Pork Pinwheel, Hazelnut Mayonnaise

A great alternative to a sausage roll – a blend of minced pork, apple and sage is spread over pastry and rolled up like a swiss roll! This is great served with homemade hazelnut mayonnaise.

The addition of a good crack of black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg and lemon and orange zest makes the filling for this pinwheel truly delicious and befitting of this time of year!

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Pork Pinwheel, Hazelnut Mayonnaise
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Pinwheel: 1 Block Puff Pastry, 800g Minced Pork, 4tbsp Breadcrumbs, 2tbsp Sage Leaves (Chopped), Zest 1 Orange, Zest 1 Lemon, 1 Apple (Finely Diced), 1 Red Onion (Finely Sliced), 1 1/2 tsp Grated Nutmeg, 1tsp Sea Salt, 3tsp Cracked Black Pepper

For the Mayonnaise: 1 Egg Yolk, 1tsp Dijon Mustard, 1tbsp White Wine Vinegar, 60ml Hazelnut Oil, 100ml Sunflower Oil, 1/4tsp Sea Salt

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Method:

1) Pre heat the oven to 200c. Roll out the pastry to a sheet measuring around 7″x14″ and around 3mm thick. Combine the minced pork with all of the other pinwheel ingredients in a bowl and mix well until fully combined. Spread the mixture over the pastry, leaving a 1″ edge at one end and roll the pastry from narrow end to narrow end as you would a swiss roll.

2) Cut the pinwheel into 3/4″ slices and transfer these to a lined baking sheet and glaze with a little egg wash. Place the pinwheel in the oven and bake for around 25 minutes until the pastry is golden and filling cooked through.

3) Meanwhile make the mayonnaise. Place the egg yolk, dijon and white wine vinegar in a food processor and blitz. Whilst blitzing, slowly add the hazelnut oil and then the sunflower oil until exhausted and the mayonnaise is thick and has emulsified. Add the sea salt and blitz quickly to combine. Set aside.

4) Serve the slices of pinwheel with the hazelnut mayonnaise.

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Enjoy!

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Venison, Hazelnut Hollandaise

Venison loin pairs perfectly with candied hazelnuts and hazelnut hollandaise – a truly delicious combination.

A real dinner party showstopper – this is a surprisingly simple dish which is sure to impress.

Best served with roasted potatoes or fries and roast parsnips.

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Venison, Hazelnut Hollandaise
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Venison: 1kg Venison Loin (Cut into 4 Equal Portions), 1 Garlic Clove, 3 Thyme Sprigs, 25g Unsalted Butter, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

For the Hollandaise: 2 Egg Yolks, 200g Clarified Butter, 25-50ml Hazelnut Oil (To Taste), 1tbsp White Wine Vinegar, 1tsp Lemon Juice, Sea Salt, Cracked White Pepper

For the Candied Hazelnuts: 75g Caster Sugar, 2tbsp Water, 50g Hazelnuts

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Method:

1) Make the hollandaise by placing a large bowl over a just simmering pan of water (careful the water does not touch the bowl). Whisk the two egg yolks in the bowl to a thicker consistency which is pale in colour. Add the vinegar and whisk. Slowly add the hazelnut oil to taste whilst whisking. Gradually add the butter whilst continually whisking (as you would do when making a mayonnaise) until exhausted and a thick consistency is achieved. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Set aside or keep warm until ready to serve.

2) Pre-heat a dish in the oven to 200c. Place a large frying pan over a high heat and add the butter. Season the venison portions with sea salt and black pepper and seal in the pan for 2 minutes each side with the thyme and garlic. Transfer to the dish in the oven and cook for around a further 8-12 minutes or until cooked to your liking (I aim for an internal temperature of around 51-53c). Remove from the oven when done and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

3) Meanwhile make the candied hazelnuts. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over a high heat. Bring to the boil and continue to boil until a golden caramel is achieved. Remove from the heat and stir in the hazelnuts. Quickly pour the mixture onto a baking mat and try to separate the hazelnuts with a pair of spoons before the mixture cools.

4) Once rested, cut the venison portions on the diagonal and serve with the hazelnut hollandaise and candied hazelnuts.

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Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Praline Cake

 

On the odd occasion that I do have a crack at baking, the ingredients are predictable. A variation of chocolate and praline almost always ensues with varying degrees of success!

Now that we are firmly into autumn and the weather is horrendously cold (in Scotland at least) I was searching for something comforting and laden with chocolate to eat by the fire. Yet it couldn’t be too heavy – that is to be saved for the depths of winter.

Flourless cakes have always intrigued me – light and airy and still magically holding themselves together without the addition of flour. The lack of flour also intensifies the flavour of the ingredients. A flourless chocolate and praline cake it was to be!

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Flourless Chocolate Praline Cake

Ingredients:
100g Dark Chocolate (Good Quality)
100g Milk Chocolate (Good Quality)
100g Hazelnuts, Toasted with the outer layer roughly rubbed off.
125g Unsalted Butter
125g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract

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Method:
1) Pre heat your oven to 180C. Grease and line a medium-sized springform cake tin.
2) Melt the chocolate and the butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water in the usual fashion.
3) Finely chop the hazelnuts in a food processor.
4) Combine the melted butter and chocolate with the hazelnuts and vanilla in a large bowl.
5) Whisk the eggs with the caster sugar until thick and very fluffy – around 5 minutes.
6) Carefully fold the whisked eggs and sugar into the chocolate mixture until fully combined.
7) Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the oven for around 45 minutes or until ready.

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Best served with a big spoon of crème fraîche and a cup of tea!