Pancake recipe by Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen

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Ingredients

  • 100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 300ml milk
  • 25g butter, melted

Method

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre & beat in the eggs using a whisk.

As the egg mixture becomes thicker, add a little milk to loosen it, then keep whisking & add the remaining milk. Whisk well until mixture is smooth. Then add the melted butter.

Check the consistency of the batter, it should be thin like single cream.

Ensure your ESSE hot plate is hot (200). Wipe the hot plate with kitchen paper dipped in a little melted butter or oil. Using a ladle, pour the batter into a circle, using your ladle to swirl it around. Cook for a minute or two until small air bubbles start appearing.

Using a palette knife to release and lift the edge of the pancake and flip over & cook the second side until golden, then carefully remove it from the hot plate to serve. (The pancakes won’t stick together when stacked up with the added melted butter to the batter.)

Note: Often the first pancake will either be too thick or will break. Check the consistency of the batter and add a little milk if too thick. As you become more familiar with pouring the batter and swirling it, the pancakes will improve. (The first pancake is for the cook!) Happy cooking!

Recipe provided by Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen.

Florentines

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This recipe highlights the gentle method of melting of the butter and chocolate on an ESSE induction hob, no water bath required.

Ingredients

  • 150g flaked almonds
  • 50g butter, melted
  • 40g plain flour
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 120ml double cream
  • 30ml honey
  • 115g dried fruit
  • 50g dark chocolate

Method

  1. Cooking them in the ESSE oven at 170C / ESSE dial reading to be in the middle of MODERATE.
  2. Mix all the ingredients together.
  3. Spoon into round non stick tins, flatten down with the back of the spoon.
  4. Bake for about 15 to 20 mins until golden.
  5. Remove from oven, allow to cool.
  6. Remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack.
  7. Melt chocolate and coat the flat side of the florentine. Chill to set the chocolate.

Recipe provided by Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen.

Quick Tomato Sauce

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
  • 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (or 1 tin plus a jar of passata)
  • A pinch of sugar
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a gentle heat. Add the garlic and let it sizzle very gently for a minute or so. As soon as it starts to turn golden, add the tomatoes.
  2. Let them bubble gently, stirring often, for 10–15 minutes, until you have a thick sauce. Transfer to a jug and purée with a stick blender (if you do it in the pan, the sauce will go everywhere), or just crush the chunks of tomato in the pan with a fork until you have a reasonably smooth sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper and the sugar.

Potato Farls

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Ingredients

  • 500g floury potatoes, such as King Edward or Desiree
  • 50g plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
  • 50g butter
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • Chives

Method

  1. Peel the potatoes cut into large pieces, boil until tender, drain and mash. Once mashed stir in the butter and allow to cool.
  2. Add the flour and baking powder and chopped chives along with a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
  3. The dough should come together and away from the sides of the pan. You can add more flour if the mixture is too wet and a little milk if it is too dry.
  4. Divide the dough into two halves. Form one piece into a ball, then roll it out on a floured surface and into a rough circle with a diameter of about 15cm and a thickness of 5mm to 1cm.
  5. Cook directly on the hotplate with the lid down, flipping halfway through.
  6. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough mix.
  7. Cut into pieces and serve hot.

Wilted Greens

  1. Pre heat a heavy roasting tray in the hot oven.
  2. Remove the tray and add 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a clove or two of thinly sliced garlic.
  3. Allow the garlic to brown in the oil very lightly.
  4. Place a big handful of washed still damp greens into the tray, season and return to the oven for a couple of minutes. Stir and possibly return to the oven for a minute if not completely tender.
  5. Test again and serve.

Bunny Biscuits

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Children will enjoy making these buttery biscuits with currants and spice for family and friends. They are also perfect to wrap gifts.

Makes

20 – 25

Ingredients

  • 125g softened butter
  • 75g caster sugar, plus 1-2 tbsp extra for sprinkling
  • 1 egg, separated
  • 200g plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 75g currants
  • 2 tbsp milk

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Esse Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be in the middle of HOT).
  2. Beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk then gently stir in the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, lemon zest and currants. Gradually stir in the milk until the dough starts to come together… you may need slightly less or more of the milk.
  3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out until about 5mm thick then stamp out the biscuits using a round 7.5cm cutter or shape of your choice.
  4. Place on 2-3 greased baking trays and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Whisk the egg white just a little to break up, brush lightly over the biscuits and sprinkle with the caster sugar. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes until just golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
  5. Store in an airtight tin for 2-3 days.

Get ahead!

The biscuits can be made ahead and stored in an airtight tin for 2-3 days. Freshen by placing them in a warm oven for 3-4 minutes.

Recipe created by Carol Bowen Ball the UK’s first bariatric cook.

Cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup

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This fantastic rather usual vegetable makes the delicious soup.

Serves

Four people

Ingredients

  • 50 g butter
  • 1kg Jerusalem artichokes – peeled
  • 350g washed leeks – sliced
  • 100g potato – peeled
  • 2 cloves of garlic – chopped
  • 1 medium onion – chopped
  • 750ml of good chicken stock/vegetable stock.
  • 100ml double cream
  • Salt and pepper

Method

In a large heavy based pan sweat the vegetables in the butter until soft.

Now add the stock, bring the soup to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 20 – 30 mins.

Liquidise the soup until smooth and creamy.

Return the soup to the pan and place back over a medium heat. Season well and stir in the cream.

The soup is ready to eat.

Apple on the bottom Creme brulee

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These lovely deserts are great cooked in a medium oven. The ESSE oven stays nice and moist when you cook these little custards in a bain-marie.

Serves

Six people

Ingredients

  • 1 kilo of Bramley apples
  • 400ml double cream
  • 100ml milk
  • 1 fresh vanilla pod
  • 100 g caster sugar plus extra for the topping.
  • 6 egg yolks

Method

Peel, core and slice about a a kilo of Bramley apples, then cook them over a gentle heat with a shake of caster sugar and just a dribble of water to prevent them burning. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the apple pieces have completely dissolved. Go on cooking gently and stirring until you have a thick, slightly translucent purée. Add more caster sugar to taste – enough to achieve a purée that is still tart but not unpleasantly so. Leave to cool.

Divide the purée between 6–8 ramekins or other small heatproof dishes, you want about a centimeter or so of purée in each ramekin, chill thoroughly in the fridge.

Scold the cream, milk and split vanilla pod in a pan set over a medium heat. Allow to stand for 5 mins to infuse.

Carefully scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod into the cream mixture.

Combine the egg yolks and sugar together in a large mixing bowl, but don’t over mix.

Pour the hot cream over the eggs and whisk well.

Strain the vanilla custard through a sieve into a jug.

Pour the custard gently over the apple compote being careful not to break it up to much; I pour it over the back of a spoon set just above the ramekin. Bake the crème Brulee’s in a roasting tin half filled up with hot water (This is called a Bain Marie).

Cook gently for 25 to 35 mins or until just set. You want a hint of a wobble in the centre.

Remove the crème Brulee’s from the oven and chill until needed.

To serve scatter a teaspoon of caster sugar over the top of each ramekin. Flash them under a hot grill or caramelise the sugar with a blow torch until golden and bubbling.

This will set to give a crisp caramel coating.

Wholemeal ESSE Hotplate Pancakes

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This recipe for my little hotplate pancakes is quick, easy and delicious. I use self raising flour which means they rise slightly on cooking, the result being lighter and more textured than traditional pancakes.

This recipe can be customised in many ways. Adding different flavours and spices is part of the fun. For instance, grating a little blue cheese into the batter and serving them with thick slices of roast ham would make a beautiful Sunday night supper. Alternatively adding some cinnamon and a little chopped apple to the batter would make a perfect desert, served hot with vanilla ice cream.

Cooking these pancakes directly on the plate is immensely satisfying and not at all messy. You can make big ones or small, it’s up to you.

I keep a tea towel by my ESSE for cleaning up the plate. Giving it a good firm rub will polish it up perfectly for cooking on.

Serves

Makes around 15 hot cakes depending on size

Ingredients

  • Whole meal self raising flour – 250g
  • Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Caster sugar – 25g
  • Free-range eggs – 2
  • Fresh milk – 275ml
  • Butter (melted) – 25g
  • A pinch of salt
  • ESSE range cooker – simmering plate

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and stir in the caster sugar. Make a well in the flour and break the eggs into the middle. Pour in about half the milk. Whisk, gently at first, and then as you start to get a thick paste, add the more milk and the melted butter. Beat until you get a good, thick creamy batter – you might not need all the milk.

