Chive brioche buns
5 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tablespoons chives, cut fine
1 cup water
¼ cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
2¼ teaspoons yeast (equivalent of one packet)
2 eggs, reserve one for the egg wash
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
Nigella seeds or black sesame seeds for garnish

Combine the chives and the butter and set aside at room temperature. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and water to a boil. Once it comes to the boil, remove from the heat and combine with 1 teaspoon of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Heating the milk denatures some of the protein present in milk and will help to make the yeast act more efficiently. Stir to help the sugar dissolve and allow the liquid to cool until it is just warm. If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast so do not skip the cooling step. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add one egg and beat with a hand whisk to incorporate. Add the flour, salt and remaining sugar, and stir to incorporate until you have a shaggy dough. Now, bring the bowl to the stand mixer, and using the paddle attachment, work on low speed until the dough comes together and no traces of flour remain, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add pieces of the chive butter, a scoop at a time, and mix in over 2 to 3 minutes. Change to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise. While the dough is rising, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

After about 1 hour, or when the dough has doubled in size, tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough ball into two. Take one half and roll gently into a log and divide into two again. Cut 10 pieces. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Shape each piece into a ball by folding the edges over each other, turning over and working into a ball with your hands. Arrange the balls on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover with a floured towel and allow to rise in a warm place until the balls have doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Brush each bun gently with an egg wash and repeat to give a second coat. Sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through the cooking time. The buns are done when tops are golden. Allow buns to cool completely on wire racks before slicing in half.

Turkey ragú
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, 2 whole, 1 crushed
½ teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 leek, white and pale green parts, finely diced
1 pound ground turkey
½ cup white wine
1 medjool date
¼ cup whipping cream
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

In a small oven-proof dish, combine the olive oil, tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic and oregano. Roast at 300 F for 11/2 to 2 hours, until all the tomatoes have softened and lost some of their water. These can be made ahead and kept in the fridge until required.

In a large pan, sauté the onion, leek and carrot in a little oil on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium high, add the turkey and cook until it begins to brown. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any brown bits from the pan.

Put half of the tomatoes and the roasted garlic cloves in a food processor with the date and pulse to a fine paste. Add the purée to the pan with the remainder of the tomatoes, chicken stock and cream and cook for 10 to 15 minutes on medium-high heat. When the liquid is fully absorbed, season with salt and pepper and finely chopped parsley.

Serve heaped high on toasted chive brioche buns.