SQUASH & RAISIN BRIOCHE

November 09, 2017 by Chris Onions

The perfect loaf for autumn, warm, soft and comforting. This also makes excellent bread and butter pudding filler.

280g strong white flour
1 tbsp active sourdough starter (optional)
20g egg yolk
35g whole egg
10mL milk
160g squash, peeled, chopped, baked , mashed and cooled
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch ginger
5g instant yeast
5g salt
water, as needed
40g brown sugar
15g raisins
75g unsalted, cubed and softened butter

Place the flour, eggs, yolks, milk, squash, spices, yeast and salt in a metal bowl or stand mixer. Mix well for a few minutes, the dough should be stiff but come together. If it seems too dry, then add a little water to form the dough. If working by hand, tip the dough onto your work bench.
Slowly mix in the sugar, bit by bit. Knead for a few minutes till well incorporated and the gluten begins to work. The dough will become more elastic and springy. Add the soft butter and mix in until the dough is soft and silky, with a good spring. Add the raisins and combine with the dough.

Transfer the dough back into your greased mixing bowl. Allow it to double in size; this will take around 1 hour at room temperature. Alternatively, place in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours), this will make a better dough, as more flavour develops and the gluten strengthens.

When the dough is ready, tip back onto the work bench and shape as desired. Place into tins or onto greaseproof paper. Brush the dough lightly with egg wash made from remaining egg, a little milk and a pinch of salt. Allow to prove for a further 45 minutes or so.

Preheat the oven to 190ºC . Brush your dough once more with the egg wash and bake in the oven for 20-40 minutes depending on loaf style. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

CHARRED CABBAGE WITH FRIED BROWN RICE & SAUERKRAUT

November 08, 2016 by Chris Onions

2 large pointed cabbages
1 tbsp fennel seeds
150mL dry white wine
100mL unsweetened apple juice
50mL olive oil
20g unsalted butter
1 lemon (cut in half)
1 tbsp natural yoghurt
3 tbsp red cabbage sauerkraut
400g cooked rice
salt

Begin by splitting the cabbage into quarters lengthwise. Salt the cabbage well and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a quarter of the olive oil and butter in a frying pan until the butter begins to foam, add the sauerkraut and fry for five minutes or so. Add the rice and reduce the heat to low. Stir the rice every few minutes with a wooden spoon until it becomes crisp. This mixture should be crunchy and savoury.

Heat another frying pan until hot, add the cabbages and char on the two cut sides. Do the same to the lemon. Add the fennel seeds and toast briefly, then add the white wine and apple juice.

Reduce the liquid until it becomes syrupy and add the remaining olive oil. Turn down the heat and place a lid on the pan; cook gently until the cabbage is tender. This will take around ten minutes. When the cabbage is soft, squeeze the juice from the lemon and remove from the pan. Add the yoghurt and combine.

Plate the cabbage and spoon over the crispy brown rice.

AROMATIC PHEASANT BAKED IN HAY

September 05, 2016 by Chris Onions

This is a wonderfully autumnal and rather fun way to cook pheasant. Natural, aromatic hay both helps hold in the moisture of the lean meat and creates a delicious sauce with a true flavour of the farm’s colourful meadows. This recipe serves 4.

1 1.5kg whole pheasant
4 garlic cloves
1 star anise
300mL dry cider
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 big handfuls of organic hay
100g unsalted butter
40mL rapeseed oil
300mL chicken stock
1 sheet of muslin cloth (large enough to completely wrap the bird in)

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas Mark 6.

Place the pheasant on top of the muslin. Rub a little rapeseed all over the bird and season well inside and out with salt and pepper. Lightly crush the garlic cloves and place inside the carcass, along with the star anise. Wrap the pheasant tightly in the cloth.

To bake, you will need a heavy based ovenproof pot with a lid. With the hay, create a nest in the pot in which to roast the bird. Nestle in the wrapped pheasant and make sure to cover the top with plenty more hay. Pour the cider around the sides and place the lid on the pan. Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes; this will vary depending on the weight of the meat. Check by probing a knife through the cloth and into the thigh of the bird. The juices should run clear. Once cooked, remove the post from the over and allow the bird to rest with the lid on, out of the oven in the juices for 30 minutes.

Once rested, remove the pheasant from the cloth. You now want to colour the skin. Add a touch of oil and the butter to a frying pan large enough to accommodate the whole pheasant and allow to melt until the butter begins to foam. Place the pheasant breast side down in the pan and gently colour all over by twisting and turning the bird to ensure even browning.

Meanwhile, strain the juices from the pot through a fine sieve into a saucepan and add the chicken stock. Place on heat and reduce until you have made a lovely, rich and delicious sauce.
Carve the pheasant and serve with the sauce.

This works well with many garnishes, roasted pumpkin and chestnuts for an autumn supper or a little damson and beetroot slaw at lunch.

RED CABBAGE & CARAWAY SAUERKRAUT

September 04, 2016 by Chris Onions

3kg red cabbage, shredded
20 juniper berries, ground with a pestle and mortar
2 tsp caraway seeds, ground with a pestle and mortar
300g apples, cored and sliced
55g sea salt

This recipe will make two litres of kraut.
Sterilise a two-litre Kilner Jar: wash the jar in soapy water and dry it. Pour boiling water into the jar, empty it and place on a baking-tray in a cold oven and bring the temperature up to 140°C/gas mark 1, until it’s completely dry. Alternatively, run the jar through on the hottest cycle of your dishwasher.
Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a rolling-pin or your hands, smash the cabbage with the other ingredients so it releases some of its natural juices. The salt helps this process, as it naturally draws out moisture.
When the mixture in the bowl is covered with a small amount of liquid it is ready to be spooned into the sterilised jar.
Fill the jar, leaving a 3cm gap at the top. Use a plastic spatula to clean around the top of the jar. I like to fold up a small piece of cling film and place on the top of the ferment, then put a weight on top of this, ensuring that the mixture is submerged under the liquid. Leave at room temperature, out of direct sunlight and taste every few days until you are happy with the sourness, this will probably take about 10 days. When checking the mixture, use a clean spoon to taste.
After opening, store in the refrigerator with the lid on.