Veggie Vollie – the photos so far

... and the sauce too.

Your sauce recipe :

Sauce Supreme

500ml stock – vegetable or chicken

ideally cold

30g unsalted butter

30g plain flour

1 tsp Dijon mustard

400ml double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously making a roux sauce – do not walk away.

Tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the mustard and the cream and simmer for 5 minutes then cool, cover and fridge.

You can make ahead and freeze the sauce if it's more convenient – it's every bit as good from the freezer.

I have made double the normal quantity of sauce - add 3 generous tablespoons to the roasted veggies so that they hold together – you are left with extra sauce to drizzle over the baked vollies. Fridge them both, covered.

Assembly coming next!

Whilst we're waiting …

… another foray into speedy, comfort eating suppers.

Not fond of root veggies, or is it that you haven't the time or inclination to dismantle a swede or a squash? I love them both but they ain't easy to prep, especially when expected to wield a large chef's knife!

Here's my answer – cheat – buy ready diced root veggies, which is exactly what I did to produce Root Veggie Vollie or, my version of a vol au vent.

Root Veggie Vollie

350g diced butternut squash and sweet potato

450g diced carrot and swede

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 cloves of roasted garlic or

equivalent amount of paste

salt and black pepper

50g unsalted butter, diced

Generous drizzle of rapeseed oil

Two sheets of puff pastry

Sauce Supreme

All the major supermarkets sell root vegetables diced and ready to use. I did refine the size – you want fine dice not huge chunks.

As is my usual practice I'm giving you alternatives at the end.

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Tip the veggies into a large roasting tin (or in my case, as you know, a large foil tray). Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dot the butter over the veggies and then finish with a flourish of rapeseed oil.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes, then turn – whilst turning squidge the garlic cloves so that they become amalgamated with the butter and oil.

Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Leave to cool, then cover and fridge. As you might expect this can be done ahead of the game and in fact probably enhances flavours too so a win win.

Coming next are the photos so far and the sauce too. You might think this is long winded - it just seems like it because I waffle as I go – it'll be worth it!

7 down – 2 to go – Raspberry Marquise …

… the photo story so far :

You can see what I mean – if you didn't see the cling film at the top of the tin you wouldn't know it was lined.

When the colour looks like this you know it's going to taste good.

Now it has the “mousse” look.

Ready for the freezer.

Whilst we're waiting …

Raspberry Marquise – Hints and Tips

I used unsalted butter and ordinary caster sugar.

A tip or two when lining a loaf tin with cling film and trying to avoid creases.

Don't tear off a huge piece of cling film – you know what'll happen, you wrap yourself in the stuff and get very cross!

You'll need two single pieces of kitchen roll. The first scrunch up and pour a tiny drop of vegetable oil into the tin and use the kitchen roll to grease it thoroughly – every nook and cranny.

Place your cling film into the tin and gently ease it as flat as you can. Scrunch up the other piece of kitchen roll and smooth out the bottom of the tin – it really does work.

Here's the best tip. When you separate your eggs have two boxes ready. Place two of the egg whites in one and the remaining four in another. The only trouble with using six egg yolks is what to do with the remaining whites.

All will become clear in the fullness of time – all you need to remember for now is to freeze the egg whites.

You can chill the marquise overnight or up to 2 days. Serve straight away or freeze for up to one month.

In the ordinary course of a recipe I'd complete it and there'd be photos of it served and decorated. I'm putting the marquise straight into the freezer, cut in half and double wrapped in cling film and then foil. I've got supper with friends later this week so I'm going to use one of the halves then. It makes perfect sense that I've got two opportunities to serve the dessert and all I have to do is keep my eye on the date, so that I use the remaining half within a month.

You'll have to wait a while for the end result!

7 down – 2 to go: Raspberry Marquise

We are nearly at the end of this journey. As has been my habit during our experiment what follows is the recipe taken from “The Little Book of Chocolat” by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde.

Raspberry Marquise

This is the ultimate chocoholic's dessert. Grown-up, rich and seductive, it's best served with a fresh raspberry coulis to cut the richness of the chocolate. Perfect for dinner parties, a little goes a long way – and because it's flourless, it's the ideal chocolate fix for cacao addicts everywhere.

