Come Dine With Me - Devon Deborah Custance-Baker's menu

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Date Published:

12/06/2008

Pig farmer and lady of the manor, Deborah Custance-Baker, is not one to put on airs and graces

"Take me for who I am not what I am," she says as her formidable country mansion towers in the background. "I'm just a normal girl with a larger house than most people." Whatever you say, Ma'am.

Deborah has prompted for a traditional British theme for her dinner party in keeping with her grandiose surroundings. So it's pheasant for starters and sausage with cider for the main course, but will her less than adventurous guests be game for such a rustic repast?

"Even posh people can do sausage and mash," chides Karen. However, not many people can boast bangers made with pork from their own pig farm.

Deborah is very dismissive of her lifestyle and while she dusts off the family silver she explains that it's about living up to the house you have inherited: "We have a traditional house so we have to have a traditional everything."

Deborah says traditional, her guests think haunted as they poke around the eerie estate. Can a plate of Sarah's home grown grub warm them to the idea of an old English lifestyle or will her home and her hosting be deemed outdated and out of touch?

Deborah is a keen believer in eating seasonally and only served food which could be found within a 15 mile radius of her home.

To kick off her traditional British menu Deborah served quail egg canapés and scallops wrapped in home air dried ham accompanied – of course – by local champagne. For starters she dished up pheasant terrine using birds shot on her own land. Not afraid to get her hands dirty she plucked and dressed them herself.

Keeping up the home grown theme, Deborah serves up pork sausages braised with apple and cider using meat from her own pigs alongside a mound of potato and celeriac mash served with seasonal vegetables.

Unfortunately we can't bring you Deborah's recipe but try this sausage and mash recipe.

To round off her soiree Deborah serves homemade damson tart using fruit preserved from last years harvest with honey clotted cream made from Deborah's own hives. Followed by twice baked cheese soufflés in place of a cheese board.