Free Range Chef

          Rice crusted tuna with apple slaw and orange and citrus dressing
          Chermoula prawn skewer
         Lamb, mint and cucumber rolls with hazelnut dukkah and yogurt

• Horopito Pepper Rubbed Wild Venison

• Crispy Skin Ginger Snapper,

• Saffron and honey poached pear

From the 9 September to the 23 October the Rugby World cup is playing out on the New Zealand Stage

 

Hi Stephen
"Thank you so much for a wonderful evening last night, it was a great suprise and the food was amazing".
Louise Hope

"This chef provides an amazing experience in the comfort of your own home. Be it dinner parties of even a romantic dinner for two, Stephen delivers an exceptional service. Prompt in his response, professional in his approach and delicious in his delivery. You cannot fail to impress friends & family with the touch of this profesional chef and at suprisingly great value. Highly recommended. We look forward to using you again Stephen."  Danny Hope

We were all very impressed with yours and Lola’s manner and friendliness, nice that you guys were relaxed which meant we could relax.
The food offer was simple and delicious, looked great and I felt personally was executed well.
You should market the fact that you also set the table, as Lola seemed surprised that we had done this already? Also the fact that you basically cleaned up and cleaned all of the dishes by hand left a lasting good impression on us!

Well done, and we will definitely be recommending you to other groups both professional and personal and hope to use your service again.

Cheers, Brent Ardern.
In-Market Manager-McCashin’s Brewery
Stoke Beer, Frute Cider, Rochdale Cider, 26000 Vodka

I heartily agree with Brent’s comments. We had a great time, and you and Lola did a stunning job. Thanks so much.
Will definitely be recommending you in the future!

Mike & Rie Ardern

This dish has been requested, so here it is.
Fresh herb and Lemon Risotto

Serves 4

100g unsalted butter
A small onion, chopped finely.
1 Clove garlic, crushed
200g Arborio rice (I use Ferrons Vialone Nano)
250ml white wine
1 litre chicken stock or Vegetable Stock, hot. (I used Sabato stock)
1Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1Tbsp chopped Chives
1 lemon, zest and juice (you can add more to taste)
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a deep saucepan over a low heat.
Add the onion and garlic and soften it in the butter but do not colour it.
Stir in the rice, cook for two minutes and then add the white wine and let it bubble away until it has nearly gone.
Pour the hot stock onto the rice a ladle at a time letting the rice absorb each ladle before you add the rest.
Keep adding stock until the rice is lovely and creamy but still retains a slight bite.
Stir in the lemon zest, juice and Parmesan.
Season and eat.

Can serve with any fish fillets and Asparagus or add prawns and seafood to risotto before the last ladle of stock, just simmer through for 10 minute at the end.

You and your team did a fantastic job on Sat night!!!

From transforming our small kitchen into a restaurant style production line and back again (cleaner than when you started). Not to mention your friendly professional manner asking all the right questions which meant the night flowed effortlessly. And your team superseded our expectations providing service to the highest level, taking photos for us, reading the night beautifully and they made us feel like guests at our own party. Oh, how could I forget that amazing food, superbly presented and tasted even better …what an “out of this world” dessert. All guests were also very complimentary and very excited with each pre-meal commentary.
I have no problem giving verbal references should prospective customers require.
Gary & Liz

I thought Stephen was fantastic. He had the right combination of being really personable and producing amazingly delicious food. I was impressed with the amount of thought he’d put into our cooking session – preparing parts in advance meant we didn’t feel totally out of our depth and still had time to enjoy the evening.
Olivia Prentice.

Fillet of Beef
With a gold Kumra puree, garlic and thyme Portobello mushrooms, broad bean & sage crush, Madeira Jus, finished with truffle oil

400g fillet steak
400g Kumara
1 clove Garlic crushed
1 tblsp picked thyme
5 large Portobello mushrooms, brushed of dirt
400g broad beans
300g butter
250ml cream
Bunch of sage leaves (rough chop)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Trim fillet steak if needed; roll the fillet in glad wrap tightly. Roll into a cylinder shape tying both ends and refrigerate.

Make kumara Puree:
Peel kumara and cut into equal sized pieces, place in a pan with equal quantities of cream and water a knob of butter and salt.
Simmer till soft, when cooked drain keeping some of the liquid let cool slightly and process in a blender till smooth, adding butter, cream and salt to taste.
Pass through a fine sieve. Keep warm or chill till needed or Place in catering squeeze bottle for service.

Boil a pan of salted water; blanch the broad beans, about 6 minutes. Refresh under cold water, till completely cold.
Peel the broad beans put into bowl till needed.

