the butter in a pan until foaming, then add the spinach and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until wilted. Season with salt and a pinch of nutmeg.

To cook the pasta, bring a large pan of salted water to just below the boil and gently cook the ravioli, in batches, for 4-5 minutes with the lid on the pan, until the pasta is al dente. Drain.

To serve, spoon the spinach into serving bowls and place the ravioli on top. Spoon over the sauce.

Beef bavette (skirt steak) with mash and garlic Portobello mushrooms By Gordon Jones

Ingredients

For the skirt steak and green peppercorn sauce
4 x 250g/9oz thick beef skirt steaks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1½ tbsp white wine vinegar
50ml/2fl oz brandy
200ml/7fl oz beef stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 handful fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp butter
25g/1oz green peppercorns
100ml/3½fl oz double cream
Gor
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful picked fresh thyme leaves

Directions

For the beef, season the steaks with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat a non-reactive frying pan until hot, then add the oil then the steaks. Sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown all over.

Carefully add the white wine vinegar to the pan, then add half of the brandy and carefully tip the pan towards the flame of the hob, so that the alcohol catches alight (NB: keep clothing and fabric well clear of the flame and do not leave unattended). When the flame has gone out, add the beef stock, the garlic and the thyme. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, then remove the steak from the pan and set aside to rest on a warm plate.

Return the pan to the heat and add the green peppercorns and the remaining brandy. Simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency. Stir in the double cream and simmer again for a further 6-8 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and glossy. Keep warm and pour into a gravy boat when ready to serve.

For the béarnaise sauce, place the egg yolks into a heatproof bowl and add the white wine vinegar and warm water. Whisk to combine, then place the bowl over a pan of just-simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water) and whisk continuously for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and fluffy and has doubled in volume.

Slowly drizzle in the melted butter in a thin, steady stream while whisking continuously, until all of the butter is incorporated and the mixture is thickened and emulsified. Stir in the chopped tarragon and whisk in a splash of olive oil. Pour into a gravy boat when ready to serve.

For the mash, cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 10-12 minutes, or until tender. Drain, return the potatoes to the pan and place back over the heat for a few minutes to drive off any excess moisture, then pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or mash with a masher. Beat in the butter and cream until well combined and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the garlic mushrooms, melt the butter in a pan until foaming, then add the mushrooms and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown and tender. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the garlic and thyme. Cook for a further minute, or until the mushrooms are softened.
To serve, place the steaks onto serving plates and spoon the mash and garlic mushrooms alongside. Serve with a choice of the green peppercorn or béarnaise sauce.