Enjoy the best of British food with ESSE range recipes

With the help of River Cottage head chef, Gill Meller we are building an online recipe resource for ESSE owners with an emphasis on regional British ingredients. Browse through the categories in the menu below and select a recipe. You will find lots of useful tips too. You can also download a PDF for your owners manual.

This section will always be a work in progress so please keep coming back again to see what Gill has been creating.

Soups and startersFish and seafoodMeatPoultry and gameVegetablesSaladsVegetarian recipesPuddingsBakingPreserves  Select a category from the list

Home-made bacon

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Leg of Mutton or Lamb Baked in Hay

Hay was originally used in cooking as an insulator. In grand Victorian kitchens, roasts were taken from the oven and packed in boxes lined with hay, to keep them hot when transported to shooting lunches and elaborate picnics. It was noted that the hay imparted a distinctive and delightful flavour – worth exploring for its own sake. Mutton or lamb baked in hay like this is not just tasty but unusually moist and tender. ... more >>



Rabbit Casserole

This is really simple to make and warming on a cold winters day, it has a thin but incredibly flavoursome sauce, and goes well with celeriac mash or an egg pasta. ... more >>



Roast rack of Mutton with potatoes, anchovies and garlic.

I was lucky enough to be given half a rack of mutton by Hugh after our Lamb and Mutton in a day course that we run at River cottage HQ[para]I made this dish at home that night.[para]If you cant get hold of mutton a rack of lamb or hoggit will be fine. ... more >>



Slow-roasted beef brisket with potatoes and onions

Brisket's open-grained texture, generous fattiness and deep flavour make it perfect for slow roasting, as well as boiling. Ask your butcher for the thick end of the brisket, boned and rolled, and make sure he doesn't trim off the fat. Serves six to eight ... more >>



The River Cottage Pork Sausage

Makes about 50 sausages ... more >>