Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the sponge or Savoiardi biscuits.   Whisk the eggs with the sugar and vanilla essence. Heat the milk to the ‘shivery’ stage and add it to the egg whisking all the time. Put into a heavy saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the custard coats the back of the wooden spoon lightly. Don’t let it boil or it will curdle.   Cut the sponge into ¾ inch slices and use these to line the bottom of a 3 pint (1.7 litre) glass bowl, sprinkling generously with sherry as you go along. Pour in some homemade egg custard and then add another layer of sponge. Sprinkle with the remainder of the sherry. Spread the rest of the custard over the top. Cover and leave for 5 or 6 hours, or overnight, to mature.   Before serving, spread the whipped cream over the top and decorate the trifle. Fresh raspberries, strawberries or blueberries are the best.    Visit Our Shop

Roast Sirloin of Aged Beef Place the joint fat-side down in the roasting tin and put it on the hob. Sizzle to release some of the fat, then turn the beef in the fat to seal and colour it all over, about 5 mins. The joint can now be roasted, fat-side up, allowing 10-15 mins per 450g for medium-rare, 15-20 mins per 450g for medium, 20-25 mins for medium-well and 25-30 mins for well done. Turn the joint halfway through its cooking time for an even roast. Once roasted, remove the beef from the pan and leave to one side, loosely covered with foil, to rest for 15-20 mins. Meanwhile, pour off any excess fat from the roasting tin, then put the tin on a medium heat on top of the stove. Once it begins to sizzle, pour in the red wine, allowing it to boil rapidly until almost completely evaporated. Tip in the beef broth and allow to simmer for 4-5 mins. This will give a light sauce, Simmer for a few more mins before straining through a sieve a smooth sauce. Roast Potatoes Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Put them in a bowl under running water to wash the starch off. Cover the potatoes with water in a large saucepan then add the garlic and rosemary, if using, and bring to the boil. Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft and almost breaking apart. Drain carefully and leave to cool in the colander. Meanwhile, pour 3 mm of olive oil and 2 mm of beef fat into a roasting tray large enough to hold the potatoes in one layer. Place the tray in the oven for 15 minutes to preheat the oil. Add the potatoes to the pan and coat them in the hot oil. Place the tray back in the oven for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes at 180 degrees turning the potatoes gently every 20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy all over. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt. Braised Red Cabbage Add the sugar and vinegar to a large pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the mixture to a thin syrup consistency, then add the onion and red cabbage, 125ml of red wine vinegar and 100g of brown sugar. Sweat the cabbage for 15 minutes, then add the juniper berries, sage and peppercorns. Pour over the red wine and cook on a low heat until the cabbage is tender and the red wine is syrupy in consistency. Season with a little salt and serve. Honey Glazed Carrot and Parsnip Peel and halve or quarter the parsnips and carrots so that the pieces are of a similar size. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15–20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through. Drizzle over the honey and cook until the vegetables start to caramelise. Deglaze the pan with the water and increase the heat. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the carrots and parsnips are cooked through. Stir through a few knobs of butter to glaze. Yorkshire Pudding To make the batter, sift the flour into a bowl (with a cloth under it to keep it steady), holding the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing, add some seasoning Break the egg into it and beat with an electric hand whisk (you can also use a balloon whisk), gradually incorporating the flour, and then gradually add and beat in the milk and water. Then give it one more whisk. Preheat the oven to 220°C, add the dripping (or oil) to the pan and place it in the oven to heat, for 10 minutes. While your meat is resting, or when you are ready to cook the Yorkshire, place the pan or tin over direct heat, turned to high, while you pour the batter into the sizzling hot fat. Immediately return the tin to the highest shelf in the oven (or, if you have roast potatoes on that one, the second highest). The pudding will take 25-30 minutes to rise and become crisp and golden. Serve as soon as possible: if it has to wait around too long it loses its crunchiness but if it does pop it under a hot grill or back in the oven to crisp up.