Sherry's Food

from Amy Claridge I have a marvellous bearded friend whom I fondly call The Marquis. He wears combat trousers, and plays cricket in Doc Martin boots painted white with emulsion. He inspired this cake. I was in his company once, when he suddenly said “Beavers at 4!” to his brother, Jason. It turned out that when they were schoolboys in the 50s and 60s, they would partake in tea and cake at 4 pm – as was the routine of their school. The general term for this cake – of any type – was ‘beavers’. So when I was trying to work out how to use up a load of Christmas dates and figs, I worked them into a traditional tea loaf recipe, and called it ‘beavers’. I could just imagine a young Marquis in shorts with grazed knees helping himself to a rather large slice whilst Jason salivated in the background.This recipe has been made numerous times since, and a couple of grease proof paper clad loafs, tied with twine, have made their way to the Marquis and his brother. I am assured that this cake tastes ...

Goes so well with the fruit in this dish, and is great served with some steamed purple sprouting broccoli. Mashed potato, parsnip or celeriac go well with this too. Serves 2 (huge portions) Ingredients • 1 small handful of fresh rosemary • 5 dried juniper berries • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • extra virgin olive oil • 1kg venison sirloin on the bone • 4 shallots, peeled and finely sliced • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced • 1 glass of robust red wine • 200g/7oz fresh blueberries (or blackberries) • 2 large knobs of butter Chop up the rosemary and juniper berries finely and add a really good pinch of salt and pepper. Pat the venison dry with some kitchen paper, and rub the oil mixture all over it. Add 2 good lugs of olive oil to a hot pan and sear the meat on all sides, and then transfer to a roasting tin and roast for about 30 mins in oven preheated to 180°C. Remove it from the oven when it’s cooked to your liking and allow it to rest on a plate for 10-15 mi...

This was inspired by the Primavera risotto I had in Strada, Bury St Edmunds. I quite like Strada - you can have lunch any time up until 5pm. Very Italian. Ingredients • 1 cup Basmati Rice • (a) Bunch of asparagus/Courgettes/Beans/Broad beans (depending on the season) • 2 big handfuls of baby Spinach leaves • Small bunch of mint, chopped • Handful frozen peas Dressing: • Bouillon powder • Olive oil • Vinegar • 4 oz Goats cheese (any crumbly cheese) Heat a pan, put a little oil in and add 1 cup rice. Cook for a couple of mins. Add 2 cups of boiling water, stir once and simmer, lid firmly on, 'til al dente (about 12 mins?). Chop the veg to approx same size pieces. Add the chopped veg (a) to the rice approx 5 mins before the end of cooking. Replace lid. Once the rice is cooked (all water absorbed), add the frozen peas, mint and spinach and stir. Make a light salad dressing with a little olive oil, vinegar and bouillon powder. Season to taste. Just before serving, stir thru the dressin...

This is unashamedly rich and luscious. Firstly, coffee and walnuts have a great affinity; secondly, so do coffee and creaminess; and thirdly, because the cake is soaked in coffee syrup, it's also meltingly moist. Serves 8 Ingredients For the sponge cake: • 1½ level tablespoons instant coffee mixed with 2 tablespoons boiling water • 3 oz (75 g) walnut halves • 6 oz (175 g) self-raising flour • 1½ level teaspoons baking powder • 6 oz (175 g) softened butter • 6 oz (175 g) golden caster sugar • 3 large eggs at room temperature For the syrup: • 4 tablespoon, 2 fl oz (55 ml) strong coffee • 2 oz (50 g) demerara sugar For the filling and topping: • 1 tablespoon coffee granules • 1 rounded tablespoon caster sugar • 10 w...

Takes about 10 minutes. This is low calorie and filling! Serves 2 Ingredients • 1 leek, chopped • 1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped (or more if you like) • Chilli, finely chopped (optional) • 1/4 head Broccoli, chopped into small florets • Juice of 1/2 lemon • 1/4 fennel, chopped • 1/6 savoy cabbage, chopped (a handful) • Splash of fish sauce • Splash of soy • 6 oz chicken strips (if they are raw, lightly coat them in corn flour) • 1 Pak Choy, chopped • 1/2 glass white wine • Splash of water • Pinch of buillon powder Fry the leek in a spponful of olive oil, add ginger and chilli (if using), stir, cook until leek beginning to wilt. Add broccoli, add lemon juice and fry for a minute, add the fennel and cabbage, add splash of fish sauce & splash of soy, cook for a min, add chicken strips, cook until chicken done. Add Pak Choy, and immediately deglaze pan with white wine. Add splash of water and pinch of Buillon. Stir, check the seasoning of the sauce. Serve.

serves 2ish as main meal/6 as tapas 1 lamb's liver, diced to 1cm cubes 1 red or green pepper, diced 1 or 2 lambs' hearts and or kidneys, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 large, mild onion, chopped 2 - 3 medium waxy potatoes, diced and parboiled to just tender Olive oil Fennel seeds or fronds (Quantities are all pretty 'loose' and can be varied according to taste. Traditionally, lambs' lungs are also included, but these are had to find in the UK. In Mallorca, supermarkets sell a set of lamb's bits for frito, pre-packed!) Cover bottom of a large frying pan with oil and gently fry the onion for about 15 mins, moving it now and then so that it doesn't colour. At the same time fry the pepper in a separate pay in oil. Remove the pepper from the oil and add to the onion with the garlic. Fry the potatoes in the oil from the peppers. Meanwhile, clear the onion and peppers from the centre to the edge of the pan and turn the heat up. Add the meat to the centre of the p...