January

 

The February Fruitbowl

What always used to be a pretty good month, has not been so great for the last couple of years. The quality and quantity of southern hemisphere Summer Fruit has dwindled, due to the demise of production in Zimbabwe and some inclement weather. And a poor season in Europe means that Citrus, Apples and Pears aren’t as plentiful as they normally are. However, there will be some good Peaches, Nectarines and  Apricots early in the month and Cape Plums will continue to delight. Clems and Sats will become scarce, scruffy or dry-fleshed, so we’ll turn to Mineolas and then Ortalinas. Navels and Blood Oranges will be spot-on. English Coxes Apples have become mellow and ripe and will be good all month, as will UK Comice and Conference Pears. There should be some good southern Pears coming in, too.  Reds, Grannies, Braeburns, Galas, Pink Ladies and Golden Delicious will continue to arrive in good shape from France and Spain. Banana plant yields are low in Feb so the price usually goes up. Getting enough fully ripe fruit can be a problem. Dried Apricots, Figs, Dates and Prunes are good bets and Rambutans, Dragon Fruits, Sharon Fruits and Grenadillas add interest.

 

Seville Tart

Seville Oranges are one of the last few foods that remain truly seasonal. They’re only around from the very end of December until late February. We can make the most of them by preserving their taste in marmalade and liqueurs, but nothing beats using their sour, bitter juice and peel, fresh, in dressings, sauces and dessert recipes, like this superb tart.

Make a sweet Pastry from 100g Butter, 150g Flour and 25g Icing Sugar, use it to line a 20cm flan dish. Blind bake until golden and crisp. Put the grated Rinds of 4 Seville Oranges in a bowl with 100g Butter, 300g Caster Sugar and 4 beaten Eggs. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and mix until the Butter has melted and the Sugar dissolved. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the Juice of the 4 Sevile Oranges. Pour the mixture into the Pastry Case and bake at around 160°C (Gas mark 3) for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture has set.

 

Rhubarb Batter Puddings

Cut 500g of Forced Rhubarb into 2.5cm  pieces and mix together with the 50g Chopped Preserved Stem Ginger, 75g  of Caster Sugar. Leave to marinate for 5 minutes then poach in a pot. Brush 4 ovenprooof dishes with a little melted Butter then lightly sprinkle with a little Caster Sugar. Shake off excess sugar. Beat together the 2 Eggs and 30g Caster Sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Sieve in 115g of Self-Raising Flour then slowly mix in 125ml of Milk and beat to form a smooth batter. Half fill the ovenproof dishes with a little of the batter and cook in the preheated oven (350 degrees) for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon the Rhubarb over the batter. Pour over the remainder of the batter and spoon a little of the Rhubarb over the top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes. When cooked firm, turn out on to a plate and serve with real Custard or Cream.

 

Jerusalem Artichoke Soufflé

Wash 500g Jerusalem Artichokes, chop into 1cm chunks and immerse immediately in a bowl of Water to which a squeeze of Lemon has been added.  Finely slice 150g Celery crosswise and steam this with the drained Artichokes until soft (15-20 minutes). Blend with the Juice from half a Lemon until smooth. Melt 115g Butter gently in a pan and add a crushed clove of Garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, add  60g of Plain Flour and stir and cook for about a minute. Slowly stir in 300ml Full Cream Milk and continue heating and stirring until the sauce thickens. Stir in 75g of grated Parmesan, 2 tsp Paprika and a couple of generous pinches of Sea Salt. Separate 6 large Eggs and stir the Yolks into the Artichoke Mixture and then mix into the cooked Flour, Butter and Milk Mixture. Whip the Egg-Whites until stiff and fold gently into the Mixture. Pour into a large soufflé dish and bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes. Serve immediately.

 

FORTUNE COOKIES

Preheat oven to 400°F. Write fortunes on strips of paper and fold them. Butter 2 non-stick baking sheets. Mix 1 Egg White and a dash of Vanilla Extract until foamy (not stiff). Sieve 2 oz Plain Flour a pinch of Salt, and 4 oz Sugar. Mix together and blend into the Egg White. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the baking sheets. Tilt to move the batter into 3 inch rounds. Do not make too many (try 3 to start with) because the cookies have to be really hot in order to bend them. Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden colour 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The centre will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the next. Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm. Will keep well in an airtight container for a few days. If you can't be bothered, just order them from us!

