Belfast blue cheese and Bramley apple doughnut with crispy potato cake and coppa

For the Bramley apple purée, melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the diced apples and stir well, then add the caster sugar, apple juice and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the apples have completely collapsed, stirring occasionally

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the cider vinegar and lemon juice to taste then transfer to a piping bag and allow to cool completely before using. The finished purée should be sharp, providing balance to the rich blue cheese and coppa

For the potato cake, preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel and coarsely grate the potatoes then wash thoroughly in cold water

Drain and place the potato into a clean tea towel and squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. Mix through the garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat a small cast-iron frying pan over a medium heat with a generous splash of rapeseed oil. Add the grated potato and press it evenly across the base of the pan. Cook until golden and caramelised underneath, then carefully turn the potato cake and colour the other side

Add a generous knob of butter and transfer the pan to the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the potato is crisp, golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, cut it into 6 small discs to create platforms for the doughnuts. Set aside

For the blue cheese purée, place the whole milk and double cream into a saucepan and bring gently to the boil

In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with the cold milk until smooth, then whisk the cornflour mixture into the hot milk and cream. Cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking continuously until slightly thickened, then remove from the heat and add the blue cheese

Blend with a handheld blender until smooth, then add the butter and blend again to create a glossy purée. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice then taste and season if necessary – the blue cheese may already provide enough seasoning. Transfer to a piping bag set aside

For the doughnuts, place the egg yolks, double cream, plain flour, melted butter and a little sea salt into a mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth

In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks (you can do this in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or use an electric hand whisk). Gently fold the whisked egg whites through the batter, taking care not to knock out too much air. Leave the batter to rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes

For the crispy coppa, place the coppa into a frying pan and place on a medium heat. Slowly crisp up the coppa until golden and caramelised on both sides. Transfer onto kitchen paper to drain and cool

For the doughnuts, preheat an æbleskiver pan over a high heat and lightly brush the holes with a little rapeseed oil

Pipe or spoon the doughnut batter to come up ¾ the way up each hole, reserving a little to seal the doughnuts at the end of cooking

Allow the batter to caramelise and set around the edges, then turn it bit by bit to gradually create a sphere as wet batter hits the newly exposed pan. Before the doughnut is completely sealed, leave a small opening and pipe a generous amount of the blue cheese purée and Bramley apple purée into the centre of each doughnut. Cover the opening with a little more doughnut batter, then turn the doughnuts over to seal in the pan

Transfer the pan to the oven for 2-3 minutes, to cook the doughnuts through and so the fillings can warm through

Brush the doughnuts generously with a little melted butter and season lightly with salt and pepper

To serve, spoon a little Bramley apple purée into a serving bowl. Place a crispy potato cake on top, followed by a little warm blue cheese purée. Top with the doughnut and pipe a little of the apple purée on too. Garnish with the Bramley apple matchsticks, crispy coppa and nasturtium leaves. Serve immediately while the doughnut is warm and its blue cheese and apple centre is beautifully soft and oozing