Pour a bottle of half decent red wine in a saucepan, add a glug of brandy, a slurp of honey, add an orange, sliced, a cinnamon stick, 6 cloves and a star anice and heat gently.

Spread a little luxury on some toast and served with mulled wine. What better way to celebrate the lighting of our Advent candles. My apologies; late again with my post. Great day at Abergavenny christmas food and drink fair. Tutored tasting went well. Bought lots of charcuterie, chocolates and other goodies for presents, ready for Christmas. Then had a delicious late lunch at the Hardwick - The Terrys certainly know how to train their girls - beautiful service! Back to the recipe now.....

Luxurious Venetian Liver Crostini

1 tablespoon of olive oil

15g butter

200g onion, finely sliced

2 tablespoon flat leaf parsley or marjoram, finely chopped

250g thinly sliced calves liver, or half quantities of lambs liver and half chicken livers

50-100ml hot stock

Salt and pepper

1 baguette cut into slices 1 cm thick

Extra salt


2 extra tablespoons parsley or marjoram, finely chopped

Caper berries or gherkins for serving


Heat the oil and butter in a heavy based saucepan over low heat. Add the finely sliced onion and parsley, stir and cover. Cook slowly for fifty minutes, adding a little water from time to time to prevent burning.
Cut the liver into slivers roughly the size of dominoes. When the onion is very soft, increase the heat and add the liver, turning it quickly to seal, add the stock and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Add plenty of seasoning and taste. Stir well.
Stain off any excess liquor. Transfer the liver and onion to a board or food processor and chop into grain size pieces with a knife and serve on tartine of crusty buttered bread or crostini topped with a little parsley or marjoram.

Whiskey and ginger Chrismas cake

I love a traditional Christmas cake; but like a lot of other people I find a little goes a long way (read - too many calories) Don’t let this put you off; the best thing about Christmas cake is that you don’t need to eat it all at once, it keeps well. After the festivities, wrap it up and put it in a tin and it will keep for as long as you can resist it. We are all far too quick to throw food away and there is no need. All this said Christmas cake never lasts long enough in our house as my husband ploughs through it with no trouble at all and just when I have a fancy of a slice it has already gone.


Top tip: if you don’t have time to soak the fruit overnight; steep it in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain and toss in a clean tea towel to remove any excess water then stir in the whiskey etc.


Whiskey and ginger Christmas cake
150 g sultanas
150 g raisins
400 g currants
100 g stem ginger finely chopped, rinsed in boiling water and drained
Juice and fine zest of 1 lemon
Juice and fine zest of 1 oranges
4 tablespoons whiskey
2 tablespoons ginger wine
200 g plain flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon mixed spice
50 g chopped whole almonds
200 g salted butter
200 g muscovado sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons golden syrup

Pre-heat oven to 140C, gas mark 1

Line an 18 cm cake tin with baking parchment

Put the dried fruit, ginger, mixed peel, citrus rind and juice, whiskey and ginger wine in a bowl, cover with a cloth and soak overnight.

The next day sieve the flour and spices together into a bowl.

Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat hard until light, fluffy and very pale. Put the eggs in a small bowl and beat with a fork. Add the egg to the creamed butter and sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle add a tablespoon of the sieved flour mixture.

Fold in the flour and spice mixture and the fruit and chopped nuts and golden syrup.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin.

Tie brown paper around the tin. Put your cake on the lower shelf of the oven for 4 – 4 ½ hours or until firm to the touch. Test with a baking skewer; if the skewer comes out dry it is ready. If not return the cake to the oven for little longer.

Leave to cool in the tin then wrap in foil and store in a plastic bag.

Unwrap from time to time. Pierce with a cocktail stick and feed with a tablespoon of spirit.Take care to re-wrap the cake carefully each time.

Born with cider running through my veins

Cider cup

I always say that I was born with cider running through my veins! My maternal grandmother's family home was a cottage with its own cider mill set in a vast cider apple orchard that ran down to a stream. Linton in Gloucestershire  is a small fertile area of gentle rolling countryside with its own micro-climate, crisscrossed with tiny roads that connected once major cider producing orchards.
I now live, not far away in Herefordshire home of two of the best known cider producers in the country and an infinitesimal number of craft, cider makers. It is no surprise then, to say that I never tire of drinking cider. I like the rougher dryer more genuine varieties rather than the mass produced ciders sold in many pubs.
Given my love for it I also love to make cups and punches with cider. They are festive, traditional and practical when large numbers of people are involved. They can be mixed in advance and the sparkling elements added when ready to serve. Use chilled ingredients or an ice block rather than adding lots of ice which can make the punch watery.

1 wineglass of brandy (apple brandy if possible)
1 vanilla pod
25 g sugar or more to taste depending on the type of cider uses
1 L best cider
500 - 750 ml soda water
1 thinly sliced lemon and extra lemon juice
1 dessert apple cut into wedges and sprinkled with lemon juice

Put the brandy in a punch bowl or large stainless steel pan. Slit the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add to the brandy. Add 25 g sugar and leave for at least an hour or until required.
When ready to serve top up with the cider and 500 ml soda and stir well. Taste and add extra sugar and soda as required.
Add the fruit, stir again and serve with a ladle.

Star struck mince pies

Apologies for not posting this recipe as promised we have been having problems with our internet connection over the weekend.
A mince pie should be a rich melt in the mouth experience. So keep pastry light and roll it as thinly as possible. I use all lard and no butter but I have given a half and half quantity. Lard makes extremely light pasty and is a hugely undervalued commodity but I know many of you would prefer to find some butter in your pastry.
If you don't make your own mincemeat add a finely chopped cooking apple and a little extra spirit to shop bought to subtle-up the flavour. If you want to make your own, take a look at my special mincemeat recipe in the previous post. One more thing don’t over-do the mincemeat because it will boil out of the pies.

makes 24

Equipment
2 x 12 mince pie trays, greased
2 fluted pastry cutters 7cm and 6cm
1 star shaped cutter 4-5cm

400 g plain flour sieved
Pinch salt
100 g butter and 100 g lard cold from fridge cut into cubes
Cold water
caster sugar for sprinkling
extra flour for rolling
Icing sugar for serving

Filling
1- 2 pots good quality mince meat
1 cooking apple or hard pear finely chopped
2 tablespoons brandy or rum

Pre-heat oven to 180C gas mark 4

Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl, add the chopped fat and rub in with the tips of your fingers to form crumbs.
Add 6-8 tablespoons cold water and mix with a knife and bring the dough together in a ball with the fingers.
Flour a work surface. Cut the dough in half and roll out a piece at a time as thinly as possible and cut out 24 discs with the larger of the two cutters.
Line the greased mince pie trays with the pastry disks.
Tip the mincemeat in a bowl, add the chopped apple and the brandy or rum and mix well. Add a generous teaspoon of mince meat to each pie.
Now roll out the other ball of dough, dusting the work surface first with more flour. This time cut out 24 discs with the smaller cutter. Then cut a star shape into the middle of the disks without taking out the "star".
Using a pastry brush paint the edges of the pies with cold water and put the starred lids on top and seal. Paint the lids with cold water and sprinkle generously with caster sugar and bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until crisp and lightly golden.
Leave to cool in tins and then transfer to a rack until quite cold. Store in an airtight tin or freezer until required and reheat in a warm oven and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Wish upon a pudding - get stirring and steaming......

