RECIPES

Warming Winter Soup...

2011-11-10T06:41:00.001-08:00

Slow Roast Garlic & Butternut Squash Soup
As the winter draws in and the winds get colder, this is a wonderful, warming "welcome home" soup. Don't worry about the quantity of garlic; when roasted it loses pungency and becomes wonderfully sweet, adding real depth of character to the flavour of the soup. You can substitute pumpkin or another type of squash - there are lots of lovely varieties!

Serves 4

1 large butternut squash
1 onion
1 bulb of garlic
15ml white wine vinegar
a sprig of fresh thyme
400g chopped tomatoes
600 ml chicken or vegetable stock
olive oil for roasting
salt and pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 180 centigrade

Peel the squash, cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Chop the squash into wedges, half the wedges and place in a roasting tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper

Holding the base of the garlic bulb, turn it on one side and, using a sharp knife, cut the top of the bulb off so that the tip of each garlic clove is visible. Place on a square of tinfoil, drizzle the exposed cloves with olive oil, then bring up the corners of the foil and make a parcel, loose enough for some air to circulate around the garlic.

Place the tinfoil garlic parcel in the roasting tin with the squash and cook in the oven for about 40-50 minutes, or until the squash is cooked through and starting to caramelise.

While the squash is in the oven, finely chop the onion and sweat in a little olive oil until soft, five to ten minutes. Strip the thyme leaves from the woody stalks and add to the onions, then add the vinegar, tomatoes and stock, and bring to a gentle simmer.

When the squash is cooked, add to the pan. Carefully unwrap the hot garlic bulb and then, holding the base, squeeze the soft roasted garlic cloves out of their papery skins and straight into the soup.

Liquidise the soup, taste and add salt and pepper. If it is too thick, add a little water or stock and blend again, before serving in warm bowls. If your're feeling decadent, a splash of double cream adds a lovely richness.

Summertime Sweet...

2011-06-23T02:32:00.000-07:00

Strawberries really do capture the spirit of summer and it is a real treat to see local strawberries on the shelves at this time of year. The flavour is incredible when they are in season, and it is best to treat them simply so that they really shine. Strawberries, whipped cream and crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-centred meringues...what could be better for a summery treat?

Makes 8 individual pavlovas

Strawberry topping

300-400g strawberries
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 teaspoon good quality balsamic vinegar

Meringues

4 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
250g caster sugar
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Chantilly Cream

300ml double cream
3 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
splash of brandy

Preheat the oven to 120 centigrade.

To make the meringues, combine the egg whites with the vinegar or lemon juice and the vanilla seeds in a large bowl
Start to whisk the egg whites on medium speed, then gradually add two thirds of the caster sugar, a spoon at a time
Continue to whisk until the meringue mix is shiny, smooth and very firm
Fold in the remaining caster sugar by hand
Pipe or spoon the meringue mix onto a baking tray lined with parchment
Bake for one hour and ten minutes at 120 degrees centigrade. When done, turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool completely with the door ajar.

To make the chantilly cream, whisk the cream with the icing sugar and the vanilla to soft peaks. Fold in the brandy to taste.

For the strawberry coulis, macerate 150g of chopped strawberries with a tablespoon of icing sugar for an hour, then blend and push through a sieve

To serve, plate the cooled meringues and spoon on the chantilly cream. Drizzle with the coulis and top with the rest of the strawberries.

Recipe created by James, head chef @ Acoustic Wave Cafe & The Elemental Kitchen

Sunny Side Up - Our VIP Sunday Brunch...

2011-04-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

When artists come to stay with us for an Acoustic Wave Cafe event, we like to make sure they enjoy a good start to the morning after - especially if they're thinking of taking a walk along the coast. Here's our recipe...

Our VIP Sunday Brunch

slow roast sliced tomatoes in the oven, on a baking tray, drizzeled in olive oil, salt & pepper
Sautee your button mushrooms in a frying pan with a dollop of butter & seasoned with crushed garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper
pop a chunky slice of farmhouse bread in the toaster
fry your organic, free-range egg with a little oil, salt & pepper - sunny side up!
to serve, place your toast on a big plate, egg on top and surround with the mushrooms & tomatoes.

serve with a glass of orange juice &/or copious amounts of tea or coffee

* Delicious, British tomatoes are now available to buy at your local farm shop!

