Recipes - Magnificant Mint Meals

Grant Dicker, head chef from mint Dining Room
Leek & Stilton Risotto

Stilton is an all season favourite. At mint dining room, we serve it with roasted mushrooms, pumpkin puree and garnish with micro salad leaves.
1 Onions, finely diced
2 Cups Carnaroli Rice
1 Clove Garlic
Vegetable Stock
1 Cup Ice
Splash white wine
75 ml Cream
Stilton (or similar blue cheese)
1 Small Leek, sliced finely
Unsalted Butter
Method:
Sweat onions and garlic in butter.
Add rice, season and sweat.
Add wine, cover with sufficient vegetable stock and cook on a medium heat for 10-12 minutes until liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Add more stock if required to achieve the desired texture.
Sweat the leek in a separate pan, add to risotto and then stir in cream and stilton.
Check seasoning and serve.
Ginger Parkin

At mint dining room, we serve our Ginger Parkin with Custard Ice Cream and an Orange & Rhubarb Crumble, but it is just as nice with lashings of whipped cream. A terrific warming pudding for those cooler Autumn & Winter evenings.

Parkin
170g (6 oz) Self-Raising Flour
4tsp Ground Ginger
½ tsp Mixed Spice
Pinch Nutmeg
115g (4 oz) medium Rolled Oats
6 heaped Tbsp Golden Syrup
2 Tbsp Black Treacle (the combined quantity of syrup and black treacle should measure 285ml)
170g (6 oz) Soft Brown Sugar (or ideally Muscovado Sugar if available)
170g (6 oz) Unsalted Butter
2 medium free-range Eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp Milk
1 Tbsp Ginger Wine, optional
2 large pieces stem Ginger, chopped
Method:
1. Sift the flour and spices into a bowl and stir in the oats.
2. Gently heat the syrup, black treacle, sugar and butter in a saucepan or microwave in a jug, until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add to the dry mixture and beat to combine well.
4. Beat the eggs with the milk and add to the pudding mixture, followed by the ginger wine if desired. Stir well. Pour into the prepared cake tin and sprinkle with the chopped stem ginger. Bake for 1 – 1 ¼ hours in a pre-heated oven at 140° Celsius (140°C/Fan 120°C/ 275°F/ Gas 1) until firm in the centre. Leave in the tin for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Vanilla Custard Ice Cream
340ml Full Cream Milk
250ml Cream
1 Vanilla Pod, split lengthways
8 large free range Egg Yolks
150g (5.25 oz) Caster Sugar
Method:
1. Put the milk and the cream in a saucepan with the vanilla pod (whole) and bring to the boil.
2. Remove from the heat as it boils point and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
3. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy.
4. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the cream and milk. Discard the pod.
5. Slowly pour the mixture onto the egg yolks and sugar and then return to the pan.
6. Heat gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Do not allow to boil.
7. When thickened and coats the back of the spoon, remove from the heat and plunge into a bowl of cold water for a few minutes.
9. When thoroughly cool, pour into your ice cream machine and churn for 20-25 minutes or until frozen.

10. Alternatively pour into a plastic container and place in the freezer, stirring after 2 hours. Repeat this freezing-whisking process two more times then leave until thoroughly frozen.