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Makes: Serves 15-20 Prep Time: 1 Hrs plus 24 hr brine and 6 day cure Cook time: 5-7 Hrs Things you need : Pastrami 3.2 Kg Trimmed Brisket (flat or point side) Brine 4 Litre water 1 Tbsp (5g) Black Peppercorn 1 Tbsp (5g) Whole Cloves 1 Tbsp (5g) Coriander Seed 1 Tbsp (5g) Mustard Seed 1 Tbsp (5g) Chili seed (or chilli of your choice) 1 Tbsp (5g) Ground Ginger 2 Cinnamon sticks 4 Bay Leafs Head of garlic separated Half nutmeg grated 135g Brown Sugar 170g Kosher Salt 21g Curing salt (Prague Powder no 1) 7 pounds ice Rub 20g Black Pepper ground 20g Coriander seed ground 6g Cumin seed ground 6g Fennel seed ground 15g Brown sugar 6g Onion Powder 10g Garlic powder 6g Smoked Paprika 30-50g Dijon mustard Rye Bread Poolish 55g Bread flour 55g water 2g Active Dry yeast Rye Bread 175g Water lukewarm 175g Milk lukewarm 3g Active dry yeast 140g Dark Rye Flour 290g Bread Flour 8g Salt Steps To make the brine put the 4 litres of water into a stockpot. Add all the powdered spices, sugar, bay leafs and curing salt. Toast off the dry whole spices and then add to the stockpot. Bring everything up to the boil and stir until sugars have dissolved. Get a container big enough to fit all the ice in (see video) then pour the brine mixture over the ice to cool down. Once cool add your brisket. Weigh it down as per the video. Cover container tightly so no air gets in and put this into your fridge for 6 days. After 6 days take out the pastrami and wash off the brine as per the video. You can soak it in fresh cold water for 5 mins and that should do the trick. Pat dry and set aside on a tray. Combine all the pastrami rub ingredients together. Brush the mustard over the beef brisket. Sprinkle over the rub as per the video. Cook the brisket in a smoker set to 250F-121C for 5-6 hours or until the internal temp reads 150-155F /65-68C . Refer to video. Make the bread in the meantime. First make the poolish as per the video and let it sit at room temp for 4-5 hours (you can go overnight to) In the bowl of the stand mixer add the rye bread water and milk and the yeast. Stir and add the poolish. Mix for 1 min then add the flours and salt. Mix for 6-8 mins. turn out knead by hand for 1 mins and put into a greased bowl. Cover and proof for 1-2 hours until doubled. Then degas shape as you like, cover and proof for 1-2 hours until doubled/tripled in size. Score the bread with a lathe or sharp knife and bake in a preheated oven 400F-200C for 30-40 mins. Add boiling water to a pan and place in the bottom of the oven as your baking the bread. This helps with the crust. The bread should be hollow when tapped at the bottom. Let it rest on a wire rack for later. Once the pastrami is cooked transfer it to a tray with a wire rack. Add an inch of boiling water to the bottom, cover with foil lightly and cook in a preheated oven set at 325F-162C for 2 hours or until it reaches an internal temp of 190-210F / 87-98C . Let it rest for 30 mins. Once rested slice the bread, add mustard of your choice to both sides. Thinly slice the pastrami and make a sandwich. Enjoy.

Makes: 1 Large Tiramisu Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: overnight chilling Ingredients Coffee Mix 250ml Brewed coffee or espresso Amaretto to taste    1 tsp vanilla essence 1 tbsp sugar Pistachio butter 200g pistachio. Unsalted & roasted 43g powder sugar 2 tbsp water 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil  Custard 6 large egg yolks 80g caster (fine) sugar Mascarpone mix 500g room temp mascarpone 200ml whipping cream Vanilla essence splash Ladyfingers 12-18 Savoiardi (Lady fingers)  Steps Combine coffee mix set aside.  Blend pistachios with sugar in a food processor for 2 minutes. Add water and oil, blending for 7 minutes.  Whisk egg yolk with sugar over a double boiler for 6-8 minutes until thick. Set aside.  Whip 200ml whipping cream with vanilla essence for 3 minutes. Set aside.  Whisk 500g mascarpone with pistachio butter and custard for a few minutes. Fold in half of the whipped cream.  Soak lady fingers in coffee mix for 3-5 seconds, then shake off excess. Assemble in a dish, adding half of the tiramisu mix, another layer of soaked lady fingers, and the rest of the tiramisu mix. Chill overnight. Cover with crushed pistachios and serve the next day.

Makes: 6 portions Prep Time: 10 mins plus 2 hours proofing Cook time: 3-5 mins Things you need : Pita 250g Warm water (44C/110F) 1 Tsp (5g) Sugar 8g Active Dry Yeast 380g All Purpose Flour 11g Salt 25g EVOO (oil) Steps Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast together in a jug to bloom your yeast to see if it is alive. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and mix through. Add your bloomed yeast and one third of your flour and the oil to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with a whisk to combine for 30 seconds then add the dough hook atachement and mix for 1-2 mins. Then add another third of the flour and mix with the stand mixer for 1-2 mins. It should look like a shaggy mess and sticky. Add the last of your flour and mix on medium for 6-7 mins. Turn out and knead for 1-2 mins by hand. Then put this into an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel (dish cloth) and proof for 1 hr or so until doubled in size. Degas and portion into 6 balls 100g-110g. Put onto a lined baking sheet, cover and proof for a further 40 mins. Roll out your dough balls. Once rolled out, keep them covered as you cook them in an oven set to 550f/288c for 1-2 mins each side. Follow the video for tips on this. You can also cook this on a skillet but on a pizza stone in the oven it cooks the best. Serve warm and fresh.

Makes: 10-20 portions depending on size Prep Time: 25 mins Cook time: 2-4 Hrs depending on turkey size Things you need : Turkey Crown 1 Turkey Crown 2-6kg Salt and Pepper to taste Herb Butter 200g Unsalted Butter softened room temp. Pliable. Zest of 1 Lemon 1/2 Tsp Cayenne pepper 2 Tsp Ground fennel 2 Tsp Ground coriander 2 Tbsp Finely chopped thyme 1-2 Tsp salt (to your taste) Black pepper (to your taste) Steps Prepare Turkey crown as per video or buy one already prepped. Remove wishbone and loosen skin from breast as per video. Be careful not to rip this Combine all the herbs butter ingredients together until everything is mixed well Place the butter under the skin and massage through evenly. Rub any leftover butter over the turkey skin Cover the turkey skin and crown generously with salt and place on a oven tray with a rack inside. The turkey is going to sit on the rack overnight uncovered in the fridge. This is dry brining the turkey to get the skin extra crispy The next day take the turkey out of the fridge for at least 1 hour. We are going to roast this in a flat sheet with a rack in a preheated oven at 350f/176c covered in a double layer of foil first. Then uncovered. For the last 30 mins of cooking we will turn the oven up to 425f/220c to crisp up the skin. Below are your cooking times depending on weight. Stick with me here: 4kg or less turkey crown roast for 70 mins covered plus 20 mins per KG at 350f/176c uncovered. Last 30 mins uncovered at 425f/220c to crisp it up and baste in between. 4kg or more turkey crown roast for 90 mins covered plus 20 mins per KG at 350f/176c uncovered. Last 30 mins uncovered at 425f/220c to crisp it up. Baste the crown as you go So for example: A 3kg turkey crown would be a total of 130 mins (70+(20×3) - You would cook for 70 mins covered at 350f/176c - Then you have 60 mins of cook time left. Cook uncovered for 30 mins at 350f/176c - Then for the last 30 mins crank up the oven to 425f/220c and crisp up the skin. Go by temp rather than time (it's a guide). Temp the Turkey and aim for 152F (66C) - 158F (70C) internal cooking temp in the thickest part of the breast. Cover with foil and rest for 1 hour. It will still be warm and continue to carry over in temperature as it rests. If you want to flash the turkey in the oven for 10-15 mins at 425f/220c after it's rested to crisp up the skin even more then go ahead. Carve and serve as per video. Merry Christmas. Tips Don't be afraid to cover the turkey with foil if it's getting too brown. Watch your smoke alarm going off at the last stage. Mix up the herb butter flavours A long rest is important to allow temp carry over

