I love the cookery theatre at the New Forest Show – there’s such a good atmosphere amongst the stallholders and the back stage team are just utterly lovely. I’m only able to do the Wednesday this year, but I’m very excited that my demonstration is the one that’s going to be taking place when Her Majesty the Queen visits our area (no pressure!). In honour of our royal visitor, I have devised a ‘Best of British’ menu that I hope the audience will enjoy. Here’s a preview of the recipes.
Earl Grey Tea Cup
Makes 1
For the earl grey gin:
500 ml gin
2 earl grey tea bags (I used Tea Pigs)
For the co*cktail:
25 ml earl grey gin
50 ml bramley apple juice
1 slice of lemon
– To make the earl grey gin, push the tea bags into the bottle and tape the tags to the outside of the neck. Put the cork back on and leave to infuse for 2 hours.
– Carefully remove and discard the tea bags.
For the co*cktail:
– Measure the ingredients into a co*cktail shaker or jam jar and add a few cubes of ice.
– Shake well then strain into a tea cup.
– Float the lemon slice on top.
Local ingredients:
Bramley apple juice: – Hill Farm Juice, Swanmore
www.hillfarmjuice.co.uk
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Coronation Chicken Skewers
Serves 4
6 boneless chicken thighs
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 tbsp mango chutney
2 tbsp chopped almonds
For the dipping sauce:
100 ml mayonnaise
100ml crème fraiche
3 tbsp mango chutney
½ tsp curry powder
– Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and put in a sandwich bag with the curry powder. Toss to coat then leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
– Meanwhile, soak 8 wooden skewers in a bowl of water.
– While the chicken is marinating, make the dipping sauce. Mix together the mayonnaise and crème fraiche then stir in the mango chutney and curry powder. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
– Thread the chicken onto the skewers, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.
– Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot then cook the skewers for 4 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through and succulent.
– Brush the chicken with mango chutney and cook for a few more minutes until the glaze is bubbling.
– Sprinkle the skewers with chopped almonds and serve with the dipping sauce.
Local ingredients:
Chicken thighs: Noah’s Ark Farm, New Milton
www.noahsarkfarm.co.uk
Rapeseed oil: Pratt’s Food, Andover
www.prattsfood.co.uk
Mango chutney: The Hampshire Chutney Co, Farleigh Wallop – visit their stand at the show!
www.thehampshirechutneyco.co.uk
Mayonnaise: Pollen True Taste, Bramshott
www.pollentruetaste.co.uk
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Best of British Tart
Serves 16
125 g butter
250 g wholemeal flour
50 g light brown sugar
6 large eggs
450 ml double cream
120 ml runny honey
To decorate:
300 ml double cream
300 g raspberries
150 g blueberries
– To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in just enough water to bring the mixture together into a pliable dough. It’s less water than you would expect so go slowly!
– Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 20cm x 30cm loose bottomed tart case. Prick the base all over with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.
– While the pastry is chilling, preheat the oven to 200c / GM6.
– Lightly beat the eggs and brush it over the inside of the pastry case, reserving the rest for later.
– Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the heat down to 180c / GM4 halfway through. The pastry is ready when it is really crisp.
– Turn the oven down to 140c / GM1. Whisk the double cream and honey into the beaten eggs and pour into the pastry case.
– Bake the custard for 30 minutes or until the top has set and there’s only a slight wobble in the centre. If it looks like the filling is rising at any point, turn the oven down a bit and keen an eye on it.
– Leave the tart to cool completely before topping.
– Whip the cream until thick but not too stiff and spoon it into a piping bag.
– Using a double row of raspberries to make a cross on top of the custard then pipe cream along the edges as a border to the raspberries.
– Use a single row of raspberries to draw a line from the centre of the tart to the outer corners and border again with piped cream.
– Finally, fill in the 8 triangles that are left with blueberries.
Local ingredients:
Butter: Bookhams Fine Foods, Sussex
www.bookhams.com
Wholemeal flour: Winchester City Mill, Winchester
Double cream: Blackburn & Haynes, Headley
Free-range eggs: Fluffetts Farm, Ringwood – – visit their stand at the show!
www.fluffettsfarm.co.uk
Honey: visit the honey and hive tent at the show!
Raspberries: DGJ Tanner, Sopley – visit their stand at the show!
