Clementine and dark chocolate trifle (above)
This recipe gives classic trifle a zingy twist with clementines and orange blossom; a great make-ahead dinner party dessert.
Serves 4
100g chocolate sponge cake
50ml Grand Marnier
4 clementines, segmented
For the jelly
250ml clementine juice
Zest of 1 clementine
70g caster sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
10g cornflour
1 leaf gelatine, soaked in ice water
65g butter, chilled and diced
For the custard
100ml whole milk
200ml whipping cream
Zest of 2 oranges
3 egg yolks
70g caster sugar
15g cornflour
A splash of orange blossom water
Chocolate shavings, for garnishing (optional)
1 Chop up the sponge and mix with the clementines. Warm, but don't boil, the Grand Marnier then pour it over. Add this to the bottom of four trifle glasses or ramekins.
2 To make the jelly, bring the orange juice and zest to the boil with the sugar. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and yolks with thecornflour.
3 Pour ⅓ of the boiled juice into the eggs to prevent them from curdling. Pour all this back into the pan. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes – do not allow it to boil. Remove from the heat and whisk into the gelatine. Leave to cool for 3minutes, then whisk in the butter a piece ata time. Pourinto the trifle glasses and chill in the fridge until set.
4 To make the custard, bring the milk, cream and orange zest to the boil, then whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar. Whisk ⅓ of the boiled milk mix on to the yolks and caster sugar, then pour this mix back into the saucepan. Stir with a whisk over a low-to-medium heat until the custard thickens.
5 Sieve out lumps and put in the fridge, cover with clingfilm touching the top, to stop a skin forming. Once cool, whisk lightly, adding the orange blossom water, then spoon into the trifle glass. Sprinkle with chocolate. You can add whipped cream if you like.
Recipe supplied by Lee Bennett, crafthouse‑restaurant.com
Pork shoulder with lemon
Pork shoulder makes a great slow-cooked one-pot dish with bags of flavour. Lemon and pork have a particular affinity as the fragrant lemon lifts and cuts through the rich, sweet flavour of the meat.
Serves 6
1 tbsp olive oil
A knob of unsalted butter
2 red onions, finely sliced
2 lemons
20 fresh sage leaves
2.5kg pork shoulder joint, boned and rolled
2 bulbs of garlic, cloves separated but unpeeled
400ml cider
300ml chicken stock
1 tbsp dijon mustard
A good splash of double cream
Salt and black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 210C/425F/gas mark 7. In a casserole over a medium heat, fry the onions in the oil and butter for 5 minutes, to soften. Add the zest of one of the lemons and half the sage leaves, then cook for a further minute.
2 Unroll the pork joint and season. Place the remaining sage on the meat, roll up and tie into shape. Put the pork in the casserole. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
3 Remove from the oven. Reduce the heat to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Thickly slice the lemon and add to the casserole with the garlic, cider and stock. Season. Cover with a lid and return to the oven for 2½–3 hours, basting the pork regularly with the liquid in the pot.
4 Lift the pork out on to a plate. Loosely cover with foil and set aside to rest. Skim any fat from the liquid in the casserole, then set on the hob and bring to a simmer. Stir in the mustard, cream and a squeeze of lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning. Serve this sauce with the pork, along with rice or potatoes.
Great British Bake Off Winter Kitchen byLizzie Kamenetzky (BBC Books)
Sea bass with lime, chilli and coriander with avocado cream
Any fish served raw must, clearly, be super fresh. When sharpened with citrus and lubricated with olive oil, this is a real delight.
Serves 4
350–400g fillet of sea bass, skinned, bones removed
1 tsp salt
2 large green chillies (jalapenos if you can find some), deseeded (or not, if you wish) finely chopped
The juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (the very best you can afford)
12 small sprigs of fresh coriander, leaves picked
For the cream
2 small Hass avocados
5–6 tbsp milk
3 tsp green Tabasco sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
The juice of 1 lime
1 Thinly slice the fish at an angle – as an "escalope", if you like. Lay on to a platter large enough to accommodate the fish in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and chillies, then the lime juice. Leave to macerate in the fridge.
2 Place all the avocado ingredients in a small food processor and puree until smooth. Turn out into a pretty bowl, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3 To finish, spoon olive oil over the sea bass, and sprinkle with coriander leaves. Serve withthe avocado cream separately.
