For me, every new season brings with it a new energy – new ingredients to work with and new dishes to try. Although we’re leaving behind the light, bright dishes of summer, there’s something really comforting in the best of autumn – rich, earthy root vegetables, flavoursome game and lamb and meaty fish to be prepared with warming sauces or stews.
And just because summer is gone, it doesn’t mean we lose colour on the plate. You can still bring together a combination of colourful vegetables from creamy cauliflower, to vibrant green courgettes, bright bursts of purple from beetroot and aubergines, as well as rich orange shades from carrots, squash and sweet potato. It just takes a little imagination to brighten up those colder, darker nights as they draw in.
This monkfish dish is a great example of a perfect autumnal dish. It marries together the delicious flavours and colours of deep green courgettes, inky purple aubergines and ruby red tomatoes, served alongside tasty, meaty monkfish. Desserts also get exciting in autumn, with a whole range of lovely autumn fruits in season such as apples, pears and elderberries. If you’re looking for a little treat to warm up the cold nights, this fudge recipe is ideal matched with home-made hot chocolate. The ultimate combination for cosy nights in, or warming you up on evenings spent outside on Halloween and bonfire night…
CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH CRISPY OX TONGUE
- SERVES 4
- 2 tbsp olive oil/50g butter
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small leek, white part, thinly sliced
- 1 celery stick
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into small florets
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- For the Ox tongue:
- 1 large onion
- 1 large carrot
- 4 celery sticks
- 2 leeks
- 1 bunch of parsley stalks
- 1 head of garlic, broken into cloves
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 fresh ox tongue
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- Salt to season
In a heavy-bottomed pan, sweat the sliced onions gently in the oil and butter for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the chopped garlic, sliced leek and celery and sweat for a further 2 minutes until soft. Add the cauliflower pieces and sweat for 2-3 minutes. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables and simmer until cauliflower is just tender/cooked through. Top up the stock level if needed as it simmers. Leave to cool slightly before blending until smooth.
For the tongue: Bring a large pot of seasoned water to the boil. Dice all the vegetables, add them to the pan with the garlic and bouquet garni, and bring back to the boil. Then add the tongue and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 4 hours or until the meat is very tender. Once the tongue is cooked, lift it out and carefully remove the skin while it’s still warm. Also remove any glands, excess fat and gristle, then leave the tongue to rest and set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Cut it into cubes and then fry in a heated, oiled pan until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Sprinkle on top of the soup to garnish with a little olive oil.
MONKFISH WRAPPED IN PARMA HAM WITH RATATOUILLE
- SERVES 4
- For the monkfish:
- 4 small fillets of monkfish
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10-15 thin slices of pancetta
- Olive oil for cooking
- For the ratatouille:
- Half an onion (diced)
- Half a red pepper (diced)
- 1 aubergine (diced)
- 1 courgette (diced)
- 4 tomatoes (chopped )
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
- 20ml olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the fish: Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Have the fish ready at room temperature. Halve 1 garlic clove and rub the cut surface all over the monkfish. Season the fish on both sides very lightly with salt (as the pancetta is salty) and with pepper. Set aside. Next, lay the pancetta slices side by side on a board, overlapping them slightly to form a sheet the length of each fillet. Lay each piece of monkfish across the pancetta and roll the pancetta around it to enclose completely. Secure each parcel with kitchen string.
Heat a large, non-stick ovenproof frying pan until very hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil and, when it is almost smoking, lay the monkfish parcels in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, turning the parcels to colour all over. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the monkfish is cooked. To check the fish, insert a small knife; it should meet with little resistance. Once cooked, remove the monkfish parcel from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.
To make the ratatouille: Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. In a heavy-bottomed pan, add the olive oil and the diced onion. Sweat for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, garlic, thyme and the red pepper and sweat for a further 3-4 minutes. Then remove and place on a tray. Keep the pan and re-heat with some new olive oil. Add the tomatoes, aubergine and courgettes and season to taste. Sweat for 4-5 minutes and then add the onions and the red pepper on top and cook for 5-6 minutes on a slow heat. Remove and place in a bowl.
To serve: Spoon the ratatouille evenly on to four plates and place one monkfish parcel on top of each.
FUDGE
- MAKES 24 PIECES
- 285g icing sugar
- 480g brown sugar
- 450ml double cream
- 235ml liquid glucose
- 225g butter
- 375g melted dark chocolate 70% cocoa (optional)
- 2 trays (27cm x 19cm)
Boil the cream, brown sugar and glucose to 108°C using a sugar thermometer to check the temperature. Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment or alternatively a wooden spoon, place the mixture in the bowl and beat for 5 minutes. Add half the butter and half the icing sugar and combine fully. Then add the second half of butter and icing sugar and mix. If using chocolate, add this now and beat until the mix is cold. Set in a tray lined with parchment paper. Leave to cool at room temperature overnight. Once set, cut to desired shape and size and serve.