Cooking with Paula McIntyre

Recipe
4 mackerel filleted, pin bones removed and trimmed ( ask your fishmonger)
Oil for brushing
Seasalt for seasoning
Heat your barbecue or a hot pan ( if you’re worried the pan might stick, line the bottom with parchment paper). Brush the skin with oil and season with salt. Place skin side down and cook for about 3 minutes or until skin is crisp. Season the flesh with salt and flip over. Cook for another minute and rest.
Elderflower Yoghurt
200ml Greek Style yoghurt
1 teaspoon black onion seeds
1 teaspoon hot honey
1 dessertspoon elderflowers chopped
½ teaspoon seasalt
Toast the onion seeds in a dry pan until they pop then mix into the yoghurt with the hot honey, elderflowers and salt and mix well.
Beetroot Salad
2 medium beetroots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Fry the onion in the oil until soft and mix into the beetroot with the vinegar and season well. Allow to marinate for an hour, tossing occasionally, before serving.
Serve the mackerel on some beetroot salad with a dollop of the yoghurt on the side. Garnish with some elderflowers and parsley/lovage

Recipe
Salsa verde
Handful basil
Handful parsley
Handful mint leaves
2 cornichon chopped
4 capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white balsamic or lemon juice
75ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend together
500g lamb leg steaks
Oil for rubbing
Seasalt
500g baby potatoes, boiled, cooled and cut in half
8 scallions, split in half lengthwise
75g feta cheese
Rub the lamb leg steaks with oil and season with seasalt. Place on grill and cook for 3 minutes each side. Allow to rest. Toss the potatoes in a tablespoon of oil and place on the grill cut side down. Cook until marked and flip over, scatter with salt. When cooked toss a dollop of the salsa verde in and mix well.
Place the scallions on the grill to wilt and toss into the potatoes. Place on a platter.
Slice the lamb and arrange over the potatoes. Drizzle over the remaining salsa and crumble over the feta.

Recipe
Salsa verde:
Handful basil
Handful parsley
Handful mint leaves
2 cornichon chopped
4 capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white balsamic or lemon juice
75ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend together
500g lamb leg steaks
Oil for rubbing
Seasalt
500g baby potatoes, boiled, cooled and cut in half
8 scallions, split in half lengthwise
75g feta cheese
Rub the lamb leg steaks with oil and season with seasalt. Place on grill and cook for 3 minutes each side. Allow to rest. Toss the potatoes in a tablespoon of oil and place on the grill cut side down. Cook until marked and flip over, scatter with salt. When cooked toss a dollop of the salsa verde in and mix well.
Place the scallions on the grill to wilt and toss into the potatoes. Place on a platter.
Slice the lamb and arrange over the potatoes. Drizzle over the remaining salsa and crumble over the feta.

Recipe
Custard Cream
225 ml milk
2 egg yolks
75 g caster sugar
10 g plain flour, sieved
10g cornflour
250ml double cream
Simmer the milk. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and flour and then pour over milk. Whisk well and return to pan over low heat. Stir constantly until custard is thick. Pour into a bowl and cover surface with cling, cool and chill.
Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold in the custard.
Poached rhubarb
4 thin sticks rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
75g castor sugar
150ml water
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Add the rhubarb and grenadine and gently simmer until just done – keep an eye to make sure it doesn’t over cook. Cool.
Pastry Crisp
1 pack ready rolled puff pastry
Icing sugar for dusting
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set oven to 180oc.
Dust over the top with icing sugar evenly with a sieve. Place another sheet of parchment on top and then top with a baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden.
Divide into 8 rectangles with a serrated knife.
To assemble
250ml double cream whipped
Fold the custard into the cream.
Spoon a quarter onto 4 of the pastry crisps.
Top with rhubarb
Top with another crisp and dust with icing sugar

Recipe
Peanut butter cake
100g soft butter
50g smooth peanut butter
100g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
75ml natural yoghurt
100g self raising flour
Line a 25 x 20 cm tin with parchment paper and set oven to 180oc.
Mix the butter, peanut butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk well. Whisk in the yoghurt and flour to a smooth batter and spoon into the tin. Bake for about 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer. Allow to cool. Turn out onto a tray and remove parchment.
Vanilla Cream
350ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
20g icing sugar
Whisk the cream to peaks and fold in the vanilla and sugar. Place in a piping bag and pipe over the cool cake.
Flamed strawberries
400g strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1 tablespoon icing sugar
Place the strawberries cut side up on a metal tray and dust over the icing sugar.
Flame with a blow torch until sugar has melted, Cool and place on cake.