Our Caribbean Dish of The Day - Byron Askie of the Green Door in Barbuda
Written by Claire
Byron is well known for his barbecues on the beach, and says the secret of good Caribbean food is in the seasoning. Everyone makes their own version and it usually includes thyme, plenty of salt, peppers such as scotch bonnet or the small local chilis, and a number of other spices. In the UK we can cheat - but make sure you do it the night before, it's all about the preparation. And use twice as much as you think you need - strong flavours are the thing. Even though summer seems to be over we will be eating this on Monday at Notting Hill and until it's too cold to go out in the garden. And then we might just have to cook it in the oven.
Barbecued chicken, pork or fish with rice and peas
Prepare your meat or fish the day before - cut slashes into them to ensure the spices get right in, it will help with cooking too.
Season with your preferred seasoning - curry powder will do but you can buy most of the Caribbean style seasonings now. Or make your own from a combination of salt, black pepper, turmeric, ground allspice, dried thyme, red pepper (cayenne or fresh scotch bonnet chili) and olive oil. Rub this into the meat or fish. The next day - cook on your coal pot in the garden!
Rice and Peas
Rinse your rice, long grain is best. Cook until nearly ready, add plenty of salt, a tin of black eye beans or kidney beans or if you can get them, pigeon peas complete with their liquid and finish cooking. If you like you can add a bit of coconut - but most people don't.
Our July Dish of the Day - Gary Kingshott of the White Horse in Whepstead
Written by veggieplot
Suffolk Shipcord Cheese Custard - served with soda bread. Serves 4.
The Savoury Custard
1 pint whipping cream.5 free range eggs
200g Suffolk Shipcord cheese (or similar strong cheese)
200g spinach
Pinch salt & cayenne pepper
Boil the cream and let it cool down to room temperature. Whisk the eggs, then mix with the rest of ingredients. Pour into a buttered oven proof dish at least 2 inches deep. Place in a pre-heated oven at 150°C for 20 to 30 mins. When cooked it should feel slightly firm to the touch. Serve with warm oatmeal soda bread and a mixed green salad.
Soda Bread
150g wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
150g plain flour
25g porridge oats
2tsp soft brown sugar
284ml carton buttermilk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of sodaSift flour, salt, and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and oats, then stir in the buttermilk using a wooden spoon. Bring together the dough with your hands into a round and place on a baking sheet dusted with flour. Cut a cross on top then bake for 30 mins at 200°C. Cool on a wire rack then slice and serve with butter.
Jayne and Ray were the deserved winners of 'A Farmers Life for Me' on tv recently. Here is Jaynes recipe for June.
500 g of cubed mutton
1 tbsp dry coriander
1tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp turmeric
1tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp cumin
1tbsp chilli, star anise, bay leaf.
2 tbsp oil
1 tin tomatoes, 1 tin coconut milk.
plain yogurt and chopped coriander to serve.
Make the garam massalla by mixing all dry spices together and dry marinate mutton for at least 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add mutton and seal. Turn down the heat add coconut milk and tomatoes and simmer, mix thoroughly.
Cook in a medium oven 160 for 1-2 hours until tender. Serve with rice, plain yogurt and chopped coriander to garnish.Serves 3-4.
You can contact Jayne or Ray to buy their mutton from Shotley on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call them on 0779 566 2273
Our April Dish of the Day - George Biddle at the Kings Head, Laxfield
Written by Claire
And here is George's recipe
Our March Dish of the Day - Justin Sharp at Pea Porridge
Written by Claire
And here is Justin's recipe -
Saute of snails, bacon and bone marrow, flat parsley and capers.
4 pieces of short sawn bone marrow
12 ex large snails (tinned will do if you can't get fresh)
1/2 shallot chopped
2 slices of pancetta cut into lardons
100g fresh garlic butter
For the parsley salad:
small bunch of flat parsley, picked and washed
1/4 red onion thinly sliced and sprinkled with salt to withdraw moisture
20 baby capers
salt and pepper
drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of 1/4 lemon. Combine all ingredients together just before serving.
First roast your bone marrow in a medium oven, on a rack on a tray sprinkled with rock salt for 10 mins then turn the bones for another 5 minutes.
Gently colour the pancetta in a small frying pan, then add the chopped shallot, add the snails and gently fry without colouring the shallots.
Add the garlic butter and allow the butter to start to froth and gently colour.
Assemble by placing the parsley salad on a plate alongside the bone marrows and spoon the snails on top and around the marrows. Serve with a spoon to scoop out the marrow and good bread to soak the juices. Simple but delicious. And it has been on the menu since day one. Serves 2.