Cider baked Camembert with garlic

I've been cooking variations of this dish for years. Camembert and cider are a great natural pairing, especially if you can find a good Normandy cider to serve with this. If you cannot get hold of a French cider then a good off dry English, Irish or Dutch cider will do just as well.

1 small Camembert (preferably one in a wooden box, it makes it easier to bake the Camembert in)

1 clove garlic crushed

50ml cider

5g freshly chopped chives

Salt and pepper

Baguette or crusty bread of your choice for dipping

Set your BBQ up for indirect cooking at 180c OR

Pre heat the oven to 170c (fan) or 180c normal

Remove any paper packaging from the camembert and place back in the box

Sprinkle over the garlic and pour the cider over 

Season lightly with salt and pepper

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the camembert is nice and soft

Sprinkle over the chives and enjoy!

Pissaladière

When is a pizza, not a pizza, when it's pissaladière. This is a typical Ligurian dish made with onions gently cooked until almost caramelised, anchovies and olives on a bread base, there are also versions of this recipe found in Southern France. The base is slightly thicker than a pizza base. For this dish I've added some tomato puree, garlic and thyme to the onions for added depth of flavour and omitted the olives, so whilst not an authentic pissaladière, its a version I like to make at home . I have to warn you it's very addictive. 

Bread base
4g dried yeast
20ml olive oil
300g flour
185ml water
6g salt (sprinkled while mixing)

If using dried yeast place all the dry ingredients except the salt in a bowl, stir together well, gradually add the oil and water until the mixture forms a wet dough
Add the salt while mixing
Tip onto a floured board or work surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it forms a smooth dough
For those of you making this in a stand mixer, tip all the ingredients (except the salt) into the bowl, ensuring you have the dough hook on
Start on a low speed and start to add the salt, after 4 minutes increase the speed to medium and continue for a further 5 minutes
Oil a bowl and place the dough into it, cover with either oiled cling film or a damp tea towel and allow to rise until it has doubled in size
You can also make this the night before or several days before and allow it to prove slowly in the fridge too, this is my preferred method as it allows for flavour development

Topping

3 50g tins of anchovies in olive oil

4 onions (200g) roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves roughly chopped

15g fresh thyme leaves

50ml olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

15g tomato puree

Pre heat the oven to 200c (normal), 190c (fan)

If cooking on the BBQ then set up for indirect cooking at 200c with the pizza stone

In a pan on a medium heat, cook the onions in the oil until they start to caramelise, this will take roughly 30 minutes, keep stirring the onions otherwise they will burn

Lower the heat and add the garlic and tomato puree, cook for a further 10 minutes

Season with the salt and pepper

Stir through the thyme and allow to cool

Take the dough out of the fridge and place in a deep rectangular baking tray (or cast iron, if baking on the BBQ) press the dough down ensuring it is relatively flat

Spread over the onion mix 

Arrange the anchovies on top

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, remove from the baking tray and cook for a further 10 minutes in the oven on the middle shelf

If cooking on the BBQ remove from the baking dish after 40 minutes and place flat on the pizza stone and cook for a further 10 minutes

Allow to cool slightly before eating, it's best enjoyed a little warm

Pizza

With pizza, its a case of first getting the dough and the tomato sauce nailed down. Next is getting the cooking times right, after that, the worlds your oyster when it comes to mastering the art. I cook mine on my barbecue and it did take some trial and error and also a lot of burnt or soggy bottom results until I worked things out. 
I've been looking for the perfect dough recipe for years and found that the Modernist cuisine one worked best for me with a few personal tweaks. I make it using my stand mixer, so no kneading required. 

This makes enough for 4 pizzas

Pizza dough base

4g dried yeast
30ml olive oil
600g flour, I use a a 50/50 mix of t55 flour and semola flour
390g water
12g salt (sprinkled in while mixing)

If using dried yeast place all the dry ingredients except the salt in a bowl, stir together well, gradually add the oil and water until the mixture forms a wet dough
Add the salt while mixing
Tip onto a floured board or work surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it forms a smooth dough
For those of you making this in a stand mixer, tip all the ingredients (except the salt) into the bowl, ensuring you have the dough hook on
Start on a low speed and start to add the salt, after 4 minutes increase the speed to medium and continue for a further 5 minutes
Oil a bowl and place the dough into it, cover with either oiled cling film or a damp tea towel and allow to rise until it has doubled in size

You can also make this the night before or several days before and allow it to prove slowly  in the fridge too, this is my preferred method as it allows for flavour development

My preference is to let it prove for 72 hours as it gets the best flavour

To make the pizza base
Divide the dough into quarters and roll out into a round, it's up to you what thickness you want your crust, bear in mind, the thicker the pizza, the longer it will take to cook
Place in the fridge until you want to assemble your pizza

Tomato sauce base
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 tin San Marzano tomatoes roughly chopped
10g dried oregano
5g sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the garlic in the oil on a low heat for 5 minutes
Add the tomatoes and stir through and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat
Add the oregano and cook for a further 15 minutes
Season to taste with the salt, sugar and pepper

You will also need
200g Mozzarella roughly torn into pieces
50g parmesan freshly grated

Pizza assembly
Spread a heaped dessertspoon of the tomato base mix onto the rolled out pizza base
Sprinkle over some of the parmesan so you have a light coating
Add some of the mozzarella
It is up to you if you want to add any other toppings

It doesn't have to be all tomato based toppings.
I also like to vary the toppings by mixing 20ml of pesto with 10ml of crème fraiche and then topping the pizza with ham, grated parmesan and asparagus shavings

Setup for indirect cooking and with the stainless steel griddle over the plate setter
Allow the BBQ to come up to temp, I aim for 300c
Place the pizza stone on the griddle and allow to heat up for 15 minutes, you don't want it too hot otherwise you end up with a burnt bottom
Place the prepared pizza on some heavy duty greaseproof paper and place on top of the pizza stone or you can also use polenta on the stone to stop it sticking
The pizza should only take 5-10 minutes depending on how thick your base is, check after 5 minutes

For cooking in the oven, I would recommend getting yourself a pizza stone
Your oven won't reach the temperatures of the BBQ, but the trick is to put your oven up to the highest temp and place the pizza stone in for at least 20 minutes to warm up fully
Cook the pizza for 10 minutes, keep checking after 7 minutes

Cheese and chive bread

I spotted this recipe on the Odlums flour website and decided to give it a whirl as it looked really tasty. I had to make a few tweaks to the recipe as I was lacking in one or two ingredients. My thyme plants were a little slow in the garden, so I used chives instead as they seem to have grown earlier this year. So this is my take on their cheese and thyme loaf. I like to use wild garlic when in season, but chives will work just as well. 

350g self raising flour
15g dijon mustard
75g salted butter

20g caster sugar
125g strong cheddar grated (if you can't get cheddar, then oude kaas or comte will work just as well)

5g baking powder
1 Egg beaten
150ml buttermilk or whole milk

50g finely chopped chives or wild garlic when in season

Preheat oven to 190c (fan) 200c normal

Put the flour, butter and baking powder into a bowl
Rub together with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs

Add the cheese and chives and mix through

Make a well in the centre of the flour mix
Beat the egg, mustard and milk together and add to the bowl, stir well to combine

Line a 500g loaf tin with baking paper

Pour in the bread mix and ensure it is evenly spread out in the tin

Bake for 40 minutes, it should rise slightly and be golden brown
Once cooked, remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly before placing on a wire tray

Blackberry and almond Crumble

The humble crumble, one of life's comfort foods and always easy to put together. This year I had quite a few blackberries in my front garden. Normally I'd make jams or a compote but have never used these solely in a crumble. As I had rather a lot of blackberries this year, I thought why not! I like to add some almond flour to the crumble topping for extra depth of flavour.

