Eat Sussex

ISSUE 8 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009

YOUR FREE COPY

SEASON’S EATINGS HEARTY DISHES TO BRING YOU IN FROM THE COLD

WILD IN THE COUNTRY MAKING THE MOST OF ENGLISH GAME DRINK PINK! ST VALENTINE’S DAY SPARKLERS PLUS: Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 1

THE

GASTRO-GNOME’S

GUIDE

TO

HASTINGS 5/12/08 17:33:40

F I S H &S CHIP

ITH… MADE W supplied d r a n r u G Local e v o L e

by W ght by and cau Doswell Graham alcyon, on the H rne.

Eastbou from Potatoes eson S. A. Dev

LOCAL INGREDIENTS COOKED WITH PASSION GOOD PUB FOOD RIGHT IN THE HEART OF BRIGHTON 1 2 5 G L O U C E S T E R R O A D B R I G H T O N . B N 1 4 A F T E L : 0 1 2 7 3 6 0 7 7 6 5 H E A D

C H E F :

Eat Sussex 8.indd 12 Eagle FP AdIssue 0109.indd

S T E P H E N

A D A M S

THE EAGLE 5/12/08 3/12/08 17:33:41 10:43:41

0:43:41

Contents

COMMENT

CONTENTS

IRST AND most importantly, I’d Flike to wish all our readers and

advertisers a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year 2009.

When we started Eat Sussex Magazine there were a lot of very good reasons for buying locally and it’s always interesting to ask people personally why they do so. Cutting down on our food miles means less carbon dioxide emissions which is vital in limiting the degree of climate change we are undergoing.

Buying meat directly from producers we know and from butchers we trust means we can be absolutely certain that the standards of welfare and husbandry those animals have experienced have been the very highest. Labels like free-range and organic and RSPCA Freedom Food may all reassure, but for me, the more I know about the actual provenance of the meat at my table the more I enjoy it.

Since working on this magazine, it has been my privilege to meet some of the wonderful farmers of Sussex and see at first hand the compassion and skill they bring to rearing the animals in their care.

Buying local produce also makes sense from a nutritional point of view, as fruit and vegetables grown nearby are generally fresher than those that have been flown around the planet. For many people seasonal produce is an opportunity to get back into the rhythm of the passing year and to feel a connection with the land we live on.All of these are very good reasons to use your nearby farm shop, family butcher,greengrocer and fishmonger,and there are many more besides.

But as we head into a new year and seemingly ever deeper into a financial quagmire, one very good argument for shopping locally becomes more important than ever before, and that’s the economic one. Shopping in a giant multinational chain takes money out of our communities, shopping locally put money in.

If I buy an ice cream, for instance, from Peter andVeronica Lenihan at Park Farm Shop, they make a small profit.The ice cream they sell is made by Sarah Farnes at Downsview Farm, who makes it with milk from the family’s dairy herd, so the Farnes family benefit from the purchase as well.But Sarah doesn’t just use milk to make the ice cream, she also uses free-range eggs, and these she gets from Glyn Thomas and his family at Holmansbridge Farm. And so the chain goes on as the pennies I spend in Falmer circulate from business to business and family to family. I admit that buying one small tub of ice cream isn’t going to end a global recession, but it is one tiny step towards helping our communities get through it.

Tony Leonard, Editor.

03 Comment A few words from the editor.

05 News All the news that’s fit to eat.

09 In my own words Helena Hudson, owner, The Real Eating Company.

10 Column: Gilly Smith A cake for LouLou.

13 Peer Bayless: Something for the weekend Peter meets the little piggies at Old Dairy Farm.

18 Recipes: In season Autumn recipes by Stephen Adams.

28 Aim of the game Michael Harwood meets a thoroughly modern gamekeeper.

RECIPE FINDER

Boston Baked Beans ..................................40 Caramel Pear Pudding...............................27 Endive & Blue Cheese Salad with Sweet Mustard Dressing............................18 Irish Stew ......................................................41 Milanese Osso Buco ..................................42 Mussels with Tomatoes & Fennel Seed ................................................19

34 The Gastro-Gnome’s Guide to Hastings The Gnome discovers a town on the up.

40 Recipes: One Pot Wonders Dominic McCartan dishes up some tasty casseroles.

46 Drink Sussex: Drink pink!

Sparkling rosés for St Valentine’s Day.

49 What’s on Farmers’ markets all around Sussex.

50 Column: The wild side

by Fergus Drennan Fergus forages a tasty winter salad.

Roast Guinea Fowl with Apricot & Hazelnut Stuffing ....................................24 Root Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie ................19 Shoulder of Mutton Baked in Hay with Flageolet Beans a la Francaise..................15 Soft Slow-Roasted Belly of Rare Breed Pork ..........................................16 Sweet Potato Curry ....................................43 Turbot wrapped in Air-Dried Ham with Champ .......................................22

Pot Roast Brisket with Red Wine and Root Vegetables..................................41

Vegetable Tagine........................................45

Potato & Herb Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce .............................................21

Venison, Mushroom and Red Pepper Hot Pot ...........................................42

Rhubarb Crumble.......................................27

Venison Meatballs.......................................25

Wild Winter Salad.......................................50

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.

3

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 3

5/12/08 17:33:45

RELAX Enjoy a relaxing and luxurious stay away this winter.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast from only £85.00 per person Dine in our award winning restaurant and stay in a standard room Sunday to Thursday from 1st October 2008 to 31st March 2009 (Fridays and Saturdays from only £98.50.)

Room upgrades are available from £60 per room.

NEWICK PARK, NEWICK, NR LEWES, EAST SUSSEX BN8 4SB Tel +44 (0)1825 723633 Fax +44 (0)1825 723969

Email: bookings@newickpark.co.uk

Web: www.newickpark.co.uk

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 4

5/12/08 17:33:47

News

RYE BAY WE LOVE DINNER! SCALLOP FESTIVAL The seventh annual Rye Bay Scallop Festival will take place in the ancient Cinque Ports town of Rye, East Sussex in February from Friday 20th to Saturday 28th. Rye is a medieval gem with a fascinating maritime history and its very own fishing fleet supplying many of the best restaurants and hotels in the town. Rye Bay scallops, a local delicacy, will be on the menus of many of Rye’s eateries and restaurants.This seasonal speciality, a succulent, sweet and extremely tasty shellfish, is simple and fast to cook and very versatile.

If the idea of pan-fried scallops & black pudding dressed with caper and sultana or scallop ceviche with caviar whet your appetite, then take a look at www.ryebayscallops. co.uk for details and participating restaurants.

Local food delivery company in Brighton, We Love Local, is launching a dining club for local food supporters. The club will move from venue to venue each month, giving adventurous foodies the chance to enjoy specially designed menus, meet the chefs who cook them and the farmers

who have produced the food on the plate.The club kicks off at The Eagle Bar on the 24th of February, with a meal cooked by chef and Eat Sussex writer, Stephen Adams.

Tickets are £30, for a three-course meal with a drink on arrival. Buy tickets at www.we-love-local.com or phone 01273 206865.

WIN A RAW CHOCOLATE-MAKING WORKSHOP

Leah Star of Love Chocolates and Love Chocolate Cakes is offering Eat Sussex readers a chance to win their very own personal workshop making raw chocolate goodies for St Valentine’s Day. The winning reader plus a friend will join Leah for half a day of chocolate and chocolate cake-making, using natural organic, fairtrade ingredients to produce delicious and nutritious goodies to take away with you.

To enter, simply email: competition@eatsussex.co.uk or send a postcard to Competition, Eat Media Ltd, 13 Middle St, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AL with the answer to the following question: What is the name of the bean that chocolate is made from?

(Clue: There are two possible answers, either is acceptable).

Entries must be received by Friday 30th January 2009 and the winner will be drawn from a hat.

Congratulations to Claire Doyle of Forest Row who won The Real Eating Company Simply Sussex Hamper in our last issue.

NEW YEAR COOKERY COURSES Kitchen Academy, the mobile cookery school, is now running adult evening classes at the Komedia in Brighton.

Jethro Carr, who will be running the course alongside Jonathan Coupland, says “Brighton and Hove is awash with foodies and has an exceptional restaurant scene. People attending the evening classes will be able to use the best local Sussex produce and will be able to sit down and dine together at the end.”

Starting in January the evening classes will be once a week over four weeks. Each week you will be able to cook a different two course dinner using the best produce available. The course costs £50 per evening or £175.00 for the whole course. For booking, phone the Komedia box office: 0845 2938480.

E AT M E D I A LT D

ADVERTISING 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 EDITORIAL

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

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

Greenvan: new online wholefood shopping and delivery service

A new online shop offers a wholefood delivery service to the Brighton and Hove area. Greenvan offers organic, natural, fair-trade food, drink & household goods including laundry/washing up refills, fresh fruit and vegetables and freshly baked bread — all at highly competitive prices. No GM’s, no airfreight, no plastic carrier bags. The service promises next-day delivery, Monday to Friday 6-9pm, in an environmentally friendly electric van. For more details, go to www.greenvan.biz.

In season now Apples Beetroot Brussels sprouts Cauliflower Clams Duck Guinea fowl John Dory Kale Parsnips Partridge Pears Kale Leek Mussels Swede Turnips Venison Walnuts © 2009 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.

5

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

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 5

5/12/08 17:33:52

News

RESTAURANT ROUND UP

David Edward Head Chef at Seattle Hotel

Romance at the Marina Hotel Seattle, one of Brighton’s top hotels, has recently opened its new restaurant led by head chef, David Edward. With a total capacity of 100, the restaurant features a chef ’s table for up to 12 guests who can enjoy a menu of local seasonal dishes that keeps things simple and very British. Highlights from the winter menu include potted shrimps, mace butter and toasted muffin, game terrine with quince jelly, lemon sole with mussels and baby leeks poached in cider sauce and roast partridge, bacon and cabbage.

David’s planning a romantic feast for St Valentine’s Day with a number of dishes to share such as oysters to start,Cote de Boeuf for main and chocolate fondue for a deliciously decadent dessert.

For more information on Hotel Seattle visit their website: www. hotelseattlebrighton.com.

Leisurely Sundays at Ashdown Park Sunday afternoons have become even more relaxed at Ashdown Park.The country house hotel, atWych Cross, near Forest Row, is offering an all-day Sunday lunch menu.The Anderida Restaurant will remain open from 1pm to 9pm so diners can choose exactly when they want to sit down to eat.

The special three-course table d’hote menu costing £26.50 per person will feature a choice of five starters and main courses,Afterwards guests can choose a dessert or selection of British cheeses before relaxing over an optional coffee and petit fours.

Ashdown Park General Manager Ben Booker said:“This is a first for the hotel and reflects a change in weekend dining habits.The traditional Sunday lunch or evening meal has become a thing of the past for many families who might now enjoy a late Sunday meal after a morning playing sport, going for a stroll, catching up on the newspapers or going shopping.”

For extended Sunday lunchtime reservations and further information call 01342 824988.

The Cuckfield Cuckoo 6

The Cuckoo, an intimate 34 seat restaurant in Cuckfield, is a new venture by owner, Toby Erlam and chef, Matthew Sandells, who met whilst working together at the The Griffin Inn, Fletching.

Matt embraces high quality ingredients and believes

strongly in using seasonal produce for their superior taste and texture. He has his own vegetable garden and uses much of his own produce in his dishes.And in his spare time he is still in the kitchen making chutneys and pickles.

Toby’s passion for food and wine has taken him around the world visiting vineyards and winemakers in Italy,France, South Africa, Argentina and Chile. He has drunk yak’s milk in Mongolia, eaten guinea pig in Peru, deep-fried grasshoppers in China and snake in Thailand - none of which will are currently on the Cuckoo menu.

The Cuckoo Restaurant, 1 Broad Street, Cuckfield, West Sussex, RH17 5LJ.

MP presents Certificate of Excellence to The Sussex Ox Lewes MP Norman Baker recently visited The Sussex Ox near Alfriston to present owners David and Suzanne Pritchard with a Certificate of Recommendation from the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group for serving great beer and food.

Mr Baker told David & Suzanne that they had been selected as one of only five establishments to receive the accolade in the area.

“It is a great honour to receive this award as recognition for all at The Ox for their tremendously hard work in sourcing, preparing and serving great local produce,” said David.

David & Suzanne Pritchard have ownedThe Sussex Ox since June 2004 and in that time have concentrated on delivering fresh, local produce with great real ales and wine in a classic English country pub setting.

Brighton chef wins top curry award Oxtail Madras, the signature dish of Alun Sperring, chef/proprietor of The Chilli Pickle Bistro was the winner of the XXX Mints CanYou Handle the Heat Challange as part of National Curry Week 2008.

Judges, Enam Ali, Cyrus Todiwala MBE, Rajesh Suri, TV presenter Mriudla Baljekar and DJ Chris Evans, who were unanimous in their verdict, went for taste over heat, giving the coveted award to a curry that was “tasty but mild enough to be included on a restaurant menu”. The winning dish uses organic oxtail from Sussex, cooked long and slow in a rich, sweet and hot (but subtle) sauce and is a popular choice at the Brighton restaurant.

You can sample the winning dish yourself at The Chilli Pickle Bistro, 42 Meeting House Lane, Brighton.

New deli for Bognor Regis Maria & Damon Parkinson have taken the plunge to realise their longstanding dream and have just opened a new deli in Bognor Regis. Simply Delicious stocks a large range of cheeses, meats and antipasto as well as cooking homemade meals for customers to reheat at home.

Simply Delicious, 2 Lennox Street, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 1LZ.

Dine at The Pelham Arms: exclusive offer Andrew and Romy Mellor are celebrating their first year at The Pelham Arms in Lewes in February with a wonderful offer for Eat Sussex readers. For the whole of February, the couple are offering readers an opportunity to dine at The Pelham Arms for just £8 for two courses, Tuesday to Saturday evenings.

The couple have had a busy year, turning around the fortunes of the once popular pub that had rather lost its way under the previous ownership. Andrew and Romy have brought a warm welcome and a friendly atmosphere back to The Pelham, along with a delicious seasonal menu that brings the best of Sussex produce onto the plate.

Booking is essential to take advantage of this generous offer. Phone: 01273 476149 and mention Eat Sussex when you call.

The Pelham Arms, High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XL

Countryman finalist for top rural award Good luck and fingers crossed for Alan Vaughan, family and staff at The Countryman Inn in Shipley. The pub has been shortlisted to the final three for the London & South East region Daily Telegraph Best Traditional Business Award as part of the Countryside Alliance Awards.

With pubs now closing at a rate of five a day and many countless villages all over the country are left with no local, it’s more important than ever to support those hostelries that are at the heart of their local communities and highlight the wonderful work they do in supporting local producers and provide a hub for rural life.