Mum’s Christmas Pudding
makes 1 large, 2 medium or 3 small (570ml) puddings

Christmas pudding is not only a once a year treat but wonderful theatre when flamed with brandy and carried to the table with just ceremony. Heat a cup full of brancy in a small pan, light it and pour over the pudding in the kitchen. Put out the lights and carry it to the table. Everyone will be delighted!
This is my mother's recipe, it was my grandmother's too, it is plain and delicious. Make half quantity or give puddings as presents: nothing tastes better than homemade.


200 g currants
200 g sultanas
200 g raisins
150 g flour
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
1 level teaspoon mace
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch cloves
200 g bread crumbs
200 g suet
50 g chopped almonds
50 g ground almonds
200 g muscovado sugar
200 g carrots, peeled and roughly grated
100 g mixed peel
3 eggs
500 ml brown ale
A glug of dark rum

Put the fruit in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes then drain in a colander and leave to drip until required.

Put all the dried ingredients in a bowl up to and including the sugar and mix well, then add the grated carrot, mixed peel and drained fruit and mix again.

Put the eggs, 300 ml of the brown ale and a glug of rum in a bowl, mix briefly and then pour over the other ingredients. Stir and stir, giving everyone in the house a chance to stir and tell them to make a wish. It may be necessary to add a little extra ale if the pudding mixture is too dry.

Grease the pudding basins; divide the mixture between the basins and cover with a double square of greaseproof paper and muslin. Tie up with string just below the rim and then take the four corners of the muslin and tie together. Stand the pudding basins on a trivet in a large pan. Add enough boiling water to come half way up the basins.

Cover the pan with a lid and bring back to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 4 - 8 hours depending on size, topping up the level of the water every hour.

Leave to cool then remove the greaseproof and muslin and replace with fresh. Store in a cool dark place until required.

When ready to eat, steam for 2 hours or microwave for 5 minutes.



Turn out onto a beautiful heat resistant dish. Put a teacup of brandy in a small pan and heat gently. When hot pour over the pudding, set light to it and carry to the table with great ceremony.

Mix up your mincemat - cooking was never so easy

Christmas mincemeat


Homemade mincemeat is so simple to make and sooo much nicer that anything you can buy in the shops, that it is really a shame not to make it yourself. This quantity keeps me in mincepies for the whole of December. If you think that is too much make half - if you don’t use it all it will keep until next year. Jars of homemade mincemeat make lovely presents.

Nearer to Christmas I will be posting my new marzipan and mincemeat tart recipe so make sure you keep a pot back for that.

Top tip: if you don’t keep dried fruit in the house simply buy a 500 g pack of mixed dried fruit and use that.

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well; cover with a clean cloth and leave to stand overnight or for 12 hours. Transfer to sterile jars and seal. Use as required.

300 g currants 200 g sultanas
150 g whole mixed peel finely diced
6 tablespoon dark rum
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons mixed spice
Half nutmeg grated
Good pinch ground cloves
375 g cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
375 g firm pears, peeled, cored and finley choped
75 g blanched almonds chopped
350 g dark muscovado sugar
250 g suet

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well; cover with a clean cloth and leave to stand overnight or for 12 hours. Transfer to sterile jars and seal. Use as required.

Rumblings in the Forest

I woke up yesterday with the rumblings of a serious migraine but necessity prevailed. It was Forest Showcase day; the fledgling food festival in the Forest of Dean and I was due to do a curing demonstration.


The problem with curing is that although the methods are very simple, they require time. Therefore any curing demo requires plenty of “here is one I made earlier” material for the all important tasting. I had already made, a ginger cured gravalax, a mountain or crostini and the potted ham hock to go on top plus a brined shoulder of wild boar. I also had a piece of pork belly in the fridge magically transforming itself into pancetta. I gathered all this up plus the ingredients and equipment necessary to make all the above from scratch; downed a boiled egg, swallowed a couple of Migraleve tablets and headed for the Forest.

It was a beautiful day, the bracken had turned copper coloured and driving through the leafy winding roads, I promised myself a walk along the Sculpture Trail before the leaves start to fall. When the children were at home and Sundays were family days, no sunny day like this would have passed without a Forest trail.

There were super lycra bikers everywhere along my route and I wondered if this was a regular Sunday occurrence inspired by our Olympic successes or was there some of kind of “bike run” in the offing? This area is an outdoor-pursuits paradise enjoyed, judging by the churned up grass verges, not only by humankind but by relatively new residents, the wild boar as well.

I arrived at Speech House; I had been sent a map of the showground but had not had time to print it off. I took out my Blackberry to check out which entrance I should use, I fumbled around; the image was far too small and no amount of zoom was helping so I gave up and found the right entrance by instinct and was able to park right behind the demonstration tent.

I don’t really know what I was expecting of a food festival in a forest, but naturally enough I found myself in a field and I immediately had cause to regret my choice of shoes; mercifully the day stayed dry and there was no mud just some slippery patches where the grass had been trampled away.

I wandered around and peered into the demo tent. I had missed Gregg Wallaces formal opening which judging by the throng had attracted a good crowd. Josh Theobold was on stage, from Lydney Park Estate, producers of top quality venison and game and was butchering a young venison carcass. The nearest I ever come to butchering is cutting up a rabbit and I was immediately drawn in. The carcass was small and Josh was cutting out two tiny loins, the like of which I would love to lay my hands on.

