Author: Kvik Management

Samphire and chilli oil

This is a simple and pretty side to serve with roasted sea bass or salmon,
or barbecued lamb, during the months when samphire is in season.
Samphire can be salty, so resist the temptation to salt the cooking water
during cooking – and taste the vegetable before seasoning to serve.
A squeeze of lemon juice will help to counteract any slight saltiness.
Use sweet-tasting, succulent English samphire if possible.

Serves 4

1 red chilli
50ml extra virgin olive oil
150g yellow wax beans
600g samphire
Lemon wedges, to serve

Slice the chilli in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds.

Cut the chilli into fine strips, then chop across the strips to
give neat even shapes. Place the chopped chilli in a bowl,
pour over the olive oil and stir to mix. Set aside while you
cook the beans and samphire.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the yellow wax
beans and cook for about 3 minutes until just tender, then
drain well.

In the meantime, rinse the samphire well in several changes
of water and trim the base of the stems. Add the samphire
to a large pan of boiling water and cook until the water
returns to the boil; this should take no more than a minute.

Drain the samphire in a colander and toss with the beans.
Pile into a warm serving dish or onto individual plates and
spoon on the chilli oil. Serve with lemon wedges.

Iced summer fruits with rose-scented
geranium syrup

Wonderfully refreshing, this is the perfect ending to a long, lazy
summer lunch in the garden under dappled light. Not too sweet, slightly
ethereal in flavour and unfussy in execution, it is the sort of dessert
I like to serve. It isn’t served frozen as such, it just feels cool – like ice –
as it slips down your throat. Vary the fruit according to what’s in season;
later in the summer I use greengages in place of gooseberries.

Serves 6

6 ripe, sweet peaches,
unblemished and heavy
for their size
100g icing sugar
A few sprigs of rose-scented
geranium leaves (Attar of
Roses), or a splash of rose
syrup
1 vanilla pod, split in half
lengthways
200g gooseberries
200g small ripe strawberries
100g ripe blackberries

Slice the peaches in half and remove their stones. Place in
a wide heavy-based pan, in a single layer. Add the icing sugar,
geranium leaves, if using, the vanilla pod (with seeds) and
enough water to just cover the fruit. Place over a low heat
and bring to just below a simmer. Stir once or twice, then
put a lid on the pan and cook very gently for 10 minutes or
until the fruit is just tender when pierced with a small knife.

Meanwhile, top and tail the gooseberries. Add to the pan
and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and
set aside to cool.

Once the fruit has cooled, if using rose syrup, add a little to
taste. Transfer to a suitable container and place in the freezer
for about 45 minutes or until really well chilled.

To serve, slice the strawberries in half lengthways. Arrange
the peaches and gooseberries on chilled plates, spoon over
the syrup and add the blackberries and strawberries. Finish
with a few geranium leaves and/or the vanilla pod if you like.
Serve at once.

Roasted strawberry and balsamic ice cream

I think of strawberry ice cream as summer in a mouthful – it’s so deliciously bright, sharp and sweet. This recipe is slightly different.

The addition of balsamic vinegar and the gentle roasting of the strawberries turns it into something altogether more grown up and elegant, with a mellow fullness to its flavour. Plump, ripe strawberries and good quality aged balsamic are absolutely essential.

Serves 8–10 (or more, depending on portion size)

For the vanilla ice cream base
450ml organic double cream
350ml organic whole milk
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways
6 organic free-range medium egg yolks
120g caster sugar
For the roasted strawberries
400g ripe strawberries
(in season)
1 tbsp caster sugar
Pinch of sea salt
3 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar

Prepare the vanilla ice cream base (see below) and chill thoroughly overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3. Wash and hull the strawberries and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar and a little pinch of salt, drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and toss together gently, using your hands, to ensure the strawberries are all lightly coated. Transfer to a roasting tray and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Roast for 5–6 minutes; the strawberries should still be firm enough to hold their shape.

Allow the roasted strawberries to cool completely, then transfer to a blender and blitz to a purée.

Fold the strawberry purée into the chilled custard base, then transfer to your ice-cream machine and churn until thick and creamy, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve.