The Countryman Inn has been nominated for this prestigious award for its promotion of high quality local produce and its exemplary standards of customer care. The winners will be announced at a special reception the House of Lords on March 19th.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 6

5/12/08 17:33:54

[PWX WVTQVM

\WLIa â?šâ?˜

â?šâ?˜

â?šâ?˜

â?šâ?˜

â?šâ?˜

VI\]ZIT IVL WZOIVQK _PWTMNWWL[ NZM[P WZOIVQK NZ]Q\ ^MOM\IJTM[

JZMIL VI\]ZIT PW][MPWTL XZWL]K\[ QVKT]LQVO ZMÂł TT[ []XXTMUMV\[

[]XMZ NWWL[ NIQZ\ZILM ^MOIV

OT]\MV NZMM XZWL]K\[ IVL [W U]KP UWZM

IVL LMTQ^MZML

\W aW] \WUWZZW_

QV I Y]QM\ KTMIV

MN² KQMV\ MTMK\ZQK

XW_MZML ^IV M`KT][Q^M [MZ^QKM NWZ ZM[QLMV\[ WN JZQOP\WV

PW^M

___ OZMMV^IV JQb -ITT !

WZ MUIQT$ IVLa*OZMMV^IV JQb

GreenVan QP 0109.indd 1

clayton farm

28/11/08 14:56:53

ORGANIC

award-winning home produce from the heart of Sussex

..sustainable..free range ..organic home reared farmhouse chicken /succulent Sussex beef /woodland reared pork /homemade sausages /bacon /gammon & spiced meats

• 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

hen on the gate

newick lane, mayfield TN20 6RE mon-fri 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-1pm telephone shop: 01435 874852

www.claytonorganicfarm.com

196 Church Road Hove BN3 2DJ Tel: 01273 220868 www.legliserestaurant.co.uk info@legliserestaurant.co.uk January/February 2009 Leglise QP 0308.indd 1

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 7

8/2/08 14:52:45 5/12/08 17:33:56

HOVE 86-87 Western Road Hove East Sussex BN3 1JB 01273 221 444

LEWES

local vegetable boxes traditional breed meat & wild game fresh bread & milk eggs & cheeses sauces & condiments honey & preserves chocolates & treats

18 Cliffe High Street Lewes East Sussex BN7 2AJ 01273 402650

HORSHAM

Enjoy our signature dishes at 2004 prices

Celebrating 5 years of Real Eating

We Love Local are passionate about great local food and the people who make it. We buy directly from farmers and producers in Sussex and other neighbouring counties and deliver straight to your door, keeping food miles down...

Shop online or just pick up the phone.

Find out all about us and the people who supply us at: t: 01273 206865 | e: info@we-love-local.com

www.we-love-local.com

24-26 East Street Horsham West Sussex RH12 1HL 01403 264741

Best British Menu Sunday Lunch Weekend Breakfasts British Cheese Shop On-Line Shop

real-eating.co.uk

HOVE LEWES HORSHAM BOURNEMOUTH Camelia Botnar ad 1108:Layout 1 28/11/08 10:58 Page 1

Real Eating Company QP 0109.indd 1

Chichester College

Training Restaurants Professionally operated and fully licenced

Chichester College is pleased to announce that the Goodwood Restaurant is offering exceptional lunches and dinners with exciting new themed menus in 2009.

The meals are prepared and served by our NVQ Levels 2 & 3 students, supervised by their lecturers.

Menu Theme Continental Italian US Tex-Mex Oriental Taster Contemporary Taster

M A C

ELIA BOTN

3/12/08 14:48:55

AR

HOMES AND GARDENS CAMELIA BOTNAR BISTRO OPEN DAILY FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCHES, SNACKS, CAKES, TEAS & SUNDAY ROASTS

Dates (inclusive) January 19th to 30th February 5th and 6th only February 23rd to March 6th March 9th - 20th March 23rd - April 3rd

Lunch: Wed, Thur & Fri (12 - 12.45pm)

2 courses: 3 courses:

£9 £11

Dinner: Tue & Thur (6 - 6.45pm)

3 courses:

£16

To book a table please call: (01243) 789024 or (01243) 786321 ext 2210 Chichester College | Westgate Fields | Chichester | West Sussex | PO19 1SB www.chichester.ac.uk

We offer attentive service, with freshly prepared, locally sourced home-made food from a seasonal menu Open: Mon-Sat 9-5pm, Sun 10-4pm Littleworth Lane (off the A272), Cowfold (01403 864773) Email – sales@cameliabotnar.com www.cameliabotnar.com

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 8

5/12/08 17:34:09

In my own words

Helena Hudson Owner, The Real Eating Company

T

he

R eal E a t i n g Company was started in January, five years ago, which I can’t quite believe. It was an idea that I had when I moved down from London with my husband and two kids.

Brighton and Hove, about seven or eight years ago, was quite different to how it is now. If you wanted decent cheese you had to go to Waitrose. There seemed then to be two types of restaurant here. You had the nice posh restaurants like One Paston Place and then you had the cheap and cheerful pizza/ pasta places. There wasn’t really anything in between where you could have simple food, well made with good ingredients. I started to think about it and the idea of The Real Eating Company took hold.

I didn’t really think I was going to roll out a chain but the idea was always that I certainly wanted to do a few branches because, when I looked around other commuter towns in the south east, a similar thing was going on in them all,

which was that you had to go to London to get nice bread or cheese or have a nice meal.

It is a kind of stretchy brand: you can do delis, you can do cafés, you can do restaurants and you can combine the whole lot. So it meant we could do different things in different locations if we needed to.You need to be fairly flexible when you’re starting out so that helped really.

Consistency doesn’t just happen.

When you’ve got one site in some ways it’s easier to control because you are there, you are the quality controller and you can make changes and show people how you want things done, but you can’t do that when you’ve got more than one place so you need to put in

all these procedures and be very clear about how people need to do their jobs.

I enjoy the food side of the business the most.That’s what got me into it in the first place and I’ve got to keep reminding myself of that sometimes when I’m in danger of disappearing behind a huge pile of paperwork. We go through and taste all the cheeses, I go through the menu with the chefs, try new dishes, think about seasonal things coming up, how we introduce them into the menu, doing customer notes on the new produce we are featuring, that’s the most enjoyable stuff.

There’s been a massive move towards seasonal and local. Even though it was only five years ago when we first started, it was still quite an unusual thing to see a restaurant menu that changed.

It used to be printed menus and that was what they were running

with for the next six months or years even. And local food was even more unusual. You didn’t have places like Due South around, for example, but now it’s a lot more commonplace and I think people almost expect it, to the point where, well, we do talk about it still but it’s not the big USP that it was. I think people just expect it and you should be doing it because where we are, in Sussex, there is so much to draw on as well.

When the British Cheese Awards were announced we did a customers’ tasting of all the winning cheeses and people love to know the stories behind them and I think that’s good. It’s important to know a bit about where our food comes from. It’s really important to keep that interest going.

Game at the moment is fantastic and we are right in the middle of where a lot of it comes from. It wasn’t that long ago, I remember whenever we had rabbit on the menu or kidneys or ox tongue, we’d get people going: “Eww, yuck!”And now, well, we don’t get any negative comments about those things and devilled kidneys is one of the most popular lunchtime dishes we can do. Last week Louis actually served devilled pigeon hearts and they were very popular!

I think people are increasingly interested in offal and all those cheaper cuts of meat and I think that if they can see those things on restaurant menus as well then hopefully it will inspire them to see what they can do with them.

It’s good and it’s getting back to traditional, old-fashioned cooking techniques.

I’m still involved in the sourcing but it’s important to give the chefs some control as well. There are quite a few suppliers who we’ve been working with from the beginning. And I think that’s important for lots of reasons.We’re working together in a kind of partnership. The fact that we are here selling their products helps them and it is good quality produce so it works well for us. n The Real Eating Company has branches in Hove, Lewes, Horsham and Bournemouth.

9

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 9

5/12/08 17:34:15

Gilly Smith

Gilly Smith: Let Them Eat Cake Gilly Smith attempts to recapture her foodie childhood as she spurns the supermarket and takes her daughters, Ellie (12) and LouLou (10), deep into the forests, farms and seas of Sussex to find their food.

M

EMORY IS a funny old

10

thing. Not only do I remember the train-shaped cake my mother lovingly crafted for my (then) eightyear-old brother, but my memory of it is so charged that I dreamed of making one for my son one day. When I became the mother of girls, my memory morphed into daydreams and I longed for them to be big enough to gasp at the pink turrets on top of the fairy castle that I alone would carve from whatever I found around the house. The fact that I can’t even draw a turret (or a fairy) didn’t spoil my fantasies and when the

day came that Ellie, already sewn into a pink tutu, turned four, I rolled my sleeves up and got my ready-made icing out onto the kitchen table with a smug grin shaped from the genes of a supermother.

When I asked my mother about the train-cake, she had no memory of it. My father, who can remember every tiniest detail of his life, looked blank. My mother told me that my brother had also denied any knowledge. I was rocked. If this super-mother memory was a fantasy from the first, then what else wasn’t real? I didn’t dare ask about the lullabies or the long journey take-a-

turn story-telling that I think I inherited.What about the talking toys? The Johnny Morris-voiced puppy? There was a chance, I realised, I had made my whole childhood up.

I dusted myself down and frantically rattled through the pieces of my children’s past to see what might fit. I chanced upon the moment last year when LouLou revealed herself to be the sum of our family parts (or what I thought they were then). I had taken her to see Georgia Bing, author of the Molly Moon books, at the Brighton Festival and she was mesmerised (that’s an in-joke for Molly Moon fans). She leant across to me and whispered in my ear: “When I grow up, I’m growing to write children’s stories like Georgia Bing and Grandpa.”

While I blushed with pride, she leant over again and, with eyes still burning into her new heroine, added “or become a professional cake maker.”

So when her tenth birthday approached in October, I promised her a proper cake, thinking more of building tiers and turrets like I had done when she was little, rather than hiring in some help.

But LouLou wasn’t looking for just a cake; she was looking for a mentor and set about scouring the autumn food festivals for someone who would fit the bill.

At Chiddingly, she found her.

Emerging from the cake tent beaming, she led me silently by the hand to Lizzy Harman and her LittleVillage Cake Company stall, featuring a stunning rose-covered wedding cake, and proclaimed her journey had come to an end. I blanched at the price and took Lizzy aside.

A few weeks later, LouLou’s birthday arrived and we piled her in the car with big sister and sleepover chum and drove her to a kitchen in the country for her secret birthday treat. She didn’t immediately recognise Lizzy who sat her down amid colouring agents and peacock feathers, but as the penny dropped, her excitement grew and they set to work.

There’s something wonderfully

timeless about making cakes, and three hours disappeared in a haze of petal-making, bowllicking, icing-colouring bliss.

The girls busied themselves with cutting out daisies and polka dots while the kitchen filled with the sweet smell of warm cake until magically, the squidgy yellow mess was transformed into a smoothly iced hat-cake. The table was cleared for the finale. Polka dots spotted the yellow icing and tiny cupcakes, topped with delicate daisies, circled the brim of her birthday bonnet.

LouLou’s smile was something out of Alice in Wonderland, and when Lizzy asked her to place the peacock feather in the centre of the hat-cake, I knew that it didn’t matter anymore whether or not my mother really had made a train-cake. LouLou will tell her children wonderful home-made stories and make them cakes laden with flowers and feathers when she grows up. She will very probably never remember the fairy castle that I made when she was almost one but I don’t care; she will remember the peacockcake as having something to do with me. And as her memory and her daydreams collide, it will probably be me that made it for her tenth birthday, and me that becomes the super-mum whose mantle she will one day inherit.

The fact that my cakes turn out like biscuits and my turrets are made of loo rolls need never be part of the story she grows up to tell. n

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 10

5/12/08 17:34:28

A

shdown Manna

cooker y school

cuisine

The complete culinary experience located in the heart of Ashdown Forest, East Sussex.

One day hands-on courses with professional chefs using local and organic produce:

• Learn new and exciting recipes • Brush up on old skills • Learn how to be more resourceful • Suited to both novice and experienced cooks •The perfect gift idea For a full list of courses, dates and prices, please visit www.ashdowncookeryschool.co.uk Gift or call 01825 740770 Vouchers

THE DORSET AD. 1670

come drink, come eat, come sleep

Lewes’s premier pub restaurant specialising in seafood 22 Malling Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2RD 01273 474 823 www.thedorsetlewes.com info@thedorsetlewes.com

Available

“you’ve got to put love into it” Jamie Stephens, Head Chef

Tuesday – Sunday, 6pm dinner Saturday & Sunday 10am brunch’n’lunch

www.pomegranatehastings.co.uk 50 George Street, Old Town Hastings, TN34 3EA Tel: 01424 429221

January/February 2009 Pomegranate 0109 QP.indd 1 Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 11

2/12/08 17:47:01 5/12/08 17:34:33

NOMINATED FOR THE SUSSEX FOOD & DRINK AWARDS - BEST EATING EXPERIENCE 2007

the Foragers pub

“While many pubs are trying to serve up local grub with a seasonal twist, the foragers have gone a step further. Several steps in fact” Mimi Spencer, The Observer “ I’d always hoped the mantra “Think global, act local” could be achieved by going to the pub-and now it can” Terry Durack, restaurant critic of the year, Sunday Independent “The name says it all, this light cheery pub is hot on gathering greens from around East Sussex “ Zoe Williams, Sunday Telegraph 3 stirling place • hove • east sussex • BN3 3YU • tel: 01273 733134 • www.theforagerpub.co.uk • email: the forager@yahoo.co.uk eat_sussex_hp.indd 1

15/5/08 13:28:47

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 12

5/12/08 17:34:50

Something for the weekend

Happy as pigs in…

Peter Bayless, chef, author and BBC MasterChef 2006, gets down and dirty with the pigs, sheep, cattle and fowl when he meets Trevor Gregory and Sharon Barnard at The Old Dairy Farm in Furners Green.

Photography by Paul Cassidy.

Food photography by Jean-Luc Brouard.

J

ust my luck. The very day that I chose to visit a farm and get to meet all the rare breed livestock it turned out to be one of the wettest of the year. To call it rain would be a gross understatement. Think standing under Niagara Falls and you’d be getting close to the truth and as for the ground underfoot, it wasn’t just mud it was that heavy,

glooping, squidgy, welliepulling-offie kind of stuff that makes you wonder why anyone in their right mind would ever choose to run a farm. But then The Old Dairy Farm in Furners Green is no ordinary farm and Sharon and her partner Trevor, who own and run the place, are no ordinary farmers either. Let me explain.

These days most farms tend to be hi-tech food production plants, vast commercial enterprises employing every trick in the book in order to maximise yield and keep their prices low enough to suit the supermarket buyers.And nowhere is this more true than in the production of meat, or to be more precise, the raising of the animals that are destined to become meat.

