Pantry Leiths Newsletter

8/6/2019 Pantry Leiths Newsletter

1/11

Issue One | June 2011

Cooking with KidsHow to engage your children in the kitchenForaging

Make the best o nature

Maltby Street MenuA market day lunch or riends

6 Cake Catastrophes(And how to x them)

Go West!Thames Valleys best

GnocchiBecome a master


2/11

WelcometheWildPantryFrom the busiest city park to the loneliest orests, your

garden to the seashore, youll nd tasty ood ripe or

the picking. Think samphire, elderfowers, blackberries,

sloes, chanterelles, rosehips, bilberries, dandelions; a

parade o wild ingredients to keep you cooking all year

round.

The art o oraging goes back millennia but recent times

have seen its popularity fourish. It oers a sustainablealternative to shrink-wrapped ruit rom overseas, its a

ree source o ood in tough economic times, and its

great un to tap into your inner Ray Mears and pick and

cook your own ood.

BilberriesIn season: July-September

The bilberry is a close relative o the blueberry similar

in taste, looks and health-giving properties. Also known

as blaeberry or whortleberry, the low-growing shrub

can be ound across Britain but you might have to go

exploring as theyre ond o lie on the lonely moors.

The berries can be eaten straight rom the plant and are

incredibly moreish, which means take-home crops tend

to be small. Those with the heroic sel-control to gather

a large number can make the aptly-named MuckyMouth Pie; those who nd themselves with just a ew

to cook with can enjoy them in breakast pancakes.

Bilberry Pancakes20 minutes | Serves 4 | EASY

125g plain four

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp sugar

150ml milk

1 egg

1 tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly

A large handul o bilberries

Vegetable oil or greasing

Put a fat griddle or large rying pan over a medium-highheat. Sieve the four and baking powder together and

whisk in the sugar. In a jug, whisk together the milk,

egg and melted butter. Tip this into the dry ingredients

and beat briefy until just smooth.

Lightly oil the pan. For each pancake put a large

spoonul o batter into the pan you should be able to

t in three at a time and scatter a ew bilberries onto

each one. Cook or a couple o minutes until bubbles

appear on the top side, and they are golden brown

underneath. Flip over and cook or a minute more.

Serve immediately with maple syrup or runny honey.

Admittedly, some plants will make you work or your

supper nettles sting, blackberries scratch, wild

strawberries are nigh on impossible to spot but or

something unusual and tast y, or favours youll rarely

nd in a shop, its worth it. Here are three avourite

oods rom the wild pantry and how to cook them.

Welcome to the first issue of Pantry, heres what we have on offer this month...

Fancy taking a step back to simpler times, discovering new ingredients and saving

yourself a few quid? Jenny Walters lets you in on the foodie trend of the moment,

foraging, and shares a few simple Pantry Dinners recipes. The best addresses in the

Thames Valley are given the once over by Peter McConnell, who also reviews The Olde

Bell Inn and talks with chef Ryan Simpson of Orwells. Angela Moodie dispenses advice

on cooking with your kids, with two great recipes to try out. If gnocchi have so far proved

to be an unsuccessful DIY adventure, then try out Lyndsay Glovers masterclass. Jenny

and Lyndsay also come to the rescue when it comes to baking catastrophes, and Morgan

Larrivain reviews the up and coming Maltby St market, which isnt a market and doesnt

want to be popular!

ContentsThe Wild Pantry 3-5

Pantry Explores 6-7

Pantrys Family Kitchen 8-9

6 Cake Catastrophes (and how to fix them) 10-11

Pantry Dinners 12-13

Market day 14-15

Pantry Skills 16-17

Pantry Reviews 18

Pantry Probes 19

32

The supermarket isnt the only place to stock up your pantry: for unusual, delicious and free ingredients you need look no

further than your local hedgerow. By Jenny Walters.


3/11

ElderowersIn Season: May-June

Theres nothing proud about this shrub; you can spot its

delicate umbrellas o white fowers everywhere rom

country parks to the side o the M25. For maximum

favour, go oraging on a warm, dry day and choose a

spot well away rom trac as its best not to wash the

blooms beore use. Cut just a ew sprays rom each

tree and shake each one to dislodge any bugs.

Elderfower cordials and champagnes are a avourite

way to capture the ragrant taste; a splash in a gin and

tonic makes a drink that sings o summer. Alternatively,

you can dip each head o blooms in a li ght batter, deep

ry, and serve with honey, or use the fowers to favour

a crumble.

DandelionsIn season: All year, best in spring

Another common-or-garden plant, dandelion leaves

make a ree alternative to wallet-thinning greens like

rocket and watercress. The favour can get bitter i the

leaves are old so pick the youngest, reshest you can

nd and i you have them in your garden then keep

cutting them back to encourage new growth. I picking

wild then do check youre not on a dog-walking route,

or obvious reasons.

