White chocolate panna cotta and brandy snap

served with passion fruit coulis – Makes 6

Panna cotta

Gently heat the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla pod, stirring continuously so the sugar does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Take care not to let the mixture boil.

Once the gelatine sheets are soft, remove from the water, squeeze out excess moisture and add them to the cream mix. Whisk until the gelatine has dissolved.

Gradually add the white chocolate a little at a time until it has all melted into the cream mixture. Whisk to bring everything together and pass through a fine sieve to remove the vanilla pod.

Allow the mixture to cool until lukewarm, then whisk again and pour into teacups. Place in the fridge and leave to set for a minimum of 4 hours.

Brandy snaps

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.

Gently heat the butter, sugar and syrup in a small heavy-based pan until the sugar has dissolved. This will take about 15 minutes over a low heat. Take care not to let the mixture boil.

Leave the mixture to cool slightly, then sieve in the flour and ginger. Pour in the lemon juice and stir well to mix thoroughly. Drop four teaspoons of the mixture onto each of the prepared baking trays to make neat circles, about 10cm/4in apart.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture has spread out, looks lacy and is a dark golden colour. Remove from the oven and leave for a minute or so to firm up slightly, then lift from the baking parchment using a fish slice.  Repeat until all the mixture has been used.

After they have cooled, the brandy snaps can be stored in an airtight tin or container; they will keep for at least a week.

To serve, turn panna cotta out (warm in water first), drizzle with passionfruit coulis and garnish with the brandy snap, a sprig of mint within some fresh berries.

Herb crusted corn-fed chicken

Chorizo and vegetable ratatouille, crispy Parmentier potatoes – serves 6

Chicken with herb crust

Blitz the herbs in a food processor to a fine consistency. Toast the bread then add to the food processor. Continue to blitz down until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 180 C. Fry the chicken in oil in a pan with salt and pepper to seal on both sides. Then place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Cover in the breadcrumbs then cook for a further 5 minutes. Allow to rest before serving.

Parmentier potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut into 2cm cubes. Pan fry the cubes with thyme in oil and butter until golden. Lay the cubes on some baking paper, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper and cook in oven at a low temperature around 160C for 15- 20 minutes.

Ratatouille

Dice all the vegetables and finely chop the herbs.

Dry-fry the chorizo over a medium heat in a heavy based non-stick frying pan until golden in colour. Remove from pan and place on kitchen towel.

In the same pan, heat the oil and gently fry the onion until soft but not coloured, add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes. Next add the aubergine, red pepper, and courgette. Cook for 5 minutes before adding the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, herbs and seasoning. Leave on a low heat to cook until the vegetables are soft. Stir through the chorizo before serving.