Takes 20 minutes, plus 2 hours (minimum)

to set

Serves 10-12

175g butter

175g unrefined caster sugar

400g dark chocolate, broken into

small, even-sized pieces

40g cocoa powder

500ml double cream

6 egg yolks, beaten

cocoa powder, for dusting

250g raspberries

Carefully line a 11.5 x 25.5 cm tin with cling film (try to avoid creases).

Place the butter, sugar, chocolate and cocoa in a bain-marie, melt and stir until smooth and blended. Whisk the cream in a bowl until it just starts to hold, add the egg yolks, whisk, then add the chocolate mixture and blend until smooth. Pour into the lined tin, bang twice on the work surface to remove any air pockets from the corners and place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight to set.

Turn the loaf out on to a flat board or place, peel away the cling film and lightly dust with sifted cocoa. Blend half the raspberries and sieve to remove the seeds. (Fran suggests doing this, but I never bother. I guess it depends on whether you care about raspberry seeds). Just before serving, arrange the remaining raspberries on top of the loaf, drizzle with the coulis and serve. Have a jug of hot water to dip the knife into before each slice, this will help to achieve a neat cut.

This is looking promising!

Ascoughs – the birthday treat

I wouldn't normally go out to eat to celebrate a birthday – in fact the last “birthday treat” was an unmitigated disaster. Thank you Ascoughs for restoring my faith – but don't take my word for it.

I was impressed to receive a very polite message from Ascoughs on the day, asking me to confirm my booking – attention to detail.

Some useful information – the current lunch and dinner menus are available from 9^th January to 3^rd February so another change of menu is due. You can take a sneaky peak at the menus ahead of the game on line and ponder your ultimate choice – another smart move. If you tend to be a tad indecisive and then regret it later this is the perfect solution.

What did catch my eye was “Over Night Braised Hoggett, Champ Potato Cake, Confit Shallot, Red Currant Jellies and Pan Jus”.

For those who aren't sure what hoggett is, let me explain. Lamb is considered to be up to a year old. Hoggett comes next between 1 and 2 years old, mutton follows – over two years old. If you are a fan of lamb you might be interested to know that hoggett is considered to be the most flavoursome of the options.

Lets cut to the chase and borrow a well known phrase - “... here are some of the choices and results from the Stanwick Jury”.

Here's the hoggett :

... “excellent – very generous portion, melt in the mouth”

Next up for the vegetarians :

Winter Vegetable En Croute, Spinach, Spring Onion Mash, Baked Onion, Sauce Roti

… “delicious - it's rare for me to finish a plate of food but I gave it my best shot!”

Finally, the dessert choice :

Frangipane Slice, Cherry Gel, Glazed Baby Pears, Salted Caramel Almonds, Cherry Sorbet

… “all my favourite flavours on one plate – it did not disappoint”

There are two strokes of genius here – the cost is beyond reasonable and the menus are changed each month so you don't get bored. Out for lunch or dinner once a month at these prices – what's not to like.

Can't wait for my next treat!

Ascoughs – the return.

In May 2017 I mentioned this restaurant in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. (Travels with my friend 1-4).

If you are really impressed with a restaurant you are in two minds whether to re-visit for fear of disappointment. Never let it be said that I don't have your best interests at heart! I'm ringing the changes this time and sampling the dinner menu. Dinner costs 2 courses £19.50 and 3 courses £24.50 although some dishes attract an extra charge.

My first visit took place in December, just before the holidays – a good time to road test a restaurant – so often the quality plummets and the price rockets. I was more than impressed that the prices were exactly as stated.

I appreciate that December has come and gone but, to illustrate the quality of the food you can expect, here's a snippet from the starter and dessert menus.

To whet your appetite :

This is Cauliflower (charred, pickled, purée, crisp, beignet) with Golden Raisins and Mint Salsa

This is Butterscotch Mousse, Hazelnut Brittle, Chocolate Sphere, Truffles, Hazelnut & Caramel Sauce

Value for money – without question.

Would I go back? In a heartbeat – I've already booked!

Ascoughs Bistro – telephone 01858 466966

ascoughsbistro@aol.com