The Hackney Butchers Association

Masala Lamb Chops with Spiced Rice & Fresh Coriander Sauce

2011-09-30T09:00:00.001+01:00

Wow, this is amazing. It's very easy and fairly cheap. Unlike a lot of curries, this one cooks in around 20mins, (marinading time on top of that). I will be doing this again very soon!

The flavours are warm and moreish, cumin, coriander seeds, ginger & toasted oniony rice, chilli & of course lamb! The Coriander sauce is so fresh and healthy it makes you feel like you must have just been to the gym. Well, sort of... (having not been to a gym for at least 10years I'm not an expert...)

There are quite a lot of ingredients, but mostly dried spices which last for months and months. The only fresh ingredients I needed to get were fresh coriander (cilantro), mint, & green chillies. You could do this without the fresh coriander sauce but you'd be missing out big time. Make the sauce...make the sauce...

I used some suckling lamb chops from a local market. £5 for 2 big chops, not bad I thought... for something quite special and amazingly tender I think that's a bargain. Because the lamb will be heavily flavoured, a cheaper cut would work well. It will still taste incredible!

The recipe I used came from chef Daksha Mistry on

the brilliant BBC food site. For once I wouldn't change a thing!, so it seems pointless reproducing it here. Just for the record, I made half measures of the rice and it was still enough for 2 good portions.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Slivena Rowe

2011-09-29T12:33:00.000+01:00

This books rocks! It is a book for foodies, even the index is delicious.

I bought this to take on a recent holiday to Turkey and read it cover to cover quite a few times. The recipes are simple, totally achievable and look beautiful. The photography got me hooked within minutes of opening the book. This a passionate book by someone who clearly loves their food, and it's very contagious!

I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes Eastern Mediterranean food. It draws influence from Turkey, Syria, Jordan and the Lebanon. The recipes are all based on traditional ideas but have a very light modern feel. It's really very clever.

Bulgarian born Silvena, affectionately includes the teachings of her half Turkish dad, which gives the book a personal feel. It's a history book, family story and inspiring cook book all in one. A lovely book.

The meat dishes are incredible, (including Grilled Red Mullet with toasted citrus and Nasturtium aioli, Veal shank with saffron & seven spice, Basil and Kadaifi wrapped shrimp...), but for me the real draw are the veggie recipes. Suzme rolled in sumac & pistachio.... the Crunchy Red Swiss Chard Falaffel... the Fennel and Feta Kofte with Walnut Tarator....Pumpkin and Za'atar Hummus... (there are loads more!)

Oh and there are soups, breads, boreks, pilafs, sherberts, ice creams, pastries, all sorts....

It's on offer at Amazon for £15 (23US$) for the hardback. Got to be done.

Sorry to go on about it, but Silvena Rowe rocks!

Smoked Pork Jowl

2011-09-22T16:13:00.001+01:00

Ok, so not the prettiest thing you've ever seen, but might tasty none the less!

This smoked pigs cheek set me back the princely sum of £3.

3 hours of poaching in unsalted water later... and with the main skin (& hairy bits) removed... I now have a slab of incredibly tasty meat. It has a very tender texture & can be eaten hot or cold. It will keep for at least a few days in the fridge, and can be used instead of pancetta to flavour other dishes, or in small chunks with pasta etc. It has a deep bacony flavour, with a pork belly texture. It would be a shame to waste it.

Unsmoked, the Italians call this cut Guanciale (meaning 'cheek'). There's a curing recipe on this site, CLICK HERE.

Today I fried up a few slices in some olive oil with some left over cooked chard and a small sprinkling of cumin seeds. Thankfully no one else was around, I could have got territorial.

Roasted Radicchio

2011-07-25T10:12:00.000+01:00

This is very easy & makes an interesting, slightly bitter side-dish. Good alongside fish, chicken, pork.

The recipe below feeds 2 people (1 radicchio) , but could easily be scaled up.

1 hour marinading, 25mins cooking time.

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1tbs olive oil
1 small handful of chopped rosemary
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 pinch of sea salt
A few good grinds of black pepper
Parmesan cheese, grate over at the end

Mix together all the ingredients (except the cheese) & marinade the Radicchio for a hour.
Then roast at 200-220 for 20-25mins until crispy.

