Season: Winter

Squash is one of the most exciting vegetables to grow as they come in so many shapes and sizes. One of my favourite autumn recipes is squash soup, seasoned with fresh herbs, Maldon Salt and topped with crispy mushrooms.

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Start by taking the skins off the squash. The best way to do this is with a knife rather than a peeler.
  2. Chop up the squash into cubes and place on a baking tray with red onions and garlic cloves in their skins. Add thyme, a drizzle of olive oil and plenty of Maldon Salt and pepper.
  3. Once the vegetables are soft, take the skins off the garlic and add to a pan with the squash, vegetable stock, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a pinch of Maldon Salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes and then blitz with a hand blender or food processor.
  4. Place the mushrooms on a lined baking tray with olive oil, season with Maldon Salt and roast them until crispy.
  5. To serve, spoon the soup into bowls, add the crispy mushrooms, pepper and a final sprinkle of Maldon. Delicious
  1. Grease an ovenproof dish (roughly 25 x 25cm). Slice the gingerbread and butter each slice with the softened butter, then cut into triangles.
  2. Arrange the slices in the dish and sprinkle with the sultanas, the orange zest and cinnamon. Continue until you have used up all the slices of the gingerbread.
  3. Gently warm the double cream and milk together in a pan to scalding point but being careful to not let it boil. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with the sugar and Maldon Salt until pale, then gradually pour in the milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Strain this through a sieve into a jug. Pour this custard mixture over the gingerbread. Preheat the oven to 180c.
  4. Once the oven is hot, sprinkle the top of the custard-soaked pudding with a little extra demerara sugar and then place it into the oven and bake for 30 – 40 mins until set.
  5. While the pudding is baking, make the eggnog custard.
  6. In a pan gently heat the cream with the vanilla paste, cinnamon stick and nutmeg until scalding point but not boiling.
  7. Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk with the golden caster sugar and cornflour until pale and well combined. Then slowly add the warm cream mixture, whisking continuously to make a smooth custard base.
  8. Pass the mixture through a sieve and back into a clean pan. Heat gently, while whisking until it thickens. Add a splash of brandy if desired.Serve the warm gingerbread and butter pudding from the oven alongside the eggnog custard. Sprinkle with a little Maldon Salt to help cut through the sweetness.
  1. Start by making the bechamel. Heat the butter in a pan until foaming and then add the plain flour and cook out so it forms a paste and starts to smell toasty, then slowly add the milk whisking between each addition until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. Add the nutmeg and grated cheeses and stir through until melted. Season well with Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper.
  2. Assemble the sandwiches – Start with one slice of sourdough and spread with the mustard then top with turkey meat and stuffing, followed by some cranberry sauce and some of the grated gruyere cheese. Then top with the second piece of sourdough, pressing down so everything is packed in well. Repeat with the second sandwich.
  3. Heat a good knob of butter in a frying pan and then cook the sandwich for about 2 mins on each side until golden brown and the cheese is melting. Then heat up the grill.
  4. Place the sandwiches on a baking tray and spread over the bechamel on the top piece of bread, followed by some more grated gruyere. Place them under the grill until bubbling, melted and lightly golden.
  5. While the sandwiches are grilling, fry the Burford brown eggs. Top the sandwiches with the fried eggs, sprinkle with chopped chives and a final season of Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper. Serve alongside a peppery green salad and some extra mustard.
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. Use a 12-hole miniature muffin tin and lay the sheet of puff pastry over the top. Use a knife to draw lines between each hole, so you end up with 12 squares of pastry. Gently press each square into each muffin hole so the tips of the square fold out and you have little cups.
  3. Carefully crack each quail’s egg into the pastry cups and season each with some Maldon salt and cracked black pepper. Use some beaten egg to brush the edges of the pastry. Place into the oven for 5 -10 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden and the quail’s egg is set.
  4. While the pastry cups are cooking, fry the streaky bacon until golden and very crispy. When cooked, place onto kitchen paper and allow to cool slightly before chopping into small bacon pieces.
  5. When the quail’s eggs in blankets are cooked remove from the oven and scatter with the chopped chives. Sprinkle over the crispy bacon pieces and serve with a tomato chutney or truffle mayo if desired.
  1. Soft boil the Burford browns for 6 minutes. Place into an iced water bath instantly. Allow to cool before carefully peeling. Set aside
  2. Sweat the diced onion until soft and caramelized along with the thyme leaves and sage. Allow to cool before mixing with the turkey mince, diced cranberries, and plenty of Maldon salt and cracked black pepper.
  3. Shape the filling around the peeled eggs carefully, pressing it well so they are tightly enclosed and then place them into the fridge for 30 minutes to set up.
  4. Get three separate bowls, in the first add the plain flour and season well with Maldon salt and cracked black pepper. In the second, add the beaten egg. And in the final bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs.
  5. To coat the eggs start by rolling in the flour, making sure it covered all over lightly, tapping off any excess. Then place it in the beaten egg and coat, then into the panko breadcrumbs. Use the wet egg to stick the breadcrumbs on and press it in firmly with your hands. Repeat with all 8 eggs.
  6. In a large pan, add some vegetable oil so it comes up halfway up the pan, then heat until it reaches 180C on a thermometer.
  7. When the oil has reached temperature, use a slotted spoon to lower the scotch egg into the oil and deep fry for 3-4 mins then remove and set onto kitchen paper. You will have to do this in small batches. Serve straight away with the sauces, some chopped chives, and a final sprinkle of Maldon salt and cracked black pepper.