Afternoon Tea? Crunchy Apple & Cinnamon Cake

2011-03-02T03:08:00.001-08:00

We adore Afternoon Tea - who doesn't love to come home after a day's coastal rambling or sight-seeing to a delicious pick-me-up? This is a light & sweet cake - with British orchard apples - ideally served with endless earl grey, lady grey or traditional afternoon tea....

Crunchy Apple & Cinnamon Cake

This apple cake makes for a lovely afternoon tea or morning coffee treat all by itself, but is also great as a pudding on cold pre-spring evenings, served warm with a generous glug of custard.

Feel free to experiment with apple varieties for this - depending on how subtle or pronounced an apple flavour you prefer. I like to use a cox apple for this, but bramleys, russets, gala... use your favourite!

For the base

115g butter, at room temperature
115g caster sugar
2 large eggs (preferably free range)
115g self raising flour
2 apples
pinch of cinnamon

For the crunchy topping

3 tablespoons demerara sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180 centigrade and line a 20cm sponge tin with baking parchment

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add and incorporate the eggs one at a time
Peel, core and grate the apples, then fold into the mix
Fold in the flour and cinammon, then transfer to the tin and bake for around 20 minutes
At this stage the sponge should have a firm top but not be quite cooked - now mix the demerara sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the cake before returning to the oven
Bake until the cake is cooked through (a skewer inserted will come out clean). Depending on your oven, this may take 10-15 minutes. The topping will be crunchy and the apple in the cake cooked through
Transfer to a wire rack and remove from the tin once cool

For more on our next not-for-profit pop up event by the sea, go to our webspace for Acoustic Wave Cafe

For more on our bespoke hospitality service, The Elemental Kitchen go to www.elementalkitchen.co.uk

Easy Peasy, Lemon Posset...

2010-10-10T12:26:00.001-07:00

As promised, here's a recipe from the recent Acoustic Wave Cafe! This is such a great one, we almost want to keep it secret! Almost. On the other hand, it's too good not to share! Guests absolutely love this delicious, refreshing dessert! It's so simple, yet never fails to impress...

Lemon Posset

Makes about 8

900 ml double cream - heavy cream, I think you'd call it in the US

220g caster / fine sugar

3 lemons

Pour the cream and the sugar into a saucepan, and put on a high heat on the hob. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then let it come to a rolling boil

Turn off the heat and add the juice from the 3 lemons.

Stir well before pouring into glasses

Chill for approx 2 hours to set.

Top with strawberries, blueberries, whatever you fancy!

Peachy! A Simple Sunshine Breakfast...

2010-08-28T03:09:00.001-07:00

Ok, this isn't an official recipe from chef James, but I couldn't resist sharing this recent discovery - a light, tasty, healthy, summery, easy breakfast! What's not to share!?

Peach & Honey Crumble

For the crumble - grab yourself a frying pan and toast lots of oats, mixed with a hefty sprinkling of sugar to caramelise, as desired. You can make a huge batch then store them in a jar - they last for ages!! For the peach - wander round to your local grocery shop and find yourself a perfectly ripe peach. Take home and slice into cute little portions. For the honey - make sure it's runny. To finish - Place your sliced peach in the bottom of a pretty little bowl. Drizzle with a teaspoon of delightful, runny honey. Sprinke with some toasted oats...and voila! A delicious breakfast, ideally enjoyed overlooked a pretty bay or while daydreaming about seaside summer holidays. Buen Apetito!

Acoustic Wave Cafe - Recipes...

2010-06-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our resident chef - James - has finally had the chance to sit down and write up a couple of the recipes from last month's Acoustic Wave Cafe. We served fishcakes for main and a couple of guests were very keen to try the recipe. We've also included the vegetarian alternative. Please let us know how it goes...

East Neuk Fishcakes

You can make these with whatever looks good at the fishmonger, but remember it is a good idea to always have one kind of smoked fish in your bag, as it really adds to the flavour. For the Acoustic Wave Cafe, I used smoked haddock, cod and Crail crab for the fishcakes - all from G&J Wilson in St. Monans.

