The Food Diaries

Apple, pear and raspberry crumble

The addition of raspberries gives the apples and pears in this crumbel the same lovely hue as rhubarb.

In a food processor or bowl place 40g flour, 40g ground almonds, 40g oatmeal, a pinch of sea salt, 90g cubed (or grated) cold butter, and mix till it starts to crumble nicely. Add 6tbs brown sugar, 1tsp cinnamon, and 1tsp vanilla. Set aside.

In a shallow, oven-proof dish add 2 apples and 2 pears (peeled, cored and chopped). Mix in 150g whole raspberries. Sprinkle the crumble evenly overtop and bake in an oven at 180c for around 30-35 minutes, till it all starts to bubble up and turn golden. Serve with thick double-cream, custard or ice cream.

Serve 4.

Roasted new potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes

Place 2 tbs goose fat or olive oil in a roasting pan and place in an oven at 200c for a few minutes till nice and hot. Remove from the oven and add 300g new potatoes and 300g Jerusalem artichokes scrubbed and sliced in half lengthwise (they should sizzle as they hit the pan). Sprinkle on some smoked paprika, dried thyme, sea salt and pepper and return to the oven to bake for around 25-30 minutes till nice and golden, flipping over the vegetables once during cooking.

St John Restaurant’s brown shrimp and white cabbage salad

This dish is often to be found on the menu at the excellent St John Restaurant in London. I’m lucky enough to be able to find peeled brown shrimp at my local farmer’s market - otherwise, beware. Brown shrimp can be quite fiddly to peel! But the lovely concentrated flavours of the brown shrimp (or crevette grise in French) makes it worth the effort.

Finely shred 400g white cabbage (I used the pointed Spring variety) and place in a salad bowl, along with 130g peeled brown shrimp. In a small bowl mix together the juice of 1 lemon, 100ml olive oil, 1tsp finely chopped capers, 50g lightly chopped chervil, and some sea salt and pepper. Whisk together and mix well into the cabbage. 

Serves 4 as a starter.

Stone crab claws with a triple spice sauce

To make the sauce place 1 cup fresh mayonnaise in a bowl and mix in (to taste) creamed horseradish, English mustard, and Sriracha (or other hot sauce). Add a squeeze of lemon and serve alongside some cooked and chilled crab claws.

Eggy bread with cheddar

Take a couple of slices of thick country bread and spread a little English mustard on them. Place a large slice of mature cheddar in between and close into a sandwich. Whisk together 1 egg with 1/4 cup milk and dip in the sandwich on both sides till the liquid is well-absorbed. Melt a little butter in a pan and fry on both sides till nicely golden. Slice in half and serve.

Roasted chicken with lemon, thyme and garlic

Take one spatchcocked 1.5kg chicken (or a 500g poussin if serving just a couple of people) and place on a roasting dish (breast side up). Rub all over with either 2-4tbs melted goose fat or olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh, chopped thyme.

Now lift up the bird by its legs and place 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges, 4 garlic unpeeled cloves, and a few sprigs of thyme underneath.

Place in an oven at 200c for 25 minutes for the poussin or 55 minutes for the chicken, till the juices run clear. Let rest a few minutes before serving with the juices in the pan.

Blueberry, rhubarb and apple crumble

Combine 70g butter (cold and cubed), 125ml brown sugar, 125ml flour, 125ml oats, 125ml chopped walnuts and a pinch each of cinnamon and salt in a food processor and pulse to a coarse meal. 

In a greased baking dish place 300g blueberries, 2 apples (peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces), 2 rhubarb stalks (sliced into small pieces). Sprinkle on 2tbs sugar and 2tsp cornstarch. Top with the crumble. 

Bake in the oven at 175c till the crumble turns golden and the filling starts to bubble over (around 30-40 min).

Serve with a dollop of clotted cream.

Serves 4.

Ham hock hash with jersey royals

Well, this may not be the prettiest of dishes (it is a hash after all), but with the addition of new season Jersey royals and good-quality ham hock it elevates this humble dish to a new level.

