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Smoky Spiced Roasted Nuts

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I wrote this recipe to go with my review of Platform 3 in Claygate. If you are drinking session beer its probably a good idea to have something to go with it to snack on. For me if it’s a great quality drink it ought to be fantastic food too. These nuts are based on a really famous recipe that has been circulating the Internet for a few years. Started by the Union Square Café in New York to serve with drinks, their fame spread quickly. I have tweaked the recipe by adding smoked salt, sugar and coconut oil. This replaces the butter used in the original recipe which makes this suitable for vegans.

Download a print version of the recipe smoky spicy beer nuts.

Ingredients

500 grams unsalted mixed nuts (including peeled peanuts, cashews, brazil, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans & whole unpeeled almonds)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
2 teaspoons smoky brae smoked brown sugar (use regular brown sugar if you can’t find this product)
2 teaspoons smoked maldon salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350ºF.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven till they become light golden-brown, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, paprika, smoked sugar, salt and melted coconut oil. Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spice mix and serve warm.

Beer-nuts-

Platform 3 – The smallest pub in Britain

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Brightwater Brewery, Platform 3, The Parade, Claygate, Surrey, KT10 0PN

The upside: Lovingly crafted small batch beer available to drink in or take-away!

The downside: This pub is really small with short opening hours

The flipside: This really is the smallest pub in Britain selling a range of their own unique beers

If you turn into the parade towards Claygate Station in Surrey you’ll get a welcome surprise. As you venture forward independent retailers are on either side with traditional butchers, a fruit and veg shop, a top end traditional fishmongers, wine shop, deli, bakery and café. To top it all, right at the end next to the station is a tiny pub. Platform 3 has just enough standing room inside for two people, so when it is open guests rely on some outdoor tables with umbrellas to protect against the elements. This doesn’t stop the constant flow of customers coming to take a pint to drink straight away or take out for later. Everyone who comes in seems to know the owners and a strong sense of community is evident.

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Alex started making beer with his dad when he was a teenager. Not, he says emphatically, with kits but from scratch with proper ingredients. He carried this on as a serious hobby during his IT career. When he was made redundant is 2012 he took six months off to recharge his batteries assuming he would just find another similar role to the one he had left. Economic turndown and age he suspected were not on his side. After six months he felt ready to attach himself to the world of work again and this time it was to start his own business. It seemed natural to him that a serious hobby that he had lots of expertise in and loved could become a full time job.

claygate-trio

First he set about equipping his brewery a huge research project but worth it to get it just right. This is housed in his garage at home with stainless steel professional equipment and is an official bonded warehouse. This is a government requirement for anybody who produces alcoholic drinks where duty is payable. Alex makes five beers on rotation from different recipes that produce golden, amber or dark ales. He lists availability on his website and these are available to drink in or take away. He reckons his beers are at their best at 3-4 weeks old and will only sell when they are in peak condition. To maintain this he brews batches to meet demand and as I discovered is a stickler for maintaining the drinking quality.

pub 9x6

Alex is the perfect landlord, chatty a beer aficionado plus he is extremely personable. In fact it would seem that this is the perfect career for him. He runs the business with his partner Sue (a business buff) so it’s a symbiotic combination of creativity and business acumen here too. The fact that all the beer he sells in the pub is his own brew is a real pull. Not just for the pints he serves but because he wouldn’t serve anyone a duff pint and he knows the stuff he sells from hops upwards. Whilst I was in the pub there was an endless stream of customers buying a pint to drink outside or to take away a firkin to share with friends later. Everyone is on first name terms and there is a sense of excitement that they are buying into something really unique.

Each of the beers on the menu currently in production have been through diligent recipe testing from the ambient temperature at which they are made to the type of hops and the ferment period. Beer, Alex confides is temperamental and there are many competing factors in getting each batch right such as your local water supply. No two batches will taste exactly the same because this is craft beer made by hand and each brew varies slightly with time of year and the affects of temperature, the raw ingredients and natural yeasts. This is part of the fun and like wine some brews are better than others but probably more so (I suspect) to an expert palate. Alex says that managing beer production is like bringing up a ‘petulant child’.

