Issue.5 Vol.1 November/December 2011
Fine Foodies Passionate about good food Picrkfurp ee you ie fooadzine mag INTERVIEW
The
Italian way
ANTONIO CARLUCCIO ON REVIVING BRITAIN S LOVE OF COOKING
Plus:
Nov/Dec 2011
] MASTERCHEF MASTERCLASS ] JOURNEY ACROSS SPAIN ] BAKING TIPS
Plan your perfect Christmas MIXING THE BEST TRADITIONS WITH A MODERN TWIST
Welcome
Fine Foodies Passionate about good food
Target Publishing Ltd, The Old Dairy, Hudsons Farm, Fieldgate Lane, Ugley Green, Essex CM22 6HJ Telephone: 01279 816300 www.finefoodiesmag.com Editor: Rachel Symonds e: editor@finefoodiesmag.com t: 01279 810088 Contributing Editor: Sarah Willingham Contributors: Jennifer Britt, JJ Goodman, Jane Baxter, Janet Mendel Sub Editor: Jeff Munn-Giddings Group Sales Manager: Ruth Gilmour e: ruth.gilmour@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810084 Sales Executives: Ben Brooks e: ben.brooks@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810068 Production Daniella Randazzo e: daniella.randazzo@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810097 Design Clare Holland e: clare.holland@targetpublishing.com Administration/Distribution Julie Torkington e: julie.torkington@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810072 Accounts Lorraine Evans e: lorraine.evans@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 816300 Managing Director David Cann e: info@targetpublishing.com
W
ith the unseasonably warm start we’ve had to autumn (who’d have thought we’d see 29ºC in October?), it’s been
more salads than stews.
But before we know it, Christmas will be upon
us, and one of the biggest tasks is to decide what to serve on the big day. We Brits spend in excess of £1.6bn each year on Christmas food and drink, and in excess of 10 million turkeys will be consumed on December 25. There’s no doubt that the age-old tradition of turkey with all the trimmings is still the most common dish of choice for the festive meal. However, increasing numbers of people are experimenting with something a little different, goose being one of the most popular choices as an alternative to turkey. And so in this issue of Fine Foodies, Jennifer Britt explores how to plan your perfect Christmas meal, and suggests ways of combining festive traditions with a modern twist. Turn to page 20 to get started. Also in this issue I talk to the much-loved Italian chef, Antonio Carluccio. Antonio is one of a number of popular chefs campaigning to revive some of Britain’s once loved fruits and vegetables. Antonio wants to see more people eating beetroot and tells me why and how we can reignite our love of cooking and what the future has planned for him. If you would like a little inspiration at getting creative in the kitchen, why not turn to page 26 for some recipe ideas. And as always, we’d love to hear from you. If you’ve tried a dish that you want to rave about, or want to shout about why your local store is so great, email me at editor@finefoodiesmag.com and you could find yourself winning the star letter prize.
ISSN 2046-438X
Published by Target Publishing Limited. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company plc www.magprint.co.uk ©2011 Target Publishing Ltd. Produced on environmentally friendly chlorine free paper derived from sustained forests. The Publishers cannot accept any responsibility for the advertisements in this publication. To protect our environment papers used in this publication are produced by mills that promote sustainably managed forests and utilise Elementary Chlorine Free process to produce fully recyclable material in accordance with an Environmental Management System conforming with BS EN ISO 14001:2004.
Rachel RACHEL SyMONDS
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sarah Willingham is one of the most successful people in the food industry, best known for appearing alongside top chef Raymond Blanc as an inspector on the popular BBC show, The Restaurant. With two business degrees, the self-confessed foodie most recently was acknowledged as one of the 35 most successful women under 35 in the UK, featured in the Courvoisier Top 500 and in Business Weekly’s young Entrepreneur of the year Awards. For over a decade, Sarah has managed some of the biggest brands in the restaurant industry, including Pizza Express International. In 2004, she was part of a consortium which acquired The Bombay Bicycle Club in London, growing it from six restaurants to 17.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
Fine Foodies
Contents Passionate about good food
ISSuE 5 VOL.1 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
16 30 14 COvEr StOry
14
Antonio Carluccio The much-loved Italian chef on reigniting Britain’s love of cooking
FEaturES
20
The perfect Christmas Jennifer Britt explores traditional Christmas food with a modern edge
20 26
Recipe Challenge your skills in the kitchen with some ideas from MasterChef contestants
30 34
Recipe Learn how to be a better baker
Global foodie The delights of Spanish food are explored by writer Janet Mendel
rEgularS
26 6 8 10 12
Letters What you’re talking about this issue Foodie bites What’s going on in the world of fine food Shelf life Explore the latest products in store
Sarah’s view Fine Foodies Contributing Editor Sarah Willingham on introducing homegrown goodness to your family
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
16
UK fare Food from the Anglia region, plus sumptuous recipe ideas
24
In season What’s ideal for eating and cooking with at this time of year? Riverford Organic tells all.
38
Drink up From wines and cocktail ideas to the newest hot drinks
42
Fine Foodie hero Natalie Dimmock
Product news
Letters
Your foodies Sta Letterr
GREAT TASTE IN RECIPES Mouth-watering... loved the snacks feature (Fine Foodies, September/ October issue), some great recipes ‒ Mighty Spice is a recent addition to our shelves.
TWEET CORNER Fine Foodies asked the twitterworld how to make the best carbonara.
Recipes
Spice it up
Add a bit of spice Gregory-Smith, to your culinary offering with and his new book the help of John , Mighty Spice Cookbook.
MORWENNA TUDOR, VIA TWITTER Vietnamese lemongrass chicken with chilli and
Serves 4 Ingredients: • 6 lemongrass stalks, plus extra Method: stalks to serve • 2tbsp vegetable oil • To prepare the • 4 garlic cloves, lemongrass, remove finely chopped the really tough outer leaves Once the oil is • 1 red chilli, deseeded and cut off the smoking, chuck ends of the stalks. Starting and finely chopped in the at the fatter end, lemongrass, garlic • 500g/1lb 2oz boneless, skinless roughly slice and red chilli each lemongra and stir-fry for chicken 10 seconds, or ss stalk into rings. thighs, cut into until fragrant. bite-sized pieces You should see a purple band Add the chicken and then stir-fry • 2tbsp fish sauce in the rings. Stop for three to four slicing when there are minutes, or until the chicken • 1tbsp soy sauce no more purple bands and is golden and discard the rest cooked through. • A pinch of sugar of the lemongra ss, as it will be too tough to eat. Give the lemongra • Tip in the fish • 1 handful coriander sauce, soy sauce ss slices a leaves, roughly quick blast in and sugar and a mini food processor chopped stir-fry for another • Rice noodles, to serve 30 seconds, then until they are very finely chuck in chopped. the chopped coriander. Serve • Heat a wok over immediately with rice noodles a high heat and and the extra add the oil. lemongrass stalks.
INSPIRED TO BAKE
I picked up my first issue of Fine Foodies and loved reading the interview with Mary Berry. I really got into the Great British Bake Off and, I have to confess that although I m usually a little reluctant at attempting any new dishes, this has really inspired me to try and do something a bit different ‒ thanks for the inspiration. CHLOE RICHARDS, SURREY Issue.5 Vol.1 mber 2011 November/Dece
Fine Food ies Passionate
d food about goo upe Pick fre your die foo zine maga
INTERVIEW
The
Italian way
JUST SAY IT!
In a word, I would say it Plan your perfect Plus: Christmas [Fine Foodies] is fabulous, with some great recipes ‒ thank you. CCio antonio Carlu n’s Britai on reviving ing love of Cook
MasterClass
Nov/Dec 2011
MasterChef ] s spain journey aCros ] Baking tips ]
Mixing the Best traditions with a Modern twist
BOTANICAL BAKER, VIA TWITTER
Singapore coco nut and
Ingredients:
• 1tsp tamarind paste • 400ml/14fl oz/1½ cups coconut milk • 250g/9oz raw large king prawns, peeled and de-veined
• 110g/3 3/4oz /1¼ cups bean sprouts • 110g/3 3/4oz rice noodles • 2tbsp vegetable oil • Sea salt • Coriander sprigs, to serve For the spice paste: • 2 lemongrass stalks • 1 red chilli • 4 garlic cloves
• 1tsp shrimp paste • ½tsp turmeric • 2tbsp vegetable oil 32
recipe2.indd
FINE FOODIES
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
Method:
prawn laksa
• To prepare the spice paste, remove the really tough outer leaves of the lemongra and cut off the ss ends of the stalks. Starting at the fatter end, roughly slice each lemongrass stalk into rings. You should see a purple band in the rings. Stop slicing when there are no more purple bands, as the tops will be too tough to eat. Set the tops aside to add to the laksa later and put the sliced lemongrass in a mini food processor. Add the other spice paste ingredien ts and blend to a smooth paste. • Put the tamarind paste and 100ml/31 floz/1⁄3 cup water /2 in a small bowl. Mix well and leave to stand for five minutes, or until the paste has dissolved, then remove any lumps. Heat a large saucepan over a medium
Serves 4
heat and spoon in the spice paste. Stir-fry the paste for 30 seconds until fragrant, then pour in the coconut milk, prepared tamarind, 200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup freshly boiled water and season with a pinch of salt. • Mix well, then turn up the heat to high and bring to the boil. Add the prawns, bean sprouts and lemongra ss tops, turn the down to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, or until the prawns have turned pink and are cooked through. Remove the lemongra ss tops. • Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructio ns, drain and drizzle with the oil to prevent sticking. Divide the cooked noodles into four deep bowls and ladle in the hot soup. Add a coriander to each bowl sprig and serve immediat ely.
32
@BROCKHALLFARM: recipe2.indd
SEPTEMBER/O CTOBER 2011
33
FINE FOODIES
33
Star letter – could it be you? 18/8/11 10:51:17
Do you have something that you d like to share with other readers, something that will inspire them, encourage them to visit their local store or is just good news? We d love to hear from you. And, of course, we d also like your comments about the magazine. The winner of the Star Letter will receive a Fresh Fish Selection Box courtesy of Wing of St Mawes. The fresh fish box will contain a selection of the best and freshest seafood from the morning s fish markets, fully prepared and portioned, ready to cook or freeze. This box will contain at least 10 portions of fresh fish, typically haddock, whiting, plaice, lemon sole, hake, cod, pollack, sea bass, and salmon. Write to: Rachel Symonds, Editor, Fine Foodies, The Old Dairy, Hudsons Farm, Fieldgate Lane, Ugley Green, Bishops Stortford CM22 6HJ or email editor@finefoodiesmag.com
Tiny, crushed clove of garlic when crisping the pancetta and don t overcook the egg. Think silky! #doyoutrustmeattips fromaveggie?
@ENGLISHFOODIE:
Use good Linguine, f/r pancetta, f/r eggs, top o. oil and parmesan, avoid cream...
@FISHFACEEVENTS:
Add egg yolks at the last minute to thicken your sauce, also makes it richer!
@FIRSTTHYME
NO CREAM!! It s a dry dish.
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News update
Foodie bites A tAstE Of ChRistMAs
Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are joining the line-up at a Taste of Christmas. Starting on December 2, the three-day event at London’s Excel will see the two chefs host individual cooking demonstrations in front of a 2,000 strong crowd. Other renowned foodies such as Gary Rhodes, Michel Roux Jr, Rachel Allen, Atul Kochhar, Theo Randall and Mary Berry will also be on hand to educate and inspire with demonstrations and an array of seasonal activity. • For more information and tickets visit www.tasteofchristmas.com
Learn how to be a Masterchef Food and wine lovers can learn from the best as big names from MasterChef take to the stage in November. MasterChef LIVE takes place from November 11-13 at London’s Olympia, and features the chance to cook with the show’s presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace. Visitors can also watch numerous theatre sessions hosted by John and Gregg, while the Cook-Offs will see previous champions compete head-to-head. In addition, MasterChef The Professionals judge Michel Roux Jr will be wowing audiences with his signature dishes in
the Chefs’ Theatre. Once again MasterChef LIVE will be home to London’s finest speciality food market, showcasing over 120 producers. The Producers’ Village hosts a collection of the very best international producers of artisan food and drink. And finally, following its debut last year the Wine Show is running alongside MasterChef LIVE, where you can learn how to pick out the perfect wines in tasting sessions with celebrity experts including Oz Clarke and Tim Atkin. Visit www.mastercheflive.com for more information.
REkiNDlE OuR lOVE Of suNDAy luNCh
The RSPCA has launched a new campaign to get the nation back to cooking up a traditional Sunday lunch. Research shows there has been a 50 per cent decline over the last two generations in the number of families sitting down to a meal together on a Sunday. And so the RSPCA created the Big Sunday Lunch, taking place at the end of October, to encourage friends and family to get together around a dining table while raising funds for the animal charity. Recipe ideas are available at www.bigsundaylunch.co.uk
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
World’s priciest pud created... in Windermere We all like a bit of extravagance every now and then but one hotel has taken things to extreme lengths by creating the world’s most expensive dessert – costing a whopping £22,000. Marc Guilbert, the award-winning head chef at Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel in Windermere, created the chocolate pud that beats previous records thanks to its pricy list of ingredients, which includes gold, Champagne caviar and a stunning two carat diamond. The pudding, which was launched during October’s National Chocolate Week (October 10-17), is made with four different types of the finest Belgian chocolate flavoured with a combination of peach, orange and whiskey. Styled like a Fabergé Easter egg, it is layered with Champagne jelly and a light biscuit joconde, finished with bitter dark chocolate and glazed with edible gold leaf. The pudding is decorated with intricate handmade chocolate flowers and is served with Champagne and strawberry caviar. It also comes with one of the finest and most expensive bottles of dessert wine, Chateau d’Yquem, which is priced at around £500 per bottle. The dessert will appear in the Guinness Book of World Records once it is bought by a customer.
Issue.3 Vol.1 2011 July/August
Fine Food iesFine FoodiesFine Food ies Issue.4 Vol.1 September/October 2011
Issue.2 Vol.1 May/June 2011
d foodPassionate about good food Passionate about goo about goo d food Passionate upe Brand Pick fre Pick up new your free your die foodie foodie foo zine magazine INTERVIEW magazine maga
Mary, queen of cakes
MARY BERRY ON ENCOURAGING THE NATION BACK INTO THE KITCHEN
Plus: Inside the ] ASIAN t FOOD EXPLORED ] FOCUS ON YORKSHIRE world’s bes ] RECIPES WITH SPICE restaurant HAM SARAH WILLING NOMA REPORTS FROM
20/6/11 14:43:53
Sept/October 2011
July/August 2011
] FRANC ] BARBECUE IDEAS DESSERTS ] SUMPTUOUS
INTERVIEW
THE SATURDAY KITCHEN CHEF TALKS HOM E-COOKING
ON HIS JOURNEY DHRUV BAKER MASTERCHEF SINCE WINNING
Plus:E IN FOCUS
James Martin
Plus:
] SUMPTUOUS ] DAIRY DELIGHRECIPES ] IN SEASON TS
Back to Nature THE ART OF FORAGING
cover james martin.indd
May/June 2011
Life of a hef MasterC
INTERVIEW
Global foodies ITALIA
EAT LIKE THE
NS
1
Fine praise The results are in...and you, our readers, have confirmed that you love Fine Foodies. Since our launch at the start of 2011, Fine Foodies received a fantastic response. The results of our recent reader survey show that some 93 per cent of you find the editorial valuable, while 92 per cent of you find the products highlighted in the magazine valuable when making a purchase. Jess Vaughan said: Great recipes! First time I ve read it but it stands out from other magazines. High quality and good layout. Meanwhile, Pauline Snook enthused that Fine Foodies is a wonderful magazine. Keep doing what you are doing. Best magazine out and Michele Orban added: Very informative food magazine, originals recipes, local food suppliers . What do you think of Fine Foodies? Email me at editor@finefoodiesmag.com
YEO VALLEY CHURNS UP THE CHARTS
After the success of last year s rapping farmers, the challenge was on for Yeo Valley this year. And so The Churned has been born, the new farming-inspired boyband, which, at the time of Fine Foodies going to press had broken chart history by entering this week s Official Singles Chart at number 67. No advertising soundtrack has entered the Official Singles Chart at a higher position. The Churned s video for the first single, Forever, is being screened during the X Factor on ITV1. We created Forever to convey our passion for sustainable farming, delicious organic produce and to showcase our West Country roots, said Yeo Valley s Ben Cull. • You can view the video at www.youtube.com/yeotube, which has over clocked up more than 230,000 plays. It is also available to view at Itunes.
BRITS FEAST ON REGIONAL FESTIVALS Thousands of people around the UK have been getting into the festival spirit. First, there was the 2011 Stone Food & Drink Festival, which attracted some 17,000 visitors for a weekend of all things gastronomic. In addition to browsing over 70 stalls in the Gourmet Marquee and taking in the finest local produce in the Taste of Staffordshire Marquee, visitors enjoyed demonstrations by top local chefs and got the chance to sample 30 different beers from Staffordshire brewers in the Titanic Best of Staffordshire Beer Festival. In addition, the High Street Farmers Market saw its biggest-ever crowds. Over in Dorset, activities from falconry and bee keeping to apple identification and foraging walks took place during the Feast of Dorset festival. Thousands of visitors attended the event, which saw celebrity chefs take to the cookery theatre, including MasterChef winner Mat Follas, and Lesley Waters, who demonstrated local ingredients available to visitors this harvest season.
Award-winning deli
A Suffolk deli has proved its worth by winning the Best Delicatessen category in the Suffolk Food and Drink Awards for the fourth time in five years. Lawson s Delicatessen, in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast, won the title this year, which followed on from last year s national accolade of Deli of the Year. The deli prides itself on stocking many products made in the region, working with everyone from artisan bakers and salami makers, to smokers, cheesemakers, and fruit growers.
DELI SUPPORTS LOCAL FARMERS
Staff at a Harrogate deli have literally been giving it some welly for charity. Weetons, which makes the famous Weeton s Welly beef wellington, is raising funds for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) by wearing their wellies to work, with wellies used as collecting pots around the shop. Weetons is owned, managed and supplied by farmers, and Director of Operations, Jo Loftus, said: We ve built up close links with the local farming community and we like to think of ourselves as a farm gate for local produce. In fact, since we launched Weetons in 2005, we have stocked more than 1,200 lines of Yorkshire food from local farms and small producers. Farmers are the lifeblood of our business and it s crucial we support them every day, not just in times of crisis.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
9
Product news
Shelf Life What’s neW in the World of great-tasting food
liMited edition Cheddar launChed
To celebrate a decade in business, Godminster has created a limited edition traditional farmhouse cheddar. Made using milk from the Godminster Farm at Bruton in Somerset, in partnership with Green’s of Glastonbury, the handmade traditional vintage cheddar truckles, which weigh two kilos each, are unwaxed. Using artisan skills, the Godminster Cheddars were matured on racks for nine months and the characteristics are rich, full-bodied and long on the finish with a nutty and savoury bite.
Brightening up your breakfast Being gluten free does not have to mean a disappointing breakfast experience, says Nature’s Path. And to prove it, the organic cereal company has created two new gluten-free cereals, which are endorsed by the charity Coeliac UK. Maple Sunrise is made from wholegrain corn flakes, brown rice puffs and a maple syrup flavour, combined with the extra textures of flax, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. Then there is Os, a gluten-free cereal designed for children with crunchy O-shaped pieces.
dorset delight
The colder months are perfect for porridge, and this year, Dorset Cereals has added a new twist. Its new hearty recipe is made from traditional jumbo oats mixed with real gingerbread pieces and packed in a handy new jumbo sachet. The Gingerbread variety can be ready to enjoy in three microwave minutes or slightly longer if made in the more traditional fashion on your hob.
10
FINE FOODIES noVeMBer/deCeMBer 2011
Ethical and indulgEnt
When you buy Organic Seed & Bean Company chocolate, you can be confident it has been made ethically. That’s because it has just been accredited with 100 per cent ethical status by The Good Shopping Guide, which, it says, makes it the only chocolate company in the UK with this standing. Handmade in the UK using only organic or Fairtrade ingredients, the Organic Seed & Bean Company’s range of bars and snacks include Chilli and Lime chocolate and Lemon & Poppy Seeds creamy white chocolate bars.
JUICE IT UP!
It’s a busy time over at juice maker Organic Village. Not only has the brand launched its latest offering with Pomegranate Juice, they have also sponsored the recent Urban Music Awards International Artist of the Year accolade. The Soil Associationcertified Pomegranate Juice is not made from concentrate, contains no added water, no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. The juice is pressed from sunripened fruit growing in the organic orchards of Anatolia.
Reader offer Fine Foodies is offering readers the chance to win one of two cleanse, detox & Energise hampers courtesy of Birdfood. hampers include three packages of the Raw Superfood Energy Balls in Spirulina, acai and cacao, two tins of the Raw Superfood Breakfast Blends in Macadamia, Mulberry and chia Seed and almond, inca Berry and chia Seed, and two tins of the dukkah nut and Spice Blend in & lemon and Macadamia, cashew and chilli. See page 4 for details.
Regular bite
Sarah’s view
L
Each issue, Fine Foodies Contributing Editor, Sarah Willingham, gives her view. This issue, she talks about the beauty of creating good eating habits from a young age.
ittle Marly, little
Jerusalem artichokes, red
divine Marly...
cabbage, courgettes
one who’s now
Minnie, number
wholesome
baby number
(although I keep forgetting to
five, thinks that
and special
four, my last little
pick them so they’re more like
the reason why
about us all
ball of brilliance,
spending a
marrows), sweet, sweet onions
Marly’s food is so
my first blue-eyed baby and
and garlic, potatoes, peas,
special is because the
my first spring baby!
beans, spinach, tomatoes,
whole family made it.
