How to cook with November's seasonal ingredients from monkfish to chicory

This stunning apple risotto recipe is infused with lovely caramelised chicory and plenty of Parmesan for a super-autumnal dish. Russell Brown uses Essential Cuisine chicken stock for a wonderful depth of flavour.

3 chicory
3 apples, sharp in flavour
1tsp caster sugar
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 small onion, finely diced
300g of Arborio risotto rice
150ml of dry white wine
1.5l Essential Cuisine chicken stock
50g of unsalted butter
50g of Parmesan, finely grated
flaky sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
50ml of olive oil

Cider vinaigrette

5g of lecithin
1tsp honey
1tsp Dijon mustard
100ml of apple juice, reduced to 50ml
150ml of light olive oil
125ml of grapeseed oil
75ml of cider vinegar, good-quality
flaky sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

To serve

Parmesan, cut into shavings
extra virgin olive oil

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To begin, make the cider vinaigrette. This will be used to season a few different elements of the dish but this recipe will make more than you need, so use any remaining vinaigrette for salads and other dishes. Mix the lecithin with a tablespoon of hot water in a jug and whisk in the honey, mustard and apple juice. Add a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Using a hand blender, gradually blitz in the oils.

If the dressing gets too thick, add some of the vinegar as you mix. Once all the oil has been incorporated add the remaining vinegar and season to taste. Depending on the vinegar and how sharp you like your dressing, you may not need all the vinegar. To begin the risotto, remove a couple of layers of leaves from each chicory head and reserve for the garnish. Peel and dice two of the apples and cut the third into matchsticks, without peeling. Toss the apple matchsticks in a little of the vinaigrette and reserve.

Halve the chicory heads, rub with oil and season with salt, sugar and black pepper. Sear cut-side down in a heavy non-stick frying pan until the chicory is well caramelised. Remove and allow to cool before slicing crossways into 1cm pieces. Sweat the garlic and onion in the olive oil until completely soft. Add the rice and cook for 2–3 minutes to toast the grains – the edges of the rice should become translucent. Add the wine and cook until absorbed.

Meanwhile, bring the stock to a simmer. Add the hot stock a ladle at time, stirring frequently to break down the outer layer of the rice to create a creamy, starchy texture. When the rice is nearly cooked, add the diced apple and sliced chicory. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat, dot the butter over the surface and sprinkle over the cheese. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then stir in the butter and cheese and reheat gently without the risotto boiling. The rice should have some bite still and be creamy and fluid when cooked. Slice the remaining chicory leaves thinly and toss with the apple. Season and dress with the remaining vinaigrette. Divide the risotto between bowls and place a pile of the salad on top. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter over the Parmesan shavings.

This recipe by Russell Brown first appeared on the Great British Chefs

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A meaty fish like monkfish demands a bold sauce, and in this monkfish recipe by Shaun Hill, that demand is met by a fragrant tomato, ginger and garlic sauce, infused with a nice selection of herbs. This is a simple seafood recipe to prepare that would be great with slices of garlic bread.

Monkfish

2 monkfish fillets, each weighing 250g, sliced in half
1 knob of butter
1 dash of lemon juice
salt
black pepper
olive oil

Tomato, ginger and garlic

12 plum tomatoes, skinned and de-seeded
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
60g of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1½tbsp of tomato paste
3tbsp of white wine
1½ tbsp of parsley, chopped
1½ tbsp of coriander, chopped
75g of unsalted butter
vegetable oil
salt
pepper

For the sauce, place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. Cook the shallots, garlic, ginger and chilli until soft but not coloured. Add the tomato paste and white wine, cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, coriander and butter to the pan and gently simmer until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside. For the monkfish, place a large frying pan over a medium to high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the base of the pan. Add a knob of butter. As soon as the butter begins to sizzle, add the monkfish fillets to the pan, season and then cook until golden on one side. Flip the monkfish over and turn the heat right down. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and season the fish with the salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

This recipe by Shaun Hill first appeared on the Great British Chefs

Mini onion bhajis are a great addition to this curried parsnip and pear soup from Luke Tipping. This is a warming soup full of flavour, perfect for autumn or winter.

2 large parsnips, peeled and cubed
1 pear, peeled and chopped
10g of butter
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
600ml of vegetable stock
100ml of low fat natural yoghurt
2tsp curry powder
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper

Mini onion bhajis

1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
½tsp coriander seeds
½tsp ground cumin
1tsp gram flour
1tsp salt
500ml of vegetable oil
Curry oil
1tbsp of curry powder
30ml of rapeseed oil

Place a pan over a low-medium heat. Melt the butter then add the onions and curry powder, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the parsnip and celery, cook for a further 5-6 minutes then add the pear. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the yoghurt. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and blitz until smooth. Season and pass through a strainer into a saucepan and set aside. For the bhajis, place the onion in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Leave to stand for 4-5 minutes, until the onions release some liquid and soften. Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and flour to form a paste and leave for 5 minutes - if the paste does not hold together, try adding a dash of cold water

Fill a small, deep saucepan to halfway with oil and heat to 170°C. Take a serving spoon and drop spoonfuls of the battered onions into the hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen towel.

For the curry oil, place a frying pan over a low-medium heat and gently toast the curry powder in the dry pan for 1-2 minutes to release the aromas. Add the rapeseed oil, stir and heat gently for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then pass through a fine strainer into a bowl. Before serving, reheat the soup on the stove over a low heat. Divide the soup into bowls and place a bhaji in the centre of each. Drizzle the curry oil over the soup and serve immediately.

This recipe by Luke Tipping first appeared on the Great British Chefs