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Cauliflower cheese is a family favourite but adding wild garlic pesto to the cheese sauce makes it into a special spring tasting dish! Make the most of the first green leaves of the year. The large almond-like leaves grow in moist woodland and in damp hedgerows and shady lanes. Wild garlic can be distinguished by its strong garlic smell and the young leaves are the most flavoursome. When the flowers start to appear the leaves are starting to loose flavour. The flowers are wonderful in salads and the flower buds can be pickled to use throughout the year.

Recipe for the wild garlic pesto

  • 100g pistachio nuts or sunflower seeds, lightly toasted
  • 100g Parmesan style cheese, grated
  • 150ml olive oil
  • Two large handfuls of wild garlic leaves, washed and dried (I use a salad spinner)
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method: Simply blitz the wild garlic leaves, cheese, nuts/seeds to a rough paste in a food processor or use a pestle and mortar (that is the traditional method and that is where the name comes from in Italian!). Then slowly add the olive oil and season with ground black pepper. I don’t add salt as the cheese is salty. For the cauliflower cheese recipe you don’t need it too thin. If you are making the pesto for another recipe then do add more olive oil to make it thinner. Transfer the pesto into a clean jar and keep in the fridge until needed.

Recipe for the cauliflower cheese

  • A whole cauliflower, taking a few of the green leaves but leaving some
  • 50g strong cheddar cheese, grated plus extra the topping
  • 20g butter
  • 20g plain flour
  • 350ml milk
  • 2 heaped tablespoons wild garlic pesto plus extra for garnish
  • A handful of chopped pistachio nuts, lightly toasted for garnish, optional

Method: Steam the cauliflower in a little water for about 10 minutes until just tender, depending on the size of the cauliflower as it may take longer. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

To make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat, then stir in the flour. Mix to a smooth paste. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then gradually add the milk, a little at a time, whisking it well into the roux as you add it until it is all mixed in. Simmer for a minute and then add the grated cheese. Take off the heat and add the pesto. Taste and add more if you like it strong flavoured! Add more milk to make the sauce the consistency you like, as it may become thick with adding the pesto.

Heat up the ESSE grill.

Pour the green sauce over the cauliflower and around it. Grate extra cheese on top. Grill until the topping and sauce is golden and bubbling.

To serve add extra pesto and nuts if you wish and serve with a green salad.

If you want to make this dish in advance, cool it once assembled and refrigerate. Before serving, bake in the oven at 180C for about 30 minutes.

Philippa Vine has worked with ESSE Cookers for approaching ten years. Initially owning a wood-fired ESSE range cooker, Philippa opened a cookery school at her farm in East Sussex showcasing the benefits of cooking with both electric and wood-fired ESSE cookers. Philippa now produces colourful, seasonal recipes using her ESSE 1000 T in her own kitchen, presents exciting cookery demonstrations and is an ambassador for Love British Food. Discover more by visiting Philippa’s Instagram profile @philippavinecooking.

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Sausages, one of the greatest things on earth. Batter puddings, another example of simple but excellent food, put it together though, and what you have transcends the mere mortal realm and becomes food heaven.

Not a huge amount to say here other than keep the temperature at 180 (ESSE dial guide MODERATE), have the steam vent open and do not open the door of the oven after you have the batter in UNTIL at least 20 mins after you have closed it. This can be nerve wracking but trust me on this, you do not want flat hole! It’s happened to us all at some point it’s really not the dream.

Serves: 4

Prep time 10 mins
Cooking tome 40 mins
Oven 180
Stove top 4 5ths

Ingredients

  • 8 Good snags
  • 50g lard
  • 2 large eggs (est 120g)
  • 120g flour
  • 200g milk
  • 1 pinch salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch dried mixed herbs

Method

  1. You need a good oven proof pan for this, or a good pan and a decent oven proof dish which will require a swap round and a little extra washing up but is better than melted pan handles or failed attempts. I’m lucky, I have a trustworthy stainless steel lined copper pan that is just about perfect for this.
  2. Make a batter by mixing the eggs, herbs, salt, pepper, flour and milk together in a mixing bowl, give the mix a good whisk then let it rest for ten minutes whilst you do the other bits and bobs.
  3. Heat the pan on the stove top and add a little lard, begin to fry the sausages to get a good colour on them – around 4 5th’s of the full throttle on the ESSE hob controller.
  4. Once you have a decent browning on your snags, lob in the rest of the lard and pop the whole thing in the oven for just 3 mins, using a cloth or oven gloves on the now “hotter than the sun” pan handle, remove the pan and place it on the hob, but just on the side where it won’t get too much more heat.
  5. Make sure the sausages are evenly spread out and ideally not touching each other and then pour in the batter.
  6. Replace the pan in the oven and gently (or as gently as possible) shut the oven door, make sure the steam vent is open and leave the magic to happen behind closed doors for a minimum of 30 mins, and if you are brave enough, aim for 35.
  7. After that time, gently open the door and take a squint inside – hopefully you have a risen pudding and it may want a few more minutes to crisp up or it may not – technically I always think around 35 to 40 mins cooks a batter pudding beautifully, but your idea of perfect could be different from mine, You definitely do NOT want the top of the pudding to get burnt, but a crispy base and sides is a thing of joy.

Recipe created by Tim Maddams. Tim is a chef, food writer and cookery teacher who produces seasonal recipes for ESSE at his home in Inverness using ingredients grown in his kitchen garden. ESSE first met Tim over ten years ago when he regularly co-featured in the hit TV series River Cottage. During his time as head chef at River Cottage Tim pioneered ethical, local, seasonal produce and became a key spokesperson in the area of responsibly-sourced food.

Tim’s aim is to show off the “tremendous versatility” of the ESSE 600 X electric range cooker. The new 600 X has ESSE’s classic heat storage construction, patented ovens, beautiful colour finishes and the reassuring ‘solidity’ with modern, electric controllability and responsiveness.

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November

I love the abundance of November, there’s still just about stuff tumbling from the poly tunnel including a few very late and not all that sweet tomatoes, we have had our annual batch of pigs taken care of so there’s bacon to make and a freezer full of wonder, squashes and herbs to use up and well – darkness, the smoke of bonfires and the cosy heat from the ESSE lending a new warmth to this old farmhouse kitchen, full of drafts, holes, dogs and the occasional intrepid slug.

So, with the possibility of the last fun before Christmas resonating in the background of life I’ve put together a couple of really simple warming and spicy crowd pleasers for this month’s kitchen diary, I hope you like them, I hope you find them super simple to make and I very much hope you will share them with friends.

Chilli Style Pork Meat Balls

Everyone loves a good chilli, be it “Con Carne” or “Sin carne”, a chilli just hits that unctuous, spicy, rich and indulgent spot that so suits this time of the year. Being “pork rich” as I am at the moment I’ve deviated from the usual beef scenario and headed off in a more hybrid style, mixing the old meat ball routine with the familiar chilli riff – I opted to make this one 100% in the top oven, starting with the vent closed then opening it for a finish, a few simple stove top tortillas provide a carb and you could go with a guacamole as garnish but I simply chopped up some fresh tomatoes and finessed them with some herbs and garlic for a fresher lift – and also to use up more of those toms! A few green ones sneaking in too.

Serves: 8

For the mince

Ingredients

  • 1kg free range pork mince, with a bit of fat to it
  • 2 dessert spoons good smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes – fresh chilli if you have it
  • (You can use less chilli if you want, or more)
  • 1 teaspoon each coriander seed, cumin seed, fennel seed – toasted and crushed
  • 1 sprig each fresh thyme, and rosemary and couple of leaves of sage (or a teaspoon or two of mixed dried herbs)
  • 3 cloves of garlic grated finely
  • 10g salt
  • 50g breadcrumbs

Method

  1. Set the top oven of your ESSE to around 190 degrees Celsius.
  2. Finley chop the herbs and mix everything really well together in a bowl, separate into 8, 12 or 16 balls roughly even in size, heat a large oven proof dish in the top oven. Remove it from the oven and place it on the hob top whilst you drizzle in some olive oil and add the meat balls, replace in the oven and bake for around half an hour, making sure you open the steam vent, turning the balls occasionally using a pair of tongs and taking care not to burn yourself.

