Plum and Allspice Tray Bake

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Plums, they are the very embodiment of here today and gone tomorrow. The whole year is no plums, no plums, no plums, then you get a brief interlude of almost plums, then it’s basically plums for about 4 seconds then it back to no plums again.

So, whilst they are here – if indeed they are still here wherever here is for you and if not file this one away for next year’s plums – let’s make sure we honour them with a recipe, not least because when they do all arrive all at once it’s good to have a few ideas to help you use them up.

I very often fall back on a basic sponge, I mean, the kids like a cake, everyone else seems to like a cake and it’s always good to have a bit of fruit inside your cake so that you can pretend it is in some way an allowable treat, despite all the sugar and butter.

Rich and aromatic plums that are properly ripe, not like those weird red golf balls you get at the supermarket with state on the pack “ripen at home” which proceed to remain rock hard for a month before going mouldy, are the very essence of deep and complex in terms of flavour, almost on the edge of fermenting by the time they are full to bursting with that delicious nectar like juice that dribbles down your chin as you sink your teeth in – balancing that needs dark brown sugar and a kick of spice, so here I’ve used all spice (no, not mixed spice, bear with me here it really works) and as it’s me I’ve gone for wholemeal flour and some ground almonds to help it feel more wholesome and taste way more interesting as well as the wholemeal flour helping things stand up to all that lovely juicy flesh we will incorporate in our cake.

Shall we begin?

Ingredients

  • 200g salted butter
  • 200 g dark brown soft sugar
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 150g self-raising wholemeal flour
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 level teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 tablespoon demerara sugar to sprinkle over the top before baking
  • 8 plums

Method

  1. Split your plums in half in the usual way and discard the stones. Sprinkle a pinch of the dark brown sugar and another good pinch of the allspice over these and gently toss them in a bowl, set them aside and get on with making the sponge mix.
  2. Line a 20cm x 30 cm x 4 cm baking tray with non-stick baking parchment and lightly brush it with melted butter.
  3. In a mixing machine with the K beater attached, mix the butter, sugar and allspice until you get a nicely creamed smooth mixture – it is worth taking your time over this and also worth having the butter at room temperature before you start. Stop the machine occasionally and scrape down the sides to ensure you are mixing all the butter and all the sugar – you should eventually end up with a really smooth and light mixture.
  4. Break your eggs and lightly beat them in a jug before adding them a little at a time to the butter and sugar mix – allowing each addition to emulsify and become one with the rest of the ingredients – repeat this process until all the egg is incorporated and then add the almonds and mix again until smooth, switch off the machine.
  5. Now add the flour  to the machine bowl and then briefly mix that in with the machine on slow adding the tablespoon of milk to help things along. As soon as everything is nicely mixed, stop the machine and scoop all the mixture out into the tray.
  6. Pre heat the ESSE top oven to 160 degrees, and close the steam vent.
  7. Place the halved plums in two rows down the cake tin and push them in so they are almost, but not quite submerged. Sprinkle each plum with a little demerara sugar and then scatter any remaining sugar over the top as evenly as possible.
  8. Place the cake in the oven to bake, opening the steam vent after the first ten minutes and cooking for approximately 40 mins. Test the sponge in the usual way to ensure it is fully cooked before you remove it from the oven. Allow the bake to cool a little in the tray before lifting it out and onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

I love this cake with some thick natural yoghurt, but cream is good as well, of course if it’s warm still then ice cream might make a nice addition and make it more of a dessert.

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.

Marrow Masala Turmeric Fried Basmati Rice

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Marrow, what is it good for? I know, it’s not an everyday issue nor one that seems as prevalent amongst those that don’t grow their own courgettes but almost any honesty table, farm shop or harvest festival box will doubtless contain a leviathan of the marrow order, resplendent in its glorious green, cream and yellow armour they are a thing of wonder but also a thing of ancient terror. My granny, god bless her, was keen on a marrow – a stuffed marrow was her weapon of choice but sadly this was not accompanied by any seasoning, and her oven lacked a little commitment to the cause as well, so things tended to end up a little moist, dreary and dare I say insipid. I have tried here to make things more interesting; I have turned the good ship marrow away from its stuffing course and set its sights on horizons a little more suitable, spicy and also, simple.

