500g/18oz Chestnuts
500g/18oz Kale or another winter green
250g/9oz Bacon or leftover ham
Oil
1 litre/1¾pt Poultry or Game Stock

To Prepare the Chestnuts

1. Make a slit in the shell of each chestnut and plunge them into a pan of boiling water.
2. Bring the water back to boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
3. Drain, leave until cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin, including the thin brown inner skin (or you can roast and peel the chestnuts if you prefer this way of removing the skins).

The Soup

1. Wash and trim the Kale, cutting out and discarding the tougher stalks. Shred coarsely.
2. Roughly dice the Bacon and fry in the oil until just crisp.
3. Simmer the peeled Chestnuts in the stock until tender. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
4. Mash about a quarter of the Chestnuts with a fork and stir them back into the soup to thicken it a little.
5. Roughly chop the rest of the Chestnuts and return to the soup.
6. Add the Kale and Bacon and simmer for just 3 minutes, until the Kale is lightly cooked but fresh and green in colour.

2 cups chopped onion
1 cup all-purpose flour
12 cups chicken broth
1 cup thick cream
½ pound crumbled blue cheese
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach OR 2 bunches fresh spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
4 cups milk
Ground pepper to taste
1 pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1. Sauté onions in butter for about 3 minutes.
2. Add flour and stir well until mixed. Add broth, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Whisk mixture to keep flour from clumping.
3. Add milk, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the blue cheese and stir until blended, then add the spinach and cook 3 more minutes.
5. Add the cream, bring just to a boil, take off heat and stir well.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3 oz/75g split peas
1 large onion, chopped
2 pints veg stock
1½ lb/675g leeks, sliced
Seasoning

1. Cover peas with boiling water and leave for 2 hours. Drain and reserve water.
2. Fry onion in butter. Add peas, stock and seasonings.
3. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour. If water gets low, add reserved pea juice.
4. Add leeks and cook for further 15-20 minutes.

4 lamb chump chops 8oz/225g each, trimmed of fat
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
½ pint/285ml lamb stock
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
¼ tsp salt
Black pepper
8oz/225g green beans

1. Brown lamb in oil for 15 minutes over a medium heat. Drain off the excess fat.
2. Add onion, stock, rosemary, salt and some pepper and bring to the boil.
3. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
4. Stir in beans, cover and cook until tender.

1-1½kg/2-3lb (depending on amount of bone) hare or rabbit joints, stewing veal or chicken joints
450g1lb leeks, sliced
900ml/1¾ pints water
4 cloves garlic
3 tblspns red or white wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
15 fresh sage leaves or 1 tblspn dried

1. Fry meat with leeks and garlic until veg is slightly softened and the meat lightly browned.
2. Add water, vinegar, bay and seasonings. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1-1½ hours.
3. Add sage and cook for a few more minutes.

1kg/2lb boneless veal or chicken, in 4cm/1½" cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
250g/8oz mushrooms
250ml/½ pint dry white wine
250ml/½ pint chicken stock
Herbs
Seasonings
Sorrel to taste

1. Sauté meat in oil and butter until golden. Transfer to pot.
2. Sauté mushrooms and onions until tender in the same pan until they are tender.
3. Add to the pot with wine, stock, herbs and seasoning.
4. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours.

275g/10oz button mushrooms
1tbsp oil
3tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1tbsp plain flour
450ml/¾pt vegetable stock
450ml/¾pt milk
a pinch of dried Basil
2-3tbsp single cream

1. Fry mushrooms for about 1-2 mins in the oil and butter. Then cover and sweat for 6-7 mins.
2. Stir in flour, stock, milk, basil and seasoning and bring to the boil.
3. Simmer, partly covered for 15 mins.
4. Add cream.