Honey Glazed Salmon & Sesame seeds

2011-07-18T19:34:00.001+01:00

This is really easy & quick. The amounts below feed two but could be very easily scaled up to serve any amount.

Marinade

3tbs honey
2tbs soy sauce
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp five-spice

2 salmon fillets
2tsp sesame seeds

Mix the honey, soy, garlic & five-spice in a bowl. Put the salmon in and coat it well. Leave skin side down in a fridge for 20mins.

Preheat oven to 180C

Remove the fish from the marinade & bake in a small pan for 15mins skin side down. When done, turn the salmon over & spoon some of the remaining marinade over the skin-side. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and grill under a high heat for a few minutes until the seeds slightly golden.

Really good with rice noodles and bok choi!

Definitely one to repeat.

Lauki ki Sabja curry with sesame seeds & peanuts

2011-07-12T11:44:00.001+01:00

Dhudi is an Indian vegetable. It's a member of the gourd family, and tastes like a slightly bitter marrow. They come in various shapes and sizes, and confusingly have dozens of names in different countries. The main names to remember are Lauki (India), Hulu (Chinese), and Calabash (USA/Europe).

If left on the vine, they thicken up and are often hollowed out, dried, and used in place of bottles. For this reason, they are often referred to as bottle gourds. When young, they are eaten as a vegetable. You just peel them with a normal peeler, dice & then boil or fry for about 5mins. By themselves they are a bit bland, so they are usually cooked with lots of spices. That's where I get interested!

They are eaten all across India, Pakistan, in China, Korea, Vietnam and parts of South America, so there are no doubt a huge amount of recipes out there.

To get the ball rolling, here's a recipe I tried last night which uses no oil. I had it with some plain rice & some mint yoghurt. Spicy and healthy, cool.

I've lost the link for the indian blog I found it on. Apologies!

Lauki ki Sabji (Dhudi cooked with no meat)

1 Dhudi
2/3 Cup water
1 tsp salt
1 big pinch Hing(asafoetida)
1 big pinch turmeric

1 handful chopped coriander

Masala
1/2 cup peanuts
1 tbs sesame seeds
1tsp corriander seeds
1tsp fennel seeds
2 dried red chillies (broken up)
1 clove garlic, squashed flat
1/2 tsp chilli powder

Dry roast the peanuts in a hot pan first, until lightly golden. Then blitz in a grinder.

Lightly toast the rest of the masala ingredients one by one for a few seconds & add to the grinder.

Blitz.

Peel & dice the Dhudi (2-3 cup fulls)

Bring 2/3 of a cup of water to the boil

Boil the dhudi in an open pan with 1 tsp salt and a big pinch of turmeric & asafoetida (hing) for 5mins until soft, but still keeping shape.

There will be some liquid left over.

Add the masala to the pan and cook it through for another couple of minutes. It will absorb all the cooking juices.

Mix with the chopped coriander & serve.

Down to my greed, I ate the whole lot... It was delicious, but still mildly bitter. This dish would be better as part of a meal alongside something sweeter. Alongside a south-indian coconut curry for instance, it would be amazing!

Asafoetida - Devil's Dung! or Hing

2011-07-11T11:29:00.002+01:00

Asafoetida is a pungent spice that comes from the sap of Ferula roots. In it's raw gum form it has a foul smell hence the name Devil's Dung!

Once fried for 30secs in oil though, it gives a lovely onion/leek/garlic flavour. Phew. It is used widely in Indian, Persian & Arabic food.

I found mine at a local asian store, where it was known as 'Hing' , but all the big manufacturers make it, so it will be in a lot of supermarkets.

You can buy it in bags of untreated resin, but it is very pungent & very smelly! Far more often it comes in powder form in pots, mixed with a little rice flour to keep it dry and make the taste less harsh.

Just in case, here are a few stockists....

GREENLIFE.CO.UK

SPICESOFINDIA.CO.UK

THEASIANCOOKSHOP.CO.UK

For USA use

ISHOPINDIAN.COM

For the rest of Europe use:

INDIASTORE.DE

Hope this helps!

