live life… love food

magazine

ISSN2051-6525

ISSUE 1

live life… love food

magazine

When we were dreaming up the idea of our new magazine we easily

thought of what we wanted it to be about but agonised for ages

over a name. But the moment Saffron was suggested, we loved it because

it seemed to represent all that we valued in cooking - the flavour and the

look of food of course, but also where it comes from, the care that goes

into its cultivation and harvesting, the joy of eating it and, not least, what

it does to you.

The Saffron crocus is a delicate flower that breaks all the rules by blooming

in autumn. Once common enough to give its name to the town of Saffron

Walden, it fell out of fashion for a long period, but now, excitingly, it is

again being grown here. The intense flavour comes from the thread-like

stamens that must be painstakingly picked by hand. Its golden colour not

only lends a glow to the other ingredients, but underpins their taste with

its own hint of spicy earthiness, and as a bonus it adds such useful vitamins

as folic acid, riboflavin and niacin. Beautiful, delicious, vibrant and good,

our impossible mission is simply to live up to our namesake.

And so we aim to make Saffron different, lively and lovely to look at. We

hope that it will become an important ingredient in your cooking. On our

side, we promise to care for it well, to let it break rules, and to feature on

its pages all that makes food unique as a source of pleasure, fulfilment and

health. And we would love it, if on your side, you would taste it and tell us

what you think of Saffron.

Welcome to our first issue

www.saffronmagazine.co.uk

live life… love food

magazine

Bill Mason

More than anything, i am an ideas man.

My skills are varied and various. Designer,

typographer, photographer, house builder,

pig keeper, baker, pizza oven expert, and

party giver. i share my time between my

farm in Kent and sweden, where i develop

publishing concepts.

Mary Gwynn

lucky me – i’ve always worked with, and

loved food, a leith’s diploma course led

to work on Good Housekeeping, woman

& Home, BBC Good Food (and launch

editor of Vegetarian Good Food), The M&s

Magazine also as editor, and consultant

editor on waitrose publications.

Marie-louise aVery

Food photographer, half swedish, i’ve

been art director of Good Housekeeping,

Country living and innumerable cookery

books. For 20 years i’ve been a full time

food photographer with clients including

major food magazines, celebrity chefs and

leading supermarkets.

OUR FRIENDS AND CONTRIBUTORS

IS THE BRAINCHILD OF…

Gloria niCHolJournalistPhotographersmallholderCook

JoHn DoiGwine expertCharcutierJournalistFoodieTravellerPig man

aleX MaTsonCheese expertJournalistFoodieTraveller

anDrolinKlaTerwriterHistorianTravellerJournalist

sHeila HuMePoultry expertsmallholderPig keeper

annalisaPhotographerTravellerBaristaParty girl!

Casey laZoniKnutritionistPhotographer

©Saffron Magazine Ltd 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Saffron Magazine Ltd (Company number 08284511) is registered in England and Wales. The registered office of Saffron Magazine Ltd is at Hunts Hill Farm, Moons Green, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7PR. All information contained in this magazine is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Saffron cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers

directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Saffron a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Saffron or its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.

THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS CAN ROCA: IT’S A FAMILy AFFAIR

FABULOUS FAT SING A SONG OF SOUPS

LAMBING TIME THE SECRETS OF CHARCUTERIE

IN PRAISE OF RHUBARB SAFFRON TREATS

CONTENTS

The case for sustainable fishing

A new look at an old villain

Farming against the odds

It yields its sweet secrets Saffron treats goodies to remind

you of us

How one man learned the trade

Alchemy and art

Spain’s very special restaurant

C O N T E N T S

L I V E L I F E – L O V E F O O D

LOCAL SKIPPER JIMMy ADAMS HAS A WORRyING

STORy TO TELL AS THE HASTINGS FISHING FLEET

FIGHTS FOR ITS SURvIvAL

worDs: anDro linKlaTer reCiPes & iMaGes: Bill Mason

THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS

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No food repays freshness more rewardingly than a herring straight from

the cold sea. Cooked while its black eyes still gleam and the silver

skin is stretched smooth, the salt-sweet flesh has a succulence to rival its

swankier sea-bass and turbot cousins. But to catch that pleasure at its top,

you almost need to see the fishing-boat come in, or at least to know a

fishmonger who has watched the herring landed. Nowhere are you more

likely to find one or other of those ideal scenarios than at Hastings on the

south coast of England. The reason is immediately obvious. On one side

lie the fleet of fishing-boats pulled up on the shingle, and on the other,

barely a hundred yards away, you can see where their catch is on sale,

in a range of seafood shops, including a fisherman’s cooperative and the

incomparable Rockanore Fish Shop.

For Jimmy Adams, skipper of the 30 foot Four Brothers, it should be the

perfect set-up; a market close at hand, and beyond the town a network

of fish shops throughout the south-east of England, eager for fresh fish all

kinds, from Dover sole to mackerel. “The demand is there, no mistake”

he admitted, when I went out on the boat with him last summer, “and

the fish are there if you know where to look for them.” But his careworn

expression suggested there was more to successful fishing than matching

supply to demand.

To launch the boat, a rusty yellow bulldozer crunched across the heavy

shingle and with surprising delicacy nudged the Four Brothers down the

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C O N T E N T S

beach and into the water. Hemmed in by one of the world’s busiest shipping

lanes in the English Channel, the fishing grounds of the Hastings fleet run

along the south coast. The boats are rarely more than ten miles from

shore, but treacherous sandbanks including the notorious Goodwin Sands

and the swirling currents that, in high winds, churn the Channel to a boiling

green froth, are enough to swamp a vessel of much more than 30 feet.

Jimmy, a fisherman all his life, not only knows these waters intimately, he

hardly needs the echo-sounder to visualise the shape of the sea-floor and

the movements of the fish through its mountains and canyons. Even on

a scorching summer’s day, when plaice and sole search out the chilliest

depths, he was able to locate fish. But as the boat made a broad circular

sweep and his crew paid out the green net behind, Jimmy described the

threat to boats of his size greater than any storm.

“We’re under 10 metres in length – that puts us and all the inshore boats,

in a separate category from the big, offshore boats” he explained. “When it

comes to dividing up the UK’s quota of fish, the government allocates more

than 95 per cent of the total to the big boats. That leaves us with barely

enough fish to survive on. With cod, we’ve been restricted to as little as

three pounds a day.”

What is happening to Jimmy, and 22 other boats in the Hastings fleet,

(not to mention some 400 others like them around the shores of Britain),

is a scandal. These small boats represent more than three-quarters of

the total UK fishing fleet, and employ almost two-thirds of the country’s

fishermen. And as conservation bodies like Greenpeace point out, their

type of fishing, close to shore, using small nets, is sustainable, inflicting

minimal damage to fish stocks and the environment, unlike the offshore

trawlers whose five mile long nets scoop up tons of fish killing underage or

unwanted specimens, and whose heavy bottom-scraping beams destroy

the coldwater coral reefs that provide a marine habitat for sea creatures of

all kinds.

The “Manifesto for Fair Fisheries”, issued in 2012 by Greenpeace and the

New Under Ten Metre Fishing Association [Nutfa], representing the small

boats’ interests, called for the quota to be redistributed “in a way which

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rewards sustainable fishing methods and protects coastal communities.”

Ideally conservationists would like the small boats to have about 20 per

cent of the catch. But that’s not going to happen. A tiny increase of three

per cent proposed by the government last year has been challenged by

the giant Association of Fish Producer Organisations, dominated by large-

scale fishing interests, and seems likely to be reduced or eliminated.

After that day’s fishing, there were plaice, sole and turbot in the net that

Jimmy’s crew winched on board, enough to pay wages and fuel, but not

enough to dispel the dark cloud hanging over this way of fishing. Back on

shore, Paul Joy, a co-founder of Nutfa, and himself a fisherman, put the

matter in a wider context. “Hastings grew up around the fishing, it’s our

heritage” he pointed out. “We’ve been fishing like this for centuries and so

we know it works longterm. But the way things are, we have one or two

boats going out of business every year simply because the economics just

don’t work any longer. At this rate, in a few years there’ll be no fishing fleet

in Hastings.”

An entire way of life is at risk, and the threat to the small boats stretches

far beyond the brightly painted vessels drawn up on the shingle. Along the

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south coast, a range of boat builders and chandleries, seafood shops and

restaurants, the very businesses that give a neighbourhood its character,

will suffer. And, although it is hardly the most important consequence,

food-lovers will be gradually deprived of one of the finest meals that

nature can offer.

