NEIL'S RECIPES: SEAFOOD PLATTER

“If you like, you can add lobster to this dish, but just don’t eat it every week as lobster is at threat if we eat it too much. Same goes for langoustines. We love using them at Cafe, but not all the time. It’s good practice to change your fish species around, seasonally of course. Go online and research sustainable fish available locally to you.”

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 handful of mussels, beards removed

2 scallops, hand-dived and out of the shell

1 squid, prepped and scored

1 fillet of grey mullet

A few radicchio leaves

A handful of watercress

Half a lemon

Good salt and pepper

1 tablespoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A knob of butter

A clove of garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon of curly parsley, chopped

METHOD

Find your biggest frying pan and get it hot on the hob. Add the rapeseed oil. Season the fish and shellfish and add to the pan. Keep an eye on the temperature as you don’t want the pan to get too hot. And be aware that each fish will have different cooking times. The mullet will take a little longer to cook than the scallops for example.

Season the fish and shellfish again in the pan and add the smashed garlic clove, the parsley and the butter then cover the pan with a lid (if you have one) so the mussels can open up, and the squid should start to curl. Add some lemon juice and season again. Turn the scallops and fish as required, the whole process should only take 3 to 4 minutes. Try not to over cook the fish.

Once ready, remove the fish from the pan and place onto a warm platter. If you have the scallop shells, use them to display your scallops. Add the lemon to the pan cut-side down and cook until it starts to blacken then add to your platter. Enjoy with a salad and a glass of fizz!

NEIL'S RECIPES: ROAST RAINBOW CARROTS WITH CROWDIE, HAZELNUTS AND PARSLEY

“Simple to make and delicious to eat. The hazelnuts (or some other form of crunch) are needed here, otherwise the textures blend too much. I love the pretty appearance of rainbow carrots, but ordinary orange carrots would work just as well. Perhaps try new-season baby carrots, with the tops left on? In my book, any dish with crowdie is going to taste great.” 

Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes; cooking time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS
A handful of yellow, purple and orange rainbow carrots

2 tablespoons of Crowdie, whipped for a minute to make it lighter

1 tablespoon of toasted hazelnuts, crushed

4 tablespoons organic olive oil

A small handful of curly parsley

Good salt and pepper

3 cloves of garlic, halved

A few sprigs of thyme

METHOD
Heat the oven to 180°C / Gas Mark 4.

Scrub the carrots but don’t peel them. Cut some of them in half lengthways.

Heat a pan on the hob and add the carrots with half the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic halves and toss. Then add the thyme and roast in the oven for 20 minutes until the carrots are cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Make the parsley oil by blitzing half the parsley with the remaining oil and a pinch of salt. Whizz for a minute or two until a green oil is made.

To plate up, arrange the carrots on a plate and dot the whipped crowdie over the carrots and on the plate. Sprinkle the hazelnuts on top and a few parsley sprigs. Trickle the parsley oil over and season one last time. Serve at once as a starter, a nibble or a side dish.

NEIL'S RECIPES: RHUBARB AND APPLE CRUMBLE

“Who doesn’t like a crumble. The addition of rhubarb in this apple classic is delicious, especially as there’s so much of it around right now. It’s a great time for garden-grown rhubarb. I have so much I sent some to the in-laws, who made crumble with no sugar! It didn’t work, and lashings of custard was required to compensate. Serve this pudding with whatever takes your fancy, even good old pouring cream is wonderful.” 

Serves 2

Prep time: 30 to 45 minutes; cooking time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 large or 2 smaller British Bramley apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 large stalk of garden rhubarb, washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
75g plain flour
175g caster sugar
35g unsalted butter
50g pinhead or porridge oats
A touch of ground ginger if you like it
Some good vanilla ice cream, custard or whatever you fancy

METHOD

Heat the oven to 160°C / Gas Mark 3
Firstly ensure the fruit is washed thoroughly and place into a pot with 100g of the sugar, add some ginger if you like. Add a tablespoon or two of water and cook gently for about 10 to 15 minutes until the fruit is just about soft. Turn off the heat and leave for 15 minutes, then place the cooked fruit in an oven-proof dish.

Next, make the crumble topping by rubbing the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Be careful not to over mix. Add the remaining sugar and oats and mix well. Scatter the crumble mix over the warm fruit and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown. Some people add more sugar onto the top of the dish, but I think it’s sweet enough.

Serve warm with either ice-cream or cream or custard.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SMOKED DUCK, BEETROOT, ORANGE, HAZELNUT, ENDIVE AND WATERCRESS

“A simple and very tasty recipe. Look out for free-range or organic duck from a farm shop and try different wood types for smoking the duck—the BBQ is a good place to experiment outside. The wonderfully bitter endive leaves work well with the smokiness of the duck and crunch of the hazelnuts.”

Serves 4 as a starter
Prep time: 1 hour plus overnight for the smoking; Cooking time 1.5 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 large breast of duck

2 oranges, skin removed and cut into segments, retain the juice as a dressing

2 tablespoons of peeled hazelnuts, roasted and crushed

2 handfuls of watercress, thoroughly washed

2 beetroots, scrubbed, skin on and boiled for about an hour and a half until tender, remove skin by scraping under water, use different types for a different taste and colour

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

A few endive leaves

Good salt and pepper

Brine for the duck:

1/2 bottle of red wine

2 star anise

A few peppercorns

50g dark brown sugar

50g salt

1 shallot, peeled and sliced

A few thyme sprigs

To smoke the duck:

2 tablespoons of rice

2 tablespoons oak smoke chips

METHOD

Bring all the brine ingredients to the boil and cool. Place the duck breast into the cold brine and leave overnight in the fridge. Remove, pat dry and return to the fridge for a few hours to neutralise the saltiness with the sugar.

Next to hot smoke, make a small pillowcase with tin foil and make holes in the top sheet. Fill the foil parcel with 2 tablespoons of rice and 2 of oak smoke chips. Seal the edges up and place the pillow in an old pot or tray and place on a hob (with extraction) or on the BBQ outside. Lay a cooling wire on top of the pot and place the duck onto that. Then place another pot, upside down, on top of the duck creating an oven of sorts with enough room for the smoke to move around.

Turn the heat on to high and smoke the duck for between 10 and 15 minutes, do not leave this unattended, then remove the duck. Be careful as it’s hot and very smoky. Then place the duck into a hot oven (210°C) for 5 to 10 minutes to finish the cooking. Remove the duck from the oven and allow to cool in the fridge or by a cool window before carving into slivers.

To assemble the dish, remove the skin from the beetroot and cut into wedges and arrange on plates with the endive leaves and orange segments. Lay slivers of duck onto the salads and top with watercress leaves and hazelnuts. Finish by trickling on the orange juice and the olive oil and seasoning with good salt and pepper.

NEIL'S RECIPES: MUSSEL AND LEEK BROSE

“This dish has so much flavour and is easy to make. Oats have been a staple in Scotland for centuries, and this mussel and leek dish ticks a box for historical accuracy. I like using Shetland Blue Shell mussels as they’re very sustainable.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 large leek, halved, washed and chopped

2 big handfuls of Shetland Blue Shell mussels, beards removed and cleaned

1 shallot, roughly chopped

1 sprig of thyme

1 clove of garlic

A splash of white wine

200g pinhead oats, steeped overnight in water

100g butter

Blanched baby leeks and seaweed for garnish

1 tablespoon chopped curly parsley

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Place a large pot with a lid on the hob and get it quite hot. Throw in the mussels, thyme, garlic and shallot then add the wine. Give the pot a shake and put the lid on.

Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Remove half of the mussels from the shells and reserve the remainder.

Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and reserve.

Add half the butter and two thirds of the leeks to a clean pot and cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until they are nice and soft.

Drain the oats and add them to the leeks, followed by the mussel stock. Season. Keep stirring the oats as they will tend to stick a bit to the bottom of the pot.  You may need to add a glug of water. Cook until the oats begin to resemble cooked porridge, about 15 minutes.

