West country wonders
I take pictures of great food. It’s a privilege that has fed not only an appetite to celebrate the chefs who create the dishes, but also to applaud the region that supplies the source of their inspiration: the South West. Since relocating from Australia to the West Country almost 10 years ago, I’ve witnessed the stellar nature of the region’s culinary development and capture the moments when produce, place and talent unite.
In my new West Country Cook Book, you’ll see the West Country through my eyes: you’ll travel with me on a fishing boat to pull in mackerel and crab at dawn; you’ll get your boots muddy tracking down Dexter cattle with clifftop views of the Celtic Sea; you’ll go underground to sample cave-aged cheese, and you’ll shake hands with fellow West Country food champions, the chefs themselves.
Working together, we’ve brought a shared passion to this project – pairing my images with their dishes in celebration of the new look, feel and taste of the region’s invigorated food culture. But new doesn’t have to be complicated: clever cooking can be simple cooking. Focusing on ingredients that can be found or foraged locally, the best of the region’s chefs have come up with lovely recipes which emphasise, rather than manipulate, the fl avours of food in a uniquely West Country style. Whether because the region’s food scene has, on occasion, been dismissed as provincial, pasties or simply Padstow, or because of its geographical isolation, there’s a special camaraderie amongst the community of cooks in the South West. These recipes are testament to this collective spirit.
The New West Country Cook Book (independently published), with photography by David Griff en, is out now. Available from: www.westcountrycookbook.co.uk for £20 plus p&p.
MARK HIX - Poached Pears In Perry
Serves 4
Ingredients
500ml perry (available from Tesco and Waitrose)
4 firm pears, peeled with the stalks left on
4 cloves
1 small piece of cinnamon stick
6 black peppercorns
2 tbsp caster sugar
4 tbsp clotted cream To serve
1 cup blackberries, crushed
Method
Put the perry, pears, spices and sugar in a saucepan. Place a sheet of greaseproof paper on top of the fruit inside the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 mins or until the pears are soft and tender but not falling apart.
Remove the greaseproof paper and the pears from the liquid. Continue simmering the liquid until it has reduced by about two-thirds and thickened. Return the pears to the liquid and leave to cool.
To serve, stand each pear on a deep serving plate. Pour a few spoonfuls of the thickened liquid over each pear. Serve with the clotted cream and blackberries.
MARK HIX - Portland Lamb Salad With Scrumpy Fried Oysters
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the lamb:
8 lamb under-fillets
2 handfuls of tasty salad leaves
ground black pepper
salt
For the dressing:
1 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
5 tbsp rapeseed oil For the batter
150ml scrumpy or cider
100g gluten-free self-raising flour, plus a little extra for dusting
4 medium rock oysters, shucked
vegetable oil, for deepfrying
Method
For the batter, whisk the cider into the our to form a fairly thick batter. Leave to stand for 1 hour.
Preheat about 8cm of oil to 160C-180C in a large, heavy-based saucepan or electric deep-fat fryer.
Season the lamb fillets.
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan until almost smoking.
Fry the fillets for about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a plate to catch any juices.
For the dressing, whisk the vinegar, oil and lamb juices together and season.
Put the salad leaves into a bowl and toss with half of the dressing, then arrange on four plates. Slice the lamb thinly and arrange the slices on the salad.
Dip the oysters into the batter. Drop them into the hot fat for a minute or so, turning them with a slotted spoon so they colour evenly. When they are golden, remove them from the oil. Drain on kitchen paper then place on the salad.
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 saddle of lamb, boned out and trimmed of some, but not all of the fat
8 cloves of garlic
8 sprigs of rosemary
For the stuffing:
10 prunes, stoned
50ml port
200g spinach, stalks removed
25g butter
1 pinch freshly-grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to season
200g sausagemeat
30g breadcrumbs
Method
To make the stuffng, place the prunes into a small saucepan. Add the port and bring up to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Wash the spinach and pick off the stalks. Heat the butter in a wide-based pan until foaming. Add the spinach and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and stir until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside until later.
When cool, chop the prunes and the spinach. Add to the sausage meat with the breadcrumbs. Combine all the ingredients and chill.
For the lamb: the fillets should be loose; remove them and set aside. Score the fat both ways to form 1cm-sized diamonds. Turn the saddle fat-side down. Place a cylinder of the stuffng in the middle of the joint. Place the fillets on top, with the thick ends opposite each other. Top with some more stuffing and season with salt and pepper. Lift one of the ends and roll it over the loins. Repeat this for the other side and ensure the joint is tightly rolled. Tie with plenty of string so the joint holds its shape.
To cook, season the outside. Preheat the oven to 200C. Sear the joint all over in a large frying pan. Transfer the joint to the roasting tin with the garlic and rosemary. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 mins.
Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Leave to rest for 30 mins – no less, as this is still part of the cooking process. The lamb should be medium to medium-rare.
In my new West Country Cook Book, you’ll see the West Country through my eyes: you’ll travel with me on a fishing boat to pull in mackerel and crab at dawn; you’ll get your boots muddy tracking down Dexter cattle with clifftop views of the Celtic Sea; you’ll go underground to sample cave-aged cheese, and you’ll shake hands with fellow West Country food champions, the chefs themselves.
Working together, we’ve brought a shared passion to this project – pairing my images with their dishes in celebration of the new look, feel and taste of the region’s invigorated food culture. But new doesn’t have to be complicated: clever cooking can be simple cooking. Focusing on ingredients that can be found or foraged locally, the best of the region’s chefs have come up with lovely recipes which emphasise, rather than manipulate, the fl avours of food in a uniquely West Country style. Whether because the region’s food scene has, on occasion, been dismissed as provincial, pasties or simply Padstow, or because of its geographical isolation, there’s a special camaraderie amongst the community of cooks in the South West. These recipes are testament to this collective spirit.
The New West Country Cook Book (independently published), with photography by David Griff en, is out now. Available from: www.westcountrycookbook.co.uk for £20 plus p&p.
MARK HIX - Poached Pears In Perry
Serves 4Ingredients
500ml perry (available from Tesco and Waitrose)
4 firm pears, peeled with the stalks left on
4 cloves
1 small piece of cinnamon stick
6 black peppercorns
2 tbsp caster sugar
4 tbsp clotted cream To serve
1 cup blackberries, crushed
Method
Put the perry, pears, spices and sugar in a saucepan. Place a sheet of greaseproof paper on top of the fruit inside the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 mins or until the pears are soft and tender but not falling apart.
Remove the greaseproof paper and the pears from the liquid. Continue simmering the liquid until it has reduced by about two-thirds and thickened. Return the pears to the liquid and leave to cool.
To serve, stand each pear on a deep serving plate. Pour a few spoonfuls of the thickened liquid over each pear. Serve with the clotted cream and blackberries.
MARK HIX - Portland Lamb Salad With Scrumpy Fried Oysters
Serves 4 Ingredients
For the lamb:
8 lamb under-fillets
2 handfuls of tasty salad leaves
ground black pepper
salt
For the dressing:
1 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
5 tbsp rapeseed oil For the batter
150ml scrumpy or cider
100g gluten-free self-raising flour, plus a little extra for dusting
4 medium rock oysters, shucked
vegetable oil, for deepfrying
Method
For the batter, whisk the cider into the our to form a fairly thick batter. Leave to stand for 1 hour.
Preheat about 8cm of oil to 160C-180C in a large, heavy-based saucepan or electric deep-fat fryer.
Season the lamb fillets.
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan until almost smoking.
Fry the fillets for about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a plate to catch any juices.
For the dressing, whisk the vinegar, oil and lamb juices together and season.
Put the salad leaves into a bowl and toss with half of the dressing, then arrange on four plates. Slice the lamb thinly and arrange the slices on the salad.
Dip the oysters into the batter. Drop them into the hot fat for a minute or so, turning them with a slotted spoon so they colour evenly. When they are golden, remove them from the oil. Drain on kitchen paper then place on the salad.
JOSH EGGLETON - Stuffed Saddle Of West Country Lamb
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 saddle of lamb, boned out and trimmed of some, but not all of the fat
8 cloves of garlic
8 sprigs of rosemary
For the stuffing:
10 prunes, stoned
50ml port
200g spinach, stalks removed
25g butter
1 pinch freshly-grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to season
200g sausagemeat
30g breadcrumbs
Method
To make the stuffng, place the prunes into a small saucepan. Add the port and bring up to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Wash the spinach and pick off the stalks. Heat the butter in a wide-based pan until foaming. Add the spinach and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and stir until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside until later.
When cool, chop the prunes and the spinach. Add to the sausage meat with the breadcrumbs. Combine all the ingredients and chill.
For the lamb: the fillets should be loose; remove them and set aside. Score the fat both ways to form 1cm-sized diamonds. Turn the saddle fat-side down. Place a cylinder of the stuffng in the middle of the joint. Place the fillets on top, with the thick ends opposite each other. Top with some more stuffing and season with salt and pepper. Lift one of the ends and roll it over the loins. Repeat this for the other side and ensure the joint is tightly rolled. Tie with plenty of string so the joint holds its shape.
To cook, season the outside. Preheat the oven to 200C. Sear the joint all over in a large frying pan. Transfer the joint to the roasting tin with the garlic and rosemary. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 mins.
Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Leave to rest for 30 mins – no less, as this is still part of the cooking process. The lamb should be medium to medium-rare.