I don’t want to dwell on it for too long, but suffice to say that much of what goes on behind the metaphorically closed doors of those farms to which the public are not welcome would almost certainly result in a significant increase in vegetarianism.

So what has all this got to do with Sharon and Trevor?

Absolutely nothing — and that is the whole point of this article.

You see, these two young people are on a mission, a mission born out of a dream which through determination, hard work and genuine passion they have turned into a reality. A trip down to Old Dairy Farm is a bit like a trip down memory lane – for those of us old enough to have such a distant memory, because this is a farm straight out of one of those 1940s picture books. Just to the side of the Ashdown Forrest lies

13

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 13

5/12/08 17:34:55

THE OLD DAIRY FARM SHOP

Naturally fresh produce direct from the farm THE OLD DAIRY FARM & SHOP is a family run farm situated just off the A275 between Sheffield Park and Danehill, East Sussex.

VALENTINES MENU NOW AVAILABLE

We believe in producing naturally fresh, additive free, wholesome food at a very competitive price. Slowly grown, traditional and local breeds, bred and reared with care in the heart of beautiful Sussex.

Sliders Lane, Furners Green, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3RT

THE OLD DAIRY FURNERS GREEN

T: 01825 790517 W: www.theolddairyfarmshop.co.uk E: info@theolddairyfarmshop.co.uk Open: Thurs-Sat, 10am-5pm

Pestle & Mortar QP 0109.indd 1

1/12/08 The 16:25:57 Old Dairy QP 0109.indd 1

SK Hutchings Family Butchers & Graziers serving the community for 20 yrs

• All meat prepared by our own butchers and all animals either from our own farm or a selected few.

• Delicious homemade pies baked and made on the premises and so is our bacon which is dry cured and naturally smoked.

• Popular homemade variety of sausages with weekly specials’ board.

• Refridgerated deliveries / 24 hour answerphone for placing orders.

• Spit roast available for events,weddings and parties.

• All enquiries welcome.

1/12/08 13:55:06

The Goodwood Farm Shop offers an exciting range of local, seasonal and organic produce Open Tuesday to Saturday 9.00am – 6.00pm Sunday 10.00am – 4.00pm Closed on Mondays Home Farm, Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0QF Telephone: 01243 755154 Email: farmshop@goodwood.co.uk

Telephone: 01403 710209 High Street, Partridge Green, West Sussex, RH13 8HU

www.goodwood.co.uk/farmshop

(opposite the fire station)

WHOLESOME FOOD FROM A WHOLESOME ENVIRONMENT

January/February 2009 SK Hutchings QP 0608.indd 1

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 14

17/6/08 15:40:44

5/12/08 17:34:59

Something for the weekend a beautiful piece of sloping land, about 28 acres in all, that Sharon and Trevor bought, with a little help from their bank, back in 2004.

It was derelict then, a wasteland of what had, many years before, been a dairy farm. Most people would have viewed the site as a disaster, but Sharon and Trevor saw Shangri-La, a place where they could begin to create the kind of farm they’d always dreamt of owning.A farm where, if they had the ability to do so, the animals themselves would undoubtedly choose to live.

The cattle, Sussex and Aberdeen Angus, roam one meadow whilst in the next, Southdown and Jacobs sheep graze contentedly. Chickens are free to scratch about in their own run, then pop into the hen house to lay their eggs. A horse in the next enclosure surveys all with an air of disinterest while mountain goats (kept as pets and for the amusement of children who visit the farm), scramble up and down climbing frames built specially for that purpose. But the real stars of the show are the pigs: pedigree Gloucester Old Spots and the even rarer Oxford & Sandy Blacks, the latter being saved from extinction by the endeavours of a handful of dedicated breeders. Sharon and Trevor are very much part of the survival story of these magnificent beasts and are working to have the Oxford & Sandy Black gain full recognition from the British Pig Association.

Now we are really getting to the crux of the matter – The Old Dairy Farm is run for the animals.

Yes, their destiny is to become beef, lamb, mutton, pork, bacon, etc. but they are assured of the best possible quality of life before they meet that end. It seemed to me that Sharon spoke to every animal by name – and they in turn clearly responded to her with affection.

Ernie, the big old Aberdeen Angus bull who, with his harem of Sussex cows, sires the farm’s beef cattle, gives her a gentle nudge with his massive head. Clarissa, the 36stone nursing sow, leans against the pen waiting for her back to be scratched before returning to suckle her litter of twelve little

spotted piglets.And even the sheep come to greet us when called.

Oddjob, the massive Oxford Sandy & Black boar bared his awesome tusks and seemed a bit grumpy, but I put that down to the fact that the only thing on his mind was to be allowed to get at the sow in the next pen – tricky thing testosterone.

None of these beasts though will ever go to market to be lost in an anonymous chain of wholesale and retail.When the time is right they travel only a short distance to the abattoir in Heathfield and after butchery return to The Old

SHOULDER OF MUTTON BAKED IN HAY WITH FLAGEOLET BEANS À LA FRANCAISE If you don’t live on a farm, get the hay from a pet shop.

SERVES SIX – EIGHT.

1 2-2¼kg (4½-5lb) shoulder of mutton

200g (7oz) butter, softened

2 cloves garlic, cut into fine slivers

6-8 shallots, sliced

3 carrots, sliced 300ml (½pt) dry white wine 250ml (9fl oz) brown stock Handful of chopped thyme & rosemary Pinch of sea salt A few good twists of black pepper Big bunch of hay (wash thoroughly under running water and then leave to soak before use)

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 325°F. Make little cuts into the meat and push in the slivers of garlic. Smear some softened butter all over it and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then smother with the chopped herbs.

Melt some more butter in a roasting pan and cover the base with the chopped shallots and carrots. Place a bed of wet hay over the vegetables and put the mutton on top. Cover the meat with more wet hay and pour in the wine and stock. Cover with two layers of foil and seal well. Roast for three hours.

Remove the meat from the oven, undo the foil and discard all of the hay.Transfer the meat to a warm serving plate and wrap well in foil. Cover with a couple of tea towels and rest for 30 minutes.

Pass the contents of the roasting pan through a fine sieve. Work the vegetables with the back of a ladle to extract as much flavour as possible. Drop a couple of ice cubes into the liquor and skim off the fat before re-heating. Simmer to reduce by half.

For the beans

3 300g (10oz) tins of flageolet beans, drained and washed

50g (20z) butter, softened

3 shallots, finely chopped

1 carrot, very finely diced Pinch of sea salt A few good twists black pepper Large bouquet garni (a couple of sticks each of celery, 2 bay leaves, a few sprigs each of thyme and parsley all tied up in the outer leaf of a leek) Parsley, finely chopped

To prepare the beans, put half the butter in a saucepan over the heat and when sizzling, add the chopped shallots with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat for ten minutes until soft but not browned.Add the carrot and bouquet garni and pour in about 400ml (14fl oz) hot water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes before adding the beans to just heat through.

Put three dessert spoons of beans together with four dessert spoons of the cooking liquid into a liquidizer and pulse to a smooth creamy purée.

Drain the rest of the beans and discard the bouquet.

Stir in the purée, parsley and another knob of butter.

Re-heat, check for seasoning and keep warm before serving.

Serve on well-heated plates by spooning on the beans and partially covering them with slices of carved mutton. Check the sauce for seasoning and pour over the meat.

15

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 15

5/12/08 17:35:02

Something for the weekend

Dairy Farm Shop from where we can buy the meat. Here is a real connection between food production and consumer and

because there are no middlemen involved, the prices are highly competitive too. Stroll around the shop and take in the array of

beef, lamb, mutton, pork, bacon, poultry and seasonal game.

Then there’s the eggs and dairy produce, honey from their own

bees, fruit and vegetables, home made pies, cakes, chutneys, jams, the list goes on – and everything is produced on the farm or the other 80 acres just up the road that Sharon and Trevor farm for a peppercorn rent. Give them a visit and treat yourself to some fresh, wholesome, additive-free, Sussex produce and while you’re there, let the children see what a real farm should look like.

The Old Dairy Farm & Shop, Sliders Lane, Furners Green, East Sussex,TN22 3RT 01825 790517 or visit www. theolddairyfarmshop.co.uk Shop opening hours: Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10.00am to 5.00pm Armed with my Southdown Cross shoulder of mutton and joint of Gloucester Old Spot belly pork I’ve created a couple of dishes for you to enjoy. n

SOFT SLOW-ROASTED BELLY OF RARE BREED PORK SERVES AROUND TWELVE.

1 Piece of boned out belly pork, about 3kg (6¾lb)

1½ glasses dry white wine

150ml (5oz) good chicken stock

6 plump cloves of garlic, crushed, skins left on A few strips of lemon peel Bunch of fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage), roughly chopped A few bay leaves Splash of olive oil Salt and cracked black peppercorns

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 2 150°C / 300°F. Scatter the garlic, lemon peel and bay leaves in the bottom of a large roasting pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Rub the chopped herbs and seasoning all over the flesh side of the pork and lay it skin side up in the roasting pan.

Rub the skin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the wine and stock. Cover the pan with two layers of foil and roast for four and a half hours.

Remove from the oven and undo the foil from the edges of the pan but leave it in contact with the pork. Place a second roasting pan, bottom down, on top of the foil and fill with weights to press the

16

meat while it cools. Refrigerate as soon as it is cool.

When cold, remove the meat in one piece, scraping away the fat and jellied stock, (use the fat for roast potatoes and the stock for the sauce to serve with the finished dish), Place on a cutting board and carefully portion into pieces approximately 70mm square. Any spare portions may be wrapped and frozen.

To serve the meat, simply place skin side down in a searing hot pan for a couple of minutes to crisp up the crackling then transfer to the oven to heat right through.

Serve crispy side up with apple, celeriac and potato mash, braised spiced red cabbage and gravy.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 16

5/12/08 17:35:13

ĂŠ Ă•Â?Â?i`ĂŠ ˆ`iĂ€

>ĂŒĂŠ ˆ``Â?iĂŠ >À“ÊÊ

DWj_edWb 9ebb[Yj_ed e\ 9_Z[h F[hho

Restaurant

,iVÂˆÂŤi 1 ĂŠ

, {ĂŠÂŤÂˆÂ˜ĂŒĂƒĂŠÂœvĂŠĂƒĂŒÂˆÂ?Â?]ĂŠ`ÀÞÊv>Ă€Â“Â…ÂœĂ•ĂƒiĂŠVˆ`iĂ€ ĂŽĂŠ>ÂŤÂŤÂ?iĂƒĂŠÂ‡ĂŠĂœ>ĂƒÂ…i`]ĂŠVÂœĂ€i`ĂŠ>˜`ĂŠĂƒÂ?ˆVi` Ă“ĂŠÂœĂ€>˜}iĂƒ]ĂŠĂœ>ĂƒÂ…i`ĂŠ>˜`ĂŠĂƒÂ?ˆVi` Ă•ÂˆViĂŠ>˜`ÊâiĂƒĂŒĂŠÂœvĂŠÂŁĂŠÂ?i“œ˜ Ă“ĂŠĂŒĂƒÂŤĂŠ}Ă€ÂœĂ•Â˜`ĂŠÂ“ÂˆĂ?i`ĂŠĂƒÂŤÂˆVi nĂŠĂœÂ…ÂœÂ?iĂŠVÂ?ÂœĂ›iĂƒ Ă“ĂŠVˆ˜˜>Â“ÂœÂ˜ĂŠÂľĂ•ÂˆÂ?Â?ĂƒĂŠĂƒÂ˜>ÂŤÂŤi`ĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠÂ…>Â?v ĂˆĂŠĂŒLĂƒÂŤĂŠÂ?ˆ}Â…ĂŒĂŠĂƒÂœvĂŒĂŠLĂ€ÂœĂœÂ˜ĂŠĂƒĂ•}>Ă€ĂŠÂ‡ĂŠÂœĂ€ĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠĂŒ>ĂƒĂŒi *Ă•ĂŒĂŠ>Â?Â?ĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠÂˆÂ˜}Ă€i`ˆiÂ˜ĂŒĂƒĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŒÂœĂŠ>ĂŠÂŤ>˜]ĂŠVÂœĂ›iÀÊ>˜`ĂŠÂ…i>ĂŒĂŠ }iÂ˜ĂŒÂ?ÞÊvÂœĂ€ĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠÂ?i>ĂƒĂŒĂŠÂŁĂŠÂ…ÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠÂ­ĂŒÂ…iĂŠÂ?œ˜}iĂ€ĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠLiĂŒĂŒiÀŽ°Ê

ÂœĂŠÂ˜ÂœĂŒĂŠLœˆÂ?° ``ĂŠvĂ€Âˆi˜`Ăƒ]ĂŠvĂ€iĂƒÂ…ĂŠvĂ€ÂœÂ“ĂŠ>ĂŠLĂ€>Vˆ˜}ĂŠĂœ>Â?ÂŽĂŠ ÂœÂ˜ĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠ ÂœĂœÂ˜Ăƒ]ĂŠ>˜`ĂŠĂƒiÀÛi°

>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜>Â?ĂŠ ÂœÂ?Â?iVĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂŠÂœvĂŠ ˆ`iÀÊEĂŠ*iÀÀÞ ˆ``Â?iĂŠ >À“ ÂˆĂ€Â?i]ĂŠ iĂœiĂƒ >ĂƒĂŒĂŠ-Ă•ĂƒĂƒiĂ?ĂŠĂŠ nĂŠĂˆ ĂŒiÂ?iÂŤÂ…ÂœÂ˜iÊä£ÎÓÎÊnÂŁÂŁ{ÂŁÂŁ v>Ă?Êä£ÎÓÎÊnÂŁÂŁĂˆĂ“Ă“ i“>ˆÂ? ˆ˜vÂœJ“ˆ``Â?iv>À“°Vœ“

Unwind Enjoy fabulous food in relaxed surroundings this winter Sunday roast three courses ÂŁ22.50 Set menu two courses from ÂŁ13.50 A La Carte Menu We are able to cater for weddings, parties and external catering needs Please contact us for more information 01825 721272 www.272restaurant.co.uk 20/22 High Street, Newick, East Sussex, BN8 4LQ

ĂœĂœĂœÂ°Â“Âˆ``Â?iv>À“°Vœ“

AA guide 2008

Michelin guide

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 17

5/12/08 17:35:14

In season

In season Recipes by Stephen Adams.

Photography by Jean-Luc Brouard.

In the darkest days of winter we look forward to the coming year with a selection of wholesome dishes to warm the cockles of your heart.

ENDIVE & BLUE CHEESE SALAD WITH SWEET MUSTARD DRESSING Some flavours were just made for each other and this is a case in point.The sweetness of the dressing contrasts with the bitterness of the endive and both play up the salty earthiness of the blue cheese.

SERVES FOUR.

