ROAST PORK WITH MUSTARD BUTTER

1 loin of pork (4-6 cutlets)

2-3 fat cloves of garlic

½ onion (finely chopped and mixed with 2 tbs of olive oil)

2oz softened butter

1 tsp crumbled fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf (crumbled)

1-2 tbs Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

1oz flour

Watercress

Ask your butcher to remove rind and half the thickness of fat from the loin of pork. Score the fat on the loin with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern.

Cut each garlic clove into 4 slices. Pierce the loin in about

12 places with a thick skewer and insert a garlic slice and

a little chopped onion mixture into each hole.

Mix the softened butter, thyme, bay leaf and mustard to a smooth paste and rub this well into the pork several hours before roasting. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, and let the meat stand at room temperature to absorb the flavours.

Heat the oven to 230°C/450°/Gas mk 8. Arrange the meat, fat side up, in a roasting tin and brown for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas mk 4 and continue to roast until meat is done, about 1¼-1 ½ hours.

Remove the meat and keep warm.

Remove as much fat as possible from the tin, mash together flour and an equal amount of butter and add a time to the pan dripping. Stir over low heat to thicken. Pour the mustard butter into a small dish.

Garnish the pork with sprigs of watercress and serve with the mustard butter.

Serves 4-6.

LESLEY ROGERS

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SAUSAGE SIZZLER

1oz butter

1 large onion (chopped)

6oz button mushrooms (sliced)

½ tsp parsley, thyme and sage

1 ¼1b sausagemeat

2 tbs tomato puree

1 tbs Worcester sauce

Salt and pepper

1 egg (size 3 - beaten)

1lb puff pastry

4oz red Leicester cheese (grated)

4oz Cheddar cheese (grated)

½ tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mk 6.

Melt butter in a pan, add onion and fry for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and herbs and cook for 3 minutes.

Put cooked onions and mushrooms into a large bowl. Add sausagemeat, tomato puree, Worcester sauce, most of the beaten egg, salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12” x 14” rectangle. Place pastry on a baking sheet.

Spread half the sausagemeat mixture down the centre lengthways, leaving a 1” border at the short ends.

Mix the two cheeses and grated nutmeg together and place two-thirds over the sausagemeat. Top this with the rest of the sausagemeat mixture.

Slit the pastry diagonally on either side at ½” intervals. Fold up the short ends of the rectangle over the filling, then criss-cross the strips over the filling to give a plaited effect.

Brush all over with the rest of the beaten egg and sprinkle over the rest of the cheeses and nutmeg.

Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.

JEAN WARNE

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DUCK WITH APRICOT AND BRANDY SAUCE

3oz no-soak dried apricots

½ pt chicken stock

1 tbs sunflower oil

4 duck breasts

1 onion (finely chopped)

1½ tbs white wine vinegar

2 tbs brandy

Salt and black pepper

Cook apricots with stock in covered pan for 15-20 minutes until tender. Cool slightly, then puree in blender or processor. Set aside.

Heat oil in a shallow pan and add duck breasts, skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes, covering pan if fat spits. Turn over and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Make sauce by softening onion in remaining fat. Stir in vinegar and boil until almost evaporated. Add puree of apricots and simmer over lower heat for 5 minutes.

Ignite brandy in a ladle and pour into sauce and season. Slice breasts and pour over a little sauce. Serve the rest separately.

Serves 4.

SUE RICHARDS

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STEAK AND GUINNESS CASSEROLE

1 lb diced stewing steak

1large onion diced

4 sticks celery diced
1 lb carrots diced

1 dsp tomato puree

1 bottle Guinness

½ pt beef stock

2oz flour

2oz dripping, lard or oil bay leaf

Pinch of thyme

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 160°-170°C/325°F/Gas mk 3.

Gently fry diced vegetables until soft. Add meat and brown.

Add tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Beat in flour. Slowly mix in Guinness and stock. Add herbs and seasoning and bring to the boil.

Transfer to a casserole and cook in the oven for 1 hour or until meat is tender.

SUE RIDINGS

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CHICKEN AND SWEETCORN FLAN

Flancase:

8oz plain white or wholewheat flour

½ lev.tsp salt

½ lev.tsp dry mustard

Pinch of cayenne pepper

3oz hard margarine

3oz mature cheese (finely grated)

1 egg yolk

2 tbs water (3 for wholewheat flour)

Mix flour, salt, mustard and pepper. Rub in margarine with fingertips until mixture is like breadcrumbs.

Mix in cheese. Mix egg yolk with water and stir in with a knife. Then knead lightly until smooth and firm dough is formed.

Filling for 8” flancase:

1 small onion (finely chopped) loz butter

1oz flour

½ tsp dry mustard

½ tsp salt and pepper mixed

¼ pt milk

7oz can of sweetcorn with peppers

4oz diced cooked chicken

2 tbs cream

2oz grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mk 6. Bake the flancase blind for 20 minutes only.

Fry the onion in butter until soft. Stir in the flour, mustard, pepper and salt mix and cook for 1 minute.

Drain the corn and add the liquid to the milk. Stir this into the onion mixture in the pan and bring to the boil. Cook for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and mix in corn, chicken, cream and seasoning to taste. Pour into partly-cooked hot flan case aid cover the top with the cheese.

Return to oven and cook for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and turning golden.

Can be eaten hot or cold, with salad or vegetables.

L. CASTLE

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GRAFTON SPRING MEAT LOAF

1 lb (450gm) lean minced lamb

2oz (50 gm) bread crumbs

4oz milk

2oz onions (chopped)

Salt and pepper

Herbs if required

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into a lined loaf tin and level.

