Buttermilk pancakes.

2 Eggs, separated
160g plain flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
60g vegetable oil
300g buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Separate the egg whites and whisk until foamy.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Slowly fold in the egg whites.
Ladle the pancake batter in to a non-stick pan that has been greased with butter. 
Cook on a medium heat until small bubbles have formed on top of the mix, or for around 5-6 minutes.
Flip once and cook for another 2 minutes.

Or:

1 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cups buttermilk
1 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract just until combined. Some small lumps are okay.
Let pancake batter rest for 10-30 minutes.
Ladle the pancake batter in to a non-stick pan that has been greased with butter. 
Cook on a medium heat until small bubbles have formed on top of the mix, or for around 5-6 minutes.
Flip once and cook for another 2 minutes.

Note: Don’t over mix the pancake batter! 

Never use a mixer, mix only by hand!

Farro Soup.

Ingredients
Serves: 4
100g farro/barley
125g pinto/haricot beans or other white beans
1 litre vegetable stock
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Parsley
I also added a parmesan cheese rind

Method
Canned pinto beans or if fresh to:
Soak the pinto beans in cold water overnight, and then boil them in 1.5 litres of salted water.
Blend half of the pinto beans, and then set both the whole and the blended beans to one side.
Heat the olive oil in a pan, and fry the onion, carrot and celery until softened.
Add the tomato sauce, and cook for a further two minutes.
Add the farro to the pan, and then pour over the litre of vegetable stock.
Season with salt and rosemary, and then simmer for 40 minutes.
Add the whole pinto beans to the pan, and also stir in the blended pinto beans.
Cook for a further five minutes.
Season, serve and garnish with chopped parsley/basil.

Strawberry "fridge jam".

Strawberries are plentiful now, too, and I've been freezing them into vanilla-scented parfaits as one way to avoid wastage.
I also won't get through the summer without making at least one batch of strawberry "fridge jam".
This low-sugar, fast-cooked preserve has a fresher, fruitier flavour and softer set than standard jams; as well as dolloping it on to toast, I use it as a kind of fruity sauce.

To make it,
combine 1.5kg of lightly crushed strawberries with
the juice of one lemon and
1kg jam sugar with pectin.
After leaving this to sit for an hour, bring it to a rolling boil and keep it there for just five minutes before potting in sterilised jars.
After opening, it will keep for about three weeks in the fridge.

Rhubarb makes a delicious jam as well, particularly when combined with ginger.
To ensure success, follow some basic preserving etiquette.
First, measure and weigh your ingredients carefully and follow recipes closely – there's some science involved in preserving, and all instructions are there for a reason.
Second, remember that cleanliness is paramount.
Don't use very damaged or slightly mouldy produce, and always sterilise jars or bottles.
This is very simple: just wash the jars or bottles and lids in very hot, soapy water, rinse them in equally hot, clean water, then put them in the oven at 120C/250F/gas mark ¼ for 20-30 minutes.
This dries them and heats them up (hot preserves should go into hot jars), but also knocks on the head any lingering bacteria.
Another sterilising method is to run the jars through a hot dishwasher cycle, then use them straight away, while still hot from the machine.

Gooseberry curd.

Mid-season gooseberries are fat, flavourful and juicy: combine ripe with slightly under-ripe berries for the best jams.
I also love gooseberries in a smooth but tart curd.
This is a little more subtle and complex than a pure lemon curd, with the floral flavour of the gooseberries dancing on the tastebuds.
There's nothing better on a scone or hot breakfast pancakes.
Makes about five small (250-300ml) jars.



500g gooseberries
100ml lemon juice (around 3-4)
125g unsalted butter
450g granulated sugar
200ml strained beaten egg (around 4-5 large eggs)

Sterilise some jars - Place your jars in the oven and heat to 140°C.
Leave them there until needed.
Put the gooseberries in a pan with the lemon juice.
Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring often, until the fruit starts to release its juice, then simmer gently for five to 10 minutes until the fruit has collapsed.
Rub this mixture through a fine sieve to get a thin, smooth gooseberry puree.

Put the puree, butter and sugar into a large basin over a pan of simmering water.
Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Take off the heat and let it cool for a minute – you don't want it to be too hot when you pour in the eggs, or they will scramble.
It should be cool enough that you can comfortably put your finger into it.

Pour in the strained beaten egg, whisking all the while.
Return the pan to the heat and stir the mixture over the simmering water until thick and creamy and registering at least 82C on a sugar thermometer.
This requires patience – it will take a good 10 minutes, probably more – but the curd is much less likely to get too hot and scramble than if you cooked it directly in a pan.
If the curd does start to scramble, take it off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth.

As soon as it has thickened, pour the curd into the hot jars and seal.
Leave to cool before labelling.
Use the curd within four weeks; once opened, keep in the fridge and use within a week.

