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Rohit Ghai’s
INDIA
Simply delicious
THE ITALIAN ALPS
£4.95
OCT/NOV 2020
OTTOLENGHI
Lake Garda &
Food to go
ULTIMATE ROAD TRIPS
GOURMET GREEK ISLANDS
READER AWARDS
SHORTLIST REVEALED
Hands-on
HARVESTS
It’s time.
www.domesresor ts.com
WORLDFOOD
V I E W P O I N T
$ b b
s one travel corridor opens, another closes. Whether you're readinI this the Ƃrst day the OaIa\ine Ioes on sale or a Oonth later, odds are the situation Yon't De any Oore certain at either tiOe. + Yas one oH the lucMy ones Yho'd already decided to holiday in the 7- this suOOer and DooMed Yell in advance, Yhile everyone Yho suHHered cancelled ƃiIhts and closed countries scraODled Hor any vacancy in a lastOinute OarMet that Hor once oHHered not a sinIle DarIain it Yas the sellers' turn. Which, to De Hair, Iiven they'd not Deen aDle to sell anythinI Hor Suite a Yhile, Yas a Ouchneeded Ƃnancial Doost at the tricMiest oH tiOes. $ut, one side eHHect oH this pandeOic should De that Ye're noY Oore considered than ever Yhen OaMinI those travel ' E V E RYO N E W H O choices. LeavinI thinIs late to see iH you can steal a DarIain OiIht not De an option any Oore, especially iH SUFFERED CANCELLED you have children. +n that scenario, should you Oiss out, F L I G H T S A N D C LO S E D the alternative is a YeeM tryinI to occupy theO in the COUNTRIES SCRAMBLED hoOe you've already spent Yay too Ouch tiOe in F O R A N Y VAC A N C Y I N A over the previous Oonths. L A S T - M I N U T E M A R K E T T H AT 5o, DeHore DooMinI anythinI, you need to thinM O F F E R E D N OT A S I N G L E aDout Yhere you really Yant to De this tiOe neZt year. We've had so Ouch tiOe to ponder our neZt trip and B A R GA I N ; I T WA S T H E cheY the Hat over Yhere in the Yorld Ye'd rather De that SELLERS' TURN' Ye should value our holidays Oore than ever. AlthouIh, Yord oH caution, everyone else Yill De thinMinI the saOe, so Yhile you should choose Yell, choose SuicMly, as you don't Yant to Oiss out. +H it's the 7-, then DooM up noY iH it's a DucMetlist trip, then start savinI or put it on the card and Yorry aDout it later iH it's an idyllic Mediterranean escape, then do your research and get it sorted s or Lust read our cooM's guide to the )reeM +slands p . Which is really Yhere Ye coOe in. We've already done the hard Dit in handpicMing the places Ye thinM you'd love, so taMe a looM in this issue and discover Yhere you Yant to De Hor your neZt DreaM.
Editor-at-large Alex Mead Creative director Angela Dukes Deputy editor Blossom Green Sub-editor Julie Alpine Junior editor Lucy Kehoe Designer Kelly Flood Research assistant Harriet Solomon Guest sommeliers Luca Dusi and Peter Honegger Publisher Gregor Rankin Account director Tim Broad Publishing executive Luiza Profirio, Jack Woodward Subscriptions 020 7501 0521 [email protected] bit.ly/FTSUB Switchboard 020 7501 0511 Email [email protected] Web foodandtravel.com
WINNER
PPA Independent Publishing Company of the Year PPA Publisher of the Year Food and Travel magazine is published by Green Pea Publishing Ltd, The Business Centre, Suite 51, Ingate Place, London SW8 3NS (020 7501 0511). Colour reproduction by F1 Colour (020 7620 0644). Printed by PCP Telford (01952 585585). © Green Pea Publishing. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and the publisher can take no responsibility for omissions or errors. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs are not accepted and will not be returned. UK basic annual subscription rate for ten issues (postage and packing free): £49.50. Europe and Ireland: £56. Rest of the world: £75. Green Pea Publishing Ltd is a registered data user whose entries in the Data Protection Register contain descriptions of sources and disclosures of personal data.
foodandtraveled
E D I T O R Alex Mead foodandtraveled
foodandtravelmag
foodandtravelmag
DEUTSCH
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Γλυκές λιχουδιές από τη
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W GEW E IN LL INN SÜ NE E DT SS N S IR TAG IE O E L
Tel Avivs Küche
Rezepte für die Ostertage Kreuzfahrten
Die besten Häfen zum Ankern
Lissabon Insidertipps
ΓΛΥΚΟΞΙΝΑ vegetarian ασιατικά πιάτα Αποδράσεις στα καλύτερα
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APRIL/MAI 2020 D 6,50 €, A 7,20 €
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Greece Jenny Fragouli, jenny.fragouli@ foodandtravel greece.com & 13 FOOD TRAVEL
Εστιατόρια
4 191838 406501 CH 9,40 sfr, B/L 7,70 €, I 8,20 €, E 7,90 €
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KURZTRIPS IN 48 STUNDEN DIE SONNE IN KATHMANDU, PORT OF SPAIN, WIEN Restaurants Hoteleröffnungen Saisonal kochen Food News
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Germany Wibke Carter, wibke.carter@ foodandtravel.com
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Antonio Guida Dakar
FOOD FOCUS
tradizione di mare
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Indore
MELE COTOGNE
la città indiana del Fast Food
dedicate ad Afrodite Dea dell’amore
NOV/DIC 2018 N. ISSN: 2464-9309
WINE AND TRAVEL RICCARDO COTARELLA IN PIEMONTE Ristoranti
Provati&Gustati
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Viaggi
9 772465
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€4,90 80005
CH CT 9,00 Chf
48 ΩΡΕΣ CITY BREAKS
Colori e sapori
SPECIALE
POSTE ITALIANE S.P.A. - Sped. in abbonamento postale - D.L.353/2003 (Conv. in L. 27/02/2004 n.46) Art. 1, comma 1 NO/AT - Data di prima emissione sul mercato 10 Novembre 2018
της εποχής
20 / ΦΕΒΡΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ 2020
THE WORLD'S LEADING GASTRONOMIC TRAVEL TITLE
News
Italy Pamela Raeli, pamela.raeli@ foodandtravelitalia.it
Mexico Cecilia Núñez, cecilia.nunez@ lyrsa.com.mx
Portugal José Fragoso, jose.fragoso@ foodandtravel.com.pt
Turkey Mehmet Tel, mehmet.tel@ foodandtravel. com.tr
32 Reader Awards 2020 34 Rohit Ghai Rohit Ghai’s
Lake Garda &
INDIA
THE ITALIAN ALPS
Simply delicious
OTTOLENGHI
38 Touring Trentino 60 Yotam Ottolenghi
£4.95
OCT/NOV 2020
75 Greek Islands
Food to go
READER AWARDS
ULTIMATE ROAD TRIPS
GOURMET GREEK ISLANDS
SHORTLIST REVEALED
Hands-on
HARVESTS
86 Harvests 92 Road trips
I N Recipes D E X
102
S TA RT E R S A N D M A I N S 118 118 119 119 119 120 120 120 120 121 121 121 122 123 123 123 124 125 125 126 128 129 129
Sweet potato fritters with tomato chutney Sweet potato gnocchi with buttery sage and hazelnut sprinkles Sweet potato, black pudding and lentils Pork and sweet potato casserole with cider and cime di rapa Sunshine bowl Crispy rice sushi Vegetable dumpling soup Grilled meatballs with lettuce wraps Green pozole Skillet vegetable bowl Super-soft courgettes with harissa and lemon Chaat masala potatoes with yoghurt and tamarind Roast squash with chickpeas, garam masala and pumpkin seeds Butter beans with spinach, tarragon, bacon and cream Cavolo nero polenta soup Guinea fowl with porcini bread sauce and cavolo nero Tray-baked potatoes with mushrooms Miso clam ramen Crab XLB (soup dumplings) Shoyu ramen Sweet potato jiaozi Breakfast (or anytime) yakisoba Ox cheek mala xiao mian
92
108
122
Berry platter with sheep's labneh and orange oil
124
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& TRAVEL 4 FOOD
Cover: Con Poulos
DESSERTS
36 97
C O N T E N T S
Taste the experience – experience the taste Notebook
65 8
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63 112
15
Selin Kiazim pens an ode to the P O M E G R A N A T E
17
Discover K O R E A N FXLVLQH VGHƓQLQJŴDYRXUV
18
Explore the streets of Paris's L E M A R A I S district
21
Elizabeth Haigh shares her favourite I N G R E D I E N T S
22
W H A T W E ' R E D R I N K I N G this month
25
Everything you need to know about P I N O T N O I R
26
The latest R E S T A U R A N T openings across the UK
29
N E W H O T E L S to add to your bucket list
30
An expert’s pick of the world's best A D V E N T U R E S
32
2 0 2 0 R E A D E R A W A R D S – the shortlist, revealed
Fo o d 34
R O H I T G H A I on India's tongue-tingling cuisine
50
Making the most of seasonal S W E E T P O T A T O E S
54
Sunny dishes straight from C A L I F O R N I A
60
Y O T A M O T T O L E N G H I 's colourful creations
62
Warming A U T U M N S U P P E R S for cooler months
66
D E L I C I O U S D E S S E R T S from Ravinder Bhogal
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130
T O M K E R R I D G E tells us about his culinary origins
Gourmet traveller
66
51
P E T E R Y A N 's breathtaking landscape photography
75
38
Diving into the cuisine of Italy's T R E N T I N O
75
Unravel the G R E E K I S L A N D S ' unique specialities
Tr a v e l
18
31
86
H A RV E ST C E L E B R AT I O N S across Europe
92
Gear up for some unmissable R O A D T R I P S
102
D E S E RT O DY S S E Y S around the world
108
U K H O T E L S for a weekend
110
A week in an H I S T O R I C C I T Y P A D
112
Longer B E A C H F R O N T stays
114
Plan your next G O U R M E T B O LT H O L E break FOOD& TRAVEL
5
O C T O B E R – N O V E M B E R
Y O TA M O T T O L E N G H I
Meticulous, as always, in presentation and flavour, Israeli-English chef Yotam Ottolenghi plays with punchy produce in a typically colorful trio of Levantine dishes. Flick to p60 for his fantastic vegetarian feast.
R AV I N D E R B H O G A L Born in Kenya to Indian parents, chef and writer Ravinder Bhogal now calls London home. Her cross-continent experiences have shaped a unique cooking approach, as you'll discover with the pair of desserts on p66. & 6 FOOD TRAVEL
TOM HALL
A regular voice on the likes of Sky News, CNN and the BBC, travel expert Tom's work has also appeared in countless publications and books, including top motoring titles. He puts together his favourite road trips on p92.
P E T E R YA N From unchanged historic skylines and mountain expanses to the modern structures of 21st-century cities, landscape photographer Peter Yan showcases jaw-dropping vistas through a rose-tinted lens. Dive in on p8.
ROHIT GHAI A Michelin-starred chef with some of London's finest Indian restaurants on his CV, Ghai started at the iconic Benares. He returns to his native India to share its culinary secrets and his favourite destinations on p34.
Photos by Maria Bell; Rahil Ahmad; Peter Yan; Peter Cassidy; Con Poulos; Jonathan Lovekin; Sam Folan; William Bout/Unsplash
CL AIRE THOMSON
Writer and chef Claire Thomson's approach to midweek cooking is about letting seasonal, easy-to-find ingredients shine in everyday dishes. Head to p62 for her selection of comforting, autumnal picks for all the family.
'Ravinder Bhogal's cross-continent experiences have shaped a unique approach'
C O N T R I B U T O R S
REMEMBER THE FUTURE The corners of the world that make your heart sing – and those you have yet to explore. M
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SHORTLISTED
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CAPTURE 8
FOOD& TRAVEL
Peter Yan's versatile approach to visual storytelling uses considered focus, framing and light to encapsulate the feeling evoked by a destination rather than simply what it looks like
Peter Yan
Swapping a job at Apple for a life on the road, self-taught Australian travel photographer Peter Yan's work is devised around building a sense of excitement for his chosen subject. An experienced landscape and aerial photographer, his H[SHUWLVHLQREVHUYDWLRQDQGGHSWKRIƓHOGUHVXOWVLQDYLVXDOQDUUDWLYHWKDWGUDZVWKHYLHZHU VH\HVWUDLJKWLQWRZKDW he considers the heart of a place. His compositions have been showcased at some 30 galleries around the world.
Yasaka Dori street winds through .\RWR VKLVWRULF+LJDVKL\DPD 'LVWULFWWRZDUGVWKHFLW\ VROGHVW pagoda. Lined with machiyaVW\OHZRRGHQKRXVLQJWKLV VOHHS\EDFNURXWHDORQJWKH ORZHUVORSHVRIWKHFLW\ VHDVWHUQ KLOOVSURYLGHVDSKRWRUHDG\ approach to the ancient Yasaka-no-To Pagoda. Visit at sunset to best appreciate the traditional architecture.
Vernazza's distinctive multicoloured houses crowd one of the few harbours of the ƓYH&LQTXH7HUUHYLOODJHVZKLFK FOLQJWR,WDO\ VURFN\/LJXULDQ FRDVWOLQH/LQNHGE\IRRWSDWKV SHUIXPHGZLWKPRFNRUDQJH DQGURVHPDU\WKHƓYHƓVKLQJ YLOODJHVIRUPDSRSXODUKLNLQJ URXWHDQGŊWKDQNVWRWKHXQLTXH JUDGLHQWDUFKLWHFWXUHŊDUHD 8QHVFRZRUOGKHULWDJHVLWH
& TRAVEL 10 FOOD
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This serene scene showcases the diverse topography of the South Tyrol. Fed by the Latemar mountain's subterraneous springs, Lago di Carezza has been nicknamed the 'Rainbow Lake' in reference to the myriad colours in its waters. Folklore suggests the dazzling array of marine tones was created when a wizard threw a rainbow into the lake while trying to woo a beautiful mermaid.
& TRAVEL 12 FOOD
Surrounded by the autumnal cascades of the Julian Alps, the teardrop-shaped island ŴRDWLQJDWRS/DNH%OHG VJODVV\ waters houses a 17th-century church, a small museum and a JUDQG VWHSVWDLUFDVH&DWFK a trip from the shoreline on a Slovenian pletnaJRQGRODWR DWWHPSWDFOLPE/RFDOFXVWRP sees fresh-faced husbands FODPEHULQJXSWKHVWHSVZLWK Greece has over 300 WKHLUQHZEULGHVLQWKHLUDUPV
aquaculture farms dotted off its coast, including
To see more of Peter's work, visit his Instagram account @yantastic Prints are available to purchase this one near Chalkida at peteryanstudio.com FOOD & TRAVEL
13
FOOD 'LVFRYHUFKHIVōIDYRXULWH LQJUHGLHQWVJOREDOFXLVLQHV and must-visit restaurants
DRINK Get beneath the skin of grape YDULHWLHVDQGƓQGRXWZKLFK SRXUVDUHƓOOLQJRXUJODVVHV
TRAVELS Insight from experts on where to go, when to go and what to eat when you get there
NO T E B O O K PERSIAN JEWELS Selin Kiazim, chef-owner of Turkish Cypriot-inspired restaurant Oklava, shares her love of these rosy favourites I have very fond memories of pomegranates coming into season when I was young. My mum would buy quite a few of them and painstakingly pick out the seeds to make kolivaDVWUDQJHGLVKRIVRUWV7KHSRPHJUDQDWHVHHGVDUH FRPELQHGZLWKZKROHSHHOHGDOPRQGVUDLVLQVVHVDPH seeds and wheat berries – the edible part of the wheat kernel. We used to eat it as an afternoon or evening snack. ,WōVQRWUHDOO\DGHVVHUWDQGLWōVQRWUHDOO\DVDODGEXWLWLV UDWKHUGHOLFLRXVDQGUHDOO\ZHOOEDODQFHGLQWHUPVRIŴDYRXU DQGWH[WXUH7KHVHHGVSURYLGHOLWWOHMXLF\SRSVWKHZKHDW berries provide a savoury chewiness and the raisins bring an addictive sweetness to the table.
Photography Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
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Pomegranates make everything pretty. They are perfectly juicy and crisp on their own but I love using them in conjunction with pomegranate molasses – the sweet and slightly sharp syrup made from these tangy fruit. )RUDJUHDWGUHVVLQJDFURVVDSLHFHRIURDVWHGƓVKFKLFNHQ RUHYHQVHDVRQDOYHJHWDEOHVWU\FRPELQLQJƓQHO\FKRSSHG VKDOORWDQGJDUOLFZLWKH[WUDYLUJLQROLYHRLOSRPHJUDQDWH molasses and pomegranate seeds. Finish with a little picked thyme for perfume. Another way I love using this fruit is WKURXJKDVDODGZLWKJUDLQVOLNHIUHHNHKRUSHDUOEDUOH\$GG SOHQW\RIKHUEV WKLQN SDUVOH\PLQWDQGFRULDQGHU DQGGUHVV LWJHQHURXVO\ZLWKROLYHRLOVDOWDQGDQDFLGRI\RXUFKRLFH
FOOD& TRAVEL
15
Handcrafted holidays to lesser-known places Beach holidays away from the crowds • Island hopping Fly-drives • Walking and gastronomic breaks
Unrivalled knowledge
A holiday for all
Fall in love with Greece
Sunvil, a family-run travel company, now in its second generation, has been offering holidays to Greece since 1975. Each destination and property is handpicked for its authentic charm and character, and each itinerary designed from first-hand knowledge. Sunvil remains strong to its brand values in its advocacy of sustainable tourism, and continues to innovate and work with local partners to introduce new resorts and islands that will excite passionate Grecophiles and new visitors alike.
Sunvil's promise is to take you away from the crowds and place you among the locals - and amid the most wondrous scenery. We want you to discover the real country and fall in love with our destinations and those who live there, in the same way as we did. From a simple cottage on a remote island to a 5 star boutique hotel; from a traditional village inn to a modern villa; from a fly-drive to a classic island hopping trip and more − somewhere within our programme is your perfect holiday.
Greece is blessed with warm sun, a sparkling sea, unspoiled nature and spectacular scenery. Add to these a refreshingly 'back to basics' lifestyle; mythology and history wherever you look; food and wine acclaimed for its excellence; and a people famed for their warmth and generosity towards foreign visitors, and the combination results in a magnetic pull that draws so many back year upon year. In fact, 70% of Sunvil's guests choose to return to Greece − a testament that speaks volumes.
Travel with Sunvil in 2020 and discover a holiday with authenticity and personality − one without boundaries, designed solely for you and one with the support of an experienced team in the UK and in Greece. You may never travel the same way again.
ABTA No.V6218
Visit sunvil.co.uk or call 020 8568 4499
NOTEBOOK
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GOURMET TRAVELLER
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Perfectly balanced banquets, American-influenced noodles and the fiery tang of ubiquitous cabbage kimchi In a nutshell,WōVFRPSOLFDWHG %OHVVHGZLWKIHUWLOHODQGDQGD UHODWLYHO\SHDFHIXOSHULRGSULRUWR WKHDUULYDORIDWXUEXOHQWWK FHQWXU\SXVKHGWKHSHQLQVXODLQWR RFFXSDWLRQDQGZDU7KHUHVXOW" $FXLVLQHWKDWōVKDGWRDGDSWDQG GLYHUVLI\LQŴXHQFHGE\WUDGLWLRQ %XGGKLVP$PHULFDQ*,VDQG LPPLJUDWLRQ1RZ\RXōOOƓQG`ÃmVi streets. Straddling the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, graceful plazas packed with patisseries are soaked in old-world ii}>ViqLÕÌÌ
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MODERN MARAIS À>ÌÃVLLi`>iÞÃ] hand-painted shopfronts and elegant aristocratic houses, the medieval infrastructure of Le Marais sings with modern irreverence. A Jewish presence remains – spot the undulating curves of the art nouveau Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue and stroll Rue des Hospitalières ->ÌiÀÛ>ÃÌw`9``Ã
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Clockwise from top left: interiors at the Museum of Jewish Art and History; Cour des Vosges; Paris's Jewish Quarter; one of the area's pretty cobbled streets
C H E F F R A N C K ' S M O N AC O
NOTEBOOK
ANYTHING ELSE? With Shabbat coming in every Friday evening and lasting through Saturday day, be sure to check what is and isn't open, especially if you're wanting to explore Jewish shops, bakeries and cultural sites, such as the Mémorial de la Shoah memorialdelashoah.org or the Jewish Temple Bookstore 1 Rue des Hospitalières Saint-Gervais. One place that is open should you decide to saunter through the quieter streets is Le Used Book Café 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais. Part of Merci, which sells things both vintage and modern, stop for brunch while perusing its 10,000 books.
FOOD& TRAVEL
19
ONLY5
£PL9US.9P&P
Scotch Whisky is the new annual from Whisky Magazine. This launch issue contains the ideal ‘year in review’ of Whisky Magazine’s features and interviews, together with 100 blind tasting reviews to help guide your next purchase. Curated by Whisky Magazine’s Scotch Whisky editor, it’s the perfect read for any whisky lover.
Buy a print copy here bit..lyy/w whiskymaagshhop
NOTEBOOK W H AT
W E ’ R E
E AT I N G British wasabi We’re making the most of having fresh wasabi delivered to our doorstep, using it in pestos and guacamole or mixing it with crème fraîche for a dressing for smoked trout. And our wasabi isn’t coming from Japan but from Hampshire and Dorset. The Wasabi Company is the UK’s only supplier and, unlike most pastes on the shelf, which contain horseradish, the rhizomes have a bright, ƂGT[MKEMI thewasabicompany.co.uk
Elizabeth Haigh’s INGREDIENTS
Words by Lucy Kehoe. Photo (Elizabeth Haigh) by Ming Tang-Evans
Pidgin’s former chef and founder of Singaporean street-food restaurant Mei Mei reveals her favourite autumn cooking ingredients
Port-soaked beef cheeks and cherry crumble are two of the dishes we’re cooking from Nigella Lawson’s new book Cook, Eat, Repeat (Chatto & Windus, £26). Out 29 October.
Megachef Premium Oyster Sauce This is the perfect match for October’s wild mushroom harvest. Stir-fry the fungi with a dash of oyster sauce and add a little sugar and salt to balance it out. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or rice wine vinegar before serving for a touch of acidity. 600g, £3.89. thaifooddirect.co.uk Mei Mei Sambal Chilli Paste I love using this fiery, sweet chilli paste from Mei Mei, my Singaporean street-food restaurant in Borough Market. It makes the ideal partner for British mussels – stir a spoonful through the shellfish before steaming. Sambal also works a treat with stir-fried vegetables. Or, try adding it to sauces to give them an extra kick. 190ml, £6.50. meimei.uk Ampersand Cultured Butter As temperatures cool, I love to roast pumpkin wedges with a bit of this cultured butter, adding spices like ground coriander and cumin to taste. The buttery, acidic flavour also works beautifully slathered over toast and topped with our Mei Mei Hainanese Kaya coconut jam. Pair with soft-boiled eggs and a coffee for the perfect Singaporean breakfast. 210g, £7. dukeshillham.co.uk
GOLDEN WONDERS Our new favourite eggs have lustrous golden yolks, perfect for whisking up a luxurious mayonnaise, OCMKPICXGNXGV[EWUVCTFVCTVƂNNKPI or simply scrambling and serving on toast. Exclusive to Waitrose, the blue-shelled No.1 Longstock Gold eggs are laid by a crossbreed of Blacktail, Maran and Araucana hens. GIIUwaitrose.com FOOD& TRAVEL
21
W H AT
W E ’ R E
D R I N K I N G
ABASOLO WHISKY, Destilería y Bodega Abasolo, 700ml, £34.99, mangroveuk.com
With aromas of toasted popcorn and notes of sweet honey, this Mexican whisky is made from an indigenous grain, cacahuazintle, using a 4,000-year-old Mesoamerican soaking process The Ƃnished pour, distilled in copper stills and oak-aged, is a Ƃery, young spirit – try it neat, or add a splash of pineapple juice.