Makes: 12-14 Mixed Donuts Prep Time: 30 Mins plus 2 Hr proofing Cook time: 3-5 mins each Things you need : Donut Dough 150 ml Milk (full fat) 50 ml water 1 Tsp (12g) Fast action yeast 500g All purpose flour 5g Salt 65g Caster Sugar (berry, fine) 2 Large eggs 50g Unsalted butter Neutral oil for frying (1-2 litres depending on your pot) Chocolate Glaze 150g Icing sugar 20g Cacao Cocoa powder 1g Salt 10-25 ml milk Vanilla paste (optional) Raspberry amaretto Jam See website recipes Caramelised white chocolate creme patisserie See website recipes Steps Warm milk and water to 105F. Then add yeast and the 1 tsp of sugar. Mix and cover, then let this bloom for 10 mins. In a stand mixer sift in flour, salt and the 65g of caster sugar. Mix briefly with dough hook attachment to mix. Add the eggs and the bloomed yeast mix. Mix on low for 3-5 mins until incorporated. Then turn mixer up to medium and mix for 6-8 mins. If your dough is a little wet or dry then add either a spoon of flour or splash of milk. You want the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl. Refer to video. Add the butter and mix on medium for another 2 mins. Turn out the dough and knead for a few mins. You can scrape out any butter left on the sides of the bowl and knead that into the dough. Roll the dough into a ball and add to a greased bowl. Cover dough and let it double in size an hour or so should do it. Degas dough and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut donuts using a 3 inch pastry cutter. If you want ring donuts then use a 1.5-2 inch cutter and punch a hole in the centre of each donut. Use the donut holes to make timbits. Refer to the video. Place these on squares of parchment paper. cover and let double in size. 40 mins to 1 hour should do. Fry in oil as per video. 350 F - 360 F / 176 C - 182 C is the sweet spot for the oil temperature. Flip halfway through. You don't need to cook these long 3-4 mins in total. Put them on a rack to drain off excess oil. You can make the chocolate glaze by whisking everything up. Make it thick or thin as you like. Finish the donuts either with the glaze or filled with the creme patisserie/jam. If filling with jam don't forget to roll the donuts in sugar. Tips Mix up the fillings and the glazes Best eaten the day they are made

Makes: 30 portions Prep Time: 1 Hr Cook time: 5 mins Things you need : Chorizo Filling 200g Spanish Chorizo finely diced (remove the casing first) 50ml Olive oil 65g Unsalted Butter 150g Onion finely diced 125g All Purpose flour 850ml Whole milk Fresh nutmeg grated to taste Salt and white pepper to taste Coating 3 Large eggs beaten 70g All purpose flour 120g Panko breadcrumbs blitzed up slightly Oil for frying as per video Steps Cook the chorizo in a large saucepan for 6 mins or so until the oils leech out and the chorizo is slightly golden as per the video. Drain and reserve the oils that have come out of the chorizo. Set the chorizo aside. In the same pan add the butter and olive oil then saute the onions until soft and translucent. No colour around 5 mins or so. Add the flour and mix around until a roux has formed. (the flour soaks up all the fat) Then add the milk and whisk everything together until smooth. Stir in the cooked chorizo and season to taste and add the nutmeg to taste. Your basically making a bechamel sauce here. Once all incorporated simmer for a couple of mins and then pour everything into a deep tray (container) as per the video. Smooth out the top and let this cool down in the fridge. Prepare you pane (breading) station. Once the bechamel mixture has cooled and set then shape as per the video. 30g weight for each croquetas is a good starting weight. You can make them smaller if you want. Work your way through the batch and you should get around 30 in total. (You can freeze these at this point and fry them when you need later) Heat up the oil in a saucepan and fry for. Don't heat your oil to hot. Cook time should be around 4-6 mins. Serve with some mayo combined with the leftover chorizo oil and some paprika mixed in and a glass of bubbly or a cold beer.

Makes: 600g Prep Time: 15 Cook time: as per recipe Things you need : Pasta 500g Type OO Farina Flour 3 Large eggs 2 Large egg yolks Pinch Salt Steps Make as per video instructions. Work in stages. Can be made by hand or a food processor. Hand is better. This pasta is good for stuffed pasta like Ravioli and long pasta like Pappardelle, where you want to serve this with a rich sauce. Tips Keep the pasta you are not using under a damp cloth while shaping and cutting other pieces. Don't over cook the pasta in salted boiling water. It doesn't take long 1-3 mins sometimes Store the pasta on semolina while shaping out the other pieces. This stops it from sticking.

Makes: 4-5 Portions Prep Time: 30 mins Cook time: 2 Hrs Things you need : Pasta 1 Quantity egg pasta dough Rolled and cut into 10 inch Papperdelle. As per video Beef Marinade 3 Cloves Garlic sliced 3 Sprigs Rosemary finely chopped 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil Sauce 1 Kg Beef Shin 1 Carrot finely diced 1 Onion finely diced 1 Celery stick finely diced 500g Passata (or can tomatoes blitzed) 1 Heaped Tbsp tomato paste 250 ml red wine 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 Cup water 2 Bay leafs Salt and pepper to taste Steps Roll and cut the pasta as per video set aside Marinade beef for 2 hours or longer ideally Sear beef over a low to medium heat in olive oil after removing the garlic pieces from the marinade. Mince the garlic to use later. We don't want to brown the beef too much. Follow video instructions Take beef out. Wipe out pan if needed. Add more oil and saute finely diced veg for a few mins. Then add minced garlic and herbs Deglaze with red wine. Cook off till evaporated. Add passata and tomato paste plus water. Mix everything together. Bring up to boil and add beef (plus any resting juices) bay leafs and some seasoning Mix this all through. Bring up to boil again and cover. Then braise in an oven set to 325F-160C for 1-2 hours or until tender. Once meat is tender. Take out. And flake it off the bone. Take out any gristle or bone. Transfer the meat back into your sauce and check for seasoning Cook fresh pasta for 2-3 mins until al dente and put it into your sauce and add some pasta water. Mix until glossy as per video and serve. Tips Cook the pasta in 1-2 portions at a time. It's easier to manage. The sauce can be made ahead of time. The flavour develops.