Remove fillet steak and cut your required thickness of steak. If possible bring meat to room temperature.

Slice mushrooms on an angle horizontally.

To serve:
Heat Jus (see Recipe)
Heat a pan with 2tblsp oil, salt top of steak and when oil is hot add steaks searing the top for about 3 minutes. Turning and giving another 3 minutes, then seal all the sides. Cook in oven to your required taste.
Rest for 5 minutes.

Place another pan on with a knob of butter, heat and gently fry sage leaves, after a minute add broad beans and mix crushing them, add salt and pepper.

Heat a pan with olive oil and garlic for the mushrooms, when hot add mushrooms fry on high heat for 2-3minutes, being care full not to burn the garlic, add knob of butter and the thyme, salt and lots of cracked black pepper.
Remove from heat.
Reheat kumara in Bain Marie or if not in bottle, microwave or pan. Place mushrooms in a line along center of plate, a circle of kumera on each side of the mushrooms, broad bean crush to the side and the steak on top in the center of the mushrooms, pour Jus over and granish with truffle oil, micro herbs, kumera chips and truffle oil.

Duck Leg Confit
Makes around 600g

2 bay leaves
1tsp coriander seeds roasted and ground
Sprig of thyme
2 cloves garlic
2 star anise
1Tblsp ground black pepper
Orange zest
4 Tblsp Rock salt
600g Duck Legs
600g Duck Fat

Method:

Trim end of duck leg by running knife around the skin and scraping down the bone removing the knuckle.
Mix herbs and garlic, with spices orange and salt.
Coat duck legs with mix, cover and refrigerate over night. Or at least 12 hrs.
Heat oven to 160C
Wash marinate of the duck legs, pat dry.
Melt duck fat
Place duck in oven proof tray and pour over duck fat, the legs must be completely covered. Cover with foil.
Cook till tender, 2-3hrs until meat nearly falling of bone.
Cool duck in the oil drain well when ready to use.
Duck legs can be stored in Duck fat for a month. Can also freeze.

Vegetable Farro

200g Farro
60g Shallots fine chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
50g pancetta
½ carrot cut into small squares
100ml white or red wine (optional)
500ml Chicken stock
2tblsp Porcini paste
Parmesan cheese to taste

For the Vegetables
1 yellow and, 1 green courgette halved lengthways and deseeded (use 2 green in total if you can’t find yellow) Sauté till soft.
50g peas blanched
50 g Mushrooms sliced
1 baby gem lettuce, or Webb’s lettuce leaves separated
extra virgin olive oil
a good bunch of, flat-leaf parsley, chopped
a squeeze of lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Wash Farro.
Soak for 15 minutes in fresh cold water. Drain well
Heat a pan and fry the pancetta, once it has released some of its oil, add shallots garlic, carrot and bay leaf, cook till soft.
Add the Farro and stir through for a few minutes.
If using wine add and cook Farro on a gentle heat till wine is all gone.
Heat stock to simmering; add to Farro 1 to 2 cups at a time cooking through till all gone and testing the rice.
Add mushrooms.
When the faro is cooked add porcini paste and stir through,
Then add parmesan, peas, courgettes, and lettuce cook/warm through.
Season to taste add parsley.
To give a shine add a knob of butter.

Serve with Confit Duck

Apple and cinnamon crème caramels

For the caramel

500ml of tart apple syrup (fine this in Sabato or any good deli shop)

Reduce this by half then add a centimetre to the bottom of the ramekin. Reserving 1table spoon for the creme

For the crème

425ml cream
½ level tsp of ground cinnamon
100g cater sugar
1 tbsp of above caramel
4 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract

1. Put the cream and sugar on a low heat stir to dissolve sugar.
2. Whisk in the ground cinnamon.
3. Heat cream to hot ,not simmering or boiling.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add the caramel, and vanilla extrac tand whisk in to cream.
6. Put the eggs into a bowl whisk lightly. Pour the cream over the eggs stirring as you do so. mix well .
7. Pass this through a sieve and pour cream on top of the caramel to the top.
8. Place the crème caramels in to a baking tray with hot water.
9. Cover and cook on 160C for about 30 mins till set.
10 .Remove from water and chill.

To Serve
Dip bottom of ramikin into a warm water bath being careful not to get water inside or on the creme, gently use a knife around the edges to loosen caramel place a plate on top of caramel and flip quickly over so the creme caramel falls out

Gorgonzola stuffed mushrooms

The pinch of sugar will really bring out the sweetness of the onion and tomatoes
so don't leave it out!

4tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
Pinch sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
2tbsp chopped lemon thyme
75g (3oz) semi-dried tomatoes, chopped
200g bag baby spinach
4 large field mushrooms
75g (3oz) Gorgonzola, cubed (I use Puhoi )

1.Heat half the oil in a pan, add the onion and gently cook for 15 mins until very soft. Add the sugar, garlic and lemon thyme, and cook for a further 2 mins. Add the semi-dried tomatoes, season well and set to one side.

2.Put the spinach in a large pan with a splash of water. Heat through for a couple of minutes until lightly wilted. Season and squeeze out any excess water.

3.Put each mushroom on a baking sheet, drizzle with the remaining oil and season.

4. Divide the spinach and put on top of the four mushrooms, now add the cheese and then the onion and tomato mixture. Bake for 10-15 mins in a preheated oven at gas 4/180°C/350ºF until cooked through and the cheese oozes out.

Serve on a bed of fresh salad or rocket leaves with an extra drizzle of olive

Grilled prawns with chorizo butter recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the prawns:

12 king prawns, part peeled with head and tail left on
Olive oil to cover
1 lemon, zest
2 garlic cloves, diced
25g paprika picante
4 sprigs of thyme, picked

For the chorizo butter:
125g mini Catalan chorizo picante
100ml red wine
50ml cabernet sauvignon vinegar (any good red wine vineagar is fine)
1 fine diced red chilli
250g lightly salted butter, room temperature
Juice of 1 lemon

For the aioli:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
½ lemon, juiced
300ml vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the fritada sauce:
75ml olive oil
175g diced shallots
100ml of sherry vinegar
100ml of white wine vinegar
500ml red pepper puree
11 tomatoes blanched peeled and cut into ¼ - leave the seeds in
1 garlic clove, chopped

For the parsley oil:
½ bunch of parsley leaves
25ml olive oil
25ml vegetable oil

For the garnish:
Balsamic vinegar
Lemons wedges
Paprika picante for dusting
4 skewers

Method:
1. Peel the prawns leaving the head and tail on, put 4 prawns on each skewer, place into a container pour over enough olive oil to cover. Add the lemon zest, diced garlic, paprika picante and thyme. Mix well and leave to marinade for a maximum of 24 hours.

2. To make the chorizo butter, cut chorizo into rings into a frying pan and heat gently. Allow for some of the excess fat to come out of the chorizo for a few minutes, turning the chorizo to allow maximum oil to be released.

3. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and vinegar, add the chilli and reduce the liquid by half and then liquidise to a puree. Set aside to cool, add to the softened butter along with the juice of one lemon and mix well. Place onto a large piece of cling film and then roll into a sausage shape and set in the fridge for an hour.

4. For the aioli, mix together egg yolk, white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard to a paste. Add crushed garlic, then slowly whisk in the oil until aioli reaches a thick consistency. Add lemon juice and check seasoning. Refrigerate until needed.

5. For the fritada sauce, heat a heavy bottomed saucepan and add the olive oil and the shallots. Cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, being careful not to pick up any colour. Add the vinegars and reduce to a syrup, add the red pepper puree and the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook on a low heat for approx 1-1½ hours, stirring occasionally. When the sauce has reduced by a third remove from the heat and add the chopped garlic. Set aside until needed.

6. For the parsley oil, place the oil and the parsley in a liquidiser blend for about two minutes, pass the oil through a coffee filter and store until needed.

7. When ready to serve, take the skewered prawns and place on a hot griddle pan. Cook for 1½ minutes on each side. Take a sauté pan, heat and add some of the chorizo butter. Cook until foaming, add the prawns for 20 seconds. Dress the prawns on the plate with the fritada sauce, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and the parsley oil. Serve with the aioli, a wedge of lemon and a light dusting of paprika

Asparagus, Crab and Lemon Risotto

Serves 4

100g unsalted butter
A small onion, chopped finely.
200g Arborio rice
250ml white wine
400g asparagus
1 litre chicken stock, hot
200g cooked crab meat
2 lemons, zest and juice
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a deep saucepan over a low heat.
Add the onion and soften it in the butter but do not colour it.
Stir in the rice, cook for two minutes and then add the white wine and let it bubble away until it has nearly gone.
Chop the asparagus into 3cm lengths.
Pour the chicken stock onto the rice and add the asparagus.
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 15minutes, until the rice is lovely and creamy.
Stir in the crabmeat, the lemon zest, juice and Parmesan.
Season and eat.