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Of the beers Alex makes, ‘Daisy Gold’ is the best seller (he named it after his dog who is apparently as ‘good as gold’). This light golden flavour packed beer is like others on his menu at around 4% volume. Alex specializes in what he calls session beer. It’s healthier and means you can enjoy a few pints in an evening and still walk home! This is particularly good for older drinkers and in line with current drinking advice from health professionals. In addition these beers are worthy of a more considered drinking session and deserve as such to be slowly imbibed.

Although golden ales are the most popular Alex also produces ‘Top Notch’ an amber ale which he makes with 2 different malts and dark-beer-claygateanother variety of hops. Citra is Brightwaters other golden ale, which gets its name from the hops used to make it. Known for its fresh lemony finish to beers ‘Citra’ has a zingier finish to ‘Daisy Gold’. This brewery also produces a rather unusual dark stout type beer called ‘Wild Orchid’. The use of black malt gives this its dark colour but by putting Madagascan Vanilla pods in each cask its also has a subtle hint of vanilla which doesn’t dominate but adds a lovely finish to the overall taste.

 

If you are a fan of craft beers I highly recommend a visit to Platform 3 it’s in a class of its own. With guest beers also on offer and other drinks for non-beer fans it’s a great afternoon out. Take-out, delivery for parties and ready bottled beer for gifts are also available. Go for the beer but also for the novelty value because this is the smallest pub in Britain!

Tel: 01372 462 334

Mob: 07802 316 389

Twitter @SmallestPubinUK

This review was originally published in Essence Magazine in February 2016

 

 

Eton Mess with Blackberry Gin Cordial

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This has to be the easiest emergency dessert to make providing you have the right ingredients. It’s fast, effective and difficult not to love. Fruit infused gins are lovely for providing an alcoholic kick to an otherwise innocent classic. The *gin cordials from Silent Pool are perfect here.

 Eton Mess with Blackberry Gineton-mess-6x9

Makes 4 large or 6 medium dessert glasses

500 grams mixed berries, hulled and chopped

120ml of blackberry, damson or strawberry gin or *cordial

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

250ml whipping cream

250ml double cream

3-4 small meringue nests (home or ready-made), lightly crushed

A few berries and fresh thyme to decorate

Put the berries into a mixing bowl. Pour over 120ml of flavoured gin and stir in the sugar. I used blackberry but damson or strawberry would also work well here. Leave the berries to macerate while you prepare the cream. Pour the whipping and double cream into mixing bowl and whisk until it visibly thickens. You want a soft whip here not solid so the meringue will easily fold in. Fold the crushed meringue into the cream. Lay out the glasses or a large serving dish. At this stage you can mix the fruit mixture into the cream but I layered mine. Its purely personal but I like the look of the layers. Start with a fruit layer followed by the meringue cream, spooning the gin in with each layer. Finish with meringue cream and decorate with a few berries and a sprig of thyme. Can be made a few hours or a day ahead. Refrigerate until required.

eton-mess-6x9

This recipe first appeared in Essence Magazine in the December/January Issue and was also featured in Local Food Britain.

 

 

 

Smoky Roasted Red Pepper and Butterbean Dip

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Vegan and full of smoky punchy flavours this dip is wonderful served alongside  Farretti bakery breadsticks with pre-dinner drinks .
butter-bean-dip-6x9

I used freshly roasted peppers that I skinned and deseeded but a tin of smoked Piquillo peppers (well drained) would work well in their place.

breadstick-trio

Download a print friendly pdf of the recipe smoky red pepper and butterbean dip

1 large or two small red peppers roasted, cooled and skin removed (or 1 tin of red peppers)

1 large clove of smoked garlic, crushed

1 x 400g can butterbeans, drained

1 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika

2 tablespoons of cold pressed rape seed oil

Smoked Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pack of Farretti artisan bread sticks heated in a hot oven for 5 minutes

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor starting with the oil. Process until smooth.

