Moussaka

Equipment:-

• A large frying pan
• 1 pot
• Chopping board
• Baking tray
• A sharp knife
• A small baking dish
• Grater
• Cooking brush
• Grease proof paper

Moussaka

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium or 2 large aubergines, sliced into 1 cm thick rings
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 10 baby tomatoes halved
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp of bouillon
• 500g minced lamb or beef
• 2 tbsp tomato purée, mixed with 150ml water
• 150ml red wine
• Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Bechamel Sauce

• 500ml milk
• 60g butter
• 60g plain flour
• 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Nutmeg, to grate

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Place aubergines on baking sheets. Brush with olive oil and season and turn over and repeat. Bake for about 25 minutes until soft, golden and floppy.

2. Meanwhile, put 2 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium high heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic, cinnamon and oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes, then stir in the lamb or beef. Turn up the heat slightly, and brown the lamb well, cooking until the mixture is quite dry. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, bouillon and tomato water bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low and cook for 30--40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season and stir in the parsley.

3. Meanwhile, make the bechamel. Bring the milk to just below boiling point, and melt the butter in another saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter and cook for a couple of minutes, then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Cook until you have a thick sauce, then stir in about 70% of the cheese until melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs and add nutmeg and seasoning

Moussaka

4. Arrange a half of the aubergines in the base of an oven dish, and top with half the meat. Repeat this layer and top with the sauce. Add the left over tomato halves and the rest of the cheese. Season with cracked black pepper and bake for about 35 minutes until well browned, and then leave to cool for half an hour before serving.

Roast Pheasant

Equipment

• Roasting Dish 
• Chopping Board
• Sharp knife
• Tin foil

Ingredients

• 1 Pheasant
• 10 Rashers of streaky bacon (4 slices roughly chopped)
• Small bunch of fresh thyme
• Small bunch of fresh rosemary
• 40g of butter
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetables for roasting (Onion, carrot, parsnip, olive oil, salt and pepper)
• Serve with braised cabbage

Roast Pheasant

Method

• Heat oven to 200 Celsius
• Add half of the streak bacon to the pheasant cavity
• Add half the Thyme and rosemary to the pheasant cavity
• Rub into the skin the butter and season well with salt and pepper
• Add the rest of the herbs onto the pheasant
• Layer streaky bacon rashers over the top of the pheasant
• Place in Roasting dish and surround with the oiled seasoned veg
• Place in oven for 20 mins at 200 Celsius and then 1 hour at 180 Celsius
• Turn pheasant upside down on some tin foil and rest for 15 mins
• Carve it up and serve with the veg

Roast Pheasant

Duck breast in plum sauce

Equipment:-

• A griddle or frying pan
• 2 pots
• Chopping board
• Colander
• A sharp knife
• A small baking dish

INGREDIENTS

• Duck Breasts
• 2 Duck Breasts with skin scored several times
• 2 tsp of dry thyme or 4 sprigs of fresh
• 1 star anise
• 25g of butter
• Salt and pepper

Plum Sauce

• 4 dark red plums de stoned and cut into wedges
• 300ml of beef stock
• 50ml of red wine
• 2 garlic cloves finely diced
• 3 tbsp of Demerara sugar
• 1 large shallot diced finely
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

• Heat 1 tsbp of oil in a pan and fry the shallots for 3-4 mins
• Add the garlic and fry for 1 min
• Add the plums and sugar and fry until the sugar has dissolved
• Add the red wine and stock
• Simmer for 15 mins stirring occasionally until it has thickened
• Leave to cool to room temperature
• Heat oven to 180C or Gas mark 4
• Heat Griddle pan to medium/high
• Season duck breast and place on griddle pan skin side down
• Leave to cook for 5 mins
• Then turn the duck and add the butter, thyme and star anise
• Once butter has melted baste the duck a couple of times
• Transfer to a baking dish and put in the oven for 5-6 mins for medium rare
• Remove from oven and let rest on chopping board for 5 mins
• Heat some of the plum sauce and in the mean time slice the duck in thin slices
• Serve up and drizzle some of the butter and thyme sauce over duck
• Add 3 - 4 tbsp of the plum sauce