Crumble mix
150g plain flour 
100g Almond flour
100g brown sugar
110g unsalted butter

To make by hand 
Rub the flours and butter together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs, add the sugar and stir through

To make by machine
Place all the ingredients together in a food processor and pulse until resembling breadcrumbs

Filling
500g blackberries
50g sugar

Place the blackberries in a baking dish, sprinkle over the sugar and top with the crumble
Bake for 40 mins at 190c (fan) 200c (normal)

If cooking on the BBQ, then set up for indirect heat at 190c, ensure the baking dish you use is suitable for the BBQ, so use a deep dish cast iron pan or good quality ceramic deep dish

Chocolate stout cake

This recipe came about as a friend gave me some of their porter/stout style beer. I found it a little too sweet for my taste and thought it could be put to better use in cooking. Rather than going down the usual route of using it for savoury in a stew, I thought it would pair well with chocolate in a cake.

150g salted butter
170g dark brown sugar
50g cocoa powder
200g self raising flour
2 eggs
150g chocolate (55%)
200ml stout

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
Add the eggs one by one and mix through, it may looked curdled but it will come together eventually
Place the chocolate and stout together in a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water, stir until all the chocolate has melted, place to one side and allow to cool slightly
Pour the chocolate and stout mix into the bowl with the eggs, sugar and butter
Fold in the flour and pour into a greased cake tin
Cook for 40 minutes at 190c or until a skewer comes out clean
Serve with a dollop of cream or vanilla ice cream

Asparagus and wild garlic tartlets

With asparagus season in full swing I wanted to make a quiche using this lovely vegetable. The wild garlic adds a little more edge and flavour to the dish. If you have no access to wild garlic, then you can use chives as a replacement. The pastry is a nice rich buttery shortcrust that just melts in your mouth.

This makes enough for 6 tartlets in 10cm tartlet rings or one large quiche using an 20cm pastry ring
To make the pastry
170g plain white flour
85g butter
45ml iced water
Pinch salt
Beaten egg yolk to glaze the pastry

Rub the butter and flour together until it resembles bread crumbs 
Add the egg yolk and water and bring the mixture together until it forms a stiff dough
(This can also be made in a food processor, simply whizz the flour and butter mix until it resembles bread crumbs, then add the egg yolk and then some of the water and pulse until it comes together)
Wrap the pastry in cling film and place in the fridge for an hour to rest
Once the pastry has rested, roll out to 5mm thick 
Next, get your tartlet case and cut out the pastry using the ring as a guide, ensure you have excess pastry around the edges
Then take the cut out pastry and press into the edges of the tartlet case, make sure there are no air bubbles 
Place the lined tartlet case in the fridge for 30 mins
Preheat the oven to 190c (fan) 200c (normal)
Take the the tartlet cases out of the fridge and prick the base with a fork taking care not to pierce all the way through (this helps to stop the pastry rising)
Cut out enough parchment paper to cover the tartlet cases and place it over the tartlet
Add some baking beans or rice to weigh the paper down and to prevent the pastry from colouring while blind baking
Place the tartlets in the oven for 10 minutes with the parchment on and then for a further 5 minutes with it off

Filling 
3 eggs
6 spears of white asparagus peeled and thinly sliced length ways and then cut to fit the tartlet case
100ml crème fraîche

50g parmesan 

100ml cream

Salt and pepper to season

70g finely chopped wild garlic or chives 

Whisk all the ingredients together except the asparagus, salt and pepper

Season the egg mix with the salt and pepper

Line the bottom of the cases with the asparagus

Pour the egg mix into the tartlets

Place in the oven at 150c (fan) 160c (normal) for 15 minutes or until the top is set

Chilli and cheddar cornbread

I love cheesy breads, this one has a lot of texture with the chillies and sweetcorn running through which contrasts with the sharpness of the cheddar. This is a great bread straight out of the oven. This is my second cornbread recipe, I'm a fan of quick breads like this that don't require any proving or kneading and you can just throw them in the oven. The bread takes on a wonderful yellow colour from the sweetcorn. 

