Blog

This crabcakes recipe takes some time but the fantastic flavour is well worth waiting for.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time over 2 hours

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cooked brown crab, weighing about 1.25kg/2½lb

300ml/10fl oz olive oil

1 large carrot, chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

900g/2lb potatoes

flour, for dusting

2 eggs, beaten

100g/4oz breadcrumbs

2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped

10 fresh basil leaves, 6 thinly sliced and 4 left whole

juice of ¼ lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas2.

Step 2. Extract all the meat from the crab but reserve all the shells. Place the shells with the olive oil in a shallow roasting pan with the carrot, leek and onion. Bake in the oven for 2 hours to gently extract the flavour. Leave to cool then strain the oil and discard the debris.

Step 3. Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until soft. Mash with a fork and mix in three-quarters of the white crab meat, half the brown crab meat and one third of the crab oil. Correct the seasoning with salt. Divide the mixture into balls each weighing about 50g/2oz. On a floured surface, shape into round flat patties with a palette knife. Pass the cakes first through the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs.

Step 4. Put the remaining crab oil, the tomatoes, sliced basil, lemon juice and the rest of the crab meat in a pan and warm through but do not boil.

Step 5. Set the deep-fryer to 160C/320F or heat some oil to the same temperature in a large pan. Add the cakes and fry for three minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

#Step 6. Divide the crabcakes between four warmed plates. Pour the dressing around the crab cakes. Garnish with a whole basil leaf placed on top of the dressing. Serve immediately.

Need a last-minute pudding on the Christmas table? Try using up that panettone in a quick make-ahead tiramisu that requires no cooking.

Preparation timeless than 30 mins

Cooking time no cooking required

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

4 shots espresso, or a four-cup cafetiere of strong coffee

2 tbsp caster sugar

50ml/2fl oz amaretto liqueur, or to taste

1 ready-made panettone, cut into1cm/½in thick slices

500g/1lb 2oz mascarpone

1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out

150g/5oz icing sugar

200ml/7fl oz double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed

cocoa power, for dusting

dark chocolate, grated, to garnish

Method.

Step 1. Mix the espresso, caster sugar and amaretto, to taste, in a large bowl. Add the panettone slices to the coffee mixture and set aside.

Step 2. Place the mascarpone, vanilla seeds and icing sugar into a separate bowl and mix together. Fold in the whipped double cream.

Step 3. Place pieces of soaked panettone into a large serving dish to line the bottom. Spread half the mascarpone and cream mixture across the soaked panettone slices, then place another layer of panettone slices on top.

Step 4. Spoon more cream over the top and sprinkle with the cocoa powder. Transfer to the fridge to chill for up to 2 hours.

To serve, sprinkle with gratings of dark chocolate.

Use up leftover tortillas and roast chicken in this easy homemade chicken tostada recipe.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 small corn tortillas

olive oil, for brushing

400g tin refried beans

¾ tsp ancho chilli powder or chipotle paste

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp garlic granules

2 ripe avocados

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

handful fresh coriander, finely chopped

250g/9oz roast chicken, shredded

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pico de gallo

2 large ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped

½ onion, finely chopped

handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno chilli, finely chopped (optional)

1 lime, juice only

To serve

shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce

jalpeno chillies in brine

125g/4½oz Cheddar, grated

soured cream

Method

Step 1. Brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil. Cook on a griddle pan for 2 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden.

Step 2. In a small saucepan, mix together the refried beans, chilli powder, cumin and garlic granules and season with salt. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring often, until hot through.

Step 3. To make the pico de gallo, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season with salt and set aside

Step 4. Using a fork, mash the avocados with the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the coriander.

Step 5. To assemble the tostadas, layer each tostada with guacamole, the bean mixture, lettuce, chicken, chillies, Cheddar, pico de gallo and soured cream. Serve immediately.

Tender beef in a rich sauce made with beer and bacon, topped with crisp, golden puff pastry – this superb steak, mushroom and ale pie is a perfect autumn warmer.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time over 2 hours

Serves 6

Ingredients

4–5 tbsp sunflower oil

200g/7oz smoked streaky bacon rashers, cut into 1cm/½in strips, or lardons

2 onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

850g/1lb 14oz well-marbled braising steak, trimmed and cut into roughly 2.5cm/1in cubes

500ml/18fl oz bottle real ale

500ml/18fl oz good beef stock

1 tbsp tomato purée

3–4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp cornflour

400g/14oz small chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered

flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry

plain flour, for dusting

500g/1lb 2oz ready-made puff pastry

beaten egg, to glaze

Method

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the bacon with the onion, stirring regularly, until pale golden brown. Add the garlic and fry for a minute or two more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions, garlic and bacon to a large flameproof casserole dish.

Step 2. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan and fry the meat in two or three batches until well browned all over, adding an extra tablespoon or two of oil if needed. Transfer the beef to the casserole as it is browned.

Step 3. Pour half the beer into the frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring hard to lift all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this liquid over the beef, then add the remaining beer, stock, tomato purée, thyme leaves and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook in the oven for 1½–2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Step 4. Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth and stir into the casserole. Return to the oven for 5 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then leave to cool.

Step 5. Increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place a pastry funnel in the centre of a 1.2 litre/2 pint pie dish.

Step 6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for about 5 minutes until golden. Stir into the meat mixture and spoon into the pie dish around the funnel.

Step 7. On a well-floured work surface, roll out the pastry until it is large enough to cover the pie dish. Make a small cross in the centre of the pastry for the pie funnel to poke through. Brush the edge of the pie dish with beaten egg. Place the pastry gently over the filling and funnel and press the edges firmly to seal.

Step 8. Trim off any excess pastry with a sharp knife and, if you like, use the pastry trimmings to make shapes to decorate the pie. Brush with beaten egg to glaze. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.

Decorate Dan Lepard’s rich carrot cupcakes with mini-chocolate Easter eggs at Easter time, or top with sugar-paste carrots for the rest of the year.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Makes about 12

Ingredients

275g/9¾oz caster sugar

200ml/7fl oz sunflower oil

4 medium free-range eggs

about 300g/10½oz grated carrot, a little more or less is fine

up to 150g/5½oz nuts or dried fruit (optional)

225g/8oz spelt or wholemeal flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tbsp cocoa powder

For the cheese frosting

125g/4½oz unsalted butter, softened

125g/4½oz full-fat cream cheese

275g/9¾oz icing sugar

edible decorations (such as sugar-paste carrots or mini-chocolate Easter eggs), to finish

Method

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line the pockets of a muffin tray with muffin cases.

Step 2. Beat the sugar, oil and eggs in mixing bowl until smooth, then stir in the grated carrot and, if you like, up to 150g/5½oz chopped nuts, dried fruit, or a mixture of both.

Step 3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, spices and cocoa so that they’re evenly mixed, then tip this into the carrot mixture and stir well.

Step 4. Fill the muffin papers to about two-thirds full, then bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer poked in comes out almost clean.

Step 5. For the frosting, make sure the butter is soft, then, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat it with the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth and light.

Step 6. Stir in the icing sugar with a spoon until it begins to come together, then whisk again briefly until light and smooth. Pipe or spoon blobs of the frosting on each cold cupcake. Decorate with sugar-paste carrots or, say for Easter, with mini chocolate Easter eggs.