Makes: 6 Scotch eggs Prep Time: 30 mins Cook time: 4-6 mins Things you need : Scotch Eggs 6 Large eggs 600g Fresh ground shoulder of pork or use sausage meat 1-2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme and sage 1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper 1 Tsp Granulated garlic 1-2 Tsp Nutmeg grated Salt and pepper to taste Egg wash (1-2 eggs beaten up) 200g Panko breadcrumbs or so 100g all purpose flour seasoned Steps If your using fresh shoulder of pork and grinding the meat yourself then follow the steps in the video. You want a 80% lean meat and 20% fat ratio so shoulder of pork works well. Add all the rest of the ingredients and grind as per video. If you want to use sausage meat then this is also a great option. As it's already seasoned. Follow the same steps. Boil the eggs straight from the fridge in boiling water as per the video for 5 mins then put into a ice bath to cool. After ten mins peel the eggs carefully under a running tap. Divide your sausage mixture into 6 balls. 100g each and flatten them into a round disk as per video. Gently roll the eggs in flour one at a time. Place them inside the flattened ground pork and shape around into an egg shape. You do not want any gaps. You can use the cling film or greaseproof paper method. Then pane them. So roll the scotch egg in flour, dust it off. Then in the egg wash. Then into the panko breadcrumbs and gently press them on as per the video. Repeat with the rest. Fry them in a pot half filled with oil 2 at a time. Heat the oil to 350 F- 176 C you can use sunflower oil if you like. Fry for 4-6 mins. Drain on kitchen paper. Season and serve cut in half with curry mayo or ketchup. Your choice. The yolks will be super runny!!! Tips If you want the yolks less runny then boil for an extra 30 seconds to 1 min but let's be honest runny yolks for scotch eggs is where its at!!

Makes: 12-15 Prep Time: 1-2 Hours Cook time: 25 mins Things you need : Dough 370g All purpose flour 170g Butter unsalted chilled and diced 120ml Whole milk warmed 1 Large egg yolk Pinch of salt Beef Filling 500g Beef mince (ground) 1-2 Sweet potatoes depending on size 1 Cup of stock (your choice of flavour Beef, chicken etc) 1 Onion finely diced 3 Garlic cloves crushed 1 Tbsp Fresh thyme leaves finely chopped 1 Tbsp Dried oregano 1 Tbsp Paprika 1 Tsp Cayenne pepper (or less to taste) 1 Tbsp Ground cumin 1 Tbsp Ground coriander seed 1 Tsp Harissa paste (can use tomato paste if you can't get it) Good splash of sherry vinegar Salt & Pepper to taste Dipping Sauce Large bunch of parsley and cilantro Juice of 1 lime Chilli seed to taste 1/2 Tsp ground cumin 60ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil 100ml Neutral oil such as sunflower 3 Tbsp Maple syrup (or can use 1 Tbsp sugar) Salt & Pepper to taste Good splash red wine vinegar Steps Make the dough first by mixing the flour, salt and butter together until you have a breadcrumb like mixture. Then add the egg yolk into the warm milk pour this into your mixture and combine until a dough has formed. A food processor makes this job easy. Turn out knead briefly. Then wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins. Make the filling by sauteing the onions, garlic and thyme in oil for 10 mins, no colour. Then add the beef season and cook for 5-7 mins until no pink is left. Add the rest of your spices, harissa paste and cook out for 5 mins until beef is coloured. Add your sweet potatoes and mix through the mix for 1-2 mins then add your stock and simmer for 15 mins. It's done when potatoes are just cooked and most of the liquid has cooked out. You don't want it wet or runny. Season to taste add a good splash of sherry vinegar and set aside to cool. Make the sauce by blending everything together Roll out your pastry and cut, fill as per the video. Crimp if you want to. Refer to video. egg wash your empanadas and bake in a preheated oven set to 420F- 210C 20-25 mins or until golden brown. Serve warm with your sauce on the side.

