Recipes: Three chefs give early taste of food festival

Chefs Barrington Douglas (from Discovery Bay, featured on the F Word and Rhodes around the Caribbean) and Tim Bilton (from The Butcher’s Arms, featured on Great British Menu) will compete in a ready, steady, cook style competition.

For the first time, Honley based Mustard and Punch will be having a stall and chef Richard Dunn will be taking part in cookery demonstrations. Here the three chefs give a taste of what’s to come for you to try at home.

Ackee and Saltfish.

Barrington Douglas, Discovery Bay

Serves 4

½ lb Saltfish (dried, salted codfish), 1 (drained) can of tinned ackees, 1 medium onion, ½ tsp black pepper 3 tbsp of butter, ½ a hot chilli pepper (ideally Scotch Bonnet), 1 sweet pepper 1 chopped tomato, 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme. Optional ingredients: 2 cloves of garlic, 4 scallion (or spring onions), 6 rashers of bacon.

A traditional Jamaican recipe, ackee and saltfish has become known internationally as the country’s national dish. The ackee fruit was imported to Jamaica from West Africa before 1778, it is also known as blighia sapida

First cover the saltfish in cold water. Let soak overnight (minimum 8 hours) changing the water several times (this removes most of the salt)

Bring a pan of cold water to the boil and gently simmer the fish for 20 minutes (until the fish is tender). Chop the onion, sweet pepper, chilli pepper and tomato.

Remove the fish from water and allow to cool. Remove all of bones and skin then flake the flesh of the fish.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and stir fry the onion, black pepper, sweet pepper, chilli and thyme for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and flaked fish and stir-fry for another 10 minutes. Add the Ackee and cook until hot throughout. Stir gently to avoid breaking-up the Ackee

Pan roast loin of Round Green Farm Venison

Tim Bilton, Butchers Arms

400g trimmed venison loin, 4 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs rosemary, 1 clove garlic, 20ml rapeseed oil, 4 juniper berries, 1 tsp Womersley apple and geranium jelly

Little Venison cottage pie: 2 shallots chopped, ½ carrot chopped, ½ stick celery chopped, ½ leek chopped, 20g mushrooms diced, sprig thyme and rosemary, bay leaf, ½ litre venison stock, 400g venison mince, 200ml red wine, 500g potatoes, 30g butter, 20ml cream, 1 egg yolk.

Pontefract cake sauce: 500g venison bones, 30g carrots, 30g shallots, 30g celery, 30g leek, 10g mushroom, sprig thyme, rosemary, parsley stalks, bay leaf, 4 juniper berries, 200 ml red wine, 3 Pontefract cakes, 20 ml oil for frying

Trim all sinew from the venison loin. Tie with string to form a round compact steak. Lay out a piece of cling film, drizzle with the oil, season with pepper and place sprigs of rosemary and thyme on to the cling film with the roast garlic and juniper berries. Place the venison on top and wrap tightly to season and marinade. Leave in the fridge until required.

After cooking, place on apple jelly

In a pan, brown the venison mince, remove. Sweat the vegetables in a pan and then add the browned venison mince, tie the herbs to make a bouquet garni and place into the mince. Add the red wine and reduce, add the venison stock. Boil the peeled potato until soft, drain and mash. Mix in the cream, butter and egg yolk. Place into a piping bag with a star nozzle. When the mince has reduced season to taste and place into copper pan. Pipe the creamed potato on top and place into a hot oven to brown the potato.

Roast the venison bones and trim until brown. In a large heavy pan brown the vegetables. Add the herbs and juniper berries. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, add the browned bones and trim and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and skim any scum from the top. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12 hours. Pass the stock into a clean pan and reduce until the stock thickens or coats the back of the spoon.

Serve with roasted veg.

Yorkshire Curd Tart

Richard Dunn, Mustard and Punch

600g Yorkshire curd, 4oz unsalted butter, softened, 2oz caster sugar, 2 medium eggs, well beaten, pinch of salt, ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, pinch salt, ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground allspice, 2oz plump, seedless raisins, 2oz currants. For the pastry: 4oz plain flour, pinch of salt, 2oz butter, cubed, 2-3 tbsp cold water

Heat the oven 170C/Gas 3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough becoming warm.

Add the water to the mixture and using a cold knife stir until the dough binds together; add more cold water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry.

Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes, up to 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to ¼in/5mm thick. Grease and then line a 1½in/4cm deep, 8in/20cm tart tin with the pastry. Prick the base all over with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Line the tart case with baking/greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Cook for 15 minutes or until the pastry is a pale golden colour. Leave to cool. In a large baking bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and light and pale in colour.

Tip the curd into the creamed butter; add the beaten eggs, salt, nutmeg, allspice and beat well until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Finally stir in the breadcrumbs, raisins and currants.

Pour the curd mixture into the prepared tart case and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Leave the tart to cool, and then serve. Serve with good quality ice cream.

Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival runs from tomorrow until Sunday. www.foodanddrinkfestival.co.uk for full details.