This recipe can be made more complex if you make your own Garam masala, I’d suggest that you do as it makes such a huge difference, I recommend the recipe in the Rick Stein India cookbook, or the Mira Soda version is good too – ultimately you will want to make it your own. Shop bought might will be fine but make sure it is fresh and vibrant – not a spice mix that has stayed on the shelf for some time, losing the will to live.

I have used fresh tomatoes as they are still coming out of the poly tunnel – but tinned will work just fine and are probably better than most shop bought fresh toms by this time of year.

I am not brave enough to commit to a proper “Indian” title to this dish, as I simply don’t have the knowledge or experience to accurately do that – so I’m calling this a “Curried Marrow Spiced Basmati Bake” – we love it in our house and I hope you will love it in yours, I often serve this up with some fresh mint and garlic yoghurt, and a few mustard seed wilted greens and if you feel like you will miss the meat – some diced free range chicken thighs can be added when you are cooking the onions.

ESSE Settings

Stove top to 50%
Top oven (vent closed) to 160

Prep time 20 mins, cooking time 45 mins.

You will need a large casserole type dish with a lid, and a sheet of baking paper.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 medium red onions
  • 2 large cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch of fresh root ginger
  • 125g butter
  • 300g basmati rice (soaked in warm water for at least 20 mins)
  • 6 curry leaves
  • 1,2 or three dried chillies or fresh chillies – depending on their heat and your preference
  • 1kg marrow
  • 1 dessert spoon each of Garam masala and ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 500g fresh super ripe tomatoes, blended in a liquidiser or 1 tin of good tomatoes, and a little water to rinse out the inside of the tin and top up the moisture
  • 250 ml water

Method

  1. To start soak your rice, it’s really important to help make sure this works as well as it can.
  2. Now then, let’s get cooking. Heat your pan upon the stove top and melt the butter in it. Slice the red onions and garlic and add these, cook them stirring occasionally for around 8 minutes then add the finely chopped root ginger cook for another couple of minutes, add the turmeric and spice and again continue cooking – all very straightforward.
  3. When it comes to the marrow things are a little more complicated – marrow skin is often tough as old boots, and the seed are big so – I like to peel off about 2/3rds of the skin using a sharp knife and also trim out the seeds and the spongy flesh that surrounds them – if you trim off the end of your marrow to expose a cross section you will see that you can cut your marrow lengthways into three, this will leave you with easy segments to remove the seeds from. These segments can then be sliced into roughly pound coin thick pieces. I don’t like to remove all the skin as it’s a great source of fibre, full of goodness and lends a little texture to this dish – but you can remove it all if you want.
  4. Add the marrow to the onion mix and cook for a few minutes stirring well, add the blitzed tomatoes and cook again for a minute or two with the lid on. Once everything is simmering nicely add the salt and chillies and curry leaves , along with the water – bring this all back to the simmer.
  5. Now, drain the rice that has been soaking and add this to the pan – spread it out well without quite stirring it in, but making sure it is as submerged as possible.
  6. Make a close-fitting circle of baking paper to fit on top of the rice and place it on top of the rice, fit the lid to the pan and throw the whole thing into the oven for 30 minutes.
  7. After 30 minutes take it out of the oven but do not remove the lid leave it to stand for about 10 minutes.

That’s it – you are now ready to serve, the rice should be soft but not over cooked, the marrow flesh should be soft and tender, well spiced and unctuous – just spoon it out into bowls, add the garnish of your choice and serve – you may find yourself wishing for more marrows!

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.

Oven dried tomatoes with basil, and a stove top toastie

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Tomatoes

Whether you grow your own, pilfer them from next door or simply buy them in the shops – UK tomatoes are at their very best this month, they are also at their most abundant so you should be able to grab a bargain – but whatever are you to do with them?

“Whilst the lovely autumnal tomatoes won’t be around for long they can be preserved and there are many ways to do so. I like to make soups and sauces and freeze them, I also like to ferment cherry tomatoes with Asian seven spices and my mate Bill makes the most wonderful green tomato chutney – ill see if I can prize the recipe off him…. My ultimate favourite though, and one that suite. The ESSE range cooker perfectly, is the oven dried tomatoes routine. This is a version of the way we used to make them at River Cottage Canteen, when I used to have hair and more energy, which I think is based on an old favourite of the River Café version that I used to make at Alistair Little’s in Notting Hill even further back in the day when I didn’t even realise I had hair and energy was crystallising out of the air and straight into my cooking. Enough day dreaming of active follicles, on with the cookery.”

