Slow cooked herby lamb shoulder from This Morning

A lazy Sunday dish if ever there was one. After a little prep you pop this perfectly paired duo in the oven and forget about them until suppertime.  Serve this with the cabbage gratin from my accompaniments section.

I reckon this one is my most popular dish from This Morning and rightly so its unbelievably easy and tasty!

Ingredients

1kg (approx.) boned shoulder of lamb or mutton (it it's rolled, unroll it)

1 400g14oz tin of chopped tomatoes

Fresh rosemary

Fresh thyme

Fresh bay

1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled and bashed with a knife (to crush it but not chop it)

200ml6¾fl oz lamb stock

200ml6¾fl oz white wine

Salt and pepper

Olive or vegetable oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas 2.

Start with the lamb. Season it liberally with salt and pepper and a good lick of olive or vegetable oil.

Get an ovenproof, lidded pan (or casserole dish) smoking hot and seal the lamb on all sides.

Now add the bashed head of garlic (don’t worry about the skins), the herbs, wine, stock and bubble away for a minute on a high heat, it will smell fantastic!

Add the tomatoes, season liberally, put a lid on the pan and place in the preheated oven for three hours minimum. The lamb can stay in for up to seven hours so don’t worry about timings as long as it's in for at least three.

Sticky BBQ pork ribs with bean salad from This Morning

A good BBQ sauce recipe is golddust! Ive been using this one for years and it never fails!  It works just as well with any meat and is a perfect dipping sauce for nachos, corn on the cob and lots more BBQ favourites!

Ingredients

Serves 6

For the ribs:

3 racks (approx. 550g each) of pork spareribs (You want to serve around 3 ribs per person)

1 onion, finely diced

80g soft brown sugar

80ml dry sherry

1 inch piece of grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves crushed

200ml tomato ketchup

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

100ml soy sauce

1 pinch of chilli flakes

1tsp ground cumin

For the salad:

1 can of your favorite beans, i like butterbeans, drain and rinse them.

A handful of vine tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 large courgette, diced  

1 small red onion , chopped very finely

Coriander and parsley , chopped or torn

The juice of 1 lemon

1 red chilli, seeds in if you can stand it, finely chopped

Olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

Method:

For the sauce heat a little oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion gently until its soft.  Add the garlic, cumin, chilli flakes and ginger and cook for 1 minute, still on low.

Turn the heat upto medium, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer uncovered on low heat for 15 minutes, until thick.  The marinade can be made in advance and keeps perfectly well in the fridge, covered or in Tupperware.

While this is doing put your ribs in a pan of boiling water and simmer for the same time it takes you to make the marinade (around 20 minutes)

Pat your ribs dry and brush generously with the marinade.

To cook the ribs, BBQ for 20 minutes over hot coals; or roast on an oven set to 220 (gas mark 7) for 40 minutes.

Whichever way you cook them brush them with more marinade and turn them as they cook, at least twice!

Making the salad couldn’t be simpler, gently fry the courgette until golden in a little oil and then add all the ingredients to a large bowl.

Toss everything to combine then taste the salad, does it need perking up with more lemon, salt or pepper? If so go for it.  You can make the salad in advance, its best served room temperature for the flavors to mingle so take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Serve the charred sticky ribs with the bean salad and an extra bowl of the marinade on the side for dipping.

Messy fingers ahoy – don’t forget the napkins!

This Morning rhubarb crumble trifle

The first dish i did on This Morning, i remember being told i had 4 minutes to do it and thinking, if it all goes wrong make a joke out of it.  You can see the pressure on my face as Phillip is stirring the custard and ive got about 30 seconds left.

Tense.  Anyway here it is. Its super quick and puta a summer twist on a British winter classic.

Ingredients
Serves 2 greedy gets.