18

1 endive (chicory)

200g (7oz) blue cheese

30g (1oz) castor sugar

30g (1oz) Dijon mustard 30ml (1fl oz) olive oil

1 tbsp warm water

1 tsp parsley, roughly chopped

Cut the base of the endive to release the leaves and wash.

Whisk together the mustard, oil, sugar and water to make the dressing.

Crumble the cheese over the endive leaves, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with parsley.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 18

5/12/08 17:35:18

In season

ROOT VEGETABLE SHEPHERD’S PIE This vegetarian pie has a lovely rich and deep flavour that will have even the most ardent carnivore asking for second helpings.

Serves four.

700g (1½lb) potatoes, peeled and diced

200g (7oz) carrot, diced

200g (7oz) parsnip, diced

200g (7oz) swede, diced

200g (7oz) onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed 300ml (½pt) vegetable stock

2 tbsp tomato puree

50g (2oz) butter

50g (2oz) cheddar cheese

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp parsley, chopped White pepper Salt & pepper Oil

MUSSELS WITH TOMATOES & FENNEL SEED There’s nothing like a big bowl of steaming mussels for raising the spirits.

Serves four.

2kg (4½lb) mussels

1 green pepper, finely diced

1 red pepper, finely diced

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 lemon, juice 30ml (1fl oz) white wine 400g (14oz) tinned chopped tomatoes

1 tsp chervil (or parsley), chopped

2 tbsp olive oil Salt & pepper

Clean the mussels and discard any with broken shells and any open ones which do not close when tapped.

In a large pan, heat the oil and cook the onion, garlic and peppers until softened. Stir in the fennel seeds.Add the mussels and wine, cover and cook until all the mussels have opened.

Drain carefully, saving the liquid and return it to the pan. Cover the mussels to keep warm.

Add the tomatoes and lemon juice to the liquor and simmer for a couple of minutes. Season to taste, add the chervil (or parsley) and the mussels, stir thorough and serve with crusty bread.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F. Boil the potatoes in salted water.

Fry the onions and garlic in a little oil until soft. Add the vegetables until the edges start to caramelise.Add the tomato puree and cook for a minute. Pour in half the stock and simmer gently.

Add more stock, a little at a time, as the liquid evaporates and the mixture gets too dry. Continue until the vegetables are cooked but retain a little crunch. Remove from the heat, season well and add

the parsley.

When the potatoes have cooked, strain and mash them with the butter, most of the cheese and egg yolks. Check the seasoning and add a couple of pinches of white pepper. Spoon the vegetable mix into an ovenproof dish and cover with the mashed potato.

Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and bake for around 20 minutes until golden brown.

19

For Aga cooking:

Cook the pie in the Roasting Oven.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 19

5/12/08 17:35:32

CHEQUER INN STEYNING

7HAT´S ON YOUR CHEESEBOARD /VER INDULGED 7HY NOT TRY¨ 9/2+3()2% &).% &%44,%

! LIGHT ¾ AVOURED SHEEPS CHEESE

IDEAL WITH SALADS

0!2!'')!./ 2%'')!./ -

%XCELLENT ¾ AVOUR WHEN LIGHTLY TOSSED IN PASTA Historical 15th Century Coaching Inn. The oldest pub in Steyning and at the foot of the South Downs.

TRADITIONAL & SPECIALITY HOME-COOKED FOOD. We are proud that all of our fresh meat, handmade sausages, fish, bread, fruit, vegetables and eggs are from hand-picked local suppliers of the highest quality.

Local & award-winning ales plus a good selection of fine wines from around the world.

GOOD FOOD, GOOD ALE, GOOD COMPANY. En-suite B & B accommodation is also available.

41 High Street, Steyning, West Sussex. BN44 3RE Tel: 01903 814437 Visit www.chequerinnsteyning.co.uk

Chequer Inn QP 0109.indd 1

6!#(%2).

-/.4 $´/2 3EASONAL COWS SPOONING CHEESE WITH CRUDITES AND CRUSTY BREAD

#(%%3% 0,%!3% &).!,)343 3533%8 &//$ 3(/0 /& ). 3533%8 &//$ 3(/0 /& 4(% 9%!2 /PEN -ONDAY TO 3ATURDAY TO

#HEESE 0LEASE

(IGH 3TREET ,EWES %AST 3USSEX ". $$ 4EL &AX WWW CHEESEPLEASEONLINE CO UK

28/11/08 Cheese 17:06:23 Please QP 0109.indd 1

2/12/08 16:49:58

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 20

5/12/08 17:35:35

In season

POTATO & HERB GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO SAUCE These Italian dumplings are surprisingly easy to make although, like with all things doughy, practice makes perfect.

Serves four.

For the gnocchi:

450g (1lb) floury potatoes

150g (5oz) plain flour

2 egg yolks

1 tsp fresh herbs, chopped (I used parsley, basil & chervil) Salt & pepper Oil

For the tomato sauce: 400g (14oz) tinned chopped tinned tomatoes

200g (7oz) tinned cooked red kidney beans, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 chilli, deseeded and chopped

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp basil, chopped

1 tsp White wine vinegar Pinch sugar Salt & pepper Oil

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F. To make the tomato sauce, sweat the onion, garlic and chilli until soft.

Add the tomato puree and cook for a minute, stirring continuously.Add the tomatoes and beans, bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for about an hour. Blend the sauce with basil, sugar and vinegar and season to taste. For a very smooth sauce pass it through a fine sieve.

For the gnocchi, prick the potatoes with a fork and bake them for around an hour until cooked.

Cut them open and let them cool enough to handle (you must make the gnocchi while the potato is still warm though).

Add a drop of oil to a pan of salted water with and bring to the boil.

Remove the flesh from the potatoes and mash it. Sieve the flour over the potato, season with salt and pepper, scatter the herbs and, using your hands, bring the mixture together with the egg yolks into a soft dough. If the dough seems too sticky, add more flour, if it’s too dry then add another egg yolk or a little warm water, but don’t overwork it.

Roll the dough into a sausage and chop into little barrel shapes of about 2.5cm (1”).Drop the gnocchi into the simmering pan of water and lift them out when they float.

Plunge them straight into a bowl of cold water and then drain.

To serve, fry the gnocchi in a little oil and accompany with tomato sauce.

For Aga cooking:

21

Bake the potatoes in the Roasting Oven. Simmer the tomato sauce in the Simmering Oven.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 21

5/12/08 17:35:39

In season

TURBOT WRAPPED IN AIR-DRIED HAM WITH CHAMP Turbot is among the most prized of sea fish and its fine flavour needs very little embellishment.

Serves TWO.

2 pieces turbot (approx 200g (7oz) each)

4 slices air-dried ham Salt & pepper

1 tbsp oil

22

For the champ:

450g (1lb) potato, diced 100g (3½oz) spring onion, chopped

50g (2oz) butter, softened 100ml (3½fl oz) milk, warm

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F. Season the fish. If the turbot pieces are thick, wrap the ham around them. If they are long thin fillets, fold them in half before wrapping.

To make the champ, boil the potatoes in salted water, strain and mash with the butter and milk.

Season to taste and stir in the spring onion and parsley.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan, cook the ham-wrapped fish on one side until the ham is crisp and golden, turn over and place in the oven for five minutes or until the fish is firm and opaque.

For Aga cooking:

Cook the turbot in the Roasting Oven.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 22

5/12/08 17:35:46

EXPERIENCE THE FOOD LOV E R S DREAM

Springs TRADITIONAL SEAFOOD PURVE YO RS SIN CE 19 6 4 YORS

Smoked Salmon & Seafood Specialists Give your family and friends a treat with our full range of Gift Boxes and Hampers to suit all budgets.

Award-winning Smoked Foods, Cheese, Wine, Delicatessen, Gifts and much more.

Full Mail Order service and Corporate Hampers for Businesses.

For a real seafood experience call into our shop in Edburton, Sussex Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 8.30am-1.30pm, 2pm-5pm Saturday: 8.00am-12 noon

Shop Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-5.30pm Sundays throughout December 10am-4pm

The Weald Smokery

Mount Farm, Flimwell, East Sussex. TN5 7QL Tel: 01580 879601 www.wealdsmokery.co.uk

The Weald Smokery QP 0109.indd 1

Springs

Edburton, Henfield, Sussex BN5 9LN Telephone (01273) 857338

5/12/08 Springs 09:55:42 QP 0808.indd 1

8/8/08 16:28:37

Situated directly on the beach at Royal Parade, Eastbourne, we have been open for business since 1985. Today, we have a fleet of some 20 local fishing boats who land their catches daily. This is how we can provide you with stunning fresh fish and shell fish.

We also stock an extensive range of frozen fish, exotic fish and RSPCA approved salmon from the fresh waters of Loch Duart. Our own smoker can provide us with the best in roast smoked salmon.

We think we are well worth a visit so we look forward to seeing you.

/i \Êä£ÎÓÎÊÈ{ÈÎÈÈÊUÊ >Ý\Êä£ÎÓÎÊÇÎ{ nn iÌÊ- «ÊÈ]Ê Ã }Ê-Ì>Ì ]Ê, Þ> Ê*>À>`i]Ê >ÃÌL ÕÀ i]Ê >ÃÌÊ-ÕÃÃiÝ°Ê ÓÓÊÇ

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY ORDERS WELCOME Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 8.30am-4.00pm; Sunday, 8.30am-2.00pm

Southern Head HP 1108.indd 1

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 23

January/February 20098/10/08

10:23:43

5/12/08 17:35:49

In season

ROAST GUINEA FOWL WITH APRICOT & HAZELNUT STUFFING Guinea Fowl is a delicious game bird that makes a wonderful alternative to chicken or turkey.

Serves FOUR.

1 guinea fowl (approx. 1.5kg (3½lb))

200g (7oz) brown breadcrumbs

150g (5oz) nuts (hazel)

110g (4oz) dried ready to eat apricots, chopped

75g (3oz) butter, softened

1 tbsp herbes de Provence

1 egg yolk Salt & pepper

24

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5 / 190°C / 375°F. Rinse the bird under cold water and dry with kitchen towel.

Season inside and out.

Toast the bread crumbs in the oven or under the grill and then toast the nuts and break them up with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan. Mix 50g of the butter with the breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, apricots, herbes de Provence and season.

Stuff the mix into the cavity loosely and rub some butter onto the legs and breasts. Roast in the oven for about one and a quarter hours or until the juices run clear when pricked at the thickest point of the leg. Allow the bird to rest for ten minutes before carving.

For Aga cooking:

Roast the guinea fowl in the Roasting Oven.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 24

5/12/08 17:35:55

In season

VENISON MEATBALLS With venison meatballs or burgers I have found mixing the venison with minced pork gives the best results.The fat in the pork keeps them moist while they cook but flavour remains predominantly venison.

Serves FOUR.

200g (7oz) venison, minced

150g (5oz) pork, minced

150g (5oz) onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½tsp sage, chopped

½tsp ground cumin Salt & pepper Flour Oil

Cook the onion and garlic in a little oil until they colour.Add the cumin and sage, generous pinches of salt and pepper and take off the heat and allow to cool.

Place in a bowl with the meat, and using your hands give it a good pounding for a good five minutes. Shape into balls, roll in

flour and chill them in the fridge for half an hour.

Gently fry the meatballs until cooked through and serve with pasta, tomato sauce (see page 21) and parmesan.

25

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 25

5/12/08 17:35:59

Ecstatically delicious chocolate making workshops,where the ancient secrets of youth and longevity,linked to chocolate,the food of the Gods are revealed to you as you are making your very own delicious and very healthy chocolate, chocolates and chocolate cakes.

ecstatically delicious chocolate and chocolate cake making workshops All ingredients used are raw, not heated above 42 degrees, so as to retain all their amazing natural flavours and very high nutritional content and organic.You are also using ecstatically delicious natural flower sweetners and flavourings which are super, super high in nutrition, delicious and really healthy for you.

Workshops are held every Wednesday and Saturday morning, 9am to 11.30am for the perfect price of ÂŁ42. Includes all your own made delicious chocolate yum yums To order your perfect chocolate cakes and chocolates and to enjoy these perfect workshops please telephone Leah Star 01892 610887 or email leah@lovechocolatecakes.com gift vouchers available all cakes and chocolates are organic soil association approved

Love Chocolates QP 0109 RHS.indd 1

Horrocks Local Greengrocer Horrocks the Greengrocer has been estabilished for five successful years.

We have established good relationships with local independent growers in the area of West Sussex where we buy on a daily basis, meaning we order first thing in the morning, picked and cut on the same day.

We also go to London Covent Garden market every night, six days a week. We only buy supreme category one produce. This will ensure that you get the best of both worlds — local and mediterranean produce.

We cater for all no matter how big or small...

Horrocks Greengrocer, 6 The Parade, East Wittering, West Sussex, PO20 8BN, Tel: 01243 672115

28/11/08 Horrorcks 15:06:070109 QP.indd 1

3/12/08 12:51:53

s &OUR WEEKLY DELIVERIES of fresh organic fruit and VEGETABLES s &RESH LOCAL ORGANIC BREAD DELIVERED DAILY s &RESHLY COOKED TAKEAWAY FOOD made at Trinity s 7IDE RANGE OF ORGANIC WINES s $RIED FRUITS WHOLEGRAINS

nuts, pulses, cereals and flours s 7IDE RANGE OF FROZEN AND chilled foods s .ATURAL REMEDIES TOILETRIES and eco-friendly cleaning products xAND SO MUCH MORE LIKE THE FABULOUS STAFF

Come and see for yourself at 3 Trinity Street, Hastings.

TN34 IHG Opposite Hastings Library

Tel: 01424 430473

Open: Mon-Sat 9.00am-5.30pm

January/February 2009 Trinity QP 0109.indd 1 Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 26

5/12/08 17:45:33 5/12/08 17:47:13

In season

CARAMEL PEAR PUDDING This delicious winter pudding is a fine way to make the most of the great British pear.

Serves EIGHT.

110g (4oz) plain flour

150g (5oz) granulated sugar

4 pears, peeled and diced

50g (2oz) walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped 110ml (4fl oz) milk

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp salt

150g (5oz) brown sugar

60g (2½oz) butter 175ml (6fl oz) water

RHUBARB CRUMBLE The humble rhubarb crumble is the ultimate comfort food. Its arrival at the winter table is the first sign that spring is just around the corner.

Serves SIX.

900g (2lb) rhubarb stalks 100g (3½oz) castor sugar 2 tbsp orange juice 175g (6oz) plain flour 75g (3oz) butter, softened 110g (4oz) soft brown sugar 50g (2oz) almonds, ground

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F. Clean the rhubarb, peel off any stringy bits and chop into 2.5cm (1”) pieces. Place in a pan with the orange juice and castor sugar. Cover and simmer for a few minutes until the rhubarb is just cooked but retains some bite.

