Peter Bayless' Spring Recipes

Spring is here and our consultant Chef de Cuisine, Peter Bayless, has created some wonderful seasonal dishes to delight the palate. From Oysters with Champagne Sabayon through Mad March Hare with braised red cabbage and apple to Forced Rhubarb Fool with orange and giner biscotti... Luckily we get to taste Peter's dishes before they go live on the site and we assure you that Spring has never tasted this good! We've matched some outstanding wines with the recipes and even combined them in our new Recipe Collection Cases for you to enjoy.

Winner of BBC Masterchef 2006, Peter is a passionate advocate of cooking and enjoying good food with simple, local and affordable ingredients. Read more about his recipes and his experience winning BBC Masterchef in his book ( Which we are giving away - see right) and on his website - www.peterbayless.com

• Easter Special Sunday Lunch for 6 - 8 people
  Impress your guests with this fantastic Italian style Cockle and sweet chilli sauce starter, followed by our tasty Chicken stuffed with morels and souffle potatoes and spinach. Finshed off with Peppered strawberries with a sabayon glaze served with orange and almond tuiles recipe. Get the fantastic Easter Wine Case to accompany.
  
  
• Lover's Leap - A Romantic Spring Dinner for 2
  Set the mood with Oysters and Champagne Sabayon, satisfy your appetites with "Between the Sheets" and relax with the "Light as a Feather" pudding. Regain your energy with the winedirect Romantic Spring Case and start all over again!
  
  
• The Joys of Spring - A Family Sunday Lunch for 6-8
  Fresh sardines with radish and chicory salad followed by new season leg of lamb with flageleot beans. Superb. But the Home made banana and lemon ice cream in a brandy snap basket was utterly sublime. All perfect with the winedirect Joys of Spring mixed case.
  
  
• Spring Hospitality - A sumptuous dinner for 8
  We liked the Andre Dezat Sancerre with Peter's Seared scallops with celeriac puree, cider and mustard sauce and thought the powerful Veenwouden Classic Cabernet Merlot from South Africa a superb match for his Breast and stuffed leg of guinea fowl with purple sprouting broccoli and potatoes Anna. And could there be a more perfect accompaniment to the Rhubarb Fool than Domaine de Durban's Muscat Beaumes de Veniseω All available in our Spring Hospitality Case.
   
• Spring Suppers for 4
  Perfect for a family meal or a casual dinner party with a couple of friends, these Spring supper recipes will nonetheless add to your no doubt burgeoning reputation in the kitchen ( perhaps you should try your luck on Masterchef as wellω). Choose from
  • Cavolo nero with sausage and seared polenta - together with the Castello di Ama Chianti Classico 2003
  • Pan roasted sea trout with carrot pakoras and shredded cabbage - accompanied by the Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2005
  • Mad march hare with braised red cabbage and apples - perfect with the Chateau de la Negly Coteaux de Languedoc Cuvee La Cote 2004
  • Halibut and scallops in a cockle broth with wilted leaves - enjoy with the Egon Muller Scharzhof Riesling Qba
    
    
• Spring Puddings:
  
  • Traditional Apple Charlotte - delectable with the Two Hands Brilliant Disguise Moscato 2005
  • Meringue topped chocolate orange fondant puddings - a sensation with Quady Winery's Essensia Orange Muscat