The Family Cook Book

I found this recipe by Rosie Maclean in delicious magazine. I use it as a starting point for a seafood + winter leaves combination. If I can I like to combine the beautiful colours and shapes of Castlefranco, Treviso and pink raddichio but the recipe works just as well with white and red endive. Also I sub crayfish or prawns in for the brown shrimp which is not everyone’s cup of tea. Whichever combo you choose it makes a really nice light and fresh starter. Nb if you aren’t sure of the best way to segment an orange its pretty easy to find how-to videos online.   Ingredients 2 blood oranges 4 chicory heads, ideally a mix of white and red, bases trimmed and leaves separated 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 140g brown shrimp (fresh rather than potted) cooked crayfish, or prawns 1 small echalion (banana) shallot, finely sliced 15g tarragon, leaves picked For the dressing 100g crème fraîche ½ tsp dijon mustard Juice ½ lemon Method Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together ...

This recipe is one of my favourite ones from Julius Roberts’ fantastic book The Farm Table . It takes a bit of time to prep but is very simple to cook and is a sure fire winner. I can promise you that you will get compliments a plenty if you try it. Here’s the recipe I often find myself yearning for a bowl of healing chicken soup. We make quite a few versions at home and it’s rare there’s not a pot of broth bubbling on the stove. Sometimes I boil a whole chicken with a load of veg, then strip off the meat and throw it back into the broth with a dollop of aïoli. Mum makes a great soup of blended chicken with a ton of tarragon, wonderfully nourishing to combat the lurgy. But here we have a much-loved classic, with the addition of these divine meatballs, which are zingy with lemon and rich with ricotta. They have the most delicate texture and are light and juicy as can be. Ingredients: For the meatballs: 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, minced or ground by the butch...