Producers set out their stalls for city festival

In addition to the annual programme of events, such as food sampling, demonstration kitchens and celebrity drop-ins, for the first time over 100 stallholders will descend on Millennium Square from July 1-3 at the Yorkshire Food and Drink Show. The Yorkshire Post/Yorkshire Evening Post show, which is free to the public, will include stalls selling cheeses, chutneys, ice cream, wines and beers stalls as well as a number of kitchens with hot food. As part of the wider festival, The Taste of Spain exhibition will bring to Leeds city centre a little corner of Spanish sun and frivolity.

There will be a theatre kitchen with cookery demonstrations in Millennium Square, masterclasses with top chefs, kids’ pizza making and medieval cookery. All this will be accompanied by a series of special offers and promotions by Leeds restaurants and hotels. To get you in the mood, some of the top chefs who are supporting the Leeds Loves Food festival and Yorkshire Food and Drink Show have given us some of their favourites recipes.

CROISSANT BUTTER PUDDING

The Leeds Kitchen by James Martin, Alea Casino

Serves six

1 pint milk, 1 pint double cream,1 vanilla pod, 9 egg yolks, 150g caster sugar, 5 large croissants, 25g/1oz sultanas, 25g/1oz butter, melted, 100g white chocolate, grated, icing sugar, ½ lt / 18fl oz vanilla ice cream

Pre-heat the oven to 175°C. Pour the milk and cream into a pan, add the vanilla pod, and gradually bring to the boil.Place the eggs and sugar together in the mixing bowl and whisk together.

While the cream is heating, slice the croissants and place into the individual metal rings (1in deep 3ins wide ) line each one with clingfilm and place into an ovenproof dish, slightly overlapping the pieces place the sliced croissant. Sprinkle with sultanas and pour over the butter.

Once the cream has boiled, take it off the heat. Add the egg mixture and chocolate and stir well. Set on one side to allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally.

Next, using a sieve, strain the cream and pour over the croissants, cover the tray with foil and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until almost set. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly dust with icing sugar. Caramelise the topping using a blow-torch then serve with the vanilla ice cream.

Ippo di Mare alla Limoncella

Casa Mia, Leeds

Serves four 4 x 170-200g halibut fillets or steaks, 500g cherry tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, 50ml extra virgin olive oil, 10ml biancolella white wine, 50ml balsamic vinegar reduction, fresh basil, salt & pepper to taste

Brush the halibut with extra virgin olive oil and charcoal grill, be careful not to overcook it, approximately three to four minutes should be enough.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and then add the garlic. When golden, add the tomatoes, let it cook for two minutes, then add the white wine and cook for a further four minutes.Place the cooked fillet of halibut on a plate, add the basil to the tomatoes, and stir. Then place on top of the halibut. To make the balsamic vinegar reduction, bring 100 mls balsamic vinegar to boil add 25g sugar and reduce by a third. Drizzle the halibut with the balsamic vinegar reduction and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

GIN AND SLOE BERRY CURED SALMON

Mint Hotel, Leeds

Serves 18

1 side of salmon

For the marinade: ½ bottle of sloe gin, 1000g salt, 500g sugar, zest and juice of two lemons, 10g fennel seeds, 10g juniper berries. For the beetroot jelly: 1000g beetroot (plus cooking liquor), 100ml red wine vinegar,seasoning, 4 leaves of soaked gelatine. Garnish:slice radish extra fine 5g per plate,baby cress. For the dill crème fraîche: 500ml crème fraîche, 25g coarsely chopped dill, juice of 1 lemon, seasoning

Blend gin and aromats in blender add to salt and sugar, pour over salmon and cure for 24 hours.Wash thoroughly the beetroot and cook with skin on, (approx. 25-30 minutes) once cooked whilst still warm, peel and blend the beetroot with 100ml of the cooking water so that it is just liquid, season with salt, vinegar and sugar, add four leafs of soaked gelatin and set in the fridge. Cut in to a 1cm dice. D-cut the salmon, (approx. six or seven slices) and lay neatly down the centre of the plate. Place the same amount of beetroot jelly at even intervals, garnish with radish, cress and dill creme fraiche.

Goats’ cheese parcel

Brasserie Blanc , Leeds

200g goats cheese pieces approx (50g per portion approx), Filo Pastry , mixed salad leaves for salad, 100g French beans, 1 egg yolk to glaze filo pastry.Olive tapenade: 100g Black pitted olives, 25g anchovy fillets, 50g capers, 25g peeled garlic, 10ml olive oil

Take two sheets of the filo pastry and cut into quarters.

Take one of the square pieces of pastry, lie it flat and coat one side of the pastry in egg wash. Place the goats cheese in the centre of the pastry sheet. Put one teaspoon of the tapenade on the top of the goat cheese. Carefully fold the pastry up and over the goats cheese to form a parcel. Take the second piece of filo pastry and coat again with egg wash.

Place the goats cheese parcel with the enveloped end upside down in the centre of the second piece, and gain slowly fold the edges up and over to form a double-sealed parcel which stops the cheese and tapenade from escaping during the cooking process.

Deep fry or bake the parcel until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Serve with a fresh mixed leaf salad (add your favourite salad dressing).

Build a small tower with the French beans and sit the cooked goats cheese parcel on top. Serve with homemade tomato chutney

* www.leedslovesfood.com for details.