Braised Ox Cheeks

Braised Ox Cheeks are a cheep cut of meat that when slow cooked over a long period allows the meat to break down and become very tender. Serve this with a creamy mash and winter greens or with suet dumplings.

Braised Ox Cheeks Ingredients:-
1KG Beef or Ox Cheeks trimmed of skin and fat and cut into large chunks
2 Celery sticks diced
1 Onion – medium – sliced
1 Leek, quartered and cut into chunks
3 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
2 Carrots - large halved and cut into chunks
4/5 tablespoons of plain Flour to dust the Ox cheeks
Salt & Pepper
½ bottle red Wine – use Wine that you would drink
1 ltr Chicken Stock or you can use a stock cube with water
Thyme
300gm sliced or Button Mushrooms

Method:-
Trim the Ox cheeks and cut into cubes. Use a sharp knife as the Ox Cheeks will be quite tough to cut.
Take 4/5 tablespoons of plain Flour and season with salt and pepper and then add 1/2 a teaspoon of dried Thyme( if you can’t get fresh Thyme). Dip the Ox cheeks into the flour and pat off excess flour.
Save any excess flour.
Fry the Ox Cheeks until brown sealing in any juices. Do this in several batches so as not to fill the frying pan. Filling the Frying pan will cause a broiling effect and not a frying effect that we want.
Place the meat into a large oven proof Casserole dish.
In the same frying pan, fry off the Onion, Leek, Carrot, Celery and Garlic until they soften. Add in the saved excess flour and fry a little more before adding the vegetables to the Casserole dish. The cooked out flour will thicken the casserole. Poor the Wine into the frying pan and deglaze the pan. Bring the Wine to a boil and reduce by half then add to the Casserole dish. Add in two sprigs of fresh Thyme. Top the Casserole dish up with the Litre of chicken Stock and put into a pre heated oven and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours at 150 degrees centigrade.
In the last half an hour remove the lid to allow sauce to thicken and toss in 300 grams of sliced or Button Mushrooms.
If you want a really thick sauce use a few tablespoons of cornflour and add a little water to make a paste. Add to the casserole and allow to cook and thicken the stock. Serve with a creamy mashed potato and steamed winter greens.

How to make a Lemon Posset

How to make a Lemon Posset.
Lemon Posset is one of those ancient desserts that seems to have fallen out of favour. Originally an alcoholic beverage for wedding nuptials made of sugar, spices and eggs, similar to a boozy custard. Over time the eggs and the booze were taken out leaving one of the simplest desserts you could ever make.

Ingredients
3 Lemons juice and zest
1 pint Double Cream
150g Caster Sugar
Bring Sugar and Cream to boil, add lemons and zest simmer for three minutes.
Sieve the mixture and pour into ramekins or tea cups.
Leave at least three hours in fridge to set, but a longer time will set the cream thicker.
Decorate with lemon zest or slices of Lemon
Serve with Shortbread biscuits.

How to make Leek & Potato soup

For those cold winter days, try making some Leek and Potato Soup to warm yourself up.
Here is a great recipe for you to try.

How to make Leek & Potato soup. Follow our video recipe for a very tasty soup for those cold winter days.
Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients
1lb Leeks (3 medium sized leeks quartered, washed and diced)
2 Carrots (peeled, washed, quartered and diced)
2 Celery Sticks (washed and diced)
1 small Onion (peeled and diced)
2 large Potatoes (peeled washed and diced)
2 pints of Chicken Stock (or water and Chicken Stock cube)
Salt
Pepper
250ml / 1/4 pint of Milk or Cream (plus additional cream to garnish)
Parsley or Chives to garnish

Method
Quarter the Leeks checking for dirt and wash thoroughly, then dice.
Peel, wash and quarter the Carrots, and then dice.
Wash and dice the Celery
Peel, split in half  and dice all the Onion.
Peel, wash and dice the Potato.
In a large saucepan, sauté, over a low heat, the Carrot Onion and Celery. We want to soften, not add colour. When soft, add in the Leek and sauté for a few minutes before adding the Potatoes. After a few minutes on the hob,, add in 2 pints of Chicken Stock and bring to a boil and then leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
Add in the milk or cream, and season with salt and pepper. Return to the heat for a further 5 minutes.
Use a stick blender or a blender and blend the soup to the texture you wish.
Pour into bowls and garnish with a spoonful of cream and parsley or chives to decorate.
Serve hot with crusty bread.

Simple Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Think you have to par boil your spuds and carrots before roasting them, then think again.
Peel and wash your carrots and potatoes. If you are feeling a little lazy then don't bother peeling them. Just give them a thorough wash under the tap. Leaving the skin on is adding more nutrients and goodness to your meal.

Slice the carrots in half length ways and quarter your potatoes. Place in a roasting pan and then drizzle over some olive oil (not the extra virgin oil but the second or third pressed oils). Season with salt and pepper and add a clove of garlic. Next throw on the top of the vegetables a tablespoon of dried Thyme and toss the vegetables well in the oil and seasoning. Place in the oven for 45-55 minutes at 200 degrees centigrade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1raSNlP4lM

The Cock Inn - Hatfield Broad Oak

 
The Cock Inn - Hatfield Broad Oak
 
http://www.thecockinn-hatfieldbroadoak.co.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTT0D9Ns138
 
The Cock Inn is a recently refurnished pub in the small village of Hatfield Broad Oak close to Hatfield Forrest on the way to Bishops Stortford.

