robertwray.co.uk | recipes

Stats
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Ingredients
4 pork chops
25ml lemon juice
25ml olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
200ml red wine
75ml jack daniels
25ml red wine vinegar
25ml light soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
100ml maple syrup
1 heaped tbsp tomato puree
1 heaped tsp english mustard powder
1 heaped tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees (fan assisted).
2. Place the pork chops in a metal roasting tin and surround them with the finely diced onion.
3. Mix the oil and lemon juice together and brush over the pork chops (no need to turn them to brush the undersides), making sure you get oil on the skin to help it crisp. Use all the mixture by generously brushing until it's all gone.
4. Put the pork chops in the oven for 25 minutes.
5. Whilst the chops are cooking, mix all the remaining ingredients together except for 25ml of the Jack Daniels and 50ml of the red wine which you need to reserve for later.
6. When the pork chops have had 25 minutes, remove from the oven, drain off the fat from the roasting tin, pour over the sauce prepared in (5) and return to the oven for a further 25 minutes, removing twice during that time to baste with the sauce.
7. When the cooking time is complete, set aside the pork chops to rest in a warm place and put the roasting tin over direct heat.
8. Add the remaining reserved jack daniels and red wine to the pan and stir until the alcohol has evaporated off and the sauce has thickened.
9. Serve the pork chops with the sauce drizzled over.
   

Stats
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
900g cooked beetroot, cubed into 5-10mm cubes
375g onions peeled and chopped
350g cooking apple peeled, cubed into 5-10mm cubes
120g demarara sugar
1 level teaspoon dried ginger
120ml malt vinegar
40ml white wine vinegar
80ml red wine vinegar
2tsp salt
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
juice of one lemon
2 dried red birds-eye chilli's, de-seeded and finley chopped

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into a wide-bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil
2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes
3. Decant into sterilised jars
   

Stats

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

1 tin chopped tomatoes
75g chorizo (a picante one is best) sliced and then quartered
150g red split lentils, well washed
2tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
2pts vegetable stock
75g fresh spinach, de-stalked and shredded
1/2tsp of chilli powder
1/2 tbsp of tomato puree
150g potato chopped to 1/2cm cubes
1/2 red bell pepper diced

Method

1. Cook the lentils according to the packet instructions, ensuring they retain a firm texture.
2. Cook the chorizo in a saucepan with the olive oil and garlic until the oil is coloured and the chorizo cooked
3. Set aside the chorizo pieces and cook the onion in the coloured olive oil until softened
4. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, shredded spinach, tomato puree, potato and red bell pepper to the onions and stir in well.
5. Stir in the lentils, add the stock, reserved chorizo pieces and the chilli powder, simmer for five minutes.

Notes

This soup definitely improves as it ages, as with anything with some heat. It’s also entirely customisable how much heat you add to this. I usually add a small splash of a hot habanero sauce just to give it a real kick.

Stats

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15mins
Cook Time: 30mins

Ingredients

300g chicken breast, cooked and cubed to 1/2cm cubes
1 large carrot, cubed to 1/2cm cubes
1 Chicken Knorr Stock-pot
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a decent sized saucepan (one that will take a 2 pints of water, plus the ingredients), add the garlic and onion and sweat.
2. Add the carrot and stir round to coat in the oil and heat the carrot through.
3. Add the chicken, followed by the stock-pot, made up with 1 pint of hot water.
4. Use the tsp of dijon mustard to make up another pint of hot liquid and add to the pan.
5. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrot is slightly tender but still with some crunch.

Stats
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20mins
Cook Time: 10mins

Ingredients
1 part-baked baguette (approx 45cm length)
250g cherry plum tomatoes
1 large mild red chilli
Balsamic syrup/glaze
Basil leaves
1tsp olive oil
1/2tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2tsp soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, peeled
Fresh parmesan, shaved

Method

1. De-seed and finely chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl
2. Finely chop the basil leaves and add to the bowl
3. De-seed and finely chop the chilli and add to the bowl
4. Add the olive oil, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar to the bowl, stir, season well and leave to rest for 20 minutes
5. Bake the baguette, allow to cool slightly, cut in half width-ways and then length-ways and then toast
   
6. Cut the end off the clove of garlic and rub the cut end lighly over the bread
7. Drain any excess liquid from the tomato mixture
   
8. Place the baguette portions on plates, heap with the tomato mixture, place shavings of parmesan on top and then drizzle with balsamic glaze
   

Stats
Serves: 8 for a starter, 4 for a main course
Prep Time: 30mins
Cook Time: 20mins (for the fishcakes themselves, once prepared)

Ingredients
400g fresh cod
400g peeled floury potatos
200g fresh breadcrumbs
25g butter
3 medium eggs
100g plain flour
20g bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
150ml milk
200ml water
2 bay leaves
Freshly ground nutmeg
Grated zest of one lemon


Method

1. In a wide flat bottomed pan, heat the milk, water and bay leaves before adding the cod.
2. Allow the cod to cook at a simmer for 4-5 minutes, remove from the heat and allow to sit in the hot liquid for 10 minutes.
3. Chop the potatoes into equal sized pieced and cook until ready to mash.
4. Mash the potatos, adding the butter, salt, pepper, few spoons of the cooking liquid from the fish, ground nutmeg and the leon zest.
   
5. Flake the fish into the potato, add the chopped parsley and combine gently.
6. Separate the mixture into 8 pieces and shape into rounded flat cakes and coat each cake well in flour.
7. Lightly beat the eggs to combine the yolk and white and place in a lipped plate / pasta dish. Place the breadcrumbs in another dish.
8. Coat each fishcake in egg, then breadcrumbs, then egg again and, finally, breadcrumbs again.
9. Place the fishcakes in the fridge to cool for an hour, if possible, as this makes them handle better when cooking.