FOR THE RHUBARB:

2 sticks of young pink rhubarb (needs to be pink not green)

40g of caster sugar

100mls of water

1 piece of finely chopped stem ginger from a jar

FOR THE CUSTARD:

2 egg yolks

40g of caster sugar

150ml of whole milk

150ml double cream

1 vanilla pod

FOR THE CRUMBLE:

40g of demerera sugar

40g of whole rolled oats (I use a packet of oat-so simple)

80g plain flour

40g of cold cubed butter

Method

Start with the crumble.

Rub the butter into the flour until it resembled breadcrumbs, add the sugar and oats and mix lightly with hands.

Scatter on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes at gas mark 6

Next start the rhubarb, chop into 3 inch pieces and place in a pan with the rest of the ingredients, boil then simmer gently with a lid on until tender.

Remove from the pan and reduce the juices on high until thick and syrupy. - leave to cool while you make the custard.

For the custard:

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, bring the milk and cream to the boil with the vanilla pod.

Once hot, pour over the egg mixture, stir briskly so the eggs don't scramble and then add everything back to the pan and stir over a medium heat until thick to your liking (the longer you leave it on the heat the thicker it will get - constantly stir or eggs will scramble)

Assemble the dish -

Put the rhubarb in the bottom of a glass, add the cooled juices

Pour over the custard

Sprinkle on the crumble topping

Leave in the fridge for a chilled summer pudding or eat straight away for a naughty warming delight - Done :)

This Morning herby stuffed pork belly

I love pork belly, its flavoursome and economical.  Try it here stuffed with fresh herbs, if you cant get fresh use dried herbs de province, you can get these in boxes from any supermarket.

If you want to watch a video of me making this dish click here.

Ingredients

SERVES 4

For the pork belly:

1.5k of pork belly boned with the skin scored

A small bunch each of sage and parsley chopped or torn

Rosemary and thyme finely chopped

1 clove of garlic minced

1 large onion, diced finely and fried gently to soften

1 handful of breadcrumbs

1 egg yolk to bind the stuffing

Sea salt and pepper

A few splashes of malt vinegar for the crackling

Boiling water for the crackling

For the potato salad:

500g aprox of new or salad potatoes
a small bunch of chives
a few tablespoons of crème fraiche
1tbsp mustard (wholegrain, English or Dijon whatever you prefer)
salt and pepper

Method
For the pork, lay the pork skin side down and season the meat with salt and pepper

In a bowl mix together the garlic, chopped herbs, breadcrumbs, onion and a little salt and pepper. If the mix is a little dry use the egg yolk to bind the mix together.

Press the stuffing mixture into the pork flesh and top with more whole herb leaves if you want to rev up the flavour!

Roll up the pork and secure with string, put the rolled pork in a roasting tin.

Now lets work on the crackling, the aim of the game is to open the pores of the skin to allow the salt to penetrate and crackle in the oven.

To do this we follow a few steps,

First pour boiling water over the skin and pat it dry.

Drain off the water. You only pour the water over to open the pores of the skin.

Pour over the vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt, and that’s it, guaranteed crackling every time.

Place in a hot oven (hottest it will go) immediately!

Roast the pork on full heat for 30 minutes to develop the crackling then turn the oven down to gas mark 2 and continue cooking for 2 hours.  After 2 hours turn the heat back upto full and roast the joint for the final 30 minutes to make sure the crackling is extra crunchy.

So in total the pork will take 3 hours to cook.  Its pork belly remember so long slow cooking will make the meat very tender. 

The potato salad couldn’t be simpler.
Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until tender.
Drain well and put the back in the pan, crush lightly with a fork.
Add the creme fraiche, which will melt in the heat of the potatoes, stir in the mustard and snipped chives, season and serve immediately or eat cold.

Allow the pork to rest for 30 minutes before carving with the juices from the pan poured over.  Enjoy this delicious alternative to a Sunday lunch with fabulous cold cuts leftover for Monday’s sandwiches.

This Morning Steak and ale pie with thyme suet crust

This is the pie i last made on This Morning.  I love it best as a pie filling, however this steak and ale mixture can also be eaten on its own with some buttery mash or you can add a few dumplings to the pan for the last 20 minutes of cooking for a hearty winter stew.

