NEIL'S RECIPES: ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH BOULANGÈRE POTATOES

For this recipe it has to be a British leg of lamb. I would recommend buying from a farmers’ market or a good local butcher. Ask about the breed, whether its organic or even the name of the farm. It’s good to get to know what’s available and learn about the different tastes. At the restaurant we use Grierson Organic Perthshire lamb and Richard Briggs Native Shetland Lamb - both different but both delicious. Don't overcook the leg, simply rub with oil and salt and lay on a trivet of roots with garlic and rosemary before roasting. And make sure you allow it to rest properly. Bring the whole joint to the table to carve, you'll get lots of oohs and aahs!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 leg of excellent lamb, bone in

1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 bulb of garlic, halved

A sprig of rosemary

4 or 5 medium-sized potatoes, washed, skins on  

2 leeks with outer layer removed, cut into 2-inch pieces

500ml good chicken or lamb stock

A few knobs of butter

25ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat your oven to 200°C.

Firstly, rub the leg of lamb with half the rapeseed oil and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Place about 1/3 of the onion on a roasting tray with the half bulb of garlic and the rosemary. Place the lamb on top and add a small glass of water (c100ml) to the tray.

Place the tray in the oven and roast half an hour, then turn the heat down to 150°C and cook for a further 45 minutes to an hour. After about 15 minutes add the leeks, season again and baste with the juices. Cook until the leeks are just soft (about 45 minutes), basting as you cook. Once it’s ready, remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Whilst the leg is roasting, fry the rest of the onion in the remaining oil for about 20 minutes on a low heat until softened and starting to brown. Season and keep warm.

Next, slice the potatoes. You want them to be very thin, so use a mandolin or slicer if you have one. Then start to assemble the boulangère. In an ovenproof dish, layer up the slices of potato and onion, pouring over the stock and seasoning each layer as you go. Add a few dots of butter on top and place in the oven for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Long enough for the potatoes to soften and soak up all the stock.

To serve, place the dish of boulangère potatoes on the table and carve the meat at the table, placing some leeks on each plate as you carve, and top with the cooking juices.

A wee tip: if you like garlic, squeeze the cooked, roasted garlic bulb onto the lamb as it is resting, before you carve.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ASPARAGUS, SOFT-BOILED EGG, WATERCRESS AND RADISH

"Asparagus always tastes best when treated simply. Just blanched in boiling salted water and dipped in melted butter is delightful. But here I have added a soft-boiled organic egg, some watercress and radishes. We grow wonderful asparagus here in Scotland, so please try to avoid Peruvian asparagus, it’s been over-farmed and damages the ecosystem due to the irrigation required."

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Allow 4 spears of asparagus each person
4 organic eggs, a few days old are easier to peel
A big bunch of British watercress
A few radishes
4 tablespoons of organic extra-virgin olive oil
Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, bring a pan of water to the boil, then add the eggs and cook on a rolling boil for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and refresh under cold running water. Whilst they are cooling peel them carefully.

Remove the bottom of the asparagus spears, roughly the last inch or two. Then peel two inches at the bottom of each spear to remove any woody parts. If it’s young asparagus, this may not be required.

Bring a pot of seasoned water to the boil and blanch the spears for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the water and season.

To serve, arrange the asparagus on plates and garnish with a trickle of extra-virgin olive oil. Place an egg on top and cut to reveal the yolk. Garnish with a few watercress leaves and some slices of radish.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BEEF BOURGUIGNON

“It is a classic here at Cafe St Honoré. We must sell thousands of portions every year and we can never take it off the menu for long. It’s a classic for a reason, like a classic car or motorcycle it will never go out of style. Rich and decadent beef with bacon, mushrooms and onions in red wine…yes please.”

Serves 6 to 8

Cooking time: 4 to 5 hours; fridge time: 6 hours minimum; prep time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

1.5 - 2 kg Scotch beef feather blade 

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 stick celery, roughly chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1 bulb garlic, split down the middle

2 bay leaves

A good bunch of thyme

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 bottle good red wine, Burgundy is favourable

2 litres good beef stock

4 tablespoons rapeseed oil

A little knob of butter

200g bacon lardons

200g mushrooms, chopped 

A large handful of small pickling onions, peeled and blanched in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, set to one side

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on a moderate heat in a frying pan or oven-proof pot big enough to take the feather blade. Season the beef and fry until golden brown all over, this should take 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the beef from the pot and add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme and bay leaves and fry until all well coloured. You may need to add more oil, but do aim to get lots of colour on the veg.

