Chicken and prawn rolls

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz chicken breast, cut into 16 slices
• 48 prawns, defrost if frozen
• 4 large bunches of coriander, washed and chopped roughly
• 5 large red chillies, cut into thin julienne strips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 spring roll wrappers
• oil for deep-frying

Preparation method

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place a slice of chicken diagonally across the spring roll pastry.
2. Lay 6 prawns on top of the chicken slice. Top with two to three chilli strips and a handful of coriander.
3. Place another slice of chicken over the coriander.
4. Fold in ends of pastry and roll up in an envelope shape. Secure with a cocktail stick.
5. Deep-fry the chicken and prawn rolls in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Do not have oil too hot or the rolls will brown before the filling is cooked through.
6. Drain on absorbent kitchen towels.
7. Remove cocktail stick from each roll.

Swiss roll

Ingredients

For the Swiss roll

• 3 free-range eggs
• 75g/3oz golden caster sugar
• 75g/3oz self-raising flour

For the filling

• 75g/3oz raspberry jam
• 125ml/4½fl oz whipped double cream
• 100g/3½oz raspberries

To serve

• icing sugar

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.Grease and line a 23cm x 30cm/9in x 12in Swiss roll tin
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
3. Fold in the flour and spoon the mixture into the tin. Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until light and springy to the touch.
4. Remove from the oven and turn the sponge out onto another piece of greaseproof paper.
5. For the filling, spread the jam onto the sponge and then spread with the cream, leaving a small gap around the edges.
6. Place a row of raspberries along one edge, lengthways. Roll the sponge to cover the raspberries and repeat the process until all of the raspberries have been used.
7. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Waffles

Ingredients

• 250g/9oz plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½-1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• 6 free-range eggs
• 250ml/8½fl oz cream (whipping or double)
• 250ml/8½fl oz milk
• 200g/7oz butter, melted and cooled

Preparation method

1. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom and sugar. Add the eggs, cream, milk and butter and mix with a hand-mixer until it becomes a smooth, thick batter.
2. Let the batter rest for a minimum of 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
3. Preheat the waffle iron on a medium heat.
4. Put a medium ladleful of the batter mixture in the waffle iron, making sure not to overfill. Cook each waffle until golden-brown and cool on a rack so that they don’t steam up and get soggy.

Marshmallows

Ingredients

• 2 x 7g sachets powdered gelatine
• 450g/1lb caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp almond extract)
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 50g/2oz icing sugar, plus extra for dredging
• 50g/2oz cornflour, plus extra for dredging
• finely chopped pistachios, crystallised flower petals, or coloured caster sugar to coat (optional)

Preparation method

1. Place the gelatine and 100ml/3½fl oz of cold water into a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until softened.
2. Meanwhile, pour the sugar and 175ml/6fl oz of cold water into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to a rolling boil on a medium to high heat, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture gently for 15-20 minutes, until a sugar thermometer dipped into the mixture reads 113C/235F. (NB: At this temperature, the sugar syrup will have reached the soft-ball stage.) CAUTION: This mixture is extremely hot and can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
4. As soon as the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature, place the softened gelatine and water into the bowl of a food mixer and blend on its lowest setting. Gradually pour in the sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream, avoiding pouring the sugar syrup on the beaters as it may splash. Whisk continuously until all of the syrup has been fully incorporated in the mixture.
5. Add the vanilla extract, then increase the blending speed and blend for 18-20 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened, cooled and is beginning to set.
6. Meanwhile, grease a 20cm/8in square, deep-sided cake tin with some of the sunflower oil. Line the tin baking parchment and grease the paper with the remaining oil. Mix together the icing sugar and cornflour and dust the tin with a little of the mixture to evenly coat the base and sides. Reserve the remaining icing sugar and cornflour mixture for later.
7. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a palette knife or spatula that has been dipped in boiling water. Dust the top of the marshmallows with a little more of the icing sugar and cornflour mixture, then cover the tin with cling film and set aside in a cool, dry place for 1-2 hours or overnight to set. (NB: Do not chill in the fridge.)
8. Once the marshmallow mixture has set, turn out the marshmallow slab onto a clean work surface dusted with the remaining icing sugar and cornflour mixture. Peel off the parchment paper and cut the marshmallow into 36 cubes. Dredge the marshmallows in the icing sugar and cornflour mixture to coat, or coat one or more sides in the chopped nuts, flower petals or coloured sugar for decoration. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to three weeks.

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 litre/1¾ pints milk
• 150g/5½oz plain chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• sugar, to taste
• freshly grated nutmeg, for dusting

Preparation method

1. Heat the vanilla pod and seeds, cinnamon stick and milk in a saucepan until boiling.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate pieces, stirring until the chocolate melts.
3. Whisk the hot chocolate vigorously until frothy on top and add sugar, to taste. Serve with a dusting of nutmeg.

Fish Soup

Ingredients

For the soup

• 3 x whole white fish (such as bream, John Dory or snapper), gutted
• large handful prawns in the shell
• large handful mussels in the shell
• 400g/14oz waxy potatoes, such as Desirée, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
• drizzle of olive oil

For the fish stock

• 30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
• fish trimmings, including head and bones, from fish listed above
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 small bulb fennel, chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a knife
• 1 large sprig thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 pinches saffron strands
• 1-2 star anise
• 2 litres/3½ pints boiling water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Fillet the fish, set aside the trimmings and remove any small bones from the fillets with tweezers. Set the fillets aside to be added to the soup later.
2. To make the stock, roughly chop the fish trimmings into three parts. Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, and add the olive oil.
3. Add the fish trimmings and fry for 5-10 minutes until they begin to brown. Remove the fish trimmings from the pan and set aside on a plate.
4. Add the shallot, fennel, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, saffron and star anise. Fry gently over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened.
5. Add the cooked fish trimmings back into the pan, and pour in the boiling water. Bring back to a simmer and remove any scum that forms on the surface with a ladle or spoon. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 35 minutes.
6. Place a sieve in a colander placed over a large saucepan. Ladle the stock into the sieve, then gently pour in any remaining liquid from the pan - taking care not to tip the fish or vegetables into the sieve. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. For the soup, place the potatoes into the fish stock. Bring to the boil and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the potatoes are nearly cooked.
8. Cut the fish fillets into 5cm/2in pieces. Discard any mussels that are open or that don't close when tapped, or have broken shells.
9. Add the prawns, mussels and white fish to the saucepan and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that have not opened during cooking. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
10. To serve, ladle the fish soup into soup bowls, scatter with parsley, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

Banana Cake

 

Ingredients

• 6 very ripe bananas
• 125ml/4½fl oz vegetable oil
• 115g/4oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 335g/11½oz caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
• 450g/1lb plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• 225g/8oz raisins
• 225g/8oz pecans

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease and line two medium (or three small) loaf tins.
2. Mash the bananas and vegetable oil together in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the mashed banana mixture until well combined.
4. Mix the flour, baking powder, ground spices and salt together in another bowl and lightly fold into the banana mixture. Add the raisins and pecans and fold together lightly.
5. Spoon the cake mixture into the loaf tins and bake in the oven for 1½ hours, or until risen and golden-brown. Check after one hour and reduce the oven temperature slightly if the loaves are browning too quickly on the top, or cover the loaves loosely with aluminium foil.
6. Leave the banana bread to cool in the tins, then turn out and serve in thick slices.