LIV BLACK SPICED RUM, Matugga, 500ml, £24.95, masterofmalt.com
C HEF FRAN C K'S BARCELON A
GRAHAM'S BLEND NO.5 WHITE PORT, Graham's Port, 750ml, £19.99, waitrose.com
>jYf[c?YjYf_]j$G[]YfaY;jmak]k Corporate Executive Chef, shares his picks for where to eat when disembarking in this cosmopolitan city
Graham's new small-batch release – a mix of moscatel galego and malvasia Ƃna grapes – is a fresh-tasting blend of citrus and orange blossom. At it's Ƃnest over ice, with tonic and mint, we think this crisp tipple will be the Ƃrst port of many to focus on accent notes and harmonious ƃavours infused in the base fortiƂed wine.
The capital of Catalonia and Spain's second city, Barcelona is one of my favourite places to visit, both for eating and exploring. There is so much to see, from the magnificent gothic cathedral to the breathtaking La Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece. I always enjoy strolling along Las Ramblas, Barcelona's famous downtown promenade, and contemplating the bustling squares in the old Gothic Quarter. It is hardly surprising that the city is so popular with guests travelling on one of Oceania Cruises' 64 voyages which dock there – and the cuisine never fails to receive rave reviews. I like to start with a few hours spent browsing – and tasting – in El Raval's wonderful La Boqueria market. This is the place where the city's best chefs come to source their olives, fruit, meats – the selection of jamón is simply staggering – cheeses and seafood, including sublime red shrimps from the Costa Brava. Appetite whetted, I will then head to nearby Flax & Kale, on Carrer dels Tallers, which is renowned for its fresh, innovative plates: they do superb açaí bowls, a delicious watermelon and goat's cheese salad, salmon burgers and desserts that somehow manage to be both healthy and indulgent. I would recommend ordering several different dishes and sharing them among your table, tapas-style. Talking of tapas, Quimet & Quimet is also not to be missed. Located on Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, this family-owned business has been going strong for over 100 years. Settle down and graze to your heart's content on the likes of pan con tomate, artichokes with anchovies, foie gras and fish of the day with truffled honey, then finish with their amazing alcohol-infused custard. As with Barcelona itself, one visit is never enough. & 22 FOOD TRAVEL
B O O K &C O O K
COMBINE A COLLEGIATE CAMBRIDGE STAY WITH A CLASS ON MAKING THE MOST OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN SPICES BOOK... a smartly furnished suite at The Gonville Hotel, the elegant college houseturned hotel in the centre of Cambridge. On the edge of the historic Parker’s Piece common, this studious stay is >wÛiÕÌiLiÀ`ivÀ the city’s historic heart and close to the eclectic restaurants along bohemian Mill Road. The hotel provides bikes for student-style city explorations, an excellent restaurant and a botanically-minded wellness suite in the gardens. Doubles from £161. gonvillehotel.co.uk
COOK... at the Cambridge Cookery School, where you’ll learn the techniques behind three famous Southeast Asian dishes during a Curries of the World course. Armed with a chilled bottle of Singha, you'll grind and mix complex spice pastes for sizzling Indonesian beef rendang, a coconut-laced Thai chicken massaman curry and a classic yellow dhal. Foolproof rice cooking and naan-making over the hob are also involved. The fourhour course costs £145pp. cambridgecookery.com
Words by Lucy Kehoe. Photos by Daniel Corneschi/Unsplash; Ian Olsson Photography; Michael Cameron Photography
SHIP to SHORE
This decadently dark-toned spirit hides a peppery kick – and surprisingly delicate ƃoral notes – thanks to an unlikely addition during distillation. Livingston's Matugga distillery adds foraged West Lothian heather to the rum spices, in celebration of Scotland's 500year rum-production heritage. Try it long, with cola.
AN ANCIENT RECIPE
WITHOUT GLUTEN OR LACTOSE. TALK ABOUT FORWARD THINKING.
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L’ART T DU CHAMPAGNE SINCE 1836
E N J O Y
P O M M E R Y
R E S P O N S I B L Y
NOTEBOOK A lighter red that still packs plenty of flavour and is a versatile partner for food
WORD ON THE VINE
Pinot noir
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THE BOTTLES Words by Alex Mead Photos by roadtripwithraj.com/Unsplash
James Hickson, wine expert at The Royal, chooses four of his favourite pinot noirs 2017 SOLI PINOT NOIR MIROGLIO Thracian Valley,
Bulgaria, £12.95, swig.co.uk It’s pretty hard to find goodvalue-for-money pinot noir in the way you might find a great syrah or grenache, but this Soli Pinot Noir imported by Swig Wines turns that on its head. It's not just great-value pinot, it's great-value wine, with brambly fruits and a moreish juiciness.
2018 BOLNEY PINOT NOIR
West Sussex, England, £17.99, waitrosecellar.com For something local, try this Bolney Estate bottle which has been raising eyebrows, winning awards and earning much critical acclaim. It's a multifaceted wine for the dinner table, holding its own beside game birds but also working well with a ripe brie – it's also great without a meal.
2018 THE HERMIT RAM WHOLE 1 * "/ ",North
>ÌiÀLÕÀÞ] iÜ>`] £23.95, unchartedwines.com Theo Coles is forging an exciting path for pinot noir in New Zealand, seeking out sites with active limestone soils, and producing gently extracted pinot that has delicate spice. Though considered a natural wine, the flavours in this one are classic.
A N D I F YO U WA N T TO SPL ASH OUT… 2016 BLAUBURGUNDER WILLI BRÜNDLMAYER Langenlois,
Austria, £POA, bbr.com It’s easy to be put off German and Austrian wine, with its infamously confusing classification system. This Blauburgunder, the Austrian name for pinot noir, is an exceptional one from Willi Bründlmayer, best known for his rieslings and grüner veltliners. FOOD& TRAVEL
25
NOTEBOOK
A restaurant on an island off the Essex coast, cooking foraged finds along with the best of the local land and sea? Alex Mead is already booking a table at Native
talk
For just four hours a day Osea Island is connected to the mainland by a tidal road, linking it from its Blackwater Estuary isolation to Essex. A smidge of an island, covering just 153ha, it's sparsely populated and yet is going to be home to one of the most exciting restaurant launches of the year in October, when Native throws open its doors. In some ways, the timing couldn't be better for the much-lauded restaurant's move from London's Borough area, given everyone's current feeling ÌÜ>À`ÃVwi`ë>ViÃ>` search for splendid isolation. Taking its passion for local produce one step further, Native aims to be sourcing pretty much
from its own doorstep, whether it's foraged sea buckthorn and berries for desserts; local oysters for both eating and drinking (the shells are used in the brewing of a local beer); wild bass from the surrounding rivers; and the countless other surf-and-turf delicacies available in this plentiful and biodiverse corner of Essex. 'It’s always been a dream of ours to escape the city and look for a place near the sea where we can expand our closed-loop and regenerative agriculture practices,' explains co-founder Imogen Davis. Chef Ivan TisdallDownes adds: 'Our menu has always been a snapshot of what’s >Û>>LiÌ
iwi`Ã]vÀiÃÌ>` coastlines that day – and we’re
B R AT ' S
N O T
A L L
We still don't know what the new restaurant normal looks like but we know that having to adapt – or pivot, as some like to call it – has given people a few good ideas for the future. More outdoor spaces, ideally with better heaters as the nights draw in, is one change, and the continuation of direct-to-your`Àwi`}Ã>Ì
iÀ° À>Ì¿Ã residency at Climpson's Arch, in what was a temporary outdoor & 26 FOOD TRAVEL
looking forward to developing our iÕÌÀiyiVÌÌ
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>Ì Osea and the area has to offer.' Open Thursday to Sunday and with just 30 covers, guests will either head to the restaurant via the Roman causeway or river taxi, before joining the chef for snacks and drinks around >V>«wÀi]>`Ì
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i day’s takings' and offer a true taste of local produce, much of it having been gathered fresh that morning from areas around Osea Island. Native will also run an oyster shack and offer feast and forage experiences. eatnative.co.uk
space for the summer, has worked so well that they've decided to extend their stay until Christmas, despite having also reopened their original space in Shoreditch. Providing another example of pivoting is the London Restaurant Festival, which returns on 1-31 October. Sixty culinary events will include both ‘In-Restaurant’ and ‘At-Home’ options. londonrestaurantfestival.com
Clockwise from top left: squash, served in Native's characteristically rustic style; foraged w`ÃÆ"Ãi>Ã>`Æ serving up 'the day's takings'; catch Brat at Climpson's Arch until Christmas
Photos by Native; Nic Crilly-Hargrave; Horst Friedrichs
TABLE
Excellence Class: the most sought-after seats in Switzerland A panoramic trip through the Swiss Alps aboard the Glacier Express is now even more spectacular. The new Excellence Class sets standards that are as high as the mountain peaks along the legendary route. One for the bucket list.
Window seat guaranteed A rail journey through the Swiss Alps has never been so luxurious. Passengers in the new Excellence Class enjoy the highest level of comfort, the best views and culinary highlights. While soaking up the superb panoramic view from a guaranteed window seat, passengers travel across 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels on an eight-hour journey between St. Moritz and Zermatt.
Concierge on board The pleasure of traveling Excellence Class starts as soon as guests step onto the platform. Here they are greeted at the welcome desk in front of the Glacier Express by the concierge, who takes care of check-in and all their luggage. Whether champagne and salmon soufflé or exciting anecdotes and information about the wonderful landscape passing by the panoramic window, an experienced crew ensures the well-being of guests throughout the entire journey. Guests will also find comprehensive information about the route, the country and its people on their individual tablet – keeping them well entertained.
To the bar for an aperitif Along the way, the crew will serve a refined, regional five-course meal including accompanying wines. Amuse-bouche and champagne tastes twice as good looking out towards the Piz Bernina. For a welcoming drink or an aperitif, we recommend the exclusive and well-stocked Glacier Bar, which offers the best view. Later in the day, an afternoon tea of delicious friandises is served. The journey in Excellence Class is not only a feast for the senses but also one of the most exclusive tourist highlights in Switzerland.
Bookings at glacierexpress.ch/excellence-class
Glacier Express AG | Railservice | Bahnhofstrasse 25 | CH-7001 Chur | [email protected] | www.glacierexpress.ch
Galini
is an ancient olive grower’s cottage on the beautiful Greek island of Zakynthos. This lovingly restored villa sleeps up to 10 people, has a private pool and looks over some of the most stunning views on the island. Visit www.galini-zak.com for more information, rates and availability.
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interiors at Jumeirah's latest, in Jimabaran
BALI
THAILAND
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Bali's luxury hotel scene has been founded in its tropical Ubud interior but the south-west coast, especially Seminyak and Uluwatu, is on the up. This year's plum spot KU,KODCTCPYKVJ4CHƃGUNCWPEJKPI a 32-pool-villa oceanside property. And, next month, Jumeirah opens KVUƂTUVTGUQTVKPVJGTGIKQPQPVJG hillside above Dreamland Beach. À>vyiðVÕiÀ>
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In Marrakech, two iconic hotels are WPFGTIQKPIJWIGVTCPUHQTOCVKQPU 4KCF'N(GPPKUKPEQTRQTCVKPIC PGKIJDQWTKPIDWKNFKPIVQQHHGT a new rooftop pool, four more bedrooms and an extra restaurant and bar. Nearby, La Mamounia is set to debut its new look this month, with two new culinary concepts D[,GCP)GQTIGU8QPIGTKEJVGP ivi°V>Õ>°V FOOD& TRAVEL
29
Adventure
AWAITS
Seasoned global adventurer Anna McNuff picks a trio of thrill-filled exploits to expand your horizons in every sense
Delve into the Amazon Time to lace up your hiking boots for a week of back-to-basics exploring in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. Travelling in a small group accompanied by an experienced, local guide, you’ll be plucked from civilisation and transported deep into the jungle for a hands-on survival course. Equipped with a machete and an open mind, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to thrive in one of the most extreme environments on the planet. There’ll be lessons LQƓUHEXLOGLQJUDIWFRQVWUXFWLRQDQGVKHOWHUPDNLQJDVZHOO as expert guidance on which plants can be used as effective medicine for the likes of fever and bug and snake bites. As you travel through the land on foot and by boat, sourcing fresh drinking water will be a priority but soon you’ll learn about catching and foraging for food, too; namely how to EXLOGDƓVKWUDSZKLFKEHHWOHJUXEVDUHHGLEOH DUHQōWWKH\ all?) and what fruits dangling from the canopy will make for the sweetest and juiciest mid-trek snack. This trip will leave you feeling alive and connected to nature. After eight days in the wild, you’ll be ready to face down any challenge awaiting back in the ‘real’ world. Not ready for the full monty? The standard Amazon experience offers a less extreme trip. From £1,500pp. perujungle.com
& 30 FOOD TRAVEL
Photos by Zubair Asyraf/Unsplash; Amazonia Expeditions; Ashish Acharya/Unsplash; Another World Adventures
ACTIVETRAVELLER
Opposite page, clockwise from top left: an Amazonian sloth; tree climbing in Peru; a jungle boat tour. This page, from top: trekking Nepal's Annapurna Circuit; discovering Ethiopia
Raft and trek Nepal
Explore Ethiopia
Nepal is renowned for the mighty Himalayas but in the valleys between the peaks there is a web of wild rivers – the sources and tributaries of great South Asian waterways like the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, most of which are older than the mountains they traverse. Combining the best that Nepal has to offer, a trekking and rafting trip along the course of the Kali Gandaki invites you onto the water, following the winding pathways through hundreds of kilometres of untouched ZLOGHUQHVV6SHQGWKHƓUVWSDUWRI a 15-day trip hiking in the shadow of 8,000m+ snow-capped mountains, before taking to the river for a white-water journey. With support from a local guide, you’ll ride rapids by day and wild camp on pristine white sand bars at night. The reward at the end of your hard work? A day exploring WKHŴRUDDQGIDXQDLQ1HSDOōV oldest national park. From £12,000pp. epictomato.com
The jagged peaks of the Simien Mountains cut a stunning silhouette across the horizon of Northern Ethiopia. Characterised by grass-covered foothills, volcanic peaks and deep gorges, it’s a landscape so unique that it holds Unesco World Heritage status. Travelling as part of a small group, you’ll get the chance to experience the mountains as the locals do, trekking along rough and exposed trails and taking the time to visit small villages hidden in the hills along the way. This is not a journey for the faint-hearted: much of the two-week trek takes place 4,000m above sea level. But as you catch your breath between arduous climbs, there's a chance to spot Ethiopian wolves, Simien foxes, birds of prey and troops of shrieking Gelada monkeys. It's the perfect adventure for those with a love of hard-won vistas and native wildlife. From £2,899pp. anotherworldadventures.com FOOD& TRAVEL
14
Now in their ninth year, the Food and Tr a vel Reader Awar ds celebr ate the best in the worlds of food, \jafcYf\lj Y n]d&9f\al kqgml`Yl\][a\]ko`goadd lYc]`ge]Y[gn]l]\ljgh`qYlgmj_YdY]n]flgf ),`ÃviÌÀiÃÜi
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iÕÀÜiLÃÌifoodandtravel.com and right here. You, the readers, are the experts and we want you to decide who will be crowned the ultimate winners. Simply register online and choose from the shortlisted candidates. Those with the greatest number of votes on the closing date will be announced winners. So, whether it’s a tour operator that’s delivered the experience of a lifetime, a hotel that’s gone the extra mile, an outstanding airline or an unforgettable restaurant you think deserves rewarding, visit the website now and get voting.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Total votes in each category decide the overall Food and Travel Restaurant of the Year
London
A.Wong; Brawn; Caractère; Core by Clare Smyth; Cornerstone; Frog by Adam Handling; Hide; Sabor
Newcomer
Decimo; Myrtle; Plu (all London); Haar (St Andrews); Hjem (Hexham); Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall (Ripon)
Outside London
CHEF OF THE YEAR
Paul Ainsworth; Claude Bosi; Josh Eggleton; Angela Hartnett; Tom Kerridge; Andrew Pern; Shaun Rankin; Emily Roux; Clare Smyth; Gary Usher
BAR OF THE YEAR
Artesian; Bar Swift; Eve Bar (all London); Berry & Rye (Liverpool); Couch (Stirchley); The Lucky Liquor Co (Edinburgh); Vice and Virtue (Leeds)
HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Votes decide the overall Food and Travel Hotel of the Year
The Kitchin (Edinburgh); Northcote (Lancashire); Restaurant Sat Bains (Nottingham); Roots (York); Salt (Stratford-upon-Avon); The Salutation Inn (Topsham); The Woodspeen (Newbury)
City
Timeless classic
Rural
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie (Auchterarder); Le Gavroche (London); Purnell’s Restaurant (Birmingham); The Seahorse (Dartmouth); The Sportsman (Seasalter); The Star Inn (Harome) & 32 FOOD TRAVEL
45 Park Lane; Kimpton Fitzroy (both London); Artist Residence (Bristol); Grays Court (York); Hope Street Hotel (Liverpool); Stock Exchange Hotel (Manchester) The Atlantic Hotel (Jersey); Chewton Glen (Hampshire); Hambleton Hall (Rutland); Lympstone Manor (Exmouth); Morston Hall (Norfolk); Palé Hall (Penllyn); The Torridon (Wester Ross)
READER AWARDS
2020
E T TH 20 LIS 20 RT
O SH
Gourmet bolthole
(10 rooms or fewer) Freemasons (Wiswell); The Hare (Scawton); Padstow Townhouse (Padstow); The Peat Inn (Fife); Pentonbridge Inn (Carlisle); Pipe and Glass (South Dalton); The Wellington Arms (Baughurst)
Bed and breakfast
Photos by Ted Logardt; Chris Terry; Nick Robb; Mark Ashbee; Steve Sanacore; Mark Parren Taylor; Simon Brown; John Carey
Hill House (Bath); Low Mill Guest House (Bainbridge); No.38 The Park (Cheltenham); The Reading Rooms (Margate); Trevose Harbour House (St Ives)
International
Aman Kyoto (Japan); Arctic Bath (Sweden); Ashford Castle (Ireland); Bürgenstock Resort (Switzerland); Cape Grace (South Africa); Kimpton Da An (Taiwan)
SPECIALIST RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Balgove Larder (St Andrews); Cheeses of Muswell Hill (London); Darts Farm (Topsham); Greendale Farm Shop (Exeter); Lishman’s of Ilkley (Yorkshire); Lovingly Artisan (Kendal); Philip Warren Butchers (Cornwall)
BOOK OF THE YEAR
Aran (Flora Shedden); A Table for Friends (Skye McAlpine); Bitter Honey (Letitia Clark); Falastin (Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley); From the Oven to the Table (Diana Henry); The Quality Chop House (William Lander, Daniel Morgenthau and Shaun Searley); Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower (Gill Meller)
TOUR OPERATOR OF THE YEAR
Artisan Travel; Audley Travel; DialAFlight; G Adventures; Hayes & Jarvis; Inntravel; Martin Randall Travel; Sandals; /À>w`iÀÃÆ6>*ÕÃ
CRUISE LINE OF THE YEAR
Votes decide the overall Cruise Line of the Year
River
Avalon Waterways; Crystal River Cruises; Riviera River Cruises; Uniworld River Cruises; 6},ÛiÀ ÀÕÃiÃ
Ocean
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COOKERY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR
Ballymaloe; Eckington Manor; Edinburgh School of Food and Wine; Kent Cookery School; Sauce by The Langham; WhitePepper; Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School
LONG-HAUL DESTINATION OF THE YEAR Australia; Ecuador; India; Israel; Japan; Mexico; South Africa; South Korea; -À >>Æ6iÌ>
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BREAKTHROUGH CHEF OF THE YEAR An industry-voted award for a UK-based chef
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CHEFINTERVIEW
LUCKNOW
Although hailing from the northern state of Punjab, the Michelin-starred restaurant Kutir chef's love for Indian food spreads across the nation, i n c l u d i n g t o L u c k n o w, t h e c a p i t a l o f U t t a r P r a d e s h o n t h e N e p a l e s e b o r d e r WORDS BY ALEX MEAD
This page: Ghai. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: chillies for sale; bowls of brightly coloured spices; skeins of thread; an ornate doorway; fruit at Kaiserbagh Market; local aubergines, or brinjal ; Lucknow's Bara Imambara; deep-fried bread snack puri ; nuts and dates
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It only takes a quick look into Gwalior to discover it’s one of the most fascinating cities you’ve probably never heard of. Even its very Ƃrst origins deliver a captivating tale, and one that's linked to what we consume, too. Gwalior was named after an eighth-century sage, called Gwalipa, who happened upon a lost and dehydrated king in a forest and gave him a drink. This seemingly ‘normal’ water not only quenched the king’s thirst but also cured his leprosy, a handy side effect, which prompted the monarch to name a city after him, or at least build one in his honour around a fort and some walls. And, long story cut short, like nearly every village, town or city in India, people have been talking about its food and drink ever since. Especially those who hail from it, such as Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai, who was born in Punjab in the north, before moving to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh when he was still young. As we talk through his culinary upbringing, Rohit puts Gwalior in his top three in India (more on the others later) but it's really the Punjabi-inspired dishes coming from his mother's Gwalior kitchen that continue to have inƃuence on him today. 'When I was a kid, as the youngest in the family, I spent a lot of time with my parents,' he explains. 'I was always trying to help out, and although I was
never allowed to cook, I was still always there when my mother was making dinner. 'She’d make her own spices, stuffed breads with aloo matar – a pea and potato curry – makki ki roti, which is made with corn, and usually eaten with sarson ka saag, made from spicy mustard greens – whenever I get a moment I still cook it now in London, especially in the winter.' Passionate about his mother's Punjabi cooking, Rohit reels off more dishes from her repertoire, many of which he’s paid homage to at his restaurants, which are almost always outstanding. His latest, Kutir, now almost two years old, is no exception and joins a list that is almost a glitterati of modern Indian dining: Jamavar; Trishna, Gymkhana, Hoppers and, of course, Benares, where Atul Kochhar gave him a break as sous chef. 9ithin Ƃve years Rohit’s reputation was such that he was snapped up by the JKS group to launch a string of Michelin-starred success stories. 'I also make rajma,' the chef continues, 'a kidney bean stew my mum makes. She was vegetarian and a lot of people would turn vegetarian because of her and how good her cooking was. 'Whenever we get back to India, we’re always eating lots of lentils, vegetables, cauliƃower, kidney beans, chickpeas and a lot of very nice rice dishes –
often cooked with lentils, onions, tomatoes and clariƂed butter. One of my most popular dishes, vegetarian kedgeree, is inspired by this, but to make it more interesting and ƃavourful I use fresh trufƃes and wild mushrooms.' The spices and ghee adored by Punjabi families ƃavoured Rohit’s taste in every sense, with 0orthern Indian inƃuences clear in his food. 'Punjab is one of the most prosperous states in India and the food of Punjab attests to this in every morsel,' he says. 'A lot of people think that most North Indians are Punjabi and you can't blame them given all the Punjabi inƃuence in the culture up north. No matter what divides people, food has the power to unite us as Indians, especially the rich Punjabi food, with its succulent taste and clariƂed butter, desi ghee.' With a ‘look but don’t touch’ rule in his mother’s kitchen, Rohit had no idea about any culinary talent residing within and admits ‘there was no plan to enter the food industry’. But he signed up for a course in hotel management in Delhi, which opened his horizons to food beyond his mother’s kitchen – and one place in particular stood out. 'When I was studying hotel management in India, I would go to lots of places to discuss the food and one of them was Lucknow,' he says.'I would go