By far the most exciting of
something very
Saturday making food
salad, mint, basil, peppers,
Grandad planted a lot of it,
all, more than anything else,
beetroot and very mild chilli
Monti dug it up from the
they actually planted the food
hurrah I have finally had a
(with my Indian food
garden with his new
with me and Grandad, watered
baby to be weaned during
addiction they have to start
gardening tools, all three of
it lovingly, then picked it and
harvest. Can you believe it? No
early to survive in our house).
them picked the plums and
now watch Marly eat it is about
As a mum, this is it for me;
apples, hanging so low that
as basic as it gets.
shopping in the organically
for little Marly. That
‘imported from Kenya’ section
knowing that Marly’s first food
they were nearly on the floor,
of Waitrose for me.
is all from our garden makes
and Nelly got very, very wet
it’s the norm, but here, where
me want to burst with
washing them in a big bucket
you can get what you want
grown purée factory is in full
excitement. I really believe
outside the back door. They all
when you want it from our
swing and my kitchen is a
that you influence a baby’s
chopped and stoned
supermarkets without ever
conveyor belt of steaming and
eating habits in their early
(supervised by Daddy), I
really understanding where it
stewing from garden to
years so while I can control
stewed and steamed and they
came from, it can be hard to
mouth (well quarter mouth,
what goes into his mouth, I
pureed. Just about maximum
find the motivation to do it
quarter face, quarter floor and
will. With a freezer packed full
love in those ice cubes of
yourself.
quarter me!). The other three
of wonderful concoctions
food, I think.
have all at some point helped
made up of any random mix
with the chopping, juicing
of the above I can sit back
gratification where everything
simple things I can’t remember
and, apparently the most
happy that at least his first
is so readily available there is
a more indulgent afternoon. FF
exciting, the blending.
couple of months are about as
The Willingham home-
Damsons, wild plums,
pure as you can get.
apples, pears, elderberry, figs, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries and any mix of the above.
12
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
In a world of instant
In most of southern Europe
But having found the time this year for one of life’s very
In your
DISCOVER THESE PRODUCTS IN STORE NOW
In your store
HAND-CRAFTED THE TRADITIONAL WAY
Organic Village Cheeses are 100% organic hand-crafted using traditional methods. The range is certified organic by the Soil Association, and made with organic sheep and goat s milk from farms in the Balkan Mountains. Choose from their creamy Gouda Cheese (£3.59 200g) or Mediterranean feta style White Cheese (£2.69 200g). They combine authentic centuries-old recipes with advanced technology to provide the highest quality. Organic Village is about sourcing the tastiest and purest of produce ‒ delicious and packed full of goodness. Available from selected natural health stores and specialist food outlets. Go to www.organicvillage.org to find a store near you.
The perfect Christmas gift for Foodies! A year s worth of fantastic restaurant discounts with The Gourmet Society.
Throughout the UK and Ireland there are thousands of great restaurants offering members up to 50% off their meal when they dine out with their discount dining card. Choose from big names like Loch Fyne and Hotel du Vin, awardwinning independents, family favourites and even Michelinstarred eateries for those indulgent moments. All restaurants offer one of these great deals: 2 for 1 meals 50% off food L 25% off food AND drinks L L
Three Gold Stars for Three Fennel
Pukka s organic Three Fennel tea is a delicious blend of sweet fennel, wild fennel and fennel leaf. These three varieties of fennel create an abundance of flavour and are each renowned for supporting healthy digestion. This flavoursome tea combines plump, juicy fennel seeds from Turkey, fresh wild fennel from Bulgaria and feathery fennel leaf from Somerset. Of the 7482 products entered into this year s Great Taste Awards, Three Fennel was one of only 114 awarded the prestigious three stars. Pukka s Night Time and Three Ginger were each awarded two stars and Cleanse and Detox one star. For more information call 0845 375 14744, email: sales@pukkaherbs.com or visit www. pukkaherbs.com
You can buy membership for just £29.95 (RRP £69.95)! Each member receives a dining card and a printed restaurant directory. HOW TO ORDER: Visit www.gourmetsociety.co.uk or telephone 0845 257 4477 quoting FINEFOODIES on both occasions. T s and C s: Vist www.gourmetsociety.co.uk.
A PRESERVE FOR EVERYBODY
Thursday Cottage s Blood Orange Marmalade is made with fresh blood oranges grown on the slopes of Mount Etna. Perhaps its the simplicity of the recipe ‒ just oranges, fruit pectin and pure cane sugar ‒ that makes the product such a success. Hand pouring also helps produce a fine mix of peel and fruit throughout the jar. With over 120 products to choose from, including the award-winning fruit coulis range, Thursday Cottage has a preserve for everybody. Recommended retail is an affordable £2.39. Call 01621 815429, email jams@thursday-cottage.com or visit www.thursday-cottage.com
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
15
UK fare
Eat like the Anglians There’s no denying that the people of East Anglia like their food. What’s more, they make it well. Fine Foodies explores all that the east of England has to offer.
F
rom ice cream and flour, to oils,
areas they operate in. Take Suffolk Larder as an example; the
honey and sausages, producers
company sources many of its ingredients
from the east of England are
from Norfolk and Suffolk, and all the recipes
making a real mark in the world
are hand mixed, weighed, and produced in
of fine food.
small quantities. The product range includes
But what’s so great about the food and
Suffolk Vinaigrette, made from local honey,
drink offering from this part of the UK, and
and Herbal Tomato Sauce, made from
what could you expect to be its signature
locally-grown tomatoes, onions and mixed
dishes?
herbs, mixed in fellow Suffolk producer,
The Anglian region covers the six counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. So important is food production in the
Aspall Cyder. Then there is Hillfarm, located in the picturesque Suffolk countryside, which began producing extra virgin rapeseed oil
Anglian region that a body has been formed
and has now expanded to make creamy
to help champion these businesses. Tastes of
mayonnaise. The fields where the crops of
Anglia works by supporting and promoting
rapeseed are grown are within minutes of
business that originated in the region.
the press used to make the oil, meaning
Sticky toffee pudding
Hillfarm products have a low impact on the
By Galton Blackiston for Hillfarm Oils
“The Eastern region has an abundance of local produce to offer, from fresh fruit and vegetables to spicy preserves. Behind these
environment and full traceability.
Ingredients:
fantastic products are passionate small to
Heritage
• 110ml Hillfarm Rapeseed Oil
large businesses dedicated to regional
Many of the food producers around today
provenance and sustainability,” said
have been in the business for many years.
• 4 eggs
Membership Officer, Marilyn Snell. “This fervour for food is supported by
Take the Marriage family, who have been
• 175g light, soft brown sugar • 225g self-raising flour • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
flour millers in Essex since 1824 and farmers
• 2tsp Camp coffee
research that shows over 70 per cent of
in the local area since the 17th century. As W
• 275ml boiling water
consumers would like to buy local. Tastes of
H Marriage & Sons, the fifth and sixth
• 225g stoned chopped dates
Anglia ensures a connection between the
generation family-run company produces
region’s farmers, producers, chefs, caterers,
premium quality wheat flour and sources
wholesalers, retailers and tourist outlets –
wheat flour from Essex.
helping to provide vital links within the region and beyond.”
Locally sourced
Or you could look to Musk’s, the wellknown sausage brand that has called Newmarket its home for decades. In fact, Queen Victoria was on the throne when
Producers in this region pride themselves on
James Musk, trading from a butcher’s shop
sourcing their ingredients from the local
on Newmarket’s High Street, founded the
16
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Method: • Line a 20cm loose bottom cake tin with greaseproof paper. Mix together the Hillfarm Oil and sugar, then slowly add four beaten eggs. Fold in the sieved flour and set aside. • Meanwhile mix the bicarb and Camp coffee and pour this over the dates, followed by the boiling water. Mix well, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then pour onto the creamed
company in 1884. His recipe has been
travelling around the Mediterranean I was
which has recently been crowned Best
passed down through the generations and
so impressed by the quality of the food
Essex Food Product in the Essex Food &
to this day remains a closely-guarded
that when I returned I wanted to improve
Drink Awards 2011.
secret.
the quality of the food in the UK, and
The company’s Chris Sheen said: “East Anglia is the bread-basket of England! The
particularly where I was, East Anglia.
Jane Hadley established Hadley’s Dairy Ice Cream in 2001, being made on the farm in Colne Engaine, Essex. The ice
soil produces great crops and the
Award-winning
livestock, particularly pigs who become
Food and drink producers are flying the
from Marybelle Dairy in Saxmundham
Musk’s Newmarket sausages, are reared in
flag for the region, with many brands
and free-range eggs from Brick Kiln Farm
the best conditions to produce a
picking up some impressive accolades.
in Stanway.
succulent meat.” Richard Seymour, of Seymours, which
Sutton Hoo Chicken boasts Free
cream is made from local milk sourced
“I’m still so shocked that I won,” said
Range and Organic Free Range in its
Jane. “I’ve picked up lots of awards for my
supplies a range of oils, added: “East
portfolio and prides itself on high animal
ice cream over the years, but this is really
Anglia may not be the first place that
welfare standards. Most recently, it was
special as it’s fabulous to win in the region
comes to mind when one thinks of
named Best Producer and Best Suffolk
and I’m hoping this accolade will help put
delicious infused olive oils, vinegars and
Product at the 2011 Suffolk Food & Drink
my ice cream on the map throughout the
freshly roasted spices, but Seymours of
Awards.
county.”
Norfolk’s range of products has caused
Then there is the small ice cream maker
quite a stir in the last few years. After
based in the Essex town of Colchester,
mixture. Bring together to create a very runny batter. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for one hour 15 minutes or until springy to touch. • Serve with butterscotch sauce and cream.
and reduce by about 50 to 75 per cent until thickening. • Then add the hard butter and sage off the heat and whisk in until melted. Pour over the steaks and serve with new potatoes and green veg.
Pork loin with sage and Uncle Cornelius finest spiced ginger
Mince pies
By James White Drinks Serves 2 Ingredients:
• 1 batch almond pastry (see below)
• 4 large boneless pork loin steaks, well trimmed of fat • 1oz butter • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves • 15cl Cornelius Ginger Drink • 2 tablespoons white wine • 2oz hard butter for the sauce finish • Black pepper and sea salt Method: • Melt the 1oz butter in a frying pan until browning, add the meat and fry for two minutes each side. Transfer to hot plates and, using the same pan, add the ginger and wine,
Find out more about Anglian food at www.tastesofanglia.com
From WH Marriage & Sons Makes 12 Ingredients:
• About 400g mincemeat • Caster or icing sugar for sprinkling • Plain or fluted round cutters (8-9cm/3¼-3½in and 6.5cm/2½in mince pie or bun tin For the almond pastry:
• 225g Marriage’s Finest Plain flour • A large pinch of salt • 50g ground almonds • 85g icing or caster sugar • 175g unsalted butter, chilled and diced • 1 large egg yolk Method: • Heat the oven to 180⁰C/350⁰F/Gas Mark 4. • Roll out the chilled pastry on a floured work surface to about 4mm/¼in thick. Cut 12 rounds using the larger round cutter and 12 rounds with the smaller cutter, re-rolling the trimmings as necessary. Press the larger rounds into the depressions in the mince pie tin, gently pressing the dough against the sides of the tin with your thumb to remove any air bubbles. Put about 1½tsp mincemeat into the centre of each pastry case. • Dampen the edges of the pastry cases using a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Cover with the smaller rounds and seal the edges by gently pressing down with an upside-down round
cutter or small glass that just fits inside the rim of each depression. Make a small steam hole in the centre of each pie with a skewer or cocktail stick. You can also cut a small star or Christmas tree shape out of each lid before using to cover the pies. • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm and just golden; richer pastry tends to brown very quickly. Leave to cool in the tin for several minutes so the pastry firms up, then carefully un-mould and cool on a wire rack. Serve dusted with sugar. For the almond pastry: • Put the flour, salt, ground almonds and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times until thoroughly combined. Add the diced cold butter to the bowl and process until the mixture forms fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and process briefly until the mixture comes together to make a ball of soft but not sticky dough. If there are dry crumbs, add icy water a teaspoon at a time, until the dough holds together. • Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for about 15 minutes until firm but not hard. • The dough can be made up to five days in advance and stored tightly wrapped in the fridge. Remove from the fridge for 15 minutes before use, to ensure it is not too hard.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
17
Interview
Cooking, according to
Carluccio
Most of us have eaten in one of his restaurants, or tried his simple Italian dishes. Now, Antonio Carluccio is on a mission to revive one of Britain’s once muchloved vegetables, as he explains to Fine Foodies Editor, Rachel Symonds.