Methi Murg - Chicken & Fenugreek curry

2011-07-08T18:17:00.000+01:00

This comes from an awesome book I recently bought from Amazon, "India" by Pushpent Pant. His name alone is impressive!

It is the first recipe I've cooked from the book, but if it is anything to go by, I will soon be trying the remaining 999 recipes...

This book is not cheap, but worth every penny, i'ts a lovely object (that comes in it's own bag) , published by Phaidon, and packed with enough info, ideas and great images to keep you going for years. Wow.

I've just seen they've just slashed the price on Amazon (after I'd bought 2 copies!) to £20. That really is a massive bargain.

Anyway here's the basic recipe with a slight twist as I couldn't get fresh fenugreek and used dried instead. I also added some chopped fresh mint at the end just to freshen it up. Probably a mortal sin, but still damn tasty...

RECIPE BELOW:

Methi Murg

100ml of vegetable oil
4 onions, sliced
5-6 green chillies, de-seeded
2 tsp finely grated ginger
2 tsp finely grated garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 chicken,jointed & cut into medium pieces
100g fresh fenugreek shoots, or a handful of dried fenugreek
275g fresh tomatoes (2 medium), chopped
1.5 tsp chilli powder
Salt
1 handful fresh mint

Heat the oil in a heavy pan, I used a cast iron wok.
Add the onions and fry until golden brown (5-7 minutes).
Add the chillies, garlic, ginger, turmeric & fry for 2 mins.
Add the chicken & fenugreek and fry for 10mins.
Add the tomatoes & chilli powder & salt and cook for another few minutes.
Add enough water to nearly cover & cook for 30mins or until cooked through.
Stir in the chopped mint just before serving.

Delicious!

Gulf baharat - Kebsa Spice mix

2011-07-05T12:05:00.000+01:00

Gulf baharat

1 tbsp red pepper
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground loomi (dried lime)
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp saffron threads

Sometimes I think I must have my head buried in the sand! I am fairly food obsessed, but am constantly suprised to find new things I had no idea about...

A while back I started using a gorgeous spice mix called Za'Atar, (for the recipe click here). It is one of those things that lasts for ages, and can pretty much be used for anything. It turns otherwise mid-week mundane leftovers into a treat, with a summery taste of herbs and toasted sesame seeds. I regularly fry up left scraps of left-over chicken with Za'Atar and lemon zest. It is amazing... there is never enough...
It's also great with eggs, in fritattas etc. Mmmnn.

Anyway, with that in mind, I thought I would have come across Baharat before now! It is another of those terms which can mean a whole host of things. It's basically a blend of herbs which varies hugely from country to country, but has it's roots in the sunshine of North Africa & the Gulf.

There seem to be a thousand variations, no doubt each one claiming to be the first. Whatever the truth, these blends have been around for many hundreds of years & I am obviously slow on the uptake!

A great reseource for all things Spice is the TheEpicentre.com. The Baharat page lists about five variations including the above Kebsa Mix. This one particularly caught my eye as it uses Loomi, or blackened sun-dried limes. I can imagine the end result being incredible.

Another variation worth a look is:

2 tbsp Ground Cumin
2 tbsp Spanish Paprika
2 tbsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Green Cardamom Pods Freshly Ground

I am seriously getting hungry now.

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - JULY

2011-07-05T11:08:00.000+01:00

July

Artichokes, Aubergines, Apricots, Buckler-Leaf Sorrel, Broccoli, Beetroot, Blueberries, Blackcurrants, Broad Beans, Cherries, Cod, Crab, Courgettes, Cucumbers, Clams, Cockles, Coley, Dover Sole, English Lamb, Fennel, Grey Mullet, Greengages, Gooseberries, Garlic, Green Beans, Haddock, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Kohlrabi, Lobster, Langoustines, Lemon Sole, Loganberries, Monkfish, Mulberries, Mackerel, Nectarines, Onions, Peaches, Potatoes, Peas, Plums, Plaice, Raspberries, Rabbit, Rocket, Runner Beans, Redcurrants, Radishes, Raspberries, Strawberries, Squid, Sea Bream, Scallops, Sea Bass, Swiss Chard, Sardines, Salmon, Spinach, Salad Leaves, Tomatoes, Whelks, Watercress.

