Super development chef Colin Gray is busy working on a Croque-monsieur with beetroot relish for next month. Check out the hashtag #huwsstudiosandwich or follow me on Twitter (@huwphoto) for details of the February “Studio Special Sandwich”.

The January Studio Special Sandwich

Clarks maple syrup roasted chicken with glazed root vegetables (serves 4)

Roasted Chicken (ingredients)

1.4 kg chicken

1 lemon

1 red onion, peeled and halved

2 tbls olive oil

3 tbls Clarks maple syrup

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 225 C/gas 7.
2. Place the lemon and onion in the cavity. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season.
3. Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes.
4. Combine the remaining olive oil with the maple syrup.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven. Drain and reserve the juices for gravy. Brush the chicken liberally with the glaze and roast for a further 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear.

Roasted root vegetables (ingredients)

Potatoes, peeled and halved

Parsnips, peeled halved

3-4 tbls Clarks Pure Maple Syrup

2-3 tbls Sunflower oil

Knob of salted butter

Juice of 1 orange

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
2. Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and cook for a further 3 minutes. Drain.
3. Tip the parsnips and potatoes into a large heated roasting tin and coat with the oil and maple syrup ensuring that they’re coated well.
4. Roast for 20 -30 minutes until golden.

Glazed carrots (ingredients)

Carrots, peeled and cut into batons

Knob of butter

Juice of 1 orange

2 tbls maple syrup

Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method

1. Steam or boil the carrots until tender.
2. Place the butter, orange juice and maple syrup in a saucepan. Add the cooked carrots and heat until well coated and heated through.
3. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Also a big “Thank You” to Elliot Jenkins for supplying the beautifully hand turned salad bowl.

Clarks Maple Syrup Bacon Salad (serves 4)

6 rashers un-smoked back bacon

200 ml Clarks maple syrup

4 slices black pudding (optional)

250 g small new potatoes

3 tbls olive oil

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tbsb wholegrain mustard

Pinch of salt to taste

2 large handfuls salad leaves e.g watercress, rocket and baby spinach

Parmesan shavings

Method

1. Place the bacon slices in a shallow bowl and pour over the maple syrup to coat. Cover and marinate overnight.
2. Boil the potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and season to taste.
4. Remove the bacon from the marinade and pat dry.
5. Fry the black pudding and bacon until crisp.
6. Toss the warm potatoes with half the dressing.
7. Divide the salad, bacon and potatoes between 4 plates. Drizzle with extra dressing and scatter with parmesan shavings.

Clarks Pure Maple Syrup and vanilla cheesecake with pecan brittle (serves 8)

Biscuit base

175g digestive biscuit crumbs

50g butter, melted

50g pecan nuts, coarsely chopped

1 tsp Clarks pure maple syrup

Filling

350 g full fat curd cheese

350 g fromage frais

3 eggs

150 g caster sugar

2 tbls maple syrup

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

To decorate

Pecan nut brittle

10 pecan nuts

100g caster sugar

Method

1. Place the crumbs and pecan nuts in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and maple syrup and mix well.
2. Press the mixture into the base of a 23 cm (9 inch) round spring form baking tin and refrigerate whilst you make the filling.
3. In a large bowl combine the curd cheese, fromage frais, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla seeds.
4. Pour over the biscuit base and cook at Gas mark 3/150 C for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow to stand in the cooling oven.
5. Remove from the oven and run a small palate knife around the cheesecake to loosen but leave to cool completely before turning out.

Pecan nut brittle

1. Have a baking sheet lined with non stick silicone paper.
2. Place the sugar in a frying pan and place over a medium to high heat.
3. Let the sugar dissolve and begin to caramelise.  Swirl to ensure the caramel colours evenly.
4. Place the pecan nuts on the baking sheet and pour over the caramel.
5. Leave to cool completely until hard.

Decorate the cheesecake with the pecan brittle and drizzle liberally with maple syrup.

Sticky Pancetta Scallops

Ingredients  (Serves 4)

24 scallops, coral removed

1 tbls olive oil

1 tbls Clarks maple syrup

8 tbls olive oil

4 tbls lemon juice

12 rashers pancetta

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp Clarks maple syrup

2 tsp chopped capers

1 fennel bulb, sliced very thinly

2 handfuls rocket

Method

1. Wrap the scallops in the pancetta.
2. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup and capers together to make a dressing. Season to taste.
3. Heat a frying and add the olive oil. Cook the scallops for about 4-5 minutes until the pancetta is crisp. Add the maple syrup to the pan and swirl to coat the scallops.
4. Divide the scallops between 4 plates and serve with the salad and a wedge of lemon.

My other big project for this year is to finish all the outstanding stock photography projects so that I can start the next year with a blank canvas. Secretly I’ve had this New Years Resolution “On The Go” for a few years, but this time I’m really close to achieving it. This month I WILL finish Jordan and Wales for Lonely Planet Images, Christmas for Stockfood, Antique Hoovers for Alamy and I just sent this cute picture up to Getty.

However, yesterday I shot the new Christmas Pudding range for the lovely Rhian girls at Siwgr A Sbeis, Conwy.

This little beauty is 450g and packed full of lovely spiced up fruit – and as usual I ate it all.

Fortunately for me the lovely Rhian girls sent four of these for photograhy so that’s me sorted for Christmas pud for the rest of the year.