This Guy Cooks logo

Home » Recipes

Recipes

The Easiest Maple Glazed Ham Recipe

By 39 Comments

 

 

So although “maple” isn’t an overly festive ingredient but Christmas is DEFINITELY the time to cook hams. This glazed ham recipe is simply the easiest Christmas ham recipe you’ll find. It’s bound to bring a smile to everyone’s face.

I cooked this yesterday for a little family party and it disapeared super quickly. A good amount of the ham went straight away from my taste tests. Got to be thorough right? I mean what if the next slice didn’t
taste the same? Better to be safe than sorry! Plus.. chef’s perks…

This recipe boils the ham with some veg and a pinch of salt to give the cooking ham just the right amount of savory to accompany the lashings of sticky, sweet lushness that this maple gammon glaze offers.

In our family, we’re all major fans of the “crispy black bits” and will fight over it often. I’ve taken this Christmas ham to the edge for just that reason. Every slice promising crispy sticky bit and a lovely
marbled perfectly moist slice of baked ham goodness. This Sweet and savory baked ham is an absolute winner and one I’m thrilled to share!

The best thing is this maple glazed ham is just SO easy to make. There is no secret ingredient to this gammon glaze. It’s just maple syrup. Lots and lots of maple syrup.

The only thing I’m regretting is not having any leftovers to make some leftover ham recipes.

Maple Glazed Ham Recipe

 

5 from 10 votes
Print

Easy Maple Glazed Ham

This beautifully sticky glazed ham is packed full of flavour!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • 1 Large onion peeled and quartered
  • 1 Large Carrot top cut off, peel on
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • Tsp. Black Peppercorns
  • Pinch Sea Salt
  • Uncooked & Unsmoked Gammon Joint - with skin on - Choose one that has a lot of fat
  • enough water to cover your gammon joint.
  • 300 ml Pure Maple Syrup

Instructions

  1. Prepare the carrot and onion. Wash, but don't worry about peeling the carrot.
  2. Place a large pot with a lid or cast iron casserole on a medium heat,
  3. Add the peppercorns and heat until they become very fragrant.
  4. Place your onion, carrot, bay leaves, salt and water into the pot and stir to make sure all the peppercorns are dislodged from the bottom.
  5. Place your gammon with any string in the center of the pot and cook for 20 minutes per 450g (1lb).
  6. Whack up the heat to high and wait to boil. Once it's reached a rolling boil turn down the heat and leave to simmer.
  7. About halfway through the cook preheat your oven to 190* (Gas 5)
  8. Once your ham has finished boiling, carefully remove from the pot and let cool slightly. This bit is gonna be a bit sticky. Remove the string and with a sharp utility or paring knife, remove the skin leaving as much of the fat as you can.
  9. Line a baking tray with foil (you'll thank me later) and once the skin has been removed, score the fat deeply in a criss-cross and place on the tray, fat side up.
  10. Pour about a third of the maple syrup gently over the ham, using a pastry brush to coat evenly.
  11. Place the ham in the oven and keep an eye until those delicious black bits begin to form. Remove the ham from the oven and as before brush the maple syrup all over, don't be afraid to dip the brush in the syrup on the bottom of the tray. By now this will have gone quite "treacle". This is all just flavour. Keep repeating this until you're satisfied the ham is how you want it. I like mine quite dark and sticky so I repeated this every 10 minutes and about 4 times. When you're finished, remove the ham from the tray and place on a plate. Add one final brush of the syrup from the bottom of the tray just for that extra glisten.
  12. You can carve this right away but be warned, you will try some and you'll keep going back for more.

 

 

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

By 6 Comments

This Guy Cooks - Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

After a long day you’ll be forgiven for thinking you deserve something nice for dessert and If you’re a fan of chocolate, you’re in for a real treat. I’ve been on a diet for the past 4 months now and I have to warn you that this is not a diet friendly addition to your meal!

This recipe is a personal favourite of mine. If you’ve ever been to ours for dinner, you’re pretty much going to be given one of these. It’s super easy, ridiculously delicious and is definitely one of my “go to” puddings.

The recipe for these chocolate molten lava cakes makes 4 portions, and to be honest it’s more than enough. These gooey, rich cakes are one of those desserts where if you have too much, you’ll know it. These puddings pack the perfect kick of luxurious dark chocolate with just enough sweetness to make it to most people’s tastes. Perfectly paired with my vanilla bean ice cream recipe!

I want to learn how to put a different filling in the middle. I thought about adding a frozen ball of salted caramel in the mixture before it goes into the oven. Or maybe a white chocolate cake with a raspberry centre? Will have a go with this next time but I’m salivating just thinking about it. Thank goodness today was a cheat day!

Go on, give them a go!

 

This Guy Cooks - Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
5 from 2 votes
Print

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

A luxurious finish to any meal. A rich and perfectly sized portion of pure chocolate lushness.
Course Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • 200 g Unsalted Butter cut into cubes + Extra to grease
  • 100 g dark chocolate the darker the better I think, broken into squares
  • 2 eggs
  • 20 grams of plain flour
  • 100 g caster sugar

Instructions

  1. Turn the oven on to 200 degrees.
  2. Take four ramekins or fondant moulds. Grease them with some of the excess butter and line the sides with caster sugar. I just pour the caster sugar in and mix the ramekin around at an angle until the sides are evenly coated, discarding any excess. Doing this should help the batter to not stick to the sides.
  3. Place the unsalted butter into a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, stopping at one minute to give a good mix.
  4. Once the butter has completely melted, add the chocolate, and stir until incorporated. If the butter has cooled down too much, add back to the microwave for another 30 seconds. You'll end up with a beautifully glossy chocolate liquid. It will look divine but trust me, don't taste it yet. Allow the mixture to cool.
  5. In a separate bowl add the eggs, flour and sugar. Using an electric hand whisk, mix well until the you're left with a light and fluffy mixture that has doubled in size.
  6. Take the cooled chocolate/butter mixture and begin to fold it into the eggs, flour and sugar. Best way is to pour maybe a fifth of the chocolate mixture in and just drag a spatula down the center, repeating until all combined. This way you're not mixing the air out of the eggs mixture. You'll be left with a gorgeously dark batter.
  7. Pour the batter evenly between the four ramekins and place in the center of the oven on a tray. Keep them close together so they all cook evenly.
  8. Leave them in the oven for our about 12-15 minutes. When you get to 15 minutes if the tops look too liquidy, leave them in. They'll be ready when there is only the slightest hint of a wobble.
  9. When you're happy that they're done, take them out of the oven. The ramekins will be RED HOT at this point so be careful. I like to let them sit for a few minutes before turning them out. In theory the sides are still cooking from the heat of the ramekins, adding some extra structure to the cake.
  10. To turn out the cakes, take a knife and run it around the edges. Place a plate on top and, using a tea towel around the ramekin, lift the plate and ramekin and turn them upside down. Remove the ramekin and voila! Serve with ice cream.... or any cream for that matter. YUM!

 

Braised Welsh Lamb – A hearty healthy slow cooker for a cold day!

By 5 Comments

Braised Welsh Lamb

Okay… So it’s been a very long while since I’ve posted and an awful lot has changed both professionally and personally. Exciting times and even more exciting changes, but I’ll get to that later. For now, all I want to talk about is how cold the country has suddenly turned. From easily the mildest winter & Christmas that the UK has ever seen to -15°C in the matter of 2 weeks is just incredible.

January sales were rubbish this year, however, I did manage to get myself something I’ve wanted for a long time but have never really been prepared to pay over the odds for it. I figure, if I am going to get a good one in the future, I need to get a cheap one and make sure I don’t destroy it first! Anyways, that thing is a cast iron casserole. I know right!? What 27 (insert sad face here at the impending 30 looming ever closer) year old REALLY wants a cast iron casserole. Me. And I managed to get one from Sainsbury’s for £20. Whether it’s any good we’ll find out!

Anyways, with the drop in temperature it really only means one thing. Slow. Cooked. Meat. That’s right! Something that will warm you up no matter what the weather is outside. I’m trying to avoid overly fatty foods (new year new me right? pfft) so slow cooking is the ideal answer. I’ve wanted to make a braised welsh lamb dish for a while. I love braised lamb shanks but sometimes they’re just too much and where they’re so fatty I’ve wanted to try it out with a leaner meat. So for this recipe I am using a cut called the supreme. I hadn’t heard of it before but it is a cut taken from the very very top of a leg and is really lean making this dish a rich but healthier option. I’m not a massive veg man, but I’ve chucked some extra in here as I figure its a good way to hide veg for kids, but more about that later.

So, here it is, my recipe for braised welsh lamb, a healthy hearty dish! (By the way, the emphasis on Welsh lamb is a note to my brothers faux Welsh girlfriend – who incidentally comes from Crewe in ENGLAND – that good things can come from wales).

Braised Welsh Lamb
5 from 1 vote
Print

Braised Welsh Lamb

A hearty and healthy slow cooked dish using delicious lean cut of Welsh Lamb.
Course Slow Cooked
Cuisine British
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • 800 G Lean Welsh Lamb supreme cut if you can get hold of it cut into large chunks.
  • Seasoned plain flour.
  • 2 Tbsp Rape seed Oil healthier remember
  • 2 large red onions thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic crushed and roughly chopped.
  • 2 large carrots roughly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 2 large celery sticks roughly chopped
  • 300 ml rich beef stock
  • 300 ml red wine
  • handful of mixed herbs
  • Bouquet Garni
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to gas Mark 3 or 150°C.
  2. In a bowl, season the flour and add the lamb, ensuring that all of the lamb has been coated.
  3. Take a heavy cast iron casserole that you can use both on the hob and in the oven(if you don't have one, cook everything in a flat wide Sauté pan and transfer to a casserole that you can put in the oven) place over a medium heat and add your rape seed oil.
  4. Add your lamb to the casserole and cook until browned. Don't be afraid to get the lamb really crispy here, all that does is add flavour and it softens as it slow cooks. When happy, remove the lamb to a separate bowl to use later.
  5. Add your onions, celery and carrot to the casserole and a little bit more oil and cook until the onion has softened.
  6. Add the red wine to the casserole and deglaze the bottom of it. (This will lift off all the crispy bits that have coated the bottom of the casserole). Re add the lamb and pour in the beef stock. Bring to the boil and then drop the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Add the herbs and tomato puree and stir until combined. Once all of the puree has been incorporated, add the bouquet garni, cover with the lid of the casserole and then whack it in the oven for 2.5 hours.
  8. Serve with seasonal veg and crusty bread.

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

By 2 Comments

This weekend has definitely been one of the best in some time for two very big reasons. The first reason is due to the fact that, as I’ve alluded to in the past, I am getting married next year (4 months to go now!!) and as such one of my groomly duties is to organise suits for myself, future father in law, best man (my brother) and my 2 groomsmen who may as well be brothers themselves! This was done on Sunday in what my dad would call, man shopping. No fuss; go in, try on, make a decision and leave. Total success on this count. I am really, really pleased with the choice I’ve made and know that all of us will look sharp on the day.

The second reason is that in preparation for the lads arriving on Saturday spent the morning creating a truly heroic slow cooker beef curry. Now I’m fairly new with the slow cooker, and the books I have at home didn’t have any recipes so after reading a section called “adapting your own recipes” and having read a few curry recipes I thought what the hey, and winged it.

So this slow cooker beef curry is made with my own tastes in mind. I really like spicy (hot) and creamy curries. I used beef instead of chicken for something a little bit different. Now, the lads are all seasoned pros when it comes to curries and because of this their verdict meant a hell of a lot to me. The resulting curry was great. After 7 hours in the slow cooker the beef just melted in your mouth, it was hot and spicy and creamy. It was the perfect dish on a really cold and miserable day!

My brother, Dave, has also just finished his first month blogging about the travels he and his girlfriend Chez are going on next year. I’ve travelled a lot in my life. My parents very generously took us both around the world and I topped it up with travelling on the cruise ships, however, from what Dave has been writing about I’m so completely jealous! Check it out! His blog is called What On Earth and is a great read. Oh and I taught him everything he knows 😛

The only complaint the guys made was that I hadn’t made a dessert as well so all in all, a great weekend! Here’s the recipe for my Slow Cooker Beef Curry:

Print

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

A gorgeous, rich and spicy slow cooked beef curry. This Recipe is enough to feed 6 so make sure your slow cooker has enough space or reduce accordingly!
Course Main Course
Cuisine British, Indian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6 serves 6
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • 800 g braising steak cut into large chunks
  • 2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes#
  • 400 g water fill one of the tins back up
  • 1 x 200g Jar Rogan Josh Curry Paste
  • 1 x 400g full fat coconut milk
  • 1 tspn runny honey
  • 1 tspn turmeric
  • 1 tspn garam massala
  • 1 Onion finely chopped,
  • tspn sesame oil
  • Freshly chopped coriander to serve
  • Freshly chopped red chillis to serve

Instructions

  1. Place the oil in a frying pan and place over a high heat. Add the braising steak and cook well. Don't be afraid to colour the beef really well, this adds flavour! Once cooked, pour the beef and any juices into the slow cooker.
  2. Add the chopped onion, curry paste, honey, turmeric, garam masala and water to the slow cooker, place the lid on and turn on to a high setting. Cook this for 6 hours (or 8+ on a low setting). Don't lift the lid of the slow cooker until its ready as the steam and condensation goes back into the curry to stop it burning over.
  3. An hour before you're ready to serve remove the lid and pour in the coconut milk. Give it a good stir and return the lid. Serve with rice and all the sides that go with a great curry!

Classic crème brûlée

By 23 Comments

This classic crème brûlée is a winner every time. Makes 4 or 6 dependent on ramekin size so ideal for entertaining or if you just want to eat 4 or 6 crème brûlées in one go. Don’t knock it til you try it…

So first of all. An apology. I’ve been a way for a few months and haven’t been updating this. But focus has returned and it starts with a good’un. Crème brûlée.

A classic crème brûlée  is one of those desserts that, when looking at the ingredients, is really easy and yet it can go wrong really quickly if you don’t keep an eye on it. To me the perfect crème brûlée is one that is thick, luxurious,creamy and most importantly of all, just set. It really is one of those truly simple pleasures in life when you crack through the crunchy, glossy sugar with the back side of a spoon. The custard, if just set, will be firm, really shiny, and start to ooze towards the bottom of the ramekin. Perfect.

I’ve tried lots of different recipes for crème brûlée. The one I am going to share with you is my favourite. Now one thing I do is, as soon as I remove the ramekins from the oven, I put them in an ice water bath. Now, there is no proof of this but I think that by cooling the ramekins as quickly as possible, it helps to keep the “just set” feel to them, they don’t continue to cook as they cool down. That’s my theory anyway. Oh and for the sugar, you can use whatever sugar you like. I prefer to use demarara sugar. The shards are a lot bigger and spread really well when caramelised. Demarara also has a bit of a fruity taste to it, which works really well!

This recipe is one that is best left to set properly over night, so once the crème brûlée are super cold, whack them in the fridge over night. This is a recipe that is definitely one to make in advance but will be bound to impress!

<h2>A Perfectly Rich Crème Brûlée Recipe</h2>

5 from 2 votes
Print

Classic crème brûlée

A beautiful, rich, luxuriously creamy French classic.
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • 450 ml of whipping cream
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 70 g of caster sugar
  • 1 tspn vanilla bean paste
  • Demerara sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2
  2. Add the cream to a saucepan and add the vanilla bean paste. Bring the cream to the boil, and then remove from the heat
  3. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks and sugar. Pour into the cream and whisk until combined.
  4. Pass the custard through a sieve and pour the mixture evenly between 4 ramekins.
  5. Place the ramekins in a deep-sided roasting tray and pour in cool water to come halfway their sides. Place the tray in the centre of the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. You know they’re ready when they just wobble in the centre.
  6. Just before you’re ready to remove the ramekins take a sauté pan that is wide enough to house them and pour layer with ice.
  7. Once set, remove the ramekins from the tray and place in the sauté pan with the ice allow to cool before chilling in the fridge overnight
  8. The next day, sprinkle each crème brûlée with a spoonful of Demerara sugar to coat the surface evenly. Use a cooks blowtorch to melt the sugar on top of the ramekins. Allow the sugar to firm up and cool, then serve.

Blackberry and apple crumble tray bake cake

By 9 Comments

Apple & Blackberry Tray Bake

What a busy week or so I’ve had. I planed to do so much in the kitchen this last week but I just haven’t had time.

Saturday last was my Eleanor’s cousin who is a good friend of ours wedding day. We we’re really worried as the weather was not holding up on the Thursday or the Friday and the forecast really didn’t look great but fortunately, the bride turned up in a horse drawn carriage and then the sun came out. Her theme was a vintage theme and the wedding breakfast consisted of a vintage tea party. They had done most things themselves and did really well. Home made cakes and sandwiches presented on vintage plates and cake stands which they spent months collecting. Really really cool. This was followed by opening two kegs of beer and one of the best hog roasts I’ve eaten.

Chatting to the chap running the hog roast I really thought what a great venture hog roasts really are. Admittedly you’ve got a hefty out going to begin with, but really, the popularity of hog roasts and any good marketing could help recover those fairly swiftly. It’s an interesting idea that I am thinking more and more about. The pig itself was cooked really well. Crispy, salty crackling that just melted in your mouth. YUM!

Anyway yesterday (Sunday) was the first chance i was able to really get into the kitchen just for the fun of it. Piggy one of my best mates doesn’t cook bless him. His mum and dad are away in Canada for three weeks having an amazing holiday and Piggy is left to fend for himself. We saw the Inbetweeners film Thursday and he mentioned his diet last week was burgers and microwave meals. We invited him over for dinner yesterday and have found that we’ve invited him for a couple more evenings just to make sure he’s actually eating! So, in the end I cooked a full roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings, my vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate fondant cakes (which I was going to photograph and share my recipe but they went really quickly, I’ll have to do another batch soon!) and finally the champion of this post, something I’m really pleased with how it turned out, a blackberry and apple crumble tray bake cake!

I’ve picked so many blackberries over the past 2 weeks that I am looking for every opportunity to use them and having had the start of this years Great British Bake Off it seemed only right to make a cake. This is a great way to make a small cake for sharing and use some fresh ingredients. I used a bramley apple to pair up with the blackberries because its such a classic combination. The result was a crunchy topped cake with a moist, sweet inside.

Here’s my recipe:

4.75 from 4 votes
Print

Blackberry and apple crumble tray bake cake

A moist and crisp blackberry and apple tray bake cake. Perfect for sharing.
Course Baking
Cuisine British
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12 to 16
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • For the Crumble
  • 25 g self raising flour
  • 25 g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp demerara sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground almonds
  • 2 tbsp porridge oats
  • For the cake
  • 175 g self-raising flour
  • 175 g unsalted butter
  • 175 g demerara sugar
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla bean paste
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 200 g peeled and chopped apple 1 bramley cooking apple was more than enough
  • 100 g blackberries

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C (Gas mark 4)
  2. Grease and line a 23cm square tin.
  3. Put the flour and the butter with the demerara sugar, almonds and oats in a bowl.
  4. Rub between your fingers until it is well combined and doesn’t stick to your fingers and then put to one side.
  5. Place the butter and demerara sugar in a bowl and cream together until pale
  6. Add the flour, vanilla bean paste, eggs and water and then beat until well combined.
  7. Fold in half the apples and blackberries
  8. Pour into the tin
  9. Scatter the remaining apples and blackberries on top and add the crumble mixture to cover the fruit.
  10. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through. Use a clean sharp knife through the highest point to check if its done. The knife should leave the cake clean.
  11. Gently remove the cake from its tin and allow to cool before cutting into squares. You can get 12 larger squares or 16 smaller ones out of this recipe.

Enjoy!

Vanilla Panna Cotta and Blackberry Coulis

By 7 Comments

Panna Cotta with Blackberry Coulis

This vanilla panna cotta and blackberry coulis recipe is divine. It is perfect for hot summer days or if you’re trying to impress with minimal effort. The key is getting the gelatin quantity just right!

So I work in a small town called Fordingbridge. It is nestled neatly between Wiltshire & Hampshire in the UK and is pretty much surrounded by beautiful countryside. For the last three weeks, on my lunch breaks, I have been fighting my way through thorny bramble bushes.Why you ask? Because growing outside my office window is about half a kilometer of the biggest and juiciest blackberries. Ever.  The recent good weather in the UK has encouraged these blackberries to grow early which means as they’re ripening they’re just getting bigger and bigger. I think I’ve picked about 10 kg already and they just keep coming!

There are so many things I want to use my foraged blackberries for but the first thing I created was one of my all time favourite desserts. Panna cotta. If made the right way it is one of the creamiest, most delicious desserts ever. Although my recipe for panna cotta and blackberry coulis is simple it is effective and you’ll keep making this more and more. It is the perfect way to surprise your guests at a dinner party yet is so simple to make!

I have used a Madagascan vanilla bean paste instead of  using a vanilla pod/beans. Not only is it better economically speaking I think it just ads something else. I use Neilson Massey’s Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste. You can serve the panna cotta in a variety of different ways and but I like to use fresh berries. Blackberries or Raspberries are my favourite. When you cut through the dessert with the coulis on your spoon it just cuts through the creaminess with its sharp, sweet flavours and really is the perfect marriage.

My recipe for panna cotta creates 6 smaller ramekins or 4 larger ramekins.

<h2>Vanilla Panna Cotta and Blackberry Coulis</h2>

Panna Cotta with Blackberry Coulis
4 from 2 votes
Print

Panna Cotta and Blackberry Coulis

A creamy Italian dessert perfect for summer berries.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 4 or 6
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • For the Panna Cotta
  • 4 gelatine leaves
  • 250 ml milk
  • 250 ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp Nielson Massey Madagascan Vanilla Bean Paste
  • 30 g sugar
  • For the Coulis
  • 150 g sugar
  • 175 ml Water
  • 300 g Blackberries

Instructions

  1. Starting with the panna cotta, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft.
  2. Place the milk, cream, and vanilla bean paste and sugar into a pan and bring to a simmer. Do not let it boil over.
  3. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves, then add to the pan and take off the heat. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved completely.
  4. Divide the mixture among four large ramekins or 6 smaller and leave to cool. Place into the fridge until set. I often leave over night.
  5. For the coulis, place the sugar and water into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the blackberries (leaving some to decorate) and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
  6. Use a hand blender on the mixture until blended well.
  7. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a jug.
  8. To serve, place a serving plate on top the ramekin in the position you want it to be presented and tip it over. Give a shake if you have to but you should hear a sound when the panna cotta is released from the ramekin and attaches itself to the plate. Pour the coulis over in whichever way you wish to present and add the remaining berries to decorate.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

By Leave a Comment

So yesterday was my Birthday. But being a Wednesday it wasn’t an ideal day to have people over for a BBQ or anything of the like. PLUS Eleanor had rather ingeniously signed me up to visit a culinary school and learn some chef knife skills. This was at Vaughan’s Kitchen in Devizes, about a 40 minute drive from where we live in Salisbury. The evening was absolutely fantastic and food prep for me will never be the same again.

But I digress. The reason I wanted to post today was because of an epic ice cream win. On Sunday we were entertaining with a BBQ which meant Sunday morning and early afternoon was spent prepping. After getting the meat and everything prepped, the home made condiments, salads and various dressings I decided I wanted to do two desserts. One was a Raspberry & White Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding which I unfortunately don’t have a photo of because it went so fast and the other, was to use a birthday present I received last year from my brother Dave, an ice cream maker, to make easily the best Vanilla Bean Ice Cream I have ever made.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Ingrediant
Nielson Massey Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste

It was beautiful. I know that’s a really poor way to describe food however, it really was! The recipe I had I had tried a couple of times and I kept finding the first few times that the results were a bit icy. So I read a few books and combined a few techniques and changed some of the ingredients round. I swapped the vanilla extract called for in the recipe with a Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste which made the ice cream not only taste wonderful, it gave the appearance of vanilla beans in the finished product which to me, just emanated luxury.

The end product was the right viscosity, firm and soft all at the same time. Not too sweet yet sweet enough to make you want to dive in for seconds (and everyone did). The glossy appearance of the vanilla bean ice cream just gave the impression of something taken straight of a gelateria in Rome and so I was really really pleased. Epic win as far as I’m concerned. On a side note I must apologise for not cleaning off the bowl before I took the photo. It was my first bowl and everyone was diving in for seconds and it was a case of be quick or lose out 😀 The Raspberry & White Chocolate Bread & Butter pudding will make an appearance on here soon because it is absolutely to die for!

Print

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

This is a beautiful, glossy vanilla bean ice cream recipe. It is creamy sweet goodness that will have anyone going back for more, and more, and more! This is a great base recipe to start adding more flavours.
Course Ice Cream
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 1 litre
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • 300 ml whole milk chilled
  • 300 ml double cream chilled
  • 1 tbsp Nielson Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
  • 80 g caster sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks.

Instructions

  1. Pour the Vanilla Bean Paste and whole milk into a heavy based saucepan.
  2. Bring to the boil whilst using a whisk to stir.
  3. Remove from heat for 20 minutes to cool and continue to stir every 5 minutes.
  4. In a large bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar and beat until well mixed.
  5. Add the milk/vanilla mix to the eggs again using a whisk to stir.
  6. Cook over a low heat until the custard thickens stirring with a wooden spoon. You will know the custard is ready when the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Do not heat too quickly or allow to boil or the eggs in the custard will curdle and it will be useless.
  7. When thickened place the custard in a clean bowl and allow to cool. I place mine into the sink with cold water and ice to help speed the process up. Cover the bowl with cling film to prevent a skin forming whilst it cools.
  8. When the custard has chilled well, mix in cream.
  9. Pour the mixture in an ice cream machine and follow the instructions for your ice cream maker until its ready.
  10. You can serve this as soon its finished. It will have a "mr whippy" texture to it. I prefer to put it in the freezer until its ready.

Happy cooking!

The Best Posh scrambled egg on toast

By 7 Comments

Scrambled Egg On Bagel

This “posh scrambled egg on toast” is a breakfast for those who want to start their day as they mean to go on.

I am one of those people who is very fussy with eggs. I always have been. I used to only eat the yolk and 9 times out of 10, the egg whites  still on my plate uneaten. Scrambled used to be a big no no. The scrambled eggs I was used to werean orange, rubbery mess that wasn’t pleasant to eat.  A few years ago however I was holidaying in France over Christmas with some family and friends when tony, one of those friends introduced me to a new way of cooking buttery scrambled eggs that has stuck with me forever.

It is smart, elegant and tastes amazing. Buttery scrambled eggs with crisp, salty pancetta and bright green freshly chopped chives on a chewy toasted bagel base. Yum!! It’s one of those breakfasts that, as you’re halfway through eating the topping you can’t help but pick it up and finish the whole thing with your hands. Divine.

Posh Scrambled Eggs On Toast – How to

So I’m still funny with traditional scrambled egg. The kind I was shown how to make when I was younger, two eggs whisked together and poured into a pan and cooked. I think you lose a lot with that style of doing it. You lose the different flavours that each part of the egg has to offer.

How I now cook scrambled egg on toast, is in a cold frying pan on a low heat, with some butter. As the pan heats up, and the butter melts, I softly break open the yolk and move it around lightly with a wooden spoon. As the pan continues to heat the bottom layer of the egg cooks and at that point I will “scrape” the cooked layer and move it around, replacing it with more raw egg. Using this method creates a buttery scrambled egg that is creamy and has parts of egg white and yolk on their own and the inevitable mix of the two. I will never cook scrambled egg any other way!

How to make buttery scrambled eggs

Scrambled Egg On Bagel
4.5 from 2 votes
Print

Posh scrambled egg on toast

A beautiful buttery scrambled eggs on toast for those who like a bit of refinement to start their day.
Course Breakfast
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • 150 g Pancetta Smoked or un-smoked dependant on preference, cubed
  • 4 eggs
  • 10 g of butter unsalted
  • 1 bagel toasted
  • handful of fresh chives finely chopped.

Instructions

  1. Place the pancetta on a cold frying pan and put this on a medium to low heat. Do not add any oil to the pan as, when the pancetta heats up, the fat will render and cook itself. Cook the pancetta until it is crisp an golden. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the pancetta and fat until a bowl and leave to one side.
  2. Run the now hot frying pan under the water to cool it back down. Wipe the pan off and add the butter and eggs to it. Put the bagel in to toast at this point so it is hot when you're ready to plate up. This recipe, for best results, all comes down to timing.
  3. Place your frying pan on a medium to low heat and break the yolks. Do not scramble at this point. Add the pancetta and fat from the bowl to the frying pan. Wait until a film of cooked eggs appears and push the eggs around, scraping and mixing the cooked egg, replacing it with uncooked egg.
  4. Repeat this process until the eggs are cooked and the butter has melted/combined.
  5. Plate up with the bagel in the centre of the plate, place your egg/pancetta mix on top of the bagel and garnish with chives.

Recipe Notes

In this recipe I don't use any oil or any seasoning. The saltiness from the pancetta is ample enough to season this dish although you may want to put some freshly grated black peppercorns to taste.

Let me know how you get on. This is my favourite breakfast 😀

Bacon, Brie & Cranberry Short Crust Tart

By 29 Comments

Brie-Bacon-and-Cranberry-Tart

This Bacon, Brie & Cranberry Short Crust Tart is a great sweet & savoury tart that is perfect for warmer evenings when lighter meals are on the cards!

Tonight I was going to make fish pie. I love fish pie. It is my all time favourite. I use my mums recipe which is just gorgeous, light cod chunks drowning in a cheese sauce with sliced hard boiled eggs and topped with cheesy mash. Amazing! However it got to about 3pm this afternoon and I couldn’t stop thinking about bacon, brie and cranberry sour dough paninis from Reeves in Salisbury (If you’re in town, have one as they’re to die for).

So I thought to myself, I can’t have a panini for dinner, its just not right. Having seen a recipe some weeks ago for a caramelised red onion and goats cheese tart I thought I’d have a go at a Bacon, Brie & Cranberry Short Crust Tart. As you can see from my photo it was very very successful.

It is the first time I’ve made a tart as I don’t work with pastry too often and I’m so pleased with the results. Once I got my head around the basics of savoury tarts I worked without a recipe. I wanted to have a crack at creating a tart that would speak to me and boy did it. Crisp golden shortcrust pastry, a layer of beautifully sweet whole cranberry jelly, crunchy bacon and red onions under a layer of cheesy Cornish brie.

Bacon, Brie & Cranberry Short Crust Tart - just before the oven

Those classic flavours worked so well in a tart. They had lots of different textures and were a real delight to cut into and let the molten brie just ooze out. The sweetness of the cranberry was enough to cut through the cheese and add that extra element.

Bacon, Brie & Cranberry Short Crust Tart Recipe

Brie-Bacon-and-Cranberry-Tart
5 from 3 votes
Print

Bacon, Brie & Cranberry Short Crust Tart

A beautiful Bacon, Brie & Cranberry Tart for a light meal. Serve with boiled potatoes and baby leaf salad.
Course Baking
Cuisine British
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4
Author Steve @ This Guy Cooks

Ingredients

  • 200 g short crust pastry dough
  • 1 red onion finely chopped
  • 275 g Brie standard shop wedge should be enough! cut into even strips about 5mm thick
  • 5 rashers of bacon cut into strips. I used un smoked but obviously it comes down to preference
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 1 egg
  • 2 garlic cloves grated
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 40 g cranberry Jelly
  • handful of chives chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to gas mark 6 or 200C˚
  2. Roll out the pastry dough to about 4mm thick and enough to cover 4 5" flan cases
  3. place the pastry inside the cases and gently press against the edges. Trim any excess from the cases. With a fork, prick the base of the pastry. Cover with baking/grease proof paper and weigh down with baking beads or, if you don't have baking beans, white rice that you don't intend to use. Stick the cases into the oven for 18 - 20 minutes until golden on the edges. Take them out and remove the paper and baking beans. Return to the oven for 3 minutes to crisp up.
  4. Remove and set aside. Turn your oven down to gas mark 4 or 180C˚
  5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the finely chopped onion. When this has cooked through and begun to turn translucent, add the bacon and cook until the bacon has begun to turn golden and crispy. This should take about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  6. Evenly distribute the cranberry jelly among the 4 pastry cases and spread with the underside of a teaspoon. Try and cover as much of the bottom as possible. Spoon the onion and bacon mix onto the cranberry jelly. Top evenly with the strips of brie and sprinkle chopped chives over the top.
  7. In a measuring jug, mix the cream, egg, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Carefully pour the mixture evenly between the 4 cases. Whack it in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until set and the top has turned a lovely light, golden colour.

Recipe Notes

I learnt a long time ago that when you're blind baking your tart cases, if you crumple the baking/grease proof paper into a tight ball in your hands and then unwrap it, it is easier to get into all the different corners of your tart case!

So now, feeling thoroughly chuffed with myself I leave you to have a go. I served this with boiled new potatoes, a crisp baby leaf salad, home made garlic croutons and a balsamic and olive oil dressing. I will be making this one again, VERY SOON.

Enjoy!