To Cook

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees.
2. Heat some oil in a frying-pan over a medium heat and cook the fishcakes for 2 - 3 minutes on each side.
3. Place the fish-cakes in the oven for 15 minutes to ensure they're heated through

Notes
Fantastic when served with a rocket salad and home-made tartare sauce

Stats
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20mins
Cook time: 1.5hrs

Ingredients
1 leek
1 large red onion
1 large white onion
250ml dry white wine
3 beef Oxo stock cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
50g butter
1tsp sugar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Method

1. Thinly slice the onions and leek; prepare the leeks by "topping and tailing" them, cutting the leek in half lengthways and then slicing it thinly into "semi-circles" (2-3mm thickness).
2. Place a large saucepan on the heat, add the butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt.
3. Add the onions, leek garlic and the sugar and stir until the onions have started to brown ever so slightly.
4. Reduce the heat and allow the onions to cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
5. Use the stock cubes to make 2 pints of stock (add boiling water), and add to the onions.
6. Use a wooden spoon to stir the onions round well, removing all the caremalised onion from the base of the pan and mixing it into the liquid.
7. Add the white wine to the pan and stir well, ensuring that the bottom of the pan is clear of caremalised onion.
8. Allow it to simmer then immediately reduce to the lowest heat and reduce down for 1 hour, stirring ocasionally.
9. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.
   

Stats
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins - 1 hour

Ingredients
400g Lamb mince
1 large red onion
2 red chillis
2 cloves of garlic
3 tsp cumin powder
2 400g can chopped tomatos
1 tsp tomato puree
1 beef Oxo stock cube
1tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Peel and chop the onion so that it's approx 0.5cm square pieces (i.e. not too big, not too small), and set to one side.
   
2. De-seed and chop the chillis (add half of the seeds back after chopping), and set to one side.
3. Chop the garlic, and set to one side.
4. Heat the olive oil in a wok or wide bottomed saucepan on a low to medium heat until it sizzles gently when a piece of onion is dropped in.
5. When up to temperature, add the onion, chopped garlic and half of the chopped chillis and cook until the onion is softened.
6. Add the lamb mince (by breaking it up and adding it in pieces) and cook, stiring regularly until the lamb is browning and has given off a large amount of fat.
7. Remove from the heat and drain the fat off.
8. Return to the heat, crush the stock cube over the mince and mix in, before adding the chopped tomatos and tomato puree
9. Turn the heat up to medium, so it's slightly bubbling, add the cumin powder and worcestershire sauce and then stir to mix it all in.
10. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Taste the chilli to determine how hot it is. Continue adding the remaining chopped chilli, stirring and allowing to simmer for 5 minutes before tasting again, until you've reached the heat that you want (Remember, the heat will come out through the cooking time and/or reheating, so always make it slightly milder than you want - you can always add more chilli prior to serving).
12. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until it has thickened.
13. When it's reached the correct thickness, perform a final taste test and add more chilli if needed, then serve.
    

Notes
Best served with home made garlic bread and lots of cheddar cheese.

Stats
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30mins

Ingredients
25g butter
2cm cube of ginger, finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes, drained with the juice reserved
1pt vegetable stock
2stp tomato puree
1/2tsp lemongrass paste
1/2tsp tamarind paste
100ml single cream
1 chopped and desseded green chilli

Method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat, add the ginger and allow to infuse
   
2. Add the drained chopped tomatoes, stir well
3. Add the tomato puree, lemongrass and tamarind paste and mix well
4. Add the hot vegetable stock and reserved tomato juice
5. Allow to come to the boil, add the chopped green chilli and simmer for five minutes
6. Add cream
7. Blend until smooth
   

Stats
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients
2 x whole chicken legs (including thighs)
1 x tin chopped tomatos (440g)
2 x carrots, sliced to 1/2cm thickness (skin on)
4 x rashers of smoked back bacon, chopped to 1cm strips
2 x tablespoon olive oil
1 x red onion coarsely chopped
1 x garlic clove, finely chopped
1 x red pepper, de-seeded and chopped into 2cm squares
50ml x Red wine
1 x Beef Oxo stock cube
1 x Dash of mushroom ketchup (or Worcestershire sauce)

Method
Note: A casserole dish that can handle stove-top heat is required (such as this Le Creuset one).

1. Place half the olive oil in the casserole dish along with the chopped garlic, onions and bacon. Allow to soften and cook through.
2. Remove the softened garlic, onions and bacon from the pot and set aside.
3. Place the remaining olive oi in the pan, increase the heat slightly and place the chicken legs in. Allow to brown on both sides.
4. Add the tinned chopped tomatos, stir and reduce the heat so the tomatos simmer.
5. Make up the beef oxo in the tomato tin and add the liquid to the casserole dish.
6. Add carrots, red wine, red pepper and the dash of mushroom ketchup.
7. Bring to the boil, turn the heat off, put the lid on and place in a pre-heated oven (150 degress fan-assisted, 160/170 convection) for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Notes
Check (and stir) the casserole every 30 minutes to determine the consistency of the sauce. If it's too thin for your liking after 1.5 hours, remove from the oven 15 minutes before serving, remove and set-aside the chicken legs (carefully, the meat will be very tender and fall off the bone). Place the casserole dish on the hob, and bring to the boil for ten minutes, stirring regularly until the sauce has thickened separately, reduce the heat to a low simmer and return the meat.

Would go well with creamy mash or rice.