As well as a salad lea, dandelions can be cooked into

soups or in any di sh that ordinarily uses spinach. The

fowers are also edible and make a colourul addition

to salads, and the roots can be made into a coee-like

drink, although that might be stretching the word like.

65 mins | Serves 6 | EASY

This recipe bakes an almond crumble top over a tumble of

gooseberries and elderflowers; like Bogart and Bacall the

two are just meant to be together. Go easy on the flowers,

though, as like lavender and rose, they need a delicate hand

to prevent their sweet scent turning to soapiness.

For the ruit layer

400g gooseberries, topped and tailed

75g sugar

2 small heads o elderfowers

For the crumble

75g plain four

75g butter, cut into pieces

50g sugar

75g ground almonds

Pissenlit au Lard10 mins | Serves 1 | EASY

This is a traditional French recipe that looks like it should translate as wet the bed with lard. Its actually a savoury salad of

crisp bacon and fresh dandelion leaves, and an excellent side dish to serve with roast lamb or chicken.

For each person

2 rashers o smoked streaky bacon, cut into small

strips

A large handul o young dandelion leaves, thoroughly

washed and dried

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Put the bacon in a rying pan and cook over a low heat

until crisp. Place the dandelions in a dish and using

a slotted spoon, remove the bacon rom the pan and

sprinkle it over the leaves. Return the pan to the heat,

add the vinegar and some pepper (it shouldnt need

salt), swirl together and pour over the salad. Serveimmediately.

Become an Expert

Food for Freeby Richard Mabey is the classic

handbook or oragers, stued with inormation

on how to identiy and cook everything rom wild

strawberries to giant puball mushrooms.

12.99

www.collins.co.uk

theWildPantrytheWildPantry

Fresh Elderower and Gooseberry CrumbleHeat the oven to 190 degrees/gas mark 5 and grease a

20cm round baking dish.

For the ruit layer, combine the gooseberries and sugar

in a bowl. Gently pinch the elderfowers away rom the

stalk and mix into the ruit. Tip it into the baking dish

and spread out to cover the base.

For the crumble, use your ngertips to rub the butter

into the four until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the

sugar and almonds, then sprinkle the mix over the ruit,

making sure all the gooseberries are covered.

Bake or 30-35 minutes until the ruit is sot and the

top golden. Do keep an eye on the crumble as almonds

scorch easily: cover with oil i its browning too ast.

Cool slightly and serve with thick cream or custard.

4 55


4/11

The Bes t in the West

From the renetic dining scene o London, where

restaurants open and close aster than Government

ministers making a U turn, it seems as though the

world outside the capital is uninspired and parochial still

populated by Berni Inns and Harvesters. How wrong

the metropolitan masses can be, as The Village People

once sang Go West, and discover both inspi ration and

innovation just a short hop rom the urban sprawl.

A brie train ride rom Paddington or Marylebone,

taking less time and with less grie than any ride on

the Northern or Jubilee lines, there is a myriad o

gastronomic expertise, where ingredients are seasonal

and local, service is excellent and surroundings are

pastoral.

Even the most metro sexual diner has heard o the

Fat Duck and the Waterside Inn, each with their 3

Michelin stars, yet there is much more to the pretty

village o Bray, a mere 29.5 miles rom central London,

than these superstars. Heston now runs both o the

pubs in the village; The Hinds Head, Michelin Pub o

the Year 2011, which has been providing exceptional

interpretations o British classics including the original

triple cooked chip, was last year joined by The Crown

where the most antastic Steak & Ale pie makes the

excursion rom London worth it on its own.

Not to be outdone by the Blumenthall empire Giancarlo

and Katie Cald esi proer a ne interpretation o Tuscan

ood and well balanced pasta dishes at Caldesi in

Campagna. While literally just down the road at The

Royal Oak, Michael Parkinsons country pub now

boasts a Michelin star and oers the diner yet another

interpretation o proper British ood including a good

value weekday lunch menu. Its so good even Michael

Winner likes it.

Now youve made the eort and travelled a whole 30

miles with 7 Michelin stars in your reach perhaps you

could stretch a little urther, provided the clean air and

beautiul countryside havent despoiled your blackened

London lungs.

Try Marlow, its where Tom Kerridge now amous rom

Great British Menu has made a huge impact earning

his Michelin star at The Hand & Fl owers. Meanwhile

Michael Macdonald has oered unique interpretations

o French Classics at the Vanilla Pod since 200 2. Trythe Squab with Pearl Barley Risotto and Madeira Jus.

I neither o these are g ood enough move a ew miles

upstream towards Henley where country house hotel

Daneseld House overlooks a beautiul stretch o the

Thames and where Adam Simmonds was awarded a

Michelin star this year or his expertly crated modern

European dishes.