In a bowl, rub together the butter and flour and then add the almonds

and the soft brown sugar. Pour the rhubarb mix into a suitable tray or pie dish and cover with the crumble. Bake for 30-45 minutes until the crumble is golden.

For Aga cooking:

Cook in the Baking Oven or in the Roasting Oven until golden and then the Simmering Oven.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5 / 190°C / 375°F. Combine the flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.

Whisk in the milk to make a smooth batter. Add the nuts and chopped pears and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a deep baking tray or into individual pots or ramekins.

In a small pan, heat the brown

sugar and butter until fully dissolved, then pour in 175ml (6fl oz) water and bring to the boil. Pour over the pudding mixture and place in the oven for 45 – 50 minutes (a little less for individual puddings) until firm.

Serve with ice cream or custard.

For Aga cooking:

27

Cook in the Baking Oven or in the Roasting Oven with the oven shelf on the bottom set of runners.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 27

5/12/08 17:36:13

Aim of the game Game is delicious, nutritious and increasingly first choice for those who want an economical alternative for the Sunday roast. As game becomes ever more popular, Michael Harwood takes a look at the new birds on the block.

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 28

5/12/08 17:36:16

Feature

Pheasant

L

iterature paints

gamekeepers as a colourful bunch, to say t he least. From Lady Chatterley’s Lover to Harry P o t t e r ’s a c c o m p l i c e H a g r id , g a meke eper s have been cropping up in fiction for many years. Seth Armstrong, the lovable rogue in Emmerdale, might have stepped straight out of a novel by Dickens, and one local keeper I spoke to even cited Roald Dahl’s Danny, the Champion of the World as the childhood inspiration for his adult career.

To some people, the term ‘gamekeeper’ suggests a relic of theVictorian era; an indiscriminate destroyer of wildlife, providing sport for a privileged few. Shooting enthusiasts, however, insist that nothing could be further from the truth. According to the National

“It is once the birds have been released from the pens that the true skill of a gamekeeper can be measured” Gamekeepers Organization, the 3,000 keepers in full-time employment and a similar number working part-time are the primary stewards of nine times as much of the British countryside as is protected in nature reserves and national parks.

As I went to meet one of the young breed of working gamekeepers at the Knepp Castle Estate in West Grinstead, my head was filled with his

fictional predecessors. All I had to go on was his nickname, Spike, instructions to drive down a potholed road off the beaten track and to call his mobile number when I was at the grain silo. All this dovetailes nicely with my preconception of gamekeepers generally and felt very cloak and dagger. When Spike arrives, he’s punctual and professional and nothing like the crusty old image I had

“Nowadays, in part due the popularity of farmers’ markets, a whole new generation is discovering game for the first time”

in my mind. Spike, real name John Forster, is a 30-year-old Sussex boy born and bred. His cheerful demeanor immediately puts me at my ease and over a welcome cup of tea he tells me all about gamekeeping in the 21st century.

I start by asking Spike what his job involves during the busy shoot season. “Modern driven shoots rely on a large number of birds to be ready by the beginning of October,” he explains. “To facilitate this we gather up all of the hen birds at the end of the previous season and a small proportion of cock birds.The first eggs arrive on the 1st April and are then incubated for 21 days before being moved to a hatchery. Seven weeks after hatching, the chicks are taken to outdoor holding pens where they will be kept and nurtured for 20 weeks.This is known as rearing,

29

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 29

5/12/08 17:36:23

Feature

Braces of pheasants outside a butchers shop

30

but up until then it is basically a form of farming.”

While gamekeeping still runs in many families, younger recruits to the profession are increasingly graduates of the specialised courses run by agricultural colleges. According to Spike, rearing is a technical skill that is relatively easily learned.“But it is once the birds have been released from the pens that the true skill of a good gamekeeper can be measured. Holding the pheasants on the ground and ensuring their welfare until such time as they are released for the shoot is an instinctive skill and that can’t be taught.”

The popularity of shooting and the public’s appetite for game haven’t always been in balance.

As recently as 15 years ago, large corporate shoots were so popular that enormous numbers of birds were reared and shot, creating a massive surplus of carcasses for which there was no real market.

“Game dealers were buying them for as little as five pence per bird, if they would take them at all,” says Spike. “Many were just destroyed due to lack of public interest in cooking game.” Nowadays, in part due the popularity of farmers’ markets, a

Spilke and a faithful friend

“In these times of increased awareness about animal welfare perhaps it’s time to give some serious thought to what sustainable alternatives to battery-farmed chickens are available” whole new generation of people is discovering game for the first time. One Sussex-based dealer sold 250,000 birds last year, breaking all sales records since he started in business 15 years ago.

But, all this talk about rearing birds isn’t what I expected.What about truly wild game, I enquire, does such a thing still exist these days? “A hundred years ago every estate would have employed three or four full-time gamekeepers,” explains the keeper. “And the farming methods employed in those days were generally much more sympathetic to game production. With the introduction of modern farming techniques and agricultural pesticides, much of the wild surplus was killed off. It is the shift in farming methods that lead to the modern day practice of rearing birds for shooting rather than relying on nature.”

In the North of England and Scotland, however, the main quarry is grouse, a species that has so far proved impossible

to rear for shooting. Whilst the birds, natural feed can be supplied in captivity they become increasingly domesticated and so accustomed to human contact they are rendered useless for sport. Instead, the gamekeepers concentrate on managing the birds’ natural habitat and ensuring that they can thrive in the wild successfully, free from predators and disease.

It is this kind of technique that the Knepp Castle Estate is looking to emulate in the hope of creating a fully wild surplus of partridge and pheasant in the future. Spike explained the principles to me: “The creation of a wild surplus relies on what we call a three legged stool: the first leg is vermin control, the second leg is maintaining a healthy habitat for the birds and the third leg is winter feeding – without this third leg the birds could not survive the cold lean winter months.” Another factor, deemed crucial to the success of creating a wild shoot, is the fact

that Knepp Castle Estate is fully organic and has been for five years. No harmful chemicals are used on the estate so there is no danger that the birds will consume anything toxic.

Another game bird that has proved impossible to rear is the woodcock. The woodcock is a migratory bird that flies over from Russia to take advantage of our rather more hospitable climate during the winter and, according to many keen cooks, is a hugely underrated bird for cooking.

They can be seen in relatively large numbers at Knepp but almost never on the non-organic neighbouring land less than half a mile away. Spike attributes this to the organic methods employed on the estate, claiming the moist, organic soil, rich in invertebrates, attracts them.

I ask one last question before saying goodbye to Spike. Does he actually eat the game he helps raise and shoot? The answer was a resounding: “Absolutely, and lots of it!”

So, what has game got going for it when destined for the table?

Well, from a nutritional point of view it could be considered something of a superfood. It’s cheap (if you buy it from the

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 30

5/12/08 17:36:26

The Countryman Traditional country charm in a rural setting

CHANCTONBURY GAME At Chanctonbury Game we can supply you with the best free-range Game & Venison from the ďŹ elds and woods of Sussex.

Then we dress and prepare it for the table in modern hygenic premises. Available direct from the farm or farmers markets.

Turkeys, Geese and other fresh poultry available for Christmas. Call to order.

CHANCTONBURY GAME North Farm, Washington, Pulborough, West Sussex. RH20 4BB

The Countryman is set in open countryside close to the small village of Shipley. Inside you’ll find it warm and cosy in the winter and light and airy in the summer. There are cask-conditioned ales and 40 wines from around the world as well as fresh ground coffee and a range of classic and herb teas. Free-range meat and vegetables from local farms make their appearance on the menu alongside fresh fish from Shoreham and Newhaven with local game in season.

We serve a range of ploughman lunches with home baked bread, various grills and freshly made sandwiches & snacks.

REGIONAL FINALIST FOR COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE BEST UK TRADITIONAL BUSINESS AWARD

Tel: 01903 877551 Fax: 01903 872868

Table reservations: 01403 741383 COUNTRYMAN INN, SHIPLEY, WEST SUSSEX. RH13 8PZ

OPEN

September to February February to August 6 days-a-week, Friday & Saturday only, 9am-5pm 9am-4pm

Chantonbury Game QP 1108.indd 1

Web: www.countrymanshipley.co.uk Email: countrymaninn@btopenworld.com UK 6368 EC

,ES 2OUTIERS $INING 0UB OF THE YEAR s .OMINATED FOR 5+46 ,OCAL &OOD (ERO 7ILLIAM 2EED 0UBLISHING "EST &OOD 0UB s !! PUB 'UIDE 0REMIER 0UB 2ESTAURANT @"%34 ,/#!, &//$ 05" FOR ,ONDON 3OUTH %AST AS JUDGED BY THE 0UBLICAN -AGAZINE

8/10/08 The 16:23:43 Countrymann QP 0109.indd 1

1/12/08 18:23:49

To thank you for your custom over the last year we invite you to celebrate our first anniversary.

During January & February 2009 we are offering a complimentary ½ bottle of wine to every two people dining in the restaurant.

Bookings must be made in advance and the offer excludes 14th February 2009.

To make your booking call 01444 811280.

T: 01444 811280 W: www.thecowdray.co.uk E: info@thecowdray.co.uk The Cowdray, London Road, Balcombe, West Sussex, RH17 6QD

The Cowdray Inn RHS HP 0109.indd 1

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 31

January/February 2009 5/12/08

17:49:09

5/12/08 17:49:32

A T

H

O

M

Traditional quality food from a traditional quality Butchers

E

A

WARDED BUTCHER OF THE YEAR 2006/07 at The Sussex Food and Drink Awards Bramptons Butchers is a traditional shop that has been trading for over 100 years. In 1902 it was granted a Royal Warrant by King Edward VII.

)F YOU LOVE #HESTERTONS &OOD (ALL THEN YOU´LL ADORE #HESTERTONS !T (OME 4UCKED ABOVE OUR POPULAR DELICATESSEN IS OUR NEW ³SECRET RETREAT´ ° YOUR SECOND LOUNGE ° WHERE YOU CAN RELAX AMID OUR BEAUTIFUL DECOR ENJOY FRESHLY HOME COOKED FOOD AND WHILE AWAY THE HOURS ° UNHURRIED UNDISTURBED 0ERFECT MEETING PLACE AWAY FROM THE #ITY THE HUSSLE AND THE BUSSLE

Proprietor, Paul Williams, trained as a chef before serving an apprenticeship as a butcher at Bramptons. Paul is noted for his ‘naturally’ reared and produced products and principles.

Bramptons ensure quality in specially selected Scottish beef and is the only shop in Brighton and Hove selling locally produced South Downs Lamb.

Well-known for producing our own recipe gluten-free sausages, linked by hand – just like the old days! We also sell additive-free pork and chicken.

Next to the butchers shop we have a cheese shop selling a variety of quality goods, particularly Sussex cheeses and many English and continental favourites.

B R A M P T ONS B U T C H E R S

114 St. Geor ges Road Brighton Sussex Tel: 01273 682 611 www.bramptonsbutchers.co.uk

5/12/08 Bramptons 11:03:02 Butchers QP 0308.indd 1

Chestertons QP 0109.indd 1

5/2/08 09:30:02

High Class Butchers & Poulterers Specialising in Low Food Miles and Free Range Produce Free Range Eggs and traditionally hand reared Turkeys from our farm

HOLMANSBRIDGE FARM Townlittleworth Road, Barcombe, BN8 4TD Tel: 01273 401 964 Email: holmansbridge@aol.com Butchers Shop open: Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Saturday, 9am to 5pm

January/February 2009 Holmansbridge QP 0109.indd 1 Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 32

1/12/08 16:18:54 5/12/08 17:36:37

Feature

Partridge

right place), low in fat and cholesterol and quick to cook.

So why are many people still reluctant to give it a go?

To find out exactly who is buying what these days I went to visit my old friend, Paul Williams, who sells game at his awardwinning butchers, Brampton’s, in Brighton. “We are selling much more game now than ever before and our customers are definitely becoming more adventurous in their tastes,” he tells me. “This season we have sold a lot of wild duck as well as the usual pheasant and partridge and young people, in particular, are starting to experiment a bit more. It’s important to us that we support local game dealers so that this seasonal commodity is available to everyone,” Paul continues, “and people can appreciate it during its relatively short season.”

I have to confess that cooking

and eating game is a relatively recent development for me and I only really discovered the joys of pheasant, grouse and partridge after being asked to cook them for other people. These days however, I’ve come to really look forward to the Glorious 12th (the first day of the grouse season) and autumn in general as it signals the time for hearty game stews, roasted whole birds and my personal favourite: rustic terrines. For me there is always a sense of Blue Petertype satisfaction when building a well-constructed terrine filled with anything from wild rabbit to mallard and snipe.

Some years ago when I was first gripped by this newfound enthusiasm for all things wild and feathered I made a point of plucking them myself.Whilst it was certainly something of a learning curve, it was probably not the thing to do in the tiny

broom-cupboard kitchen of the flat where I was living at the time. As one friend pointed out some time later as he picked a stray feather from his wine glass: “It looks like we have been conducting Voodoo rituals in leafy North London.”

Now of course I leave plucking and drawing any game I buy to the professionals and always seek out good oven-ready birds. Most will almost certainly come with their livers and hearts still inside so you must remember to remove them whether you are going to use them or not. Traditionally they are fried in butter before being spread on toast to serve along side the finished dish.

Of course the majority of city dwellers are no more likely to go out and shoot our own game than we are to swim the Channel so the question of how long game should be hung is not one that will trouble most

of us. I think the thing that puts some people off eating game is the idea that it is automatically very ‘gamey’, but nowadays most oven-ready birds tend to be quite mild in flavour and hung just long enough to tenderize them.

I have a theory that pheasant become more versatile later in the season, which runs from1st October to 1st February. With this in mind I like to make the most of them around January time by braising them slowly in casseroles and stews, maybe with some fresh chestnuts and pancetta. Earlier in the season, though, I prefer grouse to any other kind of wild fowl. Grouse have a distinctive flavour created by their staple diet of wild heather on which they exist for most of their lives and no other meat has this unique taste. I have experimented with many different ways of cooking grouse, but time after time I get the best results from the time- honoured tradition of roasting them whole on a thick slice of toast to soak up all the juices and leaving the diners no choice but to finish off the birds with their fingers.The traditional accompaniments to go with this way of cooking game birds are game chips, which are very much like kettle chips, fried breadcrumbs, bread sauce and gravy. There’s no getting away from it, this is not a diet option, but as I mentioned before, the actual birds are very low in fat so why not?

In these times of increased awareness about animal welfare and with many supermarkets bowing to public pressure on battery farmed chickens perhaps it’s time to give some serious thought to what sustainable alternatives are available. Game birds are plentiful, economical, and seasonal and have nutritional brownie points galore so next time you are shopping for something winged and feathered why not give game a go? n

33

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 33

5/12/08 17:36:41

Gastro-Gnome’s Guide

The Gastro-Gnome’s Guide to Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea This issue, the Gastro-Gnome heads to Hastings to find a seaside town finding a new sense of purpose as an arty, eating oasis on the south coast.

