Sloe Whisky



 

 

I'm a big fan of Sloe gin, but the pursuit of different ways of using my wild gatherings is an addictive and enjoyable one. A fruit-whisky-sugar combination works fabulously well in the Scottish classic Cranachan; I see no reason why this should be any least successful. High hopes rest on getting a bit of game involved with the soon-to-be ruby mixture during the cold winter months of the new year, not to mention a cocktail or two.

 

40cl Whisky (it's best not to use anything to fancy/expensive, in a similar fashion to Sloe Gin making)

125g Granulated sugar

Roughly two large handfuls of Sloes

Half a cinnamon stick

A couple of cloves

 

Pour the sugar into a bottle with the Whisky, add the spices and then fill to the rim with sloes. Gently agitate the bottle daily for the first 7 days and weekly thereafter to help everything blend together. It'll taste good after about three months, but patience is rewarded.

Pumpkin gnocchi with wild mushroom and chestnut butter

29th October

The willows seem to have been worse affected by the storm. Jagged splinters of wood fissure skyward along the river bank as we trudge down the hill towards the wood; the weather is brooding and unsettled. Clear blue sky and blazing sun one moment, a dark cloak of slate cloud and rain the other - we shelter under an old Oak during one particularly enthusiastic monsoon and stumble upon a large Hen of the woods mushroom nestling at the base of the trunk. Teamed with a pocketful of Sweet Chestnuts that we found earlier on in the walk, lunch appears to be gradually coming together. This is the beauty of foraging for me - the element of chance involved in any one given foray. You can use pumpkin or squash in this recipe; a sprinkle of crispy sage leaves are a worthy addition if you have them at hand.

600g Pumpkin, skin removed and cut into chunks
Fresh Thyme
Freshly ground nutmeg
Olive oil
3/4 Pint chicken stock
200g Plain flour
A handful of wild mushrooms (I used Hen of the woods, but shop-bought mushrooms work equally well)

1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1Tbsp Chopped roast chestnuts
A large knob of Butter

1 Heat the oven to 180c/160c fan/Gas 4. Spread the pumpkin chunks out evenly in a large roasting tin. Season, add a drizzle of olive oil, teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves and a pinch of nutmeg, then roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
2 While the pumpkin is roasting, heat the stock in a saucepan. Add the roasted pumpkin to a blender, then pour over the stock. Blitz until you have a smooth, thick, soup-like mixture, then pour back into the pan.
3 Keep the pumpkin mixture on a low heat and slowly sieve in the flour, stirring continuously as you do so. It'll gradually start to thicken to a dough-like consistency. Spoon into a bowl and leave to cool.
4 There are plenty of ways of shaping gnocchi, but in this instance I found this technique to be a quick and easy way that suits the dough consistency of this recipe. Take two spoons. Use one spoon to chop off a gnocchi-sized portion of mixture in the bowl, then scoop up using the side of the bowl to form a rugby ball-shaped gnocchi as you do so (see step pic). Use to second spoon to scoop underneath the little gnocchis (gnocchlets?) and let them drop into a hot oiled pan. Fry until golden.

5 Melt the butter in a pan with the garlic, then soften the mushrooms in the hot butter for 5 minutes. Just before serving stir in the chopped chestnuts then spoon over the crispy gnocchi.

Toasted pumpkin seeds with smoked paprika

Late summer cider

 

Potting shed marrows

Prop styling: Tony Hutchinson

Crispy chicken thighs with griddled peaches, rosemary and honey

The promise of a glut of Autumnal fruit is swelling in the hedgerows. I think that our year of strange weather has been beneficial in it's own off-kilter way; the brambles along the lane jostle with little green blackberries, while there also looks to be a good crop of Wild cherry plums (albeit a late one, as everything is this year). In the interim we're making the best of the strawberries from the Pick your own, plus sunshine fruits like peaches and apricots. This subtly spiced chicken dish is perfect for a dusky evening supper, washed down with a crisp glass of dry rose.

2Tbsp Plain flour
2Tsp Ground cumin
6 Chicken thighs (skin left on)
3 Large peaches, cut in half with stones removed
A sprig of rosemary, leaves stripped from stem
2 Red onions, roughly chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 Cinnamon stick
2 Star anise
2Tbsp Honey
Salt & pepper

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the flour and cumin on a plate with a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Coat the chicken in the flour, then fry in a splash of oil until golden. Pop onto a baking dish and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
2 While the chicken is cooking, drain any excess fat from the frying pan and place back on the heat. Add the rosemary, garlic, onions, cinnamon and star anise, then keep on low so that the onions start to soften. Heat a griddle pan with a brush of olive oil, then cook the peach halves; cut side down first, then for a slightly shorter time on the underside.
3 Stir the honey into the softened onions, then spoon over the chicken and peaches.

Gooseberry and elderflower pies

I love the ease of a free-form fruit pie. No need for a tin or dish; just gather up the sides of the pastry and carefully press around the filling. You've essentially created a scruffy-looking pastry bowl; one that looks all the better for it's irregularity and absence of uniformity. Gooseberries are at their best right now; there's a wonderful Pick Your Own just down the road from us, and these little jade marvels were half the price of the Strawberries a few rows down - always a bonus. Makes 4 small pies.

700g Gooseberries
100g Granulated sugar
A generous splash of Elderflower cordial
600g Shortcrust pastry
1 Egg, beaten
Demerara sugar

1 Heat your oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Simmer the gooseberries on a low heat with the sugar and elderflower cordial for about 5 minutes; the berries need to soften slightly but still retain their shape.
2 Roll the pastry out on a floured surface until approximately 3mm thick. Place a dinner plate onto the pastry before trimming to leave a circular disc of pastry. Gently position a smaller, saucer-sized plate in the centre of the disc, then use the blunt back edge of a knife to lightly score an inner circle.
3 Spoon gooseberries into the inner circle, taking care not to go over the score line. Bring the pastry sides up around the sides of the filling, then shape around the fruit. If the filling sits a bit low in the pie once the sides have been brought up, spoon in a few more gooseberries. Brush the pastry with beaten egg, then sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
4 Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crumbly. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whatever takes your fancy.