New Potatoes Leek Soup.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
bacon chopped
2 to 3 not large leek stalks, chopped
2 to 3 large potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and sliced into big chunks
1L vegetable broth
2 stems fresh thyme
1 bay leaves
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
lemon juice

for the sour cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch of salt

optional toppings:
reserved bacon bits
reserved horseradish sour cream
snipped chives or green onions sliced
grated cheddar cheese

Instructions
soup:
In a soups pan add the olive oil
- add the bacon.
Cook until crispy, and then remove to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Reserve for garnish.

- Saute the leeks, stirring frequently until very soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, 1 L of water, plus the thyme and bay leaves.

For the Sour Cream:
While the soup cooks, prepare the sour cream.
Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk well.
It will not be perfectly smooth because horseradish is coarse.
Taste, and add a little more horseradish, if you'd like extra heat.

Finish the soup:
Remove the thyme stems and both bay leaves.
Add a big pinch of salt to the soup, and use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your preferred texture.
Go slowly and stop frequently to scoop out a spoonful of the soup to text for texture.
In a small mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup of the sour cream, and pour a 1/4 cup of the hot soup over it.
Whisk immediately, until smooth
Stir into the soup

Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as necessary.
Add splash of lemon juice to enhance the flavors, if necessary.
Ladle into bowls, and serve with a dollop of the horseradish cream, and bacon toppings.
Notes
My recipe for 1 person!

Caramelised Apple and calvados Brioche.

Recipe from Crumb: Show the dough who's boss by Richard Bertinet!

Bulgarian sweet bread Kozunak.

- Bulgarian sweet bread Kozunak recipe - Balkan Food Recipes
Ingredients:
1 fresh yeast (40 g)
6 eggs
250 g sugar
200-230 ml of hot milk
2 bags (8 g) of Vanilla sugar (16 g)
1 kg wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
200 ml butter
1 lemon
60 g raisins

Brushing and sprinkle:
1 egg
powdered sugar

First crumble the yeast into pieces.
Then pour some warm milk (not too hot and yet not cold; make it lukewarm), stir in a teaspoon of sugar and a little flour and leave in warm place to rise for about 20 minutes.
Depending on the heat this period can be a bit shorter or a bit longer.

After you’ve prepared the yeast, mix egg and sugar well and add warm milk and vanilla sugar.
Put the flour and salt in a separate bowl, make a hole and add the egg mixture and risen yeast.
Knead the dough and add melted butter gradually.
When the dough is smooth sprinkle it with flour.
Cover it with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise (30 minutes and then punch down and let rise for 45 minutes).
When the volume is doubled add lemon zest and raisins.

Divide dough into two parts.
Make braid.
Put shaped dough in a higher baking dish greased with butter and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Brush sweet bread with beaten egg and bake.
Oven should be preheated at 180°C (350°F).
Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes.
Once the dough is golden brown and easily separated – it’s done.

When it’s baked, pull Bulgarian sweet bread out and leave it covered with cloth for about 15 minutes before cutting it.

Chilled Kozunak sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut.

Stuffed chicken thighs with lemon sauce.

Stuffed chicken thighs with lemon sauce recipe - BBC Food

Bread roll by Nigel Slater.

- Bread roll recipes | Nigel Slater | Food | The Guardian
Soft rolls with feta and kefir
These rolls prove more slowly than usual because of the cold kefir.
Speed things up by using a warm bowl and by warming the flour in the oven for a few minutes before adding the yeast and liquid.
You will also need a rectangular baking dish or bread tin, approximately 25 x 16cm. Makes 6 rolls

plain flour 500g
fast-acting yeast 1.5 tsp
sea salt 0.5 tsp
kefir 200ml
olive oil 3 tbsp
warm water 100ml
feta cheese 200g
rosemary 3 bushy sprigs
thyme 5 bushy sprigs

To finish:
olive oil a little
thyme and rosemary a few sprigs

Put the flour (500g), yeast (1.5tsp) and salt (0.5tsp) in a large, warm mixing bowl.
Put the kefir (200ml) in a jug, add the olive oil (3tbsp) and the warm water (100ml) and stir well.
Combine the kefir mixture and flour with a wooden spoon or your hands and mix until you have a soft and slightly sticky dough.

Crumble the feta (200g) into a small bowl.
Remove the leaves from the rosemary and thyme and finely chop them to give you 1.5tbsp, and add to the crumbled cheese.
If you are making the dough by hand, tip on to a floured board and knead the cheese and herbs into it.
If you prefer the easy way, use a food mixer fitted with a dough hook to knead the cheese and herbs into the dough.
Continue kneading for a couple of minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary to stop it sticking, then put the dough back in its bowl, cover with a clean, warm cloth and put it in a warm place.
Leave the dough in peace until it has risen to almost twice its original size.

Line a deep-sided baking tin with a piece of baking parchment.

Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces then shape each one into a round bun.
Place the buns in the baking tin, three down each side, then return to the warm place, cover with the cloth and leave for about 30 minutes, until nicely risen and touching one another.

Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 8.
Toss the herbs in the olive oil and scatter them over the rolls then bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

Michel Roux’s brioche (fresh yeast) .

- Michel Roux’s brioche dough | French recipes
Recipe from Michel Roux, basically
70% butter,
60% eggs,
14% milk,
7% sugar,
1.4% salt,
1.4 % instant yeast.
Bulked overnight in the fridge.
Warm milk, plenty of butter and a yolky glaze are the secrets behind the perfect melt-in-the-mouth classic French brioche.

22/12/2018
Michel Roux's brioche dough recipe
The perfect breakfast bake

Ingredients
70 ml tepid milk
15 g fresh yeast
500 g plain flour
350 g butter, slightly softened, plus extra to grease
30 g caster sugar
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp milk, for egg wash
6 eggs, beaten

Directions
Pour the milk and yeast into a bowl and stir to dissolve the yeast.
Put the flour, one teaspoon fine salt and beaten eggs into an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and pour in the milk and yeast mixture.
Mix on slow speed to combine and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then knead at medium speed for about 10 minutes.
By this stage, the dough should be smooth, elastic and combined well.
Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix the butter and sugar together.
Add a few small spoonfuls of the butter mix to the dough, then with the mixer running at low speed, add the rest a piece at a time.
When the butter mixture is all incorporated, increase the speed and work for 6 to 10 minutes, until the dough is very smooth and shiny and comes away from the bowl with perfect elasticity.
Remove the dough hook, leaving the dough in the bowl.
Cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Knock the dough back by flipping it over two or three times with your hand.
Cover the bowl again and refrigerate for at least six hours (but not more than 24 hours).
The dough is then ready to use and mould.
To shape a large brioche: divide 600g dough into two-thirds (400g) and one-third (200g).
Shape the larger piece into a ball and place it in the bottom of a well-buttered brioche mould, measuring 16 centimetres across the top, eight centimetres across the base.
Make a deep indentation.
Shape the small piece of dough into an elongated oval and gently press into the indentation in the large ball, so that only a little is left visible, resembling a ‘head’.
Lightly brush the dough with egg wash.
Leave to rise in a warm place for about one and a half hours, until it has at least doubled in volume.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.
Brush the brioche lightly again with egg wash.
Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the setting to 180C/gas mark 3 and bake for another 30 minutes.
Leave the brioche in the mould for 5 minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack and leave the bread to cool before serving.
Recipe: The Roux Legacy, Good Food Channel

Pickle tomatoes (express method).

tomatoes - 1 kg
brine: per 1 liter of water
2.5 tbsp salt
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp mixtures of peppercorns (green, pink, white)
3 bay leafs
10 Whole allspice berries
5 garlic cloves

It is advisable to do in the evening.
Wash tomatoes, put in a jar.
Bring the water to a boil, add everything from above except garlic to it.
Boil for 3 minutes.
Pour the hot pickle in a jar with tomatoes.
Cool naturally to room temperature.
Add peeled and chopped garlic.
Put in the refrigerator.
In the morning, the tomatoes will already to eat.

Cranberry sourdough bread.

300g bread flour(85%)
50g wholemeal flour (in the UK) (15%)
273g water (78%)
70g levain (20%)
7g salt (2%)
60g of dry cranberries

08:00 refresh levain (1:2:2)

12:00 - mix water and flour,
* 12:00 - 13:00 - autolyse
- if your levain isn't ready at 13:00 no worries, keep the autolyse going until levain is ready.
13:00 - add levain (5 hours active on its peak, 1:2:2), mix, rest 30 min,
13:30 - add salt, mix, rest 30 min.
14:00 - lamination, + add berries on rectangle, rest 45 min,
14:45, 15:30, 16:15 - 3 coil folds every 45 mins,
16:15 - 18:15 - Leave untouched for 2 hours.

Total bulk is 6 hours - 13:00 - 18:00 (time starts from adding levain).
18:15 - preshaping, rest 15 min,
18:30 - shaping, proofing room temperature for 30 min,
19:00 put in refrigerator for 16 hours,
19:00 - 11:00 - refrigerator.

10:00 turn on the Oven - my is max 250°C,
11:00 - bake 230°C with closed lid 25 min,
11:20 - open lid 230°C for 10 min,
11:30 - 220°C for 10 min.
11:40 - finish!

* - the temperature is set depending on your oven is.
The majority of home ovens are horribly inaccurate and uneven.
Most ovens can be calibrated, so buy yourself a cheap oven thermometer, pull out the oven’s instruction manual, and try to get the oven calibrated as best you can.

Sourdough Rye Bread with molasses and chocolate.

adapted recipe of Sourdough Rye Bread

Emma Freud cooks.

Emma Freud cooks for Nigel Slater | BBC Good Food

Vegetarian Patè

Vegetarian Patè