Next, add a tablespoon of tomato purée and fry this off in the veg mix. After 2 minutes of frying and again, give it lots of heat and colour, add the bottle of wine, scraping all the lovely bits off the bottom of the pan, this is flavour.

Heat the oven to 140-50°C.

Add the beef back to the pan and reduce the wine by half. Then add the stock so it is just covering the beef and bring to a low simmer. Season again with salt and pepper. Add a sheet of greaseproof paper to the top of the pot and place a lid on top. Place the pot in the oven for 4 to 5 hours until the beef is tender and soft. You will know it is done when the tip of a knife enters the beef easily. Remove the lid and greaseproof paper from the pot and leave to sit for an hour or two.

After an hour or two, carefully remove the beef from the stock and place it on a tray and leave to cool for about half an hour.

Next, lay several sheets of cling film on a work surface and roll the beef up, sealing it well. Leave this to cool overnight in the fridge or for a minimum 6 hours.

Meanwhile, take the stock and pass it through a fine sieve into a pot and reduce by three quarters, skimming off any impurities as you go. Set to one side.

Heat the remaining oil in a pot and fry the mushrooms, bacon and blanched onions. Fry them for about 6 to 8 minutes, tossing all the time and adding a little nob of butter to give them some colour. Drain off any excess fat and set to one side to keep warm.

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Remove the beef from the fridge, and with cling film on, cut into pieces about 2 to 3cm thick. Remove the cling film and lay the beef in an oven-proof dish big enough to take the sauce. Add the sauce and place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes until hot, then add the bacon, mushrooms and onions and reheat for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve on a nice plate and with some very buttery mash and perhaps some parsley.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

"This recipe came to me by way of a Shaun Hill cook book, so thank you Shaun. Ensure you boil the oranges whole and make sure the water is topped up. It’s a simple method after that. I love serving this warm with a peat-smokey Benromach whisky ice cream - rich and decadent."

Makes one cake

Prep time 4 hours 10 minutes, cooking time 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 large oranges

6 whole eggs

300g caster sugar

250g ground almonds

1tbsp baking powder

25ml Grand Marnier

50ml water

A small handful of hazelnuts

Another 75g caster sugar

1tsp icing sugar

Candied orange peel to garnish, optional

Ice-cream to serve, optional

METHOD

Line a 10-inch spring-form high-sided cake tin with oil and greaseproof paper.

Boil the oranges whole for 4 hours then halve, remove any pips and blitz to a pulp in a food processor – this will take about 2 to 3 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Make a praline by adding 75g of caster sugar to a pan and melting gently, allowing it to become dark and caramel in colour. This should take 3 to 5 minutes. Then stir in the hazelnuts and pour onto an oiled, clean surface like a non-stick, heat-resistant mat or a marble work surface. Once cooled, blitz in a food processor or crush with a rolling pin.

Use an electric whisk to mix together the eggs, ground almonds, 250g of sugar and the baking powder. Then add 300g of the orange pulp and whisk again.

Pour the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour. It’s cooked when a cocktail stick comes out clean. Allow the cake time to rest in the tin.

Meanwhile, make a syrup by boiling the Grand Mariner with the remaining sugar and water and reduce by half. Prick the top of the cake with a cocktail stick and pour over the syrup using a pastry brush to ensure it fills the holes. Allow to cool.

To serve, place a slice of cake on a plate and dust with icing sugar. Place a large tablespoon of praline next to the cake and top with a scoop of ice-cream. Garnish the ice-cream with a piece of candied orange peel. We serve this in the restaurant with a delicious whisky ice-cream.

THE PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN IN 10 STEPS

We all love a roast chicken, but how many of us are confident about cooking it perfectly? Follow Neil's 10 steps, and you too can create the perfect roast, every time!

 1. Place the chicken in an ovenproof dish. 

2. Stuff the cavity with herbs and garlic.

3. Trickle over some good oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Place in a pre-heated oven at 200C for 45 minutes.

5. Baste the chicken a few times during cooking.

6. After 45 minutes, trickle some honey and rub some butter all over the bird.

7. Remove the bird from oven and rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

8. Remove wings and legs (optional).

9. Remove each breast carefully, and carve them off the carcass. Also optional - you may prefer to serve the bird whole and carve at the table.

