Game of Squash

Butternut squash is great to have around the kitchen. They normally hang around in mine for a while as I psych myself up to peel them. Fortunately, they keep for what seems an eternity, and can quickly become lunch when you are ready to battle with them. I like to sauté chunks of it in coconut oil and mix with chickpeas in a spiced tomato sauce. Here it's used as the base for a vegetable salad and works really well with the slightly bitter radish and kale. If you can't get barberries, use goji berries. The Parma ham gives crunch and saltiness and the dill cream brings a soothing calmness.I like the surprise of fiery green chillies, but you can leave these out if you're scared. And don't forget the squash seeds. You may want to roast all of them separately and keep them in a jar for future use.Ingredients500g butternut squash, peeled and cut into smallish chunks2tbsp of the squash seeds2 cloves of garlic, bashed with a knife1tbsp mustard seedsA handful of curly kale leaves, depending on how big your hands are. Cut out the big stalks4 slices of Parma ham30g sour cream2tbsp chopped fresh dill20g dried barberries1tsp chilli flakes or sliced green chillies1 watermelon radish, cut into chunks1/2tsp pink peppercorns, lightly crushedOlive oilSalt and pepperMethodHeat the oven to 190cMix the squash, seeds, garlic, mustard seeds and olive oil together and season well.Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then toss through the kale and and curl through the Parma ham and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the squash turns golden orange and the ham and kale become crisp.Remove from the oven and leave to cool to room temperatureMix the dill and pink peppercorns through the sour cream and add a little salt and pepper.Add the radish to the squash, throw over the barberries and chillies, season a little and drizzle over some olive oil and the dill cream and serve.

Cured mullet with pickled radish

At the back of my fridge you’ll find a jar or two of pickled herring from Ikea. I always stock up when I go, it’s the highlight of the trip.I get excited about any food that is cured, pickled, smoked, preserved or fermented and although I don’t need to travel across the desert with nothing but a camel and a bag of dried meat for company, taking a fresh ingredient and through salt or smoke or just air, turning it into something longer lasting makes me feel manly, much like standing around a barbeque.There is a sharpness to pickled fish that really gives it a zing. Here, I’ve gone for grey mullet rather than the more traditional herring, for the simple reason that my fishmonger didn’t have any. And it was a great success. The radish and cucumber give a great crunch and a slightly Asian feel to the dish and the dill brings it back to its Swedish beginnings.Serves:                          4 as a starterPreparation time:      10 minutes plus curingCooking time:             curing and pickling onlyIngredientsFor the pickled radish:16 radishes, sliced as thinly as possible2cm cucumber, sliced as thinly as possible1 head of Shimeji mushrooms, sliced from the base or 100g button mushrooms25g xylitol or stevia powder70ml cider vinegar1 tbsp Mirin2 tsp Japanese rice wineA few sprigs of mustard cress1tsp toasted cumin seedsFor the mullet:2 mullet fillets (400g)1 small bunch of dill, chopped1 shallot, sliced1tbsp juniper berries, slightly crushed1tbsp pink peppercorns, slightly crushed1tsp Szechuan peppercorns25g salt25g xylitol or truvia sugar substitute4 tsp caviar/lumpfish roeMethod1. Mix together the dill, juniper, shallot, pink and Szechuan peppercorns, salt and xylitol then sprinkle half of this into a shallow baking tray or dish.2. Lay the mullet fillets on top of the salt mix and cover with the remainder. Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge overnight or for at least four hours.3. An hour before you want to serve, remove the fish from the fridge and rinse well then pat dry with kitchen paper.4. Mix together the pickled radish ingredients and set aside for 45 minutes.5. Serve the radish with the mullet and a teaspoon of caviar on each. Serve with a thin slice of toasted rye sourdough.

Rabbit terrine with asparagus, pancetta and peas

This dish is so pretty, but essentially my rabbit terrine is a big slab of meat, freshened by the addition of peas and asparagus. Served with a pickled salad and a few truffle shavings, it made a delicious lunch on a recent shoot.  Serves:             6-8 peoplePrep time:       15 minutes Cooking time: 90 minutesIngredients1 rabbit, skinned and cleaned. Reserve the kidneys and liver150g pork belly, meat and fat separated500ml warm vegetable stock2 sheets of gelatine8 asparagus spears, blanched20 slices of pancetta200g of petit pois1 tbsp saltPepper to seasonMethod

1. Heat the oven to 150°C.
2. Mince the rabbit and pork belly meat, and finely slice the fat (or get your butcher to do it for you). Add the rabbit, pork, fat, salt, and a good twist of pepper to a bowl and mix well.
3. Soften the gelatine in a little water for ten minutes, then drain and squeeze out, then set aside.
4. Line a terrine dish with the pancetta, hanging the edges over, so that you can fold them back and cover the top.
5. Spoon a layer of the rabbit and pork into the bottom and spread well. Cover with a layer of peas. Add another layer of rabbit and pork mix. Add a layer of asparagus. Cover with the remaining meat.
6. Pour in the gelatine and stock, then press down. Fold over the pancetta. Place the terrine in a baking tray half-filled with hot water and cook for one and a half hours.
7. Remove from the oven, take the lid off and weight down with a piece of cardboard and some tin cans, then leave it in the fridge overnight.
8. Remove from the fridge half an hour before serving, turn upside down onto a board and slice. Serve with a pickled salad.

In a pickle

I must admit, I set out thinking more about the shapes and colours of this pickled vegetable dish before the flavours, as I couldn’t resist the red of radish against the bright green of cress leaves. Strong, vivid colours will always make a dish look more appetising – which must appeal to our natural instincts for healthy food – and pickling is a great way to intensify those colours.Pickling also creates a sharp contrast of flavours to freshen the palate, and everything here was so sharp, sweet, crunchy and fresh that I was hard pressed not to eat it straight from the bowl.This dish would work well with lightly-spiced chicken, steamed sea bream and lemongrass, or perhaps scallops quickly sautéed in butter and orange zest.Serves:                 4Prep time:          10 mins, plus pickling timeIngredients16 radishes, sliced as thinly as possible2 tbsp mustard cress10cm cucumber, sliced as thinly as possible1 head of Shimeji mushrooms, sliced from the base2 tbsp caster sugar2 tbsp white wine vinegar1 tbsp Mirin2 tsp Japanese rice vinegarMethod

1. Mix together the sugar and liquid ingredients in a bowl and stir well until the sugar has dissolved.
2.  Add the remaining ingredients, apart from the cress, and stir gently, making sure they are covered by the vinegar. Set aside and leave to pickle for half an hour or so.
3. Scatter over the cress and serve as a side dish or pile delicately on the plate with your chicken or fish.

How to food style it

1. If serving in the bowl as a side dish, just make sure everything can be seen. The white inner circles of the radish make great ‘frames’ for the cress and mushrooms. Try and fold the cucumber in nice waves throughout.
2. If serving directly on the plate, it’s nice to space all of the elements out and create a graphic pattern on the plate to then place the other elements in and around.
3. Use the pink sugary vinegar left in the bowl to create vivid spots and drizzles on the plate.