Roast Cod with Squash, Bacon and Lemon

Tags

alternative christmas recipes, Butternut Squash, Chestnut recipes, Christmas Menu, Christmas party, Christmas Recipe, christmas recipes, Christmas time, Cod, festive feast, Festive recipe, Fish recipes, hearty fish recipe, Merchant Gourmet, Merchant Gourmet Christmas, Pancetta, seasonal recipe, xmas recipes

 

Serves 4

Preparation time -15

Cooking time -25 mins

Ingredients 

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 12 shallots, peeled
• 500g butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded, roughly chopped
• 200g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts
• 150g Pancetta, cut into lardons
• 120g unsalted butter
• 25g bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves picked
• 4 filets of cod, 150g each, skin on
• Zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp juice
• 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Pre-Heat your oven to 230C/Gas Mark 8, upper middle shelf. Boil your kettle. Put a bowl next to your cooker to drain fat into.
2. Heat a low sided baking tray just large enough to hold the vegetables with 1 and 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil, for 5 minutes in the oven.
3. Add the shallots and squash to the baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and toss them until they are well coated with the oil. Roast for 15 minutes, turning the vegetables once and basting with a heatproof brush. Add the chestnuts, a third of the butter and the bacon. Roast for 7-10 minutes more or until golden.
4. Get a large frying pan very hot with 1 and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil. Season the cod. Fry on the flesh side over a very high heat for for 2 minutes. Lower the heat slightly, drain the fat into the bowl next to your cooker, add a third of the butter and fry for a further 2 minutes, turn the cod then fry for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crisp and the cod is just cooked through.
5. Put the cod on top of the roasted vegetables and chestnuts. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and water to the pan. Bring to the boil. Stir in the remaining butter and the parsley. Turn off the heat, season to taste.
6. Spoon the cooking juices over everything except the cod skin. Serve from the baking tray.

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Slow Braised Ox Cheek with Pancetta & Star Anise

Tags

beef recipe, Braised Beef Recipe, hearty stew, low and slow, meat, ox cheek, Pancetta, rich recipes, rich stew, slow braising, star anise, Stew, winter recipes, winter warmer

Serves 6

Preparation time – 15 mins

Cooking Time – 5 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 3 ox cheeks, trimmed of gristle and halved
• 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 150g pancetta, cut into Lardons
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 star anise
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 400 ml good red wine
• 100 ml Port
• 400 ml beef stock

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan 130°C/gas 2. In a flameproof casserole that will fit the wine and ox cheeks snugly, melt the butter over a medium heat.
2. Roll the ox cheeks in the seasoned flour, then pat off any excess. When the butter sizzles, add the meat. Cook, turning until well browned all over (you may need to do this in batches). Remove the meat and set aside.
3. Add the lardons and fry until lightly coloured. Add the onions and the bay leaves and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are just soft. Stir in the garlic, then the tomato purée. Stir occasionally until the purée starts to catch the bottom of the pan, then cook for 3 minutes more.
4. Add the wine, port and beef stock, then return the meat to the casserole. Bring the stew to barely a simmer, then cover and put to the oven. Cook for 5 hours or until the cheeks are tender when prodded with a cutlery knife. Turn the cheeks occasionally during the cooking time.
5. Season to taste, then serve with mash or dauphinoise and seasonal veg.

 

Portobello mushrooms stuffed with spinach, quinoa and pancetta

Tags

healthy, healthy eating, Healthy recipe, hee, mediterranean comfort food, Merchant Gourmet, Pancetta, Portobello mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, stuffed mushrooms, summer recipes

