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recipe

Turkey roasted in a rich turmeric sauce

Turkey roasted in a rich turmeric sauce

This recipe takes me right back to my childhood. It is most certainly not your traditional Sunday roast, but it is utterly delicious. As many of you know, although I was brought up in the South of France, my culinary roots are from Reunion Island where I was born. Turmeric is at the heart of Reunion cuisine, it is used in every single dish we prepare. When I was a kid, my mum used to make this recipe a lot. She didn't actually roast the turkey, but cooked it in one of those iconic Dutch pan that we always use in Reunion, "la marmite". I have slightly altered the recipe by actually roasting my turkey and it works just as well. So here you have it "Turkey roasted in a rich turmeric sauce".

Turkey roasted in a rich turmeric sauce

Ingredients:

Turkey leg and thigh

Salt and pepper

Thyme

500 g of Brussels sprouts (if you’re not a big fan, you can also use French beans instead)

4 carrots roughly sliced

one onion

Half a tsp of turmeric

Oven pre-heated at 160º C

A large roasting pan that can go over the stove 

Method:

Start by rubbing salt and pepper on the turkey, I tend to use rock salt as it’s more flavoursome.

In a roasting pan add two tbsp of vegetable oil, and over the stove start colouring both sides of your turkey until golden brown, add the onion and thyme and let them cook for a minute, then add the turmeric and stir it well into the pan. Off the stove pour 250 ml of boiling water and pop your turkey into the oven and let it slow cook for a good 3 hours. Half way through the cooking time add your carrots and Brussels sprouts (At that point you may need to top up with a bit more boiling water, no more that a 100 ml). Once cooked, your turkey will literally fall off the bone and your sauce should be velvety (a thick gravy like appearance).

And that is it! Enjoy with roast potatoes.

Tip: use a good free range turkey for this. Leech and Sons at Burwash Manor provide the most amazing meat for example. 

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Quick and simple Christmas canape of tapenade and roasted peppers

Quick and simple Christmas canape of tapenade and roasted peppers

Only 5 days to go until Christmas. So here is a little recipe of mine you might like to try over the festive season. I used to have this a lot as an apéritif when I was in the South of France, with a glass of Rosé or white wine it's just perfect. So here it is, my quick and simple Christmas canape of tapenade and roasted peppers.

Quick and simple Christmas canape of tapenade and roasted peppers

Ingredients:

300 g of kalamata olives

A jar of roasted peppers or if you choose to make your own, pop some yellow and red peppers in a 200º C oven drizzle with olive oil and a bit of salt. Let them cook for 30 minutes, until they are charcoaled. Remove the charcoal skin.

2 cloves of garlic crushed

A good pinch of fresh thyme

The juice of half a lemon

Your favourite bread cut into small pieces and toasted

2 table spoons of olive oil

Method:

In a food processor add the olives, thyme, garlic and olive oil and mix until you have a paste. That delicious paste is called “tapenade”

Pour the mixture into a jar, add the lemon juice and mix. If you are no using it straight away, this tapenade will keep for a good week or two in the fridge. Pour some olive oil to cover the top of your paste, this will help to keep it longer.

Now to make the canape, spread a bit of your tapenade onto your toast (I personally use ciabatta, but any bread will do) then add some strings of pepper on top and drizzle your canapes with a bit of olive oil.

Tip: when you are mixing everything in the food processor add a tin of anchovies and that will give you an “anchoiaide” it’s delicious too 

P.S. if you are not using kalamata olives try to use some good quality ones for this recipe, it does make a difference in taste. There are plenty of good delis in Cambridge to get them from such as Burwash and Balzanos or even your local supermarket.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Quick tagliatelle in a prawn, chorizo, leek and white wine sauce

Quick tagliatelle in a prawn, chorizo, leek and white wine sauce

It is the party season. It is also weirdly enough a time of year when people tend to stress about the food side of the party. My motto for this is go for tried and tested recipes. They don't have to be complicated either. Simple hearty dishes that you can rustle-up in minutes is what I go for. So here's one that is easy and delicious my "Quick tagliatelle in a prawn, chorizo, leek and white wine sauce "

Quick tagliatelle in a prawn, chorizo, leek and white wine sauce

Ingredients:

500 g of fresh prawns preferably

100 g of chorizo cut into cubes

one leek (chopped finely)

One glass of white wine

One tbsp of mascarpone

Half a glass of double cream

Parsley

Method:

Boil a pan of water for your tagliatelle, once boil add your pasta

Start by frying your prawns in a little bit of olive oil, when they start turning red take them off the pan and put them aside. Add the chorizo and leek to the pan, let it cook for about 3 minutes until the leeks have gone soft. At that point, add your wine. Let it boil for a minute and then add your mascarpone and the cream and let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Add your parsley and prawns, by now your tagliatelle should be cooked, add them to the sauce, sprinkle a bit more parsley on top. Et voilà

If you are interested in more sweet recipes, have a browse here

For more information about my classes click here   

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Mushroom beignets with a soy, black pepper and parsley batter

Mushroom beignets with a soy, black pepper and parsley batter

48 days until Christmas! I love this time of year, as I don't really have to find any excuse to indulge. But for many, this is also a time were stress levels are high, especially when it comes down to party food. My rule for this has always been, simple, quick and delicious recipes. So I think you are going to enjoy this one. My mushroom beignets with a soy, black pepper and parsley batter. It's perfect, especially if you have vegetarian guests. It's just a crowd pleasing one. I actually got the recipe from my mother in Law who is Japanese. She makes these with ramen. But they are also perfect as little canapes served with a sweet chilli sauce.

Mushroom beignets with a soy, black pepper and parsley batter

Ingredients:

A punnet of mushrooms

200 g of self raising flour

1 large egg

3 tbsp of light soy sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

As much or as little parsley as you like (finely chopped)

A bit of water

Vegetable oil

A non stick pan

Kitchen towels

Method:

In a bowl, mix your flour, egg, soy, black pepper and parsley and slowly add a little bit of water, until you reach a thick batter. If you’ve ever made Yorkshire pudding that’s the consistency you want to get.

Finely chop your mushrooms, add them to your batter and stir.

Place some kitchen towels in a plate or even better a tray.

In your pan, add about a 1 cm deep of oil, and heat it up. Add spoonfuls of your mushroom mix to the hot oil. Once cooked place them on the kitchen towels to soak-up the excess oil. And repeat this process until you have no batter left.

Serve warm with a sweet chilli sauce.

If you want to make this recipe vegan, you can easily do so by removing the egg.

If you would like to attend one of our cooking classes, have a browse here

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

A summer time favourite: courgettes souffle

A summer time favourite: courgettes souffle

What a summer! 38.7 º C was the temperature recorded here in Cambridge. My vegetable garden has been enjoying this weather though, especially my courgettes. As usual, I got a bit carried away when I planted them and now have a bit too many of them. As well as giving many away, I've had to find different ways of cooking them. So, here is my summer time favourite: courgettes souffle. Warning, this is a recipe you can't rush or rustle-up in minutes, you need a bit of patience. But if you do give it a go, trust me it is worth the effort.

Ingredients:

120 g of cheddar grated

350 ml of milk

4 small courgettes grated (they will cook quicker if you do so)

one table spoon of olive oil

1 small onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely grated

4 large eggs

60 g of butter,

60 g of plain flour

6 ramekins buttered and floured

Step one: cook the courgettes

In a pan add the olive oil and the onion finely chopped, cook the onions until soft, then add the garlic and stir for a minute or so. Then add your grated courgettes, a bit of salt and pepper and stir, lid on, let them cook on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until they are soft.

Step two: make a bechamel sauce

In a pan melt your butter, once melted add the flour and stir constantly for a good minute or so. Off the heat, using a whisk, slowly add your milk and stir until all the milk is incorporated. Then put it back on the heat and stir constantly until your bechamel thickens. Off  the heat add your cheese and your cooked courgettes and stir. Separate the egg yolks, keep the whites. Add the yolks to the mixture and stir.

Step three: the final stage

Pre-heat your oven at 180° C

Whisk your egg whites into stiff peaks. Gently fold your whites into your bechamel, courgettes sauce, one spoonful at a time. It is very important to take time to do this correctly. Once all your whites are incorporated fill your ramekins to the top. Pop them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Summer cooking, stuffed tomatoes

Summer cooking, stuffed tomatoes

This is one dish that will always mean summer to me, I don't have it any other time. This is simple summer cooking, stuffed tomatoes with an extremely herbie combo of mince pork and your favourite sausage mix. This is my mum's recipe, it was a regular in our house every summer. My dad's allotment at this time of year was bursting with vegetables of all kind. This was the South of France and we had plenty of gorgeous and juicy tomatoes of course, far too many actually. This recipe is super easy to make, and perfect for alfresco dining. So here it is, simple and oh! so delicious, stuffed tomatoes.