Bake at 180°C/350°F/Gas mk 4 for 45-50 mins. Leave to stand in tin for 5 mins. Turn on to a heated plate and serve cut into slices.

SONIA BAKER

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CREAMY CHICKEN CURRY

4 chicken joints (seasoned and floured)

2 medium chopped onions

1 tbs flour

2-3    evel tbs curry powder

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

1-2    tsp salt

2 coarsely grated carrots

¾ pint thicken stock

1 small can evaporated milk

8oz green grapes

Fry chicken joints in butter or oil and remove from the pan after 10 mins. Transfer to a plate and leave on one side.

Add onions to rest of fat in pan and fry gently until pale gold. Stir in flour, curry powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt and carrots. Gradually blend in chicken stock and evaporated milk (made up to ½ pint with water). Cook, stirring until sauce comes to the boil and then replace chicken. Lower heat and simmer gently for ¾-1 hour, stirring frequently, or cook gently in oven.

About 10 mins before the curry is ready, add the grapes -peeled, deseeded and halved.

Serve with freshly boiled rice, garnished with parsley. Serves 4.

WENDY COMPTON

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TANDOORI CHICKEN

An Indian recipe

3Ib oven-ready chicken or chicken drumsticks

1/4 pt vinegar

1 pt natural yogurt

1 lemon, quartered

1 ½ tsb salt

4 cloves garlic

2oz fresh root ginger (peeled and roughly chopped)

2 tsp garam masala (available in most Indian grocery shops)

1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

½ tsp yellow food colouring

1 tsp paprika

2 large onions (quartered)

Skin and quarter the chicken and make two ½” deep cuts in each of the quarters. It is essential not to go too deep otherwise the chicken will break up during cooking.

Place the vinegar and a little of the yogurt in a liquidiser. On the lowest speed add pieces of garlic, onion, and peeled ginger sparingly so that the liquidiser is not overloaded.

Add three-quarters of the lemon and blend until smooth. Pour off a little of this liquid into a bowl and add the rest of the spices and colouring but not the salt, mixing well to ensure there are no lumps. Return the sauce to the liquidiser for another 30 seconds, gradually adding the rest of the yogurt.

Take the chicken quarters and rub well with the salt and remaining quarters of lemon, ensuring that the juice gets right inside the cuts. This rubbing in process makes it easier for the sauce to penetrate during the marinating process.

Place the chicken pieces in a shallow baking or roasting tin, adding the marinade, cover and chill for 24-48 hours.

Uncover the chicken, baste with the marinade, then cook 1½ hours at 180°C/350°F/Gas mk 4 or until tender and browned.

To serve: Arrange on a serving platter with wedges of tomato and onion rings and lettuce leaves.

B. B. MISTRY

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SWEET SUMMER CHICKEN

8oz long grain rice

Salt

2 tbs chopped parsley

15oz can peach slices

2½1b cooked chicken

2 large eating apples (red and green)

4oz green stuffed olives

¼ Pt thick creamy mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Paprika pepper

Cook chicken and set aside until cold.

Cook rice in boiling salted water, approx 10 mins, until just tender - rinse in cold water until cool.

Remove meat from chicken in fairly large pieces. Mix with drained peaches, (keep the juice), cored and sliced apples and olives.*

Blend mayonnaise with enough peach juice to give a thinnish mixture, season to taste.

Stir parsley through rice and arrange around a serving dish. Fill centre with chicken and mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and chill before serving.

This can all be prepared the day before but keep rice and chicken mixture in separate containers in fridge.

* Small seedless grapes add a little more flavour.

LESLEY CLARKE

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BACON AND PRAWN CREOLE

8oz green bacon

8oz prawns

2oz onions

15oz can of tomatoes

2 chillies

1 pepper

1 clove of garlic

4oz double cream

Chop bacon and onions and fry together for 5 minutes. Add chopped chillies, crushed garlic, chopped pepper and tomatoes.

Bring to the boil and simmer until cooked through.

Add the prawns and heat through. Stir in the cream but do allow to boil again.

Serve with rice.

BRENDA CLARKE

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BAKED BEAN PIE

Pastry:
8oz plain flour

4oz margarine

3 tbs water

Make pastry in the usual way. Line the base of a flan dish with half the pastry.

Filling:

1 tin corned beef

1 tin baked beans

Chop up the corned beef and put in to the dish with the baked beans. Cover with the rest of the pastry and fork the top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 200°C/400°F/Gas mk 6. A useful mid-week store-cupboard recipe. This was originally a school dinner that we liked!

KATIE THOMAS

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ORANGE TARRAGON CHICKEN

1½oz butter                     2 tbs oil

4 chicken quarters        1 large onion

¼ Pt water                      6¼ oz can frozen orange juice

½oz cornflour               1 tbs dried tarragon (or 4 sprigs fresh)

5oz soured cream        

1 chicken stock cube

Melt butter and oil in a flameproof casserole dish and brown chicken thoroughly on all sides. Remove from dish and skin; keep on one side.

Chop onion finely and cook gently for 2-3 minutes in butter and oil. Stir in concentrated orange juice, water, stock cube and tarragon. Bring to the boil and add chicken.

Cover with lid and bake at 180°C/350°F/Gas mk 4 for 1½ hours until chicken is tender. Baste occasionally with orange sauce.

Remove chicken and place down the centre of an oval serving dish. Skim off any excess fat from sauce. Blend cornflour with 2 tbs water and add to the sauce.

Return to the boil and cook for 2-3 mins stirring continuously. Cool slightly and stir in the soured cream. Pour over chicken and decorate with fresh tarragon or parsley.

Fromage frais may be used instead of soured cream.

JOAN GROVES