 

PSB PASTA

Flace 100g Parmesan and fry 100g Parma Ham strips until crisp. Set aside. Toast 250g Pine Nuts, grind to a coarse texture in a food processor. Trim the individual florets and baby leaves off 1 kg Purple Sprouting Broccoli and set aside. Slice the remaining Leaves and Stems finely and simmer until tender in a little salted Water.

Blitz the cooked Broccoli, plus 100g Basil Leaves, a crushed clove of Garlic and enough of the cooking water to make a paste. Put this through a coarse sieve and blend the resultant paste with the ground Pine Nuts. Add the juice of half a Lemon and ounce of Butter (optional, but good) and enough Olive oil to make a fairly thick, shiny paste. Season well and keep warm.

Set 6 servings of good Pasta on the stove to cook and steam the trimmed Broccoli Florets until just tender. Mix the Pesto with the drained Pasta. Serve in six bowls, top with the Broccoli Florets and scatter with Parmesan and crisp Parma Ham.

 

PARSNIP LATKES

Wrap 300g of grated Desiree or Maris Piper Potatoes in a cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Do the same with 700g of grated Parsnip. Toss this in 140g Plain Flour, 1 tsp Salt and plenty of Black Pepper. Add 2 finely sliced Spring Onions and 2 heaped tsp of pan-toasted Cumin Seeds. Mix in 4 large beaten Eggs. Adjust the texture with milk or a little extra flour so the mixture is just stiff enough to roll into balls and press into cakes less than a centimetre thick. Fry in Peanut Oil over medium heat until well browned. Serve with a wedge of lemon and a green salad. The mixture should make around thirty 5cm diameter cakes.

 

Rhubarb Sauce

This sweet, yet tart sauce goes brilliantly with duck, goose, pork, even spicy lamb and oily fish dishes. It cuts through the richness of the meat brilliantly.

Place a kilo of diced Rhubarb, 1 tsp Salt and a large glass of White Wine into a heavy -bottomed pan (not aluminium). Add 1 tbs chopped fresh Ginger, 2 Star Anise, 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice and the Zest and Juice of a medium Orange. Cook until the Rhubarb is very soft (10-15 minutes) then strain with a fine sieve. Avoid pressing the mixture, in order to keep the sauce clear. When juices stop running, return to the pan and add Brown Sugar, Honey or Maple Syrup until the flavour is balanced and a syrupy texture is achieved. Can be made a few days in advance and re-heated before serving.

 

Courgette Parmegiana with Vine Tomatoes and a Red Repper Salsa.

Thickly slice a medium Redondo Courgette, sprinkle with rock salt and set aside. Slice a couple of ripe Vine Tomatoes and toss with Basil Oil. Wash and dry the Courgette slices, Flour, Egg and coat with a mixture of breadcrumbs and freshly grated Parmesan shallow-fry in hot Olive Oil. Stack the sliced Tomato and fried Redondo Courgette in alternate layers. Season and sprinkle the top layer with Parmesan Cheese. Pop this into a hot oven for a few minutes to brown the Parmesan. Place into warm serving dish surrounded by a Red Pepper Salsa made with Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, freshly chopped Parsley, Mint and Tarragon.

 

Lemon and Almond Crumble
Preheat oven to temperature 375°F. Butter some oven- proof ramekins. Blend 200g of Caster Sugar, 60g of Cornflour, the grated rind and juice of 2 Lemons, 100ml of water and 4 beaten Eggs. Stir in 30g of melted Butter and cook in a bowl over simmering water until mixture has thickened. Mix in 200g of Sour Cream. For the Crumble sift 300g of Plain Flour stir in 100g of Oatmeal, rub in 100g of Butter and add a spoonful of Ground Almonds. Pour the Lemon Custard into the ramekins, and sprinkle each with a little Crumble topping. Bake until the topping is crisp and serve with Vanilla Cream.

 

Thai Spiced Parsnips.

Heat a little Vegetable Oil and gently Sauté a couple of Red Chillies and 200 g of thinly sliced Galangal or Ginger. Add in a kilo of peeled, sliced Parsnips and cook until golden brown. Pour in a litre of strained vegetable broth (infused with the Ginger and Chilli trimmings) into the pan, cover and cook until the Parsnips are tender. Season with 30mls of Soy sauce. Stir in a bunch of coarsely shredded Spring Onions, half a bunch of Mint, and the same of Basil and picked Coriander. Lightly thicken using a teaspoon of corn flour diluted. To serve, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

 

OKRA WITH TOMATOES AND GINGER

Finely blend 2 Garlic cloves and a 2 inch piece of peeled and chopped fresh Ginger in a food processor. Transfer to a heavy bottomed pan and gently simmer in a little Olive Oil with 2 of each, large diced Red and Green Peppers. Cook over moderate heat, for a few minutes until fragrant. Roughly chop a kilo of ripe Vine Tomatoes and pan-fry to lightly colour.Season well and add to the Ginger mixture. Stir in a kilo of trimmed Okra and simmer, covered, until just tender. Finish with a little chopped Mint and Coriander.