For all these reasons, but most of all because we believe that

food is always more than what appears on the plate, Saffron

has signed up to the policy of the Manifesto for Fair Fisheries

and will be campaigning to see that its demands are put into

action. It is our core belief that to eat well we should know

where our food comes from and what it is doing to us.

Every mouthful connects us to the world around us.

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/reports/manifesto-fair-fisheries

C O N T E N T S

Provençal roast cod

C O N T E N T S

Provençal roast codP r E P : 5 m I N u T E S | CO O k : 4 5 - 5 0 m I N u T E S | S E r v I N g S : 4 - 6 | S k I l l : Ea Sy

The vibrant mix of the roasted vegetables set against the startling white

of the cod make this a sensational dish.

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C Gas Mark 6.

2 Remove the skin from the cod fillets and check for stray bones.

3 Skin the shallots and leave whole. Peel the garlic and chop finely.

Quarter the courgettes lengthwise and chop into 2 cm chunks.

4 Place the vegetables in a roasting dish and season. Sprinkle over with

half the olive oil.

5 Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

6 Cut the tomatoes into quarters and add to to the roasting dish. Lay the

cod fillets on top, season and sprinkle on the remaining oil.

7 Roast for a further 20-30 minutes until the fish is opaque and cooked.

1.5kgcodfillet

500gshallots

2clovesgarlic

500gcourgettes

seasaltandpepper

2tspoliveoil

500gripetomatoes

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Cockles with spaghetti

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Cockles with spaghetti P r E P : 5 m I N u T E S | CO O k : 1 0 m I N u T E S | S E r v I N g S : 4 | S k I l l : Ea Sy

We often forage for cockles on sandy beaches on the south coast. Be

careful - some beaches, such as Camber in Kent are controlled by bye-

laws and permits are required.

1 Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet.

2 Scrub the cockles and discard any that stay open even after you have

given them a sharp tap.

3 Put the oil in a heavy saucepan. Crush the garlic and heat gently in

the oil to flavour it. Turn up the heat, add most of the parsley and the

cockles and stir. Add the wine and close with a well-fitting lid.

4 The cockles will open in about 5 minutes. Discard any that have not

opened. Add the spaghetti and combine. Thinly slice the chilli and

sprinkle over the top with the parsley and salt and pepper.

400gspaghetti

1kgcockles

100goliveoil

2clovesgarlic

1tbspchoppedparsley

50mlwhitewine

1redchilli

seasaltandpepper

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Dover sole

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Dover soleP r E P : 5 m I N u T E S | CO O k : a bO u T 1 7 m I N u T E S | S E r v I N g S : 2 | S k I l l : Ea Sy

Ask your fishmonger to skin the Dover sole on both sides.

1 Coat the fish in flour and shake off the excess.

2 Heat the grill. Butter a roasting dish and lay the fish in it. Add salt and

pepper and put some butter on the fish.

3 Put under the grill for 7 minutes then turn to oven mode at 200°C.

Place the roasting dish lower in the oven for another 10 minutes.

4 In a saucepan, heat the butter to foaming point and when it starts to

brown, take it off the heat. Add the parsley to the pan with the lemon

juice and pour over the fish.

1Doversole(approx500-600g)

flour

seasaltandpepper

50gbutter

1tbspchoppedparsley

juiceof½lemon

C O N T E N T S

L I V E L I F E – L O V E F O O D

FAT HAS COME TO MEAN BAD IN DIETARy TERMS IN

THE LAST 50 yEARS, AND LARD POSITIvELy REPELS.

LARD AND DRIPPING USED TO BE vALUED AND

SAvOURED, DISCOvER WHy THEy SHOULD BE AGAIN

worDs: Casey laZoniCK iMaGes: Marie-louise aVery

FABULOUS FAT

C O N T E N T S

Low-fat diets first became popular more than fifty years ago. In that

time, rates of obesity have grown until the UK now faces an epidemic.

According to the Department of Health, 30,000 people die annually from

obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and high

blood pressure. In the UK, 61 percent of the adult population, and 31

percent of children, are now classified as either overweight or obese.

Many researchers would say that the cause of the increase in obesity is

simply that people ingest more calories than they burn. But this argument

implies that people are either taking in a lot more calories than they used

to, or burning a lot less, or both. Which one is it? The answer is not simple,

because the question ignores some fundamental facts about the nature of

the food that we eat.

To start with, is a calorie really just a calorie? For example, does a calorie of

protein generate the same amount of energy, when metabolised in a living

organism, as a calorie of fat or carbohydrate? The theory that every calorie

is the same has nurtured the mind-set that it is not what we eat that is

important, but how many calories we consume. However, our bodies are

complex organisms, and the different foods that we put into them affect

us in different ways.

Researchers such as Gary Taubes, a science journalist, and Dr. David Ludwig

of Boston Children’s Hospital argue that there are good calories and bad

calories. High carbohydrate foods such as white bread, white rice, pastries,

sugared sodas and other highly processed foods will quickly turn to fat

unless burned up. These foods will not satisfy the body since they do not

contain the components of what the body needs. In contrast, carbohydrates

such as whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and foods that are rich in

healthy fats will provide necessary nutrients and burn slowly in the body

so that one feels fuller for longer. As a result, people eating these will

snack less in between meals.

The plethora of information on offer makes it difficult for most people to

be clear about which fats are healthy. Their confusion is understandable.

For example, the conventional wisdom is that processed vegetable oils

and low-fat products will keep us slim and heart-healthy. This is simply not

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true - what matters is the kind of fats that are eaten. you only have to look

at the two-thirds of the people in the UK who are overweight or obese to

understand something has gone wrong.

Try posing these simple questions to the average person: which is better

for you, low-fat cookies or full-fat cookies? vegetable oil, soybean oil or

lard? Most likely the answer will be the low-fat cookies and vegetable oil.

This is where the problem lies.

How did this happen? How did we get brainwashed into thinking that

eating fat meant that we would become fat? And that eating processed

vegetable oil is better for us than eating animal fats?

C O N T E N T S

The story begins in the United States. In 1971 President Richard Nixon was

looking ahead to re-election. The unpopularity of the vietnam War was

affecting his electoral support. Even worse, inflation was increasing the

cost of food. Obsessed with getting re-elected, Nixon was open to schemes

that could produce cheaper foods. He found a supporter in Earl Butz, an

agriculture economist who, in 1971, was named Secretary of Agriculture.

Butz pushed farmers into a new, industrial scale of production, mainly

focusing on growing corn. Cattle in the U.S. began to be fattened by the

increased corn production whilst the burgers they produced (and the chips

they came with) were fried in highly processed corn and vegetable oils.

From this corn extravaganza came a newfound product made in Japan called

Glucose-Fructose Syrup (a.k.a. high fructose corn syrup), a thick gloopy

substance that is intensely sweet and much cheaper than sugar. It provided

products with a longer shelf life and gave baked goods a freshly baked

sheen. Almost overnight a majority of food manufacturers started utilising

corn as a main ingredient, making food prices cheaper and industrial-scale

farmers wealthier.

This shift occurred before obesity was even on the radar screen of health

concerns. Rather the main health focus at the time was heart disease. A

lot of research was done on how to decrease heart disease, with differing

opinions.

Perhaps the most influential findings came from a national campaign in the

1950s to change lifestyle and dietary habits in Finland, a country that had

suffered a high rate of heart disease. Finnish mortality statistics during the

1960s and 1970s appeared to show that eliminating dairy fats dramatically

reduced the incidence of heart problems in the general population. With

Secretary of Agriculture, Butz, promoting a food-chain based on corn, the

US government pushed the notion that, for the sake of healthy hearts, it

was fat that had to be eliminated from diets, with an emphasis on animal

fats. But as most food lovers know fat provides food with an immense

amount of flavour. Remove fat and most food becomes quite bland.

Now, however, food could be injected with Glucose-Fructose Syrup to add

texture and flavour to low fat foods. And what a hit it was. Not only did

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the use of this syrup reduce the cost of food. People also came to believe

that these foods were heart healthy and would keep them slim. Sales of

low-fat food rocketed. And that is how we got seduced into adopting low-

fat diets. yet these diets have led us to gain more and more weight whilst

having very little positive impact on reducing heart disease.

As quickly as the low-fat and vegetable-fat craze swept through America, it

entered the UK. In 2005, OECD statistics revealed that almost one in three

Americans were obese, double the level since the 1980s, but the really

horrifying change had occurred in the UK. Here obesity rates had risen

fourfold in less than a generation, and almost one in four women, and and

one in five men were obese.

