Eat Sussex Issue 3

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YOUR FRee COPY

BRead OF HeaVeN HOMe BaKiNG Made siMPle

all THaT sPaRKles

CaN sUsseX BUBBlies MaKe iT BiG? sensational springtime Recipes Why mutton is back on the menu The Joy of Chocolate PlUs: THe GasTRO-GNOMe’s GUide TO aRUNdel

contents

COMMENT

CONTENTS

W

elCOMe TO Issue 3 of Eat

Sussex. We’ve had a phenomenal response to Issues 1 and 2, so much so that lots of our distributors told us they ran out in no time at all. Because of this, we have taken the decision to increase our print run from 15,000 copies to 20,000 so that should make it easier for you to get your copy of this and future issues (of course to absolutely guarantee it you could always treat yourself to a subscription, plug, plug).

And that’s not all. I’ve got some more good news about Eat Sussex: after this issue we’re going bimonthly. Although we talk a lot about seasonal eating, carving the year into quarters doesn’t really do justice to the amazing range of produce we find in Sussex.

What’s in season in March, at the beginning of spring, isn’t really the same as the food we have available by the end of May when strawberries and asparagus start to come into their own.We’ve decided that we can reflect the seasons more closely by coming out every two months instead of every three.We’ve got lots of exciting additions to the magazine planned, but more of that in the future.

In my last editorial, I talked about Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Chicken Out Campaign, but I couldn’t possibly have predicted how big an impact Hugh and Jamie Oliver’s TV programmes would have.

A number of poultry farmers have told me how they’ve been struggling to keep up with demand and I’ve heard of at least one butcher who has resorted to rationing.While supermarket sales of free range chickens have soared, the response of Tesco, in introducing a £1.99 bird, with all its appalling implications on animal welfare and farmers’ livelihoods, is truly shocking. If you haven’t yet signed up to the campaign at www.chickenout.tv please do try and do so.

As Tesco clearly demonstrates, the battle is far from over.

Finally, I’ve been asked by a few readers if there is any connection between Eat Sussex and a new lifestyle magazine that looks strangely familiar. I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all that, but for the record, no, it is absolutely nothing to do with us!

See you in May,

Tony Leonard, Editor

25 Sussex Bubbles: Can English wines go global?

International wine writer, David Furer, goes in search of the best of British.

32 The Gastro-Gnome’s Guide to Arundel The Gnome visits this pretty market town and finds a fantastic foodie destination.

03 Comment A few words from the editor.

09 In my own words Keeley & David Burns of Audrey’s Chocolates.

10 Column: Gilly Smith An encounter with (Choco)Holly at last impresses the children.

12 Mutton: By Royal Appointment Michael Harwood rediscovers this marvellous meat.

40 Recipes: Bread Winners Home baking with Dominic McCartan.

44 Eat Sussex Readers’ Offer Get a copy of Peter Bayless’ My Father Could Only Boil Cornflakes for £18.50 incl. P&P.

47 In my own words Paul Noble of Nobles Restaurant.

48 What’s on Farmers’ Markets all around Sussex.

18 Recipes: In Season

50 Column: The Wild Side

by Fergus Drennan

Springtime recipes by

Spring is here and Fergus goes

Stephen Adams.

tree tapping for sap.

ReCiPe FiNdeR Baked Eggs with Morels and Wild Garlic ...........................................18

Panna Cotta with Lightly Poached Strawberries.................................................23

Banana, Chocolate & Walnut Bread ........42

Pollack & Spinach Mornay with Shallot Vinegar....................................1

Braised Neck of Lamb with Peas, Spring Onion & Mint..................................20 Cheese Baps ...............................................41 Dark Hearth ................................................42 Focaccia .......................................................41 Marrakech Tagine with Apricots ...............13 Mutton Coriander Gosht (Dhaniawala Gosht) ....................................1 Mutton Shepherd’s Pie...............................15 Omega Multi-seed Loaf ............................43 Pan-fried Liver with Sweet & Sour Kale and Crispy Air-Dried Ham .........................20

Rhubarb Trifle ..............................................23 Roasted Wood Pigeon with Watercress Risotto ......................................21 Slow-baked Crusted Shoulder of Mutton ....................................13 Spinach & Potato Cakes with Cumin and Red Onion Marmalade ......................1 Torta al Testo ...............................................44 Tempura of Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Sauce Gribiche.....................22 Wheaten Soda Bread.................................40 White Soda Bread ......................................40

TO SUBSCRIBE

To make sure you always get your copy of Eat Sussex Magazine, why not take out a subscription. For just £12.50 for six issues, you can have Eat Sussex delivered straight to your door. Just send a cheque, payable to Eat Media Ltd, to Eat Media, 13 Middle St, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1AL.

Spring 2008

3

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News

Top chefs back sustainable seafood Top chefs Raymond Blanc and Tom Aikens have joined forces with Greenpeace to urge other chefs to use only sustainable seafood on their menus.

They have also urged food writers to drop unsustainably caught fish from their recipes. The campaign has already attracted Raymond Blanc at the launch of the Greenpeace Campaign the backing of multiple Michelinstarred Heston Blumenthal and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

A host of chefs and writers, including Antonio Carluccio, Brian Turner and Rose Gray, attended the launch party on January 30th, at Old Billingsgate Fish Market in London.

Raymond Blanc, Tom Aikens and Greenpeace boss John Sauven urged the assembled guests to choose sustainable seafood. All the guests were asked to sign a pledge to stop using or promoting unsustainable fish species and to support the creation of marine reserves to help fish stocks recover.

Raymond Blanc said: “Protecting the diversity of fish in our seas is as important as looking after wildlife on land. Those of us who are passionate about cooking and serving seafood will be equally passionate about using only sustainable species, as the fish we cook and eat now will determine what we have in the future.”

TOURiNG CHeFs

a

TasTe OF Sussex recently organised a ‘Chefs’ Tour

of Sussex’, sponsored by the South East Food Group Partnership and Tourism South East. The day gave chefs an opportunity to see local food and drink producers at work and understand more about the care, detail and passion that goes into creating truly Cheese tasting at High Weald Dairy world class products.

The event was attended by 15 chefs from a number of renowned restaurants, cafes and pubs across Sussex including the Fox Inn in Felpham, Due South, The Forager and The Hop Poles in Brighton, Jeremy’s at Borde Hill,The Dining Room and The Millstream Hotel in Chichester,The Pestle & Mortar in Worthing, Stuarts of Pulborough and The Riverside Café and Bistro in Amberley.The tour covered Sussex High Weald Dairy (Horsted Keynes), Hepworth Brewery (Horsham), the Chocolate Alchemist (Petworth), Booker’s Vineyards (Bolney) and still managed to fit in a sumptuous lunch at the South Lodge Hotel (Horsham).

Tastings took place at each location, with the chefs able to discuss the finer points of production with craftsmen at work. One of the chefs who will be reconsidering their menu is Jeremy Ashpool, Chef / Proprietor of Jeremy’s Restaurant in Borde Hill.“The chefs’ tour was both informative and enlightening,” said Jeremy.“It was helpful to be reminded how useful networking and research are! We are due to be reopening Cafe Elvira in Borde Hill in March and it’s possible that local produce could be a real draw.”

For more chefs’ events visit www.tourismtrainingsoutheast.com

ResTaURaNT ROUNd UP

s

iNCe GasTRO-GNOMe featured Hove there’s been a new

addition to the area’s fine selection of eateries. L’Eglise is run by Anglo-French husband and wife team, Julia and JeanChristophe Martin. The couple have an extensive history of working in the catering industry but this is their first joint venture. Despite the Parisian style décor and the classic French menu by head chef, Jean Yves Guiomar, the couple have a strong local sourcing policy and plan to work closely with their local butcher, R C Secker in Richardson Road, in training staff in butchery skills. The Martins are also committed to sustainable seafood and have already tried out a number of little-known fish species on eager customers.

Another welcome newcomer is Sam’s of Brighton. Sam Metcalfe, of Sevendials Restaurant, has taken on the former site of One Paston Place and transformed it into a relaxed, family-friendly neighbourhood restaurant offering unfussy, top quality ingredient-led cooking at very reasonable prices.

In Worthing, Bryce’s Seafood Brasserie has just celebrated its first birthday, after a year in which it has picked up a reputation for the freshest fish, simply cooked. Much of the seafood served comes directly from the local boats that can be spotted from the terrace.

Jeremy and Vera Ashpool this year celebrate the tenth anniversary of Jeremy’s at Borde Hill, their award-winning contemporary restaurant in its incomparable setting. There are no lack of events to mark the occasion. There’s the special six-course tasting menu every Tuesday evening for £32.50, and Easter Bank Holiday Jazz on Monday 24th March with celebrated jazz artists, Big Jim Sullivan and Doug Pruden from 12noon.

Cherry Gardens Farm goes biodynamic

G

ROWeRs JONaTHaN Wellman and Kate Munden have

taken over Cherry Gardens Farm, near Tunbridge Wells last summer and are in the process of converting the farm to biodynamic argriculture. Up on the hill above Groombridge they’ve been preparing the soil for the crops they plan to plant over the coming years. Biodynamic farming is based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner and uses the positions of the planets and a number of natural soil preparations to grow crops using methods in tune with nature.

Jonathan and Kate have also opened Cherry Gardens Organic Farm Shop so you’ll soon be able to try the fruits of their labours.

In the coming months they’ll be planting all sorts of seasonal crops such as salads, beans and cabbages, but also fruit bushes and flowers.

Locals who remember ‘Pick Your Own’ at Cherry Gardens in the past will be glad to know that it’s coming back, with crops such as runner beans, flowers, sweetcorn, soft fruit and plums.

Vegetable growing at Cherry Gardens is a dream come true for Kate and Jonathan. “It’s huge and nerve-racking,” says Kate. “But we’re so happy to be here!” iN seasON NOW Cauliflower Leeks Purple Sprouting Broccoli Rocket

Spinach Watercress Wild Garlic Rhubarb Bananas

Kiwi Fruit Cockles Wood Pigeon Pollack John Dory

Spring 2008

5

News

A night to celebrate

Photo: (left to right) Cathy Humbert, Ockham Training Centre. Henriette Reinders, South East Food Group Partnership. Hilary Knight, Co-ordinator of A Taste of Sussex.

B

illed as the “Sussex food event of the year”, the Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2007 dinner was held on 24th January at the East Sussex National Golf Resort and Spa. Food businesses from all over the two counties were represented at the event. The annual awards are organised

by Priory PR & Events, with support from A Taste of Sussex.

Winners on the night included:

The Fox Inn in Felpham for the Best Sussex Eating Experience; Uckfield Farmers’ Market for Best Sussex Farmers’ Market; Prosperity Brownies in Shoreham-by-Sea for Sussex Food Producer of the Year; Horsham’s Hepworth & Company (Brewers) Ltd for Sussex Drink Producer of theYear;Washingtonbased Crumbs of Sussex for Best Sussex Food Shop; and Sussex Butcher of the Year went to J Heath & Son of Eastbourne.This year’s winner in the new category

of Sussex Farmer of the Year went to Tim Hoare of Adsdean Farm, Funtington in Chichester.

Hilary Knight, co-ordinator of A Taste of Sussex, was keen to congratulate everyone nominated for the annual awards.“These awards are important because they are voted for by the general public and so are a real barometer of interest in local food,” she said.“The fact that the number of votes doubled since last year shows a growing eagerness to become involved.”

Hundreds of local businesses were nominated by the public since the awards scheme was launched in June, with over 4,400 votes submitted. The winners were verified by a specialist team of judges, led by Chairman Clive Beddall OBE. “The standard of entries from Sussex producers is as high as I have seen anywhere in the continent and around the UK,” he said.“The local food and drink industry has come a long way extremely fast and people should be justifiably proud of what they have achieved. However the

regional food and drink revolution could never have happened without inspiration and innovation from the farming community.

I was therefore delighted when we included a Sussex Farmer of the Year category in this year’s competition.

“Quite simply, more and more people want to know where their food comes from, how it’s grown, what’s in it and how it’s prepared,” explained Clive.“There are enormous opportunities for local suppliers who can meet these changing demands. In the absence of any financial support at national level I am delighted that A Taste of Sussex, and other regional development agencies, continue to take up the mantle and back local food and drink producers in their own areas.”

Due to on-going public demand, the Sussex Food and Drink Awards will be returning in 2008. For more information on the launch of the 2008 Awards and details of how to enter, please check the website www.sussexfoodawards.com

Mad Dogs and English Wine

Michelin Star Turns

Wine merchant and first leader of the Brighton Slow Food Convivium, Henry Butler and banker, Andy Martin, are embarking on an epic tandem ride through some of the world’s greatest wine producing regions in an effort to raise much needed funds for the Chestnut Tree Children’s Hospice near Arundel, and convince the worldwide wine gentry that English wine is their equal.

The dynamic duo will set off from the English Wine Centre in Alfriston on 25th April. After crossing the channel, Henry and Andy will ride to Champagne, then on to the Franco/German Alsace region, down through Burgundy to the Rhone and finally across the Alps into Piedmont, Italy, finishing up in Bra, headquarters of the Slow Food Movement. To find out more and to give your support, go to their website at: www.maddogsandenglishwine.com

Seven Sussex restaurants made it to Michelin approval in this year’s guide published in January. The Michelin Guide, the oldest and most respected annual restaurant guide in the world, was first printed in 1900 by the Michelin brothers (of Michelin Tyres) in France as a free general guide to motorists.

Sussex winners in the 2008 guide include West Stoke House, near Chichester, which has been awarded its first Michelin star while Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield and Gravetye Manor near East Grinstead have both retained their star.

The guide has also awarded four Bib Gourmands to Sussex restaurants which offer “good food at moderate prices”, i.e. have a menu priced at no more than £28. St Clement’s in St Leonards and The Ginger Pig in Hove join Terre a Terre in Brighton and The Real Eating Company in Hove as recipients of the coverted award.

EA T M EDIA L T D

AD V E R T ISI N G SALES

13 MIDDLE STREET, BRIGHTON,

Emma Andrews

EAST SUSSEX. BN1 1AL

Tel: +44 (0)1273 579485

TEL: +44 (0)1273 302968 FAX: +44 (0)1273 272643

Email: emma@eatsussex.co.uk EDI T O R IAL

www.eat-media.co.uk

Tony Leonard

www.eatsussex.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1273 302968

Eat Sussex Magazine: ISSN 1756-3003

Email: tony@eatsussex.co.uk

Spring 2008

PRODUCTION Dean Cook Tel: +44 (0)1273 467579 Email: dean@eatsussex.co.uk P U B LIS H E R Dominic McCartan Tel: +44 (0)1273 302968 Email: dominic@eatsussex.co.uk P R I N T ED B Y Warners Midlands

© 2008 Eat Media Limited.

All rights reserved. Eat Sussex Magazine is edited, designed, and published by Eat Media Limited. No part of Eat Sussex Magazine may be reproduced, transmitted, stored electronically, distributed, or copied, in whole or part without the prior written consent of the publisher. A reprint service is available.

Opinions expressed in this journal do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or Eat Sussex Magazine or its publisher, Eat Media Limited.

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Spring 2008

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In my own words

Photo: Paul Cassidy

“The first thing that hits you when you come in is the wonderful smell”

Keeley & David Burns Chocolatiers, Audrey’s Chocolates

K

eeley: Audrey’s is 60

years old this year. We must be one of the oldest traders in Brighton and Hove I think.

David: The company was started by Mr & Mrs Pain who retired here from London.

Mr Pain used to make all the chocolates for Fortnum & Mason.

The recipes are the original ones from the 1920s. So when Fortnum & Mason stopped making chocolates on site in Piccadilly they approached Mr & Mrs Pain to make them.

Keeley: I think the Pains would be really pleased to see the business now. They had such a passion. And we’ve really not changed anything. The recipes are the same, just tweaked a little here and there.We still hand-dip.

We have some ladies who handdip all our nut products and milk chocolates.When it comes up to Easter, all that stops and they start decorating our Easter eggs and bunnies. They make all the little sugar flowers as well.

David: Easter is our busiest time. Easter Saturday, come in our shop and it looks like we are going out of business. Last year we had four Easter eggs left. Absolutely fantastic but then after Easter we’ve got to stock up from scratch.

Keeley: Chocolate isn’t a necessity, it’s a luxury. Even now it’s a luxury so it has that association with treats and special occasions.

David: For our cherries in brandy, we keep our cherries soaking in brandy in barrels here for two or three years. For our 60th birthday, we’ve soaked them for five years. Also, we’ve planted our own orchard in Kent, so from 2010 we’ll be using fruit we’ve grown ourselves. And we’ve devised our own unique plain chocolate blend that tastes really lovely.

Keeley: It’s Tanzanian and Mexican beans, top quality and very expensive. It’s a high cocoa content but very smooth, not bitter or dry.

David: There’s a big move at the moment back to quality and tradition.A lot of the recipes that we use were actually devised under rationing. The story behind our orange chocolates is that the oranges originally used were saved from a ship that was sunk coming from Bonaire in the Caribbean. Mr Pain devised a recipe to use them all up, including the rinds.

Keeley: We still call those chocolates ‘Bonaire’ because of where the oranges came from.

David: Somebody came in just before Christmas and burst into tears. She said it was all just as she remembered it as a child. She’d moved abroad with her parents and come back and walked in and it was just the same.

Keeley: The first thing that hits you when you come in is the wonderful smell but unfortunately we do get used to it. But if we’ve been away we notice it when we come back. Or when Sally is making

particular centres downstairs like strawberry or lemon, or David’s making butterscotch, the smell goes through the whole building and it’s fantastic.

David: Nobody’s really doing what we do. The smell is in the fabric of the building. We’ve stayed a certain size and it’s something I believe in. I think if we move from these premises we’d become like everyone else.

We could always do with an extra couple of rooms, but while we are here, it’s still unique.

Keeley: We are up to capacity now. If we took on any more wholesale we’d have to move out of here.We’d be in some out-oftown industrial park.You can go anywhere for that. We’d end up just being like everyone else in the market.

David: I think we would lose something if we moved from here and it’s not something I’m interested in. I’m not interested in using machinery and just pressing buttons. I like doing what I do. n

Spring 2008

Gilly Smith

Gilly Smith: Life is sweet Gilly Smith attempts to recapture her foodie childhood as she spurns the supermarket and takes her daughters, Ellie (12) and LouLou (9), deep into the forests, farms and seas of Sussex to find their food.

S

trolling down Church

10

Street with my girls at Brighton Festival time a few years ago, I noticed a hippo made of Smarties making its way towards me. “Ooh look, kids,” I said casually, before pausing to look at the hand-painted ties in Gresham Blake. It was when the girls didn’t even break their step that I realised I had come a long way since windowshopping with my mother in Abergavenny High Street.

We moved out of Primrose Hill when Sadie Frost and Kate Moss moved in, and broccoli and carrots moved out to make space for jelly beans and lingerie.

Brighton seemed an earthier kind of place to bring up our twoyear-old, who was already sewn into her pink tutu and having tantrums in Sainsbury’s on Chalk Farm Road if I refused to buy an extra bag of gnocchi. In those days, you couldn’t even find a

Spring 2008

coffee bean, let alone a jelly bean in Brighton, and lingerie was still strictly Marks and Spencer’s. It was a town where children could grow up dazzled by annual festival delights while keeping their feet bruised on pebbles and chilled in the good old English Channel. It was eccentric but down to earth, a world away from Primrose Hill.

But then came city status, and (dare I say it?) The Juicy Guide and its immigrant readers, bringing their taste for coffee beans, jelly beans and sexy lingerie with them from Crouch End, Tooting and Kensal Rise, and economically hyphenating Brighton with Hove.

The rest is history; a gastro-city was born as restaurants and local produce food shops quickly stirred up a more Notting Hill flavour, winning awards and reviews in national newspapers and attracting celebrity chefs who featured us in their latest TV shows. It all seems strangely familiar; there’s a certain parallel between the towns

where my kids and I grew up, but Abergavenny, food hero that it is, is still lacking something.

Chocolate.

Now, I’m not talking Black Magic or Milk Tray with their strangerdanger fantasies distracting us from the fact that nobody ever eats the cherry ones. I’m talking hand-made, cardamom or chilli flavoured, perhaps sculpted into an angel kingdom or a pirate’s cave, maybe even prised from a plastic stiletto for a sexy night in.

And all hand-made in Brightonand-Hove. Audrey’s probably started it all in Hove back in 1948 but Choccywoccydoodah in 1994 and Montezuma in 2000 put Brighton on the map, before Real Patisserie’s Anthony Heurtier stirred it all up with his French fancy and then went solo with his Gateaux d’Amour at The Chocolate Empire. Now there are at least two cafes which only sell chocolate – surely the mark of a city which refuses to grow up?

And so it was one day late last year, as my nine-year-old and I were queuing for my superdeluxe muesli at Infinity Foods, that the spit of Sadie Frost momentarily flung me back to my Primrose Hill days, feeding us pieces of Chocoholly cinnamon and cranberry organic fair trade dark chocolate. I fretted for a moment as I watched LouLou commit this 21st Century sales promotion to childhood memory, before letting it go. Besides, there was a seven-foot transvestite in a gold ball-gown in front of us in the queue, and she hadn’t even mentioned that.

As (Choco)Holly and I chatted about blogs (www.chocoholly.com; www.onbeingawriter.blogspot. com) and chilli chocolate, I told her about my mission to encourage the kids to be more adventurous in the kitchen, and a twinkle appeared in our eyes...

A couple of months later, my kids and nephew, Edward (10) were smeared with organic fair trade dark chocolate as Holly gave them their own master class in her pristine kitchen in Hove.

As they took turns in tempering her melted couverture, she encouraged them to mix goji berries with raisins, marshmallow with chilli, refereed the fights over the fish, rabbit and stilleto moulds and even found time to make suitable noises about Edward’s breakdance.

Finally sated, the kids collapsed on Holly’s hot pink sofa, surrounded by the original artwork that makes Chocoholly packaging leap off the shelves, and announced that this was “way better” than the mackerel catch. “The pig farm is next,” I reminded them, but Edward was back on his head, looking suspiciously green.

As I quickly carted them off to buy something leafier for dinner, I realised that it was almost ten years to the day that we had left Primrose Hill. It seemed a lifetime away – and for LouLou, it was. But that lunchtime, I swear I could almost hear the call of the peacocks from London Zoo. n

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Hand-made Chocolates and Confectionery Celebrating 60 years of hand-made, quality English chocolates.

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Spring 2008 18/2/08

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Feature

Mutton: By Royal Appointment Words by Michael Harwood.

Recipes and photography by Mutton Renaissance.

W

hen Prince Charles

12

launched the Mutton Renaissance campaign in 2004, he described the long forgotten meat as “utterly mouth watering”.

“It is a tragedy,” he went on to say, “That it disappeared from the culinary experience of most people.” It’s a message that has struck a chord with many top chefs; Brian Turner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Gary Rhodes, Michel Roux, Marco Pierre White, and Antony Worrall Thompson are all converts. But if mutton really is so “irresistibly delicious” as the Prince told The Guardian, why is such a campaign even necessary?

Any flick though a pre-war cook book will demonstrate

Spring 2008

that, until after the Second World War, mutton was the meat of choice for most British families.

Certainly literary references going back centuries don’t suggest that it was ever considered a second best option to lamb, so was its gradual fall from favour in this country due to more than just a change in people’s tastes? Economics and changing attitudes to the kitchen all have their role in mutton’s decline on the nation’s dinner plates.

Until the 1940s, when the UK wool trade was still buoyant, each sheep had a value much greater than just its meat and it was in every sheep farmer’s interests to maintain his flock for much longer and sell a couple of seasons worth of fleeces before sending

them off to slaughter. Memories of poor quality meat during the war years have done little for mutton’s reputation since and it’s also probably worth noting that in pre-war days cooking a

joint of meat for a minimum of two hours didn’t seem like such a chore, whereas cnow such dedication is increasingly the preserve of weekend foodies.

Even though continued on p15

Mutton Renaissance aims to support British sheep farmers and to promote this once ubiquitous meat. It works to raise awareness of it as a delicious alternative to frozen and imported lamb products and its website, http://www. muttonrenaissance.org.uk, contains lots of great recipes and information about where you can get hold of some choice cuts to try for yourself.

Feature

MARRAKECH TAGINE WITH APRICOTS Recipe by Mark Hix, Chef director, The Ivy.

SLOW-BAKED CRUSTED SHOULDER OF MUTTON

Recipe by Jeremy Lee, Head chef at The Blueprint Café.

SERVES FOUR – SIX.

1 large shoulder of mutton, 3-4kg (6½lb- 9lb), bone in

1 medium onion

1 medium carrot

1 stick, celery

1 head, garlic A few sage leaves

2 sprigs, thyme

2 sprigs, rosemary 175ml (6 fl oz) white wine Sea salt & freshly milled black pepper For the parsley crust:

1 small baguette Small handful of flat leaf parsley

1 clove garlic

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

SERVES FOUR – SIX.

1kg (2¼lb) boned mutton neck fillet or shoulder, cut into rough 2cm chunks

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp vegetable or corn oil

1 tbsp olive oil

3 medium red onions, peeled and sliced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

30g (1oz) root ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp ground mace

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cardamom A good pinch of saffron

2 tbsp tomato puree 1½ litre (2½ pt) chicken or lamb stock

12 stoned dried apricots, soaked overnight in warm water

2 pickled lemons

Season and lightly flour the pieces of mutton then pan fry them in the vegetable oil for a couple minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned. Put them to one side.

Meanwhile, gently cook the onions in the olive oil in a pan with all the spices for about ten minutes, stirring until the onions are soft and beginning to colour.

Add a little water if necessary.

Add the tomato puree and stock and bring to the boil. Add the pieces of mutton and simmer gently for 1 ½ -2 hours or until tender.

Add the pickled lemons and apricots for the last 20 minutes of cooking time Serve in a tagine, if you have one, with steamed cous cous.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 2 / 150°C / 300°F. Peel and trim the vegetables and chop them roughly. Break the head of garlic apart. Lay the vegetables and herbs on the bottom of a roasting tray. Season the shoulder of mutton well and place on top of the vegetables.

Pour in the wine and enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Cover the tray with tin foil and set in the oven and leave to cook for at least 4 hours, checking now and again to ensure there is enough water in the pan to stop the vegetables from burning.

While the mutton is roasting, slice the baguette and lay upon a baking sheet. Lightly brush

with the olive oil and bake until golden brown.

Put the garlic, parsley, remaining olive oil, seasoning and baked baguette slices in a food processor and blend to a crumb texture.

Spread out the crumb mixture on a baking sheet and bake until dried, for about 15 minutes.

Check if the mutton is cooked using the bone. If it moves easily in the joint, the meat is done. It will sit happily for at least an hour prior to eating.

Smear the cooked mutton with a thin layer of Dijon mustard and spread the crumbs all over and return to the oven to colour well. Serve with braised beans or lentils.

Spring 2008

13

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Spring 2008

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13/2/08Tablehurst 18:02:59 Farm QP 0308.indd 1

14/2/08 13:04:31

Feature

“Press your face down and smell to the turf. That’s Southdown thyme which makes Southdown mutton beyond compare, and, my mother told me, ‘twill cure anything except broken necks, or hearts. I forget which.”

Rudyard Kipling, The Knife and the Naked Chalk

MUTTON SHEPHERD’S PIE

Recipe by Martin Lam, Chef and partner, Ransome’s Dock.

SERVES EIGHT – TEN. 1 kg (2lb 2oz) minced mutton (from the neck, scrag end or shoulder)

2 large onions, finely chopped

4 medium carrots, peeled & diced

4 sticks of celery, diced

250g (9oz) mushrooms, chopped

1 bouquet garni

2 tbsp dry sherry 175ml (6floz) red wine 600ml (1 pt) light stock (mutton or chicken)

1 tbsp tomato puree Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp sunflower oil 2kg (4lb 6oz) potatoes 55ml (2fl oz) milk

75g (3oz) butter Salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F. Gently cook all the vegetables in sunflower oil until soft and lightly coloured. Set aside.

Brown the minced mutton in small batches then add to the vegetables in a heavy-based pan.

Add sherry and red wine then tomato puree and pour the liquid on to the meat and vegetables along with the stock and seasonings. Simmer gently for

at least half an hour.

Check for seasoning and add a couple of shakes of Worcester sauce or more according to taste.

Make the mashed potato. Add butter, milk and seasoning.

Transfer the mutton to an ovenproof dish and cover with the mash. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the juices are simmering around the edges.

continued from p12 you are not likely to find it in your local supermarket anytime soon, the word is starting to get out and if you mention mutton in foodie circles these days you are much more likely to be greeted with a raft of sophisticated recipes than sniggers about inappropriately dressed ladies of a certain age. People in the know are beginning to shout from the rooftops about mutton’s superior flavour and delicious melt in the mouth texture, so after years of being regarded as the haggard and past it relative of our beloved spring lamb, mutton is indeed undergoing a long deserved revival.

So, what is the difference between lamb and mutton? Well, in technical terms, lamb meat comes from a sheep that has been slaughtered at an average of five months resulting in tender flesh with a relatively meagre amount of fat — something our modern palates have come to expect.

Mutton, on the other hand, comes from sheep that are over two years old.The obvious difference between the two is that mutton

has a more generous covering of fat (and as we all know, this is where most of the flavour in meat is hiding) as well as a more pronounced flavour.

As with most meat, if you don’t know how to treat it, you are not going to get the most out of it.You shouldn’t try to rush the cooking of a joint of mutton. Slow and easy does it and working with this meat should be the exact opposite of fast food.

With so much going for it, including a royal seal of approval, I felt that I should take Prince Charles’ advice and put mutton back on the menu at home.This, however, could be easier said than done. At this point I feel I should say that I do not live with anyone vegetarian - God forbid! - but nor do the two people I do live with share my unbridled enthusiasm for all things meaty.They are the kind of people who love some meat but have what can only be described as ‘textural’ issues.

Minced meat is the only common ground in my house and there is only so much continued on p16

“I will continue to advocate mutton. Not only is it irresistibly delicious, but I feel deeply that we need to do everything we can to help the upland sheep farmers, who are facing untold difficulties at the moment. Choosing to serve mutton also encourages the preservation of rare, native breeds of sheep as it is our traditional varieties, such as Southdown, Welsh Mountain and Hebridean, that are best suited to its production. I can tell you that, whenever I serve it, which I do often, there is never anything left on the plates!”

Prince Charles, The Guardian Spring 2008

15

Feature

MUTTON CORIANDER GOSHT (DHANIAWALA GOSHT) Recipe by Cyrus Todiwala, Executive chef, Café Spice Namaste.

“Mutton is, undoubtedly, the meat most generally used in families. And, both by connoisseurs and medical men, it stands first in favour, whether its fine flavour, digestible qualifications, or general wholesomeness be considered.

Of all mutton, that furnished by South–Down sheep is the most highly esteemed; it is also the dearest, on account of its scarcity, and the great demand of it.”

Mrs Beeton Beeton’s Book of Household Management

Serves four.

500g (18oz) leg of mutton, diced

3 medium onions, roughly chopped

1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped

2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 whole dried red chilli, cut into 3 pieces

1 cinnamon stick, 5cm (2”) piece

4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped or a 400g can of chopped tomatoes

4tbsp fresh coriander, chopped 75ml (3fl oz) vegetable or corn oil Salt, to taste

16

Roast together the whole chilli and cinnamon stick in a dry frying pan over a low heat until lightly brown, set aside to cool. Repeat with the cumin and coriander seeds then crush with the chilli and cinnamon in a pestle and mortar until you get a crushed peppercorn consistency.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan on a high heat. Add the mutton and seal well. Maintaining the high heat, add the red chillies and cinnamon and stir-fry for a minute.

Add the onions and stir-fry with the mutton, stirring constantly until the onions are softened.

Spring 2008

Add a little water to help clean the bottom of the pan.

Add the ginger and garlic. Stirfry for a couple of minutes on a medium heat and add enough stock to just cover the mutton.

Keep the pan covered.

Add salt and simmer the mutton for an hour.Add the tomatoes and cook for a further hour until the mutton is tender and the gravy is thick. If there is too much liquid after the first hour, remove the lid for the final stage of cooking.

Before serving check seasoning and stir in the fresh coriander.

Serve with plain steamed rice or naan bread.

continued from p15 ragu one can make and eat in a week.

Nevertheless, my plan was to try and get some mutton under the radar and onto the plate without disguising it as shepherd’s pie (a shame really as I love shepherd’s pie and it is very much improved by using mutton). I cast aside my Eliza Acton recipe for boiled mutton with caper sauce — damn it! And I didn’t even consider Alice Waters’ technique of slow braising a whole shoulder with root vegetables — far too meaty!

So I did what any self-respecting chef would do, and called my mum.

Her response was as swift as it was brilliant. “Make a nice Lancashire hotpot, love. You always cleaned your plate as a child and you never complained that it wasn’t lamb.”

“Sorry, Mum. I think I misheard you. Did you say it wasn’t lamb?”

“Course, it wasn’t. We weren’t made of money; I could get half a dozen mutton chops for the price of two lamb chops in those days.”

So my mum’s Lancashire hotpot it

was — typically, it had no recipe just a brief list of instructions: “Layer up some potatoes, onions, some floured mutton chops and seasoning. Finish with a layer of potatoes and pour over some meat stock. Cook it till it’s done, about 3 hours. If you want to make it properly, throw in some freshly shucked oysters and use less salt.”

So, not only did I eat mutton thinking it was lamb, I wolfed down oysters without knowing it either! Best I leave those out for the purposes of my experiment though.

The following night, I duly followed my mum’s recipe (minus oysters) and served a steaming mutton hotpot up with red cabbage and carrots — just the way I remembered it. And do you know what? There was nothing left but clean plates and a contented,“That was really nice lamb, full of flavour and sooo tender!”

After much thought, just like my mum did many years before me, I smiled, said “thanks,” and went off to do the washing up. n

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8/2/08 Lewes 12:00:07 Poultry and Troffers QP 031 1

6/2/08 19:01:54

In season

In season Recipes by Stephen Adams.

Photography by Jean-Luc Brouard.

The days are getting longer, sunshine breaks through the showers and all around the first new shoots of spring are pushing through. After the lean days of winter, a profusion of leafy vegetables once again begins to appear in the seasonal kitchen.

BAKED EGGS WITH MORELS AND WILD GARLIC Morels are related to truffles and can be found in woodlands from April onwards but if you go foraging beware of the similar looking False Morel, Gyromitra esculenta, which is poisonous. Dried morels are available all year round.

Serves two.

4 medium eggs

100g (4oz) fresh morels (or 40g (2oz) dried morels rehydrated in boiling water)

2 tbsp wild garlic, roughly chopped

2 tbsp double cream Olive oil Truffle or olive oil to drizzle Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180째C / 350째F Slice the morels and lightly fry in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Crack the eggs straight into two small shallow bowls or ramekins and scatter the morels and the wild garlic. Put a spoonful of double cream over each and then place both the bowls into a roasting tin.

Fill the tin with hot water to

18

Spring 2008

halfway up the bowls and place in the oven.The eggs will take about 12 to 18 minutes to cook. Keep checking them until the whites are firm but the yolks are still soft.

Drizzle with truffle or olive oil, add a little extra seasoning and serve.

For Aga cooking:

Place the tin onto the lowest set of runners in the roasting oven.

In season

SPINACH & POTATO CAKES WITH CUMIN AND RED ONION MARMALADE These spinach and potato cakes would make a welcome addition to many meals but served with this tasty red onion marmalade, they make a fine lunch or supper all on their own.They can always be made in advance and then warmed in the oven when required.

Serves four.

POLLACK & SPINACH MORNAY WITH SHALLOT VINEGAR Pollack was an extremely undervalued fish until it was recently championed by a number of TV chefs as a sustainable alternative to cod. Since then, demand has shot up and so has the price. It has a lovely flaky texture and a sweet taste that many think superior to its overfished cousin.

1kg (2lb) potatoes, peeled and roughly diced

1 tbsp cumin

250g (9oz) baby spinach Flour to dust Salt & pepper Oil for frying For the red onion marmalade: 350g (12oz) red onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped 150ml (5fl oz) red wine 100ml (4fl oz) redcurrant jelly 100ml (4fl oz) orange juice Oil for frying

Serves tWO.

2 portions pollack fillet (around 200g (7oz) each)

75g (3oz) flour

110g (4oz) butter

150g (5oz) spinach 600ml (1 pt) milk

2 eggs

50g (2oz) Twineham Grange or Parmesan, grated

3 slices stale bread, crumbled into breadcrumbs Salt & pepper For the shallot vinegar:

50g (2oz) shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

150ml (5oz) red wine vinegar Oil for frying

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 7 / 220°C / 425°F. To make the shallot vinegar, fry the garlic and shallot in a hot pan until soft but not coloured.Add the red wine vinegar, take off the heat and allow to cool.

Place the pollack portions into a dish or plastic tub with a tight lid. Gently bring the milk to a boil and pour enough into the tub to fully cover the fish. Fit lid or cover with foil and allow the milk to poach the fish for five minutes off the heat. Drain the milk and put it back with any that didn’t go into the tub, keeping it warm. Put the lid back on the tub to keep the pollack warm.

Melt the butter in a pan and mix in the flour. Cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously until

the mix has a sandy texture and a biscuity smell.Add the warm milk, a little at a time, continuing to stir.

When all the milk has been mixed in and the sauce is silky smooth, add the cheese, season and remove from the heat.

Wilt the spinach with a little butter, salt and pepper, squeeze out excess water and then roughly chop.

Place the pollack portions on an oiled baking tray skin-side down.

Top with the spinach, spoon over the cheese sauce and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs. Put in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and browned in places and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

For Aga cooking:

Brown in Roasting oven.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F. Sweat the onions and garlic in a little oil until softened. Add the wine and orange juice and allow to reduce.When almost all the liquid has evaporated, add the redcurrant jelly, cook for a further ten minutes or until the mixture is thick and sticky.Allow to cool.

Boil the potatoes in salted water.

Wash spinach, shake but do not dry thoroughly and wilt in a covered pan. Allow to cool on kitchen paper and once cooled press down on it to get rid of much liquid as possible.

When the potatoes are just cooked, strain them and mash

together with the spinach, cumin and some freshly ground pepper.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and press the potato mixture evenly. Place another tray and a weight on top to continue pressing it and refrigerate for two hours.

Cut the potato cakes into squares, dust with flour and brown in a little hot oil. Pat them dry on a sheet of kitchen paper and place them on baking paper on a tray. Bake for fifteen minutes.

Serve with the red onion marmalade, hot or cold.

For Aga cooking:

Place tray on the third set of runners in the Roasting Oven.

Spring 2008

19

In season

PAN-FRIED LIVER WITH SWEET & SOUR KALE AND CRISPY AIR-DRIED HAM Unless you plan to cook it immediately it’s best to buy liver whole and slice just before cooking. Peel off the outer membrane and slice diagonally. Be careful not to overcook as it can turn very tough.

Serves TWO. 400g (14oz) calves’ or lambs’ liver, thinly sliced

250g (9oz) curly kale, thick stalks removed and sliced

4 slices Air-dried ham

100g (4oz) onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

30g (1oz) castor sugar 30ml (1fl oz) sherry vinegar 30ml (1fl oz) balsamic vinegar

40g (2oz) butter Flour to dust Oil for frying Salt & pepper

BRAISED NECK OF LAMB WITH PEAS, SPRING ONION AND MINT The secret of this dish is to cook the lamb long and slowly so it’s really tender and then add the peas, spring onions and mint right at the end so they keep their freshness and colour.

Serves TWO. 400g (14oz) lamb neck fillet

200g (7oz) frozen peas, defrosted

100g (4oz) spring onions, chopped 1 litre (1¾pt) chicken stock 200 ml (7fl oz) red wine

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

50g (2oz) butter Vegetable oil Bunch mint, chopped Sprig thyme Bay leaf Salt & pepper

20

Heat a deep pan with a little oil and brown the lamb neck fillets.

Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft but not coloured.

Add the thyme, bay leaf and red wine and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the wine has reduced by half, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat.

Cover and simmer for around two to three hours so the lamb is good and tender but not falling apart. If the liquid starts to get too low in the

Spring 2008

pan add a little water but not much as you are going to reduce it later.

When the fillets are tender take them out of the stock, roughly dice them and put to one side.Turn the heat up and reduce the stock by around three quarters.

Add the butter, peas, chopped mint, spring onion and lamb.

Gently bring to the boil and season to taste.

For Aga cooking:

Use the Boiling Plate and the Simmering Oven.

Dust the liver slices with seasoned flour.

In a big hot pan, fry the onions in a little oil until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and kale and cook until the kale is tender.

Add the castor sugar and sherry vinegar, give a few quick stirs then pop it onto a couple of warm plates.

Wipe the pan and get it hot again with a little more oil.

Place the ham in the pan first and fry it until it stops spiting and popping then remove and add the liver, which will only take a minute or two. When it is cooked (it should still be pink in the middle) place the liver on the kale and the ham on top.

Deglaze the pan, stir in the balsamic vinegar and add the butter and drizzle over the ham and liver.

In season

ROASTED WOOD PIGEON WITH WATERCRESS RISOTTO AND QUICK BALSAMIC SAUCE Like most game, pigeon has undergone a great revival of popularity over the past few years and it’s not difficult to see why. You may have to order them from your butchers or go to a specialist game dealer. This risotto, which makes a fine vegetarian dish all on its own when made with vegetable stock, complements the gaminess of the pigeon wonderfully.