Photos by Peter Cassidy
CHEFINTERVIEW
Rohit Ghai
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14
Photos by Jamie Orlando Smith and Laurie Fletcher
CHEFINTERVIEW
& 36 FOOD TRAVEL
This page: fruit vendors and customers in old Lucknow. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Kaiserbagh Market; peanuts on Sitapur Road; a girl holds a cooking dish; old Lucknow views; a vendor at Sitapur Market; arches at Kaiserbagh Market; beef broth and kulcha
Photos by Peter Cassidy
CHEFINTERVIEW
whole and fresh spices and – it’s not all hidden away like for the kebabs and biryanis – the marinated chicken is then it is in restaurants. the way that they make them added later. This means it 'It is one of those places in is from the time of the royal infuses just the right amount the city that acts as a window family in Lucknow.' of ƃavour in the dish.' into its rich cultural heritage, The capital of the northern Lamb-trotter broth is taking you from intricately state of Uttar Pradesh, and another favourite. 'It’s called embroidered fabrics to bordered to the north by Lucknowi payai ki nihari and succulent kebabs.' Nepal, Lucknow’s history is an it’s basically slow-cooked, A population of 3.6 million ancient one with its tide rising overnight, for six-to-seven also makes the city of particularly with the arrival hours and you’ll eat it in the Lucknow comparatively of the Mughal Empire, which morning, with ƃaky kulchas.' compact when you look at the swept across South Asia from And where you go for all likes of New Delhi (30m) and the 16th to the 19th century. the ingredients is the same Mumbai (20m). 'India is such Under their rule, Lucknow as across India – the market. a big country that wherever replaced the original capital 'Lucknow Chowk is the food you go is interesting,' says of Faizabad in one of the hub. It’s one of the of the Rohit. 'Everywhere has so much hubs of its most powerful oldest markets in the whole of history and every different provinces, Awadh. 'Lucknow North India,' explains Rohit. region has its own unique has so much history and the 'It’s where everyone has had food and cooking style.' royal family inƃuenced a lot of And much as he loves different things, especially ' G a l a wa t i ke b a b i s s o s o f t , Lucknow, putting it in his the Awadhi cuisine,' it just melts in the mouth. top three for food in India says Rohit. 'Perfumes, – alongside Bombay and oils, ittar, made from the T h e s t o r y g o e s t h a t i t wa s his beloved Gwalior – he essence of real ƃowers, made for a king who didn't draws from every palate spices – I still go back to Lucknow whenever I can h a ve a n y t e e t h , s o t h ey h a d in India for inspiration. 'My dishes and cooking for the food, especially t o m a ke h i m a ke b a b t h a t are often inspired by the the kebabs, such as yo u d i d n ' t n e e d t o c h ew ' north but it’s not just the tunday ke kebab and north, it’s from right across boti kebab, where you have their own place for such a long India – I have dishes from tender, spice- and yoghurttime – it’ll be grandads who the south, too. marinated pieces of meat inherited it from their dads. It’s 'South Indian food is cooked under intense heat.' such a contrast to the modern, completely different in terms As with many Indian dishes, new government buildings of ƃavours and cooking style, this one has a story to tell. and shopping markets. actually. Whatever they grow 'Galawati kebab is made with 'The market is also they incorporate in the diet, beef mince and it’s so soft, about old traditions and like anywhere in India, so lots it just melts in the mouth. old methods: you will Ƃnd of fresh spices, peppercorn, You take a bite and it just authentic chikankari and good-quality cashew nuts disappears, it’s so ƃavourful. zardozi dresses; typical – although most of South 'The story goes that it was handmade jewellery; home Indian cuisine is ƃavoured with made for a king who didn’t decor items hand-crafted coconut only, so you get rich have any teeth, so they had from wood and bamboo; and velvety, milky curries. to make him a kebab that you nagara shoes; perfume made 'And we shouldn’t forget didn’t need to chew. from the essence of real about west and east India,' 'Wander around the city for ƃowers, and innumerable he continues. 'Western India, a day or two and you'll never other small and big items, which includes Goa and know which narrow alley takes in varieties beyond your Gujarat, and eastern India, you to food heaven. The taste, wildest imagination. including West Bengal, all the smell and the air of the 'But it still holds on to the have their own distinct and city... all just heaven.' Awadhi ambience of the past rich cuisines, too. Biryani is the second jewel in and remains true to its roots. 'This is why studying the the Lucknow crown. 'Chicken Wherever I am in India, I foods of India is so fascinating: biryani is straight from the always prefer to eat at places there is always something new streets of Lucknow,' says Rohit. like this, with street food and to learn. With Indian food you 'The basmati long-grain rice stalls on the roadside, you get can’t really go wrong.' is cooked separately with to see the preparation, too
ROHIT'S HOTSPOTS TUNDAY KABABI
As you'd guess by its name, this place is famed for its kebabs but the rice is excellent, too, as is the charcoal-grilled chicken. Mohan Market, Aminabad
RAHIM KI NIHARI
Always full during the day but especially in the morning, as local people head here for paya ki nihari to set them up for the day ahead. Phool Wali Gali, Chowk
PRAKASH KULFI
Has been making the best falooda and TCDTKMWNƂ going back a long time. His MWNƂU (traditional Indian ice creams) are proper home-style – they are very rich and ƃavourful. Khayali Ganj, Aminabad IDREES KI BIRYANI These are my favourite because they are the best at making and serving traditional and hardcore Awadhi Lucknowi food in Lucknow. Not very fancy but if you want to try amazing food, go here. Raja Bazar, Chowk TAJ MAHAL LUCKNOW Nowadays, there are lots of good places to stay in Lucknow but I personally recommend and prefer the Taj Mahal because I used to work for Taj Hotels when I was in India and, secondly, my mentor and former boss opened and ran this one. tajhotels.com
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GOURMETTRAVELLER
The high life With an epicurean heritage dating back to the 1500s, world-class vintages and the best produce of Lake Garda and the Italian Alps, expectations of the a u t o n o m o u s p r o v i n c e o f Tr e n t i n o a r e a s h i g h a s i t s m o u n t a i n o u s b a c k d r o p W O R D S B Y P H I L I P S W E E N E Y. P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y M A R I N A S P I R O N E T T I
This page: picture-postcard views of Lake Garda. Opposite page: enjoying a glass of Foradori red
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GOURMETTRAVELLER
This page, clockwise from top left: Garda’s terraced land and red-roofed homes; Lake Tenno; a pavement café in Trento; holidaymakers enjoy Lake Garda; vines at Foradori winery; grappa at Marzadro Distillery; Chalet Fiat; windsurfing on the lake. Opposite, clockwise from top left: the historic San Leonardo wine estate; a speedy check of the vines; Trentino’s 2.5sq km Lake Tenno is renowned for the turquoise and azure hues of its water
‘ T h i s i s n ot t h e p l a c e to w e a r o u t - o f - s e a s o n B e n et to n ; e v e r y t h i n g m u st b e r i g h t i n s e a s o n – f r o m p r o d u c e to p o l o s h i r ts – a n d i t i s m o st e m p h a t i c a l l y n ot t h e p l a c e to o r d e r a g l a s s o f p r o s e c c o ’
F
or a neat introduction to Trentino, go for lunch at the Green Tower in the regional capital Trento, a city at the very heart of the Northern Italian province in every sense. The ornate wood panelling, polished brass fittings and touches of stained glass perfectly evoke the geographic confluence of Alsace brasserie, Tyrolean beer hall and Roman ristorante. Businessmen, couples and families tuck into dishes typical of the area: polenta rather than pasta and a variety of gnocchi-like dumplings comprised of bread, milk, egg and assorted pork products. Green Tower is at the crossroads of Trentino history, where
Travel information
Trentino is an autonomous province of Italy, situated in the country’s far north. Its capital is the city of Trento. Italian and German are both spoken. Currency is the euro, and time is two hours ahead of GMT. Flights from the UK to Verona take around two hours, and Trento is a one-hour drive from the airport. Trento and the province’s other main town, Rovereto, can both also be reached by Italian and European long-distance trains. GETTING THERE easyJet flies direct from London Gatwick to Verona’s Valerio Catullo Airport. easyjet.com Ryanair offers direct flights from Birmingham and London Stansted to Valerio Catullo Airport. ryanair.com RESOURCES Visit Trentino is the official tourist board. Its website is full of helpful information to help you make the most of your stay. Also worth checking out are those of the Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo and Val Rendena tourist board, and the Piana Rotaliana Königsberg tourism offices. visittrentino.info campigliodolomiti.it pianarotaliana.it & TRAVEL 40FOOD
timelines converge – the adjacent Torre Verde, after which it’s named, was the riverside extension of the great Castello del Buonconsiglio, whose massive fortified bulk towers on the hill above. The castle was built in the 16th century to control the valley road and the River Adige, part of a direct route which passed from Rome up to Central Europe. During the early-20th-century German domination, the castle was a prison for condemned Italian partisans. Four hundred years earlier it was the seat of the bishopric chosen by Rome to host the Council of Trent, the big doctrinal offensive of the Counter-Reformation. If all this history sounds unappetisingly stern, it’s worth bearing in mind that the popes who attacked Martin Luther’s heresy were also major epicureans, as witnessed by the 1570 cookbook of the papal chef Bartolomeo Scappi, with its menus of vast exotic feasts, and by the frescoes of daily life in Buonconsiglio’s magnificent state rooms. Food and Travel has an invitation to a more exclusive but equally impressive monument. On a wooded hill high above Trento, the beautiful, small, Venetian-style palace of Margon, built at the same time as Buonconsiglio, also contains exquisite frescoes, but seen only by caretakers and guests of the proprietor. The estate belongs to the Ferrari wine company, whose vines surround the complex and its Michelin-starred restaurant, the Locanda Margon, a tall 1890s villa down the hill. Here we’re entertained by Camilla Lunelli, a member of the family now owning Ferrari, in the expensively austere grey dining room. As often as the exquisite titbits succeed each other, Camilla gets up to warmly greet another party of suave diners. This is not the place to wear out-of-season Benetton; everything must be right in season – from produce to polo shirts – and it is most emphatically not the place to order a glass of prosecco. Ferrari is the oldest and most prestigious maker of the region’s Trentodoc, a sparkling wine made of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes by strict champagne
GOURMET TRAVELLER
TRENTINO
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GOURMETTRAVELLER
This page, clockwise from top left: the Hermitage brigade; culinary art at Locanda Margon; the Hermitage dining room; grapes at Locanda Margon. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Hermitage’s scenic setting; a pressed flower from the restaurant’s garden; chef Giovanni D’Alitta’s dishes look almost too good to eat; the chef at work; five-star presentation
Where to eat
methods – secondary bottle fermentation – as opposed to the cheaper Charmat or tank method applied to prosecco. To accompany the rare Ferrari vintages, Margon’s chef, Edoardo Fumagalli, demonstrates his remarkably inventive handiwork: a little millefeuille of local venison tartare, so immaculate it could be fine patisserie; a carrot which is actually poached salmon, trout shaped and coated in a lacquer of crayfish and carrot bisque. After stints in kitchens everywhere from Edinburgh to Milan, Fumagalli is relishing the abundance of local produce, from Lake Garda oil and lemons to the fish and game on his doorstep, not to mention the birch sap in the venison glaze, which he taps from Margon’s woods. We’re introduced by Camilla to Paolo Massobrio, the Milan-based restaurant critic, who happens to be seated at the next table. ‘I think Edoardo’s showing delightful creativity using local products,’ he says. ‘The thing about the food of Trentino is that it’s mountain food, but light and elegant.’ We head deeper into the mountains, to the Hermitage Biohotel in Madonna di Campiglio, an upmarket ski and hiking resort in the lee of the Brenta Dolomites. Trentino’s big geographic advantage is in encompassing both a mountainous north, just below the Alto Adige, where German is spoken, and a semi-Mediterranean microclimate in the south, around Lake Garda. With the Alpine diet talked of as an equally healthy equivalent of the Mediterranean diet, Trentino is in the happy position of being able to enjoy the best of both. As well as skiers, summer cattle and 50 or so bears, these hills contain abundant herbs. The star of Trentino herb-gathering is the pioneering ‘herb lady’ Noris Cunaccia, whose small premises in the Val Redena is a place of pilgrimage for top chefs
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Prices are per person for three courses and a drink, unless otherwise stated Antiche Mura Attractive corner restaurant away from the bustle of the town centre with a small, pretty terrace. Expect the likes of scallops with smoked bacon, beans, mint and fennel, and potato gnocchi with Trentingrana cheese cream, chanterelles, hazelnut sauce and violet potato chips. From £40. Via Bastione 19, Riva del Garda, 00 39 0464 556063, antiche-mura.it Casa del Vino Sit inside, in the pleasant, rustic interior, or on the delightful open-air terrace and enjoy daily-changing set menus, put together each morning by chef Carmelo Donato, with fish on Fridays and more experimental dishes on Saturdays. Recommended is the excellent, feather-light soufflé of Trentingrana cheese and chestnut flour polenta. From £45. Piazza San Vincenzo 1, Isera, 00 39 0464 486057, casadelvino.info Chalet Fiat Reached by cable car, this fun venue boasts fabulous views. Deliciously robust, traditional staples may include quenelle of Storo polenta served with fresh chanterelles, rich goulash soup, and pasta stuffed with Rendena beef, cannellini bean cream and local lardo. From £59. Via Monte Spinale, Madonna di Campiglio, 00 39 0465 946090, chaletfiat.net Green Tower Smart, old-fashioned, wood-panelled dining rooms, with banquette seating, white linen, ornate brass light fittings and white-jacketed waiters. On the menu are traditional classics, such as dumplings with speck and Puzzone di Moena cheese, and carne salada with sauté beans and tortelli di patate – similar to rösti – plus a renowned venison stew. From £31. Via Torre Verde 29, Trento, 00 39 0461 231545, ristorantegreentower.com Hermitage Cheerful and bustling Michelin-starred restaurant featuring wood panelling and colourful upholstery throughout. Chef Giovanni D’Alitta combines expert technique and artistic ambition using the finest local ingredients. Stand-outs include spaghetti with cheese and pepper, roast quail with braised greens and red onion, and salt-aged beef tartare with aromatic sesame crackers. From £113. Via Castelletto Inferiore 69, Madonna di Campiglio 69, 00 39 0465 441558, biohotelhermitage.it Leon d’Oro Traditional ristorante/pizzeria in a cavernous, buzzy space with a long line of tables arranged on a narrow pedestrianised street just off a central lakeside piazza. Run by the Salvaneschi family since 1922, there’s an excellent choice of high-quality regional dishes, including lake fish, as well, of course, as the top-notch signature pizzas, loaded with fresh toppings. From £59. Via Fiume 28, Riva del Garda, 00 39 0464 552341, leondororiva.it Locanda Camorz Small, relaxed garden restaurant on the periphery of a pretty village in the vineyard triangle of the Rotelian plain. On the small menu are Florentine steaks, unusual carne salada made with aged beef, in the northern Spanish manner, and tender chicken cooked slowly at a low temperature and served with a cream sauce. From £55. Via dei Camorzi, Mezzocorona 17, 00 39 0461 603926, locandacamorz.it Locanda Delle Tre Chiavi This old-school hostelry in Isera – the Hampstead of Rovereto – is housed in a huge old stone mansion converted with taste. Proprietors Sergio and Annarita Valentini offer generously sized Trentino dishes such as pasta stuffed with cream of saffron. From £45. Via Clementino Vannetti 8, Isera, 00 39 0464 423721, locandadelletrechiavi.it Locanda Margon Luxuriously austere grey dining room with discreet, Michelin-two-star service and a menu featuring diminutive dishes of exquisite, artistic cooking. There’s a large selection of rare vintage Ferrari sparkling wines, and chef Edoardo Fumagalli offers a special menu to accompany them: the £170 Iridescenze e Bollichine menu features such items as trout egg ravioli, watercress and speck, along with a 2010 Riserva, and roasted pigeon legs, grapes marinated in lime juice and Brussels sprouts, accompanied by a 2007 Riserva del Fondatore. From £112. Via Margone di Ravina 15, Trento, 00 39 0461 349401, locandamargon.it
GOURMET TRAVELLER
TRENTINO
‘Trentino’s big geographic advantage is in encompassing both a mountainous north, just below the Alto Adige, where German is spoken, and a semi-Mediterranean microclimate in the south, around Lake Garda’
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Where to stay
Accademia Historic noble house in the town centre transformed into a boutique hotel with Italian taste and quality. Doubles from £90. Via Vicolo Colico 4-6, Trento, 00 39 0461 233600, accademiahotel.it Hermitage Biohotel A luxurious, chalet-style hotel converted from a century-old farmhouse by the Maffei family, who still run it personally. It is set away from the bustle of the town in a wooded valley with views of the mountains above. Doubles from £157. Via Castelletto Inferiore 69, Madonna di Campiglio, 00 39 0465 441558, biohotelhermitage.it Hotel Leon d’Oro Pleasant, modern business and tourism establishment with rich historic origins in attractive Rovereto. Doubles from £76. Via Tacchi 2, Rovereto, 00 39 0464 437333, hotelleondoro.it Casa del Vino della Vallagarina A beautifully restored palazzo in the centre of a village 10 minutes’ drive from Rovereto. With lovely terraces and a stellar restaurant, it represents great value for money. Doubles from £84. Piazza San Vincenzo 1, Isera, 00 39 0464 486057, casadelvino.info Astoria Park Sleek modern hotel, a 15-minute walk from the lake and town centre, with rooms set around a tall glass atrium. Doubles from £80. Viale Trento 9, Riva del Garda, 00 39 0464 576657, astoriaparkhotel.it
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GOURMETTRAVELLER
Opposite page, clockwise from top: a moment of contemplation at Tenuta San Leonardo; meadow flowers in Madonna di Campiglio; the area’s cloud-topped Alpine views. This page, clockwise from top left: a vintage coffee machine at the Bontadi company’s museum; espresso for two; hiking in Madonna di Campiglio; taking a break on the hillside; family fun; a cable-car ascemt
from around the world. The Hermitage chef Giovanni D’Alitta is no herb slouch himself. We arrive in time for an aperitivo prepared from an afternoon’s foraging with his brigade – a tableful of 20 prettily named plants – la pimpinella, erba di San Giovanni, menta d’acqua – but definitely no zafferano bastardo, a poisonous wild flower which killed a couple of inexperienced foragers only last year. Afterwards, we dine on Michelin-complex plates of local salmon trout, rabbit, pork and fruit. ‘I regard the restaurant as a showcase for all the food producers around us,’ says D’Alitta. The following day, it’s a cable-car ride up the mountainside to Chalet Fiat, which resembles a very smart motorway services with stunning views. And pretty stunning food, too: rich and copious goulash soup, lovely Storo polenta steamed with mountain ricotta, great wooden-slab dishes laden with local hams, preserves and pickled vegetables, and renowned mild, fragrant Trentino cheeses. Apart from a few goats, credit for the outstanding variety of cheeses goes chiefly to the region’s cattle, particularly local breeds such as the Alpine Grey, and above all, the Rendena. In summer, herds of small, black Rendena graze in the hills, watched over by herders who live in mountain huts for the season. In autumn, the cows are driven back down to the valley farms for the winter. We get to the farm and agriturismo Maso Pan just as its returning Rendenas are installed in a huge barn next to another even bigger one crammed with fragrant blow-dried hay. A trailer unloads the
posse of muddy, excited cattle dogs and their kennels, back from a summer’s work. Like other cattle regions, a whole culture surrounds the Rendena, with shows, festivals and bovine beauty competitions accompanied by folkloric brass band and accordion music, one of which we miss by a day in Madonna di Campilglio. As some compensation, Maso Pan’s owner, Signor Polla, has us taste generous amounts of yet more delicious cheeses from his herd. Needless to say, the cattle involved in Trentino gastronomy are not only living beasts. The proud owner of the Macelleria Ballardini butcher’s shop shows us the salt-lined refrigerated chamber where beef is aged and the tubs where it is marinated in salt, juniper berries, garlic and bay leaves to make the Trentino speciality carne salada – salted meat, delicious either raw as carpaccio or griddled, traditionally served with soft brown beans and crisp, sizzling potato rösti. And a glass of one of the red wines for which the region is as noted as it is for sparkling ones. We have suitable visits booked, of course, with two very different producers of Trentino’s red wine. Firstly, Tenuta San Leonardo, a beautiful property on the valley road south of Trento. To one side of its great stone gate sits a chapel dedicated to San Leonardo; to the other, a little woodenhut café dedicated to glasses of red around the barrel tables under the trees shared by elderly and cheerful estate workers, some of whose families have lived on the estate for generations. We are shown around the alleys of linden and the plots of FOOD & TRAVEL
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GOURMETTRAVELLER
Clockwise from top left: local produce takes centre stage at Antiche Mura; an old well at Tenuta San Leonardo; sunflowers in a valley on the estate. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: rows of San Leonardo tomatoes; sunny details; outbuildings on the immaculately maintained estate; a walk through the grounds; flowers destined for tables at Casa del Vino
vines, trained overhead in the local pergola manner by Marchese Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga. The son of the second Marchese Carlo, he studied oenology in Switzerland and Tuscany and initiated the 1980s upgrade which resulted in the prize-winning range of new wines, led by the flagship assemblage of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Among the certificates on the walls are menus featuring San Leonardo wine at dinners for Barack Obama and Pope Francis: it’s good to see the papal predilection for choice plonk didn’t die out with the Counter-Reformation. Nor is the church absent from modern San Leonardo: a part of the garden is devoted to flowers for the annual Saint Leonard’s Day mass and estate workers’ feast.
