Andrew Pern offers up a couple of warming recipes perfectly suited to this time of year.

WINTRY weather is not ideal for someone in my line of work. Even if the roads are fine, it is certainly not the time of year for al fresco dining.

Fortunately, The Star Inn customer tends to be an intrepid, romantic soul and it is just a little possible that the opportunity to be snowed in at a little thatched pub with roaring fires (however slight the chance) is not one to be missed.

Here are a couple of recipes which work well with the addition of a log fire and mulled ale or cider. Well, we might as well make the most of it.

We have just launched our new seasonal menu at The Star Inn The City, York, and the chefs are really looking forward to showing off their new recipes.

Keep warm!

Grilled Wensleydale ‘Buck’ Rarebit with Boiled Ox-Tongue, Mulled Beer and Pickled Onion Salad – posh cheese on toast...(Serves eight)

This savoury dish is really more of a meal in itself; a snack with a robust feel. The poached egg breaks open onto the toasted cheese and ox tongue with the bread “raft” to mop up the yolk, and the pickled onion salad cuts through the richness of the rarebit.

Mulled ale is a nice accompaniment and it adds to the ‘times gone by’ feel to the dish.

Ingredients
250g Blue Wensleydale
500g Mature Cheddar
75ml milk
15g plain flour
25g fresh white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon English mustard
A shake of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
A little melted butter
Chervil garnish
8 thin slices of ox tongue, cooked
8 soft poached eggs
8 thick slices of Granary or, preferably, Onion Bread


Dark beer of your choice, warmed gently in a pan with:
A few cinnamon sticks
A pinch of ground mixed spice

Salad
8 sliced pickled onions
1 little salad leaf
Croutons
Vinaigrette

Method
Place cheese into a thick-bottomed pan and add the milk, warm slowly – don’t boil, or it will split. Beat the mixture until smooth, add the flour, breadcrumbs and mustard, cook out for two to three minutes, stirring at all times.

This should start to come away from the sides of the pan. Add the Worcestershire sauce, season, if required, cool. When cool, add the egg and egg yolk, beat in to help the mixture glaze.

To assemble Toast one side of the bread, flip over, butter, place the tongue on untoasted side, mould and add rarebit on top of that. Crumble a little extra Blue Wensleydale on top and grill until golden brown.

While this is cooking, reheat the poached eggs in some boiling water for one to two minutes, lift out and drain. Place on top of the toasted rarebit, placed the dressed pickled onion salad next to the toast, brush the egg with a little mulled ale, and serve with a glass of mulled ale and, maybe a little chutney.

 

Salad of Air-Dried Ham with Fresh Figs and Mrs Bell’s Blue Cheese with Spiced Quince Chutney (Serves two)

A NICE snack, starter or savoury, made with a good blue cheese, such as the ones Judy Bell makes at the Shepherd’s Purse Dairy at Newsham Grange near Thirsk. With deep-flavoured ham, peppery Pickering watercress, chutney and figs, it’s like a posh Ploughman’s.

Ingredients
1 fresh fig (cut into thirds)
6 small wedges of Mrs Bell’s Blue
6 teaspoons of Quince Chutney
2 teaspoons vinaigrette
Salt and pepper
Watercress (1/2 bunch)
A few 1cm dice croutons
Garnish herbs

Spiced quince chutney
2kg quince (peel & dice approx 1cm)
1 teaspoon of ground mixed spice
1 glass port
1 litre red wine vinegar
1 bunch thyme
750g Demerara sugar

For the chutney:Place ingredients into a suitable sized thick-bottomed pan, reduce down to coating consistency and leave to cool. Use as required.

For the salad: Arrange three slices of air-dried ham at triangular interludes on each of two plates. In between these, put the Mrs Bell’s Blue, spoon a little chutney around. Dress the watercress, season, then add the croutons, mix gently, then place into the centre of the ham and cheese. Serve immediately.