Competitions
Appetizers
Appetizers and starters can be found below and on the following pages. Many of the recipes could also be used as a side on a main course.
Mussels in a white wine sauce
A quick and easy recipe for Moules Marinieres, a classic French dish. Includes tips on choosing and cleaning your mussels!
Ham & Cheese savoury pancakes
This is similar to my sweet pancake recipe, only it has the addition of buckwheat flour which gives the pancakes a richer, nutty flavour, similar to a crêpe – perfect for topping with your favourite filling, which for me is ham and cheese.
Lentil & basil savoury pate
Lentil & basil savoury pate is made from brown lentils and despite it looking somewhat bland, it screams with flavour. I wanted to share this to dispel that myth of lentils being boring veggie food for ageing hippies.
It is easy to make and full of protein and fibre. Absolutely fab on homemade crusty bread or as a sandwich filler.
Tomato soup
This is a really quick recipe for tomato soup that you can make and serve within half an hour. It’s a beautiful colour, tastes great and is healthy! There’s no need to make this more complicated than it has to be…
Mushroom and gesier bouchee
This is probably the first of several experimental recipes using gesiers – what the British call gizzards, part of the giblets that go into a good chicken stock. They are a speciality here in South West France and I have just opened a 5 kilo tin!
My neighbour taught me how to confit gesiers by salting overnight, rinsing and drying, then simmering in duck fat for ¾ hour before being packed into glass “Kilner Jars” covered with duck fat and then sterilised. They become tender and packed with flavour and can be kept in a cool place for several years.
You will frequently find them as a starter served warm on a bed of lettuce so if you see Salade de Gesiers on a menu, take the plunge, it is a delicious experience.
Chinese lemon chicken
This is a very simple recipe for a classic Chinese dish. The chicken is battered and fried which gives the tangy lemon sauce something to stick to, whilst keeping the chicken juicy and tender.
I’ve tried many different recipes for lemon sauce and the one I’ve created here is by far the best and easiest I’ve made. I hope you like it!
Pumpkin Soup
In France this is called the lovely sounding Potage au Potiron, but we’ll just call it Pumpkin soup! We harvested only one potiron, but with it weighing 16lbs I decided to use just a quarter of it. If you can’t get your hands on pumpkin I think you could successfully replace with carrots. The smell when cooking this is wonderful.
Chicken and noodle soup
This recipe for Chicken and noodle soup is strongly influenced by my love of Japanese, Chinese and Thai cookery. It contains some strong individual flavours like ginger, lemongrass, garlic and chilli. Combined them with the honey and sherry though and you’ve got a delicious and light soup.
It’ll warm you through and leave you feeling cleansed and satisfied. Just what’s needed to lift the Winter blues and start the year in the best way possible.
Chunky vegetable and chorizo soup
This soup is sure to warm you up and with all the vegetables will leave you feeling tip-top. Easy and quick to make and perfect if re-heated at a later date.
Baby new potato wedges
A recipe that’s quick to make and a perfect addition to a main course, eaten as a snack or appetizer. They have a lovely flavour, soft warm center and a slightly crispy skin – great for dipping in mayo and perfect with my goats cheese tartlet or cheese and tomato quiche recipe!