Ingredients: (this recipe will feed 4 to 6 people depending on appetite)

4 beef tomatoes and 4 small vine tomatoes

500 g mince pork

6 of your favourite sausages

thyme (as much as you like), finely chopped

4 spring onions finely chopped

parsley (as much as you like), finely chopped

one table spoon of tomato puree

one table spoon of mascarpone (strangely enough something like cottage cheese works just as well too)

one table spoon of soy sauce

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 170°C (fan oven)

Start by mixing your mince with your sausage meat (take out the skin of the sausages). Add your spring onions, herbs, tomato puree, mascarpone and your soy. This mix can be made well in advance even the day before. It actually tastes better if you can.

Cut the top of your tomatoes, these will be used as your lid. Then, remove the flesh inside your tomato, don’t throw it away, as you can make a gorgeous tomato sauce with it. You may also freeze it if you are not going to be using it soon. Start filling your tomatoes with your mince, prick the side of your tomatoes with a knife. This will allow them to cook quicker and more evenly. Place them in an oven tray. Drizzle them with a bit of olive oil and pop in the oven for a good 45 minutes to an hour.

If you are vegetarian, you can replace the mince with cooked rice mixed with finely chopped courgettes for example.

Local suppliers worth checking out for this recipe: Burwash Larder, Radmore Farm shop , Long Horn Farm shop. For a flavour of our cooking and baking classes click here

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Radishes with spring onions and chillies

Radishes with spring onions and chillies

I don't know about you but in my house Barbecue season started in February. Yes, you heard it February, that beautiful, super unusual half term week with its amazing sunshine. Barbecue is a rather big thing in our house. And, I always like to have little side dishes to complement the whole thing. So here's one that's so simple to make and super tasty: radishes with spring onions and chillies. I demonstrated this recipe during Burwash Spring Feast last week and people loved it. In Reunion Island where I come from, side dishes like this are a must. Not with radishes but other vegetables. My mum invented this one when we were living in the South of France. We had an allotment and so many radishes, so she kind of had to find a way of using them. It's been a staple of mine since.

Radishes with spring onions and chillies

Ingredients:

One bunch of radishes

Rock  salt (you can use normal salt, but rock salt is best)

2 spring onions finely chopped

Depending on your chilli tolerance, as many as you want

One TBSP of vegetable oil (don’t use olive oil for this, as it will over power the radishes taste)

Half a lime

Method:

Slice the radishes. In a bowl, mix them with the chopped onions and chillies. Add the oil and the juice of the lime, season with rock salt and mix. And that’s it! It is as simple as that.

This dish is also super tasty in pitta bread with a bit of fish or any strong cheese. I personally serve it as a side dish with a traditional “cari” from Reunion Island. You can do the same with any curry.

P.S: I regularly run a supper club about Reunion Island food, check it out here

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Lovely seasonal quiche with ham and baby spinach

Lovely seasonal quiche with ham and baby spinach

I don't know about you but I love this time of year. Although we've had a bit of rain this past week, the weather has been extremely kind to us. It's not too hot yet, so you can really enjoy the garden. I have been beavering away in mine, planting all sorts of vegetables, and spinach is one of them. Just perfect for a foodie like me. Here is a very simple recipe for you to try this weekend, a lovely seasonal quiche with ham and baby spinach.

Lovely seasonal quiche with ham and baby spinach

Ingredients:

A 9″ loose tin, parchment paper and a really cheap bag of rice

One roll of shortcrust pastry

300 ml of double cream

4 eggs (medium)

A bag of fresh spinach (best for this recipe as frozen will give too much water)

Ham (enough to cover the base of your cake tin, ham can easily be replaced by bits of chorizo or haloumi if you’re vegetarian)

Camembert

One small onion

A TBS of olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat your oven at 170°c (static oven) 160°c (fan oven)

Start by laying your pastry in your tin. Prick the bottom with a fork, then place your tin in the freezer for a good 5 minutes.

In the meantime, in a pan, fry your onion with the olive oil. Once the onion is soft, add your spinach and cover your pan with a lid, no need to add water or anything, after 2 to 3 minutes lift the lid, the spinach will have wilted by then, stir and leave to the side to cool.

