ELDERFLOWER SODA WATER RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Get all your ingredients ready. Fit the coarse grater attachment into a food processor, put a large deep saucepan on a high heat and turn the grill to full whack.
  2. For the chowder, finely slice the bacon and put it into the saucepan with a good lug of olive oil. Stir until golden.
  3. Trim and finely slice the spring onions, add to the pan and stir. Wash the potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks. Add to the pan and mix well. Keep an eye on the pan, stirring often.
  4. Meanwhile, put a clean tea towel over a board and ruffle up the edges to catch the corn. Hold a corn cob upright on the board and run a knife gently down to the base of the kernels, all the way round. Repeat with the rest of the cobs, discarding the cores. Tip the kernels directly from the tea towel into the pan.
  5. Add the smoked haddock to the pan with 3 bay leaves and the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme. Cover with the chicken stock, then put the lid on and cook for 12 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, put the tiger prawns into an ovenproof pan with a few lugs of olive oil, the butter, a pinch of sea salt and pepper, the thyme, cayenne pepper and a small pinch of cinnamon.
  7. Crush in 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic, then deseed the chilli, slice and add to the pan with the lemon.
  8. Toss and mix well, then put under the grill on the top shelf for 8 to 10 minutes, or until dark pink and golden on the tips. Once ready, take out of the oven and leave to sit until ready to serve.
  9. For the salad dressing, peel the garlic and place in a liquidiser with the chilli, tarragon, red wine vinegar, yoghurt, 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Whiz until combined.
  10. Have a taste – you want the salt and acid to be slightly over the top, so tweak if needed and whiz again. Pour into a small jug and take to the table.
  11. Give the chowder a good stir, then put the lid back on.
  12. For the salad, wash and trim the courgette and carrots. Peel the beetroot. Using the coarse grater attachment, grate the vegetables one at a time, all in the food processor.
  13. Tip out onto a platter so it looks like a rainbow and snip the cress over the top. Put on the table next to the jug of dressing and dress at the last minute.
  14. Add the cream and peeled prawns to the chowder and stir well. Put the lid back on and turn the heat down to low. Put the matzo crackers in a pile on the table.
  15. To make the berry slushie, rinse the food processor bowl and fit the standard blade attachment. Add a pint glass or 2 large handfuls of ice cubes, pick in the mint leaves and blitz to a slush.
  16. Leave the processor running and add 50ml of elderflower cordial and the raspberries. Pour in 500ml of soda water and leave to whiz until combined. Taste, adding another little splash of elderflower cordial to sweeten if needed.
  17. Pour the slushie into a large jug, top up with soda water and stir again right before serving.
  18. Take the chowder off the heat. You can leave it coarse and chunky, or use a potato masher to mash it up a little bit and make it silky, or purée the lot – it’s up to you. I like to roughly mash one side of it, then mix it through.
  19. To serve, take the tiger prawns to the table with the saucepan of chowder. Roughly break a few crackers into each bowl, ladle the chowder on top and finish off with a couple of tiger prawns on the side. Toss the salad in the dressing, taste and season, then tuck in.

Steps:

• Build the drink over plenty of ice in a Collins glass, stir gently and garnish with a slice of lemon. 3 TWISTS Raspberry Collins Raspberries give this twist on the classic Collins a pretty splash of colour. Start by gently muddling a handful of raspberries in the bottom of an empty Collins glass, then add the ice, all the other ingredients and mix well with a long handled spoon. Garnish with an orange slice. Brandy Collins This is a really refreshing way to enjoy cognac. For best results, use a young-ish VS or VSOP cognac that’s nice and fruity. Just make the drink as normal, substituting cognac for gin, then garnish with a slice of ginger or a ribbon of lemon peel. Elderflower Collins Elderflower and lemon is a winning combination. You can make it with elderflower cordial or liqueur for something a touch more boozy. Mix the drink as normal, but use the liqueur or cordial in place of the sugar syrup. Garnish with a lemon slice.