This is my easy vegetarian filo pie recipe for those in a hurry. I love the luxury of a pie, but I don’t always want the heaviness that shortcrust or butter pastry can bring. This pie is perfect for an alternative – layers of crisp filo pastry with a delicious filling of the earthy flavours that I love so much, roasted butternut squash, sage, mushrooms, and chestnuts. If you don’t have the exact ingredients, don’t worry – use whatever you have in the fridge, and make the flavours your own. INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)1 packet of filo pastry1 butternut squash, peeled…
the delicate diner
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Continue ReadingWho doesn’t love a chocolate cake? For me, it is the ultimate celebration cake, a real treat for high days and holidays. And to be fair, it is the ultimate comfort food as well, so let’s face it, chocolate cake is an all-rounder! Inspired by a recipe in Green & Black’s Chocolate Recipes, I made this luxurious chocolate cake flavoured with Moon Gazer Ale’s Bouchart Norfolk Mild beer. The result was a wonderfully moist, rich, chocolate cake that tastes wonderful on its own but would be just as enjoyable with some whipped cream. As with many cakes, my chocolate Bouchart…
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Continue ReadingOld Hall Farm in Woodton isn’t just about their rare breed pork and beef – their raw Jersey cream and milk can be used in many ways and I have made the perfect dish for the change in the weather right now – a rice pudding. I think we all have those memories of school rice pudding with a spoonful of jam in the middle and, having fallen out of love with it, I now rate a chilled rice pudding as one of my ultimate desserts. Part of the beauty of the milk from Old Hall Farm is that several…
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Continue ReadingThis is a delicious recipe in which I share my tips on how to make perfect slow roast pork using Old Hall Farm rare breed pork shoulder, with crispy mustard crackling, beef dripping potatoes, and an apple and mustard sauce. Before I begin, I have to be honest. This was hands down the best pork joint I have ever had. The flavour from Old Hall Farm’s rare breed pork was incredible, and the slow cook resulted in a beautifully tender piece of meat. I shared a photo with a British friend who lives in America; she is still crying as…
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Continue ReadingI love a tagine. I think if I could, I would have it every couple of weeks, it is so good. This is a dish that covers all the bases – sweet, sour, savoury, spiced – in style. You can use any meat but for this, I used some amazing pork shoulder from Old Hall Farm. Cooked low and slow, it really allowed for the flavours of the tagine to mingle with the meat and make a delicious dinner. Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients, this dish really is worth it! INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4 + LEFTOVERS)1kg Old…
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Continue ReadingFound just over the border into Suffolk, Black Dog Apiaries & Bakehouse is owned and run by Mark and Sapphire Mills. Here, Mark combines two of his life’s passions – beekeeping and bakery. His background as a pastry chef and baker means that he understands the many qualities that honey has to offer, and he frequently features this prize ingredient in his bakes. However, this artisan bakery in Brampton offers a wide range of delicious delights, and I went along to find out more. Driving towards Brampton, there are signs on the side of the road and then you come…
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Continue ReadingThe beauty of this dish is that it uses up leftover ingredients – pastry offcuts, chorizo lurking in the back of the fridge, sweet potato lingering in the vegetable rack, and peas from the freezer. While not a traditional empanada in terms of the pastry used – puff – it is full of the flavours you would expect from this dish made so popular in Latin American cuisine. Vary the filling according to what you have available – just remember to add plenty of herbs as well as spices if not using chorizo! INGREDIENTS2 large sweet potatoes, diced to 0.5cm…
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Continue ReadingPork shoulder is a great cut of meat and as well as making a mean roast dinner, it also lends itself well to a casserole. Shoulder benefits from slow cooking, but this dish takes just two hours on the hob and results in a meltingly tender casserole to warm the cockles. With some cooked apple slices, green vegetables and potatoes, this makes for a tasty dish. And, as with most casseroles, it tastes even more delicious the next day! INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4 + LEFTOVERS) 1kg Old Hall Farm pork shoulder 1 onion, sliced 2 celery sticks, chopped 2 carrots, peeled…
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Continue ReadingThis year has definitely been the year of cancellations, so it was with great relief that on that ridiculously wet Friday at the end of September, I found myself returning to one of my favourite places in Norfolk, Brasted’s. Known across Norfolk and beyond, Brasted’s has been the backbone of the local food and drink scene for so many years. Like many, Brasted’s and its events company, Complete & Utter Brasted’s, has been hit hard this year, with weddings postponed, the Suffolk Show and Royal Norfolk Shows cancelled, and much more besides. Arriving at the restaurant to meet my friend,…
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Continue ReadingThe ultimate in comfort food, this beef and mushroom casserole has the addition of dumplings, making it a perfect one-pot feast. I used Old Hall Farm’s own Jersey/Angus cross beef in this recipe, and not only did the meat melt in the mouth, the flavour was incredible. Serve with savoy cabbage and greens for a healthy and delicious autumnal dinner. INGREDIENTS 1kg Old Hall Farm braising beef 3 round shallots, sliced 1 celery stick, sliced 2 cloves of smoked garlic, finely sliced 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs rosemary 3 sprigs thyme 200ml red wine Around 20 white peppercorns 500ml beef…