Capture the essence of great British cooking with our inspirational gastro tour of the Thames Valley. By Peter McConnell.

Henley-on-Thames

I youve made it this ar, stay the night and have dinner

at Hotel du Vin in Henl ey. Consistent quality French

classics delivered in the ormer Brakspears brewery

with elegant rooms overlooking the river. Henley itsel

does suer rom a bit o chain restaurant malaise,

though three recent arrivals Le Parisien, La Barca on the

river and the Three Tuns oer some respite.

Only 2 miles rom He nley, thats about 35 now rom

the centre o London i youre still counting is Orwells

in Shiplake Cross. Che patron Ryan Simpson won a

Michelin star at The Goose a couple o years ago. In

the last twelve months his contemporary and novel

ood with a hint o nostalgia, such as Rabbit & Quails

Egg Scotch Egg has become a local sensation. So

much that Orwells was recently voted the Sou th East

Restaurant o the Year by the Good Food Guide. It puts

all those trendy London gastro pubs to shame with its

understated, riendly delivery o exceptional favours.

As you survey this gastronomic oasis just to the west o

London there are two more outstanding dining rooms

to consider on your way back home. The Black Boys

Inn and The Olde Bell Inn, both in Hurley. The Black

Boys is resh and seasonal whil e The Olde Bell punches

with favour and a spirit o adventure under head che

James Ferguson, in a room redesigned in 2009 by Ilse

Craword, amous or Soho House, New York.

So go west, spread your wings, get o the tube, take

a chance, ll your lungs with resh air and ll your

stomach with breathtaking ood.

Pantrys Little Black Book

Fat Duck www.theatduck.co.uk

WatersideInn www.waterside-inn.co.uk

The Hinds Head www.hindsheadbray.com

The Crown www.thecrownatbray.com

Caldesi in Campagna www.caldesi.com

The Royal Oak www.theroyaloakpaleystreet.com

Hand & Flowers www.thehandandfowers.co.uk

Vanilla Pod www.thevanillapod.co.uk

Danesfeld House www.daneseldhouse.co.uk

Hotel du Vin, Henley

www.hotelduvin.com/Henley-on-Thames

Le Parisien www.brillant.co.uk

Orwells www.orwellsatshiplake.co.uk

The Black Boys Inn www.blackboysinn.co.uk

The Olde Bell Inn www.theoldebell.co.uk

La Barca 01491 577937

Three Tuns www.threetunshenley.co.uk

Pantryexplores Pantryexplores76


5/11

Summer is a great time to get kids into the kitchen to make some snacks and desserts. Whether you need something to take

to a picnic or just something to do on a rainy day, making easy, no cook treats can show kids just how fun cooking can be. Even

young children can be kitchen helpers, so the whole family can get involved. By Angela Moodie.

What can young

children do to help

you prepare a dish?2 - 3 year olds can:

Wash and scrub ruits and vegetables

Name and count oods

3 - 4 year olds can:

Shape oods

Mix dry ingredients together

Pour pre-measured cold liquids into mixtures and

sauces

4 - 5 year olds can

Help measure ingredients

Open packets

Mash sot ruits and vegetables

Press biscuit cutters into dough or sot ood

6 - 7year olds can:

Help weigh and measure ingredients

Beat ingredients together with a whisk or spoon

Help locate ingredients and equipment in a spice rack

or pantry

Help cut and slice sot ruit and vegetables

Make some summer magic with these child riendly

recipes.

Melon ice lollies25 minutes | Makes 6-8 | EASY

A real thirst quencher for the summer and also gets them to enjoy eating fruit.

Ingredients

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tsp honey

1 sprig resh mint

1 cantaloupe melon1 honeydew melon

Equipment

Measuring spoons

Small saucepan

Large bowl

Sharp knie

Chopping board

Melon baller

Scissors

Bamboo sticks

Plastic beaker

Tray to go in the reezer

Gently heat the orange juice with the

honey and mint sprig in the saucepan.

Allow to bubble gently or 3 minutes

then leave the mixture to cool in thebowl. Cut the melons in hal and

children could scoop out balls o

melon fesh. Put them in the bowl

to marinade.

Snip the ends o bamboo kebab

sticks and thread them with the mari-

nated melon balls in alternate colours.

Children can do this with supervision.

Place in a plastic beaker and leave them

in the reezer until they start to reeze

but are still hard (i.e. not until they are rock

hard).

PantrysFamilyKitchen

No cook orange cheesecake25 minutes + 2-4 hours chilling time | Makes 1 large cake | EASY

A zingy creamy dessert that is very quick and easy to make. Kids wil l have fun bashing the biscuits up.

