Summer Cocktail Recipe

Argubly the best thing about summer is the al fresco get togethers and barbecuing to your heart's content. One of our Executive Chef's Aidan top tips for a great BBQ is boosting the flavour of your chosen meat with marinades and dry rubs, which you are best doing before cooking to get the most from the flavour. Check out our favourite recipes below for marinating!

House Rub Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 100g soft dark brown sugar
• 50g caster sugar
• 2tsp garlic powder
• 100g table salt
• 3tsp smoked paprika
• 6tsp paprika
• 1tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cayenne

METHOD

1. Toast the fennel, cumin, coriander & back peppercorns in a dry pan over a medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan, until the spices release an aroma

2. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool

3. Use a pedestal and mortar to grind the spices to a coarse powder, combine with the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly

Hot Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg red peppers
• 250g red chillies
• 5g Maldon sea salt
• 25ml cider vinegar
• 25ml maple syrup
• 25g garlic cloves

METHOD

1. Grill the peppers and chillies on the BBQ backening the skin all round. Place into a container with a lid and leave to cool. Peel the peppers and chillies, Discard the skins and as many seeds as possible, then put the flesh into a saucepan

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, bring to a simmer and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes

3. Put the mixture into a blender and blitz until well mixed but still a little chunky. Decant into a 500ml sterilized jar or bottle and refrigerate. The sauce will keep in the fridge for 1 week.

BBQ Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 25 ml vegetable oil
• 1 white onion, peeled and grated
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
• 25g Spice Mix (see below)
• 125ml apple juice
• 125ml cider vinegar
• 135 ml maple syrup
• 125mlFrench's mustard
• 125ml treacle
• 125ml apricot jam
• 500ml Ketchup
• 25g smoked Maldon sea salt

SPICE MIX INGREDIENTS

• 5g fennel seeds
• 5g cumin seeds
• 5g coriander seeds
• 5g celery seeds
• 5g mustard seeds
• 5g black peppercorns

METHOD

To make the spice mix, toast all the spices in a dry pan over a medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan until golden. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Blitz the toasted spices in a blender to a rough powder.

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and spice mix and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until the onions are cooked through.

2. Add the apple juice and cider vinegar and simmer until reduced by a third

3. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Blitz the sauce with an immersion blender, then pass it through a fine sieve. Pour into a 1 litre sterilized bottle. Once cool, store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

MORE BBQ TIPS

Preheat your BBQ

Whether you are using a gas or charcoal BBQ, ensure you leave enough time for it to get to cooking temperature before you actually need it.

Precook your meats

Works great if you have a large number of people to feed. Cook in a low oven, without colour and finish on the BBQ. Works great for tender pork or beef ribs

Prevent sticking to get those grill marks

Ensure the grill is hot enough before putting any food on it. As an extra trick rub the grill with a ½ raw potato. The starch will act as a temporary non-stick barrier.

Know your heat zones

BBQs will naturally have hotter and colder areas, and knowing where these are and what to cook on them will help your BBQ skills. Direct heat for searing, indirect heat for finishing cooking. The Shelf in the lid can be used to keep your food warm whilst you cook more.

Let your meat rest

Get a casserole dish with a lid, when you have finished cooking, put your meat in there and let it relax, this will help ensure it is tender. If you carve or start eating it before, it will be really tough in comparison to when it’s properly rested.

Don't run out of fuel

Seems like an obvious one, but make sure you have enough charcoal or gas in the tank before you start.

Clean up

Get into the habit of cleaning down the grill after you’ve finished will make it quicker to set up next time. Don’t worry about intense scrubbing, instead scrunch up some foil and rub it along the bars of the grill to get them clean and help keep them rust-free, too. Did you know? Half of a raw onion it will get any unwanted burnt bits off with ease!

A taste of summer. Check out our latest recipe from Executive Chef Aidan. This dessert is a symphony of flavors and textures, a culinary masterpiece that tantalises both the taste buds and the eyes, have a go yourself!

Elderflower Cordial

2 ½kg white sugar, either granulated or caster

2 unwaxed lemons

20 fresh elderflower heads, stalks trimmed

85g citric acid (from chemists)

Method

1. Put the sugar and 1.5 litres water into the largest saucepan you have. Gently heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved. Give it a stir every now and again. Pare the zest from the lemons using a potato peeler, then slice the lemons into rounds.

2. Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the pan of syrup to the boil, then turn off the heat. Fill a washing up bowl with cold water. Give the flowers a gentle swish around to loosen any dirt or bugs. Lift flowers out, gently shake and transfer to the syrup along with the lemons, zest and citric acid, then stir well. Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 24 hrs.

3. Line a colander with a clean tea towel, then sit it over a large bowl or pan. Ladle in the syrup – let it drip slowly through. Discard the bits left in the towel. Use a funnel and a ladle to fill sterilised bottles (run glass bottles through the dishwasher, or wash well with soapy water. Rinse, then leave to dry in a low oven). The cordial is ready to drink straight away and will keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks. Or freeze it in plastic containers or ice cube trays and defrost as needed.

To Make the Posset

2 tbsp elderflower cordial

300ml double cream

100g caster sugar

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Place the cream and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer slowly until the sugar has dissolved. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and the elderflower cordial.

