When lamb-shanks are done well, there can be few things to rival them. The lamb should be unctuously tender, and fall from the bone at the merest suggestion of a fork. Although the meat should be meltingly soft on the inside; that tenderness is countered by a thick, stickily-glazed crust. Succulent, brown, & caramelised is what we’re aiming for. The only word is mouth-watering!

Because lamb is so rich, I always tend to accompany it with ‘plainer’ vegetables. Whatever you use needs to provide a sharp contrast in texture with the softness of the meat; al dente cabbage is both seasonal and incredibly fresh-tasting, to counter out the depth of the lamb.

One trick with lamb is that it requires a generous amount of salt. To provide this, and equally introduce a third and final flavour to round off the other two; I’ve added blue cheese. This gives the dish that all important ‘saltiness’; yet is strong enough to hold its own against the lamb and cooked greens. Be careful not to choose a ‘blue’ which goes runny with heat (e.g. Gorgonzola). We don’t want the cabbage to be swimming in cream-sauce (that would compromise its freshness). Instead, we want little ‘taste-explosions’, so that the cheese doesn’t over-power the dish; rather ‘punctuate’ it.

I used a local cheese ‘Binham Blue’, which is artisan-made and has that slightly ‘chewy bite’ which doesn’t crumble or turn to liquid. For a blue-cheese, the taste is ripe & robust, but also mellow & delicate. I highly recommend it if you ever find yourself in these parts. Any blue you like will be fine however; as long as you bear in mind how the texture will respond to heat.

Start by seasoning your shanks. Seal these on a high heat until the surface starts to brown. Add a sliced onion and continue to seal in a hot oven for 20 minutes. Bring back to the hob and turn your oven right down to low (140-150º max). Deglaze the pan with a little port or red wine, then add a bayleaf, chopped herbs and a small amount of water. Place the lid firmly on the pan and roast in the slow-oven for ideally three hours. At this point, remove the lid and check the meat for tenderness by ‘nudging it’ with your spoon. The bone should have retracted by one quarter of the original and the meat should ‘threaten’ to fall off the bone if moved. Sprinkle a final amount of seasoning on the meat, then back into a hot oven with the lid off the pan for 20 minutes to ‘crisp up’ on top.

Meanwhile shred your cabbage. Steam for 5 minutes until tender but still with bite. Season, sprinkle in chopped herbs, then your diced cheese. A small knob of butter or ‘shake’ of oil with give the cabbage a shine and keep it glossy. Keep the stirring to a minimum to preserve the shape of the cheese, then pile up in the middle of your serving-plate. I like to add a small squeeze of lime to lift the cabbage.

Take your shanks out of the oven and position each one atop its cabbage-bed. Drizzle a few of the pan-juices around the bowl then voila! Dinner is served.

I needn’t tell you how good this is – you must try it yourself! The dish is suitable for a ketogenic-diet (LCHF), but also diabetics and gluten-intolerants. There’s no excuse therefore; everyone can get stuck in with gusto! And they’ll all agree it was worth the wait!

Thanks for reading and bon ap!

Adam.

Spatchcocking poultry is far easier than it looks. But why go to all the effort? Quite simply, the meat will cook far more quickly, as a greater surface-area is exposed to the heat. This makes the manifest joys of dishes like roast chicken easily accessible on a week-night! What would normally take two hours in the oven, only takes one, which is much needed when you’re late home from work!

Cauliflower rice is my new big discovery! I shall devote a specific post to its wonders later in the week; but trust me when I say, it’s one of those low-carb, diabetic and gluten-free dishes that will change your life! It adds that all important “fill-factor”, which can sometimes be missing on a ketogenic diet. Expect to see it cropping up a lot on this site therefore!

Satay is always a pleasure to cook. The thick, richness of the sauce is aromatic and truly satisfying. Above and beyond that, it’s incredibly easy to make! This dish may look carb-heavy and time-consuming, but in actual fact, it only takes an hour and couldn’t be simpler! Take my word for it – it will soon become a staple in your low-carb repertoire!

Start by spatchcocking your chicken. This is done by cutting down the length of the breastbone with a very sharp knife. This will open the chest-cavity, which you then break back on itself to flatten the bird out. Once done, trim the parson’s nose and neck-end, so that you have a nice neat butterfly. It’s worth noting that with a sharp knife, this is simple and takes 2 minutes. With a blunt knife, you’ll be hacking for hours and the finished product will very much reflect that. Like all things therefore, preparation pays off! Sharpen your knife.