The low-fat trend has created a diet that is high in unhealthy carbohydrates,

processed foods and sugar. These are foods that don’t provide satiety; they

make us hungrier and we eat more. Believing that low-fat is better makes

us susceptible to the ideology that a calorie is a calorie. All of a sudden

we have a nation of people who have forgotten what real food is. We get

caught up in a sea of preservatives and chemicals, whilst bad-mouthing

natural fats.

Here are some basics of what we need to know about fats. There are three

different types of fats : saturated, unsaturated and trans fats. Unsaturated

fats can be either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. And then there

are the much lauded Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats. These are essential fatty

acids that must be consumed, as the body does not produce them naturally.

Omega-6 fats mainly come from grain-fed animals while Omega-3 comes

from grass-fed animals, and from fish. Too much Omega-6 is not healthy,

while Omega-3 provides an abundance of benefits.

Although you may have heard that saturated and unsaturated fats are

distinct from each other, the truth is that no fat is solely saturated or

unsaturated, but instead a mixture of both.

When any fat is heated it turns rancid, meaning the fat releases unhealthy

free radicals in the body that lead to health problems and ageing.

Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids found in pork, beef and lamb

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fats are less vulnerable to heat and turn rancid at a much slower pace than

polyunsaturated fats from vegetable sources. Cold-pressed vegetable oils

such as olive oil and sesame oil preserve their nutrients since they are not

heated or processed. For dressings or dips, cold-pressed vegetable oils are

healthy. If you are looking to cook with vegetable oils, the key is to keep

it at a low heat. A good one to use is Avocado oil as it has the highest

heating point of all vegetable oils, if you are looking for a cheaper option

coconut oil can be safe cooked at a low heat.

It is often assumed that all trans fats are unhealthy, when in reality it is

the man-made trans fats that are unhealthy. There is a trans-fat called

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Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) which is found in butter or ruminants

(animals that digest plant-based foods in two specific stages). CLA prevents

cancer, weight gain and heart disease. Many countries have banned trans

fats from the diet, forgetting about the CLA’s.

Another misconception is the hype about lowering cholesterol. Actually

certain kinds of cholesterol, including the type that is found in animal

fats (HDL), are good for us. Cholesterol is used in the brain, reparation of

the body and vital organs. Low levels of cholesterol have been linked to

infections, depression and certain diseases. But instead of animal fats and

cold pressed vegetable oils, most of the manufactured foods we buy are

made with processed vegetable oils.

Fat provides satiety and simplifies cooking. Every cell in our body, including

those in our brain, hormones, liver and immune system, is reliant on fat.

Diets that are low in fat are linked to depression, weight gain, and illness.

Animals are fed grains in order to make them fat, yet for some reason we

think that a similar diet will make us slim. Although the low-fat craze has

skyrocketed over the past 50 years, we are eating more fats now then

ever before, and they are the wrong fats. We are consuming processed oils

when we should be consuming animal fats and cold-pressed non-processed

vegetable oils. And today it is becoming more obvious that what really had

an impact on Finland’s rate of heart disease was the successful campaign

to create a healthier lifestyle for the entire nation by encouraging people

to take more exercise, give up smoking and cut back on binge drinking.

you may do this already, but next time you go shopping try comparing a

low-fat yogurt to the full-fat version. Check the calories, carbohydrate and

the sugar levels. you’ll quickly notice that the low-fat option has almost

double the amount of carbohydrates and sugar, but the same amount of

calories. So all you are getting from the low-fat version is more sugar and

unhealthy carbohydrates, but not saving any calories. And since there is

a lack of fat, the low-fat yogurt will leave you feeling less well-fed and

satisfied than the full-fat version would.

All the different diet information can get very confusing at times, but the

basic points to remember are always to eat in moderation, listen to your

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body, avoid processed and chemically induced foods, eat locally butchered

meats, dairy and eggs, and loads of vegetables and fruits. Also enjoy cold

pressed vegetable oils, and most of all if you are not a vegetarian, cook

with unprocessed animal fats.

As the ancient Chinese proverb states “There is no feast that does not

come to an end”. Hopefully that will be the case for processed vegetable

oils, processed and chemically enhanced foods, and ultimately obesity.

FaTFaCTS

• Fatsarebuiltupoffattyacidchains.Eachtypeoffathasadifferent

chainlength.Theshorterthechain,thequickeritistometabolizeinthe

body.

• Omega-6andOmega-3fatsareessential.Thebodydoesnotmake

them,soweneedtoeattheminourfood.although,watchout,too

muchOmega-6isnothealthy.butfeelfreetoeatasmuchOmega-3as

youwant!

• Omega-3fatsarefoundinfattyfishsuchassalmon,grassfedanimals,

flaxseedsandcertainunprocessedoils.

• Nofatisonlysaturatedorunsaturated,butinsteadisboth.Whicheveris

ofthehighestpercentagedetermineswhatwecallit.

• althoughmanmadetransfatsareextremelydangerous,naturaltrans

fatcanbehealthy.ForexampleConjugatedlinoleicacid(Cla)isa

animalbasedtransfatthatpreventscancer,weightgainandheart

disease.

• Fatkeepsyoufullerforlonger,leavingyousatisfiedandcausingyouto

eatless.

• Fatcaneasilygorancid,meaningtheyreleasefreeradicalsthatarevery

unhealthy.Especiallyvegetablefat.makesurethatifyouareeating

vegetablefatthatitisunprocessedandcoldpressedsuchasoliveoil.

• animalfatsthatareunprocessedprovidegreathealthbenefitsandhave

higherheatinglevels.Thismeanstheygorancidataveryslowrate

makingthemsafeforcooking.

C O N T E N T S

L I V E L I F E – L O V E F O O D

IN THE WEALD OF KENT JOCELyN GREGORy HAS

SPENT HER LIFE FARMING SHEEP WITH ALL THE

TRAGEDIES AND JOyS IT BRINGS.

worDs: sHeila HuMe iMaGes: Bill Mason

reCiPes: Bill Mason & Marie-louise aVery

LAMBING TIME

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

To misquote Lord Denning, “It’s lambing time in Kent”, and Jocelyn

Gregory, sheep farmer, opera buff and fount of rural knowledge, is

getting ready. Her sheep, some still bearing the blue dye on their backs

from the ram’s saddle after he tupped them will shortly be coming nearer

to home. Gestation is five months so lambing starts here around Easter,

by which time many other farmers around the country have finished. This

early and late lambing means a good steady supply to the market.

Jocelyn is small, wiry and with a girlish gait. you may see her, with her

large work-worn hands on the wheel, driving along on her old tractor

with her sheepdog, Bess, riding pillion. Farming 100 acres of grassland,

coppice and shaw in bucolic Benenden, she has 250 breeding ewes which

last spring produced 320 lambs. Her flock are pure-bred Kents with their

beautiful aristocratic noses and strong wool but she crosses the majority

of them with a Charolais ram, producing delicious meat, succulent and full

of flavour. She abandoned the Texel cross, prized for its wool, as she found

the ewes more difficult to lamb.

When the lambs reach about four months, they go to Ashford market either

to be sold as stores, or as fatstock. Store lambs are growing lambs not yet

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ready for slaughter, which are bought by farmers with plenty of grass,

to grow on and finish; fatstock are those lambs which are ready for the

butcher. Whichever route the lambs and sheep take, they never have to

travel for more than about 40 minutes from where they have been reared.

Jocelyn knew from the off that she wanted to be a farmer, and left school

at 15 to follow this life. She learnt sheep husbandry on Romney Marsh

before going to a mixed arable/livestock farm in Oxfordshire. Despite

her determination to farm sheep, she wanted to learn about all aspects of

farming - as she put it, “ it all marries in”. It was unusual then for a woman

to be a farmer; the few women who did go into the business tended

towards dairying, enjoying the nursing of young calves (hence the term

dairymaid). Returning to Kent, she worked with sheep in Hawkhurst before

finally buying Lodge Farm and building her own house with the help of a

farmer friend.

Jocelyn is eternally pragmatic but the sheep are truly under her protectorate

and for all that she accepts illness and death, a dog-worrying incident will

affect her for weeks. She has some memorable sayings. “When you have

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livestock, you have deadstock” and when one of her orphan lambs that

our children helped care for was found dead she said, “That’s sock lambs

for you, they’re always thinking of a way to die”. Just as she was shown

the way by the Marsh farmer, so she herself has taught numerous local

children, one now a farmer himself and another a vet.