This is really a 'by eye' thing most of the time, just don't skimp on the fish. The tatties are important too, though, to bind the mix together; and you'll need plenty of time to let the mix cool and the cakes rest in between the stages. So plan ahead, safe in the knowledge that when your guests arrive, the hard work is done!

serves 4-6

500g floury potatoes, peeled weight

250 - 300g smoked fish, such as smoked haddock

250 - 300g fish fillets, cod, haddock, salmon - whatever looks good!

2 dressed crab

2 onions

2 leeks

salt, pepper, butter, milk to taste

leftover stale bread

thyme

parsley

parmesan

flour

3 or 4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 180. Place the fish in a shallow oven proof container and pour over a little milk to cover the base of the tray - just enough to moisten the fish. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 10 mins - the smoked fish will be translucent and the rest cooked but still moist. Leave to cool, then strain off the liquid and reserve. Once the fish is cool, break into large flakes and reserve in a bowl.

While the fish is in, finely chop the onions and leeks and gently sweat in a pan with a knob of butter until softened. Season with salt and pepper and leave to cool. Once cool, add to the flaked fish

Spoon the crab meat out of the shells, roughly mix the brown and white meat, then add to the fish and the vegetables.

Cook the potatoes as normal in plenty of salted water, then mash with the reserved liquid from cooking the fish, salt, pepper and plenty of butter.

Once the potatoes are cool, gently fold in the fish, crab and vegetables. Refrigerate the mix until cold.

Once cold, shape the mix into balls, then flatten out into fishcake shapes - you can use a chefs ring or pastry cutter if you want precision! Once moulded, put them back in the fridge until cold

Blitz your stale bread in a food processor together with the thyme and the parsley (handful of each) - you'll get lovely green herby breadcrumbs. Stir in some grated parmesan. Alter the herbs or the cheese to taste.

Dip the fishcakes in a plate of flour and pat off any excess, then dip in a bowl of beaten egg before rolling in the herb breadcrumbs - place the cakes back on a covered tray in the fridge until you need them.

When it is showtime, you can either shallow fry the cakes in groundnut oil until crispy and hot through, or bake in the oven on 180c until crisped up and hot.

Serve with some nice seasonal salad leaves and tartare sauce.

Alternative - Spring Vegetable Cakes

These are made in more or less the same way as the fishcakes - we're just subsituting seasonal green vegetables for the fish and cooking those in a different way,

Use whatever takes your fancy - we went for asparagus, purple sprouting broccoli and leeks for crunch and flavour. You can use peas, spring cabbage, chard....pretty much anything!

serves 4-6

500g floury potatoes, peeled weight

2 bunches asparagus spears

250g sprouting broccoli

2 onions

4 leeks

salt, pepper, butter, cream to taste

leftover stale bread

thyme

parsley

parmesan

flour

3 or 4 eggs

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil for the asparagus, and another for the broccoli. Trim the asparagus and cut into bite sized pieces - do the same with the broccoli. Cook them until just al dente, then immediately drain and refresh them in cold water to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green colour

Finely chop the onions, cut the leeks into large chunks and sautee in plenty of butter, salt and pepper until soft and starting to caramelise. Add a generous splash of double cream and bring to the boil, then take of the heat and leave to cool. Once cold, add the other vegetables and check the seasoning.

Cook the potatoes as normal in plenty of salted water, then mash with butter, salt and pepper before incorporating the vegetable mix

Refrigerate the mix until cold.

Once cold, shape the mix into balls, then flatten out into cake shapes. When done, put them back in the fridge until cold

Dip the spring vegetable cakes in a plate of flour and pat off any excess, then dip in a bowl of beaten egg before rolling in the herb breadcrumbs - place the cakes back on a covered tray in the fridge until you need them.

When it is showtime, you can either shallow fry the cakes in groundnut oil until crispy and hot through, or bake in the oven on 180c until crisped up and hot.

Again, serve with some nice seasonal salad leaves and tartare sauce.

Rustic Roast Chicken...

2010-05-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

Roast chicken sounds like it should be super easy - and it is! The key to a great tasting roast chicken is season, season and season....

Buy a whole free range chicken - ideally sourced from your local farm shop or butcher.

Wipe the chicken inside & out with kitchen towel.

Season inside the chicken with salt & pepper

Cut an onion in half (no need to peel).

Insert half of the the onion inside the cavity

Crush a handful of garlic cloves and put those inside the bird too, followed by the other half of the onion. You could add fresh thyme or tarragon too.

Rub the breast, legs and wings of bird with lots of butter....

