Recipes Using Black Pepper Corn

INGREDIENTS

• 4 x 150g/5½oz centre cut fillet steaks
• 50g/1¾oz butter, at room temperature
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

• 100ml/3½fl oz beef stock
• ½ garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 150ml/¼ pint double cream
• ½ tsp crushed black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

METHOD

1. Using your hands, flatten the steaks to a thickness of about 1½cm/¾in. Season them well with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large frying pan or griddle pan over a high heat until very hot. Spread the butter directly onto the steak and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Cover loosely with foil, rest and keep warm.
3. For the sauce, add the stock to a saucepan, bring to the boil and cook until reduced by half. Add the garlic, brandy, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cream and peppercorns. Stir and bring to the boil over a high heat. Season with salt and cook until it reaches the consistency of pouring cream. Stir in the parsley.
4. Divide the steaks between plates, pour over the sauce and serve.

RECIPE TIPS

The sauce can be made up to a day ahead, covered and kept in the fridge.

The steaks can be cooked in advance and reheated just before serving. Once cool, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Reheat on a baking tray with a knob of butter on top in an oven at 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7 for 6 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg/2lb 4oz boneless lamb shoulder or mutton haunch, well cleaned of all skin, sinew, fat, gristle and cut into
• 1cm/½in cubes
• 4 x 2.5cm/1in pieces cinnamon stick, discard tiny pieces that break off
• 10 cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, or more to taste
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil or vegetable oil
• 2 red onions, cut into quarters and sliced
• 1½ tbsp plain flour
• 1 x 400ml/14fl oz tin coconut milk
• salt
• 3 large potatoes, peeled, cut into large cubes and boiled until soft

METHOD

1. Place the prepared lamb or mutton into a casserole dish that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns, and enough cold water to just cover the meat. Cover the pan tightly (line the edge of the lid in aluminium foil to increase the tightness if necessary). Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Partly uncover the pan, allowing steam to escape and the liquid to reduce, and continue to simmer on the lowest heat for a further hour.
3. In a separate pan, heat the oil and cook the onions gently until soft, giving them a good seasoning of salt. Add the flour to the onions and stir for 3–4 minutes, or until the flour is absorbed into the oil and is cooked.
4. Add the onion mixture to the meat pan and mix well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring, until well combined and thickened. Add the coconut milk and simmer for a further 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Check the texture of the lamb or mutton: it will go from being quite hard to very tender quite suddenly; this is the point at which the stew is ready.
5. When the meat is tender add the cooked potatoes, and simmer for a minute until the potatoes are warmed through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with crusty bread and some vegetables.

RECIPE TIPS

As an extra touch, add parsley or coriander before serving. The boiled potatoes could be fried and served on top of the stew, perhaps sprinkled with chopped coriander, or some crisp fried curry leaves, which would go well with coconut and spices. You could also add a whole split fresh green chilli to the dish, but the flavour would veer away from the original.

INGREDIENTS

• 2kg/4lb 8oz Maris Piper potatoes, sliced into thirds
• 600g/1lb 5oz beef dripping
• 3 tbsp grated fresh horseradish
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp sea salt
• 3.5kg/7lb 11oz rib of beef
• 8 large carrots, chopped into 3
• 8 large parsnips, sliced into thirds lengthways

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
2. Boil the peeled and sliced potatoes in a large pan of salted water until soft to the point of a knife.
3. Drain the potatoes and shake in a colander so that the edges fluff up.
4. In a saucepan, melt the dripping with the horseradish, salt and pepper.
5. Score the beef all over with a sharp knife.
6. Layer all the chopped vegetables in a large oven tray and place the beef on top. Tip the potatoes into another tray.
7. Ladle most of the horseradish glaze over the top of the vegetables and meat (reserving some for the potatoes). Roast the meat in the oven for 20 minutes then reduce the temperature to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and baste the meat with the dripping.
8. Pour the remaining horseradish glaze over the potatoes and place them in the oven to cook for the duration of the beef cooking time.
9. Roast the meat for two hours, basting it with the dripping every half hour.
10. Allow the meat to rest under foil for 30 minutes before serving. If necessary, you could turn up the oven to crisp the potatoes while the meat is resting.

