Issue #09 July 2023
Issue #09 July 2023
Hello & welcome to issue #09 of A Bit More Seasoning!
I LOVE JULY!! I may be biased but July is my favourite month of the year…probably because its my birthday month (anyone who knows me IRL will not be surprised to learn I’m a Cancer!) but also it just really feels like summer is in full swing with festivals, BBQs, long evenings in the park, lunches outside & being a sticky, sweaty mess before you’ve even got to work in the morning!!
But July also means loads of delicious new foods are in season because of the warmer weather.
So what’s happening in the world of seasonal British food right now?
New season Salt Marsh Lamb is back & perfect for summer BBQ’s & would be amazing served with this month’s salsa verde recipe (you could even chuck a handful of mint into the recipe, if serving with lamb). What’s special about salt marsh lamb is that the lambs graze on the coastal herb filled grasses of estuary salt flats, which results in a unique flavour. Now is a great time to ask your local butcher if they have any salt marsh lamb as the season has just started.
Fresh herbs such as basil, chives, mint & chillies are all flourishing now & are super easy to grow at home, even without any outdoor space, you could grow these in little pots on a sunny windowsill.
Hedgerows & fruit trees are coming alive with blackcurrants, blackberries, gooseberries, cherries, raspberries & of course strawberries are still here for a little while yet.
What’s at its best this month…
Hero Ingredient Lettuce
It’s officially summer & that means all things SALAD! However, I’m not talking about your regular lettuce, cucumber & tomato salad, I’m talking about cooking your salad!
Don’t get me wrong, I love a cold crispy salad; my go-to is usually butterhead leaves, salted tomatoes & thinly sliced raw red onion with a dressing of lemon, extra virgin olive oil & pomegranate molasses.
So why bother cooking something that is already great raw? I think that griddling, BBQing or braising a lettuce just feels a little bit special; it transforms the taste & texture from slightly bitter & crunchy to deliciously soft, smoky & slightly sweet. Not to mention that it is incredibly easy to do & when you serve it, someone will always say ‘‘oh, I hadn’t ever thought of cooking a lettuce’’!
Lettuce has a long harvesting season from late spring all the way through to around October.
Recipe 01
Griddled Baby Gem Lettuce & Caesar Dressing
This dish is basically a hot ceasar salad & I think it’s up there as one of my favourite recipes I have created.
The ceasar dressing is by no means a ‘classic’ recipe, the likes of which originated in Tijuana Mexico, by Caesar Cardini in the 1920’s & uses raw egg yolks, oil & lime juice, although both recipes use one ingredient that is a must in any take on a caesar dressing…anchovies.
Love them or hate them, once the anchovies are blended into the creamy dressing, you wouldn’t know they are there, but you absolutely would notice if they weren’t! They add a level of umami that just can’t be achieved by anything else, so please do not skip them!
This would be an excellent side for a summer BBQ or with a roast chicken.
Ingredients
For the dressing
6 TBSP mayonnaise
4-5 anchovies (depending on their size)
1 garlic clove
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TSP Dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Black pepper
For the griddled lettuce
2 baby gem lettuce
Extra virgin olive oil
For the breadcrumbs
A big chunk of stale bread
Few sprigs rosemary or thyme
1 TSP chilli flakes
Olive oil
Sea salt
Method
Start by making the breadcrumbs, pop the oven on to 180℃. Tear the stale bread into chunks & coat with olive oil until coated.
Put the bread, herbs & chilli flakes 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.
Now to make the caesar dressing, add all of the ingredients to a food processor or a pestle & mortar & blend to make a smooth sauce. Taste & adjust the seasoning, if it’s not tangy enough, add a little more lemon juice, if it’s not salty enough, add another anchovy. Transfer to a bowl & keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Light a bbq or heat a griddle pan to high.
Slice the baby gem in half lengthways & drizzle with olive oil & a little sea salt. Place the lettuce cut side down on a hot griddle pan for 5 minutes then turn over & let the other side cook for another 5 minutes or until you have nice charred griddle marks on either side.
Remove the lettuce from the pan, top with the ceasar dressing & breadcrumbs.
Recipe 02
One Pan Braised Lettuce with Chicken, Potatoes & Olives, plus a Salsa Verde.
Wow thats a long title!
Don’t get me wrong, this is a super duper easy, one-pan wonder that’s perfect for a midweek dinner BUT the addition of the salsa verde makes it feel fancy, like I’d feel very spoilt if someone served me this at a dinner party, kinda fancy.
This is really a 2 for the price of 1 recipe, because the salsa verde goes amazingly well with pretty much anything. I’ve made this for years & served it with everything from steaks to fish to veggies & even topped soups & beans on toast with it.
Just a quick note on buying meat…please always buy the best quality, highest welfare that you can & ALWAYS make sure it is British. Most supermarkets now make it very easy to identify where the meat you are buying has come from.
So why is it important to care about the quality of the meat you buy? In the UK, we have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, but unfortunately the government seems to be doing everything it can to import low cost, unethically raised meat from outside the UK into our food chain, which results in prices being forced down & British farmers getting truly screwed over.
Organic is the highest standard in the UK & organic accreditation doesn’t just mean that the use of GMO’s are prohibited, the Soil Association Organic standards also focus on environmental practises & animal welfare.
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the chicken
1kg higher welfare chicken thighs & drumsticks or legs
700g British baby potatoes, cut into 1/2 cm slices
1 red onion, quartered
1 glass white wine or vermouth
1 whole bulb garlic + 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 lemon
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 baby gem lettuce, sliced in half lengthways
1 handful olives
For the Salsa Verde
3 TSP capers
3 TSP extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove
Salt & pepper
Method
Start by making the chicken marinade by adding the white wine, x2 grated garlic cloves, 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, zest of 1 lemon & salt & pepper, to a bowl & mix well.
Put the chicken in an airtight container or large dish & coat in the marinade. Put this in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight if you have time.
Pre-heat the oven to 190℃.
Once the chicken has had time to marinate, add the sliced potatoes, onions, olives, chicken (skin side up), all the marinade, plus a whole garlic bulb & whole lemon both cut in half to an ovenproof dish & cook for 25 minutes.
Whilst the chicken is cooking, make the salsa verde by adding all the ingredients to a blender or pestle & mortar & combine. Taste & add more seasoning if needed.
After the chicken has been in the oven for 25 minutes, add the halved lettuce, drizzle with a little olive oil & some salt & continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Check the chicken is cooked through & serve with the salsa verde.
