Spring Menu

Try some of these:

• oranges- try this detoxing smoothie to jump start the sluggish metabolism after the winter- juice four oranges, 1 cm of ginger root (peeled) and four sprigs of mint (whole)
• Mussels- try this simple, but delicious recipe

Serves 4

• 1kg of mussels, cleaned (discard the mussels that do not open when tapped, they are dead)
• 70g pancetta cubes
• 300ml dry white wine
• Small bunch of parsley (also in season and at it’s best), leaves removed and chopped, stalks finely sliced
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Fry the pancetta cubes in a hot pot until golden brown.  Turn the heat down and place the onions into the pot with a little salt. Fry until they are translucent and soft. Add garlic and the parsley stalks and fry for one minute. Turn the heat up until everything is sizzling. Pour the wine into the pan and let it bubble for a few seconds. Throw the mussels into the pan and cover with a lid. Shake the pot every now and then, but do not remove the lid. Check after 5 minutes (you want all the mussels to have opened – a few will always remain closed, discard these). Remove the mussels from the pot and arrange in a bowl, but keep the liquid and reduce by keeping it on the boil. You can add a dash of double cream for extra indulgence. Stir in the parsley leaves and then pour over the mussels. Serve immediately with baguette.

Menu

As a starter, why don’t you try the delicious quail eggs. Pop room temperature eggs (so they don’t crack) into boiling water and lift out after two minutes, peel. Serve them simply on a bed of salad and with some edible flowers, if you can find any, and celery salt or spicy paprika mixed with some sea salt.

Celery salt- to make your own, pick all the leaves from celery, pop them into a moderately hot oven (170C) for 8 minutes, until crispy. Pound them in a pestle and mortar with flaked sea salt. By the time you are done mixing, the salt and celery will be finely ground. 

Pistachio Encrusted Rack of Lamb, Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes, Pomme and Spinach Puree and port Jus

• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 onion, cubed
• 250ml port
• 250ml beef/ chicken  stock
• Blackcurrant  preserve
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a pan and fry the onion and thyme and fry until translucent

Add the wine and boil until reduced by two thirds and add the stock 

Boil until syrupy, strain and season with salt, pepper and the preserve

Half 200g of cherry tomatoes, pop into  roasting tray with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and season with salt and roast on 150C for 90 minutes

For the lamb rack- mix 200g better, 2 garlic cloves, 250g pistachios, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried lavender in a blender and pat onto the skin of the lamb

Roast on 200C for 35 minutes

Boil 500g of potatoes in salted water until soft

Drain them and mash

Put the pan back on the hob and add butter and milk and season to taste, keep on low heat

Stir raw spinach through the mash and cook out for a few minutes

 Serve on a warmed plate, mash in the middle of the plate, sliced lamb rack, arranged around with the tomatoes and then drizzle the jus around