Oven dried tomatoes with basil, and a stove top toastie there of…

I tend to do these in the bottom oven of the ESSE with the vent open and the best thing to do is to pop them on overnight, just don’t forget that they are in there – start on 160 for the first hour or two then turn it down to 120 and just forget about them till the morning – you can also pop them on in the morning and take them out in the afternoon – you get the picture…

Ingredients

  • Around a kilo and a half of well ripe tomatoes
  • A few leaves of basil
  • A clove or two of garlic
  • A glug of good olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • A well trusted ESSE baking tray and a something else to do for a while

And later on you might want

A couple of slices of your daily bread, and some fine cheddar style cheese. A little pesto if you fancy it or some harissa paste of you like things spicy

Method

  1. To begin with you will need to cut up your tomatoes – you can cut them into eighths, or quarters or even halves – just remember the larger they are the longer they will take to dry out (due to the reduced surface area caused by cutting them less) – and try not to have too much of a variance in size of cut tomatoes across each batch you make so you don’t get too many really dried ones and too many not quite dried enough ones.
  2. Place you cut tomatoes onto an ESSE baking sheet skin sides down as far as possible, drizzle with a little olive oil and season well with pepper and a little salt. Tear a few leaves of basil and scatter a that around with the tomatoes and slice a large clove of garlic very thinly and place a little of that on top of each piece of tomato too.
  3. Pop these in the bottom oven of the ESSE with the steam vent open on 160 degrees for 1 hour or so then turn the heat way down to 120 and basically do your best to forget about them for at least 6 hours. You can check them every now and again if you like.
  4. Once you are happy they are ready – they will have lost around 60% of their moisture and will be starting to look a lot like sun dried tomatoes you might buy in the deli, you can remove them from the oven or just turn the oven off and leave them there for another little while if they want a smidgeon longer.
  5. Take them out of the tray and place them in a clean jar or tub, add a drizzle more olive oil and any oil and reduced tomato juice from the baking tray should be scraped into the jar along with them. These lovely rich and salty but sweet tomatoes will now keep quite happily in the fridge for weeks on end – they won’t last that long though! They are a delicious addition to a salad or pizza or risotto, even chopped and tossed through your roasties on a Sunday to elevate that particular dish just another small notch, they work very well in a salad with roasted squash, walnuts, rocket and sheep’s curd… I will leave the details to you BUT you might want to consider a stove top toastie.

Ingredients

  • A silicon baking sheet or a piece of baking parchment or, if you are like me, a devil may care attitude towards your cooking plate on your ESSE stove top.
  • A few slices of good cheddar type cheese
  • A few of your dried tomatoes
  • 2 chunky slices of your daily bread
  • Butter

Method

I won’t labour the point here, you all know fine how to make a toastie I’m sure, but I do like to butter the outside and season with salt and pepper, cook them on the stove top – it’s worth dropping the lid down too just to help trap some heat and give them a little squeeze too – watch out you don’t squeeze too much cheese out and start a smokey catastrophe!

Tim Maddams 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.

Slow roasted tomatoes, cream cheese and herby breadcrumbs

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Tomatoes

Whether you grow your own, pilfer them from next door or simply buy them in the shops – UK tomatoes are at their very best this month, they are also at their most abundant so you should be able to grab a bargain – but whatever are you to do with them?

“The gentle warmth the ESSE range cookers emanate into the kitchen is a comfort as the days shorten rapidly up here in north east Scotland, and as the light withers the temperature variation extremes prompt a final pulse of effort in the garden and polytunnel, plums hang heavy on the tree and the apples won’t be very far behind.”

ESSE slow roasted tomatoes, cream cheese and herby breadcrumbs

This warming and intensely indulgent dish suits the time of year perfectly, basically we have three things to do. Fling a few super ripe toms into a pan with some olive oil, sling them into the ESSE top oven on 160 after a brief encounter with the stove top to get things going, and finally, after an hour or so, a little faffing with cheese and herby crumbs and a brief return to the firey furnace will result in a lunch not-to-be-missed. You might even wish to spice things up with a little chilli, but I have to say on this occasion I wont be, preferring to let the tomatoes power the play list of flavours, rather than relegate them to a secondary position of sweetness and softly melting texture.

