Three Fabulous New Recipes from John Torode and Lisa Faulkner

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan). If using a brick, wrap it in foil and heat in the oven.

Place the chicken on a board, breast-side down with the parson’s nose towards you. use a sharp knife, or poultry shears, to spatchcock, by cutting down each side of the parson’s nose. Remove the backbone. Flatten the chicken a bit, turn it over and push it down against the board. Use a sharp knife to make small slashes in the skin. Pierce all over the skin with a fork.

Make a marinade with the lime juice and chipotle paste and rub all over the chicken, back and front.

Heat a large ovenproof frying pan and add a little olive oil. Place the chicken skin-side down and let it sizzle. Drizzle with oil once a little coloured, then turn the chicken over. Weigh the chicken down with the heated brick wrapped in foil (thus brick chicken) or use a cast-iron lid. Leave to cook over a medium heat for five minutes then turn and cook the other side for five minutes with the weight on. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, still weighed down by the brick.

Meanwhile, for the cabbage, heat a large frying pan that has a lid, add a splash of oil and place the cabbage wedges in the pan. Cook for three minutes to get some good colour, then turn them. Mix the chipotle paste and water, pour over the cabbage and cook for five minutes, then turn the cabbage and cook until it is soft and the liquid reduces to make a sauce.

Remove the chicken from the oven and leave to rest. Place the cabbage on a large platter. Chop the chicken by removing the thighs and chopping the breast in half. Place the chicken on top of the cabbage, swirl the cooking juices in the pan and pour over. If liked, serve with fries and mayonnaise.

Tip
You can use a fire brick in the oven as they are better at withstanding higher temperatures. They can be purchased from DIY stores and online. If you do not have a suitable brick, a cast-iron lid will work.

Bring the potatoes to the boil and cook for 15–20 minutes until tender, then drain and set aside. Halve any particularly large ones.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and cook until beginning to soften. Stir through the garlic, paprika and cayenne. Add a splash of water if things begin to stick. Tumble in the chorizo and allow it to brown and release its oil.

Add the potatoes to the pan. if soft enough, squash some of them down with the back of a spoon so that they break apart. Season and allow the mixture to sizzle away, again adding a little water if things begin to catch.

Meanwhile, for the tomato salsa, add a sprinkle of salt to the quartered tomatoes in a small bowl, followed by a splash of vinegar. Mix through the coriander and set aside.

Once everything in the potato pan is nicely golden, make four holes in the mixture and spoon in the egg yolks. Break the yolks with a spoon and swish around the pan. Top with a sprinkle of coriander and serve with the tomato salsa, a dollop of soured cream and some crusty bread.

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Line a 25cm springform cake tin with enough baking parchment to extend over the edges of the tin. This will help you remove the cheesecake from the tin later on and will prevent it from sticking. Just scrunch the parchment in! it gives a beautiful, rustic look.

In a stand mixer or using an electric whisk in a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and flour. in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla then slowly add to the cream cheese mixture a bit at a time, whisking continuously. When it is all combined, add the double cream just to incorporate; don’t over whisk it at this point.

Fill the lined tin with the mixture and bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes until brown, yet still a little wobbly in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before putting in the fridge to cool completely.

Meanwhile, to make the caramel sauce, put the sugar in a large frying pan, then add the water so it’s like wet sand. Place over a high heat, but do not stir it at this point. Leave to bubble away until it is a dark amber colour, then gently swirl the pan to combine. Remove from the heat and add the butter, then put back over the heat and whisk. Now add the cream, bring to the boil and whisk again to combine. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly before serving along with a slice of your delicious cheesecake.

Tip
The cake will keep for four to five days, but we doubt it will last that long!