Drizzle over olive oil...

Season outside with salt & pepper

Roast in the oven on a roasting tray ...

Temp. 220 for 20 minutes and then turn down to 180 for rest of cooking time. Cook for approx 20 mins per lb. You can check if it's cooked by inserting a skewer between breast and the drumstick where it meets the body, the juices should run clear.

Rest the chicken for at least 10 minutes.

Enjoy with roast potatoes & veg OR, simply, with freshly baked bread (butter & mayonnaise)

Simple, seaside, sausage & mash...

2010-04-14T04:25:00.000-07:00

There's a time and a place for more elaborate dining - we indulge in those joys at The Elemental Kitchen - but Acoustic Wave Cafe likes to keep it simple, so that anyone can rustle up a tasty mid-week treat without too much hassle...

Thinly slice two onions and add them to a a pan with a tiny splash of oil.

Cook over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, for.....as long as you can. The longer the better. What we want is sweet, slowly caramelised onion, and this takes time.

Of course, if you don't have time, you could add a pinch of sugar and cook for 20 mins or so, but making time is good, right? Read a book, catch up on your favourite blog.....

Add a splash of red wine vinegar and increase the heat.

Let it reduce completely, then add a knob of butter and a pinch of salt.

Once the butter has melted, sprinkle over some flour. Any kind.

Incorporate well, then add beef stock, a little at a time, until you have a good, smooth gravy consistency. If you're feeling extravagant, add some madeira, marsala or wine to the pot.....simmer for 10 mins to cook out the raw flour taste and the alcohol, if you've used it.

Taste. Season. Taste. Season. Taste......

Eat with lovely sausages from your local butcher (we love Penmans Butcher along the coast in Crail) and some well made mash.

We'll talk about perfect mash another time.....

2010-04-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting this on our recipes page, it's a retro poster, available on Wall Blank, an online poster shop across the pond.

James' drop scones with caramelised pecans, maple syrup & ice cream

2010-03-22T13:04:00.001-07:00

Take a medium sized mixing bowl, add three tablespoons of caster sugar and an egg.

Beat together, then add 300ml of milk.

Whisk lightly to combine, then zero your scales and weigh in 225g of self raising flour, half a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking powder.

Whisk until smooth - if it is a little lumpy, don't worry.

Now...leave the mix. Go have a cuppa. Just like Yorkshire pud batter, if you leave it, it gets better.

Twenty minutes is more tham adequate, though, we want some pancake action soon!

When you're ready, warm your frying pan. Cut a knob of butter and wrap some kitchen roll or greasproof paper round it - so you can apply a really thin film of fat to the pan without burning your fingers.

Drop the mix in with a spoon, and turn the pancakes over when the bubbles form on the raw side. I usually do three at a time. Keep the batch warm while you toast some pecans in a dry pan.

Once they're nice and aromatic, and starting to colour, dredge with icing sugar, shoogle the pan to coat the nuts, and transfer to a hot oven or aga to caramelise.

Ready? Take a couple of pancakes per person, slice over some ripe banana, add the toasted pecans, a generous scoop of your favourite ice cream, and drizzle with lots of maple syrup.

Not hard to make....but hard to beat!

James is a professional chef, so while he loves rustic, cafe style food, he also heads up our more sophisticated bespoke private dining service - The Elemental Kitchen. Please click on the link to our website, to view menus, testimonials and more...

Springtime Soup (by the novice cook - Vicky)

2010-03-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, James is the professional cook in our little team, but now and again, it feels good to give it a bash with an old family favourite - Scotch Broth.

Here's my totally simple, rustic broth (sorry, no measurements - just go with the flow)...

It's a good idea to do this early on a Saturday morning or if you like a long lie, at some point during the day for enjoying on Sunday. So as I was saying...

Get yourself a nice big pan

Pop in a large helping of Scotch broth mix and cover generously with cold water

Put on the heat, bring to the boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer..

Add a few grated carrots - we bought ours just out of the ground from our local farmshop - they needed a good wash but they definitley taste better than anything pre-packed!

The same can be said for the leeks we bought from Ardross Farm Shop - lovely. Give them a clean, chop them up and drop them into the soup..

My granny used to add some chopped up cabbage (optional) too...

Stir occasionally.