Fillingingredients:

1 can mandarin oranges innatural juice

250g pot mascarpone

cheese

150g pot hal-at crme

raiche

75g caster sugar

1 small orange

1 lime

150ml double cream

Biscuit base ingredients:

15 digestive biscuits6 tbsp butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

Equipment:

Large mixing bowlRolling pin

Measuring spoons

Small saucepan

Mixing spoon

18cm round springorm

cake tin

Can opener

Sieve

Weighing scales

2 small bowls

GraterSharp knie

Lemon squeezer

Rotary whisk or electric

hand mixer

Tablespoon

Chopping board

Palette knie

Serving plate

* Suggested children tasks are highlighted in purple

Place the biscuits in the large mixing bowl and crush them with the end o a rolling pin until

they look like ne breadcrumbs.

Heat the butter and syrup in the saucepan until the butter has melted.

Pour the melted butter mixture over the biscuits and stir well.

Put the biscuit mixture into the base o the cake tin and press fat with the end

o the rolling pin.

Open the can o mandarin oranges and drain o the juice using a sieve.

Arrange most o the mandarins over the biscuit base but keep some

back or decoration.Put the mascarpone cheese, crme raiche and sugar in the small

bowl and stir well until blended and creamy.

Grate the rind o the orange and lime using the ne part o the

grater.

Squeeze the orange and lime and stir the juice and rind into the

creamy cheese mixture.

Whisk up the double cream in a small bowl using a rotary whisk or

electric hand mixer until i t thickens and orms sot peaks.

Gently old the cream into the cheese mixture using a tablespoon.

Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and make swirly shapes over the

top with the back o the spoon.

Decorate the top the cheesecake with the rest o the mandarin oranges,

then leave to chill in the ridge or 2 4 hours.

To serve the cheesecake, run a palette knie around the edge o the tin. Unclip the

tin and transer the cheesecake to a servi ng plate.

98


6/11

All cooks have kitchen meltdowns and dessert disasters: the secret is knowing what to do next.

By Lyndsay Glover and Jenny Walters

Sponge-cake thats at as a plankFix itFatten your cake up with lling. Cut each layer into two even thinner cakes and layer with extrarosting, or whipped cream and berries, and stack up into a show-stopping tower o a gateau. I

your cakes are on the crisp side, then do this a couple o hours ahead to let everything sotenand meld together.

Better luck next timeThere are a number o potential culprits in a fat sponge: not enough raising agent such as sel-raising four or baking powder, too much enthusiasm when olding in the four, taking too long toget it into the oven, or an oven that isnt hot enough. Check the recipe quantities, be gentle, andalways line the tin and heat the oven beore you start.

Icing mayhem: the cake looks like its lost aght with an angry kittenFix itThrow everything you have at it. Slap chopped nuts on the sides, cover it with chocolate buttons,or Smarties, or chocolate ngers, or some dark chocolate youve rumbled through the oodprocessor. They all help cover a catalogue o sins and even the most grown-up o olk will relishyour Willy Wonka creation.

Better luck next timeSlick icing takes practice (which gives you the perect excuse to bake, ice and eat hundreds ocakes). Make sure the cake is completely cool beore you start work, as this stops the tender

crumbs being dragged into the icing.

Tough blueberry mufns(sometimes known as tufns)Fix itSlice the muns and toast one side under the grill. Turn them over and spread the other side withbutter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and toast until the sugar bubbles. The grilling helps with thetexture; the butter and sweet spice oer delicious distraction.

Better luck next timeFor light muns ollow the holy mantra: thou shall not over-mix. Fold the wet and dry ingredientstogether quickly a large wire whisk works well and only enough to moisten the four. Use aspring-release ice-cream scoop to dollop it ast into the mun tins.

Catastrophe#1

Catastrophe

#2

Catastrophe

#3

6 Cake Catastrophes(and how to fx them)

Burnt. To. Crisp.Fix itTheres no rescuing the cremated bits you just need to carve them o with a sharp bread knie. Iwhats let is cake-like then ice copiously and ser ve as normal. I whats let is a bit ragged, then itstime or trife or trufes. Or, and this may sound like insanit y, you can cook it some more. Turn thegood bit o cake into crumbs and sprinkle over a dish o nearly-cooked ruit like apples or plums, popin the oven, bake until golden and serve like crumble.

Better luck next timeNo prizes or guessing the oven was too hot this time, or you orgot about it! Double-checktemperature and timings in the recipe, and its generally worth a quick look at a cake ater about 20minutes to see how its going. Get to know your oven too , as each one is di erent use an oventhermometer to see i yours runs a bit hot or cold.

