DELICIOUS DISHES USING UK’S FINEST

RISOTTO NERO SERVES 2

• 400g cuttlefish, cleaned, with ink sac reserved; tentacles set aside, the body chopped into rings

• 15ml olive oil

• 15g butter

• ½ white onion, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, chopped

• 1 litre fish stock

• 175g risotto rice

• 75ml dry white wine

• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

PUt the ink sacs in a blender and process to a puree. Push through a fine sieve, discarding any tissue. Set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a wide shallow pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, then stir in the garlic and cook for another two minutes. meanwhile, put the stock in a second pan and bring to a slow simmer.

Add the rings and tentacles to the onions, stir, then add the rice and season. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. turn up the heat, then add the wine. Stir as you cook, allowing the liquid to be absorbed by the rice, then add half the ink. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, letting each ladleful be absorbed before adding more — it takes about 20 minutes. When the rice is almost cooked through, add the remaining ink and stir. Combine the lemon zest and parsley and sprinkle over to serve.

SLOW-COOKED HILL LAMB SHOULDER SERVES 4

• 1 hill lamb shoulder, bone in, 900g-1.25kg in weight

• Salt and black pepper l Rosemary and thyme, chopped

• 4 tbsp rapeseed oil l 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 small fennel bulb, sliced

• 1 stick of celery, chopped

• 3 tsp tomato paste

• 500ml white wine

• 2 tbsp capers, chopped

• 2 anchovy fillets

• 1 kg whole new potatoes

• Chopped flat leaf parsley, to serve

PReHeAt the oven to 150c/130c fan gas 2. Put the lamb shoulder in a large, tight-lidded casserole (or use a large roasting pan with a double layer of foil as a lid). Add the seasoning, herbs and oil and turn the joint to coat, then set over a mediumhigh heat. Brown on both sides, then lift out and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, fennel and celery to the pan and cook gently until the vegetables soften. Spoon in the tomato paste and stir well, add the wine and bring to the boil.

Put the lamb shoulder back into the pan — the wine should cover the vegetables and come half way up the lamb. if it does not, add enough

water to compensate. Add the capers and anchovies, then cover and cook in the oven for one hour. During cooking, check the liquid

does not evaporate, turning down

the heat if so and adding a little more water. Remove the lid, place the potatoes around the lamb and roll them around in the liquid. Cook for one more hour. the meat should be very tender, falling away from the bone.

Serve the meat and potatoes with the juices and vegetables, with the parsley scattered over.