225g/8oz undyed smoked haddock fillet
225g/8oz fresh monkfish fillet
20 mussels, scrubbed
2 bacon rashers
15ml/1 tbsp oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
150ml/¼pt single or double cream

1. Simmer haddock and monkfish in 2 pints of water for 5 mins, then add mussels and cover pan with lid.
2. Cook for 5 more mins until all mussels have opened (discard any that haven't). Drain, reserving the liquid. Return liquid to rinsed pan and set aside.
3. Chop up fish and bacon.
4. Fry shallot and bacon for 2-3 mins. Add to the strained fish broth. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 mins.
5. Stir in cream and all remaining fish and heat gently without boiling.

2kg leg lamb, boned
1 onion, thickly sliced
½ cup white wine
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
¼cup lemon juice
1 tbsp ground coriander
seasonings
2 tbsp oil
170ml can apricot nectar
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup dried pitted prunes
1 tbsp cornflour
Parsley

1. Combine onion, wine, lemon rind, juice, coriander, and seasonings in a bowl. Cover the bowl and marinate the chopped meat overnight. Stir a couple of times.
2. Drain meat & onion mix, reserving juice. Brown meat & onion.
3. Add the marinade and apricot nectar, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 mins.
4. Add the apricots and prunes, stir gently, cover and simmer for another 30 mins.
5. Add cornflour to thicken and simmer for 15 mins.

Venison and Bacon Stew
Servings:   2

1lb/400g diced venison
third pint/200ml White Wine Marinade
salt and pepper
butter
2 small onions, peeled and chopped
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
½ clove garlic, minced
¼ pint/150ml white wine
third pint/250ml beef stock
7 whole button mushrooms
3 thick bacon slices, diced and crisp-cooked
1 tspn flour mixed with 2 tspns water

White Wine Marinade
1 small onion, thinly sliced
½ clove of garlic, minced
¼ bottle dry white wine
½ tblspn chopped fresh parsley
½ bay leaf, crumbled
3 peppercorns, crushed
¼ tspn thyme
1 tblspn melted butter
½ tspn salt
MIX all ingrediants together and pour over the meat.

1. Marinate the meat for 1 0r 2 days (depending on age and toughness) in a cool place.
2. Drain and dry the meat, reserving the marinade.
3. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper
4. Heat the butter in a pan and cook the onion until tender.
5. Add and brown the meat.
6. Remove excess fat from the pan and add the shallots and garlic, turning and browning over a medium heat.
7. Add wine, ½ the marinade and enough stock to cover the meat.
8. Bring to the boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 1½ hours. (Add more stock if necessary).
9. Remove meat and strain the gravy. skimming off excess fat.
10. Return meat to the pan, pour in the strained gravy, add the mushrooms, onions and diced cooked bacon.
11. Add flour paste, if necessary, to thicken.
12. Simmer for 25 minutes more, until mushrooms are heated through.

670-895g / 1½-2lb fresh mussels, cleaned
15g / ½oz butter or margerine
4 rashers smoked bacon, derinded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
150ml / ¼ pint stock
1 tspn fresh basil, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

1. Fry the bacon in the butter or margerine until browned.
2. Stir in the stock and basil and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the prepared mussels, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that do not open.
4. Season and serve.

500g (1lb) shelled broad beans
2 small onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 litre (2 pints) vegetable stock
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
salt & pepper

1. Fry the onions and carrots in hot oil for 10-15 minutes.
2. Stir in the broad beans and stock, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Season with salt & pepper and stir in the mint.

2 tbsp olive oil
¼ onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
120ml / 4 fl oz beef stock
2 lamb steaks, diced
1 tspn fresh basil, chopped
110g / 4oz fresh peas

1. Fry the onion and the lamb in the oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and fry for a further 3 minutes.
3. Add the stock and simmer for 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the peas and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

½oz/15g butter
½oz/15g flour
¼pt/150ml milk
2oz/50g white Stilton
¼pt/150ml single cream
seasonings
1lb/450g rump steak, cut into ½"/1cm strips

1. Toss the meat in the butter for about 5 mins.
2. Mix milk and flour together in a jug, then stir into the pan and continue to stir until sauce thickens and is smooth. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the Stilton and cream, season. Do not allow to boil.