Wild Foods for July

Crab Apples, Chanterelles, Green Walnuts, Marsh Samphire, Sea Purslane, Wild Blackberries, Wild Mint, Wood Pigeon.

This list comes from the brilliant website The British Larder.
I always find their monthly list a great way to remind me of things i haven't eaten or cooked for a while, or just to learn about things I had no idea about.

For instance... Buckler Leaf Sorrel...

Apparently it is another name for French Sorrel. It has green leaves, similar in shape to watercress and tastes of green apples. Young leaves can be used in salads.

I have some Red Veined Sorrel (Rumex Sanguineus) going a bit mad in the garden, so needed some good Sorrel ideas.

I found some great starting points on an interesting old blog called Two Small Farms.

Sorrel and Goat Cheese Quiche,
Cream of Sorrel Soup,
Sorrel Pesto,
Greens and Fish,
Sorrel Omelet,
Gongura Dal

If you have any other nice ways to use Sorrel please let me know. Cheers!

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - JUNE

2011-06-13T10:56:00.001+01:00

June

Aubergines, Artichokes, Asparagus, Apricots, Borage, Broad Beans, Beetroot, Blueberries, Blackcurrants, Broccoli, Courgettes, Cherries, Cod, Crab, Coley, Cockles, Carrots, Chicory, Cucumbers, Dover Sole, Fennel, French Beans, Grey Mullet, Green Beans, Gooseberries, Haddock, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Lamb, Langostines, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mange Tout, Mackerel, Nectarines, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Pollack, Plaice, Redcurrants, Rocket, Radishes, Runner beans, Rhubarb, Romaine Lettuce, Raspberries, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Onions, Salmon, Strawberries, Sardines, Sea Trout, Turnips, Tomatoes, Watercress.

Wild Foods for June

Lime Flowers, Marsh Samphire, Nasturtium, Sorrel, Sea Purslane, Sea Beet, Wild Mint, Wood Pigeon.

I bought a borage plant a few weeks ago, that despite the lack of sunshine seems to be doing really well. The leaves are spiky like a thick stinging nettle. Chopped really fine they can be eaten raw and taste mostly of cucumber. They can also be cooked, sauteed in a little butter with garlic etc. They are not the prettiest of plants, but do produce lots of lovely blue star shaped flowers which are edible. My daughter & I ate one each this morning just to test them out. It has a small burst of very sweet honey like nectar, and then ends up tasting mildly of cucumbers. Not a bad find we thought. They would be great in a salad, or can be frozen in ice cubes for flash drinks.

This list of seasonal food comes from the brilliant blog "The British Larder".

"The Curry Secret: Indian Restaurant Cookery at Home" by Kris Dhillon

2011-06-10T17:00:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Amazon I am now the proud owner of four new curry books! Very exciting stuff for me. I've gone for quite a diverse selection, so it should be an interesting mix of old & new.

The first to arrive is a very dated looking book called,

"The Curry Secret: Indian Restaurant Cookery at Home" | PaperbackAuthor: Kris Dhillon

It was a best seller at some point, but can now be picked up for the princely sum of 1p. Yes 1p. I'm not sure there can be a better way to spend a penny. Well, you know what i mean. First published in 1989, it was updated & re-published in 2008. Back by popular demand, so it must be good eh?

It's written by an Indian restaurant owner & chef who spills the beans on restaurant 'tricks of the trade'. I'm yet to put it to the test but am already learning some top tips. Loving it!

For instance...I love the mint sauce that comes with onion bhaji & popadoms. I have tried making it at home with fresh mint, chilli etc. It tasted good, but entirely different. Until now...

The first cheat is to use mint sauce (the same sauce that would accompany roast lamb!). That was a revelation to me, not sure why... Other additions are fresh garam masala, chilli powder & amchoor.

Amchoor is dried mango powder, which I had no idea about until today, but have probably eaten a thousand times in curries. It has gone straight to the top of my ever-growing obscure ingredients shopping list! A quick look online has shown it's a doddle to get. All the big manufacturers of spice etc do it (ie Natco) , so it's probably been staring me in the face at the supermarket for years.

So..