Serves two.

2 oven-ready wood pigeons

50g (2oz) butter 50ml (2fl oz) balsamic vinegar Salt & pepper For the risotto:

100g (4oz) watercress leaves, roughly chopped

150g (5oz) risotto rice

100g (4oz) onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed 100ml (4fl oz) white wine 300ml (½ pt) chicken or vegetable stock

1 sprig of thyme

1 bay leaf

50g (2oz) Twineham Grange or Parmesan, grated Olive oil for frying Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5 / 190°C / 375°F. Rub a little of the butter into the skins of the pigeons and season.

Brown them all over in hot pan and then place them on a tray in the oven for between 10 and 15 minutes depending on their size.

Do not wash the pan.The pigeons should then be left to rest for at least five minutes.

To make the risotto, heat the chicken stock with the thyme and bay leaf.

Wilt the watercress in a pan with a little butter. Season and blend to a puree with a blender or pestle and mortar.

Soften the onions and garlic with a splash of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the rice and cook for another two minutes until the rice turns glassy around the edges.

Add the wine and boil until it has almost completely evaporated.

Add the stock, a little at a time, stirring continuously. Wait until the stock has almost disappeared

before adding more each time. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked use a little hot water.

The rice should take around 18 minutes from adding the wine to cook through. It should still have a little bite in the middle and the risotto should be wobbly but not too wet. Put to one side.

Cut the breasts off the pigeons and, if the legs are big enough, cut them off too.The meat should be a vivid pink. Put them back in the pan you browned them in with what’s left of the butter and the balsamic vinegar. Heat to infuse.

At the same time, put the risotto back on the heat, adding a little water if necessary. Stir in the watercress puree, remove from heat and quickly stir in the cheese and season to taste.

Serve the breasts on the risotto drizzled with all that lovely sauce.

For Aga cooking:

Roast pigeons on fourth runners of Roasting Oven.

Spring 2008

21

In season

TEMPURA OF PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI WITH SAUCE GRIBICHE Purple sprouting broccoli, like daffodils and crocuses in the flower garden, signals the start of spring. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a delicious accompanying vegetable, boiled, steamed or even stir-fried but hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an unusual recipe that makes it a star in its own right.

Serves two.

22

For the tempura:

250g (9oz) purple sprouting broccoli

100g (4oz) plain flour Iced sparkling water Vegetable oil Half lemon Salt & pepper For the sauce gribiche:

2 eggs, hard-boiled

2 tbsp capers, chopped

2 tbsp gherkins, chopped

2 tbsp shallot, finely chopped 75 ml (3fl oz) mayonnaise

1 tsp parsley, chopped

1 tsp tarragon, copped Squeeze lemon juice Salt & pepper

Spring 2008

Cut the broccoli lengthways into bite-sized spears. Put into boiling salted water for one minute and then cool quickly by running it under cold water.

Set aside a little flour for dusting.

To make the batter, add a little salt and pepper to the rest of the flour and then whisk in enough of the ice-cold sparkling water, with ice cubes, till the mix forms a thick batter. Set this to one side for a few of minutes while the ice melts to give just the right consistency.

Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy pan to a depth of at least two inches and heat until it is hot but not smoking. Needless to say be careful and stay working where

you can see the pan at all times.

Meanwhile take the hard-boiled eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Chop or grate the yolks into the mayonnaise, add the herbs, capers, gherkins, shallots and a squeeze of lemon juice and mix. Chop the egg whites and add them last. Season to taste.

Give the batter a final whisk, dust the broccoli spears with flour and then dip them in the batter until they are completely coated. Gently drop the pieces into the hot oil and fry for about two minutes until the batter is crispy but not brown. Dry on some kitchen paper and serve them with the sauce gribiche and lemon.

In season

RHUBARB TRIFLE The appearance of the first English rhubarb is a welcome sign that winter is giving way to spring.

SERVES FOUR TO SIX. 400g (14oz) rhubarb, roughly diced

100g (4oz) brown sugar

1 orange, zest & juice

4 trifle sponges 150ml (5fl oz) double cream 250ml (9fl oz) custard

50g (2oz) flaked almonds, toasted

50g (2oz) castor sugar

4 sheets leaf gelatine (or 2 tsp powdered gelatine) 100ml (4fl oz) cold water

PANNA COTTA WITH LIGHTLY POACHED STRAWBERRIES “Panna cotta” means “cooked cream” in Italian. This traditional Piemontese custard pudding has given birth to many variations but I think the original vanilla flavour, simply served with fruit, is hard to beat.The panna cottas need to be made the day before serving so that they have time to set.

Serves SIX. 480ml (17fl oz) double cream 480ml (17fl oz) milk

110g (4oz) castor sugar

6 sheets leaf gelatine (or 3 tsp powdered gelatine)

1 vanilla pod For the lightly poached strawberries:

250g (9oz) strawberries, quartered 200ml (7fl oz) sweet white wine

50g (2oz) castor sugar

Place the gelatine in the cold water and allow to soften.

Put the rhubarb, orange juice, orange zest and brown sugar in a saucepan and cook for about five minutes, until the rhubarb is soft but still holds its shape.

Allow the fruit to cool slightly and pour in the water and gelatine and mix until the gelatine is fully dissolved.

Pour into a bowl or individual glasses, over the roughly broken trifle sponges and leave in the fridge for three hours or more, until set.

Meanwhile, add the castor sugar to the double cream and whisk until it forms soft peaks.

Cover the jelly with custard, then spoon on the cream, scatter with toasted almonds and put back in the fridge.

Soak the gelatine in the milk in a large bowl and leave to soften.

Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds, pod and 110g of castor sugar to the cream and bring gently to the boil while stirring continuously.

Slowly add the warm cream to the milk, remove the vanilla pod and place the bowl over a bowl of iced water to chill. Keep stirring until the gelatine has dissolved and the custard begins to thicken.

Pour into six individual moulds or ramekins and refrigerate.

To poach the strawberries, heat 50g caster sugar in a thickbottomed pan until it has fully melted. Add the strawberries, then the wine and bring to the boil. Allow to cool and then refrigerate.

To serve, dip the bottoms of the moulds in warm water and turn out onto a plate accompanied by the strawberries.

Spring 2008

23

reat beers, fine G Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x192;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;V>Â?Ă&#x160; wines and souvenir gifts...

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Spring 2008

For a selection of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest wines at sensible prices visit:

Feature

Bookers Vineyard

Sussex bubblies: Can English wines go global?

With English wines increasingly coming up trumps in international contests and blind tastings, rumours of French Champagne houses looking to buy land on the South Downs, global warming and a new generation of professional winemakers, are Sussex wines ready to make a splash on the world market? International wine expert, David Furer, visits some of the vineyards hoping to make their mark.

Words and photography by David Furer.

E

nglish wine dates back

to the ancient Romans who first introduced Vitis vinifera vines to these shores. Limited numbers of vineyards continued to flourish until the Little Ice Age, when grains such as barley and wheat proved more durable for the increasingly shorter, cooler growing seasons.

There are 362 registered

vineyards in England and Wales, producing a total of approximately 3.3 million bottles a year. Though wine grapes are grown throughout six viticultural areas of England and Wales (East Anglia, Mercia, Southeast, Southwest, Thames & Chiltern, Wessex), fine wine growing and production is mostly relegated to the southeast counties of Kent, Surrey and our own, Sussex.

Recent climate changes have

proved a boon to serious growers allowing ripening of ‘straight’, uncrossed and non-hybrid vines more palatable to today’s discerning wine consumer.

The ancient seabed that is the Kimmeridgian subsoil of the Champagne region is the same as what’s now south/southeast England before the waters filled in what’s known now as the English Channel. The southern coast’s white cliffs are the same

compacted seashells as those found under the soils of the grand cru Champagne villages of Avize and Ay. With a similar paucity of sunlight, it would seem that vines grown here were destined to become high-acid bubblies.

And, while England’s sparkling wines are its greatest hope for international recognition, there also exist a growing number of good still wines — white, rose, and red.

Spring 2008

25

Local Produce and Fine Food

After several years of research we have found small innovated suppliers, many of whom still use traditional methods, to ensure the food is of the best quality and flavour. Local products include Cheese, Ham, Bacon, Sausages, Chocolates, Biscuits, Dairy produce etc.

Cheese Ham Bacon Sausages Chocolates Biscuits Dairy

Our on site Coffee Shop serves breakfast, lunches, local coffee and teas all day and provides a good opportunity to sample our products.

Visit our Coffee Shop

Our family-run Deli specialises in selling Local Produce and other Fine Food throughout the UK, Italy and Spain.

Opening hours are: Monday to Saturday, 08.30-17.30 Sunday, 10.00 - 16.00

if you enjoyed making a meal of this issue why not subscribe?

The Deli, Unit 2, Devon House, Street Lane, Ardingly.

West Sussex. RH17 6SZ

Guarantee your copy now with each issue delivered direct to you

For just ÂŁ12.50 for six issues, you can have Eat Sussex delivered straight to your door. Send your name, telephone and address details with a cheque payable to Eat Media Ltd, to Eat Media, 13 Middle St, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1AL.

Tel: 01444 891660 www.thedelifinefood.co.uk

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Spring 2008

Feature

Henr y Butler, involved since childhood at his family’s Brighton wine shop, stocks Sussex wine from Breaky Bottom, Ridgeview, and Bookers Vineyard. “Customers ask for the first two but we’ve been working with them for quite a while to get them to this point; people are now asking for them more regularly.” But success can have its drawbacks too, as Butler shares. “We sell more Sussex bubblies than Champagne because of the proximity of the vineyards and because of Champagne discounting by the larger shops and supermarkets.

Supply shortage is an issue; with Ridgeview, demand outstrips supply which makes it difficult to retain continuity.” However, quality wins out and “they compare well with sparkling wines from around the world... other than Champagne.”

BREAKY BOTTOM With his six foot two inch height, grey hair, beard and moustache, blue eyes and a clear and breathy voice, Peter Hall strikes an imposing figure. Over lunch with him and his wife and business partner, Christine Hall, we drank his 1996 MüllerThurgau — now grubbed up in favour of Chardonnay.They also raise sheep and blackcurrants but “the sheep lose money quite successfully,” because nobody wants the wool and the meat prices aren’t cost-effective. His well-kept English garden is filled with flowers and set behind it is an 1827-built stone barn where they lost their entire 2000 vintage to a flood. The blackcurrants go into a bottled Kir Royale mix, which goes so far as to describe the development of this cocktail on its back label.

In 1974, Hall planted six acres of vines “in a fit of madness,” starting with Seyval and MüllerThurgau sold to him by articulate and polite Germans.“The French were neither of those and couldn’t speak English like the Germans could.” In addition to these,

Peter Hall inspecting his vines at Breaky Bottom

Chardonnay, Pinots Noir and Meunier are growing but yet to become fully established. Breaky Bottom’s layout is six acres in three parcels, vines spaced two metres by one metre, 1,250 plants per acre, with most upon Single Guyot.Treatments are ‘judiciously chemical’, with Hall going to lengths to emphasize how he avoids spraying too close to harvest. He doesn’t green harvest, having tried once in 1992 but lost the will after deciding that removing the fruit was complete nonsense. “I think it’s more important to note both what that vintage was like and also how the previous one or two vintages performed,” he says, noting that 1991 was a short crop.

Hall’s highly regarded amongst his fellow winemakers, garnering praise from all, and is, in turn, generous in his praise for the recent investments by Americans, French and Dutch in fellow sparkling specialists Nyetimber,

“Following the attention we’ve received from Jancis Robinson and others for our wines, people are now starting to take notice of us” Peter Hall, Breaky Bottom Ridgeview and other s.

However, he’s not positioned to take advantage of the recent boom in popularity of English wines within its shores but he’s glad to expound upon it. “It’s extraordinary how, in the last 24 months, sparkling wines have advanced in the UK.The world at large would have a problem if it really liked our wine as we haven’t enough. Champagne’s just 80 miles due south/southeast.The French must have known that a good mimic would come from this extension of the Paris Basin.

Following the attention we’ve received from Jancis Robinson and others for our wines, people are now starting to take notice of

us.” His top wine,‘Cuvée Remy Alexandre’, is 100% Seyval Blanc, with seven years spent on the lees.

The wines go to Ridgeview for disgorging and topping up.

Hall has no desire to expand and when queried of his wines’ popularity, he simply says,“I think it’s a lot to do with the soil.We’re on 8.2 alkaline, free-draining chalky soils.” What of Master of Wine and English wine authority Stephen Skelton’s assertion that the quality of England’s sparkling wines has nothing to do with chalk as many good ones are grown on sandy soils? “It does have something to do with the chalk but I’ve nothing to prove or disprove it.”

27 The approach at Breaky Bottom

Spring 2008

Feature

‘Bloomsbury’, ‘Grosvenor’ and ‘Pimlico’.

The wines here are serviceable to good with the occasional bottling a disappointment.

However, with its solid, wellmarketed position, attention to technical details and considerable investment online, Ridgeview, more than any other winery profiled here, shows the most potential for quality improvement.

This is the one to watch.

Mike Roberts at Ridgeview

“It’s very important that we actively market. The results, with British people now drinking more wine by volume than beer, are showing” Mike Roberts,Ridgeview RIDGEVIEW

28

Ridgeview is a family-run business. Mike Roberts, who founded the vineyard and winery with his wife Christine, runs the show. Their son, Simon, is its winemaker with his Australian wife, Mardi, overseeing sales and marketing while Simon’s sister, Tamara, handles the winery’s administration. Mike also consults to several other vineyards, chairs the English Wine Producers Association, and sits upon the internal committee of the industry body, UKVineyards Association.A busy man indeed.

