Saffron's Brownies

Ingredients

·         375g good-quality dark chocolate        

375g butter , cut into pieces

·         6 medium eggs·        

500g caster sugar

·         225g plain flour

For the topping

·         140g good-quality dark chocolate        

50g butter , cut into pieces

·        icing sugar for dusting

Method

1.    Butter and line a 30cm x 21cm tin. Preheat the oven to fan 160/conventional 180/gas 4. Break up the chocolate with the butter and melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.

2.    Beat the sugar and eggs in a bowl. Stir in the melted chocolate, add the flour and beat well. Pour into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top looks papery and feels slightly wobbly. Leave to cool in the tin.

3.    Break up the chocolate with the butter and melt in the microwave on Medium for about 1 minute. Stir until smooth then spread over the cake. Dust with icing sugar and cut into squares.

Grilled mackerel with escalivada & toasts

Ingredients

For the escalivada

·         3 very large or 4 medium peppers  a mix of colours

·         1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

·         3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·         2 medium aubergines        

zest 1 lemon , juice of ½

·       1 rosemary  sprig, finely chopped

·         2 tbsp small capers , drained

·         small pack flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

For the fish and toasts

·         2 rosemary  sprigs, finely chopped

·         3 garlic cloves, crushed

·         3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve (optional)

·         1 large olive ciabatta, cut into 8 slices

·         ¼ tsp chilli flakes or hot paprika

·         4 mackerel fillets, pin-boned and cut in half if large (or 8 butterflied sardines)

Method

1.    Heat the grill as hot as it will go. Line the grill pan or a large baking tray with foil. Using a potato peeler, remove most of the skin from the peppers, then remove the seeds and slice into 1cm strips. Toss with the onion and 1 tbsp oil, then grill for 15 mins, stirring halfway, until soft and charring here and there.

2.    Cut the aubergines into 1cm half moons and brush sparingly with 2 tbsp oil. Lay the slices over the peppers, season well, then grill for 5 mins until golden. Turn the aubergines over, scatter with the lemon zest and rosemary, then grill for 5 mins more until golden and soft in places. Stir the capers and the lemon juice into the vegetables. Season and set aside. Make and chill up to 3 days ahead; the flavours will intensify as it matures. Make sure you serve it just warm, with the parsley folded through it.

3.    For the toasts and fish, mix the rosemary, crushed garlic, oil and some seasoning. Brush half of this over one side of the ciabatta slices. Mix the chilli into the remainder, then brush over the fish and let it marinate for anything from 5 mins to 1 hr in the fridge. Grill the fish, skin-side up (or barbecue skin-side down), for 4-5 mins, depending on the thickness of flesh, until just cooked through and the skin is crisp. Grill the bread until sizzling and golden. Top the toasts with the escalivada, followed by the fish, and serve with another drizzle oil, if you like.

Bread & butter pudding

Ingredients

·         250ml full-fat milk

·         300ml double cream

·         1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla extract

·         3 whole large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

·         3 tbsp golden caster sugar

·         8 slices of day-old white crusty bread

·         50g slightly salted butter, softened plus extra for greasing

·         75g mix sultanas and currants or other dried fruit

·         zest ½ lemon

·         2 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

1.    Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. To make the custard, heat the milk, cream and vanilla pod with its scraped out seeds (if using) together in a saucepan to just below boiling point. Meanwhile whisk the eggs and yolk with the caster sugar in a jug. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture, including the vanilla pod, over the eggs, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract now if using.

2.    Lightly butter an ovenproof dish approximately 20cm x 25cm x 5cm. Cut the crusts from the bread slices, then butter both sides of the bread and cut into triangles. Lay half of the bread slices in the bottom of the dish so that they are slightly overlapping. Mix the dried fruit with the lemon zest and sprinkle half of the mix over the bread. Layer the rest of the bread on top then sprinkle over the remaining fruit.

3.    Remove the vanilla pod from the custard then pour the custard over the pudding. Leave to soak for at least 30 mins, or longer in the fridge, if you like. Sprinkle over the demerara and bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown and puffed up.

