The Butchers Arms, Woolhope, Herefordshire HR1 4RF. Tel 01432 860281
Good Eating and Drinking Email: food@butchersarmswoolhope.co.uk
Good Eating and Drinking Email: food@butchersarmswoolhope.co.uk
‘Stephen Bull is a genuine food hero’
Fork Magazine, Autumn 2009
Fork Magazine, Autumn 2009
Cheese Biscuits (Sablés)
The high fat content of these little biscuits gives them their sandy (sablé) texture. They need to be highly seasoned. It's worth making a big batch as they disappear quickly. They freeze well.
350 gm plain flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
350 gm grated strong Cheddar or blue cheese
350 gm diced cold butter
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 375F, 190C
Put the flour, salt and cayenne pepper in the blender, mix quickly, and add the cheese and butter, taking care not to overwork the mixture (it would get too soft). Wrap in Clingfilm and keep in the freezer until needed.
Use cold, a quarter of the pastry at a time. Beat with a rolling pin a few times, tear into chunks and reform into a ball. Roll onto an unfloured board to a thickness of 2 mm. Cut into circles with a 4 or 5 cm cutter, or into squares. Form the trimmings into another ball, and roll out as before.
Put on a baking tray (no greasing necessary). Chill for five minutes and then eggwash the sablés which helps to hold them together. Try to avoid the eggwash dripping on to the tray. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.
The high fat content of these little biscuits gives them their sandy (sablé) texture. They need to be highly seasoned. It's worth making a big batch as they disappear quickly. They freeze well.
350 gm plain flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
350 gm grated strong Cheddar or blue cheese
350 gm diced cold butter
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 375F, 190C
Put the flour, salt and cayenne pepper in the blender, mix quickly, and add the cheese and butter, taking care not to overwork the mixture (it would get too soft). Wrap in Clingfilm and keep in the freezer until needed.
Use cold, a quarter of the pastry at a time. Beat with a rolling pin a few times, tear into chunks and reform into a ball. Roll onto an unfloured board to a thickness of 2 mm. Cut into circles with a 4 or 5 cm cutter, or into squares. Form the trimmings into another ball, and roll out as before.
Put on a baking tray (no greasing necessary). Chill for five minutes and then eggwash the sablés which helps to hold them together. Try to avoid the eggwash dripping on to the tray. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Twice-cooked Goat's Cheese Soufflé
550 ml milk
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
A large sprig of thyme
12 black peppercorns
Hazelnut or olive oil
25 gm fine stale breadcrumbs (done in the food processor bowl)
1 tbsp finely chopped toasted hazelnuts (done in the food processor bowl)
50 gm butter
50 gm flour
3 eggs
100 gm fresh goat's cheese
50 gm mature goat's cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper
4 tbsp grated Parmesan, Gruyere, or Cheddar
550 ml milk
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
A large sprig of thyme
12 black peppercorns
Hazelnut or olive oil
25 gm fine stale breadcrumbs (done in the food processor bowl)
1 tbsp finely chopped toasted hazelnuts (done in the food processor bowl)
50 gm butter
50 gm flour
3 eggs
100 gm fresh goat's cheese
50 gm mature goat's cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper
4 tbsp grated Parmesan, Gruyere, or Cheddar
Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the onion, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns. Heat gently for 15 minutes, but don't let it reach simmering point. Remove from the heat and cool a little. Pour the infused milk though a strainer into a jug, pressing on the debris with the back of a ladle or a large spoon.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 375F, 190C. Prepare four ramekins or straight-sided teacups by brushing with hazelnut or olive oil and lining with the breadcrumbs mixed with the hazelnuts.
Melt the butter in a fresh saucepan, add the flour and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Add all the milk gradually, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps forming. Measure off half and reserve in another small pan, covered (this half is for the sauce). Pour the remaining half into a bowl and cool for five minutes.
Separate the eggs one by one, stirring the yolks into the cooled sauce base and dropping the whites into a large bowl. Stir half the fresh and all the mature goat's cheese into the base. Whisk the whites until stiff and carefully fold into the sauce, seasoning well just before you have folded in all the whites. Check the flavour and add more cheese if necessary. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and place in a roasting tin filled with 4 cm boiling water and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and cool.
Finish the accompanying sauce by adding the rest of the goat's cheese to the reserved white sauce and season well.
When the soufflés are cold, or cool, upend the ramekins and shake each soufflé out into your hand. Place them in a suitably-sized gratin or baking dish, or dishes, pour the sauce over and sprinkle with the Parmesan or other cheese (goat's cheese isn't good at browning). Heat through thoroughly in the oven and finish off by browning under the grill.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 375F, 190C. Prepare four ramekins or straight-
Melt the butter in a fresh saucepan, add the flour and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Add all the milk gradually, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps forming. Measure off half and reserve in another small pan, covered (this half is for the sauce). Pour the remaining half into a bowl and cool for five minutes.
Separate the eggs one by one, stirring the yolks into the cooled sauce base and dropping the whites into a large bowl. Stir half the fresh and all the mature goat's cheese into the base. Whisk the whites until stiff and carefully fold into the sauce, seasoning well just before you have folded in all the whites. Check the flavour and add more cheese if necessary. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and place in a roasting tin filled with 4 cm boiling water and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and cool.
Finish the accompanying sauce by adding the rest of the goat's cheese to the reserved white sauce and season well.
When the soufflés are cold, or cool, upend the ramekins and shake each soufflé out into your hand. Place them in a suitably-
Stephen Bull’s Recipes
The recipes below are taken from “Classic Bull: An Accidental Restaurateur’s Cookbook”. Now out of print - the book is still available but at vast cost from Amazon. However - we are planning to turn it into a pdf document that you can purchase through this site.
The recipes below are taken from “Classic Bull: An Accidental Restaurateur’s Cookbook”. Now out of print -