It's so versatile and what's more it's economical too as all the ingredients can be bought for £5.

If you want to watch a video of me making the pie live on This Morning, click here

 

Ingredients

Serves 4

for the pie filling

800g braising steak, which is a really economical cut of beef

1 punnet of mushrooms (I like chestnut)

1 large white onion, peeled and sliced

1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary (or just one if that's all you have)

1 330ml can of your favourite ale (I like Newcastle Brown or Guinness)

½ pint of beef stock (or just a beef stock cube depending on how thin you like your gravy)

1 large carrot, chopped

Ingredients for the pastry

150g self-raising flour

75g beef suet

A few sprigs of thyme, chopped (dried is fine)

A couple of tablespoons of cold water (no more than 100ml)

1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2.

Start with your veg. Put a little oil into a large ovenproof pan or pot and, over a medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic (sweating means cooking without colouring, which softens the onions and makes them sweet).

Once the onions are cooked and have turned a little see-through, turn the heat up and add the carrot, mushrooms and herbs.

Fry the veg over a medium-high heat for a few minutes to get a little colour on the mushrooms. Don’t worry about the onions; as long as you keep stirring they won’t burn.

Tip everything into a bowl then turn the heat up high and add the diced meat to the pan.

Season the meat and colour on all sides. Keep the heat high to do this. You want to get a good colour on the meat which adds flavour to the finished pie.

Once you have coloured the meat (it shouldn’t take long; remember you are just getting a colour on all sides, not cooking it) add the vegetables to the pan, stir to combine and, keeping the heat high, add the ale.

Stir everything together. It’ll bubble away but that’s good!

Now if you like a thick gravy just crumble the beef stock cube into the pan and, if you like a thinner gravy add the beef stock. It’s entirely up to you.

Put a lid on the pan and put it in the preheated oven, for anything between 90 minutes and three hours. The meat will be tender after 90 minutes but the longer you leave it the better it will be.

Take the pan out of the oven and check the juices. If you like the pie filling a little dryer, put the pan on the hob and, on a high heat, boil the mixture to reduce it. Keep an eye on the pan and turn the heat off when it reaches the consistency you want. It’s usually fine straight from the oven but some people do prefer a thick gravy.

You can make the pie filling the day before or even pop it in a slow cooker while you’re at work. It will keep for three days in the fridge.

Now you’re ready to make the pastry. First preheat (or turn up the oven, if you are making it at the same time as the filling) to 190C or gas 5.

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and add the water until you have a sticky dough.

Dust the dough with flour and wrap in cling film to rest for around 10 minutes. This relaxes the gluten in the flour and stops the pastry from shrinking.

Select your pie dish, something big enough for four servings, and lightly butter the dish including the edges.

Roll the pastry out on a floured surface (using a floured rolling pin and lightly floured hands) until you have a circle that will fit over the top of the pie dish. Roll backwards and forwards, never side to side, or you will get an uneven rise on your pastry.

Add the filling to the pie dish and fit the pastry lid, pressing down round the edges to seal it.

Roll up the edges of the pastry so that you have a thick crust. Don't trim it! Well you can if you want but I like the thick crust on the pie.

Chicken pie from This Morning

This recipe is nothing new, a simple chicken pie but sometimes there’s nothing better than crumbly homemade buttery pastry encasing moist chicken fragranced with tarragon and mingling with creamy leeks! 

The white wine really sets off the filling and the cream adds richness!  This pie can even be made out of leftovers, the day after you have a roast chicken try making this with the leftover meat picked from the bones, 

Normal chicken stock is fine if you don’t have the time to make fresh chicken stock but please do try it if you can, its FREE to make as you use the carcass from a roast chicken that you would usually throw away!Ok here goes.

