Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: about 10 minutes

Ingredients
4 x 150g (5oz) cod loins or chunky cod fillets
300ml (½pt) semi- skimmed milk
4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
50g (1¾oz) butter
50g (1¾oz) plain flour
125g (4½oz) Edam cheese, grate
5ml (1tsp) English mustard
2 egg yolks
10ml (2tsp) Worcestershire sauce
30ml (2tbsp) freshly chopped parsley.

Method

1. Place the milk in a large saucepan; add the peppercorns and bay leaf.
2. Add the cod in a single layer, bring to the oil, cover and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, until half cooked.
3. Carefully remove the cod with a fish slice, place in an ovenproof dish and keep warm. Reserve the milk.
4. Gently melt the butter in a medium pan and stir in the flour to make a paste. Strain the milk and gradually add to the paste, whisking continuously until a smooth thick sauce is formed. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, mustard, egg yolks, Worcestershire sauce and parsley.
5. Preheat the grill to high, top the fish with the mixture and grill for 4-6 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve at once with mashed potatoes and peas.

Cook's tip

This recipe also works well with smoked haddock or other firm white fish. For a change, try serving with boiled new potatoes and fresh spring greens.

by Lucy Lott - EDAM - lucy.lott@beattiegroup.com

Ingredients:

• 250g butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 250g flour
• 250g chocolate (at least 50% cocoa)
• 5 eggs

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 170°C or 340°F or Gas mark 4
2. Melt butter and chocolate in a bainmarie of over a very low heat (so chocolate does not burn) in a non stick pan
3. Once melted add sugar and remove from heat and stir for 1 min
4. Sieve flour into mixture and stir well
5. Then add the eggs (pre-beaten), and stir until all has dissolved into mixture.
6. Pour mixture into a well greased (preferably use baking paper) baking tray
7. Place in the oven for 20-30mins. When ready brownies should be gooey in the middle and have a firm outer edge.
8. Allow to cool and then turn out, slice into squares and stack with fresh strawberries on a serving plate and dust with icing sugar.

Jonny Kaberry

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 50g butter, soft
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup borwn sugar
• 1 extra large egg, or two small ones
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coffee liquor or tsp instant coffee mixed into one tbs of water
• 1 cup chocolate chips (white, milk or dark)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 190 C
2. Stir flour, oats, baking soda and salt together in small mixing bowl
3. In large bowl combine butter, white sugar and brown sugar using whisk (electric)
4. Add egg, vanilla extract, coffee liquor or coffee until creamy.
5. Then slowly add a small portion of the dry mixture blending thoroughly before adding the next small amount.
6. Finally add chocolate chips and mix through
7. Drop 1-2 teaspoon mounds of cookie dough onto baking sheet, on baking tray, 2 inches apart.
8. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown throughout.
9. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 2-3 mins before further cooling on baking rack.

Enjoy your cookies!

Josie Hill

Carefree Christmas Cake

Ingredient
275g (9½oz) Julian Graves sultanas
275g (9½oz) Julian Graves raisins
115g (4oz) Julian Graves pitted dates, chopped
115g (4oz) Julian Graves dried unsulphured natural apricots, chopped
100g (3½oz) Julian Graves glacé cherries, quartered juice and zest of 1 large orange
100ml apricot brandy or Grand Marnier
225g (8oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
225g (8oz) dark brown soft sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
225g (8oz) plain flour, sifted
1tsp each Julian Graves ground mixed sweet spice, cinnamon and nutmeg
100g (3½oz) Julian Graves roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1tbsp black treacle

To decorate

Handful Julian Graves raw pistachio kernels

Handful Julian Graves pecan nuts

Handful Julian Graves roasted hazelnuts

Selection of Julian Graves dried fruits such as apricots, figs, dates and glacé cherries

75ml (5tbsp) apricot jam

Ribbon to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 150C, (130C fan oven), gas mark 2. Grease and line a 23cm (9in) deep spring form cake tin with baking parchment or greaseproof paper and set aside.
2. Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until soft and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition - if the mixture begins to curdle, add a little flour.
3. Add the remaining flour, spices, hazelnuts, soaked fruit with all their juices and black treacle. Use a large spoon to fold it all together.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and with the back of a spatula, level the top. Tie a double layer of brown parchment paper or newspaper the outside of the cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 3 - 3¼ hours. To test whether the cake is cooked, insert a metal skewer into the centre - it should come out clean. Cool the cake in the tin on a cooling rack.
5. Remove the cake from the tin and leave on the parchment/greaseproof paper. Wrap in foil and place in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place until required. Cake can last up to three months.
6. To decorate the cake, peel away the parchment/greaseproof paper from the cake and use a sharp knife to level off the top if needed. Turn the cake over so you use the bottom of the cake as the top and place on a serving board.
7. To make the apricot glaze, place the jam and 30ml (2tbsp) water into a small pan and heat gently, then sieve into a small bowl. Brush a little of the glaze over the cake. Arrange the fruit and nuts over the top in a higgledy piggledy fashion and brush with apricot glaze. Fix ribbons of your choice around the cake and finish by tying in a bow.

Lesley Waters

We all have our favourite producer for local meat, so what’s better than coming home to a quick sausage casserole, using the best of Lancashire’s produce? I’ve used Booths thin Cumberland sausages here, but any good quality thin sausages are fine for this recipe!
Ingredients

- Favourite Sausages, 2/3 per person
- Local onions - sliced – half per portion
- Mixed sweet peppers – sliced - half per portion
- Garlic to taste (I roast mine off, and keep in olive oil, much more flavour!)
- Sunflower oil
- Balsamic vinegar, port or sherry
- Parsley to garnish

Method

1. Fry the sausages, until golden brown, remove from the pan, and drain on kitchen paper, if you are watching the fat content. Keep warm.
2. Into the pan drizzle some oil, and slowly saute the onion until soft, but not browned; this releases the sugars.
3. Add the sliced peppers and garlic and saute until softened.
4. Slice the sausages back into the pan and stir through, adding a splash of balsamic vinegar, port or sherry for additional richness. Warm through thoroughly, and season to taste.
5. Snip some parsley over the dish, to serve.

Serve garnished with roughly chopped parsley, with some delicious buttery mashed potatoes, and fresh, local vegetables… fantastic!

For extra flavour, and a great idea if serving this dish for guests, roll each individual sausage round on itself, to make a pinwheel, and secure with a stick of stripped rosemary, leaving the top of the herb intact.

You can dry the stripped rosemary to use with lamb during the winter, or, pour boiling water over it, allow to cool, and use as a final rinse for dark coloured hair!

by Philippa James, Cookery Consultant, UKTV Food Hero Finalist 2007, and BBC Radio Lancashire Food Correspondent.  For more about Philippa and her cookery courses visit: www.philippas.co.uk

Read about the world's biggest hotpot here.