Simon Hopkinson Cooks (Ebury)
Blood orange and beetroot salad with orange and maple dressing
Once you've roasted the beetroot (which can be done ahead), this salad comes together in about 15 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dish. Using a rosemary flavoured olive oil makes allthe difference to this salad.
Serves 1
8 baby beetroot
Olive oil
Flaky salt and black pepper
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 blood orange
1 satsuma tangerine
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp whole oregano leaves
For the dressing
2 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp sherry wine vinegar
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp rosemary olive oil
1 Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Remove the tail and stalk from the beets, rub with oil, then season. Wrap in foil, along with a few rosemary sprigs. Place in an ovenproof pan, and roast for 1½–2 hours until tender. The beets can be roasted ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to use them.
2 Top and tail the oranges, then remove the skin and pith. Cut horizontally into 3–5mm thick slices. Peel the beets, and slice.
3 Combine all the dressing ingredients, except the rosemary oil. Whisk until the salt has dissolved, then gradually add the olive oil.
4 Arrange the citrus slices on a plate. Sprinkle with rosemary. Arrange the beets on the plate and sprinkle with the oregano, and rosemary. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Recipe supplied by Susan Pridmore, thewimpyvegetarian.com
Blue cheese rarebit with sticky grapefruit
This rarebit is ideal as a lunchtime treat. The grapefruit complements the cheese nicely.
Serves 2
50g butter
50g flour
200ml whole milk
1 tsp brown sauce
250g blue cheese, such as stilton
2 egg yolks
4 thick slices wholemeal bread
80g sugar
100ml water
A sprig of rosemary
2 spring onions, finely chopped
3 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
Salt and black pepper
1 Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Cook for a minute or so, then add about ⅓ of the milk, breaking up any lumps. Cook over a low heat until it starts to thicken, then repeat with the remaining milk, cooking until thickened each time. When it is a custard-like consistency, remove from the heat and cool a little. When the sauce is warm, add the brown sauce, cheese and egg yolks, mix, then season.
2 Grill the bread on both sides. Spread with the cheese mix and grill on medium.
3 Meanwhile, add the sugar, water, rosemary and spring onion to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Remove the rosemary and add the grapefruit. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and the grapefruit issticky.
4 Serve the rarebit when golden and bubbling.
Recipe supplied by Andrew Dargue, LittleOrchard Restaurant
Curried prawns with salted lemons and tenderstem broccoli
This recipe was inspired by a dish at the Hotel de L'Orient in Pondicherry, southern India. In the French quarter they have an interpretation of Creole cooking that incorporates ingredients such as garlic, rosemary and olive oil with Indian recipes.
Serves 2
1 lemon, very thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
For the garam masala
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 cardamom pods, seeds only
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 whole clove
For the prawns
2 small shallots, halved
10g ginger, finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
125g tenderstem broccoli, sliced into thirds
200g large prawns, peeled
5g each of basil and coriander, leaves picked
1 Place the lemon slices in a bowl and sprinkle both sides with the salt and caster sugar. Leave for at least an hour.
2 Fry the garam masala spices in a dry pan, constantly stirring, until they release their aroma, then crush in a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.
3 Heat 2 tbsp oil over a medium heat, add the shallots cut‑side down and cook for 5 minutes, until golden. Turn and cook for 3 minutes. Lower the heat, add the ginger, garlic, chilli flakes and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the garam masala and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the lemon and prawns, then cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the basil and coriander. Serve with rice.
Recipe supplied by Olia Hercules; oliahercules.com
Lemon and tangerine curd
Tart and not too sweet, this citrus curd is like spoonfuls of sunshine shipped in from a place where your car easily starts in the morning and the tiny hairs in your nose don't freeze the moment you walk outside.
Makes 150ml curd
50ml lemon juice
50ml tangerine or orange juice
50g sugar or 50ml honey
3 large egg yolks
4 tbsp butter, cut into chunks
1 In a small saucepan, combine the lemon and tangerine juices and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to about 3 tbsp.
2 Whisk the sugar/honey with the egg yolks until smooth. Stir in the citrus, whisking vigorously as you do so the egg yolks don't scramble. Add an inch or two of water to saucepan, return it to the stove, and place the bowl with the juice-egg-sugar mixture on top of if. Bring the water to a simmer, and cook the curd over it, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.