10. Present the bird to the table. Keep the carcass for stock and pick off any remaining meat for a chicken pie or curry another day. Serve with seasonal veg and roast tatties.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ROE DEER TARTARE

“This is a clean, simple and utterly delicious dish. It’s easy to prepare but it can be tricky to get the seasoning just right. Serve it with chopped shallots, cornichons and croutons or toast. And it’s great with an egg yolk added just before serving.” 

Serves 2

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

150g haunch or saddle of boned, sinew-free roe deer

½ a banana shallot, finely chopped

2  to 3 cornichons, finely chopped

1 teaspoon capers, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped parsley and chives

1 teaspoon tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcester sauce

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or less, up to you

3 teaspoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon butter

A few salad leaves, I like endive and watercress on this, nice and bitter to contrast the sweet tartare

A slice of good sourdough cut into 1-cm-sized croutons 

A few slices of radish

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Firstly, ensure your knife is good and sharp, then cut the roe deer into a smallish dice.  Not too small as you still want to taste the meat. 

Add this to a mixing bowl along with some of the shallot (you can add more if you wish), cornichons, capers, parsley and chives and mix. 

Use your taste buds and add as much or as little Tabasco, ketchup and Worcester sauce as you want. Give the mixture a good season with salt and pepper and add a wee squirt of rapeseed oil. Taste again to check the seasoning.

Make the croutons by frying the bread in a teaspoon of rapeseed oil and a teaspoon of butter until golden all over. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes on a low heat.

Dress the salad leaves and radish slices in a little oil and season.

To serve, rub a little oil inside a metal ring a place it on a plate. Fill with half of the tartare mix and repeat on another plate. Top each tartare with the dressed salad a few croutons.

NEIL'S RECIPES: LANGOUSTINES WITH SEAWEED AND HERB BUTTER

“You can’t beat a simply grilled langoustine with a hint of butter. Add a touch of garlic if you prefer, but seaweed is delicious, and very good for you as it’s packed full of minerals. Finish with a squeeze lemon and a pinch of good salt. Try charring the lemon on the griddle or pan - it gives the citrus fruit more flavour. Parsley is great but do replace it with your favourite herb if you prefer.”

Serves 4
10 minutes prep time, 10 minutes cooking time

INGREDIENTS

12 langoustines, if they are not alive and kicking, don’t buy them!

A small handful of lava seaweed, available online or from a good forager

A few sprigs of curly parsley

Half a lemon

1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)

200g unsalted butter

Good salt and pepper

2 lemons, halved

Sea purslane as a garnish, optional

METHOD

Place a large pan of water on to boil and season heavily with salt. When boiling, add the langoustines and cook for one minute, then remove and place into a bowl of ice-cold water until they are cold. This kills the prawns and just gently cooks them.

Next, cut the langoustines from head to toe on a chopping board. Start half way down the prawn where the tail meets the head then turn the langoustines around and do the same through the head. There will now be two halves of each langoustine. Place them on a grill tray.

Melt the butter on the hob on a low heat for a few minutes. Chop the seaweed and parsley and add it to the pan along with the garlic and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Combine with a spoon or pastry brush and season with salt and pepper.

Brush the flesh side of the langoustines with the prepared butter and cook under the very hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes until hot. Add an extra squeeze of lemon juice and place onto warmed plates. Place the lemon halves cut-side-down on a griddle or frying pan to char and serve alongside the langoustines. Add some sea purslane as a garnish. Eat at once.

NEIL'S RECIPE: WILD GARLIC GNOCCHI

"I really enjoy making these fluffy, light, little pillows of potato. The best way to make the mash is to bake the potatoes in their skins in the oven on a tray of salt. Cook until soft inside, half them, then run through a mouli or potato ricer. The mash must be dry. Don’t over work the dough or be tempted to add too much flour as they will become bullet hard after blanching. Keep them light and fluffy. I love them sautéed with butter to give a hint of texture on the outside."