I made contact with Showcase stalwart Rachel Smith who dispatched me to the producers’ tent to judge the best decked stand. Not an easy job as the tent was already heaving and not easy to navigate. I inched my way around and my eyes fell immediately on a preserves stall decked out in brown and white gingham, baskets of cakes, and lots and lots of pretty jars of preserves. This is Oakey Doakey a Forest community project where all profits go to helping the young disadvantaged, help themselves. They were clear winners and won themselves tea at the Speech House Hotel. I bought a highly recommendable jar of Pumpkin Marmalade and a banana cake made by a very proud lad who was also helping on the stall. Other eye catching stalls were www.ragmans.co.uk selling mushroom logs and apple juice and Dutchgirl Cheese making serious organic farmhouse gouda www.dutchgirlcheese.co.uk not a bit ditsy as the name might imply.

I also needed to make contact with producers supplying goods for my curing demo. The Child family have farmed at the appropriately named Cowshill since the nineteen forties. Until a decade ago they supplied supermarkets, but like a lot of other farmers they could see things were going horribly wrong and as the ardent farmer Childs puts it himself, he went back to farming the way his grandfather had farmed long before him. Today he has one of the largest herds in the world of (not so long ago almost extinct) Gloucester Cattle. Childs also keeps award winning pedigree rare breed Berkshire, Lop and curly haired Mangalitza pigs. As he proudly told me about his Slow Food accolade I could not fail to note the affection in which he holds his animals. I came away not only with the belly I needed to start the pancetta process off, but also a loin of pork and a magnificent Gloucester steak and some sausages www.cowshillfarm.co.uk I have pencilled in a date to visit the farm!



I used Forest of Dean Honey in the cure for gravalax. Sadly Severn Salmon is now out of season because in summer I make Severn Salmon gravalax with elderflowers. I used white wine from Compton Green made in Redmarley for the potted ham hock. I made 500 g of succulent potted ham from one ham hock costing £2.95 – the wine does cost extra.

Living here in Herefordshire, not far from the borders of Gloucestershire and Wales, the Forest Showcase is not the only food festival but it is the most local and I was delighted to discover new producers and producers I had lost track of. Crooked End farm shop for example grows and sells organic fruit, vegetables, eggs, pies, meats and salad and flower bags and now has a pop up restaurant.

Smarts in Birdwood just off the A40 near Gloucester, make traditional award winning Single and Double Gloucester cheese. Their farm is one of only five traditional Single Gloucester producers in the world. No wonder the cheese has been awarded Protected Designation of Origin and rightly so. It is a cheese that has aromatic lasting flavour and the round chalky texture of a bygone era of cheeses.

Old friends Native Breeds charcuterie and Yellow House Kitchen, Sardinian Olive oils, McCrindles Cider and Madgetts Farm, Free range poultry were all there. New to me Monkhide, had snuck in from over the border in Herefordshire with their fruit wines and liqueurs. I tasted a memorable Pear Brandy and will keep an eye out for them in future. www.monkhide.com

Yvette Farrell from Hart’s Barn Cookery School was flat out all day promoting the school, the festival and supporting all the cookery theatre dems. Thank you Yvette for providing the grater I forgot to take with me! Last seen by me, Yvette had put some bread to cook into a splendid mud oven made by a local bush craft expert and was going off in search of a venison haunch to cook in there too. Shame I missed that tasting; I bet it was good.

Lunch for me comprised of a Farm House Deli sausage, voted by Citizen readers, Gloucestershire’s best sausage. www.farmhousedeli.co.uk I chomped my way through it while chatting to Deborah of www.deliciously-raw.co.uk who in response to my apologies for my choice of lunch, gallantly replied, it is all about balance, which of course it is. Deborah presented her own demo, opening up a thoughtful vegan approach to health and vitality-giving raw-food.

So large was the prize winning sausage, I had no room to sample Parsnipship’s truly tempting looking vegan and vegetarian snacks or Bennett’s equally attractive fish fare. Neither of these food vendors are local, the former from Weymouth the latter from Newport in Wales but both very welcome visitors.

There was of course much more to see, taste and buy that was local and all accompanied by some wonderful Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli style jazz provided by Feliks Tabiś Gypsy Jazz Ensembles. Look out for the monthly Club Django, held at the Miners Arms www.minersarmswhitecroft.com

I had not been to the Forest Showcase since it first started some years ago in a tiny town hall, I believe, in Cinderford but that’s another story! The whole thing has moved on since then and it now has all the makings of a truly attractive rural food festival. Many of the stall holders sounded very positive about the day’s business which promises well for next year. I spoke to one of the show organisers who felt they had managed to take the show to another level this year not least of all because of Gregg Wallace’s generous input both at the show and at the festival dinner the night before.

If you venture into the Forest over the next few months, look out for the farm and village shops, the craft centres and farm gate producers that have mushroomed around the area. Keep an eye and an ear out for the The Forest Bakehouse, shortly to open in Longhope. They had a terrific range of bread styles on offer, only as samples, yesterday and I can’t wait to be able to buy some www.forestbakehouse.co.uk

A word of warning Abergavenny!

Abergavenny Food Festival came to a close this afternoon after a great star studded weekend of talks, workshops and demonstrations: Yotam Ottolenghi, Pieere Koffman and Claudia Roden to name but a few. www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com For all those involved with real food either professionally or because they simply appreciate good food and who have never been, it is a great opportunity for finding new producers, new tastes, making discoveries, new contacts and catching up with old ones.

For me it was good to catch up with the Abergavenny team, Martin, Kim and Kathy and stalwarts such as Freddy in the Market Hall Stage who make the venues and the events work so well. I always say Abergavenny is to food as Edinburgh Fringe is to comedy. Overnight the little market town becomes a great big national food community, a crossroads, a meeting place for British food and foodies. In an industry that never stands still it is so lovely to bump into old friends and make new ones, exchange ideas and pleasantries; not to mention discovering new producers and tasting their wares and seeing the great British public wallowing in the sheer joy of the food revolution.

But a word of warning Abergavenny! The atmosphere and smell in the brewery yard on Saturday afternoon was bordering on Saturday night closing time fever and smelled of beer, chips and burgers. Something I had noticed for the first time at Fringe venues across Edinburgh earlier this year. By Sunday thankfully it had passed and all was well in Abergavenny.