Vanilla ice cream method

Pour the cream and milk into a heavy-based pan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them to the pan with the empty pod. Slowly bring to just below a simmer. Turn down the heat to as low as possible and continue to heat for 5 minutes, then remove and set aside to infuse for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and thick. Pour on the still-warm milk mixture, stirring as you do so. Return the custard to the cleaned pan and place over a very low heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon, using a figure-of-eight movement, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a channel when you run your finger along it.

Immediately remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Allow to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight.

The next day, churn the custard in an ice-cream machine until thick and creamy, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It is now ready to serve as a simple vanilla ice cream, or to transform into a flavoured ice cream (see below and pages 183–9). Store in an airtight container in the freezer until needed.

Mango ice cream Prepare the vanilla ice cream base as above and chill overnight. Peel, stone and slice 2 ripe mangoes (preferably Alphonso) and place in a blender. Add a squeeze of lime juice and purée until really smooth. Fold the mango purée into the ice cream base and churn as above.

Full of personality, lovage is a strong herb, tasting a little like
celery, so I tend to use it sparingly. It is particularly good added
to a salsa verde to accompany tender young lamb in late spring
or early summer. I’ve also discovered that it is very nice with the first of the
year’s potatoes. Here I’ve paired it with Jersey Royals, lightly braised
celery hearts and radicchio, which adds colour to the plate.
It works as an accompaniment to almost anything – try it with grilled
lamb, roast chicken, or the first of the season’s wild salmon.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients: 
1kg Jersey Royals, or other
small waxy potato, such as
Roseval, Ratte or Pink Fir
Apple
A bunch of celery (tender
white heart only)
150ml verjuice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 thyme sprig
1 small radicchio, leaves
separated
A little squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
For the lovage oil
4 lovage sprigs
180ml mild-tasting extra

First make the lovage oil. Place the lovage in a food processor
or blender, add the extra virgin olive oil and a small pinch
of salt and blend until really smooth. Transfer to a bowl and
set aside.
Put a pan of well salted water on to boil. Scrub the potatoes
gently under cool running water to remove any dirt. Once
the water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook until just
tender; this will take about 20 minutes.
Finely slice the celery on the diagonal into long fine shards
Place in a shallow pan and add the verjuice, olive oil, bay
leaves and thyme. Pour in enough water to just cover, season
with a little salt and place over a medium heat. Bring to the
boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until still just
firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Pass the lovage oil through a fine strainer if you would like
a clear, verdantly green oil (or leave it unstrained for a little
texture).
Drain the potatoes as soon as they are cooked and place in
a bowl. Add the radicchio leaves and celery. Spoon the lovage
oil over the vegetables, add a little lemon juice and toss well
to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

We often have grilled lamb on the menu at Spring – in one guise or another. Sometimes we rub the surface with spices to give it a lovely Middle Eastern feel, which works so well with the flavour created from the flames on the grill. Here the lamb is just really well seasoned on the outside, allowing the sweet, earthy flavours of young carrots and beetroot to shine through.

Serves 6

Ingredients: 
A leg of spring lamb, about 2kg, boned and butterflied (ask your butcher to do this)
4 garlic cloves, smashed but not peeled
6 thyme sprigs
7 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
A bunch of beetroot, scrubbed and halved lengthways
A bunch of carrots, scrubbed and larger ones halved lengthways
5–6 ripe tomatoes
3 rosemary sprigs, leaves only, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the olive and mint sauce
100g pitted good quality black olives
A bunch of mint, leaves only
100ml olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Cut the lamb into 6 portions. Mix the garlic, thyme, 4 tbsp olive oil and the lemon juice together in a bowl large enough to hold the lamb. Add the lamb and turn to coat well. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and sauce. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. For the sauce, roughly chop the olives and mint, combine in a bowl and add the olive oil, wine vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Stir well and set aside.

Place the beetroot in a roasting tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover the tray tightly with foil and cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes. Add the carrots to the tray, toss with the beetroot and roast, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until both carrots and beetroot are tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

In the meantime, tear the tomatoes in half with your hands and place them in a bowl. Add the chopped rosemary and 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to mix. Once the roasted vegetables are cooked, remove from the oven and add the tomatoes. Toss to combine; keep warm.

To cook the lamb, turn the grill to high. Remove the meat from the marinade, pat dry and season well. Grill for a few minutes, turning as necessary to brown well all over, then turn the heat to low and cook for 6 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the lamb and arrange on warm plates with the roasted vegetables. Spoon over some olive and mint sauce to serve.