Ingredients

  • A medium sized oven proof frying pan
  • A little fresh marjoram or thyme, or both
  • 2 large cloves of garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • 50g full fat cream cheese
  • A handful of breadcrumbs and a sprig of parsley
  • 500g ripe tomatoes, ideally larger ones – I’m showing off and using my homegrown “Marmande” and “Green Zebra” but any really good and properly ripe tomatoes will work really well
  • 75 ml good extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. To start, ensure you nudge the ESSE controller for the top oven up to 160, with the steam vent open and the stove top onto about 50%
  2. Rinse and de-stem your tomatoes, slice them horizontally so you expose maximum surface area on the cut side, if your tomatoes are oddly shaped you will just have to work it out as best you can.
  3. Place the pan on the stove top, to start getting it warmed up, and arrange your tomatoes into the pan, give them a slosh of olive oil. Finely slice 1 clove of garlic and place a sliver on top of each cut surface of tomatoes, these will be facing up so the majority of the juice stays inside the tomatoes, it’s not the end of the world though if a few go topsy turvy.
  4. Scatter over some sea salt flakes, some freshly ground pepper and either some thyme or fresh marjoram or at a pinch a little “mixed dried herb” from the larder – but don’t overdo it, we want to add backing vocals to the tomatoes not drown them out.
  5. Fling the whole show in the oven and – let’s get some herby breadcrumbs prepped whilst they do their thing. Place 1 roughly chopped clove of garlic in the food processor with some roughly chopped parsley, a little salt and pepper and a touch of olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs too and pulse the machine until the crumbs look a little green and everything is well mixed. Tip these out onto a baking sheet and pop then in the oven too, but just for 5 or ten minutes to toast them up a little.
  6. Fast forward to the end of the hour, carefully remove the tomato pan from the oven – things should be looking relaxed bordering on collapsed and smelling reasonably epic by this point. If they are swimming in juice, carefully drain some off and set it aside to add to your next soup, sauce or dressing, of just eat it like a broth whilst you wait for the next bit to happen.
  7. Place a little cream cheese onto the tomatoes with a teaspoon and then scatter over all the herby crumbs, and return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes whilst you make sure the phone is on do not disturb, the door is closed and no one is about to interrupt your lunch.
  8. Plonk the pan on the table with a spoon, and dive on into a serious seasonal treat, remembering to return your ESSE cooker to its slumber mode, or set it to the correct level for whatever you plan to do next.

Tim Maddams 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.

Rhubarb, sweet cicely & pistachio crumble cake

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This cake can be served as a pudding or as a cake with cream. The herb sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) resembles a scented cow parsley and grows in a shady corner of the garden and has a reputation as the sugar herb because the stem is particularly sweet with an aniseed flavour and can be used as a sweetener. It goes well with rhubarb and gooseberries. This recipe works well with gluten free flour.

For the ingredients:

You will need a 20cm springform cake tin, lined with parchment paper

For the cake:

  • 3 eggs (weigh these and match the weight of the other ingredients to it)
  • Same weight of softened butter, coconut sugar or caster sugar and self-raising flour
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • Approx. 600g rhubarb, cut into small pieces plus a dessert spoon of extra sugar and a sprig of sweet cicely cut up (optional)

For the crumble topping:

  • 125g butter 100g spelt or plain flour
  • 75g pistachio nuts, chopped plus a few extra for sprinkling on top
  • 75g sugar

Method:

  1. Preheat the bottom oven to 170C / ESSE dial guide MODERATE.
  2. For the crumble, add the flour, sugar and nuts into a bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks and rub into the dry ingredients. Set aside while you make the cake.
  3. Weigh the eggs and then weigh out the remaining cake ingredients into a mixing bowl, add the eggs, pinch of salt and a splash of water just to loosen the mixture slightly. Beat well for about a minute (I use a food mixer).
  4. Turn into the prepared tin and spread out. Cover with the pieces of rhubarb, sweet cicely if using and sprinkle over a little sugar. Cover with the crumble mixture and add extra nuts if you wish on top.
  5. Bake in the bottom oven for about 50 minutes or until the top feels fairly firm to the touch. You may need to cover the cake with foil if it browns too quickly half way during cooking.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin before taking out of the tin and cutting.

