Masterclass Text Only: Make Your Home Cooking Easier

2–3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling

4 courgettes, topped and tailed and sliced lengthways

1 x 250g jar of sun-blushed tomatoes, drained

2 banana shallots, peeled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

6 large basil leaves, torn

200g (7oz) firm goat’s cheese, such as Dorstone or Ogleshield

Plain flour, for dusting

200g (7oz) ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Salt and black pepper

ONE 25CM (10IN) OVENPROOF DISH

1. Preheat the oven 170°C (325°F), Gas 3, and oil the ovenproof dish with olive oil.

2. Lay the courgettes on a baking tray, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.

3. Place the tomatoes, shallots, garlic and basil leaves in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the baked courgettes and mix well, then crumble over the cheese and set aside.

4. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, lay out the pastry and cut out a circle 2cm (¾ in) wider all round than the ovenproof dish. Place the courgette mix in the dish, then brush the edges of the dish with some of the beaten egg and lay the pastry on top, pressing the edges of the pastry on to the rim of the dish. Trim away any excess pastry and brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg.

5. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown, then remove and serve immediately.

JAMES’S SHEPHERD’S PIE (#ulink_74635910-5279-5a53-845e-e74202c9e9af)

Who says British food isn’t great? I keep saying to people and young chefs that the best way to move forward in terms of cooking is often to look back. Shepherd’s Pie with garden peas is a dinner my mother used to cook all the time and still does. Look out for minced lamb that isn’t fatty as this will make it much better. And don’t put too much liquid in the mash or it will be too soft and the potatoes will just sink into the meat mixture.

SERVES 4

1–2 tbsp olive oil

1.5kg (3lb 4oz) boneless shoulder of lamb

300g (11oz) baby onions, blanched and peeled (see method on page 20)

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

4 sprigs of rosemary

500ml (18fl oz) red wine

500ml (18fl oz) beef stock

75g (3oz) butter

25g (1oz) plain flour

Salt and black pepper

FOR THE MASH TOPPING

500g (1lb 2oz) large floury potatoes, such as King Edward, peeled and cut into quarters

50g (2oz) butter

100ml (3½fl oz) whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas 6. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish, season the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides, then seal the meat all over on a high heat for 1–2 minutes or until nicely browned.

2. Remove the lamb from the pot and add the baby onions, frying these for 2–3 minutes or until golden, then add the garlic and 3 sprigs of rosemary.

3. Place the lamb back in the pot on top of the onions and rosemary, then pour in the wine and stock. Smear a third of the butter over the lamb and place the remaining rosemary sprig on top. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 2 hours or until tender and crispy on top.

4. Meanwhile, make the mashed potato for the topping following the instructions for Creamy Potato Mash on page 179.

5. When the lamb is cooked, remove from the pot and strain the juices into a small saucepan set over a medium heat, keeping the onions for later. Mix the flour and remaining butter together to form a paste, then break into pieces and add to the juices in the pan, whisking until you have a thick gravy. Tear the meat into large chunks and place in the ovenproof dish. Add the reserved onions and pour over the thickened juices.

6. Put the mashed potato into a piping bag and pipe or spoon it over the meat and spread evenly with a fork. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve with purple sprouting broccoli and Vichy Carrots (#litres_trial_promo).

CHICKEN AND WILD MUSHROOM PIE (#ulink_7779f179-e8bd-59d1-9533-fcc8ef57d40a)

You can make this chicken pie either with brown or white meat or a combination of both. The same goes for the mushrooms – use either fresh or dried or whatever you can get hold of. Porcini, ceps and morels are the classics to put with chicken, or for something different you could replace them with water chestnuts. Fresh tarragon is much better than dried for this recipe, but do remember that it’s a strongly flavoured herb, so don’t add too much.

SERVES 6–8

375g (13oz) ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

FOR THE FILLING

1 x 1.5kg (31b 4oz) chicken

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp olive oil