warm the milk in a small saucepan over a low heat – do not let it boil. Grate the cheese into a bowl and set aside.
Place the butter, flour, beaten eggs and the six yolks in a large saucepan, add the grated cheese and set over a low heat. Gradually add the warm milk, stirring continuously with a whisk to prevent lumps. Once all of the milk has been added, keep stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.
When the mixture starts to come away from the sides of the pan, season with salt and pepper and pour out on to a greased baking tray to cool. Once cool, mould the mixture into balls each about the size of a golf ball and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Beat the egg whites in a bowl and mix the rosemary and breadcrumbs in another bowl. Dip the cheese balls first into the egg white, then the rosemary breadcrumbs and either cook straight away or return to the fridge and cook later.
If using a deep-fat fryer, heat the vegetable oil to 190°C (375°F). Alternatively, fill a deep, heavy-based frying pan to a depth of 2cm (¾in) with oil and use a sugar thermometer to check that it has reached the correct temperature.
Remove the balls from the fridge and lower into the fryer or pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes until golden brown, then carefully lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and serve.
Seared sea bass with blood orange and spring onion salad
Serves 4
4 blood oranges
1 bunch of spring onions, cut into 2.5cm (1in) lengths
200g (7oz) mixed salad leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
4 × 125g (4½oz) sea bass fillets, all bones removed
1 bunch of basil, leaves only
Salt and black pepper
For the dressing
25ml (1fl oz) white wine vinegar
Pinch of caster sugar
110ml (4fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
Farmed sea bass has become widely available in recent years, but if you can get hold of line-caught bass it’s definitely worth the extra cost. Blood oranges are a beautiful deep red colour and have a much more distinctive flavour than regular oranges (although you could use these as an alternative). They go well in savoury dishes and salads.
Peel three of the oranges and break the segments into a large bowl along with the spring onions. Season with salt and pepper, then add the salad leaves and toss together. Set aside.
To make the dressing, squeeze the juice from the remaining orange into another bowl and mix with the vinegar and sugar. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil until fully incorporated. Drizzle a little of the dressing over the prepared salad and toss together to coat.
Pour the olive oil into a non-stick frying pan set over a high heat. Place the sea bass fillets in the pan, skin side down, and sear for 3–4 minutes or until the sides of the fish start to brown. Turn over, cook for 1 more minute, add half the basil and remove from the heat, keeping the fish in the pan to allow them to carry on cooking in the residual heat. Set aside.
Divide the salad between plates, then lift the sea bass fillets from the pan and place on top of the salad. Scatter with the remaining basil, drizzle over the rest of the dressing and serve.
Dill-marinated salmon with lime and rhubarb salad
Serves 4
2 sticks of rhubarb, any leaves removed
25g (1oz) pickled ginger, finely chopped, and juice
Zest and juice of 1 lime
50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
15g (½oz) chives, chopped
2 × 250g packets of dill-marinated salmon or smoked salmon
Salt and black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Crusty bread, to serve
My chef, Chris, came up with this idea while experimenting in the kitchen. I liked the combination of these ingredients so much that I put it on the menu at my bistro. If you can’t find dill-marinated salmon, just use regular smoked salmon instead.
Thinly slice the rhubarb lengthways and cut into very fine sticks, the size of matchsticks. Place in a bowl of iced water and leave for 20 minutes.
Place the pickled ginger and juice in a bowl, add the lime zest and juice along with the olive oil, then season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Remove the rhubarb from the iced water, mix into the bowl with the dressing and stir in the chives. Slice up the salmon and arrange on a board or platter, or divide between plates. Serve with the rhubarb salad, some lemon wedges to squeeze over the salmon, and chunks of crusty bread on the side.
Grilled halibut with champ and lemon caper butter
Serves 4
500g (1lb 2oz) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
110ml (4fl oz) milk
50g (2oz) butter
150g (5oz) spring onions, chopped
4 × 150g (5oz) halibut fillets, all bones removed
1 tbsp olive oil
110g (4oz) caper berries or capers
Peeled segments of 4 lemons, plus the juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and black pepper
Halibut is a meaty fish, full of flavour and with very few bones. If you can’t get caper berries, use small capers (caper buds) instead, but if they’re in salt or brine, rinse well in hot water before using.
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 20–25 minutes, then drain the potatoes and return to the pan, which should no longer be over the heat.
Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat until