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January

 

June

 

Seared Mackerel with Fresh Minted Crushed Garden Peas

(Serves 2)

Preparing the Peas:  Pod 250g fresh English garden peas and lightly crush them in a food processor by pressing the pulse button a couple of times. Stir in 1tbs extra virgin olive oil, 2tbs chopped fresh mint, 1tsp chopped fresh tarragon, and the juice and zest of one lime. Season with freshly cracked black pepper, coarse sea salt, a pinch of sumac and a pinch of ground cumin. Let the peas macerate whilst preparing the mackerel.

Preparing the Mackerel: clean, de-scale and fillet one large mackerel, taking care to remove the pin bones. Cut the mackerel into 5 -7cm long diamond shapes (work on the basis of 2 pieces per portion) and score the skins. Season with the zest of an un-waxed lemon, freshly cracked black pepper and course sea salt. Sear the mackerel skin-side-down in a pre-heated non-stick pan for 3-4 minutes until the skin crispens, then turn over and cook for a further 1 minute. Remove from pan and drain on kitchen paper.

On each plate make two small quenelles of the freshly crushed peas and place one piece of seared mackerel on top of the each. Garnish with pea tops and a drizzle of freshly made mint vinaigrette.

Recipe by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel. Visit www.britishlarder.co.uk for seasonal inspiration.

 

Cherry and Almond Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

Cinnamon Baked Cherries: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash and stone 400g Cherries and cut them in half. Mix the Cherries with 40g Unrefined Caster Sugar and 1 tsp of Ground Cinnamon. Spread on a lined baking tray and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool.

Cupcakes Batter: Cream 100g Caster Sugar and two medium Eggs until fluffy. Mix in 50g melted Unsalted Butter; and 120g Milk. Sift together 250g Plain Flour, 1tsp Baking Powder and ½ tsp Bicarb, and fold into the mixture. Fold in the grated zest of one Lemon. Line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases and dice 80g of Marzipan into very small cubes. Half fill the cases the batter then add a teaspoon of baked cherries and a few Marzipan Cubes to each. Then fill the cases to nearly to the top with more batter. Sprinkle the rest of the Marzipan Cubes and bake at 180°C for 25 minutes. Cool.

Mascarpone Frosting: Cream 60g of soft Unsalted Butter with the Seeds of half a Vanilla Pod. Add 150g of Mascarpone, cream lightly and fold in 80g of sifted Icing Sugar. Garnish the cakes with this frosting and spoon a teaspoon of Baked Cherries on top. Makes 12 Cupcakes

Recipe by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel. Visit www.britishlarder.co.uk for seasonal inspiration.

 

Lime, Almond and Strawberry Chutney

(Produces Approx 2.2kg)

To a saucepan add the following: 400g Caster Sugar, 400ml Aspall Raspberry Cider Vinegar, 400ml Water, 10g Salt, 4 Cardamom Pods, 4 whole Cloves, 1 Star Anise, 1 stick Cinnamon, 500g Banana Shallots chopped, 70g minced Fresh Ginger, 40g Red Chilies. Bring to boil. Heat the chutney base to 105°C. Wash, hull and quarter 1kg Strawberries. Add the strawberries to the boiling chutney base.  Bring the chutney back to the boil and cook until the chutney reaches 105°C for the second time. Add the zest and juice of 1 Lime and 100g sliced Almonds. Let the chutney cool slightly while sterilizing the preserving jars in the oven at 100°C for 30 minutes. Spoon the chutney into the sterilized jars. Let the chutney mature for at least one day before serving.

Visit http://www.britishlarder.co.uk/ for inspiration. All the recipes are written, photographed and eaten by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel professional chef and food fanatic.

 

 

Wild Asparagus and Opal Basil Risotto with Green Tomato Jelly

Serves 2 main course portions or 4 starter portions

Chop 50g Fennel and 100g Banana Shallots and sweat in 50g Butter, 20ml Olive Oil and a Pinch of Salt until transparent. Add 200g Carnarolli Risotto Rice; toast for a couple of minutes, deglaze with 100ml White Wine and cook until the wine is absorbed. Gradually add 400ml Vegetable Stock and continue cooking until the rice has a firm but cooked bite. Fold in 50g Mascarpone Cheese and 20g Grated Parmesan. Whilst the risotto cooks finely slice 4 bulbs of Baby Fennel, setting aside the leaves for the garnish. Take 16 stems of Wild Asparagus; cut the stalks into fine rounds and the heads into spears. Blanch the spears for a few seconds in boiling salted water, refresh. Fold the sliced Fennel and Asparagus stalks into the Risotto. Serve the risotto on a warm plate and garnish with the wild Asparagus spears, picked Opal Basil leaves and chopped Fennel tops. To finish dot a few squares of green tomato jelly on top.

>Green Tomato Jelly: Puree 4 / 5 whole Green Tomatoes to a smooth pulp. Put 250g of the Tomato Pulp and 1.5g Agar into a small saucepan, bring to the boil then remove from heat immediately. Pour into a shallow tray and allow to set without disturbing the jelly. Once set cut the jelly into 5mm squares, and garnish with finely grated Parmesan.

Recipe by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel. Visit www.britishlarder.co.uk for seasonal inspiration. Photography and recipe though the eyes of a professional chef.

Chicken-Stuffed Romero Peppers

Chop the meat from 4 Free Range Chicken Thighs and blend this with 300g White Bread (crusts removed) , 50g Parsley Leaves, 50g Basil Leaves, 25g Chives, Salt, Pepper and 8 tbs good Olive Oil in a food processor. Cut 4 Romero Peppers in half lengthways and remove the seeds and pith (leave the stems attached). Fill the Pepper halves equally with the stuffing and bake on a flat tray in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle 100g grated Parmesan over the Peppers so that each is equally covered. Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the topping begins to brown and the Peppers are soft. Serve with a fresh Roquette salad and steamed and buttered New Potatoes.


Gooseberry Curd

Top and tail 1kg Gooseberries and place a large stainless steel pan with 60m Water.  Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the fruit is very soft. Remove from the heat and push the Gooseberries through a sieve into a mixing bowl. Put another heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt 70g Butter. Beat 4 Eggs lightly and stir into the bowl with 500g Sugar and the Gooseberry puree. Cook the mixture over the water, stirring frequently, for 25 to 30 minutes or until it thickens. Remove from the heat and pour the hot curd into clean, dry, warm, sterilized jars. Seal and cover.

Two things to do with Lemons

Moroccan-Style Preserved Lemons: Scrub Lemons in hot, Salted water to remove wax. Cut into quarters lengthwise.and coat well with coarse Sea Salt. Pack tightly together in a large jar, adding more Salt between layers. Press the Lemons down firmly and top up the jar with fresh Lemon Juice, making sure all the fruit is covered. Seal the container and leave in a cool place for at least two weeks. Take out the Lemons as required, slice finely and add sparingly to cous-cous, salads, olives or use to accompany spicy meat dishes.

Candied Lemon Peel: Much better than shop-bought. Cut 10 small Lemons into discs and trim out the flesh from the inside of the wheels (use elsewhere). Cover the peel rings in cold Water, bring to the boil and drain. Repeat this process twice more. Then simmer peels in water containing a pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda until tender. Make a syrup from 175g Sugar, I large tablespoon Golden Syrup and 100ml Water. Simmer the drained peels in this until the syrup has all been absorbed. Drain the peels, dredge in Castor Sugar and place on a wire rack in a warm dry place overnight. Pack in a jar between layers of greaseproof paper and seal until ready for use.

 

Summer Berry Meringues with Mint and Raspberry Coulis.

Whisk 6 large Egg Whites on a low speed until foamy. Switch the speed to medium and carry on whisking for another minute. Finally, switch to high and continue until the stiff-peak stage is reached. Next, whisk in 330g of warmed Caster Sugar and the paste from a Vanilla Pod on fast speed, add the Sugar little at a time, until you have a stiff and glossy mixture. Pipe small flat ‘nests of this meringue mixture on to a prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Use the back of the spoon to hollow out the centres. Don't worry if they are not all the same shape. Place on the middle shelf of a medium hot oven, immediately reduce the heat to gas mark 1(140°C) and leave them for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave to dry out overnight.
To finish, whisk together a kilo mixture of Raspberries, Strawberries and Redcurrants with 500g of sweetened Marscapone and spoon into each shell. Finish with Fresh Berries dusted with Icing Sugar and a sauce made with puréed Fresh Raspberries and Mint sweetened with Icing Sugar.

 

Gazpacho Andaluze

Liquidise 500g of ripe Vine Tomatoes, a sliced Banana Shallot, a chopped clove of Garlic, half a cleaned and chopped Red Chilli, two, cored and de-seeded Romero Peppers, half a peeled, de-seeded Cucumber, a slice of White Bread a little White Wine Vinegar, and a handful of crushed Ice. Blend until smooth and well combined, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of Mayonnaise and the same of Tomato Ketchup. Season with Salt and Cumin Powder. To serve, pour into individual bowls and garnish with Chopped Chilli, Romero Pepper and a drizzle of Olive Oil. You could finish with some Crispy Croutons dusted with Cumin Powder. This recipe also works well with a chunky dice or ‘Brunoise’ as a sauce for Fish and Shellfish.

 

Homemade Raspberry Ice cream

I think Raspberries make the best instant ice cream - smooth, rich and velvety. However, this recipe works very well with Blackcurrants, if you prefer. Or you could try Strawberries, or Peaches. Whatever fruit you use, this ice-cream should be eaten within three days of making as it will begin to form large ice crystals which will detract from the wonderfully smooth texture. Whizz 500g of Freshly Frozen Raspberries (straight from the freezer), 200g of Icing Sugar, and a couple of Mint Leaves in a blender until smooth. Then add 300ml of chilled Double Cream in one go. The frozen fruit will almost instantly freeze and set the 'Ice cream'. Place into a lidded container and store in the freezer. This technique is great if you don't have an ice-cream machine. Try also Blackcurrant Ice-cream with Poached Peaches and Lime Syrup or serve a Gooseberry Ice Cream with Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble.

 

Red Pepper and Basil Tart

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/l90°C/fan oven I70°C and line the base and sides of a 20 cm (8 inch) fluted loose bottomed flan tin with Short Crust Pastry, rest and bake blind. De-seed, halve and grill 4 Red Peppers under a high heat, skin side up, until the skins blacken and blister, peel off the skins and roughly chop the flesh. Place the Peppers, 500g of Full Fat Cream Cheese, 3 eggs, a little torn Basil into a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the pastry flan case from the oven and spoon in the Pepper and Cheese mixture. Return the Tart to the oven for 20 minutes, until the filling has set and is firm to the touch. Cool before slicing to serve with a roasted Red Pepper and Rocket salad tossed with Lemon Juice and Olive Oil.

 

English Strawberries 'Romanoff' with Grilled Brioche.

The Strawberry season proper is upon us (see JUST IN). So here's a simple classic dessert… with an alcoholic twist. You can use ready-made Brioche. Sprinkle a kilo of Strawberries with 120g Caster Sugar and 130ml of Cointreau. Chill for an hour or so. Beat 500ml of Ice Cream (remove from freezer 15mins before use) with a wooden spoon, Fold in 500ml of semi-whipped Double Cream, the zest and juice of 1 Lemon add a further 70ml Cointreau and blend gently with the Strawberry mixture.
Spoon the creamy mixture over a freshly grilled slice of Brioche), dust with Icing Sugar and serve.

 

Gazpacho Andaluze

There are some beautiful Vine Tomatoes and Romero Peppers available at the moment, with real summer aroma. So this week I've chosen a recipe for a Gazpacho that I've been using for years. It's a family recipe, given to me by my first Larder Chef, who hailed from the Andalucian region. Enjoy!

Place 500g of ripe Vine Tomatoes, a sliced Banana Shallot, a chopped clove of Garlic, half a cleaned and chopped Red Chilli, one and a half cored and de-seeded Romero Peppers, half a peeled, de-seeded Cucumber, a slice of White Bread a little White Wine Vinegar, and a handful of crushed Ice into a liquidiser. Blend until smooth and well combined, then whisk in 1 tbs Mayonnaise and the same of Tomato Ketchup. Season with Salt and Cumin Powder .To serve pour into individual bowls and garnish with Chopped Chilli, Romero Pepper and a drizzle of Olive Oil. You could finish with some Crispy Croutons dusted with Cumin Powder.

