Mushroom and Mustard soup

With the country blanketed by snow what else can you think of but soup? A favourite recipe from my book An Appetite for Ale that makes a great pairing with a dark, Trappist beer. You can decide how creamy you want it - my preference is to add just a dash to the soup then swirl a little in each bowl to decorate.

Serves 3-4

50g butter
250g portabella mushrooms, wiped clean and roughly chopped
1 small onion (about 90-100g), peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small potato (about 75g), peeled and finely sliced
1 tbsp madeira or amontillado sherry
500ml fresh beef stock or stock made with a beef stock cube (or 2 level tsp yeast extract if you’re a veggie)
1 rounded tsp grain mustard
2 tbsp double cream (optional) + extra cream for swirling
A good squeeze of lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley or chervil to garnish

Heat a large saucepan or cast iron casserole for a minute or two, add the butter then as soon as it’s melted tip in the mushrooms. Stir and cook for about 8-10 minutes until any liquid created begins to evaporate. Add the onion, stir and fry for 3-4 minutes then stir in the garlic and fry for a minute longer. Add the potato, stir, then add the madeira and beef stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until the potato is cooked (about 12-15 minutes). Turn the heat off and cool for a few minutes then add the mustard.

Pass the soup through a strainer, reserving the liquid and put the mushrooms into a blender. Whizz until smooth then add half of the reserved liquid and whizz again. Add the remaining liquid and whizz. Pour the soup back into the pan or casserole. Pour 150ml of water into the blender to pick up the remaining soup you haven’t managed to scrape out and add to the pan. Add the cream if using then reheat gently without boiling.

Season with a good squeeze of lemon, a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish each portion with a swirl or splosh of cream and sprinkle over a little chopped parsley or chervil.

Recommended beer match: I found Westmalle Dubbel was a great match with this soup but you could also try it with a porter or stout.

Dark, sticky Christmas cake with prunes and Guinness

This delicious cake, which comes from my book An Appetite for Ale, is based on a recipe from one of Britain's best bakers Dan Lepard. Do use organic dried fruit in it - you’ll get a much better result.

250g currants
150g mi-cuit (semi-soft) prunes, preferably from Agen, cut into small pieces
200g organic dried apricots, cut into small pieces
125g large raisins
Grated rind of 1 unwaxed orange
150ml Guinness or similar stout
200g unsalted butter
1 tbsp mixed spice
150ml treacle
200g dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
300g spelt or wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder

You will also need a deep, loose-bottomed cake tin about 20cm in diameter, double-lined with baking parchment.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3

Combine the dried fruit and orange rind in a bowl. Pour the stout into a saucepan heat gently until hot (but not boiling) and pour over the fruit. Heat the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat and skim off the milky curds that rise to the surface. Simmer until it begins to deepen in colour then stir in the spice and treacle. Add to the fruit along with the sugar and stir well. Cool the mixture then add the lightly beaten eggs, bit by bit. Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the lined tin, pressing it down well and smoothing over the surface. Bake in the pre-heated oven for an hour, covering the top of the cake with foil if it starts to brown too quickly then turn the heat down to 140°C/275°F/Gas 2 for a further 1 1/2 - 2 hours until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the tin. Peel off the the baking parchment and cover with fresh parchment then wrap tightly in foil. You can eat it after a week but it will keep for up to a month.

This cake would taste great with a barley wine or a sweet sherry.

Essential steak sauce

From my cookbook Steak - now sadly out of print - a homemade alternative to demi-glace, a foolproof steak sauce that you can use on its own or as a basis for another dish such as bavette aux échalotes

Enough for 2-3 steaks

1 tbsp olive oil
15g (1/2 oz) butter
110g (4 oz) shallots or onion, peeled and roughly sliced
125ml (4 1/2 fl oz) red wine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
150ml (5 oz) beef stock, fresh or made with an organic beef stock cube
1 tsp butter paste*
Salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to taste

Heat the oil in a pan then add the butter. Once it has melted add the shallots, stir and cook for about 10 minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add the red wine and balsamic vinegar, bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced by about three-quarters. Add the stock and simmer for another 5 minutes. Strain, return to the pan and whisk in the butter paste with a wire whisk. Bring back to the boil and simmer until thickened. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce if you think it needs it.

* to make butter paste mash together equal quantities of soft butter and plain flour until you have a smooth paste.

Strawberry tiramisu

This is a slight adaptation of a fantastic recipe from Italian cookery writer Valentina Harris which I first tasted on one of her cookery courses in Tuscany and included in my book Food, Wine and Friends.

Serves 6
400g (14 oz) ripe strawberries
5 hard amaretti biscuits
2 large eggs, separated
40g (1 1/2 oz) caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp white rum
250g (9 oz) mascarpone cheese at room temperature
3 tbsp whipping cream
100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) pressed apple juice
1/2 a 200g pack of savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits)

You will need a medium to large, deep glass bowl

Hull the strawberries. Weigh out 100g and chop them finely. Slice the remaining strawberries and set aside.

Put the amaretti biscuits in a plastic bag, seal then bash them with a rolling pin until they are the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs.

Beat the egg yolks in a bowl with electric hand held beater or a whisk until pale yellow and fluffy, gradually adding the caster sugar as you go. Add the vanilla extract and a tablespoon of the white rum.

Tip the mascarpone cheese into a large bowl, beat with a wooden spoon to soften then gradually add the eggs and sugar and beat until smooth.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until they just hold a soft peak.

Fold the chopped strawberries into the mascarpone cheese mixture, then carefully fold in the egg whites.

Whip the whipping cream to a similar consistency then fold that in too together with a third of the crushed amaretti biscuits.

Mix the remaining rum with the apple juice. Dip some of the biscuits in the apple-rum mixture and lay across the base of your bowl.

Reserving some strawberries for decoration, arrange a layer of sliced strawberries over the biscuits then cover with a layer of mascarpone cream. Repeat with one or two more layers of soaked biscuits, strawberries and mascarpone cream, finishing with the mascarpone cream.

Cover the bowl tightly with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. About an hour before you serve up sprinkle the remaining amaretti biscuits over the top of the trifle then decorate with the remaining strawberries. Return the tiramisu to the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

Note: this recipe includes uncooked egg

What to drink: A well chilled glass of Moscato d'Asti would be perfect.