2013-05-25T14:15:26-04:00 Matt Dawson http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=matt-dawson Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Matt Dawson Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2646314 2013-02-10T19:00:00-05:00 2013-04-12T05:12:01-04:00

Matt Dawson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-dawson/
PREPARATION: 30 mins
COOKING: 45 mins
SERVES: 2


YOU WILL NEED

3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 x rack of lamb, each with four bones, French trimmed
Coarsely ground pepper & rock salt
1-2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
A handful of basil leaves
35g pine nuts
20g parmesan, grated
Handful of dry breadcrumbs
1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 x medium carrots, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
3 sticks of celery, finely diced
200ml Marsala wine
150ml chicken or vegetable stock
125g dried puy lentils (or 250g if pre-cooked)
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped


HOW TO PREPARE

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Season the lamb with salt & pepper and then lay the racks fat side down into the pan. Fry until the skin has turned a deep brown. Remove from the pan and leave to cool while you make the pesto crust.

2. Place the garlic, a handful of basil leaves, and the pine nuts into a food processor, and blitz until it forms a rough paste. Tip into a mixing bowl.

3. Add the grated parmesan and breadcrumbs to the mixture and season with salt & pepper. Use a splash of olive oil and stir to bring it all together into a pesto. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

4. Brush the lamb with 1 tbsp of the Dijon mustard and then pat the pesto mixture on to form a crust, pressing it on with your hands. Put the lamb into a roasting tin and then into the oven and cook for 12-15 mins. Rest briefly.

5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in the pan you cooked the lamb in, and gently fry the finely diced carrots, onion and celery. Add the Marsala wine and a cupful of stock to make a gravy. Add the lentils and follow the cooking instructions on the pack. When done, fold through the chopped parsley and a good dollop of Dijon mustard.

6. Slice the lamb cutlets and serve on a bed of lentils.


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Matt Dawson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-dawson/
PREPARATION: 30 mins
COOKING: 35-45 mins
SERVES: Four

YOU WILL NEED
20cm tart tin lined with shortcrust pastry and pre-baked
2 large free range eggs
150ml semi-skimmed milk
1 tbsp mustard
150g crème fraîche
1 tbsp chives, chopped
Coarsely ground pepper & rock salt
400g smoked haddock fillet, flaked
100g Gruyère, grated
50g goat's cheese, crumbled
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Green leaf salad, to serve

HOW TO PREPARE
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, crème fraîche, some chives and seasoning. Brush a little of this mixture on to the base of the pastry case and bake for four-five mins to seal the pastry.
2. Blanch the smoked haddock fillets in seasoned water for three mins. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to cool. Flake the haddock into the pastry case and sprinkle the Gruyère, remaining chives and goat's cheese evenly over the top. Pour over the rest of the creamy mixture and return to the oven to bake for 30-40 mins until set and golden brown.
3. Serve with a wedge of lemon and green leaf salad.

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Matt Dawson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-dawson/
PREPARATION: 20 mins
COOKING: 10-12 mins
SERVES: 2

YOU WILL NEED:

200g tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Coarsely ground pepper & rock salt
3 tbsp fl at leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp light olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 large skinless free range chicken breasts
2 large Desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into long matchsticks


HOW TO PREPARE:

1. Mix together the roughly chopped tomato and sliced onion for a quick salad. Season and fold in half of the chopped parsley.
2. To make the gremolata, place ½ tbsp olive oil in a pan and very gently warm the crushed garlic for 3-5 mins. Turn off the heat and add the lemon zest and remaining chopped parsley.
3. Place the chicken in between sheets of cling film and bash flat to 1cm thick all over.
4. For the shoestring fries, half-fill a deep, heavy-based pan with vegetable oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 30 seconds. CAUTION: HOT OIL CAN BE DANGEROUS. DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED.
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil until just about smoking then fry the seasoned chicken fast on both sides. Once cooked, remove from pan and rest for 4 mins.
6. Gently drop the potato matchsticks into the hot vegetable oil and fry for 5-6 mins, until golden-brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt.
7. Serve up the chicken and salad, spooning over the gremolata - chips on the side!!


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Matt Dawson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-dawson/ Celebrity MasterChef, I've become a bit of foodie and have come up with a few recipes to show you the versatility of Bordeaux wines and how there are endless pairings for every occasion.

Want something delicious in a hurry? A couple of juicy sirloin steaks, shown a hot frying pan for three or four minutes either side and served with a simple salad, what could be better. Wine Expert Ewan Lacey helps me match this dish to the perfect wine.

PREPARATION: 15mins
COOKING: 7-8mins
SERVES: Two

YOU WILL NEED

2 x 225g sirloin steaks, trimmed of fat
6-8 tbsp olive oil
Coarsely ground pepper & rock salt
2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1-2 tsp mustard (Dijon is my preference)
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
Small bag of fl at leaf parsley, torn
Large bag of red and green salad leaves
80-100g Roquefort, crumbled

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Heat a griddle pan until hot, then oil and generously season the steak with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.

2. Remove the steak from the pan and rest for 4 minutes under foil, then slice.

3. For the dressing, whisk together the remaining olive oil, vinegar and mustard and pop a couple of pomegranate seeds in as well.

4. Mix the torn parsley and salad leaves together then toss with dressing.

5. Scatter and mix the meat and crumbled cheese in the salad and sprinkle with the remaining pomegranate seeds to taste.

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