2. Pour the cream mixture into 4 decorative glasses half way. Set in the fridge until firm.

For the gooseberry compote

500g gooseberries, topped and tailed

75g caster sugar

Method

1. Put the gooseberries in a pan with the sugar and 50ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until the gooseberries are soft.

2. Leave to cool completely, and then chill.

Carmelised White Chocolate

250g white chocolate 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C/gas mark ½.

2. Break up the white chocolate into small, evenly sized pieces.

3. Spread out the white chocolate onto a shallow baking tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and stir and spread around the chocolate with a spatula.

5. Repeat this process every 10 minutes for 30-60 minutes, until the white chocolate is deep-golden brown in colour. During this time, the chocolate may turn lumpy and have a ‘chalky’ appearance - this is normal, so keep going.

6. Once the chocolate has caramelised and has reached the correct consistency, place between 2 large sheets of greaseproof paper and roll until 1mm thick. Break into shards and store in the freezer until needed.

Italian Meringue

100g of caster sugar

25ml of water

50g of egg white

Method

1. Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan over a medium heat with a thermometer resting in the liquid.

2. Start to slowly whisk the egg whites either in a stand mixer or with a hand-held electric whisk until just starting to foam.

3. Heat the sugar until it reaches 121°C then slowly pour into the egg whites whilst still whisking.

4. Turn the whisk up to full speed and whisk until cooled to room temperature – the meringue is now ready to use.

5. Spoon into a piping bag with a star nozzle and store in the freezer.

To Plate

Spoon some of the gooseberry compote on top of the posset, pipe some Italian meringue on top of this, arrange some caramelised white chocolate shards between the italian meringue.

If you made your own elderflower cordial, you could add some leftover flowers here as a finishing touch.

Check out our cocktail of the month! Rum Rabbit Rum is the perfect cocktail for spring time, enjoy at home or in the garden as the weather gets warmer!

Ingredients:

• 35ml Caribbean Rum
• 15ml crème de mure
• 20ml peach syrup
• 35ml pineapple juice
• 15ml lemon juice
• 75ml white peach and jasmine soda

Method:

• Grab your Gin Goblet glass & chill with ice
• Taking a Boston shaker and add all the ingredients apart of the soda, add ice
• Shake firmly for 5 - 10 seconds, with the smaller tin closest to you
• Remove ice from goblet gin glass and stir in the cocktail, add some fresh ice
• Top up with the soda.
• Garnish with pineapple and blackberries (optional)

Enjoy!

Ingredients 

Potato pancake

• 250g mash potato
• 60ml milk
• 40g plain flour (we use Gluten Free Flour)
• 2 eggs
• 15g bicarbonate of soda
• Mixed fresh herbs (we use dill and chives)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pickled apples

• 10 granny smith
• 500 ml cider vinegar
• 30g sugar
• 15g salt
• 15g pickling spice

Pickling spice - Blitz together

• 30g mustard seeds
• 15g allspice berries
• 10g coriander seeds
• 5g chilli flakes
• 5g ginger powder
• 2 cinnamon stick
• 6 whole cloves

Red wine jus

• 1 glass red wine
• 1 shallot sliced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 500ml quality beef stock
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 whole black peppercorns

• 100g spinach 
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt & pepper to taste

• 4/5 purple sprouting broccoli (tenderstem broccoli would work equally as well)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 duck breast per person, sinew trimmed and fat scored in a criscross fashion

Method

1. Boil or steam your potatoes and pass through a potato ricer.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
3. Peel, ½ and slice the apples. We use a mandolin to get lovely thin, uniform slices. Place in a heatproof container.
4. Place all pickling spice ingredients in a pot, boil until the sugar dissolves and pour over the apple slices. Allow to cool before using.
5. Preheat a pan on a medium to high heat. Season the duck breast with salt and pepper and add to the pan, with no oil, skin side down. Fry for 6 - 7 mins until the skin is a beautiful golden brown colour, then put the pan of duck into the oven for 9 mins. Remove from oven and allow it to rest whilst you prepare the other ingredients.
6. Mix all ingredients for the pancake recipe in a large bowl to form a batter and season according to taste. Preheat a pan on medium heat. Add some oil, add a large spoon of the batter mix to the pan, and cook for 5 to 6 mins on one side, flipping over and cooking for 5 -6 mins on the other, keep warm for plating later. Keep going until all the batter is finished.
7. Place a pot on a high heat, add the wine, herbs, sugar sliced shallot, and reduce until you have ¼ of the wine left. Add the beef stock and continue to reduce until you have a thick dark sauce, the consistency of gravy. Keep warm until later.
8. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a pan on a medium heat until foaming, wash the spinach leaves and add to the butter, add salt and pepper, cook until wilted, set aside for plating
9. Cook the broccoli according to the packet instructions and toss in the melted butter adding salt, set aside for plating
10. Square of the duck, and slice into 3 pieces lenghtways, it should be lovely and pink inside, if you prefer it a little more cooked, place back in the oven for the desired amount of time.

To plate

1. Layer up 2 pancakes and the spinach per person
2. Place the sliced duck on top
3. Spoon some of the jus over the duck
4. Garnish with the broccoli and pickled apple slices