Sesame crusted tofu with noodles, three cornered leek, seaweed and sea beet
Serves 4
250g plain tofu
Marinade:
4 tbsp shoyu
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp three cornered leek, sliced
Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated
Red chilli, deseeded and chopped
Sesame crust:
50g cornflour
3 tbsps white sesame seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
sunflower oil for shallow frying.
Buckwheat noodles:
Prepare as instructed on the packaging.
Dressing for the noodles:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple or agave syrup
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon sweet white miso
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Handful of crispy laver seaweed
Large handful of sea beet
Garnish with pickled rock samphire
Slice the tofu horizontally, then cut diagonally into 8 triangles. Place the tofu in a shallow dish.
Mix together the marinade and pour over the tofu. Leave the tofu to marinade for at least an hour, turn the tofu half way through so that it marinated evenly.
Make the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly.
Mix together the tofu crust ingredients. Take the tofu pieces one at a time and dip into the mix so that the crust sticks to all sides. Shallow fry the tofu, until crisp. Set aside.
Strain the marinade and keep to pour over the noodles with the dressing.
Whilst the tofu is cooking bring 2 large pans of water to the boil. Salt the water and add the sea beet to one and the noodles to the other. Cook for a few minutes until both are soft.
Strain the noodles; add a drizzle of sesame oil to stop the noodles sticking. Mix through the noodles.
Pour the miso dressing onto the noodles and mix together until all the noodles are coated.
Place some noodles & seaweed into a bowl. Run some chopped three cornered leek through the noodles. Place some of the cooked seabeet on top of the noodles. Lie the tofu pieces across the sea beet. Garnish with crispy laver seaweed and pickled rock samphire. Pour over the remains of the marinade. Serve.
Pickled crab apples
15 cloves
15 allspice berries
2 star anise
2.5cm stick of cinnamon
1.2 litres white wine vinegar
450g white sugar
1.3-1.8kg small crab apples
Put the spices in a stainless steel saucepan with the vinegar and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Wash the crab apples. Leave the stalks on. Carefully place the apples into the boiling vinegar. Leave for 5 minutes and remove with a strainer before the skins start to crack. Put the apples into small, sterlised jars.
Cover the apples with the hot pickling vinegar and seal immediately. They are best left for a few weeks but I’ve eaten them straight away and they’re still very good! Serve with crackers and cheese or with cold meats
Pheasant noodle soup
Serves 4 as a starter
2 pheasants
Approx. 2 litres of water
5 garlic cloves
100ml dark soy sauce
5 cm piece of fresh root ginger, skin on, sliced into fine discs
1 star anise
2 red chillis
1 stick of crushed lemongrass
2 tsp cider vinegar
A little oil for cooking
¼ tsp, Chinese five-spice powder
200g dried egg noodles or home made (use an egg pasta recipe)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To Serve:
Sliced spring onions
Shredded green cabbage
Snipped chives or three cornered leek
Lime juice squeezed on top
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.
Remove the breasts from the pheasant by cutting along the side of the breastbone and set them aside for use later on. Place the pheasant legs and carcasses in a suitable ovenproof dish and roast in the oven for 20 mins until nicely coloured.
Put the legs and carcasses into a deep saucepan and pour on enough water to cover. Slowly bring to a simmer and skim off any scum that forms on the surface.
Add the whole garlic cloves and soy sauce along with the ginger, star anise, lemongrass and a whole red chilli. Cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before passing through a sieve. Discard the carcasses and legs.
Place a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a little oil. Season the pheasant breasts liberally with salt, pepper and five-spice powder. Add them to the hot pan the cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and leave to rest on a warm plate.
Meanwhile, bring 1 litre of the flavoured stock to the boil. Add the cider vinegar to adjust the acidity. Add the noodles, return to a simmer and cook until just tender. Slice the pheasant breasts and divide among warmed serving bowls. Ladle over the hot stock and noodles and add the spring onions, shredded cabbage, finely sliced remaining chilli, chives and finish with a squeeze of lime juice.