The above recipe was created and photographed by Philippa Vine at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen in Arlington, East Sussex. ESSE has teamed up with Philippa Vine for over five years to offer customers amazing cookery experiences at the farmhouse demonstration kitchen in Polegate. Philippa’s cookery school puts ESSE’s electric range cookers and wood-fired cooking stoves through their paces, to show guests the control and flexibility these British-made range cookers provide.

Banana and lemon loaf

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Recipe of the month from @thecastironcookinglady, Sarah Whitaker

Serves 4-6

Oven: Oven set to 180/ ESSE dial guide top end of MODERATE

Ingredients

  1. 2 eggs
  2. 110g soft brown sugar
  3. 110g butter
  4. 2 bananas
  5. 225g self-raising whole meal flour
  6. 2 tbsp. lemon curd
  7. ½ tsp ground allspice

Cook earlier:

  • Will keep in a tin for two or three days
  • Freeze

Method

  1. Line a 1 kg loaf tin with Bake-o-Glide. If possible, put the butter beside the cooker to soften for half an hour before making the cake.
  2. Peel and mash the bananas. Beat in the rest of the ingredients and pour into the prepared tin and bake.
  3. Slide the grid shelf into the oven and put the loaf tin onto it. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown and risen.
  4. Take the cooked cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  5. Serve in slices.

Sarah Whitaker owns an ESSE 990 Electric Range Cooker and is one of the most experienced cookery demonstrators in the UK. Sarah is widely recognised as an expert in cast iron range cooking.

“I am really enjoying my ESSE range, which offers all the best aspects of traditional cast iron cooking, with an induction hob and full size grill! ESSE are British made and a British owned, family company.
I have to say I am completely convinced by the ESSE cooker’s capabilities, it really is an amazing piece of equipment and it cooks beautifully. Everything I do on it works out perfectly!”

From her home in rural Hampshire, Sarah specialises in ESSE range cooker classes and demonstrations, and writing recipes. Well known for her relaxed style and effortless recipes, she gives demonstrations in ESSE retail showrooms. Follow Sarah on Facebook and Instagram for recipe tips and interesting food combinations as they go into the oven, as well as advance information on demonstration places and menu ideas!

Tartelettes with crème patissiere and strawberries

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Liedia’s tartelettes are filled with a fine layer of chocolate and custard, and topped with delicious strawberries and a touch of mint. “The ESSE is fabulous with shortcrust pastry.”

Serves 5

Ingredients

  • 250 grams strawberries
  • mint leaves for decoration

The Pastry

  • 200 grams flour
  • 30 grams almond flour
  • 80 grams icing sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 120 grams unsalted butter
  • 30 grams beaten egg (about two thirds of an egg)

Filling

  • 50 grams dark chocolate 70%

Crème patissiere

  • 65 grams sugar
  • 16 grams vanilla sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 35 grams flour
  • 350 ml milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 170ºC / ESSE dial guide MODERATE.
You will need 5 serrated tartelette tins 10 x 2 cm

First make the pastry.

  1. Measure the flour, almond flour, icing sugar, salt and butter in a bowl. Mix until breadcrumb stage.
  2. Add the egg and knead until you have a nice smooth dough.
  3. Wrap it in foil and let it rest in the fridge for at least half an hour.
  4. While the dough is resting, you can make the pastry cream.

Instructions for the crème patissiere

  1. Mix the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks in a bowl.
  2. Add the flour and stir until it is completely absorbed.
  3. Heat the milk in a saucepan, and as soon as it starts to boil, turn off the heat.
  4. You can see that it is starting to boil because bubbles will appear on the edge of the pan.
  5. Add a little milk to the egg mixture and stir until the milk is completely absorbed.
  6. Then add the rest of the milk in parts and stir until it is a smooth mixture.
  7. Pour the mixture back into the pan and turn the heat back on. Bring to the boil while stirring.
  8. The crème is ready when it has the thickness of a thick custard.
  9. Pour the cream into a clean bowl and cover it with foil, this will prevent forming a skin.
  10. Let it cool down for a while and then put it in the refrigerator to cool completely. The cream will then thicken even further.

(The crème patissiere can be made up to a day ahead).

