Luxury Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie is so very much a Nursery classic, always takes me back to my childhood, this is a grown up version. Lord Jeffrey Archer is still well known for his Dinner Parties of Cottage or Shepherds Pie with Krug Champagne, and of course he is absolutely right, Cottage Pie cooked well is amazing and up there with any other dish you could imagine.

As in everything you cook start with first class fresh ingredients, I used half a kilo of ground Rib of Beef, it is expensive but worth it and it does bring this dish to life.

Start in a large Pot with a good glug of Olive oil on a high heat and add a sliced Onion, stir and reduce heat slightly when it starts to soften and become sweeter.
Now add Two Carrots finely chopped in half centimetre cubes and a couple of sticks of celery again finely chopped, cook on a Medium heat for maybe 15 minutes
Now add chopped Mushrooms some in Quarters some sliced and some Porcini, a couple of sprigs of Thyme and cook through
Now add your ground Beef, make sure you brown the meat and break it up with a wooden spoon

When its Browned add a spoon of flour stir and cook it out, then add a large glass of Red wine and about the same of Beef Stock couple of Bay leaves swig of Worcestershire Sauce a squirt of Tomato Ketchup and season well with Salt and Ground Black Pepper.

Now with a slotted spoon, add the mixture to a Pie Dish, then on a high heat reduce the sauce to intensify the flavour and add to the mixture.

Top with Mashed Potato and put in the oven at 200c for around 30 minutes, Mind blowing winter warmer comfort food, It is so good do try it before Summer

Salmon en Croute

I was thinking what I could make and saw this rather retro dish on The Good Food Show cooked by the master Michelle Roux so I thought I would give it a go.

It's a lovely and easy Dinner Party dish, although mine looked more like a hot water bottle than a fish!

It is actually Salmon with Spinach and Salmon Mouse wrapped in Puff Pastry, Got to say was delicious  and the Salmon was perfectly cooked.

I took two sheets of ready made puff pastry and rolled them out, Placed one of the sheets in a Roasting tin, A flat baking tin would have been better but I haven't got one! and put a large piece of Salmon skin side down on one of the sheets and cut around in roughly the shape of a headless Fish, Tin wasn't big enough to fit the head!

I had cut off a small piece from the Salmon earlier and skinned a small slice a couple of inches across and put it into the food processor with a little cream a drop of Fish stock and blitzed to a Mousse seasoned and using a knife spread over the Salmon.

I had already cooked some Spinach which I had drained and put this on  top of the Mousse, then after brushing the bottom layer edges of Pastry with Egg wash placed the other sheet of Pastry on top.

Scored and cut out a decorative Fish made from the leftover Pastry, but I could have done a better job, brushed the top with Egg wash and placed in the oven at 200c for 30 minutes

Whilst this was cooking a got a small pan scorching hot and added a glass of Noilly Pratt and let it reduce, then added some Fish Stock and finally some Cream and let it reduce. Finished the sauce with fresh chopped Dill and Parsley and a knob of Butter, Yummy and perfect with the fish.

It was to die for, really easy and the Salmon was perfect, I was worried it would overcook but it didn't you have absolutely got to try this I am sure you will enjoy.

Chicken & Mushroom Pie

Next to Fish & Chips, Pies are about as British as you can get. Chicken & Mushroom Pie has always been a childhood favourite and to be honest I usually use leftover Roast chicken but I thought as I had a couple of Chicken breasts I would use them instead. Good as they were I would have to say it would be better with some leftover roast Chicken as well!

I marinated the Chicken Breasts in some Lemon olive Oil Black pepper and a sprig of Thyme and a crushed clove of Garlic for an hour or two.

Then in a hot skillet with a little Olive Oil fried off the chunks of Chicken Breast with a chopped clove of Garlic, after a few minutes added some Button mushrooms, Portobello Mushrooms would be better, just didn't have any, after 3 or 4 minutes added some plain Flour and gave a good stir. Then added a splash of White Wine and some Chicken Stock that I had added some dried Mushrooms too earlier.

Using a slotted spoon I took out the Chicken and Mushrooms and put them in a Cazuelas as I don't have a proper Pie Dish, added some milk to the pan and increased the heat and let it reduce, seasoned well and added a sprig of Thyme and some fresh Parsley.

When it comes to puff pastry who can really be bothered making it from scratch... I used a frozen ready made Puff Pastry rolled it out pretty thin, so it would be crispy, cut out the odd Leaf for decoration, and after adding the reduced sauce to the meat, put some egg and Milk wash over the pastry and around the rim of the dish, cut some holes in the Pastry to let the steam escape and crimped the edges of the pastry around the lid as best I could.

Put the whole thing in a preheated Oven at 200c for 30 minutes. I have to say it wasn't half bad, could be improved, I think a bit of Spinach in the Pie would be nice. The thing about Pies there are no rules put whatever you fancy in the Pie, But do make one once in a while, They are the ultimate comfort food on a cold day!!

Guiness Steak Pie

GUINESS STEAK PIE

I first had this in Dublin,but it was spoilt for me by the chef cooking the pastry on top as a pie which went a little soggy,I now always cook the pastry lids separately keeps them crisp and beautiful.

I start by sweating off some onions and chopped carrots for 5 mins in a little olive oil and a good knob of butter,then i add finely chopped parsley leaves and black pepper,then add the stewing beef and colour slightly and add can of guinness and about half a pint of veal stock season,add two bay leaves and bring to a boil cover with a lid and put in the oven for 4 hours at 160'.......Finish off making some square lids from ready made puff pastry decorate how you wish and serve with peas,A real treat