Summer recipes from Neil Forbes, plus Rose Murray Brown on a dozen cracking supermarket wines made with some less well known grapes
Pair asparagus with egg and goat’s cheese with charred nectarine for delightful flavours of summer
Ihave had a rather good week. The weather has been kind to us, my garden is blooming, my crops are growing and business has been steady at Cafe St Honoré. On a more personal note, my eldest son has spent his last day at college and we are so proud of his achievements.
It has been difficult for our young folk at school in secondary education, and I think of all the young chefs at colleges going through final assessments with the world of work hopefully awaiting them.
I was asked to judge the Scottish Bread Championship again this year. The number of entries was impressive with the quality of what was produced in people’s homes, schools or bakeries quite stunning.
The championship is run by Andrew Whitley of Scotland the Bread, whose book Bread Matters is never far away from me. Scotland The Bread was created to encourage the use of home-grown cereals in our daily loaf so the bread we eat is as nutritious as possible, unlike the plastic-packaged, industrial supermarket loaf which contains zero health benefits.
We should champion our artisans who get up early to bake our daily bread.
Charred nectarine with local coppa and Black Mount cheese
Chargrilling stoned fruits intensifies their flavour and sweetness. Serves two
1 not-too-ripe but firm nectarine or peach; halved, stone removed, cut into segments
Half a Errington’s Black Mount goat’s cheese, or a similar
1 handful mixed salad leaves, washed
6 to 8 slices of East Coast cured coppa, or a similar cured ham like Prosciutto half tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 to 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil good salt and pepper
1 Firstly, place a griddle pan on the hob.
2 Once hot, add the nectarine slices, cut-side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Don’t be tempted to go in with a spatula or move them around, just leave them and they will have that lovely chargrilled appearance.
3 Next, make a dressing by mixing the mustard and cider vinegar with some seasoning to taste, then trickle in the olive oil continuing to mix. Check the seasoning and set aside.
4 Now to assemble the salad. Divide the leaves between two plates and arrange the charred fruit on top. Break apart the cheese with your fingers and crumble over the salad, then lay the slices of coppa on top. Trickle the dressing over the dish in dots here and there and finish with a final twist of salt and pepper.
Lunan Bay asparagus with fried organic egg and fried breadcrumbs
Everything about this dish is great. Serves one
5 spears of Lunan Bay asparagus, or other local-to-you asparagus will do 1 large organic egg a small handful of watercress a few radish slices, rinsed
2-3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil a knob of butter, optional
1 to 2 slices of good bread, cut into chunks a few thyme leaves good salt and pepper
1 Heat oven to 125C/gas Mark ½.
2 Drizzle the bread with some oil then season with salt, pepper and a few thyme leaves. Dry in the oven for an hour.
3 Place a griddle on a high heat on the hob. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper and place the spears on the griddle to cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until nicely charred.
4 Next, add a tablespoon of oil to a non-stick frying pan and warm to a moderate heat. Crack in the egg and cook like a fried egg for 3 to 5 minutes until the yolk is just soft. I like to add a knob of butter too. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Whizz the bread croutons in a food processor until they resemble crunchy breadcrumbs.
6 To serve, arrange the asparagus on a plate, lay the egg on top and sprinkle
over the breadcrumbs. Top with the watercress and radish slices and give the dish a final seasoning with salt, pepper and a trickle of rapeseed oil.
Iced bramble parfait with warm brambles
This is a great dish to chill us down in the summer months.
Serves five to six
5 egg yolks
150g caster sugar
1 leaves gelatine, soaked in cold water
240ml double cream, semi-whipped to soft peak
1½ tbsp crème fraîche
1 punnet of brambles, washed 1 star anise
1 Begin by cooking the brambles with 50g of caster sugar and a star anise in a pot on a moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes until just soft. Remove the star anise and retain half as a garnish and blitz the rest in a food blender until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and leave to cool.
2 Meanwhile, line a terrine mould or loaf tin with 3 layers of oiled cling film and place in the freezer. The oiled side is placed against the terrine so it’s easy to remove once frozen.
3 Whisk the eggs using a mixer with a whisk attachment.
4 Whilst the eggs are whisking, bring the remaining sugar to the boil with 50ml water in a small pot. Bring to 121C, this should take 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to colour the sugar syrup.
5 Once at the correct temperature, carefully trickle the hot sugar mixture into the whisking egg yolks until combined and it starts to cool.
6 Now the soaked gelatine leaves can be melted carefully in the hot sugar pan, then poured into the whisking yolks and sugar mix. Once everything is combined, fold in the crème fraîche, cream and bramble purée, folding carefully so as to not lose the air in the mousse.
7 Pour the mixture into the frozen terrine mould and freeze overnight. Serve in slices with a spoonful or two of the bramble compote warmed in a pot, and a piece of shortbread perhaps. It will keep well in the freezer for a few weeks.