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If San Leonardo represents old-school fine-wine aristocracy, our next destination, the Foradori winery, is a mould-breaker. Foradori is situated in the middle of the Rotelian plain, a triangular expanse of vineyard and farmland surrounded by jagged hills, producing, until recently, large quantities of mediocre subsidised table wine, according to Theo, the newest member of the family to enter the business. We talk in the estate’s courtyard in the quiet little town of Mezzolombardo. Theo’s mother, he says, was the inspiration behind the decision, then controversial, to ditch the pinot noir that everyone was growing for international conformity and recultivate biodynamically, using native grapes, particularly
GOURMET TRAVELLER
TRENTINO
‘A prize-winning range of new wines is led by the flagship assemblage of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. On the walls are menus featuring San Leonardo wine at dinners for Barack Obama and Pope Francis’
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GOURMETTRAVELLER From left: Agroturismo Maso Pan’s Signor Polla; cheeses made from the milk from the agroturismo’s cows; bread and charcutería at Chalet Fiat
‘Garda’s olives, the most northerly in Italy, are exceptionally high quality, their oil highly prized and their terraced groves, overlooking the sparkling waters of the lake, a delight for the eyes’ teroldego, whose excellence was mentioned as far back as the annals of the Council of Trent. Twenty years on, Foradori finds itself at the forefront of a movement which has succeeded in spreading the reputation of teroldego wine as far as the US, we’re assured by Foradori’s New York distributor, who happens to be visiting. Trentino is famous not only for its wine, but also its chief byproduct. Time to check out grappa, pausing in Trentino’s second city, Rovereto, for a look at the concert hall where Mozart performed – Rovereto has a reputation as Trentino’s culture capital – and the museum of the Bontadi company, Italy’s oldest surviving coffee roaster, which is a must for lovers of vintage espresso machines, as curvaceous as contemporaneous Alfa Romeos and Lancias. The reputation of Trentino’s grappa is due in part to the high quality of the raw material – the grape lees and other detritus of grape-pressing – and partly that of the distillers, which are mainly independent family firms. The Marzadros are a perfect example. As we tour the gleaming still rooms and ageing cellars and inspect the ever-growing range of fruit and flower grappas, Alessandro Marzadro, a third-generation family member, talks of the challenges of rejuvenating the market for grappa, which was traditionally a spirit drunk once a week after dinner by oldsters. Marzadro has already successfully pioneered aged grappas with its Diciotto Lune brand and single-variety bottles. Thinking of the similar problem addressed in Cognac via campaigns to popularise trendy new mixes, I ask about cocktails. ‘It’s not easy,’ says Alessandro, ‘you need the financial muscle of a Bacardi or a Campari to do that. But we have tried to encourage independent barmen; you could try the Rivabar in Riva del Garda...’ And so, to the final piece of the jigsaw, Trentino’s own mini Mediterranean. Riva del Garda is an elegant resort at the tip of Lake Garda. It’s popular with Germans, for whom it really is the Med, a couple of hundred kilometres nearer. Garda’s olives, Italy’s most northerly, are exceptional, their oil highly prized, and their terraced groves, overlooking the sparkling waters, a delight for the eyes. In the evening the waterfront and the old town of Riva buzz with locals and holidaymakers alike and the restaurants are full. In the lovely old Leon d‘Oro we eat perch and carp from the lake and bemoan the shortage of snails which threatens the following weekend’s snail sagra (festival). The next day, in Antiche Mura, a smart little place away from the centre, we encounter the culinary personification of the geography. À la carte and tasting menus feature dishes such as Monograno Felicetti spaghettoni pasta with onion cream, marinated sardines, pine nuts and crunchy & TRAVEL 48FOOD
village bread; ravioli filled with wild boar ragù, fresh beans, aubergine and seasonal herbs; and a super-smooth hazelnut and salted caramel ice cream with soft biscuit and apricot. And what, finally, about the grappa cocktails? Late at night, in the Stygian gloom of the Rivabar, we run them to earth – three or four of them which have English names such as Garda Lake Funk and Liquid Prozac. They are quite palatable, but unlikely to win over the sophisticates in the Locanda Margon in their present form. One can see Alessandro Marzadro’s point: more work needed on grappa cocktails, particularly the names. Though, frankly, in a region as blessed with excellent food and beverages as Trentino is, this is not likely to be a major issue. Philip Sweeney and Marina Spironetti travelled to Trentino courtesy of Trentino Marketing. visittrentino.info
Food glossary Brezel Chief variety, along with bèchi-panzalini and schiacciatina, of
the region’s wide range of brown breads, frequently made with rye, millet or barley and flavoured with herbs and seeds Canerdeli Dumplings made with lard, bacon and sausage Carne di cavallo affumicata Cured and smoked rump of horsemeat, predominantly produced around Rovereto Carne salada Preserved lean beef CharcuterǕa Meat cuts generally including ubiquitous speck, from Alto Adige, made of flavoured cured pork loin or leg, supplemented by sausages including Luganega, mortandela and salami Fontal A fine, pale cheese made from fragrant mountain cow’s milk. Other outstanding examples of the region’s rich tradition of cow cheeses are Trentingrana, a seasoned cheese much used in cooking, Casolèt, Canestrato, and Nostrano, all raw milk cheeses, and the strong-flavoured, matured Puzzone di Moena Nosiola Trentino’s most common white wine grape, used to make light dry whites and also vin santo, sweet white wine Polenta Wheat polenta, from prized growing regions such as Storo, is popular, as is chestnut polenta, mixed with cream cheese or fried Strangolapreti Small dumplings, originating from Alto Adige, made with leftover bread, milk, egg, and spinach Teroldego Major local red wine grape which is returning to popularity after previously having been eclipsed by international varietals
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Nowhere else can you find as many Alpine pastures as in SalzburgerLand. They’re home to more than 500 managed Alpine huts, of which around 170 are certified as Alpine summer huts, allowing you to make the most of the stunning mountain landscapes of the region whatever the weather. Some huts are also tailored to special interests, such as the mountain-bike pastures, children’s pastures and buggy-friendly pastures, ensuring they meet their guests’ every need.
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From hiking, biking and golf to history, culture and gourmet travel, visitors can experience several holidays all in one in SalzburgerLand. Traverse meadows and hillsides, explore historic towns and cities, relax in thermal spas or get close to nature with a stay in an Alpine mountain hut: the varied landscape of the Austrian state has it all
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SalzburgerLand is undeniably cycling country par excellence. Explore 7,000km of well-signposted cycling and mountain-biking trails, along which you’ll find four bike parks, challenging road-bike sections and scenic multi-day bike tours, plus internationally renowned events.
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A thoroughly delicious offer is waiting behind the ‘Via Culinaria’. These culinary pathways across SalzburgerLand consist of about 300 gourmet destinations from very
different fields. Coffee houses, Alpine huts, dairy farms, schnapps distilleries, fisheries and award-winning restaurants can all be found on the culinary pathways. The routes are perfect for every gourmand, whether your passion lies in the freshest fish, the most flavourful meat, Alpine cheese, craft beer, herbfuelled organic cuisine or all things sweet.
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SalzburgerLand is at the forefront of ‘green’ travel, offering an escape to a land that is often seemingly
untouched by mankind. It’s a place synonymous with genuine, warm hospitality and boasts a natural landscape worth protecting: clean air, crystal-clear water, abundant forests, idyllic Alpine meadows and a way of life that is a world away from the chaos of modern-day life. More than half of the region is covered with woodland, with Hohe Tauern National Park alone offering 266 peaks, 551 mountain lakes and 342 glaciers, to help you truly get lost in nature at its best.
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The capital city is rich in culture, history and heritage. Every year, people from all over the world come to ‘Mozart City’ for the dream-like setting of the baroque Old Town of Salzburg, the legacy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the legend that is The Sound of Music. With over 4,000 cultural events, including the famous Salzburg Festival, and a harmonious interplay of tradition and modernity, a rich tapestry of culture awaits. For more information visit salzburgerland.com
FOOD AND TRAVEL
5 THINGS
PROMOTION
In season S W E E T P O TAT O E S
As at home on the American Thanksgiving table as they are in a nourishing English pork stew, sweet potatoes are a staple to savour this autumn. Clarissa Hyman digs in R E C I P E S S TA R T O N P A G E 1 1 8 RECIPES AND FOOD STY L I N G : L I N DA T U B B Y P H OTO G R A P H Y A N D P R O P STY L I N G : A N G E L A D U K E S
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azzling with vibrant orange and pink flesh, this starchy root vegetable is at its prime for autumn feasts. The shared name invites the wrong assumption that sweet potatoes are related to the potato, when, in fact, they are not even distantly related. Another common mistake is to confuse them with yams, although the flesh of the latter is not as sweet. The starchy sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is actually a vine from the morning glory family, and was one of the first plants to travel to the Old World with Columbus. Unlike
the Andean potato (Solanum tuberosum), it gained immediate popularity. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella liked them enough to have them planted in their Spanish court gardens, and their son-in-law, Henry VIII of England, is said to have enjoyed them in heavily spiced and sugared pies, in the belief that they were an aphrodisiac. These ‘venerous roots’, often sold as crystallised slices, were a saucy feature of many a Tudor banqueting table: Shakespeare’s Sir John Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, thinking about the prospect of future sexual
frolics, cries, ‘Let the sky rain potatoes’. The date the play was written makes it clear the reference is to sweet potatoes, not Golden Wonders. Their origin, however, goes further, both in terms of time and geography. In Peru, the use of sweet potato dates back to at least 2800BC, and perhaps even earlier. The sweet potato is found not only in the New World but also in Polynesia, from Hawaii to New Zealand, where it is a popular Maori staple called kumara. There is speculation that it could have spread from western South America, either deliberately or as
SWEET POTATO FRITTERS WITH FRESH TOMATO AND CHILLI CHUTNEY Crispy, chewy, sweet and salty, these make for a delicious dinner-party starter or fun light family supper. F&T WINE MATCH Aromatic corvina blend with notes of cherries, redcurrant, liquorice and spices, a long, dry aftertaste and velvety texture (eg 2017 Antolini Valpolicella Classico Superiore Persegà DOC, Veneto, Italy)
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‘Tom Kerridge includes them in a chicken tagine traybake, and Atul Kochhar uses them in a sweet GUINEA FOWL WITH APPLE AND CALVADOS SAUCE $FUHDP\&DOYDGRVVDXFHZLOOƓOO\RXUNLWFKHQZLWKGHOLFLRXV FRRNLQJDURPDV6HUYHRQDSODWWHUVXUURXQGHGE\WKHDSSOHV
a ‘stowaway’ on driftwood. Another theory is that the sweet potato, post-Columbus, was taken from Spain ever further eastwards. Arriving in China in the 16th century, they quickly conquered palates sufficiently to be widely sold boiled and roasted by vendors in Peking. Sweet potatoes have since become a staple carbohydrate food source all over the world and are now widely cultivated throughout the tropics and in warm, temperate regions. There are many varieties, with varying skin and flesh colour. The best tubers are firm, fat and unblemished, and should feel heavy for their size – the world’s heaviest weighed in at 37kg and was grown in 2004 on the island of Lanzarote. Their inherent sweetness was always prized: Spanish historian and navigator & TRAVEL 52FOOD
Fernández de Oviedo wrote, ‘A batata well cured and well prepared is just like fine marzipan’, and described them as ‘a singular and precious fruit’. One contemporary recipe said that when roasted they will taste ‘as if they had been dipped in a jar of jam, they will be so honey-sweet’. Early records from travellers and explorers in the New World described sweet potatoes as roasted or boiled roots that tasted like chestnuts. It is still a description that holds true, and their nutty, buttery flavour and soft, mealy texture belies their irregular and elongated skin, which can be purple-red, yellow or white. The inner flesh can also vary from cream to purple to traffic-light orange – choose the latter for the best sweet flavour and moist, creamy texture, although those with
white or pale-yellow flesh have a drier, firmer texture that results in a pleasingly fluffy texture when mashed or baked. Tom Kerridge includes them in a chicken tagine traybake, Andy Oliver serves pork carnitas with sweet potato fries and Atul Kochhar uses them in a fabulous sweet potato and chickpea curry. The tubers are a staple in the southern US, where they are often simply called potatoes, as opposed to the ‘Irish’ potato. Throughout the States, however, glazed or candied sweet potatoes are as much a part of American Thanksgiving dinners as turkey and cranberry sauce. Baked with butter, brown sugar or maple syrup, they are more a rich, sticky relish than vegetable side dish. Curiously, the sweet potato is little used in Mexican cooking, apart
from a soft candy made in Puebla city, called ‘camotes de Santa Clara’. Puréed, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are widely used in cakes, breads and muffins, as well as in pies, puddings and custards. Dried or candied slices are also popular in many parts of the world. The classic sweet potato pie is similar to pumpkin pie, and cookery writer Jane Grigson describes a traditional Portuguese dish of sweet potatoes with egg yolks, cinnamon and cream as ‘exquisite, delicate and delicious’. It’s a direct line back to 1589, when a discriminating gentleman called Richard Hakluyt wrote, ‘These potatoes be the most delicate rootes that may be eaten, and doe farre exceed our passeneps or carets’. Sweet potatoes, indeed.
SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI WITH BUTTERY SAGE AND HAZELNUT SPRINKLES Perfect for chilly autumn evenings, this cosseting dish VLQJVZLWKVHDVRQDOŴDYRXUV F&T WINE MATCH Mediumbodied cortese (eg 2017 La Raia Gavi Riserva Vigna Madonnina, Piedmont, Italy) SWEET POTATO, BLACK PUDDING AND GREEN LENTILS Crumbled black pudding is the ideal foil for nutty lentils and tender sweet potato discs. F&T WINE MATCH Earthy nebbiolo (eg 2016 Paride Iaretti ‘Velut Luna’, Piedmont, Italy) PORK AND SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH CIDER AND CIME DI RAPA The classic pairing of pork and cider meets succulent seasonal veg in this vibrant casserole. F&T WINE MATCH Elegant red blend (eg 2015 Il Paradiso di Frassina ’12 UVE’, Tuscany, Italy)
potato and chickpea curry’ GOES WELL WITH
Apples, brown sugar, chilli, citrus, ginger, honey, maple syrup, molasses, nutmeg, nuts and thyme are classic flavour pairings. As for cooking, they can be used in breads, cakes and desserts.
In general, you can cook sweet potatoes much as you would ordinary potatoes, although plain boiling tends to leave them dull and watery. Take a tip from chef Allegra McEvedy and cut them into wedges, bathe in olive oil, smoked paprika and sea salt and bake for 20 minutes. They won’t end up super-crisp, but deliciously soft with caramelised, crunchy bits.
BENEFITS
QUICK IDEAS
Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are a rich source of fibre, vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamins A, B and C, as well as beta-carotene. They have a low glycemic index and are therefore good for coeliacs. For the same reason, despite the ‘sweet’ label, they can be eaten by diabetics as they will not result in a sudden spike in blood-sugar levels. FOOD & TRAVEL
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Sunny side up Vivian Lui delivers fresh, vibrant, nourishing plates inspired by the 'Golden State' of California but influenced by everywhere from Mexico to Vietnam Recipes start on page 118
SUNSHINE BOWL A twist on Chinese congee – and a great use for leftover rice – this porridge-like bowl is enhanced by the addition of boiled egg, celery, spring onions and pine QXWVZLWKDVOLYHURIFULVS\ƓVKVNLQSURYLGLQJWKHƓQLVKŴRXULVK F&T WINE MATCH -DFTXªUHULYDOVVRPHRIWKHƓQHVWFKDUGRQQD\V ZLWKDQLQFUHGLEOHOHQJWKDQGGHSWKRIŴDYRXUŊSHUIHFWWRSDLUZLWKWKLV ƓVKGLVK HJ'RPDLQHGH&KHYLOODUG-DFTXªUH6DYRLH)UDQFH & 54 FOOD TRAVEL
CRISPY RICE SUSHI Sushi is so ubiquitous in California that most supermarkets have dedicated teams to prepare it for takeaway boxes. The crispy rice here adds fantastic texture and colour. F&T WINE MATCH Prosecco will balance the fatty salmon with citrus acidity and the rice with gentle bitterness (eg 2019 Malibràn Sottoriva Col Fondo Prosecco, Veneto, Italy)
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VEGETABLE DUMPLING SOUP Packed with a mixture of tofu, spring onions and basil, these tasty parcels – inspired by Chinese wontons – can be made in advance and frozen. They join peas, spring onions and broad beans in a fresh, light broth. F&T WINE MATCH The mineral, VDOW\ŴDYRXUVRIDERQHGU\JU¾QHU veltliner will bring out the best in the greens and dumplings here (2017 0DUWLQ0XWKHQWKDOHU*U¾QHU9HOWOLQHU 'Spitzer Graben', Wachau, Austria)
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WORLDFOOD GRILLED MEATBALLS WITH LETTUCE WRAPS This Vietnamese-style dish UHŴHFWVWKHIUHVKQHVVRI $PHULFDQ:HVW&RDVWFXLVLQH ZLWKWKHJULOOHGSRUNPHDWEDOOV ZUDSSHGLQIUDJUDQWKHUEV DQGOHWWXFHWKHQVHUYHGZLWK DVZHHWVRXUGLSSLQJVDXFH F&T WINE MATCH 0XOWLWDVNLQJ ŴRUDOURV«IURPWKHWHUUDFHV DURXQG/DNH*DUGD HJ 6WHIDQR&DVDUHWWL%DUGROLQR &KLDUHWWR5RV«9HQHWR,WDO\ Recipes start on page 118
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GREEN POZOLE The beauty of this comforting Mexican pork stew is that the ŴDYRXUVGHHSHQDVLWVLWVPHDQLQJ LWōVHYHQEHWWHUPDGHDKHDGDQG WKHQUHKHDWHG6HUYHSLSLQJKRWZLWK \RXUDFFRPSDQLPHQWVRIFKRLFH F&T WINE MATCH 1HURG $YROD ZLWKLWVLQWHQVHFDVVLVQRWHVZLOOVXLW WKLVMXLF\GLVK HJ&HUDVXROR GL9LWWRULD'2&* &XUYD0LQRUH %DURQLGL3LDQRJULOOR6LFLO\,WDO\ Recipes start on page 118
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SKILLET VEGETABLE BOWL This satisfying medley ticks all the boxes: fermented umami from the miso, sweetness from the herbs and vegetables, nuttiness from the rice and creaminess from the avocado. Relaxed weeknight supper, sorted. F&T WINE MATCH Complex MüllerThurgau grape, whose texture and aroma suits all these Asian ŴDYRXUV HJ0DUNXV Ruch Müller-Thurgau 'Klettgau Amphore', Switzerland)
Recipes and photographs taken from Eat California: Vibrant Recipes from the West Coast by Vivian Lui, photography by Con Poulos 6PLWK6WUHHW%RRNVe
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SUPER-SOFT COURGETTES Infused with fried garlic and cooked in their own juices, these are best HDWHQDWURRPWHPSHUDWXUHRQFHWKHŴDYRXUVKDYHKDGWLPHWRVHWWOH F&T WINE MATCH Go for a skin-contact pinot gris with pomegranate notes (eg 2018 Enderle & Moll Grauburgunder, Baden, Germany)
CHAAT MASALA POTATOES Inspired by Indian street food aloo chaat, this gets its characteristic sharpness from dried mango powder, amchoor, and makes a wonderful accompaniment to roasted lamb or chicken. Serve with coriander chutney and tamarind sauce. F&T WINE MATCH /LJKWO\VWUXFWXUHGPHURQLZLWKJHQHURXVUHGEHUU\ŴDYRXUVWR cope with the spices (eg 2018 Valpolicella Classico Velluto Meroni, Veneto, Italy)
Recipes and photographs taken from the new book Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage, photography by Jonathan Lovekin (Ebury Press, £27).
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Flavour the day The master of packing big punches in vegetable-based dishes, Israeli-English chef Yo t a m O t t o l e n g h i o f f e r s u p r e c i p e s w i t h w e e k n i g h t s i m p l i c i t y b u t d i n n e r - p a r t y i m p a c t & TRAVEL 60 FOOD
WORLDFOOD BERRY PLATTER WITH SHEEP'S LABNEH AND ORANGE OIL Showcase the season’s best with this juicy wonder. The labneh adds a tangy counterpoint, while the orange oil doubles up as a fantastic drizzle for salads. F&T WINE MATCH Verdicchio will suit both the acidic berries and the hint of bitterness from the orange oil (eg 2019 Ca' Lojera Lugana DOC, Veneto, Italy)
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Home comforts Elevate weekday mealtimes into something special with these colourful, cossetting dishes from Claire Thomson, all of which can be prepared with the minimum of fuss but deliver maximum pleasure Recipes start on page 118
ROAST SQUASH WITH CHICKPEAS, GARAM MASALA AND PUMPKIN SEEDS Autumn shades abound in this warming, multi-textured dish, with the garam masala adding tone, depth and vibrancy. F&T WINE MATCH Red fruit and spice in a medium-bodied red blend (eg Tenute Dettori Renosu Rosso NV, Sardinia, Italy)
SIMPLESUPPERS BUTTER BEANS WITH SPINACH, TARRAGON, BACON AND CREAM This is midweek cookery that tastes like far more than the sum of its parts. Serve with plenty of thick slices of toast to mop up the sauce. F&T WINE MATCH *UHDWIUHVKQHVVDQGŴDYRXULQ a straw-yellow carricante, with notes of white fruit and almond over a saline background (eg 2017 I Custodi 'Ante' Etna Bianco DOC, Sicily, Italy) FOOD & TRAVEL
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SIMPLESUPPERS
GUINEA FOWL WITH PORCINI BREAD SAUCE AND CAVOLO NERO Swap your usual roast chicken for this elegant yet family-friendly plate, which also works brilliantly with partridge, pheasant or quail. F&T WINE MATCH Hits of wild blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and black pepper in a pinot nero (eg 2018 Rivale Pinot Nero 'Rivale', Tuscany, Italy) Recipes start on page 118
CAVOLO NERO POLENTA SOUP Onions, carrot and celery are cooked down to a soft, sweet base, then the other ingredients are added, layer by layer, to form this deeply nourishing soup. Finish with a liberal grating of Parmigiano Reggiano. F&T WINE MATCH A valpolicella blend with a fruity and vinous nose will bring out the best in this hearty, vegetable-based dish (eg 2019 Casaretti 'La Nogara' Bardolino Classico DOC, Veneto, Italy)
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TRAY-BAKED POTATOES WITH MUSHROOMS, CHESTNUTS AND A SLOSH OF SHERRY Waxy potatoes, seasonal chestnuts and your favourite kind of mushroom – or mixture of different kinds – meet in this colourful medley. Serve with crusty bread or bruschetta for an autumnal supper the whole gang will love. F&T WINE MATCH )UXLW\DQGŴRUDOSLQRW grigio with dry hay, and ŴLQW\FKDON\KLQWV HJ 2014 Bressan 'Grigio in Grigio', Venezia Giulia, Italy)
Recipes and photographs taken from Home Cookery Year by Claire Thomson, photography by Sam Folan (Quadrille, £30).
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RAVINDER BHOGAL grew up in a Punjabi family. She was born in Kenya and moved to England when she was seven, and it was here she began her culinary education. Although inspired by the likes of Madhur Jaffrey and Nigella Lawson, WKHGHƓQLQJIHDWXUH of her style is that it's ZRQGHUIXOO\XQGHƓQHG – without borders. She describes her dishes, showcased here and at her Marylebone restaurant Jikoni, as 'proudly inauthentic recipes that span geography, ethnicity and history'. A bit of everything, deliciously fused together.
Sweet inspiration Kenyan-born food writer, chef and restaurateur Ravinder Bhogal handpicks her culinar y influences from the world's most diverse palettes, as evidenced by these dynamic desserts TURKISH DELIGHT TRIFLES WITH PASHMAK Topped with pastel-coloured threads of pashmak, this bejewelled dessert sees ripe berries and pomegranate doused in aromatic rosewater. Find the candyfloss-like spun-sugar confection at Turkish and Middle Eastern supermarkets.
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BANANA CAKE WITH MISO BUTTERSCOTCH AND OVALTINE KULFI The sweetness of bananas and miso's deep, salty taste combine in this lighter alternative to the classic sticky toffee pudding. A scoop of creamy Ovaltine kulfi adds a nostalgic note. Recipes start on page 118
Recipes and photographs taken from Jikoni: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes from an Immigrant Kitchen by Ravinder Bhogal, photography by Kristin Perers (Bloomsbury Publishing, £26).
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Broths, bao and breakfast Get inspired by the authentic flavours of Asia with this array of dishes starring noodles and dumplings, which are great for sharing with friends – or devouring alone Recipes start on page 118
MISO CLAM RAMEN This slurpable bowl calls for a white miso 'tare' (sauce), which DGGVDPHOORZXPDPLŴDYRXUWKDWZRUNVSHUIHFWO\ZLWKWKHFODPV
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F&T WINE MATCH Medium-bodied, soft-textured malvasia with QRWHVRISHDFKDQGDSULFRWDQGDVDOW\DIWHUWDVWHWRZRUNZLWKWKH PLVR HJ6NHUN0DOYD]LMD&DUVR)ULXOL9HQH]LD*LXOLD,WDO\
CRAB XLB (SOUP DUMPLINGS) Xiao long bao are considered the queen of dumplings. Here, the paper-thin wrappers envelop an indulgent mixture of pork, brown and white crab meat and dried shrimps. F&T WINE MATCH Sparkling cloudy rosé ZLWKZLOGVWUDZEHUU\ŴDYRXUVWRFOHDQVHWKH palate (eg 2019 Paltrinieri 'Radice' Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC, Emilia-Romagna, Italy)
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SHOYU RAMEN 'Shoyu' means 'soy', the FKDUDFWHULVWLFŴDYRXULQJRIWKH EURWKIRUWKLVUDPHQZKLFKLV HQULFKHGZLWKSLJ VWURWWHUVDQG FKLFNHQZLQJVWKHQWRSSHGZLWK DVRIWERLOHGHJJVSULQJRQLRQV VOLFHGSRUNDQGWRDVWHGQRUL F&T WINE MATCH Generous V\UDKEOHQGZLWKDZRQGHUIXO IUHVKQHVVDQGŴDYRXUWRVWDQG XSWRWKHSLJ VWURWWHUV HJ Domaine Matassa Coume de O 2OOD5RXJH5RXVVLOORQ)UDQFH
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SWEET POTATO JIAOZI ,QŴXHQFHGLQWKHLUFRRNLQJDQGWKH VW\OHRIWKHZUDSSHUVE\&KLQHVH FXLVLQHDQGLQWKHLUULFKƓOOLQJE\ -DSDQHVHŴDYRXUSURƓOHVWKHVHFULVS\ GXPSOLQJVDUHDGLSSDEOHGHOLJKW F&T WINE MATCH -XLF\UHG EOHQGWRVKRZFDVHWKHPLVRDQG FKLOOLŴDYRXUVDQGEULQJLQDVSLF\ FKDUDFWHU HJ -XWWD$PEURVLWVFK :LHQHU5DNHWH9LHQQD$XVWULD Recipes start on page 118
BREAKFAST (OR ANYTIME) YAKISOBA In Japan, grilled noodles are prepared on an iron griddle called a teppan. Using a large, hot wok will replicate this and slightly char the ingredients, giving the egg-topped dish its street-food character. F&T WINE MATCH An Austrian red blend, served chilled, will suit here (eg 2016 Christian Tschida Cabernet 'Himmel Auf Erden Rot', Burgenland, Austria)
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F&T COCKTAIL MATCH A classic gin or vodka martini served with a twist of lemon is a perfect accompaniment to the saltiness of the salmon, according to Pasquale Ferrillo, head bartender at Manetta’s Bar in Mayfair
Recipes and photographs taken from Dumplings and Noodles by Pippa Middlehurst, photography by India Hobson and Magnus Edmondson (Quadrille, £16.99).
OX CHEEK MALA XIAO MIAN The pungent, spicy notes of this dish are synonymous with Chongqing, a UHJLRQNQRZQIRULWVXVHRIƓHU\6LFKXDQ peppercorns. Chill overnight for maximum GHSWKRIŴDYRXULQWKHPRUHLVKEURWK F&T WINE MATCH Traditional Lambrusco ERDVWLQJGDUNIUXLWŴDYRXUVDQGDFULVS savoury dryness (eg 2019 Paltrinieri 'Solco' Lambrusco, Emilia-Romagna, Italy)
WORLDFOOD
JERK SALMON, QUINOA AND CORN SALAD WITH JALAPEÑO YOGHURT DRESSING Spiced, perfectly chargrilled salmon is JLYHQDVTXHH]HRIOLPHDQGƓQLVKHG with a drizzle of cooling dressing – with a kick.
Recipes start on page 118
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From the clay-pot chickpea stews of Paros to the fennel and cheese pies of Syros, former cooker y school owner Rosemar y Barron takes us on a culinar y tour of five Greek islands
Photos by Carl Pendle
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GOURMETTRAVELLER
S Y R oS While this island is small, its natural larder is generous and its cooks are endlessly inventive. Visit and you'll find much to savour, from outstanding local cheeses to fennel-flavoured sausages
S
yros is rightfully proud of its rich gastronomic legacy. This diminutive, 84sq km island is the beating heart of the 56-island Cyclades (24 of which are inhabited), but in the 18th and 19th centuries it was a cosmopolitan Eastern Mediterranean PHJDSRUWDQGKRPHWRWKHƓUVWFRRNERRNZULWWHQLQ Greek in modern Greece (1828). Two steep peaks overlook the enchanting capital, Ermoupoli ('City of Hermes', the Greek god of trade), with a church, one Catholic, one Orthodox, standing atop each. Elegant, neoclassical mansions, small, whitewashed Cycladic houses, palm-shaded, terraced cafés and smart marble-paved squares surround a handsome harbour. To taste the culinary past, leave the grand Plateia Miaouli (main square) and walk towards Ano Syros to Lilis, one of the island's oldest restaurants. Owner Leonardo Roussos makes Syros speciality cured pork, louza, each winter, to take advantage of the cold winds. He soaks the meat in brine for a day, rinses it, adds cinnamon, fennel seeds and other spices he prefers not to name, and squeezes the meat into a cleaned pig's intestine before leaving it to air-dry for at least a month. Savour slices of this pungent, salty delicacy with other mezes such as fennel and cheese pies, marathopites, and salads of mashed dried beans or potatoes. Coffee and ouzo are both also part of food life here, so move on to one of the many coffee shops, kafenia, or ouzeries in nearby Vrondadho, the Orthodox quarter, and a maze of narrow passages, tiny squares, steep steps and arches. These were home to rembetiko – the blues-like music of the Greeks displaced from Asia Minor a century ago that was fuelled by ouzo and strong, aromatic coffees, kafes. (DVWRI3ODWHLD0LDRXOLWRZDUGVWKHVHD\RX OOƓQG market stalls on Chios Street selling seasonal, locally grown vegetables – courgettes, complete with their EULJKWRUDQJHŴRZHUVDXEHUJLQHVPHORQVSHSSHUV FXFXPEHUVŊIUHVKƓVKVKHOOƓVKDQGFHSKDORSRGV
RFWRSXVVTXLGFXWWOHƓVK WKHƓVKPRQJHUƓOOHWLQJ and de-scaling as you watch – and preserved meats – louza, blood sausages of onion, blackcurrants, mint and spices, haematies, and pork sausages strongly ŴDYRXUHGZLWKIHQQHOmarathies. In nearby delicatessen Prekas there's a marvellous array of dried herbs, capers that have been picked in the wild, sun-dried tomatoes and local cheeses – hard, cylinder-shaped San Michali and soft, spicy, peppery Kopanisti, made by pressing sheep's or goat's milk curds into cloth sacks to drain. Also on display are Syros sweetmeats, including sesame seed and honey wafers, pasteli, SUHVVHGGULHGƓJVZLWKVHVDPHVHHGVDOPRQGV cinnamon and bay leaves, pastelaria, baklava, vanilla almond paste between wafers, halvadopita, preserves RIOHPRQEORVVRPWLQ\ƓJVDQGSLVWDFKLRQXWVglyka, and 'Turkish delight', loukoumia, a favourite of Asia Minor Greeks and made especially well on this island. Island buses take you to villages and beaches past pine-covered hills, clusters of neat white houses and a peaceful landscape of herb-grazing sheep and goats, small, domed churches and inhabited monasteries. Visit Kini, 10km north of Ermoupoli, to enjoy a day's swimming or a boat trip to remote northern and HDVWHUQEHDFKHVIROORZHGE\DYLVLWWRDƓVKWDYHUQD psarotaverna. In Finikas, to the south-west, Barbalias UHOLHVRQLWVWZRƓVKLQJERDWVIRUWKHFDWFKRIWKHGD\ in Foradenes try fresh sheep's cheese pies drizzled with honey, myzithra, meatballs, keftedes, and the omelette-like fourtaliaŴDYRXUHGZLWKORX]DDQGFKHHVH :KLOHWKHDXWKRURIWKHƓUVWPRGHUQ*UHHN cookbook is unknown, Greek CookeryWKHƓUVWZULWWHQ in the native language, was published just over a century later, in 1950, and is still in print today. Author and chef Nikolaos Tselementes (1878-1958), himself born and raised in the Cyclades, is an icon for the many good home cooks and professional chefs here, and has guaranteed that this graceful island stays ƓUPO\RQWKH*UHHNFXOLQDU\PDS
Opposite page, clockwise from top left: a secluded bay on Syros; island lobster; red mullet on the grill at Barbalias; swimming in the Aegean Sea; a relaxed taverna lunch; melons for sale in Chios Street market; enjoy a chilled glass of local assyrtiko; lobster with pasta; souvlaki and chips in pitta. This page: the view from Ano Syros of Agios Giorgios church
FOOD& TRAVEL
77
S a NTORINI
Drink in those magical views – and the excellent island wines – while grazing on mezes starring sweet tomatoes, white aubergine and fresh-off-the-boat fish
This page: a tasting at Santo Winery. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Kostas Chryssocherakis serves up a feast at his restaurant Metaxy Mas, in Exo Gonia; a platter of island prawns; Assyrtiko de Mylos from Hatzidakis Winery; fish for sale at the market; a local rosé; Oia and the view over Amoudi Bay; lamb at Metaxy Mas; village salad with feta; mint plants; a frothy frappé; donkeys at Fira
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D
rama is never far from Santorini. Enter the FDOGHUD WKHVHDƓOOHGYROFDQLFEDVLQ RQ DIHUU\IURP$WKHQVIRU\RXUƓUVWVWXQQLQJ sight of the island's small cave houses and dazzling blue-domed churches perched on grey lava cliffs. 7KLUDWKHLVODQG VDQFLHQWŊDQGRIƓFLDOŊQDPHKDV inspired artists since the sculptors of the beautiful carvings of the Cycladic civilisation; equally, its soil, and the island's careful farmers, have given cooks DQGYLWLFXOWXULVWVXQLTXHDQGYHU\VSHFLDOŴDYRXUV Celebrated local winemaker Yiannis Tselepos says of the terroir, 'I follow the grapes. My philosophy is to grow grapes where they belong. Santorini is the best-possible place to grow the assyrtiko grape, so I come here. I don’t expect the grape to come to me.' This small, remarkable island of pumice came into being when its volcano erupted in the 17th century BC. Then, it supported a vibrant Minoan civilisation; today, Santorini wines are world-renowned. Near the picturesque village of Oia, another winemaker, Paris Sigalas, paints a similar picture of Santorini. 'The land speaks to me,' he says. 'I am emotionally connected to it.' Paris astounded wine FRQQRLVVHXUVZKHQKHSURGXFHGKLVƓUVWDFLGLF assyrtiko wine 30 years ago. In the winery's taverna, try stuffed vine leaves, dolmades, made with the native vine that produced your eponymous glass of wine – aidani, athiri, assyrtiko – snails, salingaria, plentiful and particularly good from the vineyard, and wild asparagus omelette, omeleta sparangia. Astonishing locations and views are a given here, and good island chefs take advantage of the equally notable island ingredients. In Perivolos's beachside taverna Ta Dichtia, chef Michalis Troulakis poaches a whole sea bass, lavraki, in seawater with locally grown, GHHSJROGSRWDWRHVDQGƓQLVKHVWKHYHOYHW\VDXFH ZLWKOHPRQMXLFH KHVLPPHUVFXWWOHƓVKsoupies, in its own ink and fries tiny picarel, marithes. Inland, in
Exo Gonia, try chef Kostas Chryssocherakis's roast lamb shanks with white aubergines, kotsi arnisio sto fourno, fava with capers and onion, fresh goat's cheese, chloro, tiny tomatoes, caper leaves and freshly baked bread, as well as the acclaimed wines produced by nearby Hatzidakis Winery. Santorini fava is made from now-rare yellow lentils with a 3,500-year pedigree and PDO (protected GHVLJQDWLRQRIRULJLQ VWDWXVJURZQLQVPDOOƓHOGVLQ the south-east, a region relatively sheltered from the strong prevailing Cycladic winds. So, too, are tiny, deliciously sweet PDO tomatoes, barley and white aubergines, their colour lost to the volcanic soil. Tumbling over stone walls and cliffs, caper bushes colour the landscape, their salt-preserved buds and OHDYHVŴDYRXULQJLVODQGGLVKHV Along the narrow peninsula to the west, past the archaeological site of Akrotiri, a thriving Minoan city of three-storey houses and exquisite wall paintings (now in a museum in the island's capital, Fira), the family-run Giorgaros taverna adapts its menu to the GDLO\FDWFKIURPWKHLUƓVKLQJERDW JULOOHGVHDEUHDP sargos, spiny lobster, astakos, octopus, ktapodi, sautéed sole, glossa, and fried prawns, garidaki. From here, the short route to the walled village of Emporio takes you along clifftops with thrilling views across the caldera to the islets Thirasia, Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni. A few kilometres north, hilltop Pyrgos is handy for picking up picnic supplies – bread rings, koulouria, pies, pitesFKHHVHSDVWULHVŴDYRXUHGZLWK mastic, meltini – from Fousteris Bakery. Chefs here consider Popi Fousteris to be the island's best baker. Come evening, stroll down Fira's cobbled, stepped path in front of the Orthodox Cathedral to a peaceful part of town and Cori Rigas Art Café. Ask for their barrel wine, from the family vineyard in Megalachori, and nibbles, mezedakia, to enjoy while watching the sun setting over a glorious landscape.
Photos by Gary Latham and Shutterstock
GOURMETTRAVELLER
CR e TE
Famous for its hospitality, Cretans delight in introducing guests to the island's fermented breads, fine olives, fragrant thyme honey and much more besides
This page: Agios Nikolaos harbour. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Arkadi Monastery; a café in Chania; bread at Bakery Christoforos Veneris; reflections at Agios Nikolaos; a taverna in Rethymno; island snails; octopus for sale at Chania's covered market; local red mullet, barbounia ; Kapetaniana village
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& b
retans, alone among Mediterranean people, have always made bread, the perfect complement to their exquisite and internationally acclaimed olive oil – the centrepiece to every table. Their traditional bread is made from barley, a cereal that gave its Cretan name, dea, to Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain and agriculture. For it's a nutritionally valuable grain, especially when made into bread the Cretan way – stone-ground and fermented naturally. This is only one bread among many – twice-baked, paximathia, festive, tsoureki, olive, eliopsomoŊWKDW\RX OOƓQGLQWKH busy Heraklion bakery of expert bakers Christoforos Veneris and his son Nikos. &UHWHLVWKHƓIWKODUJHVWLVODQGLQWKH0HGLWHUUDQHDQ and is endowed with a far greater biodiversity of ŴRUDDQGIDXQDWKDQDQ\RWKHU(XURSHDQLVODQG 7RJHWKHUZLWKLWVƓQHROLYHRLOVVORZIHUPHQWHG breads, rich yoghurt, wines, abundant seafoods, fruits ƓJVTXLQFHDSULFRWVSHDUV IUHHUDQJLQJDQLPDOV and a love of music and hospitality, xenia, Cretans have given us the Cretan diet. And the best way to experience this way of life is to take a road trip. Leaving Heraklion, the capital, head south, passing .QRVVRVWKHDUFKDHRORJLFDOVLWHRID0LQRDQSDODFH and low hills latticed with the terraces the Minoans built – and are still used – for barley, olive trees and vines. In the acclaimed Lyrarakis Winery, taste old native grape varietals – vilana, dafni, thrapsathiri, plyto, liastos, liatiko – made into modern wines in this beautiful and atmospheric valley. A few kilometres further, in Houdetsi's tree-shaded Semeli taverna, try mezes of taramosalata (made with salted cod's roe), wild greens salad, xortosalata, grilled kefalotyri cheese, and slow-cooked local beef, a rare delight on this pasture-sparse island. Travelling further south, you have wonderful views of hillsides covered in olive groves, herb-feasting goats, distant villages and small churches, before you reach the impressively large Messara Plain. The occupying Romans (67BC-330AD) considered this
their empire's bread basket, while the earlier Minoans built a thriving trade with Egypt from its produce. In nearby Domaine Zacharioudakis, try more native varietals – malvazia di candia, vidiano, kotsifali – while enjoying the spectacular view westwards to the Libyan Sea. Stop at Gortyn (the Roman capital) and Phaestos, a beautiful Minoan site, both on the plain, before heading a few kilometres south-west to the FRDVW$W'HOƓQLDƓVKWDYHUQDLQ.DODPDULDVNWRVHH the catch of the day – maybe John Dory, christopsaro, red mullet, barbounia, dentex, synagrida – and, ZKLOH\RXDUHZDLWLQJIRU\RXUƓVKWREHJULOOHG baked or sautéed – Cretans have preferred ways of FRRNLQJHYHU\ƓVKŊHQMR\PH]HVRIPXVVHOVmythia, clams, akivathdes, oysters, strithia, octopus, squid, kalamari, and sea urchins, achinosalata. North-west, across the foothills of the Psiloritis mountains, the rugged landscape is the source of deep-amber thyme honey and a world-class cheese, Cretan graviera. Made with unpasteurised sheep's milk, it's rich and creamy at one week old, buttery and semi-hard at three months and gloriously nutty at six months. The road takes you through pretty villages and wonderful scenery, the air perfumed with wild herbs – thyme, thymari, mint, thiosmos, oregano, rigani, and sage, faskomilia. Some of these are in your tea (faskomilia, especially) when you stop in the ancient mountain village of Thronos, or nearby. Stop, too, in Armeni, for country cooking in Alekos taverna; perhaps hare or rabbit stifado, a slow-braise with small onions and spices, or tender lamb with artichokes, arni aginara. >`>>>>iÛ>
luxury resort perfectly placed for snorkelling iÝVÕÀÃÃ]wÛiÃÌ>À«VVÃÕ
>LÌi` islets and sheer mind-and-body relaxation
S
Barbados is always a choice pick for a blast of sunshine. Owned by the O’Hara family since the 1950s, Coral Reef is tucked down a treelined driveway north of Holetown on the island’s west coast. A familial ethos is knitted into the fabric of its superlative service. Enrobed in the evocative scent of frangipani, hushed
For Longer T A Y
pathways wind between the moderncolonial marvel of buildings that comprise the 88 bedrooms. Caribbean reference points – stark tilework, wooden shutters and rattan aplenty – meet flurries of artsy charm. Restaurant Reef – an elegant, formal affair – offers Bajan and international cuisine (the Sunday
lunch buffets are truly outstanding). Enjoy complimentary daily coaching sessions on the tennis courts or retreat to the indoor-outdoor spa. Two pools, a watersport, sailing and dive centre, and a golden beach ensure days go swimmingly. BG Doubles from £409. 00 1 246 422 2372, coralreefbarbados.com
CORAL REEF CLUB BARBADOS KUMU BEACH SRI LANKA Allowing its location to do the talking, the pared-back Kumu Beach takes an unassuming back seat on Sri Lanka’s serene southwest coast. Just ten villa-style rooms line this patch of shore – a two-hour drive from Colombo; an hour from Galle – all arranged to make the most of the sweeping views across Balapitiya beach. With a hotel of such diminutive proportions, everything feels personal and homely. A small restaurant serves superb seafood – huge prawns, flatfish and big
game fish – with a table layout that winds its way down to the sea. No bar is available, but drinks can be called up from the restaurant, including from the 23m infinity pool. Bedrooms feature linens in tones from stone to earth, focusing the flow onto a terrace, where you’ll take morning coffee and contemplate the island’s beauty. A one-room spa offers Ayurvedicstyle treatments, and watersports galore are available nearby. BG Doubles from £118. 00 94 77 363 8381, teardrop-hotels.com FOOD& TRAVEL
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WORLDFOOD
GOURMET Boltholes Both selections this month, in SOMERSET and
KENT, are home to just a handful of carefully crafted
bedrooms and a chef with a passion for local produce, making them ideal one-night stays for any food lover
LORD P OULETT ARMS, S OMERSET
F I V E
B E L L S
I N N ,
The wording adorning the brick facade of this historic 16th-century inn says everything about its culinary focus: Hops; Grapes; Field, Farm and Sea. Taking a plum spot in the sleepy village of East Brabourne – close to Ashford – and backed by the North Downs, it's the lasted addition to Mark Sargeant's Kentish empire, who took the reins at the end of 2019. Interiors are quirky and rustic – Ì
iÃÃ>V>`>«Ã]wÀi}Õ>À`Ã made from reclaimed beer barrels, papier-mâché animal heads, enamel }
ÌwÌÌ}Ã]ÜiÜÀLÕÌV
iÀ¿Ã blocks and mismatched seating. It's a convivial backdrop to an accessible menu of daily-changing modern pub classics. Making good
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garnered attention from those afar as well as from a legion of loyal locals: an elegant, Provençal-style courtyard complete with boules court; an orchard backed by a rare pelota wall, built by Basque workers in the 17th century; and the kilim rugs, artwork and curios collected on the owners' travels. Then there's the draw of the elevated food, which is driven LÞ>>vwÌÞvÀvÀiÃ
]Ài}> produce prepared with worldly Õð >ÞwÃ
Ã>`i`i>ÀLÞ] greens are snipped from the kitchen garden and the meat is all
K E N T
use of the area's rich natural larder, it's the kind of food you really want to eat: Dungeness plaice sandwiches; local lamb rump with marsh veg; skate wing with cockles and greens; aged steaks; and hearty pies with all the trimmings. Outside, a large garden with plenty of covered seating is ideal for clement days, while upstairs, four bedrooms – each named after Kentish grape and hop Û>ÀiÌ>ÃqyÌvÀVÌi«À>ÀÞ country living to eclectic boutique in design. Pick up some fresh local produce to take home with you from the cornershop-style deli area before you set off. Doubles from £100. 01303 813334, ƂXGDGNNUDTCDQWTPGEQWM
from local farms. Exemplary dishes include River Exe mussels in cider, Korean-inspired Scotch egg salad and duck leg with carrot and anise purée and kung pao jus. Six charming bedrooms – some with slipper baths, all with views of the ever-changing landscape surrounding – sport a fresher look than the heritage vibe downstairs. Expect modern creature comforts, with breakfasts – including some much-lauded marmalade sausages – made to set you up for the journey ahead. Doubles from £75. 01460 73149, lordpoulettarms.com
Clockwise from top left: dining at the Lord Poulett Arms; dessert and a nightcap; Scotch egg salad; the property's exterior; the Five Bells Inn; Kentish lamb; a platter of local delicacies; one of the guestrooms
Words by Blossom Green. Photos by Jake Eastham and Louis Neville
A beacon for weary travellers to Somerset dating back to 1680, the Lord Poulett is found in Hinton St George, a handsome, historic enclave no more than half an hour from the epic Jurassic Coast. "wÀÃÌ]ÌÃiiÃÕV
like any other great British pub – thatch roof, bucolic setting, neat rows of 4x4s lined up post-yomp, their owners here for a reviving ale (from the craft brewery down the road) or Sunday lunch, cosy nooks, a moody colour palette and À>À}wÀið9iÌLiÞ`>Ì
Ã] it's the surprising touches that have
FOOD AND TRAVEL PROMOTION
EL CAMINO SPAIN
trails
Once a key route connecting the ancient kingdoms of , a walk along the Vía de la Plata offers a slow-paced exploration of some of the country’s lesser-known landscapes and its historic gastronomy. Lace up your walking boots and get ready to head off the beaten track
Photos by Emma Wood; Carl Pendle; Shutterstock
W
alked by traders, invaders and the dusty feet of faithful pilgrims, Spain’s ancient Vía de la Plata (or Silver Route) has connected the Bay of Biscay with the Andalusian Atlantic coastline since Roman centurions marched its length. Tracing the spine of the Iberian Peninsula, this meandering path unites Gijón’s pretty fishing coves in the north to southern Seville’s sultry, Moorish architecture, encapsulating the diverse cultures, heritages and cuisines of four autonomous regions and six provinces in between. A staggering 1,000km long, it is one of the peninsula’s longest pilgrim routes and, in full, takes six weeks to travel by foot, but you can also follow it by bike, motorbike or car. Join at any point and you’ll be journeying through the interlaced scenery of Spain’s rural heart – Andalusian olive groves, the arable idylls of Salamanca, the cattle-grazed pastures of Extremadura and Puebla de Sanabria’s ancient oak woods. This is a slow and meditative journey, enriched with a tapestry of Spanish history told through forts, ruins and the country’s cookbook. Start in Seville, beneath the pearly-white arches of the Real Alcázar and the intricately built Torre del Oro watchtower. After fuelling up on the city’s nourishing spinach and chickpea tapas and glazed pork, solomillo al whisky, you’ll be heading north
towards the Castillo de Zafra’s commanding red towers and the crumbling ruins of Mérida’s amphitheatre. Marked by hefty granite cubes and painted arrows, the route follows a Roman road, passing between rural towns and villages that often don’t get a guidebook mention but should, if only for their homely refugios and excellent local taverns. Stroll into hillside Hervás to explore the Jewish Quarter and its treasure trove of craft shops; plan a visit to Béjar to coincide with its magical Corpus Christi celebrations, when locals parade through the streets in armour made from moss; and make time to adventure into the capital of Asturias, Oviedo, to sample Cabrales cheese, fabada stew and creamy arroz con leche pudding. Each province offers its own gastronomic delights: salty rolls of jamón in Seville, the bold, tannic reds of Salamanca’s Ribera del Duero and the nougat-filled llambión cake of Gijón. In Castilla y León, amid the whitestone streets of Zamora, the aroma of asado lamb tempts, while hornazo – a country bread stuffed with blood sausage, morcilla – is the perfect snack to pack in your bag as you continue along the road. Plan your own walk at spain.info/en/route/silver-route
FOOD& TRAVEL
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The ultimate in luxury beef and pork. Melt in the mouth & beautifully marbled for outstanding flavour. Hoardweel Wagyu provide the finest Free Range, grass fed and sustainably produced meat; including Wagyu Beef and Berkshire Pork. The unique depth of flavour makes for an extraordinary culinary experience which you won’t forget. Cuts include sought after fillet, ribeye & sirloin steaks alongside burgers, sausages, chops and others such as traditional roasting joints. Bred in the Scottish Borders, our Wagyu is grass fed on our family farm and Berkshire Pigs raised in family groups outside, using sustainable grazing systems to help the environment. Each order is individually picked and delivered direct to your door. Retail & Wholesale inquiries welcome.