T
here’s no doubting where
remember them as these little balls in a
important. If you are brought up that way
Antonio Carluccio’s roots
bottle full of vinegar, the way you find
with food, you remember it. They helped
lie. From the still thick
them in supermarkets. But fresh beetroot
me to become what I am,” he said.
Italian accent despite his
is amazing.”
years in the UK, to the
Antonio sets out to reverse the
And taste is the most important aspect of cooking for Antonio – nothing fancy, just
recollections of his early food memories
negativity surrounding this root
good taste, and that has been the premise
and favourite dishes. Antonio is Italian
vegetable, and during the episode reveals
of many of his TV shows and books –
through and through.
just how versatile it is.
demonstrating how easy it is to whip up
But this month sees the much-loved
“You will see me show you how to cook
great-tasting Italian food.
cook join a stellar line-up of TV chefs for the
the beetroot,” he explained, adding: “I do a
latest series of the Great British Food
lasagne without using pasta – I use thin
minimum fuss. I live by that principle,” he
Revival, being screened on BBC2. The premise of the campaigning series is to take different celebrity chefs, who explore a type of food that was once popular but in recent times has become less so. The idea is to rekindle the nation’s love of these foods, and includes everything from garlic and peas to rhubarb and rare breed beef. And for Antonio? He chose the humble beetroot. “I have lived here for 36 years and I find British produce fantastic,” he says. “I love the beetroot, I remember it from when I was growing up.” Yet the beetroot is not in favour the way it used to be. In fact, Antonio’s episode of Great British Food Revival reveals that a worrying half of our beetroot fields have been lost in the last 30 years, a trend which is expected to continue, and this is thought to be because of the way we in the UK perceive its taste. But this is not how Antonio remembers beetroot. He points out: “There are so many different varieties and flavours, white, pink for example, but there has been a rejection of beetroot because people
slices of cooked beetroot and then I put in
says. “The only thing we must remember is
between some smoked ham and some
good food is about taste – don’t worry
Bechamel – that’s it and it’s fantastic!”
about the look of the food, it is the taste
18
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Italian influence
“My motto is Mof Mof… more flavour,
that’s most important. “I’m not as creative as other cooks.
Often described as the Italian godfather of
Heston Blumenthal is hyper creative but
gastronomy, Antonio was born on the
sometimes that hyper creativity does not
Amalfi Coast in the south and raised in the
help because no one can cook these things
wooded north-west, and at the age of
in their own kitchen. Simple cooking is a
seven he discovered his life-long interest
major feature of Italian food.”
in hunting and collecting mushrooms and funghi with his father. Antonio has lived in the UK for many
Yet he believes that simplicity is not something Britons always follow. “British food is fantastic, there’s fish,
years, first hitting British TV screens in the
vegetables, fruit, meat, and it can be really
early 1980s. His first book was An
first quality, but people don’t always like it in
Invitation to Italian Cooking, and he has since written 13 books, and made many popular TV shows, including Antonio Carluccio’s Northern Italian Feast and Southern Italian Feast. He was also famed for his books on mushrooms, a passion that still exists today. But although he made his name in the UK, it is Antonio’s Italian roots that have shaped his approach to cooking. “My mama used to cook extremely well, and my Papa was a fantastic critic. The children would sit around the table and listen to that – taste was always very
the way that other countries like their own cuisine – British food is suffering a bit of a Cinderella story.” And Antonio’s favourite dish? “I could cook a spaghetti with tomato and basil, very simple. Or I could eat a wonderful risotto with truffles if I was looking for something more sophisticated.”
Reviving cooking Before finding his way into television, Antonio was first and foremost a cook and restaurateur, taking over the Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden in 1981, which
traded for 26 years. In 1991, Antonio
people to make good food.
perhaps some more TV next year – I
opened a deli next to the restaurant and
“We don’t cook these days the way we
in 1998 started the first Carluccio’s Caffè,
used to,” he says. “Start and be bold – take
mushrooms,” he says. “I’m still inspired, I
which began the popular Carluccio’s
a piece of meat, for example, and see
find a lot of interesting things. A book I’m
chain that exists today. Although no
what happens, whether you boil it or
reading is about 150 years of Italian food
longer a director, he continues to work
roast it, and then you learn from it. And if
and so I have been interested in the
with the Carluccio’s team on menu
it goes wrong, you don’t have to show
development of food in the last 150
development and chef training. In 1998,
anyone! It is all about confidence.”
years.” FF
Antonio was awarded the
Despite a 50-year cookery career,
Commendatore OMRI by the President of
there’s still plenty on the horizon for
Italy for services to Italian gastronomy, the
Antonio, who last year filmed the Two
equivalent of a British knighthood. In 2007
Greedy Italians series with fellow Italian and old friend, Gennaro Contaldo. “I’m writing my autobiography which is very enjoyable – for me anyway, and
he was awarded an honorary OBE. And because his roots are in cooking, he is passionate about encouraging
would like to do something about
Great British Food Revival is being screened on BBC2 during November, and includes names including Michel Roux Jr, Ainlsley Harriot, John Torode, Gregg Wallace and Raymond Blanc.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
19
Food focus
Christmas traditions...
when past meets present
Jennifer Britt offers some inspiration for Christmas traditions combined with modern ideas.
I
t’s Christmas Eve. There’s snow on
“Turkey. It’s our best seller without a
There’s something about Christmas
the ground and a chilly bite in the
doubt, “ says the company’s Steve
that has people snuggling luxuriously in
air as the file of customers
Harrison. “But we also sell a lot of
blankets of nostalgia and habit.
collecting their festive provisions
pheasant, grouse, woodcock, pigeon and
Epicure from Petty Wood is another
from Allens, London’s oldest
duck – all game is in season for Christmas.
established name with a history going
butchers, on Mount Street, Mayfair, starts
People also love pigs in blankets, sausages
back to the high colonial era when it
to stretch back around the street corner.
wrapped in bacon, we sell thousands of
started importing exotic canned fruit and
those.”
vegetables to broaden the horizons of the
Jolly goodwill is kept simmering with mugs of hot tea and coffee served by the shop’s retinue of cheery and attentive staff. Perhaps you are already forming a
middle class British kitchen. Among its contributions to today’s Christmas table is goose fat. Epicure is the
mental picture of the closing chapter of A
biggest importer of this ingredient that
Christmas Carol and Mr Scrooge in his newly-discovered benevolence, sending a bird to grace the Christmas table of the Cratchit family! Allens of Mayfair is indeed an establishment of Victorian origins. Although not quite of the vintage of Charles Dickens, it has occupied the same shop on the ground floor of a mansion block since the 1890s when Mr Robert Allen opened for business. But the queue out of the door just described was a scene from December 2010 and without a doubt will form again this year... although there is no guarantee of a return of last year’s pre-Christmas white. Despite its antique shop front and style of fittings, Allens, whose patrons include Marco Pierre White, Michel Roux Jr and Nigella Lawson, is the model of a modern business with an online mail order trade bustling away behind the scenes and supplying customers across the country. And what will most of them serve for Christmas lunch?
many now consider indispensable to
20
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
delivering a traditional Christmas lunch, although as a popular tradition this one is less than a decade old. “We started importing it eight years ago but it’s only about four years ago when the Jamie Olivers, the Nigellas and the Rick Steins were talking about it that sales took off massively,” says brand manager John Holland-Pemble. Epicure’s most loyal customers are ‘creative cooks’, people who enjoy being imaginative with recipes and flavours. But when it comes to Christmas? “It’s don’t mess with our Christmas... it’s turkey and the trimmings all the way. They’d be very, very traditional,” says John.
Oldest is the latest So, is the modern British culinary sense of adventure completely trumped by the “just like granny used to do it” Yule rule? Yes and no, suggests Scott Goodfellow, Managing Director of Cole’s Traditional Foods, which has been making puddings
since 1939. “On Christmas Day many cooks like a conventional pudding, the family favourite,” he says. But while tradition may reign on December 25, today’s Christmas extends over a lengthy period, pre- and- post the big day, so offers plenty of other pudding occasions when people feel less constrained by sticking to tradition. Cole’s Traditional Christmas Pudding is its number one, but it also caters for people who find the conventional pud a penance rather than a treat. Brandy, Port and Walnut Christmas Pudding, or the Caribbean Rum and Double Cream are a bit more daring – and lighter – and this year there is a new gift pack of three mini puddings, Light and Fruity, Champagne Pudding and a Chocolate Fudge Steamed Pudding.
Turkey tradition
before it goes in the oven with his Lemon,
Lavender, which is our sweet and sour
One British festive tradition that Rupert
Basil, Bay and Juniper Vinegar because it
blend and you’d put a real oriental slant
Parsons, of Womersley Fruit & Herb
helps to tenderise the meat. “You can also
on Christmas lunch.”
Vinegars would like to hit on the head, is
stuff the bird with a whole lemon because
How about something completely
that of moaning about how dry and
citrus is very good for bringing out flavour
different from the Christmas basics of a
bland the turkey is.
as well as helping to keep the meat
big bird, sugar confections and lots of
moist.”
dried fruit in some form or another?
“I love having turkey. I like tradition and I like to get the best out of it. If you are
And turkey doesn’t have to be cooked
Here’s someone who seems to have a
going to have turkey you have got to
the same every year, points out Rupert. “If
fresh take on Christmas fare – Axel
make it taste absolutely great,” says
you want to be a bit more outlandish, you
Steenberg, of Steenbergs Organic. The
Rupert, who will be drizzling his bird
could use our Lime, Black Pepper and
specialist in spices and other store
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
21
Food focus cupboard essentials enjoys a Christmas special of herring and beetroot. “Well, actually it is very traditional, just not a British tradition. It’s in honour of my Scandinavian ancestry and we have it on Christmas Eve,” explains Axel, who on Christmas Day reverts to old-fashioned homemade Christmas pudding made with dark stout-type ale – even more traditional than using spirits – and goose. But is goose traditional? Or is it trendy? Or is it both? It certainly pre-dates turkey, which was a 19th century introduction to the festive feast, as regular Christmas fare. At least it’s what the reasonably well off might have eaten. For the poor, having meat of any description would have been a treat and many would have probably been grateful to put a rabbit in the pot! Goose hasn’t been part of living tradition for most British families, so these days it seems positively novel. “There is a real sense of people experimenting with food by going back to the future,” agrees Axel. “The oldest thing is the latest thing.”
