OYSTER PAN ROAST WITH SEA URCHIN BUTTER

SERVES 4

extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
onion ½ small, finely chopped
garlic cloves 2, 1 of which finely chopped
dry vermouth 60ml
oysters shucked, 2 dozen
oyster liquid (reserved from oysters) 60ml
water 180ml
double cream 240ml
fresh lemon juice 1½ tsp
Maldon sea salt
softened butter 55g
sea urchin roe (see below) 30g
baguette for crostini 1 large

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and the finely chopped garlic; cook over a moderate heat until softened, 5 minutes. Add the vermouth; boil over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the oyster liquid and water and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the cream and simmer over moderate heat until the sauce coats a spoon, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice; season with salt.

In a bowl, mix the butter with the roe and the remaining ½ teaspoon of lemon juice; season with salt. For the crostini, slice the baguette on a heavy bias – each crostini is about 10-12cm long and 5mm thick. Bake in the oven at 180C/gas mark 4 on baking trays until crispy and golden brown. Rub the garlic clove on toast while they are still hot and spread with the roe butter.

Add oysters to the sauce. Cook over a moderately low heat until warmed through, 2 minutes. Serve with toasts.

Note: if you can't get sea urchin roe at your local fishmonger, you can buy it online at the Fish Society, thefishsociety.co.uk

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH CREAMY ANCHOVY DRESSING

SERVES 4-6

For the dressing
anchovies 40g, rinsed and bones removed (plus a few extra to garnish salad)
Dijon mustard ½ tsp
garlic 1 clove, green sprout removed
egg yolk 1
white wine vinegar 60ml
vegetable or rapeseed oil 120ml
extra virgin olive oil 60ml
parmesan 20g, grated on a microplane

For the escarole
escarole (broad-leaved endive) 2 heads
white wine 475ml

For the breadcrumbs
garlic 2 cloves, green sprouts removed
extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
dry coarse breadcrumbs 150g
lemon 1

Puree the anchovies, mustard and garlic in a food processor until smooth and pasty. Add the egg yolk and white wine vinegar and puree until frothy.

Combine the two types of oil and drizzle into the food processor slowly to create an emulsion. If, at any point, the dressing looks as though it is getting very glossy, add an ice cube to prevent it from splitting. Transfer everything to a mixing bowl and fold in the parmesan. Season with salt to taste.

Select two heads of escarole. Be sure that there is no red or brown anywhere on the escarole. Also, look for escarole with a high ratio of tender yellow inner leaves to the tougher green outer layer.

Clean the escarole by first cutting the root to separate the leaves. For each leaf, carefully cut away the tougher green tops, leaving just the tender yellow leaf. Wash both the yellow and green leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt. Dry well. Put the yellow leaves aside. Place the green escarole leaves in a bowl.

In a small pot, bring the white wine vinegar to the boil. Pour the vinegar over the green escarole. Stir to make sure the escarole wilts completely. Allow the green escarole to cool in the vinegar. Once cool, remove the escarole from the vinegar and grill until nicely charred but not burnt.

To make the breadcrumbs, in a pan, over a medium heat, sauté the garlic cloves in the oil until lightly golden brown. Add the breadcrumbs and cook over a medium heat until they begin to go golden brown. Remove from the heat, strain out the oil, and cool in one layer on a baking sheet. While the breadcrumbs are still warm, pick out the garlic cloves and grate over the breadcrumbs with a microplane. Zest the lemon and fold into the breadcrumbs. Season with salt.

To make the salad, place the yellow escarole hearts and the grilled escarole in a large bowl. Add some of the dressing and gently massage the dressing into the escarole so that each piece of yellow escarole is evenly dressed and the grilled escarole is thoroughly incorporated. Season with salt, fresh lemon juice and olive oil.

Place the salad in a serving bowl and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Tear some rinsed and salted anchovies and place on top of the salad.

CHOCOLATE POTS WITH WHISKEY WHIPPED CREAM

MAKES 6 CHOCOLATE POTS

For the whiskey whipped cream
double cream 240ml
granulated sugar 50g
Bulleit Bourbon or high quality bourbon 60ml

For the chocolate pots
egg yolks 5
sugar 3½ tbsp
double cream 350ml
whole milk 3½ tbsp
vanilla bean 1, split
66% chocolate 113g
70% chocolate 113g
sea salt

In a large, cold bowl, combine the cream (240ml) and granulated sugar and whip to soft peaks. Add the whiskey and whisk to firm peaks.

Preheat the oven to 135C/gas mark 1.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together, until the yolks have gone pale and fluffy.

In a saucepan, bring the cream, milk and vanilla bean to a simmer and immediately remove from the heat.

Pour the hot cream and milk over the chocolate and let it melt. Stir well to make sure chocolate is fully melted.

Add a little of the hot chocolate mixture to the eggs and quickly whisk. This will bring the temperature of the eggs up so that they do not scramble from the heat of the chocolate. Slowly add the rest of the chocolate mixture, whisking as you pour. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and season to taste with sea salt. Pour into ramekins. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap.

Place the ramekins in a large baking dish. Add enough boiling water to the baking tray so that it comes halfway up the side of the ramekins. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the chocolate pots are a bit wobbly but set. Cool in the fridge.

Once the chocolate pots are cold, give each one a dollop of whiskey cream on top, grate some fresh milk chocolate over the top and grate a bit of orange zest on top of that. Serve with a crunchy oat cookie.