Method

1. Wash sorrel, spin dry, and remove all thick stalks. Place in a food processor and blitz for a few seconds, add butter and continue to blitz until a puree.

2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan, add onion, and cook until translucent; then add potato. Cook over a gentle heat until golden, but not burnt.

3. Add stock and continue to simmer until potato is soft. Turn off heat, leave for a moment, then blitz until smooth.

4. Return to a clean pan, and add the cream. Season well.

5. If serving the soup hot, reheat gently, then add sorrel prior to serving. Sorrel will turn a brownish colour when cooked, so add at the last moment.

6. If serving cold, leave the mix to cool, add the puree and chill for an hour prior to serving.

Method

1. Make sure the leaves are free of any debris, wipe clean rather than wash. If they do need to be washed, leave to dry before using.
2. Heat cream in saucepan and when simmering, put in garlic leaves.  Stir until the leaves have wilted and the cream is boiling, then turn off the heat, place a lid on the pan and leave to steep for 5 minutes.
3. Soak the gelatine in cold water to soften.
4. Select 6-8 ramekins or moulds, and place on a stable tray and lightly grease.
5. Tip the contents of the sauce pan into the food processor and leave to run for several minutes.
6. Pour the garlic mixture through a sieve and back into the saucepan, some garlic bits can be left, but remove the majority, pushing the liquid through with a spatula or wooden spoon.
7. Add pre soaked gelatine to the warm mixture and heat gently until dissolved.
8. Leave to cool slightly.  Whisk in crème fraiche or yoghurt, and pour into moulds.  Set in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours.

Remove from moulds onto serving plate.  Excellent accompaniment to fish or seafood or serve as a starter with tomato salsa.

Cheese Tuilles

1. Use a good quality mature cheddar or parmesan, and finely grate the cheese.
2. Cover a baking sheet with baking parchment. Place a biscuit cutter on the parchment and sprinkle a thin layer of cheese inside the cutter-make as many rounds as are needed.
3. Bake at 170 degrees, for 5 – 7 minutes, until the cheese has melted and a golden colour.
4. Remove and leave to cool.
5. Preferably use that day.

Method

1. Make the hazelnut praline.  Line a baking sheet  with greaseproof paper.

2. Measure nuts into a bowl.  Put the sugar in a heavy based pan and place over a medium heat, leave to melt, do not be tempted to stir with a spoon, shake pan if necessary. As the caramel colours, swirl pan to get an even colour. Using a thermometer heat to 165 c.

3. Shoot the nuts in quickly, then pour straight onto baking sheet.  Once cooled, break up with your hands then blitz in a food processor, the mixture should become a thick paste, add a little warm water to make the paste pliable.

   Alternatively, praline paste can be bought in a good delicatessen

4. Line a 18cm springform tin with greaseproof paper.  Put the cornflakes in a bowl with the hazelnut praline and mix with a fork, it takes a while to coat the cornflakes, it ends up a crispy, gooey lump which you can tip into your lined tin and press with the back of a spoon, to form a layer in the base. Set aside whilst you make the topping.

5. Measure chocolate into a heatproof bowl with 200mls of cream, and melt either over a pan of simmering water or on a low setting in the microwave.

6. Put egg yolks, sugar and syrup in a bowl and whisk with an electric beater till very pale. Add the cool melted chocolate and grated ginger.

7. Whip remaining 300mls of cream to soft peaks, gently fold into mixture. Pour onto cornflake base.

8. Leave in fridge to set. This cake will develop a better flavor if made a day ahead.

   To serve, remove tin, unwrap the greaseproof paper, using a large palette knife slide the cake off the tin base onto a serving plate. Using a warm rounded knife smooth the sides if necessary.

   Dust with cocoa or icing sugar and serve with cream.

    

Method

1. Heat the oven up to gas 4 / 180oC / 160oC fan
2. Grease and line a loaf tin
3. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon and ground ginger into a mixing bowl
4. Rub in the butter and caster sugar until it has a sand-like consistency
5. Add in the mashed bananas, beaten egg, hazelnuts, and mix well
6. If the mixture is too thick, add a small dash of milk to loosen
7. Bake for around 1 hour – to check if it’s ready, insert a thin skewer into the centre of the cake, it should be clean when it’s removed
8. Cool on a cake rack, and then slice and enjoy!