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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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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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Scotts Arms Stoves invited guests to attend a wonderful evening with River Cottage and Green Sauce chef Tim Maddams.

This video shows Tim demonstrating the ESSE EL 13Amp Range Cooker and a simple and succulent Pork recipe.

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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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Golden custard made from seasonal pumpkin or butternut squash puree and all the warm spices make this tart one of my favourite desserts in Autumn!  I cook a whole Crown Prince or Red Kiri squash in the ESSE for a couple of hours slowly and then spoon out the soft orange flesh.  (Leave the large cheap bright orange pumpkins for carving as their water content is too high for this recipe)

You will need a 20cm tart tin.  I pre cook the pastry in a hotter oven and lower the oven for cooking the filling as you want crisp golden pastry and a slowly cooked filling, which almost tastes treacly!

Method

For the shortcrust pastry:

  • 200g spelt or plain flour
  • 110g butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 egg

For the filling:

  • 300g pureed pumpkin
  • 3 eggs
  • 300ml double cream
  • 110g soft brown sugar
  • 2 level teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • A good pinch of sea salt
  • Freshly grated nutmeg for the top

Method

  1. Make the pastry in the usual way, by rubbing the butter into the flour and then incorporating the egg, mix to a smooth dough.  You may need to add a splash or two of cold water (depending on the size of the egg and what flour you are using).
  2. Roll out the pastry and use to line the tart tin.  Leave for 20 minutes to let the pastry rest.  The oven should be about 180C/200C (ESSE dial guide reading low end of HOT) to cook the pastry.  Line the pastry with baking parchment paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind in the oven for about 15 minutes or until just starting to brown.
  3. Then lower the oven to about 150C (ESSE dial guide reading top end of COOL).  To make the filling, simply beat the filling ingredients until smooth then carefully pour into the pastry case and bake for about 30 minutes or until just set, with a slight wobble.  Grate a little nutmeg on the top and leave for about 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe created by Philippa Vine of Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen using her ESSE Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove.

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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 ESSE 990 ELX or 1000 X are perfect for baking granola as it gives such an even bake. This recipe can be seasonally adapted… cranberries for Christmas, dried blueberries and strawberries added in summer… maybe dried apricots in Spring! The added bonus of the steam vent is that it creates that delicious crunchy granola. It’s a delightful go to ‘meal’ when you are on the run, you feel you are adding goodness to your body!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups old-fashioned oats, organic preferably
  • A handful of chopped nuts, e.g. almonds, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, pecans
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • A good grating of fresh nutmeg
  • 1 tsp of zested orange
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chopped dried fruit (optional)
  • ½ cup of flaked coconut (optional)

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180c / ESSE dial guide top end of MODERATE.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, nuts, chia seeds, spices, orange zest and sea salt until evenly combined.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract until combined.  Pour the coconut oil mixture onto the oat mixture, and stir until evenly combined.
  4. Spread the granola out evenly on an ESSE baking sheet or tray.  Bake for 20 minutes with the steam vent open, stirring once halfway through.  Then remove from the oven, add the coconut or dried fruit if using, and give the mixture a good stir.  Bake for 5 more minutes, until the granola is lightly toasted and golden.
  5. Remove from the oven and transfer the tray to a wire baking rack.  Let cool until the granola reaches room temperature.
  6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month

This recipe was created and prepared using an ESSE Electric Range Cooker  by Georgina Revill of Vivaldi Catering. Georgie runs a bespoke cookery school called The Cook Shack on the Isle of Man.

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This is a simple cake perfect to take on a picnic and works so well with gluten free flour and oats too.  It is a cross between a flapjack and a cake with a delicious crumble topping.  You will need a square 23cm cake tin, lined with parchment paper.

Ingredients

  • 200g self-rising flour or GF flour
  • 100g rolled oats
  • 75g desiccated coconut
  • 225g soft brown sugar
  • 200g butter
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 500g summer berries

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C (ESSE dial guide MODERATE).
  2. Mix the flour, oats, coconut & sugar into a bowl.
  3. Cut the butter into small chunks and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (use a food processor for quickness).
  4. Weigh 200g of this mixture and set aside as this is the crumble topping.
  5. Then mix the other mixture with the beaten eggs to make a cake dough.
  6. Press this into the prepared cake tin and top with the summer berries.
  7. Sprinkle over the reserved mixture and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until it is cooked.
  8. Let the cake cool in the tin and then cut into squares.

