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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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).
8/6/2019 Pantry Leiths Newsletter
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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
8/6/2019 Pantry Leiths Newsletter
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
8/6/2019 Pantry Leiths Newsletter
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
8/6/2019 Pantry Leiths Newsletter
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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