Lumpy-bumpy sunk-in-the-middle chocolate cakeFix itEmbrace whats happened and serve it as an oh-so-trendy allen chocolate cake with a crater ullo whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Or sink it even urther into udgy oblivion by pressing thething: take it out o the oven, put a plate on top, and weigh it down with a bag o sugar. When coolcut it into small squares, shower with cocoa or icing sugar, and serve in a big pile. I all else ails usechunks in ice-cream sundaes, or crumb it and mix with double cream and melted chocolate to maketrufes.

Better luck next timeChances are this ones undercooked or you couldnt resist a peek as it baked. Leave the oven door

alone until the cake has set (generally ater 15-20 minutes it will be ne). When you think its readycheck that a skewer comes out clean o any sot mixture. I it doesnt, put the cake straight back inand cook or a ew minutes longer.

Cake breakage between tin and plate.Fix itThe cake still tastes great; it just needs a little cosmetic surgery. Depending on how many bits yourcake is now in, you might be able to patch it up on the plate with a surreptitious blob o icing or jam.I its more o a cake crash than that, then think trife. Soak the pieces with Vin Santo (or booze ochoice), add some crushed berries, top with custard and whipped cream. Its so good you mightsmash the next cake on purpose.

Better luck next timeYou havent necessarily done anything wrong some cakes like Victoria Sponge and Swiss Rolls justneed tender loving care. Extra hands can always be useul!

110

Catastrophe

#4

Catastrophe

#5:

Catastrophe

#6


7/11

5 minute pea & mint soup5 minutes | Serves 2 | EASY

Many recipes for pea soup include a lot of ingredients besides

peas. This one is ridiculously straightforward but really

captures the sweet flavour of the pea. It uses the frozen

variety easier and often fresher than the kind you pod

yourself from the greengrocer.

500 ml vegetable stock

500 ml rozen peas

1 teaspoon mint jelly

Put everything in a pan, bring to the boil and cook or

our minutes. Blend until smooth. Season to taste and

serve.

PantryDinners PantryDinnersCant face a trip to the supermarket? Try these simple, delicious recipes using just a few store-cupboard ingredients.

By Jenny Walters.

Chorizo and pepper pasta15 minutes | Serves 2 | EASY

Proof that you only need a handful of things and fifteen

minutes to make a delicious supper. And dont fret if you

havent got the right kind of pasta, or peppers, or tinned

tomatoes its an easy-going recipe so just sub in what you do

have.

150 g penne

ready-to-eat chorizo loop (about 100g), cut into

small chunks

jar o Peppadew peppers (mild or hot as you preer),

drained and cut into pieces

1 400g tin cherry tomatoes

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

While it cooks, put a large rying pan over medium-

high heat, add the chorizo and cook or 2-3 minutes,

stirring requently, until it starts to release its oil. Add the

peppers and cook or another couple o minutes

until the chorizo begins to brown at the edges. Tip in the

tomatoes and cook or 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally,

until you have a thick sauce. Season to taste. Drain the

pasta and add to the sauce. Stir together and serve.

Dark chocolate

sorbet

10 minutes + cooling, chilling and reezing |

Serves 4 (or 8 i youre unusually restrained | EASY

A decadent dessert doesnt have to involve fresh cream and

eggs: this recipe conjures a few store-cupboard staples into

an addictive treat. Chocolate sorbet may sound odd and y ou

do need to think ahead, but the intense, smooth result is

worth the wait. And as its lower fat than regular ice-cream

you can indulge with a clear conscience

132

75 g cocoa powder

200 g sugar

170 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

tsp vanilla extract

Combine cocoa, sugar and 550ml water in a saucepan

and put on a medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring

requently, and simmer or one minute. Put chocolate

and vanilla in a large bowl, then pour in the hot cocoa

syrup rom the pan. Leave or a moment and thenwhisk until smooth. Cool, then chill in the ridge.

Pour into ice-cream maker and churn until thick, or i

you dont have a machine, put the sorbet into your

reezer and whisk once or twice as it sets. It reezes

quite hard so get it out 10 minutes beore serving (or i

in a hurry, 20 seconds i n the microwave should let you

get your spoon in it).


8/11

The railway arches o Maltby Street are awash with

sunlight this early June Saturday morning. The sulking

corner or traders tired o the tourists o Borough

Market and in need o a quieter existence is not too

crowded, but busy enough to reassure you that you

arent lost in Bermondsey.

Sel-satised expressions o punters in the know beamthrough the steam o resh Monmouth coee, or over

a charcuterie and cheese pl atter rom The Ham and

Cheese Company.

Maltby St is not strictly a market, simply a collection

o producers opening their doors to the passing trade

on a Saturday morning. They get cross i you get your

camera out and dread the day passing trade become

endless fow o double buggies, posers and window

lickers. One would argue the advent o the posers has

come already, but mostly Maltby St and surroundings

remain peaceul and pleasant, and a real treasure or

ambling oodies.

