Masterclass in how to cook the Bettys way

OVER 20,000 customers, from all over the world, have attended courses at the Bettys Cookery School since it opened ten years ago. The School was founded by Lesley Wild, chairman of Bettys & Taylors and a member of the Bettys family, who spotted the potential for her dream of a purpose-built school on the site of a couple of leaky old cow sheds in a corner of the family business’s site at Plumpton Park. To celebrate its 10th anniversary the cookery school has developed a speical menu for Life & Style readers

Fillet of Yorkshire Trout with Char-grilled Asparagus Spears

Serves 2

Drizzle of olive oil, 4 trout fillets (boned), 8 asparagus spears (trimmed and peeled), freshly ground black pepper

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Place the trout fillets onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook under a pre-heated grill until the flesh has become firm; approx 3-5 mins.Brush a hot griddle with olive oil. Place the asparagus on the griddle. Cook for 2-3 mins, turning regularly. To serve, arrange the asparagus on a plate, top with the trout fillets and finish with a spoonful of the Blood Orange Hollandaise Sauce.

Blood Orange Hollandaise Sauce

Serves 2

2 tbsp blood orange juice, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 175g butter, 3 egg yolks (medium eggs), 1 tsp caster sugar, apinch of salt

Place the orange juice and white wine vinegar in a small saucepan over a moderate heat and simmer for one minute. In another pan, melt the butter on a moderate heat so it does not colour. Using a hand blender, blend together the egg yolks, sugar and salt for a few seconds. Gradually add the warm orange juice and vinegar followed slowly by the melted butter.Check the seasoning. Keep warm by standing the bowl in a bain-marie. Note: Hollandaise sauce will set too firmly if allowed to get too cold and it will curdle if overheated.

Cannon of Lamb with a Mint Pesto Crust and Goat’s Cheese & Chive Risotto

Serves 2

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For the risotto: 200g risotto rice, 4 shallots (finely chopped), 2 garlic clove (crushed), 50ml dry white wine, 25g Parmesan cheese, 600ml of vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube (keep hot), 1 tbsp chives (chopped), 100g goat’s cheese, salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the lamb: Drizzle of olive oil, 2 loins of lamb (150g each), 20g fresh mint leaves, 60g pine nuts, 1 garlic clove, 50g grated Parmesan cheese, 50g fresh white bread crumbs, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

For the pesto crust: place the mint leaves, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese into a food blender. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into the blender and until mixed. Finally, stir the bread crumbs through. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour onto a baking tray and set aside. Heat a frying pan and add a little oil. Place the lamb loins in the pan and sear until all sides are browned. When the lamb has completely cooled, brush with Dijon mustard then roll in the pesto crust to cover. Place onto a clean baking tray.

Heat a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat, add a little oil and cook the shallots and garlic until soft without colour. Add the rice to the pan and cook for 1 min. Add the wine and reduce until evaporated. Add a small quantity of the stock to the pan, stirring gently. When the liquid has been absorbed, add further stock and repeat until all the stock has been used or the risotto is tender. This should take about 20 mins. Half way through cooking the risotto, place the lamb into the oven and bake for 8-10 mins. Once cooked, leave to rest for four mins under aluminium foil.Finish the risotto by stirring through the goat’s cheese, Parmesan and chopped chives.

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Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. After the resting time, slice the lamb loins into portions using a sharp knife.

Coffee Crème Brûlée

Serves 2

4 egg yolks, 25g sugar, 150ml double cream, 1 tsp of freshly ground coffee, ½ a vanilla pod, caster sugar to sprinkle

Pre-heat oven to 120°C. Mix egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Slice the vanilla pod in half and scrape the seeds out. Heat the cream, coffee and vanilla seeds and pod in a heavy based saucepan until just below boiling point, and immediately remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly and let the coffee and vanilla infuse for five mins. Pass the mixture through a sieve onto the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Whisk all the ingredients together until incorporated. Once combined, transfer the mixture into a jug and pour it into ramekins.Put the ramekins into a roasting tray, then pour in sufficient boiling water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 50 mins until they are set. Allow to cool thoroughly. Place in the fridge for a minimum of five hours. To serve, sprinkle caster sugar over the top of the brûlée and glaze with a blow torch or under a hot grill. Serve with the Pain d’Amande biscuits.

Pain d’Amande Biscuits

Makes 10 biscuits

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60g butter, 150g brown sugar, 40g water, 40g roasted chopped hazelnuts, 40g chopped almonds, 40g pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped, pinch of salt, pinch of cinnamon , 250g plain flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat the oven to 180°C.Heat the water, brown sugar and butter in a pan until melted. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.Make a well in the flour mixture, pour in the wet ingredients and mix. Once combined, place into a small loaf tin, cover with cling film and set in the fridge for 12 hours. Once set, take the dough out of the loaf tin, slice very thinly and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool.

* www.bettyscookery schoolco.uk