 

Skye Gyngell’s Grenadine

As I was growing up, a glass of sickly sweet pink lemonade was a real treat on special occasions. It felt glamorous and exciting and it signified that there was something to celebrate. I think it must have included a little grenadine, although it tasted nothing like real grenadine, which is made using fresh pomegranates. This recipe is far less sweet than the commercial variety. The colour of deep magenta, it has a wonderfully sharp, floral vibrancy. I have added a little rhubarb and rose water to give it an added depth.

Ingredients 

Makes about 300ml
3 sticks of rhubarb
400g golden caster sugar
2 large pomegranates
2 tsp rose water
A few drops of lemon juice
Sparkling water, to serve
(optional)

Method
Wash the rhubarb and slice into 5cm pieces. Place in a pan
with 100g of the sugar and pour on just enough water to
cover. Place over a low heat and cook, stirring once or twice
to help dissolve the sugar, until the rhubarb is tender and
just falling apart. Remove from the heat and pass through
a sieve, pressing on the fruit as you do so to extract as much
juice as possible.
Slice the pomegranates in half and press the cut sides down
onto a juicer to extract the juice. Strain the pomegranate
juice into a clean pan and add the rest of the sugar and the
rhubarb juice.
Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring once
or twice to help dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and
simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to
cool, then add the rose water and a little squeeze of lemon
juice. The grenadine is now ready to use as required, or serve
diluted with sparkling water to taste.

 

Skye Gyngell’s Kimchi

Hot, sour and gloriously crunchy, kimchi is the most delicious and more-ish of condiments. I started making it in much the same way as sauerkraut – salting the vegetables and adding a little chilli and ginger. My recipe has evolved since then, but it is the most authentic and nicest I have come across. I can eat kimchi straight from the jar or simply with nothing more than a little bowl of sticky steamed rice. Most of the ingredients are readily available at a good Asian supermarket.

Ingredients

Makes 1 large or 2 smaller jars
1 Chinese cabbage
55g coarse salt
2 litres water
2 tbsp dried shrimps
4 dried anchovies
½ cup cooked white rice (50g uncooked weight)
½ yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced
4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp dried chilli flakes
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed

Method

To prepare the salted cabbage, put the salt into a stainless steel or glass bowl large enough to hold the cabbage. Pour over 1.5 litres water and stir well to dissolve the salt.
Slice the cabbage in half lengthways and then cut into 5cm pieces. Immerse the cabbage in the salted water and leave for 1 hour. Stir well, then let sit for another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the dried shrimps and anchovies into a small saucepan and pour on the remaining 500ml water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the broth into a bowl, discarding the fish.
Put the cooked rice, onion, apple, ginger and garlic into a blender and pour over the broth. Blend thoroughly. Spoon into a bowl and add the sugar, fish sauce and chilli flakes. Stir well and let stand for 10 minutes.
Drain the cabbage. Slice the spring onion finely and add to the cabbage. Now add the sauce and mix together, loosely but very thoroughly, using very clean hands. Ladle into a large (or 2 smaller) sterilised jar(s).
Finally pour a little water into the bowl in which you have mixed the kimchi. Swish this around to gather any residue and then pour over the kimchi in the jar(s). Seal.
The kimchi will be ready to use almost straight away (I love it newly made, as it is so vibrant and crunchy) but it will keep well for up to 2 months in the fridge.

Extracted from Spring The Cookbook, by Skye Gyngell (published by Quadrilled)

Skye Gyngell’s Bergamot and Cedro Marmalade

You can make marmalade from almost any citrus fruit. One of our suppliers gave us a bag of bergamots – a citrus somewhere between an orange and a lemon, deep orange in colour with a distinct smell. Cedro is used in Italy to make the lovely candied peel found in panettone – its skin and pith are thick and creamy. You can alternatively use unwaxed Amalfi lemons, which are much easier to find. The resulting marmalade is pale in colour.

Ingredients

Several bergamots and cedros
Water
A little salt
Caster sugar

Method

Slice the fruit into pinwheels, removing any pith. Boil a large pot of water, add the fruit and cook for five minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the water. Weigh the fruit and to each 250g/8oz, add equal amounts of caster sugar, a small pinch of salt and 300ml/10fl oz of water. Place over a high heat and bring to a boil. Stir to help dissolve the sugar and turn down the heat to medium. Cook for 35-40 minutes until the setting stage. For how to tell if it is set, see recipe to left.

