Brown sugar pavlova with poached pears & caramel sauce

Wakame butter & bread

Often simple is best when it comes to a starter – in this case, just beautiful bread and beautiful butter and you’re done. Wakame is a type of seaweed; also known as Japanese kelp, it thrives on our coastlines. Its natural saltiness gives butter a beautiful flavour. You’ll find it at health food shops and in some supermarkets.

20g dried wakame

125g butter, softened

1 small garlic clove, crushed Rye sourdough loaf and flaky

sea salt to serve

Rehydrate the dried wakame in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes. Drain, gently squeeze dry then roughly chop.

Place butter, chopped wakame and garlic in a food processor and blend until smooth. Scrape the butter out using a rubber spatula and place on a piece of baking paper. Mould the butter into a rough rectangle, wrap it in the paper, then chill until ready to use.

Serve with rye sourdough and flaky sea salt. It is also great over steak. Makes cup butter

Slow-roasted lamb leg with green olive gremolata

Slow-roasted lamb is a great way to feed a crowd because you can forget about it for hours while it’s in the oven. Gremolata, sprinkled over the meat when served, cuts through the fattiness with its punchy flavours.

2kg (approx.) lamb leg

2 tbsp olive oil Generous pinch flaky sea salt 1 red onion, quartered

4 large garlic cloves, skin on, lightly crushed

1 lemon, cut in half

1 cup beef or lamb stock

Gremolata cup chopped green Sicilian

olives (pits removed) cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest 1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp lemon juice

Heat oven to 160C. Place lamb leg in a roasting dish. Stab a few holes in the fat then drizzle over the olive oil and rub in the salt. Place onion in dish along with garlic cloves. Squeeze the lemon juice over then add the lemon halves to the pan. Pour stock into the dish, cover with foil and roast for about 3 hours.

Take from oven and remove foil (set aside for the resting period). Baste lamb with the pan juices then return to the oven, uncovered, for another hour or so. Baste a couple of times during this period to get a rich golden-brown colour.

Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and rest meat for about 10 minutes before serving.

To serve, place lamb on a serving board and shred with two forks; it should fall off the bone.

Gremolata: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve sprinkled over the lamb.

Serves 6-8 Pavlova is a classic celebration dessert and this recipe gives it a wintry twist. The combination of pears, ginger cream, and rich caramel, alongside the crisp and chewy pavlova, make for a wonderful dessert. It’s a bit messy, which keeps things a casual and approachable – perfect for a family feast.

Pavlova

6 egg whites, at room temperature 380g brown sugar

4 tsp cornflour

2 tsp cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Poached pears

4-5 cups water

11⁄2 cups white sugar

4 pears, cut into eighths and

cores removed

3-4 slices fresh ginger 1 cinnamon stick

Ginger cream 500ml cream

1 tsp ground ginger

Caramel sauce

1 cup brown sugar

cup cream 60g butter Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pavlova: Heat oven to 140C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.

Beat egg whites until stiff then gradually add brown sugar until soft peaks form. Be patient, this can take a good 10 minutes. Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla then beat on low until combined.

Pour mixture onto baking tray and, using a rubber spatula, shape it into a large rectangle about 5-6cm high. Smooth the edges with the spatula then bake for 1 hour, until golden.

Leave to cool completely before serving. Pavlova can be made a couple of days in advance and kept in an airtight container.

Poached pears: Heat water and sugar in a saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Add pears, ginger and cinnamon. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Allow pears to cool in the liquid and keep them there until ready to use; they can be made 1-2 days ahead. (The poaching liquid will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days and is a good substitute for sugar syrup in cocktails; try adding it to a Tom Collins.)

Ginger cream: Whip cream and ginger together until soft peaks form.

Caramel sauce: Mix sugar, cream, butter and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook about 6-7 minutes, whisking gently. Add vanilla then cook for another minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly – the sauce it will thicken as it cools. It will keep in the fridge for about a week; just reheat gently or use cold.

To assemble: Carefully transfer pavlova to a serving board. Spread the ginger cream over, leaving a good 2cm clear around the edge. Spoon the pears on top then drizzle over the caramel sauce.

Serves 6-8