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Onion squash and chickpea soup

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

50ml/2fl oz extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 dried red chilli
1 small bunch of sage
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 onion squash, sliced in half, deseeded and sliced into one-inch chunks
16 small plum tomatoes
Sea salt
1 tin of Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
250ml/8fl oz water
350g/111/2oz chickpeas, soaked and dried
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
60g/21/2oz grated Parmesan

Pickled onion squash

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Pumpkins are surprisingly delicious when pickled. I make three or four jars around this time each year. They are good with baked ham, or can be incorporated into a salad with chestnuts and cured meats.

Baked onion squash

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

This dish has its origins in the south of France. It is very rich and very indulgent, but lovely on a cold autumn evening. A salad of autumn leaves is perfect to balance its creamy flavours.

Quail egg shots

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

I discovered this dish in one of my favourite New York haunts, the Fatty Crab in Hudson Street. It's a scruffy joint that serves great Malaysian-style food.

Queen scallops with bacon and hedgerow garlic

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Little queen scallops are the perfect food to snack on or hand around at parties – you can just slip them in your mouth like an oyster or hand them out in spoons. You can vary what you serve with your queenies, from plain and simple green herbs and breadcrumbs to chopped-up cooking chorizo, simply fried and spooned over the top.

Cured pork cheek on toasted sourdough

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

One of the best discoveries this year, Trealy Farm cured meats, based in Monmouthshire (trealyfarm.com), are producing top-notch cured meats of the finest quality. They are certainly the best I have come across and we have been serving a selection on a meat board in the restaurants and have had great feedback. One of my favourite cuts is the cured cheek – almost like a dry-cured Bath chap – and it is delicious just served on its own or on hot, lightly buttered toast like this.

Woodland mushrooms with chestnuts

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Seasonal wild mushrooms are a great snacking food either on their own or as a selection. You can use a specific seasonal mushroom or use a selection and serve them as a sharing dish or plated up on individual small plates. For a more substantial snack, serve them on some small slices of sourdough just grilled with a little olive oil mixed with crushed garlic.

Spider-crab croquettes

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Croquettes are one of those Seventies snacks that if made well can be delightful. Apart from croquetas in tapas bars, however, they are pretty extinct these days. Spider crab is a bit of a rarity on menus, as it is a shellfish that generally gets exported and not eaten here, but it's one of my favourites.

Mushrooms on toast

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

This is a really good way to serve mushrooms – simple, quick and a perfect first course or light supper if accompanied by a salad comprised of autumn leaves and perhaps just a little walnut oil.

Porcini simply cooked on their own

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Dried porcini work well with their fresh counterparts. Their flavour alters somewhat when dried, becoming more intense. Reconstituted in a little warm water, they are perfect for flavouring soups – providing a feel of moss and the woods. Try adding a little to fresh porcini. It's so good that they can be eaten just as they are, or try them with softly scrambled, very fresh eggs.

Girolles, porcini and guinea fowl

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Guinea fowl is a delicious and underrated little bird. It is not particularly gamey, just full of good flavour, and its flesh is delicate enough not to overpower the lovely taste of the mushrooms.

Parkin

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

My pastry chef at the Albemarle restaurant at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair adapted this parkin recipe last year to give it more of the feel of a gingery sticky toffee pudding.

Mutton and maple pea stew

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

For a simple stew like this, I think mutton has the best flavour. Maple peas or carlings are not that common, though you tend to find them in the north of England. If you can't find any, you can substitute chickpeas instead.

Lamb's wool

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

This is a traditional recipe unearthed by Nick Strangeway, the cocktail supremo at my new restaurant. It's a warming long drink combining ale with apple purée and spices. It also features in a verse from Robert Herrick's Twelfth Night (c1648).

Haggis baked potatoes

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

This dish came about when I was wondering what I could put into a jacket potato to make it more interesting and I opened the freezer and spotted a haggis. Haggis may not be everyone's cup of tea, but really, it's no worse than eating a sausage – and what's more, it's delicious!

Roasted and raw beetroot soup with rye

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Roasted autumn vegetables with dried chilli and lemon

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

The vegetables available at this time of year are beautiful when roasted – bitter leaves such as trevisse mellow and sweeten when cooked, as do squashes, fennel, onions and carrots. Just about any combination will do – served warm or at room temperature they are just right all on their own but also accompanied by simply grilled meat or fish.

Roasted quail with dried chilli, fennel and cumin seeds

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Quail is the most delicious little bird, its skin and flesh often enhanced by rubs and spices that add to its natural flavour. Though they are small, they respond well to a slightly longer cooking time than would perhaps be imagined for something of its size. Fifteen minutes is generally perfect.

Potato and porcini soup

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Of all the soups that I make during the colder months, this one is my very favourite – it has very little liquid and could almost be eaten with a fork. It's peasanty, yet has a certain sophistication about it.

Autumn squash soup with walnut pesto

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

There is an abundance of squashes and pumpkins on the market at the moment; the deep orange-fleshed varieties offer the best flavour and colour.

Pan-fried ray with hazelnuts

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

If you keep up with the latest news about sustainable fishing, you will know that the poor old common skate is on the endangered list these days. Some of the smaller varieties of ray are still OK to eat, however, so ask your fishmonger for advice, or consult the Marine Conservation Society's website.

Nut clusters

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Do you remember those delicious nut clusters from your childhood? As well as tasting fantastic, they were also dead easy to make. The children will probably love getting involved in making this recipe – but it's worth making a few extras, as they'll be gone in no time.

Mixed beets with goat's curd and pickled walnut dressing

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Over the years I have become a bit of a pickled walnut addict and I really appreciate their versatility in the kitchen, as both an ingredient and an integral part of a salad dressing. Pickled walnuts are readily available in supermarkets and good delicatessens.

Baked salmon with pistachio and honey crust

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

50g shelled pistachios
30g stale bread
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 salmon steaks, or one piece of salmon (about 600g)
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons olive oil

Leeks poached with butter

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

I have made this lovely, sweet vegetable dish in the autumn for almost as long as I can remember. It originally comes from a book by Marcella Hazan – a truly wonderful Italian cookery writer. These leeks are perhaps the most delicious thing in the whole world when accompanied by a simply roasted chicken – but they are also very good with pork or slow-cooked lamb. Use leeks that are small and firm for their size.