THE JOURNAL
Red-legged partridge in Afghani sauce. Photograph by Mr Steven Joyce, courtesy of Gunpowder
The seasonal ingredients to eat now – from beetroot to red-legged partridge.
As we move into winter and prepare to hunker down in the cold, our thoughts turn to the new dishes and ingredients that are available to fuel us during this harsh season. But, instead of shopping mindlessly at our local supermarket, we thought we would ask some of our favourite chefs for the items they are most excited about cooking with this month – and exactly what they plan to do with them. Read their insider kitchen tips, below.
**Mr Stephen Harris **Owner – The Sportsman, Kent
Photograph by Mr Toby Glanville
Cabbage
It has an incredible versatility. It provides for us throughout the winter and comes in so many varieties. It is abundant throughout the winter months and is served in half the dishes we prepare at The Sportsman through the winter season. I feel it is overlooked and undervalued.
Pot roasted cabbage. Photograph by Mr Toby Glanville
How to cook it
Prepare it very simply and lightly with butter, lemon and black pepper – this has a lovely sweetness. Or you can eat it crunchy – we do raw salads, or pot-roasted red cabbage. Many people forget that we eat it raw in coleslaw all the time. Try deep-frying the outer leaves to resemble something a bit like crispy seaweed. Whatever you do, please don’t over-boil it for hours (this is why it has a bad name).
Mr Harneet Baweja Owner – Gunpowder, London
Photograph by Mr Steven Joyce, courtesy of Gunpowder
Red-legged partridge
Being a seasonal game bird, it has great flavour and its lean meat and size makes it ideal to cook.
Red-legged partridge in Afghani sauce. Photograph by Mr Steven Joyce, courtesy of Gunpowder
How to cook it
We are going to cook it a couple of ways at Gul and Sepoy. The first dish we are doing is grilled red-legged partridge served with a rich cashew and melon seed sauce. We also stuff the bird – it makes for a great roast dish. You can get partridge from your local butcher, then marinate and grill it. It can also be cut into small pieces, marinated and fried. It’s a healthier protein and a great alternative to chicken or turkey.
**Mr Martin Morales ** Owner – Ceviche, London
Photograph by Mr Dave Brown
A pioneer of Peruvian food in Britain, Mr Martin Morales opened Ceviche in Soho in 2012. Since then, he has launched another Ceviche in Old Street, Andina in Shoreditch and Casita Andina. Along with four restaurants, he also has two cookbooks under his belt, the latest of which Andina: The Heart Of Peruvian Food came out this month.
Beetroot
Beetroots bring drama, colour, flavour and texture into your garden and kitchen. As they don’t have to be watered regularly, they are quite easy to grow and can be grown in small plots. For many years, they were kind of rejected, but in recent times the sheer variety of flavour and colour has inspired many chefs. For me, they are the perfect winter vegetable. Of all the vegetables, beetroot is one of the richest sources of phytonutrients, full of antioxidants and are packed with fibre, vitamin B9 and vitamin C.
Puka picante. Photograph by Mr David Loftus
How to cook it
High up in the central Andes, the Ayacucho region boasts a dish called puka picante. Its name comes from the Quechua “puka”, meaning “red”, and Spanish “picante” meaning “spicy” and it’s a warm, bright red stew; with heritage potatoes served with a sauce made of beetroot, peanut butter, smoked chilli, single cream, onions and garlic. At Casita Andina, we use a variety of cooked and raw beetroots such as Chioggia, Burpees Golden, Pablo or Red Ace. Most come from the brilliant Secretts Farm in Surrey. Other dishes I cook with beetroot are beetroot fritters, beetroot, feta and garlic dip and beetroot, carrot and maca juice.
Andina: The Heart Of Peruvian Food by Mr Martin Morales is out now
SEASONAL FLAVOUR
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