For the sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 tin of tomato pulp or 1 tin of tomatoes blitzed
  • 1 tin of red kidney beans – and the liquid!
  • 1 dessert spoon of treacle or malt extract

Method

Simply mix these things together and pour into the baking dish with the meat balls, return the whole show to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes or so

For the tortillas

Ingredients

  • 400g plain flour
  • 260g water
  • 10g olive oil
  • 2g salt

Method

  1. Mix into as dough and set to rest before kneading for 3 or 4 minutes into a smooth dough. Divide into 8 or 10 similar sized balls and roll out on a floured surface to make very thin rounds of dough.
  2. Cook these directly on the ESSE hotplate on around 90% power until they change colour a little, then flip them to do the other side – it’s nice to get a little colour on them if you can.

Lastly, the tomato salsa

Ingredients

  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 spring onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 pinch chilli flakes or chopped red chilli
  • Dash of olive oil
  • Sprig of fresh mint and fresh coriander chopped

Method

  1. Dice the tomatoes, finely grate the garlic, finely slice the spring onion and then mix everything together in a small bowl, season with a little salt.
  2. Serve the meat balls with the flatbreads, some salsa and, if you like, some grated cheese for extra luxury.

Recipe created by Tim Maddams. Tim is a chef, food writer and cookery teacher who produces seasonal recipes for ESSE at his home in Inverness using ingredients grown in his kitchen garden. ESSE first met Tim over ten years ago when he regularly co-featured in the hit TV series River Cottage. During his time as head chef at River Cottage Tim pioneered ethical, local, seasonal produce and became a key spokesperson in the area of responsibly-sourced food.

Tim’s aim is to show off the “tremendous versatility” of the ESSE 600 X electric range cooker. The new 600 X has ESSE’s classic heat storage construction, patented ovens, beautiful colour finishes and the reassuring ‘solidity’ with modern, electric controllability and responsiveness.

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I chose this recipe because I love the flavours and I love beans. It’s warming and colourful and adaptable to serve in different ways. The parmesan fried eggs are really delicious. As a variation I would serve it with rice (without the egg) or on a jacket potato.

Top tip – make sure you get the aubergine quite dark but also make sure it is nice and soft. I used the hot ESSE cast iron plate to sear the aubergine to get them nice and dark to help give a smokey flavour and the oven for slow cooking the red peppers. This tenderises and sweetens them. The induction was used to cook the chilli but equally I could have used the hot plate side for that too.

Ingredients

  • 2 x aubergines
  • 2 onions (and 1 red onion)
  • 3 red peppers
  • 1 dried chipotle chilli
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 300g cherry tomatoes
  • 400 g tin tomatoes
  • 2 cans kidney beans
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 large handfuls of spinach leaves
  • 1 lime
  • Olive oil

Method

  1. Heat the hot plate to about 2/3 capacity. Slice the aubergines into 3cm thick rounds and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sear the slices directly on the middle of the hot plate. Put the lid down to keep moisture in and cook on both sides until they are soft and browned.
  2. Half the red peppers and remove seeds and stalks. Place in a roasting tray with olive oil, salt and pepper and chopped garlic. Bake in the oven with vent open at 160c (ESSE dial guide middle of MOD) until soft (about an hour)
  3. Chop or slice the 2 white onions and cook with a little oil in a deep pan. Add the spices and the chilli. (Soak the chilli in hot water first and cut it up with a pair of scissors)
  4. Add the peppers, aubergines, tomatoes, beans, sugar, and vinegar. Allow to simmer gently and then check for seasoning and adjust to your taste.
  5. Finely slice the red onion, cover with some white vinegar and a little white sugar. Leave to soften in this pickle.

To serve; Stir the spinach into the hot chilli. Add a squeeze of lime juice to taste. Place chilli in a bowl with a grilled slice of focaccia and some of the pickled red onions.