You would be right to be confused about the address of the pub. The address is Bishops Stortford however Hatfield Broad Oak is in the county of Essex.
 
The Pub has been mentioned in the Camera Good Beer guide for the last several years. Serving ale such as Woodfords Wherry as well as Korev Cornish lager which I really I haven't seen served out side of Cornwall. Well that put us all off to a good start, supping the excellent kept beer.

For the lager drinkers there are several types such as Peroni and  Estrella.

From the outside, you would have thought the menu would reflect a traditional English village pub with old fire places adding to the ambience of the place, as the pub dates from the 15th century. But you would be in for a surprise as much as I was when you see the menu.
 
The menu is a little slice of BBQ heaven with smoked meat and fish from the smoker out the back.

There are slow cooked ribs and slow cooked brisket on the menu at this pub.
Starters of Smoked Salmon and Piri Piri Chicken skewers and crab cakes have to be recommended. 

The Burgers are hand made from meat sourced on farms locally, as is the steaks served by the ounce so you can order Sirloin and Ribeye as big or as little as you wish. Steak is approx. £2.00 per ounce. The Smokehouse and the BBQ burgers are £13 for 8 ounce burgers plus brisket or pulled pork on  brioche buns, with fries and salad.
 
Look out for the specials board.

A friend of ours spied a T bone steak and we all wanted it when it was served to him. It was beautifully cooked, medium rare.

The Jam Roly Poly and Sponge puddings are excellent as are their sundaes. Deserts are prices at £5-£6.
 
We have visited a couple of times over the Christmas period and have never been disappointed with what we have eaten. The Chefs are excellent and the waiters and waitresses were always attentive, and the bar staff friendly and cheerful. 

I would recommend you book a table if you fancy a visit on a Sunday, as the place fills up very quickly.
 
You can find the Cock Inn here:

The Cock Inn                                          Highstreet, Hatfield Broadoak Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire CM22 7HF  Tel01279 718306

OPENING TIMES

Monday 12am - 11pm
Tuesday 12am - 11pm
Wednesday 12am - 11pm
Thursday 12am - 11pm

Friday 12am - 12pm
Saturday 12am - 12pm
Sunday 12am - 10.30pm

Tasty Chicken Stew

Here is a nice recipe to make a tasty chicken stew.

Tasty Chicken Stew Ingredients:-
2 Leeks halved and chopped into chunks (1 lb)
2 Carrots cut into chunks (200grams)
2 Parsnips halved and cut into chunks (300grams)
2 Celery stalks finely chopped
Mushrooms sliced (200grams)
Potato’s - leave the skins on any small potatoes or if using bigger, peel and quarter (300grams)
2 Bay Leaves
6 leaves of Sage chopped
2 sprigs of Rosemary stalks removed and chopped
1 Red Pepper cut into big chunks
1 large Clove of Garlic peeled and finely chopped
4 Chicken Thighs with skin removed 
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper to dust the chicken thighs
Olive Oil
2/3 table spoons of Cornflower or some instant potato mix
1 to 1.5 litres of water
Chicken stock cube

Method:-
Sprinkle Flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper. Roll the four Chicken Thighs into the Flour and pat off excess flour.
Gently fry the four Chicken Thighs until golden in colour.
Set the four Chicken Thighs aside to make the vegetable stock.
Cut two Leeks in half and wash to remove any dirt. Then chop into chunks.
Dice the two Celery sticks.
Peel and chop two Carrots. Peel and half two Parsnips then cut into chunks.
Deseed the red pepper and cut into chunks.
Peel and finely chop the Garlic.
Sautee the Leeks, Carrots, Parsnips, Garlic and the Red Pepper in a couple of tablespoons of Olive Oil.
Add in the Bay Leaves, the chopped Sage and Rosemary. Then add about a litre to a litre and a half of water.
Add the stock cube and stir until dissolved, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
Add the Chicken Thighs and any juices, and cook for thirty minutes (30 mins).
Add in the potatoes and the mushrooms and cook for another fifteen minutes (15 mins) or until cooked.
If you want the stock to be thicker, then mix two or three tablespoons of Cornflower with a little water and make a paste. Then add this to the stock and this will thicken the stock when the cornflower is cooked out. Another method is to add a couple of large spoonful of instant potato directly into the stew and this will have the same effect.
Remove Bay Leaves and divide into four portions and serve with crusty bread.

Best Lamb Stock Ever

 

Lamb Stock

Ingredients
3 Legs of Lamb Bones (Saved From The Sunday Roast)
2 Medium White Onions Cut In Half
3 Sticks Celery Cut Into Chunks
2 Medium Carrots Cut Into Chunks
2 Sprigs Of Rosemary
2 Bay Leaves
A Small Bunch Of Parsley (Including The Stalks)
Big Pinch Of Salt
12-15 Black Peppercorns
Water
Large Heavy Bottomed Saucepan or Stockpot

Method

You can peel the carrots and onion if you wish. I only remove the outer skin of the onion when I make stock.
Put all ingredients into the large heavy based saucepan or stockpot.
Top up with water and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for about 2 hours with the lid on. This will break down any meat and muscle around the joints of the bones  and allow the bone marrow to flavour your stock.