BERRIED TREASURE
Embrace the glorious abundance of British summer berries available now, with these recipes from our Food Editor Emma Winterschladen.
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To serve 250g cooked puy lentils* 2 handfuls of watercress *Add an extra 20-30 minutes if cooking lentils from scratch l l
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1 Score the skin of the duck breast with
a sharp knife in a diagonal pattern, being careful not to score the flesh underneath. Rub with salt and pepper. Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold pan over a medium heat. Cook for approx. eight minutes, gradually turning up the heat, until the skin is crispy. Turn over the breast and let it cook for a further 1-2 minutes on the other side (depending how well you like it done). Remove the duck breasts from the pan and leave to rest in a warm place. 2 In the same pan, pour off any excess fat and add in two tsp of butter. Sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until
SERVES 2 For the salad 2 crispy green apples ½ cucumber ½ celery stick 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped ½ red chilli 1 lime, juice and zest 2 tbsp olive oil Small handful of mint, finely chopped Salt and pepper l
Pan-fried cherry duck with puy lentil salad SERVES 2 2 boneless duck breasts (approx. 340g) 2 tsp butter 1 red onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 400g cherries, pitted 4 tbsp tawny port (or red wine)
Grilled sea bass with gooseberry relish and apple, cucumber and mint salad
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softened. Add in the thyme leaves and pitted cherries. Cook for a few minutes before adding in the tawny port. Simmer for six minutes or so until the cherries have softened and the port has reduced. 3 Meanwhile, heat the puy lentils and divide between two warmed plates with a handful of watercress per person. 4 Thinly slice the duck breasts, fan out, and place on top of the lentils and watercress. Spoon over the cherry sauce to finish.
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For the gooseberry relish 2 shallots, finely diced 1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar 250g gooseberries, fresh or frozen (thaw first) 2 tsp honey, to taste l l l l l
Note: British cherries are at their peak in mid July.
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For the fish 2 x large sea bass fillets (approx. 200g)* 2 tsp olive oil 1 tsp butter Salt and pepper *For crispier skin, take the sea bass out of the fridge an hour before cooking and leave uncovered, skin-side up. l l l l
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/
gas mark 6. First prepare the salad: dice the apple, cucumber and celery into chunks and place into a bowl with the garlic, red chilli, lime zest and juice, olive oil and mint. Toss well and season before setting to one side. 2 Sauté the shallots and garlic in the butter over a medium heat for a minute or so until softened. Add in the white balsamic and let it cook for a few minutes before adding in the gooseberries. Simmer on a low heat
for around 10 minutes while you prepare the sea bass fillets. 3 Rub the sea bass fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan and add a tsp of butter on high heat. Wait for it to start sizzling then place the fish fillets skin-side down for a few minutes, pressing firmly with a spatula, until the skin turns golden and crispy. Transfer the sea bass, skin side up to a roasting tray and place under the grill for a further 3-4 minutes until it is cooked through. 4 When the sea bass is ready, take the gooseberry relish off the heat. Plate up the salad and fish, and spoon the relish over the top. Garnish with mint leaves. Note: Use tart green gooseberries – available earlier on in the season. Later-season gooseberries are plump and sweet, so more suited to desserts. 35
Fizzy strawberry compote with all-butter spelt scones MAKES APPROX. 8 SCONES For the scones 250g wholemeal spelt flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp sugar ¼ tsp salt 75g butter, cubed 2 large eggs 130ml full-fat milk l l l l l l l
For the compote 700g strawberries (British ideally) 200ml Prosecco ½ lemon, juice and zest 2-3 tbsp honey, to taste l l l l
To serve Clotted cream l
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To make the scones 1 Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium sized bowl. 2 Add the butter to the bowl and gently rub it into the mixture until you have a crumb-like texture with no lumps. 3 Mix one egg and the milk together then make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the mixed egg and milk, gently stirring the ingredients together with a fork. Add a little more flour if the mixture is loose. 4 Carefully remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Roll out the dough to around 2cm thick and using a 6cm cutter (you can also use the rim of a glass) press out the scones. 5 Carefully place each scone on a nonstick baking tray, or a tray lined with baking parchment. Beat the second egg and brush each scone with it. Sprinkle a little sugar over the top and bake for
approximately 15 minutes until the scones have risen and are golden. To make the compote 1 De-stalk and roughly chop the strawberries. Place them in a saucepan over a medium heat and pour in the Prosecco. Stir well, then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for an hour or so until it thickens. 2 While it’s cooking, stir occasionally and add the lemon juice and zest, and honey to taste after about 30 minutes. When it’s just about done, turn up the heat to medium and let it bubble for a final few minutes before turning off the heat and letting it cool. 3 Serve with your spelt scones and clotted cream. Note: British strawberries are available May – October. Opt for organic if you can or find a nearby pick-your-own farm.