Cooking with Paula McIntyre

Recipe
500g carrots, scrubbed well and cut in half lengthwise, ends trimmed
4 tablespoons good local rapeseed oil or cooking oil
2 medium onions, finely sliced
25g chopped root ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
1 red chilli, finely sliced
4 small shallots, peeled and finely sliced
50g pumpkin seeds coarsely chopped
Set oven to 190oc. Take a large sheet of parchment paper and place carrots on one side. Drizzle over a tablespoon of the oil and season with salt. Fold over the paper and twist the edges to seal in the carrots. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until soft. Cook the onions, ginger and garlic in another tablespoon of the oil until soft and golden over low heat – about 10 minutes. Add the carrots and stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend to a smooth soup and check seasoning.
Heat the remaining oil over low heat and add the shallots and chilli. Cook gently until the shallots are golden. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook until they pop. Remove from heat and season with salt. Spoon the soup into bowls or cups and sprinkle over the crispy pumpkin seed mixture.

Pear and blueberry buckle
2 pears
50g castor sugar
1 tablespoon honey
150g frozen blueberries
Peel, core and dice the pears and cook with the sugar and honey until soft. Add the blueberries. Cool.
Cake batter
60g soft butter
150g castor sugar
1 egg
125ml buttermilk
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Butter and line a 23cm cake tin with parchment paper and set the oven to 180oc.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in the egg. Mix the flour and baking powder and add half of this mixture to the butter mixture with half the buttermilk. Mix until incorporated then add the remaining flour and buttermilk and mix to a smooth batter. Fold in half the pear and blueberry mixture.
Spoon half the batter into the bottom of the cake tin and smooth off. Add the remaining pear mixture and then top with the rest of the cake batter.
Topping
50g castor sugar
25g oats
50g plain flour
60g diced butter
Rub together to coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake for about 45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Breton Chicken
8 chicken thighs, skin on bones removed ( see below for chicken stock recipe)
1 tablespoon oil
25g butter
1large leek, split, washed and chopped
200ml dry local cider
1 bay leaf
200ml chicken stock
75ml double cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Handful chopped parsley
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season the chicken with salt and add skin side down in the pan and cook until the skin is crisp and golden. Flip over and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the butter to the pan and add the leeks. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cider and bay leaf. Boil to reduce by half. Add the stock and boil for 5 minutes. Return the chicken thighs to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cream, mustard and parsley and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes then check seasoning, remove bay leaf and serve.
Chicken Stock
Bones from chicken thighs
1 tablespoon oil
1 stick celery, chopped roughly
1 onion, chopped
½ carrot chopped
1 bay leaf
4 peppercorns crushed
Few sprigs thyme
Heat the oil in a saucepan until hot and add the bones. Cook until well coloured. Add the celery, onion and carrot, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Add the bay, peppercorns and thyme and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer for about 2 hours, make sure liquid is topped up. Strain and use what you need. The rest can be frozen.

500g shin of beef
2 tablespoons oil
2 large carrots peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato puree
750ml beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic
350g pasta - I used pacheri
75g grated parmesan or hard cheese
Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a casserole until smoking hot. Season the beef with salt and sear on both sides for a couple of minutes. Remove from pan and add the onion, celery and carrots and the remaining tablespoon of oil. Cook for 5 minutes to colour then add the tomato puree and stir well. Cook for a minute and add the stock, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil and return beef to pan. Cover and bake in a 140oc oven for about 2 hours or until fork tender.
Cook the pasta according to the pack. Remove carrots and add 150ml of liquor and blend well. Take the remaining liquor and boil to reduce by half. Blend and check seasoning. Shred the beef and add to the meat liquor. Drain the pasta and add to the meat with the carrot puree, stir well and add a bit of cooking water to loosen if needed.
Mix in half the cheese and spoon into bowls. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and serve.
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Paula shows John how to make chocolate peppermint traybakes.