´óÏó´«Ã½

Ingredients

Jacobs ladders (short rib of beef)

1 onion, peeled and quartered

2 carrots, peeled and halved

1 stick celery

2 cloves garlic

1 small tin chopped tomatoes

1 bottle red wine

1 litre of good beef stock

4 sprigs thyme

Ìý

Method

In an oven proof dish, heat a little oil and brown the meat, then add the veg and get a good colour.

Ìý

When browned, add the wine and reduce by half.

Ìý

Add the chopped tomatoes, herbs and stock.

Ìý

Put a lid on the dish and cook in the oven at 160°c for 5-6 hours.

Ìý

When cooked, strain off and reduce the liquid, add the Jacobs ladder back in and serve.

Ìý

115g Plain Flour

300ml milk

1 large egg

Ìý

Ìý

Place the flour in a mixing bowl, whisk the milk and egg together, then slowly mix into the flour, whisking until smooth. Cover and leave the batter for 30 minutes.

Ìý

Ìý

Brush a 20cm frying pan with a little melted butter and heat. Add a small ladleful of batter and tilt the pan to make it spread thinly and evenly. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes, flip with a spatula and cook for another minute. Transfer the cooked pancakes on to a warm plate, brush the pan with a little more melted butter as needed between pancakes.

Ìý

Ìý

Pancakes with toffee apples and pears in Somerset scrumpy brandy

Ìý

Ìý

Follow the basic pancake batch recipe

Ìý

2 dessert apples

2 dessert pears

115g caster sugar

40g butter

100ml double cream

2 tbsp cider brandy (or Calvados)

Ìý

Ìý

Cut the fruit into wedges and remove the cores. Heat the sugar in a pan over a low heat until it forms a golden caramel.

Ìý

Ìý

Remove from the heat and add the butter and cream – this will sizzle, spit and splatter and go a bit lumpy so give it a good mix with a wooden spoon and it will soon become smooth.

Ìý

Ìý

Add the prepared fruit and cider brandy and mix so the fruit is coated. Serve the pancakes folded with some of the sticky fruits inside.

Ingredients

125g lightly salted butter

175g caster sugar

125g finely ground almonds

25g sieved plain flour

50g currants (optional)

3 lightly beaten medium egg whites

Ìý

Method

Melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan on a low heat, then turn up the heat and cook until the butter until it is a mid brown colour. Take off the heat immediately and leave to stand for a few minutes. Carefully pour the fat in to a bowl leaving the milky solids behind (discard these). Cool the fat to room temperature – it should still be runny.

Ìý

Mix the sugar, ground almonds and flour together in a bowl with the currants (if you are using them).

Ìý

Beat in the cooled, melted butter and the egg whites. Cover the bowl and rest the mixture in the fridge for 24 hours.

Ìý

Preheat the oven to 200°c (Gas mark 6). Lightly grease and flour two 12 hole mini muffin tins. Ladle in the mixture to three quarters full. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cakes are peaked and golden .

Ìý

Cool slightly in the tins then turn out on to a wire rack whilst still warm. They are best served freshly baked but can be stored in an air tight tin for 2-3 days.