Food news March 2009

24 FOOD NEWS 25FOOD NEWS

There’s something irresistibly comforting about pies. Even saying the word is fun. Try it. Say ‘pie’ out loud, and see how a cheeky grin quickly forms across your satisfi ed face. In recognition of this clear, scientifi c fact, Jus-Rol, Britain’s fi nest pre-prepared pastry manufacturer, have designated the fi rst week in March as British Pie Week.

Running from March 2 until 8, BPW is an attempt to raise awareness about this most British of foods, and encourage regional pie makers to proudly present these little bundles of doughy joy. Accordingly, Kentish food company Speldhurst Sausages – also makers of many pie-based products – will be giving away posters for the event, and urging all of their local stockists to “push the pie”.

Nationally, the results of the Face of British Pie Week (an attempt to find the pub with the best pie in the land) will soon be released, and general fun relating to the eating of pies is expected to sweep the country during the month. For more info, go to www.britishpieweek.com.P

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The further back the generations go, the more robust cooking techniques become. Although hard to imagine, your great-grandmother must have looked at her mother’s larder and, at some point, been befuddled by its contents. It is to those bygone kitchens, containing huge cauldrons of stew, drawers of arcane utensils and one manic, explosive mother, that The Good Granny Cookbook is dedicated.

With a foreword by her rather more famous son Hugh, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book of recipes provides helpful cooking guides for each meal of the day, each accompanied by a detailed description of the dish’s origins or even an appropriate literary quotation.

Released in 2007 in hardback, the new paperback edition is available on 5 March, from all good bookstores, priced £14.99.


Convenience isn’t the word. To misquote Edmund Blackadder, the Dorot Garlic & Herb range is “more convenient than Convenient Jack MacConvenient, winner of last year’s Mr. Convenient competition.” Miniature, frozen teaspoons of garlic and assorted herbs (ginger, coriander etc.) these condensed tablets of flavour do not need defrosting and can be applied immediately to any dish.

The principal advantages of the Dorot range are the lack of any need to chop or crush, the avoidance of nasty, odorous hands and their incredible longevity: you can freeze these

bad boys for up to 2 years! So far as measurements go, a single cube of the Dorot Crushed Garlic amounts to a single clove of fresh garlic and a single cube of the ginger and herb products amount to a single teaspoon of the equivalent fresh food.

With no colouring, cholesterol or preservatives – and completely Kosher – these handy nuggets of seasoning are stocked in selected Sainsbury’s stores, and retail at £1.49 a packet. For more information and Dorot recipe ideas go to www.dorot.co.il/eng


brown troutbest in season

Vegetables Sprouting Broccoli, Rhubarb, Leeks, Spring Onions

Fish Cod, John Dory, Mussels, Hake

Fruit & Nuts Lemons, Blood Oranges, Pomegranate, Pineapple

other seasonal delights

Trevor Mottram LtdThe Cookware Specialist

33-41 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TE T: 01892 538915 F: 01892 523712 E: [email protected]

The first species of trout to be farmed commercially, the Brown Trout – or Salmo Trutta – is indigenous to the UK and is largely a freshwater fish. They’re a small, lithe water-dweller (Rainbow Trout are noticeably larger) but the larger trout are unafraid to take on the bigger boys, even occasionally eating small land animals that fall into ponds!

Like all oily fish, brown trout are rich in polyunsaturated fats, and represent a key part of a nutritious diet. When picking your tasty trout, look for bright skin, with a silvery sheen, unsunken eyes and clean, red gills. Full-on gutting requires careful incisions behind the gills and frontal fin, then filleting: you’ll need a pair of tweezers to remove the tiny pin bones.

The key to cooking brown trout is to remember its versatility. If you’re oven-cooking, add some butter and wine or cider, and cook for 20-30 mins on medium heat. If frying, just dust with flour and fry in butter for 5 minutes on each side; grilling takes 5-8 minutes each depending on thickness.

sea trout - the factsfamily Salmonidaealso known as River Trout, Lake Troutlength 0.3 - 1.4mkeeps for 2 - 3 months frozenhealthy content Omega-3, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 & B12

This is a lovely Sunday lunch recipe. The garlic, onion and rosemary potatoes are cooked beneath the trout so the potatoes soak up the juices from the trout. The spicy horseradish sauce compliments the trout wonderfully.

15 minutes to prepare30 minutes for cooking

700g (1lb 9oz) new potatoes, fi nely sliced 2 garlic cloves, fi nely sliced 1 onion fi nely sliced 4 tbsp olive oil sea salt and ground black pepper 4 whole brown trout, gutted handful rosemary sprigs 1 lemon, fi nely sliced 50g (2oz) bacon lardons 1 small tub crème fraiche 3 tbsp creamed horseradish French beans and broccoli fl orets to accompany

1 Place a layer of potatoes in a large roasting tin, sprinkle over the garlic and onion slices, 3 tbsp olive oil and season well. Cook at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for 15 minutes, or until lightly brown.

2 Meanwhile, rinse the trout under a running tap and pat dry. Season the insides of the trout and stuff with 2-3 sprigs of rosemary and some lemon slices. Rub with the remaining olive oil and season with sea salt fl akes and ground black pepper.

3 Remove the tin from the oven and arrange the trout on the potatoes and top with the bacon lardons and any remaining rosemary sprigs, return to the oven for a further 10-15minutes.

4 Meanwhile, bring the crème fraiche to the boil in a small pan, bubble until reduced by half then add the horseradish sauce, season. Serve the trout with the potatoes and crispy bacon, warm sauce and accompany with some steamed broccoli and French beans tossed in plenty of butter.


diner with a difference

Fast food is the ultimate indulgence for anyone with a healthy lifestyle, and the biggest black mark on a balanced diet. Things are beginning to change, but the true progress is not being made by the recognisable brands. Whilst McDonalds was busy producing salads with more fat content than your average kebab, rocket scientist Dave Geary created HED®, or the Healthy Eating Diner. Using innovative, environmental technology, Geary has made a menu of affordable, delicious meals that can be swiftly prepared, and don’t leave you with that lingering fast food guilt.

Dishes range from intricate Asian food like Thai Green Curry and Spicy Beef Noodles, to breakfast bits like organic porridge

and fruit s m o o t h i e s . The venture has taken care to tick all ethical boxes: the

teas are organic, the coffee is fair-trade and all packaging is biodegradable; leaving you well-fed and well-intentioned.

HED® doesn’t come with an unfriendly price tag either: main, adult meals start from £3.15, and kids’ meals start at £2.75. Check out the flagship outlet at Lakeside Shopping Centre, and look out for more soon!

whole roasted brown trout

Recipe kindly supplied by the British Trout Association, for more

trout information and recipes, go to www.britishtrout.co.uk

Documents

Food news March 2009