3 Remove from the heat. Whisk in one chunk of butter at a time, whisking vigorously to aerate the curd, until all of the butter is incorporated. For a denser curdinstead of an airy one, stir the butter more gently in one piece at a time without the crazed whisking. Cover and cool in the fridge before serving (keeps for up to a week or frozen for up to a month). Gently rewarm and whisk before serving to get the creamy texture back.
Recipe by Emily Vikre, fiveandspice.com
Indian-style tangerine lemonade
You could add a clear spirit of your choice to turn this into a co*cktail, or add soda water for a long, refreshing drink.
Makes 1 drink
1 glass fresh tangerine juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp black salt or sea salt
¼ tsp crushed roasted cumin seeds
¼ tsp black pepper
⅛ tsp ginger juice
Saffron-infused sugar syrup/simple sugar syrup
1 Mix all the ingredients and serve chilled.
Recipe supplied by Kulsum Kunwa, journeykitchen.com
Coconut and lemon bakewell
There is something about the sharp tang cutting through the milky sweetness that just dances on the tastebuds. This is a Bakewell tart, but with coconut frangipane and lemon curd instead of the usual sponge and raspberry jam.
Serves 8–12
375g shortcrust pastry, rolled out
1 egg white, beaten
For the frangipane
175g unsalted butter, at room temperature
175g caster sugar
4 eggs
85g desiccated coconut
90g ground almonds
1 tbsp flour
Zest of 2 lemons
For the filling
150g lemon curd
1 egg yolk
For the icing
250g icing sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
Zest of half a lemon
1 Line a tart tin with pastry, pressing it into the grooves. Prick the base then freeze for 30 minutes. Set the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark5.
2 For the frangipane, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well. Gently fold in the coconut, almonds, flour and zest, then set aside.
3 Beat the curd with the yolk and set aside. Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with beans or rice. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and bake for another 12 minutes. Paint the case with egg white and return to the oven for 1 minute.
4 Let the pastry cool slightly before spreading with curd. Pipe the frangipane on to the curd in concentric rings. Return to the oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the frangipane is golden and slightly wobbly. Remove and let it cool.
5 Put the icing sugar in a bowl. Slowly add the water, mixing until you have a pourable but thick icing. Pour the icing on top of the tart, and sprinkle with coconut and lemon zest.
John Whaite Bakes by John Whaite (Headline)
Orange and caramel upside down cake
This delicious orange cake has a glamorous candied topping and moist almond sponge. Serve with chilled pouring cream or creme fraiche to cut through the sweetness. Made ahead, it will freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.
Serves 8-10
2 smallish oranges, thinly sliced (discard the ends and any pips)
250g caster sugar
100ml water
For the cake
Softened butter, for greasing
20 cardamom pods
4 large eggs
150g soft light brown sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 smallish oranges
100ml sunflower oil
200g ground almonds
50g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 Line the base and sides of a 23cm-diameter springform cake tin with a large piece of foil (this will hold the caramel in the tin). Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Butter the foil, then line the base with a circle of baking parchment. Put the caster sugar and water in alarge frying pan. Heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Add the orange slices and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook the oranges in the sugar syrup for 5 minutes, or until just softened, then remove and arrange in the base of the tin. Increase the heat under the syrup and cook, without stirring, until it turns a rich, nutty brown.
2 Carefully pour the hot caramel over the orange slices and leave to cool. (Don't be tempted to touch or taste the caramel as it will be extremely hot.)
3 Put the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar and bash until the pods split. Tip on to a board and remove the seeds, discarding the pods. Return the seeds to the mortar and grind to a powder. Set aside.
4 Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric whisk until thick and pale. Add thecitrus zests and ground cardamom, beating until combined. Measure out 100ml orange juice. Whisk the oil and then the juiceinto thebatter.
5 Toss the ground almonds with flour and baking powder and quickly fold into the batter. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until well risen, golden brown and the cake is just beginning to come away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
6 Turn the cake out on to a plate or board and gently peel off the lining paper and foil. Use a good sharp knife to cut the cake and serve warm or cold with pouring cream or half-fat creme fraiche.
Recipe supplied by Justine Pattison