 

Swiss Chard with Bacon, Garlic and Button Onions

Remove the stems of the Chard, coarsely chop and wash well in Salted Water. In a large heavy bottomed pan, brown a generous handful of Peeled Button Onions and diced Pancetta Bacon. Add a little sliced Garlic and chopped Rosemary. Stir in the Chard with some Ex V Olive Oil. Lower the heat and cook until tender. Season with Black Pepper. Serve as a side dish or with Pan Roasted Meat or Offal. Veal Kidneys, Sweetbreads or Liver with a Rich Madeira Sauce is always a winning combination.

Also try Swiss Chard and Butternut Squash Tart with Roast Tomatoes and Freshly Grated Reggiano Parmesan. Or Toss Ripped Swiss Chard with Butter, Greek Feta Cheese and Fresh Basil.

 

Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder.

Peel and dice equal quantities of Onion, Red and Green Peppers, Tomato and Sweet Potato. Sweat with a little Olive Oil. Garlic, some Lemon Thyme and a Bayleaf. Cover with Vegetable Stock or Bouillion and simmer until the Vegetables are cooked, Separate and blend about one third of the Soup and add a generous amount of Sweetcorn (frozen is probably the best bet at this time of year).

Return to the heat and bring up to the simmer, Season, add a little Single Cream, plenty of freshly Chopped Parsley. You could add Prawns or Chicken or both to this soup, or even spice it up with a little chilli. A real winter warmer.

 

Ways with Romanesco

Salsa: Cut a couple of Romanesco heads into florets and steam until just al dente. Whilst still warm, mix with finely diced Red Onion, quartered Black Olives, Lemon Juice and Zest. Combine this with some slow roasted Cherry Vine Tomatoes, Olive Oil, shredded Flat Parsley and a touch of Garlic. Season with Flaky Rock Salt and lots of freshly ground Black Pepper. Good with hot and cold Fish or Meat, tossed with leaves or spread on to Char-grilled Ciabatta as a starter.

Or try a Romanesque and Saffron Risotto, a Gratin of Romanesque and Red Peppers with Parmesan. Or a little Tartelette of Lemon Pastry filled with Romanesque and Wild mushrooms, glazed
with Hollandaise Sauce.

 

Chocolate Soufflé with a Seville Orange Compote

For the Compote: Quarter 3 Seville Oranges. Boil in slightly Salted Water until soft. Remove the pulp. Slice peel into thin strips. Cook until tender with plenty of Sugar and a little Water..

For the Soufflé: Melt 400g Dark Chocolate over boiling water. Mix in 300g Caster Sugar, a strong Espresso Coffee. Combine130g of Flour and a pinch of Salt with a little melted Butter and slowly mix in 1 pint scalded Milk. Re-heat until it thickens, stirring continuously. Pour a small amount of this panada into 6 beaten Egg yolks. Beat the Egg Yolk Mix into the Chocolate mixture and cool. Whisk 12 Egg Whites until soft peaks form. Add 50g of Caster Sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until stiff peaks form. Add a little Vanilla Extract and fold into the Chocolate mixture. Pour into individual Soufflé dishes (Butter and Flour to prevent sticking). Bake at 350 degrees for Approximately 30 minutes or until puffy.

Just before serving, slightly break the top and spoon in some of the
Seville Orange Compote and dust with Icing Sugar. Serve immediately.
.

 

Rhubarb Ketchup

Put 6 Cups diced Rhubarb, 4 cups chopped Onions, 1 ½ cups diced Celery, 3 cups chopped tinned or fresh peeled Tomatoes, 1 sliced de-seeded red Chilli, 3 cups Sugar, 2 cups White Wine Vinegar and 2tsp Salt in a large saucepan. Add 2 tsp ground Cinnamon, 1 tsp ground Cloves, 1 tsp Salt, 1tsp Black Pepper, tied in a double layer of muslin
or cheesecloth.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 35 minutes. Remove spice bag and discard. Put through a sieve and re-heat to boiling. Put in sterilised jars and seal. Preserve by simmering closed jars in a water bath for 15 mins. Will keep for a year. Makes about 3 ½ pints.