Equipment

1 x non-stick pan
1 x small sauté pan
2 x small saucepans
1 x cooked meat board, 1 x raw meat board, 1 x carving knife, 1 x boning knife
Muslin / Clingfilm

Method

Soak the pig’s head for 24 hours in water, then shave or singe off any hair.
Bring them up to the boil quickly in fresh water with bay, thyme, garlic and pepper, then as soon as they boil, refresh and rinse under cold running water.

Char the aromatic vegetables until blackened. Caramelise with honey and some cloves, put the scalded heads face up on top and deglaze the pan with the Cider Vinegar, reduce to a syrup.
Cover with chicken stock, bring up to a VERY SLOW simmer, offset the pan from the ring and braise for 24 hours. Cool in the liquid.

Pass off the liquid and rapidly reduce to keep in the flavour.
Meanwhile, remove the bones, glands and any sinew or unwanted bits, trim away about 20% of the fat from the cheek, and spread out the two head halves on greaseproof paper.

Season, sprinkle on some of the sultanas cooked in Cider Brandy, then roll the heads to form a tight cylinder about 10cms in diameter. Chill.

Pass the cylinder, once partially chilled, to a muslin cloth, and roll tightly, pushing out any excess fat through the pores in the cloth to achieve a very tight, dense roll. Hang in the fridge overnight.

Make a simple potato purée by washing some spuds, then baking them in the oven over sea salt. When cooked, remove the pulp from the skins, pass and add reduced cream and butter, season to taste.

Sauté the chicory leaves in foaming butter, then add some Flower Honey, colour, add chicken stock, season and reduce to a glaze.

To serve, heat through the potato purée and the chicory garnishes, slice the pig’s head into 4cm wide rounds and pan fry until golden and crispy, turn, glaze with Flower Honey, season with sea salt and warm through for a few minutes in the oven.

Spoon some of the potato on to the top end of the plate, and the chicory below. Place a slice of the pig’s head on the chicory, and glaze with the reduced cooking liquor finished with a knob of butter. Be sure to spike the sauce with a few drops of Vintage Cider Vinegar for acidity, richness and depth, then finish with a few of the golden sultanas.

Egg Custard Top

8 egg yokes
100g caster sugar
250ml double cream
250ml full-fat milk
Lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Italian Meringue

4 egg whites
227 grams
6 tablespoons cold water

Apple Crisps

2 large eating apples
Sugar syrup

Method

1.)  Sift 225g plain flour into a bowl add 140g diced butter, lemon zest, 1 dsp caster sugar and then rub in with your fingertips until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs, then add your acv, water mixture.

2.)  Knead dough briefly, then bring to a ball on a well floured surface. Roll pastry out keeping it moving so it doesn’t stick. Make sure pastry is wide and long enough to fit your pastry ring.

3.)  Grease your pastry ring. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the pastry and carefully unroll into the ring. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and put 8 inch ring in the center.

4.)  Push pastry into the sides, then using scissors cut away most of the overhanging pastry but leave enough to just hang over sides. Don’t throw away leftover pastry as you might need it to help seal cracks up later on. Chill in fridge ideally overnight.

5.)  To make the apple crisps to garnish, thinly slice 2 red apples, using the same amount of water to sugar, boil up to make your sugar syrup and then add your apple slices. Leave in for 1 min until soft and flexible. Pat dry and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and place in a preheated oven for about 1 and a half hours. you just want them to dry out. Store in an airtight container. These can be made the day before, along with the pastry.

6.)  To blind bake tart, cut 4 pieces of clingfilm push down over pastry and pour in rice, baking beans and small pasta shapes. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 18 degrees C for 20 minutes. Take out and lift the clingfilm bag. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes to crisp up. If you see any cracks in pastry use leftover pastry to seal up. Set aside to cool.

7.)  To make the apple puree, core, peel and chop your 6 apples into small pieces. Put into a saucepan and add sugar, a splash of water, lemon and cook until soft. Blitz until soft and add your 2 dsp acv, you can add more if you like a sharp filling but remember you can add but not take out! Let puree cool.

