Exeter and Devon Recipes

Attention all budding Chefs! We’ve put together a selection of recipes that have been created in Exeter and Devon, including those that have been inspired by our city and region… Take a look at these step-by-step guides and enjoy creating (and eating!) your tasty treats at home!

Chipotle Chicken - Exeter Cookery School

The popular Exeter Cookery School is a located on Exeter’s Quayside. Keep an eye on their website, for when their cookery classes are up and running again – these aren’t to be missed!

Ingredients:

• 2 Free Range Chicken thighs, Skin and bone on
• 2tsp rapeseed oil (or any other light oil)
• 2tsp cumin seeds
• 2tsp dried oregano
• 1 dried chilli (1/2tsp chilli flakes)
• pinch of sea salt

Chipotle sauce:

• 400g tomato passata
• 1tbsp chipotle paste
• 1tsp caster sugar
• 1tsp white vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves

Method:

• In a pestle and mortar or small food processor bash together the cumin seeds, oregano, dried chilli and salt, then coat the chicken thighs with this mixture.
• Mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce, bash the garlic clove so that you can get the skin off, but it stays whole and add that to the sauce mix.
• Choose a medium saucepan that will fit both chicken thighs in quite snuggly, you don’t want a large pan as the sauce will not coat the chicken thighs, put this on a medium heat to preheat.
• Add a drizzle of oil and put the chicken thighs skin side down into the pan, you are looking for a nice crispy skin here, when the skin is crispy flip the chicken over so the skin is facing up.
• Turn the heat of the pan down and add your sauce mixture, place a lid on top and keep at a low simmer.
• Simmer for 30 minutes (approx.), to test that the chicken is ready take two forks and try to pull the chicken from the bone, if it does not come away easily then keep on cooking.
• When the chicken is ready you can pull the chicken in the sauce mixture (discard of the bone) and mix into the sauce. If your sauce is too thick or has reduced too much you can add a splash of water to loosen it up.
• Serve with your choice of sides.

Sourced by the Exeter Cookery School, find more recipes here.

Roasted Purple Sprouting Broccoli – Devon Sculpture Park

This recipe is served with cumin, capers, raisins and walnuts over whole grain rice. It's also vegan and gluten free!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb purple Sprouting broccoli (cleaned, sliced in long pieces so they have similar thicknesses. Leave some pieces smaller and leave some leaves on as they crisp in oven. 
• 4 tbsp ex virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tbsp capers
• 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed) 
• ½ cup raisins
• Pink peppercorns
• Sea salt
• 2 Blood oranges 
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 cup walnuts (chopped and whole) 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 210 c or 425 f. 
2. Begin by soaking the raisins in warm water. The raisins will plump after about 20 min. In a large bowl combine the olive oil, cumin, capers, raisins, garlic and peppercorns. Using the back of a spoon smash the capers, raisins, peppercorns and garlic into rough bits. Add the juice of one blood orange. Add the broccoli and mix it so it’s well covered with the mixture. Lay out on a sheet pan and season with sea salt. Put in oven and roast for 1hr and 15min.
3. Test the broccoli with a fork through the thickest stems. It should be quite tender to the fork otherwise leave to roast a bit longer. 
4. Make the rice adding some olive oil and salt to the water. 
5. Put the rice on a platter fluffing it with a fork and working the leftover oil and raisin mixture through the rice. Lay the broccoli over the rice. Sprinkle chopped and whole walnuts over the broccoli. Slice the remaining blood orange and lay the over the broccoli. Serve warm. 

This recipe was sourced by Devon Sculpture Park.

Avocado Loaf – Whispers Homestay

Ingredients:

• 75g unsalted butter, softened
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 150g very ripe avocado, mashed
• Juice and finely grated zest of one lemon
• 2 medium eggs, whisked
• 200g wholemeal flower
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of baking soda
• 100g of full-fat Greek yoghurt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4 and line a 900g loaf tin with baking powder
2. In a large bowl and using an electric hand mixer, whisk together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in the mashed avocado and lemon juice and zest
4. A little at a time, slowly add the beaten eggs to the mix, whisking to combine
5. In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and the bicarbonate of soda.
6. Fold half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Then fold in the Greek yoghurt, followed by the remaining flour mixture.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
8. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into slices and serve.

This recipe was sourced from Country Markets, sent in from Whispers Homestay.

Exeter Pudding

Did you know someone has created an Exeter Pudding? This dessert is an unusual layered pudding, jam, sponge cakes, layered onto the pudding followed by Ratafia biscuits.

