Leek & potato soup

 Ingredients 

50 g butter

450 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces

1 small onion, cut into 1 cm pieces

450 g white parts of leeks, sliced

850 - 1200 ml (1.5-2 pts) light chicken or vegetable stock

142 ml carton whipping cream

125 ml full fat milk

To finish 

the white part of 1 leek

a small knob of butter

finely chopped chives

 

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes, onion and leeks as prepared above. Toss in the butter until all well covered 
2. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and toss again
3. Put a dish of greaseproof paper (aka a cartouche) on top of the vegetables, to keep in the steam. Cover the pan with its lid
4. Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not coloured
5. Uncover the pan and discard the paper. Pour in 850 ml of the stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked - for about 5 minutes. Do not overcook, or the soup will lose its fresh flavour
6. Puree in a blender, in batches if necessary, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Return the soup to a clean pan and stir in three quarters of the cream as well as the milk 
7. To finish the soup, finely shred the remaining leek and gently cook it in a small knob of butter for a few minutes until it is softened but not coloured
8. Reheat the soup to a gentle simmer, adding some extra stock if the soup is too thick for your liking. 
9. Drizzle the remaining cream over each serving, top with a little pile of buttered leeks and a scattering of chives and black pepper and serve at once. 
   
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Carrot & Coriander Soup

Ingredients
1½ oz butter
6 oz trimmed and sliced leeks
1 lb sliced carrots
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp plain flour
2 pints vegetable stock
¼ pint single cream
salt and ground black pepper
a few coriander leaves, roughly torn (optional)

1. Melt butter in a large pan. Add leeks and carrots, stir then cover pan and cook gently for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften but not colour
2. Stir in the ground coriander and flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute
3. Add the stock, and bring to the boil, stirring. Season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
4. Leave the soup to cool a little, then puree in a blender until quite smooth. A blend-stick can be used alternatively
5. Stir in the cream. Re-heat gently, but do not boil. Adjust seasoning. Serve after placing torn coriander leaves in bowl. 

In memory of Barbara, RIP 6 October 2020

Chicken soup

Ingredients
3 chicken thighs
2 vegetable or chicken stock cubes
Large stick of celery
Carrots
Onions
Turnip
Pearl barley
Lentils
Savoy cabbage leaves
Large potato
Salt & pepper
Parsley

Put 3 chicken thighs into large pan

Add the stock cubes and cover with water

Add a coarsely chopped stick of celery

Large chunks of carrots

A large or two small onions, chopped in large chunks

Bring to the boil and simmer for one hour

Leave to cool

Strain

Remove the vegetables

Remove the chicken

Heat up the stock

Add finely chopped carrot, onion, turnip &c

Add 2 tablespoons of pearl barley

Add 2 tablespoons of lentils

Simmer gently until vegetables are cooked

Add 4 finely chopped leaves of (savoy) cabbage

Add one potato, chopped into large chunks
Season with salt and pepper 

Boil for another ten minutes

Add chopped chicken

and parsley

Potato salad, egg mayo and spring onions

Boil 5 eggs from cold water for at least 15 minutes, simmering gently.
Run them under the cold tap until completely cold.

Boil a potato, big enough to dice when cool.

Mix mayonnaise and cream or crème fraîche to taste

Chop up spring onions, removing outer layer of skin if necessary

Macaroni & cheese

6 ounces of macaroni
1½ oz butter
1½ oz plain flour
1 pint milk
1 full teaspoon of mustard
6 oz grated cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

1. Boil the macaroni in a large pan according to pack instructions; commonly for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute
Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk.
Bring to the boil and cook, stirring until the sauce thickens
Remove from heat.
Season to taste
Add nutmeg or mustard

3. Drain the macaroni and add to the sauce, together with ¾ of the cheese. 
Mix well and put into an ovenproof dish

4. Place on a baking tray and into a hot oven, pre-heated to 200°C / 400°F, for 20 minutes.

Portuguese chicken with pepper and almond sauce

Portuguese chicken with pepper and almond sauce
By Ainsley Harriott

Ingredients
Black peppercorns
Garlic
Smoke paprika powder
Thyme leaves, chopped or dried
Zest of one lemon
Olive oil
Fillets of chicken breast
100 grams of blanched, whole almonds
Chargrilled red peppers
Red wine vinegar
One chorizo sausage
New potatoes
Salt
Pepper

Marinade
Crush some peppercorns. Add two sliced cloves of garlic, one tablespoon of smoked paprika, chopped (or dried) thyme leaves, zest of one lemon. Mix this all into some olive oil, sufficient to coat fillets of chicken.

Marinade two or three fillets of chicken breast in this mixture for at least 30 minutes

Meanwhile, prepare the

Almond and pepper sauce
Blitz some whole, blanched almonds (about 100 g), two cloves of garlic, two or three chargrilled red peppers and a little juice off them, two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and plenty of olive oil.

Fry the marinated chicken fillets on a grill or on a griddle pan for about 5 minutes each side

Chorizo and potatoes
Boil some new potatoes for 5-10 minutes
Fry the sliced chorizo sausage for 5 minutes each side in a little oil.
Slice or halve the potatoes and fry them in the oil left by the chorizo
Season with salt, pepper and thyme

Serve with chicken and the almond and pepper sauce

Steak and whisky sauce

• Steaks
• Cream
• Cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• Sliced onions
• Chips
• Whisky

Fry the onions, prepare the chips
Remove packaging from steaks, heat oil until very hot
Cook steak for 1 minute on each side
Reduce to medium heat and cook for 2 minutes (or more) on each side
Put on warm plate and place in warm oven for 5-10 minutes
Put 25 ml of whisky on pan until it bubbles
Add cream
Pour over steaks