Decorate with olives or fresh herbs and serve with warm bread sticks.

smoky-butterbean-dip

 

Smoky Gravad Lax

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My family have roots in Eastern Europe so I grew up with Gravad Lax, a cured salmon dish. It’s little lighter than smoked salmon and very easy to make. Because you are curing not cooking you must start off with very fresh fish. I usually fillet my own but get the fishmonger to do it for you if it’s easier. You could also buy a ready prepared fillet of salmon or salmon trout. Just run your finger down the fillet to feel if any bones are still intact, if so remove them (I have special fish tweezers but use you fingers if you don’t have any). It is essential for slicing that you retain the skin. This is a recipe that uses a ratio and it’s this; for each 450g of fish use 25g sugar and 25g salt. To give mine a luxuriously smoky finish I used some smoked salt I bought in France but Smoked Maldon sea salt will do just as well and this year for the very first time smoked sugar too. I saw a tweet about this lovely new product and contacted the producer who kindly sent me a tin to try. Made is small batches its described on the company website thus

“Handcrafted in Scotland by a kilted Highlander, Smoky Brae Smoked Sugar is lovingly cold smoked low and slow using a secret blend of hardwoods to achieve a unique rich full bodied SMOKY flavour to compliment cocktails, cooking and confection.  The demerara cane sugar produces sweet caramel flavours“.

Its the first time I have come across smoked sugar and I love it. Plus it’s a versatile product which would go wonderfully on a cocktail glass ( something with a chocolate liqueur or Cointreau would be gorgeous) or use it on crème brûlée or in savoury dishes like me.

Gravad Laxsalmon canapes
1 fillet of fresh salmon or salmon trout (skin intact)
25g of sugar and 25g salt mixed to each 450g of fish
I large bunch chopped dill (optional)

Pat the fish dry with some paper towel and then place cut side down in a large dish big enough to lay it flat. Sprinkle over half the curing mix and rub it gently into the skin. Flip the fish over and rub the cut side with the remaining cure. If you are using dill press it onto the fish. Cover the dish in cling film and leave to cure for 48 hours turning every 12 hours. During this time the salt and sugar will draw the water out of the fish. Its perfectly safe to eat without cooking as the salt kills off any bacteria and removing the water also makes it an impossible environment for them to survive. After 48 hours remove the fish from the cure and discard the liquid. Place the fish on a chopping board and cut into very thin slices as required. This will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator but will also freeze really well too.

gravad-lax-trio

I use Gravad Lax to make canapés for the festive season or when entertaining. If you want to keep the calories down use slices of fresh cucumber for a base and top with salmon and a garnish. I use seasoned crème fraiche, whole grain mustard, chives, thyme and fish roe amongst other things. I also love fresh flower seasoning from Uncle Roy’s Commestible Concoctions they look great plus they are dried so always in stock and ready to use.

If I serve the fish as a starter with some salad leaves I would use a whole grain mustard dressing and serve with some warm fresh brown bread.

Gravad Lax Dressing

2 tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard
1 tbsp caster sugar or Smoky Brae smoked sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the ingredients together thoroughly and leave to stand allowing the sugar to dissolve in the liquids before using to garnish the salmon.

Please note whilst  I was sent this product by the producer to review I only write and publish reviews of products I really like! Quite honestly anything smoked gets a big thumbs up from me.

You can buy this product online and it should be in some delicatessens and farm shops in Surrey soon.

White chocolate eclairs with hedgerow preserve and mascarpone custard

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I wrote this recipe for a Mothers Day feature for Local Food Britain who like me champion local artisan food and drink producers here in Surrey. As the festive season is creeping up on us I thought it would be a good time to share it here too! They look as good as they taste and the choux pastries can be made in advance and frozen. You can substitute whipped cream or mascarpone for the filling but the custard is just delicious so it’s worth giving it a whirl. Its essential to make the custard the day before you need it so it can set overnight in the refrigerator. I used Wild at Heart Hedgerow preserve as it has lovely little berries and a unique flavour but I have also used home-made berry jams in its place (they need to be firm set though).

Mascarpone and vanilla custard

Download a print friendly pdf of the recipe White chocolate eclairs and mascarpone custard

white choc eclairs 6x9

2 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod or ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
250g mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
150ml whipped double cream
I jar of Wild at Heart Hedgerow preserve

Method
 In a large heat-proof bowl beat the egg yolks, vanilla seeds and sugar together until they are thick and creamy (an electric hand beater is indispensable here). Place the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Continue beating as the eggs start to cook this should take around 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk for another minute. Put the mascarpone in a small mixing bowl and beat until smooth with a rubber spatula combine with the whipped cream. Fold this into the custard until smooth and lump free. Place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

White Chocolate Ganache
The topping for the éclairs needs to be made before you make the choux pastry. This way it will be the perfect consistency to use once the choux pastry has cooled.