Serves 4
Prep time 40 minutes, cooking time 1.5 hours

INGREDIENTS

4 to 5 large, floury potatoes

250g plain flour, plus extra for rolling the dumplings

1 large egg

A handful of wild garlic, finely chopped

Good salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of hard cheese like a Mull or Barwheys, grated

A few knobs of butter

50ml extra virgin olive oil

1/2 bulb of fennel, shaved on a mandolin or thinly sliced with a knife

A few salad leaves

A few shavings of hard cheese like a good cheddar

A drizzle of garlic oil or pesto oil to garnish, optional

A few sliced radishes to garnish, optional

METHOD

Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6

Begin by baking the potatoes in their skins in the oven on a bed of salt until soft inside. This will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then scoop out the flesh and mash.

Mix 500g of the mashed potato carefully with the plain flour, then add the egg and combine. Add the chopped wild garlic, season with salt and pepper and add the grated cheese. Mix well but be careful not to overdo it.

Roll the dough in a dusting of flour to make a long sausage shape about the width of £1 coin. Cut the gnocchi into 1-inch pieces, pinching each one as you cut.

To cook, place into a pan of salted, boiling water and cook until the gnocchi rises to the surface on a rolling boil. This should take about 2 to 4 minutes, then remove from the water and place onto a cloth.

Heat a non-stick pan and add half the olive oil and add the gnocchi. Then add the butter and colour the dumplings until they are golden and almost crispy.  Remove from the pan and season.

To serve, place several pieces of gnocchi on warmed plates with a handful of good salad, some fennel and a few shavings of hard cheese. To finish, I like to use a drizzle of wild garlic oil or the oil from any pesto. Also use some sliced radish if you like.

NEIL'S RECIPES: CHOCOLATE FONDANT

"To guarantee a soft, liquid centre place a few chocolate buttons or a cube of chocolate into the centre of the mix you are using. I use a dariole mould - a metal bowl the size of a tea cup. I love Montezuma chocolate; use your favourite, but use dark. To add extra texture I’ve used a sprinkle of praline."

Makes 2 large or 4 small fondants

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon of plain flour

100g dark chocolate, plus a few extra buttons for the centre

100g unsalted butter, diced

65g caster sugar

A little melted butter for brushing

A little cocoa powder for dusting

A dollop of crème fraîche

A small handful of hazelnuts

Another 75g caster sugar

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Begin by making a praline. Add 75g of caster sugar to a pan and melt gently, allowing it to become dark and caramel in colour. This should take 3 to 5 minutes. Then stir in the hazelnuts and pour onto an oiled, clean surface like a non-stick, heat-resistant mat or a marble work surface. Once cooled, blitz in a food processor or crush with a rolling pin.

Next, prepare 2 large, or 4 small, dariole moulds by brushing with the melted butter then dust with a little cocoa powder. Knocking any excess powder out.

Whisk the egg, yolks and flour in a bowl and set to one side.

Place the chocolate, butter and sugar in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and melt gently whilst whisking to combine. When it reaches room temperature, add the egg and flour mix to the chocolate mix. This is a basic fondant recipe.

Next, spoon the mixture into the moulds until they are half full, then add the buttons, then fill the moulds to the top. If there’s any mix left over, it will keep well in the fridge for another day.

Bake the fondants in the oven for 9 to 11 minutes, and then let them sit for a minute outside the oven before carefully turning them out onto warm plates. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of praline.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PIGEON WITH BEETROOT AND ORANGE

“This looks pretty and tastes great. Pigeon is widely available and a great source of protein. Top tip here is to marinate the raw beetroot for as long as you can, as the vinegar breaks down the slices as though it is cooked. Also try to toast the hazelnuts just before you use them, the difference in taste is astonishing.”

Serves 1

Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 2 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 breast of wild wood pigeon, skin off

1 smallish red beetroot, peeled and washed

1 orange, peeled and cut into small segments

A few watercress leaves

4 to 5 peeled hazelnuts, crushed on the side of a knife, carefully

1 tablespoon good extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife cut the beetroot into very thin slices and marinate in all of the vinegar and half of the oil. Season with salt and pepper and set to one side.

Season the pigeon with salt and pepper. Add half of the remaining oil to a frying pan and take to a moderate-to-high heat. Cook the pigeon for 1 minute each side, no more. Remove the pigeon from the pan and set to one side to cool.

Toast the hazelnuts in the same pan and keep warm.

To serve, arrange the beetroot into a fan shape on a plate. Slice the pigeon very thinly lengthways and lay on top of the beetroot. Season the watercress with salt, pepper and a little oil and arrange on top of the pigeon. Scatter over the hazelnuts and orange segments. Add a final sprinkle of salt and eat at once.