P
Dorset
L E N T Y
From Farm to Fork
Five seasonal ingredients you should be eating this month
1
Jerusalem Artichoke
Nan excellent alternative to potatoes, making for silky, smooth mash or purée that goes
ot from Jerusalem and not an artichoke, the edible tuber of this sunflower species is
alongside red meat and all that rich game that’s in season right now. Thanks to the high
levels of inulin, a polymer of monosaccharide fructose, it has a lovely sweetness, and while
it is true that this carbohydrate can make some a bit, well, windy, those who enjoy eating
Jerusalem Artichokes will say it’s absolutely worth it. Anyway, it’s best to steam first before
mashing, or blending into a delicious and luxurious soup. You can roast them, too.
2
Chestnuts
Fpreparing chestnuts can put your fingers through a little pain. You could buy them
rom prising them out of their spiky casing to cracking open their shells while still hot,
vacuum packed, but when they’re in season, that seems like cheating. Plus, you miss out on
the wonderful aromas filling the house as they roast. Chestnuts have long been associated
with Christmas, whether used as a filling for a Buche De Noel or in a stuffing with turkey,
but they’re a tasty accompaniment to game such as guinea fowl, partridge or pheasant, and
they go well with chocolate desserts.
10
3
Pheasant
Ybird takes on spicy flavours beautifully and, seeing as it can be dry, it sometimes needs
ou don’t often see pheasant tikka masala at your local curry house, but this lean, gamey
the moisture of a good sauce. If you don’t fancy a curry, you could always try pot roasting
the birds with cider and bacon – great practise if you’re considering game rather than turkey
for your Christmas dinner. Finally, if you want something quick, remove the breasts and pan
fry them, again with bacon, and you could throw in some seasonal wild mushrooms.
4
Quince
Ialongside roast pork. However, even though it gives off a wonderful tempting aroma, the
t’s part of the same family as the apple and pear, and it works well in a crumble and
fruit is too bitter to be eaten raw. Its rock hard flesh needs to cook for longer than an apple
too. It is high in pectin though, meaning it makes a great jelly – membrillo is a Spanish fruit
cheese, made from quince, which is a great accompaniment to, well, actual cheese. In Spain,
they serve it with Manchego, but you should try it with Wensleydale.
5
Venison
GIt’s straightforward to cook, too. Just treat it like beef or lamb – quickly pan fry steaks,
iven that the meat of a deer is very lean, it’s a surprise that we don’t eat more venison.
slowly cook chunks of shoulder or leg in a wintery casserole made with red wine, redcurrant
jelly, mushrooms and bacon, and even make burgers with mince. That said, you might want
to add a little fat to the burgers to prevent them from drying out. Venison goes well with
seasonal fruity flavours like quince and blackberries, and horseradish and wild mushrooms.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk