May
Strawberry and Pink Peppercorn Jelly with
Thyme Infused Custard
(Serves 4)
Wash, hull and cut 250g
of over ripe and bruised strawberries into quarters
and place in a metal bowl; add 60g icing sugar, 2 large
sprigs of thyme, ½ tsp pink peppercorns and
50ml water. Heat over a bain-marie for 30 minutes.
Pass the syrup through a fine sieve and add one soaked and
dissolved gelatine leaf to 200g of the syrup. Pour
the jelly into glasses and set in the fridge. Garnish the
jelly with a strawberry salad and crushed meringues.
Make the Thyme and Honey Custard by bringing 150ml
of milk, 100g of double cream and 1 large sprig
of thyme to the boil. Infuse for 10 minutes. Whisk
3 egg yolks and 40g of honey; add the warm cream
to the eggs and then return all to the pan and heat; cook
over low heat until it thickens – do not boil. Pass the custard
through a fine sieve and allow to cool. Pour the cold custard
into a cream whipper, charge with two gas pellets and shake
vigorously. Squirt the custard on top of the crushed meringues
and garnish with crushed pink peppercorns and crispy
brioche crumbs. Serve immediately.
Grilled Razor Clams
with Sautéed Rainbow Chard and Cornish New Potatoes
Scrub 2 muddy Cornish
spuds under cold running water. Put the potatoes with
skins still on in boiling salted water and cook until tender.
Once cooked drain and cool slightly. Slice the potatoes in
½ cm thick slices. Heat a non-stick frying pan with 1 tbsp
butter and sauté the slices of potato until golden then
well season with course sea salt and freshly cracked black
pepper. Wash 4 Razor Clams, place on a baking tray.
Melt 50g unsalted butter; mix with 1tsp Madras Curry powder
and seasoning. Preheat the grill, drizzle the madras butter
over the clams. Cook the clams under the grill for 6 – 8 minutes.
Separate the stalks and leaves from 200g rainbow chard.
Keeping the stalks and leaves separate, chop both then wash
and dry them. Heat a non-stick frying pan with 1 tbsp olive
oil and first sauté the stalks with seasoning and half
a crushed clove of garlic for about 2 minutes. Then add
the leaves and toss in the pan for a further two minutes.
Drain on kitchen paper. Arrange the sautéed potatoes &
rainbow chard on a warm plate and place the clams on top.
Finish-off with a drizzle of the madras butter and a sprinkling
of persiliade. Serves 2.
Visit www.britishlarder.co.uk for further
inspiration and more recipes using rainbow chard.
The recipes on the
British Larder are updated weekly, so sign up to a free
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Madalene Bonvini-Hamel
New Season English Asparagus,
Sauce Gribiche
Cut the tips of 2 bunches
of English Asparagus to a length of approx 7cm. Finely
slice the stalks in 2mm thick rounds. Blanch both the tips
and stalks in salted boiling water, refresh in icy water.
Drain the tips and bundle them, tie with a piece of string.
To make the Gribiche sauce: Mix together 1 hard
boiled egg chopped, 2 spring onions chopped, juice
and zest of one lemon, 2 cornichons chopped,
1 tsp chopped capers, 1 tsp chopped savoury and
oregano, 50g mayonnaise, 20g olive oil and course sea
salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve the Bundle
of asparagus on a large slate with a pile of course sea salt
and freshly cracked black pepper, scoop the sauce in a small
dipping pot or bottle and slice and toast one large English
muffin in 8 wedges, lightly toast the muffin wedges in
unsalted butter. Serves 2
Go to www.britishlarder.co.uk and see my take
on this recipe.
Fact about the British
Larder: We celebrate our 8th week of existence
on the World Wide Web with 3000 visits from 54 countries.
The feedback has been amazing, with interest ranging from
being invited to be guest writer for an Australian blog to
my photographs being used in a New York food magazine. Pretty
good going! Join me and my 263 followers on twitter, I will
keep you up to date with all things foodie and yummy!! Happy
cooking! Madalene Bonvini-Hamel .
The June Fruitbowl
June is one
of the most plentiful months. In the Northern Hemisphere
Summer Fruit is usually very plentiful. The hardier,
Autumn and Winter Fruits come in from South
Africa and South America. Top buys include Strawberries
(including, later on, English) Raspberries
and Cherries (provided we don’t get a cold wet month
like last year!) Spanish and French Peaches, Nectarines
and Apricots should be plentiful and Spanish Plums
will have become sweeter and riper. Spanish Melons
and Watermelons are at their best, too. Southern Hemisphere
Apples and Pears should be at their peak, Oranges
will be in and Easy-Peel Cape, Argentine and Chilean Clems
and Sats should be plentiful, too. Honey Mangoes
from Pakistan make a superb dessert or fruit platter treat.
New Zealand and Chilean Kiwis will be good. And as
usual, there will be plenty of tropical options including
Passionfruit, Papaya, Starfruit, Physalis,
Grenadillos, Tamarillos and Pomegranates.
Grapes start the month dear and dodgy, but improve
and get cheaper by the end.
Simple Peapod Soup
Roughly chop a bunch
of Spring Onions (green bits and all) and fry gently
in 50g of Butter for a couple of minutes. Add the Pods
from a 1.5 kg of Peas and toss them quickly in the
hot Butter until their colour brightens. Add 1 litre
of Veg Stock, season, cover and simmer gently
for about three quarters of an hour until the peapods are
very tender. Drain and reserve the liquor. Take the hot Peapods
and push off the soft green pulp from the pod, back into the
liquor. The remaining pod membranes and strings should be
discarded. Do not attempt to liquidise the soup because the
pod membranes will merely get chopped into small, sharp pieces.
Add more stock to thin the soup if necessary, then bring back
to the boil and throw in a handful of Fresh Peas. Simmer
for another 5-6 minutes to cook the Peas. Adjust seasoning
and serve with crusty bread.
Quick
Cherry Salsa
Halve and de-stone
500g of fresh Cherries and mix with 50g of torn or
chopped Basil leaves, half a chopped Green Pepper,
1 finely chopped Spring Onion, 2 tbs Lemon Juice,
1/2tbs Worcester Sauce, ½ tsp grated Lemon Zest,
¼ tsp Salt and ¼ tsp Tabasco. Chill for 2 hours
to let flavours blend and serve with Pork, grilled
spicy Chicken or grilled Mackerel.
Duck,
Cos and Cherry Salad
Coarsely cut two heads
of Cos lettuce and toss with 4 Spring Onions
cut into 2 inch lengths and finely shredded. Add about 400g
of stoned, halved Cherries and the sliced flesh of
2 medium Oranges with all the pith and skin removed.
Toss the salad in Balsamic Vinaigrette. Shred the flesh
and crisped skin of a Roast Duck (Chinese-style Crispy
Aromatic Duck is even better) and mix with the leaves.
Serve immediately. A vegetarian version can be made using
Feta Cheese in place of Duck.
Nispero Chutney
Top and tail 1 Kg of Nisperos
(AKA Loquats), remove the stones and cut into quarters.
Peel and dice two Granny Smiths Apples and one Conference
Pear. Cut 350g Dried Apricots into quarters. Put
the fruit in a stainless steel pan with 4 finely chopped Mild
Red Chillies (remove seeds and pith if you don’t want
it too hot) 3 tbs Crushed Mustard Seeds and 1 tbs Whole
Mustard Seeds. Add 100g finely sliced Ginger, 2
tsp Salt, 750 ml Cider Vinegar and 500g Light
Brown Sugar. Cook gently for about 1 ½ hours and then
turn up the heat if necessary to boil off any excess liquid
(stir continuously to avoid burning the chutney). Pour into
hot sterilized jars and seal. Keeps for several months. Refrigerate
after opening. Good with cheese, curries and cold meats.
Simple Peapod
Soup
Roughly chop a bunch of
Spring Onions (green bits and all) and fry gently in
50g of Butter for a couple of minutes. Add the Pods
from a 1.5 kg of Peas and toss them quickly in the
hot Butter until their colour brightens. Add 1 litre
of Veg Stock, season, cover and simmer gently
for about three quarters of an hour until the peapods are
very tender. Drain and reserve the liquor. Take the hot Peapods
and push off the soft green pulp from the pod, back into the
liquor. The remaining pod membranes and strings should be
discarded. Do not attempt to liquidise the soup because the
pod membranes will merely get chopped into small, sharp pieces.
Add more stock to thin the soup if necessary, then bring back
to the boil and throw in a handful of Fresh Peas. Simmer
for another 5-6 minutes to cook the Peas. Adjust seasoning
and serve hot with crusty bread.
Spicy Kohlrabi Masala
Simmer 500g Kohlrabi
batons in salted water until just tender (about 7 minutes).
