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RECIPE EXTRACTED FROM THE GREAT CORNISH FISH BOOK/ WWW.GREATCORNISHFOOD.CO.UK/PHOTO: © JOFF LEE
READING CORNER Cosy up in your favourite chair and lose yourself in one of these books
Cornish folk have been tucking into freshly pickled crab for centuries. For more on Cornwall see page 35
The Debs of Bletchley Park by Michael Smith (£9.99, Aurum Press). The unheard story of the ‘Debs’ and the essential role they played in the vital work of ‘Station X’ at the famous spy base.
RECIPE
Luxury Cornish Crab Tart This tart, devised by Rodda’s – Cornwall’s famous 125-year-old creamery – features in The Great Cornish Fish Book (£17.99, Cornwall Food & Drink), out this September.
I n g re d i e n t s : SERVES 6 – TASTY HOT OR COLD 375g (12oz) pack ready-rolled short crust pastry or make your own using 250g (9oz) flour and 125g (4.5oz) Cornish butter
113g (4oz) Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream
100g (3.5oz) watercress, stems removed and finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
113g (4oz) Rodda’s Cornish crème fraîche 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
250g (9oz) mixed crab meat
100g (3.5oz) freshly grated Davidstow Extra Mature Cheddar
3 free range eggs
Cornish sea salt and black pepper
Method: Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F) and very lightly grease a 22cm loose bottom flan tin. Place the tin onto a baking tray. Roll out the pastry until it’s big enough to generously fit the tin. Ease the pastry into the tin, pressing into the edges and leaving excess pastry falling over the sides – don’t trim at this stage. Prick the base with a fork. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Trim the excess pastry using a sharp knife. Bake the pastry case blind for about 15 minutes – remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle the watercress on the bottom of the pastry case. Top with evenly distributed crab meat. Whisk together the eggs and the clotted cream, crème fraÎche, chilli flakes and lemon juice and half the cheese. Season well. Pour the egg mixture into the case. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the filling feels firm in the centre. Allow the tart to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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BRITAIN
The Story of the Thames by Andrew Sargent (£9.99, Amberley). Fascinating insight into the history of the longest and most famous river in England, which mirrors the story of the capital city it dominates. Stuff Brits Like by Fraser McAlpine (£ 9.99, Nicholas Brealey Publishing). A witty guide to the quirks of Britain and the British, which puts forward some interesting observations on the nation’s psyche. Pleasures of the Table: A Literary Anthology by Christina Hardyment (£20, The British Library). An ode to food from some of the world’s greatest writers and poets. The Lost Tudor Princess by Alison Weir (Jonathan Cape, £20). The historian returns with an account of Margaret Douglas, a woman with royal blood, who lived during five Tudor reigns.
www.britain-magazine.com