Recipes of the Week

Cajun Wedges

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 kg potatoes
2 red onions
3-4 tablesp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves and a few sprigs of thyme
Salt and black pepper
Cajun Seasoning

Method:
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F).
Peel and quarter potatoes and red onions and mix with the olive oil, garlic, bay leaves, thyme leaves, salt, pepper and a sprinkling of Cajun seasoning. Roast in hot oven until crispy – approx 50 minutes.

Garlic and parsley potato salad

Ingredients:

20 New season potatoes
1 Head of garlic cloves
Large bunch of flat-leaf parsley
200 ml olive oil
2 lemons
Salt
Pepper

Method:
Cook the potatoes in plenty of salted boiling water until cooked through. While the potatoes are cooking, crush the garlic, chop the parsley and mix with the olive oil. Add the zest and juice of both lemons. When the potatoes are cooked and at a handling temperature cut them into quarters and put in a large bowl. Add the olive oil dressing and season with plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Potato salad with mustard, spring onion and crispy bacon

Ingredients:

20 New season potatoes
1kg streaky bacon
100 g butter
100g soft brown sugar
8 spring onions
2 tubs crème fraiche
100g Dijon mustard
4-6 tablespoons mayonnaise
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Cook the potatoes in plenty of salted boiling water until cooked through. While the potatoes are cooking, grill the streaky bacon until crispy, then allow to cool and chop finely. Heat the butter in a large non-stick frying pan and add the bacon. Sprinkle on the brown sugar and cook until the bacon is caramelised. Drain the spuds and roughly chop. Add the caramelised bacon and allow to cool slightly before adding the spring onions, crème fraiche and Dijon mustard. When it has cooled down to lukewarm, mix in the mayonnaise. Season and serve luke-warm or cold.

Shepherds Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablesp. oil
1 onion, finely chopped
450g lean minced beef
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 teasp. tomato puree
1 tablesp. Worcestershire Sauce
Sprig of thyme
400ml stock
Salt and black pepper
1 kg potatoes, cooked
1 egg yolk
1 tablesp. butter
1 little milk or cream

Method:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook until soft. Remove from the pan. Heat a little more oil in the pan and brown the meat. Add back the onions along with the carrots, tomato puree, Worcestershire Sauce, thyme, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F). Pour the mince mixture into a baking dish. Cream the potatoes with the egg yolk, butter, milk or cream and salt and pepper. Pile the potatoes on top of the mince and score with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the potato is nicely browned.

Stuffed Baked Spuds

Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 medium sized Sunrise
2 tubs Crème fraiche
200g finely grated parmesan cheese
100 g butter
Small bunch chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 C. Wash the spuds well and using a knife, slice a small slit in the spuds so that you can easily slice them in half when they’re baked. Bake the potatoes for 45mins until skins are nice and crispy and the inside of the potatoes are soft when you insert a knife into the centre.

Slice the potatoes in half. Scoop the flesh of the potatoes out into a bowl and mash well. Add the crème fraiche, grated Parmesan, butter, chopped chives and mix through. Add a little more crème fraiche if needed. Mix should be quite moist and buttery. Season the mix to taste. Fill the potato skins with the potato mix and return to the oven at 180c and heat through until hot, around 10 minutes.