Issue #04 February 2023
Hello & Happy February!
After a short interlude that allowed me to eat my way around Mexico (more on that in a bit!), ABMS is back & very excited for 2023!
The winter months always seem to get a bad name for themselves food wise, with everyone moaning about a lack of fresh produce but I genuinely think this couldn’t be further from the truth. With those crispy, fresh mornings & dark, drizzly evenings here to stay for a while, is there any better time to enjoy big bowls of seasonal stews (British Venison is great right now) accompanied by roasted root veggies or creamy, indulgent mashed potato? This is also the time of year where a big hearty pudding is essential & it must be accompanied by a lot of custard!
Whilst February tends to be a bit drab, it is actually a pretty exciting time in the British food calendar as one of our most anticipated & iconic foods becomes available for a very short period, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb.
What makes this early rhubarb so special vs the rhubarb we see later in the year is that it is harvested under candlelight to protect the stems from any bitterness caused by exposure to light. With the name being bit of a giveaway, Yorkshire forced rhubarb is unsurprisingly grown in Yorkshire, however it comes from a small area of West Yorkshire, known as the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ which includes Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell.
Expect to see rhubarb on lots of menus over the next couple of months & make the most of its short season. My favorite thing to do with rhubarb is make a compote, stewed down with ginger which I serve with yoghurt & granola for breakfast. It feels like a really indulgent start to the day.
Mexico
Firstly let me say, if you are thinking of booking a trip to Mexico, just do it! It is a wonderful country full of warm & welcoming people, amazing natural sites, so much history & culture & of course, very delicious food!
Our route was: Mexico City - Oaxaca - Chemuyil - Valladolid.
Whilst our trip to Mexico over December certainly doesn’t have anything to do with British Seasonal Eating, I have been asked more than once ‘’what was the best thing you ate?’’ so I thought I would give you a little run down of my top 5 most delicious foods I tried in Mexico.
#01 Soupa Di Lima
Something I will think about forever…the Soupa Di Lima from De Los Santos, a small family run restaurant in Valladolid & somewhere you MUST go if you’re in the area. Rich, comforting chicken broth with lime, pulled chicken & crispy tostadas that soak up the broth.
#02 Breakfast!
Breakfast in general is excellent in Mexico! The Enchiladas Verde from Eno in Roma, Mexico City were very very good. Anything green, a little spicy, a little sour & with melting queso is going to get my vote!
#03 Tacos
I don’t think I was prepared for the sheer volume of tacos we ate! The best ones were always from a street food vendor & these ones from Taqueria La Roma in Mexico City, were definitely my favourite from the whole trip. We asked ‘‘what’s best?’’ in Spanish, paid a few pesos (18 pesos a taco, which is like 70p) & were handed a stack of tacos topped with charred meat, melted queso, griddled peppers & some avo which we ate sat on the side of the street with a group of locals…then the cops turned up, jumped out their patrol car & ordered the same thing!
#04 Rol de Guayaba
One of the biggest surprises about Mexican food for me was the pastries! I am pretty spoilt where I live in East London as I have very very good bakeries like Pophams & Pavilion on my doorstep & I like to think I know a good bit of puff pastry when I see it, so it was a delight to discover the beautiful Panaderia Rosetta in Mexico City. I know this is a big statement but their Rol de Guayaba (Guava Roll) was the best pastry I have ever eaten, hands down!
#05 Another Chicken Soup
This time, it was the chicken soup from Caldos de Gallina Luis. A rich homemade chicken broth with chickpeas, rice & pulled chicken that you customize with the array of spicy salsa, raw onion, chilies & lime on the table & of course comes with a side of fresh tortilla.
What’s at its best this month…
Hero Ingredient Brussels Sprout
I know a lot of people have some pretty strong opinions about this tiny green vegetable & I do too…I absolutely love them! I have always loved them & every Christmas there is a running joke in my family about how many I will eat. However, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized how versatile sprouts can be.
Gone are the days of mushy, overboiled, stinky brussels & hello stir fried, sautéed & roasted sprouts!