Ridgeview’s 44 acres, increasing to 90 by 2010, are planted to Chardonnay, Pinots Noir and Meunier, and the winery is solely focused upon sparkling wines.The annual production of 100,000 bottles will likely triple by that same date. Currently only exporting to Japan, Roberts & family will slowly entertain other countries’ offers to import their wines but, like the Halls, aren’t actively seeking more customers.

“We sell eight per cent direct from the winery to consumer with another 90 per cent going to the UK wine trade — and they’re clamouring for more,” insisted Mike.

Spring 2008

Mike began grape farming and winemaking in 1994 because “it seemed like a good idea at the time. English wine then was thought of as a joke.” Since then they’ve culled awards from Decanter Magazine, Effervescents du Monde, and the International Wine Challenge — awards which fill their tasting room’s walls and shelves. “It’s very important that we actively market. The results, with British people now drinking more wine by volume than beer, are showing.”

He attributes the success of his sparkling wines to the change of climate and the chalky soil below, noting that, while it’s not fully homogenous, its calcareous nature does present advantages of drainage and friability over other soils in the UK. Ridgeview’s five labels reflect Roberts’ reasonable assertion that bottle-fermented sparkling wines were first developed by an Englishman named Merret.

However, Roberts has missed a beat in having trademarked it yet expecting other producers to follow in his wake, which none have done. Cleverly enough there’s no mention of ‘English’ upon the label although the bottlings do reflect English heritage with such monikers as

NYETIMBER The Moss family of the USA came to England in 1988 thinking that the area was climatically and geographically closer to northern France than Germany. They planted the three Champagne varieties, and were the first to develop modern sparkling wines in England. Nearly all work, save harvest, is done by machine. To aid mechanization and avoid spring frosts, vineyard manager, Paul Woodrow-Hill, has vines trained higher than in many English vineyards. The topsoil here is a greenish sand, good for keeping excess nitrogen in check, with some chalky outcrops.

Like Ridgeview, Nyetimber is rapidly expanding. Dutchman, Eric Hereema, purchased it in 2005, embarking upon a huge

expansion and acquiring a new winemaking team in Canadian husband and wife team, Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix, who, between them, have worked at Chateau Margaux as well as wineries in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada. Nyetimber’s projected 2007 crush of 100 tons, like Ridgeview’s, is destined to more than triple by 2009.

However, with a five-year aging period (they eschew malolactic fermentation) most of Nyetimber’s wines won’t be ready for the 2012 Olympics.

The greatest difficulty in planting the 60ha in mid 2006 was in finding people to do the work, and labour will continue to be the greatest challenge for the future.

Nyetimber is widely regarded as making the finest sparkling wines, and therefore finest wines overall, in England.“I believe that areas which are most successful are those which specialize. We make great sparkling wines so why do anything else?” asserted Spriggs. They don’t go for the tourist trade and this a good thing — Nyetimber’s far off the well-trodden path. With a new ownership and winemaking team, Nyetimber is being carefully Nyetimber Vineyard

“I believe that areas which are most successful are those which specialize.

We make great sparkling wines so why do anything else?”

Cherie Spriggs,Nyetimber

Celebrating our first year on the seafront in Worthing Serving the very best selection of fresh fish and seafood in beautiful contemporary surroundings featuring our open plan kitchen where the chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cook for you.

60 seat deck area overlooking the water.

Tel: 01903 742750 Email: reservations@seafoodbrasserie.co.uk

www.seafoodbrasserie.co.uk Bryce's Restaurant 0308.indd 1

Champagne for Every Occasion!

The Toast of Brighton & Hove Ltd 40 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2FN Tel: 01273 208180 Open Monday - Saturday 11am - 7pm Shop online @ www.toastchampagne.co.uk

12/2/08 14:39:20

Spring 2008

The Shepherd & Dog Relax in the countryside

A traditional country pub nestling at the foot of the South Downs in the picturesque village of Fulking.

Harveys, Old & Best, Dark Star, Hophead and various guest ales.

Outside you will find two terraces and a large garden with side-seating overlooking the freshwater spring which makes this a popular retreat on a warm summers day.

The Shepherd & Dog’s Sunday Roasts have been voted in the Top Ten in the country by The Guardian Newspaper and last year voted as a ‘Hidden Gem’ in Wine & Spirit Magazine.

Excellent choice of quality wines and at least six real ales including

Open all day for food from midday to 9pm (Except sundays close at 6pm).

The Shepherd & Dog The Street, Fulking, West Sussex. BN5 9LU

01273 857382 Half way between A2037 (Upper Beeding) and A23 (Poynings)

Shepherd and Dog QP 0308.indd 1

18/2/08 10:37:03

High St, Fletching, East Sussex, TN22 3SS Telephone: 01825 724380 Web: fletching-foods.co.uk

Enjoy the real taste of spring

Delicatessen - Open every day

Fine Foods

Come and taste our fabulous selection of British, Italian & Spanish cooked and cured meats, olives, British & Continental cheeses, fresh breads, olive oils, wines...or shop on line at fletching-foods.co.uk

Catering

We can cater for all your requirements. Bespoke service from canape parties to luncheon & dinner parties using the very best of our fresh local produce. We can organise every detail from napkins to venues. Why not pop in & pick up a menu.

Picnic Hampers

Our hampers are bursting full of delicious delights, perfect for a summers day or a posh picnic on the lawn at Glyndebourne. We can provide glasses, cutlery & all the essentials for a perfect picnic.

• Bluebell walk through glorious spring flowers • Local produce in our new tearoom • Easter and holiday events and activities

Full details at www.wildernesswood.co.uk or call 01825 830509 Open daily 10am-dusk On A272 in Hadlow Down village, 5 miles NE of Uckfield.

Spring 2008 Wilderness QP 0308.indd 1

12/2/08 17:09:59

Feature

watched by loyal customers and critics alike to see if its high quality can be maintained in the face of dramatic investment and expansion.

BOOKERS VINEYARD Bookers Vineyard is a family winery located along sleepy Foxhole Lane in West Sussex.

Its MD and chief winemaker is Samantha ‘Sam’ Linter, daughter of the winery’s founders, Rodney and Janet Pratt. She shifted from hairdressing in the early 90s to help her parents on what’s now 25 acres of grape vines with another 10 acres of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir being planted this spring. All the vineyards are connected, with some grapes bought on contract from two local growers. Why the red Pinot Noir? “We’ve grown a Champagne clone of Pinot Noir since 1988; the first commercially planted still Pinot Noir clone was planted in 2000. Half of our overall production is red, which goes into our sparkling rose and our red wines. We passionately believe in red wine, especially Pinot Noir. There’s a place for light, fruity-style reds, such as we produce, in England. Only a small percentage our production is still white wine, with only Pinot Gris growing. 35 per cent of our production is sparkling wine.” Bookers currently bottles 50,000 annually and is keen on increasing to 80-90,000. Sales are spread throughout 34 Waitrose branches in the southeast,Virgin Wines online, Ocado (Waitrose online), Tesco in the south, and various local shops, restaurants, and hotels.

Following her diploma work on the Wine & Spirits Educaton Breaky Bottom Vineyard Rodmell, Lewes, East Sussex.

01273 476 427 www.breakybottom.co.uk By appointment only

Sam Linter at Bookers Vineyard

“We’ve all worked very hard to manage our vineyards and juice better. There’s been a shift from enthusiastic amateurs to qualified professionals” Samantha Linter, Bookers Vineyard Trust and Plumpton College training, Sam got more involved with the family business and began ramping up production, simultaneously developing a congruous market plan.

I asked her for her opinion of what’s driving English wines.

“We’ve all worked very hard to manage our vineyards and juice better.There’s many of us doing this professionally the past ten years, causing this to shift from poor consistency, poor quality made by enthusiastic amateurs to qualified professionals concerned with the end result. Our staff are all trained and qualified for the tasks they undertake. We’ve all learned from our mistakes and moved on. Nationwide, the amateurs no longer hold sway.”

Emphasizing this is the fact that Bookers’ vines are positioned on high trellising in order to avoid mildew and to limit an excess of water swelling the grapes.

In addition to self-motivation, global warming and local

sourcing concerns have both assisted in the betterment of English wines. Sam adds, “the many awards we’ve won help to give us credibility and encouragement to do better still.

A Waitrose listing is incredible, giving people a sense that we’re serious.” No doubt having Gatwick airport nearby is a huge advantage in bringing their 2,000 visitors last year, with 5,000 expected in 2008.

Bookers has achieved some level of success with the thousand vines of Merlot they’ve planted.

They bottle it as ‘Blackbird’ because, oddly enough, the French word for this bird is ‘merlot’. While you’re waiting for this to be released, ‘Bookers Vineyard Autumn Spice’ blended white is widely available and so easy to drink this spring.

In blind tastings, both formal and informal, the best English wines–sparkling–have proven

themselves the equal or better than many of Champagne’s.

However, a reluctance to organize a controlled appellation around this style and an overreliance upon the easy tourist trade has led many wineries to keep to low-quality varieties and make wines unsuited for international markets. If England remains ‘still’ in its wine production it will never develop a reputation for quality wines. Bubblies are the way forward if England’s identity is to be linked to fine wines. According to Ridgeview Winer y’s Mike Rober ts, doubling as chair of the English Wine Producers Association, by 2014 the UK total production of sparkling wines will reach 4.5 million bottles. “We can maintain our position if we’re sensible and grow new markets slowly,” he says, belying the possibility for increasing nowpaltry exports. As production is now rapidly increasing this will change soon. n

Ridgeview Wine Estate Fragbarrow Lane, Ditchling Common, East Sussex.

01444 241 441 www.ridgeview.co.uk Open to the public 11am-4pm Monday-Saturday

Nyetimber Vineyard Gay Street, West Chiltington, West Sussex.

01798 813 989 www.nyetimber.co.uk By appointment only

Bookers Vineyard Foxhole Lane, Bolney.

West Sussex.

01444 881 575 www.bookersvineyard.co.uk By appointment only

SUMMARY

31

A Brighton resident hailing from California, David Furer is the author of Wine Places, a contributor to the annual guide, Wine Report, a lecturer and a freelance writer of wines/spirits/food. He may be reached at dfurer@earthlink.net.

Spring 2008

Gastro-Gnomeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide

The Gasto-Gnomes Guide to arundel The Gastro-Gnome discovers a haven for food-lovers in this pretty market town in the heart of the South Downs.

Photography by Paul Cassidy.

a

RUNdel is a picturesque

32 Absolutely Organics

Spring 2008

m a rket tow n t h at tumbles down the hillside from the beautifully restored Norman castle at the top, to the banks of the River Arun below. Located right at the heart of the South Downs, the town is a popular destination for visitors looking to explore the beauty of the surrounding countryside and perhaps wile away an afternoon or two browsing in the many antique shops and taking in the tearooms. Increasingly, however, many visitors are

flocking to Arundel for the appeal of its varied food businesses, as the town has become something of a gastro-tourist attraction in its own right.

Hitting the Arundel foodie trail, what soon becomes apparent is how much the businesses support each other. Without exception, shopkeepers and restaurateurs are keen to recommend other businesses that we simply have to visit, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty easy to find all the best things this town has to offer, just start at one end and then follow directions.

Gastro-Gnome’s Guide

Arundel House

Pallant of Arundel

The Gastro-Gnome started his visit with a Union Fair Trade coffee and a chat with Caroline Webb at Simply Organics (4 Queen St). This stunning shop, housed in a beautiful old brewery building, opened early last year selling seasonal fish from Littlehampton, Rother Valley Organics meat and poultry, milk, bacon and sausages from Goodwood, lots of lovely organic veggies, wines, beers and juices as well as eco-friendly dry goods and cosmetics. In August, the in store café opened, serving coffees, teas, soups, cakes and light meals

made from all the lovely things on sale in the store.

The Gnome came across a lot of fair trade items all over Arundel so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to learn that Arundel was the first town in West Sussex to achieve Fair Trade Town status way back in 2004. Not a group to rest on their laurels, Arundel Fair Trade Group are now campaigning to make the town the first plastic bag-free town in the county too.

Look out for their 100% organic, fairly traded cotton ‘Worth the Earth’ reusable shopping bags, exclusive to Arundel, soon.

Just over the bridge, Billy (Front of House) and Luke (Chef) welcomed us to Arundel House (11 High St), an elegantly fur nished restaurant with charming rooms available upstairs (so you can make the most of their extensive wine selection from the cellars of Four Walls Wine in Chilgrove and not have to worry about getting home).

The menu is modern British with some continental flourishes and is built on the best wild, local and seasonal ingredients on offer.

Mark Robinson and Jonathan Brantigan have only been at Pallant of Arundel (17 High St) since May 2007, but it’s clear that they have already made a significant mark on the town’s foodie scene. After many months of searching for their ideal site, they took over the delicatessen

and wine merchant from a charming French couple (more on whom later) and Mark is using his considerable retail experience, gained at Fortnum & Mason no less, to increase the food side of the business, and move the emphasis to a more local offer.

Pallant still directly sources some fine French cheeses alongside a great range of local specialities, however, and a special mention should go to the delicious homecooked, free-range ham expertly carved from the bone. Some bread is baked on the premises while Andy Turner-Cross of Slindon Bakery, supplies a range of artisan breads in addition.

Next door, there’s been a butchers’ shop on the site of Arundel Butchers (19 High St) for over 300 years so you’d expect them to know a thing

Arundel Butchers

33

Spring 2008

Traditional Family Butchers

Sellers of Orkney Island Gold Beef, local Free Range Pork & Chicken, Dry Cure Wiltshire Bacon and makers of homemade Sausages

• Local, English and continental cheeses • Cold meats & patés, pies and quiches • Wines, Champagne, beers and spirits • Provisions for picnics and parties • Friendly service from knowledgable staff The Square 17 High Street Arundel BN18 9AD Tel: 01903 882288 www.pallantofarundel.co.uk Open 7 days a week

Telephone: 01903 882270 19 High Street, Arundel, West Sussex.