Farming is dependent both on nature and government ‘nurture’, and has

become more complicated and bureaucratic since Jocelyn’s early Oxfordshire

days. The market price for wool and meat has risen and fallen with events.

To put this in context, lamb prices to the farmer last year were at a high of

£4.40 per kg. This year the price has dropped to £3.20 on average. Plentiful

and cheaper imports providing a glut are part of the reason for this.

But this is not the time to think about lamb prices – there are all those

pregnant ewes to drench, vaccinate and ‘clat’ (removing excess wool from

beneath their tails).

As Jocelyn would say, shepherding is more than the balance sheet.

C O N T E N T S

Honeyed shoulder of lamb

C O N T E N T S

1wholeshoulderoflamb,about

2.5kg

freshlygroundblackpepper

1cmfreshginger

2garliccloves

sprigofrosemary

3tbsphoney

juiceof½lemon

1tbspsoysauce

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, Gas Mark 6. Place the lamb on a rack

in a roasting tin and sprinkle liberally with black pepper. Roast for

15 minutes before turning the oven down to 170°C, Gas Mark 3 and

continue cooking for 30 minutes.

2 very finely chop the ginger, garlic and rosemary leaves. Warm the

honey and mix with the lemon juice, soy sauce and the chopped

ingredients. Baste the lamb with a little of this glaze every 20 minutes,

turning each time, for 2½ hours.

Honeyed shoulder of lambP r E P : 3 m I N u T E S | CO O k T I m E : 2 5 − 3 0 m I N u T E S | S E r v I N g S : 6 | S k I l l : Ea Sy

Often decried as a fatty joint, new season shoulder of spring lamb is

the sweetest, most succulent meat of the year. Slow roasting leaves the

meat falling off the bone – tear it apart and serve with pitta breads and

cacik.

C O N T E N T S

roast lambs’ kidneys

C O N T E N T S

roast lambs’ kidneysP r E P : 3 m I N u T E S | CO O k : 2 5 − 3 0 m I N u T E S | S E r v I N g S : 2 | S k I l l : Ea Sy

I recently bought a lamb for the freezer from a neighbour who keeps just

a few sheep a couple of fields away from us here in Kent. The kidneys

were supplied in their suet and, as I had never cooked them complete

before, I did a little research on what to do. I read lots and from

everything I discovered, I came up with this very simple way of roasting

them in a hot oven. As the heat began to work on the kidneys, the

kitchen was filled with the most delectable fragrance, sweet and savoury

in one - I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Save the left over fat afterwards - it works particularly well to start the

cooking of a lean meat such as venison, and gives a whole extra layer of

flavour to a casserole.

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C Gas Mark 6.

2 Put the kidneys into an oven-proof dish, allowing a bit of space

around them. Sprinkle over the salt, pepper and thyme and put the

dish in the oven and roast for about 25 - 30 minutes. It takes this long

for the fat to transform into a fragrant, golden protective coat around the

kidney which inside remains tender and juicy, and so, full of flavour.

3 Mashed potatoes and steamed cabbage are the simple sort of

accompaniments that work well with the fat - which is delicious -

while hot.

4wholelamb’skidneysintheirsuet

agoodgrindingofblackpepper

crushedmaldonseasalttotaste

asprinklingofthymeleaves-fresh

ordried

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

L I V E L I F E – L O V E F O O D

PRESERvING QUEEN, GLORIA NICOL, IS A LOvER

OF RHUBARB. SHE GROWS IT, LOTS OF IT, AND

CONJURES IT INTO DELICIOUS PRESERvES AND

DRINKS. SHE SHARES HER SECRETS HERE.

worDs anD iMaGes: Gloria niCol

IN PRAISE OF RHUBARB

C O N T E N T S

It’s a vegetable, but we like to think of it as a fruit. The bright pink stems

of forced rhubarb, with their contrasting neon-lime leaves, are Britain’s

earliest crop of the year. And I defy anyone, bar the most ardent colour

blind rhubarb loather, to not feel instantly uplifted at the first glimpse on a

greengrocer’s display. It’s as though it’s been sent to remind us, ‘don’t lose

heart, spring is just around the corner’. Whilst most crops when deprived

of light become a feebler version of themselves, rhubarb just gets even

sweeter, more dazzling and altogether more refined.

Though currently experiencing a renaissance, rhubarb’s popularity has seen

peaks and troughs. In the early 1800s the discovery that blanching the

stems made for a sweeter crop was instrumental in rhubarb making the

leap from medicinal to culinary use. With sugar such a rare commodity,

growing a sweeter version requiring less sweetening really helped its

popularity, and during yorkshire’s forced rhubarb boom years, from 1900

and 1939, the crop was cultivated by around 200 growers over an area

of about 30 square miles. But with sugar rationing, generations force-

fed the stewed improperly sweetened stuff reached the point of shouting

‘no more’. As is the way when popularity takes a nosedive, producers

had to retrench. Since the slump in sales that followed the Second World

War, rhubarb is now grown in a much-reduced manner within a 9-square-

mile triangle, with the towns of Wakefield, Morely and Rothwell at each

point. Less than 20 growers survived to see the current upturn in favour, as

almost every chef in the land includes rhubarb in some form or another on

their menu. Now protected under an EU directive, only rhubarb grown in

yorkshire can call itself yorkshire Forced Rhubarb. Dutch rhubarb is often for

sale as an alternative, and I have spied it from as far afield as New Zealand

on supermarket shelves. But that is just rhubarb (note the lower case ‘r’)!

Once the forced rhubarb season is over in May, it makes way for summer

field rhubarb. People do get sniffy about preferring the forced kind over

common-or-garden field grown rhubarb, but as I was brought up on the

latter kind, I hold a particular affection for it. The sourness of field grown

rhubarb is the clincher, you are either for it or against. Traditionally, the

addition of a few leaves of the herb angelica was used to dumb down the

sharpness.

C O N T E N T S

I like to use rhubarb for my preserving, though now I have varieties planted

in my preserving garden to give an almost year-round fresh supply, this

form of storing is less of an imperative. I do keep a stock of rhubarb cordials

and compotes handy though, so it’s just a matter of popping open a jar

when needed. If I have a lot of rhubarb I use a steam juicer to extract the

juice. A steam juicer is a tall stacked and lidded pan in sections. Water goes

in the base, the chopped rhubarb in the top and after around 45 minutes

of cooking the middle section fills up with juice that can be tapped straight

into sterilised bottles and sealed. Mixed with quince or orange juice and

sweetened with sugar, it makes an exquisite cordial you are unlikely to find

C O N T E N T S

to on sale anywhere. The juice can also be used to make a beautiful pink

jelly that works as a savoury accompaniment or can be a dessert with the

addition of rose water. Perfect companion flavours for rhubarb are orange

for marmalade, lemon for jam and my favourite, ginger for ketchup. Served

with oily fish such as mackerel is also a classic pairing.

Cultivation Rhubarb is a greedy feeder, which repays in bucket-loads

when well mulched with manure. Planted in the right spot rhubarb easily

flourishes and the only times I have seen plants struggle is when planted

in the vicinity of tree roots, albeit some way from a tree. They make big

plants so give them plenty of space, allowing at least 1 metre square or

more. A sunny sight in a fairly heavy soil is ideal but any site likely to

become water logging should be avoided, as plant crowns are prone to

rot. It takes a few years for a newly planted crown to come into its own,

but once established it can stand for 5-10 years, so it is worth preparing

the site well prior to planting with plenty of organic manure added at the

time, as well as for mulching each subsequent winter.

I must admit, I am partial to the sight of rhubarb gone to seed with its

statuesque triffid-like flower stems, but whilst I enjoy the visual treat it isn’t

helping the plant to thrive. Removing flowers as soon as they occur is the

best way to stop the plants energy from becoming depleted. By placing

an upturned dustbin (or choose a traditional terracotta rhubarb forcing pot

if your kitchen garden style demands it) over a rhubarb crown mid-winter

time, you can grow your own ‘blanched’ rhubarb, but do remember to give

crowns a year or twos rest between forcing, so they have time to recover.

I grow Timperley Early, because it is the earliest variety to appear in late

winter; Livingstone, which has a long season, having had winter dormancy

bred out of it; and Glaskin’s Perpetual, a good all-round variety, that’s easy

to grow and has the best name!