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C O L L E The CTION
For better-tasting food and your own peace of mind, use free-range eggs and sustainable, local ingredients wherever possible. 1 teaspoon is 5ml; 1 tablespoon is 15ml. 'Salt' refers to fine salt, unless otherwise stated. IN SEASON – SWEET POTATOES PAGES 50-53
Sweet potato fritters with fresh tomato and chilli chutney SERVES 4 AS A SNACK
16 rashers dry-cured bacon JVHOIUDLVLQJŴRXU 180ml sour cream 2 eggs juice 1 lemon 500g sweet potatoes VSULQJRQLRQVƓQHO\FKRSSHG 4tbsp chopped coriander leaves WEVSVXQŴRZHURLO sour cream, to serve For the fresh tomato and chilli chutney 300g tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped JDUOLFFORYHVƓQHO\JUDWHG FPJLQJHUVFUDSHGDQGƓQHO\ grated 2 red chillies, deseeded and ƓQHO\FKRSSHG ½tbsp lemon juice ½tsp ground cumin 1tbsp coconut palm sugar ~WVSVHDVDOWŴDNHV ~WVSIUHVKO\JURXQGEODFN pepper
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Using sharp kitchen scissors, snip the rashers into 7.5cm strips without separating them out. Put into a cold frying pan over a medium heat and stir continuously until they start to separate into wafer-like pieces and begin to brown. (This is a quick way and it works, so don’t be tempted to separate them by hand to begin with.) Tip onto a plate and set aside to cool. To make the batter, sift the ŴRXULQWRDERZOWKHQDGG the sour cream and eggs and stir until fully combined. Set aside for 20 minutes. Put the lemon juice and 100ml cold water into a bowl. Peel the sweet potatoes and grate them on the wide holes of a box grater and add them to the acidulated water. Meanwhile, put the chutney ingredients in a processor and whizz together until the mixture still retains a bit of texture. Tip into a serving bowl. Drain the sweet potatoes, pat dry and add to the batter, along with the fried bacon, spring onions and coriander. Season ZLWKVHDVDOWŴDNHVDQGIUHVKO\ ground black pepper and mix well. Heat a little of the oil over a low-medium heat to fry the fritters in batches of 4 or 5 at a time – you should have enough for around 18 fritters. Take a heaped tbsp of the mixture and add to the oil, then fry for around 2 minutes on each side. Keep each batch of fritters warm in the oven, before serving with the chutney and sour cream.
Sweet potato gnocchi with buttery sage and hazelnut sprinkles SERVES 4
550g sweet potatoes, ideally all around the same size 80g soft goat’s cheese log HJJ\RONV JƓQHFRUQPHDOSOXVH[WUD for rolling JFKHVWQXWŴRXU WVSVHDVDOWŴDNHV ~WVSIUHVKO\JURXQGEODFN pepper WEVSH[WUDYLUJLQROLYHRLO 30g unsalted butter To serve WEVSVNLQOHVVKD]HOQXWV toasted in the oven for 8 minutes WEVSH[WUDYLUJLQROLYHRLO 30g unsalted butter 28 sage leaves JFKXQN,WDOLDQKDUGFKHHVH Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C F/Gas 4. Rinse the sweet potatoes in cold water and prick the skins in a few places with a skewer. Put on an oven tray and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer goes right through. Peel off the skins as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Remove any black bits from the potatoes and roughly chop into a processor,
add scoops of the goat’s cheese and the egg yolks and whizz to a smooth purée. Tip into a bowl and add the cornmeal, chestnut ŴRXUVHDVDOWŴDNHVDQGIUHVKO\ ground black pepper. Without overworking, gently fold together to form a dough. Dust a board with cornmeal and cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll a piece at a time into a sausage shape, 24cm long, and cut into 12 pieces, so you end up with 48 pieces. As the water boils, add 12 gnocchi pieces and turn down the heat to a simmer for DIHZPLQXWHVXQWLOWKH\ŴRDW to the surface. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and arrange on a kitchen paperlined tray to drain. Continue rolling and cooking the remainder in the same way. They can now be fried right away or kept chilled for a few hours or overnight. When ready to serve, heat the oil and butter together and fry the sage for a few seconds until crisp but not coloured. Pour the EXWWHU\VDJHŴDYRXUHGRLOLQWR a bowl to reserve for serving. Put half the oil and butter for frying the gnocchi in the frying pan and fry half a batch at a time for 1½-2 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. Once they are all are fried in the same way, put them all back in the pan to reheat. Crunch up the hazelnuts with the side of a heavy cook’s knife and crumble 4 of the fried sage leaves into them. Add to the reserved butter and oil and serve over the gnocchi with the rest of the whole sage leaves. Shave the Italian hard cheese over each serving using a vegetable peeler.
Pork and sweet potato casserole with cider and cime di rapa SERVES 4
Sweet potato, black pudding and green lentils SERVES 4
200g green lentils, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes 5tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 fennel, chopped into 1cm pieces JDUOLFFORYHVƓQHO\JUDWHG 200g black pudding, peeled and broken up 775g sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 2mm rounds \RJKXUWWRVHUYH RSWLRQDO Drain and rinse the lentils and put in a pan with enough cold water to cover by 1cm. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for around 12 minutes, or until just cooked. Drain in a colander and rinse under the cold tap. Heat 1½tbsp of the oil and soften the fennel for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tip into a bowl and set aside. Put another ½tbsp of oil in the pan and crumble the black pudding into it. Stir-fry until it breaks up more and crisps a little. Heat the rest of the oil and fry the sweet potato slices, a batch at a time, for 3 minutes per side, or until just soft and tinged golden around the edges. Add all the cooked ingredients together in the pan to warm through and mix in some sea salt crystals and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately, with some yoghurt, if using.
WEVSJOXWHQIUHHŴRXU 900g pork shoulder steaks 2½tbsp rapeseed oil RQLRQVƓQHO\FKRSSHG OHHNVWKLQO\VOLFHG JDUOLFFORYHVƓQHO\JUDWHG 750g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces 1tsp pul biber 300ml cider JFLPHbGLUDSDRUFXUO\NDOH OHDYHVRQO\ WVSVHDVDOWŴDNHV WVSIUHVKO\JURXQGEODFNSHSSHU 6HDVRQWKHŴRXUZLWKDOLWWOHRI the salt and pepper. Cut each pork shoulder steak into around 6 pieces and toss them in the VHDVRQHGŴRXU3UHKHDWWKH oven to 180C/160C F/Gas 4. Heat 1tbsp of the rapeseed oil in a large casserole and fry the onion for 5 minutes, to soften. Add the leeks and garlic and sweat them together for 7 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Heat another tbsp of oil and brown the meat, a batch at a time. Add the cooked onion mixture to the pork, along with the pul biber and the rest of the seasoning. Pour over the cider and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a piece of dampened, scrunchedup baking paper and a lid. Cook for 25 minutes, before adding the sweet potato. Continue to cook for 20 minutes, or until the meat is meltingly tender and the potatoes just cooked. Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add the cime di rapa or curly kale with a splash of water and wilt until almost tender. Fold into the casserole and put back into the turned-off oven for a further 5 minutes, then serve.
Sunshine bowl
skin is golden brown and crispy. 5HPRYHWKHZHLJKWŴLSDQG cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until completely crisp. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate and sprinkle with a little salt. When the rice is ready, add WKHƓVKSLHFHVDQGFRRNIRU minutes, until heated through. Ladle the rice into 4 bowls. Add the egg, spring onions, FHOHU\SLQHQXWVDQGƓVKVNLQ Season to taste and serve.
RECIPESCOLLECTION
SUNNY SIDE UP PAGES 54-59
SERVES 4
JŴDN\ZKLWHƓVKVXFKDV red snapper or striped bass, skin removed and reserved, ŴHVKVOLFHGLQWRFPSLHFHV 390g cooked long-grain white rice, cold 2tsp salt FPJLQJHUSHHOHGDQG VOLJKWO\VPDVKHG 4 large eggs 1tbsp rapeseed or other neutral oil VSULQJRQLRQVWKLQO\VOLFHG LQQHUFHOHU\VWDONVDQGOHDYHV chopped 70g toasted pine nuts 6HDVRQWKHƓVKDQGVNLQZLWK salt and set aside. Place the rice in a pan with 1.9 litres water, the ginger and salt and bring to a gentle boil. Cover partially with a lid and gently simmer for 45 minutes, stirring to the bottom occasionally, until the rice breaks down and has a creamy texture. Add a little more water if the consistency is too thick. Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to the boil. Use enough water to cover 4 eggs by 2.5cm. Lower the eggs into the water and simmer for 7 minutes, then transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Gently crack the eggs all around and leave to cool just enough to handle. Peel and reserve. Add the oil to a cold frying SDQ3DWWKHƓVKVNLQVGU\ OD\GRZQŴDWDQGZHLJKZLWK another pan to ensure even contact. Cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until the
Crispy rice sushi
SERVES 4
190g sushi rice 1tbsp rice wine vinegar 1tbsp granulated sugar 1½tsp sea salt JVNLQOHVVVXVKLJUDGHƓVK or 20 pieces uni VHDXUFKLQ RU a combination of both WEVSVR\VDXFH wasabi or lemon juice, to taste RSWLRQDO rapeseed or other neutral oil, for cooking fragrant herbs, such as chopped spring onions, shiso, sorrel, VSLF\RUFLWUXVV\HGLEOHŴRZHUV to garnish Rinse and drain the rice 10 times, or until the water runs clear. Drain well and transfer to a rice cooker or small saucepan and add 240ml water. Cook according to the rice cooker’s manual. If using a pan, bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, or until tender, the water absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large shallow bowl. Place the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and heat over a medium-low heat, stirring for 1-2 minutes, until just dissolved. Sprinkle over the rice FOOD& TRAVEL
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DQGŴXIIZLWKDULFHSDGGOHRU ZRRGHQVSRRQ$OORZWRFRRO WRURRPWHPSHUDWXUH 6OLFHWKHƓVKLQWRSLHFHV DURXQGPPWKLFNDQGDURXQG SLHFHVRIDURXQGFP&KLOO XQWLOUHDG\WRDVVHPEOH 0L[WKHVR\DQGZDVDELRU OHPRQMXLFHWRWDVWHDQGVHWDVLGH /LJKWO\RLODVPDOOSLHFHRI FOLQJƓOP:LWKZHWKDQGV SRUWLRQWKHULFHLQWRSRUWLRQV RIDURXQGWEVSHDFKUHZHWWLQJ KDQGVDVQHHGHGWRSUHYHQW VWLFNLQJ2QHDWDWLPHZUDSWKH ULFHLQSODVWLFIRUPLQDWLJKWEDOO DQGSUHVVGRZQOLJKWO\WRIRUPD FPWKLFNGLVFDURXQGFPZLGH +HDWDODUJHFDVWLURQIU\LQJ SDQRYHUDPHGLXPKLJKKHDW $GGWEVSRIRLO3ODFHKDOIWKH ULFHGLVFVLQWKHSDQDQGFRRNIRU PLQXWHVRQHDFKVLGHXQWLO JROGHQDQGMXVWFULVS\DGGLQJ PRUHRLODQGDGMXVWLQJWKHKHDW IRUWKHVHFRQGVLGHDVQHFHVVDU\ 7UDQVIHUWRDNLWFKHQSDSHUOLQHG SODWHDQGUHSHDW 3ODFHWKHƓVKRQWRSRIWKH ULFHDQGEUXVKZLWKWKHVR\ PL[WXUHRUVHUYHRQWKHVLGH 7RSZLWKKHUEVJDUQLVKZLWK HGLEOHŴRZHUVDQGVHUYH
Vegetable dumpling soup SERVES 4
140g shelled garden peas (around 450g whole pods) 140g shelled broad beans (around 450g whole beans) 1 bunch mangetout or broad bean leaves (around 125g) 115g silken tofu 4 spring onions, thinly sliced 10 basil leaves 1tsp salt ½tsp pepper 32 square wonton wrappers 1.15 litres vegetable stock or bone broth & 120 FOOD TRAVEL
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ƓOOLQJLQ WKHFHQWUHRIHDFKZUDSSHU /LJKWO\GDPSHQWKHHGJHVZLWK ZDWHUDQGIROGLQWRDUHFWDQJOH SXVKLQJRXWDQ\DLU3UHVVWR VHDO:HWRQHFRUQHURQWKH ORQJHQGDQGMRLQWKHRWKHU WRVHDO5HSHDWZLWKWKH UHPDLQLQJGXPSOLQJV %ULQJWKHVWRFNWRWKHERLO LQDPHGLXPVDXFHSDQ7XUQ WRWKHORZHVWVHWWLQJDQGFRYHUWR NHHSKRW$GGWKHUHVHUYHGSHDV DQGEURDGEHDQVWKHQVHDVRQ %ULQJDODUJHSDQRIVDOWHG ZDWHUWRWKHERLO/RZHULQKDOI WKHGXPSOLQJVDQGVLPPHUIRU PLQXWHVRUXQWLOWKH\ŴRDWWR WKHWRS8VHDVLHYHWRJHQWO\ UHPRYHDQGGLYLGHEHWZHHQ ERZOV5HSHDWZLWKWKH UHPDLQLQJGXPSOLQJV /DGOHWKHKRWVWRFNZLWK WKHSHDVDQGEHDQVRYHUWKH GXPSOLQJVDQGWRSZLWKWKH UHVHUYHGVSULQJRQLRQVDQG OHDYHV6HDVRQOLJKWO\
Grilled meatballs with lettuce wraps
SERVES 4
FKLOOLHVWKHQDGGWKHVOLFHG YHJHWDEOHVDQGIUXLW /LJKWO\EUXVKWKHWRSVRIWKH PHDWEDOOVZLWKRLOWKHQSODFH RLOHGVLGHGRZQRQWKHJULOO UDFNDQGJULOOIRUPLQXWHV XQWLOQLFHO\FKDUUHGLQVSRWV )OLSDQGFRRNIRUDIXUWKHU PLQXWHVXQWLOMXVWFRRNHG WKURXJKDQGWR\RXUOLNLQJ 6HUYHWKHPHDWEDOOVZLWKWKH GLSSLQJVDXFHQRRGOHVJUHHQV DQGKHUEV:UDSDQGHQMR\
450g minced pork, not lean WEVSƓVKVDXFH 2tbsp maple syrup VPDOOVKDOORWƓQHO\FKRSSHG 1tsp ground black pepper ½tsp sea salt rapeseed or neutral olive oil, for brushing )RUWKHGLSSLQJVDXFH WEVSƓVKVDXFH 2tbsp lime juice 2tsp granulated sugar 1 garlic clove, grated 7KDLFKLOOLHVƓQHO\FKRSSHG thinly sliced cucumber, radish, green mango or green papaya $FFRPSDQLPHQWV 115g rice noodles 2 little gems or mild mustard greens, to serve mixed herbs, such as Thai basil, shiso, perilla, dill or mint, to serve &RPELQHWKHSRUNWEVSƓVK VDXFHWKHPDSOHV\UXSVKDOORW SHSSHUDQGVDOWLQDODUJHERZO DQGPL[JHQWO\ZLWK\RXUKDQGV XQWLOMXVWFRPELQHG'LYLGHLQWR EDOOVHDFKDURXQGVOLJKWO\ URXQGHGWEVSDQGOLJKWO\ ŴDWWHQ6HWDVLGH %ULQJDSDQRIZDWHUWRWKH ERLO6XEPHUJHWKHQRRGOHV UHPRYHIURPWKHKHDWDQGVRDN IRUPLQXWHV'UDLQDQGULQVH LQFROGZDWHU +HDWDJULOOWRPHGLXPKLJK 7RPDNHWKHVDXFHFRPELQH WEVSƓVKVDXFHOLPHMXLFH VXJDUDQGJDUOLFLQDERZO DQGZKLVNXQWLOWKHVXJDUKDV GLVVROYHG6WLULQPOZDWHU DQG\RXUGHVLUHGDPRXQWRI
Green pozole SERVES 4
900g pork shoulder, cut into 5cm pieces 900g tomatillos, husked 1 poblano chilli pepper 1 white onion, quartered, 1 TXDUWHUƓQHO\GLFHGWRVHUYH 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, smashed 2 fresh bay leaves 350ml Mexican-style beer 1tbsp salt 1tsp pepper 950ml chicken stock 2tsp dried oregano, plus extra to serve 2 x 400g cans hominy, drained (found in speciality stores) $FFRPSDQLPHQWV shredded cabbage, sliced radish, diced onion, chopped avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds, sliced jalapeños, tortilla chips, oregano +HDWWKHJULOOWRKLJK6HDVRQ WKHSRUNDOORYHUZLWKVDOWDQG SHSSHUDQGVHWDVLGH 3ODFHWKHWRPDWLOORVSREODQR DQGRQLRQTXDUWHUVRQD EDNLQJVKHHWRQWKHWRSUDFN DQGJULOOIRUPLQXWHV URWDWLQJDIHZWLPHVXQWLO
RECIPECOLLECTION
charred in spots. Transfer to a board. When cool enough to handle, discard the stem and seeds of the poblano, then chop the poblano, tomatillos and onions and set aside. Preheat the oven to 150C/ 130C F/Gas 2. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a mediumhigh heat. Add the pork in a single layer and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until browned. Add the garlic, bay leaves and beer, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the reserved roasted vegetables, the stock, oregano, 1tbsp salt and 1tsp pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for at least 2 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender. Skim off excess fat. Stir in the hominy and return to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot with your accompaniments of choice.
FLAVOUR THE DAY PAGES 60-61
Skillet vegetable bowl
SERVES 4
JEURZQULFHULQVHGZHOO DQGGUDLQHG 75g white miso WEVSVR\VDXFH JDUOLFFORYHJUDWHG WEVSH[WUDYLUJLQROLYHRLO JVPDOOPL[HGFRORXU FDUURWVVFUXEEHG JVPDOO-DSDQHVHWXUQLSV VFUXEEHGDQGKDOYHG JVPDOOUDGLVKHVVFUXEEHG VPDOODYRFDGRVVWRQHGDQG KDOYHG EXQFK-DSDQHVHRUŴDWOHDI SDUVOH\OHDYHVSLFNHG JRPDVLRRUIXULNDNHVHDVRQLQJ Rinse the rice in a small saucepan a few times until the water runs clear. Drain and return the rice to the pan with 360ml water. Bring to the boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 35 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave for 5 minutes. Alternatively, cook in a rice cooker according to the instruction manual. Meanwhile, whisk the miso, 60ml water, soy and garlic together in a small bowl until combined. Set aside. Heat a large cast-iron frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the vegetables and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to get an even colour. Add the miso mixture, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the vegetables are evenly coated and crisp-tender. Serve with the rice, avocado, parsley and a generous sprinkling of seasoning mix.
