Lunch: Bacon and beans

SERVES 2

cooked cannellini beans 500g
onions 50g, minced
sage leaves 5, chopped
bay leaf 1
duck fat 1 jar
chopped peeled tomatoes 100g
black treacle 10g
Dijon mustard 15g
chicken stock 200ml
trotter gear (see below) 50g
pig's cheek, buy it brined from your butcher 1

Trotter gear
pigs' trotters (all hair removed) 6
onions 2, peeled
carrots 2, peeled
celery 2 sticks
leeks 2, split
garlic 1 head
thyme a bundle
peppercorns a handful
Sercial Madeira ½ bottle
chicken stock to cover the trotters

First make the trotter gear. Place the trotters in a large casserole. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes then drain. Now place the blanched trotters in the pot with the vegetables, thyme, peppercorns and Madeira and cover with the stock. Cook for at least 3 hours until the trotters are totally giving. At this point, strain the cooking liquid and keep. When the trotters are cool enough to handle, pick all the flesh, fat and skin off them tearing the skin to shreds. Add to the cooking liquid, seal in a jar and refrigerate. You now have trotter gear – giving, wobbly trotter captured in a splendid jelly.

To prepare the beans, sweat minced onions, sage and bay leaf in some duck fat until lightly caramelised and aromatic. Add tomatoes and simmer till soft and the fat has started to split. Add the cooked white beans and fold in the black treacle and Dijon mustard. Cover with chicken stock and trotter gear and simmer.

To prepare the brined pig's cheek, poach the cheek in water till tender to the fork, about 1½ hours. Remove from its bath and press under a heavy weight. Trim edges and slice into thick rashers.

To finish, fry pig's cheek rashers till golden. In an ovenproof pot, layer beans and bacon finishing with beans. Add extra stock if the beans are looking dry and bake until deeply browned and bubbling.

Pike and leek pie

A magnificent pie. The size of your pike might influence the size of your pie.

SERVES 4

small pike 1
white wine 50ml
white wine vinegar 10ml
carrots 100g
celery stalk 100g
onions 50g
bay leaf 1
parsley stalks a few

For the pie
butter 75g
leeks 300g, chopped
flour 50g
white wine 100ml
hot bouillon 700ml
puff pastry 1 block
beaten egg 1

Find a pan large enough to hold your pike and fill it with water. Add all the court-bouillon ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the pike and poach gently until the flesh comes easily from the bones, about 20 minutes. Remove the pike from the court-bouillon, which is now a delicious fish stock. Once cool, remove all bones and skin, keeping the pike in fairly sizeable pieces.

To make the pie, sweat the chopped leeks in 25g butter until soft and fold into the pike. For the sauce, melt 50g butter and add the flour. Cook until it smells biscuity. Now add the white wine and then hot bouillon – a whisk is a good thing at this point. From there on, whisk until silky springs to mind. Check for seasoning and pour this sauce over the pike and leeks and leave to cool. Fill your pie dish. Roll your pastry and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Then cover your pie with the pastry and brush with beaten egg. Bake in a hot oven 180C/gas mark 4 for 30-40 minutes until well browned.

Late supper: Grilled skirt steak, chips and mustard

SERVES 2

skirt steak (trimmed of all the sinew) 2 x 250g

For the steak dressing
minced shallots 15g
minced capers 15g
minced parsley 5g
Dijon mustard 15g
olive oil 75ml
red wine vinegar 10ml

For the chips
maris piper potatoes 1kg
beef dripping 3kg (or enough to fill a small domestic fryer)

To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients together and season to taste.

To make the chips, peel potatoes and slice into chips (not fries). Rinse until water runs clear. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer and leave till just soft. Remove from pot and drain. Spread out on a tray to dry. Melt beef dripping in a fryer and bring up to 140C. Fry the chips until lightly golden, drain and leave to cool. Now they can be put in the fridge (or freezer) until ready to use.

To finish, season the steaks and grill on a very hot grill to rare to medium. Rest in a bowl and spoon over 2 spoonfuls of dressing. While the steaks are resting, bring the fryer up to 180C and fry the chips until crispy and golden. Slice steaks against the grain, pile on plates and pour over resting juices and dressing. Serve with chips.

Chocolate ice cream

MAKES 1 LITRE

plain chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa solids (we use El Rey Venezuelan chocolate called Apamate) 200g
large egg yolks 6
caster sugar 115g
full-fat milk 500ml
double cream 50ml
cocoa powder 40g

For the caramel
caster sugar 70g
water 75ml

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the base of the bowl. Leave to melt.

Put the egg yolks and caster sugar in a separate bowl and whisk with an electric beater for about 5 minutes, until the mixture leaves a trail on the surface when the whisk is lifted.

Place the milk, cream and cocoa powder in a heavy-based pan and bring slowly to the boil, whisking occasionally to prevent the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour it over the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return the mixture to the pan and add the melted chocolate. Cook over a low heat for around 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; set aside.

To make the caramel, place the sugar and water in a small, deep, heavy-based pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Raise the heat and simmer, without stirring, until a very dark caramel is achieved. Remove from the heat and whisk the hot caramel into the ice-cream base a little at a time. Pour through a fine sieve into a plastic container and cool quickly in an ice bath. Leave in the fridge for two days before churning in an ice-cream machine. Once churned, leave for 3 to 4 days before eating – it will improve in flavour.