Pan Roasted Venison with Cherries
Servings:   4

4 chunks of venison, cut into pieces
Salt, (optional), to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Oil, as needed
1 small spoon oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
½ cup red wine
1 cup stock
½ large spoon flour
1/3 cup dried cherries

1. Season the venison with salt (if using) and freshly ground pepper.
2. Heat the oil to sizzling in a pan, add the venison and sear until well browned.
3. Add the shallots and red wine to the pan and cook, stirring, until the shallots are wilted and the wine is reduced by half.
4. Whisk the stock and flour together and whisk into the pan.
5. Cook until the mixture thickens.
6. Add the dried cherries to the pan and heat through.
   

250g broad beans
100g sausage
1 tbsp Olive oil

1. Cook the beans for about 2 minutes in salted water, then drain.
2. Finely slice the sausage and fry for a minute or so.
3. Add the beans to the pan and heat through.

dry-cured Ham or Bacon
some Peas
Oil
Garlic

1. Cut the ham into small pieces.
2. Blanch the peas in lightly salted boiling water for 1 minute, then drain.
3. Fry a couple of clove's worth of sliced garlic in the oil.
4. Add the ham and cook for a couple more minutes.
5. Add the peas and cook for another couple of minutes.

1lb / 450g stewing steak, cut up
2 tblspns red wine vinegar
4fl.oz. / 100ml Oil
Salt to taste
1 tblspn fresh or 1 tspn dried Dill
2 Leeks, chopped

1. Cut stewing steak into bite size pieces and place in a large pan with the oil and vinegar.
2. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.
3. Add salt to taste.
4. Chop up the leeks and add to the pan, cook until tender.
5. Add the dill and stir through, then serve.
   

Oatcakes
Servings: make as many as you need

Oats
Water
Honey
Butter

1. Put a small handful of oats into a large bowl and add a dash of water.
2. Mash the oats and water together, with a little butter and honey (if you want) until a kind of dough is formed.
3. Squash the dough ball flat between the palms of your hands until it is about 2 to 3 inches (6 to 8 cm) across and about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick. Make as many as you need.
4. Put the skillet over a flaming fire and oil well. (Watch out because the oil will catch fire, this is good).
5. Carefully pop the oatcakes on the skillet and brown each side (adding oil and honey on the top as you go).
6. Once browned tip the oatcakes onto a handy log or board and allow to cool slightly.
7. Serve with big dollops of honey and butter.

Bacon and Mushrooms in Garlic

Bacon
Mushrooms
Garlic
Oil to fry in

1. Add bacon, mushrooms and garlic to a pan and fry in oil to preference.

Omelette with Home-Made Cheese

3 eggs
Salt
Pepper
A knob of butter
A couple of handfuls of Ricotta-style Cheese

1. Lightly beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the butter in a pan and gently cook the eggs.
3. While the omelette is still a little runny crumble over the cheese.
4. Fold over the omelette and cook until done.

2 litres fresh whole milk (unpasteurised)
A pinch of salt
4 tsps rennet

1. Scald a large saucepan with a kettle of boiling water to sterilise it.
2. Add the milk and salt and heat gently to blood temperature, then remove at once from the heat.
3. Add the rennet and stir well in.
4. Leave for about 15 minutes, while the milk separates into curds (at the top) and whey (at the bottom).
5. Use a slotted spoon or small sieve to skim off the curds, in as large pieces as possible, placing them in a colander lined with a large square of double-layered muslin.
6. When you've skimmed off almost all the curds, tie up the corners of the muslin and hang the cheese to drip above a sink or bucket.
7. Leave for about 3 hours, then unwrap the cheese, place in a pudding basin, cover and store in the fridge.

Keep the cheese covered, in a bowl in the fridge, and it will stay fresh and 'sweet' for 2-3 days. After that, the flavour will turn more tangy and cheesy - still good to eat, but more suited to cooking and savoury applications. Use it up within a week.