 Ingredients
makes 1 9inch by 6 inch pie which will serve 4-6
For the pastry use the short crust recipe I have posted under the baking section.  Double the quantities for this pie.
For the filling:
vegetable oil
2 small leeks cleaned and sliced
A handful of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
400-600g of raw boneless chicken pieces or you can use the meat picked from a leftover roasted chicken (which is my preference for this pie)
1 garlic clove
100ml white wine
50mls of chicken stock
150ml double cream
A sprig of fresh tarragon, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1 egg for egg washing
Method
Pre heat the oven to gas mark 7 (220)
Make the pastry as per the pastry instructions under the baking section.
When its resting in the fridge make the filling.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook gently for 5-10 minutes until softened.
Turn the heat up and add the mushroom.  Fry for a few minutes stiring constantly so the leeks don’t butn.
Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, for another 4-5 minutes until just browned.  If you are using already cooked chicken pieces from a roast chicken just add them and stir in for a few seconds.
Add the wine and bubble away until reduced slightly.
Pour in the stock and reduce slightly.
Add the cream and tarragon, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5-6 minutes until thickened.
Season with salt and pepper then set aside to cool.
The mix should be wet but not too sloppy or liquid.

Right back to the pastry.
Once you have rested the pastry cut it into 2 pieces, one slightly bigger than the other.
Roll out the larger piece of pastry to the size of your pie dish, I like to use a roasting tin lined with baking parchment so I can lift the pie out once its cooked.  Its also cool to use a quiche tin (loose bottomed)  If you are using this no need to line with baking parchment as its loose botttomed so it will lift out easily enough.
Grease the edges of the pie dish with butter.
Line the baking tin with the pastry so it overhands the edges! 
Fill the pastry case with the pie filling.
Now roll the second piece of the pastry out and fit this over the top of the pie. (wet the edges of the pastry case before putting the lid on this will help it to stick.)
Knock and crimp the edges of the pie together, this basically means sticking the top of the pastry to the bottom of the pastry, squeeze it together gently until the top and bottom pieces of pastry are joined and sealed.
Beat the egg with a little salt, then brush over the pastry lightly which will make the pastry golden.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden.  Remember everything is cooked inside so you are just cokoing the pastry.
Remove from the oven and serve straight from the dish with mash and greens.  Alternatively if you have lined a baking tin with parchment lift the pie out and slice at the table! YUM! 

Sin free creamy chicken hotpot with garlic potatoes

This is the dish i did on This Morning in early January, i was asked to come up with a dish suitable for the new year slimmers but still to keep it comforting.  I simply changed my tried and tested chicken hotpot into relatively sin free by using fat free creme fraiche.  The wine adds a wonderful balanace of acitidy.

The filling can easily be used in a pie if you fancy a bit of stodge.

IngredientsServes 4

2 large potatoes

1 large leek, cleaned

1 clove of garlic

A sprig of thyme

100mls of low fat Crème fraiche

50mls or thereabouts of chicken stock

A handful or so of Parmesan cheese (optional)

250g frozen peas

450g cooked chicken (use leftovers from a roast or roast off some thighs and drummers)

Oil, salt and pepper

Method

Pre heat the oven to gas mark 7 (220)

In a large roasting tray, scatter the cooked chicken and peas.

Slice and sweat the leek in a little oil in a frying pan until soft. Add the thyme.

Stir in the crème fraiche and the chicken stock, if you like more sauce add more chicken stock, around another 50mls should be fine.

Pour the leek and garlic mix over the chicken and peas.

Next move onto the potatoes.

Thinly slice the potatoes and put them in a bowl.

Crush the clove of garlic and add to the bowl with some salt and pepper.

Toss to coat the potatoes.

Lay the potatoes over the top of the roasting tray, brush (or spray) with a little olive oil to give the potatoes colour.

Sprinkle with the parmesan if you are using.

Pop in the oven for 35 minutes with foil over the top, then 20 minutes with the foil off to crisp up the potatoes

Serve at the table with some steamed fresh greens.