100g white chocolate, broken into pieces
75ml Double cream

Place the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl and cook on high power in a microwave for 30-45 seconds. Remove from the oven and stir thoroughly until all the chocolate has melted. Cover the mixture and set-aside until later.

Choux pastry

Pre-heat the oven to 200°c /180°c fan.

Draw 12 x10 cm lines on the back of a sheet of non-stick baking paper and place on a large baking tray.

Heat 125ml water with 85g chopped salted butter in a medium size saucepan. Briskly stir in 100g plain white flour and keep mixing until a dough has formed which leaves the side of the pan. Take the pan off the heat and transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. At this point you can use a mixer or continue to mix by hand. Crack 3 eggs into a bowl and lightly beat. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dough it will be difficult to incorporate at first but it will mix in. Add all the egg to form a shiny thick batter. Scoop the batter into a piping bag with a large circular nozzle around 1.5cm in diameter. Pipe the mixture onto the lines on the baking paper and cook in the oven for 25 -30 mins. They should be firm to touch, puffed up and golden brown. Cool on a rack completely, before filling.

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Decorations

This is where you can let your imagination take hold. I used a combination of crystallised rose and violet petals from Secretts in Milford. Nuts, dried fruit, sprinkles or and cake decorations would work well here.

With a small sharp knife cut a slit across each éclair. Spread each inside on the bottom with a teaspoon of preserve. Fill a piping bag with the mascarpone custard and fill each éclair. Carefully dip the top of each éclair in White chocolate ganache or spread on top with a spoon. Now decorate with your selected topping and leave to set in the refrigerator for 1 hour when they will be ready to serve.

Local Stockists: I bought crystallized rose and violet petals from Secretts at Milford. They come from a company called Uncle Roys Commestible Concoctions who also sell online.

Spiced Chicken and Spinach Tray-bake

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There is nothing better for a midweek meal that throwing a load of chopped veggies in a tray with some seasoning. Ever since reviewing Sarah Lazell’s lovely spice mixes I have been adding the mixes she kindly gave me into lots of the dishes I have been cooking. And to great effect!

We served this dish with basmati rice but it would also work well with mash or new potatoes. The spices work beautifully with the vegetables and chicken thighs and was a huge hit with my crew. I particularly like the awesome pepper mix here as its punchier than regular but adds flavour layers rather than heat to a dish.

chicken with spices

Serves 4 

Download a print friendly pdf of the recipe Spicy Chicken and Spinach traybake

8 skin on free range chicken thighs, scored diagonally with a sharp knife

2 dessertspoons olive oil

4 teaspoons of just one more thing spice mix (sub smoked paprika if you don’t have this)

½ tsp awesome pepper (sub freshly ground black pepper)

3 red onions, roughly sliced

1 large red pepper, deseeded and roughly sliced

1 large yellow pepper, deseeded and roughly sliced

1 pack of baby spinach leaves, washed and drained

Some freshly cooked basmati rice to serve

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ Fan 160°C/Gas 4-5.

First prepare the chicken by placing in a large bowl. Drizzle over 1 spoon of the olive and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of spice mix. Rub the oil and spices into the chicken and place on a plate. Add the rest of the oil and spice mix plus the pepper to the bowl and toss in the chopped vegetables apart from the spinach. Put the vegetables onto a roasting tin and top with the chicken. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and lift off the chicken. Place the spinach on top and give it a little mix. Put the chicken back on top of the spinach and return the tray to the oven for a further 10 minutes then serve with rice.

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Tuscan Kale and Smoked Garlic Pesto

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I have grown kale for the first time this year and it’s a roaring success. From the minute I planted the seeds in my greenhouse this super-food kale 15 weeks 6x9took off (literally). Seedlings emerged after three days and four weeks later I planted them into a raised bed. Just two weeks later  I started to pick baby kale for smoothies and now we just can’t eat it fast enough; its amazing how fast it grows. In addition to smoothies we chop and wilt into stir- fries, chili, frittatas and pasta dishes;  we have embraced our kale wholeheartedly and its now  part of the family. I wanted to make pesto for dinner the other night and we had run out of basil, so kale came to the rescue. It’s a punchy version of this classic sauce with the lovely undertones of Isle of Wight smoked garlic (my current other food crush). Kale’s uses are many and it’s got that added good for you vibe plus this pesto is dead easy to make, providing you have a food processor.