It was great to see food writing friends, Joanna Blythman www.joannablythmanwriting.com who comes from Scotland and loves this part of the world and Alex Mackay www.alexmackay.com who will be coming to The Chef’s Room fish and cookery school in the spring to take a hands on class from his new book Everybody, everyday. www.thechefsroom.co.uk. Great to see Henry Herbert the butcher brother of the fabulous Baker boys duo who I had not seen since we cut up a pig together when he was at the Coach and Horses in Clerkenwell and good to say hello to the rest of the Hobbs House Bakery dynasty who I met at a Foodie Bugle bash earlier this year. Thanks Hobbs tots for the sticker I am still wearing it. www.hobbshousebakery.co.uk So much going on and so many foodies it is also easy to miss Abergavenny regulars such as Richard Ehrlich enriching the festival with his erudite cock-tales and Paolo Arrigo’s fabulous Franchi seeds www.seedsofitaly.com/catalogue

Franco did a dem on the Market Hall and I ran around a great deal as did Lea and Mike our volunteer s. The demo was manfully compared by Mike Morgan of the stately hotel Llansantffraed Court. We have been tweeting pals for a while but we had not met before. It was good to see Steve Robbins from Prego in Monmouth who was demming after us; Prego is a gem of a restaurant. I regret to say I have not been for ages - I must get out more! www.pregomonmouth.co.uk especially as I hear so many good reports about his food. It was good to meet Cyrus Todiwala of Café Spice Namaste www.cyrustodiwala.co.uk After the dem I went down to the Castle for my Rude Health rant and I tucked into Cyrus Todiwala’s chick pea curry while listening to others ranting.

I followed Ruth ranting about the rise in popularity of light olive oil as a healthy option (which it is not) rather than using good first pressing extra virgin oil. The www.yellowhousekitchen.co.uk Sardinian single-olive single-estate oil is utterly delicious. I have just finished a bottle (I keep it for dressing salads and dishes that need a flourish of oil. It is delicate but robust leaving a rich aftertaste. Ruth Tudor, farmer and clarion for authentic food, of Trealy Farm charcuterie www.meatcourse.co.uk took over the ranting baton with “Recession” what recession? Reminding us that the days of cheap food are gone forever and we need to be mindful about what we eat and the way our food is produced. My own rant was against the overly used phrase “passionate about food” or in other words is food in danger of becoming a spectators sport? Are we passionate about food like we are passionate about football? Do we shout about it from the sidelines rather than getting out there and playing or rather getting in the kitchen and cooking and feeding ourselves and our families? Rude Health cereal’s ranting corner is strategically placed next to the Blorenge bar; a great place to enjoy some local ale or cider and listen to us foodies spouting about the things that irritate us. www.rudehealth.com

The Castle venue was a delight, focusing on food and families with plenty of green space to stretch out in and enjoy the scene. The Lemonade Lady’s, Sally’s lemonade is to die for. She is positioned close to the castle mound where the children run free entertaining themselves by sliding down the grassy bank on cardboard boxes and plastic sacks. I would add here that the lemonade is more than just a children’s drink it is crisp and refreshing; just what is needed on a sunny afternoon: especially after a plate of chickpea curry and a rant.

As I was making my way back to the Market Hall to pick up my kit I stumbled across the Mad Hatter and friends setting out a delightfully insane tea party. Not quite sure who was most enthralled the children or the adults.

The famous journalists, food writers and restaurateurs that assemble (and they love to come) in Abergavenny are the reason that the Abergavenny Food Festival is held in such high regard but it is the stall holders and producers that are at its heart. The possibility of seeing, tasting and buying so many artisan products in one place and the warm Welsh welcome the town affords is what draws people to Abergavenny over and over again from all over the country.

There are so many producers it is difficult to mention one without fear of offending others however some of my favourites include Graham and Ruth Waddington of Native Breeds taking Frankfurters to another level, James Swift’s Trealy farm charcuterie – love his pork and fennel seed salami but still to taste his award winning lamb carpaccio. Kate Glover’s wonderfully fragrant Lahloo loose leaf teas, Little Yellow House Sardinia olive oil, Severn and Wye’s heavenly world leading smoked eel, Isle of Wight tomatoes and so much more. Vin Sullivan with his fabulous fish in the Priory and the cheese producers in Lion Square all make for a fantastic festival.

Roll on December 9th the Abergavenny food festival returns before Christmas.

Thank you Ludlow for a lovely day!

Ludlow Food Festival is such a good place to catch up with friends and colleagues. Saw lots of Lesley Mackley; leading light of the festival. Even managed an end of the day Prosecco from Ludlow's Twin town in the Veneto, San Pietro in Cariano (where the Valpolicella comes from) with her and Mark. Henrietta Green turned up too. Saw Will Holland from La Becasse (wonderful restaurant) next year I will get organised and stay the night and have a meal there - should I book now? Then I bumped into Alan Murchison from L'Ortolan - both chefs contributed to Cured.


I had a chance to chat with Wendy from Peter's Yard with her delicious Scandi type crisp breads, Katie, compare from Wot's cooking, Diana from Books Books Books all so supportive! I have been liaising with Sue Chantler over my taste workshop for some time and finally got to meet and work with her too.

My Slow Food Taste workshop on Italian finger food made with local produce went well, Trish in the kitchen did her stuff brilliantly and managed to fry 40 quail's eggs without any trouble. Rather her than me!The Beacon Rooms are beautiful and the workshops with Sue Chantler are very popular. I then did a demo on the Olive Stage in the afternoon. It was advertised for some reason as Dolce Vita but was "not raw at all" ceviche, carpaccio, crudo, tartare, sashimi, raw fish recipes from Cured. The book sold well afterwards.

Naturally you can't go to a food festival without buying lots of goodies. Cureton's moist and meaty pork and pheasant sausages www.curetonsfinefood.co.uk , a variety of charcuterie products from Wenlock Edge Farm www.wenlockedgefarm.co.uk, warm kippers straight from the smoke www.ludlowtraditionalsmokehouse.com Grana Padano, Speck and Sopressa from Ludlow's twin town www.prolocosanpietroincariano.it www.valpolicellaweb.it

I did not buy but loved Ursula Evans sensational traditional fruit cakes www.mycottage kitchen.co.uk If you do not make your own Christmas cake, order now. They are not only delicious but the presentation is gorgeous too. The cakes won Great Taste gold 2011 and her Christmas cake was cited as "Best classic Christmas cake" by Felicity Cloak (Guradian.co.uk) Talking of Christmas, Kelly Bronze www.kellyturkeys.co.uk bred to be wild, also a Great Taste gold winner in 2011 is a veritable feast of flavour and available mail order. Cheese producer Sarah Hampton of Brock Hall Farm Dairy won coverted 3 star gold for her Capra Nouveau at this year's Great Taste Awards and it was voted one of the Top 50 products in the UK. She has an original marketing slant on all her cheeses. The collection is called The Art of Artisan Cheese and individual cheeses are associated by their names with famous Art movements. This is no gimmick the product is outstanding made with milk from her pedigree heard of rare breed goats.