Makes: 200-300ml Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 3 hours Ingredients Espagnole Sauce 2 celery sticks, chopped small 2 carrots, chopped small 1 medium onion, diced small 2 tbsp tomato puree A few sprigs of thyme and parsley 2 large rashers of bacon, cut into lardons 50g unsalted butter 50g all-purpose flour 1L beef stock Steps Sweat the Bacon Start by sweating down your bacon in a little butter for about 5 minutes in a large, deep saucepan. This will give your sauce a lovely, smoky flavor. Add the Onions Next, toss in the diced onions. Sweat them down for 7-8 minutes until they're soft and fragrant. Incorporate the Veggies Now, add the rest of your chopped vegetables. Cook them for about 5 minutes. This step adds a wonderful depth of flavor to your sauce. Tomato Paste Time Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for 3-5 minutes. This will enhance the sauce's richness. Make the Roux Add the remaining butter and then sprinkle in the flour. Cook this roux for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly. This is crucial for thickening your sauce. Deglaze and Simmer Slowly pour in the beef stock while scraping the bottom of the pan. This will lift all those delicious bits stuck to the bottom. Add your herbs and bring the sauce to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and let it simmer for up to 3 hours. Remember to skim off any fat and scum that rises to the surface. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. For a visual guide, check out the video linked above. Strain the Sauce Pass the sauce through a sieve and gently press with the back of a spoon. Be careful not to force the vegetables through, as this will make your sauce cloudy. Final Touches Adjust the seasoning to your taste, and voilà! Your Espagnole sauce is ready to enjoy. Why Espagnole Sauce is a Must-Try Espagnole sauce, often referred to as one of the mother sauces, is a classic that every home cook should master. It serves as a base for many other sauces and dishes. Plus, once you get the hang of it, you can customize it to suit your taste. Tips for Success Quality Ingredients : Always use fresh, high-quality ingredients. They make a world of difference in flavor. Patience is Key : The longer you let the sauce simmer, the more developed the flavors will be. Don’t rush this step! Experiment : Feel free to play around with herbs and spices. You might find a combination you love even more. Pairing Suggestions This rich sauce pairs beautifully with meats like beef or lamb. It can also elevate vegetables and pasta dishes. Just imagine drizzling it over a perfectly cooked steak or tossing it with roasted veggies. Yum! Conclusion Making Espagnole sauce might seem daunting at first, but with a little practice, you'll be whipping it up like a pro. So grab your ingredients and get cooking! If you're looking for more delicious recipes, check out my other posts. Happy cooking!

Makes: 6 portions Prep Time: 1-2 Hrs plus pastry chill time Cook time: 2-3 Hrs Things you need : Rough Puff Pastry 250g All Purpose flour 1/4 Tsp Salt 250g Cold unsalted butter diced 125ml Ice cold water Pie Mix 1 Medium onion diced 1 Large carrot diced 2 Sticks celery diced 1 Tbsp Rosemary & thyme finely chopped 350g Beef kidney trimmed cut into bite sized pieces 800g Stewing beef cut into bite sized pieces 100g Flour 1/4 Tsp Mustard powder 1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper 350ml Beef Stock (or Chicken) 1 Can Guinness 2 Bay Leafs 1 Cup water Steps Make the Rough Puff pastry as per the video. Follow the steps it's not that hard. You can also buy store bought but make your own it's a great skill to master. Sweat down your veg and herbs in a big Dutch oven pan for 4-6 mins no colour. Meanwhile coat your beef in flour and shake off the excess. Sear in a frying pan with oil and foaming butter. Do this in stages. Get a nice colour on the beef and set aside. Repeat with the kidneys but add some mustard powder and cayenne pepper to the flour this time.   Add the seared beef and kidneys to the veg. Stir then add the stock, bay leaf, can of Guinness and a cup of water. Season well. Bring this to the boil, cover and cook in a preheated oven set to 350F - 175C for 2-3 hours or until the beef is tender. Once cooked check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Put the pie mix in your pie dish and let it cool down completely. You only need half the quantity of rough puff so 300g. Roll this out as per the video. Egg wash the rim of the pie dish so it sticks. Lay the pastry on top of the pie filling. Trim off most of the excess pastry around the sides but keep about a 1-inch overhang. Crimp the pie along the edges. Make a hole in the middle for steam. Egg wash the pie twice for a great finish. Bake the pie on a tray in a preheated oven 425 F-218 C for 30-45 mins until golden brown on top and piping hot in the middle. Serve with veg and mash.