Next, add the remaining leeks, and the other half of the butter, stir and cook until leeks are soften. Check the seasoning and add the parsley.

Stir through the shelled mussels and divide between four warmed bowls. Garnish with the mussels in shells, and some blanched and seasoned baby leeks and seaweed.

NEIL'S RECIPES: RHUBARB ETON MESS

“Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb! Its lovely, and one thing I grow well over winter, hence why I use it a lot in my recipes. This rich and creamy pudding is just as delicious as the berry version, and with only three ingredients, what's not to like. But I do like to add a few sprigs of sweet cicely sprinkled on top, to give it a lovely aniseed flavour. Try serving it in a big bowl in the centre of your table. There will be oohs and aahs all round when you set it down.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

300g of garden rhubarb, cut into 1-inch cubes

500ml double cream, semi-whipped to ribbon stage

2 egg whites

6 tablespoons caster sugar

A few sprigs of sweet cicely

METHOD

Heat oven to 100°C

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl or mixer until almost stiff then slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of sugar. Spoon this mixture onto parchment paper and cook for 4 to 5 hours in the oven. Once cool, lightly break into pieces.

In a thick-bottomed pot, add the rhubarb, the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar, and a trickle of water. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, then increase the temperature to a moderate heat and cook until the rhubarb is soft (not mushy), retaining its shape. This will take about a further 10 minutes. Allow to cool, retaining any syrup from the fruit.

Before plating, mix the semi-whipped cream, the meringue (retain some for a topping) and the rhubarb in a chilled bowl. Then divide this mix between four serving bowls and top with the extra meringue, a few sprigs of sweet cicely and a drizzle of syrup from the rhubarb pot.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ORGANIC CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

“It's everyone's favourite, but if you’re not careful, a lot can go wrong. The cooking time will vary dramatically depending on the oven you use, so be aware of this and don't over cook. Brownies are better soft and gooey than dry and overlooked. I love the addition of white chocolate buttons in this recipe, and try adding walnuts for some crunch. Serve them with a good vanilla ice-cream and a chocolate sauce for extra moisture, richness and gooeyness!” 

Makes one tray

INGREDIENTS

675g organic unrefined caster sugar

225g organic self-raising flour

125g organic cocoa powder

150g organic white chocolate buttons or 50/50 dark and white organic Montezuma pistoles

6 organic eggs, beaten

340g organic butter, melted

90g organic milk

A few organic chocolate buttons (for chocolate sauce)

A splash of cream (for chocolate sauce)

METHOD

Sift the flour and the cocoa powder together into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sugar, chocolate buttons then add the melted butter, milk and lastly the eggs. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.

Line a roasting tin (around 450 x 300mm) with greased baking parchment or grease-proof paper and pour in the mix. For a thicker brownie, use a smaller tray, but cook it for a bit longer.

Bake the brownie in a pre-heated med to low oven (160-170°C) for around 20 to 30 minutes. All ovens are very different so check every 5 to 10 minutes. Try the tip of a knife test - if it's still too wet inside the centre then cook longer. Don't over cook the brownies, keep it gooey!

To make a chocolate sauce, gently melt a few organic chocolate buttons with a splash of cream over a bain marie.

Serve with a good ice-cream and chocolate sauce.

NEIL'S RECIPES: PIGEON, BEETROOT AND CREAMY CELERIAC

“I’ve been making this dish for 30 years. It’s earthy, simple, and the flavours just work. I have tried growing celeriac, but they are tricky and don’t seem to grow very big—I’m not sure why. Pigeon is readily available most of the year, so try a good butcher or a farmers’ market for a local game dealer. They’re not expensive either. Remember to keep the breasts pink and quite rare otherwise they can be quite tough.”