Bring to a boil 500g Jersey royal potatoes (don’t peel them!) and cook till just tender (around 20 minutes). In the meantime, bash 1 garlic clove with a little coarse salt in a mortar and pestle till it is reduced to a paste. Stir in 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp creamed horseradish, and 1 tsp white vinegar.

When the potatoes are done, drain and transfer to a shallow bowl. While still hot, mash each potato lightly once with a fork and then stir in the yogurt mixture, 200g shredded ham hock(about 1 cup), 1/2 cup mixed chopped herbs (parsley, chives, mint) and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper and serve while still warm.

Serves 2.

Samphire, roasted cod and ratatouille

Samphire is not actually a seaweed but a succulent which grows in tidal zones (estuaries, creeks, etc). It has a nice crunch to it, with a slightly salty flavour and provides a bright vegetable addition to the dinner plate. It can be foraged, but it’s recently become quite trendy so is much more easily available at the fish counter. It goes very well with fish.

This recipe serves 2.

Take a large handful of washed and trimmed samphire and snap into 2-3 cm pieces. Place a knob of butter in a pan (or substitute with olive oil) and stir fry the samphire for around 2-4 minutes, until the samphire starts to soften nicely. Season with sea salt and pepper, add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Serve with a couple of nice pieces of grilled cod on top of the samphire with a garnish of ratatouille on top. You’ll find the recipe for the ratatouille here. A wedge of lemon wouldn’t go amiss either.

Jersey Royal Mash with herbs

This is by no means a pretty dish, but this is moorish nonetheless. 

Take 500g Jersey Royals (or other new potato variety) and boil in their skins till tender.

In the meantime, in a frying pan drizzled with some olive oil gently fry together a small bunch of slivered spring onions,  and a large handful of finely chopped mixed herbs (mint, chives, parsley) till they start to soften. Add two finely chopped garlic cloves and stir around till the they become fragrant.

Once the potatoes are done, drain and add to the herb mixture. Mash the potatoes coarsely (either using a masher or a large fork), add a large dollop of sour cream, and season with sea salt and pepper, and stir till combined. You can optionally add 1tbs finely chopped capers, or I like to use a caper paste, which is similar in texture to an olive tapenade.

Serve as a side or on its own.

Warm new potato salad with smoked eel and creamed horseradish

This salad presents a perfect pairing of buttery yellow new potatoes and rich and delicate smoked eel, bound together by a creamy yet bright and sharp dressing.

Bring some new potatoes (300g) to a boil and cook till done (once they are easily pierced with a fork). Keep warm till you are ready to assemble the salad. In the meantime, in a small bowl mix together 1 tbs creamed horseradish, 1 tbs light creme fraiche, 2 tsp white vinegar, 1 tbs olive oil, 1tbs each finely chopped chives and parsley, and some sea salt and pepper. Slice up the new potatoes and place in a serving bowl. Fold in the salad dressing. Drape the potatoes with bite-sized pieces of smoked eel (130g) and then sprinkle generously with salad cress.

Serves 3 as a starter or 2 as light lunch.

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Pork medallions with port & English mustard

Season 4-6 pork medallions (300g in total) with sea salt and pepper and cook in a frying pan with a knob of butter and 1tsp of rapeseed oil (so the butter doesn’t burn) on medium-high heat; no more than 3 minutes on each side (till golden). Remove to a plate and cover with aluminium foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile add another knob of butter to the pan and add one large, finely chopped shallot (or 1 small onion) and fry on medium heat till the shallot has softened. Deglaze with 50ml red port and once the liquid has reduced add 100ml stock (any meat or vegetable one will do) and reduce down again till it has thickened. 

Turn down the heat to very low and add 3 tbs creme fraiche (the light variety will do just as fine) and 2 tsp English mustard. Return the medallions to the pan to heat through and ensure they are well coated in the sauce (make sure not to overcook!).

Serve with small new potatoes (the exquisa, tear-drop variety works great for its yellow, buttery texture and flavour).

Serves 2.

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