Lift the lid on the right hand plate. Check the temperature, the dial should be reading in the middle of hot. Use a spoon to dollop the batter directly onto the clean plate. You should be able to fit 3 – 4 on at a time depending on the size. After about a minute, little bubbles will start to appear on the surface of the cakes. As soon as they cover the surface, flip them over with a spatula or thin palette knife.

Cook the other side for a further minute or so, then transfer them to a warm plate and cover them with a clean tea towel so they stay soft – or hand over to those waiting eagerly to get stuck in. Cook the remaining batter in the same way, adjusting the area on which you’re cooking over if they are getting too brown too quickly.

Note: For the savoury variation omit the sugar before adding your cheese or chopped bacon or sauté onion etc.

Serve with: Butter and caster sugar, strawberry jam, honey, lemon curd or anything you like.

Traditional ‘flipping’ pancakes

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Pre-fire your ESSE to somewhere between hot and very hot

Serves

Makes around 15 pancakes

Ingredients

  • Plain flour – 250g
  • Free-range eggs – 2
  • Fresh milk – 500ml
  • A little Sunflower oil for frying
  • A pinch of salt

Method

Sift the flour and salt into the mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour and break in the eggs.

Pour in half the milk and start to mix the eggs and milk with the balloon whisk, whisking in the flour from the edges a little at a time. Add the rest of the milk and keep on whisking until there are no more lumps of flour. Pour the batter into the jug. It may still be quite thick at this stage so whisk in extra milk just a little at a time until you get the right consistency – not quite as thick as single cream, but certainly thicker than milk!

Put a non-stick frying pan on the hotter of the 2 plates. Add about a tablespoon of sunflower oil, swirl it round the pan and then pour the excess into the cup so that just a slick of oil stays in the pan.

When the oil is hot pour a little of the batter into the pan. How much to pour really depends on the size of your pan but you need to leave plenty of room for the pancake to spread out (use a ladle if it helps you to judge the right amount of liquid each time). Immediately tilt and rotate the pan so that the batter runs across the base and doesn’t sit in a big lump in the middle.
As the pancake sets, loosen the edge of it with the palette knife. Shake the pan gently so that you know the pancake hasn’t stuck (a bit of work with the knife if it has; don’t worry, the first one often does). Flip the pancake over and cook the other side for a few seconds – the second side is much quicker to cook. (Notice the intricate patterns left behind by the hot oil; each one different, like a fingerprint.)

Slide the pancake out of the pan and on to a warm plate. Cook the rest of the pancakes as before.

Note for ‘Flippers’: Flipping is the best bit so don’t be afraid to give it a go… give the pan a vigorous shake to make sure the pancake is not sticking, then use the side of the pan as a launch ramp and remember it takes less effort than you think. You want to ‘land it’ not attach it to the ceiling! Always use a non-stick pan and make sure it’s not too heavy otherwise you will find them hard to flip. Hopefully you’ll be up for giving the flip a go but if not, you can turn your pancakes with the palette knife or a wide spatula.

Serve with: Caster sugar, freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice, strawberry jam, honey, lemon curd or anything you like.

My ESSE Loaf

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Cooking bread in the Esse is an absolute joy. I love it. I don’t bother with loaf tins I just shape the bread, give it a final prove and get it straight on the floor of the hot oven. Cooking it this way gives the most fantastic crust with a deeper, well developed flavour.

You’ll need to crank the oven up high bread; the higher part of ‘very hot’ is good.

This is my standard loaf that I make at home.

Serves

N/A

Ingredients

  • 750g white strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 250g whole meal flour
  • 10g powdered dried yeast
  • 20g fine salt
  • 600ml warm water
  • A little sunflower oil

Method

Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and, with one hand, mix to a rough dough. Adjust the consistency if you need to, with a little more flour or water, to make a soft, easily kneadable, sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and clean your hands.

Knead until the dough is smooth, stretchy and no longer sticky – about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a tight round. Oil the surface of the dough, put it in the wiped-out mixing bowl, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to ferment and rise until doubled in size, which should take about an hour.

Pre-heat the oven get the dial up to very hot. Deflate the dough by tipping it onto the work surface and pressing all over with your hands.

Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal pieces. Shape into nice even rounds, coat with whole meal flour and Leave to prove for a further 30 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size.

Use a bread knife the gently score the loaves across their tops, this will help them to rise in the oven. Make sure your oven floor is clean and free of racks. Carefully lift each loaf and place on the floor of the oven, being careful not to burn yourself as you go.

Cook for 40 to 50 minutes, until well coloured. Remove the loaves and cool on a wire rack.

Nettle and sheep’s cheese tart

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Serves

Six people

Ingredients

  • 1x 8″ loose base tart case

For the short crust

  • 150 g of butter
  • 300 g plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • About 150ml cold milk

For the filling

  • About 750 g of picked nettle tips that have been washed
  • 1 large organic onion finely sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic or 3 – 6 wild garlic leaves finely chopped
  • 100g hard sheep’s or goat’s cheese grated
  • 1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • A good knob of butter
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks
  • 200ml cream
  • 100ml milk

Method

To make the short crust

Place the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and pulse to a bread crumb consistency.

Add the egg yolk followed by the milk in a gradual stream.

Stop as soon as the doe comes together.

Turn out and knead a couple of times.

Wrap and chill in the fridge for half an hour.

Roll out the pastry and line your tart case. Leave the edges over hanging. (You can cut these off later. I find this eliminates the need for baking beans)

Prick the base with a fork and bake blind for about 15 mins on the floor of the top oven reading ‘HOT’. (This will help to dry out the pastry base) or until the base is dry but not coloured. Trim the edges.

The filling

Blanch the nettle tips in boiling water for 2 mins. Remove and refresh in a large bowl of iced water. Drain and squeeze excess water from the nettles.

Roughly chop the nettles. Melt the butter in a pan over heat and soften, lightly colour the onion, chilli and garlic. Add the chopped nettles and season with lemon juice salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Spoon the filling into the tart case, top with the cheese.

Combine your eggs and yolks with the cream and season to taste.

Fill the tart case with the custard.

Bake straight away at 180c for about half an hour.

The custard should be just set when you shake the tin.

Allow it to cool before you eat it. It’s much better then.

Spicy lentil soup with cumin and tomato

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Serves

N/A

Ingredients

  • 1 small knob of butter
  • 2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large or 2 small onions finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic sliced
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 300 g red lentils
  • 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tin chopped tomato’s
  • Salt and freshly grilled
  • Fresh coriander
  • 250 ml natural yoghurt

Method

Place a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and the oil to the pan; throw in the onions, garlic, coriander and cumin. Fry gently without colouring for 5 mins.

Add the stock and lentils and cover with a lid, bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes then add the tomatoes, cook for a further 15 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Puree the soup with a stick blender or in a jug blender.

Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

Roughly chop the coriander, and stir it through the yoghurt.

]Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Finish the soup by spooning over the coriander yoghurt, followed by drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of ground toasted cumin.

Gratin of purple sprouting broccoli with garlic, chilli, anchovies and cream

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This is a fantastically warming way to cook purple sprouting broccoli and delicious either on its own as a starter, or with roast lamb or mutton.

Serves

Four people

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 dried chillies
  • Olive oil
  • 6- anchovy fillets
  • White wine or marsala
  • 400ml double cream
  • 500g purple sprouting broccoli
  • 100g grated parmesan

Method

Peel and thinly slice the garlic. De-seed and chop the chillies. Set a medium-sized, heavy-based pan over a medium heat and heat a good slosh of olive oil.

Throw in the garlic, chilli and anchovies. Fry until the garlic takes on a golden tinge around its edges.

Add a splash of white wine or marsala, boil for a few seconds and then add the double cream. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat down. Cook until the sauce is reduced by a third.

Blanch the purple sprouting broccoli in boiling water for a minute.

Drain and allow to steam dry. Lay the broccoli in an ovenproof dish, pour over the cream sauce and scatter with grated parmesan. Bake at 190°C/Gas Mark 5 for 10-12 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Try the same recipe with curly kale in the winter months.

Pizza with roast beetroot, kale, anchovies, and thyme

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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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