Fry 2 tsp Coriander seeds and 2 tsp Brown or Puy
Lentils) in a little Sunflower Oil for about a
minute. Blend with 400g of fresh peeled Coconut (cut
into small cubes), 5 Red Chilies (de-seeded), 2 tsp
Palm Sugar (Demerara will do), and 2 tsp Tamarind
Paste (or the pulp from a fresh Tamarind Pod) and
enough water to be able to process into a slightly textured
paste. Fry 500g Onions in 1tbs Sunflower Oil
and brown slightly. Add the cooked Kohlrabi and the
paste and cook slowly until the paste is thoroughly cooked
and almost dry. Add Salt to taste. Serve as a side
dish with a spicy Lamb or Chicken dish, Rice
and Garlic Dahl.
Pasta Primavera
This dish tastes fresh and
vibrant, but is satisfying and has a rounded taste due to
the richness of the Single Cream and Butter:
Cook and peel 150g Broad Beans and cook 150g frozen
Edamame Beans and refresh. Boil 500g of your favourite
Pasta (Penne or Farfalle both work well)
in well salted water and drain. Meanwhile, melt 175g of Butter
in a large pan and add 200g New Carrots, cut into small
batons and cook for 2 mins. Add 500g mixed-colour prepared
Asparagus (cut into 4cm pieces) and 250g Broccoli
florets and cook for a further 2 minutes. Throw in a bunch
of sliced Spring Onions, and 100g Shelled Peas,
and cook for another 3 minutes (or until all the vegetables
are just tender). Add the pre-cooked Beans (both varieties)
and a tablespoon of chopped Parsley and cook for a
further minute. Pour in half a pint of Single Cream
and heat until almost boiling. Stir in 125g freshly grated
Parmesan Cheese and the Pasta and re-heat, stirring
continuously. Add Salt and White Pepper (to
taste). Serve and scatter with more Parmesan, a generous
amount of freshly torn Basil and perhaps a few toasted Pine
Nuts.
Honey
and Raspberry Semi-freddo
Line a 1-litre Terrine mould
with Clingfilm. Beat 2 Eggs and 6 Yolks together
with 200g of Honey, over a saucepan of simmering water,
until the mixture is pale and thick. Whip 568ml of Double
Cream until thick, and then gently fold in the Egg
and Honey mixture, gently fold in 350g of Raspberries.
Pour into the prepared Terrine, and cover carefully with cling
film before putting it in the freezer for about 2-3 hours.
Serve, with Honey, Fresh Raspberries, Mint
and toasted Pine Nuts. Beware it thaws quickly so needs
to be eaten straight away.
Asparagus, Wild Mushroom
and Saffron Risotto
Gently
cook a couple of finely chopped Shallots in 50mls of
Olive Oil until it becomes translucent. Add 500g of
Arborio Rice and cook for a couple of minutes on a
medium heat stirring well to coat Rice grains. Add in a pinch
of Saffron and 1 litre of hot Vegetable Stock a ladle
at a time; continue stirring until all the stock has been
absorbed. Meanwhile, gently cook 400g of Wild Mushrooms
together with 500g of Asparagus with a little Butter
and Garlic. When the Rice is cooked stir in the Mushroom
and Asparagus mixture along with a good pinch of chopped
Parsley and Mint, serve with freshly grated
Parmesan.
Plum Clafoutis
Lightly
Butter a 10inch, round flan dish and arrange half a
kilo of halved and stoned plums in it in a circular pattern.
For the batter, beat together, 100g 0f Cream Cheese,
50g of Ground Almonds and 40g of Muscavado Sugar.
Gradually whisk in 3 Eggs and 100mls of Milk,
add in 80g of melted Butter and pour the batter over
the Plums. Bake at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for
25-30 minutes, until set. Serve hot, dusted with Icing
Sugar.
Aubergine Parmigiana.
Blanch 4 or 5 large Aubergines
in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes and drain well, thickly
slice and toss with Olive Oil, season with Rock
Salt, Black Pepper and roughly chopped Marjoram.
Generously sprinkle with freshly grated White Breadcrumbs
and Grana Padano Parmesan. Lay the coated slices into
a lightly oiled ovenproof dish and finish with a good handful
of Marjoram and Parmesan. Bake at 190°C
(375°F) mark 5 for 25 minutes, until the aubergines are
tender and the topping crisp. Just before serving, spoon over
a good helping of freshly made, chunky Tomato fondue.
