insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 20 - October 2016

FOOD+DRINK Halloween Treats cont. Spiced Beef, Pumpkin and Carrot Soup Ingredients • 225g cooked roast beef, shredded or cubed • 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped • 1 tbsp Madras curry paste or similar • 4 medium carrots (weighing about 225g), peeled and roughly chopped • 350-450g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cubed • 2 celery sticks, chopped • 1L good, hot beef or vegetable stock • Splash sweet sherry (optional) • Crème fraîche, to serve To garnish: • 1-2 tbsp freshly chopped chives or ﬂat-leaf parsley Method 1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. 2. Add the carrots, pumpkin or butternut squash, celery and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly. 3. Purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor and return to the pan with the beef. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, add the sherry (if used) and simmer for 2-3 minutes until piping hot. 4. Season if required and serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of fresh chives or ﬂat-leaf parsley to garnish. Clarks Maple Caramel Apples Ingredients • 6 apples (medium size apples) • 400g individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped • 3 tbsp Clarks Pure Maple Syrup Tips Why not serve your soup in a small presentation pumpkin? To prepare, cut the tops off and set aside. Scoop out the seeds and ﬁbres from the middle using a sharp knife and spoon. Carefully hollow out the pumpkin leaving about 2cm/1inch of the ﬂesh around the inside. Pour the hot soup into the prepared pumpkin and serve immediately. Method 1. Wash and dry 6 medium apples. Remove the stem from each apple and press a craft stick into the top. Spray a baking sheet. 2. Place caramels and syrup into a small double boiler. Heat slowly until caramels are melted and thoroughly mixed with the syrup. 3. Dip and roll each apple quickly in caramel sauce until well coated. Roll in nuts or sprinkles if desired. Place on prepared sheet to set. See more recipes at www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk/recipes Halloween Ginger Toffee Apples Ingredients For the toffee coating: • 400g demerara sugar • 110ml water • 1/2 tsp vinegar • 2 tbsp golden syrup • 25g butter • 40g Opies stem ginger, chopped For the apples: • 6 apples • 6 wooden skewers or ice lolly sticks for holding the apples 55 Method 1. Dissolve the sugar in the water over a moderate heat. When it has dissolved, stir in the vinegar, syrup and butter and Opies stem ginger syrup. 2. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until it reaches hard-crack stage (138°C) or hardens into a ball when dropped in a jug of cold water. This should take around 10 minutes boiling time. 3. While the syrup is cooking, pierce each apple with a wooden stick. Once the toffee is ready add the chopped stem ginger, dip each apple into the hot toffee, turning it around in the syrup so that each one is fully coated. 4. Leave to harden on a lightly oiled tray before serving. If you're planning to keep them for a day or two, wrap the apples in cling film.

insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 20 - October 2016 | Page 55