Recipes

Two delectable sh dishes to try

Brioche-crusted salmon, petit pois À la FranCaise

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 x salmon fillets (skin removed) each approx. 175g/6oz

• 100g brioche, processed to fine breadcrumbs

• 2 eggs, whisked

• 2tbsp plain flour

• 4tbsp olive oil

• Zest & juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

• 2 tbsp chopped chives

• 2 tbsp chopped dill

Method:

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and chopped herbs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the salmon pieces and coat thoroughly with the marinade. Leave for 30 minutes. Remove the salmon and wipe off any excess marinade. Coat in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the beaten egg and then the brioche breadcrumbs.

Place on a greaseproof-lined baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 8 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with Petit Pois à la française, peas braised with bacon, garlic and onion, with cream and shredded gem lettuce.°°°

Pan fried fresh mackerel, sweet-cured beetroot, caper & horseradish vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 fillets of fresh mackerel, pin-boned

• Oil for frying

• 2 tbsp chopped capers

• 1 tsp grated horseradish

• Zest & juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method:

Season the mackerel, heat a dash of rapeseed oil in a non-stick frying pan. Once the pan is smoking hot, add the fish skin-side down and lower the heat to medium-high. As the fillets curl up, gently apply pressure to ensure all of the skin comes into contact with the pan. Cook for 2–4 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet.

Once the skin is crisp and golden, turn the fillet over and remove pan from heat. Sprinkle over the capers, horseradish and lemon zest. Leave the fish in the pan for 1-2 minutes to finish cooking, then remove to a warm plate. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and parsley to the pan, stir create a vinaigrette.

For the beetroot:

Heat the oven to 160°C fan. Trim the leaves from 1 kg beetroot, wrap in foil and roast for 1 hr 15 mins or until soft. Peel, trim the stalks, and pack into a large sterilised jar.

Tip 200g sugar, 300ml white wine vinegar, 200ml cold water and 2 bay leaves into a pan, with 4 juniper berries and 1 tsp mustard seeds, if desired. Bring to the boil, simmer for 2mins until the sugar has dissolved, then add 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Carefully pour into the jar and leave to cool, uncovered. Once cool, add 1 tbsp olive oil, seal and store in fridge for up to a month.

Pick of the Producers

e Shire o ce is buzzing about our latest discovery we’d like to share – a sweet treat from the mountains of Snowdonia Did

Already well-known for premium quality grass-fed beef and lamb, cheese and other regional produce, Snowdonia National Park is now making its mark on the honey industry. According to Snowdonia honey pioneer Alun Allcock, the diverse flora and fauna of Snowdonia, coupled with the fact that the bees have to be tough to cope with the oftenwild conditions, has resulted in honey with a distinctive flavour, aroma and colour. This is attracting a growing following of discerning food lovers.

Hives of activity

know?you

A honeybee hive can house about 60,000 to 80,000 bees

Alun has gradually added to his hives to keep up with demand. Starting with just two, The Snowdonia Honey Co. now has around 100 hives dotted throughout the countryside, equating to six million or so bees at the height of summer. The brand’s most popular honeys include Welsh Wildflower Honey – which varies depending on the changing seasons and locations of the wildflowers – and Snowdonia Ling Heather Honey, which is only available for a short time in September, coming from the heather that turns the slopes a magnificent purple in July and August.

“We’re proud to have produced a honey that is gaining recognition both in Wales and throughout the UK,” says Alun. “It started as a side project after I moved our family to a small farm in Snowdonia four years ago. I realised it was the perfect spot for hives, with the flower-covered mountainsides and meadows so close by. When I tried the first batch of honey from those original bees, I knew we had found something special.

“Snowdonia can be a harsh environment, and the bees have to be extra tough to thrive. That, coupled with the wonderful plants that are native here – has resulted in a unique, high-quality honey that reflects the region’s unspoiled wilderness. I’m delighted to see more and more people tasting and discovering it.”

All the scents and flavours of the mountains

Find Snowdonia Honey Co. products in local delis and grocers, and online at www.snowdoniahoney.com (delivery is free in the UK).