Artichoke & Portobello
Mushroom Bruschetta
There are some superb Globe
Artichokes in the market this week. Here's a simple dish that
shows-off their flavour to the full.
Before you start, have some
Lemon Juice ready in a bowl. Break the stalk and slice off
the top of the Artichoke to expose the thistle-like 'choke'.
Carefully trim the remaining base or 'fond' to shape by '
turning' off the corners. Dip this in the Lemon Juice immediately
to stop it discolouring before preparing your next Artichoke.
Cook in a mixture
of White Wine and Water with Lemon Juice and a little Sugar.
Simmer until just tender. Cool and scoop out the choke. Coat
the Artichoke Bottoms, some thick slices of Rustic Bread and
some Portobello Mushrooms, in a mixture of Olive Oil, Basil
Leaves, Rock Salt and slivers of Garlic. Chargril the Mushrooms
until supple and place the Bread and Artichokes on the grill
to mark and warm through. Slice the Artichokes and Mush and
assemble on the warm Bread. Dress with Olive Oil, Black Pepper
and aged Balsamic Vinegar.
Garlic and Potato Soup
no-one will be able to smell garlic on anyone else.
Bake 5 bulbs of Wet
Garlic wrapped in foil for 1 hour at 350F. Fry four rashers
of chooped Bacon until crispy. Add one large Spanish Onion
(chopped) and two cloves of crushed Garlic. Sauté till
tender. Add 2kg Diced Potato, a litre Chicken Stock, ½
tsp Salt and ½ tsp White Pepper and 3 Bay Leaves and
boil until Potato is tender. Blend about a quarter of the
Potato with the pulp from the baked Garlic and some liquid
from the pot, then stir this back in. Add half a pint of Cream,
bring back to
simmering point and serve.
Peppers
stuffed with Courgette, Basil and Tomato Cous-Cous
I prefer to use Long Sweet
Romero Peppers for this dish but bell-shaped Red, Green, Yellow
or Orange Peppers work well, too.
Firstly, toss Peppers for
stuffing in hot Oil so that they soften, blister and colour
in places.
For the stuffing: dice a
large Onion, a little Garlic and soften in Oil. Add some large
diced ripe Tomatoes, a few Sultanas, a pinch of Saffron and
1 tbs of Tomato Puree. Bring to the simmer and pour in enough
hot Vegetable Stock to cover.
Mix a 250g packet of semi-cooked
Cous-Cous with a little Olive Oil and pour in the tomato mixture,
a little at a time, until the Cous-Cous reaches the required
texture. Pan roast a few sliced Courgettes with Olive Oil,
toss in some ripped Basil and add to the stuffing, Season
well. Stuff the Peppers and arrange in an ovenproof dish.
Serve hot or cold, as a buffet item or plated with Spring
Leaves and Herb Vinaigrette.
A Real Taste of the Sea
Keep your eyes peeled! Almost
every estuary in the south of England will have an area just
below the high tide mark where glistening, fleshy Samphire
grows. The best time to gather it in England is in July and
early August. It's too small and fiddly to pick in June and
too tough and woody in September.
Samphire, or Salicornia
Europea is also known as Marsh Samphire (to distinguish it
from Rock Samphire, a member of the carrot family) or Glasswort.
The latter because the plant has a high silica content and
was used in the manufacture of glass.
Samphire is delicious
simply boiled in fresh, unsalted water (springwater is best)
and then dressed with unsalted butter and a few drops of lemon
juice. It also works well with foaming hollandaise. Or try
steaming sea bass fillets on a bed of rinsed samphire tips
and serving with beurre blanc. Divine!
Peppers stuffed with Courgette,
Basil and Tomato Cous-Cous
I prefer to use Long Sweet
Romero Peppers for this dish but bell-shaped Red, Green, Yellow
or Orange Peppers work well, too.
Firstly, toss Peppers for
stuffing in hot Oil so that they soften, blister and colour
in places.
For the stuffing: dice a
large Onion, a little Garlic and soften in Oil. Add some large
diced ripe Tomatoes, a few Sultanas, a pinch of Saffron and
1 tbs of Tomato Puree. Bring to the simmer and pour in enough
hot Vegetable Stock to cover.
Mix a 250g packet of semi-cooked
Cous-Cous with a little Olive Oil and pour in the tomato mixture,
a little at a time, until the Cous-Cous reaches the required
texture. Pan roast a few sliced Courgettes with Olive Oil,
toss in some ripped Basil and add to the stuffing, Season
well. Stuff the Peppers and arrange in an ovenproof dish.