Byodynamic garlic was purchased rom Fern Verrowsarch, but at 2.50 a bulb, Booths was a ar more purse

riendly destination or the other ingredients required

or the Summer supper or riends. Asparagus rom

Norolk, Kentish Strawberries, heady basil and beautiul

early tomatoes o every hue duly made it into the

shopping basket. The best o now, or later.

Maltby St is transforming from a s ecretive location for traders and foodies in the k now to a symbol of the rebelion currently

taking place in the more famous Borough Market. By Morgan Larrivain.

5 minutes | Serves 6 | EASY

6-7 tomatoes o dierent colours,

chopped into large chunks

8 baby tomatoes, halved

4 spring onions, sliced roughly

5 radishes sliced nely

For the dressing

4 tbsps olive oil

1.5 tbsps balsamic vinegar

1 clove o resh garlic nelychopped or crushed

Strawberry Queen

o Puddings45 minutes | Serves 6 | A little eort

100 g o brioche (ater crusts are cut o)

400 ml o milk

a knob o butter

25 g golden caster sugar

2 eggs, separated

110 g caster sugar

400 g o strawberries

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4

Gently heat the milk, butter and sugar in a pan. In a ood

processor, whizz the brioche into coarse crumbs. When

the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, pour

over the brioche an leave to cool or ten minutes.

Gently crush the strawberries into a chunky pulp and

set aside. Once the milk mixture has cooled, whisk in

the 2 egg yolks. Divide the mixture evenly between 6

heat proo glasses or ramequins, place on an oven tray

and bake or 20 minutes.

For the meringue, beat the egg whites into sti peaks.

Add a tablespoon o sugar and beat again until rm.

Repeat the process until all the sugar is used up.

Once the base o the pudding is baked, spoon on a

2cm layer o strawberry pulp. Fit a piping bag with star

shaped nozzle and ll with the meringue mixture. Pipe

extravagant swirls o meringue onto the strawberry

layer and bake or a urther 5-10 mins, until the

meringue is golden on top but still sot in the middle.

MarketDay

50 minutes | Serves 6 | EASY

For the base - shortcrust pastry

250 g plain four

Pinch o salt

125 g chilled butter, cut into cubes

Enough iced water to bring together

For the llingSmoked pancetta cubes, 250grs

1 clove o resh garlic, nel y chopped

1 bunch o Asparagus

4 eggs, beaten

3 tbsps crme rache

1 tsp grated Parmesan

For the pastry, mix the four and salt in bowl, then add

the butter and gently rub together with ngertips until

the mixture reassembles coarse bread crumbs. Add a

splash o iced water, or enough to bring the mixture

together into a rm ball. Do not kneed or over mix the

dough. Wrap it in waxed paper and chill until needed.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4

In a hot griddle pan, ry the pancetta cubes until well

coloured, then add the garlic. Ater 2 minutes, remove

the pancetta and garlic and add the asparagus. Griddle

or 6-8 minutes until sli ghtly charred and sot on the

outside but still rm at heart.

Beat together the eggs and crme rache, seasoning

well.

Grease a 28cm quiche or tart dish and line with

greaseproo paper. Roll the pastry out into a circle

on a clean foured surace. Fit into the dish, lightly

pricking the base. Cover with a sheet o greaseproo

paper and baking beans. Blind bake or 15 mins at

180C/350F/gas mark 4. Spread the pancetta and

garlic evenly on the base, then the asparagus, in a

pattern or not (as you please!) and pour in the egg

mixture. Top with Parmesan shavings and black

pepper. Bake or 40 minutes until golden brown and

set. Serve warm with a salad.

Mix all the chopped vegetables in a bowl. For the

dressing, whisk all the ingredients together, seasoning

to taste ( a lot o black pepper is nice or this particular

salad).

Drizzle the dressing over the tomatoes and serve with

warm ciabatta to mop up any extra dressing.

154

Technicolour tomato salad

Smoked asparagus quiche


9/11

PantrySkills-Gnocchi

Gnocchi80 minutes | Makes enough or 4 | A little eort

900g potatoes (1.5g raw weight)

200g 00 Flour

3 egg yolks

55g Parmesan, reshly grated

S&p

Heat oven to 200oC and bake potatoes or 1 hour or

until sot through. Remove and cut in hal . Use a spoon

to get out the fuy insides and place in a large mixing

bowl. Pass the cooked potato through a ricer (or sieve i

you dont have one) and whilst still warm add the four,

yolks, parmesan, salt and pepper [TIP: It is important

to remember that gnocchi is largely made up o potato

and potatoes LOVE salt so when seasoning your nal

dough you need to be really quite generous].

Recipe 1: Gnocchi with

Pesto & Rocket15 minutes | Serves 4 | Easy

A classic dish but always a winner.