230g coarse polenta/coarse corn meal
130g self raising flour
20g soft brown sugar
2 eggs beaten
300ml buttermilk
5g salt

7g bicarbonate of soda
150g grated strong cheddar

4 jalapeno chillies chopped

30g melted salted butter 

100g tinned sweetcorn or fresh sweetcorn when in season

Pre heat the oven to 190c (fan), 200c (normal)
Set your BBQ up for indirect cooking at 190c
Pulse the sweetcorn in a food processor until it has a rough paste consistency
Mix the flour, sugar, salt, bicarbonate and polenta together in a bowl
Add the eggs, melted butter and milk and stir to make a thick batter

Add the cheddar, sweetcorn and chillies and stir though
Pour the batter mixture into a non stick deep dish baking tray or cake tin
Cook for 35 - 45 minutes until golden brown, you can also test for doneness by inserting a skewer, if it comes out clean the bread is ready

Fig and gorgonzola focaccia

Figs and blue cheese are a great combination. I like to make focaccia style breads as they only require one prove, so no waiting around for a second prove before you put it on to bake. I also love the flavour and texture of the bread. This bread pairs really well with sliced parma ham and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic.

450g strong white bread flour or '00' flour
7g instant yeast
5g salt
300ml water
100g gorgonzola dolce chopped into small cubes
4 figs finely chopped

Add the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl
Mix together to combine and add the water to form a wet dough
Knead for 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth
Flatten the dough and sprinkle in the figs and cheese, fold the dough over a few times to incorporate the fruit and cheese
Place in a deep baking tray and cover with oiled cling film and place in a warm place until the dough has risen to twice its volume (roughly 30-40 mins)
Remove the cling film and place in an oven at 190c (fan) 200c (normal) and bake for 40 minutes. 
Take the bread out of the tray and place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes
Remove from the oven and allow to cool
If cooking on the BBQ use indirect heat, 200c (400f) or in a Kamado style BBQ use the plate setter with pizza stone on the griddle for 40 minutes
Tip: You can check if the bread is done by tapping the bottom and if it makes a hollow sound it is done

Beer bread

Another recipe from my days at Leiths. This was one of the first recipes we began with when learning the art of bread making. As well as pastry, bread was a big part of the learning process during the diploma. I do get a lot of satisfaction when making bread. I have quite a few friends who make beer and occasionally when their brews don't quite work out, I take some of the beer to use in cooking. As they say, waste not, want not!

I've made some subtle changes to the recipe for my taste. In the recipe I use an English style IPA or tripel style beer, its important to use one with subtle hops as the bitter, hoppy notes of the more common varieties will dominate the flavour. Rather than sugar, I've gone for honey as it works really well with the beer.


300g wholemeal flour
200g strong bread flour
20ml honey
7g dried yeast
50g salted butter
7g fine grained salt
300ml brown ale or English style IPA
Extra flour for kneading
Butter or oil for greasing the loaf tin

Gently heat the butter, ale and honey through until lightly warmed, don't allow the mixture to boil or get too hot otherwise it will kill the yeast
Sift the flours and salt into a bowl and add the dried yeast and stir to incorporate
Pour in the liquid and mix thoroughly, you should have a very wet dough
Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for at least 10 minutes
To test if the dough is ready make a slight indentation in the dough with your finger and it should spring back, if not keep kneading until it does
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film or an oiled cloth and allow to prove for at least 40 minutes in a warm place, it should double in size at this point
Knock back the dough and place in a oiled or buttered 500g loaf tin and cover with cling film or damp cloth, allow to prove again for 30 minutes in a warm place
Set the oven to 200c (normal), 190c (fan) and bake for 40 minutes
To test if the bread is done tap the underside and it should have a hollow sound

Peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies

These cookies are easy to make and the dough can keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. It also freezes well too, and you can cut and bake them straight from the freezer. The mixture makes about 24 cookies so there is plenty to go around. I prefer to make my own peanut butter for these which is easier than you think and I've included the recipe for you as well. 