8.)  To make the custard put 8 egg yolks, 100g caster sugar in a bowl then whisk together. Pour 250ml double cream and 250ml full fat milk, lemon peel, and vanilla bean paste into a saucepan and bring nearly to boil.

9.)  Place a sieve over the bowl and pour the hot liquid over egg yolks and sugar. Stir together making sure there are no foam bubbles as you don’t want that in your tart.

10.)  Using a spoon fill pastry case up with the puree first making sure you have an even surface, you can use as little or as much as you like. Now carefully pour over custard getting as close as you can as you do not want to disturb the apple layer.

11.)  Place in a preheated oven at 14 degrees C for 45 minutes, checking after about 35, when ready you can tap the tray and the tart should just wobble. Now leave to cool in the fridge for a good few hours.

12.)  30 minutes before serving make the Italian meringue by mixing 227g with 6 tbsp of cold water into a pan making sure you have a pastry brush in water to wipe sides down as it’s boiling away! Put on heat and don’t stir just let the temperature reach 118 degrees C.

13.)  While the sugar mixture is getting to temperature, whisk up the 4 egg whites until they have reached soft peaks, then with the whisk on full power pour in the hot syrup and whisk for a further 10 minutes. The meringue should be shiny and stiff, if it’s not whisked for long enough the meringue will shrink as you pipe it. Pipe onto tart any way you wish.

14.)  Serve with good quality ice cream!

Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Cut the ends off the white load and then divide the load into 6 slices. The thickness of the slices one of the factors that makes this rabbit so perfect, with a crunchy exterior that gives war to a brilliantly soft, white interior. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the very soft butter (or the melted dripping) on both sides of the bread. Put the slices on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Both sides should be very lightly golden. Leave on a wire rack to cool.

Put the cider, cream, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and paprika in a non-stick saucepan, place over a medium heat and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of double cream. It should be a deep shade of brawn. Lower the heat and add the cheese and the egg yolks, if using. Stir until the cheese has melted, then whisk the sauce until very smooth and glassy. Leave to cool and thicken to a paste consistency.

Spread the mixture edge to edge on the toasted bread. Return them to the oven for 4 minutes, then place under a hot grill until evenly browned. Enjoy with a generous helping of dressed salad leaves. As the local Bristolians would say,

Method behind the madness

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until very tender and slightly golden. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add a third of the mushrooms, stirring to coat in the coconut oil. Cook, mixing occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of ostlers cider vinegar that brings a tangy richness flavor to the mushrooms , then add garlic powder and smoked paprika to add a slight depth to the  flavour, stirring well to combine, then transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the onions. Repeat with the remaining coconut oil, mushrooms, vinegar, garlic and paprika in two more batches.

Return the mushroom and onion mixture to the pan over medium heat. Add the passata and date syrup and water or broth, stir to combine, and cook until slightly thickened. Taste and season too preference.

To serve, toast or warm the brioche buns with a bit of garlic or chilli oil.

 Divide the filling between the buns and top with your favourite toppings either it might creamy seedy coleslaw, rocket or lettuce and beef tomatoes covered in extra virgin olive oil and ostlers apple cider vinegar or even a zesty guacamole.

Founded by Hannah McCollum, ChicP was set up to bring healthy, colourful dips to the food market. A hummus lover, tired of bland and unhealthy options, Hannah decided to combine her creative cooking and eagerness to help prevent food waste, into healthy, punchy vegetable hummus from surplus vegetables.   

Over the last five years, Hannah has cooked for families in the UK and all over Europe, predominantly as a private chef. She would often convert the leftover Ottolenghi type salads into dips for the next meal. Nearly every day the question would be “what’s the dip of the day Hannah”?!

The inspiration behind ChicP was the overriding determination and passion to change the way we approach cooking and food waste.

Method

Wash and clean the carrots and cut into small chunks ready for your blender.

Pour in the chickpeas (soaking dried chickpeas overnight and freshly cooking them will be a lot nicer than chickpeas from a can).

Put all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. If you need more liquid, add a tbs of chickpea water or tap water.

Season to taste.

*If you make too much you can freeze it.