Cooking Time: 10-30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Portobello mushrooms, (stalks removed and finely chopped)
• 100g Spinach (about half a bag)
• 125g Merchant Gourmet Ready to Eat Red & White Quinoa (half the pouch)
• 1 clove of Garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Crème fraiche
• Black pepper
• 130g Bacon lardons
• 4 x Merchant Gourmet Sun Dried tomatoes, sliced (use the ones in the oil, but remove from the oil)
• Handful of freshly grated Parmiggiano reggiano (or Pecorino as a vegetarian alternative)
• 2 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
• 50g unsalted butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Place the mushrooms onto a baking tray.
3. Place about a 1cm cubed knob of butter on each mushroom, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place into the oven and bake for 8 minutes.
4. In medium-large casserole pan, fry the bacon lardons, for about 4 minutes on a medium heat. They should contain enough fat, for no additional oil, but if they start to stick, add a little oil. Then add the finely chopped mushroom stalks and fry with the bacon for an additional minute until softened.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, and transfer the bacon and mushroom into a medium sized mixing bowl.
6. Put the pan back on a medium-low heat, melt 3-4 knobs of butter in it and add the spinach and finely chopped garlic, and allow to wilt, this takes about 2 minutes. Add the crème fraiche, and black pepper. Remove from the heat
7. Empty half the contents of the Quinoa into the mixing bowl containing the bacon and mushrooms and add the parsley, half the grated parmesan and the sliced sundried tomatoes.
8. Onto each baked mushroom, first place the wilted spinach, then a spoonful of the Quinoa/bacon mixture, followed by an extra sprinkling of the parmesan on top.
9. Place the mushrooms back in the oven, and cook for a further 6-7 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.

Lentil and spicy sausage casserole with thyme and garlic bread

Tags

Beluga Lentils, broccoli, casserole, garlic bread, healthy eating, hearty recipe, Lentil, Maldon sea salt, Merchant Gourmet, Pancetta, porcini mushrooms, Red Wine, spicy sausage, Winter, winter recipes

Serves:6
Cooking Time:30-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 25g Merchant Gourmet Dried Porcini Mushrooms
• 5 tbsp Merchant Gourmet Garlic Infused Olive Oil
• 100g unsmoked Sliced Pancetta
• 500g Merchant Gourmet Black Beluga Lentils
• 300ml red wine
• 300g shallots, peeled, trimmed and halved
• 225g good quality sausages
• 900ml chicken stock
• 175g purple sprouting broccoli
• 1 small French stick
• 4 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp Maldon salt flakes

Method:

1. Prepare the Porcini Mushrooms according to packet instructions and set aside until soft. Meanwhile heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large heavy based heatproof casserole dish and cook the shallots and sausages over a moderate heat for 4-5 minutes until golden
2. Add the pancetta strips and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the lentils, mushrooms, wine, stock and 3 tbsp of the thyme and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Season the casserole and add the broccoli and cook for a further 10 minutes until the broccoli is tender and the lentils are cooked through
4. Meanwhile preheat a grill to hot. Tear the French stick into large pieces and place onto a grill rack torn side up. Drizzle with the remaining oil and scatter with thyme and salt flakes. Grill for 1-2 minutes until golden and lightly crisp
5. Serve the stew ladled into large wide rimmed serving bowls and serve with the warm crusty garlic bread to mop up the juices

Best Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta

Tags

Best Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta, Brussels sprouts, Chestnuts, Christmas, Festive recipe, Merchant Gourmet, Pancetta

This is a brilliant way to cook and serve Brussels sprouts so that they cook quicker, taste fresher, stay greener and the salt in the water really soaks up the flavours.

Cooking Time: 10-30 minutes
Serves: 2- 4

Ingredients

• 400g Brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, or turkey fat if you’re doing this at Christmas
• 70g-100g pancetta, you can use smoked or unsmoked
• 100g Merchant Gourmet Whole Cooked Chestnuts, cut in half
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation time 10-15 mins

1. Fill your largest pot with water. Add salt. Cover and bring to the boil.
2. Put a small bowl of cold water next to your cooker. Put a colander in your sink.
3. Trim the sprouts as little as you possibly can. Cut them in half.
4. Add the sprouts to the boiling water. Cover the saucepan. Bring back to the boil. Take the lid off. Boil for 3 minutes or until the sprouts are tender to your taste. To taste one, lift it out with tongs and dip it in the cold water first so that you don’t burn your mouth.
5. Drain the sprouts thoroughly in your colander. Return them to the empty pan; put it back on the heat and sauté for 20-30 seconds to evaporate away the excess water. Turn off the heat.
6. While the sprouts boil, get a large frying pan, add the vegetable oil and get it medium hot. Add the pancetta and sauté for about 1 minute. Not to get it really brown, but just to cook it through. Add the chestnuts, sauté for 1 minute. Add the sprouts. Toss everything together, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta

Tags

Chestnuts, Pancetta, Sprouts