Recipe prepared and served by Dominique Ashford at Dale House Barn and Kitchen in the Forest of Bowland, North East Lancashire. A warm welcome is offered at Dale House with delicious home cooked meals made using either the ESSE 1000 X electric range cooker or the ESSE Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove.

Dominique has trained in some of the best professional kitchens in the country under Michelin starred chefs such as the Roux brothers and Aiden Byrne. She was head pastry chef at the Houses of Parliament for 13 years and also at Sir Terence Conran’s flagship restaurant, Le Pont de la Tour. She continues to do private chef work and consultancy to restaurants, individuals and high end brands such as ESSE Stoves and Range Cookers. She now uses her skills and imagination to run cookery and baking courses, guests are in-store for a culinary treat.

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Roasting a whole chicken is very economical and a great way to simplify the following night’s supper. Adding a Spring flavour of wild garlic gives it a lighter taste.

Serves

Approximately 6

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken, about 2kg
  • A handful of wild garlic leaves, or a sprig of fresh herbs (parsley/thyme)
  • A knob of butter, melted
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat the oven 180C, steam vent closed.
  2. Place the chicken in a roasting tin, ideally a cast-iron pan, and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken with the wild garlic leaves or herbs and pour over the melted butter.
  3. Roast in the oven for about 1 ½ hours. If you like crispy chicken skin then open the steam vent for the last half an hour of cooking. Check the chicken is cooked, the juices should run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer or use a meat thermometer (at least 75C).
  4. You will have some delicious juices in the bottom of your roasting dish which can be poured into a jug and served after carving the chicken.

Bread Sauce

A family favourite and a classic accompaniment to roast chicken plus it means you don’t need to make gravy and the sauce can be made in advance.

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 75g butter
  • 600ml milk plus a little extra milk or cream to finish the sauce
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 10 cloves
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 110g fresh breadcrumbs, sourdough or white
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • A good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and gently cook until softened. If you use the induction hob you will have more control and you can leave it to gently stew.
  2. Pour the milk in a saucepan and add the bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns.
  3. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, remove from the heat and leave at the back of your ESSE cooker to infuse for at least 30 minutes. The longer you leave it then  the deeper the flavour.
  4. Strain the infused milk into the cooked onions, discarding the aromatics.
  5. Reheat over a low to medium heat and add the breadcrumbs, seasoning and nutmeg.
  6. Give it a good stir.  The breadcrumbs will absorb the milk to make a thick sauce, if you would like it thinner then add more milk or a couple of tablespoons of cream.  Taste for seasoning.

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You don’t have to bake the pastry blind as it will cook on the base of the ESSE oven. This is a simple recipe, with store cupboard ingredients and the perfect match with this refreshing and nutritious February salad. I used a 23cm heart shaped tin or use a loose based round tin.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

  • 175g wholemeal or plain flour
  • 85g cold butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (optional)

For the filling:

  • 3 large red onions, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 100g mature hard cheese, grated
  • 2 eggs
  • 150ml single cream
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Heat the oven to 180C (ESSE dial guide middle of HOT).

  1. For the pastry, mix together the flour and paprika. Then add the butter, cut up into cubes and rub into the flour, mix until fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Then add the egg until it makes a dough (if you are using wholemeal flour you may need to add a splash of cold water to make a dough). Leave to rest in the fridge while you make the filling.
  3. Cook the onions in the oil until  they start to soften (the longer and  the slower the better).  You can cook them in the oven if you prefer.  Cook until they are softened and turn naturally sweet. Then season to taste.
  4. Line the tin with pastry. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese over the tart base and then spread the onions on top.
  5. Beat the eggs into the cream, season with salt and pepper and pour over the onions, top with the remaining cheese and finally grate in some fresh nutmeg.
  6. Bake direct on the base of the ESSE oven for about 35 minutes or until the filling is firm and golden.

Caramalised red onion and cheese heart quiche is lovely served with a Red winter salad with beetroot, Yorkshire rhubarb and chicory.

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen and Cookery School in East Sussex.

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This recipe is a nutritious and delicious supper dish and you can make it as spicy as you like! Serve with sides of soured cream and homemade guacamole for a complete Mexican style meal!

Serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 300ml milk
  • A tablespoon of olive oil
  • A pinch of sea salt

For the filling:

  • 3 shallots or 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • 2 heaped teaspoons of tomato pure
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • A pinch of chilli powder (optional)
  • 450g cooked red or black beans
  • 100g grated hard cheese
  • A little olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Make the pancakes in the usual way.

  1. To make the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the shallots or onions until they begin to colour and soften.
  2. Then add the spices, garlic, tomato puree and water and cook for a further few minutes.
  3. Then add the beans, crushing some of them with the back of a wooden spoon to mush up bit. Taste for seasoning.
  4. Fill your pancakes by spooning a tablespoon of filling on each pancake and then rolling up.
  5. Put them seam down in a greased shallow ovenproof dish and fill the other pancakes to fill the dish.
  6. Sprinkle the cheese over the pancakes and cook in the oven 190C (ESSE dial guide top end of HOT) for about 20 minutes or use the ESSE grill to brown the cheese on top if you wish.

This dish can be prepared in advance and cooked just before you want to eat it.

Recipe prepared using the ESSE Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove, pancakes cooked direct to the right hand side of the cast hand hotplate and then baked in the oven which is heated by the fire. Courtesy of Philippa Vine at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen and Cookery School in East Sussex.

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The holy trinity of Creole and Cajun cooking is bell pepper, onions and celery.  Add to these spicy chorizo sausage and rice and you have a wonderfully name jambalaya.  The beauty of jambalaya is that it’s great at using up leftovers and it’s also a one pot meal, with vegetables mixed in with meat and rice.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 450g leftover chicken or turkey
  • 75g chorizo or smoked sausage, thinly sliced
  • 175g long-grain basmati rice
  • 400ml stock, include leftover gravy
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 3 sticks of celery, chopped
  • 2 green peppers, dice
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat a large frying pan or casserole over a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and gently cook the onions and celery until softened.
  2. Then add the peppers and cook for a further couple of minutes, giving the vegetables a good stir.
  3. Then stir in the leftover chunks of chicken and rice. Add the remaining ingredients, give it a good stir and bring to the boil.
  4. Cover with a lid. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the rice is cooked through, for about 25 minutes.
  5. Taste for seasoning and if you like it spicy then add some more spice or hand the hot sauce around the table!

Winter comfort recipes prepared by Philippa Vine using the Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen and Cookery School in East Sussex.

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A raised pie makes a great dish for serving cold with winter salads for any celebration meal, all the work has been done the day before.  You can use turkey or game meat instead of chicken.

You will need a 1.5 litres capacity tin, ideally a spring form deep tin.

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the hot water crust pastry:

  • 100g butter
  • 100g lard
  • 250ml water
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 550g plain or spelt flour
  • 1 egg, for the egg wash

For the filling:

  • 950g boneless chicken or turkey, cut into small cubes
  • 100g smoked pancetta, diced
  • 150g precooked chestnuts
  • 85g dried cranberries
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • Sprig of fresh thyme, sage and parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sherry or white wine

For the jelly (optional)

