LIGHT MY FIRE

It’s Bonfire Night season, which means a great excuse to wrap up warm and indulge in some serious comfort food

SHALLOT
SAUSAGE ROLL

serves 4

ingredients

16 echalion (banana) shallots

100g/4oz butter

1 bottle of red wine

10g/¼oz thyme

50g/2oz caster sugar

200g/7oz puff pastry

 

Method
Peel and finely slice the shallots lengthways.

In a heavy-bottomed pan add the butter and allow to sizzle. Now add all the sliced shallots, season with salt and pepper and allow to cook down for about 10 mins.

Once the shallots start to lose their volume in the pan, add the wine, thyme and sugar and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Once this has been achieved, remove from the heat and you should be left with a rich, deep, dark red shallot mixture that sticks together.  Allow to cool.

Roll out the puff pastry until it is 3mm to 5mm thick. Brush with an egg yolk and place a ‘sausage’ of the cold shallot mixture an inch from the edge nearest you.  Roll up as you would if making a sausage roll. Brush with the egg mix and allow to set in the fridge.

When required, place on a
non-stick tray and bake at
200C/Gas 6 for 12–15 minutes.

Enjoy by the fire!

 

 

SAUSAGE  AND BEAN SOUP 

serves 4-6

ingredients

12 shallots, peeled and left whole

8 sausages

2 cloves garlic, cut into slivers

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

400g/14oz borlotti beans, drained

400g/14oz can tomatoes

150g/5oz shredded Savoy cabbage

1 tbsp chopped parsley

500ml/2fl oz chicken stock

100ml/3fl oz red wine

salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

Method 

Heat the oil in a sauté pan, add shallots and sausages and sauté for 4-5 mins. Add carrots, sauté for 3 mins more. Add garlic, cook for 30 secs, add tomatoes, beans, half the wine, stock, bay leaf, and season. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 mins, then add cabbage, parsley and the rest of the wine, cook for 5 mins.

Quarter the sausages, place in bowls, pour soup over. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

 

Yorkshire Puddings with Sausages, Tenderstem Broccoli & Roast Shallot Gravy

 serves 4-6 as a main meal or makes 12 party-sized nibbles

ingredients

12 chipolata sausages

12 shallots, peeled and cut into quarters

2 tbsp olive oil

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

200g/7oz Tenderstem broccoli

For the Yorkshire pudding

150g/5oz plain flour

2 eggs

150ml/¼ pint milk

100ml/4fl oz water

1tsp dried mixed herbs

salt & freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

For the gravy

1tbsp plain flour

300ml/½ pint beef or vegetable stock

75ml/3fl oz red wine (or extra stock)

Method 

Pre heat oven to 200C/Gas 6. Add sausages and shallots to a sturdy roasting tin. Pour over olive oil and add thyme. Season with black pepper and toss. Roast in centre of the oven for 20-25 mins.

Whisk together all the pudding ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside to rest. Pour a little oil into the holes of a 12-hole muffin or six-hole Yorkshire pudding tin. Place on top shelf of the oven to heat for 10 mins.  Remove sausages and onions from the oven, wrap tightly in foil to keep warm.

For the gravy, place the roasting tin over a low heat on the hob. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well, scraping at the bottom to release all the lovely caramelized bits. Pour in the stock and stir though the wine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins.

Remove the Yorkshire pudding tin from the oven and place over a low heat on the hob. Pour in the batter and get the tin back into the oven as quickly as possible and cook until puffed-up and golden. Steam the Tenderstem until just cooked – about 5 minutes.

To assemble, put a little sausage, shallot and Tenderstem in each pudding and pour a little gravy over each. Serve as party nibbles or
for lunch.

 

APPLE TOFFE TART

SERVES 8

ingredients
50g/2oz butter, melted

8 x 25g/1oz filo pastry sheets (approx 24cm x 25cm)

1 400g/14oz tin dulce du leche

2 Pink Lady apples, cored and finely sliced

2 tsp caster sugar

15g/½oz flaked almonds

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 and put a baking tray in the oven to preheat. Brush the inside of a loose bottom 20cm/8ins cake tin with a little melted butter.

Put one sheet of filo pastry onto a clean work surface and brush all over with butter. Lay another sheet of filo pastry on top, slightly offsetting the corners. Repeat with butter and remaining filo pastry sheets.

Take the filo pastry stack and use it to line the cake tin, allowing the edges of the pastry to hang over the edge.

Spread the dulce du leche over the base of the pastry. Arrange the apple slices all over the top of the dulce du leche in circles, slightly overlapping the slices, and then scrunch the over-hanging pastry over the top of the apples. Brush all over with a little melted butter, sprinkle with the sugar and almonds and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the tart is golden and the pastry is cooked. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving on plates with thick whipped cream.

 

 

 

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