Mint Sauce (the Indian restaurant way)

150ml plain yoghurt

2tsp mint sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp amchoor

1/2 level tsp caster sugar

2 drops of green food colouring (I might give this a miss!)

I'll update this once it's been tested!..

Baked Huss (en papillote) with Ginger & Fenugreek

2011-06-07T09:00:00.001+01:00

This was a quick mid-week experiment that really worked.

Huss is widely sold as an alternative to Cod in Fish & Chip shops, it's also known as Dogfish or Rock Salmon. It comes from the North Atlantic, Pacific & Mediteranean Seas. It's a good, firm white fish. For some reason I'd never bought or cooked it before this week. After a mid-week bung-it-in-the oven meal for one, I'll now buy it again regularly. Not only was it very cheap, but there was a lot of fish. The piece I bought was £2 and could have fed 2 people, if I wasn't so greedy....

On the downside, there is a large spine that runs through the fish, but this comes out in one piece very easily once it's cooked.

I will play about with various marinades now I know how easy it is, but the recipe I made up was as follows..

1inch of fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped & then crushed to a paste
1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, ground
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 clove of garlic, crushed to a paste
Salt & pepper

I bashed this lot up in a pestle & mortar with a little oil to make a paste, then rubbed it over the fish.

I put the fish on a piece of baking parchment & rolled it up tightly in a large sausage shape. I then baked the parcel in a preheated oven at 180C for around 15mins.

The result was fantastic, lightly steamed fish with the flavour throughout. I had it with some plain rice, and some greens. It would be great with some good bread or naan and a fresh chilli pickle. Healthy, cheap, quick & spicy.

If you hear of any other good Huss ideas please let me know. Cheers.

Pot-Roasted Rabbit with Herbs & Honey

2011-06-06T13:10:00.000+01:00

I ran out of time the other night with a plan to marinade & BBQ a rabbit. So instead I tried out a really quick way to cook it up, pot-roasting. This has the advantage of steaming the rabbit while it roasts, so it doesn't dry up and go tough. It was pretty damn good if I say so myself!

(SERVES 2) Marinading time: 20mins-24hours / Cooking time:25mins

Here's how:

INGREDIENTS:

1 large rabbit, or 2 smaller ones
2 handfuls of chopped herbs (I used marjoram & rosemary)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbs spoon honey
1 lemon, for zest & juice
Olive Oil
2 glasses of wine (i used 1 red/1 white)

METHOD:

1. Catch your rabbit (old joke...)
2. Joint your rabbit
3. Marinade rabbit pieces in the herbs, crushed garlic, lemon zest & juice, & honey. Season with salt & pepper. Leave this for as long as possible, at least 20mins, preferably overnight.
4. Brown the rabbit pieces in a casserole dish (dutch oven) over a fairly high heat until well browned. Don't worry about the burnt caramel in the pan, it will taste great. This takes 5-10mins.
5. Put the wine in and let it bubble up for a minute, then put the lid on & place in a hot oven (200C) for 10minutes.
6. Take it out of the oven & let the rabbit rest in some silver foil. Meanwhile pop a knob of butter in the pan and stir it into the remaining juices over a low heat. After 5mins, season & serve it all up.

I served it up onto a plateful of baby spinach leaves which I'd tossed with a little tarragon vinaigrette, and let the heat of the rabbit wilt the leaves. I had a handy lump of focacia to soak up all the juices. Don't want to waste any...

Definitely one to repeat!

No pictures I'm afraid as my wife (& her camera) were away. Must get a camera...

Other rabbit recipes to try...

Jamie Oliver's rabbit stew with Tarragon dumplings is still the best rabbit recipe I've ever come across. Amazing! Great warming food for a cold night.

The Eagle pub rabbit with rice is also great. A little rabbit goes a long way with this one.

Herby potato & carrot rostis

2011-05-22T08:32:00.001+01:00

Crispy and delicious. These can be flavoured with any herb or a combination of spices. Good for adults, kids, with anything, even just by themselves with salad. Best eaten hot or warm.

I made these last night with too much egg, too little salt & herbs, they were edible but more like bland omelets.. not great as I was serving them with roasted Bream. It was all a bit weird. Oh well, you live and learn!