1 quantity o gnocchi [see above]

50g basil

50g pine nuts, lightly toasted

30g parmesan cheese, reshly grated

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

85ml olive oil

I lemon, zest and juice

salt and reshly ground black pepper

Handul o rocket

Put the basil, parmesan, garlic and hal the pine nuts into

a ood processor and season well.

Whiz together and with the motor still running, pour

the oil in until the pesto thickens. Season to taste with

lemon, salt and pepper.

Once the gnocchi has been drained, return to the pan

along with the resh pesto and the other hal o the pine

nuts. Heat through and then serve with rocket to garnish.

Store any letover pesto in an airtight container and use

within 2 weeks.

Gnocchi is a fantastic way to use up leftover jacket potatoes and i s utterly delicious; however, more often than not people

have great difficulty in achieving the right consistency. The following tips will hopefully help you get the best results possible.

By Lyndsay Glover

It is vital that you choose the right type o potato- it

needs to be foury with minimal water content.

The potatoes should be baked in the oven, not boiled,

as boiling can result in the potatoes absorbing too

much water. Too much water can subsequently resultin the absorption o too much four later on in the

preparation process which produces heavy gnocchi.

Always peel the potatoes while still hot and combine

with the other ingredients as soon as possible as this

will give a soter, lighter dough.

The ratio o potato and four is vital to success so you

must accurately weigh the potatoes ater it has beenpassed through the ricer (or si eve).

Finally, dont overwork the dough as this will create

tough gnocchi.

An elegant Spring di sh which really has a wow actor.I you cant get hold o any girolles the dish does work

ne without although they do add antastic depth to the

dish so worth hunting out.

I quantity o gnocchi [see above]

30g butter

55g girolles, picked over

85g peas

85g broad beans

85g asparagus

55g butter

3-4 sage leaves

Bring together into a sot dough, trying not to overwork

the mix. Put a large pan o salted water onto boil.

Divide the dough into 4 equal sized pieces and roll into

a long, thin sausage shape, then cut into gnocchi about

2cm/1in long.

Cook the gnocchi in the water or 2-3minutes or until

cooked [TIP: they are ready when they pop up to the

surace] and drain. At this stage you can either serve

the gnocchi as in recipe 1 below, or alternatively or

recipe 2 place onto a well oiled tray and place in ridge

to rm up.

Blanch and reresh peas, broad beans and asparagus.

Heat butter in saut pan and add the drained gnocchi.

Saut until lightly coloured on all sides. Remove and

keep warm.

Add the girolles and saut, remove and keep warm.

Melt 55g butter in rying pan, add the sage leaves and

cook until the sage is crisp and the butter oaming

and lightly colouring. Add the gnocchi, girolles and

vegetables and heat through.

Serve.

176

Recipe 2: Gnocchi with Girolles, Peas,

Broad Beans & Asparagus20 minutes | Serves 4 | Easy


10/11

What is your avourite dish to prepare?

Lobster Ravioli

What is your least avourite dish to prepare?Chips

Where did you train?

Several 3 star establishments in France, Maison

Troisgros in Roanne then Pierre Gagnaire and

Guy Savoy in Paris ollowed by stints with Gordon

Ramsey and The Elephant in Torquay.

What is your proudest achievement?

Achieving the Michelin Star at The Goose and then

opening my own restaurant.

Where is your avourite restaurant?

Sushi Say in Willesden Green

Who are the ches you admire the most?

David Everett Mathias at Le Champignon Sauvage

in Cheltenham and H ugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

or the way he has championed home grown,

seasonal produce.

What makes a successul restaurateur?

Determination, dedication, passion and a strong

will to succeed in this industry.

Are you aiming or another Michelin Star?

Its not something I obsess over, however it is

always at the back o my mind.

Do you have any ambitions to open in London?

No, there is so much to do here.

I you werent a che what would you be?

A butcher or shmonger

PantryProbes Pantryreviews

Chef Ryan Simpson was awarded a Michelin Star for his fresh, seasonal and innovative

cooking at The Goose in Oxfordshire. The Good Food Guide named him as the Up and Coming

Chef of the Year in 2010 and has just presented his new venture, Orwells in Shiplake with the

South East Restaurant of the Year award. Ryan faces the Pantry Probe with Peter McConnell.

A main o saron braised squid, ennel and grilled

trufe potatoes delivered a rich sauce to accompany

the delicately spiced and perectly sot squid. The big

surprise was the potatoes, not something you oten get

to say. Blue, black roughly textured tubers halved and

topped with a garlic cream, I hadnt seen the like since

visiting Peru and thoroughly enjoyed the novelty, one Id

like to see more o on menus.

Tamworth pork cutlet with braised chicory, white beans

and smoked bacon packed a much bigger punch, a right

hook compared to the squids gentle jab. Its wonderully

hearty bean stew oozing with saltiness rom the bacon

would have made a complete meal on its own without

the huge pork chop on top. But what a piece o pig,

thickly cut, golden on the outside but still moist and ull

o favour, it was a piece o meat that genuinely put asmile on my ace.

A short list o puddings spoke o seasonality and English

comort classics, treacle tart, orange marmalade sponge

or rhubarb pavlova all sounded good but the garden

sorrel pannacotta with strawberries rom the Olde Bells

garden was all we chose; that pork really didnt leave

room or much else. Perhaps the sorrel was way too

rened or me. While it was a very well executed and

creamy pannacotta I just couldnt detect the favour. The

strawberries were a mixture o tiny intensely favoured

home grown ruits mixed with some larger berries that

pretty obviously didnt come rom the garden. They

would all have been quite happy on their own with the

pannacotta so didnt need the strawberry syrup which

somehow managed to dominate the other favours. A

minor gripe in an otherwise excellent evening.

Total cost for 2 starters, 2 mains, 1 pudding, 1 bottle Albarino

100.69 inc. 12.5% service

www.theoldebell.co.uk

The Olde Bell Inn

Sophisticated dining in the heart of the country side.

By Peter McConnell.

The interior o an old country inn, that rom the outside

looks unchanged and unchanging, is the last place Iwould expect quirky decoration in a dining room. Huge

wooden benches with very high backs wrapped in rough

blankets held on with leather straps. Glass carriage

lamps on the walls, heavy pewter plates, a mixture

o antique chairs and heavy oak tables all make or an

unexpected charming atmosphere.

Redecorated by interior designer Ilse Craword in 2009,

who includes Soho House, New York in her portolio,

the dining room is a lot o un and not the only surprise.

The menu is resolutely seasonal, including spring

favours and textures at every turn. Head Che, James

Ferguson, trained by Ramsey and Hartnett with time

spent in the kitchens o Fergus Henderson and Marco

Pierre White at LEscargo t has crated a menu quirky

enough to match the decor, but not too outr to put o

the casual diner.

What this isnt is old ashioned country hotel dining, it is

very modern even i the favours are rooted in the elds,

seas and gardens o England. Smoked ham hock terrine

with spiced courgette chutney or whole quail , English

peas, gem lettuce and mint couldnt shout louder abouttheir terroir i they tried. My starter o resh channel

island crab, rock samphire and cucumber delivered a

sweet seaside subtlety in the meat oset by the earthy

note in the samphire and held together by the long

strips o cucumber.

English asparagus, Ragstone goats cheese and

elderfower cream, let the asparagus to do the

talking. The cream a delicate mix o the Hereordshire

unpasteurised cheese and local elderfower was a little

too subtle and too creamy or my philistine palate and

while delightul on its own didnt actually enhance the

resh, zingy asparagus.

198


11/11

Peters Last Supper

Roast Chicken, Roast Potatoes, Carrots, Runner Beans,

Gravy

Apple Crumble & Custard

Glass o Seresin Leah 2009 Pinot Noir rom

Marlborough, NZ

Top 3 Foodie Loves

1. Rabbit Scotch Egg at Orwells Restaurant in Shiplake

near Henley on Thames, a Michelin star awaits.

2. Sour dough starter, who would have thought that a

little bit o four and water could become an obsession.

3. London Eater Blog, a man whos passion, profigacy

and skill not say wallet I admire enormously

http://londoneater.com

Lyndsays last supper:

A plate o oozing Bualo Mozzarella, Parma Ham,

Tomatoes & Freshly Baked Bread

Top 3 things shes loving

at the moment

1. Making my own pasta2. Podding peas

3. English Strawberries punnets and punnets o

them.so sweet they taste like they have been doused

in sugar.

Angies Last supper:Pork and shrimp dim sum

Spicy pad thai

Sticky toee pudding nishing with a pia cola cocktail

Food HeavenHummus and spicy pumpkin dip and stued olives

Jennys Last SupperRare llet steak, crisp chips with an unholy amount o

salt, avocado and tomato salad. For pud, it would have

to be my Grannys chocolate brownies with vanilla ice-

cream.

Her Cravings1. The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit. Its witty,

inormative, surprising, and anyone who writes about

the joy o pickled eggs gets my vote.

2. Parsnip cake seriously delicious competition or the

ubiquitous carrot.

3. Willing my tomato plants to grow. I cant wait or a

glut o those sweet home-grown ruit.

Morgans Last SupperHerb crusted barbecued lamb cutlets, roast potatoes

and peas

Pont levque cheese on baguette

Chocolate udge cake

3 loves or nowAvocado dressed with lemon juice, chili fakes and salt

Coee rom Grind in Putney

Rediscovering the Winnie the Pooh cookbook

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