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

rhubarb & carrot jam

C O N T E N T S

rhubarb & carrot jam m a k E S a P P rOx 1 . 5 kg

Rhubarb combined with carrots makes a really delicious and colourful

jam from the humblest of ingredients. It works well as a filling for a tart

with the addition of 1-2 beaten eggs, then baked in the oven and would

work as the fruit base for an ice cream too.

1 Finely grate the carrots and place in a pan with 500ml of water. Finely

grate the zest from the lemon, squeeze out the juice and place to one

side. Chop the lemon halves, pith and all, into chunks and place them

and any pips in a muslin bag tied closed with string or a knot and add

them to the carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 20

minutes, then remove from the heat.

2 Chop the rhubarb into 1cm sized cube pieces. If the sticks are thick I

slice them lengthways once or sometimes twice before chopping into

equally sized small chunks. Place the rhubarb in a bowl, add the lemon

zest and juice and pour the sugar over it. Cover and leave for an hour or

two until the juice starts to run from the rhubarb.

3 Tip the contents of the rhubarb bowl into a preserving pan and add

the cooked carrots, cooking liquid and muslin bundle. Add the finely

chopped stem ginger and candied peel cut into thin slivers. Heat slowly,

stirring all the time until the sugar is completely dissolved, then turn up

the heat bring to a rolling boil and cook until setting point is reached (this

takes me around 25 minutes). (Test for a set on a cold plate or use a jam

thermometer.) Discard the muslin bag. Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal.

Leave your jars until cold and don’t forget to label and date them.

500gcarrots,peeled,toppedand

tailed

1unwaxedlemon

500grhubarb,washedandtrimmed

800gsugar(usejamsugarwith

addedpectinforastrongerset)

60gstemginger(approx4pieces)

150gcandiedpeel(optional)

C O N T E N T S

rhubarb & angelica cordial

C O N T E N T S

rhubarb & angelica cordial m a k E S a P P rOx 1 . 7 l I T r E S

It is highly unlikely you will come across angelica for sale to use here

but it is a beautiful lofty plant to grow in the garden so long as you have

enough space. you can of course omit the angelica and make a simple

rhubarb cordial instead.

1 Wash and drain the angelica and shake dry, then chop roughly and

place in a dish in layers with half of the sugar sprinkled in between

and over top to cover. Leave for 24 hours until the sugar has turned to

syrup. Put into a pan and heat gently, stirring to be sure all the sugar

has dissolved. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat, pour back in

the dish and leave overnight. Return to the pan, bring to a simmer and

cook gently until the leaves begin to look transparent, which should only

take 5 minutes or so. Pour through a sieve to leave a clear syrup. This

method should extract as much of the angelica flavour as possible. Cut

the macerating time down as required if you are in a hurry.

2 Wash and drain the rhubarb, removing leaves and trimming the ends.

Cut thicker stalks in half down the middle then chop into 1cm sized

pieces. Place in a pan with the water, bring to the boil and simmer gently

for 10 - 15 minutes until cooked through. Pour into a suspended jelly bag

and leave overnight to drip through, catching the juice in a jug.

3 Place the rhubarb juice, angelica syrup and remaining sugar in a

pan and heat gently, stirring all the time until the sugar is dissolved.

Bring to the boil then remove from the heat, pour into your hot sterilised

bottles. Store in the fridge. I preserve my cordials by hot water processing

them so they will keep for a year or more on the pantry shelf.

100gangelicafreshleaves

450gcastersugar

2kgrhubarb

1.2ltrswater

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

L I V E L I F E – L O V E F O O D

IN NORTH-EAST SPAIN, THREE ROCA BROTHERS

REALLy UNDERSTAND HOW TO MAKE TRULy GREAT

FOOD THAT SITS AT THE HEART OF FAMILy LIFE. MARy

GWyNN PAyS HOMAGE TO THEIR SKILL AND vISION.

worDs: Mary Gwynn

iMaGes: Mary Gwynn & roisin HowarD

CAN ROCA: IT’S A FAMILy AFFAIR

C O N T E N T S

GIRONA – Friday 7th December 2012

I apologise here and now for gushing just a little bit. It seems only appropriate

that nearly half a century of wonderful eating have brought me here to

El Celler de Can Roca (cellercanroca) in Girona, reportedly the second best

restaurant in the world, on a sunny Friday in December. Pilgrimage sounds

too reverential for something surprisingly homely and comfortable but for

such an experience, worship seems the only option.

TRAvELS DISH By DISH

Over the years, landmark meals have all added pieces to my culinary

jigsaw. Foie gras with a perfect Sauternes jelly at Simply Nico; inspirational

meals at Dartmouth’s Carved Angel over years of family visits; a lunch in

Fulham when Gordon Ramsay was just the name of the talented chef

at Aubergine; every meal eaten at The River Cafe; yet another birthday

occasion at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons. The most memorable have left

me wanting to stop time to savour them, to set them in the mind to revisit

again and again. All have in common that perfect combination of people

and location with outstanding wine and food.

Then there is Spain; since my first visit over thirty years ago, always the

touchstone for my own cooking. So many meals eaten there are lodged

in my memory bank – chiperones and chilled tumblers of manzanilla

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

in Sanlucar, an astonishing pork sandwich in Extremadura, tapas in San

Sebastián; a memorable wedding with food on epic proportions over an

entire winter weekend in Pamplona; linguada, croquetas and chuletas in

Majorca. And somehow it seems all my Spanish roads led to that calm

room in Girona – and so fitting to be taken there by my daughters – food

and family as ever creating perfect harmony.

FAMILy vALUES

Five years ago I ran a cookery week at home for eldest daughter Lucy and

three friends. Off to university, none had cooked at all, and all feared they

never would, or could. Preparing and cooking food seemed a complex and

inaccessible challenge. It was a week that changed everything for them as

they discovered that everyday cooking is easy – and most of all, enjoyable.

And though I was not aware at the time, it made Roisin determined to

work with food. Conveniently for me, her culinary ambitions had taken

her to Spain for almost a year. And December found her working with a

Girona-based company organising speciality food tours. Her boss helped

book us our table at Roca, and, serendipitously, the date was for lunch

on my birthday. And thanks to Roisin’s wonderfully meticulous planning,

we had a wonderful 48-hour masterclass in Catalonian food and wine, all

enjoyed to the full with a perfect sense of place.

TASTES OF CATALONIA

The local food the night before had set the scene – grilled meats, snails,

butifarra and salt cod eaten in a small highly regarded family restaurant in

Mas Pau. On the morning of the 7th, the beach at Calella de Palafrugell

was a satisfying mixture of Eastbourne and Salcombe but with light and

colour from Picasso etchings – trees in different greens, cold blue seas

with sparkling highlights, whites, greys, blues. Of course now I realise why

Catalonia is god’s country – it has mountains and sea in harmony. We slept

with the backdrop of the snow-covered Pyrenees and walked by a fresh

blue sea before lunch. And the December landscape of clear light on tree

trunks and pale blue skies – trees, sunlight and wood running through our

visit, viewed from the car by the motorway, seen from our hotel room, pine

by the beach – was ideally represented in the restaurant itself. Our meal at

Can Roca reflected that wonderful juxtaposition of terrains all in one region,

as the four of us debated mountains versus beaches over lunch.

C O N T E N T S

A DOORWAy INTO A MAGICAL WORLD…

Our taxi drops the four of us off in an unassuming residential area on the

outskirts of Girona at a simple entrance of lapped wood wall, with no hint

of what is hidden behind. We walk through an attractive wood-panelled

terrace, the first of a series of rooms, set with tables and chairs. A glass

wall runs down one side.

Through a wooden door to a smiling welcome, and then immediately on

into a kitchen like a home – a slate wall of chalked notes on influences and

ideas to our left, on the right eldest Roca, Joan, glasses on the bridge of

his nose, benign and watchful, looking over his kingdom as he sits at his

C O N T E N T S

long desk surrounded by reference books and notebooks. He comes over to

shake hands and nod and smile a welcome to these four English pilgrims.

We walk on into a series of rooms opening onto each other – wood-fired

oven, stainless steel surfaces workmanlike but not dominating, a brigade

of attractive well-dressed chefs in a calm space. No obvious egos and all

smiling and happy to welcome us there. The impression is of Willy Wonka

style magic but it’s all somehow familiar and welcoming.

FOOD FIT FOR GODDESSES

Then it’s back out and into the dining room, built around a triangle of

birch trees enclosed in glass – bleached bark trunks with crisp ochre leaves

covering the ground, and the winter sun raking in across the restaurant.

