angle into 3–4 shorter lengths. Place in a bowl, add the butter and season with sea salt and pepper.
4 Add the crème fraîche to the drained pasta in the pan and toss to coat, then tip in the asparagus and Parma ham and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Serve in warmed bowls with a few shavings of Parmesan on top of each portion.
Venison sausages with celeriac purée
These skinless sausages make a substantial, comforting meal — a great winter lunch. Celeriac is quite an ugly-looking vegetable — those gnarled roots look positively ancient. When peeling it, you’ll find the skin goes quite deep in places. But beneath that knobbly armour is flesh that, when cooked, has a subtle flavour with just a hint of celery.
SERVES 4–6 MAKES 12 SAUSAGES
25g (1oz) butter
1 onion, peeled and diced
300g (11oz) venison, minced or pulsed in a food processor
200g (7oz) minced pork (at least 20% fat)
50g (2oz) fresh white bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated
1 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Salt and ground black pepper
1–2 tbsp olive oil
For the celeriac purée
1 celeriac, peeled and chopped into 1–2cm (½–¾in) dice
2 floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 1–2cm (½–¾in) dice
400ml (14fl oz) milk
2 tbsp single or regular cream
15g (½oz) butter
1 To make the sausages, melt the butter in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, then add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until slightly golden. Set aside.
2 Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients except the seasoning and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add the cooled onions to the mixture. If the mixture is very wet, add a few more breadcrumbs.
3 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6. Place a little bit of the mixture in the frying pan and cook for 1–2 minutes to check for seasoning. Shape the sausage mixture into about 12 sausages. Pour the olive oil into the frying pan and, on a medium heat, brown the sausages on every side. Then place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
4 For the purée, place the celeriac and potatoes in a large saucepan, then pour over the milk to just cover, simmer on a medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, then drain and mash very well. Season with salt and pepper, then add the cream and the butter. Unless serving immediately, place in a covered, ovenproof dish and keep warm in the oven after the heat has been switched off.
5 Serve the sausages with a spoonful of celeriac purée and a drizzle of cranberry sauce (see tip below).
RACHEL’S TIP
To make cranberry sauce, put 150g (5oz) cranberries in a saucepan with 50ml (2fl oz) water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 6–8 minutes until the cranberries have burst and are softened. Stir in 75g (3oz) caster sugar until dissolved.
Many of the recipes in this book require stocks and nothing can compare to a homemade broth of boiled bones, vegetables and herbs. Stocks can be made in advance, stored in small containers and kept in the freezer for handy access. The recipes here are just a guideline but try not to add too much of any one vegetable or the flavour may dominate the stock. Livers are unwelcome as they will make the stock bitter, but necks, hearts and wing tips are perfect. Also avoid starchy vegetables, such as potatoes or parsnips, as they will turn the stock cloudy. Don’t use salt when making a stock as if you eventually reduce it, the salt will remain and the liquid could be too salty. If you wish to concentrate the flavour, place the stock on a high heat and boil, uncovered, to reduce the liquid. To make your own frozen stock cubes, reduce the liquid to about a quarter of its original volume. Allow to cool and then pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Stocks can be refrigerated for three days or frozen for two months.
Vegetable stock
MAKES ABOUT 2 LITRES (3½ PINTS)
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and roughly chopped
3 sticks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
½ fennel bulb, roughly chopped
Bunch of parsley stalks
1 small sprig of rosemary
1 sprig of thyme
1 Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan or casserole dish. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by about 10cm (4in) and bring to a simmer.
2 Let the stock continue to simmer for an hour, then strain the liquid and discard the vegetables.
Beef stock
MAKES 3–4 LITRES (5–6¾ PINTS)
2kg (4lb 4oz) beef bones, preferably with a little meat still on
2 onions, peeled and cut in half
2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
Bunch of parsley stalks
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F), Gas mark 8. Place the bones on a roasting tray and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until browned.
2 Transfer them to a large saucepan and deglaze the roasting tray by placing it on a medium heat on the hob. Pour a little cold water into the tray (enough to cover the bottom) and bring to the boil, scraping the bottom with a whisk to dissolve the caramelised juices that are stuck to the tray. Then pour on top of the bones in the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Top up with enough cold water to cover everything by a good 10cm (4in) and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and bring the stock to a simmer.
3 Leave the saucepan to simmer gently for 5–6 hours, skimming the foam off the top from time to time.
4 Strain the stock, discarding the bones and vegetables. Allow to cool so the fat will rise to the top where it is easy to skim off.
Chicken stock
MAKES 1–2 LITRES (1¾–3½ PINTS)
1 chicken carcass, cooked or raw
1–2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion or 4 spring onions, peeled and cut in half
1 leek or even just the green part, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 sticks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
Bunch