The Plot To Plate Cook Book

Lunch & Dinner

Broad Bean & Tomato Pasta

This is just a basic tomato sauce but with the addition of wonderfully fresh Broad Beans and served with whatever your favourite pasta happens to be. You can of course leave out the beans and simply serve the pasta with the tomato sauce, or substitute a different bean such as Borlotti when they're in season.

I've recently discovered an English cheese made by Twineham Grange Farms in West Sussex. It's an "Italian style premium cheese" or in other words an English Parmesan. It has a distinctive, nutty taste, a bit like Gruyere and it's well worth a go. It's available from Sainsburys.

Serves 2

450 grms Tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded and chopped (or use a tin if you prefer)

1 tbls tomato pureé (this is optional - you may not need it if your tomatoes are ripe, ready and have good flavour but I always add it if I'm using tinned tomatoes

3 or 4 cloves of Garlic, crushed

1 Onion, chopped

150 grms Broad Beans

1 tbls Balsamic vinegar

1 handful of Basil leaves

1 handful Twineham Grange cheese (or use Parmesan)

1 tbls Olive Oil

Maldon Sea Salt

Black Pepper

As much of you favourite pasta as you can eat

 Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onion. Fry gently for four or five minutes until the onion has softened then add the crushed garlic and fry for a further minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes (or the tinned tomatoes and and tomato pureé), the Balsamic vinegar and Broad Beans. Simmer gently for ten minutes or until the beans have begun to soften. Reserve one third of the Basil. Roll the remainder into a cigar shape, shred finely and add to the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Take your favourite pasta (I like Fusili) and cook as instructed on the packet. It's up to you how you cook it - it's al denté for me but if you like it softer then feel free.

Drain the pasta and add to the tomato sauce. Stir for a couple of minutes so that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Serve with grated cheese and the reminder of the Basil torn and scattered over the top.

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Chicken Liver Salad

This very full flavoured, robust salad is served warm with succulent chicken livers, smoked bacon, croutons and a powerful Walnut oil and Balsamic vinegar dressing. It makes a great winter lunch or dinner or even a starter in smaller portions. This is very quick to cook but make sure you have all your ingredients prepared before you start.

Serves 2 or 4 as a starter

400 grms Chicken Livers

4 slices dry cured smoked back bacon

2 thick slices of your favourite good white bread

Mixed green salad such as Rocket, baby beet leaves, lamb's lettuce (whatever you like really)

Olive Oil for frying

For the dressing

3 tbl spoons Walnut oil

1 tbl spoon Balsamic vinegar

1 tea spoon whole grain mustard

1 tea spoon finely chopped Sage

A pinch of Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To garnish

Chopped parsley and walnut halves

Trim the chicken livers of any fat of sinew. Dice the bacon into lardons. Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into 1 cm squares.

Pour a little oil into a frying pan over a high heat. When the oil is hot, toss in the diced bread. Keep stirring and tossing the bread to prevent it from burning. When the croutons are crisp and golden, turn them out to drain on some kitchen paper.

Put the pan back on to the heat and add the lardons. Fry until beginning to crisp up and turn them out to drain with the croutons.

If you need to, add a little more oil to the pan and return to the heat. Add the chicken livers and fry for about 5 minutes, turning often, until just cooked through. Don't overcook or they will become dry and tough.

Whilst the chicken livers are cooking, make the dressing. Put all the ingredients for the dressing into a jam jar. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously.

To serve, put a handful of the salad leaves on to each plate. Sprinkle over the bacon and croutons and top with the chicken livers. Spoon the dressing generously over the top and garnish with some chopped parsley and walnuts.

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Griddled Chicken Breasts with Tarragon and Chilli Butter, Courgettes, Roasted Vine Tomatoes, Spiced Potatoes and Saffron and Chive Sauce

I love this dish. It's simple, robust, bright and full of Mediterranean flavour and colour.  The real secret of this dish is in the quality of the stock. You need a deeply flavoured, well reduced roast chicken stock to make a rich sauce which pulls together the many other flavours used in this dish. It's equally good if you substitute the chicken with a firm white fish such as Monkfish or Bass in which case simply toss the fish in flour, pan fry in butter to get a little colour and finish it off by roasting in the oven for ten minutes.

Serves 4

4 large free range chicken breasts

1 ltr  roast chicken stock

1 generous pinch of saffron

1 large or 3 small Shallots

Handful of Chives

100 grms of butter

1 tbls chopped Tarragon

1 Red Chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

1 tea spoon buerre manié

2 Courgettes

12 Tomatoes on the vine

500 grms new potatoes

4 Garlic cloves

4 or 5 Rosemary sprigs

1 tea spoon Paprika

Maldon sea salt and black pepper

Olive Oil

Pre-heat the oven to 200⁰ C.

To make the tarragon butter, mix the chopped tarragon and chilli with the butter, season with salt and pepper and using cling film, roll the butter into a sausage shape. Chill in the fridge till required.

Peel the potatoes and slice them in half lengthways. Put them into a pan of well salted water, bring to the boil and simmer until just tender. Drain and place the potatoes into a roasting pan. Sprinkle generously with olive oil. Crush the unpeeled garlic and toss into the pan along with the rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle with the paprika, some sea salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes begin to crisp up a little.

Start to make the sauce. Reduce the chicken stock until you have about 300 mls and put to one side. Finely dice the shallots. Melt a little butter in a pan and add the shallots. Cook until softened but do not allow to colour. Add the stock and saffron, simmer and reduce slightly until about 250 mls remain. Remove from the heat and set aside.

After the potatoes have had about half their cooking time, heat up a ridged griddle pan and lightly oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place on the griddle pan presentation side down. Griddle until well coloured then turn over to finish the cooking, about 15 minutes in total. Place in the oven to keep warm.

Slice the courgettes diagonally, about the thickness of a pound coin. Place the slices in the griddle pan and cook until softened and well coloured, turning once.

Divide the tomatoes into 4 groups of three, with each group still joined by the vine. Melt a little butter in an oven proof pan and gently fry the tomatoes. Once they begin to soften, put the pan in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes to finish the cooking.

To finish the sauce, bring it back to the simmer and whisk in the beurre manié a little at a time until it thickens slightly and takes on a glossy sheen. Stir in the chopped chives. Taste and season if required.

To serve, arrange the potatoes on top of the courgettes to form a mound in the middle of the plate. Top with a chicken breast and place a slice of the tarragon butter on top of the chicken. Place the tomatoes on one side and spoon the sauce over the chicken and around the plate. Garnish with a few whole chives lying over the chicken.

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Cod and Crushed Potato

This is a very simple twist on that all time favourite, fish and chips. That simple combination of fish and potatoes just seems to work so well but this one is the best as far as I'm concerned, although I still love fish and chips! It makes either a great lunch or dinner and is a Friday night regular in our house. You could use any white fish for this dish but Cod or Haddock do it for me.

Serves 2

Two thick end cod fillets with the skin on

400 grams new potatoes

4 or 5 spring onions

50 grams butter

Maldon sea salt

Olive Oil (second press for frying and extra virgin for the dressing)

Balsamic vinegar

Chopped parsley

Peel the potatoes and place them in a pan of well salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about twenty minutes until tender.

Trim and peel the spring onions. Slice them finely on the diagonal and set aside.

About five minutes before the potatoes are cooked, melt half the butter in a frying pan with a little olive oil. Dust the cod fillets with flour and put them skin side down into the sizzling butter. Check them after about four minutes. If the skin is crispy, turn the fillets. If not, give them another minute before turning and cook for another three or four minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.

In the meantime, drain the potatoes. Put the potato pan back on the heat and melt the rest of the butter with a little more olive oil. Toss in the spring onions and fry for a minute or two. Take the pan off the heat, tip in the potatoes and crush them against the side of the pan with a fork. Add a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil, season with black pepper and mix gently - you don't want to turn crushed potato into mash!.

To serve, put half the potatoes in the centre of each plate and lay the cod fillet on top. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil around the plate, followed by a sprinkling of Balsamic vinegar and a scattering of Maldon sea salt. Garnish with the chopped parsley.

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Chorizo and Borlotti Bean stew

This is a very quick, very easy and very tasty recipe that I've stolen from Rick Stein and adapted a bit to suit what I grow. You could I guess use any robust bean for this recipe, indeed the original calls for butter beans and very good it is too. I've used borlotti beans simply because I grow them and am always on the look out for new ways to serve them. I've used fresh beans in the recipe but you could of course equally use dried, in which case soak them overnight first, or even canned. Feel free to use canned tomatoes instead of fresh if you wish.

Serves 4

350g/12 oz freshly shelled Borlotti beans

225g/8 oz chorizo, thinly sliced

1 tbsp Olive Oil

4 fat Garlic cloves, crushed

1 finely chopped onion

1 large glass red wine - something fairly full bodied like a Shiraz or Merlot

450g/ 1lb ripe tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and finely chopped

1 large bunch Parsley

1 large bunch Basil

Maldon Sea salt

Put the olive oil into a pan on a medium high heat and add the chorizo. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the onion and crushed garlic. Cook until the onion has softened.

Pour in the red wine and reduce until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and Borlotti beans. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the beans are soft and the tomatoes have formed a rich sauce. This will take between 30 and 40 minutes. You may need to add a little water or vegetable stock to help the tomatoes along. Season with salt only.

At the last minute, chop the parsley, shred the basil and stir into the finished stew. Serve with crusty bread.