  1. Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of 4-5 mm.
  2. Cut out a piece of dough, a little bigger than the tin. Line your baking tin with the pastry up the sides.
  3. Cut away the excess edges of pastry and place the tins on a baking tray. Prick the base with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  4. Place the tartlets in the middle of the oven and bake them for 15-20 minutes at 170°C / ESSE dial guide MODERATE or till golden brown at the edges. Let them cool completely before continuing.
  5. Melt the chocolate au-bain-marie and apply a layer of chocolate to the base of the tartlet. Let this cool completely before adding the crème patissiere.
  6. When the crème patissiere has cooled and set, put it in a piping bag with a smooth nozzle. Fill the pastry case with the cold crème patissier spreading to the edges. Halve the strawberries and arrange them on top. Decorate with a few mint leaves.
  7. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

Liedia van de Mortel regularly contributes to the ‘Loving my ESSE Cooker!’ Facebook group and her content is enjoyed by other ESSE Cooker owners. Liedia owns an electric 990 EL ESSE cooker with an induction hob. And to quote Liedia “I love it”.
Liedia is still life photographer in Rotterdam, Netherlands, previously working as a coloured pencil artist. Her favourite topics are products and food.
If you have a favourite recipe that you would like to share with ESSE, please get in touch through enquiries@esse.com.

Aubergine and Red Pepper Chilli with Pickled Red Onions

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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.

Focaccia

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I’ve selected this recipe because it’s easy to make and very versatile in use (for example, toasted, grilled, croutons, sandwich etc.) and also the variety of toppings you can use to personalise your bread. It freezes well too.

You do really need to use a machine mixer as its a very wet dough which would be hard to do by hand. The main ESSE oven was used to bake the focaccia and I sat the dough onto of the lids to prove as its warm and cosy.

Ingredients

  • 600g tepid water
  • 700g strong white bread flour
  • 10g dried yeast
  • 15g caster sugar
  • 10g fine sea salt
  • 60g extra virgin olive oil, plus, extra for oiling your work surface

Toppings

  • Pickled ginger
  • Chilli and shallot oil
  • Flaked sea salt

Method

  1. Place flour, yeast and salt into mixer bowl and attach the dough hook. Add the water and oil gradually until you have a wet dough, then increase the speed and mix for 15-18 minutes until the dough appears much whiter and is leaving the sides of the bowl.
  2. Pour the dough onto a clean damp work top for its bench rest. Gently fold, rest for 5 minutes and fold again, repeat once more, then using a dough scraper move the dough into a well-oiled bowl cover and rest in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
  3. Brush a large rectangular tin (30x25cm) with olive oil. Pour the dough in. Dimple, push in strips of pickled ginger (used in sushi), prove for a further 20 mins. Sprinkle with flaked salt.
  4. Place in an oven preheated to 220c (ESSE dial guide top end of HOT) 10-15 mins, with the vent closed, turn down to 200c (ESSE dial guide middle of HOT) for a further 10 mins, vent open.
  5. Turn bread out immediately. Brush with chili and shallot oil, place back in oven directly on shelf for another 5 mins. Then cool on a rack.

Recommended serving with Aubergine and Red Pepper Chilli, sliced and toasted directly on the hotplate.

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.

Roast Chicken

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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.

Red winter salad with beetroot, Yorkshire rhubarb and chicory

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This is a refreshing, colourful and nutritious salad.  This serves 4 people as it will keep in the fridge for the next day.

Ingredients

  • 2 heads of red chicory
  • 1 small bunch of fresh beetroot
  • 4 sticks of forced Yorkshire rhubarb, trimmed and cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped

For the dressing:

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 dessertspoon cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. To cook the beetroot, wash but don’t peel them. Place them on an oven tray and cover with kitchen foil. Roast in the oven 180C (ESSE dial guide centre of HOT) for about 1 1/2 hours, depending on their size or leave them in the ESSE on slumber mode for longer.
  2. Cool them and then rub the skin off with your hands (wear gloves!).
  3. Put the the chunks of rhubarb onto a roasting tray, drizzle with honey and roast for 5 – 9 minutes until just tender. Reserve the honey and rhubarb juice for the dressing.
  4. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients, except the oil, into a bowl. Whisk them together until mixed then pour the oil in and whisk continuously until a thick dressing.
  5. Add the honey/rhubarb juices and add the finely chopped spring onions. Taste the dressing for seasoning.
  6. To assemble the salad: Trim away the chicory stalk ends then separate the leaves and arrange on a large platter.
  7. Then cut the cooked & peeled beetroot and arrange on top of the chicory, followed by the cooked rhubarb chunks.
  8. Pour over the dressing, enough to your liking and serve.