This makes six small cakes & serves 2 people

250g potatoes
1 medium carrot
200g feta
2 heaped teaspoons dill (or other herb)
1 egg
Lots of seasoning!
Olive oil

Peel the potato and carrot and then coarsely grate into a sieve. Squeeze out moisture.
Add herb of choice, black pepper and crumbled feta (if using). Lightly beat eggs and add to mixture.

Make six flattened cakes from the mixture & fry them in a little olive oil until crispy. yum.

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - MAY

2011-05-05T11:45:00.000+01:00

MAY:

Asparagus, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Cockles, Coley, Chicory, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Cod, Crab, Fennel, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Jersey Royal, Kohlrabi, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mint, Mackerel, New Potatoes, Nasturtium Flowers, Radishes, Rocket, Sorrel, Sea Bass, Salmon, Sea Trout, Pollack, Plaice, Salmon, Sardines, Spring Onions, Spring Lamb, Rhubarb, Winkles, Whelks, Watercress.

Wild Foods for May…

Borage Flowers, Elderflowers, Marsh Samphire, Nettles, Sorrel, Sea Purslane, Wild Garlic, Wild Mint, Woodpigeon.

Just found a few interesting things to try with Kohlrabi...

Carrot & Kohlrabi salad (Rick Stein's recipe on the BBC Food website) (gotta love Rick Stein!)

Kohlrabi fritters (from a blog called 'ahungrybear.com')

Also the leaves can be cooked and eaten as you would with Spinach. Braised for 2mins on a medium heat with a knob of butter, lid on. Could be good!

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - APRIL

2011-04-12T07:57:00.000+01:00

APRIL:

Broccoli, Carrots, Cucumber, Cabbages, Cockles, Crab, Cauliflower, Eel, Halibut, Jersey Royal New Potatoes, John Dory, Leeks, Lettuces, Lobster, Lemon Sole, Mint, Mackerel, Mussels, New Potatoes, Oyster, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Rosemary, Spring Greens, Sea Kale, Salmon, Sardines, Salsify, Sea Bass, Sea Trout, Spinach, Sorrel, Spring Onions, Spring Lamb, Whelks, Winkles, Watercress.

Wild Foods:

Chickweed, Dandelion, Hop Shoots, Hogweed, Hawthorn Berries, Nettles, St Georges Mushrooms, Sea Beet, Morel Mushrooms, Woodpigeon, Wild Garlic.

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - MARCH

2011-03-08T14:51:00.002Z

MARCH:

Brussels Sprouts, Beetroot, Broccoli, Crab, Carrots, Celeriac, Chicory, Clams, Cockles, Cauliflower, Eel, Hake, john Dory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, lobster, Lemon Sole, Leeks, Mussels, Oysters, Parsnips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Red Chicory and Radicchio, Spinach, Salmon, Scallops, Skate, Swede, Salad Onions, Sorrel, Sea Bass, Rhubarb, Turnips, Trout, Winkles.

Wild Foods:

Garlic Mustard, Horseradish, Lime Leaves, Morel Mushrooms, Sea Beet, Wild Garlic.

I made up a very quick & delicious side-dish/ salad last week with a few Jerusalem Artichokes.

Peel & slice into thick coins, then gently fry for 10mins in a few tablespoons of olive oil until caramelized.
Stir in a few finely sliced sage leaves & cook for 1 minute more.
Add the juice of a lemon to deglaze the pan, then remove from the heat & mix in a teaspoon of dijon mustard.
Season salt & a few turns of black pepper.

I had it with some left over pork & some salad leaves. It would be great mixed with some wild garlic leaves.

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - FEBRUARY

2011-02-07T09:05:00.002Z

FEBRUARY

Brill, Brussels Sprouts, Blood Oranges, Chard, Clams, Cabbages, Cockles, Celeriac, Cauliflower, Duck, Endive, Forced Rhubarb, Goose, Halibut, Haddock, Hake, Jerusalem Artichokes, John Dory, Kale, Leeks, Mussels, Medjool Dates, Oysters, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Pomegranate, Potatoes, Red Chicory and Radicchio, Parsnip, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Sea Bass, Scallops, Swede, Salmon, Turnips, Turbot, Walnuts.