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6/2/08 14:40:06

THE

T OW N H O U S E Restaurant with Rooms overlooking Arundel Castle Open for Lunch and Dinner

The Townhouse, 65 High Street, Arundel, West Sussex. BN18 9AJ Telephone: 01903 883847 Website: www.thetownhouse.co.uk Email: enquiries@thetownhouse.co.uk Spring 2008

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6/2/08 18:31:30

Gastro-Gnome’s Guide

Zigs Restaurant

about good meat, and indeed they do. In addition to their own first class sausages, South Downs Lamb, local pork, Orkney Isle Gold Beef (properly hung of course) and free-range poultry from Brookland White, this traditional, family-run business sells a range of high quality game in season and even, on the day the Gnome visited, the biggest carp he’s ever seen. Matthew and the team can also put on a mobile Barbecue or Hog Roast.

Both shops have prime position on The Square, where Arundel Farmers’ Market takes place on the third Saturday of every month.As well as a great selection of fruit and veg, meat, cakes and bread, look out for Sarah Subtle of Shiprods Farm, selling home-reared mutton. If you haven’t tried it, check out some of the recipes in this issue; you are in for a real treat.

Just around the corner, Sweet Memories of Arundel (25 High St) is an old-fashioned sweet shop selling lots of favourites like Rhubarb & Custards, Black Jacks, Sherbet Pips, Refreshers, Love Hearts, ParmaViolets, and Dib Dabs, all hand weighed from the jar.

Across the road is The Swan

Muriel at Zigs

Hotel (27-29 High St) serving home-cooked traditional English pub food and a selection of Fullers real ales. The Grade II listed building dates back to 1750 and has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment.

Grounds Coffee House (43 High St) looks from the outside like it might be a bit of a squeeze, but inside it opens up like Dr Who’s Tardis. It’s on two floors and seems to go back for miles.

The best seats have to be upstairs where you can watch the town go about its business while sipping a latte and indulging a sweet tooth in their cake selection.

Over The Square, The Norfolk Arms (22 High St) is a Georgian coaching inn built by the 10th Duke of Norfolk over 200 years

ago. The Arundel Society for the Prosecution of Thieves and Felons, an ancient trade protection society set up by the shopkeepers of the town, still holds its annual dinner here.

Remember the French couple that used to have Pallant of Arundel? Well Muriel & Dominique Chabernaud didn’t go far to start their new business venture. You’d be forgiven for experiencing something of a culture shock stepping through the doors of Zigs Restaurant (51 High St), but it’s an extremely pleasant shock; in fact, more of a lovely surprise. Zigs is a very stylish and welcoming Parisianstyle bistro serving Cuisine de Tartines. Tartines are slices of French sourdough, Pain Poilâne,

topped with all kinds of fresh ingredients, ranging from simple scrambled eggs, solo or with crispy bacon or smoked salmon for breakfast, lunch or indeed, brunch, to sautéed scallops and duck fritons with farm cider sorbet or Petit Gris snails with garlic and parsley butter for a splendid dinner.Another speciality is Cuisine de Pierrades: meat, fish or vegetables cooked on a high temperature volcanic stone.

Not to be outdone in the style stakes, The Town House (65 High St) boasts a spectacular dining room ceiling originating in Renaissance Florence. The B&B rooms are suitably equipped for

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The Town House

Spring 2008

Gastro-Gnome’s Guide a proper pampering. Proprietors, Katie and Lee Williams, have been inundated with awards and recommendations since taking on the hotel in February 2006 and Lee has gained a great reputation in the restaurant, offering a menu, using local produce where possible, of what he describes as “a few of my favourite things”.

The atmosphere, despite the lavish architecture, is relaxed and unfussy, as is the modern British food.

Lee believes that dining, above all, should be fun. Children are very welcome and there is no dress code.

Castle Chocolates (11 Tarrant St) is a tiny little shop, packed to the rafters with an amazing selection of fine chocolates and fudges of every flavour you could possible wish for.

Marie, Kim and Sonia at Belinda’s Tearoom (13 Tarrant St) serve cream teas, homemade cakes and light meals in a grand old lady of a building that first appeared on a town map circa 1560. It was converted from a stable and slaughterhouse to a tearoom in the 1920s and, with the help of a couple of renovations, has been serving up good quality home cooking ever since.

When it comes to good quality bread, Arundel really is unsurpassed. Sue and Guy Tennyson and their family, Laura and 20-year-old twins, Sean and Jenny, have made their first foray into business with the East West Bakery (17 Tarrant St).

The Bay Tree

trade in the area for considerably longer. It’s an industry notorious for high staff turnover, but on the day the Gastro-Gnome popped in, he got a very warm welcome from Linda who has worked for the couple for eight years,Alison, for 15 years and the camera-shy mystery chef, for eight years, all of whom were clearly enjoying working for the couple at their latest venture.The Bay Tree serves a modern European menu; be sure to leave some room for the homemade desserts featured on the black board.

Belinda’s Tearoom

The artisan bakery eschews flour treatments and improvers and all the other additives and e-numbers that even ‘organic’ supermarket loaves are stuffed with. Instead Sean and Jenny, who trained in New York where artisan baking is undergoing a great revival, use traditional centuries-old methods, natural yeast leavens, sourdough starters and, most importantly, time, to produce bread that is

infinitely superior in taste, texture and flavour to any mass-produced, chemically-created loaf.While the twins produce their extraordinary bread in Angmering, where the family will soon be opening a new shop, Sue and Laura make the cakes and pastries.

Mike and Val Moore have been at The Bay Tree (21 Tarrant St) for three years in June, but they’ve been in the hospitality

Butlers

Butlers (25 Tarrant St) has been built around a stunning protected vine as the restaurant has been extended out the back.

This gives a sunny Mediterranean feel to the place even on a wet Tuesday in February. Fittingly, the restaurant serves an appropriately Mediterranean-themed menu along with some old English favourites like steak and kidney pie.

At The Eagle Inn (41 Tarrant St), Eileen and Ian Hatton, their daughter, Maddie, and her fiancé, chef Jason Wimbleton have renovated the Cellar Restaurant, The Cellar Restaurant

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Gay at East West Bakery

Spring 2008

Coffee Lounge & Wine Bar Restaurant

Food, Wine & Coffee served all day

www.zigsrestaurant.co.uk 01903 884500 51 High Street, Arundel Food served during the following hours Mon & Tue: 9.30am to 3pm Wed, Thu, Fri & Sat: 9.30am to 9.30pm Sun & Bank Holidays: 9.30am to 6pm

Zigs QP 0308.indd 1

We have a reputation for being a foodies Aladdin’s Cave! Be inspired by our artisan products from all over the world and tempt your taste buds by our delicious homemade cooking! We make our own scotch eggs, pies, quiches and scrumptious cakes! We make a great cup of coffee too!

Deli & Café Open Monday-Saturday 96 High Street Steyning West Sussex BN44 3RD Tel: 01903 813311 WiFi Internet Access 18/2/08 Quigleys 15:56:54QP (Eat Sussex) 0208.in1 1

16/2/08 15:40:56

INDEPENDENT ARTISAN BAKERS of outstanding continental and British breads

Organic stone-ground flour, slow fermentation techniques and natural leavens for delicious flavour and superb digestibility.

100% free from enzymes, pumpable fats, flour treatment agents and ‘improvers’.

17 TarranT STreeT, arundel, SuSSex Open: Tuesday-Saturday. email: info@eastwestbakery.com

Spring 2008 East West Bakery QP 0308.indd 1

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The Pallant Restaurant Exceptional food cooked fresh to order using local produce.

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Menus designed to use the local seasonal produce from suppliers in the West Sussex and Hampshire regions

RESTAURANT WINE BAR

Our chefs prepare all of our dishes daily

at Purchases

Vegetarian, gluten and dairy free options available Fair-trade freshly ground coffee & farmer assisted leaf tea Mineral water from the South Downs and apple juice from the Appledram Press Contemporary restaurant in which to enjoy coffee & breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea & homemade cake 3 course evening meal served on Thursday evenings from 5pm Sunday lunch served 12-3pm /PEN -ONDAY 3ATURDAY .ORTH 3TREET #HICHESTER 7EST 3USSEX 4EL WWW THEDININGROOM BIZ

Exclusive hire of restaurant, with personal menu or canapĂŠs, is available for large parties.

The Pallant Restaurant is open: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm and Thursday 10am to 8.30pm The Pallant Restaurant, 9 North Pallant, Chichester. 01243 784701/774557 www.thepallantrestaurant.com

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/0162 367706

Modern European & French cuisine 272 is a small restaurant set in the picturesque Village of Newick in the heart of East Sussex. Established a little over four years ago it now has an outstanding reputation and attracts a broad crosssection of customers.

The menu is international, with modern European and particularly French influences. Quality is the keyword so all sauces are based on stock reductions, in the best French tradition, and every dish is cooked from fresh ingredients on the day. We have a good degree of flexibility when all dishes are cooked from fresh. It enables us to provide regular variety on the menu and accommodate customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; food intolerances.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re particularly proud of our cheese board which boasts a selection of around 20 cheeses from throughout Europe. The cheeses change regularly due to high customer demand.

The wine list reflects the menu with more than 80 offerings from around the world. There are three choices of house red and white wines, from France, Italy and South Africa.

We also hold popular montly themed events including demonstration evenings

Call to reserve your table: 01825 721272 www.272restaurant.co.uk 20/22 High Street, Newick, East Sussex. BN8 4LQ OpEN: Wed-Sun lunch 12-2.30pm. Tues-Sat dinner 7pm -9.30pm

Spring 2008 272 Restaurant QP 0308.indd 1

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Gastro-Gnome’s Guide to create an intimate venue that’s currently open four nights a week, Friday to Monday, but may well be open in the week by the time you read this. Jason used to work at The Bay Leaf before taking the plunge to open his own place with family.

Originally a warehouse for Sparks and Sons, auctioneers, Sparks Yard General Store (Tarrant St) is now an enormous lifestyle store full of gorgeous things.The book section stocks many cookery titles, the cook store sells high quality brands like Bengt Ek scales and clocks, Peugeot pepper mills and Henkels knives and the café serves coffee, ice-cream, milkshakes and frozen fruit smoothies as well as a daily special soup such as Smokin’ Chicken, Spicy Meatball and Cheesy Cauliflower with Bacon and Macaroni.

Arundel has a rich brewing heritage that reached its glory days before the advent of a safe public water supply, when beer was far safer to drink than water.

The last of these old breweries closed its gate around 1922.The town’s brewing tradition was revived in 1992 by Arundel Brewer y (Ford Industr ial Estate), which has gone on to produce a whole host of awardwinning Sussex ales.

Another business not short on awards, The Relish In Spice Company, produces a range of chutneys, mustards and sauces using local ingredients where possible and no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. Most products are gluten-free and all are fully traceable. Chef Mark Strachan and his partner, Barbara Wieland, also produce a range of sumptuous puddings under the name Creative Cuisine and their new development, the Gnome can exclusively reveal, will be handmade ketchups.You can find their products in lots of good delis and farm shops, and you can meet Mark and Barbara at many farmers’ markets in the region, where they usually have something a bit different that hasn’t yet made it to the shops.

The Water’s Edge Café at The Arundel Wetland Centre (Mill

Sparks Yard General Store

Rd) serves delicious homemade cakes and cookies, healthy salads and hearty meat and fish dishes, in a beautiful spot overlooking Swan Lake.

Good food isn’t just confined to Arundel, of course. Locals and visitors also have the choice of some wonderful places nearby.

Two miles north of Arundel, Steve and Jackie Penticost of Burpham Country House Mark Strachan of The Relish in Spice Company

(The Street, Burpham), have just appointed a new chef, local lad, Mark Stepney. In keeping with its past as a hunting lodge, Mark has created a menu that makes great use of the produce from the surrounding countryside, with dishes such as ham hock & parsley jelly with homemade piccalilli, braised shoulder of local lamb with roasted roots and mint jus and marinated slow roast belly

pork with spiced gravy.

Also in this idyllic Sussex village, The George and Dragon (The Street, Burpham) is situated opposite the picture-postcardperfect parish church. Alastair and Angela Thackeray have created a wonderful buzz around this lovely gastropub. Popular with locals and visitors alike, the menu features good old traditional British staples as well as some altogether more adventurous dishes.

The Oaks Restaurant (Yapton Lane,Walberton) is the dream of husband and wife, Ken and Annabelle Brown, who’ve transformed this 18th Century coaching inn into a delightfully or ig inal moder n English restaurant. Although trained in New Zealand, Ken discovered a passion for British cooking while working at Langans Brasserie. He takes pride in sourcing the best local produce, free-range, organic or wild as much as possible. As a celiac himself, Ken ensures that the menu is almost entirely glutenfree and the kitchen is properly able to accommodate other food allergy sufferers.

The Black Horse (Binstead Lane, Binstead) has a great reputation for good quality food, cask ales and malt whiskies. Set in beautifully tended mature gardens overlooking a golf course; this place is always worth a look in.

Regularly described as one of the best spas in Britain, Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa (Climping) is a place to head for all-over pampering. This gothic manor house was actually built in the 1920s by Sir Walter Guinness as a family retreat. It was built using original stone and woodwork from all over England, giving it a feel of having been around for centuries. Log fires in winter, a rose-clad courtyard in summer, and 30 acres of everchanging parkland to explore, this really is a place for all seasons.

The Tapestry Restaurant is a magnificent setting for fine dining while the courtyard is an irresistibly romantic spot for afternoon tea or for a magical midsummer dinner. n

Spring 2008

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Bread

Bread Winners Recipes by Dominic McCartan & Peter Bayless.

Photography by Jean-Luc Brouard.

Bread has been a staple of the human diet since our ancestors discovered fire but no other foodstuff has suffered the indignities, abuse and adulteration that industrial food-making has inflicted on the humble loaf. Good bakers are, like good bread, hard to find, so if you are lucky enough to live near a real artisan bakery, treasure it and never ever think of going near a supermarket loaf.

