Meat Recipes
Sausage & Mixed Veg Mash
6 sausages of your choice
2 parsnips
2 or 3 medium potatoes
175g Brussels sprouts
4 tbsp milk
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Grill the sausages for 10-12 mins, turning frequently. Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the parsnips and potatoes, then cook in boiling salted water for about 10 mins. Shred sprouts, add to the pan for the last 2-3 mins and cook until all the vegetables are tender.
Drain and mash the vegetables, then beat in the milk and mustard with salt and pepper. Serve with the sausages.
Duck & Sausage Cassoulet
4 duck legs
2 tsp olive oil
6 chunky pork sausages
100g smoked bacon lardons
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
handful thyme sprigs, leaves picked
2 bay leaves
500 ml chicken stock
2 x 400g tins haricot beans, drained and rinsed
50 g fresh or dried breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, crushed
handful parsley, finely chopped
Pat duck legs dry with kitchen paper, season all over and arrange on a wire rack set over a roasting tin. Roast at 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. for 1hr 30min, or until the meat is pulling away from the bones. Cool (reserve the fat in the roasting tin).
Heat the oil in a large lidded casserole dish over medium heat. Brown the sausages all over. Remove to a plate. Add lardons, onion, carrot and celery to the casserole and cook for 8-10min, until softened and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2min.
Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, stock and some seasoning. Bring to the boil, then return sausages to the casserole. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1hr, removing the lid for the final 15min.
Shred the duck meat into chunks from the bone, discarding any fatty bits. Stir shredded duck into the casserole, along with the beans. Check seasoning.
In a small bowl mix breadcrumbs with the garlic, parsley, 2tbsp of the reserved duck fat and some seasoning.
Sprinkle crumb mixture over casserole in an even layer and return to oven, uncovered, for 45min, or until bubbling and golden brown. Serve with some cooked greens.
Snazzy Cottage Pie
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
500g/1lb 2oz beef mince
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 parsnip, finely chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
450ml/16fl oz beef stock
2-3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
700g/1lb 9oz potatoes, peeled and
cut into quarters
55ml/2fl oz milk
85g/3oz butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
* For those who aren't keen on bits of veggies in the meat, swoosh them in a blender and add to the stock.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the mince, stirring, until browned all over, breaking up any lumps with the back of the spoon.
Add the flour and stir. Add the parsnip, carrot, bay leaves, thyme and Worcestershire sauce then simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the stock. Bring the mixture to the boil, adding a pinch of salt and pepper and let it simmer, lid on, for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly.
For the mash, boil the potatoes until tender. Drain, add the milk and butter then mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the meat into a 1.4-litre/2½-pint ovenproof dish and spread the mash on top,
Bake at 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 for about 45 minutes until top is golden brown and crispy.
Chicken Casserole
5gms butter
2 medium sized leeks,
1-2 red pepper, de-seeded
2-3 chicken fillets
mixed or Italian herbs
1 medium sized potato
¾ pint chicken stock
tomato puree
garlic clove, crushed
400g can chickpeas, drained & rinsed (optional)
salt & pepper
Cut leek and pepper into slices and fry in a large pan for a few minutes in butter. Remove and put in cook pot.
Cut chicken into cubes, sprinkle with herbs and fry for a few minutes in butter till all sides slightly browned. Remove and put in cook pot.
Peel potato and cut into cubes. Add to cook pot.
Pour stock into the fry pan and stir to get up any bits. Bring to boil then turn down, add tomato puree, crushed garlic and chickpeas if using. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add stock mixture to cook pot. Season and stir well.
Lid on and bake at 170-80 fan for at least an hour. Serve with Basmati rice.
Roast Venison with Potato & Parsnip Gratin
for the gratin:
55g/2oz unsalted butter, softened
3 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
3 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
300g/10½oz gruyère, grated
300g/10½oz strong cheddar, grated
200g/7oz Stilton, crumbled
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed
1 litre/1¾ pints double cream
pinch grated fresh nutmeg
pinch salt
pinch white pepper
for the venison:
100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
1 fresh oregano sprig, leaves removed
1 tbsp garlic purée
800g/1lb 12oz venison rump
150ml/¼ pint red wine
150g/5½oz unsalted butter, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Gratin:
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/Gas 6. Grease a deep baking dish with the butter.
Alternately layer the parsnips, potatoes, onion and garlic in the dish, sprinkling between each layer with a mixture of all three cheeses and a few thyme leaves. Continue to layer until all the ingredients have been used up, reserving a few thyme leaves and some cheese.
Place the cream in a saucepan with the reserved thyme leaves, nutmeg, salt and white pepper and heat for a few minutes until warm. Pour the cream into the baking dish, making sure the cream has properly soaked through all the layers.
Scatter the reserved cheese over the top, cover with kitchen foil and bake for 1½ hours, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the foil and crisp the top for a further 20 minutes. Leave to stand for 30 minutes before serving.
Venison:
Blitz the oil, oregano and garlic purée in a small food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Rub the paste all over the venison rump.
Place a frying pan over a high heat, add the rump and seal on all sides. Place the rump in a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 8–10 minutes. Leave to rest for a further 10 minutes before carving.
Transfer the juices from the roasting tin to a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by half. Whisk in the butter until you have a thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the venison into slices and place on warmed plates with the gratin on the side. Spoon the sauce over the venison and serve immediately.
Brioche & Butter Pudding
45g sultanas
2 tbsp dark rum
75g unsalted butter
6 brioche hot dog or finger rolls
200ml milk
200ml double cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
4 tbsp golden caster sugar
Sauce:
3 tbsp golden caster sugar
6 tbsp double cream, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp dark rum
Put the sultanas in a bowl, pour over the rum and leave to soak for 30 mins. Meanwhile, put the butter in a small pan and heat until melted. Continue to cook until the butter starts to turn a nutty brown colour, then remove from the heat and pour a little of the brown butter into the bases of six ovenproof mini pudding basins, swirling it around the sides. Cut the brioche rolls into thirds, then cut a slit in the side of each and stuff a few sultanas into the slits. Put three brioche pieces, cut-side down, into each basin and pour the rest of the butter over and around the sides.
Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Bring the milk, cream and vanilla almost to the boil. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl, then slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the eggs until you have a smooth, thin custard. Divide most of it between the basins – do this slowly so the brioche can soak it up. When the basins are almost full, transfer to a roasting tin and fill it with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Top up the basins with the remaining custard, put the tin in the oven and bake for 45 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins.
To make the sauce, sprinkle the sugar over the base of a pan and heat, tilting the pan, until the sugar starts to melt and caramelise. Once the caramel is golden, carefully add the cream and rum with a pinch of salt and melt everything together. Turn out the puddings and pour a little of the sauce over each. Serve with extra cream, if you like.