Join us in creating the show stopping dish of slow cooked duck legs, paired with the festive fruits of blackberries and oranges alongside the spices of star anise and cinnamon. We’ve partnered up with Le Creuset in slow cooking this dish in their Cast Iron Shallow Casserole dish, which has a depth perfect to soak up the juices into the duck legs, causing it to be succulent and tender for your Christmas feast!

  1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
  2. Place a large casserole onto heat. Brown off the duck legs on both sides, starting on the skin side. Once browned, remove from the pan and add the shallots and sliced garlic, frying them until they soften and start to go golden.
  3. Next add the flour and cook into the sauce for a few minutes until it has thickened. Then add the red wine and stock, allow it to bubble and come to the boil.
  4. Add the duck legs back into the casserole along with 2/3 of the blackberries, the orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise a pinch of Maldon Salt and rosemary sprigs.
  5. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1-hour 30mins. Once cooked add the remaining blackberries and serve.
  6. To make the mash, add the celeriac to a pan with the stock and milk and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until the celeriac is tender. Mash or pass through a ricer and then stir through a knob of butter and a pinch of Maldon Salt.
  7. Serve the duck legs with the celeriac mash and some sautéed greens.

What’s better than the decadent, light and airy dessert of a soufflé? Get baking with this easy-to-follow recipe, where we use pistachio cream to give a glorious, nutty tone to the dish. We use Le Cresuet’s Mini Ramekins to hold the soufflé in place whilst it gently bakes in the oven. However, don’t stop there with these little sweet treats!

We also show you how to create a coulis sauce, which is a smooth enhanced by the tang of cranberries to give a balance to the sweetened pudding. Serving this in Le Cresuet’s Small Stoneware Jug will make pouring of the cranberry coulis much easier whilst serving to your guests.

  1. Start by making the base of the soufflés (the panade). Add the milk to a saucepan and whisk in the cornflour and a pinch of Maldon Salt until dissolved. Stir in the 50g of sugar and pistachio cream and place onto the heat. Allow the mixture to come to the boil and then continue stirring until the mixture thickens (3- 5 minutes). Then remove from the heat and cool. Once cool place in the fridge to cool completely.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up (this will help the soufflés rise).
  3. Prepare the ramekins by greasing with butter and the dusting out with icing sugar. Set aside.
  4. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until foaming. Then slowly add the 150g of sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until all sugar is added and the meringue has reached medium soft peaks.
  5. Measure out 300g of the chilled panade mixture and add the final 20g of pistachio cream. Then carefully fold in the meringue egg whites being mindful not to knock the air out of the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and smooth off the top with a palette knife. Then use a cutlery knife to “top hat” around the top rim. Place into the oven on the baking sheet for 8 – 10 minutes (do not open the door).
  6. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with pistachio ice cream and cranberry coulis.

A classic sweet treat to share with loved ones over the Christmas period, the light, sweet notes of rum works wonderfully with raisins all combined within the creamy, richness of fudge. Remember to add a generous pinch of Maldon Salt to help balance the sweetness!

  1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Soak the raisins in the rum for 1 hour minimum or overnight.
  3. In a pan place the condensed milk, butter, and sugar and bring to the boil. Stir the mixture continuously until the sugar dissolves. Continue to boil for 10 minutes until it reaches ‘soft ball’ stage on a thermometer.
  4. When the mixture reaches this stage, remove from the heat, and quickly add the rum and raisins, a pinch of Maldon Salt, and vanilla. Stir until it thickens, then tip immediately into the prepared tin and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

This Christmas we wanted to focus on the gifting element for our beloved friends and family…and what better gift than to create these easy chocolate truffles! Infused with the sweet and nutty flavours of amaretto, this really does pack a punch to the little sweet treat treats, perfect for your fellow chocoholic. When it comes to coating your truffles, you can choose from pistachios, desiccated coconut or cocoa powder.

  1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Put the cream into a saucepan and heat until just boiling, then remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before whisking until smooth. Add the butter, amaretto, almond extract, and pinch of Maldon Salt and then whisk again until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a shallow tin and allow to cool at room temp before adding to the fridge to firm up (2 hours). When cooled, roll the ganache truffles in your hands in balls, keeping in the fridge whilst you do the rest. Then roll the truffles in either desiccated coconut, finely chopped pistachios or cocoa powder before serving.

Cookies for Christmas is a must to bake during the festive period! People tend to think dark chocolate has a bitterness to it, however did you know using a pinch of Maldon Salt actually blocks out the bitterness due to salt having sodium ions! With a generous sprinkle of pistachios, these cookies will give off flavours of mild nuttiness and natural sweetness.

  1. Line a baking tray with baking paper and preheat the oven to 190C.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, and then add the flour and cocoa powder. Knead in the chopped chocolate until smooth and well mixed. Roll into a rough disc and wrap in cling film, then place in the fridge to chill.
  3. On a light floured surface, roll the dough until is it 2cm thick and then use a 7cm cutter to cut roughly 25 cookies. Place onto the baking tray and bake for 8 – 10mins.
  4. Take the cookies out the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, dip one half in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios and a sprinkle of Maldon salt.