Low ceilings, clear space around the tables, zen, calm, welcome – the

atmosphere of every day eating but this is not every day. Clear glass, pale

wood, dark suited staff – the colours are muted and natural throughout,

the fireworks all come from the food. Other customers are a mix of families

with babies having lunch, couples, a group celebrating a family event – all

content to be there in what appears to be essentially the local restaurant.

The only other time I’ve had a meal when, at the end, I felt I didn’t want to

eat anything else ever again to spoil the memory, was the first time I went

to the Manoir. On that occasion, I could have left after the canapés, bread,

butter and wine and been totally satisfied. Here it’s the two earliest arrivals

at the table – the first a globe of the world summed up in five canapés,

with a quiz as to each origin adding to the sense of fun – that engender the

same sense of complete satisfaction. Lapland, Peru, Morocco, Japan and

Mexico – each mouthful is an explosive wonder, sparking memory. We start

with Lapland – a frozen burst of horseradish and dill with perfectly acidic

yogurt, then Morocco all almond and rose with my favourite Ras al hanout

seasoning encased in light brique pastry. Peru is lime and fish – ceviche in

a mouthful. Each one is entirely pleasing. (And we all guess the locations

correctly!)

PICKING THE PERFECT OLIvE

Then a miniature olive tree roots us back here in Spain. The crispy candy-

coated olives we all stretch to pick are a perfect blend of sweet/sour/salt

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

and bitter – and an education in taste and texture. They finally make sense of

my previous ambivalence about olives. So this is what they should taste like!

The smiling waiter hands round a splendid bread basket – extraordinary red

wine bread with a distinctive deep colour, apricot and walnut but best of

all a black olive Chelsea bun style twist – flaky yet crisp texture suggests

use of lard and recalls my favourite breakfast ensaimada in Mallorca. As

the meal progresses more wonders continue to arrive without ceremony

– each dish doing its own talking. As daughter Lucy comments with what

feels like only a little hyperbole ‘If everyone ate this food there would be

no war’ – and we all know just what she was trying to say.

The food uses every tool on offer to the modern chef to create balance

and pleasure; cold and hot, soft and resisting, smooth and crunchy, small

but intense - but always real food rather than laboratory creations. It’s

subtle, restrained but concentrated, which means you feel satisfied but not

overwhelmed. And all served with that Spanish flair and lack of ceremony.

So we feel cared for but not condescended to. The highlight is the signature

sole dish served oh so simply with five sauces – fennel, bergamot, orange,

pine nut and olive - that sum up the essence of Spain. It manages in one plate

to say all there is to say about the country and ingredients. The wonderful

wines that accompany each course deserve a feature all to themselves but

for now what stands out are the stunning white Bourgougne, the Priorat,

and the luminous desert wine, a spatlese.

After a series of remarkable dishes the sweetie shop petit-four trolley is

rolled up to our table, providing the only bright colours in the room. The

waitress nods and smiles to us like a summer ice cream seller on the

beach. Back into the kitchen to meet Jordi, like a smiling but self-effacing

elf, we try to say thank you but language means we are restricted to smiles

and nods. But we all understand why we are there together. The Rocas

understand that essential truth – families that eat together stay together.

Family and food – it’s all there is in life.

We leave walking out into late sun not drunk or overfed but smiling and

replete - serenity and satisfaction with a real sense of wonder. Thank you

girls and Roisin. And Can Roca…..

C O N T E N T S

L I V E L I F E – L O V E F O O D

BROTH, CONSOMMé, POTTAGE, BOUILLON, HODGEPODGE, CHOWDER - THEy

ARE ALL SOUPS, ALL WAyS OF COMBINING A FEW INGREDIENTS WITH

LIQUID INTO A COMFORTING DIGESTIBLE DISTILLATION OF TASTES.

EACH OF THESE FOUR RECIPES WILL SUIT A DIFFERENT OCCASION, BUT ALL

DESERvE TO BE TASTED.

reCiPes anD iMaGes: Marie-louise aVery

SING A SONG OF SOUP

C O N T E N T S

swedish pea soup with ham P r E P : 1 5 m I N u T E S | CO O k : a bO u T 2 h O u r S | S E r v I N g S : 4 | S k I l l : Ea Sy

One of Sweden’s most ancient dishes, eaten since viking times, ärtsoppa

(pea soup) is made using dried yellow peas that flourish in the short

Swedish growing season. A dish that could be made by all, even those

who had only a single cooking pot to hang over the fire, it became

particularly popular when Sweden adopted Catholicism, as a sustaining

meal for Thursdays before the Friday fast (especially with the pork

added). Even after Sweden’s conversion to Lutheranism in 1530, the

Thursday tradition of ärtsoppa continued, and as time went on, the

eating of pea soup became a ritual with very specific additions.

As the Swedish East India Company rose to prominence in the 18th

century, one of the ingredients they imported was arrack from Java and

Indonesia. The sweet aromatic arrack-based Swedish liqueur, Punsch, was

recognised as the perfect foil to the earthy pea soup, and a little cup, or

C O N T E N T S

swedish pea soup with ham

C O N T E N T S

1 Soak the peas in water overnight, or for at least 12 hours.

2 Drain the peas, put them in a big saucepan with the chopped onions,

the onion stuck with cloves and 1½ litres cold water. Bring to a boil,

then reduce heat to medium, add the piece of salt pork, cover, and let

simmer for about 90 minutes. Skim off any pea skins that surface.

3 Rub the marjoram and thyme between your hands into the pan, stir,

and leave to simmer for another 15 minutes. It shouldn’t be too thick

so add more water if necessary to keep the soup liquid. Season to taste

cautiously as the salt pork may have seasoned the broth enough.

4 Remove the meat, let cool, then cut into smallish pieces. Remove the

clove-stuck onion and discard.

5 Divide the pork among the soup bowls, then ladle the soup over it.

Ideally choose bowls with rims, as it is traditional to serve ärtsoppa

with some Swedish mustard, which you can dip the tip of your spoon into

with each mouthful of soup.

500gmwholedriedyellowpeas

(youcanusesplitpeasifyoucan’t

findwholepeas)

2onions,choppedfinely

1wholeonion,peeledandstuck

with2wholecloves

250gpieceofleansaltpork

¼tspdriedmarjoram

½tspdriedthyme

salt(ifneeded)

toserve:Swedishsmoothorgrainy

mustard-preferablySlotts

even several, of warmed Punsch became the classic accompaniment.

The next development was the dessert and thin Swedish pancakes were

added to the ceremony – served with preserves or fresh berries.

Now on Thursdays all over Sweden, you still find this meal served, in

hospitals, schools, restaurants and prisons - but perhaps not including the

Punsch in all of those places!

you can buy these special Swedish ingredients from the Scandinavian Kitchen at http://www.scandikitchen.co.uk

C O N T E N T S

Chicken and spinach soup

C O N T E N T S

1 In a large heavy pan, lightly brown the whole chicken thighs in the

fat.

2 Add carrots, celery, and onion, with cumin, thyme, and smoked

paprika. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until

the vegetables have taken a little colour. Add the chorizo, chicken stock,

rice and lentils.

3 Bring to the boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer

for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice and lentils are

soft.

4 Remove the chicken thighs and, discarding the skin and bones, tear

the chicken flesh into smallish pieces. Return the meat to the pan, stir

in the spinach and cook briefly until wilted. Serve in warm bowls.

3free-rangechickenthighs

alittlegoosefatorlard

2carrots,diced

3stickscelery,finelysliced

1largeonion,finelychopped

1tspcuminseeds,crushed,

½tspdriedthyme

½tspsmokedpaprika

about100gchorizosausage

2.5lchickenstock-orusemarigold

organicstockpowder

3tbsplong-grainbrownrice

3tbspbrownlentils

saltandfreshlygroundblackpepper

totaste

225gfreshspinach,roughlychopped

Chicken and spinach soup P r E P : 1 5 m I N S | CO O k : 3 0 m I N S | S E r v I N g S : 6 | S k I l l : Ea Sy

A sustaining and nourishing soup that makes a whole meal. The chicken

is simmered in the liquid thus losing no goodness - but it is important

to use carefully sourced free-range chicken for the best flavour and

goodness.

C O N T E N T S

nettle soup

C O N T E N T S

1 First pick over your nettles carefully discarding any pieces of stem or

leaves that look too large and may be fibrous.

2 Wash the nettle tops really well. I swirl them about in a large bowl of

water allowing the dirt and bugs to sink to the bottom and then skim

them out into a salad spinner, spin well to drive out more dirt and then

repeat the whole process. Gritty soup is not nice.

3 In a large pan soften the nettles in the butter until wilted, sprinkle on

the cornflour, stir in the stock and simmer for about 10 minutes until

soft. Add the chives and wild garlic at the end of the simmering time.

4 Blend in a blender or with stick blender briefly, allowing some of the

texture to remain, season with care, and serve with a halved boiled

egg in the each bowl – cut sides up. The eggs are much nicer if still just

soft in the middle. Crème fraiche can be added at table.

The soup shouldn’t be thick - it just needs this small amount of cornflour,

which binds in the butter and gives it a slight opacity..

2lofthetopsprigsofyoungnettles

25gbutter

about1tspcornflour

1.5lwaterorgoodvealorchicken

stock.

25gchoppedfreshchives

afewwildgarlicleavesifyouhave

them

dashofwhitepepperandsaltto

taste

boiledeggsandcrèmefraicheto

serve

nettle soup P r E P : 1 5 m I N u T E S P lu S N ET T l E P I C k I N g T I m E | CO O k : 2 0 m I N u T E S | S E r v I N g S : 4 | S k I l l : m E D I u m

Spring is celebrated in Sweden with nässelsoppa (nettle soup) made

with the soft tops of young nettles, and served with boiled eggs.

I donned red rubber gloves to pick a bowlful of nettles from the

shamefully abundant supply in our garden, painstakingly picking only the

very top sprigs.

C O N T E N T S

saffron seafood soup

C O N T E N T S

saffron seafood soup P r E P : 5 m I N u T E S | CO O k : 1 5 m I N u T E S | S E r v I N g S : 4 | S k I l l : Ea Sy

This is a soup I can make very quickly from ingredients I keep at home.

Fish fillets, prawns, broad beans and peas are favourite things I always

try to have in the freezer, and the fresh vegetables are my staples - I can

barely cook anything without onions, celery and carrots, so always have

them to hand. It makes a delicate and satisfying meal in a few minutes

that can astonish and delight unexpected guests.

1 Cut the fish into generous bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle the saffron

threads into a little warm water and set aside.

2 Meanwhile, heat the butter in a heavy pan. Gently sauté the onion,

garlic, carrot, celery, and potato until soft and golden. Add the stock to

the vegetables with the saffron water and the peas and broad beans and

cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

3 Add fish and prawns and simmer for five minutes until just cooked.

Add the cream and stir in gently. Check for seasoning, add with salt

and pepper as necessary, and sprinkle with parsley.

500gfishfillets(haddock,codor

gurnard)

250gpeeledNorthSeaprawns,

freshorfrozen

¼tspsaffronthreads

25gbutter,preferablyunsalted

1mediumonion,finelychopped

1clovegarlic,crushed

1carrot,diced

1celerystick,thinlysliced

1mediumpotato,peeledandfinely

diced

handfulofbabyfrozenpeas

handfuloffrozenbroadbeans

1.5lfishstockormarigoldorganic

stockpowder

2-3tblspdoublecream

saltandfreshlygroundpepperto

taste

2tbspchoppedfreshparsley

C O N T E N T S

L I V E L I F E – L O V E F O O D

NEW ZEALAND-BORN JOHN DOIG HAD SUCCESSFUL CAREERS AS AN

AUTHOR, ADvERTISING COPy WRITER AND vINEyARD OWNER, BEFORE

FINDING HIS TRUE CALLING AS A CHARCUTIER. TODAy HE SELLS HIS

PRODUCE TO THE LIKES OF BOROUGH MARKET AND MARK HIX. HERE HE

DESCRIBES HOW HE DEvELOPED AS AN ARTISAN By TRIAL AND ERROR WITH

INvALUABLE HELP FROM THE PALATES OF FARMER’S MARKET CUSTOMERS.

worDs: JoHn DoiG iMaGes: Bill Mason

THE SECRETS OF CHARCUTERIE

C O N T E N T S

It was in old butchery books that I learned the most. I loved Maynard

Davies and his Manual of a Traditional Bacon Curer and a tiny, pocket-

sized 19th century professional Parisian guide to Le Charcuterie. Heller’s

Secrets of Meat Curing and Sausage Making from 1929 was an American

cracker that still serves as a guide and mentor. While many contemporary

cookbooks offer recipes and techniques for curing sausages they are, for

the most part, a consequence of too much research, science and testing

and not nearly enough listening to the past. Nowadays charcuterie is a

craft component of the delicatessen corner in the supermarket. In bygone

days charcuterie was simply the art of preserving meat and making it

interesting in the time before refrigerators.

My own recipes were developed by trial and error and an understanding

of a few of the principles involved. Not so much the chemistry, but more

the process and a respect for the hygiene involved in managing a butchery.

Salt and cure quantities have universal rules. But it’s the aromatics and the

meat itself that distinguishes a fine length of saucisson from an ordinary

supermarket brand. I spent my first six months in my factory making

sausages and tasting them, making small changes until texture, heft, aroma

and the entire taste experience seemed to me to be about right. I started

using the meat reared at Moons Green and then, as we slowly closed the

pig-raising operation, bought different cuts of meat from different farmers

and butcheries. It didn’t take long to recognize that the quality and cut of

the meat can make a mammoth difference in the taste of a sausage.

But let me return to the early days. (18 months ago to be precise.) I’d

always thought that the best market for a serious charcuterie product had

to be restaurants, or more specifically chefs. In 2011 the Spanish invasion

was spreading from London into the provinces, bearing tapas, Iberico hams,

chorizo and albariño for a British restaurant culture hungry for new ideas.

It seemed to me that making chorizo was critical, that this was all the

charcuterie – apart from peperoni – that much of the UK was familiar with.

My real interest, of course, was not focused on Spain but on France and

Italy where I thought – and still think – that the best cured sausages are

made. But I focused on making an acceptable chorizo. I used three kinds of

Spanish paprika and Amontillado sherry from Tesco, made by Gonzalez, an

outstanding drink in its own right. The result was an intense and complex

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

flavor for a cured sausage, something to savour, especially if it was aged

for at least four weeks and allowed to dry out. But people wanted the soft,

pliable and burgundy-coloured horseshoe-shaped beasts from Sainsbury’s

(£3.00 for two, hurry while stocks last.) Innocuous, simple flavours, easy to

cook with and not bad as snacks with a pint of bitter.

At least that was the response I received from a couple of local food

luminaries who ‘know the market’. It plunged me into self-doubt, deeply

depressing and bad for a business about to kick its heels in the air and try

and seduce the local brigades of young chefs. At this time I had not sold a

single sausage.

But then I was lucky enough to meet two people, one who was starting

a British charcuterie stall at Borough Market in London and the other who

had just started his own market in the South London district of Brockley.

The first persuaded me to let HIM and his brother to take my products

– when they were ready - to their Borough Market stall and the second

persuaded me to erect my own tent and run a stall every Saturday at his

new market. These two encounters proved to be the boost I needed and

have provided a double anchor that has launched Moons Green Charcuterie

upon the world.

To give you a glimpse of what has happened to my small business and

where it might go from here, let me take you to Brockley Market. It was

started by Toby Allen, a laconic, 35-year-old, gentle Londoner, who saw

an empty carpark in a young, affluent suburb and turned it into one of the

best open food markets in the country in little over a year. Boasting just 30

stalls it has a waiting list of more than 200 itching for a chance to put up

their tents and see if they can crack it in this foodie’s Mecca. Every Saturday

2,000 people visit Brockley Market to eat the best street food in London

and to buy from farmers and artisans who produce bread, cheese, pork

pies, fruit and vegetables, fish, game, milk and yes, charcuterie.

I had no idea that I would look forward to getting up at 5.30 every Saturday

morning in order to load up my ancient estate car with sausage and cured

meats and head for ‘Sarf London’. But every Saturday you will find me – and

often my 11-year-old daughter in her butcher’s apron – at Brockley Market.

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

Here I conduct the market research that guides my choice of products, the

flavours I introduce to sausages and muscle meats, and the prices I charge.

Just as importantly this market offers a shop window to the many chefs

who visit to see what’s going on in the world of modern street food and

allows me to meet them and talk about Moons Green Charcuterie.

Nowadays I make about a dozen different products on a consistent basis.