Photography by Paul Cassidy.

The Gastro-Gnome illustration by Joseph Loughborough.

O

nce ,

34

the m o s t fashionable seaside resort in England, the fortunes of Hastings declined steeply as Brits discovered the Costa Brava and no longer chose to holiday at home.

After years of neglect, the town is enjoying something of a renaissance and it’s being led by many of the food businesses of the town.

The beach at Hastings is known as the Stade, which means ‘landing place’, where the local fishing fleet has been hauled ashore for over a thousand years.

Many harbours have been built over the centuries but none has offered much shelter so the boats each have a shed with and engine

and winch to pull them up the beach. Because of this, none of the boats is over ten metres long, so they can only carry limited gear and travel a short distance.

Due to these limitations, the fleet today fishes in much the same sustainable way as it has for hundreds of years. As a result, the fleet has been awarded Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation for its Dover sole, mackerel and herring.

Nestled amongst the tall, black, wooden net shops on the Stade, you can find out all about the maritime history of the town in the Fishermen’s Museum (Rock-a-Nore Rd).The museum is housed in a former church and pride of place among the

exhibits is the last lugger, or sailing fishing boat, the Enterprise.

Most of the local catch is sold through the wholesale Fishmarket (The Stade) which is run by a not-for-profit company set up by the Fisherman’s Protection Society.

There aren’t many down-toearth fish and chip cafés where you are advised to book but then there aren’t many fish and chip cafés that have won the awards and acclaim that Maggie’s Café (above the fishmarket) has.

Maggie Banfield’s fish and chips have been regularly and widely rated as among the best in Britain and if you want to know just how fresh the fish is, get there early

(around 5am) and ask one of the fishermen regulars while you are enjoying the view out to sea over the net shops.

At the end of the Stade in the coach and lorry park, Hastings Borough Council is working with the Jerwood Foundation to create a state of the art gallery to house the foundation’s multimillion pound art collection,

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 34

5/12/08 17:36:52

Gastro-Gnome’s Guide

Peter’s Eastern Fish Shop

fish and Peter’s Eastern Fish Shop (Rock-a-Nore Rd) is run

by Peter Kenward, who has been a fisherman here for 30 years.

Opposite the aquarium at Undercliffe House (27 RockA-Nore), Andy welcomes visitors to his café, unnamed at the time of going to press but formerly Biddy’s, with teas, coffees, ice creams, cakes and a selection of light meals.

On the high street, whatever the weather, there’s always a glimmer of Mediterranean sunshine on offer at Harris Café & Tapas Bar (58 High St). Proprietor, Harris Woodcock, serves up an exciting and authentic range of Spanish tapas to share, as well as a set menu of Iberian-inspired specials, utilising ingredients

Rock-A-Nore Fisheries

The Net Shop

sourced locally or directly from Spain.The £5 lunch menu is hard to beat for taste or value as is the tapas feast for two at £22.50.

Green & Blacks founders, Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley, took over Judges Bakery (51 High St) in 2005 and, along with award-winning baker, Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, converted the shop into an organic, artisan bakery. Eschewing industrial production methods relying on additives and processing agents, the bakery allows its doughs to ferment naturally over time to produce breads of superior taste, texture and nutritional value.The bakery also sells a range of local and organic produce.

Jackie Pratt opened Penbuckles English Cheesemongers & Vintners (50 High St) in March 2008. Specialising in, as you’d

Penbuckles

Johnny Swann

along with a public space for events festivals and markets. The Jerwood Foundation was attracted to the site because of the strength of the local art scene and the Stade’s enduring appeal to artists.

Supporters claim massive support, and point to the regenerative effects of the Tate Gallery in St Ives as evidence of how the development would benefit the town, but the opposition is vocal and culminated in a model of the £4 million gallery being burned on bonfire night last year.

Hastings’ Old Town is the area that grew up around the fishing industry and provides a focus for many of the thriving

food businesses in the town.

Rock-a-Nore Road is the road that runs above the Stade and is the location of some of the best fishmongers in Sussex.

Sonny Elliot at Rock-a-Nore Fisheries (3-4 Rock-a-Nore Rd) sells locally-caught fish and shellfish and smokes his own fish on the premises. The shop, which has been established for over 30 years, has MSC chain of custody accreditation. Nearby are other mainstays of the Hasting’s fishing community. The Net Shop (7 Rock-a-Nore Rd) offers jellied eels and shellfish, Johnny Swann (Rock-a-Nore Rd) specialises in locally-caught

Harris Café & Tapas Bar

35

Judges Bakery

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 35

5/12/08 17:37:12

4(% $).).' 2//at Purchases

RESTAURANT WINE BAR

/PEN -ONDAY 3ATURDAY .ORTH 3TREET #HICHESTER 7EST 3USSEX 4EL WWW THEDININGROOM BIZ

RESTAURANT TRISTAN. MODERN BRITISH FOOD FROM MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF TRISTAN MASON The menu champions the highest quality, seasonal ingredients to create a sensual dining experience with dishes including: scallops, carrot puree, stem ginger; foie gras trifle, smoked duck, wild mushrooms; jerusalem artichoke veloute, crayfish ravioli, field mushroom puree; fillet of venison, chervil root, chocolate & pistachios; monkfish, mussels, crown prince gnocchi, mouli; saddle of lamb, black pudding, sweet potato, tarragon; pineapple gazpacho, cream cheese mousse, mint granite; valrhona chocolate torte, earl grey, tonka bean ice cream; banana tart tatin, lemon sauce, caramelised walnut & parsley ice cream Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner Dinner: 2 courses 26 pounds; 3 courses 32 pounds

RESERVATIONS: 01403 255688 3 STANS WAY, EAST STREET, HORSHAM. RH12 1HU RESTAURANT TRISTAN.CO.UK

home-cooked food local beers varied wine-list regular events and live music

The Standard Inn

The Mint Rye East Sussex Tel: 01797 225996, www.standardinn.co.uk

January/February 2009 Restaurant Tristan QP 0109.indd 1 Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 36

3/12/08 The 14:54:14 Standard Inn 0708 QP.indd 1

17/6/08 10:02:15 5/12/08 17:37:17

Gastro-Gnome’s Guide expect, a wonderful selection of English cheeses and wines, the shop also stocks a wide range of beers, juices, preserves, pastas and charcuterie, all from as near to Hastings as possible.

Named after a legendary children’s fantasy book by Noel Langley, screenwriter of The Wizard of Oz, Land of Green Ginger (45 High St) is a new cafe that, in spite its exotic name, is inspired by regional British cooking. In addition to sourcing as much local produce as possible for a range of wholesome brunches, lunches and teas, there is always something on the menu made with ginger. Ginger Parkin is a particular favourite.

The First In Last Out (14-15 High St) is home to The FILO Brewing Company, a craft brewery that produces five ales on a regular basis, all made only with malt, hops, water and yeast.

To accompany its own quality brews, the pub serves a lunch menu from Tuesday to Sunday of proper home-made food made from organic, free-range and local ingredients, including locally caught fish with chips and mushy peas on Tuesdays and Spanish tapas on Monday evenings.There’s a full programme of music and quizzes and bar games are also available.

The Dragon Bar (71 George St) is a funky bar and bistro with an ever-changing menu of imaginative dishes cooked in full view in the tiny kitchen behind the bar using fresh, local produce. The place has a relaxed bohemian feel with exhibitions by local artists on the walls and DJs spinning real vinyl records as things heat up after dark.

If it be pirates and pieces of eight you’re after, Black Pearl (9 George St) may disappoint but for first class seafood it’s a bit of a treasure. Upstairs there’s an elegant restaurant while downstairs has a more informal brasserie feel.

On the morning the Gnome visited, shoppers were clearly thrilled to find the Old Town Butchers (11 George St) reopened after lying empty for a while. New owner, Darren, will be familiar to former customers as he used to work there under the previous owners. He intends to concentrate on the meat, fruit, vegetables and some essentials rather than more deli-style items.

Latham’s Brasserie (63 George St) has an excellent reputation for wonderful food and friendly service in stylish and relaxed surroundings. The menu is an engaging combination of Mediterranean dishes (pasta, gnocchi and moussaka are all favourites) with some Great British classics like steak and Guinness stew, liver and bacon and fillet steak with bubble & squeak cake added on for good measure.

Named after the most romantic of fruit, Pomegranate (50 George St) has been a labour of love for owners Jo and Jamie. It came close to a labour of a whole different kind when the couple opened it in May 2005, on the very day their daughter, Ava, was due to be born. The family restaurant has an arty feel, with regular exhibitions and midweek music, play-readings and even film shows in the pipeline now that Pomegranate has just been awarded an entertainment licence.

Chef Jamie’s menu changes seasonally but always features fish direct from local boat, the Four Brothers, as well as game from Battle when in season.

For a romantic stopover in Hastings, Swan House (1 Hill St) is the place to book. This 15th century cottage has been exquisitely furnished as a stylish and comfortable boutique B&B. Your welcoming host, Brendan, will serve up a delicious Sussex breakfast (Swan House is a founder Sussex Breakfast provider) with dairy product from

Northiam Dairy in Rye, eggs from Catsfield, soft fruit from the allotment and kippers from just around the corner.

Café by the Coast (28 George St) is another new venture in the Old Town. Owner, Toby, has given the place a stripped-back, comfortable feel and offers a full range of breakfasts and lunch options with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients and good home cooking. Homemade soups and sandwiches are popular, as are favourites like Welsh rarebit, sausage and mash and home-made burgers.

But not all the best eateries are located in the Old Town. Jali Restaurant at Chatsworth Hotel (Carlisle Terrace) was the first in a small chain of fine dining Indian restaurants and is the proud recipient of an AA rosette for its outstanding cuisine.

Waterfalls Coffee Lounge & Gift Shop (23 Robertson St) has a range of homeware for sale and an upstairs coffee shop serving home-made cakes, lunches and coffee from the in-house Rye Bay

Pomegranate

Old Town Butchers

37

Latham’s Brasserie

Waterfalls Coffee Lounge & Gift Shop

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 37

5/12/08 17:37:27

Gastro-Gnome’s Guide

38

Trinity Wholefoods

The Community Fruit & Veg Project

Coffee Company.The company imports 100% Arabica beans direct from a farmers’ co-op in Honduras.

The coffee is sustainably grown in the shade of native trees, without the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides and naturally sun dried. Owner, Keith, also imports and services espresso machines from Italy and all related sundries for coffee shops, restaurants, bars and cafés.

Nearby, Trinity Wholefoods (3 Trinity St) is a workers’ co-operative, founded in 1985, which sells an enormous range of vegetarian and organic goods, including locallygrown fruit and veg, grains, beans and pulses, dairy products, juices, bread, locally-made cosmetics and toiletries and a delicious selection of cakes and savouries baked on the premises. Trinity accepts Healthy Start vouchers. The shop was recently refurbished using only environmentally-friendly materials and packs an astonishing array of goodies into a surprisingly small space.

Eat@Claremont (12 Claremont) is a popular café in an artist-owned building providing commercial lets and studio space to arts-based projects as a social enterprise. The café aims to involve customers in the process of food production and focuses on drinks, snacks and light lunches.

The Community Fruit & Veg Project (Unit 33, Britannia Enterprise Centre) is another social enterprise in Hastings with a number of varied activities to its credit, all with the aim of increasing the availability of affordable, locally-grown fruit

and vegetables in Hastings and Rother.They run a fruit and veg box and bag scheme (including Healthy Start bags for new mothers), delivering to collection points so you don’t have to stay in until it arrives.They operate fruit and veg stalls all over the area, in conjunction with local volunteers.

The project is also involved in education to encourage healthy eating, providing fun activities like the smoothie bike and the fruit shy at assorted events, as well as giving cookery demonstrations.

Hasting’s Farmers’ Market (Robertson St & Wellington Place) is another initiative by The Community Fruit andVeg Project and runs on the second and fourth Thursday of every month from 10am to 4pm. The market has over 25 registered stallholders selling a range of local produce and hand-made goods including fruit and veg, organic bread, baked goods, cheese, preserves, Fairtrade clothing and even natural dog biscuits.

Margaret Monaghan has recently started Hastings Cookery School (65 Elphinstone Rd),

St Clements

offering half-day demonstrations and all-day practical classes in a beautifulVictorian house.There are a wide range of courses including some for teenagers and parent and child classes. Go to www. hastingscookeryschool.co.uk for more details.

Another area rapidly on the rise is nearby St-Leonards-on-Sea, particularly Norman Road, with its ranks of fascinating antique shops and boutiques, it is often described as the Portobello Road of the south coast.

Chef/proprietor, Nick Hale opened St Clements Restaurant (3 Mercatoria) in June 2005, because he was inspired by the quality of catch from the local day boats. Since then the place has attracted lavish praise from critics as well as a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the few years it’s been around, and helped bring the attractions of Hastings to the attention of a national audience. The emphasis here is always on great ingredients in cleanly executed dishes that speak for themselves, unadorned by unnecessary embellishments and conflicting flavours.

McCarron’s of Mercatoria (68 Norman Rd), known for stylish gifts and homeware, has plans for a teas shop in the back of the store so watch that space.

Just across the road, The Dawg’s Biscuits (65 Norman Rd) makes healthy, additive-free treats for your four-legged friend.

W h e n S p i ke S m i l g i n Humphries decided to move to Sussex from Oxford, she was warned:“Whatever you do, don’t go to St Leonards.” Luckily for St Leonards, she took no notice and opened QOL @ Spike’s Fine Food Stores & Café (39 Norman Rd). QOL stands for Quality of Life although Spike is up for other suggestions. Her intention was to run a deli/café, although as the place has become a favourite meeting place for a wide variety of locals she says it’s more of a café/deli now, but Spike’s certainly not complaining.

QOL serves excellent homecooked meals snacks and cakes and a lovely selection of cheese, charcuterie and condiments is always available.

Up by the station, A Bite of Africa (1 Kings Rd) sells a range of home-made, awardwinning South African specialities including biltong (cured and dried beef) ostrich, springbok and wild boar burgers and boerewors (farmers’ sausages) and dried wors.

The shop is also the place to pick up hard-to-get South African brands like Ouma Rusks, Pro Nutro, NikNaks and Flings.

June Bouwer and her husband Chris, a Master Blockman of 30 years standing and a former cattle rancher to boot, have also opened Yummy Yummy Butchers (5 Kings Rd) where they will be specialising in traditional African cuts of meat on the bone.

