Caramelised onion, courgette and Wensleydale quiche
Serves 8
1tbsp olive oil
15g butter
2 red onions, sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
300ml double cream
100ml full-fat milk
2 small courgettes, around 225g, thinly sliced, lengthways
3 courgette flowers,
sliced lengthways
175g crumbled Wensleydale
For the pastry
300g plain flour, plus
a little extra for dusting
150g butter, chilled and diced
Pinch of sea salt
Few thyme sprigs,
leaves picked (optional)
1 egg, beaten
Method
Start by caramelising the onions for the filling. Heat the oil and butter in a medium pan over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the onions and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every now and then until the onions have softened and caramelised. If they look as though they’re burning, add a tablespoon of water and stir . Spread on a plate and set aside to cool.
Now make the pastry. Put the flour in a bowl, add the butter, salt and thyme (if using) and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg and mix with a knife until the mixture forms clumps, then bring together lightly with your hands. Add a couple of teaspoons of water if the dough feels dry. Dust a clean work surface with flour and knead lightly and quickly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/350°F/Gas 4.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry to a rough circle measuring about 32cm in diameter. Carefully lift the pastry into a 27-cm fluted tart tin and gently press into the corners.
To make the filling, put the eggs and egg yolks, cream and milk into a jug and whisk together. Season well and whisk again. Spread the onions over the base of the pastry, arrange the courgettes and courgette flowers on top and scatter over the cheese.
Pour the egg mixture into the tart tin and give it a little shake so that it spreads evenly. Carefully slide the tart tin onto a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is set.
Once cooked, take the quiche out of the oven, let it sit for about five minutes, then trim the pastry edges. Serve hot, warm or cold with a green salad. Leftovers keep well for the next day but the filling will be a little firmer after a night in the fridge.
Whisky chicken with wild mushroom and mustard sauce
Serves 6
25g butter
2kg chicken, jointed into
eight portions
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 shallots, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
50ml whisky
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1tbsp grainy mustard
200g new potatoes, halved
100g wild mushrooms
4 medium tomatoes, quartered
750ml chicken stock
75ml double cream
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Small bunch of wild garlic,
plus wild garlic flowers to serve
Method
Heat a large, wide, non-stick sauté pan over a medium heat until hot.
Add the butter and heat until melted, then add the chicken pieces, skin-side down. Season them all, then fry for about 10 minutes, until deep golden. Stir in the shallots and garlic and cook for three to four minutes, until softening. Turn the chicken over so it’s skin-side up.
Pour the whisky into the pan and bring to a bubble to burn off the alcohol. Stir in both types of mustard, then add the potatoes, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Season well then stir in the stock, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Cut through the thickest piece of meat and check there are no pink juices.
When the chicken is cooked, pour over the double cream and stir in the parsley. Add the wild garlic to the pan and cook for around one minute until it’s wilted, then remove from the heat, sprinkle the flowers over the top and serve.
Crab cakes with home-made mayonnaise
Serves 4
400g white crab meat
400g cooked potato,
pushed through a ricer
6 spring onions, sliced
Small bunch of chives, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
1 egg yolk
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
25g plain flour, for dusting
Olive oil, for frying
For the mayonnaise
3 egg yolks
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1tbsp white-wine vinegar
200ml vegetable oil
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Small bunch of watercress
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Method
Start by making the mayonnaise. Whisk the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar together in a medium bowl until smooth. Slowly pour the vegetable oil into the bowl, starting with a little drizzle and whisking well. This is easiest to do with an electric hand whisk. Continue to drizzle in the oil, whisking all the time, until the mixture has thickened. Season to taste.
Put the crab into a large bowl with the potatoes, spring onions, chives, lemon juice and egg yolk. Season and mix everything together well. Divide the mixture into eight portions. Dust your hands with flour and form each into a round fish-cake shape roughly measuring 8-10cm in diameter and 2cm thick.
Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until hot. Drizzle with a little oil and put the fish cakes in. Cook for two to three minutes on each side until golden and heated through. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan.
To serve, pop two crab cakes on each plate, garnish each with watercress and a lemon wedge and serve with a dollop or a little pot of mayonnaise.
Recipes from ‘James Martin’s Great British Adventure’ by James Martin (Quadrille, £25) Photography © Peter Cassidy
