< PreviousTIME & TIDE126127ON THE BOAT MAKES 2 100 g (31/2 oz) Cornish white crab meat 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 4 slices of granary loaf salted butter, softened a handful of rocket (arugula) leaves or round lettuce leaves juice of 1 lemon Cornish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Cornish Crab Sandwich Cold box at the ready. Good brown bread, fresh Cornish crab, mayo, lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper and a handful of rocket (arugula). I am immediately transported to Port Isaac, sitting on a bench on the platt looking out through the harbour wall to the open sea. All the scents of the sea, lobster and crab pots stacked high, waiting to be taken on board ship to catch the rich pickings from the ocean beyond. Seagulls overhead making the most noise as usual, the working harbour, the fishermen coming in and out depending on the tide. I think a crab sandwich should be kept simple – let the freshly picked Cornish crab do the talking. No brown meat for me, simply white crab meat with mayonnaise to bring it together. Check for any shell by placing the crab meat on a tray and gently sorting through the meat with your hands (gloves are good for this task) from one end to the other. Place the picked crab meat and mayonnaise in a bowl, add a pinch of sea salt and grind or two of black pepper, and mix together. Butter the bread and add the rocket or lettuce, then spoon on the crab mixture. Add a squeeze of lemon and sandwich together. COOK’S NOTE Do not compromise on ingredients here, always seek the best quality crab meat. For me, Just Shellfish in Port Isaac is always the place to find this. TIME & TIDE126127ON THE BOAT MAKES 2 100 g (31/2 oz) Cornish white crab meat 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 4 slices of granary loaf salted butter, softened a handful of rocket (arugula) leaves or round lettuce leaves juice of 1 lemon Cornish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Cornish Crab Sandwich Cold box at the ready. Good brown bread, fresh Cornish crab, mayo, lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper and a handful of rocket (arugula). I am immediately transported to Port Isaac, sitting on a bench on the platt looking out through the harbour wall to the open sea. All the scents of the sea, lobster and crab pots stacked high, waiting to be taken on board ship to catch the rich pickings from the ocean beyond. Seagulls overhead making the most noise as usual, the working harbour, the fishermen coming in and out depending on the tide. I think a crab sandwich should be kept simple – let the freshly picked Cornish crab do the talking. No brown meat for me, simply white crab meat with mayonnaise to bring it together. Check for any shell by placing the crab meat on a tray and gently sorting through the meat with your hands (gloves are good for this task) from one end to the other. Place the picked crab meat and mayonnaise in a bowl, add a pinch of sea salt and grind or two of black pepper, and mix together. Butter the bread and add the rocket or lettuce, then spoon on the crab mixture. Add a squeeze of lemon and sandwich together. COOK’S NOTE Do not compromise on ingredients here, always seek the best quality crab meat. For me, Just Shellfish in Port Isaac is always the place to find this. TIME & TIDE150151 Roasted Asparagus, Hazelnuts, Garlic, Marjoram, Sourdough Crumbs One of my favourite ways to cook these gorgeous green spears is gently roasted with good olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, then simply served with a delicious nutty, herby sourdough crumb. Alternatively, lie the asparagus on a bed of crème fraîche sauce (see my Cook’s note) for added richness. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6). Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 6–8 minutes in the middle of the oven until lightly roasted. Remove from the oven, wrap the hazelnuts in a clean dish towel, then rub them to remove the skins (don’t worry about any skins that don’t come off – they add texture and colour). Allow to cool, then crush roughly with a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin. Set aside. Heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, most of the marjoram or oregano, garlic and a pinch of sea salt, and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Set aside. Wash and trim off the hard ends from the asparagus, then arrange the spears on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the spears are lightly browned and tender. Arrange the asparagus on a large serving platter and sprinkle over the crushed hazelnuts, sourdough crumbs, lemon zest and remaining marjoram or oregano. Place the lemon juice and remaining olive oil in a small bowl, with a pinch each of salt and pepper, whisk to combine, then drizzle over the asparagus. Finish with edible flowers and serve. COOK’S NOTE Warm 100 g (3½ oz/generous 1 //3 cup) crème fraîche in a pan and gently stir in 50 g (2 oz) finely grated Parmesan. Spoon onto plates and sit the roasted asparagus on top. SEASIDE SOIRÉES SERVES 4-6 50 g (2 oz/generous 1 ⁄3 cup) hazelnuts, skin on 100 ml (31/2 fl oz/scant 1/2 cup) good olive oil, plus a drizzle for the asparagus 150 g (5 oz/scant 2 cups) fresh sourdough breadcrumbs 1 bunch of fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves only 2 garlic cloves, crushed 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) asparagus zest and juice of 1 lemon Cornish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper edible flowers (borage, violas, primroses), to garnishTIME & TIDE150151 Roasted Asparagus, Hazelnuts, Garlic, Marjoram, Sourdough Crumbs One of my favourite ways to cook these gorgeous green spears is gently roasted with good olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, then simply served with a delicious nutty, herby sourdough crumb. Alternatively, lie the asparagus on a bed of crème fraîche sauce (see my Cook’s note) for added richness. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6). Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 6–8 minutes in the middle of the oven until lightly roasted. Remove from the oven, wrap the hazelnuts in a clean dish towel, then rub them to remove the skins (don’t worry about any skins that don’t come off – they add texture and colour). Allow to cool, then crush roughly with a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin. Set aside. Heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, most of the marjoram or oregano, garlic and a pinch of sea salt, and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Set aside. Wash and trim off the hard ends from the asparagus, then arrange the spears on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the spears are lightly browned and tender. Arrange the asparagus on a large serving platter and sprinkle over the crushed hazelnuts, sourdough crumbs, lemon zest and remaining marjoram or oregano. Place the lemon juice and remaining olive oil in a small bowl, with a pinch each of salt and pepper, whisk to combine, then drizzle over the asparagus. Finish with edible flowers and serve. COOK’S NOTE Warm 100 g (3½ oz/generous 1 //3 cup) crème fraîche in a pan and gently stir in 50 g (2 oz) finely grated Parmesan. Spoon onto plates and sit the roasted asparagus on top. SEASIDE SOIRÉES SERVES 4-6 50 g (2 oz/generous 1 ⁄3 cup) hazelnuts, skin on 100 ml (31/2 fl oz/scant 1/2 cup) good olive oil, plus a drizzle for the asparagus 150 g (5 oz/scant 2 cups) fresh sourdough breadcrumbs 1 bunch of fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves only 2 garlic cloves, crushed 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) asparagus zest and juice of 1 lemon Cornish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper edible flowers (borage, violas, primroses), to garnishTIME & TIDE206LAZY SUNDAY LUNCH207 Baked Salmon, Clementines, Citrus Vodka Glaze, Roasted Fennel Clementines transport me to my childhood days and the promise of Christmas – they sing December to me, piled in a bowl in my kitchen or dropped into the bottom of my children’s stockings. I love them in cakes, sorbets, jellies, jams or, as here, baked with a delicious whole salmon fillet with citrus vodka and honey, roasted with fennel that turns sweet and caramelised. Serve with dollops of dill crème fraîche. Often overlooked as an option to serve at Christmas, this salmon will make a wonderful, colourful and delicious centrepiece for your festive table, especially with some red cabbage on the side. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7). Line a baking tray with baking parchment and brush it with olive oil. Place the salmon on the prepared tray, skin-side down. Brush the salmon with more olive oil and season with the chilli flakes, dill, crushed pink peppercorns and sea salt. Trim the fennel, remove any tough outer layers and cut into thin slices with the fronds. Place in a bowl and toss with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and more sea salt. Place the dressed fennel around the salmon ready to bake. Make the dill crème fraîche by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl with plenty of sea salt and black pepper. Always taste and consider. To make the glaze, put the clementine zest, juice, vodka, honey, star anise and bay leaves in a pan and simmer until reduced by half. Add the sliced clementines and simmer for a further 5 minutes until softened. Remove the clementine slices and set aside. Reduce the sauce until glossy, then pour it over the salmon fillet. Bake the salmon and fennel in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and lay the candied clementine slices down the centre of the fillet. Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes. Serve as a centrepiece on your table, with the dill crème fraîche on the side. COOK’S NOTES When buying salmon, opt for sustainable wild salmon. If not available, organic farmed salmon is the next best thing. Most of the salmon we buy in the UK is from Scotland. I make a citrus vodka in collaboration with Colwith Farm Distillery. For later, a classic vodka martini with a twist to sip is simply always a good thing (see page 220). SERVES 6–8 FOR THE SALMON 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) whole salmon fillet, pin boned 1–2 teaspoons chilli (hot pepper) flakes 4 tablespoons chopped dill 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, crushed a pinch of Cornish sea salt 2 fennel bulbs with fronds 2 tablespoons lemon juice FOR THE GLAZE zest and juice of 4 clementines or 2 oranges 100 ml (31/2 fl oz/scant 1/2 cup) citrus vodka (see Cook’s note) 6 tablespoons runny honey 3 star anise 3 bay leaves 3 clementines, unpeeled and cut into thin slices FOR THE DILL CRÈME FRAÎCHE 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/2 cups) crème fraîche 4 tablespoons finely chopped dill, plus extra to garnish 1 tablespoon lemon juice Cornish sea salt and freshly ground pepperTIME & TIDE206LAZY SUNDAY LUNCH207 Baked Salmon, Clementines, Citrus Vodka Glaze, Roasted Fennel Clementines transport me to my childhood days and the promise of Christmas – they sing December to me, piled in a bowl in my kitchen or dropped into the bottom of my children’s stockings. I love them in cakes, sorbets, jellies, jams or, as here, baked with a delicious whole salmon fillet with citrus vodka and honey, roasted with fennel that turns sweet and caramelised. Serve with dollops of dill crème fraîche. Often overlooked as an option to serve at Christmas, this salmon will make a wonderful, colourful and delicious centrepiece for your festive table, especially with some red cabbage on the side. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7). Line a baking tray with baking parchment and brush it with olive oil. Place the salmon on the prepared tray, skin-side down. Brush the salmon with more olive oil and season with the chilli flakes, dill, crushed pink peppercorns and sea salt. Trim the fennel, remove any tough outer layers and cut into thin slices with the fronds. Place in a bowl and toss with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and more sea salt. Place the dressed fennel around the salmon ready to bake. Make the dill crème fraîche by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl with plenty of sea salt and black pepper. Always taste and consider. To make the glaze, put the clementine zest, juice, vodka, honey, star anise and bay leaves in a pan and simmer until reduced by half. Add the sliced clementines and simmer for a further 5 minutes until softened. Remove the clementine slices and set aside. Reduce the sauce until glossy, then pour it over the salmon fillet. Bake the salmon and fennel in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and lay the candied clementine slices down the centre of the fillet. Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes. Serve as a centrepiece on your table, with the dill crème fraîche on the side. COOK’S NOTES When buying salmon, opt for sustainable wild salmon. If not available, organic farmed salmon is the next best thing. Most of the salmon we buy in the UK is from Scotland. I make a citrus vodka in collaboration with Colwith Farm Distillery. For later, a classic vodka martini with a twist to sip is simply always a good thing (see page 220). SERVES 6–8 FOR THE SALMON 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) whole salmon fillet, pin boned 1–2 teaspoons chilli (hot pepper) flakes 4 tablespoons chopped dill 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, crushed a pinch of Cornish sea salt 2 fennel bulbs with fronds 2 tablespoons lemon juice FOR THE GLAZE zest and juice of 4 clementines or 2 oranges 100 ml (31/2 fl oz/scant 1/2 cup) citrus vodka (see Cook’s note) 6 tablespoons runny honey 3 star anise 3 bay leaves 3 clementines, unpeeled and cut into thin slices FOR THE DILL CRÈME FRAÎCHE 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/2 cups) crème fraîche 4 tablespoons finely chopped dill, plus extra to garnish 1 tablespoon lemon juice Cornish sea salt and freshly ground pepperNext >