Ingredient: Cheese

This recipe shows you how to prepare radicchio for salad and combines apple, rocket, pecorino and pine nuts along with a beautiful dressing.

  1. Start by preparing the dressing for the salad. In small bowl or jug, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, walnut oil and cider vinegar. Whisk together and then season with Maldon salt and cracked black pepper. Set aside.
  2. To prepare the radicchio, carefully pluck the leaves off working your way into the centre core. Once you reach the inside white core, discard this as it can be bitter and tough.
  3. Arrange the radicchio leaves on a large serving platter and toss with the apple matchsticks, wild rocket and dill.
  4. Drizzle the dressing over the leaves and apple before topping with the pecorino shavings and toasted pine nuts, plus a final garnish of dill fronds.

FAQ

This recipe is packed full of hearty green vegetables and baked eggs. It is full of flavour from the spices, feta, herbs and lemon and makes a great brunch or lunch dish.  

  1. Take a large frying pan – a cast iron pan works well for this, as it needs to be oven proof also – and place on a medium heat. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil, and when hot, add the sliced spring onions and fry gently until softened.
  2. Once softened add the crushed garlic, cumin seeds and ground coriander and continue to fry for another 2 minutes until starting to smell fragrant.
  3. Next add the cavolo nero, spinach and lemon juice and zest. Cook this down gently, stirring often for 5 minutes until the cavolo nero and spinach has softened and wilted. Once they are cooked down, add the frozen peas, chopped coriander and dill fronds and cook for another 2 minutes.
  4. Now you want to create 4 shallow wells in the vegetable mixture and carefully crack the eggs into each hole. Turn the heat down and gently cook the eggs on the hob for 3 minutes before placing into the preheated oven for 5 – 8 minutes. You want the whites to be just set but the yolks to still be runny, so it is worth keeping an eye on them. 
  5. Remove the pan from the oven as soon as the eggs are cooked. Top the dish with the feta cheese crumbled over the top, the picked mint leaves and some extra dill fronds. Finally finish with a drizzle of olive oil, some Maldon salt and cracked black pepper. Serve the eggs immediately to the table for everyone to serve themselves alongside some toasted sourdough.

This recipe shows you how easy it is to make butternut squash spaghetti by spiralizing the squash, which makes a great and healthy alternative to pasta. You can make different sauces for your squash spaghetti; however, this is a lighter alternative which uses burrata, courgette, mint and lemon.

  1. Begin my peeling and deseeding the butternut squash. Then cut into sections and using a spiralizer, create long ribbons which look like spaghetti. Place a large frying pan on the heat and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the butternut squash spaghetti and sauté for 5 – 7 minutes until softened and golden. Remove from the heat.
  2. While the butternut squash is cooking, place a second small frying pan onto the heat and drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the slices of courgette and fry for a few minutes on each side so they are golden and toasty – you made need to do this in batches. Remove them from the heat.
  3. Now you can plate up – pile a golden heap of butternut squash spaghetti onto two plates. Top with some burrata, fried courgette slices, diced chilli, fresh mint leaves and some lemon zest. Finish each plate with a final pinch of Maldon salt, some cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Parsnips are healthy and good for the body, providing plenty of vitamins, minerals and healthy fibre. They are also low in fat and are packed full of flavour. As a root vegetable they serve themselves well when roasted and this delicious salad is a great way of adding them into your diet.

  1. Begin my preheating the oven to 180C. Prepare the parsnips by simply cutting the larger ones in half lengthways but keeping any small one’s whole. Place them into a roasting tray and drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, some Maldon salt and cracked black pepper. Toss them so they are well coated and then place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. They should be golden brown and crispy on the edges.
  2. While the parsnips are cooking, prepare the couscous. In a saucepan, cook the couscous according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and remove from the heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, plenty of Maldon salt and cracked black pepper. Allow the couscous to cool.
  3. Once the couscous has cooled and the parsnips are out of the oven (and also cooled). Stir the finely sliced red onion, chopped parsley, sultanas and crumbled feta into the couscous. Check the season and adjust if needed.
  4. Pile the couscous onto a serving platter and top with the roasted parsnips. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds, a little extra parsley and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.

FAQ

We’ve partnered with the wonderful Ravneet Gill to create this extraordinary Christmas cheesecake, here’s how it’s done.