In a moment of calm during the day I sat in the sun, enjoying the scene of crowds of British foodies enjoying the prospect of so much regional produce, all the while eating a raspberry sorbet, Hillbrooks ice cream www.hillbrooks.co.uk made on my own doorstep and of which I had never heard but will never forget as the intensity of the taste transported me to field of raspberries.

Thank you Ludlow for a lovely day.

Battle of the figs

Bresaola, pecorino, walnut, fig and herb salad



September is the optimum time for fresh figs; coming as they do at this time of year from the Mediterranean. We can grow them very effectively here in our gardens as well. I have a tree that was only planted ten years ago and it always delivers a tidy crop. These never get as far as the kitchen but are picked and eaten then and there....by me and me alone. But then to tell the truth I can eat figs morning noon and night. I just love them.

Many fig trees suffered badly during the severe winter a year or so back but I am delighted to say my tree has now completely grown again from the root and is back on track to deliver the goods any minute now.

Fig trees crop heavily in southern climes even on open ground, to the extent that one of the traditions of late summer in Italy is the battle of the figs. This is when very enthusiastic Italians go into the county side and literally throw figs at one another.

This simple and delicious salad recipe can be served on its own with extra shavings of pecorino cheese or with paper thin slices of bresaola, Italian cured beef or prosciutto. It combines the freshness and crispness of herbs and salad leaves with the rich autumnal tastes and textures of walnuts and figs and the richness of cheese. This recipe takes only a few minutes to put together, makes a great light lunch with good bread or a simple and effective starter for a supper party.



Serves 4



dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cider or wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper



salad

handful roughly chopped walnuts

6 figs each cut into six wedges

100g watercress and sweet salad leaves

50g pecorino cheese shavings

1 handful of 3 of the following fresh herbs: basil, borage, parsley, thyme, mint and marjoram finely chopped

70-100g bresaola or prosciutto, optional



to serve

50g pecorino shavings

tablespoon of walnut pieces



Put the dressing ingredients in a screw top jar, seal and shake well.



When ready to serve, arrange the bresaola or prosciutto on medium sized plates.



Put the walnuts, sliced figs, salad leaves, cheese and herbs in a salad bowl, add the dressing and toss well. Don’t worry if the cheese shavings break up. Put a handful of the dressed salad in the middle of each serving of cured meat.



Top with a few extra shavings of cheese and chopped walnuts. Serve at once.

Chef's Room wants best recipes in Wales

The Farmers' Union of Wales has teamed up with top Welsh chefs to produce a book of Welsh food recipes.






It is asking the public to submit their favourite red meat, poultry, dairy and dessert dishes for a chance to feature in the book. The overall winner will receive a Welsh food hamper worth £100.







The team of chefs judging the competition includes Gareth Johns of The Wynnstay Hotel, Machynlleth; Bryan Webb, Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo, near Corwen; Hefin Roberts, Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, Beaumaris; Stephen Terry, The Hardwick, Abergavenny; and Margaret Rees, Slow Food Carmarthenshire group leader.







Culinary legends Ann and Franco Taruschio, pioneers of the food revival in Wales at the Walnut Tree Inn, near Abergavenny, will write the book's foreword.





Recipe entries must make use of Welsh produce only, highlighting where the food is sourced from, together with a description of why this is their favourite recipe.





The first prize winner for each of the categories will receive a copy of the book and a Welsh food hamper worth £20. The closing date for entries is August 31.





Entries must be submitted to Farmers' Union of Wales, Llys Amaeth, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3BT.





For further information contact Anne Birkett, Press Officer, on 01970 820 820 or by e-mail: anne.birkett@fuw.org.uk





Bryan Webb will judge the red meat section.





Stephen Terry,will judge entries for the poultry section.





The dairy recipes will fall under the of Margaret Rees, a pioneer in creating greater awareness of the importance of buying traceable foods from our farmers and artisan food producer.





Hefin Roberts, will judge the dessert menu.





The overall winner will be chosen by Master Chef of Great Britain Gareth Johns, winner of Best Welsh Cheeseboard 2008 and 2011 at the British Cheese Awards, Local Food Heroes 2008-9 Highly Commended (Wales), Penderyn Welsh Restaurant of the Month for June 2008 and first Welsh winner of the Michelin Gastro Pub Award.

Herefordshire needs you

As a member of the Herefordshire Flavours Awards steering group I would like to make all your readers aware of the new look awards. We have been meeting regularly over the past six months to breathe some new life into Flavours. We all come from different backgrounds but are, in some way, involved with food professionally and live in Herefordshire.


Herefordshire is a beautifu county and has much to offer and much to be proud of but are we taking it for granted? We are determined to put local food and local food businesses on the map and to encourage young people in the industry. We intend to reward quality and endeavor with PR and marketing opportunities as well as awards.



We also want to involve the public and are looking for nominations for the best butcher in the county in our "Beef up your butcher" competition. The nominees will be entered into a prize draw to win a hamper. The best butcher and runners up will have outstanding marketing opportunities. Later on in the season there will be a best dressed Herefordshire food and drink window category.



This year we have changed the “Best Food and Drink Producers” category. There will be no out-right winner but the best products will be judged, gold, silver and bronze. Judging takes place in mid July so please don't delay. Best ‘Young Chef in Education’ and the ‘Young Chef in Industry’ is also imminent. So please even if you are not directly involved please take an interest, talk-up the awards and better still if you know any one that fits any of these categories tell them to get in touch for Herefordshire's sake

For details of these and the other awards for 2012-2013 please contact Liz Hill on liz.hill@visitherefordshire.co.uk 01432 268430 or visit www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/members/the-flavours-of-herefordshire-awards

HERALDS OF AN ENGLISH SUMMER

Broad beans are one of my favourite vegetables and when they appear at the green grocer’s I know summer is here. Many of you of course will grow your own. Even better as you can pick them at the optimum time before they get too big and while the beans are still sweet and tender. Some will say why bother they are just as good from the freezer! And so they are but nothing can compare with a seasonal vegetable, freshly picked, freshly podded and then popped into the pot to be cooked.

For me the broad bean is the epitome of a traditional British summer time family feast, served either with roast or boiled ham or salmon. In my childhood, before the advent of farmed salmon, fresh salmon was strictly seasonal too and it used to appear at more or less the same time. My mother was what she used to describe as a plain cook. No fancy foreign food except of course, for curry, but she could cook a Wye or Severn Salmon to perfection. She served it with mayonnaise, the first broad beans and new potatoes from the garden tossed in mint and butter. It was my father’s favourite meal.