For somewhere special to stay in St Leonards, Zanzibar (9 Everfield Place) has internationally themed rooms like sensual South America, just Japan, impulsive India and alluring Antartica. And finally, back along the seafront, Smith’s Real Food (21 Grand Parade) is a cafe selling homecooked snacks and lunches and Fairtrade coffee. n

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 38

5/12/08 17:37:34

The Community Fruit and Veg Project’s main aims are to increase the availability of fruit and vegetables in Hastings and Rother, to ensure that all produce is sold at affordable prices, and to source locally grown fruit and vegetables whenever possible.

The CFVP has very good links with local producers as it also run’s the farmers’ market and it aims to source locally grown fruit and vegetables whenever possible, in order to provide environmental benefits as well as helping local communities We achieve this by: s 7EEKLY VOLUNTEER RUN STALLS IN COMMUNITY CENTRES s $ELIVERING PRE BAGGED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES TO SHELTERED HOUSING SCHEMES and children’s centres s ,OCAL VEG BOX SCHEME THAT DELIVERS TO SCHOOLS WORKPLACES AND RESIDENTIAL locations To join the scheme or if you are intested in volunteering please contact us at: Unit 33, Britannia Enterprise Centre, Waterworks Road, Hastings, TN34 1RT 4EL % MAIL COMMUNITYFRUITANDVEG BEAMINGMAIL COM HASTINGS FARMERS’ MARKET Hastings Farmers’ Market takes place on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month in Robertson Street and Wellington Place in Hastings town centre. There are over 20 regular stalls including fruit, vegetables, ORGANIC BREAD CAKES PIES PRESERVES ,OCAL MEAT

PLANTS CRAFTS HAND MADE SOAP

Community Fruit & Veg QP 0109.indd 1

3/12/08 12:45:23

A subscription makes a great all year round gift for family or friends.

A whole year’s subscription for just £12.50.

Stray into the unknown to find the hidden treasures of Waterfalls Coffee Lounge

Guarantee your copy now with each issue delivered direct to you.

Order by post or online at www.eatsussex.co.uk For just ÂŁ12.50 for six issues, you can have Eat Sussex delivered straight to your door.

Order online or 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.

We drive you home in your car

•

hauffeurMonkey

A unique chauffeur service. • Your chauffeur arrives on a collapsible motorbike, which fits into your car’s boot. • You and your car arrive home safely. • No driving over the limit. • No waiting for taxis.

No collecting your car in the morning. • No parking tickets. • Cost effective – less than a return taxi.

Farmer Direct Coffee Scrumptious cakes and delectable lunches Wine and Beer After, enjoy a moment in our gift shop

A perfect solution to a perfect night out

08456 212 999

•

www.chauffeurmonkey.co.uk

You enjoy the drinking, we’ll do the driving

23 Robertson Street Hastings East Sussex TN34 1HL Telephone: 01424 431124 January/February 2009 Waterdfalls 0908 QP.indd 1

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 39

13/8/08 16:09:30 5/12/08 17:37:57

One pot wonders

One pot wonders Recipes by Dominic McCartan.

Photography by Jean-Luc Brouard.

Every kitchen should have a good sized casserole pot for creating slow-cooking family feasts. In the heart of winter there is no better way to warm up than with a rich stew or casserole. Many of these dishes use cuts of meat that are cheap but no less flavoursome for it. If in doubt, your family butcher will be happy to advise.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS This is the original version of baked beans and far superior to anything you’ll find in a tin.You can make a tasty vegetarian version by leaving out the meat.

SERVES FOUR.

40

350g (12oz) dried white haricot beans, soaked overnight 225g (8oz) pancetta (or bacon or pork belly), cubed with rind left on 8 baby onions, peeled (or 1 large one, diced) 30g (1oz) brown sugar 2 tbsp black treacle 2 tsp mustard 3 tbsp tomato puree ½ stick cinnamon Black pepper Oil

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 1 /140°C / 275°F. Drain the beans, and bring them to the boil in a pan of fresh water until they are tender. Strain, but reserve the liquid.

Fry the pancetta (or bacon or belly) in an ovenproof pan with a little oil until coloured on all sides. Add the tomato puree and

stir for a minute.

Remove from the heat and add the beans, onions, sugar, cinnamon, treacle, mustard and plenty of pepper. Pour over enough of the bean cooking water to just cover all the ingredients and stir.

Cover and place in the oven for three to four hours, stirring occasionally.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 40

5/12/08 17:38:02

One pot wonders

POT ROAST BRISKET WITH RED WINE AND ROOT VEGETABLES This is a great way to eat this economical and delicious cut of beef: with a good crop of beautiful root vegetables.

Serves SIX.

1kg (2¼lb) brisket of beef, boned and rolled

450g (1lb) onions, peeled and chopped

175g (6oz) field mushrooms

3 sticks celery, chopped

3 large carrots, roughly chopped

3 parsnips, roughly chopped

2 small white turnips, roughly chopped

1 small swede (or half a medium swede), roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed 250ml (9fl oz) red wine 1litre (1¾pts) beef or chicken stock

1 bouquet garni (sprigs of parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage and a bay leaf tied with string)

2 tbsp parsley, chopped Salt & pepper Olive oil

IRISH STEW There is probably a different recipe for Irish stew in every household in Ireland but here is my version which is good and rich, as some versions can be a bit thin. Not so the case at Kelly’s Cellars in Belfast in the late 1970s where you could stand a spoon in it!

SERVES SIX.

450g (1lb) mutton or lamb (shoulder or neck work well), trimmed of excess fat and diced

450g (1lb) floury potatoes

225g (8oz) onions diced

225g (8oz) carrots, roughly chopped

225g (8oz) cabbage, chopped

110g (4oz) leek, roughly chopped

110g (4oz) celery roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed 850ml (1½pt) chicken stock, hot

60g (2½oz) parsley, chopped Splash brown sauce Salt & pepper Oil

Soften the onions, celery, leek, carrots and garlic in a little oil in a large pot over a medium heat.

Stir in the meat (don’t brown it), season and pour in the hot chicken stock so that it covers the meat and vegetables.

Add a generous dollop of brown sauce and stir. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer gently for about an hour and a half.

Chop the potatoes into different sized pieces ( the smaller chunks

will break up and thicken the stew while the larger ones will stay whole) and add them to the stew.

An hour later, check the meat for tenderness. If the mutton or lamb is to your satisfaction, add the cabbage and parsley and simmer until the cabbage is just cooked. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 325°F. Rub some oil into the brisket and season well. Heat a heavybased casserole on a medium heat and seal the meat on all sides until it is brown and caramelised.

Remove the meat, set aside and soften the onions. Add the crushed garlic and allow to cook for about a minute.

Add the vegetables to the pot and stir them around the pan to pick up all the flavours. Put the brisket back into the pot and arrange the vegetables evenly around the meat.

With the pot on a medium heat add the red wine and allow it to

bubble and boil off the alcohol for a few minutes before adding the hot stock and bouquet garni.The vegetables should be covered and the liquid should come to at least halfway up the meat.

Cover, place in the oven and roast for around two and a half hours until the vegetables are cooked through and the meat is tender.

If you wish to thicken the sauce, remove the brisket and vegetables and keep warm. Put the pot on a medium heat and reduce the sauce to the desired consistency and then replace the meat and vegetables. Check seasoning and stir in the parsley.

41

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 41

5/12/08 17:38:11

One pot wonders

MILANESE OSSO BUCO Osso buco means “bone with a hole” because in addition to the meat, the marrow is regarded as the best bit, which means that nothing is left over but a hollow bone on the plate.

Serves four.

4 osso buco (5cm ( 2”) rounds of veal knuckle)

1 stick celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped 300ml (10fl oz) chicken stock 175ml (6fl oz) white wine

2 tbsp tomato puree

50g (2oz) butter

1 tbsp olive oil

50g (2oz) plain flour Salt & pepper

VENISON, MUSHROOM AND RED PEPPER HOT POT This is a modern twist on a classic dish using venison for a tasty change.

For the gremolata: Zest of ½ lemon, finely grated

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Serves four.

450g (1lb) haunch of venison, diced

450g (1lb) potatoes, peeled and sliced

110g (4oz) smoked back bacon

150g (5oz) chestnut mushrooms

1 red pepper, diced

2 onions, diced

3 sticks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed 450ml (16fl oz) beef or chicken stock, hot 250ml (9fl oz) red wine

2 tsp tomato puree

2 tsp redcurrant jelly

1 tsp juniper berries crushed

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp oil Knob butter Salt & pepper

42

Preheat oven Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 325°F. Take the rind off the bacon and cut it into large pieces. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat and cook the bacon. Remove it from the pan and brown the venison in batches.

Fry the onions until softened and add the celery and garlic.

Cook those until they become transparent.Add the tomato puree and stir for a minute, then pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

When the wine has reduced slightly, stir in the redcurrant jelly, thyme and crushed juniper berries and add the mushrooms, peppers, bacon, and venison and pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer, taste and season.

Layer the potatoes over the top and brush with the butter. Cover and cook in the oven for an hour and a half. Remove the lid, increase the oven temperature to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F and cook for a further 15 minutes to brown the potatoes.

Season the flour with salt and pepper and dust the veal pieces.

Melt the butter in a pan with the oil and brown the veal all over.

Remove and put to one side.

Fry the onion, celery, carrot and garlic until softened, then add the tomato puree and stir for a minute then return the osso buco to the pan, pour in the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated.

Pour in the stock, cover and

gently simmer on a low heat for around two hours until the meat is coming away from the bone. Remove the lid, season, then remove the veal and keep it warm. Increase the temperature and simmer rapidly for around ten minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce.

To prepare the gremolata, mix together the lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Sprinkle over the osso buco to serve.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 42

5/12/08 17:38:22

One pot wonders

Sweet Potato Curry This is a great South Indian-style curry made with coconut milk and lime juice. The recipe can be adapted for many different curries so experiment with your favourite vegetables or meat.You can vary the heat by reducing the amount of fresh chilli that you use.

Serves two.

450g (1lb) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 600g (1¼lb) onions, sliced thinly 400ml (14fl oz) coconut milk

8 cloves garlic, peeled

50g (2oz) ginger, peeled

1-2 red chillies

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp ghee or butter

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp green cardamom pods

2.5cm (1”) piece of cinnamon stick

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tbsp coriander seed

1 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp turmeric

½ tsp nutmeg, ground

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 lime, juice

1 large bunch coriander, stalks and leaves

Heat the oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, add onions and sauté slowly until totally softened and reduced to a deep nut brown colour. This will take at least 45 minutes but don’t hurry it.

To make a wet masala, place the garlic, ginger, chilli and the stalks of the coriander in a blender or food processor with a tablespoon of water and blend until smooth.

To make the dry masala, place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and black peppercorns in a pan and place over a moderate heat. Allow the spices to warm and become fragrant but do not allow to burn. Grind the spices in a spice grinder or a pestle and

mortar and mix with the cayenne pepper, nutmeg and turmeric.

Add the wet masala to the wellbrowned onions and allow to cook for a few minutes while stirring.

Add the dry masala and stir for a couple of minutes more.

Add the diced sweet potatoes and stir to coat with the spices and onions and then add the coconut milk and 200ml (7fl oz) water. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for about half an hour or until the sweet potatoes are soft and the sauce is reduced.

Season with salt and add the lime juice and the coriander leaves, roughly chopped, and serve.

43

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 43

5/12/08 17:38:27

SHOP LOCAL S.A. Deveson High Class Produce Store

Grange Farm Shop & PYO

Funtington, 5 miles north-west of Chichester

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

SA Deveson QP 0308.indd 1

One of the last growers of cox apples and comice pears in Sussex Apples, pears, plums, greengages, raspberries, damsons and strawberries – picked from our own orchard in season.

Farm shop stocks our own fruit, vegetables and much more local cheeses, preserves, bread, gifts and cards.

Open Mon to Sat 9am – 5pm www.grangefarmshop.com 01243 575372

21/2/08 20:06:54

HIGH WEALD DAIRY

PRIZE WINNING CHEESES HIGH CLASS FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLIERS WHOLESALE & RETAIL SUPPLY Please call us with your requirements, no matter how diverse!

We stock the largest range of fresh produce in the area sourced locally wherever we can!

Please call in to see our beautiful shop in East Wittering

01243 672121/672722 www.munneries.co.uk 21 Shore Road, East Wittering, Sussex PO20 8DY DON’T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR FRUIT BASKET FOR CHRISTMAS!

Using organic milk from the cows on Tremains Farm, we make the Gold Award winning Tremains Organic Cheddar, Ashdown Foresters (including oak smoked) and the deliciously fresh Cowslip, plain and with chives. Sheep milk is turned into rich Duddleswell, Sussex Slipcote in five varieties, as well as the Mediterranean Feta and Halloumi.

All are available from independent food outlets throughout Sussex. Please call us for your nearest stockist.

Sussex High Weald Dairy, Tremains Farm, Horsted Keynes, Haywards Heath, RH17 7EA Tel: 01825 791636 Fax: 01825 791641 www.highwealddairy.co.uk

January/February 2009 Munneries QP 1108.indd 1 Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 44

Weald Dairy QP 0109.indd 1 7/10/08 High 18:27:40

1/12/08 17:58:45 5/12/08 17:38:31

One pot wonders

VEGETABLE TAGINE This colourful Moroccan-style stew brings some welcome sweetness and spice to some very familiar ingredients.

Serves FOUR. 300g (10oz) potatoes, peeled and diced

200g (7oz) red onion, diced

200g (7oz) parsnips, diced

200g (7oz) carrots, diced

75g (3oz) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked (or a 400g can, drained) 100g (3½oz) dried ready to eat apricots 400g (14oz) tinned chopped tomatoes 200ml &fl oz) vegetable stock

2 clove garlic, finely chopped

2.5cm (1”) ginger, finely chopped

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp harissa paste

½ tsp cumin, ground

½ tsp cinnamon, ground

½ tsp coriander seeds, ground

½ tsp turmeric

1 lemon, zest

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 tbsp coriander, chopped Salt & pepper Oil

Fry the onion in a little oil until softened.Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes more.

Add the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander seeds cinnamon and harissa paste and stir until the aromas are released.

Add the honey, vegetables and chickpeas and stir thoroughly so that everything is thoroughly

coated with the sticky spice mix.

Pour in the tinned tomatoes and the stock, cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to simmer for around 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Scatter with the parsley and coriander and serve with couscous.

45

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 45

5/12/08 17:38:36

Drink Sussex

Drink pink on Valentine’s Day What better way to celebrate St Valentine’s Day than with a glass of pink and sparkling Sussex wine?

Eat Sussex Drinks Editor, David Furer, tries out the options.

46

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 46

5/12/08 17:38:42

Drink Sussex

W

hatever you call them — fizz, bubbly, expensive mouthwash — sparkling wines are associated with fun. Champagne, the northern French region which has made this style of wine world-famous, is the sparkler of choice for most in Britain. However, with a growing sense of pride in national produce built upon actual quality improvements, British drinkers have taken to native drinks. Although not an overriding reason yet, adding to this soon may be the shrinking value of the pound versus that of the euro.

