Chefs' specials - Shell out on this dish

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Sunder Sandher
Sunder Sandher
The Greyhound in Stockbridge, Hampshire, recently became one of two new pubs to gain a coveted Michelin star. This dish is among several excellent...

The Greyhound in Stockbridge, Hampshire, recently became one of two new pubs to gain a coveted Michelin star. This dish is among several excellent recipes prepared by head chef Darron Bunn.

Crab Risotto with Clams​ Serves 6

Ingredients:​ Unsalted butter - for frying 1 medium Spanish onion - roughly chopped 1 medium leek - trimmed and roughly chopped 2 celery sticks - roughly chopped 500g/1lb 2oz clams - cleaned 100ml/31/2fl oz dry white wine 500ml/161/2fl oz fish stock 1 small shallot - finely chopped Small sprig of thyme 500gm/1lb 2oz Arborio rice Salt and pepper 100g/31/2oz Parmesan cheese - finely grated 255g/9oz fresh brown cooked crab meat - pureed and sieved 50g/11/2oz acid butter 2-3 tbsp whipped double cream 255g/9oz fresh white cooked crab meat - flaked Lemon juice to taste

For the acidulated butter ​1 medium Spanish onion - finely sliced 155ml/51/2fl oz white wine vinegar 285ml/10fl oz white wine 255g/9oz unsalted butter - at room temperature

To serve​ 6 sprigs flat leaf parsley

Method:​ Melt two good knobs of butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry the roughly-chopped onion, leeks and celery until slightly coloured. Add the clams in their shells and half the wine. Cover with a lid and cook on full heat for 4-5 minutes, until the clams have opened. Drain the cooked clams, retaining the cooking liquor. Discard any clams that remain closed and remove the meat from the others. Strain the cooking liquor through a sieve.

Heat the fish stock in a saucepan and keep it simmering. Melt two knobs of butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat until the butter foams. Add the chopped shallot and the thyme and sweat gently. Add the rice and sweat for 2- 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Season, add the rest of the wine and cook, stirring constantly until the wine has evaporated. Add a ladleful of the hot stock, stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed, then add another ladleful. Continue like this until the rice is al dente and all the stock has been added. It should take about 15 minutes.

Mix in the Parmesan cheese, pureed brown crab meat, a few knobs of the acidulated butter and the whipped cream to achieve a rich consistency. Quickly reheat the clams in the reserved cooking liquor with the white crab meat. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and spoon over the finished risotto. Serve immediately, garnished with a sprig of parsley. Recipe courtesy of the Gastro Pub Cookbook by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley, £20)

Apple of his eye​ This recipe is a favourite of chef Mark Broadbent at the Oak in Notting Hill, London. Pre-cooking the apples and the crumble may be unorthodox, but it does make a particularly rich dish.

Bramley Apple Crumble​Serves 4-6

Ingredients:​ 6 large bramley apples - peeled and diced 225g/8oz unsalted butter Light soft brown sugar to taste 1 cinnamon stick 2 star anise 115g/4oz plain flour Zest of 1/4 of an unwaxed lemon Zest of 1/4 of an unwaxed orange 55g/2oz nibbed almonds 30g/1oz ground almonds 55g/2oz muscovado sugar

To serve​ 1 bramley apple 140g/5oz granulated sugar Double cream or custard

Method:​ Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ Gas-mark 5. In a heavy-bottomed pan, sauté the apples in half the butter. Add the light soft brown sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the apples are caramelized and soft. Make the crumble by putting the flour and remaining butter in a food processor and whizzing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, sift the flour into a large bowl and lightly rub in the remaining butter with your fingertips. Stir in the lemon and orange zest, nibbed and ground almonds and muscovado sugar.

Spread the crumble on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Move it around with a fork. Put the sautéed apples in an ovenproof dish and cover with the crumble. Cook for 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven. If you want to serve the crumble with caramelized apple slices, cut 8-12 very thin slices from the centre of the apple. Make a sugar syrup by heating the sugar with 285ml/1/2pt water, until it has dissolved. Boil to a syrupy consistency. Dip each apple slice in the syrup, t hen set them in a wire rack somewhere warm to dry out a little. Put the slices under a medium grill and caramelize on each side. Serve each portion of crumble with a couple of apple slices and cream or custard.

Recipe courtesy of the Gastro Pub Cookbook by Diana Henry Mitchell Beazley, £20).

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