  1. 300ml concentrated chicken stock
  2. 10g gelatine

Method

  1. To make the pastry, put the water in a saucepan.  Cut the butter and lard into small cubes add to the pan.
  2. Place over a low heat and melt the fats, the water must not boil before they have melted.
  3. Place the flour and salt in a bowl.  Once the fats have melted, increase the heat, and bring to the boil and as soon as it boils, take off the heat and pour over the flour.
  4. Mix everything together with a table knife to make a dough then knead a little using your hands until smooth.  Let it rest whilst your assemble the filling.
  5. Preheat the oven to 190C (ESSE dial guide low end of hot).  For the filling, using a large bowl mix the chicken, pancetta, chestnuts, cranberries, coriander, herbs, breadcrumbs, wine and seasoning well together.
  6. Butter your tin well and line your dish using three quarters of the pastry.  Roll and mould it into the tin carefully without having any holes in the pastry.  Pack the meat filling into the lined tin.
  7. Roll out the reserved quarter of the pastry, wet the edges of the pastry in the tin and place the lid on top.  Trim the edges and crimp to seal, make a design on the top and cut a hole in the centre as a steam vent that will later be used to fill with the jelly.
  8. Egg wash the top and cook the pie for 1 1/2 hours or until the centre of the pie reaches 75C.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the tin. If you want to brown the sides, then increase the oven temperature to 230C (ESSE dial guide low end of very hot), brush the sides with little beaten egg and return to oven for a few minutes (cover the top with foil to prevent it getting too brown).
  10. If after cooking the pie is leaking, allow it to cool, then use soft butter to plug any holes.  Allow the butter to firm completely by putting the pie in the fridge until the butter is hard.  (The butter can be scrapped away after the jelly has been add and before serving).
  11. To make the jelly, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes.  Bring the stock to the boil, then dissolve the leaves in it. Carefully pour the jelly through the centre hole while the pie is still warm.  Chill in the fridge overnight to set.

Winter comfort recipes prepared by Philippa Vine using the Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen and Cookery School in East Sussex.

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A great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken with this free-form pie using just a sheet of puff pastry.

Ingredients

  • 400g cooked chicken or turkey, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 20g butter
  • 20g plain flour
  • 200ml leftover gravy or stock
  • 1 tablespoon double cream
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • A sprig of sage leaves plus extra for decorating the pie
  • 320g sheet ready rolled all butter puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten for the egg wash

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C (ESSE dial guide middle of VERY HOT).
  2. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook for about a minute, stirring well with a wooden spoon to ensure even cooking.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the stock/gravy stirring well, return to the heat, increase the heat and stir constantly as it comes to the boil to make a thick sauce.
  4. Once it has boiled, then stir in the chopped sage leaves, cream, mustard, salt and pepper, reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.
  5. Then add the cut up chicken and stir into the sauce. Set aside and cool.
  6. Cut the sheet of pastry into 3/5 and 2/5 pieces (so you have one piece slightly larger). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the smaller piece of pastry on it.
  7. Spoon the filling in the centre leaving a 5cm border. Wet the border and place the larger piece of pastry over the top.
  8. Press the edges down well and brush the top of the pastry with a little egg wash and scatter a few sage leaves on top for decoration.
  9. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until well browned.

Winter comfort recipes prepared by Philippa Vine using the Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen and Cookery School in East Sussex.

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Serves 4 depending on the size of the squash. A great one pot and a seasonal gluten free meal.  Leave out the chicken if you would like it vegetarian.

Ingredients

  • 2 butternut squashes
  • 2 large leeks, washed and chopped
  • 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 chicken breasts, diced small
  • 150ml double cream
  • Olive oil and a knob of butter
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C / ESSE dial reading low end of HOT.
  2. Halve the squash lengthways and place cut side up on a baking tray and roast for about 50 minutes (depending on the size) until tender.
  3. Fry the chopped leeks with a little oil and butter in a pan for a couple of minutes until softened.
  4. Then add the fennel seeds and season well then transfer to a bowl.
  5. Fry the chicken in the same pan with a little oil and cook for about 4 mins until cooked through, then add the cream to the pan.
  6. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Then add to the leeks.
  7. When the squash are cooked, with a knife cut around the edge about 1 cm from the skin, remove the seeds with a spoon and scoop out the flesh.
  8. Place with the leeks and chicken and give it a good mix.  Taste for seasoning and spoon this mixture back into the squash shells and return to the oven until piping hot.  Or you can prepare ahead of time and leave them in the fridge overnight and reheat when required.

Recipe provided by Philippa Vine of Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen in East Sussex. Philippa is a cookery demonstrator with her own professional kitchen featuring a selection of British made ESSE range cookers. As a chef Philippa is a passionate advocate of local seasonal produce and what delicious dishes they can produce.  She is keen to share with the general public what a dedicated community of small independent farmers and producers there are across the UK and to encourage the reduction of food miles.

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The combination of fennel and fish is nothing new. It’s a marriage that works and I don’t hesitate to throw another version in the pot. My version is an all in one supper dish. It works with bass, pollock, most of the smaller whole flat fish, mackerel – but bream is way up there on my ‘most wanted’ list!