120g unsalted butter softened
120g caster sugar
1 egg
210g plain flour
50g chocolate chips 
100g peanut butter (see below for the recipe)

Peanut butter
100g roasted peanuts
2g maldon sea salt

Place the peanuts and the salt into a food processor and continue to pulse until such time as the peanuts break down and start to form a paste

To make the cookies
In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and the sugar
Add the peanut butter and mix through
Add the egg and mix well
Fold in the flour and mix until you get a stiff dough
Roll into a sausage shape and place in the fridge to firm up for a minimum of 3 hours
Slice the dough into 1cm thick disks
Place on a non stick baking sheet and press the choc chips into each cookie
Bake in the oven at 190C (fan) 200C (normal) for 12 minutes or until golden brown
If cooking from frozen cook for 16 minutes
The cookies will be a little soft when they come out of the oven, they will harden up as they cool

Pheasant pastilla

I love Moroccan flavours and this dish is an interesting one from the flavour combination perspective. It's a mix of sweet and savoury which works well with the gamey flavour of pheasant and would also work well with guinea fowl. Traditionally it's made with pigeon, but I decided to go for a stronger flavour with pheasant which marries well with the sweet element of the dates.

For the pheasant braise
2 pheasant legs
2 onions finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves finely chopped
2g dried ginger
5 strands of saffron
2cm piece of cinnamon
6 dates roughly chopped
200ml chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

To finish
1 egg beaten
70g almonds whizzed in a food processor until they form a rough powder
Filo pastry
Melted butter around 150g

In a cast iron pan, fry off the onions and garlic on a low heat until soft and glossy
Add the rest of the ingredients for the braise and simmer for 50 minutes on a low heat until the meat starts to come away from the bones easily
Remove the pheasant and place to one side to cool
Reduce the stock on a high heat until it has reached about half it's volume, lower the heat and add the almonds to thicken the mix
Once the stock mix has cooled slightly, add the beaten egg and stir through
Remove the meat from the bones on the pheasant legs, break into small pieces and stir through the stock mix
Season with salt and pepper and place to one side to cool

To assemble the pie
Brush the sheets of filo with butter to stop them from drying out
In a shallow pie dish start to layer the filo so it covers the bottom of the dish and overlaps over the side, this will take 2 or three sheets
Add the meat and stock mix to the pie dish and ensure there it is layered evenly
Fold over the overlapping filo ensuring it covers the top
If the top is not quite covered add another sheet of buttered filo
Place in the oven at 190c (fan) 200c (normal) for 40 minutes until the pastry is nice and brown
For those of you cooking on the BBQ, set the BBQ up for indirect cooking at 200c and cook as instructed above

Banana and pecan bread

At one point or another we will all have bananas lurking in the fruit bowl that have gone black. This recipe is a great way of using those up, don't throw them away as they are packed full of flavour. This cake will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. 

100g wholemeal flour
130g self raising flour
80ml neutral oil or 80g melted salted butter if you prefer
2 over ripe bananas
5g baking soda
90g caster sugar
2 eggs room temperature beaten
80g pecan nuts roughly chopped

In a bowl place the flours, salt, baking powder and soda and mix well
Mash up the bananas in another bowl and stir in the eggs, oil (or butter) and sugar
Mix together the wet and dry ingredients 
To finish add the pecan nuts and stir through
Place in a greased or non stick 500g loaf tin
Bake for 45 minutes at 180c (fan), 190c (normal) oven or until a skewer comes out clean

Goat cheese and caramelised red onion tart

This is a wonderful classic combination of flavours, the tart sweetness of the onions and creamy sharpness of the goats cheese. This makes a great lunch dish for two people. I use ready made all butter puff pastry for this dish, as much as I like to make my own, it is rather time consuming. 

1 packet ready made butter puff pastry
250g chevre log cut into two
2 red onions finely sliced
20g brown sugar 
30ml balsamic vinegar
Oil for frying
Beaten egg yolk for glazing the pastry

Roll the puff pastry about 1cm thick and cut into squares
With a knife make a square outline about the size of your piece of goat cheese in the middle of the pastry, do not cut all the way through, just make a slight indent
Prick the centre with a fork to prevent it from rising 
Glaze the pastry with the beaten egg and place in the fridge until you want to cook them
Set the oven to 190c (fan) 200c (normal)

To cook the onions
Fry off the onions on a low heat in the oil until soft
Add the sugar and balsamic and cook on a medium heat until they start to brown further, you don't want them to burn, 
Test the onions for sweetness, add more sugar if needed
Once cooked place to one side and allow to cool

To assemble the tarts
Place a heaped dessertspoon of the cooled onion in the centre of the pastry and place the goat cheese on top
Cook in the oven for 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown

Lemon and olive oil polenta cake

I always associate olive oil with savoury cooking though I  do see it featuring more and more in desserts and cakes. I received some Chateau d'Estoublon extra virgin olive oil to try out so I decided I'd like to do something different such as a cake recipe. 