 

Crispy-topped Round Courgettes Stuffed -
with Creamed Shi-itake Mushrooms

We have some great looking stripy Round Courgettes this week.. Serve one as a starter, two as a vegetarian main course.
.
Wash and slice off the stalk end of the courgettes. Discard the seeds and spongy middle and arrange the Courgettes into an ovenproof dish. Season well, and sprinkle with Olive Oil and a little Rosemary. Lightly colour and soften in a hot oven.

For the Stuffing, gently cook a couple of chopped Shallots in Butter add some ripped Shi-itake Mushrooms, a Slice of Garlic and some Double Cream. Simmer the mixture until it thickens and spoon into the lightly roasted Courgettes..

In a separate pan, warm a little Olive Oil. Add 1 tsp chopped Garlic and 1tsp of Dijon Mustard. Shake in enough Fresh White Breadcrumbs to bind everything together, a handful of chopped Chives and top each stuffed Courgette with this mixture. Bake for 20 minutes to give a super crispy, savoury crumble topping .

 

Strawberries Romanoff with Grilled Brioche.

The Strawberry season proper is upon us (see JUST IN). So here's a simple classic dessert… with an alcoholic twist.

You can use ready-made Brioche but I'd be happy to pass on my Raisin Brioche recipe if you prefer the 'from scratch' approach. Call me on 0208 558 9708.

Cover 1kg of Strawberries with 120g Caster Sugar and 130ml of Cointreau. And chill for an hour.

Beat 500ml of Ice Cream (remove from freezer 15mins before use) with a wooden spoon, Fold in 500ml of semi-whipped Double Cream, the zest and juice of 1 Lemon and a further 70ml Cointreau and blend gently with the Strawberry Mixture.

Spoon the creamy mixture over a freshly grilled slice of Brioche) dust with Icing Sugar and serve.
.

Lavender Cheesecake

Infuse 1 tbs Dried Lavender in 3 tbs boiling Water for 15 minutes. Beat together ¾ cup Honey and 1 cup Cream Cheese. Add strained infusion, then whip 1 ¼ cups of Double Cream and fold into the mixture. Pour onto a Biscuit Crumb and Butter base and chill. Serve with a Blackberry or Cherry Coulis or
dark Chocolate Sauce.

 

Gooseberry Meringue Pie

Cook 500g Gooseberries in 150ml Water until tender. Mix 250g Sugar, 30g Flour and 2 Egg Yolks and a pinch of Salt and stir in the cooled gooseberry mixture. Heat gently to thicken. Cool; pour into a baked 20cm pastry shell. Top with meringue made from 2 Eggwhites and 4 tbs Sugar. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve when just warm.

 

Hand Made Instant Blackcurrant Ice-cream


I think Blackcurrants make the best instant ice-cream - smooth, rich and velvety. However, this same recipe works very well with Raspberries, if you prefer. Or you could try Gooseberries, or Peaches. Whatever fruit you use, this ice-cream should be eaten within three days of making as it will begin to form large ice crystals which detract from the wonderfully smooth texture.

Whizz 500g of Frozen Blackcurrants (straight from the freezer), 200g of Icing Sugar, and a couple of Mint Leaves in a blender until smooth. Then add 300ml of chilled Double Cream in one go. The frozen fruit will almost instantly freeze and set the ice-cream.

Place into a lidded container and store in the freezer. This technique is great if you don't have an ice-cream machine. Try also Raspberry ice-cream with Poached Peaches and Lime Syrup or serve Gooseberry Ice Cream with Rhubarb Crumble.

 

Go Potty With Borlotti

Pink-skinned, purple-marbled Borlotti Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris) are extremely beautiful raw. But Borlotis (AKA Cranberry, Crab Eye, Roman, Romano, Rosecoco or Saluggia Beans).are related to the Kidney Bean, and are poisonous unless thoroughly cooked. They are, however deliciously creamy in casseroles and soups and retain a gorgeous pink hue.

Borlotti and Escarole Soup:
Sweat 1 cup each chopped Onion and Leek, and 1 tbs minced Garlic in 1 tbs Olive Oil until soft. Add 7 cups Chicken Stock, 1 cup cooked Borlotti, 1 Bayleaf, a sprig of Thyme and Flat Parsley, and some Parmesan Rind. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Slice 1 head Escarole (or a mix of Frisee and Chicory) crosswise in half-inch strips. Simmer until tender. Remove Herbs and Rind. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan Cheese and a little freshly chopped Flat Parsley.
Serves 4-6.

 


January
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