3 plain white muffins (or bagels) or 6 small thick
 slices of bread
10 -12 oz Hardiesmill pastrami or smoked beef
3 gherkins, thinly sliced, optional
3 oz butter
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon (mild) mustard

pinch each of salt and Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons of beer or milk
Salad leaves, to serve

1. Toast the muffins, bagels or bread on one side only. Place them, toasted side up on a baking sheet.
2. Top with slices of pastrami and gherkin, if using
3. In a small bowl, blend the butter, mustard, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce with the cheese and beer or milk.
4. Heap the mixture over the pastrami and brown under a hot grill.
5. Transfer to serving plates and serve bubbling hot, on a small bed of dressed baby salad leaves.
Serves 6    TOP

8 oz/224 g Teviot Smoked Salmon slices
8 oz/224 g smoked trout, broken into pieces.
8 oz/224 g cream cheese

½ lemon, finely grated zest and juice
Seasoning to taste
1-2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or chives

1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then work in the smoked trout. Stir until quite smooth but leave some texture in the mix. Season with the lemon zest and juice, adding a little pepper to taste. Finally stir in the fresh herbs.
2. Carefully separate the smoked salmon pieces and arrange to make 6-8 rough squares, overlapping where necessary. Place a spoonful of the smoked trout filling on each square of smoked salmon and bring up the edges neatly to form a parcel. Place with the open edges underneath.
3. Chill, covered in film, until firm and ready to serve with oatcakes, sprigs of parsley and wedges of lemon. Serves 6-8  TOP

1 large onion, chopped
4 oz/100 g button mushrooms, sliced
1 lb/450 g boneless diced turkey thigh (uncooked preferably)
1 tsp each paprika and ground coriander
¼ - ½ tsp chilli powder (optional and to taste)
3 tbsp/30 ml oil

1 400 g can chopped tomatoes
1 pt / 550 ml boiling water or stock
8oz/250 g risotto rice
¼ pt/150 ml crème fraiche
¼ pt/150 ml white wine
To serve: freshly grated parmesan cheese and rocket leaves

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Mix together the onion, mushrooms, turkey, spices and stir well. Season with freshly ground black pepper and a dash of salt.
2. Heat a large ovenproof dish and fry the mixture for about 5 minutes until well browned (only 1 minute if using cooked turkey meat). Stir in the rice and cook for a minute more.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly. Bring to the boil then cover and place in the preheated oven.
4. Cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the turkey and rice are tender, adding more liquid if required.
5. Serve hot, sprinkled with cheese and rocket. Serves 4     TOP

1 oven ready goose, preferably free range, with giblets

Storing
Remove the giblets and the body cavity fat. Store the giblets (use them to make stock for gravy) and the goose separately in the fridge. Frozen birds must be allowed to thaw thoroughly before cooking, following the instructions on the packaging.

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas mark 6 / Aga, use top right hand oven. Prick the bird's skin all over, and rub with salt and pepper. Stuff the neck of the goose with your favourite stuffing, and loosely fill the body cavity with a chopped apple and fresh herbs. Cook any extra stuffing in a separate dish in the oven. To prevent burning, wrap legs in foil and cover with some of the fat. Place the goose on a trivet or rack in a large, deep meat tin; breast side up. Cover meat tin with foil and place in pre-heated oven. Roasting Allow 15 minutes per 450g / 1lb plus 20 minutes. Do not overcook.
After the first hour baste the goose and make sure the legs are still covered and that the skin is not burning. Pour off surplus fat into a container and reserve for roasting potatoes. For the last 30-45 mins uncover the breast to brown and baste again, pouring off the surplus fat.
When cooked lift the goose on to a carving dish to rest (covered loosely with foil) for approximately 20 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted apples and potatoes roasted in goose fat.

For this and lots more recipes see the British Goose Producers website: www.goose.cc        TOP

1 parsnip, peeled, woody core removed and cut into thin sticks
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin sticks
1 small leek, trimmed, cut into thin strips and washed
½ small turnip (swede), peeled and cut into thin sticks
½ small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into thin sticks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into thin sticks
115g (4oz) butter

1 onion, peeled and chopped
pinch ground cumin
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground allspice
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
10 ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped
115g (4oz) Stilton cheese, crumbled
30m1(2tbsp) freshly chopped Coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 270g pkt frozen filo pastry sheets, thawed

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the vegetable sticks and cook for 3 mins; drain well.
2. Melt 15g (1/2 oz) of butter in a large frying pan and sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Add the spices, lemon zest and vegetable sticks, then stir-fry for 2 mins. Allow the mixture to cool, then stir in the dried apricots, Stilton and coriander; season with salt and black pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/gas mark 6. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan. Unfold one sheet of the filo pastry on a large, buttered baking sheet (keep the remaining pastry sheets covered with cling film to prevent them from drying out) and lightly brush with the butter. Place a second sheet of filo pastry on top, carefully smoothing out any creases, then brush with some melted butter. Repeat until all filo pastry sheets have been used.
4. Spread the vegetable mixture down the centre of the pastry sheets and gently fold the ends and long sides in to completely enclose the filling. Place the pastry parcel seam side down, on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining butter. Sprinkle with a little sea salt if you wish.
5. Cook in the oven for 30-40 mins until crisp and golden. Serve at once with salad or green vegetables. Serves: 4-6 TOP

I large Pavlova case
Small pack meringue 'stars'
500 ml luxury ice cream (flavour of your choice but vanilla or berry fruits work well)

1 lb/450 g frozen raspberries (or 'fruits of the forest' mixture)
2 tbsp icing sugar
Few drops of lemon juice
To Decorate: Mint sprig Raspberries Icing sugar

1. Make the berry sauce in advance. Place the frozen fruit in a small pan over a low heat and stir in the icing sugar. Warm through just enough to dissolve the sugar and thaw the fruit but do not boil.
2. Place the fruit in a sieve set over a bowl and use the back of a ladle to firmly push the fruit through. Discard any seeds and skins remaining in the sieve.
3. Taste the fruit purée, adding a few drops of lemon juice to sharpen if required. Chill, covered, until required.
4. Just before serving, place the pavlova base on a flat serving plate. Spoon in the ice cream, using small scoops, mounding it towards the centre.
5. Stud the ice cream filling all over with meringue stars and drizzle over a little of the berry sauce. Dust the plate with icing sugar. Decorate with a sprig of mint and some more berries before serving. Hand the berry sauce separately. Serves 6 TOP