STIR FRY PARSNIPS RECIPES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until foaming, then fry the leeks with a pinch of salt for 5-10 mins until soft. Leave to cool slightly.
• Put 200g soft breadcrumbs, the thyme, egg yolks, cheese, mustard and a generous grinding of pepper in a bowl and mix to combine. Stir in the fried leeks, and any butter left in the pan. Season with salt and mix well using your hands.
• Mould the mixture into 12 sausages (divide and weigh for accuracy if you like). You may find damp hands help, cleaning your hands every so often to stop them sticking. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and freeze for 10 mins until firm, or chill for 30 mins in the fridge.
• While the sausages are firming up, whisk the egg whites in a shallow bowl with a pinch of salt until lightly foamy. Put the flour and some of the remaining breadcrumbs onto separate plates.
• Dust the chilled and firm sausages in the flour, then dunk in the egg white, and roll in the breadcrumbs. Top up the plate of breadcrumbs as required. Chill for at least 1 hr and up to 24hrs before frying.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat. Fry the sausages in batches, turning them gently every minute, for 4-6 mins, until golden and crisp all over. Add a little more oil between batches if you need to. Transfer to a baking tray, and bake for 10 mins. If you are freezing the sausages, once they're golden brown transfer to a tray and leave to cool for a few minutes, then open-freeze (uncovered) until solid and transfer to freezer-proof containers. Will keep frozen for up to three months. Cook from frozen in the oven for 25 mins until piping hot.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 140ºC/275ºF/gas 1.
  2. Using a sharp knife, remove the sinew from the beef cheeks. Peel and halve the shallots and peel and finely slice the garlic.
  3. Place half the butter in a medium ovenproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Sear the meat all over, until browned on all sides, then leave to one side.
  4. Add the shallots and fry for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Stir in the garlic and pick the thyme leaves straight into the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes, then return the beef cheeks to the pan and pour in the red wine.
  5. Bring to the boil, cook the wine for around 5 minutes, until reduced by half, then finely grate in the chocolate (if using).
  6. Pour in enough beef stock to cover, and turn up the heat. Bring back to the boil, season, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover with a tight layer of tinfoil and a lid, then place the pan in the oven and slowly braise for 4 to 4½ hours, or until incredibly tender.
  7. When the beef is almost ready, make the creamed parsnips. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
  8. Peel and chop the parsnip, celeriac and apples into 3cm chunks, taking care to remove the apple seeds and core. Add the fruit and veg to the pan, and simmer for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and steam dry over the hot pan.
  9. Stir in the rest of the butter and then spoon into a food processor. Pour in the milk and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then blitz until smooth, adding a little more milk if needed (you can do this in the pan with a hand blender if you prefer).
  10. Remove the cheeks from the casserole dish, then place the dish over a high heat. Cook rapidly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the jam, taste and adjust the seasoning, then add the cheeks back to the pan and baste.
  11. Serve with the creamy parsnips and all your favourite trimmings.