Food & Drink
Sea buckthorn, a great source of vitamin C and flavour, is abundant right now. Check before you gather and watch out for the thorns, says Neil Forbes of Cafe St Honoré
Recipes from Neil Forbes, plus Rose Murray Brown selects the best 12 red wines for Christmas
Not a lot of people seem to know about sea buckthorn – the astoundingly delicious orange berry that grows on the North Sea coast of the UK. It’s at peak ripeness at this time of year and those in the know forage for it. It seems to grow very well in East Lothian where locals have been relying on its antioxidant and scurvy beating qualities for centuries. It was even used as a form of radiation treatment in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster and can be used as a sun lotion, with a higher UV factor than some shop-bought creams.
I like its distinctive tropical taste and its bright, vibrant orange colour. Some say it has a taste similar to a sharp passion fruit and paw paw, or a mango with a slight salty tang. It has a sharpness about it which I like and I find it goes very well with chocolate if made into a sorbet. I do add a fair amount of sugar to the juice which I buy from my forager. He braves the East Coast winds to gather the berries from the fruit-laden branches. It’s rather tricky as the bushes are full of thorns. Some people prefer to cut whole branches off, freeze them and remove the berries once they have frozen which can be a lot easier and less messy. As always, ask permission before removing anything from the wild.
These cracking recipes will warm you all up during the build up to the festive period. n
Squash soup with toasted seeds
I adore a warming and velvety butternut squash soup. There is something very homely about making soup. It’s an easy thing to make and pleases most of us. The depth of flavour that can be achieved by adding a touch of spice is incredible. And you can add a few crispy bacon lardons or a few chunks of chorizo if you like, but keep it simple. The toasted seeds add a lovely crunch.
Serves four
1 large butternut or acorn squash, peeled and halved and seeds scraped out 1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and roughly chopped 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed 1 tsp mixed spice 50ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil a knob of butter good salt and pepper 4 tbsp crème fraîche a splash of single cream
1 Place a large pot on the hob and get it moderately hot. Add the oil, butter, onion and garlic and fry until golden brown, stirring often. Add some salt and pepper, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
2 Dice the squash into 1-inch pieces and add to the onion, stir and add the mixed spice. Cover with boiling water from the kettle and cook until the squash is soft, about 30 minutes.
3 Blitz the soup in a liquidizer for a minute and check the seasoning. Add a splash of crème fraîche, and keep warm.
4 Wash the squash seeds under a tap and bring to the boil in a wee pot. Cook for 5 minutes and refresh under the cold tap. Lay them on a tray, sprinkle with salt and grill until crispy and golden.
5 To serve, warm 4 bowls and ladle in the soup. Swirl some crème fraîche on top, sprinkle over the toasted seeds and a tiny pinch of mixed spice.
Venison with Stornoway black pudding and roots
Venison is available all year round but seems to be more associated with this time of year. It’s a delicious meat that’s low in fat, so great for people on diets or for those who find the fat on beef too much. Beware of overcooking the prime cuts of venison as it can become quite dry if over cooked. I love serving black pudding with venison, and of course any root veg is great at this time of year. For fat lovers, a great tip is to use some left over beef dripping to roast the veg in, or add to any greens with a dollop of rich butter. Roe deer has always been my favourite taste but red deer is also great as are sika and fallow deer. Ask your butcher to source you good, traceable venison. Get them to seam bone out the haunch for you, it’s a lot less expensive than the saddle or loin.
Serves four
300g piece of venison haunch, seam boned from the back leg 4 slices of Stornoway black pudding 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into batons 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into batons 1 beetroot, peeled and cut into batons 1 big handful of kale or cavolo nero, stalks removed and blanched in boiling salted water, then refreshed in cold water 1 large tbsp beef or duck fat a few sprigs of thyme 1 litre of thick, strong beef stock 1 glass of red wine 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped 3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil 2 knobs of butter good salt and pepper
1 To make the sauce, add the shallot to a pot with a little oil and fry until browned. Add the wine and redcurrant jelly and bring to the boil and cook until jam stage. This will take about 10 minutes. Then add the stock and reduce by two thirds or until the desired consistency is achieved. Pass through a fine sieve and keep warm. 2 Heat the oven to 200C/gas Mark 6. 3 Prepare the root veg by blanching in boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until just cooked. Refresh in cold water then dry on a cloth. Heat a large ovenproof pan on the hob and add half the beef fat and half the remaining oil. Add the roots and thyme. Season and fry until the roots are turning golden, then add a knob of butter and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until cooked and golden. Put to one side.
4 Season the venison. Heat an ovenproof pan on the stove with the remaining oil and a knob of butter and brown the meat all over for 2 to 3 minutes, then place in the oven and roast to your liking. I like it medium rare which takes about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it as it can overcook quickly. Remove from the oven and allow to rest.
5 Using the same pan as the venison, add the blanched green veg with the remaining beef fat and butter and season with salt and pepper. Stir and heat through thoroughly. While this is cooking, grill the black pudding.
6 Before plating, carve the rested
venison into slices then divide the green veg between 4 warmed plates and place the carved meat on top. Add a slice of black pudding to each plate and arrange the roots alongside. Finish with a trickle of sauce all over each plate. If you like a stickier sauce, simply reduce by half again. Season the whole plate with a little salt and garnish with the thyme from the root veg.
Sea buckthorn posset
Classically, a posset would be made from a citrus fruit like a lemon for its acidity and ability to assist in the setting of the cream. It still mystifies me as how the cream sets like it does. It is such an easy recipe and is quite simply cream and sugar boiled together with the addition of sea buckthorn juice for flavour. It’s a really good party pudding, made the day before so you don’t have to worry about it on the day you are cooking.
Serves four
450g double cream 110g caster sugar 4-10 tbsp sea buckthorn juice, which you can find in delis and health food shops mint to garnish shortbread to garnish
1 Bring the cream and sugar to the boil in a pan and cook for 3 minutes precisely. Set a timer.
2 When boiled, add sea buckthorn juice to your taste then pass through a fine sieve into a jug. Decant into glasses or tea cups for serving, and chill in the fridge – ideally overnight.
3 Serve with a few freshly-baked pieces of shortbread, and garnish with fresh mint. For an extra kick, you could add a tablespoon of sea buckthorn juice to the top of each posset.