Pina Colada by Gary Mehigan

Ingredients

1 small ripe pineapple, peeled, core removed, chopped
1 lime, rind finely grated, juiced
60ml white rum
4 ice cubes
180ml coconut milk
40ml chilled sugar syrup (see below)
Crushed ice
Pineapple spear, slice lime & maraschino cherry, to serve

Sugar syrup
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions

Combine pineapple, lime rind, lime juice, rum and ice cubes in a blender, blend until smooth. Add the coconut milk and sugar syrup and blend to combine. Taste, adding more sugar syrup and coconut milk if needed

Pour half mixture into a cocktail shaker quarter filled with crushed ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a large chilled glass. Garnish with pineapple, lime and cherry. Drizzle with a little extra rum if desired. Repeat to make a second cocktail.

If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, strain the mixture at the end of step 1 and serve over a little crushed ice.

To make sugar syrup: combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Allow to cool.

Makes 2 drinks

Bruschetta with Favetta and Pecorino by Gary Mehigan

Ingredients

4 slices sourdough bread
olive oil, for drizzling
2 garlic cloves
200g double peeled broad beans
50g pecorino, finely grated, plus extra for garnish
½ lemon, zest finely grated

Directions

Heat a char-grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle both sides of bread with oil. Char-grill for 2-3 minutes each side. Rub with 1 of the garlic cloves.

Add garlic, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil to a mortar and pestle. Pound to a paste. Add the broad beans, lemon zest and pecorino. Roughly pound, adding a little more olive oil.

To serve, top toasted sourdough with broad bean mixture, and some grated pecorino.

Roast Rib Eye with Yorkshire Puddings and Onion Gravy by Gary Mehigan

Ingredients

4-cutlet rib eye
10 thyme sprigs, half leaves picked
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
400g beef brisket trimmings, chopped into small pieces
5 potatoes, peeled, cut into 2cm slices, lengthways
4 parsnips, peeled, quartered, core removed
4 brown onions, thinly sliced
2 fresh bay leaves
splash cider vinegar
1-2 tbs plain flour
1 cup heated beef stock
40g butter
1 cup frozen peas
300g baby spinach
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Yorkshire Puddings
1 cup plain flour, sifted
2 eggs, lightly whisked
300ml milk
60g lard

Directions

For the Yorkshire puddings, add flour to a large bowl, then add the eggs, milk and ½ tsp salt, whisking until smooth and aerated. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 220°C

Meanwhile, using kitchen string, tie in between each rib of the rib eye, this will ensure it will hold its shape during cooking. Season well with sea salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large roasting pan over high heat and brown beef on all sides, fat-side down first. Add brisket pieces to the pan, cook until browned and caramelised.

Arrange the briskets pieces in the centre of the pan. Top with the rib-eye roast, ensuring it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan. Season with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes for rare. Remove beef from the oven and baste with pan juices. Set aside for 15 minutes to rest, reserving pan juices and brisket trimmings.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Season with salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Roughen up the edges by tossing potatoes in a colander.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Caramelise the parsnips, remove and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, then add the potatoes, half of the thyme sprigs and sea salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes until potatoes are evenly golden. Transfer to an oven set at 165°C and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the potatoes. Add the parsnips, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Return to the oven and cook until golden.

To finish the Yorkshire puddings, divide the lard evenly between 6 holes of a 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan. Place the pan in the oven for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the pan and evenly divide the batter between each hole (should be about ¾ full). Return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes without opening the oven door. Remove puddings from the oven and drain off the fat. Turn them upside down in the tray and return to the oven for a couple of minutes to crisp up the bases.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a deep frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onions, and cook until softened. Add remaining thyme and 1 of the bay leaves. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until caramelised, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of the cider vinegar.

Place the beef roasting pan back over medium-high heat, then add the flour, stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, than add the hot beef stock, 2 torn thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Season well with sea salt and pepper and add any juices from the meat. Strain gravy through a fine sieve into the onion mixture. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the gravy has thickened.

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the peas, spinach and garlic. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve rib eye with onion gravy, roasted vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, spinach and peas

Sausage Rolls with Hidden Vegetables by Gary Mehigan

Ingredients

1 tbs unsalted butter
1 large carrot, peeled, grated
1 tbs olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
4 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
350g beef mince
350g pork mince
1 tbs wild oregano
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 x 375g packers Careme frozen puff pastry, thawed, halved
3 egg yolks, lightly whisked
Poppy and sesame seeds, to garnish
Tomato or BBQ sauce, to serve

Directions

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add grated carrot and cook for until carrot starts to soften. Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes until very soft. Puree carrot mixture in a blender until smooth. Season to taste. Set aside to cool completely.

Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat, then add onion, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-6 minutes or until onion has softened. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf and set aside to cool completely.

Combine minces, ¼ cup of the carrot puree, oregano, onion mixture and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt. Divide the mince mixture into 4 portions and shape into a 25cm log. Place pastry sheet onto a floured work surface and roll to about 4mm thick. Slice each pastry sheet in half lengthways. Place the sausage log across the closest edge of a pastry sheet. Roll to enclose mixture until the two edges of the pastry meet, trim and discard excess pastry. Brush a little egg wash on the join to secure.

Place sausage rolls on a lined baking rack, brush with egg wash and sprinkle evenly with seeds. Repeat with remaining pastry. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Slice rolls on an angle, about 2cm wide. Serve with either tomato or BBQ sauce.

Jam Donuts with Lavender Sugar and Clotted Cream Custard by Gary Mehigan

Ingredients

440ml milk
100g unsalted butter, softened
75g caster sugar
4 eggs
20g fresh yeast
4 cups (600g), plain flour
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
200g raspberry jam
clotted cream, to serve

2 tsp lavender flowers
100g caster sugar

Directions

Heat milk in a saucepan until tepid (37°C on a thermometer). Whisk in the butter, caster sugar and eggs. Place the yeast into a bowl and about ½ cup of the milk mixture. Break up the yeast with your hands to form a smooth paste. Transfer to the milk mixture, whisking to combine. Combine flour and ½ teaspoon of salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually pour in the milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Cover and set aside in a warm place to prove for 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Meanwhile, for the lavender sugar, combine lavender flowers with sugar in a large bowl, rub together with your hands until flowers are bruised. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to infuse.

Pour oil into a saucepan until one-third full. Heat over medium-high heat until 165°C. Spoon donut mixture into 4cm round balls into the hot oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove, drain on paper towel, then toss in the lavender sugar.

Spoon jam in a small piping bag with a 5mm straight-edged nozzle. Push nozzle into the centre of each donut and pipe enough jam to fill.

Serve donuts with clotted cream.