My father died in June (many, many years ago), the broad beans were ready for picking, the first potatoes for digging. My mother cooked a salmon and the whole family sat down to the feast. No one said much, but everyone thought the same thing and as we enjoyed the feast, tears rolled down our cheeks. Not that this has ever dimmed our enthusiasm, but rather intensified the enjoyment. Memory also plays an important part in taste.

NEW POTATO, BROAD BEAN AND PEA COMPOTE serves 4

12 small new potatoes (500 g)

1 kg young broad beans, in shells

500 g peas in their shells

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 level teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoon dry white wine

Handful of mint leaves, chopped

Salt and white pepper

Extra virgin olive oil



Put the potatoes in to cold water, add salt, bring to the boil and simmer until not quite tender (15 - 20 minutes). In the meantime shell the broad beans and peas.

Cover the base of a saucepan with olive oil, add the chopped onion and cook over low heat until soft (5 minutes). Strain the potatoes and cut in half unless very small, and stir fry for a few minutes, then add the beans and peas, stir again and add salt to taste and a pinch of white pepper and the sugar. Add a ladle of hot water, stir and carry on cooking over low heat until the broad beans are tender. Add the wine as the pan dries out.

When the vegetables are tender, transfer to a serving dish add the chopped mint and serve at once.

Diamond Jubilee Cider cup

Cups and punches are festive, traditional and practical when large numbers of people are involved, so what better choice of drink to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. They can be mixed in advance and the sparkling elements added when ready to serve. Use chilled ingredients rather than adding lots of ice which can make the punch watery. In the past before the advent of ice trays, blocks of ice were added which cooled the punch down quickly but melted slowly. Simply fill a plastic container (say a litre) with water and freeze it. Ten minutes or so before serving your punch add the ice block turned out of its container and proceed with the party.
Enjoy this Diamond Jubilee Year. “Long live Queen Elizabeth II!” and don't forget Hereford's Diamond day July 11th 2012 when HRH Queen Elizabeth II comes to town.




1 wineglass of brandy (apple brandy if possible)

1 vanilla pod

25 g sugar or more to taste depending on the type of cider used

Bunch of mint

1 L best local cider

500 - 750 ml soda water

1 thinly sliced lemon and extra lemon juice

1 dessert apple cut into wedges and sprinkled with lemon juice



Put the brandy in a punch bowl or large stainless steel pan. Slit the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add to the brandy. Add 25 g sugar, a bunch of mint and leave for at least an hour or until required.

When ready to serve add the ice block and top up with the cider and 500 ml soda and stir well. Taste and add extra sugar and soda as required.

Add the fruit, stir again and serve with a ladle.

Back to basics: Scones

When I recently advertised a baking course at the Chef’s Room, it filled up straight away and yet only a couple of years previously when I ran a similar course there had been very little interest. That of course was prior to the Great British Bake-off series on TV.

We made chic Parisian macarons, crisp Sicilian almond biscuits, rich chocolate tartlets and plump coffee flavoured choux buns. All of which were enjoyed as a Savoy style afternoon tea with a glass of fizz. What was left over was taken home.

In my wisdom, even though I felt that everyone would know how to make scones I decided that no such occasion would be complete without them and added the recipe to the list. I was therefore quite surprised when the assembled company admitted they had never made scones. I therefore decided to share my mother’s scone recipe this month. My next bake-away afternoon tea is Thursday October 11th if you would like to join me please get in touch.

Hot tips:

• Scones are very simple and quick to make but there are certain rules to follow; work quickly and lightly and keep the mixture as moist as possible. If it is too sticky to handle, dust with plenty of flour.
• In the days before refrigerators, scones were traditionally made with milk that had turned sour. This is not something that happens very often these days. Either leave the milk out overnight to go sour or add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to the milk to turn it sour just before you make the scones. You would not believe the difference it makes to the taste and texture.
• Always serve scones warm; if necessary reheat in the oven before serving
• Lastly if you don't do afternoon tea, freshly baked scones are great for breakfast

Grannie’s scones: makes 8

200 g, 2 cups self-raising flourteaspoon bicarbonate of soda

teaspoon cream of tartar

pinch of salt

25 g butter from the fridge

25 g caster sugar

1 medium free range egg
75-100 ml milk and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 extra egg, forked for glazing

Utensils

straight-sided scone cutter 5 - 6 cm in diameter

alternatively use a glass

To serve



strawberry jam

125 ml whipped cream

200 g small fresh strawberries

icing sugar


preheat oven 200 C 400 F gas mark 6


Sieve the flour with the bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour evenly with the tips of the fingers, mix in the sugar. Add the egg and 75ml of milk and work the dough into a ball quickly and lightly with a knife. The dough should be soft, moist and malleable. Add a little extra milk to the dough to keep it moist.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and flatten it with the hands and shape into a round, 2-3 centimetres thick. If the dough is too moist simply add a little extra flour. Cut out as many scones as the dough allows. Roll the trimmings into a ball, flatten it and cut out a couple more scones. Shape the remaining trimmings into one single scone. Transfer all the scones to a greased baking tray. Paint the scones with beaten egg and bake for 10-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Tap the underside it should sound hallow. Leave to cool a little.
While still warm split open, spread with jam, add a spoon of whipped cream and top with a strawberry. Sprinkle with a veil of icing sugar.

WAKE ME UP IN THE MORNING!

It may surprise you to know, given we are a nation of marmalade makers and eaters, that we celebrated National Marmalade week this year for the very first time from 25 February - 3 March.
This inaugural awareness week was created by the organizers of The World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival held in Dalemain mansion in the Lake District because of the huge increase in the number of people making their own marmalades and artisan made marmalades on the market.
If you want to have a go yourself next year jars from every type of marmalade maker are welcomed. Further entry details including a downloadable entry form, category criteria, submission details and entry fees can be found by visiting: www.marmaladeawards.com
However if you simply want to have a bash at making your own Jubilee vintage to celebrate this great British tradition, here is a great marmalade recipe guaranteed to wake up your palate over breakfast. One of the pluses or this recipe is that you can make it any time of the year as it does not require Seville oranges. Don’t forget, marmalade is a useful ingredient; it makes great sponge puddings and tarts and you can also add it to savoury dishes to give a tangy citrus flavour.

Chunky lemon, lime and grapefruit marmalade
The combination of lemon, lime and grapefruit makes a delicious zingy ‘good morning world’ tasting marmalade. It can be made in small quantities at any time of the year, not just when the traditional Seville oranges are in season. I have given quantities to yield two or three jars but if you want to make in bulk, then simply double or triple the ingredients. Cut the peel to suit your taste – thick or thin by hand, chunky or fine using a blender. Vary the citrus fruit to suit your taste.
Ingredients

1 lemon
1 small pink grapefruit
1 lime
500 ml water
1 kg sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
Equipment
3 clean, dry, warm 259 g jam jars with lids
1 pack jam pot covers and waxed discs

Makes 500g 750 g
Scrub the fruit and prise out any stalk ends still attached. Put the fruit in a pan and cover with cold water, set over low heat and cook until tender – this will take 11/2-2 hours. The fruit is ready when it ‘collapses’. Lime zest is generally tougher than other citrus peel, so you must make sure it is tender at this stage otherwise it will taste woody.
Transfer the fruit to a chipping board, reserving the water) and leave until cool enough to handle. Cut in half, scrape out the pips and add to the pan of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cut the zest into strips as finely as possible or put in a blender and whiz until chunky. Strain the water from the pips and flesh and return it to the pan, adding the chopped zest and the lemon juice. Discard the pips and the debris.
Add the sugar to the pan and bring slowly to simmering point, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Because the sugar content is high this will take quite a long time. When the marmalade has become translucent, you will know the sugar has dissolved and you can increase the heat. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached – 5-10 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and test for set (see below). If the marmalade is not ready, put the pan back on the heat to boil for a few more minutes and test again. Repeat this process if necessary and remember to take the pan off the heat during testing as over boiling the marmalade will ruin it.
When setting point is reached, return to simmering point, then turn off the heat. Skim with a perforated spoon, stir well and let stand for 20 – 30 minutes for the fruit to settle. Stir and ladle into clean, dry, warm jars and wipe the necks of the jar with a clean, damp cloth if necessary. Seal at once with waxed paper discs and covers.
Let cool, label and store in a cool, dark cupboard until required.
Testing for set
Before you start put a saucer and 2 – 3 teaspoons in the fridge to cool. When the marmalade is ready take it off the heat and using a cold spoon put a teaspoon full in the fridge on the cold saucer and leave for five minutes. After this time push the marmalade with a finger – if it offers resistance or crinkles it is ready, on the other hand if it is still liquid the marmalade needs to be boiled up again.

Wallow in a bowl of sheer luxury

This is a traditional Scottish dish know as Cullen Skink and if you don’t know it, now is the time to try it. I first tasted it while in Nairn, visiting my niece. Her husband Tony is a great cook and this is one of his specialities which he was keen for me to try. I was keen to try it as smoked haddock is a favourite fish and I was researching Cured at the time and keen to find just the right recipe to showcase this wonderful ingredient. http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/lindy+wildsmith/cured/7673914/
Cullen Skink is creamy; some of the potato is liquidised with the milk before serving, delicately smoky and succulent; the recipe uses the thickest part of the best natural smoked haddock, colourful and luxurious; tinted with saffron and totally satisfying and healthy.
As a big fan of smoked haddock I was knocked out by it. It is a hearty dish yet totally suited to spring time, just wait until you see the colour! If you are serving it as a starter, keep the portions small; it works well as a one course lunch dish with some decent bread. If you live within striking distance of Ross-on-Wye, Cirencester or Newent I highly recommend Donna and Robert’s market fish stalls; their smoked haddock is exceptional as is all the fish they sell. They are there from early morning until lunch time but it is essential to make an early visit to benefit from the full range of beautifully fresh fish.

Creamy saffron-laced smoked haddock chowder, served with parsley and chives
serves 4

600ml milk
1 small onion or shallot studded with 6 cloves
Generous pinch of saffron threads
400g natural smoked haddock, preferably the thick middle part
1 ½ tablespoons of butter or olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
175g potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes
Black pepper

For serving
Extra milk
Chopped parsley and chives

Put the milk in a saucepan with the clove studded onion and a generous pinch of saffron strands. Bring the milk to simmering point, switch off the heat and leave to stand for 1 hour for the flavours to infuse.
After this time bring the milk to simmering point again, add the haddock and gently poach for 3 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate and carefully flake with a fork, discarding the skin and bones, then cover and reserve. Strain the milk and reserve.
Melt the butter or heat the oil in a saucepan, adding the chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the cubed potato and cook for 2 minutes. Add the strained milk and simmer gently until the potato is tender (say 20 minutes). Reserve half of the potato cubes for later use and transfer the remaining vegetables and milk to a blender and blend until creamy. Add black pepper.
When ready to serve, gently reheat the soup, taking care not to let it curdle. If the soup is very thick it may be necessary to dilute it with extra milk. Divide the reserved haddock and potato between 6 warmed dishes and pour the soup on top. Sprinkle with snipped chives and chopped parsley and serve at once.

Rhubarb, rhubarb!

RHUBARB! RHUBARB!

We all love rhubarb or at least we should. It is one of the culinary joys of early spring; the earliest, slimmest, sweetest, tenderest variety is called ‘champagne rhubarb’. Its arrival in the shops and on the table heralds a host of lip smacking and comforting puddings, many of them rooted in our childhood: rhubarb and custard, rhubarb crumble, rhubarb tart, steamed roly-poly pudding, rhubarb fool, and the list goes on.
Rhubarb is not only about nursery food; its beautiful pink hue can add sophistication and its tart sweetness, piquancy to any sweetmeat; jams, jellies, mousses, cakes, panna cotta. Imagine choux pastry filled with rhubarb flavoured crème pâtissière and covered with white chocolate. Rhubarb is enhanced with the addition of orange zest, star anise and root ginger. For a double rhubarb hit try lacing puddings with Chases rhubarb liqueur or simply serve a shot on the side.

Rhubarb and triple almond frangipan tart - serves 6
For cooking the rhubarb in advance

500 g young tender rhubarb,
100 g caster sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Chase’s rhubarb liqueur (optional)
For the pastry
100 g plain flour
10 g cornflour
30g icing sugar
60 g unsalted butter
1 small egg yolk
1 tablespoon iced water or Chase’s rhubarb liqueur

For the filling

150 g marzipan roughly grated
100 g unsalted butter
100 g caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 teaspoons baking powder
100 g ground almonds

Sieved icing sugar to serve

Equipment: 22 cm diameter tart tin



Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.

To make the pastry, put all the ingredients in a bowl and work them quickly and lightly into a smooth ball with your hands. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

To cook the rhubarb, wash the rhubarb and without drying it cut into 2 – 3 cm lengths and put in a small pan with the sugar. Put over low heat and bring gently to simmering point. If the fruit is dry it may be necessary to add a couple of tablespoons of water at this stage. Cook gently until the rhubarb collapses. Add the rhubarb liqueur if using, stir well, then taste for sweetness. Transfer the rhubarb to a sieve, leave to drain over a small pan and leave to cool.

Put the pan of rhubarb juice on high heat and boil for 5 minutes or until reduced by half.

After an hour’s rest - with a rolling pin, roll the pastry out thinly on a floured surface and use to line the tart tin.

Spoon the cooled, drained rhubarb over the pastry base and scatter the roughly grated marzipan over the top.

Put the sugar and butter in a bowl and whisk until light and creamy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well as you do so. Add the cornflour, baking powder and almonds then gently fold into the mixture.

Spoon the mixture on top of the rhubarb and marzipan, taking care to cover it all and to spoon the cake mixture right up to the pastry edge. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top.
Transfer the tart to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Reduce the heat to 160C/Gas Mark 3 for the last 20 minutes, or if the almonds start to turn too dark.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little. Serve warm sprinkled with icing sugar. Drizzle a few drops of the rhubarb syrup on each plate when serving.



WAKE ME UP IN THE MORNING – National Marmalade week

It may surprise you to know, given we are a nation of marmalade makers and eaters, that we are going to celebrate National Marmalade week this year for the very first time from 25 February - 3 March.
This inaugural awareness week has been created by the organizers of The World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival held in Dalemain mansion in the Lake District because there has been a huge increase in the number of people making their own marmalades and artisan made marmalades on the market.
If you want to have a go yourself, entries to the awards are now open and jars from every type of marmalade maker are welcomed. Further entry details including a downloadable entry form, category criteria, submission details and entry fees can be found by visiting: www.marmaladeawards.com.
However if you simply want to have a bash at making your own to celebrate this great British tradition, here is a great marmalade recipe guaranteed to wake up your palate over breakfast. Don’t forget though, marmalade makes great sponge puddings and tarts too.

CHUNKY LIME,LEMON AND GRAPEFRUIT MARMALADE

The combination of lemon, lime and grapefruit makes a delicious zingy ‘good morning world’ tasting marmalade. It can be made in small quantities at any time of the year, not just when the traditional Seville oranges are in season. I have given quantities to yield two or three jars but if you want to make in bulk, then simply double or triple the ingredients. Cut the peel to suit your taste – thick or thin by hand, chunky or fine using a blender. Vary the citrus fruit to suit your taste.
Ingredients

1 lemon
1 small pink grapefruit
1 lime
500 ml water
1 kg sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
Equipment
3 clean, dry, warm 259 g jam jars with lids
1 pack jam pot covers and waxed discs

Makes 500g 750 g
Scrub the fruit and prise out any stalk ends still attached. Put the fruit in a pan and cover with cold water, set over low heat and cook until tender – this will take 11/2-2 hours. The fruit is ready when it ‘collapses’. Lime zest is generally tougher than other citrus peel, so you must make sure it is tender at this stage otherwise it will taste woody.
Transfer the fruit to a chipping board, reserving the water) and leave until cool enough to handle. Cut in half, scrape out the pips and add to the pan of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cut the zest into strips as finely as possible or put in a blender and whiz until chunky. Strain the water from the pips and flesh and return it to the pan, adding the chopped zest and the lemon juice. Discard the pips and the debris.
Add the sugar to the pan and bring slowly to simmering point, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Because the sugar content is high this will take quite a long time. When the marmalade has become translucent, you will know the sugar has dissolved and you can increase the heat. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached – 5-10 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and test for set (see below). If the marmalade is not ready, put the pan back on the heat to boil for a few more minutes and test again. Repeat this process if necessary and remember to take the pan off the heat during testing as over boiling the marmalade will ruin it.
When setting point is reached, return to simmering point, then turn off the heat. Skim with a perforated spoon, stir well and let stand for 20 – 30 minutes for the fruit to settle. Stir and ladle into clean, dry, warm jars and wipe the necks of the jar with a clean, damp cloth if necessary. Seal at once with waxed paper discs and covers.
Let cool, label and store in a cool, dark cupboard until required.
Testing for set
Before you start put a saucer and 2 – 3 teaspoons in the fridge to cool. When the marmalade is ready take it off the heat and using a cold spoon put a teaspoon full in the fridge on the cold saucer and leave for five minutes. After this time push the marmalade with a finger – if it offers resistance or crinkles it is ready, on the other hand if it is still liquid the marmalade needs to be boiled up again.

BEATING THE JANUARY BLUES

After the excitement and excesses of Christmas, it is always a relief to get back to normal. By the time the New Year celebrations are over I look forward to cutting back the feasting style meals, the snacking and to feeling hungry again.
The palate needs livening up with lots of fresh vegetables, crisp salad ingredients, colour, textures and exotic flavours. The worst of the winter is to come and so we still need hot comfort food; but it needs reinventing to wake up our taste buds.
Reaching for the wok is a great solution and so is lightening the diet with plenty of fish, shellfish and poultry. Wok style cooking is quick, which means ingredients cooked in it retain their integrity; their colour, flavour and good-for-us factor.
When we cook in a wok we look towards the East and are reminded there are myriad cuisines to bow down to. Indian, Malay, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese to name a few – and with them come infinite spices and sauces to help kick away the January blues.
If you would like to learn more about cooking in a work Shaun Nean our Malasian chef will be back at the Chef’s Room in January with “fish in a wok.”



MUSSELS WITH GINGER IN COCONUT MILK serves 4

This is a simple aromatic seafood recipe that I used to make frequently at this time of the year. I had actually forgotten about it until a recent chance meeting on Face Book when an old friend of my son’s described a dish of yellow mussels and then I remembered the rest. Here it is and Badge I hope you see this because it is for you.

Vegetable oil
150g shallots finely chopped
1 egg sized lump of ginger
8 small cloves of garlic
½ chili
100ml water
1 level tablespoon turmeric
1 level tablespoon cumin
salt
1kg mussels
400ml coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Heat enough vegetable oil to cover the base of a wok over low heat, add the chopped shallots and cook gently until soft. Put the ginger, garlic, chilli and water in a small blender and reduce to a paste. Add the paste, turmeric, cumin and salt to the pan, mix well and leave to fry for a minute or two. Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until they have all opened. Serve at once sprinkled with chopped coriander and hot crusty bread