  1. Start by making the base…
  2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a food processor combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well, add in the cold cubed butter and breadcrumb.
  3. Add the golden syrup and mix until a very loose dough is formed.
  4. Spread this mixture out onto a large baking tray lined with parchment.
  5. Bake for 35-40 mins at 160 fan/180 oven, stirring every 15 minutes to evenly bake the dough.
  6. Allow to cool completely before blitzing to crumbs or breaking up with a rolling pin.
  7. Weigh out 250g of crumbs and stir with the melted butter.
  8. Press into a lined 8 inch springform cake tin going on the bottom and slightly up the sides.
  9. Place in the fridge whilst you make the filling

Make the topping:

  1. In a large bowl or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, caster sugar, mascarpone and half of the double cream.
  2. Mix until well combined but do not over mix.
  3. Add in the malt powder, salt and melted white chocolate with the second ½ of the cream.
  4. Mix slowly until combined, do not over mix.
  5. Spoon this mixture into the lined cake tin and smooth the top.
  6. Chill for 6 hours in the fridge or overnight before serving.

Make the chocolate sauce for serving (optional):

  1. In a saucepan combine the chocolate and the water, stir gently over a medium heat until a sauce forms. Serve the cheesecake with the sauce and extra cookie crumbs.

This risotto is a wonderful combination of earthy beetroot, salty blue cheese and nutty walnuts. The beetroot dyes the whole dish a beautiful pink colour making it a treat for the eyes as well as the tastebuds.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Place each beetroot onto a piece of foil, drizzle with oil and wrap each individually. Then place them onto a baking tray and into the preheated oven, roast them for 30 minutes until soft and tender.

Whilst the beetroot is roasting you can start the risotto. In a large wide frying pan heat the olive oil and 30g of butter. When the butter is melted and foaming add the finely chopped onions along with a pinch of Maldon salt. Allow the onions to cook over a gently heat until soft and translucent. After they have softened, add the garlic and fry for an additional 2 minutes.

Next add the arborio rice and stir so all the grains are well coated in the onions. Fry for 2 minutes and then add the red wine, allowing the wine to bubble and be absorbed by the rice. Once the wine is absorbed begin adding the hot vegetable stock a ladle at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next. The rice should be tender but still with a little bite.

Once the beetroot has roasted, remove from the oven and unwrap the foil to allow them to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle carefully peel away the skins (you might want to wear gloves for this as they can stain your hands). Once peeled, roughly chop 3 of the beetroot and place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and pureed. Chop the other two beetroot into a small dice.

Pour the pureed beetroot into the risotto and stir through, it will turn it a brilliant pink colour. Next add the diced beetroot and stir through. Check the seasoning of the risotto and add a generous pinch of Maldon salt and some cracked black pepper. Finally add the 10g butter at the end and melt through to give a creamy and glossy texture.

Divide the risotto among 4 plates and then top with the crumbled blue cheese, toasted walnuts and thyme leaves. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a final sprinkle of Maldon salt.

A cheesecake which celebrates the beautiful fresh figs in season at this time of year. Using yoghurt in the filling makes it creamy but without being overly sweet too.

Start by making the base for the cheesecake. In a small pan, gently melt the 65g butter. Place the hobnobs and Maldon salt into a food processor and blitz until they resemble sand. Drizzle in the melted butter and blitz again until it resembles wet sand.

In a 20cm round cake tin tip the buttery biscuit crumb into the base and then press and pack it in firmly. Set this in the fridge for an hour until it hardens up.

In a large bowl, use electric beaters to mix together the yoghurt, cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Top this onto the chilled biscuit base and place back into the fridge for an additional hour to firm up.

When ready to serve, carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a serving plate. Top with the halved figs, some thyme sprigs and a drizzle of honey. Finally finish with a final small pinch of Maldon salt to cut through the sweet honey. Serve immediately.

Join Chef Sabrina Ghayour in making these delicious tartines, topped with roasted pepper, spring onion and creamy ricotta cheese.

A tartine is an open-faced sandwich, consisting of a slice of bread (toasted or no toasted), with one or more toppings. These are great to have as a snack or as a light lunch during the warm, summer months.