Spice & lime chicken

Ingredients

·         150ml pot natural yogurt

·         1 tbsp vegetable oil

·         1 tsp medium curry powder or paste

·         pinch chilli powder

·         juice 1 lime

·         1 garlic clove, crushed

·         4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

·         1 red or green pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks

·         1 onion, halved and cut into large chunks

·         steamed rice

 and ready-made raita, to serve

Method

1.    In a large bowl, mix together the first 6 ingredients and season to taste. Slash the chicken breasts 5-6 times, without cutting all the way through. Add the chicken breasts and vegetables to the yogurt mix and stir to coat everything completely. Cover and leave the flavours to mingle for 10 mins.

2.    Place a griddle over a high heat and cook the chicken and vegetables for 4 mins each side until the chicken is cooked through and the grill lines are golden. Leave to rest for 2 mins before serving with steamed rice and raita.

Eton mess cheesecake

Ingredients

·         100g butter, plus extra for the tin

·         200g digestive biscuits

·         375g mascarpone

·         420g full-fat cream cheese

·         150g icing sugar, plus 2 tbsp for the strawberries

·         1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped, pod reserved

·         225ml double cream

·         600g strawberries, hulled, larger ones cut in half

·         1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

·         10 shop-bought mini meringues

·         edible flowers to decorate (optional)

Method

1.    Butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to bash them into crumbs – or blitz in a food processor. Melt the butter, then stir it into the biscuit crumbs, mixing thoroughly. Tip into the tin, press down to create a firm layer and put in the fridge for 1 hr to set.

2.    Using an electric whisk, beat the cheeses, sugar, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt until thick and smooth. Pour in the double cream and whisk until only just combined. Spoon the filling onto the base, smooth the top and return to the fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight.

3.    Half an hour before serving, put the strawberries in a bowl with 2 tbsp icing sugar, the balsamic and scraped vanilla pod. Mix once, then leave the strawberries to soften slightly and release their juices. Push 1/4 of the strawberries through a sieve along with the juices to create a thick purée – or blitz in a food processor.

4.    To serve, run a knife around the outside of the cheesecake, release it from the tin, then top with the strawberries dotted with the meringues, crushing some as you go. Drizzle over the purée and decorate with flowers, if using.

Grilled fish with new potato & spring onion crush

Ingredients

·         450g baby new potato

·         50g butter

·         1 bunch sliced spring onions

·         4 fillets of firm white fish

·         garnish with watercress

 and serve with mayonnaise

Method

1.    Cook the new potatoes in boiling salted water for 12 minutes until just tender and drain.

2.    Melt the butter in a pan and cook the sliced spring onions for 3-4 minutes until soft.

3.    Lay the 4 fish fillets on a buttered tray, skin side up. Brush with melted butter and grill for 8-10 minutes until the skin is crisp and the fish is tender.

4.    Crush the potatoes and spring onions lightly. Divide the mixture between four warm plates and top with the fish. Garnish with watercress and serve with mayonnaise.

Gooey toffee puddings

Ingredients

·         140g softened butter , plus extra for greasing

·         200g light muscovado sugar

·         3 large eggs , beaten

·         175g self-raising flour

·         cream  or ice cream, to serve (optional)

For the sauce

·         75g light muscovado sugar

·         75g dark muscovado sugar

·         75g butter ·        

150ml double cream

Method

1.    Lightly grease 8 mini metal pudding basins that each hold around 200ml. Place a small disc of baking parchment in the base of each one.

2.    To make the sauce, put the sugars and butter in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until the butter melts and the sauce is glossy, stirring regularly. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 min, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and divide between the pudding basins. Leave to cool for 30 mins.

3.    Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Beat the butter, sugar, eggs and flour together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until pale and thick. Spoon the mixture into the pudding basins and place them in a small roasting tin.

4.    Add cold water to the roasting tin until it rises just 1cm up the sides of the basins. Place the tin in the oven and bake for about 25 mins or until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

5.    Take the tin out of the oven and, one at a time and holding firmly with a dry tea towel, loosen the sides of each pudding with a round-bladed knife. Turn out onto 8 warmed dessert plates, or arrange on a platter. Serve hot with cream or ice cream, if you like.