Serves 4

INGERDIENTS

4 breasts wild wood pigeon

4 whole beetroots, scrubbed

1 celeriac, peeled and washed

A few sprigs of thyme

4 slithers of garlic

A handful of wild garlic

250ml double cream

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Place the scrubbed beetroots in a pot, season with salt and cover with water then bring to the boil and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. When they are cool, scrape away the skin and cut them in half. Next place a few sprigs of thyme on an ovenproof tray and lay the beetroot halves on top. Season them with salt and pepper and a wee squirt of rapeseed oil then bake for 25 minutes in a hot oven (200°C).

Dice the celeriac to 1/2cm cubes, place in a pot and cover with the cream. Add a few sprigs of thyme, 2 slithers of garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until just soft.

Whilst all this is happening, place a frying pan with the rapeseed oil on the hob and bring it to a moderate heat. Season the pigeon and add to the pan. Add a few sprigs of thyme and 2 slithers of garlic and colour the pigeon a 2 – 3 minutes each side, no longer. It should still be nice and pink inside. Remove the pigeon from the pan and leave it to rest in a warm place.

Add the wild garlic to the same pan, season it with salt and pepper, and cook until it wilts down in the pigeon juices.

To serve, spoon the creamy celeriac into the centre of each plate, then slice the pigeon breasts lengthways and arrange on top the celeriac. Arrange the beetroot around the plate and drape the wild garlic over the dish.

Finish with a wee pinch of good salt and serve.

NEIL'S RECIPES: WARM CHOCOLATE FONDANT WITH WALNUT BRITTLE

“Who doesn’t like a molten-centred, rich, dark and decadent chocolate pudding? It’s such a simple recipe to follow and is fail-proof. Here I have made small bars of sweet walnut brittle to go with the rich pudding. Serve with crème fraîche, proper vanilla ice-cream, or why not a dollop of cool, natural yoghurt. I like to use Montezuma organic chocolate as it has a wonderful flavour. Use gluten-free flour so friends who don’t eat flour can enjoy this treat.” 

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 vanilla ice-cream

A handful of Californian walnuts

Another 45g caster sugar

Heat the oven to 180°C.

METHOD

To make the brittle, add 45 grams of caster sugar to a pot, place on the hob and cook until the sugar is golden brown. Be careful as it gets very hot. When golden, pour the sugar on to a non-stick mat and add the walnuts to it. Allow to cool and snap into shards of desired sizes. 

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 vanilla ice-cream a shard of walnut brittle.

NEIL'S RECIPES: SMOKED TROUT WITH DILL SCONE AND PICKLES

“I adore the smoked fish from our friends at Belhaven. The taste is just right. It’s a simple flavour and one that goes with a huge array of ingredients. Here I have given a few ideas but have a play around. Remember it is a rich fish, so it needs something to cut through that richness. Think capers, cornichons and pickles.”

Serves 4 to 6

Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Allow about 75g to 100g of smoked trout per person, I like to buy unsliced and slice it myself but sliced is good from Belhaven

1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and sliced

Half a red onion, peeled and sliced in to rings

100g caster sugar

100g cider vinegar

100ml water

A few mustard seeds

1 sprig of thyme

200g plain flour

Half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

10g chopped dill

Half a teaspoon fennel seeds

25g unsalted butter, cubed

150ml milk

Pinch of salt

A few radishes

Crème fraîche, optional

Twist of black pepper

METHOD

Heat the oven to 200°C / Gas Mark 7

To make the scones, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, dill, fennel seeds and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter to breadcrumb stage, then add the milk until it becomes a soft dough.

Dust a surface with flour and push the dough into a flat shape about 1-inch thick. Use a floured cutter, about a 2-inch diameter, to cut out the scones and place them on a greased baking tray. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

To make the pickles, boil together the water, sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds and thyme then add the sliced cucumber. Turn off the heat and leave to cool.

To make the pickled red onion, place the onion slices in a bowl and pour over boiling water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes, then drain and pour over some of the pickling liquid.

To serve, simply arrange the smoked trout on a plate with a scone, the pickles, some halved radishes, a twist of black pepper and maybe some crème fraîche.