We recommend roasting your peppers as they release a sweet, almost charred flavour which compliments the ricotta cheese that tends to have a mid, nutty flavour. With a generous pinch of Maldon Salt, these flavours are elevated to new heights, making you want to go in for another slice (or two!).

Here is how to make the tartines…

  1. Blister whole red and yellow peppers gently on the BBQ.
  2. Once blackened on all sides, place into a bowl and cover with clingfilm.
  3. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the pul biber, oregano and lemon zest and a generous seasoning of Maldon Salt and black pepper, stir until evenly combined.
  4. Remove the blackened outer skin of the peppers and discard the core and seeds.
  5. Slice the flesh into ribbons and set aside.
  6. Char the sourdough bread and spring onions on both sides, remove and plate up.
  7. Rub each piece of sourdough with ¼ of the garlic clove then divide the ricotta between the 4 slices and top with peppers, a spring onion each and a little drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of Maldon Salt to finish.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

How to roast peppers on the BBQ

When preparing to peppers on the BBQ, we recommend tossing them in a bowl with oil and a pinch of Maldon Salt. Once they are fully coated, place the peppers on the hot grill, cooking them until they begin to char on one side. When the side has become charred (slightly blackened), rotate the pepper carefully. Continue this rotations until all sides are evenly charred. Now you have peppers with a slightly sweet, smoky flavour, perfect for tartines, salads and incorporated into dishes such as pastas!

Are there other sauces you can put on your tartines?

If you do not want to spread the ricotta cheese on your tartines, we recommend a gorgeous pesto sauce, which will give a nutty, slightly garlicky kick to your dish.

Additionally, pairing a homemade fig jam will give a delicious, sweet kick to the tartines, elevating the smokiness of the peppers and spring onions.

Fire up the barbecue ready for direct cooking, adding a little smoking wood to the fire.
Toast the pine nuts in a small frying pan set over the fire. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind coarsely. Add most of the chopped basil (saving a sprinkle to garnish), the Parmesan and garlic and pound to a rough paste. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, then rest them on the grill bars directly over the fire, gill-side down. The salt will draw a little moisture out of the mushrooms, which in turn will help the smoke to be sucked deep inside. Shut the lid and cook for 10 minutes, or until softening. Transfer, gill-side up, to a fireproof roasting tin and use a small sharp knife to ease out the cooked stems. Chop the stems and scatter into the hollows of the mushrooms.
Spoon the beans equally into the hollows of the mushrooms. Top each mushroom with 1–2 teaspoons of pesto and a slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, then slide the tin back over the fire. Shut the lid and cook for a further 10–15 minutes until the cheese is melting and the breadcrumbs are crisping up.
Serve hot and bubbling from the grill, sprinkled with the remaining basil, with crusty bread to mop up the juices, if you like.

The day before you want to cook, dry brine the steaks. Simply sprinkle the Maldon on both sides of each steak and set on a rack hung over a tray. Slide into the fridge and leave uncovered overnight.
To make the blue cheese and chive butter, mash the butter, cheese and chives in a small bowl using a fork. Season with black pepper. Scoop onto a sheet of baking parchment, roll up into a log and twist the ends of the paper in opposite directions to form a neat cylinder. Chill in the fridge.
When you are ready to cook, light the barbecue and set up the fire for direct cooking. High heat is essential for searing steak, so give the grill time to heat up thoroughly.
Drizzle the steaks with olive oil and season generously with salt. Lay the steaks on the grill bars directly over the fire and cook for 5–6 minutes, flipping every 30 seconds, or until nicely caramelized. If the steaks have a strip of fat on the outside edges, use tongs to hold them vertically on their side to allow some of the fat to render off.
Using a digital probe thermometer, like the Weber Connect, is the best way to eliminate
guesswork. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, ensuring the tip is in the centre; if you go too far the probe will be too close to the grill bars on the other side and give an inaccurate reading. The internal temperature should read 52°C for rare, 60°C for medium and 71°C for well done. If you want to rest your steaks a little before serving, remove from the grill when they’re 5–8°C below your preferred serving temperature. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests. Resting steak is a little controversial – I’m not convinced its worth it and prefer to slice and eat hot form the grill.
To serve, scatter the rocket over a large platter, adding the tomato slices and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Slice the steaks into thick, juicy ribbons and pile on top of the salad. Top with slices of the blue cheese and chive butter, which will melt as you eat.