The sweet stuff When it comes to gingerbread, there is no place more traditional to be baking it than
Christmas inspiration New ideas for your Christmas shopping basket... try these and they might become a Christmas tradition. • Red Nose Reinbeer Ale from Somerset’s Cotleigh Brewery is a richly flavoured, deep copper-coloured seasonal ale with chocolate, toffee and nut flavours. Christmas in a bottle. • Wild Thing Organic from Vintage Roots is a range of a white Sauvignon, a red Merlot and a Tempranillo rosě, with a percentage going to the Born Free Foundation. • A Milk Chocolate Flower Pot from Holdsworth Chocolates filled with individual handmade chocolates is decorated with a festive red poinsettia flower and matching bow to make a pressie or a table decoration. Their mini chocolate puds are topped with crystallised peppermint leaves and real cranberries. • Steenbergs Fairtrade Christmas Tea and Christmas Drinking Chocolate are Fairtrade, delicious and spicy. The tea has a strong hit of orange while the chocolate is full of smooth vanilla. • Belvoir Fruit Farms non-alcoholic
Mulled Winter Punch combines nutmeg oil and mixed spice extracts with blackcurrant juice, red grape juice, elderberry juice and orange juice. • The Christmas Cracker from The Pickled Village is a feisty chutney with a chilli kick. If you can’t take the punch, try Christmas Cheer as a mellower alternative. • Beautiful on the eye, ethically sourced and full of scrummy, handmade organic, dairy-free chocolate truffles, Booja Booja’s The Artists Collection is a new range presented in gift boxes handmade and painted by a community of artists in Kashmir. • Divine’s Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Discs combine this Fairtrade brand’s 70 per cent dark chocolate with the fruity tartness of real raspberries. There’s also a mint variant. One more sweet fact... this brand is half-owned by a co-operative of cocoa growers in Ghana. • Epicure’s Vermouth & Chicken Wine Reduction will add a depth of subtle flavour to your turkey gravy. • Wilkin & Sons Tiptree Christmas Conserve is a rich spicy plum jam, perfect for Christmas breakfast toast.
Market Drayton in Shropshire. It’s called the ‘home of gingerbread’ because of the spice
Pudding Chutney made with traditional
about food and drink are keen to
trade connections of one of its sons, Robert
Christmas pud ingredients captures that
rediscover authentic traditions, rather
Clive, or ‘Clive of India’, the 18th colonial
fusion of a very old idea – after all, we all
than invented, commercialised ones.
administrator and adventurer. He may or
want some figgy pudding and have been
may not literally have introduced the
singing about it for a very long time –
Gin, made with Bramley and Gage’s own 6
townsfolk to ginger but it’s a good story.
with a new way of presenting it.
O’Clock gin, which took Gold as best in
Image on Food is based in the town,
The Kents ran a pub and then a hotel
His biggest seller at Christmas is Sloe
class at the 2011 International Wine and
making decorated gingerbread in all kinds
before setting up in the preserving
of shapes – Father Christmas, fir trees, stars
business so Christmas being hectic isn’t a
Spirit Competition.
and penguins are some of the seasonal
new experience. Their super-size
after the first frost in October, steep them
ones – decorated with colourful royal icing.
preserving pans are on full throttle
in sugar and gin and then drink the sloe gin on Christmas Eve,” he explained.
“Traditionally, you harvest your sloes
“Obviously, gingerbread at Christmas is
throughout the autumn in preparation for
a very traditional thing but what we find is
the festive season. It’s not just that chutney
that people like tradition but in new and
is the classic accompaniment to the turkey
November for the first frost so if you want
innovative ways,” says Gemma Hopcroft, a
leftovers and cold meats and cheeses, but
sloe gin for Christmas you can’t wait for
member of the youngest generation
it is also in demand for hampers.
the frost to split the skins, but putting
working in this family baking business.
“And if people want to give just a small
Nowadays you might be waiting until
them in the freezer does the same job. “More and more people are making
One of their novel ideas is to put a
gift, a jar of chutney is perfect,” says Claire.
collection of festive gingerbread shapes
“Even the most expensive chutney is not
sloe gin at home, more than have done
on lolly sticks in a cute silver bucket to
that expensive and it lasts a lot longer
so in 100 years I would think, yet we sell
make a ‘bouquet’ and this year a
than a bottle of wine!”
more sloe gin every year,” says Michael.
gingerbread cookie advent calendar.
Michael Keen of liqueur makers
“Thing is, by the time you read this, if
Tradition with a twist is a speciality of
Bramley and Gage agrees that a quest for
you haven’t already made sloe gin it will be
Claire Kent, of Claire’s Handmade, and her
genuineness is the mood of the moment.
too late for this Christmas, so you will have
chef husband Michael. Their Figgy
People who are curious and adventurous
to rush out and buy a bottle of ours!” FF
22
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
A guilty pleasure
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Rent a row of vines with 3D Wines and open up a whole world of exciting trips to visit your vineyard and taste your wine with the person who makes it. 3D s winemakers craft individual wines that reflect their passion and terroir. You can choose from domaines in some of the top appellations including Margaux, Champagne, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Sancerre. Other club benefits include wine-tasting events in France and the UK, a hotel reservation service and hotel discounts. For more information, browse the vineyards and gift options at www.3dwines.com or call 01205 820745.
KING AMONGST TURKEYS
If you re not already familiar with Copas Turkeys, it s time you were... The Copas family maintain the highest welfare standards and old-fashioned production methods (such as plucking by hand and game-hanging) to guarantee a deliciously dense, yet succulent meat with a full traditional flavour. Stocked by some of Britain s best butchers, farm shops and deli s, their turkeys have been described as fantastic (the BBC s Hairy Bikers), a king amongst turkeys (Tom Parker-Bowles), incredibly flavourful and moist (Allegra McEvedy). Whilst their award-winning range of accompaniments, hampers and gift vouchers make the perfect gift for foodies! Order soon to avoid disappointment! For more information, call 01628 499980 or visit our website, www.copasturkeys.co.uk
Tilly Confectionery, or better known as Mrs Tilly s, is a family run business who pride themselves in the production of high quality confectionery, using traditional methods and only the finest of ingredients. With two Gold Star Great Taste Awards recently under their belt for their Tablet and Fudge, Mrs Tilly s have just launched their new 150g gift range, along with two new mouth-watering flavours. A delicious Rum & Raisin Fudge and also a luscious all natural Orange Fudge, using natural fruit pieces. A perfect treat for any Tilly s fan, or just a nice size to share, to spread the guilt!!! For more information telephone 01259 751846.
NEW TWIST ON AN OLD FAVOURITE
As the winter nights begin to draw in, our minds are turning to hot chocolate… House of Dorchester has risen to the challenge and created a lovely new twist on this old favourite with their real flakes of milk and dark chocolate creating the ultimate luxury drink when stirred and melted into hot milk. For the more adventurous, their stir-in hot chocolate spoons are available in four tempting flavours: caramelised hazelnut, chocolate fudge, milk chocolate with mini marshmallows and chocolate orange… a perfect indulgent treat or gift! Available at www.hodchoc.com. Get 10% off with the foodiexmas discount code.
Dessert for all tastes and occasions
Cartmel Village Shop is delighted to have been awarded gold stars in the Great Taste Awards. Sticky Toffee Pudding has received the much coveted 3 gold stars. Charlotte Sharphouse, Operations Manager says; We have made the decision to grow the Cartmel range of puddings and wanted to offer a core range of desserts that would suit all tastes and occasions. Along with chilled puddings a range of ambient products is also available including jars of Sticky Toffee and Sticky Chocolate Sauce and Sticky Toffee Chocolates, completing the range of artisanal, handmade products. Email nicepeople@ cartmelvillageshop.co.uk, visit www.cartmelvillageshop. co.uk or call 015395 58300.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
23
In season
Festive fare from the field T
he weather may be
of squash still available, but there are
organic ones may not look cosmetically
starting to get gloomy,
English apples aplenty over the coming
perfect. They re back-breaking to pick by
but the fruit and veg
weeks. Plus, look out for other wonderful
hand too. But because they are grown
coming in from the fields
seasonal veg coming in from the fields,
ever-so-slowly, they tend to taste better,
is still getting better.
such as cauliflower, kale, red cabbage,
so the field workers roll their sleeves up,
radicchio, romanesco, and roots such as
think of Christmas dinner and persevere.
parsnips and maincrop potatoes.
Soggy, overcooked sprouts are about as
You may think that harvest time is
over now the nights are drawing in and the leaves are well and truly turned,
Come December, it s all about festive
unappealing as veg gets. If you must
but the reality is that we are still in the
veg ‒ starting of course, with love-them-
cook them in water, avoid boiling and
middle of the best time of year on the
or-hate-them Brussels sprouts. Without
steam them as briefly as possible. Even
farm.
the artificial sprays that protect
better, try roasting or stir-frying them so
conventionally-grown sprouts, Riverford s
they keep their crunch. FF
Not only are there plenty of varieties
24
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Recipes by Jane Baxter, Riverford Field Kitchen, taken from the Riverford Farm Cook Book
Winter salad with spiced pecans, pears and blue cheese Serves 4-6 Ingredients: • 300g mixed winter salad leaves • 75g pecan nuts • A pinch of cayenne pepper • 1tsp Worcestershire sauce • A dash of Tabasco sauce • ½tsp salt • 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced • 3tbsp basic vinaigrette • 75g blue cheese (try gorgonzola or dolcelatte), crumbled Method:
until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven
For the vinaigrette:
• Wash and dry the salad leaves and set
and leave to cool.
• 240ml sunflower oil
aside.
• For the vinaigrette, combine the
• 4tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
• In a small bowl, mix the pecans with the
ingredients vigorously. Put the pears and
• Garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a
cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce,
salad leaves in a bowl and toss with the
Tabasco and salt. Scatter them over a
dressing. Divide between four plates,
• 1tbsp Dijon mustard
baking tray and bake in an oven preheated
scatter over the blue cheese and pecan
• Sea salt and black pepper
to 200° C/Gas Mark 6 for five to six minutes,
nuts and serve.
little salt
Wok-fried Brussels sprouts with ginger Serves 4 Ingredients:
Method:
• 3tbsp sunflower oil
• Heat the oil in a wok, add the
• 2 shallots or 1 onion, finely
shallots or onion, plus the garlic
chopped
and chilli, and fry quickly for
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
about two minutes, without
• 1 chilli, finely chopped
browning.
• 600g Brussels sprouts, finely
• Add the shredded sprouts
shredded
and the fresh and crystallised
• 4cm piece of fresh ginger, cut into very fine strips
ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes.