1- 2  large cloves smoked garlic

75g cashew nuts (almonds, pine nuts or walnuts would also work here)

50g kale or baby kale, rinsed and roughly chopped

75g Pecorino Romano (or any Italian style hard cheese) cheese, grated

100ml extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper and sea salt (smoked is even better- I use Maldon)

  1. Toast the cashews in a hot, dry frying pan till just golden and set aside to cool. Rinse and finely chop the kale.
  2. Blitz the cooled cashews and the kale in a food processor with the garlic, olive oil and cheese. Season and taste then and add more garlic if it needs it. Now take a look at it and add a little more oil if too thick to make sure you can to stir it into soup, mix it with pasta or spread on bread.

This versatile little number will last for 4-5 days if refrigerated but no longer; remember the kale is raw in this.

kale collage

 

kale at 6 weeks 9x6

I originally wrote this recipe for the Dorking Advertiser where it first appeared in August 2015

You can buy Isle of Wight smoked garlic at many independent retailers in Surrey. I get mine from Joe’s Farm Shop and Noels Farm Shop both near Guildford.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry tart

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This is my version of a recipe given me to by my uncle’s American girlfriend who is a fabulous home cook. At first sight the recipe lacked appeal, but being packed with fruit and highly recommended, I gave it a whirl. It was light, bursting with flavour and really simple to prepare. A few tweaks makes it both vegan and gluten free too. I exchanged half the flour for almonds but feel free to swap it back if you want. The vinegar adds a welcome acidity and binds the crust.

Use a 22cm loose-base flan tin

Crust:blueberry-TART

100g butter (slightly softened)
100g ground almonds
100g plain flour
25g golden castor sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Filling:
500g blueberries
1 tablespoon plain flour
100g castor sugar
3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Topping:
250g blueberries
Icing sugar to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan / gas mark 6

Prepare the crust first. Place the flour, sugar and almonds in a mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Add the vinegar to form a dough. It might be a little crumbly but that’s fine. Press the dough into the base and around the sides of the flan tin. Whizz the filling ingredients together in a blender, pour over the crust and place in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. When you are ready to serve, top with the fresh blueberries and dust with sugar. I served this with a dollop of half-fat crème fraiche and a drizzle of honey.

Download a pdf of the recipe for  blueberry tart

Text and images Shirlee
Recipe and images Shirlee

Strawberry Vanilla Muffins

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The current unsettled weather finds us tripping in and out of our gardens snatching minutes of warming sun and hiding from sudden showers. Next time those grey clouds make an appearance  rustle up a summery  batch these light fluffy muffins for tea. With any luck by the time they are ready the sun will be back.

strawberry muffins 2042

You can download a printable version of the recipe Strawberry Vanilla Muffins here.

Ingredients  (Makes 8 large or 12 medium muffins)

60ml sunflower oil
120ml semi-skimmed milk
1 medium egg
Pinch salt
1 x 5ml spoon baking powder
100g vanilla castor sugar * or plain sugar and a tsp of vanilla essence
220g fine plain flour
150g fresh strawberries, de-hulled and finely chopped
2 strawberries, de-hulled and finely sliced for decoration

Pre-heat the oven to 190ºC / 170ºC fan / gas mark 5.

Whisk the oil, milk and egg together in a small mixing bowl. Place the salt, baking powder, sugar and flour in a large mixing bowl and stir together.Add the chopped strawberries and mix to coat with dry ingredients. Pour in the milk mixture and stir together quickly. The mixture will be slightly lumpy. Layout 8 large or 12 medium size muffin cases in a muffin tray. Using 2 metal spoons divide the muffin mixture equally between them.Place slices of fresh strawberry on top of each muffin.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and firm to touch.

Delicious eaten while still warm!

These will keep for a couple of days in an airtight cake tin but are best eaten on the day of baking.

Variations: try using fresh raspberries or blueberries in place of strawberries or a mixture of all three.

*Vanilla sugar; if you have a couple of spare vanilla pods sitting in a tube, stick them in a large jar and top up with caster sugar (I use golden brown). This gives an extra flavour layer to your baking. Simply top up the jar with sugar each time you use some.