Super-soft courgettes with harissa and lemon
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE OR MEZE
85ml olive oil JDUOLFFORYHVƓQHO\VOLFHG WEVSURVHKDULVVD DGMXVW DFFRUGLQJWRWKHEUDQG\RXDUH XVLQJ UHGFKLOOLƓQHO\FKRSSHG SUHVHUYHGOHPRQƓQHO\ FKRSSHGGLVFDUGLQJDQ\SLSV J WEVSOHPRQMXLFH NJFRXUJHWWHVƓQHO\VOLFHG JEDVLOOHDYHVURXJKO\WRUQ Place a large, nonstick sauté pan on a medium-high heat with the oil and garlic. Gently fry for 4 minutes, stirring often, until soft, golden and aromatic. You don’t want the garlic to become at all browned or crispy, so turn the heat down if necessary. Remove 3tbsp of oil, along with half the garlic, and transfer to a small bowl with the harissa, chilli, preserved lemon and lemon juice. Stir together and set aside until needed. Return the pan to a high heat and add the courgettes and 1¼tsp of salt. Cook for 18 minutes, stirring often, until the courgettes are very soft but are still mostly holding their shape (you don’t want the courgettes to brown, so turn the heat down if necessary). Stir through half the basil and transfer to a platter. Spoon the harissa mixture over the courgettes. Leave to sit for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and ƓQLVKZLWKWKHUHPDLQLQJEDVLO
Chaat masala potatoes with yoghurt and tamarind
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE
JEDE\QHZSRWDWRHVFXW OHQJWKZD\VLQWRFPWKLFN slices 2tsp salt 2tbsp olive oil 1tsp chaat masala WVSJURXQGWXUPHULF J*UHHNVW\OH\RJKXUW VPDOOUHGRQLRQSHHOHG DQGWKLQO\VOLFHGLQWRURXQGVRQ DPDQGROLQLI\RXKDYHRQHRU E\KDQG J JUHHQFKLOOLWKLQO\VOLFHGLQWR URXQGV J WVSFRULDQGHUVHHGVWRDVWHG WVSQLJHOODVHHGVWRDVWHG For the coriander chutney JIUHVKFRULDQGHU JUHHQFKLOOLGHVHHGHGDQG URXJKO\FKRSSHG J WEVSOLPHMXLFH 60ml olive oil ¼tsp salt For the sweet tamarind dressing WEVSVKRSERXJKWWDPDULQG SDVWHRUGRXEOHLI\RXōUH H[WUDFWLQJLW\RXUVHOIIURPSXOS WVSFDVWHUVXJDU ¼tsp chaat masala Preheat the oven to 240C/220C F/Gas 9. Put the potatoes and 2tsp of salt into a medium saucepan and top with enough cold water to cover by around 4cm. Place on a medium-high heat, bring to the boil, then simmer for 6 minutes, or until they’re almost cooked through but still retain a bite. Drain through a sieve and pat dry, then transfer to a large FOOD& TRAVEL
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baking paper-lined baking tray and toss with the oil, chaat masala, turmeric, 1/3tsp of salt and a good grind of pepper. Roast, stirring once or twice, for 35 minutes, or until deeply golden. Meanwhile, make the coriander chutney. Put all the ingredients into the small bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth. Set aside. For the tamarind dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl with 1½tsp water and set aside. Spread the yoghurt out on a large round serving platter. Top with the coriander chutney, swirling it through without completely incorporating. Drizzle with half the tamarind dressing and top with the potatoes, onion and chilli. Drizzle over the remaining tamarind, then sprinkle over the seeds and serve.
Berry platter with sheep’s labneh and orange oil SERVES 6 (Start 1 day before serving)
900g sheep’s yoghurt, or cow’s yoghurt as an alternative ½tsp salt 100ml olive oil 10g lemon thyme sprigs, plus a few extra picked thyme leaves, to serve RUDQJHŊƓQHO\VKDYHWKHVNLQ to get 6 strips 200g blackberries 250g raspberries 300g strawberries, hulled and halved lengthways (or quartered if they’re larger) 50g caster sugar OLPHŊƓQHO\JUDWHWKH]HVWWR get 1tsp, then juice to get 1tbsp 200g blueberries 150g cherries, pitted & 122 FOOD TRAVEL
Put the yoghurt and salt into a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Line a colander with a piece of muslin large enough to hang over the sides and place the colander over a bowl. Transfer the yoghurt to the muslin and fold over the sides to completely encase the yoghurt. Place a heavy weight over the muslin (a few tins or jars will do), chill and allow to drain for at least 24 hours (and up to 48). Meanwhile, put the oil into a small saucepan on a medium heat. Heat gently for around 7 minutes, or until tiny air bubbles form. Remove from the heat, add the thyme and orange strips, then cover with a lid and leave to infuse, ideally overnight, though half an hour will also do the job. The next day, put 50g of the blackberries, 100g of the raspberries and 100g of the strawberries into the small bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and lime juice and blitz until completely smooth. Put all the remaining berries and the cherries into a large bowl along with the blitzed fruit and gently combine. You can serve it straight away or chill for a few hours, bringing it back to room temperature before serving. Spread the labneh out on a large platter. Spoon over the berries, then sprinkle with the lime zest. Drizzle with 2tbsp of the infused oil, along with a couple of the orange strips and the extra picked thyme leaves.
HOME COMFORTS PAGES 62-65
Roast squash with chickpeas, garam masala and pumpkin seeds SERVES 4
800g butternut squash or other squash, peeled if necessary, and cut into wedges 2 red onions, cut into wedges WEVSVXQŴRZHURLO 1tbsp garam masala 50g pumpkin seeds 2 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed WVSFKLOOLŴDNHVRUSRZGHU or to taste 1 small bunch coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped, to serve For the dressing WEVSVXQŴRZHURLO JDUOLFFORYHVƓQHO\FKRSSHG 1tbsp grated ginger 1tsp cumin seeds 1tsp ground turmeric 1tsp mustard seeds 1tsp runny honey or light brown soft sugar, to taste ]HVWDQGMXLFHXQZD[HGOHPRQ Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/Gas 8. Place the squash on a baking tray along with the onion wedges. Sprinkle over 3tbsp of
the oil and the garam masala and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bake for around 20-25 minutes, then add the pumpkin seeds and bake for a further 10 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from the oven and put to one side. Place the chickpeas on a separate baking tray with the remaining oil and the chilli ŴDNHVRUSRZGHU6HDVRQWR taste with plenty of salt and pepper and mix well to coat the chickpeas. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the chickpeas begin to sizzle and some turn brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and put to one side. To make the dressing, heat the oil in a small saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, mustard seeds and honey or sugar and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the lemon juice and season with salt to taste. To serve, add the squash and chickpeas to a large serving dish or individual plates, scraping up all the cooking juices as you do so. Add the chopped coriander and spoon over the dressing.
SERVES 4
30g unsalted butter JDUOLFFORYHVƓQHO\ chopped, 1 whole, for the toast 200ml double cream 2 x 400g cans butter or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed generous pinch ground nutmeg JEDE\VSLQDFKOHDYHV ¼ small bunch tarragon, leaves SLFNHGDQGURXJKO\FKRSSHG UDVKHUVVWUHDN\EDFRQRU pancetta, cut into lardon cubes 4 slices bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic, to serve juice ½ lemon (optional), to serve Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and add the chopped garlic. Fry for 2 minutes, until the garlic is beginning to turn golden brown. Add the cream, beans and nutmeg, stirring to combine. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. When the mixture begins to bubble up, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 5 minutes, until the cream has thickened a little. Add the spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes, until just wilted, then add the tarragon and mix well. If you would like the mixture to be more stew-like, mash some of the beans using a fork. Melt the remaining butter in a cast-iron frying pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry for 3-5 minutes. Put a slice of toast on each plate, add the beans and top with the bacon, including any of the molten, buttery bacon fat from the frying pan. Lots of black pepper is good, and you might like to add a little lemon juice to the beans, too.
Cavolo nero polenta soup SERVES 4
3tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve RQLRQƓQHO\GLFHG FDUURWSHHOHGDQGƓQHO\ diced FHOHU\VWLFNƓQHO\GLFHG VDJHOHDYHVƓQHO\FKRSSHG RUJRRGURVHPDU\VSULJV OHDYHVSLFNHGDQGƓQHO\ chopped JDUOLFFORYHVƓQHO\FKRSSHG 500g cavolo nero, tough middle stalks discarded, leaves sliced into ribbons 1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock or water JƓQHSROHQWD 1 x 400g can borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed juice ½ lemon, or to taste Italian hard cheese, grated, to serve Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the herbs and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the cavolo nero and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the leaves are well wilted and reduced in size. Add the stock or water and season to taste with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, then gently simmer for 15 minutes, until the cavolo nero is completely tender. Finally, add the polenta in a thin, steady stream, stirring all the time so it mixes in well among the cavolo nero and other vegetables. Reduce the heat slightly to medium-low and simmer until the polenta is fully cooked
Guinea fowl with porcini bread sauce and cavolo nero SERVES 3-4
1 guinea fowl 500ml full-fat milk 2 cloves ODUJHED\OHDIVFUXQFKHG a little generous pinch grated nutmeg, or more, to taste 20g dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and soaked in 100ml boiling water 60g unsalted butter, plus more for the cavolo nero and for rubbing the bird VPDOORQLRQƓQHO\GLFHG 100g fresh white breadcrumbs 200g cavolo nero, tough middle stalks discarded Preheat the oven to 200C/180C F/Gas 6. Rub the bird with a bit of butter, then season all over with salt and pepper and place on a roasting tray, breast-side down. Roast for 50 minutes, until the juices run clear and the bird is cooked through. While the bird is roasting, in a pan over a high heat, heat the milk with the cloves and bay leaf
until it is just about to come to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the nutmeg and leave the sauce to infuse for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, drain the porcini UHVHUYLQJWKHOLTXLG DQGƓQHO\ chop them. Melt half the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and porcini and cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Strain the infused milk into the saucepan, stir in the breadcrumbs and the porcini soaking liquid and place over a very low heat, stirring now and then, for 10-15 minutes, until the crumbs have swollen and thickened the sauce to between the consistency of porridge and double cream. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining butter and check the seasoning, adding salt, plenty of freshly ground pepper and perhaps more nutmeg to taste. Pour into a warm jug and keep warm until needed. After 50 minutes, turn the bird onto the backbone and continue to roast for 20 minutes, until golden brown and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer (with an internal temperature of 72C if using a digital thermometer). Allow to rest for 15 minutes in a warm place before carving or jointing. Cook the cavolo nero in plenty of well-salted boiling water until tender. Drain and add a knob of butter. To serve, carve or joint the guinea fowl and serve with the porcini bread sauce and the cavolo nero on the side.
RECIPECOLLECTION
Butter beans with spinach, tarragon, bacon and cream
out (around another 15-20 minutes). Add a little more liquid if the soup gets too thick during this time. Around 2 minutes towards the end of the cooking time, add the beans to warm through. Simmer until WKHŴDYRXUVDUHPHOGHGDQGWKH soup tastes good. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as necessary, and the lemon juice to taste. Serve in warmed bowls with plenty of Italian hard cheese JUDWHGRYHUWKHWRSDQGƓQLVK with a good slug of olive oil.
Note: This recipe will work well with other kinds of birds. Partridge: serves 2. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the juices run clear, and rest for at least 15 minutes. Pheasant: serves 2-3. Roast for 30-40 minutes and rest for around 15 minutes, depending on the bird's size. 3KHDVDQWLVƓQHWRVHUYHD fraction pink. Quail: serves 1. Roast for 8-10 minutes and rest IRUPLQXWHV4XDLOLVƓQHWR serve a fraction pink. FOOD& TRAVEL
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SWEET INSPIRATION PAGES 66-67
Tray-baked potatoes with mushrooms and chestnuts and a slosh of sherry SERVES 4
1kg medium-small potatoes, diced or sliced bite-sized if large 7 large garlic cloves, 4 unpeeled and smashed, 3 SHHOHGDQGƓQHO\VOLFHG 4tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve 3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked 500g chestnut or button mushrooms, sliced 3tbsp dry or medium sherry 75g chestnuts, roughly chopped VPDOOEXQFKŴDWOHDISDUVOH\ ƓQHO\FKRSSHG 100g Manchego cheese or Italian hard cheese Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/Gas 8. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the potatoes out onto the lined tray, along with the 4 smashed garlic cloves, the olive oil and the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are softened but not yet fully cooked through. $GGWKHPXVKURRPV sliced garlic and sherry to the potatoes, mixing to distribute evenly, and cook for a further 20-25 minutes, until the mushrooms and potatoes are cooked through and have taken on some colour. Remove from the oven and add the chestnuts and parsley, mixing well. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if you like. Using a potato peeler, shave the cheese over the mushrooms and potatoes and sprinkle with more oil if you like, then serve. & 124 FOOD TRAVEL
7XUNLVKGHOLJKWWULŴHV with pashmak SERVES 6
200g raspberries 200g strawberries 1tbsp rosewater crème de framboise, for drizzling 500g vanilla custard 300ml double cream, lightly whipped 100g pashmak 75g Turkish delight, chopped seeds 1 pomegranate WEVSƓQHO\FKRSSHGURDVWHG pistachios dried rose petals, to serve For the jelly 300ml pomegranate juice juice ½ lemon 1tsp rosewater 125g caster sugar 5 gelatine leaves For the sponge 150g unsalted butter, softened 150g caster sugar 3 eggs 1tsp vanilla extract JVHOIUDLVLQJŴRXU ½tsp baking powder JƓQHO\JURXQGSLVWDFKLRV The jelly will take up to 6 hours to set, so make it in advance. In a bowl or jug, combine half the pomegranate juice with the lemon juice, rosewater
and 150ml water. Put the other half of the juice into a small saucepan with the sugar and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once it has come to a simmer, remove from the heat. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water. Stir the gelatine into the hot juice until it has completely dissolved. Mix the 2 juices together and SRXUWKURXJKDƓQHVLHYHLQWRD 500ml container. Leave to cool, then chill for 4-6 hours, until set. To make the sponge, preheat the oven to 180C/160C F/Gas 4. Line a 26cm square cake tin with baking paper. In an electric PL[HUƓWWHGZLWKWKHEHDWHU attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and ŴXII\$GGWKHHJJVRQHDWD time, beating each one in well before adding the next, then mix in the vanilla extract. Gently IROGLQWKHŴRXUEDNLQJSRZGHU and ground pistachios, then pour the batter into the tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and dry. Leave the sponge to cool in its tin. Meanwhile, combine half the berries and the rosewater in a small bowl and mash with a fork, then strain the berry purée into a bowl, discarding the solids. Hull and slice the remaining strawberries and set aside, along with the remaining raspberries, WRGHFRUDWHWKHWULŴHV Cut the sponge into 2cm cubes and divide between 6 glasses, then drizzle with the crème de framboise. Turn out the jelly, cut into cubes and divide between the glasses, then top with custard and whipped cream and chill until needed. To serve, spoon some of the EHUU\SXU«HRYHUHDFKWULŴH then top with pashmak, Turkish delight, sliced strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, pistachios and rose petals.
Banana cake with miso butterscotch and 2YDOWLQHNXOƓ SERVES 12
1tbsp black tea leaves 200g pitted dates 110g unsalted butter 350g dark muscovado sugar 1tbsp treacle 1tbsp date syrup JVHOIUDLVLQJŴRXU 4 eggs 1tsp vanilla extract 1tbsp bicarbonate of soda 200g peeled bananas )RUWKHNXOƓ 50g Ovaltine 450g condensed milk 300ml double cream For the butterscotch 500ml double cream 175g demerara sugar 175g unsalted butter 1tbsp golden syrup 60g white miso 7KHNXOƓZLOOWDNHDWOHDVW hours to set, so make ahead of time. In a large bowl, mix the Ovaltine into the condensed milk until there are no lumps. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold it into the condensed milk PL[WXUH3RXUWKHNXOƓLQWR a tub and freeze until set.
BROTHS, BAO AND BREAKFAST PAGES 68-73 Miso clam ramen SERVES 2
WVSQHXWUDORLO JDUOLFFORYHVJUDWHG FPJLQJHUJUDWHG VKDOORWƓQHO\GLFHG JOLYHFODPVSXUJHGLQ VDOWHGZDWHU VHHPHWKRG WEVSGU\ZKLWHZLQHRUVDN« POFKLFNHQVWRFNRUZDWHU WEVSZKLWHPLVRSDVWH WVSOLJKWVR\VDXFH DSSUR[JIUHVKWKLQUDPHQ QRRGOHVRUJGULHGWKLQ ZKHDWQRRGOHV QHVWV JVKLPHMLPXVKURRPV VPDOOEXQFKFKLYHVƓQHO\ VQLSSHG VKHHWQRULWRDVWHGIRU VHFRQGVRYHUDJDVULQJRU XQGHUDKRWJULOODQGFXWLQKDOI It is important to purge the clams before use. To do this, place them for a few hours in salted water before use, to eliminate any grit, and discard any that remain slightly open when you tap them on a worktop. Place the oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic, ginger and shallot and fry over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Increase the heat and add the clams and white wine or saké. Let the alcohol bubble away for 30 seconds, then cover the pan with a lid. Allow the clams to steam open – the time will vary depending on their size. Discard any that have not opened after around 10 minutes. Remove the clams with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the liquid in the pan. Add the chicken stock or water to the pan, along with the miso and soy sauce, and heat gently – do not boil. Check the broth for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a pan of boiling salted water for 1½-2 minutes, depending
RQWKHLUWKLFNQHVV RUDFFRUGLQJ WRSDFNHWLQVWUXFWLRQV XQWLO al dente. Drain and rinse in plenty of cold water to stop them from sticking. Add the shimeji mushrooms to the broth and gently cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the broth and set aside. Strain the broth and add 250-300ml to each serving bowl. Top with the cooked noodles, clams and mushrooms, DQGƓQLVKZLWKWKHVQLSSHG chives and toasted nori.
Crab XLB (soup dumplings)
MAKES 24 DUMPLINGS TXDQWLW\MLDR]LGXPSOLQJ GRXJK VHHUHFLSHULJKW )RUWKHƓOOLQJ JIDWW\PLQFHGSRUN DWOHDVW IDW WEVS6KDR[LQJULFHZLQH FPJLQJHUJUDWHG WEVSOLJKWVR\VDXFH WEVSƓVKVDXFH ½tsp salt WVSOLJKWVRIWEURZQVXJDU JEURZQDQGZKLWHFUDE PHDW WEVSGULHGVKULPSVƓQHO\ FKRSSHGWRDURXJKSRZGHU VSULQJRQLRQVƓQHO\FKRSSHG WVSVHVDPHRLO JMHOOLHGVWRFN VHHUHFLSH S For the dipping sauce WEVS&KLQNLDQJEODFNULFH YLQHJDU WEVSOLJKWVR\VDXFH WEVSYHU\ƓQHO\MXOLHQQHG JLQJHU Place the pork in a mixing bowl with the rice wine, ginger, VR\VDXFHƓVKVDXFHSHSSHU salt and sugar, add a pinch of freshly ground white pepper and 3tbsp water and beat into a paste with a wooden spoon. Fold through the crab meat,
dried shrimp, spring onions and sesame oil. Allow to rest, chilled, for 20 minutes while you prepare your wrappers. Following the instructions, divide the jiaozi dough into 3, then roll a third of the dough into a sausage shape around 25cm long and cut it into 8 equal-sized segments. Roll the segments into balls and then roll each out into a wrapper, around 12cm in diameter. Keeping the pork and crab ƓOOLQJDQGMHOOLHGVWRFNRQKDQG DGGWEVSRIWKHƓOOLQJWRWKH centre of a wrapper and place ½tsp of jellied stock on top. Bring the edges of the wrapper together and add ‘money bag’ pleats if you wish. Place the dumplings, spaced at least 1cm apart, on a baking paper-lined tray and leave to sit while you ƓOOPRUHZUDSSHUV VHHQRWH When ready to cook, transfer the dumplings to a baking paper-lined steamer basket. Steam over a pan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Be very careful when removing the dumplings to avoid the skin ripping in the process. Mix together all the dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and serve with the dumplings. Note: After you have made 4 or 5 dumplings, you can transfer them to the freezer to ƓUPXS$VWKHƓOOLQJLVZHW the wrappers can absorb the moisture and may begin to sag. Putting them in the freezer while you make the rest of the dumplings halts this process and leaves the dumplings standing to attention. They shouldn’t be left so long that they freeze through, although you can leave some in the freezer if you don’t want to eat them all straight away.
RECIPECOLLECTION
Preheat the oven to 190C/ 170C F/Gas 5. Line a 24cm square cake tin with baking paper. Put the tea leaves in a heatproof jug or bowl, pour over 200ml boiling water and allow to infuse for a minute. Strain the tea, discarding the tea leaves, then soak the dates in the hot tea for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the treacle and GDWHV\UXSIROORZHGE\WKHŴRXU and mix well. Mix the eggs in one at a time. Tip the soaked dates and tea into a blender or food processor along with the vanilla extract and blitz to a purée. Add the bicarbonate of soda and SXOVHEULHŴ\WKHQDGGWRWKH bowl and mix thoroughly. Wipe out the blender, add the bananas and blend until smooth, then add to the cake batter and stir in well. Pour into the tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. To make the butterscotch, put the cream in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the sugar, butter and golden syrup and whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Finally, whisk in the miso, then remove from the heat. Turn the cake out on to a wire rack and leave to cool a little. When cool, cut into 12 portions and serve warm with the hot miso butterscotch and WKH2YDOWLQHNXOƓ
Jiaozi dumpling dough MAKES AROUND 560G JSODLQŴRXU To make the dough, add the ŴRXUDQGDSLQFKRIVDOWWRD mixing bowl and stir through FOOD& TRAVEL
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with chopsticks or a fork to separate any large lumps. Measure out 160ml of justboiled water and 80ml cold water and keep them close to hand. First, add the boiling ZDWHUWRWKHŴRXUDQGTXLFNO\ combine into a crumbly mixture. Once the boiling water has been completely absorbed, add the cold water and mix in. Continue to mix until a ball of dough is formed. Knead this for 1-2 minutes in the bowl, then turn it out onto your work surface. Continue to knead the dough for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Once the dough is smooth and supple, form it into a ball and place inside a resealable plastic bag or in a bowl covered with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave this to rest at room temperature while you prepare WKHGXPSOLQJƓOOLQJDFFRUGLQJ to your chosen recipe. If you are preparing the dough more than 1 hour ahead of time, you can leave it to rest, chilled. 7RPDNHDQGƓOOWKHGXPSOLQJ wrappers, take the ball of dough and knead it for 3-5 minutes. The dough should be very supple and elastic. Cut the ball into thirds – you will be working with one-third at a time – and put the other two-thirds back into the plastic bag or covered bowl to prevent the dough from drying out. Roll the dough into a sausage shape. You may need to coat your work surface with DVSULQNOLQJRIŴRXU&XWWKH dough into 8-10 equal-sized segments, depending on the recipe, then roll each into a ball. To make a dumpling wrapper, take 1 of the small dough balls and using 3 ƓQJHUVŴDWWHQLWLQWRDVPDOO disc. Take your rolling pin and roll out the topmost edge of the disc. Rotate by 30 degrees and roll out the topmost edge once again. Continue to do this, rotating and rolling, until you have what looks like a little fried HJJ7KHGRXJKVKRXOGEHŴDW & 126FOOD TRAVEL
around the outer edges, with a thicker, raised centre. Make sure there is a light dusting of ŴRXURQHDFKZUDSSHUDVWKH\ are prone to sticking together. Now take a dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place a spoonful of \RXUƓOOLQJLQWKHFHQWUH%ULQJ the edges of the wrapper together and gently press the dough to seal the dumpling. You can add some pleats if you ZDQWWREXWWKLVLVQōWWRWDOO\ necessary – the dumplings will still taste delicious. Place the completed dumplings on a baking paperlined tray, spaced at least 1cm apart. They will rest while they are sitting and may expand a little. Repeat this process with the remaining two-thirds of the GRXJKDQGWKHUHVWRIWKHƓOOLQJ before cooking the dumplings.