• 4cm piece of crystallised stem
Add three tablespoons of
ginger, cut into very fine strips
water, cover and steam for
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
three minutes. Season to taste and serve.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
25
Recipes
MasterChef
know how
Described as “the cookbook you have always wanted in your kitchen” the new MasterChef Kitchen Bible offers inspiration from winners, past and present.
Seared tuna with an Asian glaze By Angela Kenny (Semi-finalist, 2009 series) Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 8 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients: • 4 carrots • 4 courgettes • 8tbsp dark soy sauce • 4 limes • 6tbsp Demerara sugar • 12-16 Charlotte potatoes, peeled and sliced into discs • 60ml (2fl oz) white Miso paste • 60ml (2fl oz) Mirin
26
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
• 90ml (3½ fl oz) dry sake • 2tbsp rice wine vinegar • 1tbsp oil • 4 tuna steaks, 175-200g (6-7oz) each • Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: • With a potato peeler, shave the carrots and courgettes into long strips. Place in a mixing bowl with 3tbsp soy sauce, the juice and zest of 1½ limes, and 4tbsp sugar. • Put the potatoes in a large pan with boiling water to cover and the white miso paste. Cook for about 10 minutes until the potatoes
are tender and then drain. • Place the mirin, sake, remaining sugar and soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and the juice and zest of the remaining limes in a frying pan over a medium heat and reduce to a syrup consistency – about 10 minutes. • Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Heat another frying pan until hot, add the tuna, and sear on both sides for about three minutes. • Once the tuna is cooked, transfer it to the frying pan containing the glaze and turn to coat it. Heat the ribbon vegetables in the glaze for two minutes, then serve with the tuna and potatoes.
Open lasagne of roasted squash and wild mushrooms with sage butter By Tim Kinnaird (Finalist, 2010 series)
Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Serves 4
• 1 garlic clove, finely choppped • 3tbsp Marsala wine
Ingredients: For the pasta: • Good pinch of saffron strands
• 2-3tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley • 100ml (3½ fl oz) double cream
• 150g (5½oz) Tipo “00” flour
For the sage butter:
• Salt
• 75g (2½ oz) unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• Small bunch of fresh sage, leaves only
• 1 egg yolk For the squash: • 1 small crown prince squash peeled and seeded, about 350g (12oz) peeled weight, and cut into bite-sized pieces • 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • ¼-½ tsp chilli flakes For the mushrooms: • Knob of butter • 200g (7oz) mixed wild mushrooms, such as girolles, porcini, and pied blue, wiped and evenly chopped
Method: • Preheat the oven to 220ºC (425° F/Gas 7). Soak the saffron in 2tsp warm water for 10 minutes. Make the pasta dough, adding the saffron and water to the dough with the eggs. • Put the squash on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, and scatter over the salt, pepper, and chilli flakes. Roast for 35 minutes or until soft and tinged with brown. Shake the tin occasionally for even roasting. • To cook the mushrooms, melt the butter in a large sauté pan until it foams, add the mushrooms and salt and pepper, and fry over high heat for four to five minutes or until just
turning golden. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and fry for one minute. Add the Marsala and bubble for a few minutes. Stir in the parsley and cream and set aside. • For the sage butter, melt the butter in a heavy pan and cook gently until it turns a warm nutty brown. Take care not to burn it. Set aside. • Divide the dough into two and roll into sheets. Bring a pan of water to the boil. Brush off the excess flour from the pasta, place in the water, and boil for four to five minutes or until al dente. Drain in a colander and then cut out 12 8cm (3in) diameter circles using an oiled round pastry cutter. Brush with olive oil and set aside. • Just before serving, tear up nearly all the sage leaves and add to the cooled butter. Warm gently for one to two minutes and also warm the mushroom mixture and squash. Stack up the pasta separated by a layer of squash and a layer of mushrooms. Spoon over the sage butter and garnish with the remaining sage.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
27
Recipes
Lavender mousse with hokey pokey and a blackberry sauce
By Mat Follas (Champion, 2009 series)
Preparation time: 50 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients: For the blackberry sauce: • 300g (10oz) blackberries • 200g (7oz) caster sugar For the lavender mousse: • 13g (½ oz) gelatine leaves, cut into pieces • 500ml (16fl oz) whole milk • 5 egg yolks • 40g (1½ oz) caster sugar • 500ml (16fl oz) whipping cream • 20g (¾ oz) lavender flower heads • 12 drops lavender essence
the boil. Place the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and mix. Stir in the milk. • Return to the pan, stirring and warming gently for five minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Drain any excess water from the gelatine and add to the pan and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool. • Whip the cream until stiff peaks are formed. Add the lavender heads and combine. Stir in the lavender essence, a drop at a time, until the flavour is to your taste. Gently fold in the cream.
• Remove the glasses from the freezer and pour the crème anglaise over the frozen berry sauce. Return to the freezer for 20 minutes. • To make the hokey pokey, heat the sugar and golden syrup slowly in a saucepan, stirring constantly for three minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and then pour onto a silicone sheet and leave to cool. Put into a plastic bag and gently smash it. • To serve, make a line of blackberry sauce on each plate and top with the reserved blackberries. Add the frozen mousses and put a piece of broken hokey pokey in the top of each one and add a small pile of hokey pokey crumbs alongside.
For the hokey pokey: • 75g (2½ oz) caster sugar • 2tbsp golden syrup • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda Method: • Set aside 12 blackberries of different sizes for decoration. Then put the remaining blackberries in a pan with the sugar and add 100ml (3½ fl oz) cold water, stir and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the sauce to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for five minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half and thickened. Pass through a sieve, discard the blackberry pulp, and leave to cool. • Transfer the sauce into a jug and pour a little into four freezer-proof glasses, which the mousse will be served in. Put the glasses in the freezer and set the rest of the sauce aside in the refrigerator. • For the lavender mousse, put the gelatine in iced water for about 10 minutes to soften. Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to
28
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
MasterChef Kitchen Bible is published by DK, £26. Available from all good book shops and www.dk.com. You can also catch the new series of MasterChef the Professionals on BBC Two this month.
Recipes
Better baking
With the Great British Bake Off series inspiring us to get back into the kitchen, Step-by-Step Baking teaches us some essential techniques.
Apple pie Perhaps the ultimate in home-baked comfort food, this autumn pie is best served warm with vanilla ice cream Serves 6-8 Chilling time: 45 minutes Special equipment: 23cm (9in) shallow pie dish Ingredients: • 330g (12oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting • ½tsp salt • 150g (5½oz) lard or white vegetable fat, plus extra for greasing • 2tbsp caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling • 1tbsp milk, for glazing For the filling: • 1kg (2¼lb) tart apples • Juice of 1 lemon • 2tbsp plain flour • ½tsp ground cinnamon, or to taste • ¼tsp grated nutmeg, or to taste • 100g (3½ oz) caster sugar, or to taste
30
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Method: • Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the fat, cutting it in with two round-bladed knives. With your fingertips, rub the fat into the flour until crumbs form. Lift the mixture to aerate it. • Add the sugar. Sprinkle with six to seven tablespoons cold water. Mix with a fork. • Press the crumbs into a ball, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease the dish. • Flour a surface. Roll two-thirds of the dough out to a round, 5cm (2in) larger than the dish. Using the rolling pin, drape the pastry over the dish, then gently push it into the contours. • Trim any excess pastry, then chill for 15 minutes until firm. Peel the apples, cut into quarters, and cut out the cores of each quarter. Set each quarter, cut-side down, on a chopping board and cut into medium slices. • Put the apple slices in a bowl and pour on the lemon juice. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar over the
apples. Toss to coat. • Put the apple in the pie dish and arrange so that it is slightly mounded in the centre. Brush the edge of the pastry with water. Roll the rest of the dough to a 28cm (11in) round. Wrap it around the rolling pin and drape it over the filling. Trim the top crust. Press the edges together to seal, crimping with the back of a knife as you go. • Cut an x in the top crust. Gently pull back the point of each triangle to reveal the filling. Roll out the trimmings, cut into strips, and moisten. Lay on the pie in a criss-cross pattern. • Using a pastry brush, glaze the pie with the milk so that it bakes to a golden colour. Sprinkle over sugar. Chill for 30 minutes. • Preheat the oven to 220° C (425° F/Gas 7). Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce to 180° C (350° F/ Gas 4) and bake for 30-35 minutes. Insert a skewer through the steam vent to check the apples are tender. Serve warm.
Boeuf en croûte
Also known as Beef Wellington, this rich and luxurious dish is simple to finish off and serve, perfect for entertaining Serves 6 Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 42-60 minutes Ingredients: • 1kg (2¼lb) fillet of beef, cut from the thick end, trimmed of fat • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2tbsp sunflower oil • 45g (1½oz) unsalted butter • 2 shallots, finely chopped • 1 garlic clove, crushed • 250g (9oz) mixed wild mushrooms, finely chopped • 1tbsp brandy or Madeira • 500g (1lb 2oz) puff pastry • Beaten egg, for glazing
Method: • Preheat the oven to 220° C (425° F/Gas 7). Season the meat with salt and pepper. • Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the beef until browned all over. Place the beef in a roasting tin and roast for 10 minutes. Remove and leave it to cool. • Melt the butter in a pan. Fry the shallots and garlic for two to three minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring, or four to five minutes until the juices evaporate. • Add the brandy. Let it bubble for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. • Roll out one-third of the pastry to a rectangle, about 5cm (2in) larger than the beef. Place on a baking sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for
12 to 15 minutes until crisp. Cool. • Spread one-third of the mushroom mixture on the centre of the cooked pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry and place it over the beef, tucking in the edges. Brush the beaten egg around the edges, and press down the raw pastry to seal. • Place the beef on top and spread the remaining mushroom mixture over the meat. Brush the egg all over the uncooked pastry case to glaze. Slit the top for steam to escape. Bake 30 minutes for rare, and 45 minutes for well done. If the pastry starts to become too brown, cover loosely with a sheet of foil. • Remove from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. Slice the dish using a very sharp knife.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
31
Recipes
Chocolate Amaretti roulade
Crushed Amaretti biscuits add texture and crunch to this beautiful and indulgent roulade Serves 6-8 Preparation time: 25-30 minutes Cooking times: 20 minutes Special equipment: 20 x 28cm (8 x 11in) Swiss roll tin Ingredients: • 6 large eggs, separated • 150g (5½oz) caster sugar • 50g (1¾oz) cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting • Icing sugar, for dusting • 300ml (10fl oz) double cream or whipping cream • 2-3tbsp Amaretto or brandy • 20 Amaretti biscuits, crushed, plus two for topping • 50g (1¾oz) dark chocolate
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FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Method: • Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F/Gas 4). Line the tin with parchment. • Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and beat with an electric whisk for 10 minutes until creamy. Remove from the heat. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean whisk till soft peaks form. • Sift the cocoa powder into the egg yolk mixture and gently fold in, along with the egg whites. Pour into the tin and smooth into the corners. Bake for 20 minutes or until just firm to the touch. Cool slightly before carefully turning the cake out, face down, onto a sheet of baking parchment well dusted with icing
Step by Step Baking, by Caroline Bretherton, is published by DK, £25, dk.com
sugar. Cool for 30 minutes. • Whisk the cream with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Trim the sides of the cake to neaten them, then drizzle over the Amaretto or brandy. Spread with the cream, scatter with the crushed Amaretti biscuits, then grate over most of the chocolate. • Starting from one of the short sides, roll the roulade up, using the parchment to help keep it tightly together. Place on a serving plate with the seam underneath. • Crumble over the extra biscuits, grate over the remaining chocolate, and dust with a little icing sugar and cocoa powder. The roulade is best eaten on the same day.