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen & Cookery School, East Sussex.

 

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This is a great dish for summer entertaining and stuffing the chicken with a coriander pesto gives the moist cold chicken a delicious summer fragrance. This dish is designed to be served cold and sliced, perfect with summer salads or in sandwiches for a picnic. This ‘pesto’ is thicker than a normal pesto as it has the addition of ricotta cheese which will make it easier to stuff the chicken with. This dish makes the most of buying a whole chicken but ask your local butcher to completely bone out the chicken. (Ask to keep the bones for making homemade chicken stock, which you can do easily in the ESSE).

Ingredients

  • 1 free-range chicken about 2 kg, boned
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coriander pesto ingredients:

  • 1 large bunch of fresh coriander leaves
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 85g walnuts, roasted
  • 150g Parmesan style cheese
  • 1 pot of ricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C (ESSE dial guide HOT).
  2. Make the ‘pesto’ by putting all the ingredients except the ricotta into a food processor and whizz until all the ingredients are evenly mixed, then add the ricotta cheese and plenty of fresh ground black pepper and mix to incorporate.  Taste for seasoning.  (Go easy on the salt as the cheese will provide salt)
  3. Lay out chicken, skin side down and spread over all the stuffing to fill the boned chicken, season the chicken and roll up neatly.  Tie up with string.
  4. Place the chicken in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season well.
  5. Roast for about 1 ½ hours or until cooked (use a temperature probe).
  6. Leave to cool and refrigerate overnight or slice and eat straight away!

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen & Cookery School, East Sussex.

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This is a type of cornbread that can be made successfully gluten free and by adding some summer vegetables and store cupboard ingredients it makes a simple & delicious savoury cake.  Try adding sweet potato instead of broad beans or what you have available.  Perfect for taking on picnics and a nutritious snack too!  You will need a 20cm spring-form cake tin, lined with parchment paper, or you can make it in a lined loaf tin.

Ingredients

  • 110g self-raising flour or gluten free SR flour
  • 110g polenta
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 110g butter, chilled
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 50g Parmesan or strong cheddar, grated
  • A handful of podded broad beans or peas
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ a red pepper, diced
  • 3 – 5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 10 black olives, chopped
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 80g canned sweetcorn
  • A handful of fresh herbs, ie basil, parsley, thyme
  • Salt and freshly black pepper

Method

  1. If using broad beans, blanch them in boiling water for a minute. Drain and cool down quickly (to retain their emerald green colour) and skin them.  Reserve a few for decoration if you wish.
  2. Fry the red pepper, spring onions and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes.  Allow to cool.
  3. Put the flour, ground almonds, polenta into a bowl.
  4. Cut the butter into small chunks and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips (or you can use a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  5. Then add the beaten eggs and all the vegetables, olives & herbs and cheese.
  6. Season with a little salt (as the olives and cheese will provide salt) and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
  7. Mix well and spoon into the prepared tin.
  8. Decorate with some extra podded broad beans if you wish.
  9. Bake in the oven 180C (ESSE dial guide low end of HOT) for about 1 hour or until it is cooked and just starting to colour.

 

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen & Cookery School, East Sussex.

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Cooking the whole unpeeled beetroot in the ESSE slowly until just cooked, is nutritious and gives the beetroot a rich and sweet flavour too. No need to bake the pastry blind as you cook it direct on the base of the oven. I like to add a few of the beetroot leaves, chopped to the filling, making the most of this delicious earthy vegetable!

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

  • 225g plain flour, I use half wholemeal spelt and half plain flour
  • 140g butter, chilled
  • 1 large egg

For the filling:

  • 4 beetroots, plus a few leaves, chopped
  • 2 red onions, thinly sliced
  • Olive oil
  • 100g soft goat’s cheese
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 200ml single cream
  • A small handful of fresh dill, chopped
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Wash the beetroot and cut off the tops (save a few leaves for the filling) and roast them in the ESSE for about 1 ½ hours (depending on the size and freshness of the beetroot).
  2. When the beetroot is almost tender, allow to cool a little and then slip the skins off with your fingers.
  3. While the beetroot is cooking make the pastry as you would for shortcrust and line a 24cm loose-based flan tin.
  4. Fry the onions in a little olive oil until they begin to colour then add a splash of balsamic vinegar and seasoning.  Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the onions soften a little more.
  5. Set aside to cool and then place in the pastry case.
  6. Dice up a couple of the cooked and peeled beetroots and scatter over the onions and add some of the green beetroot leaves if you wish.
  7. Put the cream and eggs into a bowl and mix together, add the chopped dill and season with salt and pepper.
  8. Pour the mixture into the pastry case.
  9. Scatter over the goat’s cheese and quarter the rest of the beetroot and carefully place on top of the tart.
  10. Place on the base of the oven at 170C (ESSE dial guide MODERATE) and cook for about 40 minutes or until the filling has set and just starting to colour.  Allow to cool slightly in the tin before serving.

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen & Cookery School, East Sussex.

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This cake is works so well using gluten free flour and is a great celebrational Summer cake perfect for Wimbledon! The sponge is a simple whisked sponge and contains no fat. Whisked sponges rise purely due to the air incorporated during the whisking process.

Serves

8-10 people

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 175g gluten free plain flour or plain flour
  • 500ml double cream
  • 500g a mix of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
  • Small glass of Pimm’s
  • 2 heaped tablespoons raspberry jam (optional)
  • Edible flowers and fresh mint for decoration

Method

  • Grease and line with parchment paper 3 x 20cm cake tins.
  • Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, ESSE Dial Guide MODERATE, aim for the dial reading to be at the top end of MODERATE or very low end of HOT).
  • Whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk until the mixture becomes very pale fluffy and mousse-like.
  • Sift the flour over the mixture and carefully fold it in, taking care not to beat any air out of the mixture.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared tins and bake in the oven until risen and golden.
  • When lightly pressed with your fingertips it should bounce back, about 20 minutes.
  • Allow to cool in the tins for a few minutes and then turn out onto wire racks to cool.
  • Sprinkle some Pimm’s over each cake. Whip the cream into soft peaks.
  • Carefully spread a little jam on each layer if using.  Then sandwich together the 3 layers with some whipped cream and mixed berries.
  • Spread a layer of cream around the sides and on top of the cake.
  • Finally decorate with more berries and edible flowers and mint if desired!

Recipe provided by Philippa Vine of Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen. Located at Bates Green Farm, Arlington, the Bluebell Farmhouse kitchen is run by Philippa and Michael Vine.  Sharing their passion for locally grown and sourced quality ingredients, Philippa runs several themed cookery courses and demonstrations every year using ESSE electric range cookers and the Ironheart wood fired cooking stove. Participants can enjoy the fruits of their labours together afterwards in the delightful country kitchen. Philippa is a professional cook and cookery writer and delights her visitors with her creative and wholesome food.

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These pavlovas are so versatile and can be served with many different flavour combinations. Summer fruits are a classic, but you could make a salted pistachio crème fraiche and poached apricots or crush them up on top of your favourite ice cream with some melted chocolate or caramel sauce.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 150˚C (top end of the ‘Cool’ setting on ESSE dial) and line a baking sheet with silicon paper.

Meringue ingredients

  • 175g caster sugar
  • 3 large (90g) egg whites

The important thing when making meringues is to make sure your mixing bowl is clean and dry and there is no residue of fat.

Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks then start to add a dessert spoon of sugar at a time, whisking the sugar in well each time until all the sugar is fully blended in – the meringue mix should be smooth and shiny – not grainy.

Using a 1cm plain piping nozzle and piping bag, fill the bag with the meringue mix and pipe into nice domes on your prepared tray. If you don’t have a nozzle you can use a metal spoon to make more rustic shapes.

Place the meringues in the oven with the vent closed and turn the heat down to 140˚C (middle of the ‘Cool’ scale on ESSE dial). After 40 minutes, open the steam release vent.

Blueberry and raspberry sauce

  • 125g raspberries
  • 75g blueberries
  • 30g caster sugar
  • 1/2 juice of a lemon

Blend the blueberries and raspberries together in a liquidiser, pass through a fine sieve to remove pips, season to taste with the sugar and lemon juice.

Chantilly cream

  • 250g double cream
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1/2 a vanilla pod or a tsp vanilla essence

Whisk the cream with the vanilla and sugar to soft peaks.