Serves

Two people

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh fish (any of the above)
  • 2 large, firm, fennel bulbs
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 400g new potatoes
  • glass of white wine
  • 100 g butter
  • juice of half a lemon
  • olive oil
  • maldon sea salt
  • black pepper

Method

Gut and scale the fish if you caught them yourself, otherwise your fishmonger will have done this for you.

Cut back the greener sticks from the top of the fennel bulbs and remove the coarser, outer layers. Then, using a sharp knife, finely slice the fennel from top to bottom and remove and discard the dense core from the centre of the bulb.

Scrub and slice the potatoes – they should be a similar thickness to the fennel (aim for 2-3 mm)

Peel and finely slice the garlic into slivers, combine the fennel, potato and garlic in a bowl with a slug of olive oil, the salt and the pepper. Then take two sheets of tin foil (large enough to envelope the fish and the vegetables) and divide the seasoned potato and fennel – making a pile in the centre of each piece of foil.

Place the fish on top and split the butter, wine and lemon juice between each parcel before seasoning with salt and pepper.

Bring the four corners of each foil sheet together and twist to seal the parcels. Then bake on a tray in the top oven reading just shy of very hot for 30-35 mins.

Bring the parcels straight to the table and open. The fish should be moist, the fennel soft and the sauce rich.

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The wonderfully fragant smell of onions and spices cooking at the beginning of this recipe will entice Bonfire Night revellers into the kitchen. It’s a good basic recipe using quick or easy-cook basmati rice. For meat eaters I often add cooked chicken and chorizo and for vegetarians crumbled feta, grilled halloumi cheese or extra roasted vegetables.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp black onion seeds
  • 400g quick or easy-cook basmati rice
  • 400g diced pumpkin
  • 800ml hot vegetable stock
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 125g thick Greek yogurt
  • 100g radishes, sliced
  • 100g roasted almonds, crushed
  • small bunch fresh mint and coriander, coarsely chopped
  • 1 chilli, seeded and finely sliced

Method

  1. Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy-based pan (with tight-fitting lid). Add the onion, garlic, cumin, fennel and black onion seeds and cook for 3 minutes.
  2. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, add salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed. (if you’re using regular rice then this may take up to 20-25 minutes cooking time). At this point add any meat or vegetarian extras, remove from the heat, re-cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
  3. Remove the lid and give the pilaf a gentle stir. Top with the yogurt, scatter with the radishes and almonds then sprinkle with the mint, coriander and chilli to serve.

Tip

Younger members of the family may not appreciate the fiery taste or heat of the chillies added at the end of this recipe. Serve them first, then add the chillies for more mature tastes to keep everyone happy.

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This recipe is great for using up left-over jacket potatoes or just a delicious one pot potato dish. It is adaptable to whatever ingredients you have in your fridge, and it goes so well with roast chicken at this time of year when you have cooked enough roast potatoes over the winter months!

Ingredients

  • 3 – 5 cooked large potatoes with skins, diced up
  • 3 red onions, thinly sliced
  • 260g chorizo sausage, skin removed and thinly sliced
  • 100g pancetta, optional
  • A handful of wild garlic or parsley
  • Olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Fry the onions, chorizo and pancetta (if you are using) in a little oil in a large oven proof pan over a medium heat until everything starts to colour, and the onions are softened.
  2. Add the chopped potatoes and wild garlic, a little ground black pepper and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste for seasoning.
  3. Give it a good stir and if you like a crispier topping pop it under the grill for a few minutes until its golden brown.

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You will need a 22cm pie plate/tin.

This traditional minced beef and onion pie has the base of my staple selection of colourful vegetables to give it a real depth of flavour.  The addition of dried porcini mushrooms (a wonderful winter store cupboard ingredient) gives it an extra savoury seasoning and means you don’t need to make any stock for this pie.