Baking your own bread may seem daunting at first, but there’s a satisfaction to be had from placing a homemade loaf on your table that’s hard to beat. And once you gain your confidence you can try all kinds of variations of your own.

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Spring 2008

SODA BREAD (WHITE OR WHEATEN) I remember fabulous farmhouse teas at the Moffat’s farm in Co Donegal after a long day making silage when I used to help on the farm as a young teenager.The table would be groaning under the weight of bread, jam and cakes all wonderfully made by Mrs Moffat. I do not think I will ever be able to recreate such smells and tastes but soda bread is easy to make and takes no time at all.The recipe calls for buttermilk, which is hard to come by. It is available as cultured product from supermarkets but it tends to be too thick so thin it with about 15 per cent whole milk. An alternative is to buy milk and allow it to sour.

MAKES ONE LOAF.

450g (1lb) plain flour (for white soda bread) or 275g (10oz) plain flour and 175g (6oz) wholemeal flour (for wheaten soda bread) Pinch of salt

1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda (bread soda) 275ml (10fl oz) buttermilk or soured milk

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F Sieve the white flour and salt into a large bowl (add the wholemeal flour if making wheaten) and crush the bread soda in the palm of your hand with the back of a spoon to break any lumps and add to the bowl.

Add most of the buttermilk or soured milk and mix with one hand, fingers outstretched, drawing the flour and liquid together into a loose dough.

Add more liquid if needed. This dough requires little handling as it becomes heavy if over-kneaded.

Tip out on to a well-floured work surface and roll gently into a ball and pat it down into a round of about 2” thick.

Place the loaf on a floured baking tray. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the loaf (not forgetting to prick each quarter so the fairies can get out!).

Bake for around 40 to 45 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Place on a wire rack to cool.

For Aga cooking:

Use the third or fourth set of runners in the Roasting Oven.

Bread

CHEESE BAPS This is my version of the baps served at the ground-breaking chain of wholefood restaurants, Cranks. I prefer to make the baps a little lighter by using some white flour mixed with the wholemeal flour but the original version uses only wholemeal. Remember with this recipe, the dough does not require kneading.

MAKES SIX BAPS. 350g (12oz) wholemeal flour

100g (4oz) strong white flour

1tsp salt

1 tbsp fresh yeast (or ½ tbsp dried yeast)

1 tsp Barbados sugar

300-400ml (10-15fl oz) lukewarm water

1 egg, beaten

250g (9oz) cheddar cheese, grated Milk for brushing

FOCACCIA This classic Italian flat bread is simple to make and is absolutely wonderful dipped in good quality olive oil.You can be as adventurous as you like with the toppings.The same recipe makes perfect pizza bases as well.

MAKES TWO LOAVES.

450g (1lb) strong white flour 300ml (10fl oz) lukewarm water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

1 tbsp Fresh yeast (or ½ tbsp dried yeast) For topping: Coarse sea salt Olive oil Sprigs rosemary & pitted black olives Sun-blushed tomatoes & Feta cheese

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 7 / 220°C / 425°F. Mix the yeast and sugar with 150ml (5fl oz) water and allow to stand in a warm place until the surface is frothy.

Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the olive oil and yeast liquid and mix by hand. Gradually add the rest of the water and mix until it comes into a dough.

Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is silky smooth and springy.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place for an hour or so until the dough has doubled in size.

Roughly knead the dough to get rid of the gas, divide into

two pieces and flatten each on a floured surface with your hands.

Place the loaves onto an oiled baking tray and press your fingers into the dough to make indents.

Sprinkle the surface with coarse salt and olive oil and spear one loaf with rosemary sprigs and black olives.

Allow to proof again until doubled in size.

Bake for around 20 minutes until golden brown. For sunblushed tomato and Feta foccacia, put them on 5 minutes before the bread is ready.

For Aga cooking:

Use the third or fourth set of runners in the Roasting Oven.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F. Mix all the flour together with the salt in a large bowl.

Mix the yeast and the sugar with 150ml (5fl oz) of the warm water.

Place in a warm place for about 10 minutes, until the surface is covered in foam.

Add the yeast mix and the beaten egg to the flour and gradually mix in more water with your hand until the mixture comes together into a dough.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle.

Sprinkle 75g (3oz) grated cheese over the central third of the dough.

Fold the left-hand third over the cheese and sprinkle another 75g

(3oz) cheese over the double thickness of dough and fold the right-hand third over the top. Roll to a thickness of 1½” and stamp out rounds using a 10cm (4’’) cutter.

Roll up the trimmings and fold to make the last baps.

Place the rounds on a floured baking sheet and brush with milk, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place in a warm place to proof. This will take around 10-15 minutes. The baps should double in size.

Bake for about 25 minutes and cool on a wire tray.

For Aga cooking:

Bake on lowest set of runners of the Roasting Oven.

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Bread

DARK HEARTH When I first took on The Eagle pub in Brighton we opened an in-pub bakery. Martin Cleary, our baker, developed some fantastic artisan breads unique to The Eagle. Unfortunately the bakery is no more but I have adapted two of our most popular recipes for you to try at home. Dark Hearth is an amazingly rich and full-flavoured bread and many people have tried guessing at the ingredients that give it such a wonderful taste.

MAKES ONE LARGE LOAF.

900g (2lb) strong plain flour 225ml (8fl oz) lukewarm water

1 tbsp salt

2 tbsp fresh yeast (or 1 tbsp dried yeast) 75ml (3fl oz) honey 175ml (6fl oz) strong black coffee, room temperature

1 tbsp cocoa powder 75ml (3fl oz) black treacle 125ml (4fl oz) Guinness or other stout, room temperature

BANANA, CHOCOLATE AND WALNUT BREAD This is a great way to use up ripe bananas and makes a lovely afternoon treat with a cup of tea.

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Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7 / 220°C / 425°F. Mix the treacle and yeast in half the lukewarm water and put it in a warm place until the surface is covered with foam.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the salt and cocoa powder and mix well. Add the frothy yeast mixture, the rest of the water, honey, coffee and stout and mix by hand or slowly with a dough hook in a mixer. Cover with a tea cloth and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Knead the dough by hand or with a mixer for 10 minutes until the dough has lost its stickiness and has a soft silky feel and returns to shape when pressed.

Place in a bowl and cover with oiled cling film, leave in a warm place and allow to proof.

This can take up to a few hours

Spring 2008

depending on how warm the kitchen is but the dough should double in size.

Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough to knock out the gas. Shape the loaf how you wish, place on a floured baking tray, cover lightly and allow to rise again. To tell if it is ready to bake, place you finger on it. If the dough feels fragile and no longer springy and resistant, it’s ready for the oven.

The loaf should take around 4045 minutes to bake but this can vary from oven to oven.Test if it’s done by tapping on the bottom for that hollow sound. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

For Aga cooking:

Use the third or fourth set of runners in the Roasting Oven.

MAKES ONE LOAF.

450g (1lb) skinned ripe bananas 225g (8oz) self-raising flour ½ tsp salt 110g (4oz) butter 175g (6oz) castor sugar 110g (4oz) walnuts, chopped 110g (4oz) dark chocolate, roughly chopped 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F. Sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, rub in the butter and add the sugar. Mash up the bananas with the beaten eggs then add to the mixture along with the chocolate and walnuts.

Mix well.

Line a large rectangular loaf tin with silicon or greaseproof paper.

Put the dough in the tin and

spread evenly.

Bake for 1½ hours and allow to cool in the tin. Do not open the oven during the cooking time as this may cause the bread to drop.

For Aga cooking:

Baking Oven: Grid shelf on floor of oven.

Roasting Oven: Grid shelf on floor of oven and cold plain shelf on second set of runners.

Bread

OMEGA MULTI-SEED LOAF This is a simplified version of The Eagle’s wholegrain loaf, using a mix of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and golden linseed, all rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6.You can get the mix from Infinity Foods or Suma or you can make up your own.

MAKES ONE LOAF. 300g (11oz) strong white flour

150g (5oz) wholemeal flour 200ml (7fl oz) lukewarm water

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp fresh yeast (or 1 tsp dried yeast)

175g (6oz) omega seed mix

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 7 / 220°C / 425°F. Grease a rectangular loaf tin with butter.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with a teaspoon of the flour and stand in a warm place until foaming.

Place the plain and wholemeal flour into a mixing bowl with the salt and the seeds and mix well. Add the yeast liquid to the flour and bring all the ingredients together, cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Knead the dough with a mixer or by hand for at least 10 minutes then cover the dough in the bowl with oiled cling film and put it in a warm place until doubled in size.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead out the gas. Shape into a rectangle about 2/3 the length of the loaf tin. Roll the rectangle as tightly as you can and, with the crease underneath, place the dough into the loaf tin. Lightly cover and stand in a warm place until the loaf is well risen.

Bake the bread for 35 to 45 minutes until the shoulder of the loaf - the point at the top of the sides where the domed top starts is firm to the touch and not soft.

Cool on a wire rack.

For Aga cooking:

Use the third or fourth set of runners in the Roasting Oven.

Spring 2008

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Bread

TORTa al TesTO

by Peter Bayless.

All over Italy people continue, even in the face of mass-production, to bake their own breads ‘a casa’ (in the home). Somehow an Italian home just wouldn’t be home without the smell of freshly baked bread to welcome you.Torta al testo,‘tile bread’ is a simple-to-make flatbread that is split in two when baked, then stuffed with delicious fillings and re-heated before serving.You may of course be as imaginative as you like with alternative fillings but please don’t turn this Italian classic into a culinary dustbin.Try for example gorgonzola and sorrel or mozzarella, salami and sun-blushed tomatoes.Wild rocket leaves with cheddar may not be authentic, but it tastes sublime.

MAKES EIGHT TORTA. 500g (18oz) 2 tsp 300ml (10fl oz) 1½ tsp 1 tbsp For the filling: 250g (9oz)

strong white flour dried yeast warm water salt olive oil

fontina cheese (or other melting cheese as desired) 125g (4oz) rocket 125g air-cured ham salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Peter Bayless, private chef and food writer is the winner of BBC MasterChef 200 and author of My Father Could Only Boil Cornflakes published by Ptarmigan priced £20. To get your copy at the special Eat Sussex readers’ price of £18.50 incl. P&P, just send a cheque made out to ‘Eat Media’ to Eat Media, 13 Middle St, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AL.

Spring 2008

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F. Sprinkle the yeast into half the water. Leave for a few minutes then stir to dissolve.

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre.

Pour the yeasted water into the well and mix together, adding more of the reserved water as necessary to create a soft, pliable dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured worktop and knead until smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes.

Place the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Knock back and then rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll out to make rounds about 8 inches across.

Cook each round separately

in a hot dry pan – pricking the surface to prevent bubbling.Turn frequently and when golden on both sides remove to a plate and cover with a cloth to keep soft and warm. Continue like this until all 8 rounds are cooked, stacking them up, one on top of the other.

Use a thin, sharp knife to cut around the edge of each bread and then separate into two halves.

Top one half with cheese, rocket and air-cured ham and season with salt and pepper. Place the other half on top of the filling and lay the stuffed breads out onto baking sheets. Bake in a hot oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

For aga cooking:

Use the third or fourth set of runners in the Roasting Oven.

#HERRY 'ARDENS /RGANIC &ARM 3HOP for organic & biodynamic: fresh fruit & vegetables dairy, eggs & meat dried goods, juices and honey cakes & ice-cream PYO fruit & vegetables in season

Authentic Bread Authentic Bakers

Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 6pm Cherry Gardens Farm, Cherry Gardens Hill, Groombridge, TN3 9NY located on B2188 between Groombridge & Crowborough

info@cherrygardensfarm.co.uk 01892 862307

Since 1740 we have been making a huge variety of breads by hand the old fashioned way.

You can find us at local Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Markets in Arundel, Chichester, East Grinstead, Horsham, Midhurst, Petworth, Shoreham-by-Sea, Southwater, Slindon & Worthing.

We also supply toretail and catering trades.

Order online at: www.farmfreshexpress.co.uk

SLINDON BAKERY EST 1740

Telephone: 01243 814369

The Old Bakery, Slindon, Arundel, BN18 0RP Spring 2008 Slindon Bakery HP 0308.indd 1

12/2/08 11:45:29

Oblong is a new dining and bar experience in Hove We are dedicated to serving fresh seasonal food, building relationships with local suppliers and farmers and using organic produce as much as possible.

Because we are a seasonal restaurant our menu changes monthly so we can maintain high standards delivering the best quality available to us and letting our diners experience new dishes each time they visit us.

We have kept our menu imaginatively brief so we can maintain quality.

We have a Brunch, Lunch and Prix Fixe Menu.

Oblong is also a sophisticated bar serving a range of irresistible cocktails.

In the summer months you can spend time sipping Rosé on our Roof Terrace which boasts sunlight from morning till night.

• BEAUTIFUL BRASSERIE SETTING • SOUTH FACING TERRACE • CLASSIC FRENCH CUISINE LOCALLY SOURCED • A LA CARTE TUESDAY-SUNDAY • MENU RAPIDE TWO COURSES £11.95 (TUES-SAT 12 TIL 5PM) • OPEN ALL DAY TUESDAY-SUNDAY • SUPERB SUNDAY ROAST

Our team has a wealth of experience between them, earning top management and cheffing experience in well known local restaurants.

MENTION THIS ADVERT AND RECEIVE A FREE GLASS OF WINE WITH EVERY MEAL oblong 81 george street, hove 01273 776776 www.oblongrestaurant.com contact@oblongrestaurant.com

196 Church Road Hove BN3 2DJ Tel: 01273 220868 www.legliserestaurant.co.uk info@legliserestaurant.co.uk

QP 0308.indd 1 12/2/08 Leglise 10:27:08

Oblong QP 0308.indd 1

“ Wonderfully exotic… a bakery that makes equal use of Middle Eastern flavours and”traditional British ingredients

Telegraph Magazine Member of the National Association of Master Bakers

We make traditional cakes with a contemporary twist. Hand-made and beautifully crafted. We have an extensive range of cakes, baked cheesecakes, puddings, tarts and individual desserts.

