Things to Do
Garden Inspired Recipes
Andrew Pern's Fillet of North Sea John Dory
Andrew Pern's Brandy Snap dish
Fillet of North Sea John Dory with Thyme-fried Calamari, Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’ of Majoram, Buttered Lettuce and Devilled Crab
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
4 John Dory fillets
2 squid, cut into rings
2 egg whites
½tsp thyme, chopped
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 Baby Gem lettuce, cut into quarters
100g butter, melted
8 slices of salami, 2mm thick
Seasoning
For the Salt ‘n’ Pepper Flour
30g rice flour
1tsp Maldon salt
1tsp Five Spice
1tsp Schezwan pepper
1tsp thyme, finely chopped
For the Devilled Crab
100g brown crab meat
5 drops Tabasco Sauce
A pinch of celery salt
1tbsp tomato purée
For the Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’
10g marjoram, chopped
200g pearl barley, cooked
50ml whipping cream
50g Wensleydale cheese, crumbled
Method
For the squid, first mix together the seasoned flour ingredients with the exception of the thyme in a food processor, sieve and add the thyme. Dip the squid rings into the beaten egg white, then into the flour to coat. Deep-fry in oil at 180ºC until golden. Drain, season and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Keep warm.
For the John Dory, brush the fillets with melted butter, season and place on a tray beneath a medium grill until the flesh is tender (approx 3 to 4 minutes).
For the Baby Gem, lightly brush the lettuce quarters with melted butter. Season and grill with the sliced salami for 2 to 3 minutes on the same tray as the John Dory fillets.
For the Devilled Crab, blitz together the ingredients in a food processor and decant into a squeezy bottle.
For the Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’, warm together the pearl barley, majoram, cream and cheese to a stiff consistency. Check seasoning.
To serve, place the Risotto on the plate with the grilled salami slices on top. Place the John Dory on top of the salami and the Baby Gem and Calamari alongside. Decorate the plate with ‘dots’ of Devilled Crab.
Dressed Whitby Crab with a Salad of Soused Fennel, Olde York Cheese, Seashore Vegetables, Ryedale Rapeseed Mayonnaise
(Serves four)
Ingredients
For the crab:
400g white crabmeat
100g cucumber, finely diced and seeds removed
Zest of 1 lemon
25g dill, chopped
2tbsp homemade or good quality mayonnaise, preferably made with local rapeseed oil
For the fennel:
1 head of fennel, finely sliced on a mandolin
½ lemon
white wine vinegar
rapeseed oil
1tsp white sugar
100g Olde York cheese
Seashore vegetables, such as samphire, purslane, seaweed
Optional: serve with shellfish crackers and fresh horseradish, if wished
Method
Place the dressing ingredients for the fennel together in a pan and bring to a simmer, drop in the fennel slices, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Store the fennel in the dressing and use as required.
Blanch the vegetables in boiling salted water for 10 seconds, refresh, then use as required.
Sieve the crabmeat to ensure that all of the shell has been removed. Squeeze any excess water from the crab by wrapping it in a clean tea towel and remove any excess moisture from the cucumber. Mix together the crab, cucumber, lemon zest and dill. Bind together with just enough mayonnaise to form a stiff paste.
To serve, place portions of the crabmeat mixture on to cold serving plates. Garnish with the drained fennel and dot 5 or 6 pieces of the cheese around the plate with the seashore vegetables added last. Drizzle with a little of the (fennel) sousing liquor and serve immediately with the crackers and horseradish, if using.
Wild Strawberry and Elderflower Brandy Snap Cannelloni with Fennel Shoots and Sheep’s Curd
(Serves four)
Ingredients
For the Brandy Snaps:
340g caster sugar
170g elderflower cordial
170g plain flower
170g unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
500g whipping cream
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
100g icing sugar
50g sheep’s curd
30g elderflower cordial
100g strawberries, diced
To garnish:
A few fennel shoots and edible flowers
Method
To make the Brandy Snaps, first melt the sugar in the elderflower cordial, beat in the flour, then mix in the melted butter. Once the mixture is fully combined leave to cool and place in the fridge for 1 hour. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 180ºC and remove the mixture from the fridge. Spread the mix onto a baking sheet or baking sheets to a thickness of 2mm approx. and bake for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to a ‘handleable’ temperature, then cut into rectangles approx. 6cm wide by 16cm long and wrap around a tube or rolling pin. Allow to cool and set. Set aside.
To make the filling, begin by whipping the cream into soft peaks, stir in the vanilla seeds and fold in the icing sugar, elderflower cordial and sheep’s curd. Once combined, fold in the diced strawberries, then pipe or spoon into the brandy snap tubes.
To serve, garnish with the fennel shoots and flowers.
In the garden:
- Liquorice
- Fennell
- Thyme
- Marjoram
- Angelica
- Rape Seed
- Barley
- Seaweed
- Wild strawberry plants
- Lobster pots / crabs on the beach
- Cows in the painting