Cheats’ Picnic Pork Pies!

These pies can be served with salad or coleslaw and a pint of cider, for a hearty lunch. These pies will keep for several days in the fridge, so make a larger batch and stock up. Makes 12 individual pies 100g of pancetta or streaky bacon 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped A small handful of parsley, finely chopped 6 sage leaves, finely chopped 450g of sausage meat A generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper 2 sheets of ready to roll shortcrust pastry 1 egg, beaten to glaze   Preheat the oven to 200oC/gas mark 6. In a large frying pan, over a high heat dry fry the pancetta until it is crisp and golden.   Remove and pop in a bowl, leaving the oil from the pancetta in the frying pan.   Add in the onion and garlic and fry until soft and golden. Add to the bowl along with the herbs and sausage meat.   Season with salt and pepper.   Cut out 12 circular discs, from the pastry, to fit in a cup cake tray and then 12 smaller discs for the lid.   Press the larger pastry circles into the greased and floured tray and fill each pie with the pork mixture.   Top with the small discs and press them together with a fork.   Brush the tops with beaten egg and place in the oven, cooking for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.    

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Pea, Mint and Pancetta Soup

A true classic, but it never fails to get me excited. The combination of mint and peas is unique and it’s a really fresh flavour for a soup in the summer. You can, of course, make this with frozen peas, and unless you can pick some from your own garden, the frozen pea route is actually the better option. I add pancetta to my soup for a salty kick.   Serves 4 1 tablespoon of olive oil 200g of pancetta pieces 1 onion, roughly chopped 1 clove of garlic 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 litre of vegetable stock 500g of frozen or fresh peas 1 small bunch of mint, about a handful sea salt and ground black pepper to season Crème fraîche to serve   Place a medium-sized pot over a high heat and fry the pancetta in a drop of olive oil for about 4 minutes until crispy. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper.   You should be left with enough oil and pancetta fat in the pan, if not, add a little more olive oil and fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Then, add in the potato and vegetable stock. Bring to a steady simmer and cook until the potato is tender when pierced with a fork. It should take about 10 minutes.   Add the peas and mint and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes. Then, blitz with a hand blender until smooth.   Taste and season with sea salt and ground black pepper as required. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche and crispy pancetta pieces.    

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Pumpkin and Crispy Pancetta Risotto

I absolutely love this recipe, it is a real cosy dish, which leaves you full, satisfied and warm. Risotto may seem a little tricky, but it's just a case of giving it your full attention and slowly incorporating the liquid, so give it a go! If you can't get your hands on pancetta slices, use smoked streaky bacon.

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