We are an innovative bakery, with a selection of vegan and gluten-free cakes and desserts using the highest quality and organic ingredients.

We supply a variety of venues and are happy to cater any function or event.

We are now being delivered through Sussex by The Cheeseman.

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01273 414166

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info@thehomecakery.co.uk

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www.thehomecakery.co.uk

THE CHEESE MAN We are delighted to be the sole distributor of The Home Cakery’s cakes and desserts. After 45 years as a family run business, we recognise high quality products. Passionate about local cheeses and fine foods, we deliver from Monday to Friday across the Sussex area in our fleet of refrigerated vans.

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01273 412444

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enquiries@thecheeseman.co.uk

Spring 2008

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www.thecheeseman.co.uk

8/2/08 14:52:45

In my own words

Paul Noble

Chef proprietor, Nobles Restaurant

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seemed perfect. Battle is a cracking town and the restaurant ticked all our boxes. Everything from the rear entrance to the different sections of the restaurant, if we’ve got a family in with young children then they can be somewhere separate from businessmen or older people who may like things a little quieter. We can encourage kids to come in because we’ve got the separate sections. And the space works very well for functions.

I worked at the Michelin-starred Harveys Restaurant & Wine Cellars in Bristol (where the sherry was originally blended) for the best part of five years. It was an awesome place to work. I worked under two fantastic head chefs: Raymond Farthing, who now has his own place, 36 on the Quay in Emsworth, and Daniel Galmiche, who is at the Claremont Club in London.

It was a sad day when they closed Harveys Restaurant and the museum, all that history, going back centuries, all gone.When I started there the Harveys family still owned it and were just in the process of selling it to Allied Domecq. Allied Domecq went “The brand.

Thank you very much.The rest? Don’t need it!” It was all very sad.

I was a good few years at The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath and The Goring Hotel in London. The Goring family were fantastic people to work for and Derek Quelch, the head chef, was absolutely brilliant. I think learning the finesse from the guys in Bristol and then the organisational side at The Goring has put me in very good stead for what I’m doing here.

At Nobles, we serve simple food cooked well. I try to use as much local produce as possible, as much seasonal produce as possible.

The Jerusalem artichokes in that braised dish there are from an allotment just over the road.

The guy who grows them is a fantastic chap who takes great pleasure in bringing us nice gear, everything from the artichokes to golden beetroot, Swiss chard, runner beans. No money changes hands. He’s got a sizable plot and does

“The Jerusalem artichokes in that braised dish there are from an allotment just over the road” it for fun.When he’s grown something surplus to his needs, rather than sling it he brings it over to us, which is very decent of him. And there are one or two little growers that I try to use locally as well.

All our lamb and beef comes from a fantastic butcher, Jamie Wickens, in Winchelsea.

It’s all local breeds or Angus reared on Romney Marsh and we really do get a lot of complements on our lamb and beef. It makes my job easy.

People really are trying to make the effort to keep things local, reduce their carbon footprints and all that, and are getting more so but it’s still impossible to source everything

locally, particularly fruit and veg. I think suppliers need to be a bit more upfront and honest about where they are getting their stuff from. I’m perfectly happy to pay a little bit extra for local, up to a point. I tried to get local suppliers to source local stuff and they weren’t interested.

In the herb garden, I chopped everything back for winter but now the chives are coming up, this becomes the biggest sage bush you’ve ever seen in your life and it tastes fantastic.

Marjoram, fennel grows like mad as well. It’s a great space to have, particularly in the summer, when the kitchen’s really hot and you can step outside. n

Spring 2008

Photo: Jo Newman

HeN We found this place it

47

Farmers’ Markets in Sussex East Sussex

Firle

Battle 3rd Saturday of every month, 9am-1pm, Battle Abbey Green Tel: 01424 751575

Bexhill 4th Thursday of every month, 9am-12noon, Parkhurst Methodist Hall, Parkhurst Road Tel: 01424 222969

Brede Every Friday, 10am-12noon, Brede Village Hall Tel: 01424 882836

Brighton & Hove 1st Sunday of every month, 10am-3pm, Ralli Hall, next to Hove Station Tel: 01273 323200

Brighton & Hove 4th Saturday of every month, 10am-3pm, George Street, Hove Tel: 01273 470900

Crowborough 4th Saturday of every month, 9am-1pm, Wealden District Council car park Tel: 01892 664064

4th Sunday of the month, March to November, 10am-2pm, Middle Farm on A27 near Firle Tel: 01323 811411

Hailsham 2nd Saturday of every month, 9am-12.30pm, Hailsham Cattle Market Tel: 01323 833359

Hastings 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month, 9am-2pm, Robertson Street (next to Debenhams) Tel: 01424 457109

Heathfield 3rd Saturday of every month, 9am12.30pm, Heathfield Co-op car park Tel: 01435 862798

Lewes 1st Saturday of every month, 9am-1pm, Cliffe Pedestrian Precinct Tel: 01273 470900

Pevensey Bay village market 2nd Saturday of every month, 8.45am-11.45am, St Wilfrid’s Hall, Eastbourne Road Tel: 01323 460178

Crowhurst Village market 1st Saturday of every month, 10am-12noon, Crowhurst Village Hall Tel: 01424 830461

Rye

Petworth

Arundel

3rd Saturday of every month, 9am-1pm, Town Centre Tel: 01903 884772 / 07881 687694

Uckfield 1st Saturday of every month, 9am-1pm, Luxford Car Park Tel: 01825 760646

4th Saturday of alternate months (Dec, Feb), 8.30am-1.30pm, Market Square Tel: 01243 785166

Pulborough

Billingshurst

Last Saturday of every month, Feb to Dec, 9am-12noon, Pulborough Village Hall Tel: 01798 874388

Chichester

2nd Saturday of every month, 9am-1pm, East St Tel: 01273 263152

3rd Wednesday of every month, 9am-1pm, Jengers Mead Tel: 01403 215386 1st and 3rd Friday of every month, 9am-2pm, East St & North St Tel: 01243 785166

East Grinstead

1st and 3rd Thursday of every month, 9am-2pm, High St Tel: 01932 788001

Hassocks

4th Saturday of every month, 9am-1pm, National Tyres Forecourt Rachellovell@hotmail.com

Henfield

3rd Friday of every month, 9am-1pm, Henfield Hall Car Park Tel: 01273 492595 Every Saturday, 9am-5pm, Carfax (Town Centre) Tel: 01403 215386

Midhurst

Shoreham-by-Sea

Slindon 4th Thursday of every month (excl.

Dec), 8.30am-12.30pm, Coronation Hall, Reynolds Lane Tel: 01243 814777

Southwater Every Tuesday, 9am-1pm, Lintot Square, Tel: 01243 814777

Steyning

Haywards Heath

2nd and 4th Thursday of every month, 9am-2pm, The Orchards Shopping Centre Tel: 01932 788001

Horsham

Every Wednesday, 10am-1pm, Strand Quay Tel: 01797 280282

East Dean Village Market Every Wednesday, 10.30am-12.30pm, East Dean Village Hall Tel: 01323 423481

West Sussex

4th Saturday of alternate months (Nov, Jan), 8.30am-1.30pm, Capron House Car Park Tel: 01243 785166

1st Saturday of every month, 9am-1pm, High St Car Park (opp Clock Tower) Tel: 01403 711057

West Chiltington 2nd Saturday of every month, 9am-12noon, Village Hall Tel: 01798 815455

Wisborough Green 2nd Thursday of every month, 9am12.30pm, Village Hall Tel: 01403 700624

Worthing 4th Saturday of every month, 9am-2pm, South St Square Tel: 01903 203252

Park Farm Shop Brighton’s Local Farm Shop Accessible to All.

Heavenly Organics ORGANIC FARM SHOP

Set in the beautiful surroundings of Heaven Farm

We stock a delicious selection of organic natural and locally-sourced produce, eco-friendly household products and toiletries.

Refill your ECOVER products at our filling station.

Enjoy a spring walk along the Bluebell Nature Trail.

A warm welcome awaits you!

Open Daily/Ample Free Parking.

Credit/Debit cards accepted.

Tel: 07879 421848 E-mail: Jane@HeavenlyOrganicsUK.com Situated at Heaven Farm on the A275 north of the Bluebell Railway/Sheffield Park

Just off the A27 in Falmer Village.

Easy parking.

Open 7 days a week Monday to Saturday, 9am - 5pm Sunday, 9am - 12.30pm

Park Farm Shop Park Street, Falmer Village, Brighton. BN1 9PG

Tel: 01273 671 002

Spring 2008

Heavenly Organic QP 0308.indd 1

11/2/08 Park 10:22:40 Farm Shop QP 0308.indd 1

8/2/08 16:54:38

SHOP LOCAL S.A. Deveson High Class Produce Store

HIGH CLASS FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLIERS WHOLESALE & RETAIL SUPPLY

FREE DELIVERY

Please call us with your requirements, no matter how diverse!

We stock the largest range of fresh produce in the area.

Please call in to see our beautiful new shop in East Wittering

For friendly, professional service call 01243 672121/672722 www.munneries.co.uk 21 Shore Road, East Wittering, Sussex PO20 8DY

Munneries QP (Eat Sussex) 0907.i1 1

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Local Produce Huge Range of Organic Foods Free local delivery (on orders over £10)

71 Lustrells Vale Saltdean Tel: 01273 390 055

60 High Street Rottingdean Tel: 01273 303 257

30/8/07 SA 09:13:48 Deveson QP 0308.indd 1

21/2/08 20:06:54

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Spring 2008

The Wild Side

Fergus Drennan Springtime Tonic-time

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eading both old and

50

moder n herbals, as well as more recent books on wild food, it is fairly common to come across various plants referred to as spring tonics and blood purifiers — nettles, cleavers, watercress and chickweed are good examples.

The underlying assumption here was that, living with the seasons, our bodies required the restorative nutrients specific to leafy greens, these were essential

Spring 2008

for maintaining good health following a long winter diet of predominantly preserved foods and root vegetables.

If we chose to make this as relevant now as in former times it would be both fantastic for us, and beneficial for the planet! And, yet, being synonymous with hope and new beginnings, spring, in essence, is a powerful tonic itself in so many ways, a tonic that sets one’s blood pumping with excitement and eager anticipation of the coming months of light,

energy and abundance.

As our pulse quickens to the rhythmic beat of the dawning season, so too it is with the trees — their sap rising, pumping forth life-giving water and nutrients to send the young leaf buds bursting forth. For me, spring begins in earnest with the yearly ritual of tapping trees for sap, capturing this essence of spring, to be savoured in the months ahead.

Birch (Betula sp.), Lime (Tilia sp.), Sycamore (Acer sp.),Walnut (Juglans sp.) and various other trees can all be successfully tapped for their sap, the first two providing the best results in my experience.

There are several methods for doing this; here is one simple way. Any time between the end of February and the first week of April, take a metre length of 0.5-1 cm diameter plastic tubing, some two litre plastic bottles (keep the tops to put on the bottles when returning to pick up the sap), a drill with drill bit the same diameter as the plastic tubing, a piece of tissue or cotton wool, a lump of plasticine, a wooden bung and a hammer.

Select a suitably sized and wellestablished tree — at least 8-10 inches across. Mark a spot 2-3 feet up from the tree’s base. With the drill bit angled about 30˚ up from the horizontal, drill a clean hole about five centimetres deep into the tree. Blow out bits of debris.

Liquid should drip from the hole within 10-20 seconds at the rate of 1-4 drops per second at the peak of sap flow.

If not, hammer in a wooden bung and try another tree (note: the sap collecting season may have ended; in 2007 it fell between the dates given, but often there is just a two-week window of opportunity around mid-March).

Push one end of the plastic tubing 1-2 cms into the hole so that it is held firmly in place. Place the other end into the collecting bottle, far enough in so that it can’t slip out. Gently pack tissue or cotton wool around the tube at the neck end of the bottle, allowing the air to escape as the bottle fills with sap and to prevent

insects from getting in. Scoop out a handful or two of soil at the base of the tree and place the bottle in the shallow hole created to prevent it falling over.

As a precaution, to prevent any leakage, you can roll out and press a small piece of plasticine around the tube to make a perfect seal with the tree trunk. Leave for 12 hours, after which time the bottle will most likely be brimming with sap. Finally, plug up the hole to prevent infection.

The sap (actually about 95+ per cent water) can be evapourated to make a sublimely delicious if somewhat energy intensive syrup (fantastic with elderflower fr itters).

Also, speaking of elderflower, you could freeze a couple of litres and use it for making elderflower champagne in May. Better still, in my opinion, is to make a lovely refreshing wine right now. It’s easy!

Make a high alcohol tolerant wine yeast starter culture by following the instructions on a packet of wine yeast (note: you don’t have to buy yeast, I actually produce my own cultures from the yeast blooms on wild bullace plums).

Next, sterilize two demijohns, two rubber bungs, two airlocks and a plastic funnel — the products used for cleaning babies bottles are fine for this purpose.

Put eight pints of sap and 1kg of sugar into a large pan and bring to the boil, stirring in all the sugar.

Add the juice of one lemon and one teaspoon of yeast nutrient.

Empty and rinse the sterilized demijohns with boiled (but cooled slightly) water.

Divide the sap equally between the two demijohns, using the sterilized plastic funnel.Add yeast starter culture and fit bungs and air-locks.

Leave in an airing cupboard for five days before transferring all the sap into just one of the demijohns.

Ferment until no bubbles appear in the air-lock (one to three months).

The wine may just be ready in time for some seriously heady and debauched Beltane revelries! n

WeÕll help you turn the catch of the day

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Telephone 01323 644505 waitrose.com/eastbourne

Telephone 01273 326549 waitrose.com/brighton

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Telephone 01903 230222 waitrose.com/worthing

Telephone 01273 486286 waitrose.com/lewes

Telephone 01403 259777 waitrose.com/horsham