Season the skin-side, applying a liberal amount of rock-salt and a good shake of dried herbs. Into a hot oven it goes for one hour, or until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, slice an onion and sauté in butter / oil until translucent. Then add chopped chilli and garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Shake in a good teaspoon of ground-cumin and coriander then, once the mix starts to clump, pour in a cupful of water. Add 2 chicken stock cubes and reduce to half its volume. Once reduced, stir in two large tablespoons of natural, unsweetened peanut butter and simmer on a low heat until thickened. If it gets too dry, pour in a little water. The texture we’re aiming for is melted chocolate. Immediately prior to serving, add a good squeeze of fresh lime-juice and chopped coriander. This lifts the dish and adds a freshness which cuts through the rich density of the peanut-butter.

If you’re having additional vegetables (I used mange tout), steam them for two minutes then toss in butter.

Whilst the sauce is reducing, pulse cauliflower-florets in a food-processor until they’re finely chopped to the size of rice-grains. Experience dictates that one cauliflower is best done in two batches to prevent purée! Sauté your ‘riced’ cauliflower in butter for 2-3 minutes, checking the texture at intervals to ensure it doesn’t over-cook and go soft. Once the required texture is achieved, pile onto your serving-dish and place the chicken beside it.

Spoon your sauce over the rice and chicken, then garnish with a flurry of chopped coriander. Rush to the table and serve piping hot. Delectable!

Thanks for reading and bon ap!

Adam.

When we think of traditional Autumn-fare, the mind conjures up thick stews and casseroles; roasted pumpkins, soups and sausages; all served up in thick chunky bowls to warm the hands and heart.

But that doesn’t mean we’re limited to such dishes. There can still be variety that’s both hearty and fresh, paying tribute to the last of the Summer. This recipe is exactly that!

The final solitary tomato from my garden has been sacrificed for this dish. Aubergines are still readily available and herbs staunchly retain their perfume, undiminished by the mists and encroaching chill.

Because this is a ‘warm salad’, it truly offers the best of both worlds! The fresh flavours of Summer are present in the basil, rocket and rich tang of olive-oil; but the comfort-qualities of Autumn equally abound, with oven-baked vegetables, salty griddled cheese and hot, succulent roast-chicken.

This tribute to the change in seasons can be enjoyed by diabetics, gluten-intolerants, paleo-fans and ketogenic-dieters alike! Curl up by the fire, but eat a taste of the sun. We need it in food; as darkness & cold slowly rob it from all place else!

Place your chicken-pieces into a roasting-tray and generously salt and pepper the skins. Sprinkle on some dried oregano and oven for one hour until the chicken is golden and brown.

Meanwhile, roughly dice your aubergine, courgette and red-onion and glug over some good quality olive-oil to coat. Mix in crushed garlic, chopped Greek-basil and season well. Place into the oven and bake for the same duration as the chicken.

Slice your halloumi and place it onto a baking-sheet, ready to be grilled 10 minutes before serving.

Arrange a mixture of lettuce, rocket-leaves, diced tomato, olives, peppers and radish in your salad-bowl. Leave a well in the centre to pile up your hot ingredients, so that the salad doesn’t wilt.

Take your chicken and vegetables out of the oven and set them aside for ten minutes, so that they lose a little of their heat. Then place your halloumi under the grill, with a light drizzle of oil. Turn once halfway through so that both sides get their share of the suntan.

Tumble the vegetables into the centre of your salad-bowl, then arrange the cooked cheese at reliable intervals. Top this with your chicken-pieces, more chopped Greek-basil and a final salute of olive-oil.

Hey presto! Dinner is served! And I can honestly say, if you don’t like this, then there’s no pleasing you!

Thanks for reading and bon ap!

Adam.

The beauty of steak lies in two things: its taste and its simplicity. Like many things in life; you get what you pay for! So I’d always rather have steak less frequently, but of higher quality.

Here, I team it with something you wouldn’t necessarily associate with low-carb eating: suet dumplings! These are made with almonds instead of flour; so present no problems to the gluten-free-, ketogenic- or diabetic-diner. The garlic mushrooms and dressed beans are a personal homage to French classicism. One thing the French do really well is vegetables, and I take my hat off to them for this combo!