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Global foodie
Taste Spain’s vibrant flavours
Cookbook author Janet Mendel gives us a taste of Spain’s regional foods.
T
salad theme. One Catalan salad, amanida, starts with a bed of greens onto which are spread celery, tomatoes, roasted peppers,
aste an olive, a slice of salt-
on bread or cocktail sticks, fritters and
olives, sliced sausage and strips of
cured ham, a sweet, briny
croquettes – can be passed as hors
anchovy. Another, xató, includes salt cod.
prawn. Sip a little wine. Taste
d’oeuvres at a drinks party. Many tapas
some more, sunny paella,
can become starters, side dishes or main
Valencia and true paella
chilled gazpacho, hearty ox-
dishes.
Heading south from Catalonia, you come
tail stew, fish crisply fried in olive oil. Spain offers a wealth of vibrant flavours.
Tapas primer
Regions explored
to the Levante, or ‘east’, made up of the Valencia Community plus Murcia.
Regional variations are best characterised
Valencia, where rice is grown, is the home
by the old Spanish saying, referring to
of paella.
The word tapa means ‘cover’ and the
both summer weather and cooking
custom originated in bodegas, where
techniques: “In the east you simmer, in
anywhere else in the world, you might be
wine is dispensed from barrels. The wine
the south you fry, in the centre you roast,
surprised to find that the authentic
glass was covered with a tiny saucer to
and in the north you stew.”
Valencia version contains no seafood.
keep out the fruit flies. Place a few olives or a slice of homemade sausage onto the saucer and – olé – tapas are invented.
This broad generalisation provides some clues to cooking styles around Spain.
If you learned to love paella as made
That’s right no prawns, no lobster, no mussels or clams. No squid, no sausage nor strips of red pimiento.
to taste authentic Spanish food. Tapas are
What simmers in Catalonia
tiny portions of food served to
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, the
coloured a sunny yellow by saffron.
accompany a copa of fino (dry Sherry),
region on Spain’s eastern Mediterranean
Nevertheless, popular paellas everywhere
vino, (wine), cava (sparkling wine) sidra
coast that borders France at the north
in Spain are made with a mixture of
(cider), or cerveza (beer).
and historically includes Valencia to the
chicken and shellfish. Paella rice, by the
south and the Balearic Islands to the east.
way, is a medium-short grain, somewhat
There’s no better place than a tapa bar
Tapas can be so simple; olives, toasted almonds, paper-thin slices of cured ham,
What simmers in Catalonia? Perhaps a
Paella on its home ground has beans and snails, rabbit or chicken. The rice is
like Italian arborio rice.
aged cheese, and boiled prawns. Then
kettle of fish – suquet – a seafood stew
follow salads and cold dishes – shellfish
with potatoes, tomatoes and ground
groves (look for luscious Clementines in
cocktail, stuffed eggs, potato salad,
almonds, or rabbit slow-cooked with a
this season) and market gardens. This is a
marinated mussels. Tapas de cocina – hot
herbal bouquet of snails, or arros negre,
great place to eat your vegetables –
cooked dishes – may be served in
rice tinted black with squid ink.
maybe prepared in a tortilla, a fat
earthenware ramekins. They include
The Catalans are famed for their sauces
The Levante is also known for its citrus
omelette incorporating potatoes or
meatballs, tripe stew, chicken with garlic,
– allioli, garlicky olive oil mayonnaise,
kidneys in sherry sauce. The fritos, fried
served with grilled meat and vegetables,
foods, include croquettes, batter-dipped
or picada, a pesto of almonds or
Fry it in olive oil
prawns, vegetable fritters, and fried fish.
hazelnuts, saffron and sometimes a touch
Following the Mediterranean coast south
of chocolate, added to chicken or meat
you enter the large region known as
cooking to the innovative and trendy.
stews, and romesco, a deeply flavoured
Andalucia, which includes eight provinces
Tapas by definition are bar food.
mixture of ground nuts and dried sweet
(Almería, Granada, Málaga, Cádiz, Huelva,
Nevertheless, many of them translate very
red peppers. Romesco is sensational with
Sevilla, Córdoba, and Jaén). Of these, five
nicely to home entertaining. A spread of
grilled prawns.
have sea coasts (Mediterranean or
Tapas range from very traditional home
salads and cold dishes is very nice for a buffet dinner. Trays of finger foods – bites
34
FINE FOODIES november/december 2011
In Barcelona and environs you can expect to find lots of variations on the
aubergine and courgette.
Atlantic), one has a river port with sea tides, and only two are landlocked. The
coastal regions are famous for their
through the region of Extremadura,
burning ovens. Not all pigs wind up in the
seafood and the inland ones for their olive
especially famous for its hams from a
oven at a tender age. Many grow up to be
oil (Jaén has more olive trees per square
special breed of pig, called ibérico. If
the sausages for which the region is
mile than anywhere else in the world).
prosciutto rates a nine on a scale of 10,
famous. The most outstanding sausages
ibérico merits a 15. It’s that good. Oh, by
are red chorizo, flavoured with garlic and
olive oil, obviously. Fried fish is tops. Little
the way, it’s very expensive, served on
paprika, and morcilla, blood sausage
fish such as fresh anchovies (boquerones),
special occasions.
spiced with cinnamon and cloves.
oil golden and crisp. Or, try them in a
Big roast country
grows in La Mancha. Saffron is the stigma
mixed fish fry with rings of calamari, a few
The central high plateau comprises the
of autumn-blooming crocuses.
prawns, a fillet of a larger fish.
autonomous regions of Castilla-Leon,
Remember, in the south you fry... in
lightly floured, come out of the bubbling
Andalucia’s famous contribution to world gastronomy is gazpacho, a word
Castilla-La Mancha and Aragon. The capital of Spain, Madrid, is in the
Precious saffron, essential for paella,
The region is renowned for its small game. Partridge is cooked in a vinegar marinade, while wild rabbit and hare go
that has entered the lexicon as any cold
centre. When wool was an important
into robust hunter’s stews. It’s also known
soup. Actually, gazpacho is your original
export, huge herds of sheep moved across
as Spain’s breadbasket, for the vast
peasant food, a very simple concoction of
these lands, from north to south, mountain
stretches of wheat fields that produce
fresh, raw tomatoes, bread, garlic and
to lowland, and back again with the
much of the country’s cereals. In Spain,
olive oil. With accompaniments of
seasons. It is still sheep country, famous
you can expect to find very serious bread,
chopped green pepper, cucumber,
now for its sheep’s milk cheeses, such as
freshly baked every day.
onion, tomato, and croutons, gazpacho is
Manchego, and for baby lamb roasted to a
a great way to celebrate summer.
turn in old-fashioned bread ovens.
Moving up the western boundary of Spain, bordering Portugal, you pass
Suckling pig, cochinillo, also emerges crackling and succulent from wood-
While every region of Spain has some version of cocido, a meal-in-a-pot, Madrid’s is exemplary. Into a big soup pot go chicken, ham, beef, chickpeas,
november/december 2011 FINE FOODIES
35
Global foodie sausages, meatballs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, turnips and onion, all to simmer until succulent. First the broth is served with soup noodles. Platters of meats and vegetables follow, a real feast.
The green north The top of Spain, from Galicia in the west, through Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, Rioja and Navarra, is frequently called green Spain. Open to storms and mists from the Atlantic and Bay of Biscay, it is rolling country of green meadows and lush pastures where dairy cattle (and dairy goats, too) thrive. Some of the country’s best cheeses come from the north. Try
Recipes Here, Janet offers recipes for three classic tapas, any of which would serve very well for home entertaining.
Tortilla de Patatas (potato tortilla)
onto the plate. Add a little more oil to the pan, if necessary, and slide the tortilla back in to cook on the reverse side, about three minutes more. Slide
Cabrales blue cheese, smoky Idiazábal, sharp Roncal,
(pictured opposite)
buttery Tetilla.
As a tapa, the tortilla is cut into
• Cut into squares for tapas or slice in
Now, about those stews. The most famous one is fabada, a hearty bean and sausage stew from Asturias. In Galicia, white beans are stewed with ham, potatoes and turnip greens. Seafood stews, calderetas, appear too, usually with potatoes, fish and shellfish. Seafood, often very simply prepared, is superlative along these northern coasts. In the Basque Country, txangurro, a crab gratin laced with brandy, chipirones en su tinta, squid cooked in their own ink, and merluza a la vasca, fresh hake in a white wine sauce, are outstanding. Of special note are dishes made with dry salt cod. One of the best is bacalao al pil pil with lots of garlic. The inland provinces of La Rioja and Navarra are famed for their wines and for their piquillo peppers. Small red peppers, slightly piquant, piquillos are stuffed with fish or prawn and gratined with a creamy sauce. Look for tinned piquillos at your favourite food shop.
thick squares and served with
wedges as a main dish. Serve hot or
bread. Tortilla also makes a nice
cold.
Sweet stuff
out onto a serving plate.
lunch dish and is grand packed in a picnic hamper. Makes 12 tapas or four main dishes. Ingredients: • 120ml/4fl oz olive oil • 1kg/2¼lb potatoes, peeled and
Albóndigas en Salsa de Almendras (meatballs in almond sauce)
thinly sliced • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
Meatballs are favourite tapa bar
(optional)
fare. This version, with a saffron
• 6 eggs
and almond sauce, is especially
• 1 teaspoon salt
delicious.
Method:
Makes about 36 meatballs: 12
• Heat the oil in a non-stick or well-
tapas or 4 main dishes.
seasoned frying pan (24-26cm/910in). Add the sliced potatoes and
Ingredients:
Spanish bake shops proffer a tantalising array of small
turn them in the oil. Let them cook
For the meatballs:
cakes and pastries. In Spain, they are served with
slowly in the oil, without browning,
• 340g/12oz minced beef
coffee, tea or sweet wine.
turning frequently. If using onions,
• 340g/12oz minced pork
Here is a list of some you might enjoy sampling:
add them when the potatoes are
• 2 slices stale bread, crusts removed
almendrados, almond cookies; brazo gitano, which means ‘gypsy’s arm’, a filled cake roll; coca, a Catalan pastry topped with candied fruits; ensaimada, from Mallorca, a spiral bun good for breakfast or with cream filling as a dessert; torta de Santiago, rich almond torte; yema, egg yolk candy. Special for the Christmas holidays are a trio of anisescented biscuits from Andalucia – mantecados, roscos and polverones; marzipan from Toledo, and turrón, almond nougat candy, both a hard type studded with whole almonds and a soft brown, fudgy sort, from Jijona (Alicante). Such varied and vibrant flavours, and yet so easy to translate to your home kitchen. You’ll find all the ingredients you need to prepare Spanish food at your favourite food shops. ¡Que aproveche! Enjoy! FF
partially cooked. The potatoes will
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
take 20 to 30 minutes to cook.