Serve hot or cold, as a buffet item or plated with Spring
Leaves and Herb Vinaigrette.
Jersey Royals
There are New Potatoes…
and there are Jersey Royal New Potatoes. The island of Jersey
is set in the clear blue waters off the coast of France. It
is blessed with a temperate climate and a rich, sandy soil.
But it is the sea breezes that give these little tubers their
special taste.
To prepare, wash in salted
cold water and scrub leaving a little residual skin. Cover
with cold water and add Mint, Sugar and Salt. Bring to the
boil and simmer until just cooked. Don't refresh, but drain
well, add a knob of Butter. and cover with clingfilm to lock
in their unique, nutty, earthy taste.
"But where's
the recipe!" I hear you cry. Relax, with these babies
you just need to keep it simple: toss with Fresh Peas, Mint
and Asparagus and a little Beurre Blanc. Or add them to a
Spring Lamb Navarin, truly a marriage made in Heaven.
Perfect Pasta?
It's not easy to make spot-on
Pasta every time. But here's two recipes that I've found to
be virtually foolproof!
For Tagliatelle, Tagliellini
or Fettucinni;: Mix 450g Double Zero Flour, 50g Semolina Flour,
a dash of Olive Oil, 4 Eggs and 2 Yolks in a Robot Coupe on
"pulse" until combined, Chill before rolling through
the machine (a tense chef rarely makes good pasta). For colour,
try adding Saffron, Spinach Powder or a little Squid Ink.
For Ravioli Dough: Use 500g
of Double Zero Flour, 15 Yolks and a whole Egg. And treat
in the same way.
Here's a couple of
ideas to be going on with before you create wild and exotic
combinations of your own. How about Saffron Tagliatelle with
roasted Cherry Tomatoes and wilted Italian Roquette topped
off with a Chive Aioli (Garlic and Chive Mayonnaise ). Or
a Spinach and Goats Cheese Ravioli with a Shi-itake Mushroom
and Shallot Vinaigrette.
Shell-on Peas
Sweat 150g chopped Onion
in 10g Butter. Remove from pan. Dice 6 rashers Dry-cure Bacon
and fry until crisp. Add a 400g of peeled Chopped Tomatoes
and Season. Simmer for 10 mins, adding Vegetable Stock if
it begins to catch. Add the cooked Onion plus a bunch of Mint
and a generous handful of Parsley (both chopped). Add 200g
Fresh Peas and cook until tender. Serve with the Fresh Pasta
of your choice and flaked Parmesan. You could also make a
quick and easy budget version using Frozen Peas, Tinned Toms
and Dried Pasta.
Strawberries
Really good, ripe Strawberries
don't need too much fiddling with. Simply serve with caster
sugar and cream or in salad with a dash of balsamic vinegar.
Or try this version of Eaton
Mess: Slice 250g Strawberries and sprinkle generously with
caster sugar. Chill for an hour. Scrape out the seeds from
a Vanilla Pod and mash with 2 tbs Stock Syrup. Lightly whip
500ml Double Cream and fold in 150g of roughly crushed Meringue,
the Strawberries (with juice) and the Syrup. Serve chilled,
topped with Meringue Pieces and Slivered Almonds (both toasted).
Sweetcorn Blinis with Watercress
and Shallots
Blinis have traditionally
been made using Buckwheat Flour, but if you don't like the
musty flavour, Rye or Wholemeal works equally as well. This
recipe will make plenty of Blinis. If there is any mix left
over, make small canape-sized Blinis. They freeze well and
have often got me out of trouble when a cocktail party booking
appears at short notice.
Strip the Kernels
from a couple of new Spanish Corn Cobs and add to the following
Recipe: 30g of Yeast, 1 tsp Sugar dissolved into 558ml of
warm Water. Combine with 300g of Plain Flour, 180g of Buckwheat
Flour and 2 Eggs. Allow to stand at room temperature for 2
hours, or overnight in the fridge to prove. Finally add a
little Salt and, drop a spoonful into shallow, hot Oil. Brown
on both sides and place on a rack to drain and cool. For a
simple starter or snack, toss a few Watercress leaves with
a Light Dressing, a little chopped Shallot and grated Lemon
zest. Smoked Salmon or Gravadlax Blinis are superb with Soured
Cream and Caviar. Yum!