Start with the dumplings. These work on the classic ‘half fat to flour’ ratio. Take 6oz of ground almonds and 3oz of beef suet to make 4 medium-sized dumplings (midway between golf-ball and tennis-ball – does that equal hockey-ball??? No idea). Make sure you check the packet if you’ve bought your suet from a supermarket. Some suets contain large amounts of flour to stop the grains from sticking together. Mix together in a bowl, add chopped herbs, salt and pepper, plus a pinch of bicarbonate-of-soda. Slowly add cold water, dribble-by-dribble; until the mix clumps together. If you use a dinner-knife to mix the water in, then you’ll see far more easily when the mix is cohesive enough to form a dough. A spoon tends to ‘smear’ and ‘spread’. A knife mixes neatly.

Form the dough into balls then steam over water for 5 minutes in a pan with a heavy lid. There may be some disintegration into the water, but that’s only natural. Transfer the dumplings to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until crisp on the outside.

While these are in the oven, heat your skillet-pan to a good searing heat. Throw in a little butter, then add your seasoned steak; enjoying the sizzle as it hits the pan. Turn after a couple of minutes and re-season the upturned cooked-side.

Chop some mushrooms and add these to the pan. Melt in a good spoonful of garlic butter, then rub what is left on the spoon onto the surface of the steak. For this quantity of garlic-butter, think one small clove of crushed garlic, to one large table-spoon of butter. Much more garlic and it acquires a ‘burn’. Remove the steak from the pan to rest, and continue to cook the mushrooms.

In the water used to steam the dumplings, steam your beans for 2 minutes until they’re cooked, but still have their bite. Season, dress with vinaigrette, then shave fresh parmesan-cheese over the lot.

Take the dumplings out of the oven and serve next to the steak. Spoon out your mushrooms, and pour a little of the buttery pan-juices over the steak and dumplings. Dish up the beans, help yourself to a spoonful of mild Dijon mustard; then head straight to the table whilst the whole thing is still piping hot!

The simple pleasures in life are always the best!

Thanks for reading and bon ap!

Adam.

Autumn sees the start of the English shooting-season. Few things could be finer or more quintessentially English, than the sight of ‘the guns’ returning; flushed with pride & resplendently decked with braces of partridge & pheasant. This is British cooking at its best.

Though the guns may be in top form; the game-birds still require a little longer to reach their peak. A few more weeks of feasting on autumn’s ripe harvest should give them that all important layer of fat which ensures succulence & flavour. Always therefore pick game with the heaviest marbling of fat. It will pay off in the eating!

For such a traditional thing, you may be surprised that I’ve chosen a German accompaniment – sauerkraut. The match is one made in heaven! The slight astringency of the wine-pickled cabbage, compliments the rich heady taste of game wonderfully. All you need is a good dollop of English mustard and you’re good to go!

Start with the sauerkraut. Sauté smoked-bacon pieces / lardons in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once brown, add a little butter, onion and garlic. Cook until the onions start to brown then add your drained, rinsed pickled-cabbage. Try to go for a type that’s been steeped in white wine and vinegar; the flavour is better.

ALWAYS rinse pickled cabbage, whether from packet, jar or can. If not, the flavour will be vinegary and unpleasant. That’s the quality that puts many people off. When it’s done properly it truly is a culinary inspiration!

You want to make sure the cabbage carries quite a lot of water from ‘the rinsing’ as it goes into the pan. This will prevent the dish from drying out. Crumble on a couple of chicken stock-cubes, season, then place the lid on the pan. Simmer on a very low heat for approximately an hour, checking periodically that the mix still has sufficient liquid to steam & not dry out.

Meanwhile, wrap your partridge in streaky-bacon and place a little sage-butter in the cavity (sage-butter? literally as it sounds). Season well, making sure that the skin has sufficient salt to crisp. Sprinkle with a final dusting of sage then place BREAST-SIDE-DOWN in a roasting dish. Then into a hot oven.

Why breast-side-down? The butter, and what little fat there is on the carcass; will melt and diffuse into the breast-meat, preventing dryness. Roast for 20 minutes until browned, then turn over in the tray. Re-season the breast-side then bake for a further 20 minutes until golden. Take out of the oven, cover in foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes or so, retaining the juices in the pan.

Place your green vegetables into the pan which held the partridge. Toss in the juices to coat, then oven-roast for 10 minutes until they’re cooked-through but still have bite. Now check the cabbage for seasoning and stir in a knob of butter.

Plate up the partridge and serve a generous spoonful of sauerkraut on the side. Dish up your vegetables and grate a small amount of parmesan on top for added richness.

This recipe really warms the cockles of the heart. Comfort-food doesn’t get more classic than this! And all without carbs.

Thanks for reading and bon ap!

Adam.