INGREDIENTS

• 425ml/15fl oz milk
• a few parsley stalks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 blade of mace or a pinch of powdered mace (optional)
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1 slice onion, 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick
• 40g/1½oz butter
• 20g/¾oz plain flour
• salt and freshly milled black pepper

METHOD

1. First place the milk in a small saucepan and add the parsley stalks, bay leaf, mace (if using), peppercorns and onion. Then place it over a low heat and let it come very slowly up to simmering point, which will take approximately 5 minutes. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the milk into a jug, discarding the flavourings.
2. All this can be done ahead of time, but when you want to make the sauce, use the same washed pan and place it over a gentle heat. Begin by melting the butter gently – don’t over-heat it or let it brown, as this will affect the colour and flavour of the sauce. As soon as the butter melts, add the flour and, over a medium heat and using a small pointed wooden spoon, stir quite vigorously to make a smooth, glossy paste. Now begin adding the infused milk a little at a time – about 1fl oz/25ml first of all and stir again vigorously. Then, when this milk is incorporated, add the next amount and continue incorporating each bit of liquid before you add the next. When about half the milk is in, switch to a balloon whisk and start adding large amounts of milk, but always whisking briskly. Your reward will be a smooth, glossy, creamy sauce.
3. Now turn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the sauce cook for 5 minutes, whisking from time to time. While that’s happening, taste and season with salt and freshly milled black pepper. If you wish to keep the sauce warm, all you do is pour it into a warmed jug and cover the surface with clingfilm to stop a skin from forming, then place the jug in a pan of barely simmering water.

INGREDIENTS

For the casserole

• 4 chicken breasts, or 600g/1lb 5oz cooked leftover roast chicken
• 2 onions, 1 roughly chopped, 1 thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 55g/2oz butter
• 30g/1oz plain flour
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
• 225g/8oz tin water chestnuts, drained
• 1 free-range egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp double cream
• squeeze lemon juice

To serve

• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

METHOD

1. Place the chicken breasts, roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns and bay leaf into a large pan and add enough water to cover the ingredients.
2. Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve 450ml/16fl oz of it. Set aside.
4. Heat half of the butter in a large separate pan and add the flour. Stir over a low heat until the mixture forms a smooth paste that leaves the sides and base of the pan cleanly. Gradually add the reserved cooking liquid, stirring well after each addition, to make a sauce. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
   Add the broccoli and water chestnuts to the sauce.
5. In a bowl, mix the egg yolk with the cream and slowly add this mixture to the sauce. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and stir to combine.
6. Cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the sauce. Stir well.
7. In a separate pan, heat the remaining butter and fry the remaining thinly sliced onion until soft and golden-brown.
8. To serve, sprinkle the onion over the casserole, garnish with parsley and serve.

INGREDIENTS

• 16 mulato or ancho chillies (about 200g/7oz), cleaned, seeds removed and retained
• 4 pasilla chillies, cleaned, seeds removed and retained
• 30g/1oz stale baguette or white bread (roughly 1 slice)
• 50g/1¾oz sesame seeds
• 120g/4½ oz blanched almonds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 6 black peppercorns
• 5cm/2in cinnamon stick
• 4 tbsp corn oil
• 1 small ripe plantain or unripe banana, peeled and thickly sliced
• 130g/4¾oz raisins or currants
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• pinch ground cloves
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock
• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate (70–85% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
• 4–5 skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• salt

To serve (optional)

