Christmas 2001.

Organic goose, from a petting butcher, for Christmas.
No photos until Boxing Day.

The goose was jointed and the entire breast section removed.  This was roasted in a high oven with potatoes, parsnips and carrots roasted in goose fat.  A stuffing of goose heart, apple, pancetta, cumin. whisky, bread crumbs and stock was baked in foil.

The last of the breast was served with gremolata (parsley, garlic and lemon zest) new potatoes, green beans and a dariole of the stuffing.
The gremolata is dry, but is 'watered in' with good olive oil.

The 21 month old pudding was considered too much of a handful for the big day and was served on Boxing Day.
The usual sauce of cream, sugar and Armagnac.  A Greek dessert wine gave a good account of itself.

The pud was very dark, but the camera makes it look very slightly blacker than it was.   The same is true of the caramelisation in some of the other pictures.  Really.

A spatchcocked quail on a warm green salad with apple, pancetta and champagne vinegar.

New Year's Eve.  A light meal of three courses, with Bollinger 1992 champagne.

Wild salmon eggs under a purée of cauliflower.  Served at room temperature, dusted with paprika.

Rillettes of the confit goose wings served with Spanish mini plum tomatoes, basil, olive oil and 30 year old balsamic vinegar.

The ravioli was bought in.  It was red pepper and prosciutto, served with basil, 2 year old parmesan and olive oil.

The new year was rung in with a fine malt, in our new whisky tasting glasses.

New Year's day featured a roast sirloin of British beef on roast carrot and parsnip.   The sauce tasted much better than it looks.  It was a velouté of jerusalem artichoke, horseradish and beef stock.
The beef was roasted in a hot oven and well rested; there were no pan juices.

Leftovers of cold beef, velouté and cauliflower purée.

Breast of organic chicken, grilled and rested in a 100C oven, served on wilted spinach, with nutmeg, and garlic mashed potato.  Potatoes boiled with a clove of garlic, put through a ricer then forked with butter, cream, salt and freshly ground white pepper.  The sauce is dark fowl stock with butter and a fecule of arrowroot.  The small piece on top is the fillet, that peels easily from the breast.  It is cooked separately, because it needs less cooking.

Two courses of fish, with Nyetimber English 'champagne'.
First a risotto of smoked trout and spring onion with white wine.  Served with wilted rocket and oyster mushrooms.

Then tuna covered with crushed black, pink and szechuan peppercorns and fennel seeds.   Seared on a hot grill and served with crisp braised fennel.

Confit of the pheasant legs on cannellini beans and courgette.  Dressed with olive oil and balsamic.

Mussels steamed open in fast boiling white wine, shallot, and parsley.  The broth is passed through a muslin and reduced down with double cream.  Season and add whole grain mustard and more parsley.

Followed by wild sea bass.  Fillet and rub the skin with salt.  Discard the gills and eyes to make a white wine fumet from the head and bones.  Sweat some celery and onion in butter, with peppercorns and lime leaves.  Add the fish bones and trimmings and, when they start to fry, add some white wine.  Add plenty of water because the more you have, the more easily the flavours will dissolve and it will be reduced off later.  Lightly poach for 20 minutes, to prevent bitterness being drawn out from the bones.  Pass (strain) and reduce right down over a higher heat.   When very intense, adjust seasoning and beat in olive oil over a very low heat.   Serve at once.  For more, less intense sauce, stop the reduction sooner and add a fecule of arrowroot before beating in oil.

Wipe the salt off and slash the fillets.  Heat a teflon frying pan far hotter than is good for it (use cheap teflon pans) and sear the skin side until brown and crisp.   Turn over to rest in a warm oven.  Thicker fillets can finish in a medium oven.

Briefly sauté spinach in butter and serve with porcini tagliatelle (bought).   Pronounced porcheenee tally-a-teh-lay.  It's nearer to tally than taglee, despite what you hear on the telly.