This winter salad can be served with a Caramalised red onion and cheese heart quiche.

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

Caramalised red onion and cheese heart quiche

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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.

Mexican Beans filled pancakes

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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.

Sussex Pond Pudding

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A hearty winter steamed pudding. Easy to cook when you have an ESSE cooker as you can leave it to steam away in the oven. It gets its name because of the amount of butter in the middle which melts when it’s boiled and soaks into the suet pastry with the marvellous tartness of lemon and ginger cutting the richness.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 225g self raising flour
  • 110g suet
  • 110g butter, softened plus extra for the basin
  • 110g light muscovado sugar
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • A walnut size piece of fresh root ginger, grated
  • A pinch of sea salt

Method

  1. Butter a 900ml pudding basin using plenty of softened butter.
  2. Mix the suet, flour and a good pinch of salt with about 120ml cold water or more and mix with a table knife to a soft dough.
  3. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a circle, reserving a quarter for the lid and line the basin.
  4. Mix the sugar and butter together then add the grated ginger.
  5. Make a few slits in the lemon with a sharp knife.
  6. Put half of the butter/sugar mixture into the basin then place the lemon on top and add the remaining butter/sugar on top. Roll the reserved piece of pastry large enough fo cover the top of the basin. Dampen the pastry edges and place the lid, sealing well by pressing edges together.
  7. Cover with buttered kitchen foil, making a pleat across the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie around with string.
  8. Put a trivet into the base of a large saucepan, add a quarter full of water and bring to the boil.
  9. Put the pudding into the pan, cover the pan with a lid and put into the oven 150C (ESSE dial guide low end of HOT) and steam for about 3 1/2 hours.
  10. To serve, allow to cool before turning out onto a serving plate.  Delicious when served with custard flavoured with a bay leaf.

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

Pear & Chocolate Tart

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For any chocolate lover, this luxurious tart is deep filled with juicy sliced pears on top.  All you need is some cold cream to serve with it.

You don’t have to bake blind the pastry as it will cook on the base of the ESSE cooker.  You will need a 23cm deep tart tin.

Serves about 8.

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 200g plain or spelt flour
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 110g cold butter
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar
  • 1 large egg

For the filling

  • 150g 70% cocoa solids chocolate
  • 150g butter, softened
  • 150g light muscovado sugar
  • 50g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 ripe pears, skin left on, cored and sliced

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180C (ESSE dial guide middle of HOT).
  2. For the pastry, mix together the flour, icing sugar and cocoa powder.
  3. Then add the butter, cut up into cubes.  Rub into the flour mix until fine breadcrumbs.
  4. Then add the egg until it makes a dough.
  5. Leave to rest in the fridge while you make the filling.
  6. Melt the chocolate on the induction hob setting 1 or leave the chocolate in a bowl at the back of the ESSE until melted.
  7. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, Whisk the eggs and add to the butter and sugar together with the flour. Finally fold in the melted chocolate.
  8. Line the tart tin with the pastry and then fill the pastry case with the chocolate filling. Then carefully arrange the pears on top.
  9. Cook for about 40 minutes or until the filling is cooked.

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

Waldorf salad with pickled walnuts

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A tasty, healthy and simple winter salad with the added bonus of one of my favourite winter store cupboard ingredients of pickled walnuts.  Try adding some to a beef stew to give it an extra savoury flavour.

Ingredients

  • 60g walnuts
  • 3 apples, skin left on, cored & cut into small chunks
  • 4 sticks of celery, chopped into small chunks, include the leaves too
  • A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3 pickled walnuts, finely chopped

For the vinaigrette

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Toast the walnuts in the ESSE until lightly golden and aromatic.  Leave to cool.
  2. In a bowl, mix the apples, celery, parsley, pickled walnuts and the toasted walnuts roughly chopped.  Give it a good stir.
  3. Make the vinaigrette by placing all the ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify then add enough of the vinaigrette to coat the salad.  Leave any leftover salad dressing in a jam jar for another salad.

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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