• handful lettuce leaves
• 4 corn tortillas, warmed

METHOD

1. Toast the chillies in a frying pan on a high heat for about 20 seconds until fragrant but not burnt. Place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Place the same pan over a medium heat and toast the bread, 1 teaspoon of the reserved chilli seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, coriander seeds, peppercorns and cinnamon until fragrant but not burnt. Set them aside and blend to a powder when cool.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the corn oil in a separate pan and fry the plantain (or banana). Add the raisins (or currants), onions and garlic and fry until soft and sweet. Tip into a food processer with the drained chillies, powdered spices, cloves, oregano and 350ml/12fl oz of the chicken stock. Blend into a smooth sauce.
4. Pour the sauce into a clean saucepan with the remaining stock and the chocolate. Heat through gently for 15–20 minutes until the chocolate has melted and the sauce resembles a thick dark ‘gravy’. Do not allow it to boil. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of water. Taste for seasoning and add a little salt if needed.
5. Coat the chicken breasts with the remaining 2 tablespoons corn oil and season with salt. Place in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown on both sides. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 10–15 minutes until cooked through and the juices run clear.
6. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until brown.
7. Slice the chicken breasts diagonally and serve one breast per person, with the sauce spooned over. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 6 English muffins, halved
• butter, for spreading
• 6 slices ham or smoked salmon
• 1–2 tbsp finely snipped fresh chives

For the hollandaise sauce

• 225g/8oz butter, cubed
• 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 small shallot or ½ banana shallot, very finely chopped
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 fegg yolks
• pinch sea salt
• pinch caster sugar

METHOD

1. Fill a small pan just over one third full with cold water and bring it to the boil. Add the vinegar and reduce to a simmer. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and gently tip into the simmering water. Poach for 2–3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into iced water, then remove the eggs and place them on a kitchen towel.
2. For the hollandaise sauce, melt the butter slowly in a medium pan over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and pour the butter into a jug.
3. Put the vinegar, shallot, peppercorns and bay leaf in a small saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until reduced to 2 tablespoons of liquid. Remove from the heat.
4. Put the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Whisk the egg yolks with the salt and sugar until pale. Pour the vinegar mixture through a fine sieve onto the yolks and continue whisking until well combined. Slowly add the butter in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth, thick and shiny.
5. Toast the muffin halves and bring the pan of water back to a simmer, ready to reheat the eggs.
6. Spread the muffins with butter. Put a muffin half on each plate and top with ham or salmon. Using a slotted spoon, drop the cooked eggs into the simmering water and reheat for 1 minute. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
7. Place an egg on each muffin and spoon over some hollandaise. Sprinkle with chives and serve with the other muffin halves on the side.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 whole cloves
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 4 green cardamom pods
• few black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 small green chillies, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1.5kg/3lb 5oz lamb meat (a mixture of boneless cuts and on-the-bone leg cuts), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 2–3 tsp mild chilli powder
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• chopped fresh coriander, to serve

METHOD

1. Pound the cloves, black and green cardamom pods and peppercorns into a pestle and mortar until lightly crushed.
2. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat then add the ghee. Once melted, add the crushed spices along with the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Fry for 1–2 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse, then add the onions. Increase the heat and fry for around 5–10 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions start to brown and caramelise.
3. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and continue to fry gently for a further 10 minutes, on a low heat, covering with a lid and making sure you stir again frequently until the onions are golden, soft and caramelised.
4. Add the lamb meat to the pan. Allow to brown for around 10 minutes, stirring and coating the meat. Stir in the salt, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala, mixing well to evenly coat the meat. Add the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook for around 10–15 minutes, continuing to stir until the ingredients have blended well and the oil has separated from the tomatoes. Pour in enough hot water from the kettle to just cover the meat (approximately 800ml–1litre/1½–1¾ pints). Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover with a lid and cook gently for 2½–3 hours, stirring frequently until the lamb is tender and the sauce has reduced. Top up with water throughout cooking if necessary and remove the lid for the last 10–15 minutes of cooking to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken.
5. Transfer to serving dishes and serve sprinkled with the coriander.