| Serves 6 | Ingredients | Method |
|---|---|---|
| 6 bulbs of fennel, reserve leaves1 red onion, finely diced3 sticks celery, finely diced, reserve leaves6 oranges, segmented, reserve the juice
Seeds of ½ pomegranate 3tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped Dressing: 3tbls lemon juice Reserved orange juice 6tbls extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper |
Using a mandolin, finely slice just the bulbs. Discard the tough stalks but keep the leaves for garnish, Mix the dressing well. Taste and adjust seasoning, it should be a little tart. Leave the onion to soak in the dressing for 5 minutes to ‘pickle’ it slighty. Gently toss the onion, celery, orange and fennel together with the dressing. Arrange on a salad platter and scatter over the fresh mint, pomegranate seeds, fennel and celery leaves. |
| Serves 2 | Ingredients | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla clementine syrup:250ml (1 cup) sugar250ml (1 cup) water1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped out, or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste8 whole clementines, peeled1 cinnamon stick
Vanilla ice cream, to serve |
To make the vanilla clementine syrup, combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or paste in a pot. Gently bring to the boil and do not stir. Allow the syrup to bubble up and thicken for 5 minutes. Drag a spoon through the bottom, like Moses parting the Red Sea – the spoon should leave a clear path behind it before the gap closes. Add the whole clementines and cinnamon stick and poach for 5 minutes.Serve with Greek yoghurt. |
| Serves 4 | Ingredients | Method |
|---|---|---|
| 4 miniature pumpkins225g baby spinach leaves
2tbls sunblush tomatoes 200g feta cheese, crumbled 200g chorizo sausage, diced 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed Salt and pepper
|
Bake pumpkins in the oven and bake for about 30-45 minutes at 180°C until tender. Check by prodding with a dinner knife. Pumpkins should be tender but not collapsing. Fry the chorizo until crispy in a non stick pan. Add the chickpeas, sunblush tomatoes and spinach and heat through in the chorizo oil. Season. Slice the ‘lid’ off the pumpkin. Scrape out all the seeds very well with a spoon. Spoon in the filling and sprinkle with feta cheese. Replace the ‘lid’ and serve with extra filling on the side. |
| Serves 4 | Ingredients | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted Pumpkin and Pancetta:3 cups diced pumpkin
2tbls olive oil 1tbls fennel seeds Salt and pepper 250g diced bacon or pancetta lardons Basic Risotto Recipe: 2tbls butter 1 onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 cups arborio rice 1 cup dry white wine 1.5 litres chicken stock 50g Parmesan cheese, grated |
Heat the oven to 220°C. Coat the pumpkin well with olive, salt and pepper and the fennel seeds. Spread out in a baking dish. Place the bacon or pancetta in a separate dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and caramelised. Drain the pancetta on kitchen paper if too fatty. Gently heat the stock in a pot on the hob. Melt the butter in a separate pot and gently cook the onions and garlic until soft. Add the rice and stir well until coated with the butter. The rice should turn slightly translucent. Pour in the white wine and stir until it is fully absorbed. Keep the stock warm on the stove, but don’t allow to boil. Add one ladle of stock to the rice, stir and allow to absorb. You’re ready for the next ladle of stock when the rice starts sticking to the pot. Carry on until the rice is cooked through but still firm. If it is still crunchy, add more stock. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and season well. Add most of the roasted pumpkin and pancetta, keeping some extra for garnish. Serve immediately with a green salad and extra Parmesan cheese. |