Guy Awford’s Food Column: April

The early spring is a great time for eating seafood. Fish and shellfish are in peak condition, and the warmer weather makes us crave something light and simple. Top of the list for the spring must be wild salmon and wild sea bass. These are expensive ingredients, so due care and attention is needed. If you are poaching wild salmon cook at a gentle heat, around 70C, until it is cooked to your liking. Boiling it at 100C will do little to enhance the qualities of this beautiful fish.

Similarly when pan frying wild sea bass the trick is to get a crispy golden skin without drying out the delicate flesh. First score the fillet by cutting 3 shallow slashes through the skin and just into the flesh. This will help to keep the fillet flat during cooking. The next step is to dry the skin. You want the skin to fry in the oil, not stew in its own juices. That means there should be no moisture at all on the skin. Pat it dry with absorbent kitchen paper and then lay it onto a fresh piece of kitchen paper whilst you heat the pan (use a non-stick pan). Get the pan fairly hot then add just enough oil to cover the base. Let it heat then season with fine salt. Turn the heat to medium. Gently lay the fish into the pan, letting it fall away from you (in case any oil splashes out). Press down firmly with a fish slice. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until the skin becomes crisp and golden. Don’t touch it, fuss over it, or in any way fiddle with it. Let it form a crust.

Now turn the fish over, turn the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Your fish will be crispy and moist.

Seasonal Ingredients

Guy Awford’s Food Column: March

Scottish lobsters are renowned for their firm, plump flesh, and delicate sweet flavour. At their peak right now they are available from The Fishmonger on Circus Street. Be warned though, they are very expensive.

Choose lively lobsters that are between 1Ib and 3 Ib. Keep them covered with damp newspaper and leave them in a cool, dark place. Killing a live lobster can be upsetting, so buying a freshly cooked one from a good source is a sensible solution. If you do want to cook it yourself place the lobster in the freezer for 20 minutes. This will put it to sleep. Then plunge it into a large pot of rapidly boiling water.

Having spent so lavishly on the lobster you may as well splurge on the wine; Daniel, from The Theatre of Wine, recommends a great Burgundy, such as a Meursault or perhaps a Puligny-Montrachet.

The recipe below is a simplified version of a starter from my new restaurant – Guy Awford at the Guildford.

Scottish Lobster & Avocado Cocktail with Cos, Lime & Sweet Paprika – serves 4

• Freeze the lobster for 20 minutes, then plunge into a large pot of rapidly boiling, well salted, water. Bring the water back to the boil and cook for 10 minutes for the first pound and then 3 minutes for each additional pound.
• Remove the lobster and plunge into iced water.
• Mix 2 tablespoon of tomato ketchup with 8 tablespoons of mayonnaise, adding a squeeze of lime juice & 1 finely chopped red chilli.
• Crack the lobster and remove the flesh, cutting it into bite sized pieces.
• Peel & slice 2 avocadoes, mix with the lobster, and bind with the sauce.
• Serve on top of some finely sliced cos, dusting the top with a little sweet paprika.

Wine Suggestion: Domaine Bouzereau, Meursault, Les Grands Charrons, 2008. From the heart of the Cote d’Or in Burgundy this is a wine that balances mouth watering fresh citrus flavours with sensual roasted nut and exotic fruit.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:         Avocado, Beetroot, Sprouts, Cape Broccoli, Carrots, Celeriac, Jerusalem Artichoke,

Fish:                       Sea Bass, Oysters, Clams, Cockles, Halibut, Lobster, Brill

Fruit & Nuts:      Forced Rhubarb & Outdoor

Meat:                     Vension

Guy Awford’s Food Column: February

Fruit that has been forced to grow outside its natural season is, by and large, disappointing. English strawberries in spring are tasteless in comparison to an August crop. Hard, acidic hot house tomatoes are no substitute for sweet and juicy sun ripened ones. Fruit grown in this way is purely a commodity to sell; the quality of the produce has been compromised beyond recognition. There is, however, one exception: forced rhubarb.

February sees forced rhubarb at its best. Grown in hot sheds in virtual darkness the young shoots grow quickly in a desperate search for light. The shoots are delicate and must be handpicked in a very low light to avoid damage. Pinker and less acidic than the outdoor variety, forced rhubarb has the added advantage of tender stems, which don’t need peeling. With such a scarcity of fresh British fruits available this month a dessert made with this is just about your only seasonal option. This month’s recipe is for the ultimate comfort food – rhubarb crumble and custard.

Forced Rhubarb Crumble with Fresh Custard – serves 6

• For the crumble mix place 500g of plain flour in a large bowl and rub in 300g of soft butter until it becomes sandy in texture. Rub in 275g of caster sugar and refrigerate.
• Rinse and cut the leaves from 14 rhubarb stalks. Cut into bite sized pieces, sprinkle generously with sugar, drizzle with a little water, cover and cook on a tray in the oven until tender.
• Place the rhubarb in a suitably sized oven dish and sprinkle over enough crumble mix to give an inch of topping.
• Bake in the oven at 190C for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden & crunchy.

Fresh Custard

• Heat 500ml of milk with 1 vanilla pod (cut open lengthwise to let the seeds out).
• Whisk 6 egg yolks with 75g of sugar, 50g of corn flour and 50ml of cold milk.
• Pour the hot milk onto the yolks & whisk.