Ingredients

  • 500g beef mince
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons of tomato puree
  • 1 heaped tablespoon dried porcini mushrooms, optional or 200ml beef stock
  • Freshly ground black pepper or 2 teaspoons of savoury spice mix (see below)
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil or rapeseed oil

For the pastry

  • 350g spelt or plain flour
  • 200g butter
  • 2 eggs, beaten plus 1 egg yolk plus a teaspoon of water for the egg wash

For the savoury spice mix

This will make more than you need for this pie but store what you don’t use in a clean jam jar for another winter casserole or pie.  It adds a delicious and interesting savoury note!

  • 1 tablespoon juniper berries
  • 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon whole black pepper
  • Grind the spices together

Method

  1. Set your electric ESSE on the economical setting, using the top right oven for the filling.  If you are using the Ironheart heat the oven for the gauge to read moderate/hot.
  2. If using the dried mushrooms soak them in 200ml boiling water.
  3. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles crumble.
  4. Add the eggs and work the mixture to a firm dough with a little gentle kneading.   Add a splash of water if too dry.  (You can use a food processor to speed up the process)
  5. Wrap and chill in the fridge while you make the filling for the pie.
  6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a high heat, add the mince and brown or until it loses its raw look, breaking it up with a table fork.  Season with a good sprinkle of salt.  Then add the celery, carrots, onions, garlic and cook, stirring for few minutes.  Drain the mushrooms, keeping the liquid.  Chop them and add to the mince mixture.  Then stir in the flour and cook for 2 -3 minutes more.  Add the mushroom liquid/stock, tomato puree, savoury spice mix or a good sprinkle of ground black pepper.  Bring to the boil and cook in the ESSE for about 30 minutes until thickened.  Add a splash more stock/water if too dry.  Leave to cool while you roll out the pastry.
  7. Increase the oven temperature to 200C or hot/very hot on the Ironheart.
  8. Roll out two thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a circle, then use it to line the base and sides of the dish.  Roll out the remaining pastry to form the lid.  Spoon in the cooled filling.  Brush round the edge of the pastry with a little egg wash then lay the pastry lid over the filling, pressing to seal. Trim off any excess pastry and you can cut out shapes to use for decoration if you wish.  Brush the pie with egg wash and cook on the base of the ESSE and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Recipe baked in the ESSE Electric Range Cooker by Philippa Vine of Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen, Arlington.

Philippa is a professional cook and cookery writer and delights visitors with her creative and wholesome food. She shares her passion for locally grown and sourced quality ingredients. Philippa runs several themed ESSE cookery courses and demonstrations every year in her delightful country kitchen.

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This lovely Chilean bean, corn and squash stew proved one of the most popular recipes in River Cottage Veg Everyday. I’ve enjoyed playing with the dish since then, adding creamy beans, fresh tomatoes and basil (included in some Chilean versions), along with not-so traditional celery, which adds a savoury note. I also ring the changes with courgettes in place of the squash. You can use whichever you prefer, or go half and half. It’s an easy dish… and very more-ish.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • About 500g small–medium courgettes or peeled, deseeded squash, such as butternut, Crown Prince or onion squash
  • 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 2 celery sticks, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • A handful of oregano leaves, roughly chopped (or you can use thyme)
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 200g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
  • 400g tin beans, such as kidney, borlotti or butter beans, drained and rinsed
  • About 200g sweetcorn kernels (you should get this from 2 medium cobs, but frozen is also fine)
  • 300g tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 6–8 basil leaves, torn
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Dried chilli flakes, to finish (optional)

Method

  1. If using courgettes, cut them into 1cm slices (first quartering them lengthways if they are very large). If you’re using squash, cut it into 2cm chunks.
  2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and sauté gently for 10–12 minutes. Add the paprika and chopped oregano (or thyme). Cook, stirring, for another minute.
  3. Add the squash and/or courgettes, vegetable stock and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10–15 minutes until all the veg are almost tender.
  4. Add the green beans, tinned beans, sweetcorn and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes or until all the veg are tender. Stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Serve the stew in warmed bowls, adding a pinch of chilli flakes for those who like a bit of heat.

A best-loved favourite recipe made better by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from the River Cottage good comfort cook book. Recipe prepared using his ESSE Range Cooker.

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