Sprouts are very good at carrying flavour & in the recipes I have developed this month I have teamed them up with some big, bold spices.
Sprouts are in season & at their best in the UK between October – March & you’d be right to assume they originate from Belgium, hence the name, although they are widely grown in the UK now.
Recipe 01
Brussels Bhajis
Yes, you read that correctly, I have put Brussels Sprouts in a bhaji & I genuinely think it’s one of my favorite things I have ever made!
These are super easy to make & would be a great side dish to any curry night but would equally work well as a seasonal canape or starter if you were hosting a dinner party.
I have suggested serving them with a classic mango chutney, but I think they would go just as well with a cucumber raita or a lime pickle – it’s really up to you!
Ingredients
300g Brussels Sprouts, shredded
1 large onion, finely sliced
120g Gram Flour
130ml cold water
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt & pepper
Sunflower oil (vegetable or rapeseed is also okay)
Method
1. Shred the spouts & finely slice the onion like the image below then leave them to soak in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.
2. To make the batter, in a large bowl mix together the gram flour, all the spices, salt & pepper (be generous with the salt) & 100ml cold water. You want the batter to be pretty thick so the bajis stick together when cooked.
3. Drain the sprouts & onion, pat dry & add them to the batter, mix well & ensure everything is coated.
4. Fill a heavy bottomed pan with 5cm oil & heat to around 140°C or until a small drop of batter sizzles when dropped in the oil.
5. Using a metal dessert spoon, scoop up a spoonful of the bhaji mixture & gently lower it into the hot oil. Cook for 3 minutes on one side then flip it over & cook for another 3 mins on the other side. You can cook multiple Bhajis at the same time (If you’re finding your bhajis are falling apart in the oil, add a little more gram flour to the mixture & mix really well to combine everything).
6. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon & sprinkle with sea salt.
7. Serve hot with Mango chutney.
Recipe 02
Brussels & Butternut Winter Salad
The word salad conjures up images of crisp lettuce leaves, zingy citrus dressings & fresh summer tomatoes, however salad is very much here for winter too!
I could quite happily eat these spiced & roasted sprouts by themselves as a snack, however for this recipe, I have paired them with butternut squash & roasted shallots for a warming winter salad that is one of my go to weekday dinners.
Just a note to say, this recipe looks like a lot of steps when it’s broken down into a proper method, but it really is bit of a chuck it all together type dinner so don’t worry about being too precious - just make sure you only give the sprouts 15 mins max in the oven.
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the salad
300g Brussels Sprouts, sliced in half
240g giant wholewheat couscous
1 Butternut Squash, cut into large chunks
8 shallots, peeled & sliced in half lengthways
1 tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp ground Coriander
1 tsp Paprika
Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Handful fresh chives, finely chopped
Olive oil
salt & pepper
For the salad dressing
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, zest & juice
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
For the Tahini Yoghurt
2 large spoonfuls thick yoghurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic, grated
Salt & pepper
Method
Heat the oven to 190°C
Add the chunks of butternut, halved shallots & sprouts, ground cumin, ground coriander & paprika to a large bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil & season with salt & pepper. Mix well to coat all the vegetables in the spices & olive oil.
Add the butternut to a baking tray & roast for 20 minutes, then add the halved shallots to the same baking tray & continue to cook for another 10 minutes, then add the Brussels & cook for a further 10 minutes (total cooking time is 40 mins).
Whilst the veggies are cooking, make the dressing. Combine the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses & season well with salt & pepper. Put this aside until the veg is ready - make sure to taste it as you go, if it needs A Bit More Seasoning, add it!
Cook the couscous as per the packet instructions.
To make the tahini yoghurt, add all the ingredients to a bowl & mix well to combine. Taste as you go & adjust to your liking eg add a little more salt or a little more lemon.
Once the couscous is cooked, drain well & then add to a large bowl with the veggies. Add the dressing & fresh chopped coriander, parsley & chives & combine until everything is coated in herbs & dressing.
Serve, topped with the tahini yogurt.
That’s all for February folks!
If you’re enjoying A Bit More Seasoning, please use the link below to share with your friends & family.