Take your tart out of the freezer, cover the top with parchment paper and add your rice, put your tart in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes get rid of the parchment and rice on top, put the tart back in the oven and cook for another 5 minutes. Then take out of the oven and cool for 5 minutes.

In a jar, mix your eggs with your double cream, add a bit of pepper and a bit of salt (not too much as the ham is salty).

Start assembling the quiche, (don’t panic if your pastry is still warm at this stage, it doesn’t really matter). Distribute the cooked spinach and onion at the bottom of your quiche, add the ham on top and then pour your egg/cream mix. Add some bits of camembert on top. Pop your quiche back in the oven and let it cook until golden brown on top. (this can take up to 30 minutes depending on your oven).

Let the quiche cool and serve with a lovely rocket salad.

If you are vegetarian, you can easily replace the ham with a good goat cheese for example.

Chef’s tip: in the summer time, if you grow your own herbs, add the flowers of your chives on top of your quiche, thyme flowers work well too.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Delicious Easter petits fours

Delicious Easter Petits Fours

What a gorgeous and sunny Easter holiday we've had so far. I have been tempted to just sit in my garden and not do any work this week. I am going to be honest, unlike Christmas time where I tend to get excited about the food I will be serving to family and friends, Easter tends to go pass almost like any other days in our family. I know, sacrilege! The only thing reminding us that it's not the case is a big Easter egg for my daughters, that I don't fail to buy and a few chocolatey treats that I rustle-up here and there. So here is one for you to try, delicious Easter Petits Fours, with a frangipane base and topped with a lush chocolate ganache and mini Easter eggs.

Ingredients:

  • You will need a cupcake tray buttered. With the quantities in this recipe you will be able to make 24 petits fours.
  • Chocolate mini eggs
  • A star nozzle
  • A piping bag
  • 200 g dark chocolate
  • 200 ml double cream
  • Set your oven at 170º C (static oven) 160º C (fan oven)

Method:

For the frangipane:

  • You can get the frangipane recipe here. The only difference from the original recipe is that I added a table spoon of cocoa powder to the mix.
  • Add one tsp of the frangipane mix in each of your cupcakes base and cook for 15 minutes. Once out of the oven, take your frangipane cups out of the tray and let them cool on a rack.

For the ganache:

Bring your double cream to the boil, leave it to cool for 2 to 3 minutes then add your chocolate and stir until completely melted. Put your ganache in the fridge for a good hour and a half. Take it out of the fridge and bring it back to room temperature by stirring it vigorously. Transfer your ganache in a piping bag with a star nozzle.

Decorate your frangiane cups with the ganache, try to make a twirl shape. Add the mini eggs for the finishing touch.

P.S : These will keep for a good week in an airtight container, as the ganache has been pasteurised by boiling the double cream.

If you enjoy baking, I have a range of courses for you to try, check them out here. 

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Padrón peppers, chorizo and poached eggs

Padrón peppers, chorizo and poached eggs

This is a recipe you could easily have at lunch time or even as part of a brunch: padrón peppers, chorizo and poached eggs. As some of you may know, I spent my childhood in the South of France. My dad used to have an allotment. He grew all kinds of peppers, padrón, being his favourite. I remember spending a lot of time with him, picking them. My mum used to make this at lunch time quite a lot. She didn't actually use chorizo but anchovies instead. I didn't have any in my cupboard, so went for chorizo and it tasted great. It's super easy to do. So what's not to like?

Ingredients:

Padrón peppers (about 4 to 6 per person)

Chorizo ( you don’t need a lot, about 50 g or so cut into cubes)

1 or 2 poached eggs per person

Your favourite slice of bread

A non stick pan

One tbsp of olive oil

Method:

Start by poaching your eggs. While they are poaching, in a pan, fry the padrón peppers until they become soft and a bit char on top. Then, add your chorizo and lightly fry for a minute or so.

For this recipe I like to use either a piece of sourdough or a chunky piece of multi-seed loaf that I toast.

I don’t butter my toast, that’s just me but please feel free to do so. Place your padrón peppers on top first then the poached eggs and the pieces of chorizo.

P.S: you can replace the chorizo with cottage cheese or even a beautiful goat cheese, if you are vegetarian. Also, if you don’t have padrón, you can use normal peppers sliced in quarters.

Bakeries: Cambridge is lucky to have a good variety of bakeries, here are some that I use, Balzano’s, Stir and Burwash Larder.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x