To serve, pipe or spoon the cream into the centre of your serving dish, pour a small amount of the sauce around, garnish with some berries and top with a pavlova. I also used some wild sorrel I picked in the woods and dusted with some freeze-dried raspberry powder.

Recipe provided by Dominique Ashford, pastry chef

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I cook all my pizzas on the floor of my ESSE’s hot oven. You get that great crisp crust that is so typical of good stone baked pizza. The key is to get the oven really, really hot.

I rate beetroot. Its fantastic colour and taste make it one of our most unique root vegetables. It has a rich, earthy depth of flavour and is silky smooth to eat.

Boiling beetroot is good, but I think roasting it is better. You can roast them skin on, this keeps in all the flavour. Garlic, thyme and olive oil are a must. This combination works well as a warm salad with some boiled eggs or sirloin steak but also makes a fitting winter pizza topping.

Serves

Six People

Ingredients

  • Makes six small pizzas, at least
  • For the dough:
  • 250g strong white bread flour
  • 250g plain flour
  • 5g powdered dried yeast
  • 10g salt
  • 350ml warm water
  • About a tablespoon of olive oil
  • A handful of coarse flour (rye, semolina or polenta) for dusting
  • The topping ingredients are listed in the method

Method

Make the dough:

To knead by hand, mix the flour, yeast, salt and water in a bowl to form a sticky dough. Add the oil, mix it in, then turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Knead until smooth and silky.

To use a food mixer, add the flour, yeast, salt and water to the mixer, fitted with the dough hook, and mix on low speed. Add the oil, then leave to knead for about ten minutes, until smooth and silky.

Shape into a round, then leave to rise in a clean bowl, covered with a plastic bag, until doubled in size.

For the topping:

Wash and de-stalk a good bunch of young kale. Chop it roughly. Throw it into a pan set over a high heat with a few slugs of olive oil, 2 peeled, sliced garlic cloves and 2 dried chilli’s de-seeded and chopped.

Sweat the kale down; keep it moving around the pan, the kale has to be well wilted and all the water to have evaporated. Season the kale with salt and pepper and set aside.

Take 5 or 6 smallish beetroot and give them a really good scrub under a tap. Throw into a roasting tin with a few tablespoons of olive oil, 3 or 4 smashed garlic cloves and a generous scattering of thyme and rosemary leaves.

Season well with salt and pepper, then roast in a hot oven for 30 – 40 minutes until soft and crispy round the edges.

Divide the dough into 6 balls. Roll out each on a well floured work surface as thin as is practical 2- 3 mm max.

Scatter the roast beetroot over your pizza base, tear over some decent mozzarella and 6 or so anchovy fillets. Tear the wilted chard over the pizza. Season with salt, pepper, a glug of olive oil and a few more thyme leaves.

Lastly spoon over any roasting juices left over from cooking beetroot. I use a large base form a tart tin as a peel for putting my pizzas in the oven. You really have to make sure that your peel and your surface is well floured. Semolina or polenta flour is great for this as it is courser Lift the pizza up with your dusted peel.

Carefully slide each pizza onto the floor of your very hot oven (up to max). It’s best to do 1 at a time. It wont take long to cook – 3- 4 mins and there done.

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This recipe is a classic and easy to cook in your ESSE cooker, gently baked in the bottom oven with the steam vent closed to retain the moisture. It’s a great gluten free dessert and can be bake ahead of time.

Serves

10 approximately

Ingredients

For the base:

  • 250g ginger nut biscuits or gluten free biscuits
  • 125g butter plus a little extra for the tin

For the filling:

  • 6 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 20g cornflour
  • 2 large tubs of Philadelphia full fat cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 200ml double cream

For the topping:

  • Rhubarb, poached gently and sweetened with a squeeze of fresh orange zest and juice, plus a drizzle of honey

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 150C. Butter generously a 20cm springform cake tin.
  2. For the base, melt 125g of butter. Put the biscuits into a strong plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, or whiz in a food processor. Tip into the melted butter and give it a good stir and press into your prepared tin.
  3. Then beat together the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cornflour, cream and vanilla essence.
  4. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the topping has just set, there should be a slight wobble as it will set completely in the fridge.
  5. Leave to cool in the tin, then chill in the fridge before carefully unmoulding. Then decorate with poached rhubarb.
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