Times are good for English sparkling wines, that is, if you can find them. Demand currently outstrips supply, a situation that will equalize over the next two years as more vineyards come into fruition.

As mentioned in my first contribution to these pages, the band of chalky subsoil attributed with much of Champagne’s success also runs through much of southeast England, especially Sussex. Many believe this subsoil is a contributing factor to the recent success of England’s sparkling wines. The most successful examples of these are from Sussex, Kent, and Surrey.

The more favourable climate we enjoy here also adds to the success but, if it was only about climate, then why not the varied black, rocky soils of Devon and Cornwall which bask in even more temperate conditions? But I digress.

Let’s get to the primer part of the story. Wine is made from grapes (yes, there are other fermented fruit products — more on that in an upcoming ES feature).

All grapes destined for wine are either white- or red-skinned.

You can’t get pigmentation from white grapes other than, well, not exactly white but rather some variant of yellow or green.

If some variance of pink/red/ purple/blue is desired then the

David & Linda Carr Taylor, Alan Jenkins of Bookers and Plumpton’s Paul Harley

winemaker must leave pressed grape juice, typically from red grapes, in contact with the skins of these same red grapes. This is because all the colour is in the skins, not in the pulp. There are rare exceptions but that’s another story and one having nothing to do with sparkling wines. So, pink

sparkling wine may be made from red grapes left in contact with their skins or by adding red wine to white juice.

Sales of pink champagne in the UK and elsewhere have improved during the past two years as have the fortunes of all rosés. Iconic Laurent-Perrier Rosé has become

so popular (“the most overpriced rosé on the market,” according to Brighton resident Michael Davis of London’s Pearl Restaurant) that it’s now strictly allocated to the posh and wannabe posh restaurants and bars which have helped make drinking pink champagne fashionable.While the production and consumption of pink sparklers in both Champagne and England are on the upswing they still represent a very small percentage of the overall production of sparkling wines. The common misperception of many with regards to pink wines in general: “pink wines aren’t serious wines” is still widespread. Among the wine trade, the understanding that fashion for pink wines comes and goes every five years or so helps to limit investment in them.

While sparkling rosés can be enjoyed any time, they can also add a splash of colour to a celebratory experience.And, what better way of marking the most romantic date on the calendar than by cracking open a bottle of pink bubbly? Celebrate and enjoy the holidays with them. Smoked salmon — and light tomato-based appetizers are naturals but, if you want to really rattle people’s cages, serve the fruitier versions with cold, unadorned roast beef.

47

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 47

5/12/08 17:38:49

Drink Sussex According to Master of Wine, Stephen Skelton, in Wine Report 2009 (Dorling Kindersley), the 2006 English vintage showed a good balance of sugars & acids with a harvest that was not too high, especially for sparklers.

He also reports that industry leader RidgeView’s gold medalwinning rosé, Fitzrovia 2004, won Best International Rosé at the international Le Mondial de Rosé competition. Skelton himself listed it both as one of his top wines overall and a top bargain.

David and Linda Car r Taylor released England’s first commercial ‘champagne method’ sparkling wine in 1985

48

and followed three years later with their first sparkling pink.

They currently source all their grapes from their own estate but are looking to expand with contracted grape farmers.

Although he’s a well-respected veteran of the English wine producers’ community, David is tellingly not a member of the English Wine Producers’ Association. During a recent public appearance, Carr Taylor derided the provincial mentality affecting a great proportion of his colleagues. Privately he told me that with the expansion of vineyard plantings and the subsequent future increase in sales,

Lewes’s Needlemakers Cafe hosted the Sussex Wine Company’s 2008 portfolio wine tasting on 20 November. 70 people enjoyed 50 wines from Breaky Bottom, Carr-Taylor, and Plumpton along with a plethora of international offerings, to celebrate the launch of owners Georgie & Ben Furst’s new venture, English Vine Tours. ‘Following the path from grape to glass,’ they’re offering individuals or groups the chance to explore English vineyards and taste the wines in situ.

“We came up with this idea over a few bottles of English sparkling wine,” shared Ben. “We woke the next morning clearheaded and realized that no one else was arranging tours of these small English vineyards that we loved so.”

Samples of their offerings include a 1-day tour to include visits to both a winery and a racecourse, a 2-day tour — certain to be popular with weekenders from London — which includes dinner and accommodation at a top hotel, and a half-day tour designed for corporate takers.

English Vine Tours, 16 Market Street, Lewes, East Sussex.

Telephone: 01273 477 205, Web: www.englishvinetours.co.uk

both domestic and export, this will shift but not soon enough for him. His new venture,Taylor & Shroff Fine Wines & Spirits, is expanding their reach into the growing Indian market with both their still and sparkling wines.

Plumpton College, known for their world-class wine production and business courses, manages 10 hectares/22 acres of vineyard from which they produce approximately 20,000 bottles annually. Since 2003, 1,000 or so of those bottles have been filled with pink bubbles. 94 per cent of that wine is Pinot Noir with the remainder comprised of Chardonnay. Four per cent of those Pinot grapes — the best of the lot — are first made into a still wine so as to provide colour for what would otherwise be a white wine base.

English wine standard-bearer, Nyetimber, confirmed having a pink fizz in development from their two most recent harvests. No release date has been established but, knowing their aging regime, it should be expected no sooner than 2011. Don’t bother them, please, but begin saving your pennies as it’s sure to be pricey.

Below is a sampling of all we could learn of and cajole from the world of Sussex pink sparklers; Sedlescombe is reported to have one but isn’t included below.

RidgeView Merret Fitzrovia 2006 Brut Rosé The Roberts family pushes this blend of 67 per cent Chardonnay, 23 per cent Pinot Noir, and ten per cent Pinot Meunier. through a process called ‘malolactic conversion’ which alters the palate-crunching malic acid (think sour apple) into lactic acid (think plain yogurt). Aged 24 months before release and finished with a relatively moderate sugar dosage of

11g/l. Salmon colour. Red berries and bread notes abound.The fruit character dominates over a sense of soil. A crowd-pleaser.

Plumpton The Dean Blush 2005 Barely blush. Touch of residual sugar, strawberry, clean, crisp, good ‘mousse’ (the size and amount of bubbles to wine). Dry, fuller than most but still fresh — even with full ‘malo’, a finish with finesse.

Breaky Bottom Kir Royal Pleasantly restrained currant aroma and taste. Bone dry, good acidity. Not quite cricket — it’s white sparkling wine with an addition of homegrown black currants — but the quirky Peter Hall has fashioned a popular and easily gluggable hybrid beverage which does appear as a pink sparkling wine.

Carr Taylor Rosé Brut NV Orangey colour. A hint of yeast on the nose. Soft, ripe, and fruity with a touch of sweet cooked strawberry flavour. Tea leaf note on the finish. 75 per cent Pinot Noir, 25 per cent Pinot Meunier — making it one of the very few pink bubblies to be made exclusively with red grapes.

Bookers Bart’s Bubbly 2004 100 per cent Pinot Noir. Deeplyhued pink, fine bubbles. Slightly confected strawberry jam aroma.

Straightforward, fruity, crisp with hint of blackberry, pleasingly faint sweet finish.

Bookers Sirius Rosé 2005 An unusual blend of Seyval Blanc and Merlot. Pale pink with big bubbles. Herbaceous, dry impression. Light strawberry flavour with a hint of hay, dry, light body, crisp. Medium length finish. n

Californian David Furer is a drinks/food/travel writer and marketer based in Brighton. When not tasting, teaching, or writing of wines & spirits he may be found scouring Sussex for its grainy quaffs.

APOLOGY AND CORRECTION: In our feature on Seasonal Ales, we wrongly attributed Chilly Willy and White Gold to 1648 Brewery. Both beers are in fact brewed by the White Brewing Company. We apologise for any confusion.

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 48

5/12/08 17:38:52

Farmers’ Markets in Sussex East Sussex 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

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

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

Firle 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

West Sussex 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

Pulborough

Billingshurst

Last Saturday of every month, Feb to Dec, 9am-12noon, Pulborough Village Hall Tel: 01903 891476 / 07752 364832

Chichester

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

East Grinstead

4th Thursday of every month (excl.

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

3rd Wednesday of every month, 9am-1pm, Jengers Mead Tel: 01403 215386

Shoreham-by-Sea

1st and 3rd Friday of every month, 9am-2pm, East St & North St Tel: 01243 785166 Every Thursday 9am-2pm, High St Tel: 01932 788001

Hassocks

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

Haywards Heath

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

Henfield

3rd Friday of every month, 9am-1pm, Henfield Hall Car Park Tel: 01273 492595

Horsham

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

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

Every Saturday, 9am-5pm, Carfax (Town Centre) Tel: 01403 215386

Midhurst

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

Slindon

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

Steyning 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, 9am-12.30pm, Village Hall Tel: 01403 700624

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

English Vine Tours is a family run business with over 20 years experience in the wine trade. We aim to promote the English wine industry, support local economy, celebrate English producers and allow everyone to truly experience the beauty of the English vineyards.

CARR TAYLOR VINEYARDS Your local English vineyard.

UP TO 20% OFF WINTER WINE SALE* Visitors to the shop can buy from a selection of still, sparkling or fruit wines, hampers, preserves, marmalades, chutneys and fudges. Or why not relax in our coffee shop for tea and cake?

Carr Taylor Vineyards is open daily from 10am-5pm. Entrance is free.

Farncombe House, 16 Market Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2NB

Westfield, Nr Hastings, TN35 4SG Tel: 01424 752501 Email: sales@carr-taylor.co.uk

info@englishvinetours.co.uk englishvinetours.blogspot.com

www.carr-taylor.co.uk

*Off selected wines and dates in January and February 2009

to book or find out more visit www.englishvinetours.co.uk or call us on 01273 48 33 12

January/February 2009 Carr Taylor QP 0109.indd 1 Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 49

27/11/08 17:53:00 5/12/08 17:38:56

The Wild Side Sea Purslane (Halimione portulacoides) Growing in thick mats lining the well-drained banks of estuary rivers and salt marsh streams, and even more extensive mats across huge swaths of higher welldrained parts of salt marsh habitats, Sea Purslane is one of those few plants that can be gathered in small quantities throughout the year.

The leaves are naturally high in salt and during the winter become small and succulent in their bid to withstand harsh coastal conditions.

Draw a couple of handfuls of the leaves together and cut away from the woody stems using a knife or scissors just below the bottom leaves.After washing well, remove all the leaves from the stem — it’s a little fiddly but worth it.

Fergus Drennan In the green midwinter

T

50

rying to eat seasonally

is wonderful in so many ways and yet there are times when a daily procession of hot winter stews, soups, roasts and stodgy puddings calls for only one possible balancing antidote: a vibrant green leafy salad! People frequently ask me how I manage to forage in winter — especially the dark days of January and February. Actually, although the summer offers up leaves of unique fiery pungency such as Dittander and Wild Rocket and, of course, spring’s virile abundance of tender young leafy greens spoils for choice with generous abundance, winter offers up a unique range of flavoursome plants.

So forget the salad days of summer; the salad days of winter are here, right now!

Here’s how you can enjoy them in a wild salad made for around six people.

I’ll concentrate on some common plants, many of which you may know or will certainly have heard of.To help you identify them, I’d recommend two of my favourite plant identification books: The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) by Francis Rose and Clare O’Reilly (Frederick Warne Books, 2006), and Roger

Phillips’ seasonal photographic guide, Wild Flowers of Britain (Pan Books, 1977). Of course, web searches such as Google Images can also be very helpful.

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

November and found growing extensively in meadows, along roadsides and on wasteland, the prettily shaped leaves can be harvested virtually all year. Collect a handful of fresh looking basal leaves — about 100.

Found extensively on arable land, waste ground, in alleys and along the edges of damp grassy bridleways, Chickweed can occasionally grow in such huge swaths as to exclude all the grass around it. Usually, though, you’ll find small scattered adjacent clumps. This is the mild tasting leaf that makes the base for our salad. Draw together three large handfuls of leaves and cut an inch or so from the top. Below that the inner stem has a stringy central core. Indeed, that stringy core as well as the roundish stem with single line of hairs along its length serves to distinguish it from Scarlet Pimpernel — a plant of superficially similar appearance that a friend of mine managed to poison his family with when he believed he was making Chickweed soup!

Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)

Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare/ Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)

Yet another common weed of wasteland, arable land and roadsides, the leaves can be found forming over-wintering rosettes.

Gather two handfuls.

Flower ing from May to

Found in damp grassland and grassy roadside banks; gather about ten Common Sorrel leaves whilst being careful, especially in late winter, not to mistakenly pick the young, distinctly veined shiny green leaves of Cuckoo Pint (Arum maculatum). Wood Sorrel, having a similar tangy flavour to Common Sorrel has a completely different, clovershaped leaf. Although found in woodland, very similar varieties can take over garden pots and cracks in paving. Easily distinguished from Clover by the tangy taste (Clover leaves are edible but tasteless). Gather a large handful.

Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) This pungent celery-like plant has taken over coastal areas since being introduced by the Romans.

Given its potentially dominating flavour take only a small handful of leaves.

Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsute) This delicious plant grows in abundance along damp woodland paths and is frequently found on the bare soil around potted garden plants. Gather several large handfuls, twisting the leaves to snap away from the central base.

Winter-cress (Barbarea vulgaris) Found along damp stream-sides and also, surprisingly, dry areas on the edge of arable land. It looks like a thicker-leaved Watercress only, of course, growing on land. Pick a handful of this pungent leaf.

Wash the leaves, toss together with a little dressing (I use cold extracted Staghorn Sumac berry juice, crushed garlic and olive oil) and a few wild pickles, sprinkle on some vibrant yellow gorse flowers and, finally, place on top a few fly agaric-carved radishes. Simple? Well, not quite.

Satisfying and delicious? Well.... definitely! n

January/February 2009

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 50

5/12/08 17:39:08

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 51

5/12/08 17:39:14

Waitrose quality from store to door Save £30 with our online grocery service.

WaitroseDeliver brings everything youÕll find in your local shop right to your door - including all the fresh produce counters. ItÕs picked, packed and delivered by Waitrose Partners - the people who own the business - so you know youÕll get exactly what you want.

WeÕll even give you £5 off your first, £10 off your second and £15 off your third order. Simply go to waitrose.com/deliver and enter code abifsbo1- by 31 January 2009 at the end of your shop.

waitrose.com/deliver

Best Online Food Shop 2008

Eat Sussex Issue 8.indd 52

Selected postcodes, £50 minimum spend, delivery charge and conditions apply.

Available to new customers only. One per household. Not redeemable in branch or in conjunction with any other offer or service.

5/12/08 17:39:15