All have survived the most rigorous evaluations by proven charcuterie-

lovers at my Brockley research laboratory. It was here that I first offered

a rosemary saucisson. (So obvious, why hasn’t it been done before.) And

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

changed my noisette into ‘cobnut & red wine’ saucisson. Here I launched

the Wild Fennel version (foraged by my friend Esther Sam in Winchelsea on

the East Sussex Coast) of the classic Lyonnais Rosette, and saw a sausage

made with wild mushrooms and British truffles earn an immediate fan club.

But I also saw my fig and Palo Cortado concoction die slowly and attempts

at smoked saucisson earn not much more than a polite yawn. I make and

sell both pancetta and guanciale and keep recipes on hand for those with

a hankering for Italian authenticity. But the one product that dominates all

the others and sells out almost every week is the most simple and perhaps

unlikely sausage of all.

Meet my beer sticks. Each week we sell about 500 beer sticks at the

market. A dozen regular market customers each buy £20 worth every

week. They are the perfect match for a drink. A pint of beer, of course,

But also a glass of wine, a cocktail even. My friend Sue Martin, who often

tends the market stall with me, tells people that they’re called beer sticks

because “they’re the same height as a pint glass”. (you have to hear it with

her Irish lilt to best appreciate the charm of the idea.) Whatever depths

the name emerged from it has nothing to do with ingredients. There’s no

beer in these thin, reedy, porky sausages. Just smoked paprika, garlic, a

little ground coriander. But there is a surprise. When I first made them I

used some chillies I found online from Malawi. Their particular and peculiar

characteristic is that their heat takes 15-seconds to reveal itself. I tell people

that beer sticks are ‘a wee bit spicy’ and they taste them and look at me as

if I’ve no idea. Then the chilli kicks in. Suddenly you need a drink.

Our beer sticks are on the menu at Mark Hix restaurants and half a dozen

other Michelin-starred places. Plus London pubs and others further afield

who’ve heard about them from friends. We are looking at trying to build

a production line that still allows us to hand-make them but speeds up

the process. Because right now we can’t make enough. A nice problem

to have. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moons-Green-Charcuterie

C O N T E N T S

L I V E L I F E – L O V E F O O D

WE COULDN’T END OUR FIRST ISSUE WITHOUT LEAvING yOU A

COUPLE OF RECIPES TO REMIND yOU OF US. BOTH OF THESE RECIPES

USE SAFFRON AND ARE CLASSIC TEA TIME TREATS USING REAL

INGREDIENTS. THEy SyMBOLISE SOME OF THE MANy GOOD THINGS

WE BELIEvE IN AND WE HOPE yOU MAKE THEM AND ENJOy THEM,

AND AS yOU NIBBLE, REMEMBER TO LOOK OUT FOR OUR NEXT ISSUE.

reCiPes: Mary Gwynn iMaGes: Marie-louise aVery

SAFFRON TREATS

C O N T E N T S

Cornish saffron cake

C O N T E N T S

Cornish saffron cake P r E P : 4 5 m I N u T E S P lu S P rOv I N g T I m E | CO O k : 2 5 – 3 0 m I N u T E S | m a k E S O N E 2 3 C m lOa F | S k I l l : m E D I u m

Going back to traditional regional recipes provides us with a reassuring

link into local history and the pleasures of eating with the seasons.

Butter, yeast, expensive spices and fruit, and even clotted cream were

used to make this leavened cake, as the housewife celebrated the

end of Lent with all her best ingredients. Saffron was, and is, the most

extravagant spice of all, and its lovely intense colour heralds the arrival of

spring and new birth.

If you’ve only eaten shop made or supermarket saffron breads, this

recipe, based on Elizabeth David’s classic from her English Bread and

Yeast Cookery, is a revelation with the almost soapy mineral flavour from

the saffron balanced by the other spices. The rich buttery dough needs

only a short knead but use fresh or granular yeast rather than the quick

powder for the best texture, and an overnight slow proving creates a

rather dense but soft crumb and really fine flavour.

It’s best eaten warm from the oven but toasts well. Make and freeze

for a perfect Easter treat spread with local raspberry jam or homemade

bramble jelly and a dollop of clotted cream

175-200mlfullfatmilk

½tspsaffronthreads

15gyeast,freshordried

450gstrongplainflour,sifted

1tspsalt

1tspeachofgroundnutmeg,

cinnamonandmixedspice

50gcastersugar

125ggoodbutter,warmedtill

soft(youcouldusethickcream

instead)

50geachcurrantsandsultanas

Fortheglaze:

1tbspsugar

2tbspmilk

C O N T E N T S

1 Try to work with everything warm – the kitchen, utensils and

ingredients to give the yeast the best chance to work its magic. Warm

half the milk to almost boiling – I do this in the microwave. Place the

saffron and yeast into two ramekins or small bowls. Pour a little of the

hot milk over the saffron and leave to infuse for 5 minutes to release its

eggy yellow colour. When the remaining milk is lukewarm, pour over the

yeast and mix to a thin paste. Leave to stand for 10 minutes until frothy.

2 Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large warmed mixing bowl and stir

in the sugar. Quickly rub in the soft butter then add the saffron and

the remaining milk. Bring together with your hands to form a soft dough,

adding more milk if the dough is too dry. Add the dried fruit and knead

thoroughly into the dough – you can do this in the bowl or on a very

lightly floured surface if you prefer but don’t add too much extra flour as

it will spoil the texture.

3 Return the dough to a clean warm bowl and cover with a tea towel

or cling film. Leave to double in volume. This will take a coupIe of

hours in a regular temperatured room or I do this overnight in a very cool

place or in the fridge. A long slow proving gives the best texture as the

yeast works slowly. If it’s been in the fridge and the kitchen is cold in the

morning I sit the bowl in a sink of warm water to bring it up to the right

temperature.

4 Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead lightly.

Then roll out into a flat circle and push lightly into a buttered 23cm

round shallow tin (or you could make a loaf). Cover and leave in a warm

place until doubled in size and reaching to the top of the tin. Bake at

200°C Gas mark 6 for 25 – 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The

cake should sound hollow when knocked on the base.

5 While the cake is cooking warm the milk and sugar together for the

glaze. Brush the cake with the glaze as soon as it comes out of the

oven and then leave in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out.

C O N T E N T S

saffron scones

C O N T E N T S

saffron scones P r E P : 1 0 m I N u T E S | CO O k : 1 2 - 1 5 m I N u T E S | m a k E S 1 0 S CO N E S | S k I l l : Ea Sy

If you haven’t got the time to make the cake recipe then try these

scones as an alternative. I like my scones straight from the oven when

the crumb is soft and yielding but they are still good a day later or

warmed from the freezer. Serve the traditional way warmed and split

with clotted cream and strawberry jam

1 Preheat the oven to 225°C Gas mark 7. Place a baking sheet in the

oven. Warm a little of the milk to nearly boiling and pour over the

saffron in a ramekin. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.

2 Unlike the yeast recipe scones work better if everything is cold,

including your hands. Sift the flour, salt baking powder and spices into

a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and quickly and lightly rub in the

butter until the mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs. Stir in the dried

fruit.

3 Whisk together the remaining milk and egg and pour over the dried

ingredients. Bring together with the blade of a knife and then turn

out and knead lightly and quickly on a lightly floured surface to give a

soft dough. Roll out to about 2.5cm thickness and cut out rounds with a

floured 7.5 cm cutter. Reroll and cut any trimmings.

4 Place the scones on the hot baking sheet and brush the tops with

the glaze. Bake for 12- 15 minutes until the tops are golden and

the bottoms sound hollow when knocked. Cool on wire racks and serve

warm.

¼tspsaffronthreads

225mlmilk

450gplainflour,sifted

pinchofsalt

2tspbakingpowder

1tspeachgroundnutmeg,

cinnamonandmixedspice

25gcastersugar

75ggoodbutter,diced

30geachcurrantsandsultanas

1largefree-rangeegg,

milkglaze(seepreviousrecipe)

C O N T E N T S

C O N T E N T S

saffron - final word

The online magazine you have been reading is

a free taster of Saffron Magazine.

Issue 2, out in the summer of 2013 will be a sold as an app in

the iTunes store, and as a printed version available from

www.saffronmagazine.co.uk

Advertisers will be welcome and you can find details on our

website at http://saffronmagazine.co.uk/advertise-in-saffron/

We have planned articles on Barcelona, Farmers’ Markets,

Sugar, Wood fired pizzas, and lots more. Keep checking with

www.saffronmagazine.co.uk for regular updates.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

C O N T E N T S