• Place on medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.
• Pass through a fine sieve into a serving jug.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables: Leeks, Swede, Winter Kale, Beetroot, Brussel Sprouts, Savoy Cabbage, Salsify

Fish:                       Sea Bass, Oysters, Clams, Cockles, Halibut

Fruit & Nuts:      Forced Rhubarb

Meat:                     Vension

Guy Awford’s Food Column: January

January has become the month for restraint. A time to re-think that flagging diet, reduce alcohol consumption and generally pay the piper for any festive indulgences. Well, I think this year restraint should be put on hold. Our economy is in freefall, the country is skint and the cost of living is rising. This January we want comfort food. We deserve comfort food.

Of all the foods tagged comfort food, few are more comforting than a treacle tart; served warm with a dollop of cream it’s proper old fashioned indulgence. My version of treacle tart packs a lemon and ginger punch. I find that this helps cut through the sweetness, improving the overall flavour. If, however, you are after something lest zesty then you can easily reduce the amounts, or leave them out altogether.

Making the pastry is the only tricky part of this recipe. You can of course buy pre-made sweet pastry but your efforts will be rewarded if you decide to make it from scratch. After making the pastry always chill it before rolling it out. This ensures the pastry firms up as the butter hardens, improving the texture and making it easier to handle. Once you have rolled it out and lined the tart ring place it in the refrigerator to chill the pastry again. You want the pastry to be very cold when it goes into the oven. This ensures the pastry begins to cook and set before the butter softens, giving the pastry shell a good shape. By contrast making the filling is extremely easy. You simply beat together all the ingredients and then pour them into a pre-baked pastry case.

Warm Treacle Tart

• For the pastry, process 125g of diced (room temperature) butter and 90g of caster sugar until smooth. Mix in an egg then pulse in 250g of sifted flour.
• Knead lightly and chill for 20 minutes. Roll out between 2 sheets of cling film and line a greased tart ring. Put back into the fridge to set the pastry.
• Beat 5 eggs & mix in 600g of golden syrup, 180g of breadcrumbs, a pinch of grated ginger and the juice & zest of 1 lemon. Stir in 450ml of double cream.
• Blind bake the pastry case at 180c until cooked. Remove the paper & baking beans. Brush with egg wash and return to the oven to seal.
• Remove the cooked pastry case, pour in the mix and bake at 150c until golden and set – about 25 minutes.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:      Leeks, Swede, Winter Kale, Beetroot, Brussel Sprouts, Savoy Cabbage, Salsify

Fish:                 Brill, Cod , Coley, Haddock, Hake, Halibut, Plaice, Scallops, Turbot, Whiting, Mackerel, Mussels

Fruit & Nuts:      Apples, Pears

Meat:                Hare, Vension

Guy Awford’s Food Column: December

Unless you are planning on eating your Christmas lunch in a restaurant it is highly likely that, come Christmas morning, you will be up early, fretting over a large turkey.  At a time when all you want to do is relax with family and friends, the responsibility for cooking such a large bird can hang like an albatross around your neck, causing stress and apprehension. Well, if that’s the case, maybe I can help.

Your first obstacle is a mental one. Any resentment over your role will inevitably spill out, souring the atmosphere and tainting the food, so you must give yourself willingly and lovingly to the task. Try to relax. Occasionally I get roped into playing golf. If I try too hard, I get uptight, and I’m rubbish. If, however, I take a deep breath, drop my shoulders, and think “who gives a ****”, then more often than not, I hit the ball relatively straight. It’s not an ideal metaphor, but I’m sure you get my point.

The second obstacle is logistics. Can I really cook for all these people? Will it be ready on time? Cooking for a large number of people is pretty much the same as cooking for two; it just takes longer to prepare. Break down your menu into small tasks. List them in the order that you need to tackle them, then methodically work your way through it, giving yourself plenty of time.

Your first job is to make the stuffing, which can be done the day before, as on Christmas morning your priority is cooking the turkey; once that is in the oven all other timings relate to that. I always remove the legs, bone and roll them, and cook them separately. This reduces the cooking time, ensuring the breast meat doesn’t dry out. It’s also a good idea to remove the wishbone, as this makes it much easier to carve. Your butcher should happily do all this for you. Weigh the breast crown and roast for 20 minutes per 500g at 180C, putting the legs in at the same time. Stuff the crown at the neck end, pulling the skin down to hold it in place. Butter and season the turkey, then pop into a preheated oven at 180C.

Now you can turn your attention to the trimmings. For perfect roast potatoes use King Edward or Desiree. Peel, quarter and place into cold water, bring to the boil and cook until a skewer can be pushed through. Drain in a colander, and gently shake to rough up the surfaces. Place them, curved side down, into hot vegetable oil and roast for about an hour, turning every 15 minutes. Whilst they are cooking wrap the chipolatas in bacon and peel the Brussel sprouts. Cutting a cross in the base helps them to cook evenly.

When the turkey is cooked remove from the roasting tray and insert a sharp knife into the thickest part by the wing joint (the juices should run clear, if they still look pink return to the oven for a little longer). Leave to rest for 20 minutes, covered with foil. Whilst it rests, pop the bacon wrapped chipolatas in the oven, cook the sprouts, and make your gravy in the roasting tray.

Have a great Christmas.

Chestnut, Onion & Sage Stuffing

• Finely dice 1 large onion and simmer in milk for 5 minutes.
• Process half a loaf of white bread to make coarse breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the onions, a teaspoon of mustard, a tablespoon of chopped sage, and 250g of roughly chopped cooked chestnuts.
• Mix in 100g of soft butter & 1 egg. Season to taste.
• Push the stuffing together and push into the neck cavity.

Vegetables:      Jerusalem Artichokes, Red Cabbage, Celery, Parsnips

Fish:                 Black Bream, Herring, Lobster, Mackerel, Mussels, Native Oysters, Turbot

Fruit & Nuts:      Apples, Pears

Meat:                Partridge, pheasant, Turkey, Mallard

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