MENU dorset issue 24 MENU24.dorset pdf issue 24.new | Page 10

 P
Dorset
L E N T Y 
From Farm to Fork
Five seasonal ingredients you should be eating this month
1
Plaice
U the Dorset coast. Even if you’re not a keen angler, there’s no denying that the bright
nlike Dover sole, plaice is a relatively inexpensive flatfish, and you’ll find plenty of it off
orange-spotted skin looks attractive on the fishmongers slab. Its delicate flesh tastes great,
too, whether the fillets are fried in breadcrumbs and served with tartare sauce or used as
a replacement for the classic sole meunière, in which the fried fish is served with a brown
butter, caper and lemon juice sauce.
2
Spinach
A say goodbye to our roots and welcome fresh greens. Spinach should get a warm welcome
pril is perhaps the quietest month for seasonal veg, but it’s also the month in which we
– packed with vitamins and flavour, it’s a leaf that takes barely a minute to wilt and, when
whizzed up with cream cheese, cheddar, and a splash of milk, makes a great green pasta
sauce. Got any leftovers? Just throw handfuls into your one-pot dishes on colder spring
evenings.
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3
Rhubarb
I there’s always rhubarb, that robust stalky veg that does such a good job of pretending it’s
f it’s a transitional month for seasonal veg, it’s an even slower one for UK fruit. At least
a fruit in all manner of fools, crumbles and trifles. The more robust rhubarb that’s grown
outdoors has now replaced the forced variety, and thanks to our thirst for these rouge
rhizomes in gins, wine and sodas, sales have shot up.
4
Crab
T Admittedly, they can be fiddly beggars to eat, especially when slathered in a hot chilli
he first crabs come into season this month and can, again, be found on the Dorset coast.
sauce for that messy classic Singapore chilli crab, but cracking through their tough exterior
for the treasure inside is worth the effort, whether it’s the sweet, delicate white stuff or the
more flavoursome brown meat. If you can’t be bothered, you can always buy tubs of the stuff
and serve it with pasta, chilli, garlic, parsley and a splash of wine in a classic crab linguine.
5
New potatoes
S brothers. For these are the spuds that won’t break up when you add them to Indian
weeter and less starchy, new potatoes are arguably more versatile than their older
curries and tomato-based veg stews plus they’re so much better in salads. Okay, the older
Maris Pipers are what you need for the best mash and chips, but, on a cold day, you can still
roast a new potato - covered in salt, they’re great with a Spanish Romesco sauce. Also, at the
end of April, buttery Jersey Royals, the best new potatoes of them all, arrive.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk