Untried as yet so recipe below is as I got it from Uriah…

The original recipe calls for gnocchi but if that’s not your thing then maybe a fresh parpedelle or those big shells. Or soft polenta. Anyway it’s hearty winter fare so whatever takes your fancy I guess. The leftovers are a thing of beauty poured over hot toast for breakfast on a rainy sun morning.

1kg wagyu beef cheeks trimmed (any decent butcher) 

1 small carrot, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp of thyme, chopped finely

200 ml dry red wine

1.5 ltrs (6 cups) veal stock

1 bunch baby beetroots, washed & trimmed

60ml red wine vinegar

HORSERADISH CREAM

100 mls pouring cream, whipped

1 tblsp fresh grated horseradish

Mix the horseradish ingredients and set aside till serving time.

Heat a lug of olive oil in a casserole over high heat

season beef cheeks & brown on both side.

Set aside & keep warm.

To the casserole dish, add carrot, onion, celery, garlic & thyme 

Cook on medium heat until caramelsed.

Deglaze with wine.

Add back the beef cheeks, pour in stock, cover & cook for 2-4 hours in oven at 180.

Combine beetroots with olive oil, red wine vinegar, some more thyme & season to taste.

Cover in a roasting pan with foil & roast at 180 for 20mins.

Peel beetroot & keep warm.

Remove meat, strain juices through a sieve, break up meat then add back to strained juices.

Serve with carb of your choice with (if pasta or gnocchi you may want to pan fry it a little with some of the beef cheek juices).

Add a table spoon of horseradish cream to each bowl.

- enjoy

this is an event dish… it looks and tastes spectacular!

Ingredients 
2kg ocean trout, cleaned & head removed
1 1/2  lemons
bunch thyme
200ml dry white wine
Dressing
120 ml extra virgin olive oil
100g prosciutto, finely shredded
1 cup flat leaf parsley, firmly packed
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2  lemon, juiced
50g cornichons, finely chopped
 
Method 
1     Preheat oven to 180c
2     Trim belly flaps of fish
3     Place fish in large oiled roasting pan
4     Season cavity
5     Fill cavity with lemon and thyme
6     Pour wine over the fish
7     Wrap the tail in foil to prevent burning
8     Roast for 35mins (till tender)
9     Peel back skin starting at the head and discard
10     Remove fins and discard
11     Using a small spoon, scrape along the spine, this will make it easier to remove the flesh
12     For the sauce, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan on medium heat
13     Add prosciutto
14     Cook, stirring for 2-3 mins, till crisp
15     Drain
16     Boil some water
17     Place some chilled water into a bowl or jug
18     Place parsley in a heat-proof bowl
19     Pour boiling water over the parsley
20     Drain quickly and the refresh in the cold water and drain again.
21     Finely chop the parsley
22     In a bowl combine the parsley, garlic, remaining oil, lemon juice and cornichons
23     Season.
24     Just before serving, add the prosciutto
25     Serve fish at room temparature on a platter
26     Drizzle a little sauce over
27     Serve remaining sauce in a dish with the fish

Serves 6

hard work but fantastic!  28 for lunch - phew!  The trout rocked it…
The theme was sparkly christmas as it was mum & dad’s first christmas at their new place on the harbour…

cocktails…

• gin & pomegranate martini
• lychee bellini

mains…

• roasted ocean trout with proscuitto, cornichon & parsley crumble
• fresh oysters & prawns
• smoked whole leg of ham
• bbq butterflied spatchcock with lemon & garlic

sides…

• wedges of iceberg lettuce with green olive dressing
• celeriac & pomegranate salad
• sweet & sour tomato salad
• lychee & mint salad
• baked baby potatoes with salsa verde
• green beans with lemon zest & toasted almonds

dessert…

• tia maria ice-cream bouche de noel
• raspberry & chocolate ice cream bouche de noel

DELICIOUS!  Flavoursome… lovely!  I didn’t have any wine open so I used cointreau.  Worked a treat!

1 whole camembert wheel, in a wooden/bamboo container
1 orange, zest
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
30ml white wine or rose
30ml extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

1 half baguette
olive oil (or olive oil spray)

Preheat the oven to 200c.
Remove any paper or foil wrapping and leave the bare cheese in the wooden container.
Using a skewer, punch holes over the top surface of the cheese.
Sprinkle over the orange, rosemary and garlic. 
Pour over the oil and wine.
Season with salt & pepper.
Massage the flavourings into the holes.
Leave to marinate for a little while if possible - not necessary though.
Slice your baguette into thin slices and lay on a baking tray without overlaps.
Drizzle, brush or spray some olive oil on both sides.
Place cheese into the hot oven.
After 10 minutes add the bread.
Bake the bread for about 10-15 minutes (turning half way) till its golden and lovely! 
The cheese will take about 20 minutes or so all up.
When done, it may have burst open on top and the insides will be runny and the top may be a little golden…

I had to feed a crowd so I went with all finger food.  All round a very successful menu.

to begin…

• Persian Red Lentil Dip
  ok, not fantastic, but a good solid player
• Quail eggs in Hazelnut Dukkah
  lovely mild flavour, very pretty on the table, fantastic dukkah

kicking it up a notch…

• Sarde in Saor
  pan-fried butterflied sardines with lemon, pinenuts and currants…
  for the real foodies! really lovely… suprised me that some of the not-as-adventurous eaters liked it
• Goat Cheese and Polenta Cakes
  absolute crackerjack winner… I thought it would be a safe dish but it surprised me… really good!
• Panzanella Tarts
  flavoursome… and easy

something substantial…

• Chicken drummies with Preserved Lemon, Chillies and Garlic
  a safe dish for the less adventurous…
• Lamb kofta with Pine nuts and Sumac
  very tasty! 

dessert…

• pat & stick’s ice-cream sandwiches
  heaven!