From 'The River Cottage Year' - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

2-4 lettuces
6 eggs
Olive Oil
Vinegar
Mustard
Salt & Pepper
5-6 Spring Onions

1. Wash and gently dry the lettuce leaves.
2. Hard boil the eggs and peel when cool enough to handle.
3. Make a simple salad dressing by mixing the oil and vinegar together in the ratio 5:1, add a dab of mustard and some salt and pepper. Mix it all together well.
4. Finely chop the spring onions.
5. Throw the lettuce leaves in a salad bowl.
6. Roughly chop the eggs and put them with the spring onions.
7. Pour the dressing over the eggs and onions and mix well.
8. Pile this mixture over the lettuce leaves and toss.
   

2 Mackerel fillets
2-3 large onions
Olive oil
3-4 Bay leaves
A sprig of thyme
A splash of white wine
Salt & Pepper

1. Slice the onions and sweat in a pan with the oil, bay leaves and thyme, tossing and stirring frequently, for at least 10 minutes.
2. Add the white wine and cook until the wine has evaporated, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Make space in the pan for the mackerel and lay them flesh side down.
4. Cook for about 7-8 minutes, turning halfway through and covering with the onions.
   

1 kilo live Cockles
1 kilo live Mussels
1 onion
2-3 Garlic cloves
50g Butter
1 tbsp Oil
1 large glass of White Wine
1 large glass Water
250g thick sliced Smoked Bacon

1. Scrub and rinse the shellfish, discarding any that don't close when handled.
2. Roughly chop the onion.
3. Bash, peel and roughly chop the garlic.
4. Sweat the onion and garlic in the oil and butter in a large pan.
5. Add the wine and water after a few minutes.
6. Bring to a rapid boil and add some of the shellfish (so they are 2-3 shells deep in the pan).
7. Cover and cook until the shells open (about 3 minutes), giving them a jostle occassionally. Any that don't open should be discarded.
8. Strain the liquid and keep it.
9. Deshell the shellfish (leave some in shells if you like the decorative effect).
10. Cut the bacon into strips and fry until crisp.
11. Pour in the shellfish liquid and adjust the seasoning, adding some fish or chicken stock if necessary.
12. Bring to the boil, add the fish and mix well.
13. Cook for a couple of minutes then serve.
    

12-16 fresh Scallops
250g sausage meat
2-3 cloves Garlic
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil

1. Rinse, trim and pat dry the scallops. (Leave the corals on if they are fat and bright orange.) If they are large scallops, slice them horizontally through the middle.
2. Mix the sausage meat with the spices and leave in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
3. Form the meat into small meatballs and fry in the oil over a medium heat.
4. Remove and keep warm.
5. Turn up the heat until the oil is almost smoking, then add the scallops turning after 1 minute, cooking for 1 minute each side only.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and add the meatballs, mixing them well together, until heated through.
   

Fried Trout, Stuffed with Sliced Ceps, Garlic and Diced Bacon
Servings: 4

4 Trout Fillets
40g Butter
60g rindless Streaky Bacon, chopped
175g fresh Ceps, trimmed and cut into 4mm thick slices
2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Parsley, roughly chopped
25g Plain Flour
2 tbsp Oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and as soon as it is foaming, add the bacon and fry briefly until lightly coloured.
2. Add the sliced ceps and the garlic and toss over a medium-high heat for 1 minute until lightly cooked.
3. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
4. Lay the fillets on a chopping board and season the cut face with salt and pepper and then cover one fillet with a few slices of the ceps and bacon mixture.
5. Sprinkle with a little parsley, place another fillet on top (cut side down) and tie round in two places with fine string to hold everything together.
6. Season the outside of each parcel with a little more salt and pepper, then dredge with the flour and pat off the excess.
7. Add the oil to the pan and heat over a moderate heat.
8. Add the fish and fry for 2 1/2 minutes without moving them, until nicely golden.
9. Carefully turn the fish over and cook for another 2 1/2 minutes, until golden brown on the second side and cooked through.