Eat me

Buckfast Onion Tarte Tatin

By Martin Blunos

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cut the unpeeled shallots in half lengthways and put them on a baking tray with a splash of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and some salt and pepper. Mix so that the shallots are covered in sugar and oil then arrange them cut-side down on the baking tray.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the shallots have softened a little.

Remove the shallots from the oven, peel off their skins and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on ready to bake the tarts.

Put the reduced Buckfast in a pan and heat, then add the butter, boil.

Deglaze the pan with a dash of sherry vinegar and allow to reduce over a medium heat. Pour the Buckfast syrup into two individual 12-13cm frying pans or blini pans and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, roll out the pastry to 5mm thick. Cut two discs slightly bigger than the size of the frying pans. Lay the softened shallots cut-side down in an attractive pattern in the buckfast caramel.

Season with salt and pepper, cool, then cover each pan with a pastry disc, tucking the edges inside the pan and around the shallots.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden and cooked through.

Carefully turn the tarts out while they are still hot onto serving plates so that the caramelized shallots face upwards.

(NB very hot – very sticky and hot – so please be careful).

Serve with salad leaves dressed with olive oil and a little sherry vinegar.

“The Triple B” or Buckfast Blunos Bourguignon

By Martin Blunos

Heat a saucepan on stove add the lardons of bacon and cook gently so they release their fat and colour up slightly – after about 8 mins lift out the lardons and set aside.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the cubes of meat. Add to the bacon fat in the pan and brown off on all sides. Lift out meat and set aside with the coloured lardons.

Put the chopped onions, garlic and carrot in the pan and lower heat and cook gently till soft – this should take about 5 mins. Add the puree, mix in and cook out for 2 mins then add the Buckfast, tinned tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to boil then add the meat and lardons.

Cook out on a low heat stirring from time to time for approximately 2 hours. 30 minutes before time is up add the baby peeled onions.

The meat should be tender and the onions cooked through when done. If drying out add a little water. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper.

Slice and add a handful of mushrooms (optional). Fry for 5 mins and then stir into the stew

Remove from heat and allow to cool fully before transferring to a sealable container and storing in the fridge – it is worth noting that this dish is best reheated (the flavours develop and deepen. Dish up with creamy mashed potatoes and crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Buckfast Poached Pears

By Martin Blunos

Peel pears leaving stalk attached, remove some of the core and trim base evenly so that the pears can stand upright.

Place prepared pears into a non reactive (stainless steel) deep pan.

Add remaining ingredients – cover with paper (catouche) not a lid – set pan overnight – bring to the boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for approx 1 hour – or until the pears are tender but not soft.

Carefully lift the pears from syrup and set aside.

Discard the cinnamon stick and reduce the syrup over a high heat, by half. Strain through a fine sieve and pour back over the reserved pears.

Allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge for 24 hours – to allow the flavour and colour to develop.

To serve – gently heat the pears in their syrup – stand the pears upright in individual bowls, spooning over some syrup. Dollop Devon clotted cream alongside and hand around a few digestive biscuits (homemade of course).