Issue #01 October 2022
Hello!
Firstly, thank you so much for subscribing, it really means a lot.
I have been dreaming up A BIT MORE SEASONING for quite a while & it feels pretty nuts to finally be writing the first newsletter!
So, let’s get straight into it…
I don’t know about you but Autumn is without a doubt my favourite season, probably because I love nothing more than knitwear & being cozy but also because we start to get some really exciting food coming through at this time of year.
October is when things really start to kick off for Autumnal produce. The seas are turning cold again & shellfish that use the warmer summer months to spawn are back to being at their best - crab, mussels, clams & oysters are all great right now.
Pumpkins & squash are popping up everywhere & it’s good to see so many heritage varieties starting to make their way onto supermarket shelves.
So what’s in season this month…
Hero Ingredient Cavolo Nero
Maybe it’s Tuscan origins are why I chose this dark green, nutrient packed brassica* to feature as the first ever hero ingredient. Cavolo Nero, which translates from Italian to black cabbage, is now abundantly grown in the UK & whilst you can sometimes find it in the supermarket during the summer months, it is best enjoyed in Autumn after the first frost.
Cavolo Nero is super versatile & if you have only ever encountered it as a boiled side dish to a Sunday roast, then I hope these recipes will help you see this bumpy green leaf for all it is worth!
*Brassicas are the family of vegetables that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale & more.
Recipe 01
Cavolo Nero & Walnut Pesto
This Cavolo Nero pesto is super quick to make & works well with loads of dishes, not just stirred through pasta. Spoon it generously over grilled meats & autumnal roasted veggies or as I recently discovered, adding it to a hungover breakfast of beans on toast is also an excellent idea!
Using Cavolo Nero & walnuts makes this a great seasonal alternative to the brighter basil pesto that is best enjoyed in summer.
I have included a recipe for Pangrattato here (Italian bread crumbs) which you can choose to include or not, but I would highly recommend going through the minimal effort to make them as they add great texture & any opportunity to eat double carbs, I’m there!
Ingredients
For the Pangrattato
A big chunk of stale bread
Few sprigs rosemary or thyme
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste
For the Pesto
100g Cavolo Nero, stalks removed
30g walnuts
1 clove garlic
50ml good olive oil
25g parmesan, grated
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
For the Pangrattato
Pop the oven on to 180 degrees. Tear the stale bread into chunks & drizzle with olive oil until coated.
Put the bread & whole herbs onto a baking sheet & put in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the bread has turned golden brown, then remove from the oven & leave to cool.
Add the bread to a food processor along with the herbs & a good pinch of sea salt (if you don’t have a food processor, pop everything into a ziplock bag & give it a bash with a rolling pin!) blitz or bash to your desired consistency & you’re done!
Store in an airtight container.
For the Pesto
Bring a saucepan of water to boil.
Remove the stalks from the Cavolo Nero, roughly chop the leaves & add to the boiling water for 3 minutes then remove & run under cold water to stop the cooking process then set aside to cool.
Once the Cavolo Nero has cooled, squeeze out the majority of the water & add it to a food processor with the walnuts, garlic, olive oil, parmesan & half the lemon juice.
Blitz in a food processor until it reaches your preferred texture, taste then season with more of the lemon juice if needed plus the salt & pepper.
Stir through hot pasta and top with Panegratto & some good olive oil.
Recipe 02
Clams with Chorizo & Cavolo Nero
This is Autumnal comfort food at its best! A big bowl of winey clams in the middle of the table for everyone to dig into, served with chunks of fresh bread to soak up all the sauce.
This dish would work just as well with mussels if clams aren’t your thing!
This dish is simple to make & apart from a bit of chopping, it comes together in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
750g British clams
250ml Vermouth or white wine
100g cavolo nero, stalk removed & roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 white onion, halved & finely sliced
½ lemon
Handful parsley, finely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
In a large, high sided pan (I use a cast iron casserole dish) heat some oil over a medium heat & add the sliced onions. Cook the onions until they go translucent & jammy, about 10 minutes, then add the chorizo & cook for 5 minutes or until the chorizo starts to slightly brown & the oil is turning red.
Add your garlic & cook for around 5 minutes but keep an eye on it & do not let it burn. Turn the heat down if it’s all getting a bit too hot in there!
Add the Vermouth or wine & let this bubble away until you can smell the alcohol has cooked off – about 5 minutes.
Add your clams & cavolo nero to the pan, give it a quick stir to coat everything in the liquid then pop the lid on the pan.
Leave to cook with the lid on for 7 minutes. DO NOT be tempted to take the lid off to check, the steam is what’s cooking the clams!
After 7 minutes, take the lid off & check all the clams have opened. If they aren’t all fully open then pop the lid back on for a couple more minutes.
Take off the heat & discard any clams that haven’t opened.
Serve in a big bowl for everyone to dig in & share with crusty bread.
Recipe 03
Curried Crab Cakes
Let’s start by acknowledging that this is a pretty indulgent recipe! Crab is not cheap & nor should it be, when you consider the risks & hard work involved in catching them.
Crab caught in UK waters produce beautiful sweet meat & much like other shellfish such as mussels & clams, they are best enjoyed in the colder months.
If you’re feeling up to it then by all means, buy a whole crab to prepare & pick yourself, I take my hat off to you if you choose this route & would quite like to be invited over for dinner! However, if like me, you choose to buy picked crab meat, just ensure it’s from British crab.
Ingredients
For the crab cake (makes around 10 cakes)
450g freshly picked crab meat
300g mashed potato
20 (ish!) curry leaves – finely chopped
100g plain flour
175g breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
Thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
Small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
Salt & pepper to season
Rapeseed oil (or sunflower/vegetable) just NOT olive oil!
For the coriander chutney
100g fresh coriander
30g fresh mint
2 limes – juiced
Salt & pepper
Method
Mash the potatoes & leave to cool.
To make your crab cake mixture, add your mash to a large bowl & then add the crab meat, curry leaves, grated ginger, spring onions, red chilli, finely chopped coriander, cumin, turmeric, ground coriander & season with salt & pepper.
Beat 1 egg in a separate bowl & add to your crab cake mixture, then mix everything well to combine.
Take 85g of crab mixture (or a decent sized handful!) & form the cakes in your hand. I find the easiest way to do this is by rolling it into a ball & then very gently pressing it down with my palm, about an inch thick.
Once you’ve formed all your crab cakes, pop them onto a baking tray & into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour to firm up.
Whilst the crab cakes are in the fridge, now’s a good time to make the coriander chutney. Simply place the fresh coriander & mint (stalks included) into a food processor with half the lime juice & blitz to your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt & pepper & add the remaining lime juice, if needed.
After the cakes have firmed up in the fridge, they are ready to be coated in breadcrumbs. Prepare three bowls, one with plain flour, one with beaten egg & one with breadcrumbs.
Take the cakes out of the fridge & one at a time, dip the cake into the flour & shake off any excess, dip into the egg then straight into the breadcrumbs & place on a baking tray whilst you repeat this process for all the cakes.
To shallow fry the cakes, add enough oil to a pan to half cover your cakes (around 2.5cm), heat the oil to medium-high then add your crab cakes (they should sizzle when dropped into the oil) & cook for about 3/4 minutes on either side until the breadcrumbs have turned golden. It’s best to do this only a few at a time otherwise things can get a bit hectic!
You can keep any cooked cakes warm in the oven whilst you finish frying the rest.
Serve with the coriander chutney.
I hope you give these recipes a go & please share anything you do cook with me @abitmoreseasoning on Instagram.
If you’d like any info on ingredient substitutes, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Thanks so much & see you in November!