Jellied stock
MAKES 1.2 LITRES
700g chicken wings or drumsticks 2 dried shiitake mushrooms 75g Parma or Serrano ham 25g ginger, peeled and sliced 3 spring onions, white parts only, chopped 1tbsp Shaoxing rice wine 2tbsp light soy sauce 1tsp powdered gelatine Chop the chicken into 2.5-5cm pieces with a cleaver to reveal the bone marrow. Add to a large saucepan, along with all the other stock ingredients except the gelatine. Pour in 1.2 litres water. %ULQJWRDVWHDG\VLPPHUDQG leave for 2 hours to gently cook over a low heat. (Alternatively, once boiling, transfer to a slow cooker and leave on the low setting overnight.) Skim off any scum that rises to the surface in WKHƓUVWPLQXWHV When the stock is ready, VWUDLQWKURXJKDƓQHPHVKVLHYH lined with a piece of muslin. Dissolve the gelatine in 2tbsp water. Add this to the stock, then pour the stock into a baking tray and freeze until set.
Shoyu ramen
SERVES 2 (WITH ENOUGH %527+726(59( approx. 200g fresh thin ramen noodles (see recipe, right) or 120g dried thin wheat noodles (2 nests) 2 ramen eggs (see recipe, right) VSULQJRQLRQVƓQHO\VOLFHG 4 slices chashu pork (see recipe, right) 1tbsp roasted garlic chicken fat (see recipe, right), melted 1 sheet nori, toasted for 20 seconds over a gas ring or under a hot grill For the broth 2 pig’s trotters, halved, or 1.5kg pork bones 1kg chicken wings 1tsp neutral oil 1 large onion, sliced 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced 1 garlic bulb, halved 10cm ginger, peeled and sliced 1 sheet dried kombu 2 dried shiitake mushrooms For the tare (sauce) 4tbsp light soy sauce 2tbsp mirin 2tbsp saké 1 garlic clove, peeled 1 slice ginger (unpeeled) Either get your butcher to cut up the trotters or, if doing this yourself, take your strongest knife or cleaver and split each one lengthways down the middle (between the toes). Place the halved trotters (or pork bones) and chicken wings in a stockpot or your largest saucepan. Cover with cold water until all the bones are completely submerged and
bring to a rapid boil over a high heat. Let it boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. There will be a lot of foam and scum on the top – this is why you do this step. Tip the trotters or bones into a large colander and run them under cold water. One by one, scrub them clean, getting rid of any exposed marrow, clotted blood or other dark dirty bits (a chopstick is good for doing this). You will be left with grey-looking but clean trotters or bones. Clean out the stockpot and return the scrubbed bones to the pot. In a heavy-based frying pan, heat the neutral oil and fry the onion, leek, garlic and ginger over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. A little charring will DGGŴDYRXU \RXGRQōWZDQWWR cook the vegetables, just add a bit of caramelisation. Once you are happy with the colour of the vegetables, add them to the stockpot with the meaty bones. Add the kombu and shiitake mushrooms, cover with cold water until all the ingredients are submerged and bring to the boil. Lower the heat immediately, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Leave the stock at a steady simmer, covered with a lid, for at least 3 hours – ideally, around 8 hours. The longer you leave LWWKHPRUHLQWHQVHWKHŴDYRXU will be. If the liquid levels become a little low, top up the pot with water until the ingredients are just submerged. When you are ready to remove your broth from the KHDWƓUVWVFRRSRXWDQ\RI the larger bones from the pot. 6WUDLQWKHVWRFNWKURXJKDƓQH mesh sieve or a piece of muslin into a large bowl or large clean pan. Dispose of the aromatics and bones left behind. Now, make the tare. Add the tare ingredients to a small saucepan and gently heat for PLQXWHVWRLQIXVHWKHŴDYRXUV of garlic and ginger. Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling salted water for 1½-2 minutes, depending on
Ramen noodles
SERVES 4
JKLJKJOXWHQŴRXU VXFKDV H[WUDVWURQJEUHDGŴRXU 1g kansui (see recipe, p128) FDSVXOHULERŴDYLQWRDGG colour (optional) SRWDWRVWDUFKRUFRUQŴRXUIRU dusting 1g salt pasta roller &RPELQHWKHŴRXUDQGNDQVXL in a mixing bowl with the salt, POZDWHUDQGWKHULERŴDYLQ (if using) and combine until the mixture forms rough pieces. You can use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to do this. Once dry straggles start to form, bring the dough together into a ball. Apply pressure using the palm of your hand in a downward motion and continue to do this until the straggles of dough are forced together to form a rough ball. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime, set up your pasta roller, clamping LWƓUPO\WRWKHZRUNWRSDVWKH dough is extremely hard. Remove the dough from the bowl. Take a rolling pin and SUHVVƓUPO\RQWRWKHGRXJK section by section, until it is thin enough to pass through
the pasta roller on its widest setting, then feed the dough through the roller. What will emerge may be quite rough and ragged but this is okay. If the sheet has separated or holes have appeared, don’t worry. Pass the dough through again on the widest setting and repeat this step until you have one complete sheet of dough, with no holes. Reset the pasta roller to the next-narrowest setting and pass the sheet of dough through, then reduce the setting once more, to the third-narrowest level, and feed WKHGRXJKWKURXJKDƓQDOWLPH Now fold the dough in half, lengthways, and pass through the pasta roller on the widest setting. Repeat this sheeting and folding process until you have a smooth and eventextured sheet of dough. The edges of the sheet may have become dry and cracked during folding but this is okay. Gently fold your sheet of dough in half and leave to rest for 30 minutes, covered with a tea WRZHORUFOLQJƓOP Once the dough sheet has rested, unfold it and pass through the pasta roller to the ƓQDOGHVLUHGWKLFNQHVVEHIRUH cutting the dough into noodles. The thickness of your noodle will be dictated by the recipe you plan to use it in. To create your noodles, pass the dough through the cutting attachment. Lightly dust the noodles with potato starch or FRUQŴRXUWRNHHSWKHVWUDQGV separate. Ramen noodles get better with age – resting them for 24 hours will improve the texture. They will keep for up to 5 days, chilled, but can also be enjoyed straight away. Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling salted water for 1½ -2 minutes, depending on their thickness, until al dente. Rinse in cold water and serve in your chosen recipe. Note: When you add an alkali salt to noodle dough, it changes the pH of the dough, increasing
bond formation between the gluten strands and making the QHWZRUNWLJKWHUDQGƓUPHU7KLV leads to a chewier and springier noodle that will absorb water less quickly, which is perfect if the noodle is destined to be set in a bath of hot soup, and ramen noodles are tailor-made for the purpose. In commercial ramen production, a combination of alkali salts are used depending on the properties required from the noodle, whether thick, thin, hard or soft. When making these noodles at home, you add kansui – an alkaline mixture of potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda – to the dough. Kansui is available to buy, but it’s very easy to make (see recipe, p128).
Ramen eggs
MAKES 6
6 medium eggs 4tbsp light soy sauce 4tbsp mirin 250ml dashi stock or water Bring a pan of water to a rapid boil. Lower the eggs gently into the water and cook for exactly 6 minutes. Remove from the water and run under very cold water for 3-4 minutes, or plunge LQWRDERZORIZDWHUƓOOHGZLWK ice cubes. When completely cool, peel the eggs. Combine the soy sauce, mirin and dashi stock. Submerge the eggs in the liquid and cover with baking paper. (Alternatively, place the eggs in a sealable container or UHVHDODEOHSODVWLFEDJƓOOHG with the stock mixture.) Chill overnight before eating. The eggs will keep, chilled, for up to 5 days. Serve them with your favourite ramen dish.
Chashu pork for ramen SERVES 4-6
1tbsp neutral oil 400-500g boneless pork belly, skin removed 80ml saké
80ml light soy sauce 80ml mirin 2tbsp light soft brown sugar 2 spring onions, sliced 2.5cm ginger, peeled and sliced Preheat the oven to 120C/100C F/Gas ½. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan or castiron grill pan over a mediumhigh heat and brown the pork on all sides. Remove the pork and place in a roasting tray that’s big enough to leave a gap of 3-5cm between the meat and the edge of the tray. Add the saké to the frying pan/grill pan to deglaze, then add the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and 200ml water. Heat through gently and add the spring onions and ginger. Pour the sauce into the roasting tray over the pork, including the spring onions and ginger. Tightly cover the tray in 2 layers of foil and cook in the oven for 3 hours. After 3 hours, the pork should be very tender. Transfer the pork and liquid to a sealable container or resealable plastic bag and chill overnight. This ƓUPVLWXSPDNLQJLWHDV\WRVOLFH When you’re ready to add the pork to your ramen dish, cut into 5mm-thick slices and heat either with a blow torch, until the edges turn golden, or under the grill, until caramelised.
RECIPECOLLECTION
their thickness (or according to packet instructions), until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent them from sticking. Due to the fat content in the stock, it will jellify quickly. Reheat enough of it for 2 people – 800-900ml. Remove the garlic clove and ginger slice from the tare, then divide the tare between 2 large ramen bowls (adding 3-4tbsp per bowl) and follow with the steaming ramen broth. Top with the noodles, an egg, the spring onions and a couple of slices of pork. Finish with the roasted garlic chicken fat (if using) and ½ sheet of nori.
Roasted garlic chicken fat
MAKES 6-8 SERVINGS
5tbsp chicken fat (removed from a whole chicken – see method) 50ml rapeseed oil 6 garlic cloves, peeled 2 spring onions, sliced A shop-bought whole chicken will have a plug of fat attached to the skin at the opening of the bird, where the neck would have been. It’s usually tucked LQVLGH&DUHIXOO\SXOOWKLVŴDS of skin out and cut out the fat plug with a sharp knife. You will likely see other collections of fat surrounding this area – trim FOOD& TRAVEL
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them away, too, and set aside. Higher-quality birds, such as corn-fed or organic, tend to have more of this tasty fat. Add the chicken fat to a cold saucepan and bring slowly to a medium heat. The fat will render and create a pool of oil. There may be a couple of browned nuggets left behind – remove these. Pour in the rapeseed oil. Crush the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and add to the oil, along with the spring onions. Let the oil sit over a mediumlow heat for 30 minutes. The garlic cloves and spring onions should bubble away gently EXWQRWEURZQ,IWKH\EHJLQWR brown, lower the heat. Remove the garlic and spring onions with a strainer, take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, decant into a sterilised airtight jar, seal with a lid and store, chilled.
Kansui
MAKES 75G 100g bicarbonate of soda Preheat the oven to 120C/ 100C F/Gas ½. Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda onto a foil-lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour. As it heats, the sodium bicarbonate changes into sodium carbonate, an alkali salt that can be used to change the pH of the noodle GRXJKDQGPDNHLWƓUPHU The powder will lose around a quarter of its weight. Remove the kansui from the oven and transfer it to a clean, airtight jar by making a crease in the foil and pouring it into the jar (taking care to avoid contact with your skin as your pour). Seal with a lid and use the kansui as directed in the recipe. The powder will keep for up to a month. Don’t leave the jar open for too long, allowing the kansui to come into contact with the air, or it will absorb moisture and be less effective.
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Sweet potato jiaozi
0$.(6'803/,1*6
1 quantity jiaozi dumpling dough (see recipe, p125) neutral oil, for frying 2tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional) )RUWKHƓOOLQJ 1 large sweet potato (approx. 400g) VPDOOUHGFKLOOLƓQHO\FKRSSHG VSULQJRQLRQVƓQHO\FKRSSHG 1tbsp miso paste 4cm ginger, peeled and grated 1tsp salt 1tbsp light soy sauce 2tsp sesame oil 35g Chinese leaf, leaves shredded JƓUPVLONHQWRIX 4tbsp panko breadcrumbs For the dipping sauce 1tbsp light soy sauce 1tbsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar ½tbsp chilli oil (see recipe, right) Preheat the oven to 200C/180C )*DV7RPDNHWKHƓOOLQJ pierce the sweet potato several times with a sharp knife and place on a baking tray in the middle of the oven to cook for 45-50 minutes, or until tender. Alternatively, if you are using a microwave, pierce the whole sweet potato and place in a microwaveable dish, cover with FOLQJƓOPDQGSULFNDKROHWR allow steam to escape. Cook on high for 8-10 minutes, until WKHŴHVKLVVRIW%HFDUHIXOZKHQ UHPRYLQJWKHFOLQJƓOPDVVWHDP will escape. Set aside at room temperature until cool, then slice in half lengthways and scoop RXWWKHŴHVK3ODFHWKHŴHVKLQD mixing bowl and discard the skin.
Add the chilli to the bowl with the spring onions, miso paste, ginger, salt, soy sauce and sesame oil and mix thoroughly. Fold through the shredded cabbage, then crumble in the tofu and fold in gently, taking care not to turn the tofu into mush. Finally, add the panko EUHDGFUXPEV,I\RXDUHPDNLQJ this ahead of time, store the mixture, chilled, until needed. 1H[WPDNHWKHZUDSSHUV 'LYLGHWKHMLDR]LGRXJKLQWR then roll a third of the dough into a sausage shape around 25cm long, and cut it into between 8 and 10 segments. Roll the segments into balls and then roll each out into a wrapper around 10cm in diameter. $GGODUJHWVSRIƓOOLQJWR the centre of each wrapper, bring the edges together and gently press the dough to seal the dumpling, adding some pleats if you want to. Place the completed dumplings, spaced at least 1cm apart, on a baking paper-lined tray. They will rest while they are sitting and may expand a little. Repeat this process with the remaining dough until you run out of GRXJKRUƓOOLQJ To cook the dumplings, heat 1tbsp of oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add half of the dumplings to the pan, spaced at least 1cm apart, and cook for 3-4 minutes, after which the bottoms of the dumplings will become brown and crisp. Depending on the VL]HRIWKHSDQŊWKHGXPSOLQJV should be nestled in together – cook them in 2 batches. Add HQRXJKERLOLQJZDWHUWRƓOOWKH pan to a depth of around 1cm. This will create a burst of steam, so make sure your face is a safe distance away. Put a lid on the pan and leave the dumplings to gently simmer for 6-8 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. Let the dumplings fry in the pan for another 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly – this will loosen them from the bottom of the pan and make
them easier to scoop out. As an alternative, these dumplings can simply be steamed or boiled for 8 minutes. Mix together all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small bowl. Sprinkle the dumplings with the toasted sesame seeds and serve.
Sichuan chilli oil
MAKES 750ML
750ml neutral oil (such as groundnut or rapeseed) 8cm ginger (unpeeled), roughly chopped white part 1 leek or white part 4 spring onions, sliced 1 garlic head, halved widthways 4 star anise 6tbsp Sichuan peppercorns 2tbsp coriander seeds 1 cassia bark stick or cinnamon stick 1 black cardamom pod 1tbsp green cardamom pods 4 bay leaves 2 cloves 1tbsp fennel seeds 100g Sichuan crushed chilli ŴDNHVRU.RUHDQFKLOOLŴDNHV (gochugaru) 4tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned WEVSƓQHVHDVDOW 1tbsp light soy sauce Heat the oil in a large, heavybased saucepan to 85-90C and add the ginger, leek or spring onions and the garlic. They VKRXOGƓ]]EDUHO\LQWKHSDQ,I WKH\Ɠ]]ƓHUFHO\WXUQGRZQWKH temperature; you don’t want them to colour or burn. Once the temperature is to your liking, add the star anise and 3tbsp of the Sichuan peppercorns, along with the coriander seeds, cassia bark or cinnamon stick, black and green cardamom pods, bay leaves, cloves and fennel seeds. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and leave the oil to infuse for at least 1 hour, or preferably
Breakfast (or anytime) yakisoba
SERVES 4
approx. 400g fresh medium egg noodles or 250g dried egg noodles 4 dried shiitake mushrooms or 2 handfuls dried mixed mushrooms, soaked in 200ml boiling water neutral oil, for frying JERQHOHVVSRUNEHOO\ƓQHO\ sliced ½ small white onion, sliced ½ head Chinese leaf, cut into 2.5cm chunks 4 eggs
For the seasoning sauce 1tbsp sesame oil 1tsp dashi powder 2tbsp light soy sauce 3tbsp tonkatsu sauce 1tbsp oyster sauce 2tbsp mirin 1tbsp saké WEVSƓVKVDXFH To serve 2tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 1 small handful katsuobushi ŴDNHVFUXVKHG 1 sheet nori, toasted for 20 seconds over a gas ring or under a hot grill and ground Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling salted water for 1½-2 minutes, depending on their thickness (or according to packet instructions), until al dente. Rinse in plenty of cold water and set aside. In a small mug or bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the seasoning sauce. Drain the rehydrated mushrooms and reserve the soaking liquid. Add this liquid to the mug or bowl and set aside. Heat 1tbsp of the neutral oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the thinly sliced pork belly and stirfry for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Add the sliced onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the sliced rehydrated mushrooms and the cabbage and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Tip in the cooked noodles and stir-fry – they may char on the bottom of WKHZRNDGGLQJŴDYRXUWRWKH dish. Combine the ingredients well, then add the seasoning sauce and let this reduce until the sauce is glossy and just coating the noodles. While the sauce thickens, add a splash of neutral oil to a separate pan and fry the eggs over a high heat to create a lovely crispy edge. Serve the noodles topped with 1 fried egg per person and sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds, crushed NDWVXREXVKLŴDNHVDQGWKH ground nori powder.
Ox cheek mala xiao mian SERVES 1 (WITH ENOUGH BROTH TO SERVE 6-8)
For the bowl seasoning (per serving) approx. 100g fresh thin ramen noodles (see recipe, p127) or 60g dried thin wheat noodles (1 nest) 1tsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar 1tsp sesame oil 1/8tsp monosodium glutamate ¼tsp salt ½tsp lard ¼tsp freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns 1tsp-1tbsp chilli oil (see recipe, left), optional 1tbsp sui mi ya cai 1tbsp light soy sauce For the broth 1tbsp neutral oil 1.5kg ox cheek, cut into 5cm chunks 1kg meaty beef bones 1 leek, sliced 8-10cm ginger, peeled and sliced 3 garlic cloves, sliced 100ml Shaoxing rice wine 5 star anise 1tsp white peppercorns 1tsp Sichuan peppercorns 1 black cardamom pod 3 allspice berries 2 bay leaves 1tsp fennel seeds 3-6tbsp doubanjiang (optional) 150ml light soy sauce 2tbsp light soft brown sugar
To make the broth, heat the oil in a large stockpot and brown the ox cheek and beef bones on all sides over a mediumhigh heat (do this in batches if necessary). Add the leek, ginger and garlic, and toss in the oil for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the Shaoxing rice wine to deglaze the pan, then pour in 3 litres water and add all the remaining ingredients for the broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and leave to gently cook for at least 3 hours and preferably up to 5 hours. The ox cheek should be meltingly soft by the end of this time. Remove the ox cheek and set aside, then remove the beef bones and strip any meat from them, discarding the bones. Strain the broth through a ƓQHPHVKVLHYHGLVFDUGLQJDOO the aromatics, and place the ox cheek back into the broth. Store, chilled, overnight. When ready to serve, cook the noodles in a pan of boiling salted water for 1½-2 minutes, depending on their thickness (or according to packet instructions), until al dente. Drain, then rinse in cold water. Meanwhile, add the black rice vinegar, sesame oil, monosodium glutamate, salt, lard, Sichuan peppercorns, chilli oil (if using), sui mi ya cai and soy sauce to a large ramen bowl. Heat through 400ml of broth per person and roughly slice the ox cheek. Add broth to the bowl and mix well. Add the cooked noodles, and top with shredded ox cheek, peanuts, coriander and spring onions to serve.
RECIPECOLLECTION
2 hours. Keep an eye on the oil, stirring every now and then and making sure the aromatics aren't getting too brown. After the oil has infused, the garlic and ginger will look slightly darkened but not browned and will appear a little shrivelled. Allow the oil to cool slightly before straining out the solid ingredients. Grind the remaining 3tbsp of Sichuan peppercorns using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. Mix these in a bowl with WKH6LFKXDQFKLOOLŴDNHVWKHQ add to the sterilised jar in which you plan to store your oil, along with the toasted sesame seeds. Carefully pour the warm oil RYHUWKHFKLOOLŴDNHV7KHŴDNHV will sizzle, and the oil will turn a deep red. Once the oil has fully cooled, add the salt and soy sauce. Seal the jar with a lid and store, chilled.
To serve 1tbsp crushed roasted peanuts 1 small handful coriander 1 small handful spring onions, ƓQHO\VOLFHG FOOD& TRAVEL
129
ORIGINS TOM KERRIDGE Restaurants in London, Manchester and the two-Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers, together with a book shelf's worth of best-sellers, have made Tom Kerridge a household name, but it all started with spag bol
mum worked two jobs gave Tom .HUULGJHKLVÀUVW experience of running a kitchen. But even though he was only ensuring the baked beans didn't get burnt and the Findus Crispy Pancakes didn't get too crispy, he was still learning to love the sense of accomplishment that comes with cooking a meal
Spaghetti bolognese My mum would make a proper spaghetti bolognese every Wednesday night – nothing from a jar, frying the mince and onions up, mixing in the tomatoes, herbs, then leaving it until the next day. It’s simple but that’s where my understanding of things maturing and tasting better comes from. It was about the process: cooking vÀÃVÀ>ÌV
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iv½ÛiiÛiÀÜÀi`vÀ\ dishes changing every day, braising, curing, pickling. I got a great understanding of cooking and British food.
& 130 FOOD TRAVEL
Gary Rhodes I moved with Jon to work with Gary Rhodes and he Ü>Ã>Ì
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iLiÃÌ}Ài`iÌð Pork I love pork and I’ve become known for certain pork dishes but it’s hard to pick out one favourite ingredient or dish. I just want everything that we cook to be something I really want to eat myself. I want there to be a sense of disappointment when you put a dish on the pass that you’re not the one who'll be eating it. Seasonal vegetables It hasn't got to be local – local makes no sense, local doesn’t mean good. With meat, I use different produce from different places. Beef is usually from up north, sometimes the South West. With fruit and vegetables, though, it's always seasonal: British fruits, peas, broad beans in summer, root veg in the autumn. French cuisine It’s always been French cuisine for me. France is so vast – there are so many touch points to it. Southern France has the Mediterranean and the warm weather hitting the aubergines and courgettes, then you go to northern France, which is like here, with apples, dairy >`V`iÀ>}]Ì
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iƂ«Ã>`ƂÃ>Vi and it’s all curing and smoking. It’s got everything. Marlow I really love it in Marlow. We’ve been here for 15 years now and we’ve been so well supported. It’s just a fantastic, beautiful, picturesque town. It’s home now, and always will be.
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