Now, add some stock (vegetable, chicken or beef) and adjust the water according to how much soup you want, how thick you want it to be and so on - I love a big thick, hearty broth!

If you are a meat eater, it is an absolute must to add a ham shank (hough) to the soup. It will add a delicious salty flavour and when the meat is falling off the bone you can remove it, shred away the meat and add the meat back to the soup or just eat!

If you do add the ham, be aware of this when you're adding seasoning - it might be best to wait a couple of hours before seasoning with salt. Obviously, grind in a few swivels of freshly ground black pepper too.

If you're not adding ham, you'll need to add a nice big pinch of salt and pepper, season according to your tastes.

Either way, leave the soup simmering until the broth mix is cooked - a couple of hours is a good start. You'll find that the peas in the mix really take their time to soften. To be honest, I tend to give up and eat the soup while the peas are still fairly firm - it's a personal taste thing!

Top Tip: Soup eaten the next day is often far tastier.

For best results, enjoy after a nice long walk, with a big chunk of farmhouse style bread & lashings of butter!!

Winter Warmer...

2010-02-11T02:58:00.000-08:00

This is the perfect time of year to enjoy a delicious, warming stew with large wedges of home-made soda bread, followed by a wonderful, steaming hot cuppa and a slice of just-out-of-the-oven brownie...

Try these recipes from our chef and let us know how it goes!

Also, if you have a special celebration or holiday, or if you'd just like to treat yourself... click on the link to our 'Elemental Kitchen' website to find out about our bespoke private dining service.

Soda Bread

Makes one loaf

150g strong wholemeal Flour

300g strong white flour 1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Approx 300ml buttermilk made up to 400ml with milk

Preheat oven to 230c

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, make well in centre

Pour in milk /buttermilk mixture and stir quickly together with a fork to combine

Turn out onto floured tray and shape into a round

Slash top and dust with flour

Bake at 230c for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 200c and bake for 23 mins more. It will sound hollow like a drum when the base is tapped if it is ready!

Shoulder of Lamb braised in Madeira

Makes enough for 10 - 12 - half these quantities for home cooking

5 onions

5 carrots

1/2 head celery

Splash balsamic vinegar

2 shoulders of lamb, bone in

1 fresh bouquet garni

1 cup Madeira

2 cups red wine

1+1/2 litres water

Salt and pepper to taste

5 carrots

1/2 head celery

In a cast iron casserole, over a high heat, brown the meat (one shoulder at a time) in a little oil until sealed and nicely coloured on all sides.

Remove from the casserole, deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar – loosen all brownings from the base of the pan

Turn down the heat and add the first batch of root vegetables, roughly chopped

Sweat until transparent

Turn up the heat and add the Madeira, red wine, and the bouquet garni (make this from a stick of celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and / or rosemary tied with butchers string)

Bring to boil and simmer for five minutes, then return the lamb to the pan and add the water – use as much of the stated amount as needed to cover the meat

Place the lid on the casserole and transfer to oven preheated to 160c

Cook for 3 hours, then remove from oven and leave until completely cold

When cold, skim off the layer of lamb fat and discard

Remove the lamb, take it off the bone (it will fall off), remove the fat and cut the meat into bite sized pieces

Strain the cooking liquor, through a double muslin if you have it. Discard the cooking vegetables and the bouquet garni

Bring the remaining sauce to a simmer

Cut the remaining root vegatables into brunoise and add to the sauce

Simmer until the vegatables are tender and the sauce is reduced by half.

Mix flour and butter to form a paste, and whisk into the sauce a little at a time to thicken as required. Cook out the flour for five minutes. Add the meat and warm through

Season the sauce to taste and serve

- or leave to cool, cover, label and freeze

Chocolate Brownies

350 g Dark Chocolate

200 g Unsalted Butter

250 g muscovado sugar

3 large eggs

70 g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

Preaheat oven to 170 c

Butter / line brownie tin (9 inch)

Melt chocolate and butter together

Place sugar in bowl, beat in eggs one by one - until tripled in volume, light & fluffy

Add to chocolate & butter mixture

Sift in the flour and baking powder with a pinch of salt, fold in gently until everything is incorporated, then add to brownie tin

Bake for 30 – 35 mins

Should feel just firm with palm – a skewer inserted would have a few moist crumbs on it

Cool for half an hour, then portion.

Leave in tin until cold or they’ll break!