• 3 tablespoons onion, finely
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FINE FOODIES november/december 2011
• Beat the eggs in a bowl with the
chopped
salt. Place a plate over the potatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
and drain off excess oil into a small
• ½ teaspoon salt
heatproof bowl. Add the potatoes to
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
the beaten eggs and combine well.
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Add a little of the reserved oil to the
• Flour for dredging meatballs
frying pan and pour in the potato-
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
egg mixture. Cook on a medium heat until set, without letting the
Method:
tortilla get too brown on the bottom,
• Combine the beef and pork mince
about five minutes. Shake the pan to
in a bowl. Soak the bread in water or
keep the tortilla from sticking.
milk to cover until soft. Squeeze it out
• Place a flat lid or plate over the pan,
and add to the meat with the garlic,
hold it tightly, and reverse the tortilla
onion, parsley, salt, nutmeg and egg.
Janet Mendel is a food writer based in southern Spain. She is the author of My Kitchen in Spain, Traditional Spanish Cooking and Tapas - A Bite of Spain. She blogs about Spanish food at www.mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com/
Knead well to make a smooth mixture.
• ½ teaspoon saffron
saffron, clove and salt. In a food processor
• Form into 25mm/1in balls and roll them
• 1 clove
or blender, grind together the toasted
in flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan
• ½ teaspoon salt
almonds, bread and garlic with the wine to
and fry the meatballs until browned on all
• 175ml/6 fl oz white wine
make a smooth paste. Add the spices to
sides. Remove and drain.
• 240ml/8 fl oz chicken or meat stock
this mixture.
• Chopped parsley
• Stir the almond mixture into the oil in the frying pan and add the stock. Bring to the
For the sauce: Ingredients:
Method:
boil, then add the fried meatballs. Simmer
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Place three tablespoons of oil in a clean
the meatballs for 20 minutes in the sauce,
• 40 almonds, blanched and skinned
frying pan and fry the almonds, bread and
adding a little additional liquid if needed.
• 1 slice bread, crusts removed
garlic until golden. Remove. Set aside a few
• Serve the meatballs garnished with the
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
almonds for garnish.
reserved toasted almonds and chopped
• 10 peppercorns
• In a mortar, crush the peppercorns,
parsley.
Salpicón de Mariscos (shellfish cocktail)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
This makes a lovely starter for a dinner
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
party. Turn it into a luxury version by
• 1 teaspoon salt
substituting chunks of cooked lobster
• Lettuce leaves, to garnish
for the prawns and mussels.
• Sliced avocado, to garnish
Makes 12 tapas or six starters.
Method:
• In a small bowl mash the egg yolks with
Ingredients:
• Remove mussels from shells, discarding
the crushed garlic. Whisk in the oil,
• ½ kilo/1lb mussels, scrubbed and
any that have not opened. Save a few on
vinegar, parsley and salt.
the half-shell for garnish. Cook the peeled
• Add the prawns and mussels to the
• 250g/½lb peeled prawns
prawns in boiling salted water for one
tomato mixture. Stir in the dressing and
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
minute and drain.
chill, covered, until serving time. Serve on
• ½ onion, chopped
• In a bowl combine the chopped
a platter or on individual salad plates,
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
tomatoes, onion, green pepper and
garnished with lettuce, avocado and
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, yolks separated
chopped egg whites.
reserved mussels on the half-shell.
steamed open
from whites • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 5 tablespoons wine vinegar
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 FINE FOODIES
37
Drinks update
Drink up BEER BaDgE Of hONOuR
WiNtER WaRMERs As the winter weather sets in, why not warm up with the hot cordial range from Bottlegreen? With six flavours to choose from, the cordials are perfect for every winter occasion. You could dilute the fragrant ginger and lemongrass cordial with hot water, ideal for keeping toasty on bonfire night, or
alternatively, try lime cordial, as the zesty flavours of fresh limes blended with rare aromatic bitters creates a zingy winter combination and is perfect as a warming treat after a festive night out. The cordials are also a great option for fruit tea lovers looking for a caffeine-free alternative.
PErFEct PaIrINg
A Yorkshire brewery has teamed up with a top chef to explore the craft of food and beer pairing. Ilkley Brewery is working with Great British Menu chef, Stephanie Moon, to ensure you get the most out of your food by pairing it with the right beer. The brewery points out that, while wine has, for many years, been the go-to drink as a fine dining tipple, they are passionate about putting beer on the menu as a carefully crafted, delicate and flavour-filled alternative to its corked counterpart.
38
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
A pub in south Wales has been named as the first official outlet for The Beer Academy in Wales. Founded in 2003, The Beer Academy is an international body designed to help people understand, appreciate and enjoy beer sensibly. The Bunch of Grapes, in Pontypridd, has been declared the official Welsh arm and has already attracted 165 members, who get access to exclusive events such as tutored tastings, and beer and food matching events with worldrenowned beer writers including Melissa Cole and Roger Protz. Nick Otley, Managing Director of The Bunch of Grapes as well as the Otley Brewing Company, said: “We’re really keen for more people to join the Beer Academy at the Bunch and learn about what makes real ale so special. It’s fast becoming a drink of choice for a younger, more discerning drinker and this is reflected in our member base, which is made up of a large proportion of under 35s.”
Drinks update
The cocktail master
tips fOR wiNE LOVERs If wine is your favoured tipple, take heed from advice from the experts about getting the most from your glass. Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator, which draws in and mixes the proper amount of air for the right amount of time allowing wine to breathe, has created a step-bystep guide to learning about taste and enjoying red wine like an expert. Tips include: • Before doing anything, check the temperature of your bottle – a red should be between 14 and 18° C, just below
room temperature and cool to the touch. • Take a look at clarity – is the colour consistent? Even red wine should be clear when held up to the light, not cloudy. • Swirl the wine around in the glass and observe how the wine behaves on the side of the glass. The wine or ‘legs’ should run down the side of the glass at a consistent speed. The legs tell you about the alcohol content of the wine; the slower they descend the more sugar in the wine and therefore the higher the alcohol content.
• Are there any flavours that shouldn’t be there? It is estimated that approximately seven per cent of wines are corked – if there is no smell, a rancid smell or if the wine smells of something strange such as plastic, this could be why. • Your smell receptors are located in the back of your mouth in the soft palate, which is why you’ll see experienced wine tasters making that slurping noise! Try holding a little wine in the bottom of the mouth and drawing air across the palate.
NEw uSE FOr wElSh black bITTEr Welsh black bitter isn’t the first ingredient that would spring to mind for a shampoo, but that hasn’t stopped one innovative brewer. Llangollen Brewery unveiled its Beer Shampoo at the recent Llangollen Food Festival, an annual culinary spectacle in its 14th year which attracts independent producers from across England and Wales. Using its Welsh Black Bitter, the brewer created soap and hair products.
40
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
JJ Goodman was one half of a duo who won the 2008 series of The Restaurant. He went on to open The London Cocktail Club, and is Fine Foodies’ resident mixologist.
tHE CLOVER CLUB iNgREDiENts: • 50ml Bombay dry gin • 20ml lemon juice • 20ml grenadine • 1 egg white This is a true gin lover’s classic. This drink hails all the way from 1911 Philadelphia, from the club with the same name. Also try this drink garnished with a mint leaf to produce the somewhat similar drink known as a clover leaf.
Fine Foodie hero
T
here could be
things you are really interested
worse jobs in
in and I really enjoyed
life than
marketing.”
working for one
But Natalie also enjoyed
of Britain’s
travelling, and decided to take
luxurious chocolate makers.
three years out to see the
Yet that’s the life for Natalie
world, returning in 2009.
Dimmock, who is a marketing
“It was fantastic but it was
expert at House of Dorchester,
three years living out of a back
a company which makes some
pack and living in hostels and I
really rather tasty chocolates.
was just ready to come home
Not only is there lots of
and get back into my career.
chocolate in the office for
Now, I have the house and the
people to enjoy, but for Natalie,
garden and the job!”
eating it is part of the job
When she came back in
description when she’s
2009, Natalie worked on a fixed
working on new product
term contract with fellow
development.
chocolate maker Green &
“We probably do eat more
Black’s, helping with the big
chocolate than the average
changeover of their products
person just because we have
to Fairtrade status. And that
so much of it around,” Natalie admitted. “When we’re trying new products, If you want to be really super technical about it, you can take a mouthful – the same way you do with wine – and spit it out, but you tend not to.”
Natalie Dimmock
Fine Foodies celebrates those making great food. Here, we talk to Natalie Dimmock of House of Dorchester Chocolates.
But Natalie certainly earns her chocolate points in one of the more extreme ways. “To burn off all those chocolate calories, I run
gave her the introduction to the world of premium chocolate, and she joined House of Dorchester at the beginning of this year. “My job is about how we can move the House of Dorchester brand forward. I’m involved in everything, from
up with friends,” she said.
career I worked for a German
relaunching the website,
So, what’s House of
paint company, so you could
which is very new, to new
say that I literally watched paint
products, to developing our
dry for a living!” Natalie said. “I
chocolate lovers club, which is
Dorchester all about? The company specialises in
marathons and I’ve just booked
high quality, luxurious
started working for them in
about getting people talking
my place in the Frankfurt
chocolates, all of which are
stock control, and within quite
about chocolate,” Natalie said.
Marathon in a few weeks – I
made here in Britain, at its
a short period of time it gave
lived in Frankfurt for a few years
factory in, funnily enough,
me a great business sense but I
especially busy time for House
so it will be great to also catch
Dorchester. Many of the
realised that side of things
of Dorchester what with
products are either hand made
wasn’t for me.”
Christmas coming up, and
“When we’re trying new products, If you want to be really super technical about it, you can take a mouthful – the same way you do with wine – and spit it out, but you tend not to.” 42
or hand finished here in the UK.
When she got promoted to
Of course, now is an
then before you know it,
work on new product
Valentine’s Day and Easter. But
development, it was the
for Natalie, she is actually now
House of Dorchester has
marketing side of the role she
working on what you will find
allowed her to get back into
found she loved.
on the shelves for Christmas
For Natalie, working for
her marketing career. She had
“Discovering marketing was
2012!
fallen into marketing at her
more of an evolution, I think –
previous job, and has never
as you go through your career
me, it is seasonal so it really
looked back.
you realise what you are good
does change. As soon as we
at – and of course the things
are done with our spring
marketing for a number of
you are not so good at. But it’s
products we are onto
years. Very early on in my
also important to realise the
Christmas next year.” FF
“I have been working in
FINE FOODIES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
“There is no typical day for
T
hursday Cottage is famous for our lemon curd - we sell more than any other product we make. Perhaps the secret to success is the fact we start with whole fresh lemons which we juice and zest by hand. The result is a wonderfully lemony curd that has an army of followers both at home and abroad. Available in all good farm shops, delis, garden centres and food halls countrywide.
THURSDAY COTTAGE LIMITED
Trewlands Farm, Tiptree, Colchester, Essex, England, CO5 ORF Web site: www.thursday-cottage.com Tel: 01621 814529 Email: jams@thursday-cottage.com