Done for Emily’s birthday 2008, the day before she left to go to Jordon, Israel & Turkey!  the theme being “things emily loves”… which include: camembert, lentils, lime, soup, lamb, mushrooms, beetroot, cheese, pumpkin, eggplant and most importantly, and the inspiration for the theme, chocolate!  Didn’t end up serving the eggplant dish because it just wasn’t pretty enough.  And the chestnuts, while a nice idea, are too much of a pain in the arse.

aperatif…

• pisco sour

nibbling… 

• Warm Provencal Camembert with sourdough croutons

entree…

• Red Lentil & Lime Soup Teacups

main…

• Lamb cutlets with wild mushrooms
• Beetroot & Mozzarella salad
• Roast Butternut Pumpkin
• Baked Eggplant with tomato & chevre

dessert…

• Chocolate tasting banquet from Michael Cluziel
• strawberries, cherries, marshmallows and chestnuts
• hot chocolate (with chilli and cinnamon), chocolate port and choc-orange liqueur

Deliciously tasty heart-warming soup.  I served it in lovely mismatched teacup & saucers for a dinner party - it looked very cute.  Or it would suit soup sips in shotglasses very well also. I usually make double the recipe as I find it lasts really well in the fridge and becomes lunch for the next few days.

Ingredients
1 tbsp hot curry paste ( I used a tikka marsala pre-made bottle)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4cm/1.5in piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
200g red lentils
1.5litres/2½pints chicken or vegetable stock
3 limes, grated rind and juice only
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g carton fat-free natural yoghurt
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
4 warm chapattis, to serve

Method
1. Place the curry paste, onion, garlic, ginger and cumin seeds in a large pan and cook gently together for three minutes.
2. Add the lentils and stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
3. Add the lime rind and juice and season to taste.
4. Give it a blitz with a stick blender (or do batches in a normal blender) if you want a smooth dinner party worthy look.
4. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with a large spoonful of yoghurt and a sprinkling of mint. Serve with warm chapattis.

This will do 8 people as a soup course.  Or 4 for dinner.

Not the prettiest dish in the world so not ideal for dinner parties. But tasty.

1 small eggplant
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper
3 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh snipped chives or green onion tops
2 ounces creamy chevre
1/4 cup thickened cream

Trim eggplant; cut crosswise into 1/4-in slices.
Sprinkle slices with coarse salt; place in colander to drain for 30 minutes.
Rinse eggplant well under cool running eater; pat dry and set aside.
In skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat
Cook onion, garlic and hot pepper flakes, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is softened.
Spoon the onion mixture into greased 13-by-9-in baking dish.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Overlap slices of eggplant and tomato over onion mixture
Sprinkle with chives and drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over top.
Cover with a piece of waxed or parchment paper cut to fit the dish, and applied directly to surface
Bake in 220c oven for 10 minutes.
Remove paper; drizzle with remaining oil.
Replace paper
Bake 20 minutes longer, basting occasionally with juices that collect in baking dish, until eggplant is tender. (I found there weren’t any juices to be honest! I happened to have the stock made from rehydrating some chanterelle mushrooms so I add a little of that.)
Remove dish from oven; let stand 1 to 2 hours for flavors to develop.
About 10 minutes before serving, heat oven grill and remove paper from baking dish.
In small bowl, combine goat cheese and cream until smooth.
Dot teaspoonfuls of the mixture evenly over top of eggplant dish.
Grill about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Serve at once or at room temperature.

Serves 6.

REALLY easy peasy and REALLY tasty!!!!  Seriously.

These lamb cutlets are best cooked on a hot barbecue with wood or charcoal, to give you a wonderful smoky flavour. Otherwise use a preheated ridged griddle pan.
Slap the cutlets with the heel of your hand to flatten them slightly.
Then bash up your thyme in a pestle and mortar and add a little olive oil.
Mix together, then rub the oil over the cutlets and season both sides of them. Put to one side.
Cook the mushrooms dry on the bars of your hot griddle pan. Yes, DRY! Just grill them on both sides to mark them and put them into a large bowl.
Once the mushrooms are done you can put the lamb on the barbecue or griddle pan.
If the cutlets are about 1.5cm/½ inch thick, just give them 3 or 4 minutes on each side until they’re really golden. This should cook them medium.
When cooked, put the lamb cutlets into the bowl with the mushrooms and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Tear over the parsley, in quite large pieces, and add a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Season lightly and toss around.
Place to one side to rest, to allow all the lovely juices to get sucked up by the mushrooms.

Meanwhile you can make a really quick sauce. It looks a bit like pesto, but it has no similarity in flavour.
In a pestle and mortar pound up the pine nuts until you have a mushy pulp - this will give the sauce a creamy flavour and texture.
Remove the mixture to a bowl, then use the pestle and mortar to bash the basil up into a pulp.
Add this to the pine nuts and loosen with extra virgin olive oil so that the sauce easily drops off the end of a spoon.
Now you need to balance it with quite a lot of balsamic vinegar to give it a good zing, almost like a mint sauce, but add it to taste.

Give the lamb and mushrooms a final toss. I like to serve this up on a big platter and let everyone help themselves. Have the sauce on the side.

Serves 4