Triple Chocolate Brownies

The best of the brownies that I've made.

• 150g unsalted butter
• 200g plain chocolate
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 75g sifted plain flour
• 100g white chocolate cut into small chunks
• 100g milk chocolate cut into small chunks
• cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat oven to 160C (140C fan).

Grease and line the base and 2 sides of a 20cm square cake tin.

Place chocolate and butter in a large bowl over pan of simmering water until melted, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly.

Beat the sugar and vanilla into the chocolate mixture using electric beater. When well combined, add the sifted flour and beat until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for around 30 mins. It may take a few mins more but it will look a little under-done when it comes out ( a skewer should come out a little moist still).

When cooled, dust with cocoa powder.

Chocolate Fudge with Roasted Nuts and Raisins

• 400g dark chocolate
• 75g nuts (hazelnuts and almonds)
• 75g raisins
• 40g unsalted butter
• 100ml liquid glucose
• 340ml whipping cream
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 110g milk chocolate

Roast the nuts for 8 minutes, cool and chop.

Place them and the dark chocolate, raisins and butter in large heatproof bowl.

Place glucose, cream and sugar in saucepan over high heat (needs to be a large, wide saucepan).

Stir everything together until really hot and then stop stirring as will try to catch on the bottom and don't want to stir scorched bits in the fudge.

Place the sugar thermometer into the mixture and remove from heat when it reaches about 110C and resembles dark condensed milk.

Remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate/raisins/nuts.

Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and glossy.

Pour the whole lot into a baking tin (15 x 25cm) that is lined with baking parchment.

Allow it to cool and then cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 6 hours.

The next day, melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Turn the fudge out of the tin, and spread the chocolate over the fudge. Make a pretty pattern in the chocolate. Allow to set and then eat. Store in the fridge.

Mustard Pork Fillet with Lentils

Serves 2 Julias

• Pork fillet
• Dijon mustard
• Small bunch of tarragon, chopped
• 100g lentils
• 500ml veg stock
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
• Approx 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• green beans

Heat oven to gas 6 (200C).

Rub pork with olive oil and season. Then sear the meat in a frying pan quickly.

When done, cover it in olive oil and half of the tarragon. Put on a baking tray and cook in oven for 20 mins. When finished, remove from oven and cover with foil for 5 mins.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils in the stock until tender (around 15-20 mins), then drain, add half of the lemon juice, the apple and some olive oil.

Separately, mix the mayo, garlic, lemon zest and remaining juice and tarragon. Season.

Serve the lentil mixture, with port slices on top and green beans (and fried potatoes) on the side. Dot the mayo mixture around the pork and lentils.