Wild foods in February:

Alexanders, Chickweed, Horseradish, Hare, Venison.

Game birds everywhere can kick back and relax as the shooting season for Pheasants & partridges ended on the 1st Feb.

Starting to appear now though are Red Chicory & Raddichio. Recipes to follow...

Also interesting is the arrival of an old forgotten vegetable called 'Alexanders' introduced by the Romans. There's a link here
It's not something I've tried, but is apparently very easy to find if you're anywhere near the countryside. It is like a cross between parsley, celery and asparagus. Boil/steam the stems and buds for 6mins and serve with butter & black pepper. Sounds worth a try if you can find it.

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - JANUARY

2011-01-04T13:00:00.002Z

January

Brill, Brussels Sprouts, Blood Oranges, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Clams, Cabbages, Celery, Chicory, Cranberries, Cockles, Clementines, Duck, Forced Rhubarb, Goose, Halibut, Hake, Haddock, Hare, Jerusalem Artichokes, John Dory, Kale, Leeks, Lemon Sole, Mussels, Onions, Oysters, Pears, Parsnips, Potatoes, Partridge, Pheasant, Parsnips, Purple Spouting Broccoli, Pomegranates, Sea Bass, Salsify, Satsumas, Shallots, Swede, Seville Oranges, Scallops, Turbot, Turnips, Venison, Whelks, Walnuts.

Wild foods in January:

Guinea Fowl, Hare, Horseradish, Mallard(until Jan 31st) , Partridge (until Feb 1st) , Pheasant(until Feb 1st) , Teal(until Jan 31st) , Truffles, Venison, Wigeon, Woodcock.

Pheasants! That reminds me. There's this amazing Rick Stein pheasant recipe that I cook every year about now. The birds roast in a dutch oven on top of loads of bacon/fennel/leeks/carrots etc. & a small number of juniper berries. You end up with an incredible vegetable stock/sauce, which is great with mash the next day too. It's a fantastic simple winter dish. So, tomorrow I need to find some cheap pheasants.... cool.

Rick Steins' Pot-Roasted Pheasant

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - DECEMBER

2010-12-01T10:58:00.001Z

Brill, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Celery, Cockles, Cod, Coley, Clementines, Cauliflower, Chicory, Clams, Celeriac, Cranberries, Duck, Guinea Fowl, Grouse, Goose, Haddock, Halibut, Hazelnuts, Hake, John Dory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Lemon Sole, langostine, Leeks, Marrow, Monkfish, Mussels, Mackerel, Oysters, Onions, Pollack, Pomegranates, Plaice, Parsnips, Potatoes, Quince, Red Cabbage, Squid, Sea Bream, Skate, Scallops, Sea Bass, Tangerines, Turnips, Turkey, Turbot, Sea Kale, Satsumas, Swede, Salsify.

Wild Foods for December…
Chestnuts, Grouse (Until 10th December), Hare, Mallard, Nettles, Partridge, Pheasant, Sea Purslane, Sea Beet, Teal, Venison, Wigeon, Woodcock, Wood Pigeon, Wild Rabbit, Walnuts.

Rather wierdly, my daughter is mad on Brussel Sprouts. There's a fight over lots of other vegetables, but never sprouts. For years I had bad memories of them from school. Grey, watery, cabbagey things.... ugghh. But now I love the little fellas. I usually steam them until they have a tiny bit of crunch left, then add a dollop of butter, black pepper and a splash of sherry vinegar. They are genuinely a treat. To be fair, if I'd been served that in school I probably still would have hated it.

This list of seasonal foods came originally from a fantastic website for a pub & restaurant in Suffolk called 'The British Larder'. I have just subscribed. It is packed with great looking seasonal recipes. I'm going to have a thorough delve through and work out which recipes to try first...

Christmas is now looming and there are plenty of opportunities for experiments & greed! Hooray.

