Step 1-Grease a loose base flan tin, around 24cm in diameter and place to one side ready to use later on.

Step 2-Start preparing the pastry by adding the unsalted butter and plain flour in a bowl before mixing together using your hands. You should do this until it starts to look like breadcrumbs. Then add in the sugar and a pinch of salt and stir the mixture until it is well combined. Before adding the egg, make a well in the centre of the mixing bowl. Then add in the egg and use a fork to mix it in with the rest of the mixture. Once the pastry starts to bind, again use your hands to knead the dough until it is smooth. Wrap the dough in clingflim and leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour until it is a lot firmer.

Step 3- Dust your kitchen surface with flour and roll the pastry out so it is a few inches wider than the tart tin you are using. Use the rolling pin to place the pastry over the tin. Press it in to the base of the tin carefully. Place the tin on a baking tray with baking paper and refrigerate until the pastry firms up again. At this point you can preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Step 4-Take the tart base out of the fridge, line it with a piece of baking paper as well as filling it with baking beans. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Once it has baked, remove the baking beans and the baking paper. Place it back in the oven for no more than 5 minutes to brown the base of the pastry.

Step 5- To help avoid the bottom of the pastry getting soggy, brush the inside of the tart with an egg yolk which will combat the problem. Bake again in the oven for 5 minutes to help it dry out.

Step 6-Turn the oven down to about 130 degrees celcius. Now you can start making the custard for the filling of the tart. Take the single cream and he whole milk and add them to a saucepan on a medium heat. Add in the vanilla extract and allow the mixture to simmer. In a separate bowl, add the 8 egg yolks and the caster sugar and whisk them together. Once you are happy that the cream has simmered for long enough, pour it over the egg yolk and sugar mixture, whisking constantly as you do so.

Step 7-To avoid any spillage, we recommend that you leave the tart base in the oven. This means you will easily be able to pour the custard mixture in without spilling any on your kitchen floor! Grate some nutmeg on the top of the custard filling and bake for no more than 40 minutes until you can see the custard setting around the edge but still with a bit of a wobble in the middle.

Step 6-Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Serve as you like or perhaps with some cream drizzled on top.

As we are now officially in to summer, what better way is there to get in to summer cooking than dusting down the barbecue and having a go at making these fantastic thai red curry chicken kebabs!

These thai red chicken kebabs are full of fantastic flavours and are the epitome of what we class as summer recipes. They take virtually no time at all to prepare and cook, which is one reason they are a fantastic dish to serve at a barbecue. The thai flavours put an alternative twist on regular chicken kebabs and the crunch of fresh pepper and red onion really compliments the spice of the curry paste. So why not give these a go at home for your next barbecue to really kick start your summer!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts cut in to large chunks
• 2 tbsp of Thai red curry paste
• 2 tbsp of coconut milk
• 1 red onion, cut in to chunks
• 1 courgette, halved and cut in to chunks
• 1 red pepper cut in to chunks
• 1 lime, halved to serve

Instructions:

Source: BBC Good Food 

Step 1- Chop the potatoes up if you want to. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes along with a pinch of salt and the mint sprigs. Allow the potatoes to cook for 20 minutes until they start to soften.

Step 2- Once you are happy the potatoes are cooked, drain them and remove the mint sprigs.

Step 3-In a separate mixing bowl, add the parsley, mint and basil, along with the yoghurt and mayonnaise. Season to taste.

Step 4-Take the watercress and blanch it for no more than 15 to 20 seconds in boiling water, before allowing it to cool.

Step 5- Add the potatoes to the yoghurt, mayonnaise and herb mix followed by the watercress. Serve in a large glass bowl .

Step 1-In a mixing bowl, mix together the salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and dry mustard to form the rub for the pork. Once well combined, rub well in to the pork, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of an hour but preferably overnight.

Step 2-Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150 degrees celcius. Place the pork in a roasting tin, and allow it to slow cook for around 6 hours until it starts to fall apart. Try our vitreous enamel roasting tin for this, it’s perfect and comes with a roasting rack!

Step 3-Now you can start making the barbecue sauce to go with the pork. In a saucepan, add the cider vinegar, yellow mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, the crushed garlic cloves, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Cook on a medium heat until the sugar starts to dissolve. Once this has happened, take it off the heat and allow to cool.

Step 4-Once the pork has started to fall apart, remove it from the oven and let it rest for around 10 to 15 minutes. You want to get all of the juices and loose bits of pork from the bottom of the roasting tin to use for your sauce. To do this, take a cup of water and add it to the roasting tin over a medium heat. Scrape all of the pieces off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce by no more than half and pour it in to the saucepan with the other barbecue sauce ingredients and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Step 5-The next step is to start removing the meat from the joint. Take 2 forks and use them to hold the meat steady while you pull pieces of the pork off. Place in bowl and pour half of the barbecue sauce over it and mix.

Step 6-Now make the coleslaw by mixing the carrots, onions, cabbage and chilli in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and a pinch of sugar to form the dressing for the coleslaw. Once you are happy it is all well combined, pour over the vegetable mixture and mix well. Season the coleslaw to taste with salt, pepper etc.

Step 7- We suggest serving this bbq pulled pork in bread rolls with a generous portion of the coleslaw on top! Now all there is left to do is enjoy this delicious bbq pulled pork as part of your bbq weekend!