Spoon into warm sterilised jars, allow to cool and set aside in a cool, dark place for at least a week before using.

Skye Gyngell’s Christmas Pudding

 

I unashamedly adore Christmas pudding and I’m perplexed by those who say they don’t. What could possibly be more tempting than a steaming pudding – irresistibly fragrant with a mix of spices, molasses, sugar, candied peel, dried fruit and brandy- arriving at the table? These puddings will happily keep for a year in the fridge, their flavour becoming even more delicious.

Makes 2 Puddings

 

Each serves 6

 

360g suet grated

170g plain flour

180g fresh white breadcrumbs

150g candied peel

350g seedless raisins

350g currants

200g sultanas

170g dark muscovado sugar

Grated zest of a lemon

Grated zest of an orange

½ nutmeg grated

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Juice of ½ a lemon

4 organic free-range large eggs, lightly beaten

100ml Armagnac

550ml whole milk

Butter, to grease

 

To serve

Small ladleful of brandy

Stir all the pudding ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined; the mixture should feel quite wet. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave to stand in a cool place overnight.

 

The following day pack the mixture firmly into two lightly greased 1 litre pudding basins. Cover the surface with a disc of baking parchment, then cover each basin with a double layer of parchment to secure under the rim with string. Place a trivet to each of two large saucepans (or cook the pudding one at a time). Stand the basin(s) on the trivet(s). Pour in enough boiling water to come two-thirds of the way up the side of the basin and put the lid on.

 

Bring to the boil lover a high heat, then lower the heat slightly and cook for 6 hours, topping up the pan with boiling water as necessary. Lift out the pudding basin and leave the pudding to cool to room temperature. Re-cover with clean baking parchment and a layer of foil and place in the fridge or store in a cool, dry cupboard until needed.

 

On Christmas morning, boil the pudding (as above) for 1 ½ – 2 hours.

 

Warm the brandy just before serving. Turn out the pudding into a warm plate, pour on the warm brandy and set alight. Bring the flaming pudding to the table. Serve brandy butter alongside, and perhaps a jug of thick pouring cream for those who prefer it.

 

Make your own brandy butter using just three ingredients: unsalted butter, icing sugar and Armagnac. The proportions don’t really matter- it’s the quality of the ingredients that counts. Allow 175g of unsalted butter for 6 generous servings. Beat the butter until soft and creamy, then beat in about 150g icing sugar and 2-3 tbsp. Armagnac to taste.

 

To seal the Christmas pudding ready for steaming, cover with a generous double layer of baking parchment, placing it in the centre as shown (this allows room for the pudding to expand during steaming). Tie securely in place with kitchen string, positioning it tightly around the basin just below the rim. Leave a length of string to act as a handle for lifting the basin out of the pan.

Skye Gyngell’s Mince Pies

These are perfect served with brandy butter.

Makes 12, with filling for a second batch

For the mincemeat

375g/12oz seedless raisins

500g/1lb mixed peel

4 apples, cored

60g/21/2oz glacé cherries

125g/4oz blanched almonds

500g/1lb sultanas

500g/1lb currants

500g/1lb soft brown sugar

2 tsp mixed spice

Grated zest and juice of one lemon

Grated zest of one orange

1 tsp grated nutmeg

125g/4oz melted butter

1/2 cup of Armagnac

For the pastry

185g/61/2oz unsalted butter

115g/4oz of sugar

1 egg

575g/20oz plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg, beaten

Method

Finely chop the raisins, mixed peel, apples, cherries and almonds. Add the sultanas and currants and stir in the brown sugar, spices, lemon juice and zest, orange zest, nutmeg, butter and brandy. Spoon into a large sterilised jar, cover and chill. Stir every day for a week – the extra mincemeat can be kept for months in the fridge.

To make the pies, heat the oven to 180C/ 350F/Gas4. Combine all the ingredients (except the beaten egg) into a ball of dough, chill briefly and then roll out thinly. Cut into circles to fit small pastry tins. Cut the same number of smaller circles to sit on top of the pies. Line the pastry tins with the larger circles and spoon a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each. Top each of the filled pastry cases with the smaller round of pastry and glaze with the beaten egg. Make a small slit in each pastry top, then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Cool for a few minutes in the tin before turning out. Cool completely and store in an airtight box.