All recipes serve four
BRAISED LEEKS, POACHED EGG, LARDONS AND HAZELNUTS
olive oil
8 leeks, well trimmed and cut into 6cm lengths
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, and 1 tbsp of roughly chopped chervil
4 thick slices pancetta, cut into lardons
4 organic eggs
1 heaped tbsp roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts
Put four tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon of water in a shallow pan. Toss the leeks in this mixture, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over a moderate heat for 10 minutes, or until the leeks are tender. Strain and allow the liquid to cool. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, vinegar and herbs, and check seasoning. Pour this over the leeks. You need to do this while they are warm so the flavours infuse.
In a lightly-oiled frying pan sauté the pancetta until crispy, transfer on to kitchen paper and set it aside. Heat a pan of salted water and, when at a rolling boil, drop the eggs in gently. The eggs should be organic and fresh. If they are stale, or of bad quality, they tend to go all stringy and loose. Pile the leeks on to four plates, top each with a poached egg and scatter the lardons and nuts over the top.
STEAMED SPROUTING BROCCOLI, ANCHOVIES, PARMESAN AND OLIVES
1kg sprouting broccoli, trimmed
olive oil
2 lemons
2 tbsp roughly chopped black olives
2 fresh red chillies, trimmed and finely chopped
1 tbsp Parmesan shavings
12 anchovy fillets (buy well from a specialist store)
Steam or boil the broccoli, well salted, for eight minutes or until just cooked. Drain and toss gently in the pan with four tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of one of the lemons and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.
Pile on to four plates and scatter the olives, chilli and Parmesan shavings over the top. Distribute the anchovy fillets between the plates and serve with a final drizzle of olive oil and a lemon quarter.
ROAST BREAST OF DUCK, CELERIAC MASH AND WILTED SPINACH
1 small celeriac, peeled and diced
2-3 floury potatoes, peeled and diced
175g butter
200ml single cream
100ml full fat milk
2 large duck breasts
500g spinach, trimmed and washed
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
100ml chicken stock
Cook the celeriac and potatoes in boiling salted water until they are tender. Either cut the celeriac into smaller dice, or cook separately; you can use the same water. Mash both in a saucepan and, over a low heat, whisk in the butter, cream and milk, and season with salt and pepper. You want to leave it fairly sloppy.
With a sharp knife, score the fat on the duck breasts, season with salt and pepper and place skin-side down, in a small hot pan over a moderate heat. Cook them for five minutes then turn them over. Cook for a further seven minutes and then transfer the breasts to a warm oven and allow them to rest. Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water until just wilted. Gently squeeze out the excess moisture. Remove the duck from the pan and keep warm. Pour off the fat (good for roasting potatoes) and deglaze the pan over a moderate heat with the balsamic vinegar. Add the stock and reduce by half. Slice the duck breasts on the diagonal - each should be sufficient for two people, and serve on top of the mash, with the spinach alongside, and a little of the reduced stock spooned over the top.
RUM-SOAKED PINEAPPLE WITH BISCOTTI
The biscotti can be bought in any good delicatessen. Ice-cream, or some pouring cream would go well with this.
1 pineapple
glass rum
Cut the skin from the pineapple then slice cut into rings and remove the tough central core. Arrange the rings in a shallow dish. Pour the rum over them and marinate uncovered, in a cool place, but not in the fridge, for several hours. Serve with the biscotti on the side.