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Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Tomato Compote and Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes

Serves 2

4-6 lamb cutlets, trimmed (depends how big they are and how hungry you are)
 

For the potatoes:
8 new potatoes, quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 rosemary sprigs
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the compote:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely sliced
½ tsp thyme leaves
8 small tomatoes, quartered
2 baby aubergines, sliced
1 glass red wine
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp torn basil
30g/1oz butter

Preheat chargrill pan over a medium high heat until it is smoking hot, then drizzle with a little oil (if you don't have one then just grill the lamb using a conventional grill).

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender and drain well. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add the potatoes, garlic, rosemary sprigs and paprika to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the potatoes are golden. Remove the sprigs of rosemary and the garlic and toss the potatoes in the rosemary leaves.
 

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and sauté the shallot, thyme and aubergine over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add the tomato purée and basil. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the butter.
 

Season the lamb with salt and pepper and place on the hot chargrill for 2-3 minutes on each side.
 

Serve the lamb on a mound of compote with the potatoes arranged around the plate. Eat at once.

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Lemon Sole Stuffed with a Prawn Mousseline in Dill Butter Sauce

This sounds much more complicated than it actually is. The hardest part is filleting the sole so if you don't feel brave enough, get the fishmonger to do it for you.

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 190^o C

First make the mousseline: beat together the prawns, vermouth, fromage frais and salt and pepper. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg white. Cover, and chill in the fridge for about an hour.
Place the sole fillets on a chopping board skinned side up, spoon some of the mousseline on to each fillet and roll up.
Put the rolled fish into a roasting tin, pour over the stock and poach in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
Remove the fish and keep warm. Place the tin on the hob over a high heat and boil to reduce. Add the butter, lemon juice and the chopped dill. Pour over the fish and serve immediately with either new potatoes and a green salad or fresh peas or runner beans.

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Smoked Salmon and Dill fishcakes with poached eggs and green salad

This is a simple twenty minute dish that will serve 2 as a main course and 4 as a starter. If you can get hold of some wild salmon, whatever you do don't use it for this dish! Good old farmed fish is more than adequate. On the  other hand, don't go for farmed fish with too much obvious fat. If the flesh looks pale with white ribbons running through it, shop elsewhere.

250 grms Salmon fillet

50 grms Smoked Salmon

2 tbsp chopped Dill

Maldon sea salt

Black pepper

Ground nut oil for frying

4 very fresh eggs

100 mls white wine vinegar

Mixed green salad

Skin and bone the salmon fillets and place in a food processor. Add the smoked salmon, chopped dill, a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Blitz the lot to a paste. Form 4 cakes and place them on a plate in the fridge till you're ready to cook.

Half fill a large saucepan with water and add the white wine vinegar. Bring to a rapid simmer. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into a frying pan over a medium heat. Dust the fishcakes with plain flour and add to the frying pan. Cook for about four minutes (don't fiddle with them) and turn over. After turning the cakes, crack the eggs one at a time into the pan of water and poach for about three minutes until the whites are just set. When the eggs are done, the cakes will be cooked.

Divide the salad between two plates. Season the salad with salt and black pepper. Place two fish cakes on top of the salad and top with two poached eggs. Decorate with some Dill sprigs. For a starter, serve one cake and one egg per serving.

I don't think the salad needs a dressing for this dish. The oil from the fish cakes and the runny egg yolks combine to give you all you need. If you want to add a dressing then of course feel free. It's your dinner!

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Steamed Chicken with Green Peppercorn Sauce, Champ and Shredded Leeks

Serves 4

Remove the thighbone from each of the chicken legs. Season the inside of each leg. Lay the chicken legs in a steamer, skin side up, and steam over simmering water for 20 to 25 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in well salted water until tender. Slice the spring onions into rings. Mash the potato with a knob of butter, a little milk, the egg yolk, salt and black pepper and then mix in the spring onions. Take four cooking rings and fill with the mashed potato. Brush with a little melted butter and sprinkle with a little paprika. Place in hot oven to brown.

Shred the leeks finely and place in a pan with a little melted butter and 2 or 3 tablespoons of water. Sauté gently for about 5 minutes until the leeks are just tender. Season with salt and black pepper.

For the sauce, fry the onions gently in a little butter until soft but not browned. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and reduce by one third. Whisk in the cream and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly and takes on a glossy sheen. Add the green pepper corns check the seasoning.

To serve, spoon some of the shredded leeks into the centre of each plate. Place the potato on top of the leeks and carefully remove the cooking ring. Remove the skin from the chicken legs and lay to the side of the champ and leeks. Spoon around the sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.

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This is more of an idea than a hard and fast recipe. You can follow the principle and use almost any ingredients that you like. I often end up using whatever I have lying around in the fridge. Butternut squash is so good that it’s actually quite difficult to get it to taste bad (this is not a challenge).

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