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - NOVEMBER

2010-11-03T22:12:00.001Z

Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Beetroot, Clementines, Cabbages, Celeriac, Celery, Chard, Chestnuts, Chicory, Clams, Crab, Cranberries, Dover Sole, Duck, Eel, Goose, Grouse, Guinea Fowl, Haddock, Hake, Halibut, Hare, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichokes, John Dory, Kale, Kohlrabi, Langoustine, Leeks, Lemon, Lobster, Mallard, Medlars, Monkfish, Mussels, Nettles, Onions, Oysters, Parsnips, Partridges, Pears, Pheasant, Plaice, Pollack, Pomegranate, Pumpkins, Quince, Rosehips, Salsify, Satsumas, Scallops, Squid, Sea Bass, Sea Beet, Sea Purslane, Skate, Sole, Swede, Swiss Chard, Tangerines, Turbot, Turnips, Venison, Walnuts, Wigeon, Wild Mushrooms, Wild Rabbit, Winkles, Wood Pigeon, Woodcock

Wow. Lot's of good stuff in there...

Clausthaler Classic - Low Alcohol Lager

2010-11-03T21:31:00.001Z

The next one in my quest to start drinking a little less in the week... This one is 0.5% alcohol, which will have no effect unless you drink a bathtub full.

This is a nice drink that actually tastes like lager!

I got it from Tescos, it's mass produced and should be readily available.

A few of the other alcohol free beers I've tried have an unpleasant bitter metallic taste. This one is clean, light, and refreshing with a malty taste. Quite impressive considering how bad some of the others are!

I might try one out on a friend and see if they can spot that it's low alcohol...

Also recommended is the Bavaria Wit 0% (Wheat Beer)

Polenta Chips with Rosemary Sauce

2010-10-22T10:02:00.004+01:00

I had a go at these recently. I small cup of polenta goes a very long way! You end up with 4-5 cups of polenta...
I'll be eating these for days now, but it's not much of a hardship though. They were pretty good. They came out very crunchy on the outside, and very soft on the inside, almost semolina texture. I'll try cutting them thinner next time and see if I can get them crispier throughout. Oh, and to get the edges more crispy, I rolled it in some uncooked polenta while still warm. You could and use a beaten egg first for a thicker coating.

For these I used a quick cook polenta, which took just five minutes to cook. I added salt & pepper, though not enough salt, it needs quite a bit. I also added a huge handull of grated parmesan. Then I left it in the pan to cool before turning it out on to a chopping board. The end result is a fairly firm cake which can be slice anyway you like. Once cooked it will keep in the fridge for a few days.

The rosemary sauce is great. You strip the leaves from a sprig of rosemary and very finely chop them. Then pound them in a pestle & mortar until they are a paste. Then add a few salted anchovies and pound again. Once it's a complete mush, drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with black pepper (it probably won't need salt because of the anchovies).

This sauce came from a great Jamie Oliver recipe for oven roasted salmon with brocolli & rosemary sauce. It's quite strong so you only need to drizzle it. It works well on these chips, because the polenta is fairly bland by itself. Together though they are beautiful! More for lunch today...

These would work well with pretty much any sauce you could throw at them I guess. I have tried them with a good homemade tomato sauce & lots of parmesan before (delicious...) and also baked in layers with onion & pecorino (doubly delicious...). There is a lot more to try out. I'm thinking something fishy next, maybe baked with a sardine on top?...

WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW - OCTOBER

2010-10-21T14:15:00.002+01:00

Beetroot, Borlotti Beans, Cabbages, Cardoons, Chard, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Pumpkins, Rocket, Salsify , Spinach, Turnips, Apples, Crab Apples, Damsons, Pears, Quinces, Wild Mushrooms, Chestnuts, Walnuts, Thyme, Butternut Squash, Rosehip, Sloes, Rowanberries, Scottish Oysters, Parsnips, Guinea Fowl, Clementines, Wood Pigeon, Sea bass, Squid, Turbot, Venison, Elderberries, Figs, Grouse, Watercress Clams, Crabs, Duck, Grey Mullet, Goose, Haddock, Hake, Halibut, Hare, John Dory, Kale, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Mallard, Monkfish, Mussels, Onions, Partridges, Pheasant, Plaice, Plums, Rabbit, Scallops.

That reminds me... rabbits! It's about time to make some rabbit stews again, phew. Maybe like the Eagle pub's classic...

Arroz con Conejo - Spanish Rice with Rabbit