The olive oil has a subtle smooth flavour with a light peppery back note and adds a hint of richness to this recipe. So it works just as well with savoury recipes as it does with sweet. 
I see this very much as a finishing oil, as it works well drizzled over dishes to add a bit of richness or in a salsa to add flavour. It would work well with light dressings too for salads. 
I decided to make a polenta based cake flavoured with the oil and some lemon. Many cakes ask for a neutral oil which just helps to keep the cake moist for longer but this olive oil adds a certain depth of flavour too. I was very pleased with the end result and flavour on the cake and the oil really worked well with the lemon.

For those of you who are coeliac, you can double up on the almond flour instead of using both almond and plain what flour. 

You can also use coarse polenta, the only difference being that it adds a crunchier texture to the cake.

200g fine ground polenta
100g plain flour
100g almond flour
180g caster sugar
120g salted butter softened
100ml olive oil
10ml vanilla extract
3 eggs
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream together the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy
Add the plain flour, almond flour and vanilla and stir through
Start to add the eggs, stirring the mixture as you add each one
Next add the olive oil and lemon juice and zest and incorporate into the mixture
Last add the polenta and baking powder and fold through
Pour the mixture into a greased lined baking tin and cook for 1 hour at 160c (fan) 170c normal or until a skewer comes out clean
Those of you cooking on the BBQ, set the BBQ up for indirect cooking at 160c, I would also advise using the pizza stone as well to prevent the bottom from becoming too burnt
Place the pizza stone on the griddle before placing the baking tin on it and cook for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean

Blackberry and Apple tart

I love this time of year when blackberries and apple are in season. They say what "grows together, goes together", blackberry and apple are a classic combination. Growing up I used to go blackberry picking in the local woods and hedgerows as my mother always made jam. These days, I grow some in my front garden. Occasionally I'll pick some if I see them in the wild.

Pastry (for a 6" pastry plate)
110g flour
60g butter
30g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
30ml cold water (you may not need to use it all)

Rub the butter and flour together until it resembles bread crumbs 
Add the egg yolk, sugar and water and bring the mixture together until it forms a stiff dough
(this can also be made in a food processor, simply whizz the flour, sugar and butter mix until it resembles bread crumbs, then add the water and egg yolk till it comes together)
Wrap the pastry in cling film and place in the fridge for an hour to rest
Once the pastry has rested, roll out to 2mm thick 
Next, get your pastry dish and cut out the pastry using the shape of the pie dish as a guide, ensure you leave some excess pastry around the edges
Then take the cut out pastry and press into the pastry dish, making sure there are no air bubbles and push the pastry into all the corners
You can trim any excess pastry from the edges of the pastry dish using a knife if need be
Place the pastry dish back in the fridge to allow the pastry to rest for about 30 mins
Keep some of the excess pastry to finish the tart
I roll this out and slice into strips
Place in the fridge until needed

For the filling
3 large bramley apples peeled cored and sliced
100g blackberries
50g caster sugar to sprinkle

To assemble the tart
Take the pastry lined plate out of the fridge
Arrange the sliced apple and blackberries on the pastry and sprinkle with the sugar
Top with the strips of pastry 

Pre-heat the oven to 190c (fan), 200c (normal)
Bake for 20 - 30 mins until it is light brown coloured with a sandy texture to the touch
Allow to cool

I like to serve this with a vanilla cream

Southern style cornbread

I love cornbread and have tried many recipes over the years, but they haven't quite hit the spot for me. When coming up with recipes, I tend to do a lot of research and testing before I hit on something I'm happy with. I also like to get a feel for recipes that have a lot of history too. Cornbread is often associated with deep south American cooking and this recipe is my take on it. I like to cook this bread on the BBQ as it adds a nice smokey flavour. This bread is best eaten warm and on the day it is made. 

230g  coarse polenta/coarse corn meal
130g plain flour
30g soft brown sugar
2 eggs beaten
300ml milk
2g sea salt crystals
10g baking powder
50g pork fat or fat rendered from streaky bacon lardons

Set your BBQ up for indirect cooking at 190c
Place the pork fat in a non stick baking tin and place in the BBQ to allow the fat to melt and come up to temperature

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and polenta together in a bowl
Add the eggs and milk and stir to make a thick batter
Make sure the fat in the baking tin is really hot and sizzling
Pour the cake mix into the hot fat and cook for 35 - 45 minutes until golden brown, you can also test for doneness by inserting a skewer, if it comes out clean the bread is ready

You can also cook this in the oven, set the oven to 190c (fan) 200c (normal)
Place the baking tin with the fat in the oven to allow it to heat up
Pour the cake mix into the hot fat and cook for 35 - 45 minutes until golden brown

Simon Hopkinson's Sticky toffee pudding

I've regaled you with my recipes for a few years now. It's not all new recipes chez kitchen exile and there are some that you simply cannot fault or change which become a staple in your kitchen. 
This Sticky toffee pudding recipe is one of them. The recipe is as close to the traditional pudding as you'll ever get and I simply had to share this with you.

Simon Hopkinson is one of my favourite chefs and is a wonderful writer of cookbooks. I love his prose and approach to cooking and his books have been a key influence on this blog. I do make one diversion when making this recipe and steep the dates in tea (Irish, naturally or you can use Earl Grey) rather than hot water as it adds a little more depth of flavour. This recipe can be found in his book The Good Cook, which has some wonderful recipes in it. I certainly urge you to discover Mr Hopkinson and his books.

Sponge cake mixture
175g dates, chopped
5g bicarbonate of soda
50g salted butter
pinch salt
75g demerara sugar
75g molasses sugar
2 free-range eggs
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
butter, for greasing

Sticky toffee topping

250ml double cream
80g butter
80g molasses sugar

Extra sauce

300ml whipping cream
50g molasses sugar
50g salted butter
Preheat the oven to 170c (fan) 180c (normal)

To make the sponge mix
Pour 275ml boiling water into a large mixing bowl and add the dates (I like to add a tea bag and allow it to steep for 5 mins and then remove it)

Allow the dates to cool before adding to the rest of the ingredients

Pour the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and add the dates and water mix
Whizz untill you have a smoothish batter

Butter a baking dish and pour in the sponge batter

Bake for 30-40 mins until just firm to the touch or you can put a skewer in and it comes out clean

To make the sauces
Make both the topping and the extra sauce by heating the ingredients gently in separate pans, whisking until they boil
Take care as they come to the boil quickly, so best to keep an eye on them
Take off the heat and allow to cool

Pour the topping sauce over the cooked pudding once the pudding has cooled slightly

To serve, spoon the pudding into individual bowls and pour around the extra sauce

Cheese and onion focaccia

This is a recipe that inspires comfort, which is well suited to this time of year and also tastes delicious. It is a focaccia style bread which only requires one prove, so not too much waiting around involved. Its a great tear and share type bread, one to put in the middle of the table for everyone to get stuck into. Great accompaniment for a fondue or dip or the building blocks for a great steak sandwich.

450g strong white bread flour
7g instant yeast
5g salt
300ml water
200g comte or emmenthal cheese
2 medium onions sliced and sauteed till soft and left to cool
Sprig rosemary finely chopped
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Add the flour, salt, yeast, rosemary, cheese, onions and mustard into a bowl
Mix together to combine and add the water to form a wet dough
Knead for 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth
Place on a greased baking sheet and cover and place in a warm place until the dough has risen to twice its volume
Place in an oven at 190c (fan) 200c (normal) and bake for 40 minutes. 
If cooking on the BBQ use indirect heat or platesetter at 200c for 40 minutes