Ingredients:

• 4 sponge cakes
• 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 6 Ratafia biscuits
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar
• 1/4 pint double cream
• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons rum
• apricot jam
• 1 extra tablespoon breadcrumbs

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix the breadcrumbs, flour, sugar and the grated rind of half of the lemon and the beaten eggs.
2. Add the butter and rub it in then add the beaten eggs.
3. Grease a pudding basin.
4. Coat it with the extra tablespoonful of breadcrumbs and cover the bottom with Ratafia biscuits.
5. Spoon a layer of the flour, sugar and breadcrumb mix over the Ratafia biscuits.
6. Spread some jam onto the sponge cakes and put a layer onto the pudding followed by a few
    Ratafia biscuits.
7. Continue with these layers until all the ingredients are used up.
8. Make sure that the top layer is the breadcrumb, flour and sugar mix.
9. Pour the rum over and bake at 180 degrees Centigrade for 1 hour.

Can be accompanied with:

• Ready prepared cream.
• Crème fraîche
• Custard/Ice Cream
• Ice cream

This recipe was sourced from greatbritishpuddings.com

Devon Scones – BBC Good Food

We couldn’t have a collection of recipes about Exeter and beyond without mentioning a Devon scone recipe! Give this recipe a go, don’t forget the clotted cream and jam! (The cream before the jam remember!)

Ingredients:

• 60g butter
• 250g self-raising flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 30g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 150ml milk
• butter and jam to serve
• *5cm (2inch) pastry cutter

Method:

This recipe was sourced from BBC Good Food.

Sticky Apples and Hazelnuts – Taste of the South West

“This is a lovely autumnal recipe devised by Manna from Devon. In this recipe it is cooked in a Morsø Forno wood burning oven but it can be done on a more traditional stove, but would be less fun! It is delicious with a sharp cheese such as some Quicke’s cheddar which goes really well with the sweetness of the apples.

The sticky apples with hazelnuts are a great alternative to a more traditional apple chutney and can be eaten at once.

It is fantastic served with a glass of chilled Lyme Bay Sparkling Rosé.”

Ingredients:

• 4 red skinned eating apples – such as Braeburns – cored and cut into wedges
• 90g butter
• 60g hazelnuts
• 90g caster sugar
• 1 small cinnamon stick

Method:

• Build a good fire in the Morsø Forno in the centre of the oven and let it burn for 30 minutes to really heat through the floor. Move the fire to the side of the Forno.
• Heat a wide frying pan in the Forno and toast the hazelnuts in it until they are getting a little colour on them and smelling nutty. Take them out of the pan and put on a plate.
• Wipe out the pan and gently melt the butter in it with the sugar, cinnamon stick and apples. Cook until the apples are tender and caramelised in places.
• Take the apples and cinnamon stick out of the pan with a slotted spoon and mix with the hazelnuts.
• Put the pan closer to the fire and bubble the mixture until it becomes golden brown and sticky. Pour this mixture over the apple segments with the toasted hazelnuts, mixing carefully as the sugar/butter mixture will be very hot.
• Cool for 10 minutes and serve with your cheeses and a glass of chilled sparkling Lyme Bay Sparkling Rosé.

This recipe was sourced from Taste of the South West, created by Manna from Devon.

Devon Pasties – Devon Hampers

Did you know? The difference between a Devon and Cornish pastry is by the crimping, according to Devon Pasty Hampers! Give this Devon Pasty recipe a try, it makes 6 medium pasties or 4 large pasties...

Ingredients: 

• 1 x large potato
• 1 x large onion
• Half a medium swede
• 500g British skirt beef
• 450g plain flour
• 225g butter
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper for seasoning
• Beaten egg to glaze

Method:

1. First to make the shortcrust pastry, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add a pinch of salt if desired.  Make a well in the centre and add water by the tablespoon, mixing it in with a flat knife until the mixture comes together to form a soft dough.  Pat this together into a ball with floured hands, and refrigerate whilst preparing the filling, or for around 30 minutes.
2. Chop the swede, potato, onion and beef into small cubes and combine in a large bowl to ensure an even distribution of the elements.
3. Oil a baking tray thoroughly and line if desired, even some of the best pasties stick and they can be difficult to remove from the tray, however they can also be difficult to remove from baking paper too!
4. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 5, or 190°C.
5. Once chilled, turn out the pastry onto a floured work surface and divide it into six portions.
6. Taking each portion individually roll out until around a half a centimetre (quarter inch) thick in a roughly circular shape.
7. Add your ingredients across the centre of the circle in a small pile. And wet one edge of the pastry where your join will be to help it stick.
8. Gather the edges together, pulling them up and around the filling to meet in the middle, just above it.  Press the edges together with your fingertips.
9. Crimping is an art-form!  The easiest way to create this is to use your fingers to make a fluted pattern along the raw edge you have just made, holding with your thumb and index finger on both hands, right next to each other, and twisting in opposite directions, folding under as your work along.  Different chefs do this in different ways, so don’t worry if your way is not like this, as long as the edges are sealed and the filling won’t leak, the pasty will be ok!
10. Gently transfer the pasty to your baking tray, and brush with the beaten egg to glaze.
11. Once all your pasties are done, bake in the preheated oven for around 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown.

This recipe has been sourced by Devon Pastry Hampers.

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